F. Paul Pacult is the publisher of Spirit Journal and a recognized expert in the field. The man tastes eight liquors every morning—when he says his palate is at its best—and has reviewed thousands of spirits in his illustrious, booze-soaked…
Read MoreTo prep for Wednesday’s start to Tales of the Cocktail, some people rest their livers, while others expedite their demise with some Rusty Nails. I chose the latter. The Drambuie: Revisited, Revived & Remixed event at the Roosevelt Hotel featured…
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I recently sat down with Chris “Ludacris” Bridges in Dallas to discuss his cognac, Conjure. As the majority owner of Conjure, Ludacris went to France in early 2009 to research his new cognac. He spent time with Birkedal Hartmann’s master…
Read MoreDid you know there’s a Secret Sherry Society? Neither did I, but it exists, and among other endeavors, it apparently provides guys like me with sherry cocktail recipes. From the Society – “The leaders of the Secret Sherry Society selected…
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On June 28th, 12 Miami bartenders competed in Gran Sierpe Pisco’s “Iron Chef” mixology competition. Contestants were tasked with creating signature Gran Sierpe cocktails using secret ingredients, which ranged from ponzu sauce to chocolate bacon to garlic. The end result…
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Summer is an exciting time, especially for that one guy at your office who waits all winter to break out his seersucker suit. If you work for Congress, you probably wore one too on annual Seersucker Day. But you don’t…
Read MoreAccording to some new research commissioned by Chivas Brothers, nine out of 10 consumers believe that a whisky’s age statement serves as an indicator of quality. But oddly enough, most of these same consumers don’t understand what an age statement…
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If you’re bored with fruit-flavored vodkas, don’t despair. Now you’ve got options in the meat-flavored category. First it was Bakon Vodka, which enjoyed a successful launch last year, and now an Alaska distiller has produced a smoked salmon vodka. I…
Read MoreVodka enjoys the rare distinction of being the most consumed liquor in the world, while simultaneously being the liquor most detested by cocktail bloggers and booze snobs. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the stuff. It’s like chicken – unexciting but…
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Zaya Gran Reserva is a 12-year old rum distilled in Trinidad and Tobago. It’s a blend of rums that have been aged at least 12 years in used bourbon barrels, and then blended together to create the finished spirit. Drinkers…
Read MoreIt seems that not everyone leads the hedonistic, gluttonous lifestyle that I do. So for the calorie counters among us, below are some low calorie cocktails from Rosangel Tequila, which is infused with hibiscus flowers, and HINT, a brand of…
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Jura Prophecy is one of the newer scotch whisky offerings from the Isle of Jura Distillery and a recent addition to the U.S. market. Jura falls under the Glasgow-based distiller, Whyte and Mackay, which also produces the Dalmore lineup. This…
Read MoreWith the World Cup approaching, people across the globe will be doing a lot of drinking. Much of it starting in the morning, and ending… July 11, when the tournament’s over. Whichever team you’re cheering for, the World Cup cocktails…
Read MoreToday Hennessy announced the nationwide release of Hennessy Black. Already debuted in select cities in 2009, this lighter, more floral cognac is aimed at the young, mixed drink crowd, rather than Hennessy’s establishment of sippers. From Hennessy – Hennessy, the…
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Drambuie is a Scotch liqueur with a unique combination of aged Scotch whiskies, heather honey, herbs and spices. It makes for a tasty addition to cocktails—it’s also pretty solid on it’s own—and the fine folks at Drambuie have provided a…
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In a post for South African travel site, Travelstart, I wrote about one of my favorite bars in the country: Drink. Drink, which in my estimation is Boston’s finest cocktail bar, is a true bartender’s bar. There’s no menu and…
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The inaugural Ultimate Cocktail Challenge was held at Astor Center in New York City on April 12-14, and it recently announced the winning spirits. Winners were chosen by a panel of experts who assessed how well individual spirits performed in…
Read MoreAfter a call with Maker’s Mark President Bill Samuels in February, and receiving a sample in March, today I spoke with Master Distiller Kevin Smith about the new Maker’s Mark bourbon, called Maker’s 46, that will hit store shelves in…
Read MoreFor millions, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla. For others, it’s simply another excuse to drink during the day. Whichever set you belong to, celebrate Cinco de Mayo with…
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Egg whites have been an integral ingredient in cocktail recipes since the early 1800s, but recently, authorities have begun to crack down on the use of raw egg whites in cocktails. In January, New York City’s Pegu Club was cited…
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