Like most booze geeks, the drinks I typically prefer are those that are more complex and esoteric–give me the aroma of anise and spice rising off a Sazerac, or the puzzle-box of flavors in a Floridita or a Ramos Gin Fizz, and I’m a happy lush. But on the list of drinks that have earned… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Bourbon
That’s the Whiskey Talking: A Conversation with Fred Noe
Fred Noe’s first words to me are a rebuke, of sorts. “It’s Fred—’Mister’ is too stuffy,†he says as he saunters over and shakes my hand. Despite my initial misstep in calling him “Mr. Noe,†Frederick Booker Noe III is the very picture of good-natured amiability. With an accent that is pure Kentucky, a friendly… Continue Reading
Gettin’ Jerry With It, Part I: The Smash
Whack any whiskey-sodden booze geek with a cocktail manual and the first name that’ll dribble out of his or her mouth is “Jerry Thomas.” For those who have better things to do with their time than hang out with cocktail nerds, Thomas is the patron saint of bartenders–a man of legendary talent and prodigious skill,… Continue Reading
Police Gazette Cocktail
A new addition to my list of favorites. The recipe’s from William Grimes’ unspeakably excellent Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail, the reading of which is the best and quickest way I know of to gain a well-rounded education about the fine points of drinking over the past 200… Continue Reading
