The name of today’s drink will certainly appeal to those interested in history. The naming of cocktails after historical events is certainly nothing unusual and so you might think that this cocktail could also have been named “Waterloo” or something like that. But far from it, as the drink has nothing to do with Napoleon Bonaparte. Read More →

“Gypsy” or “Client Brewing” is a household word among Craft Beer-brewers. When the wave of craft brewing started in the United States, many beer enthusiasts and entrepreneurs thought about compensating their lack of own brewing facilities by using the existing infrastructure. So they rented breweries with free capacities, thus creating a win-win situation. Today’s beer also looks back on an origination as a “Gypsy Brew”. Read More →

I have to admit: the picture for this article really is a stylistic inconsistency. That is because this cocktail – like all its Julep-relatives – is traditionally served in a silver cup. So I beg your pardon. Nonetheless, the Gin Julep tastes also great inside of a glass. Read More →

Until now, I have praised Jacob Grier’s 2015 book “Cocktails on Tap” in several contexts. Grier offers a fabulous overview on classic beer drinks and contemporary, sophisticated beer cocktails. Also today’s recipe has been taken from this work and is a variant of an old acquaintance. Read More →

Throughout history, many famous cocktails are closely linked to a particular locality. Not only Ernest Hemingway graced certain establishments with his presence (so that some of them subsist of that fact until the present day). Some cocktails also borrowed their name from a special place. Today’s cocktail is also connected to a historical location, but only indirectly. Read More →

There is probably no other saga being that much connected to the German cultural sphere as the “Nibelungensage”, which is widely known, even on a global scale, in the version of the medieval Nibelungenlied (The Song of the Nibelungs). Against this background, it is perhaps not unreasonable to create a German gin whose name stands for legendary heroism like no other: Siegfried. Read More →

Today’s article is about nothing less than one of the most famous cocktails of all time. Everyone knows it, almost everyone has at least seen or even tried it but by far not everyone would ever order it in a bar or anywhere else. We are talking about the almost legendary Bloody Mary. Read More →

Though it might be a little risky (and since there is hardly anything I want less than incurring their wrath – especially the one of the beer drinkers), I would argue that Scotland is not one of the greatest beer nations in the world. Beers play by far the second fiddle to the almighty Scotch whisky and therefore only few people will associate Scotland with beer. Especially in recent years, the popularity of Scotch whisky has again risen significantly and in hardly any spirits segment such price increases have been recorded. Read More →

Some spirits are inevitably connected to a specific cocktail. But sometimes you do them a little wrong, because they’re not always exclusively used in that certain drink. Nevertheless, history has led to drink and spirit being inseparable. Exactly, this is the case between Drambuie and the Rusty Nail cocktail. Read More →

Stephan Hinz has become a major protagonist of the German cocktail scene and his Bar “Little Link” in the city of Cologne serves elaborate and sophisticated drinks. Besides that he also founded the company “Cocktailkunst” and recently published a highly recommendable book named “Cocktailkunst – Die Zukunft der Bar” (Engl.: Art of Cocktails – The future of the bar). Read More →

Galliano L’Autentico is a true classic among herbal liqueurs. Both as an ingredient behind the bar as well as served pure: the many friends of Galliano value the unique characteristics of the liqueur from the catchy, long-necked bottle. Somewhat less well known is the little brother of the Galliano L’Autentico, the Galliano Vanilla. Read More →

Throughout history, numerous varieties of cocktails have emerged, ranging from the rather simple historical roots to the liquid equivalent of haute cuisine. That does not necessarily mean that modern cocktails usually offer more of extravagance than their classical counterparts. However, today’s cocktail is one of these drinks. It has loads of extravagance and hullabaloo. Read More →

During my last article I wrote a few lines about the US state of Hawaii, where numerous Tiki classics have evolved. But Hawaii is not only a major place for cocktails but also for beer. At least since lately. Read More →

If you should not know this cocktail, I guess your thoughts will circle around one particular question right now… “What the hell is this thing in the glass?” This is not really surprising, because the garnish for this drink is perhaps one of the craziest ever; if not completely stupid. At least that’s how I felt while I was looking for a wooden backscratcher for the first time in order to use it for cocktail purposes. Read More →

Art historians may forgive me my comparison, but today’s drink can be virtually considered as something like Magritte’s pipe among the cocktails. At first glance we see a typical Julep: silver cup, mint, finely crushed ice and of course a definite name: “Rum Julep”. Too bad this is not a Julep at all. Read More →

American bartender Dale DeGroff is for sure one of the big names according to many cocktail enthusiasts. Not only behind the bar, but also as an author of numerous books – a circumstance that finally has earned him worldwide tribute. This goes as far as considering him to be the “King of Cocktail”. An honorary name he also uses for himself on his website. It is his shaker in which today’s recipe was born. Read More →

It’s been quite a while since my last article for the category “Pure Spirits”. This is of course not due to a lack of potential subjects, but rather because my real priorities lie elsewhere. In combination with a chronic deficit of time that’s definitely no good combination. Anyway, today’s liqueur deserves an article like only few do. Read More →

The history of cocktails cannot be told without Fizzes. Basically, they are nothing else than soda infused Sours usually served – unlike the closely related Collins – without ice. In some cases a Fizz is also a little closer to the classic short drink than a Collins. But a real set definition can hardly be found due to the many exceptions. Today’s drink is yet another example. Read More →

The Mai Tai is a world famous classic. I have already written a few lines about its ups and downs, its diversity and its history in the past, so I do not want to roll up these details again. Today’s modification yet deserves a separate article. Read More →

Who has ever tried to create own cocktail recipes from time to time, will certainly know the disenchanting  moment of failure. What was imagined as a thoroughly harmonious blend of flavors, can easily become very disappointing. But sometimes such a “failure” might also turn out to be surprisingly positive. Read More →

Recently I have introduced an interesting drink made with the Mystic Mango Lemonade by Thomas Henry: The Burning Thunder. Since I personally like the taste of mangoes very much, I have in principle an open mind about Highballs made with mango lemonade. Cocktail purists and nostalgics may be irritated and who has devoted her- or himself solely to the Prohibtion style will certainly answer with a shake of the head, but then….who cares? Read More →

It won’t certainly surprise the most of you that there is big community of tradition-obsessed people in England. Nor that this extends also to the craft of brewing beers. But how far this traditional thinking can lead may do surprise you, at least in the case of today’s beer. It comes from a brewery which is kind of a prime example for traditional English attitudes. Read More →

I must admit: when I first encountered the recipe for today’s cocktail, I decided not to try it on my own. Or at least not in the near future. The reason is quite simple: It once more required another specially prepared syrup. Well, is that such a big problem? Yes and no! Read More →

With the Burning Thunder I have presented a truly innovative drink based on Rhum Agricole. Today it’s once again about this most interesting spirit and a small but nice recipe. Read More →

Rhum Agricole as a cocktail ingredient is unfortunately very often overshadowed by its mighty relative. The most prominent exception is – of course – the Ti’ Punch, about which I have already written a small article. Its harsh, sometimes greenish and nutty flavor notes offer a very interesting component for use in various recipes. A really recommendable one I have recently discovered. Read More →

Authentic Lambic beers are special in several ways. They are produced only in a radius of 15 kilometers around the Belgian capital of Brussels, are neither top- nor bottom-fermented and they screw up most people’s face during first contact. Unfortunately, many beer drinkers label Lambic or Geuze beers as “not my thing” afterwards. A reaction I consider to be hasty! Read More →