Umami Mart

Previous:Gin & June Part 1, London Dry and Plymouth GinGin & June Part 2, Genever June’s journey into the world of gin continues this week as we explore another long-lost type of gin called Old Tom. Old Tom is a lightly sweetened gin that reached the height of its popularity in 18th and 19th century […]

Previous: Gin & June Part 1, London Dry & Plymouth Gin Last week I declared that gin would be Happy Hour’s operative agent of inebriation for the month of June. In accordance with that declaration, part 2 of Gin & June is about a lesser known variety of gin called Genever, the forefather of modern-day […]

Summer is finally upon us, though at times the calendar seems to be the only evidence of its presence. As you prepare your summer plans and getaways, I’d like to supply you with information and inspiration that will be invaluable to your inebriation this season. The subject that I would like to discuss is Gin, […]

Welcome back to Happy Hour, which for the month of May has been transformed into a tabernacle of tequila, where each week I have been featuring cocktails made with different types of tequilas (previous posts can be found here, here, and here). As the title indicates, the focus of this week is añejo tequila. Añejo […]

For Happy Hour this week we are knee-deep in fermented agave and that’s just the way I like it. Last week I promised to feature tequila all this month, so this week I am featuring cocktails made with reposado tequila. You can see the past two weeks’ posts here and here. Reposado tequila is a […]

During last week’s Cinco de Mayo redux I mentioned flirting with the idea of featuring tequila all month long for Happy Hour. Well the flirting and foreplay is over, and it’s safe to say carnal knowledge has been obtained. For this week and the next two Happy Hours in May I will feature cocktails made […]

It’s seis de Mayo, and if you aren’t recovering from a tequila hangover, or have already completed your recovery and are ready for more, then I have another tequila cocktail for you. In fact, I’m flirting with the idea of keeping it tequila for the entire month of May, as my way of paying tribute […]

The first Saturday in May is a special time of year for many Americans, especially those south of the Mason-Dixon. The month of May is to fans of horse racing what March is to college hoops fans, because it means it’s time for the annual “Run for the Roses,” better known as the Kentucky Derby. […]

For Happy Hour this week I’ve created another cocktail for you that’ll help you get your spring on! I call it the Jalapeno-Pear Caipiroska. The Jalaheehowhatyousay? Is that Russian you ask? Well, yes and no. Read on my friends. If you’ve ever had a Caipirinha then you’re halfway there. If you haven’t then you need […]

This week we’re going to have a little fun during Happy Hour as we set aside the history lessons and cocktail lore, along with all notions of cocktail purism and snobbery, to indulge in a little cocktail hedonism. For those who gave up chocolate for Lent, you can take pride in your perseverance, for this […]