Nut Job

Orgeat is no longer strictly almond

Orgeat is the new bitters. Until recently, the almond-based syrup was most commonly associated with tiki drinks. Now, it's the latest cocktail ingredient to be split at the seams...

A Bathtub's Worth

Gin gets compartmentalized

This year belongs to gin. Sure, the last few years have been about stretching the genre of whiskey, during which time we saw innovative takes on white, rye, and Scotch. Now,...

Orange You Glad

Curaçao gets back to quality

Bad things sometimes happen to good booze. Such has long been the case with curaçao. This intensely flavored orange liqueur was a staple of the 19th-century cocktail, but...

Beyond Breakfast

Syrup takes control of the cocktail

We're in the midst of a syrup renaissance. It was once literally a simple subject, being that most cocktails pivot on the use of simple syrup. Now the syrup world is complex and...

Sowing Seeds

Vegetables invade the cocktail bar

We tend to view cocktails that claim health benefits with suspicion. We can't help it; drinks that are branded as "skinny" are, to us, missing the point. But we're all for the...

House Spirit

Bars bring the booze home

Going locavore with your Gin & Tonic is becoming much easier. There was a time when, if you wanted to sip a drink under the same roof where the liquid was made, you had to...