Limoncello Cooler 1 1/2 oz. Limoncello1 oz. Gin1/2 oz. Lemon Juice8-10 Mint LeavesClub Soda Gently muddle the mint leaves with lemon juice in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add the limoncello and gin and shake with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.
This week we're running our holiday gift guide, with suggestions for spirits in different categories. So far we've offered our rum recommendations, bourbon recommendations and gin recommendations. We're closing the week with other spirits. Professor Cocktail's Holiday Gift Guide: Other Spirits Here is a variety of suggestions for booze that didn't fit into the other categories, but would … Read more
Bols Pumpkin SmashFruit LiqueurFinal Grade: FPrice: $12 (1L) If you're anything like me, the idea of a nice, spicy fall-like cocktail sounds delicious. And one of the most quintessentially fall flavors is pumpkin. A pumpkin cocktail sounds great, right? So around this time last year I headed for the liquor store in search of pumpkin … Read more
Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula CognacBrandy/CognacFinal Grade: B+Price: $45 (750ml) Pierre Ferrand Dry CuraçaoOrange LiqueurFinal Grade: A-Price: $30 (750ml) Cognac Ferrand is one of the hottest companies in the spirits world today. Mixologists, critics and connoisseurs have been following the French distillery with great interest as they introduce one excellent product after another. The force … Read more
I'm fascinated with orange liqueurs. Whether it's triple sec or curaçao, dry or sweet, orange or blue, I love the stuff. Not to drink on its own — I've never really cared for that — but for use in cocktails. Orange liqueur is one of the most important cocktail ingredients, adding depth and flavor to … Read more
Bittermens earns a lot of acclaim for their products, including both cocktail bitters and craft spirits. I still haven't had a chance to try any, but I need to rectify that omission soon. Bittermens today announces that it is the recipient of the prestigious 2012 American Treasures Award. The award will be presented at the annual Take … Read more
Along with the craft cocktail renaissance has come a booming movement for bartenders and home mixologists to make their own ingredients. Recipes abound for making syrups, liqueurs, and the like. I've linked to several of them in the past, and Serious Eats runs a regular feature on this subject. Let's face it, though, making your … Read more
PAMA Pomegranate LiqueurFruit LiqueurFinal Grade: A-Price: $24 (750ml) PAMA is the category leader in pomegranate liqueurs for a reason — it is by far the best one on the market. There are only a few of them out there, and none captures the pure flavor of pomegranate as well as PAMA does. In an area where … Read more
I've been playing around with Tuaca this week. It's a vanilla and citrus-flavored liqueur, originally from Italy, but now produced in the United States. The sweet vanilla flavor dominates, with the brandy and citrus (orange, I believe) taking a backseat. Tuaca enjoyed a burst of popularity a few years back when bartenders started mixing it … Read more
SNAPLiqueurFinal Grade: B+Price: $30 (750ml) SNAP is an organic liqueur* produced by Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (AITA, for short), a Philadelphia-based design company. They previously launched the spirit ROOT, which has caught on with a lot of bartenders around the country. Fresh out of the bottle, SNAP's aroma is warm and sweet … Read more
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