Decoding Cocktails

Ingredients and drinks that surprised me or are worth checking out Cane & Table's Hurricane The Sherry Cobbler   Roffignac at Peychaud’s & Maison Premiere Raspberry shrub recipe Bitter gentian liqueurs: Suze and Salers Southpaw @ Lazy Tiger Taped holiday cocktail webinar Need last-minute gear gifts? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get a...

Fratelli Branca is the parent company of Fernet Branca, Carpano Antica, Punt e Mes , and other notable brands. You can find Nicola here on Instagram . Learn about Fernet coins . "Fernet-Branca coins rapidly came to symbolize bartender community membership. They traveled across oceans and continents to the most remote corners of the world. They not only represented a momentary achievement but an au...

Check out The Botanist's website and on Instagram .Follow Jeff at @fatherofcups Equipment Jeff mentions: vacuum sealer , centrifuge , rotary evaporator ("it looks like science"), dehydrator , pocket refractometer (for measuring sweetness) Jeff's house martini is a freezer martini .What in the heck is Lacto-fermentation ? Learn more about genever This is a public episode. If you would like to discu...

Join Nicole Gilbert of J. Rieger & Co and me on November 7th for a virtual class on Thanksgiving and batching . Register here . ----- Learn about Jackie and Sorel . Follow Jackie & Sorel on Instagram. What's in Sorel ? North African hibiscus, Nigerian ginger, Indonesian cassia (cinnamon), Brazilian cloves, Indonesian nutmeg, Pure cane sugar, Neutral wheat grain spirits, and deionized water...

Emma got her start with David Alan, aka " The Tipsy Texan " The first cocktail Emma remembers taking an interest in is the Dark and Stormy She mentioned Mayahuel by Phil Ward as one of the pioneer mezcal bars in the US Agave varietals mentioned: Cupreata , Tepeztate , Cuishe , Madrecuishe , Salmiana Emma's website , Instagram , and Twitter The articles I referenced: " The Great Mezcal Heist " and...

Keep up with Decoding Cocktails via our newsletter or on Instagram . --- Beyond the cocktail recipe and technique books I've read, Robert's book A Proper Drink transformed my understanding of how cocktails arrived at where they are.  Robert recalled a (potentially illegal) seminar conducted by Ted Breaux about Absinthe Drinks and bottles that were big in San Francisco : Mojito, Pisco Punch, and Pi...

Check out Kiowa on Instagram . Before working for Spiribam , she was at The Eveleigh. She is on the board of Another Round Another Rally . Kiowa's boss is Ben Jones , a descendant of Homere Clément , who founded Rhum Clément. During Clément's lifetime, Mount Pelée erupted , one of the largest eruptions in recorded history, wiping out an entire city. Hopefully, we can chat again and discuss another...

Thanks to my monthly patrons! Check out my page and become one today. Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes are the co-founders of Black Lagoon . Kelsey co-founded Trash Collective , which in part focuses on sustainability in hospitality. Check out their sustainability recipe tips. She's also worked at bars like Supernova Ballroom and Dandelyan Erin is currently the beverage director at Fairmont Century Pl...

Today's episode is brought to you by a handful of my patrons: Drew, Jenine, and Leslie. You can read more about the benefits they're enjoying here . Follow Ryan and J. Rieger & Co. The first place Ryan mentions working is Pierpont's . This is where he had both a terrible and life-changing Sazerac . He mentions ingredients like Peychaud's , Old Overholt , and Grand Absenté . He mentions Mr. Bos...

Thanks to my guest stars Arianna Hone and Marshall Minaya . Tales of the Cocktail Foundation , Cocktail Apprentice Program (CAP), Spirited Awards Marshall mentioned Normindia gin, which employs Calvados I discussed a wonderful session on clarifying milk featuring Garreth Howells We discussed the increased wellness push at Tales involving Seedlip , Arianna's Espresso Martini courtesy of Lyre's, and...

Find Tad on Instagram . Learn more about Gruppo Montenegro . Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) The now-shuttered Tippling Bros , was a consulting practice Tad ran with his partner Paul Tanguay. The Tippler in Chelsea market. Tad is the co-author of A Lime and a Shaker: Discovering Mexican Inspired Cocktails Column vs. pot distillation Bitter flavors trigger t...

Follow Marshall on Instagram and take a peek at Valerie . Marshall's recommended gin flight and easy-drinking gin cocktails ( PDF ) What is rich demerara syrup ? Books I'm planning to read based on Marshall's comments: The Savoy , The Drunken Botanist , I'm Just Here for the Drinks , Regarding Cocktails . Books I've already read that he mentioned: Meehan's Bartender's Manual , Cocktail Codex Negro...

