Rob Theakston
The secondary title of Fred Noe’s memoir could serve as ammunition for contentious debate among scholars and devotees of bourbon culture. “The Bold Story Of The First Family of Bourbon” is a hefty declaration when considering the many families of Kentucky whose heritage calls back several generations — some right down to the Commonwealth’s pioneering…
With the verdicts on the previous editions of the Drinkology series split right down the middle, I was curious which way the words would sway in this third Drinkology treatise, devoted to all things involving the almighty grape. Thankfully, it falls under the same category as its beer sibling: an engaging, educational guide about the wine…
Sunday is the most wonderful time of year for movie stars (and fans). It’s the only time where the media world stops and lavishes the cinematic arts with attention and praise for the well-done, A+ job they’ve contributed to furthering the discourse of humanity over the previous 11 months. In other words, it is time…
Given the recent onslaught of titles dedicating themselves to a single spirit or beverage, the bookshelf of the cocktail connoisseur may find itself with a little less room to spare these days. Thankfully Albert Schmid’s paean The Old Fashioned is compact enough at 110 pages to fit right in, leaving room for those massive wine…
In celebration of the United States holiday known as President’s Day: And you thought you knew how to party… (courtesy of our friends over at Lapham’s Quarterly)
Tony Abou-Ganim is a happy guy. In fact he’s so happy that within the first twenty pages of Vodka Distilled, the reader is treated to not one, but four photographs of Mr. Abou-Ganim flashing his pearly whites in various states of pose. And well he should be pleased himself: his 2010 opus The Modern Mixologist…
This week in Valentine’s Day recipes just keeps on coming, this time courtesy of the folks over at Effen vodka. The following recipes were tried and tested in our own bar, and were received with approval and enthusiasm. Effen Chocolate Covered Black Cherry 1 1/2 parts Effen Black Cherry Vodka 3/4 part DeKuyper Dark Crème…
With Valentine’s Day around the corner we felt it only appropriate to offer up a few suggestions for cocktails that might tickle the fancy of someone you love, or to enjoy by yourself. These recipes come to us courtesy of the folks at Skyy Vodka, which just launched a new strawberry vodka (review coming soon).…
The title is most certainly not a misnomer, as Henry G. Crowgey’s Kentucky Bourbon: The Early Years of Whiskeymaking wastes no time in immersing the reader in his world, beginning with a discussion of Egyptians, Moors and the migration of distillation practices to Europe. Originally published in 1971, this challenging read holds a venerable place…
Superstar cocktail creator Carlo Splendorini is no stranger to those familiar with the world of exotic drinks. He helped establish the Michelin-starred restaurant Michael Mina as a front-runner in San Francisco’s cocktail scene while racking up prizes in national and international competitions. For this Valentine’s Day, he offers up some twists using balsamic vinegar as…