Gin is finding its way into more and more cocktails as fall turns to winter, and absinthe isn’t far behind. The lonely bottle of falernum sits idly in the refrigerator, begging me to make another tiki drink, but I’ve found other uses for it … Le Demon Vert 1 1/2oz gin (used Plymouth) 1/2oz absinthe […]

(glass provided by the fine folks over at Cocktail Vibe) A comforting red hue fills my glass. Aromas of raspberry, ginger, and vinegar waft into the air. It’s not cool enough yet for gins and whiskeys to start taking the place of rums and juices, but tiki season is fading. For some reason this drink […]

I have little doubt that one or more of our illustrious group of cocktailians will plunge headfirst into the the history of the gin fizz. If not, Eric Felten does more than a fine job of detailing its origins and downfall in How’s Your Drink? which should be hitting shelves before yuletide. For those of […]

I am totally amazed how the Test Pilot has evolved since my post about it over a year ago. The first time I made it, I used the following recipe: Test Pilot 1/2oz lime juice 1/2oz falernum 1/2oz Cointreau 1 dash Angostura bitters 1/8t Pernod 3/4oz light Puerto Rican rum 1 1/2oz dark Jamaican rum […]

I have had quite the love and hate relationship with the Pearl Diver’s Punch this week. 100% of the hate comes from making it and 100% of the love comes from drinking it. This drink, simply put, is the Thomas Keller of exotic cocktails. For those of you not familiar with the joys of the […]

My goal this post is to motivate those of you who haven’t made falernum or cinnamon syrup to do so. Neither takes the obligatory month and a half like pimento dram. In fact, if you were to start a batch of each after work on Friday, you’d be sipping this cocktail Saturday evening. Cinnamon Syrup […]

It was wonderful to see so many de-lurkers show their faces on Kaiser Penguin. I thought it was going to be easy giving away the three copies of Intoxica!, but you all submitted such tasty recipes and made the comment section fun and informative. So, I will be selecting three of you at random from […]

After enjoying the Coronado Luau Special for the first time at Forbidden Island, I knew I must add it to my overwhelming collection of tiki drinks that make up the summer schedule. I rushed home and eagerly flipped through the citrus-stained and rum-marked pages of Berry’s books for the recipe … I must pause to […]

I had the opportunity to try Old Raj gin this past summer at a bar in Ithaca, NY. Though after browsing the cocktail menu and watching the bartender, I knew that I had better play it safe. So I decided I’d ask for a martini with tons of vermouth; “way more than you would ever […]