The Sipping Seder – A site of Passover Cocktails
Does the Perfect Bourbon Exist? – The Washington Post postulates
All 68 NCAA Tournament Teams Ranked by Their Best Drunk College Food – Endless Simmer
Fastest Bartender in the World – Zagat
For alcohol brands, social media a stiff cocktail – CNet
Six Pack Frame Cinch – The Awesomer
Columbia Koozie Hoodie – Uncrate
NY Times DIY Cooking Handbook. Sounds kinda like our new books DIY … Read more

How a cure-all became a cocktail component
By Carly Wray

This article originally appeared in TheSpir.it

It’s 1820. A German doctor sets out for Venezuela to join Simon Bolivar’s fight against Spain. It’s not long before he’s Surgeon General, manning a military hospital and overseeing the casualties, not just of war, but of tropical diseases. Chills, sea sickness. Ravaging disorders. And it’s not much longer before he conjures a cure: Angostura bitters.

In the end, … Read more

It’s that time again, more links from the world of drinking.

The Bachelor Guy gives five things you need to know about mead.
Frank Bruni highlights some amazing booze marketing.
Katie at YumSugar spent some time behind the bar and tells us five things you should know about bartending.
The WSJ tells how a banned Polish Vodka came to the US.
Keeping with fives, here’s five wine questions answered.
How about an adult PB&J. Endless … Read more

Jim mixes up gin and tonics and his “Tea-quila Highball” for Jimmy, John Oliver and the Roots:

We had the pleasure to attended the recent Manhattan Cocktail Classic, held at the Astor Center. The day we spent was amazing, arriving around noon, I was immediately greeted be an amazing bar full of fresh ingredients and rare spirits.

I chatted for a bit and then headed into a session titled “Choosing the Right Glassware” lead by none other than Dale de Groff. If you don’t already know, Dale is a bartending legend and … Read more

Tonight, I found myself near what I had heard was one of the best new bars in San Francisco and thought I’d give it a try. The place is called, Rickhouse, and is owned by the same folks who own Bourbon & Branch. Unfortunately, I was not able to actually get a drink. Initially, I was very impressed by the enormously compressive drink menu. The ladies next to me admitted that it was a little … Read more

The first session I attended during last week’s Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans was a panel titled “2009 Big Trends in Cocktail & Spirit Service.”

The panel consisted of Jim Meehan, Michael Waterhouse, Devlin Tavern, and Simon Difford (Source Guide) and was moderated by Ryan Magarian (Aviation Gin).

The program covered the 4 Ps of Cocktail Service Success, not unlike the 4 Ps of marketing: product, precise execution, promotion, passion.

It was here … Read more

Great read from Paul Clarke at the New York Times Proof Blog about how drink recipes differ from bartender to bartender. These differences often can lead to disputes over the right ways to make any drink. The Old Fashioned is a prime example, a classic cocktail made of bourbon, but some times brandy and it goes from there.

Are You Friends, After an Old Fashioned? (NY Times)

James Bond, the epitome of style and sophistication, always insists his martinis should be “shaken, not stirred.” However, that preference may well be a sign of his rebellious nature more than his command of the cocktail. Traditionally, martinis are stirred … and for good reason.

Many experts dismiss the idea that shaking “bruises the gin.” But they do note that while shaking makes for a colder martini, it also dilutes the martini and gives it … Read more