Sometimes, you just want the essence of the spirit you’re using in a drink. If you’re just looking for the aromatics of a mixer or to keep a strong-tasting liqueur from overwhelming a drink, just a little goes a long way. Of course, you can just try to pour a 16th of an ounce of […]
Barrel Aging at Home – Part I
December 29, 2013 By 6 Comments
A few months ago, my wife bought me a 2-liter oak barrel used for aging spirits. Who knew such a thing existed on such a small scale? As it turns out, you can get barrels in almost any size you’d like. Small barrels age the wine, spirits or beer in them much faster than larger […]
Pineapple and Vanilla Infused Tequila
October 18, 2013 By 12 Comments
Infusions are intimidating, but they are really very easy. Cut up some fruit, throw in a little of this and a little of that, add liquor and wait a while. That’s about it. We’ve talked about infusions before with our Pineapple Infused Vodka and Hot Tamales Infused Vodka. Both are fabulous and mix well in […]
Mint Simple Syrup
July 11, 2013 By 2 Comments
In some ways this is almost too simple to devote a post to, but I know that I resisted making syrup for a while, so my hope is that describing how easy it is will help you take the plunge. Mint Simple Syrup is used in two very popular classic cocktails: the Mint Julep, and […]
Testing Quantities
June 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment
One of the challenges for the amateur mixologist is trying to find the right ratios of ingredients. Even with classic cocktails, you can find recipes with a range of ratios, and you need to decide how you like it made, not only for enjoyment’s sake but to “make it your own.” Unfortunately, it’s a bit […]
Old-Fashioned
April 3, 2013 By 3 Comments
In the early 19th century, cocktails were a mixture of a liquor, bitters, sugar and water. Later, mixers like Triple Sec and Absinthe became more widely available and were commonly used in cocktails. After bars started stocking these newfangled additives, when someone wanted an old-style drink, they simply asked for an “Old Fashioned.” The Old-Fashioned […]
Ordering Cocktails at Restaurants
March 20, 2013 By 2 Comments
We took a little road trip this weekend to southwest Colorado, enjoying a little skiing, hiking, and hot springs. On Sunday we went out for a nice dinner, and the food was excellent, but the cocktail situation left a lot to be desired. A quick glance suggested that the restaurant had a “full bar,” so […]
Starting Your Bar
March 9, 2013 By 6 Comments
A while back, Dave and I published a list of what we felt were the essential liquors for a well stocked bar. Since then, several people have asked us where to start, how to build a bar on a budget and what are our favorites. So, we put together the table below. It shows three […]
Hot Tamales Infusion
February 7, 2013 By 2 Comments
Don’t be intimidated by infusions. While they take a little time, they are very easy to do and offer up some tastes that you just can’t buy. I spent many months last year experimenting with infusions, several of which I’ll share with you here. Today, I’ll explain how to make my absolute favorite, the Hot […]
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