One Size Fits All

Bars expand their horizons

“Niche” has been the name of our drinking game for the last few years. We delighted as watering holes with established and focused agendas opened. Some were devoted to...

Cold as Ice

Cold brew is key to a coffee cocktail

Historically, coffee and booze played nice in mug-worthy drinks. But hot beverages are hardly appropriate during the year's sweatiest months. Coffee lovers have long buzzed about...

Petal to the Metal

Hibiscus by another name still tastes as sweet

When Martin Cate first opened Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, he put a Sorrel Punch on the menu. It didn't sell very well--until he renamed it Hibiscus Punch. “People just...

Brandy, You're a Fine Girl

Cognac makes a triumphant return

Cognac, though generally considered a sipping liquor, is moving into the mixing tin. In truth, it's moving back into the mixing tin. Cognac was one of the most frequently...

Major Key

A new cocktail tool to keep in your pocket

Forget those bottle openers that you used to hang from your key ring in college. Microplane, maker of the eponymous supersharp graters, zesters and shavers, has released a new,...

Fizz This

A better way to dry-shake

The key to a good egg-based drink, i.e., proper emulsification, can be hard to achieve. It is sometimes accomplished with a technique called the dry shake, in which the cocktail...