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Last Halloween my neighborhood was deeply shaken by a tragedy which claimed the lives of an entire young family when an underage driver - given a bottle of Jack Daniels by a liquor store owner already known to have lost a liquor license - drove onto a sidewalk and hit them as they were walking. A mother, a father and their little boy. Countless lives impacted and a neighborhood in grief. As a certified bartender, spirits consultant and host of the upcoming A Bartender's Tour podcast, I thought I’d offer the following suggestions to make for a fun and safe holiday celebration for you and yours. Have a designated driver in your group. Or have Uber, Lyft or taxi service loaded on your phone and use it instead of trying to navigate home, even if you think you’re only a “little” buzzed. No underage drinking. Period. Not only are you keeping young people safe but you’re keeping the people around them safe as well. No offense to young people, but we were all the...

I am a fan of many types of gin, and appreciate when someone else discovers the category and joins in. Here Masterchef Dean Banks talks with The Spirits Business about his new gin . Unfortunately, I cannot agree with this chef's assertions against artisan gin. Yes, there is a lot to be said for a clean, straightforward gin. Those make for the best mixers. And can be quaffed clean, maybe on ice. And yes, some of the recent trend towards flavored gins - beyond the usual recipes and creations - has produced some excessive and even untasty products. But every palate is different. And - unlike most liquors - gin distillers create a unique recipe for each brand. It's one of the primary attractions of the category, although it also acts as a deterrent for people unfamiliar with gin. If the first gin you taste disagrees with your palate then you're unlikely to try something else. (Hence the argument for brands such as Hendrick's, Ford's and Tanqueray, which ...

Really love this very simple and delicious drink. I was working on creating the still-unfinished "Googie" and this one just popped into my head. Very citrus-y and refreshing. SPA DAY (Can be served on the rocks or on the stem) Rocks Glass 1 1/2 oz Triple Sec 3/4 oz Ty-Ku Citrus liqueur   Pour into shaker with ice, gently stir and strain over ice Mandarin Orange wedge or wheel garnish   Cocktail Glass 2 oz Triple Sec 1 oz Ty-Ku Citrus liqueur Pour into shaker with ice Gently stir and strain into chilled cocktail glass Mandarin Orange wheel garnish

Elvis’ Fried PB and Banana Sandwich!  (A sweet treat for the rock ‘n roll elite! Hunka, hunka (lightly) burnin’ love!) 2 1/2 oz @skrewballwhiskey Peanut Butter Whiskey 1/2 oz  99 Bananas liqueur 3 drops Scrappy’s aromatic bitters Build in a rocks glass, ice optional

A friend of mine suggested the name THE BROOKLYN BUM as a possible drink, but no idea (he's a non-drinker) what it might be like. So I played around with the idea and came up with this little coffee-colored beauty. My mind went to the classic image of the bum, circa 1930s. Riding the rails and generally off the grid, as we would put it today. I figured all Brooklyn Bums (hobos) would love their  Moonshine. That led to the base liquor of Bourbon, a Kentucky corn whiskey. Secondly, we all know hobos and bums were a little Mad. So Absinthe, with its reputation for madness, was in order. Third, most bums are a little angry about something in their past. Hence three drops of bitters. And lastly, the iconic image of the scraggly bum included sitting around a campfire with a tin cup of the worst coffee imaginable. So coffee, an unusual ingredient, was required. THE BROOKLYN BUM Shot glass, lightly shaken with ice and strained 1 oz Bourbon ...

I received a survey email from a bartending newsletter, asking me some questions about my passion for mixing drinks as a career. As I was responding to his email it occurred to me that the responses go a long way towards explaining some of my thinking processes on why I ditched a long career in telecom to pursue this as a new direction in life. My thoughts (in bold) as follows: Why do you care about craft cocktails & mixology?  Originally it began as a fascination - and then obsession - with finding the best martinis on my travels. This became the concept for a book entitled CHASING MARTINIS, which is still not yet finished. But my interest peaked when I realized that to be a true authority on the martini that I ought to be a trained bartender and not just a consumer. I've since completed a hundred-hour education in Mixology, learning 200 different drinks and the necessary techniques for each one. What was originally a passion is now an avocation. - Are you t...

In restaurants the traditional margarita is served by combining the ingredients with chopped ice in a blender, then pouring what is essentially a Tequila Icee into a Margarita glass. Yeah, that cools you down during a hot Summer day, but in my opinion it's not the best way to enjoy this delicious drink. 1 1/2 oz white Tequila (I usually use Sauza) 1/2 oz Triple Sec Sweet and Sour Lime wedge Rocks glass, salted rim. Carefully filled with ice to avoid knocking the salt off. Add tequila and Triple Sec, fill with Sweet and Sour. Stir gently and serve with a lime wedge.