Umami Mart

The Mai Tai is one of the most important and enduring drinks in the continuum of the American cocktail–it is an indelible piece of the ever-changing mosaic called “Americana.” That it instantly conjures images of tropical sunsets, surfboards, and other props fitting for the mis en scene of Beach Blanket Bingo is the reason it […]

I am, I must admit, a Negroni man through and through. As far as cocktails go, the Negroni is probably the closest a libation comes to inducing what smokers refer to as the “munchies”–in other words it’s a monster of an aperitif. Yet despite its simple and to the point manner, in these dog days […]

Our month long jaunt into the world of classic Cuban cocktails concludes this week with the most famous yet simplest of them all, the Cuba Libre. Named in honor of Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain, “Cuba libre!” or “free Cuba!” was the battle cry of Cubans seeking freedom from Spanish rule, whose centuries-old grip […]

Yes indeed, the Mojito is finally making its Happy Hour debut. You may have wondered what took so long–ok, so maybe you don’t ponder the decision-making process of Happy Hour columns in your spare time, but I’ll tell you anyway. I was waiting for the heat of the NYC summer to really unleash itself before […]

Last week I shared with you the history and recipe of one of the most refreshing cocktails on the planet (in my humble opinion), the Daiquiri. Last Sunday, as I was sitting out on my Brooklyn balcony (read fire escape) and throwing one back I thought to myself, the readers deserve more Daiquiri action! So […]

It is difficult to think of a classic cocktail that has gone through as many unflattering permutations–to the point where nearly all resemblance to the original has vanished–as the Daiquiri. That the word Daiquiri instantly conjures images of umbrella-laden, too-sweet-for-consumption slushees served to retirees on cruise ships only punctuates this point, since this modern-day mutation […]

I was inspired to make this when watching Jacques Pepin make it on his show the other day. He just made it look so easy- it’s a raw vegetable soup for god’s sake! No pots and pans- just your knife, peeler and food processor. It’s a lazyass cook’s call from heaven. I’m working at a […]

I received a rave review of this beer in my inbox a couple of weeks ago from my friend Lakshman. If someone emails you at length about how great a particular product is, chances are it’s worth trying. I finally got around to it, and this certainly is a lovely summertime beverage. At the very […]

Since moving away from my beloved town of Shimokitazawa, I make every excuse to cruise by the neighborhood just to check out the latest shop openings. As it is only a 10-min bike ride away from my current residence, I go there to run my Muji errands and to meet up for coffee with colleagues. […]

This past week has been quite a bittersweet one for me. On the bitter side, one of my favorite musicians passed away; my people in Iran are facing unimaginable cruelty in their fight to take back a dream stolen from them first in 1953 and again in 1979; and of least relative importance, my computer’s […]