Umami Mart

It’s that time of month again- UmamiventureTime! I figure the best way to stave off the bitter January cold (ha!) would be a day of vodka and whiskey tasting. Ok, ok, it’s just another excuse to get us all drunk. There could be no better way to kick-off 2010 together. Seriously though– I’m really excited […]

So you say it was a tough year, huh? Well, look at it this way: you’ve almost made it out of this Millenium’s first decade. And what a decade it’s been. I mean, this was the decade that the internet hit puberty and really came into its own; the decade that gave birth to Google—do […]

At some point very soon you’ll feel like you’ve filled your noggin with too much nog from all the holiday parties throughout the month. Before you reach the point where the three letter word ‘egg’ begins to conjure four letter word thoughts, I’d like to share with you a few recipes for delicious egg-based relatives […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

Another Labor Day has come and gone. Although summer doesn’t technically end until sometime around mid-September, many generally regard Labor Day as the finish line. This is especially true in New York, where the holiday is regarded as seriously as the expiration date on a carton of milk–here, the prep set make their final Hamptons […]

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. […]