You may have heard of Jeffrey Morgenthaler. You may have even heard about his expertise in barrel aging cocktails. I had, and he was one of the major inspirations for my trip out to Portland. I visited his bar at Clyde Common to get on a first name basis with one of his barrel aged Negronis. Well worth the trip and well worth the effort to recreate it in my own bar. As a cocktail enthusiast, it’s hard not to …
Smith and Cross has been flying off my shelves lately. I must admit I’ve been joining my patrons in its consumption. And at the same time joining a historic tradition that traces its linage all the way back to 1788 as one of England’s oldest producers of sugars and spirits. Thank you Hayman Distillers and David Wondrich for bringing back this marvelous spirit. If you’re in the market for a new rum I highly recommend giving Smith and Cross a …
This summer I went out west on a cocktail tour, which included Seattle and Portland. I was sitting at the Tavern Law in Seattle and across the way I saw a guy that looked like one of the producers of Bittercube Bitters. I’ve always been a fan of this company. Their unique bitters are quality and their events are always intriguing. Unfortunately, I do not live anywhere near Milwaukee. Nick is a distinct character, so I moved down a couple …
I was lucky enough to meet the very personable Curt Goldman who is a partner of Cadre Noir, an importer of artisanal French liqueurs, crèmes and spirits. I emailed Curt and he promptly came out to the Maryland Club to promote his products. I’m glad he did. I was very pleased with the La Distillerie Combier product line, which is the oldest working distillery in France’s Loire Valley. The Combier website tells the story that began nearly 175 years ago at 48 Rue …