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Learn How to Make Your Own Bar Ingredients
Last week it was Cocktail Week here in San Francisco and I was lucky enough to attend a bunch of the events. The highlight was Thursday's bar school — a day of education. Since I'm an avid home mixologist, I checked out the House-Made Ingredients How-To taught by Jeff Hollinger, general manager at Absinthe, and Neyah White, bartender extraordinaire at Nopa.
Happy Hour: Revolver
On paper — specifically, the menu at San Francisco speakeasy Bourbon and Branch — the combination of bourbon, orange bitters, and coffee liqueur sounds a bit strange. But one sip and it all makes sense. I suggest you broaden your understanding and do the same.
Happy Hour: Fat Prince
Like bitters, maraschino liqueur is an essential ingredient in many classic cocktails but serves an opposite purpose. The cherry-derived spirit offers just a hint of sweetness that's not at all syrupy. I particularly love cocktails that combine bitters and maraschino, as the competing elements come together for a very complex taste.The festive Fat Prince challenges (in a good way) the taste buds even more, with earthy rye and a float of Brut champagne.
An Insider Look at The Bitters Seminar
Recently Lucas Bols, the spirits brand behind Bols Genever, announced a unique series of classic cocktails seminars. The discussions would happen four times a year in both New York City and San Francisco. Along with the city by the bay's best bartenders, I was lucky enough to score an invite to the first seminar, "The History and Influence of Bitters."
Happy Hour: Rossellini
Sunny weekends in San Francisco are hard to come by. When I awoke last Saturday to clear-blue skies, I headed over to Bar Bambino, an Italian nook in the city with a new back patio.
There, I enjoyed the perfect warm-weather drink: a spin on sangria that was refreshing and fruity without being overly cloying or too heavy on the alcohol.
Happy Hour: Pisco Sour
The other night I found myself at Nopa, a San Francisco restaurant known for its great food and equally respectable drinks. My drink of choice was the pisco sour, the slightly sweet, tart, frothy lemon cocktail made with pisco, a regional South American brandy. This is a wonderful concoction and I'm excited to re-create it at home.If you don't own pisco, you can find it at a well-stocked liquor store or online.
Happy Hour: French 75
In honor of Bastille Day, which celebrates the start of the French Revolution, mix (or order!) a French 75 cocktail. Named for a type of gun, this drink was originally created by a World War I, French-American fighter pilot. The combination of gin and champagne packs such a potent kick that people believed drinking it was like being shot with the powerful gun.
Yummy Links: From Better Tasting Coffee to Emeril Live
- Sick of the horrible tasting office coffee? Here are ten ways to make office coffee taste better. —The Epi-Log
- Find the farmers market closest to you and discover recipes that feature the farm fresh products.
Happy Hour: The Big Apple
Last year, while flipping through Blueprint magazine, I came across a beautifully styled drink called The Big Apple. The recipe sounded fantastic — whiskey, apple cider, vermouth — but the reason to drink it was even better. According to Blueprint, it makes the perfect "transitional" sipper and I couldn't agree more.
Definition: Bitters
Bitters A highly concentrated liquid made from distilling roots, plants, barks, herbs, etc. that is used to flavor cocktails, foods, or aperitifs. With a bitter or bittersweet taste, the stimulant is sometimes used for medicinal purposes.
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