Bartending, as a profession, is a fairly new invention in the grand scheme of human history. Alcohol is not; we've been making wine for thousands of years, and there are some people who believe the earliest hunter-gatherers settled down and learned to cultivate fields not to feed themselves, but to grow grain for beermaking. (Whether or not that's true, one of the earliest laws devised as humans staggered out of the Middle Ages and toward enlightenment concerned beer purity.)
But I digress. During the majority of history of human drinking, if you wanted to drink something other than beer, wine,
Archive for Mixed Drinks
Saratoga
by Dennis Mayer on February 24th, 2012 | Cocktails, Mixed Drinks
We certainly are having a strange winter in New England -- what, with 50-degree days, trees and flowers hesitantly blooming, and not a snowdrift in sight.
What to drink, then? It's a continual problem I've mentioned more than once -- but once again, I think I've found a decent solution that balances the needs of winter and spring. A good gateway drink between the season we're leaving (or, at least, the one we were supposed to be experiencing) and the one we're approaching. I found this drink in Jerry Thomas's bartending guide, published in 1887. It's fairly simple, yet bracingly
What to drink, then? It's a continual problem I've mentioned more than once -- but once again, I think I've found a decent solution that balances the needs of winter and spring. A good gateway drink between the season we're leaving (or, at least, the one we were supposed to be experiencing) and the one we're approaching. I found this drink in Jerry Thomas's bartending guide, published in 1887. It's fairly simple, yet bracingly
Suffering Bastard
by Dennis Mayer on February 8th, 2012 | Cocktails, Mixed Drinks
I'll admit, I'm lost. I live in the Northeast, which means that at this point (in early February), I should be deep in the midst of winter cocktails. Brandy, dark rum, grog, Tom and Jerry, and the like. Drinks that warm the body and soul.
But the weather just isn't cooperating! Over the past week, I've had three days that look like fall, and one that could almost pass for early spring! And if you're like me, the seasonal uncertainty is very destabilizing. Not just in your cocktail choices, I'm sure, but still...
What to do? I'll admit, I didn't know
But the weather just isn't cooperating! Over the past week, I've had three days that look like fall, and one that could almost pass for early spring! And if you're like me, the seasonal uncertainty is very destabilizing. Not just in your cocktail choices, I'm sure, but still...
What to do? I'll admit, I didn't know
Long Story Short, Keep it Simple
by Jason Lightner on January 18th, 2012 | Liquor, Mixed Drinks
I've never been much into complex mixed drinks. I find them irritating to put together and a waste of time when you could be enjoying the simpler, finer things. That's why I tend to keep four go-to beverages in my pocket for when I go out with friends – a Jack and Coke, a Vodka and Tonic, a Gin and Tonic, or a simple draught beer.
In addition to keeping it simple, I'm never caught with my pants down when the bartender comes up and asks what I'll have. One cannot always be prepared, and one needs
In addition to keeping it simple, I'm never caught with my pants down when the bartender comes up and asks what I'll have. One cannot always be prepared, and one needs
Bloody Mary
by Dennis Mayer on December 13th, 2011 | Cocktails, Events, Mixed Drinks
The holiday season seems like as good a time as any to address the Bloody Mary -- the quintessential (almost to the point of cliché) morning-after hangover remedy.
You probably already have a fairly strong opinion on the Bloody Mary -- either you love it, or you can't stand it. Some people find the salty, spicy bite from the drink wakes up a bleary palate after a too-short night of boozy sleep. (Personally, I'm not sure it works any better than a strong cup of coffee.) Some people feel like the tomato juice, along with the celery garnish, make the
You probably already have a fairly strong opinion on the Bloody Mary -- either you love it, or you can't stand it. Some people find the salty, spicy bite from the drink wakes up a bleary palate after a too-short night of boozy sleep. (Personally, I'm not sure it works any better than a strong cup of coffee.) Some people feel like the tomato juice, along with the celery garnish, make the
