Umami Mart

When we talked about me creating a cocktail with the theme of love for Valentine’s day, I balked. Love… ha! How trite! But in these tumultuous times, we could all use some love. Now, more than ever, am I right? When I walked with thousands of other people at the Women’s March in January, we chanted in unison, […]

Hola from España! To celebrate finishing the cookbook (yay!), we headed to Andalusia. We rented a little apartment in Sevilla which is such an idyllic town. Citrus trees literally line all the streets — it’s amazing! Around every corner you’ll find another tapas restaurant, with tables scattered over cobblestones, beneath citrus trees. Even the cathedrals have citrus […]

If you grew up in America, then chances are you’re familiar with the story of Elizabeth Griscom Ross, better known as Betsy Ross. If you didn’t, or if you had ADD during elementary school, the story basically goes like this: during the period when America was fighting for independence from the Brits, George Washington came […]

Before Jim Meehan opened PDT, he honed his craft behind the bar at a few different bars and restaurants in New York City. One of those places was Gramercy Tavern, and the Astoria Bianco was among the notable cocktails he created while tending bar there. It is a variation of an old classic called the […]

“Did you say you’d like an Apple Martini? I’m sorry but we don’t carry any Apple Puckers, and the year is not 2002.” -Me Perhaps you’ve been in jail for most of this century and you’ve recently been set free, and so you have nary a notion of the occurrences of the last decade. Now […]

It’s 95ËšF right now in Brooklyn and my air conditioner is busted, so the timing for this refreshing drink couldn’t be any better. Like the Americano highball I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, the Aperol Spritz fills the role when the weather is scorching and you want something simple, refreshing, and light enough […]

Albert Mathieu was a French mining engineer, who in 1802 proposed a plan to build a tunnel beneath the English Channel connecting France and England. Since the two countries were not the greatest of pals at the time, the idea had a tough time gaining traction. Heightened political pressure in England over national security concerns […]

At its core, the art of mixing drinks involves the skillful ability to balance flavors. Sometimes it’s a simple task involving three ingredients that are prima facie playmates, resulting in an instant classic–the Daiquiri or Manhattan cocktails come to mind here. Other times the balancing act is more akin to the high wire variety, with […]

The #2 drink in the PDT Cocktail Book is the #3 Cup. If you like the Pimm’s Cup, then you cannot pass up this one, which appeared on the PDT menu in the spring of 2009. Created by former PDT bartender Gerry Corcoran, the drink’s name is a reference to the now defunct Pimm’s No. […]

  Of all the names one could choose for a cocktail, the Blood and Sand is one of the oddest. It sounds odder when you consider the stuff that goes into the drink–Scotch, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and orange juice, all in equal proportions.  But of the relatively few classic Scotch cocktails out there, the […]