Jul 02, 2009 -
On a hot day, there's nothing quite like a tall glass filled with a tart mojito. Although the drink was created in Cuba in 1943, it's now considered a classic cocktail by America's top bartenders.
Since it's one of my favorite Summer sips, I'm serving them at my Independence Day party.
- 2 Comments
Jun 29, 2009 -
When the Summer's in full swing, I pretty much live on tomatoes. I eat them out of hand and in salads, drink them in gazpacho — and now, thanks to Michael Chiarello, I can swim in them! In addition to making fresh mozzarella on the spot and singing the virtues of sustainable agriculture, chef Chiarello also introduced the audience to a savory martini made from tomato water, a clear liquid with a delicate, acidic flavor that's produced when tomatoes are strained of their juices.
- 6 Comments
Jun 25, 2009 -
Typically when we go to Dolores Park on a sunny day, everyone brings a bottle (or two, or three) of wine. However, since this picnic is a plan-ahead event — rather than the normal impromptu affair — I'm making a special drink. Fresh-squeezed lemonade comes to mind when I hear the word picnic and this blushing pink version is prefect because it's spiked with vodka and sour cherries.
- 3 Comments
Jun 23, 2009 -
While attending Julie Reiner's seminar on tropical cocktails during the Food & Wine Classic, I came to the realization that tiki drinks are sort of a love it or hate it kind of thing.
On the one hand, an icy, fruit-flavored tiki cocktail can be like having Guam in a glass — but on the flip side, many people find them to be overly cloying, rather than refreshing. When it comes to tiki drinks, is your glass half full or half empty?
- 11 Comments
Jun 22, 2009 -
One of the best seminars I attended at last weekend's Aspen Food & Wine Classic was a cocktail class that focused on tropical cocktails. The lesson was led by Julie Reiner, the owner and bar genius behind such Manhattan hotspots as the Flatiron Lounge, Pegu Club, and the Clover Club.
Julie started off by giving us a primer on one of America's favorite drinking pastimes, the tiki bar.
- 1 Comment
Jun 18, 2009 -
For your Father's Day celebration, skip the froufrou-fruity cocktails and serve a potent classic instead. Since the only libation my dad drinks is a Tanqueray and tonic, this is what we'll be mixing.
To make it more special than his everyday drink, I'm adding fresh herbs.
- 2 Comments
Jun 15, 2009 -
While selecting in-season strawberries at Whole Foods the other day, an unfamiliar brewski, Samuel Smith Strawberry Ale, caught my eye. Since I was surrounded by the delicate aroma of ripe berries, I couldn't resist picking up a bottle.
I was curious about the unfamiliar label, and couldn't wait to give Samuel Smith's signature strawberry beer a taste.
- 9 Comments
Jun 15, 2009 -
Whether you're celebrating a wedding, honeymoon, graduation, or just the fact that it's Friday, you're probably raising a glass of champagne. Of course, not all sparkling wine is classified as champagne, and that's just the start of the confusing jargon. To help you choose the bubbly that's right for you, I've put together a guide to all of the relevant vocab, so you can sort out the doux from the cru.
- 0 Comments
Jun 12, 2009 -
Inspired by a cocktail class I recently attended, I decided to make my own strawberry-infused vodka. The technique is simple: all you have to do is slice a bunch of strawberries and combine them with the vodka and a little sugar. Then you let it sit for a couple of days until the vodka has a vibrant pink color.
- 3 Comments
Jun 11, 2009 -
Kick-start your farmers market feast with a potent, fresh-fruit cocktail in the form of a watermelon-rum mash. Cubes of melon are pureed and mixed with mint and rum. The final concoction is refreshing and conversation enhancing.
- 1 Comment
