Drinkers' Diaries

The Garnish - Last But Not Least

May 25, 2015 • June Gardiner

Cocktailing at home? Don't skip the garnish! It may seem like an unnecessary step, but it adds two important elements to your cocktail experience: more flavor, and a more pleasing appearance. And it's easy - Keeping just 5 garnish ingredients on hand will cover almost all of your home bartending needs.

Gin: Graduating from the T&T

March 14, 2015 • Matthew Pepper

Like most people I grew up with, my first experience with gin was the ubiquitous Tanqueray & Tonic... But where does one go after having mastered the T&T?

Review of the Round Rocks Triple Ice Ball Mold

January 25, 2015 • Matthew Pepper

The Round Rocks Triple Ice Ball Mold is a convenient and inexpensive bar tool that, as the name implies, makes three ice balls at a time. You simply fill the bottom tray with water, snap the top half into place and put it in your freezer. In a few hours you’ll have 3 ice balls ready for your favorite Scotch, small batch Bourbon, or other libation of your choice. Of course, the beauty of an ice ball is that it melts slowly and gently into your drink allowing you to enjoy a perfectly chilled dram without it becoming watered down...

Bar Glassware Made Easy

November 16, 2014 • Jade Wells

You need only three types of glasses for most of the cocktails you’ll serve at home...

To Shake Or Not To Shake, That Is The Question

October 13, 2014 • Matthew Pepper

In the 1964 film Goldfinger, Secret Agent James Bond, 007 first orders his Vodka Martini “Shaken and not stirred” and from then on a legend, a cliché and an argument were born. So which is it? Shaken or Stirred, and does it matter? The answer is yes, it does matter, but is one better than the other? Let’s look at the differences and then decide. When you shake a cocktail you “bruise” the liquor and end up crushing and melting more of the ice so, you get a drink with more water in it, along with it being a tad...