Harry MacElhone (the Harry of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris) credited his “old pal,” journalist William “Sparrow” Robertson, with the inspiration for this drink. As the sports editor for the New York Herald in Paris, Robertson frequented the New York Bar enough for Harry to mention him in his 1922 ABC of Mixing Cocktails. … Continue reading The Old Pal
Recipes
Oh, my Bloody Knees!
This drink is an amazingly balanced and tasty twist on the vintage Bees Knees cocktail, but includes blood orange juice instead of ordinary orange juice. Freshly squeezed, of course. With all of that citrus content, you can expect some tart, but the honey syrup keeps that in check. It's glorious. BLOODY KNEES 2 oz Gin … Continue reading Oh, my Bloody Knees!
The Colletti Royale
Rooty-tooty, fresh and fruity—the cocktail stars aligned for this one, and it's a great cocktail for sparkling wine lovers. I have some blood orange juice, and Nancy *somehow* came by a bottle of Cava rosé. I may or may not have bought that for her with ulterior motives; I can neither confirm nor deny. Nor … Continue reading The Colletti Royale
The Diamondback
It's not the size of the drink, it's the size of the bite in the drink, and this drink bites like a diamondback. It's bottled-in-bond rye whiskey wearing a bowtie and pocket square, but it is clearly bottled-in-bond rye. It’s a perfect drink to serve in a Nick and Nora glass, at just 2-3 ounces … Continue reading The Diamondback
Melinda’s Margarita
Happy National Margarita Day! This is my favorite Margarita—Melinda’s Margarita—and the trick to it is getting the heat just right. Trust me; I made the the overkill variation once. Once. Melinda is my friend who suggested improving another recipe I used by muddling 2-3 jalapeño slices in the shaker before adding ice and shaking the … Continue reading Melinda’s Margarita
Damn the (Bloody) Weather
Damn the weather! An irrelevant observation, really, but I hear that a lot from people in Western New York around late February and March. In their defense, I had a great-uncle who always said something to the effect of, "If I can make it through March, I'll have the year in the bag for sure." … Continue reading Damn the (Bloody) Weather
Lower-alcohol: The Starlight Reverse Martini
The reverse Martini and Manhattan—an ounce of booze to two ounces of vermouth instead of the conventional reverse—are not new ideas. In fact, long before Prohibition, proto-Martinis such as the Martinez were typically one-to-one booze-to-vermouth mixes. There’s a much longer story to be told about how America’s “greatest generation” messed up vermouth for half a … Continue reading Lower-alcohol: The Starlight Reverse Martini
The Dead Poet
My Facebook posts about this cocktail always elicit comments about or quotes from Robin Williams' iconic performance in Dead Poets Society, but I can't prove on paper that there's any connection between the drink and the film. Likewise, with the tequila and mezcal front and center, one might expect this was a tribute by some … Continue reading The Dead Poet
The Greenpoint
This is another in the catalog of New York City borough and neighborhood namesake cocktails and a direct riff on another rye cocktail, the Brooklyn (rye, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon). This version is credited to Michael McIlroy, of New York City’s Milk & Honey, who first served it there in 2006. It … Continue reading The Greenpoint
The Sensei Martini
I discovered this Martini in December 2021 for a spirits tasting event I poured at Pinnacle Wine & Liquor. I say "discovered" because it wasn't my creativity as much as a happy coincidence that we were featuring Suntory's Roku Gin, and Pinnacle also carries Japanese Bermutto (a rice-wine based vermouth) and Japanese bitters (I have … Continue reading The Sensei Martini
The Libation Lounge 