Good Spirits News

The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them

Spirits & Cocktails in the News



8/26/08 - Gin Blossom: Bridget Albert keeps it “Market-Fresh” She moved to Las Vegas, where she met Tony Abou-Ganim, then the head mixologist for the Bellagio. She was inspired by his success and talent, and approached him, saying, “I will cut your limes and schlep your garbage. I just want to learn.”

8/25/08 - Singapore searches for new Sling in cocktail boom There's a new drink in town and it's called the Tiffin Punch, The Champ or the Dark Angel -- and its out to get the Singapore Sling. These are just some of the concoctions by bar "mixologists" looking to usurp the status of the city-state's signature.

8/25/08 - International Cocktail Bar Event in Havana Bartenders from fifteen countries are participating in the Santiago Policastro and the Edgar Rodriguez in Memoriam 12th Pan-American Cocktail Bar Competitions, in this capital city.

8/24/08 - New drinks on the runway "You'd be amazed at the variety of colors," said Courtney Locklear, who helped devise the drink and recently changed her title from bartender to eco-mixologist. It fits, since the emphasis at Croc's is on the environment and the cocktails on the "green".

8/24/08 - The signature cocktail: How to craft your own wedding drink With all the exotic ingredients and historic references you could get carried away with flavor combinations. Solomon cautions against going too far. "You want people to say, I never thought about this, but don't push outside your guests' comfort zone."

8/23/08 - Wine: summer cocktails I hate lurid, wishy-washy, sickly-sweet Mickey Mouse cocktails, complete with rainbow colours and dyed fruit that reeks of suntan lotion. Alcohol is the thing in every cocktail, and far better to opt for one full-strength, full-flavour glass.

8/23/08 - Bizarre ’tails The classic disasterpiece as far as the look (and name!) is concerned is the Brain Haemorrhage, rightfully chosen by the US Bartender’s Guide (2007) as the ‘century’s worst cocktail’. Just a look at this shot sends my stomach into a downward spiral.

8/22/08 - James Langan wins cocktail challenge James won with his offering 'La Vie en Rose' consisting of Hennessy, strawberry liqueur, apple juice and fresh lime juice topped with Moet Champagne (very chilled), garnished with strawberry, mint leaf, cumin and orange zest.

8/22/08 - Review: Cocktail recipe apps for the iPhone “Cocktails are now so numerous,” the journalist H.L. Mencken wrote 60 years ago, “that no bartender, however talented, can remember how to make all of them, or even half of them.”

8/22/08 - Something fishy about peach drinks I thought I'd just make sure that "pesca" means fish. Oh. It means "peach." "Fish" is pesce. Here, then, we have the Peach of Milan, and the Crazy Peach. We'll get to fishy cocktails some other time.

8/22/08 - Culinary art in a glass: Red Feather's Kevin Kelpe takes his cocktails seriously "We dipped into a dark period of massive liquor company madness, all the energy drinks and high fructose corn syrup. It was a dark period of beverage drinking. I keep comparing the change that's happening to the microbrewery movement of the early '80s."

8/21/08 - Drink: Barbara Lynch's new bar "One of my focuses is looking into history," he says, so expect obscure cocktails from eras past to get new life here. The glassware and other bar paraphernalia is vintage, found at flea markets.

8/21/08 - Hooch Heaven: 4th Annual Great American Distillers Festival Maybe the world is going global, but if you want to stay hip you've got to stay local. "I think consumers enjoy knowing they can drink something that was made down the street."

8/21/08 - Drink Away Your Carefully Planned Future With the Trust Fund Sierra Zimel, cocktailian of the Seasons Bar and Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, has a competitive pedigree, voted "Best Mixologist" by San Francisco Magazine and placing third in last year's Travel + Leisure Beverage Arts Challenge.

8/21/08 - A guide to perfect summer sippers "The Great Idea," combined Cabin Fever Liqueur, champagne and tangerine and cranberry juice. "It tasted kind of like a fruity pancake."

8/21/08 - From behind the easel to behind the bar "You guys ready for cocktails in the morning?" asked university alumna Gina Chersevani, thrilled at the prospect of entertaining guests despite the early hour.

8/21/08 - Spirits & Cocktails: Drinks are getting larger "Certainly consumers need to understand what a standard drink is,” Hawkins says. “They need to know what those actual amounts are, and they need to understand what equals one drink.”

