Year: 2008
For a long time Johnnie Walker Green Label was really hard to find — I ended up buying my bottle via mail order, then drinking very little of it. That all changed relatively recently: Now you can buy Green Label at Safeway. I set out to see what’s up with a good old-fashioned Green Label…
Artisanal bitters are all the rage these days, with no producer more hallowed than Fee Brothers. (I rely on their Orange Bitters religiously, so I’m a devotee.) But I’d never tried Fee’s “Old Fashion Aromatic” Bitters until recently. Angostura’s always worked for me, so why change? Well today I finally put Fee Old Fashion head…
I had no idea how combative the idea of caffeinated spirits would be: Vicious Vodka claims to have originated the idea six years ago, fighting for months for government approval to add caffeine to booze. The company has a patent on its production process and remains a small, deeply devoted player in this market, with…
Got samples of my two favorite-named Scotch whiskies, which are now becoming quite widely available in the U.S. market. How do they fare in tastings? Sheep Dip Malt Whiskey Review This golden-colored, vatted malt is a blend of 16 single malt whiskies aged between 8 and 21 years, its name arising from British farmers’ slang…
People agonize over what brand gin or vodka to use in their martini, but precious little thought tends to go into the selection of vermouth. Today I’ve done something most would deem unthinkable: Drink vermouth straight. Why? Because Noilly Prat, the French maker of one of the world’s best-selling brands of vermouth, is changing its…
While I was pleasantly surprised to find that the recent Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wine Basics was a credible and well-written introductory guide to the world of wine, another book from the Idiot’s series unfortunately bears little similarity. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Bartending, by Amy Zavatto, boasts 1,500 recipes on its cover, but sheer…
…this is what you get for Christmas. Not that I’m complaining!
What we’re drinking this evening in the Christmas aftermath, recipe courtesy of Ron Atlantico. (There are of course dozens of variations on Hot Buttered Rum, but Atlantico’s is pretty tasty.) Hot Buttered Rum 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 2 cups light brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg Pinch ground cloves Pinch…
Author and mixologist Dale Degroff was in town recently to promote his new book, The Essential Cocktail, and while I sadly missed the promotional soiree, I did at least get a copy of the book to check out. All in all this is an excellent and accessible introduction to classic cocktails and their newer variants.…
Happened upon this bottle of Rowan’s Creek Bourbon at my local liquor store and was intrigued by the almost scrawled logo on the label and hand-numbered coding. Some thoughts on what’s inside. At 100.1 proof, it’s a hot whiskey and needs a bit of water to bring out anything other than heavy alcoholic characteristics. With…