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Today is the Kentucky Derby, so it's the day for Mint Juleps.We were invited to a ball for a charity for which we volunteer. As it happens, the women who taught me to make Mint Juleps were there, so I made a batch and brought them over.I've had (read full article)
Summary: Excellent drinks, great food, moderate prices, friendly people. Its our new go-to spot for a drink in Oakland - The Grand TavernRest of Post: What do you get when some serious foodies with locavore tendencies hire mixological heart-th (read full article)
Summary: After an afternoon of wandering up and down the aisles in the Ferry Building, you can sit at the rail in the wine bar and watch the people go by, or you can grab a terrific cocktail in The Slanted Door. Or, if it is Christm (read full article)
Summary: What to do when one needs eggnog in a hurry? My "grand mal" recipe takes hours, a sturdy mixer, and a light hand. This one is quite good and takes much less work - you can put it together in a bit over an hour - and most of that (read full article)
Summary: 'Tis the season for indulgence, and here is the fruit of our research - our seventh annual Eggnog. Starting with two quarts of heavy cream and a dozen eggs its one of the richest, most luxurious things we've every had in our mouths. Requirin (read full article)
Remember making punch?For me it conjures up a visions of college when alcohol was scarce, and money was scarcer1.Shudder.But it wasn't always like that. Once upon a time, a punch was an elegant thing.In fact, before there were cocktails, there were p (read full article)
On September 8 I attended “Cocktails 102” at the Beverage Academy at Bourbon & Branch. This turned out to be the first time the class has been offered.It was taught by Jon Santer, one of the founding bartenders of Bourbon & Branch. (read full article)
One of our goals is to try all the hot bay area cocktail spots (and write them up).For my 51rst birthday, O organized a 'research trip' to The Slanted Door. Unfortunately, some idiot (which would be me) left the camera in our car. Art saved the d (read full article)
I've been reading lots of posts about making one's own syrups, mostly skeptically. However, after tasting the difference between commercial bar syrup and cane sugar simple syrup at The Beverage Academy at Bourbon & Branch, I've gotten more and m (read full article)
History and ContextThis world famous drink was invented right here in the east bay*. Victor Bergeron, known to the world as ‘Trader Vic’, created the first Mai Tai in at his Emeryville restaurant at 65th & San Pablo Avenue.“In 1944, after s (read full article)
Monday night I went to our favorite bar for a cocktail class at The Beverage Academy at Bourbon & Branch, on the edge of the Tenderloin in San Francisco.In case you are wondering, Bourbon & Branch is where I have had the best mixed drinks of (read full article)
History and Context It was invented in 1887 in San Francisco at the site where the Transamerica Pyramid now stands, it was famous across America in its day, if not the world. A tart drink made with pineapple and Peruvian brandy, there was (read full article)
History and ContextIn 1932, in the depths of prohibition, Ernest Hemingway moved to Cuba. Famous, and financially independent from the success of his second novel “A Farewell to Arms”, Hemingway spent much of his time in Cuba fishing and writing (read full article)
Ledger's Liquors - 1399 University Avenue at Acton, Berkeley, CA 510-540-9243- truly amazing selection of beer, especially Belgian beer, and just about every liquor you've ever heard of. Very eager to special order things for you. The owner is also (read full article)
Webtender - one of the two online cocktail recipe databases I'm always checking. I refer to their bar measurements page (how many teaspoons in an ounce?) frequently enough that it is on my browser toolbar. (read full article)
Coming soonBrief discussion of this important cocktail book, excellent drinks I've tried from it, the interesting system of measurements, and Erik Flannestad's blog - he is making every drink in the book (read full article)
Sloe Gin FizzDating from at least 1898, the sloe gin fizz is a cocktail that has led several lives. Before prohibition it was famous for its sweet – tart flavor, then it came back in the 70s as a low-rent, cheap thrill. Now its reborn in its origi (read full article)
Friday night we had a Sloe Gin Fizz party here at '80'.In my classic cocktail research, I'd tried a few cocktails made with Sloe Gin: The Millionaire #4 (Savoy Cocktail Book), The Blackthorne, the San Francisco - and they weren't very good. When I (read full article)
What sort of research goes into preparing for a party?Sometime it involves buying and reading reference material. In this case, there is only one book [Wings of Cherubs by Guillermo Toro-Lira]. In addition to the book, there is an article. There ar (read full article)
There are lots of ways to get things. You can buy them. People can give them to you. You can find them.We are interested in getting an ice crusher - for all those drinks that are served over crushed ice. If we are going to throw a party - in the bac (read full article)
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