Most of us like a little something sweet after a good meal, whether it's a decadent dessert, a piece of candy, or a glass of dessert wine. I'm a sucker for creamy, sweet after-dinner drinks, like a white russian or a sip of Adult Chocolate Milk. Lately I've been getting creative with my dessert drinks, starting with this honey roasted martini. I tore the recipe out of a Grey Goose ad a while Read more

Although using herbs in cocktails is nothing new — in the Summer, I love incorporating basil into drinks — recently, I've been really into experimenting with rosemary as a flavor enhancer. In this recipe, the woodsy herb adds a hint of earthiness to a vodka-cranberry-based concoction. The original method, which I found on a fun iPhone application, calls for blackberry vodka, but I didn't want Read more

For those friends that are into mixology or just obsessed with Mad Men, don't worry about which new cocktail tool they might need. Instead make them homemade cocktail onions! The mostly hands-off process is pretty easy but does take a little more than a day for the onions to short brine (this ensures a crisp texture). Once you've tasted these crisp, salty, and sweet cocktail onions it will be Read more

Now that Thanksgiving is officially behind us, it's time to get in the holiday spirit. There's no better way to do it than with a refreshing and festive homemade cocktail. This cranberry mint martini is potent but easy to sip with a beautifully vibrant hue. It's well-balanced and not too sweet. The ingredient list calls for cranberry vodka, but if you don't have it, regular vodka is a fine Read more

A well-stocked home bar should have two versions of vermouth, and trust me: you don't want to confuse the two. Dry vermouth, also called French vermouth (pictured), is light in color and often found in similarly shaded cocktails. Dry vermouth mixes into a classic dry martini, as well as some of my favorite finds, including the Corkscrew and El Presidente cocktails. Not surprisingly, Italian (aka Read more

On Tuesday night I was lucky enough to be among a select group of Nirvino users to attend a special tasting at San Francisco's Fifth Floor. The restaurant recently launched an old-fashioned tableside bar service in which the bartender, spirits extraordinaire and all-around amazing guy Steven Liles, prepares drinks at your table. The 1950s-style wooden cart is stocked with all the necessary tools Read more

Every other year, my family hosts a big holiday party where we invite all our friends over. My sister and I always make Martha Stewart's eggnog. It's thick, frothy, and most importantly, boozy. Since this Christmas is an off year, I'm a little bummed we won't be enjoying the eggnog. That's why I decided to cheer myself up by making an eggnog martini. There's not much difference between an eggnog Read more