There was a time when I could drink margaritas with the best of them. (Rocks with salt, please.) But somewhere along the road, it became clear to me that the intensity of my post-margaritas headache was in direct proportion to the amount of sugar syrup, limeade, Cointreau or whatever combination of sweet components was in those [...]
Read more →Looking for some inspiration for this evening’s cocktail hour? (Yes, I do start thinking about this topic first thing in the morning…) Well, today is National Rum Day. Last year on this day, I feasted on an Appleton Estate Rum and BBQ pairing. This year, I’m thinking of going back to the cocktail world, with a [...]
Read more →I’ve been battling an obsession with this stuff for several months now. Left to my own devices, I could happily drink it twice a night — once mixed in a pre-dinner aperitif, and then again, as a post-meal digestif. As intense as it is, you’d think I’d grow tired of it… But you’d be wrong. [...]
Read more →I found this cocktail recipe online recently, and when an early crop of Texas strawberries hit the market, I went right for them. It may be my signature cocktail for the rest of the season! It’s fresh and thirst-quenching, lightly sweet but not cloying, and a snap to pour. Cinzano Lady Elizabeth: For each drink, [...]
Read more →So I’ve recently gotten into Calvados… This most famous of apple cider (and sometimes apple and pear) spirits has been produced in France’s Normandy region since at least the early 1500s and can be fantastically aromatic, mouthwatering and appetizing, with every bit of the finesse and complexities of a Cognac. In a nutshell, there are three main Calvados [...]
Read more →Frapin Cognac is not only uniquely delicious, it’s the result of a fairly unique situation in the Cognac world — it’s family-owned and estate-driven. Instead of turning to outside growers, Frapin is able to supply its own grapes from the 740+ acres of estate vineyards, including 500+ acres of Premier Cru vineyards in the Grande Champagne delimited [...]
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