Category: Craft
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Cocktails and the AI-Revolution
Like many people, I’ve watched the capabilities of AI unfold with wonderment. I’ve been a fan but only to the point of amusement. Chat GPT can write a long epic poem in perfect iambic pentameter, it can write up legal contracts and it can create new cocktail recipes. Bars have already ventured into featuring AI-created… Read more
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The Whiskey Cobbler: What Is It?
Unless you’re a cocktail aficionado with a penchant for history, chances are you’ve never heard of the cobbler. Cobblers were among the most popular mixed drink categories in the nineteenth century. Cobblers were made with numerous wines and spirits with the Sherry Cobbler being amongst the oldest recipes. The Sherry Cobbler appears in the 1847… Read more
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Why Do We Call it Bourbon?
Why We Call it Bourbon: In my last article, I proposed that no individual invented bourbon whiskey but rather that a confluence of factors led to its natural development. Even though I advocated that bourbon whiskey evolved across the Western half of the Ohio River Valley–not just within Kentucky–I believe the name likely originated from… Read more
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Who Invented Bourbon?
Who invented bourbon? Was It even invented in Kentucky?” The history of bourbon is shrouded in mystery. There are many myths and educated theories regarding its origin. Authoritative bourbon historians tend to agree that Elijah Craig didn’t invent it. But before we dive into the topic, we must first decide what it is and what’s… Read more
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The Origin of Cocktails and the Glorious Medicine Show!
We are deceived if we believe the cocktail is no longer medicinal. It might not cure typhoid, rheumatism, or nervous fever, but it’s a potion for the mind. Alcohol, when given the right environment, blurs the boundaries of imagination, and sometimes, such transformational power is a potent medicine. The soul, after all, is found in… Read more
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How to Become a Bartender!
There is no one route to becoming a bartender. I can tell you what I look for and appreciate in a prospective hire, but it’s not universal among bar managers. If you approach me for a job while claiming prior experience, I will ask you to make me a cocktail, and if you do an… Read more
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The Master Cocktails and the Theory of Mixology
How do bartenders come up with new drinks? While it’s entirely possible to mix random ingredients and come up with something good, there is a theory behind the art of mixology. Nearly every cocktail fits a basic template: a master cocktail. Want to make a new cocktail? Start with a master cocktail and start swamping… Read more
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Another Old-Fashioned Controversy: What About That Muddled Sugar Cube?
Based on a review of vintage recipes, the “old-fashioned” historically referred to a specific way of making the now defunct-in-name “whiskey cocktail,” as there was a time when cocktail books had recipes for both the old-fashioned and the whiskey cocktail. They were essentially the same drink, except the whiskey cocktail was sweetened with gomme syrup… Read more
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The Qualities that Make a Great Bartender
The qualities that make a good bartender are going to vary from establishment to establishment. For instance, someone with high-level flair skills may not be a great fit at a craft cocktail bar where there’s an emphasis on precision in measurements. Conversely, a craft bartender probably isn’t going to be happy working at a college… Read more
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Cherried, Not Cherried: An Old-Fashioned Controversy
A dirty martini might not be a classic martini but it is still a species of martini…so the time has come that we recognize the dirty old-fashioned (one with cherry and maybe an orange slice, muddled or not). But let’s be clear, such is a dirty old-fashioned and not a classic old-fashioned. I used to work with… Read more