8/20/08 - There's nothing ho-hum about rum drinks "There’s a general misconception of what classic rum cocktails, daiquiris especially, really are," says Tim Staehling, Bar Manager at the Hungry Cat restaurants in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

8/19/08 - 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup, Queenstown, New Zealand This annual competition brings together 15 determined bartender teams who compete over a period of five days to earn the coveted title as the World Champions of the Cocktail World Cup.

8/19/08 - Cocktails for the storm Only time will tell if any Fay will be the worst of the season, which ends on November 30, but one thing is for sure-- while everyone else is stocking up on water, batteries and a generator, Metromix is gathering cocktails to protect us from ourselves.

8/19/08 - Blind drunk gets new meaning at Sydney cocktail bar "I actually had a heat lamp at one point, and a tray of sand so that people could think they were on the beach, but that was a bit too far," Collins said.

8/19/08 - Junior Merino Mixes Magical Drinks That `Taste Like a Painting' "Avocado is not used behind bars because people think it's too creamy or that it's a vegetable,'' he told me as he sliced. "But it's a fruit. The mescal is very smoky and goes well with the avocado's creaminess.''

8/19/08 - Cocktail judges not stirred Victorian mixologists Gerard McAlpine and Greg Sanderson made the cut for the Cocktail World Cup final with their respective creations Honey Husk Hammer and West Island Ginger.

8/17/08 - The Met's Liquid Work of Art “I wanted to capture the child like spirit of the piece, so I used colored cubes of Jell-O,” says Thierry. He adds vodka, tequila, triple sec, rum, gin and Sprite to the cubes to create a drink that tastes like a sweet Long Island iced tea.

8/17/08 - Welcome back to the cocktail party "That's quite a drink," ad executive Don Draper tells the department store heiress he's wooing in the hit TV show Mad Men. Indeed, it is quite a drink: a rum-soaked mai tai served in a tiki glass topped with a towering, Carmen Miranda-esque garnish.

8/17/08 - Stocking the bar Sure, you can make a mixed drink -- say, a gin and tonic or rye and Coke -- with little more than a judicious eye and a steady hand. But to make a proper cocktail, you need the proper gear.

8/16/08 - Racing fans sipping 'Travers Cooler' Tony and Gloria Falco's recipe was chosen from 140 entries. The cocktail will be sold on track, in commemorative Travers glasses and in select downtown restaurants during Travers week.

8/17/08 - You Can’t See It to Believe It The sensory cocktails work like this: order the daiquiri, and you’re tucked into a semiprivate spot where you sip your drink blindfolded while listening to 18 minutes of Cuban music on an iPod. All the while, a waitress spritzes you with a cigar mist.

8/16/08 - New Orleans Is Proud to Put Its Long, Complex Past on Display The museum itself, is too compressed and omits much European influence. But its collection of tankards and bottles, its recipes and photos of barmen, its Prohibition memorabilia and its relics of ’50s bachelor-pad paraphernalia evokes a pleasant tipsiness.

8/16/08 - An Olympic Cocktail Ahead of the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Calif., some entrepreneurs sold warm-up jackets emblazoned with the interlocking ring logo on the front and "Olympic Drinking Team" on the back. Organizers of the games were not amused.

8/16/08 - A sip of Europe without the trip If your bank account has been siphoned off at the gas pumps and your frequent-flier mileage account (like mine) is hovering around 330 miles, you might have to forgo the trip across the Pond and make a few drinks right here at home.

8/15/08 - Cocktail Observations: Ginger Is the New Mint For a few years, back in the late 1990s, mint seemed like it was about to become a fifth taste thanks to the popularity of the mojito (let's not get into whether umami is the fifth taste). Today, however, the taste de jour seems to be sexy, spicy ginger.

8/15/08 - Boozing the big screen With Friday's release of the Napa-based, wine-themed "Bottle Shock," it's a good time to cite the good, the bad and the blotto in movie lore. Let's call these the Tipsy Awards.

8/14/08 - It's so good, you'll be bowled over Laura Panter of The Martini Club in Toronto says the punch revival, most apparent right now in London, is part of a larger retro cocktail movement around the world.

8/14/08 - Tippling for Travers Approximately 140 recipes were submitted for the Times Union's Toast to Travers cocktail contest, launched last month to find a signature drink for the Travers Stakes, the biggest event of the season at the Saratoga Race Course.

