December 2, 2009
Every now and then I come across old cocktail recipes that have little to no history or lineage to trace back to; bona fide boozy bastards, where all background checks turn out goose eggs. They’re listed in a few old cocktail recipe books, and if you do an internet search you’ll have no problem coming […]
November 25, 2009
There’s no two ways about it, I likes me a good Manhattan. I likes me one any time of year really, but I especially likes me one during fall. There’s something about the bracing combination of whiskey and sweet vermouth that warms my soul and embraces my palate like a hug from a fond, familiar […]
November 18, 2009
“A good Sherris-Sack…ascends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish, and dull, and crudy vapours which environ it, makes it apprehensive, quick, inventive, full of nimble, fiery and delectable shape, which delivered o’er to the voice which is the birth, becomes excellent wit.”–Shakespeare’s Falstaff It would come as a great surprise to […]
November 11, 2009
Perhaps you were thinking that the cocktails presented here in Happy Hour are too fussy. And perchance you wondered if there are drinks you could make that could astonish your tastebuds without inducing exhaustion from the process. You do, after all, have lots to do until the end of the year–plan the Thanks-stealing menu, prepare […]
October 21, 2009
Today’s Happy Hour is the last stop on the Scotch Express. If this is your first time checking in or haven’t been around in a while, we’ve been in full-Scotch mode the last several weeks, sharing numerous classic-yet-unsung Scotch cocktails (by classic I mean recipes that are at least 80 years old). This week’s cocktail […]
October 14, 2009
It’s Happy Hour once again, and classic Scotch cocktails are in effect as they have been over the past few weeks. Why have I been focusing so much on Scotch lately you ask? Well, firstly, because I enjoy the spirit a whole lot. Besides that, I realized reason alone could not dissuade the purists who […]
October 7, 2009
Last week I had the distinct honor of being one of five NYC mixologists chosen by Gothamist for a special event involving three of my favorite entities: Scotch, cocktails, and Rachel Maddow. The event was held in the private Gonzo Room (named after the late great Hunter S. Thompson) of Aspen in the Flatiron, and […]
September 30, 2009
“I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly…”-Ron Burgundy I couldn’t agree more, which is why last week I declared that for the coming month or so I’m dedicating the column to classic Scotch cocktails. Not only is Scotch underused by mixologists, it’s also underrated as a cocktail component–when […]
September 23, 2009
Like an overly anxious 300 pound stripper, Fall this year seems to have fallen abruptly on our lap and we are powerless to do anything about it. While there is normally a slow and smooth transition between seasons in New York, summer this year seemed like a mere placeholder for the season to follow. But […]
September 16, 2009
Today is Mexican Independence Day folks! It’s been too crazy of a day for me, and everything including Happy Hour’s been behind schedule, so I’m keeping today’s post short and to the point. Mexican Independence Day, also known as El Grito de Dolores, is often incorrectly confused with Cinco de Mayo, which is actually a […]