Published in the May/June 2012 issue of Boston Common Magazine and via bostoncommon-magazine.com - Where to Sip Spicy Cocktails – Bonus Recipes! The Hell’s Manhattan at Zocalo American Seasons The American Fire is a fresh-squeezed citrus trifecta with a kick, made from jalapeño-infused Tequila Chamucos with a splash of lime and orange juices, topped with… [Read more…]
May 9, 2012
Published in the May 2012 issue of Beverage Media Renewed Interest in Gin Styles Both Old and New Invigorate the Category Perhaps more than any spirit, gin has enjoyed newfound attention as a result of the classic cocktail and craft distiller resurgence. Why? Gin has a colorful history worth retelling—from being coined “Mother’s Ruin” back in… [Read more…]
May 7, 2012
The Negroni is perhaps my favorite cocktail. It hits the spot come summer or winter with a perfect balance of bitter and sweet. And for me (and millions of Italians), it signifies the start of aperitivo or happy hour – an evening filled with cocktails and companionship. It was invented in Florence, Italy in 1919 by… [Read more…]
May 2, 2012
Published on Nightclub.com in April 2012 - The association of rum with relaxation and good times is rooted in two things: most rum is produced in warm climates (the Caribbean, Central and South America) and liquor companies often market their brands that way. Scan the rum section of any liquor store, and you’ll see a whole… [Read more…]
May 2, 2012
Published in the May/June 2012 issue of Northshore magazine - It used to be that the only way to get your fajita fix on the North Shore was to visit a chain restaurant. But recently, Mexican has emerged as a culinary trend, with a host of new restaurants opening in our own backyard. This run for… [Read more…]
May 2, 2012
Published in the May/June 2012 issue of Northshore magazine - Be dazzled by this sweet-and-sour cocktail at the Rudder in Gloucester Tucked away amidst a cluster of cottages on historic Rocky Neck in Gloucester sits an iconic gem called the Rudder. It’s tough to find, but an exciting discovery once you do. The restaurant sits… [Read more…]
April 11, 2012
Originally published in the Mar/Apr issue of Boston Common magazine -Bonus recipes below! Get a jolt of caffeine from these top tea and coffee cocktails. Blue on Highland This upscale suburban restaurant offers a bit of everything to please the whole family, including specialty martinis for parents. A jolt of Illy espresso with Godiva white-chocolate… [Read more…]
April 11, 2012
I just came from the Nightclub and Bar show in Las Vegas, where I spoke about a subject near and dear to my taste buds – whiskey – specifically, women drinking whiskey. Why, might you ask? Well for starters, more women are drinking whiskey than we’ve seen in the past 40 years. Believe it or… [Read more…]
April 11, 2012
How a little Caribbean island created a big drink Hear me talk about the Painkiller on WBZ radio. Jost Van Dyke is a tiny island known for good times for good reason. Located in the British Virgin Islands and only 3 square miles, it has no ATM machine and a “grocery store” most often closed… [Read more…]
March 20, 2012
Published in the Spring 2012 issue of Boston Common Magazine – It’s no secret that Boston is a drink-friendly town—with New England’s microbreweries and vineyards, and the city’s renowned bars and restaurants, Bostonians love a good cocktail. There’s even a shaker named after us. And when it comes right down to it, we’re gin folk;… [Read more…]
August 31, 2011
When the top shelf of your refrigerator begins to resemble a bar, well, I guess it’s time to make some cocktails. Finding the creamer for my morning coffee requires navigation through frosty European aperitif bottles and bubbly (chilled and ready for special occasions…but mostly just a Monday night episode of No Reservations). I realize our… [Read more…]
September 11, 2011
Though it’s not technically fall, there’s a cool crispness to the air around Salem this second weekend in September. A full moon is also brewing, seeming to make the shift between season seems even more imminent. Applejack in the perfect fall cocktail… Now I don’t know about you, but full moons make me a little…well, not myself.… [Read more…]
September 13, 2011
Published in the September 2011 issue of Nightclub & Bar magazine - Selling Whiskey to Women is Easier Than You Think: They’re Already Drinking it and are Thirsty for More As Pedro Shanahan sees it, women always have had an affinity for whiskey, as far back as the birth of the United States. They ran… [Read more…]
September 14, 2011
I sat with Jordon Rich for WBZ’s “Connoisseur’s Corner” and talked about Laird’s Applejack, Calvados and the Jack Rose cocktail. Listen again and check out a few recipes mentioned in the segments to try at home: Jack Rose – Signature Cocktail at Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks Recipe by Jackson Cannon at Eastern Standard, Boston… [Read more…]
October 10, 2011
Posted on BostonCommon-Magazine on October 7, 2011 Grafton Street Gin Gin Mule Hear me talk about ginger cocktails on WBZ Radio. The ginger root makes the leap from spice rack to cocktail glass at area watering holes. Used in everything from Asian cuisine to cookies, the multi-faceted ginger root also treats upset stomachs and the… [Read more…]
October 13, 2011