8/13/08 - Expanding thirst for bourbon At the Hemingway Bar at the Hotel Ritz in Paris, Kentucky bourbon is the choice for one in five cocktails, head bartender Colin P. Field said, although it trails vodka and cognac in popularity.

8/13/08 - Bartending class will soon count for chemistry EM credit Some students are already combining bartending classes with strenuous physical education classes, creating an interdisciplinary degree that would create drink-mixers in the mold of Tom Cruise's character in "Cocktail."

8/13/08 - Marriott Unveils New Mixology Program The Marriott Hotel Group has launched a new mixology program that focuses on using freshly squeezed juices and unique or indigenous ingredients. A global initiative, ‘The Bar Arts: Liquids, Classic to Cool’ program applies the same concepts to cocktails.

8/13/08 - 42Below Cocktail World Cup Finalists Announced “I was just so impressed with the overall standard and calibre of all the drinks across the competition,” said judge and proprietor of Melbourne’s 1806, Sebastian Raeburn.

8/13/08 - How to make your own cocktail onions Some growers swear by specific varieties; ones known to produce a wonderful flavor even in a small package. Such varieties include Snow Baby and Purplette. Northwest growers blend the two concepts: they pick "short day" varieties such as Wonder of Pompeii.

8/13/08 - Breaking tradition: An invented cocktail with a real scotch touch The cocktail is called a Smoky Speyside Teahito. Scotch is more frequently thought of as a cold-weather drink but this combination of smoke, tea and mint is as refreshing as a cool spin in a kilt on a hot summer day.

8/13/08 - Award-winning Madrono cocktail is a unique twist on the classic Sherry Cobbler It was no surprise to find that a sweet drink called Madrono -- laced with fresh strawberries -- would be named winner in this past year's U.S. Sherry Cocktail Competition. It's a twist on the classic Sherry Cobbler cocktail, say the experts.

8/12/08 - Bartender in the cocktail mix “Gone are the days where vodka reigns supreme — now we’re looking at the intricacies of separate spirits, the underlying flavours, the underlying aromas, and what we try to do is accentuate those nowadays.”

8/11/08 - Cocktail Question: Do You Have a Shaker Face Too? To properly mix certain cocktails, bartenders must shake vigorously. Each person has his or her own style: It may be a slow rocking motion that picks up speed within a few seconds, or sometimes it's an instant head-banging session.

8/11/08 - Sir Mix-a-lot gives us a liquid feast "My roots lie in the cocktail classics and methods of the late 19th and early 20th Century, which is fused with the flavours and techniques of today's global cuisine. I am going to use a lot of Indian spices — cinnamon, cardamom, ginger."

8/11/08 - Barmaid mixes a cracking cocktail A barmaid from Reading has raised a glass to say cheers after reaching the final of the De Kuyper Cocktail Cup 2008. Michelle Temple, from the Pitcher & Piano in Friar Street, entered the competition with her smooth and fruity ‘Apricot Sundown’.

8/9/08 - A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Whiskey Go Down Ice is an essential part of the julep recipe, plenty of the crushed variety in a metal julep cup creates that perfect frost that is essential to a traditional mint julep.

8/9/08 - Italian Sodas? Tutto Bene! Far and away, the Italian soda that shows the most promise as a cocktail ingredient is the bittersweet citrus drink called chinotto (pronounced key-NAW-toh).

8/9/08 - Bainbridge residents take a flyer on a Small Screen Kimball and his partner/investor, engineer Brian Dressler, launched the online video business a year ago with The Cocktail Spirit, a 48-part series that features cocktail expert Robert Hess and cinematographer Chris Mosio.

8/9/08 - 2 parts VODKA, 1 part SCIENCE The two women, who club frequently, had never heard of molecular mixology and looked perplexed when the gin and tonic gelee was presented to them. But after gamely slurping up the jellied concoction, Wen Jia said: 'It's like jelly for adults."

8/8/08 - Cocktails just a text away A young Scots entrepreneur is hoping for another shake up of the drinks industry by launching a new text message cocktail service. Ryan Coutts founded the Text4Cocktails service, which sends recipes direct to a mobile phone.

8/8/08 - 42 Below Cocktail World Cup Warm foams seem to be the next step in the evolution of molecular techniques, which originated with Michelin-star-recognised Spanish chef, Fernando Adria, owner/chef of El Bulli in Spain.

