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My Weekend at the MCC 2012: Part III
Published on 2012-05-24 14:22:00
On Monday of my Manhattan Cocktail Classic trip, I switched gears a bit and spent a good chunk of the day as a volunteer for the MCC helping with event check-ins, rather than as attendee. > read more
My Weekend at the MCC 2012: Part II
Published on 2012-05-18 07:00:00
Dushan Zaric at MCC Handcrafted Cocktails seminarSunday of my MCC weekend was a bit more > read more
My Weekend at the MCC 2012: Part I
Published on 2012-05-16 07:36:00
Cacao Prieto's hybrid copper pot stillThe weekend has passed, but what a fun weekend! > read more
Friday Night at the MCC
Published on 2012-05-12 10:37:00
The Manhattan Cocktail Classic started off the weekend with a bang Friday night with the opening gala at the New York Public Library. > read more
Manhattan Cocktail Classic 2012
Published on 2012-05-11 12:47:00
Greetings all! > read more
Holiday Gift Ideas for the Cocktail and Spirits Lover: 2011
Published on 2011-12-09 10:01:00
It's that time of year again, so I thought I'd provide a few updates in the area of holiday gift ideas for anyone that is still hunting for that perfect gift. I stick by the suggestions I made in my post last year, so rather than go through in quite so much detail, this time around I'm going to focus on new, or newly discovered, products that have caught my eye as gift ideas.Books:There have been several worthwhile reads that have caught my eye in this past year. Perhaps tops among them is the [..] > read more
Happy Repeal Day 2011!
Published on 2011-12-05 06:00:00
Today, December 5th, marks the 78th anniversary of the repeal of the 21st Amendment, also known as Repeal Day! For those of you in Boston, LUPEC Boston is hosting a Repeal Day Bash tonight to honor the occasion - more details here. Other Boston area festivities include a celebratory dinner at Church and another Rowes Warf Sea Grille. Failing that, you can always make your own celebration by visiting a your local tavern of choice or just hoisting one back at home. If you want some inspiring c [..] > read more
Bitters in the City
Published on 2011-11-29 06:00:00
This past week, I took advantage of my usual southward migration for the Thanksgiving (to CT, that is), to stop off in New York to do a little visiting of friends and places. During this trip, I managed to stop in at Amor y Amargo, a relatively new experiment from the makers of the Bittermen's brand bitters and Ravi DeRossi, the mind behind a number of high end cocktail bars including the wonderful Death & Company, which conveniently enough is right down the street from Amor y Amargo down in th [..] > read more
Local Events: Shakin' It Up this Sunday
Published on 2011-11-10 21:12:00
For those looking to put a little spice into their Sunday night this weekend, the Greater Boston Beverage Society, a non-profit "organization developed to preserve and promote Boston’s cocktail and hospitality culture and spirits history," is hosting its first big event this Sunday, Nov. 13th: Shakin' It Up at the House of Blues. The event will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment for the price of admission. Said entertainment will include a bartending competition, live c [..] > read more
A First Forfay Into Phosphates
Published on 2011-10-07 06:00:00
Once upon a time, in a far off land known as Canada, there was a recovering chemist named Darcy O'Neil. One day, he took his chemist skills, married them with his appreciation for bar-tending and vintage cocktails, and created the website Art of Drink, which would become one the most visited of all cocktail blogs on the Web. One of the more recent of Darcy's undertakings has been exploring the lost art of the soda fountain, which he did first on his site, and then in a book published at the en [..] > read more
TV Time: Ken Burns' Prohibition
Published on 2011-09-30 11:20:00
So in addition to being a bit of a cocktail buff, I'm also a bit of a history buff. For both reasons, I'm interested in checking out the new three-part documentary Prohibition, which airs Sunday, Oct. 2nd - Tuesday Oct. 4th at 8pm on PBS. Directed by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick, the film is set to explore the Prohibition era from its roots to its unintended consequences. From the film's website: The story of Prohibition's rise and fall is a compelling saga that goes far beyond the oft-told tales [..] > read more
Stocking a New Home Bar
Published on 2011-09-23 06:00:00
Greetings! My apologies for the long summer hiatus, but unfortunately other activities pulled me away for a while, first and foremost among them finding and purchasing my first home! Now that that is done and I've settled in, I'm back on track (or back on the wagon, if you prefer). Further, with the purchase of a new home, comes the buying of many many things to stock and set it up. So, in that spirit, I thought it might be a good time to throw my two cents in on a topic that often gets many [..] > read more
American Craft Beer Festival in Boston this Weekend!
