Recently, in the context of an article on the Italian classic, I have announced to introduce some variants of the Negroni cocktail every now and then to show the great diversity the essential yet simple principle of the drink (vermouth, bitters and a spirit in mostly equal parts) has to offer. This triple combination is really an unbeatable foundation for aromatic cocktails that are settled a little bit more on the bitter side, exactly the way I like cocktails the most. Today’s version of the Negroni takes us away from Italy to the landscapes of South America… Read More
Author Archives: Sepo Galumbi
Pure Spirits: Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Barbados Rum
The traditional producer of Cognac, Ferrand, has gained a lot of reputation in the rum segment of the international market for quality spirits due to their outstanding Plantation range. Many bottlings have appeared in this series which beautifully reflect the wide range of flavors that rum has to offer, both for beginners as well as connoisseurs. Read More
Bull Shot
So what is the drink of choice if you – as I currently do – have returned from a music festival that lastet several days, in which you perhaps have had a few more beers than you’re usually drinking? The answer is quite simple: Read More
From the Brew Kettle: Old Foghorn Barley Wine Style Ale
Barley Wine Style Ale – a style of beer that probably won’t say very much to most people is a very interesting beer variant, which has long been forgotten. Read More
Negroni
I must confess: I really love it the bitter way! Not without exceptions or constantly, of course, but when it comes to having a cocktail settled on the bitter side or spirits with a pungent bitterness, I’m usually pretty amazed. And I also like to drink new variants or creations which certainly have already left the area of mainstream taste. Read More
Widow’s Kiss
If you really want to focus on the history of cocktail culture, then of course you can’t avoid some of the early classic recipe collections from the 19th century. Likewise, it is imperative to take notice of the relationship between the advent of mixed drinks and the apothecary’s business. The flavor profile of the Widow’s Kiss cocktail reflects these influences very impressively. Read More
El Presidente
“Viva Cuba!” – This outcry perhaps may have been heard a little more often these days. A certain euphoria about the recent rapprochement between the Cuban government and the West, especially the US, is unmistakable in the social networks as well as in the global media. But what does that have to do with cocktails? Read More
From the Brew Kettle: Einstök Pale Ale
Akureyri, the “Capital of the North” is the second largest city of Iceland, unless you count the two Reykjavik suburbs Kópavogur and Hafnarfjörður as individual cities, then Akureyri would be the fourth largest city in Iceland. Today’s beer is brewed in Akureyri, in the Einstök brewery. Einstök is a craft beer brand that has conquered a permanent place in many Icelandic pubs and is available in many establishments on the island. Read More
Pimm’s Cup
For residents of the Anglo-Saxon language area, in particular the United Kingdom, the present article may seem a bit strange, because the Pimm’s Cup is almost a part of everyday culture over there. It might be similar to Berliner Weisse mit Schuss or Radler in Germany: Everyone knows it and, especially in summer, it has probably been tried by everyone at least once in a lifetime. In Germany and many other European countries the situation is slightly different. Too bad, since the Pimm’s Cup is one thing above all: Summertime in a glass! Read More
From the Brew Kettle: Vatnajökull – Frozen in Time
My last article dates back almost two weeks by now. The reason for that is quite simple because in the meantime I have taken a trip to Iceland for about these two weeks. Read More
Rum Sour
Of course you don’t need a list of ingredients as extensive as an average novel to create a good cocktail. Numerous classics prove this again and again. Read More
Mr. Hyde’s Fixer Upper
To present and garnish a cocktail adequately is not only an art in itself, it is also essential for many bars’ daily business to acquire renown, to retain customers and to show their class. Therefor some truly impressive creations have emerged in Read More
Stagger Lee Julep