8/7/08 - Behind the Glass: Honolulu’s bar scene “Instead of using sugars, we’re saying, let’s use honey… or we’re doing things in-house like making our own ginger ale so the drinks aren’t as processed and you get the natural flavor out of them."

8/7/08 - Hunting for Oakland's signature cocktail Van Kleef nominated the VanOakhatten. The drink, he said, is based on the recipe passed down to him from an 85-year-old hunchback who has been drinking in every funky, dirty dive bar across California.

8/7/08 - Cocktails with a bite "People are pleasantly surprised that they are getting cocktails they think are familiar, but they end up having completely different tastes - and they are good."

8/6/08 - Beantown Bartender Battle: Gin, Juice at Green Street We found a table piled with gleaming cocktail shakers, cans of Barritt's ginger beer, copious bottles of gin, Pimm's No. 1, and our favorite saints, Germain and Elizabeth.

8/6/08 - Bartending competition salutes D.C.'s original cocktail An unlikely event honoring Washington history took place this week: a cocktail competition between eight local bartenders at Bourbon in Adams Morgan. The event paid homage to one of the District's oldest, intoxicating inventions - the Gin Rickey.

8/6/08 - Master mixologist teams up with Bulldog Gin to create two Chinese-inspired drinks With the 2008 Beijing Olympics set to begin Friday, there's no better way to kick off the opening ceremonies, or toast a favorite athlete's win than with a cocktail that honors the home of this year's Summer Games -- Beijing.

8/6/08 - Eichardt's cocktail maestro at top of his game 34-year-old Dan is also being promoted as one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ – one of the seven great hopes in New Zealand bartending – at this week’s Auckland International BarShow where he will give a presentation about working with rum.

8/5/08 - Cocktails go green Katz calls the high-minded mixology method he espouses "Greenmarket-inspired," a nod to NYC¹s open-air farmers markets. Wednesday night, he will conduct a sold-out seminar at the Astor Center on what he calls "the new wave of responsible drinking."

8/5/08 - The Five Best Bottles of Absinthe We’re talking real, honest-to-Satan absinthe, not some lame-ass substitute. One or two and there’s no way you’ll cut your ear off. But these things go down easy, and if you overdo it, all bets are off.

8/4/08 - Recycle your jelly and canning jars for supercheap cocktail glasses It's appalling what some people will pay for nice drinkware these days. A mojito glass for $15.95? Are you joking? But there's a solution -- right in your cupboard.

8/3/08 - Well, It’s Not Champale There are five drinks on the menu; Champagne figures into three of them. “We like easily quaffed drinks,” Mr. Calvert said. “Nothing too heavy, and nothing too sweet. With Champagne, you get that nice dry effervescence.”

8/2/08 - Planter's Punch: What the Fuss Was About I doubt that in England anyone drank Planter's Punch naked. But the drink was no less popular there, thanks to the marketing savvy of Fred Myers & Son. In 1924, the rum concern built a Planter's Punch Bar.

8/2/08 - The Weasel: High spirits With many authors, the brevity of life-span is all the warning you need about following a writer's footsteps to the bar: Ring Lardner (Manhattan) 1885-1933; James Agee (Whiskey Sour) 1909-1955; Raymond Carver (Bloody Mary) 1938-1988.

8/1/08 - Edible cocktails are hot at The Mansion and The Club Campbell concoctions include liqueur-infused ice cubes that change the flavor of the drink as they melt; a plated scoop of tangy margarita sorbet (xanthan gum helps keep it firm); and his personal favorite, cotton candy champagne.

8/1/08 - A little Hanky-Panky in London Charles Hawtrey challenged Coley - her nickname - to create a new drink for him, and when she presented the man with a mixture of gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet Branca, he reportedly exclaimed, "By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!"

7/31/08 - Controversial cocktail: Cairo's Grand Hyatt Hotel Last April, Abdel-Aziz ordered that the hotel's entire stock of alcohol be destroyed without providing any advance notice to the Hyatt International. "Nearly $300,000 were poured down the drains following a decision that violates Egypt's hotel rules."

7/31/08 - Cocktails and Cuisine: A New Twist on a Classic Spirit "The spices in gin enhance a variety of food flavors, from sauces and pasta to meat and fish," Ott says. "It also adds its own layers of flavor and just a little bit goes a long way towards complementing whatever dish you're pairing it with."