Published on 2011-06-01 20:39:00
A hot tip for Bostonian beer lovers -- the American Craft Beer Festival (ACBF) is being held this weekend, Friday June 3rd - Saturday June 4th, at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. There is one evening session on Friday and a morning an > read more
Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Day 3
Published on 2011-05-17 08:28:00
So alas, due to the beckon call of the real world (i.e. my day job), this was my last day at then MCC. I started the day with a seminar entitled "Spirits in a Blind, or How Spirits Professionals Describe Spirits with Something Other than 'I Like it, > read more
Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Day 2
Published on 2011-05-17 08:27:00
I spent a good chunk of today as a volunteer at the MCC working the welcome table rather than as an attendee, so I have less to report on than yesterday. However, I can definitely say that it was my experience that this is a very well-run event with > read more
Manhattan Cocktail Classic Day 1
Published on 2011-05-14 23:38:00
I've just wrapped up my first day at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, and while I am bummed to have missed the opening gala (I heard it was awesome), it has been a blast so far. I started the day with a session on the Science of Mixology with engine > read more
Off to the Manhattan Cocktail Classic!
Published on 2011-05-13 21:12:00
This weekend should be a blast, as I will be off to the previously mentioned Manhattan Cocktail Classic! Sadly, I am missing the opening gala, but I will be in town tomorrow to attend a few seminars (and enjoy a few drinks), and will be volunte > read more
Gin Tasting Results
Published on 2011-04-27 23:16:00
A few weeks ago, I took a stab at hosting my first ever spirits tasting for a group of friends, with the spirit de jour: gin. There were approximately 15 attendees (plus a few other attendees that made it for parts of the event), ranging > read more
Manhattan Cocktail Classic Tickets, Plus Boston Area Events
Published on 2011-04-01 06:00:00
Alas, it has been far too long since my last post, but I hope to be back in the swing of things shortly. In the meantime, some fun events are on the horizon that you should know about!First, tickets go on sale at noon today, April 1st, for the > read more
On Citrus, Part II: Garnishes
Published on 2011-02-21 07:02:00
Citrus garnishes have a time honored role in mixed drinks as both a decorative flare, and a subtle, but important element in a well-made cocktail. There is plenty of information readily available on how to properly create citrus garnishes from sourc > read more
On Citrus and Drinks, Part I: An Introduction
Published on 2011-02-08 23:40:00
With the Boston snow accumulation looking to soon surpass Shaq level, it's hard to picture these wintry months as a good season for citrus. Nevertheless, tis true even (thanks in no small part to globalization) in Boston. A trip to a good > read more
Book Review: Boozehound, by Jason Wilson
Published on 2011-01-19 23:52:00
Phew! It has been an age, but I am finally catching up after some post holiday chaos. I figured I'd start the year off with a book review on a book I received as a Christmas gift, Jason Wilson's Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, > read more
Merry Christmas, and as a Stocking Suffer: Some Last Minute Drink Ideas
Published on 2010-12-24 12:11:00
First off, a Merry Christmas to those that celebrate the impending holiday, and whether you fall into that category or not, best wishes to you and yours in this holiday season. I've been a bit too busy with the holidays to delve deeply into pos > read more
Local Events: LUPEC Boston Holiday Punch Party
Published on 2010-12-19 16:10:00
I wanted to give a plug for the Holiday Punch Party hosted by the Boston chapter of the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) tomorrow night (Monday Dec. 20th) from 6-11pm at Trina's Starlight Lounge in Somerville. & > read more
Mixology Monday (MxMo LIII): The Painkiller
Published on 2010-12-13 17:47:00
This month's Mixology Monday is hosted by Chris Amirault of eGullet's Spirits & Cocktails forum. The theme: "Like that? You'll love this." The idea behind the theme is basically the question of what gateway drink might one > read more
Drinks for the Season: Coquito
Published on 2010-12-09 18:13:00
For today's seasonal drink, I'm sticking to my multi-cultural theme with a Puerto Rican Christmas time drink, Coquito. Coquito is essentially a variant of eggnog, but has the distinctive characteristic of the addition of coconut cream (or cocon > read more
Gift Ideas for the Holidays **Updated 12/10**
Published on 2010-12-07 18:47:00
**Thanks to some feedback and additional links that have been circulating the web, I have added a few new items and links to other gift guides. Enjoy!**The number of shopping days for the holiday season continue to dwindle, but if you are anything l > read more
Happy Repeal Day
Published on 2010-12-05 11:59:00
December 5th marks the anniversary of Repeal Day, the day in 1933 when the 21st Amendment was ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and ending Prohibition. Lucky invitees in the DC area were able to celebrate in style last night at the 4th ann > read more
Some Like It Hot
Published on 2010-11-30 23:01:00
I was looking though my inbox today, and an update notice from Small Screen Network caught my eye by mentioning a classic drink that I had been researching quite recently, the Blue Blazer. The Blue Blazer was actually a drink I had thought abou > read more
Drinks for the Season: Krupnik
Published on 2010-11-28 21:57:00
As a person of Polish heritage, I feel that I would be remiss if my list of seasonal/holiday drinks did not include a taste of Polish culture. So with that, I bring you: Krupnik! Krupnik is a traditional Polish spiced honey liqueur > read more
Thanksgiving Cocktails
Published on 2010-11-23 00:00:00
Turkey Day commeth! So, for anyone looking for a little something by way of drinks for the holiday, here's a few ideas. Let's start with a pretty simple one, the Turkey Feather.Turkey Feather2 oz. Bourbon (Wild Turkey is the obvious choice > read more