Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor As of this post’s date, we are only three days away from the only total eclipse I expect to see in my lifetime (weather permitting, of course, and the Rochester forecast is hopeful). Naturally, the eclipse inspired me to try at least one other thing I’ve … Continue reading Cocktail of the Week: In which I light a cocktail against the darkness
Tools & Techniques
Cooks World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: The Ampersand
What a curious thing, to name a cocktail after a punctuation mark. The Ampersand isn’t the only punctuation-themed cocktail in the world. There’s the Three Dots and a Dash (what’s Morse code, after all, other than a long string of punctuation marks?), and there’s an Oxford Comma cocktail (apparently nothing less than an Oxford comma … Continue reading Cooks World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: The Ampersand
Girl Scout Cookies and adult beverages? Pretty sure St. Patrick would bless these pairings.
Who doesn’t love a bright, shining astronomical conjunction? By which, of course, I mean the happy coincidence that Girl Scout Cookie Week 2023 and St. Patrick’s Day (week) happen at the same time. Let’s think about the synergy, shall we? With the store’s blessing, a local Girl Scout troop stationed itself outside Pinnacle Wine and … Continue reading Girl Scout Cookies and adult beverages? Pretty sure St. Patrick would bless these pairings.
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
Blog Feature: Useful links for my friends
Lest anyone think I’m dreaming up all of these cocktails myself, I’m not—and at long last I’ve added a “Useful Spirits & Wine Links” tab to my blog. See the updated menu above. There are thousands of internet sites where anyone may find great cocktail recipes and other useful information about cocktailing at home or … Continue reading Blog Feature: Useful links for my friends
Think beyond the lime for your tonic drinks
As we get into warmer weather, I’ll be featuring more and more seasonally appropriate cocktails, including all manner of tall, icy tonic drinks. Let’s do a level-set on this category, shall we? No doubt, everyone who loves cocktails of any type knows the classic recipe for a gin and tonic: A couple ounces of your … Continue reading Think beyond the lime for your tonic drinks
The Income Tax Cocktail (and about making fun garnishes)
Fellow Americans, not only is this Passover and Easter weekend, it is income tax weekend. Do you know where your return is? You had to know there’d be a cocktail named for this annual Rite of Citizenship, and here it is. I recommend against indulging in many of these while you prepare your return, but … Continue reading The Income Tax Cocktail (and about making fun garnishes)
In-Seine
I got this recipe from Crazy Edouard—he’s … IN-SEINE!!! I know. I'm showing my age, and references to 1970s tri-state area electronics retailers and divey pop-culture icons don’t really belong in a sophisticated cocktail blog such as this, but … Simon Difford created and named this drink, so don’t blame me! (You kids just click … Continue reading In-Seine
Revolver: the cocktail
I love finding the stories behind the invention and naming of cocktails—to the extent that such history is discoverable. Here’s a good example. Punch, the drink magazine, starts its profile of the Revolver cocktail this way: “A drink named after a gun. A bourbon called Bulleit. A garnish set on fire.” That’s a concise illumination … Continue reading Revolver: the cocktail
Bloody Rock of Sages
Everyone sing along: "Rock of ages, bled for me ... " Blood orange juice and sage in the house? Strike while the ice is cold! A note on technique first, prompted by how much crushed cherry and sage will be floating around in the shaker after you shake this mixture well with ice. You’ll see … Continue reading Bloody Rock of Sages
The Libation Lounge 