7/31/08 - U.S. cocktails mix it up with molecular gastronomy Bartender Eben Freeman tosses rice crispies in Kahlua, dehydrates them and repeats the process. He adds them to a vodka milk mix for a White Russian breakfast cereal.

7/31/08 - Cosmopolitan bar mixes it with the best Mr Reaburn worked for a year to create the bar's cocktail list, which follows a timeline from 1806 — when the word cocktail was first defined in print. His top-selling drink is Aviation but he is chilling some champagne for when his trophy arrives.

7/30/08 - Cocktails of yore "I wanted to make the information in the hands of people who can start making new cocktails based on tradition," Boehm says. "As bartending is again becoming a respected profession, as it was back in the day, it's nice to have these."

7/30/08 - Bols Liqueurs Launches YouTube Competition Bols Liqueurs has launched a video-themed cocktail competition called ‘Capture the Spirit of Bols Around the World’.

7/30/08 - A Cocktail Book Renaissance, Too Appreciative bartenders, who will not have to spend a month’s tips on eBay to secure copies of these books, may want to consult the toasts section of “Barflies and Cocktails” for a “toast to publishers” to celebrate.

7/30/08 - The Best Gin for a Summer Elixir On the panel were myself; a cocktail historian and author of "Imbibe!" (Penguin), David Wondrich; a former bartender at Pegu Club and a spirits journalist, St. John Frizell, and mixologist and bar owner Julie Reiner.

7/29/08 - Distilled Spirits Council Launches ProhibitionRepeal.com Visitors will find historic recipes for Prohibition-era cocktails, uncovered by David Wondrich, a national directory of prohibition-era speakeasies still in operation, and tips for hosting a responsible Prohibition Repeal party.

7/28/08 - Local bartender shares award-winning cocktai "It's based on actually a salad that a chef I used to work with used to make that had a honey black pepper citronette, or honey pepper lemon dressing."

7/28/08 - Cool Down Summer With Mustard-ized Cocktails Grey Poupon is here to help liven up summer libations, introducing five, exciting specialty cocktails -- all enhanced with the flavorful kick of gourmet mustard.

7/28/08 - Cocktails to Get You Through the Summer ABC news got in on the yearly practice of informing folks which drinks are popular this year. The ideas come from "some of America's hippest watering holes" and "are sure to quench your thirst, spice up your 'staycation' or simply help set the mood.

7/28/08 - Cocktail Trend of the Moment: Sangria Old and New At Boqueria, a tapas restaurant in New York's Chelsea region, the cocktail list includes an odd signature drink, the beer sangria. They combine Corona, lemon juice, pear puree and Triple Sec; pour the mixture over ice; and garnish it with fresh fruits.

Jigger, Beaker and Flask

Resources for the Mixologist



Absinthe Online Shop An array of absinthes, fountains, glasses, spoons, books and rare original bottles for sale.

Angostura Bitters The standard for bitters.

Bartender Resume Templates These resumes are meant to grab a manager's immediate attention. They help you stand out from all the other lame resumes and applications stacked on a food & beverage manager's desk. They help you get your foot in the door before everyone else.

Beer & Liquors.com BeerLiquors.com is a web site designed to provide information on a large choice of fine wines, spirits, cigars and gifts available from selected merchants.

Bevmo! Fantastic source for hard to find spirits, barware and more.

The Bitter Truth A company specializing in various traditional style bitters. Their latest is a recreation of Jerry Thomas' own bitters.

Buffalo Trace Distillery A distiller who carries not only an excellent bourbon, but also Peychaud's Bitters & Regan's Orange Bitters.

CocktailKingdom.com A publisher specializing in reprinting several cocktail classics including books by Harry McElhone, Harry Johnson, Jerry Thomas, David A. Embury with new introductions by David Wondrich, Ted Haigh, Dale DeGroff, Bob Hess and more!

Drink Up NY The best place for New Yorkers to order hard to find spirits, liqueurs and cordials.

Fee Bros. Fee Brothers is a four generation old manufacturer of top quality Cocktail Mixes, Bitters, Flavoring Syrups, Iced Cappuccino Mix and other beverage ingredients.

Haus Alpenz A resource for hard to find spirits & liqueurs such as Batavia Arrack, Creme de Violette, Allspice Dram and Velvet Falernum.

