One of my favorite sessions last year at Tales of the Cocktail was Tiki Drinks from A to Zombie. And to everyone’s great shock, I’m sure, I have plans to attend Potions of the Caribbean, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s upcoming panel featuring some notable guests: Wayne Curtis, Martin Cate, Stephen Remsberg, and Brother Cleve. [...]

I found myself planning a last minute trip into the depths of Washington DC this past Thursday. The last time I was in the city, I was but a wee pup, and the lures of spirit and food were but a flicker in my eye. Not this time, however. I fully intended [...]

San Francisco’s 2nd annual Cocktail Week kicked off last night with free cocktails at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room atop the Sir Francis Drake hotel. The place was packed, as you might expect when one of the city’s cocktail hot spots is giving away the goods. Denton himself (at right) was on hand, along with [...]

Gaze upon the words of Charles H. Baker, Jr. and be instantly transported to the high mountains of Luzon, the pre-prohibition days of New York, or to Jamaica where you’ll dine with a retired British army man named Wilson. It doesn’t matter where he takes you - it’s always interesting, and sometimes dangerous.
After reading [...]

For 95% of bar goers, “bitters” are an unknown substance. And of that 5% who have discovered the secret treasure, probably less than 1% actually know bitters as anything beyond that mis-wrapped bottle with a yellow cap crusted to the top with sticky brown goo.

Then again, those few people probably have a blog and [...]

China Clipper

1oz lemon juice
1oz five spice syrup
2oz aged amber rum (Cruzan Estate Dark, Appleton Estates V/X, Brugal Anejo, Lemon Hart 80 pf, or Pyrat XO)
Lemon twist, for garnish

Shake with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish.
Source: Forbidden Island
Five Spice Syrup
Combine 1 rounded teaspoon of five spice powder with 2c of sugar and 1c [...]

Orange Viola

1.5oz gin
3/4oz Campari
1/2oz passion fruit syrup
1 dash orange bitters
orange twist, for garnish

Shake with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with or without ice. Garnish.
Source: Kaiser Penguin

When I opened my mailbox today I was greeted with two morsels of joy. The first was a bright orange GameFly package containing Big Brain Academy [...]

“I’d like a Martinez, heavy on the vermouth, warmed in the microwave for 23 seconds.”
What’s the difference between a chilled cocktail and an Arctic-cold cocktail? One word: perfection. The colder you can get a drink and the longer you can keep it cold, the better.
I could make this article a treatise on the [...]

Before the spirit of the Olympics fades, I must share this cocktail with you. It introduces an interesting ingredient too: Campari.

Lucien Gaudin

1oz gin
1/2oz triple sec
1/2oz Campari
1/2oz dry vermouth
orange twist

Stir with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
From: Vintage Spirts and Forgotten Cocktails, Dr. Cocktail

Campari needs an introduction. [...]