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  • January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

    Make a hogo-licious Appleton Rum Jungle Bird & Pineapple Negroni

    Jamaican Rum is the classic example of hogo, a term derived from a French phrase describing slightly decayed meat, "haut gout". Hogo represents a highly aromatic and heavier style of rum brimming with molasses, fruit, and funk. The name is inspired by the overripe, strong flavor and smell of that funky fruit, like an old banana whose aroma has intensified and concentrated. Counting 265 years of history and the lion’s share of the local market, the J. Wray & Nephew distillery is the hometown favorite. Its J. Wray and Appleton branded Rums offer options from affordable to super-premium, for cocktailers and connoisseurs alike.
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  • January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

    Mix a Trader Vic approved Original Mai Tai with Lemon Hart and Coruba Rum

    The SF Chronicle has always had a talent for tiki spotting. Back in 1941 Herb Caen gushed over the original Trader Vic’s, proclaiming that “The best restaurant in San Francisco is in Oakland.” The brand would continue to grow over the 50’s and 60’s, with 25 additional restaurants opening around the world. Tiki’s fortunes faded in the 70’s, reaching something of a low point in 1989 when Donald Trump made the decision to close the Trader Vic’s at his newly purchased Plaza hotel because it had “gotten tacky.”
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  • January 19, 2018 Melissa Watson

    Amaro + Artichokes: an education and a cocktail recipe

    Bitter tends to be an acquired taste to most palettes so don’t be surprised if you don’t enjoy Amaro at first, I didn’t! I’ve been into this category of liqueur for most of a decade and I love how many people have decided to join me on the bittersweet side of life. Most amaros (or amari if you pluralize properly in Italian) are made in Italy but American distillers have been creating their own versions more and more.
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  • January 19, 2018 Joe Barwin

    Dump Punch is the book I’ll write if Cathy Mitchell lets me

    Julia Child built her career by introducing Americans to French cuisine. Infomercial legend Cathy Mitchell introduced the world to the Midwestern cuisine that is dump cooking. Through her books: Dump Cakes, Dump Dinners, Dump and Slow Cook, and Dump for Diabetics, Cathy shared her “from scratch” recipes that took prep down to the three-minute meal mark. Dump Punch is our contribution, and is the drinking equivalent of this beautiful American tradition.
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  • January 19, 2018 CJ Best

    The Cadillac of Cognacs is a must on your bar cart

    Few liquors are held in as high regard as Cognac. Like hand-crafted furniture and leather goods, much of its fanfare lies in the amount of time, care, and effort that go into its creation. Pierre Ferrand is one of the brands best known for their dedication to craftsmanship from the vine to the bottle.
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  • January 19, 2018 Addition Collaborator

    Bella Rosa Cocktail

    Vimto cordial is a soda concentrate popular in the UK and Middle East, flavored with juice from fresh-pressed grapes, tart black currants, raspberries, herbs, and spices. It isn’t common in the US, but I found some at the Mid-East Market in San Bruno the last time I was stocking up on falafels and hummus. The hint of spice in Vimto inspired me to pair it with a heavily spiced sharwarma dish, with the fruit adding a nice contrast, and cucumber, lime, and gin to keep things bright and fresh. I took inspiration from our fizzy formula, pulling down the sparkling portion for a shorter cocktail. Tanqueray Bloomsbury and its notes of coriander and cassis was my gin of choice, and it worked like a dream.
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