Imbibe Magazine Imbibe is the magazine of liquid culture. It is a completely new way of looking at drinks—as a distinct culinary category, deserving in-depth exploration of history, ingredients, preparation, artistry and consumption.

Internet Wines & Spirits An online source for some hard to find spirits, liqueurs and cordials.

Kegworks.com Kegworks offering high end products such as shakers, strainers, jiggers, muddlers, cocktail trays, glassware, etc...

Macha Weine & Feines A German source for an amazing array of Cuban rums.

Martiniart.com The concept of a martini devoted website grew out of an obsession with tasting new and unique martinis, and eventually a thirst for martini experimentation. Early on, we made a hobby out of photographing cool martini glasses and cocktail shakers.

Mondo Liquor Hard-to-find, exotic brands you won't find in your local liquor store & wines you won't typically find in the usual ratings publications.

Mr. Mojito's Muddlers Mr. Mojito (aka David Nepove) is proud to announce that his signature muddlers are now available. You can now experience the rich flavors of muddling fresh fruit (or whatever you like) into your cocktails.

Oxo Oxo makes several excellent bar tools. Jiggers, juicers, shakers and more.

Reidel Glassware Claus Riedel was the first person in the long history of the glass to design its shape according to the character of the spirit. Choose the best glass for your spirit!

Rosle High quality bar tools made in Germany.

Salt Traders Salt Traders is the original and best collection of hand-harvested, natural, specialty, rare, artisan, smoked and gourmet sea salts from around the world.

The Soda Pop An online source for cane sugar Coca-Cola, Blenheim's Ginger Beer and other great mixers.

Tag Bar Barware Barware chosen and endorsed by Tony Abou-Ganim, the modern mixologist.

The Flowing Bowl

Streaming Online Videos



The Blue Blazer David Wondrich makes Jerry Thomas' classic flaming scotch whisky.

Brilliant Cocktails: A Video Podcast with Chris Doig Chris Doig gives a European perspective on the science of mixology.

The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess Robert Hess gives the history and mixing techniques behind dozens of the classic cocktails, as well as interviewing leading authorities on mixology.

Cocktails on the Fly with Alberta Straub She’s been called a cocktail innovator, an aperitif artist and a mixologist. And with good reason. Alberta Straub (a.k.a Miss Flighty); is known for turning fresh homemade ingredients into wildly sexy, exuberant drinks.

Cointreau Bartender Enrichment Program Promo Video Cointreau teamed up with Dale DeGroff and renowned spirits writer Paul Pacult to bring the Cointreau Bartender Enrichment Program to bartenders around the US., visiting 5 cities in 2007 and reaching over 150 influential bartenders.

Fine Living Network: Great Cocktails From flaming buckets of Champagne to microbrews loaded with vitamins to Leningrad-themed vodka parties with fur coats and hats, FINE LIVING TV NETWORK's original series Great Cocktails is an expert guide to what to drink and where to drink it.

Gary Regan - The Joy of Mixology Seminar A collection of five videos showing Gary Regan's "Joy of Mixology" seminar live in London, UK, 2006.

London Times Online: How to Make Perfect Cocktails Watch the video with Steve Harman, the bar manager of Prohibition, St Katherine’s Dock, for expert tips on getting smashed properly.

Making Sazeracs with Jonathan Pogash Just what it says.

Modern Mixologist DVD Promo A short excerpt from Tony Abou-Ganim's instructional DVD.

Mixology101.TV Mixology101.TV presents Bridget Albert, master mixologist for Southern Wine and Spirits of Illinois, who shows you how to create spectacular cocktails.

New Orleans' Best Cocktails A series of excellent cocktail videos hosted by Chris McMillan, Nola's Ritz-Carlton Library Bartender.

Rube Goldberg Cocktail Machine Inventor Joseph Herscher from New Zealand designed this wonderful machine.

The Sweet Escape - Official 2008 Grammy Awards Cocktail Tony Abou-Ganim makes his signature drink from this year's GRAMMY Celebration, The Sweet Escape.

Tales of the Cocktail 2007 A recap of the 5th Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

Video Jug: Cocktails A collection of "how to" videos for a plethora of classic cocktails.

Cocktail Competitions



42Below Cocktail World Cup Finals: September 9-13, 2008

Domain de Canton Competition Deadline: October 1, 2008

Absinthe Cocktail Grand Prix Deadline: December 31, 2008

Vinos de Jerez Cocktail Competition Finals: January 14-16, 2009

Summer 2008 Cocktails

The Best New Drinks



American Patriot Tea Good old fashioned sweet iced tea made with American Honey liqueur.

