Cocktail creations by Umami Mart: shaken, stirred, and remixed.
Happy Hour
December 15, 2010
Happy Hour: Remember the Maine
“… just as there is no such thing as a 1/2-good girl there is no such animal as a 1/2-good drink. A mixed drink is either made correctly out of correct stuff: good; or it’s La Bebida Piojosa (lousy drink). Even a homely gal can, with cunningly-employed paint, powder, patches, rouge-pots, whale-bone and falsies, fool […]
December 8, 2010
Happy Hour: The Charlie Sheen
“Slash sat me down at his house and said, You’ve got to clean up your act. You know you’ve gone too far when Slash is saying, ‘Look, you’ve got to get into rehab.” – Charlie Sheen What do you do when you have trouble coming up with a name for a cocktail you’ve created? Well, […]
November 24, 2010
Happy Hour: Dolores’ Huerto
Thanksgiving has long been the source of mixed emotions for me. On one hand it’s a day when I can unleash my monster appetite without abandon. I love to eat, and I love to eat well. Yet on the other hand I consider myself a person of conscience, and Thanksgiving is a yearly reminder of […]
November 17, 2010
Happy Hour: Gin Gin Sour
I recently read an article by Gary Regan about a couple of modern cocktails he predicts will eventually become classics, and it made me think about exactly what makes a cocktail a classic. The answer may seem fairly obvious in that it just needs to taste awesome, but I’ve had many newly created cocktails that […]
November 10, 2010
Happy Hour: The V.O.C.
Last night I visited Vandaag (Dutch for “today”), a new Dutch themed restaurant in the East Village which I had been hearing lots of good things about, including a 2 star review by Sam Sifton of the NY Times. Though I knew the food would be good, my interest was of course piqued by their […]
November 3, 2010
Happy Hour: Rikuo Cocktail
Sometimes I hear or read about something while going about my every day business and it inspires me to hit my liquor cabinet and create something. Sometimes it’s the other way around, where I’m playing around with different spirits and ingredients and I come across a combination I really enjoy. In the case of the […]
October 27, 2010
Happy Hour: Blood and Tears
Halloween’s only a few days away and many of you still haven’t bought or made your costume, or worst yet, haven’t even figured out what you’ll be dressing up as. Unfortunately I can’t help you in that department. However where I can be of assistance is in figuring out what to serve at your party–or […]
October 20, 2010
Happy Hour: Return from the Dead!
Our Editor has named “death” as the theme for the remainder of October here on Umamimart, and it’s quite fitting because for most readers death is an apt description of the state of the Happy Hour column. As some of you know I haven’t written in over a month, having started a sabbatical to begin […]
September 29, 2010
Happy Hour: Mi Amo Amaro in My Cocktails!
Novare serbando. – Fratelli Branca motto from the 19th Century (translation: “Renew but conserve.”) My obsession with the bitter Italian herbal liqueurs known as Amari is homegrown. Amari, which translates to “Bitters†in Italian, have been a staple in my house as long as I can remember– my father Francesco is Milanese after all. He […]
September 22, 2010
Happy Hour: The Perfect Stiff Drink for the Season
To heart shaped leaves, Winning personal bets, And faring as well as you this season! – Graeme Robert Jamieson An atmosphere of falling leaves, frosted breathe, houndstooth warmth, and hearty meals demands a cocktail that fits the mood. One’s cocktail should change with the seasons. This is really intuitive because similar to food, a cocktail […]