Umami Mart

When it comes to knockoffs and variations, perhaps no cocktail has been the subject of more unflattering imitations than the classic Daiquiri. As with most cocktail crimes, the origins of these transgressions trace back to Prohibition, when an entire generation lacked access to quality alcohol, as well as to the talented barmen (and a few […]

March, as the idiom goes, comes in like a Lion, and goes out like a Lamb. This month may bring us spring-like temperatures, but also one more blizzard for the road. Winter’s last blast requires a libation celebrating the flavors of the season and is worthy of the ferocity of the month’s namesake, Mars, the […]

We’re a couple weeks into 2011 and many of you are still hopeful about staying true to your resolutions. Although last year I did my best to aid you in detoxing from the holiday gluttony, this year my intentions aren’t so pure. Rather than fortify your resolve, I’m here to steer your ship back to the harbor of iniquity. How you […]

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 […]

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 […]

Admittedly, I’ve always had a much easier time coming up with cocktails than coming up with names for cocktails. But every now and then, after concocting something I consider worthy of sharing with you all (you should see the pile of cocktail recipes that didn’t make the cut), a fitting name reveals itself without too […]

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 […]

During last week’s Cinco de Mayo redux I mentioned flirting with the idea of featuring tequila all month long for Happy Hour. Well the flirting and foreplay is over, and it’s safe to say carnal knowledge has been obtained. For this week and the next two Happy Hours in May I will feature cocktails made […]

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. […]

During a picnic this past Sunday, a friend of mine asked me to recommend “the best cocktail I probably haven’t heard of.” Not being able to give it too much thought (as I was operating under the duress of trying to resuscitate the charcoals on the grill), I hastily recommended a Corpse Reviver or Corpse […]