When I make drinks for people, I am frequently asked how or why I created the drink.  To me the answer seemed obvious: grab some bottles, pour, mix, taste.  Upon reflection, however, I realized that I do always have some sort of target.  The inspiration for that target can take many forms. 
A drink target could involve an [...]

My grandparents’ home bar, off their living room.  (Entrance in the hallway. No doorknob – pull the painting) Midland, Texas
I can’t honestly say that my grandparents’ home bar inspired my mixology habit from the time I was a child (most of the time its crystal-lined shelves were simply a liability as we ran around the [...]

Company-style parties at The Plaza are, in fact, cooler than parties at The Waldorf, B-List museums, loft ‘event spaces’, or less historied (and luxe) other hotels.  To be sure, we are still talking about ballroom-style events, but The Plaza has ballrooms on two floors with a cool marble mezzanine level in between.
Coordinated variations on a strong milieu are good [...]

I’ve long been a fan of Wallse, an Austrian restaurant in Manhattan, but had never actually made it to dinner there (lots of Sunday brunches).  I was lucky enough to have my parents in town last weekend, and they took me (and EE) out to dinner – I chose Wallse.  
Why I love this Austrian restaurant SO much is [...]

Cranberry-infused Gin with Tonic (plus some squirrel candles)
EE and I are uber-excited to be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year!  Because we live far from our families, and because I’m working on Friday, we are staying in Manhattan.  This will be our first chance to see the parade, and our first major holiday together without the presence of [...]

I’d settle for aeroplanes having cocktail shakers, but I wouldn’t mind an aeroplane shaker…
 
I’m not exactly a frequent flier, and I don’t usually drink when I fly, but an overnight trip to Chicago gave me the opportunity to see what I could do with American’s coach beverage selection.  Since American also has wi-fi onboard, I [...]

If you’ve ever been to a Mexican food restaurant, then you should be familiar with the margarita.  Anyone who has lived in Texas for any period of time should be familiar with this simple masterpiece.  Falling into both camps myself, I am very familiar with the margarita. Very.
Here’s the good news: margaritas are simple and customizable.  I truly [...]

EE didn’t used to like Negronis. I think the Campari was a bit strong (it can be an acquired taste).  I ended up creating this drink for EE as something that is simple to make, but that has a pretty complex taste.
Ingredients
1 Gin (typically Sapphire)
0.9 Aperol
0.7 Cointreau
The absurd measurements above are not because the drink [...]

I was Dick Tracy for Halloween in second grade.  I had style.
Since then, honestly, Halloween has not been my best holiday.  I’ve never gotten arrested, beaten-up, or improperly drunk.  Maybe it’s for the lack of such events that I’ve found Halloween a bit of a let-down.
Luckily I now have a blog, and blogs can fix [...]

I was only able to participate in Saturday’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic events, but am very glad to hear that MCC will be making a full-week run in spring 2010.
EE and I attended the Employees Only “Tales From Behind the Bar” seminar.  It was spectacular.  Jason and Dushan told the entire EO tale, which they punctuated [...]