The Big Brown Triple Crown Cocktail Made with Woodford Reserve and Chambord, this is a tasty way to spend a Saturday Afternoon.

The Brazilian Wax Cachaça is a fantastic summertime spirit, and this refreshing recipe showcases it perfectly.

Compass Rose Cognac, Campari & maraschino liqueur with barrel aged bitters.

Blakberi Blues Made with new Stoli Blakberi vodka.

The Delegate An interesting mexican cocktail with cucumber foam.

Gentleman's Tee A Southern treat made with whiskey, lemonade and tea.

Heirloom Santa Maria This is a great twist on that perennial summer favorite: the Bloody Mary.

Honey Mojito A mojito made with honey.

The Intercontinental A blend of Averna, cognac and maraschino liqueur.

Kiwi Mango Mojito 42 Below Kiwi vodka and mango nectar make this a tropical pleasure.

A Milk Punch Named Desire Recipe created by H. Joseph Ehrmann, Owner Elixir

Mint Summer Nightini Blackberi, cucumber and mint, the perfect way to end the day.

NOLitA Heat The NOLitA Heat will be the official alcohol-removed cocktail of Tales of the Cocktail and will be served at several of their signature events.

Pickled Bloody Mary A Bloody Mary made with citron vodka and pickle relish.

The Punch & Judy Charlotte Voisey created the "Punch and Judy" and won the 2008 Cocktail Competition when her drink wowed the judges who select the official cocktail of Tales of the Cocktail.

Sangrita Sin El Tomate Orange juice, lime juice, grenadine and chili powder. What could be simpler?

Sleepyhead This is another great summer cocktail combining fresh ginger, ginger ale and one of our favorite homemade syrups.

Strawberry Blonde Fizz This summer sipper may sound sweet, but the acidity of the lime and strawberries keep things cool while the egg white helps tone down the acid.

Summer Sass Savoy Sangria A fruity punch made with oranges, lemons, limes and cherries.

Wild Blossom The winning cocktail from the Dept. of Consumer Affairs 3rd annual Sidewalk Café Drink Mix-Off.

The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks

Recent Spirits & Mixology Books ****Top Shelf ***VSOP **VS *Bottom Shelf



	The New-Wave Mai Tai by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi This colorful book contains over 50 recipes for new twists on the old classic: try a Mai Tai-Jito, a Sassy Wahine or a Smooth Shredder. These creative cocktails go beyond what either Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic could ever have imagined.

	Slurp: Drinks and Light Fare, All Day, All Night by Jim Hensley A book of food and drink to last throughout the day. Lots of pretty pictures and simple recipes. No history or background on what you're ingesting, however. Still, some great new drinks and old classics are here. Good Spirits Rating: **

	Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol by Iain Gately From absinthe to Jay-Z's boycott of allegedly racist Cristal, from Mayan pulque to Pilsner Urquell, he covers the history and the culture of the medicinal and mind-altering product that since at least 8000 B.C. has been part of human civilization.

	Pisco Cócteles & Bocaditos: Un Manual Por Tu Bar by Juana Mavel Pisco, Cocktails & Bocaditos is a book that allows you to better understand the wealth and the versatility of Pisco, the grape brandy. (Spanish)

	Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide 1887 Reprint by Ross Bolton A complete reproduction of the 1887 Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide with a new introduction by Ross Bolton.

	Cheerio! A Book of Punches and Cocktails How to Mix Them 1928 Reprint by Ross Bolton A complete reproduction of the 1928 bar drink guide Cheerio! A Book of Punches and Cocktails How to Mix Them with a new introduction by Ross Bolton.

	What'll You Have? 1933 Reprint by Ross Bolton A complete reproduction of the Julien J. Proskauer 1933 What'll You Have? with a new introduction by Ross Bolton.

	Boothby's 1934 Reprint World Drinks and How to Mix Them by Ross Bolton A complete reproduction of Boothby's 1934 World Drinks and How to Mix Them with a new introduction by Ross Bolton.

	Cocktails by Jimmy late of Ciro's 1930 Reprint by Ross Bolton A complete reproduction of Cocktails by Jimmy late of Ciro's 1930 Reprint with a new introduction by Ross Bolton.