It's no secret that classic cocktails are back. Fresh fruit and house-made bitters and infusions are de rigueur, but no less important is the quality of the ice. Good ice and the right shake ensure that spirits are properly chilled and diluted and improve the cocktail's flavor profile.
posted by HumuloneRanger on Jun 12, 2009 - 70 comments

"In the U.S., they're mixing drinks with herbs and other weird ingredients, but in Ginza the best guys just polish their cocktails like jewels." And perhaps no Japanese mixology master has contributed more than Kauzo Ueda, who has perfected the art of the hard shake, a refinement over more traditional shake styles. He has a disciple in NYC's Eben Freeman, who now imparts the secrets of the hard shake via a video tutorial. [more inside]
posted by madamjujujive on Feb 1, 2008 - 49 comments

European Wine Fighting For Survival
posted by Gyan on Nov 7, 2005 - 35 comments

Alcoholic Spring Water. For those who don't like caffeine, fluoride, "fitness", or extra oxygen in their water....or caffeine , "energy", or extra water in their beer, i guess.
posted by serafinapekkala on Jul 21, 2003 - 32 comments