American Single Malt Whiskey Forges a Path Forward Quietly over the past few decades, a brand-new domestic spirits category has slowly come into its own. While rye was rolling through a great resurgence and bourbon was maintaining its status as a behemoth, American single malt whiskey (ASMW) officially stepped onto the podium; what began in…
Category: History
Why Choose Shochu?
Packed with exciting ingredients that fall all across the spectrum of familiarity, our Daijoubu Box is ready to hit the road. The bold and full-flavored cocktails within feature tons of fun touches and represent the personal journeys of their Asian American creators, with each cocktail sharing one common element in a central role: wonderful and…
Watch Your Vermouth
Over the years, vermouth has gotten pretty good at modestly hiding in plain sight. It quietly increases the complexity and well-rounded flavor of many enduringly popular cocktails (such as the martini, Manhattan, Bamboo, and Negroni) by adding that certain something, but rarely gets any of the credit. And there are far too many bottles collecting…
You Don’t Know (Apple)Jack
Lately, my Instagram feed’s been filled with all things autumnal: Halloween costumes, multi-hued landscapes, and, yeah, a whole lot of apple picking. I’m personally into the coziness of the season and everything the dropping temps are traditionally associated with, but between apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes, seeing a lot of the same admittedly has…
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…
Behind the Ma Sour
We sat down with Caer Ferguson of Austin’s The Roosevelt Room and The Eleanor to chat about her work, Austin’s craft cocktail scene, and her drink for October’s Austin Without Limits Box, the Ma Sour! S&S: What’s your specialty? CF: If I had to choose a spirit that I specialize in, it would be tequila or agave-based…
Pisco Away
. . . actually, on second thought, don’t. Stay right here, because there’s something you may not know: pisco is actually a type of brandy! But don’t be too surprised: any distillate of fruit juice is technically a brandy. While Cognac and other after-dinner drinks you may be more familiar with are aged in oak…
Behind the Last Guinea Pig in Cuzco
We sat down with Nathan Dalton of Piscobar in the Catahoula Hotel in New Orleans to chat about his work, the history of pisco, and his cocktail for the Pisco Fever Box, the Last Guinea Pig in Cuzco! S&S: What’s your specialty? ND: I guess I would have to say pisco is my specialty. I recently opened a bar/café…
Gettin’ Ginny Wit it
So the other day I was helping a food stylist friend of mine check items for an upcoming shoot off her shopping list, and we came to Old Tom gin. I initially assumed this was just a brand of gin I hadn’t heard of before, but as I scanned the shelves looking for it, I…
Orgeat on My Mind
Need more almond joy in your life? Look no further than a bottle of orgeat, a syrup made from almonds, sugar, and either rose or orange flower water, that—hey!—is also an ingredient in one of next month’s Campari Hard cocktails. “Or-what?,” you may be asking. That’s “ohr-zhat,” with a second syllable that sounds like “Jacques,”…
Let Me Eggsplain
Spoiler alert: one of next month’s cocktail recipes calls for an ingredient that some may consider unusual—a raw egg white. How eggs-actly should you feel about this? Are your thoughts on the issue scrambled? I mean, personal health is no yolk, but is there really a huge whisk in using raw eggs in cocktails? Omelette…
Eh, Campari!
True story: up until last week, I didn’t think I liked Campari. My initial dismissal tied into my basic understanding that it was bitter, and the belief that I’m not so into bitter flavor profiles for my cocktails. But while Campari is bitter, it’s also pretty complex. And when balanced with the right accompanying ingredients,…
Shaker & Spoon Blog 