…to appropriate the vernacular of today’s youth. To wit: the Pisco Sour. Being snowed in, these made quite the tonic for cabin fever. (Followed by fondue, if you must know.) Given a bartender who mixes these correctly, home would become but a distant memory. 1 1/2 oz. pisco 3/4 oz. lemon juice 1 oz. heavy [...]

Via the electronic mail, from a relative in the McCulloch clan, a recipe for “Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies.” While I cannot personally recommend tequila for yuletide consumption, this does recall to mind injuries sustained whilst baking macaroons in the company of 16-year-old Lagavulin. Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies   1 cup of water 1 tsp baking soda [...]

Eric Felten has finally–or once again, I can’t say–gotten ’round to the Manhattan (“Democracy in a Glass,” The Wall Street Journal). As usual, he is quite informative and generally correct in his opinions. But while he does well to call for a better class of fruit (a Luxardo marasca cherry), I’ve never regretted the day [...]

Jason Wilson is a man after my own heart. I don’t normally care to dirty my hands in the kitchen, but perhaps it’s time for that to change. I had thought that drinking would be enow to while away my golden years, but likely I would enjoy making the drinks as well.

The Wall Street Journal‘s inestimable Eric Felten does it again with his history of the Sidecar. His recipe: 2 oz cognac ½ oz Cointreau ½ oz fresh lemon juice ¼ simple syrup (optional, to taste) Shake with ice and strain into a stemmed cocktail glass, the rim of which has been dusted with superfine sugar. [...]

Eric Felten, the Wall Street Journal‘s fine drinks writer, has done an admirable job documenting the history of this admirable cocktail, and his preferred proportions are shown below. I fear I shall require several Ward Eights as I watch the election returns on my grand-nephew’s television this evening. Or perhaps I’ll mix them in celebration [...]

Dinner last night at a wonderful Punjabi restaurant, the service spot on. Really reminded me of India under the Raj. I had several of these before the main course, and felt the November winds turn balmy as a Devonshire breeze. Most recipes don’t call for bitters, but there were certainly bitters in my drink, and [...]

Alas, New Orleans. That waterlogged city has a reputation for both enduring and serving hurricanes. But not all their drinks rely on corn syrup and food coloring. Several of the most interesting American cocktails have roots in New Orleans, and have that unique flavor that results from the clash of gall and the Gallic. The [...]

3/4 ounces gin 1/2 ounces brandy 1/2 ounces dry vermouth 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth Stir with ice and serve “up,” in a cocktail glass, with a lemon twist. I have lifted my recipe from Mr. Boston; many a drinksman has tampered with a fine recipe so that he might add his own name to it, [...]

1 & 1/2 ounces bourbon 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth healthy dash bitters The greatest cocktail of all time. Can be served either “up” or on the rocks. A stemmed maraschino cherry is optional. Rye whiskey may be substituted for bourbon, giving it a historical flavor. I recommend stirring rather than shaking, unless you enjoy crunching [...]