Dry January is a convenient concept. It allows us to assuage the guilt we have about over-indulging during the Holidays – and during the rest of the year, for that matter. Every January, many people suddenly attempt to drink no alcohol at all for a whole month. For a variety Read More
Cocktail lovers, take heed. This new sherry-based vermouth from Gonzalez Byass is going to give you something to shout about. It's a revival of the 19th century La Copa vermouth, made from 8-year old Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries, with wormwood, clove, orange peel, nutmeg, angelica and quinine. The orange peel has Read More
To celebrate Vermouth Day, I decided to open a couple bottles of La Pivón from Madrid. But maybe I should talk about what Vermouth is, before I get specific about this one. Because I’ve found that most people don’t really know what Vermouth is, even if they have a bottle Read More
Vermouth is the most underappreciated wine in the U.S. Most people don't realize that vermouth IS wine: that's the beginning of the problem. Imagine how much you would like Pinot Noir if you only drank it after it had been open for two months at room temperature. Recently I reviewed Read More
Have you tried them yet? DIY Vermouth Researching vermouth for my next book, I found not only a groundswell of popularity for artisanal versions, but also a whole DIY vermouth movement. Not so suprising, I guess, considering the current trend of make-your own cocktails. But I was somewhat startled to 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
Monday. The toughest day of the week. So we're going to top them off for a while with martinis, Monday Martinis. What is a Monday Martini? First, of all, it's a martini. That means it is made with gin and vermouth. There won't be any stories about perfect moonbeams, or Read More
Monday. The toughest day of the week. So we're going to top them off for a while with martinis, Monday Martinis. What is a Monday Martini? First, of all, it's a martini. That means it is made with gin and vermouth. There won't be any stories about perfect moonbeams, or Read More