“Red meat and gin.” – Julia Child, when asked about her longevity. “The gin and tonic has saved more lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the empire.” – Winston Churchill “I’ll stick with gin. Champagne is just ginger ale that knows somebody,” – Hawkeye Pierce Gin – which Read More
Today's martini started with North Shore Distiller's Gin No. 6. It's a lovely gin, a bit off-dry, with juniper that gives way to Valencia orange and honeysuckle. We went through 9 different vermouths, and a few more combinations, before hitting on the preferred recipe to match this gin. North Shore Read More
The Edinburgh Gin distillery is located in the west end of Edinburgh, where they make distinctive Gins int he land of Whisky. Edinburgh Gin The first, the 86 proof namesake, is a classic London Dry style with a twist of citrus. Juniper is clear on the nose. It is far Read More
First came the craft beer revolution – taking the USA from a mere 92 breweries in 1980, to the current total of almost 2,400. Then came organic, biodynamic and natural wine, niche movements that are nonetheless now shifting millions of dollars worth of wine around the globe. But natural wine has long since been Read More
Distillery No. 209, in San Francisco, makes two special spirits which are Kosher for Passover. Before Passover, Jewish families cleanse their households of any grains, or anything made from grains. That includes the obvious, like bread, and the less obvious like single malt scotch or aged bourbon (don't get too excited, Read More
Back in my bartending days (many, many years ago) we rarely ventured outside of anything more complicated than a martini or a Manhattan, and we hated anyone asking for a blender drink. (“Sorry, the blender is broken. “) But now we are in the grip of the craft cocktail craze. Read More
Gin is getting its groove back. In the past five years or so, scores of new gins have hit the market, some entirely new products, some new twists on existing brews. Countries not known for gin, like Spain, have new brands and micro-distillers have been pushing the envelope on what Read More