Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor For those who observe, the 2024 season of Lent—40 days of preparation for Easter (not including Sundays)—began yesterday, so with a wink and a nudge we offer the Holy Joe cocktail. And in that spirit, I also humbly announce that I’m giving up … vodka … … Continue reading Cocktail of the Week: Holy Joe
Sweet Vermouth
Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Bitter Jean
Thursday, January 25th, is the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns—one of the most important dates on the Scottish cultural calendar. It’s celebrated worldwide with Burns Night suppers, a tradition that began in 1801, and naturally there is always fine Scotch whisky involved. To observe the occasion in advance and help customers with their … Continue reading Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Bitter Jean
For Burns Night: The Bobby Burns Cocktail
Happy 265th birthday (well, on January 25th) to Robert Burns, and happy Burns Night to all my friends who celebrate! I’ve already posted my annual homage to Scotland’s bard, so let's talk about the cocktail that bears his name. I chose the word “bears” carefully, because it turns out that this drink may not have … Continue reading For Burns Night: The Bobby Burns Cocktail
Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Here comes cocktail Santa Claus
There are dozens and dozens of holiday-themed and holiday-appropriate cocktails one can make to please and amaze family and friends at this time of year. I’ll begin with my very favorite, which I originally posted on this blog a year ago, and then move on to a few others. And my very favorite holiday cocktail … Continue reading Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Here comes cocktail Santa Claus
Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: The Blackthorn and Other Sloe Gin Delights
The holidays are upon us, and too often this is a season of excess, so if you’re interested in beverages you can sip all evening without shooting holes in your liver and brain, I have two words for you: Sloe. Gin. “Sloe Gin? I’ve heard of that—what is it, anyway?”Sloe gin isn’t quite gin; it’s … Continue reading Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: The Blackthorn and Other Sloe Gin Delights
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
Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Aquavit Manhattan
Manhattan cocktail fans know the usual burning question is whether the drink’s base spirit should be bourbon, rye, or some combination of the two (bartenders call that a split base). This week we say, “neither.” Instead, we’re replacing the whiskey with aquavit. Pronunciation: Á-ka-veet. Alternate spellings include akvavit and (rarely) akevitt. Since I used Linie … Continue reading Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: Aquavit Manhattan
Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: À La Louisiane
This week’s cocktail emerged from the heady New Orleans cocktail scene in the late 1800’s, where it was the original house cocktail at the fabled La Louisiane restautrant (which closed in 2005). It was first documented in a 1937 book, Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em (still available in affordable reprints), and … Continue reading Cooks’ World/Pinnacle Liquor Cocktail of the Week: À La Louisiane
I know why you don’t like vermouth
Spoiler alert: It’s not the vermouth. Here’s an actual conversation I had at a recent spirits tasting—and l have some version of this conversation at least once a week with someone somewhere: Customer: “Oh, I like that cocktail. I hate dry vermouth, but I like that cocktail.”Me: “Why do you hate dry vermouth?”Customer: “Because it … Continue reading I know why you don’t like vermouth
Grab some sake and make this your “summer” Manhattan
If you haven’t heard it from me yet, you’re destined to hear me say this repeatedly: Get over the notion that brown spirits are for winter and white spirits are for summer. Here’s an excellent example of how to make your favorite whiskey cocktail more summer friendly—or simply more of a ‘session’ drink if you’re … Continue reading Grab some sake and make this your “summer” Manhattan
The Libation Lounge 