Home mixology is having a moment right now, and rightfully so: why pay $10 or more for a cocktail at a local bar, when you can mix up something equally delicious for much less? But being your own bartender does come with its limitations, and you may still need to rely on the liquor store or your favorite bar for more complicated or obscure ingredients. So which cocktail elements should you DIY, Read more

The cocktail scene in San Francisco is thriving and earlier this week I judged a competition hosted by the United States Bartender's Guild. There were eight bartenders from the Bay Area making drinks with DonQ rum in two distinct categories: a homemade ingredient-driven, spirit-based drink and a fruity, long drink served over ice in a tall glass. The tasting was blind, fellow judges Martin Cate, Read more

Cocktail aficionados may be familiar with the term dry-shake. It's a verb that's often used in drink recipes for classic and contemporary applications. But what exactly does it mean? Well, when I was a guest-bartender at Jardiniere, I got to know the phrase very intimately. Let me explain: to dry-shake a cocktail means to shake the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with no ice. All recipes Read more

Since I'm something of a home mixologist, one of the seminars I looked forward to attending at the Food & Wine Classic was Tony Abou-Ganim's Create Your Own Specialty Cocktails. While I make tons of drinks at home, I always follow a recipe, so I was curious to see what Ganim had to say. According to him, the key to a good cocktail is balance. Also, making drinks is like cooking; once you Read more

Simple syrup plays a key role in sweetening cocktails. The classic syrup is equal parts sugar and water. When a drink calls for simple syrup, I normally bring the sugar and water to a boil, let it cool, and use according to the libation's recipe. However, what happens when you don't have time to heat and cool the syrup? Recently I found myself in this predicament, and I remembered a tip that I Read more

To encourage kids to eat healthier, Rachael Ray is cooking her soft tacos for public schools in New York. — New York Daily News Your local mixologist may be earning a lot more money than you think. — Grub Street NY Why not make your own baby food at home?— The Epi-Log American cheeses are gaining popularity in Europe. — Wall Street Journal An inside look at the Food Network's new Cook Read more