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 li
Barrel Aging at Home – Part I
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
Pineapple and Vanilla Infused Tequila
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
Mint Simple Syrup
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
Testing Quantities
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
Old-Fashioned
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.
Ordering Cocktails at Restaurants
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
Starting Your Bar
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
Hot Tamales Infusion
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,