When it comes to alcoholic beverages, I’m not usually the squeamish type. True, it took me a while to warm up to the idea of mixing raw eggs with gin and cream, then serving it in a glass–but if I hadn’t rolled up my sleeves and stiffened my backbone prior to making my first Ramos… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Paul
Fallen Leaves
The season changed early in Seattle this year. Our first sullen downpour struck over Labor Day weekend, and the branches of the maple tree outside my living room windows were touched with yellow and orange just a few days later. Now, only two days into October, the incessant drizzle has begun, and a drive from… Continue Reading
Ye Gods
The history of cocktails has much in common with those who share an excessive fondness for such libations: It’s cloudy on details; foggy rumors and half-baked theories are frequently stated as absolute fact; flights of boastful table-thumping are not uncommon; and, more often than not, large swaths of vital information are simply lost in a… Continue Reading
Make Yourself Comfortable
Like most booze geeks, the drinks I typically prefer are those that are more complex and esoteric–give me the aroma of anise and spice rising off a Sazerac, or the puzzle-box of flavors in a Floridita or a Ramos Gin Fizz, and I’m a happy lush. But on the list of drinks that have earned… Continue Reading
Respect Your Elders
On the family tree of drinks, the Improved Holland Gin Cock-Tail is written near the top of the page. Nearly two hundred years ago, when cocktails were first defined as a spiritous liquor, sweetened with sugar, fortified with bitters and softened with water, the gin cocktail was one of the first ones out of the… Continue Reading
