This cocktail depends on availability of two ingredients that may not always be in your local grocery store—blood oranges and fresh sage leaves. But when the stars align and they’re both available, grab them and give this a try. Before discovering this recipe on the Difford’s Guide site, I never thought of combining sage and … Continue reading The Blood Sage Cocktail
Author: Marty Nott
The Grande Champagne Cosmopolitan
This is not your Desperate Housewives Cosmo. It’s a frothy, creamy, elegant, Cognac-based Cosmopolitan that takes its name from the sub-region of Cognac, France, considered to produce the highest quality grapes for the iconic brandy we know as Cognac: Grande Champagne. Of note, this part of the Cognac region has nothing at all to do … Continue reading The Grande Champagne Cosmopolitan
A word to anyone prowling for “allocated” bourbons
In which we address the burning question, “Do you prefer that allocated bourbon because you’re **supposed** to or because you actually enjoy it?” Warning: Actual tasting experience ahead. Related spoiler alert: Tasting bourbons “blind” may change your mind about what you love. As a marketing guy, I believe there is only a faint, fuzzy boundary … Continue reading A word to anyone prowling for “allocated” bourbons
The Martinez
I’m back after knocking off for a while to polish up a presentation for the vermouth seminar I did at Pinnacle Wine & Liquor on October 26. Some of that material will appear here on the Libation Lounge in upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, back to mixing cocktails! Today’s feature is a minor but (I believe) historically … Continue reading The Martinez
Seminar offering: “Vermouth—A star is reborn!”
When: Wednesday, October 26, 2022 - 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Where: Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, 1720 Monroe Ave, Brighton ( just west of Twelve Corners)Advance ticket purchase required. Registration link: https://www.pinnacleliquor.com/events/i81121322p Seminar Description: Using a selection of vermouths available at Pinnacle Wine & Liquor for illustration, this seminar will review the history and evolution of … Continue reading Seminar offering: “Vermouth—A star is reborn!”
The Reverse Manhattan (or is it “inverse?”)
Here’s a fun way to get out of a cocktail rut: Take a classic and reverse it. This won’t work for every cocktail, but even where it arguably doesn’t, the experiment will add to your visceral understanding of what various ingredients bring to a mix. Let’s start with the venerable Manhattan—conventionally two parts bourbon or … Continue reading The Reverse Manhattan (or is it “inverse?”)
Why your grenadine sucks and how to fix it
Top line: Make it, don’t buy it. But stick with me for the ‘why’ and more about the ‘make it’ part. For almost all the years I’ve been making cocktails at home, I’ve had an aversion to recipes using grenadine syrup because the stuff available in stores is—cover the children’s ears—really, really shitty. It comes … Continue reading Why your grenadine sucks and how to fix it
Dear old Aunt Emily
With a name like "Aunt Emily," you might expect this to be a riff on the Old Fashioned or a Dubonnet Cocktail—or a glass of wine. But nope. However old she is, Aunt Emily is a happenin' chick and somewhat of a boozer. Between the liqueur and the grenadine, this cocktail is on the sweet … Continue reading Dear old Aunt Emily
The Slope
Last week, I poured a whiskey tasting at Basin Wine & Spirits in nearby Bushnell’s Basin, NY, and the whiskeys were (frankly speaking) fairly pedestrian. That is not to say they were bad; they are solid, reasonably priced, readily available spirits: Evan Williams 1783 (a “more aged” version of the distillery’s Evan Williams Black); Evan … Continue reading The Slope
Her Majesty’s Favorite: Was she Team Dubonnet or Team Martini?
Royal funerals are certainly more sober events than royal weddings, but just as rare, so I hope everyone will forgive this descendant of English yeoman farmers for being fascinated by the moment. In fact, Nancy and I plan to watch the entire proceeding on Monday, September 19—provided we succeed in recording it all. (We’re interested, … Continue reading Her Majesty’s Favorite: Was she Team Dubonnet or Team Martini?
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