August 30, 2018
It’s hot, it’s humid, and the air is sticky. The streets are quiet as everyone has retreated to their summer home, their living room in front of the AC unit, or perhaps the movie theater enjoying the free air conditioning.... UNFILTERED Archives: Spirits
RESPECT TO THE MAESTROS: Agave, Community and Socioeconomics in Mezcal
August 9, 2018
We’re obsessed with mezcal these days. (It seems like an awful lot of people are.) In our growing passion for the category, we’ve developed a love just as deep for the raw ingredient of the spirit: the agave plant. And... The Bitter and the Sweet Side of Liqueurs: A Long-Lived Tipple
July 31, 2018
There are many confusing categories under the broad “spirits” umbrella: amari versus bitter, bourbon versus whisk(e)y, rum versus rhum… the list goes on. One category, however, particularly garners much debate: liqueur. The category is confusing, with good reason. There are... I’m Not A Player – I Just Slush A Lot
July 10, 2018
Last summer, in our post “Boozy Popsicles and Blended Drinks”, we explored options for beating the heat with a variety of ice-cold cocktails. Now, as the season’s inaugural beads of sweat form on our brows, we thought it appropriate to... Save Some Booze for the Sauce
June 26, 2018
For better or worse (mostly better), fermentation and the consumption of potable alcohol is one of the human race’s defining characteristics. Since its discovery, alcohol has been used in, and enjoyed alongside, food for its organoleptic and intoxicating properties. Throughout... TOP RANKING: A Deeper Dive into the Magic of True Jamaican Rum
May 2, 2018
When we talk about RUM (or RHUM, or RON), it’s generally accepted that there are three broad categories to consider, delineated by the colonial power that once dominated the place where the liquor was produced: French styles of Rhum, Spanish... Back to the Beginning: Vodka’s Legacy and What It Can Teach Us
April 18, 2018
Four years ago, a certain attitude towards vodka was bubbling beneath the surface in the NYC bartending industry. Whether or not this attitude was spoken out loud, many craft cocktail menus did the talking by offering underwhelming vodka drinks or... Bubbles & Booze: A New Year’s Cocktail Primer
December 29, 2017
New Year’s Eve parties are an eternal puzzle, full of charming potential and celebratory whimsy, but also rife with the worst pitfalls of any deeply anticipated celebration – times, like, a million. Every year it seems that for each successful... Don’t Call It a Cognac: Brandy’s Been Here for Years
December 19, 2017
In May of 2016, Punch magazine published an article by Robert Simonson in which he documented his search for the ultimate sleeper of classic cocktails, the Sidecar—a deceivingly simple brandy daisy from the early 1900’s. He posited a number of... Nog, Punch & Glögg: Helpful Holiday Tipples
November 20, 2017
‘Tis the season for entertaining! Holiday parties, soirees with friends, family traditions; essentially any excuse to get together out of the cold and warm up with drinks and celebration. All these parties and events — while fun – do have...