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Gin or vodka? Dry or wet? Shaken or stirred? Martinis are classic, but if you’re not a bartender, it can be confusing to start drinking them. Don’t be intimidated. The original martinis were made with gin, vermouth, bitters, maraschino liquer and a lemon garnish in the mid-1800s. It wasn’t until the 60’s that the vodka martini was popularized. Gin has an herby, complex flav...[Read More]

Vermouth is a fortified wine that is used in many cocktails as a standard ingredient. While there are both “sweet” and “dry” varieties, a sweet vermouth isn’t going to taste like grenadine. Where a dry vermouth has a herbaceous flavor, sweet vermouth has a spicy, earthy taste. As you know from our post on making a Manhattan, a traditional Manhattan typically uses swee...[Read More]

The Manhattan is a pretty simple drink, usually including the standard whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Here’s an easy recipe to try: 2 ounces rye whiskey 1 ounce sweet vermouth 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1 marasca cherry Stir ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with cherry. Despite what some purists may tell you, there are ways to spice up this standard recipe. For insta...[Read More]

People will tell you that a “craft” cocktail is just a more expensive version of a regular drink, but it’s not that simple: we’ve all been to college bars and tourist traps that charge way too much for a rail rum and coke. Those bars might even call their cocktails craft, but you’ll just be choking down the same sugary concoction with cheap booze you’d find anywhere else. Ideally, “craft” means th...[Read More]

When looking for a decent, affordable whiskey, most will reach for a name brand on the shelf. Jameson, Johnnie Walker, Jim Bean, and Jack Daniels all come to mind. Most whiskey fans will tell you these brands aren’t the best available—chalk up their reputation to good marketing, I suppose. If you’re feeling adventurous, there are many brands you’ve probably never heard of that offer great wh...[Read More]