The margarita remains our favorite order at the bar, according to the Cheers On-Premise BARometer Handbook, but the drink’s popularity may be waning. What’s to blame for this horror? Margarita mix? Frozen margarita machines? The very things that made margaritas ubiquitous? Maybe. Or maybe the margarita as we know it is simply being overwhelmed by… Continue Reading
We all know Arturo Vera-Felicie is a good bartender. Now the folks at Sazerac do, too. Vera’s Chambeli Cocktail topped The Gran Gala Shakedown, adding another title to his resume and earning him $5,000. Vera’s drink combines Gran Gala, Aperol, gin, bitters and lemon juice for a balanced and subtle drink that wowed judges like… Continue Reading
The martinez is an almost mythical cocktail, given that it was impossible to order one until recently. My first sighting came in 1995, while reading Barnaby Conrad III’s The Martini. The book includes this recipe from the 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas’s bartending guide: “Use small bar glass, one dash of bitters, two dashes of… Continue Reading
Happy birthday to The Drop. Eddie Crane’s Martini Corner mainstay opened four years ago, though it probably feels like much longer to him. If you haven’t been before, today’s a good day to go—all-day happy hour with $5 drinks and free snackies. But just dropping in for a drink doesn’t do this place justice. Crane’s… Continue Reading
Think you make a good Manhattan? The enter Woodford Reserve’s Craft the Ultimate Manhattan contest. The brand’s teamed up with Esquire Magazine to find the bartenders who make the best, but the contest is also open to wanna-bes like me. Rules and the entry form are online; the deadline is Nov. 30. So what makes… Continue Reading