Not all of out Commanders-in-Chief have been drinkers but many (actually most) have. Several, such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington ran distilleries as part of their households. …Read More

Gary Regan, celebrated mixologist and writer gives us a terrific journey into the world of new small-batch gins flavored with much more than just the required juniper berry. These days, gin is flavored with a wide variety of herbs, spices and botanicals including lavender, caramom, cinnamon, ginger and citrus. This makes for many a ideal martini, each unique to the batch of gin at its base.

Regan reviews a handful of small batch gins including … Read more

New Years Eve is just a few short days away, so get that bubbly chilled and ready to toast 2007. Champagne is great straight, but mixing it up can really help out the not-so-good stuff. Making champagne cocktails also is great for leftover bubbly. Apparently, sugar will help revive the bubbles in flat champagne. The original champagne cocktail is made with a sugar cube soaked with angostura bitters. The recipe has changed little since it’s … Read more

Every December 5th we pause to remember the passing of the 21st Amendment, thus ending Prohibition. Yea, FDR!

The nice folks at sent us this fun bit of history. Dewar’s Scotch was the first legal whisky to arrive in the US, hitting New York’s South Street Seaport docks the moment the law was put into action. Joseph Kennedy, Sr. (JFK’s father) happened to be the US agent for the brand.

We found this cool video … Read more

It’s that time of year again. No, not annual holiday celebration, it is something else. This Tuesday we celebrate the end to a dark time in American history, the passing of the 21 Amendment, thus repealing the 18th (aka Prohibition). For cocktails, however, Prohibition was a huge success. During Prohibition, people were drinking more than ever, it was the roaring 20s after all. Unfortunately, the only liquor folks could get was typically homemade and terrible. … Read more

A new study published in the American Journal of Medicine suggests that cocktails made with mixers containing artificial sweetness can get a person more intoxicated than a mixer with regular sweeteners.

Seems that diet drinks pass through the stomach faster than the regular ones. This makes the person’s blood alcohol level spike quickly, thus getting you drunker faster. It could also tip you over the legal limit. Of course, you should never drink and drive … Read more

The Little Ice Age that hit the world from 1450 – 1850 is said to have killed a large portion of the grape crop in Europe. As a result of the lack of grapes, Europeans began producing beer and hard liquor. Over the years, these libations became predominant in Northern European countries. As the English, Irish and Germans began settling the original colonies, they brought their beer and booze with them. Thus establishing beer and … Read more

Men 10%, women 14%. That’s how much more money people who drink and socialize in bars earn compared to their teetotaling counterparts. Makes sense, alcohol is the great social lubricant.

Social Lubrication = Getting Business Done

Accoding to Edward Stringham, an economics professor at San Jose State University, “Social drinking builds social capital.” This just reaffirms the old saying, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know,” and the people you want to … Read more

There are numerous stories on the Sidecar’s origins. However, Harry’s Bar in Paris is generally credited with inventing the Sidecar for a patron who often rode in the sidecar of a motorcycle. Pictured is the Sidecar we drank at Harry’s.

I am grateful to this unknown and unsung mixologist who brought us this cocktail, as it is my personal favorite, and I am eternally grateful to the Bix in San Francisco for introducing me to … Read more

According to 20/20, this is not just a sexist myth. Men are biologically better equipped to drink more than women. Take that ladies.

Turns out us guys have more of an enzyme in the lining of our stomachs that, when it sees alcohol, begins to metabolize it immediately. This means that only about ½ of the alcohol men drink gets into the blood stream. Ain’t science fun? Thanks, John Stossel!

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