There’s nothing niche about tequila today. Whatever confounding reputations that’ve marked the spirit throughout the low-variety early days of its international debut have been well surpassed for the bright lights of the top shelf. So what to do with our bottles of clear and pristine blanco next month? Why, walk away from the winter hunker…
Tag: cocktail club
BRRR-bon
In a fantastical feat of reverse thawing, the autumn influencer has officially awoken. We’ve all seen them dotted across our feeds like leaves along the ground. Flanked by foliage, fully flannelled, and sipping on something steamy, they’re absolutely primed to serve all things ultra-seasonal until the first flakes flutter. And is any fall-weather kit complete…
Mezcalloween III: A Shocker in Oaxaca
It’s alive! IT’S ALIVE!! It was a recent dark and stormy night when the beakers bubbled over and the comically oversized switch was flipped, shooting sparks everywhere and slowly reanimating the most magical and monstrous occasion of all: Mezcalloween. So far we’ve somehow survived two eerie installments, but we offer no guarantees when three more…
New Frontiers 2: American Single Malt
The ground will shift throughout the wide world of whiskey as the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is about to bestow its official stamp of recognition onto a new category of domestic whiskey: American single malt. This decision will establish a set of parameters for what makes this category distinct—100% malted barley…
Vodka Brunch 2
You can limit brunch to its dictionary definition—a late-morning meal that combines a late breakfast and an early lunch—but that’s missing a big part of what makes it so special as an occasional midday mixer. Brunch today is perhaps one of hustling-and-bustling America’s last slices of the siesta life, less about bacon and breads than…
Shift Drinks: Reposado Remix
At the end of each year, amid a sea of annual recap editorials and ins-and-outs predictions, bar/restaurant industry insiders and members of the media come together to forecast the trends they envision taking hold in the year ahead. According to those lists, briny, sea-centric elements in cocktails (think clam juice, preserved fish, and kelp) are…
Daijoubu 2
Where will Daijoubu’s Caer Maiko and Sharon Yeung, the traveling superstars of “super Asian cocktails,” bring their funky style of festivities next? Hmmm, we may have an idea . . . and it will be just the combination to spirit you away from the everyday ho-hum: Japanese whisky and Daijoubu Pop Up at home will…
Ginspirations
New Year, new you, new . . . gin? It very well could be, considering the explosion of new and local options available to fans of the spirit. This wasn’t always the case. For seemingly forever, those seeking diversity in the category would’ve had to choose between the London dry, slightly sweeter Plymouth, and even…
Spiced Rum Celebration
The holiday season has a way of sneaking up, doesn’t it? One minute we’re dusting off the grill and asking Is It Summer Yet? and the next—wham!—the jubilant jingling of the bells enters the chat to signal the start of something special . . . and hectic. It could be shopping marathons that leave your…
Ryes and Fall
Lovers of our last rye box might’ve picked up a tidbit or two about the spirit’s mid-Atlantic Appalachian origins in states like Pennsylvania and Maryland. Inch up a little farther on the map into Canada, though, and you’ll land in a place where rye whisky is just as cherished and rich in tradition. Canada arrived…
Mezcalloween II: Agave’s Revenge
For those brave enough to have peeked through their fingers, there’ve been some helpful pointers offered throughout the many decades of horror films and their sequels: Cover your mirrors, don’t read the ancient scroll, and if furniture is moving on its own, then it’s time to pack up and go! Technically, returning to the scene…
Puttin’ on the Spritz 2: Italian Affair
A day in Italy can be easily filled with a range of activities to suit any mood: a trek on two wheels through the labyrinthian streets of Rome, a scenic ride along the rural landscapes of Tuscany, or a sun-soaked laze out on the coast. Factor in the endless museums, fresh markets, and fashion boutiques,…
Shaker & Spoon Blog 