A Shot of Black Stuff

Michael Lazar (Stirred, Not Shaken), mad kitchen scientist cum bartender, is responsible for testing and tasting all the cocktail recipes and homemade ingredients in the forthcoming book “Left Coast Libations.”
Like a taste of the bitter? You’re not alone. Michael Lazar is an aficionado of the family of bitter liqueurs known as amari, and he’s eager [...]

Tales Prep: What to Pack

Camper English is a freelance spirits and cocktails writer in San Francisco. He chronicles his explorations of fine drinking at Alcademics.
Wondering how to fill your suitcase(s)? Camper English’s story about what to pack for the week (for media, speakers, bartenders, PR, and brand reps) in the June issue of Tasting Panel Magazine is now online. (It’s an [...]

Art of the Aperitif

Paul Clarke is a Seattle-based writer specializing in spirits and cocktails. He publishes The Cocktail Chronicles.
And let me tell you something else about Paul Clarke: He gives a shit about vermouth and aperitif wines. He gives so much of a shit, in fact, he’s heading up a panel at Tales of the Cocktail this year [...]

Vegetarian-friendly Dining in New Orleans

Fred Yarm is a writer, imbiber, and bitters maker in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the authors of the Cocktail Virgin blog, and a vegetarian for the past 17 years.
Popular belief is that New Orleans is not that friendly to vegetarians and vegans, and it would definitely seem that way if you lacked control of your dining [...]

Spirited Awards Nominees Announced

Best American Cocktail Bar
The Clover Club-Brooklyn
Death & Co-NYC
Rickhouse-San Francisco
The Varnish-Los Angeles
World’s Best Hotel Bar
The Artesian at the Langham, London
The Bar at The Connaught Hotel, London
Florida Room at The Delano, Florida
Hemingway Bar, Paris
Best Cocktail Writing
CLASS magazine
Gary Regan
Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller
Naren Young
Best New Product
Celery Bitters, The Bitter Truth
Cocktail Kingdom’s barware
Crème Yvette by Cooper Spirits
Meehan Cocktail Bag [...]

Social Media: Creating Cocktail Legends

Nick Nemeth (Cocktails and Cordials) is a writer, bartender, and mystery man in Ontario, Canada.
As nearly every media outlet on Earth has reported, the use of social-networking tools–such as Facebook and Twitter–has grown vastly in popularity over the last few years. Bars, bartenders, and beverage professionals are adding their voices to the hum, using them [...]

i ♥ >40%

Wendy and Dayne Miller (LuggageTag) spend their time searching out bars, restaurants and adventure in the near and far corners of the world, chronicling many of those experiences at LuggageTag.
The At Full Sail seminar is shaping up to be a popular one. Almost immediately after Hal Wolin previewed it, Dayne Miller sent me a link [...]

At Full Sail

Hal Wolin (A Muddled Thought) resides in New York City, prefers his cocktails to be a bit outside the box, and has been known to accept any cocktail challenge, including combining chartreuse and burnt marshmallows in a hotel room at 4am while attending Tales of the Cocktail.
Interested in the world of overproof and Navy-strength spirits? Hal [...]