Published in the October 2011 issue of Nightclub & Bar magazine. If you take a look at various spirit categories — sales volume coupled with marketing expenditures and bartender acceptance of any given brand — you’ll find a great deal of conversation about vodka (still king), tequila (on fire), rum (resurgence), Irish whiskey (watch out)… [Read more…]
October 19, 2011
Published in the Oct/Nov 2011 issue of Boston Common magazine - Radio host Gregg Daniels broadcasts his love for the coastal cocktail. Mix 104.1 radio host Gregg Daniels guides listeners from the mid-afternoon slump through rush hour and— happily—to happy hour. So it comes as no surprise that when he’s off the air, Daniels kicks… [Read more…]
October 20, 2011
Posted on bostoncommon-magazine.com on October 19, 2012 - Fall in New England is a sensory experience—from the brilliant shades of Autumn leaves, to wafting wood smoke in the air, to the appearance of pumpkin in everything from coffee to ravioli. So it comes as no surprise that flavorful Fall beers are popping up all over… [Read more…]
November 9, 2011
Published in the November 2011 issue of Beverage Media- The brandy category is like a Brady Bunch family reunion, a mash-up of siblings all struggling to exist under one (categorically defined) roof. Technically, brandy is divided in to eight sub-categories: Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados, domestic brandy, fruit brandy, grappa, imported brandy and pisco. It’s tricky for… [Read more…]
November 17, 2011
Originally published November 16, 2011 at bostoncommon-magazine.com - We know the cocktails are something special, but the real star is the service. Much has been written about Drink, Barbara Lynch’s game-changing cocktail bar nestled between her acclaimed restaurants Sportello and Menton. It took awhile for people to understand (and accept) the concept—no menus, no 100-bottle… [Read more…]
November 29, 2011
Hear me chat with Jordan Rich on WBZ about mulled wines Connoisseur Corner WBZ Brandy Rand-Mulled Wine and hot toddies Connoisseur Corner WBZ Brandy Rand-Hot Toddy on WBZ radio… Toasty and tasty hot drinks for chilly winter gatherings. The first steaming, fragrant cup of mulled wine I ever tasted was at Christmastime in Prague. Thinking about the… [Read more…]
November 29, 2011
Listen to me on WBZ radio talk about Hot Buttered Rum!Connoisseur Corner WBZ Brandy Rand-Buttered Rum A Colonial favorite adapted to a crowd-pleasing winter cocktail. Molasses trade from the British West Indies to colonial New England created the second most important manufacturing industry after shipbuilding – distilling rum. By 1750, Boston alone had around 25… [Read more…]
November 29, 2011
Published December 5, 2011 at bostoncommon-magazine.com . Listen to me with Jordan Rich on WBZ Radio as we talk about 08 Connoisseur Corner WBZ Brandy Rand-Egg Nog and the 09 Connoisseur Corner WBZ Brandy Rand-The Tom and Jerry! Treat yourself to a classic, creamy libation best made from scratch. First, let’s address the whole raw egg… [Read more…]
November 29, 2011
A countdown to the 12 cocktails of Christmas on WBZ radio…. Listen in – Connoisseur Corner WBZ 12Xmas Cocktails Sparkling Cinnamon Apple at Morton’s The Steakhouse, Boston (recipe below) Prosecco, Lindemans Pomme Lambic, Housemade Shaken Cream, Monin Honey Syrup, Dip rim of Champagne flute in honey syrup, then in cinnamon sugar The Brahmin Frostini… [Read more…]
December 1, 2011
Published in the October/November issue of Boston Common magazine - Alchemy General manager Matthew Rose and principal bartender Clayton Belanger pledge to “make everything we touch behind the bar as unique as possible.” Their League of Nations uses bourbon infused with applewood-smoked bacon, sherry, Benedictine, house-made Chinese five-spice syrup and orange bitters. 3 Duncan St., Gloucester,… [Read more…]
December 20, 2011
Published in the December 2012 issue of Beverage Media – We asked the country’s busiest bartenders to give us their must-have bar tools—easy to use, sturdy enough to withstand the weekend slam, and functionally superior to the basics. Here are some of their favorite items so you can pour, measure, muddle, stir, shake, strain and… [Read more…]
February 22, 2012
Spice up your drink routine with a Hot ‘n’ Dirty Pickle at Lynn’s Blue Ox. Published in the Mar/April 2012 issue of Nortshore Magazine. Read full article online here. A twist to the ever-popular dirty martini, the Hot ‘n’ Dirty Pickle uses the piquant brine from the Maitland pickles alongside Gloucester-distilled Ryan & Wood Knockabout gin,… [Read more…]
February 22, 2012
Small is Beautiful: What Small Shops lack in Size, They Make Up For in Service and Selectivity Published in the February 2012 issue of Beverage Media Americans are known for super-sizing just about everything, from hamburgers to SUVs. We’ve come to associate bigger with better, and often make purchase decisions at stores that offer the… [Read more…]
March 5, 2012
I recently interviewed several industry experts about what they’re seeing when it comes to whisk(e)y – who’s drinking and buying what brands, and where they see the category heading. It’s evident by the numbers (American and Irish whiskey are growing strong) that people’s taste profiles are broadening to include more brown spirits. This is especially true… [Read more…]
May 23, 2012
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