This one harks back to the Twenty-One Club (so says a source I can’t put my finger on now), and is a staple of ritzy east coast watering holes all summer. Southside of what? I dunno, but it’s almost obligatory to wear tennis whites, seersucker or a big floppy hat while sipping one of these.… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Paul
Gettin’ Jerry With It, Part I: The Smash
Whack any whiskey-sodden booze geek with a cocktail manual and the first name that’ll dribble out of his or her mouth is “Jerry Thomas.” For those who have better things to do with their time than hang out with cocktail nerds, Thomas is the patron saint of bartenders–a man of legendary talent and prodigious skill,… Continue Reading
Bars: Good
Thank god for ambitious bartenders, and for the chef/owners who love them. Rob Feenie is one of the most respected chefs in Canada; his flagship restaurant, Lumiere, is a Relais-Chateaux establishment often mentioned in the same breath as Daniel, Charlie Trotter’s and the French Laundry. A couple of years ago—around the time he was getting… Continue Reading
Bars: Bad
This is why I rarely drink in bars (well, one reason, anyway), preferring instead to mix my own at home: the curse of the poorly made cocktail. Scene: Bacchus Lounge in the Wedgewood Hotel in Vancouver, BC. For the past two years running, Vancouver Magazine named Bacchus the best lounge in the city, so it… Continue Reading
Police Gazette Cocktail
A new addition to my list of favorites. The recipe’s from William Grimes’ unspeakably excellent Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail, the reading of which is the best and quickest way I know of to gain a well-rounded education about the fine points of drinking over the past 200… Continue Reading