Juleps are classics which have an established place as indispensable and prominent essentials in the Renaissance movement of cocktail and bar culture. There’s hardly a bar out there thinking highly of itself which does not feature a julep on their menu and the quality of a Whiskey Julep or Mint Julep is something every bartender must allow her- or himself to be measured against. Read More
The King’s Waes Hail
Today’s cocktail was the winner of a cocktail competition under the auspices of The King’s Ginger Liqueur, which took place in 2011 in Napa Valley, a wine region in California. Read More
From the Brew Kettle: Firestone Pale 31
Craft Beer has become an essential part of the beer range in the United States of America; from there the worldwide Craft Beer wave has started to conquer many countries. Today I want to introduce a beer from the Braufactum series typical for this development: The Firestone Pale 31. It is a beer from the Firestone Walker Brewery in California which was Read More
Cherry Ale Sling
Fruit beers often lead to a skeptical frown. A reaction that sometimes might certainly be justified. But there are also very traditional exceptions that have an indispensable place in the wide range of beers in the world due to their unique flavor profile. But how do they perform in cocktails? Read More
From the Brew Kettle: Braufactum Darkon
Today it’s getting dark again inside the beer glass, but it’s not about another Stout or Porter, but a German black beer (Schwarzbier). Well, it’s not one of those mass industrial black beers you can find on the German beer market, but a special creation from Braufactum: the so-called Darkon. Read More
Colquiche Cocktail
Pisco is a truly great spirit, which I have described a little closer in conjunction with the world famous Pisco Sour. Nevertheless, Pisco often leads a miserable existence in European bars and therefore its usage is really seldom. Read More
Jinzu Gin & Yuzu Ocha Japanese Tonic Water
Yesterday I have tasted the surprisingly different and – to my great joy – really good Jinzu Gin and have also announced plans to use it in a classic Gin & Tonic. So here we go. Though the word “classic” seems not to fit entirely in this context because not only is the gin inspired by Japanese flavors and atmosphere, no, even the tonic water, which I have used today, is inspired by the Land of the Rising Sun. Read More
Pure Spirits: Jinzu Gin
Recently I participated in a small contest of the German spirits mail-order house Vidamo and fortunately won a bottle of gin. My gin of choice was a bottle, which I was very curious about since its recent launch: the Jinzu Gin. Read More
Bayrisch Kraut
Today I’ll stay in the spirit of the latest recipes I have posted here and want to introduce another beer cocktail. Again, this cocktail is taken from the book “Cocktailian – Beer & Craft Beer” and again it is a modern creation. The name, however, might seem a little bit odd (at least for people who understand German) and won’t trigger associations with a drink: Bayrisch Kraut Read More
From the Brew Kettle: O’Hara’s Irish Stout
As you might have noticed while reading this blog or while browsing the beer section “From the Brew Kettle” on this website, I am a great friend of the brewing styles of Stouts and Porters. Strictly speaking, these two beer styles are in fact one and the same Read More
Blue Moon Cocktail
Blue cocktails – for some those may still be the epitome of a cocktail. Sadly, this is still a quite common point of view that goes back to the bars of the 80s and 90s where lots of colorful cocktails with Blue Curacao, tiny umbrellas and small glittering palms were served. In addition with half a fruit salad on the Read More
Doctor Martens
A continued rise in demand for beer cocktails is a logical corollary of the rather progressively thinking Craft Beer movement. Certainly not everyone who’s into craft beer wants to mix it as a cocktail ingredient, but ultimately the possibilities of using beer behind the bar have immensely increased which of course has a certain Read More
Rye in your Britches
Yet another interesting beer cocktail! A special one with very deep and strong, spicy notes, which perhaps do fit more into the cold season, but nonetheless will also taste very good on a maybe not so hot summer evening. The Rye in your Britches is a cocktail, in which you can find an absolutely dazzling interplay of flavors on your palate (and maybe also in your britches). Read More
Thallo’s Breeze
If you find yourself in the middle of the high season for strawberries, of course the thought arises to use this fruit as an ingredient in some classic drinks. The problem is: there are not many classic drinks that rely on fresh strawberries. Read More
