Want to instantly up your cocktail game without too much effort? Look no further than oleo saccharum. This old-school ingredient, literally translating to “oily sugar”—or “sugared oil”—was used as far back as the seventeenth century. It’s believed that British sailors made punch with the ingredients largely available to them while traveling—rum, citrus, and tropical spices—then…
Month: October 2017
Behind the Vino Labbra
We sat down with Carla Rivera to chat about her work, low-ABV cocktails, and her drink for November’s That’s Amaro! Box, the Vino Labbra! S&S: Is there an ingredient or technique you’re currently fascinated with? CR: I like to cook, so I spend any spare time making syrups, shrubs, reductions, jams, and more. I like the idea…
Behind the Slippery Slopes
We sat down with Sother Teague of NYC’s Amor y Amargo to chat all about his work and his drink the Slippery Slopes! S&S: You’re most well known, at least to us, as an expert on all things amaro, but you’ve worked at bars ranging from tiki to molecular. Is there anything you don’t do? ST: That’s flattering…
The Amaro You Know
Not too long ago I went on a date to an Italian restaurant with an extensive amaro selection on its bar menu. The date? It was a one-time deal. But I’ve been interested in learning more about amaro ever since. Amaro, meaning “bitter” in Italian, is a liqueur traditionally consumed as both an aperitif and…
That’s Amaro!
Oh, amaro, that dark, often bitter beloved of bartenders the world over. Why such strong feelings? Perhaps because it’s complex, mysterious, and misunderstood . . . like an irresistible bad boy (though luckily this one can be tamed). What is amaro, anyway? It runs the gamut from intensely bitter and medicinal all the way to…
Shaker & Spoon Blog 