The Violet Hour, a speakeasy styled lounge in Chicago with no sign, has been pushing the envelope in creative drink mixing since it opened in 2005. Toby Maloney, the Violet Hour's "Head Intoxocologist", had no problem posting on a Chicago food forum and
sharing some of the drink recipes that have made his bar one of the most exciting in the country.
[more inside]
posted by AceRock
on Jan 7, 2010 -
35 comments
Bitters. This sharp-flavored, slightly medicinal liqueur, originally used as an
aperitif, remains one of the defining ingredients in many classic cocktails, including the
Manhattan, the
Pink Gin, the
Champagne Cocktail, and the
Sazerac. Some popular herbal liqueurs, such as
Campari and
Jägermeister, are essentially just big bottles of bitters. But bitters had fallen on hard times, with most bars stocking only one brand,
Angostura, or, if they were particularly sophisticated (or Southern), a second option,
Peychaud's.
Orange bitters, once an essential ingredient in the
Martini, were forgotten and impossible to purchase. Times have changed, with companies such as
Fee Brothers,
Regan's, the
Bitter Truth, and even
Angostura, releasing their own versions of the orange stuff. In fact, bitters in enjoying something of a renaissance, with bars experimenting with
making their own. Hobbyists, in the meanwhile, are
reviving lost recipes.
posted by Astro Zombie
on Aug 1, 2007 -
74 comments
You've Come A Long Way, Baby: Unfortunately, you picked the wrong one, dear old
Old-Fashioned, dean of cocktails.
Robert Hess's definitive essay on the ever-changing ways of making one shows just how contentious a
cocktail recipe can be. It also bears sad testimony to how the great classics are being fruited up, iced up, fizzed up, shaken till obliteration and generally girlied, dumbed and boozed down. So how do you stand on the cherry, the pineapple and the orange? And don't even bother commenting if you're a seltzer fan! ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso
on May 21, 2003 -
51 comments
Try Saying Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Tea And Mint Julep Without Smiling: it can't be done. Coz June is busting out all over in Bourbon country and the mint is as high as an elephant's eye. For this we all rejoice. But - wait - did you know that, for that most perfect Summer drink, the thirst-quenching
nec plus ultra they call the
Julep, "
the most important ingredient is a T-shirt for the mint juice extraction"? Oh yes! The time has come. Here comes the sun. Mmmm...
posted by MiguelCardoso
on Jun 5, 2002 -
23 comments
For Lent, I'm Giving Up Not Drinking Cocktails - What About You? I collect cocktail books but there are two web sites* that are just as good as the best bartender's bible. The first is
Dale DeGroff's. The second, sadly discontinued but still invaluable, is
Paul Harrington's. Both are very personal and reveal a deep knowledge and love of this quintessentially American and civilized art form.
Cocktails may very well be the only truly democratic and universally accessible pastime. They can be made at home quite cheaply by anyone and be just as delicious as the very best served in the very best bar to the richest imbiber in the world. Not to mention their incredible
Valentine's Day potential... so what's it to be, pal? *
Webtender, Drinkboy and Esquire's cocktail guides pale by comparison
posted by MiguelCardoso
on Feb 13, 2002 -
53 comments
