Drinks Wire

Great Cocktails Start at the Door

Tonight, I found myself near what I had heard was one of the best new bars in San Francisco and thought I’d give it a try. The place is called, Rickhouse, and is owned by the same folks who own Bourbon & Branch. Unfortunately, I was not able to actually get a drink. Initially, I was very impressed by the enormously compressive drink menu. The ladies next to me admitted that it was a little … Read more

Xante Liqueur Review

Xante is a pear and cognac liqueur. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, it is.

The pear nose on this liqueur goes right to the edge of being too sweet and stops just in time. It’s a pleasant aroma, like a pear stripped of its water leaving only the sugar.

I was afraid it would be sickly-sweet tasting. But the initial burst of sweet pear gives way to a richer cognac and vanilla flavor. Then comes … Read more

Mad Men Season 3 Premiere Cocktail Party

post icon

Finally! Season 3 of Mad Men premieres August 16. And it’s just not Mad Men without booze.

Who can forget when Sally Draper mixed a Tom Collins for the grownups? Or when Don Draper wooed Rachel Menken with one of the prettiest Mai Tais I’ve ever seen? And of course there was Freddy Rumson’s … incident in the office after one Screwdriver too many.

So what better way to celebrate the start of this new … Read more

Açai Blackberry Cooler

After a Mixology Monday hiatus following Tales of the Cocktail, we are back on track for August. Felicia’s Speakeasy is hosting the event this month. The theme? Vodka is Your Friend. Yes, it is.

I decided to make this from a few ingredients I picked up in New Orleans. I settled on 360 Organic vodka, açai blackberry syrup and ginger ale for bite. I’m calling it the Açai Blackberry Cooler.… Read more

Watermelon Granita

This Week’s Drink is brought to us by guest blogger Caitlin D. (@catincal).

I’m the kind of girl who giggles for no reason, loves twirly dresses and is the first to grab a karaoke microphone. Oh, and I love cocktails.

I’m a huge fan of outdoor dinner parties in the summer and love matching a festive, seasonal drink to a traditional BBQ menu. One of my favorite bartenders, Esteban Ordonez, created the following recipe with … Read more

Some Pushing for More Regulation of Caffeinated Alcohol

People have been mixing alcohol and caffeine for a long time whether it’s a rum and coke or vodka and Red Bull. So it was only natural that liquor and beer companies would come up with their own caffeinated concoctions, such as JETT Vodka, Liquid Charge and Joose.

Now some regulators and advocacy groups are claiming that the practice needs to be regulated more, stating that caffeine and alcohol are a dangerous combination.

Some scientific

Read more

Black Maple Hill Bourbon Review

Black Maple Hill is a damn fine, 95-proof bourbon at a damn fine price. My friends and I call it “the one that smells like bananas,” but there’s more to it than its tropical nose.

It starts out mellow on the tongue with a bit of a sweet, fruity taste and quickly brings on a little heat to let you know that, yes, this is Kentucky bourbon you’re drinking. The result is a solid, complex … Read more

Luxe Hunt: Find a Sticker, Win $100,000 Brandy

Luxe Coterie, a high-end jewelry and spirits company, will hide a sticker in New York City on August 21. Whoever finds that sticker can redeem it for a rare bottle of Mendis Coconut Brandy worth $100,000. This particular bottle is signed by the founder and sealed in gold leaf.

The company will provide clues to the sticker’s whereabouts via Twitter. Hunters will have from 9 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on August 21 to find the … Read more

Auditions for “The Winemakers” Reality TV Series Set in France

Got what it takes to be a winemaker? Want to create your own national wine label? Then audition for the Public Television series “The Winemakers” for a chance to go to Rhone, France and prove yourself.

Auditions will be held July 27 in San Francisco and August 3 in New York. If you can’t make it to either of those, you can upload a two-minute video audition which will be judged by popular vote.

THE

Read more

National Tequila Day Roundup

Today, July 24, is National Tequila Day. And to get in the mood, we had an informal tequila tasting in my kitchen. We tried several brands that have arrived in the last week or so and a few little bottles procured from the media schwag room at Tales of the Cocktail. Before we get into what we tasted, here are a few quick facts about tequila and agave:

– Although there are more than 200 … Read more