Lynnette ( Twitter , Instagram ) got her start at the Flatiron Lounge . She has worked in many capacities across the industry and most recently ran the bar program at the Llama Inn and Llama San . Alongside bartender Ivy Mix , she co-founded Speed Rack , an all-female high-speed bartending competition designed to highlight up-and-coming women and raises money for breast cancer. She is the head of...

Corey was involved with Firecracker Pizza and Atomic Cowboy until COVID-19 hit. Team members referenced from The Lucky Accomplice : Will Brawley, Kelsey McClure, Chef Logan Ely The early bar program at TLA was in part built by the team of Anvil in Houston. Early cocktails included classics like Jungle Bird and Sidecar .   Tools that Corey mentions: Sous Vide circulator , Gastrovac , fat separator...

Interested to be involved in one of my palate honing pilot classes? Check it out here . More are coming soon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

One of Steve's influences for The Royale: The MatchBox Some of Steve's favorite places to visit: Cafe Natasha , Turn , Dressel's (planning to reopen this summer), Iowa Buffet , Pop's Blue Moon , No Wake Zone , Slo Tom's , Playboy Cappucino Lounge Steve also thinks you should visit East Carondolet Two of Steve's advisors: Matt McBride and Tim O'Connell The bar I mentioned in Valley Park: The Firepl...

A Proper Drink by Robert Simonson Prohibition World War II and industrial alcohol The advent of sweet and sour mix Dick Bradsell Dale Degroff Audrey Saunders Ron Cooper and Del Maguey TGI Fridays and blindfolded drink making Sex and the City  and the Cosmopolitan Tales of the Cocktail Dave Arnold and Liquid Intelligence David Wondrich : Esquire, Imbibe!, Punch This is a public episode. If you woul...

Follow Kayla on Instagram @dailycordial The New Cocktail Hour by André Darlington is the book that kicked off Kayla's journey Kayla's favorite drink: Oaxaca Old Fashioned Josephine Baker and the marketing of Cognac What is sloe gin anyways? Batching a Manhattan Batching a Martini This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vis...

Check out the course 4 Hour Chef by Tim Ferriss Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat Twenty by Michael Ruhlman Fortified Wine Liqueur vs. liquor This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Tim's establishments: Retreat Gastropub , Lazy Tiger , Yellowbelly Death & Co Taste bar The Last Word : Chartreuse and Maraschino liqueur Agave spirits: tequila, raicilla , and Mezcal Sugarcane spirits: rum, rhum agricole , and cachaça The raicilla brand La Venenosa has pushed things forward Short shake Flip family of cocktails Travis Howard "The Arms" ( The Scottish Arms ) Recommendations fro...

Dry January notes Annie O'Donohue of Sans Bar STL Mindful drinking Chef Dan Barber on Flavor I started keeping Busch NA in the house during January. If I felt like a drink but was trying to abstain, I found that satisfied my craving. I'm planning to keep an NA product in the house going forward for the occasions when I want to abstain but the taste sounds good. Mardi Gras The bar that created the...

Drew's Instagram Drew's website Fever-Tree Wine and Cheese Place A heavy glass can make your drink taste better Frazer’s Clinebell machines and “ directional freezing ” Tempering ice to avoid thermal shock: 2-5 minutes prior Two at-home methods for making clear ice: cooler method or insulated mold  Takashima Record Bar Casa Don Alfonso Blood & Sand Angel’s Envy St. Louis Club Whiskey Sour Pape...

Places Listen Bar . At first I thought she was talking about Japanese listening bars . Annie's popup: Sans Bar STL Annie was enthusiastic about the #zeroproof #Negroni she had at Planter’s House Drinks and ingredients Shirley Temple Annie is a fan of Seedlip and Lyre’s For Annie, brands like Ritual , which try to imitate the actual spirit, hit too close to home Busch NA is a favorite of Annie's. I...

What I’ve learned The importance of terroir . Are we using quality raw materials to make alcohol? How was it grown? Was the fermentation or distillation rushed? Many drinks that I think of as overly sweet can be quite delicious including the Amaretto Sour and Tequila Sunrise Zero proof (alcohol-free) drinks are on the rise: vinegar, shrubs, teas, etc. What I’m looking forward to Diving deeper into...

Learn more about Kira , iNDO , and Nippon Tei . Ingredients and drinks we discussed Tom Yum lollipop Yuzu Soju Aperol Campari Contratto Aperitif and Bitter Licor 43 Corona seltzer : what Kira would sneak into a concert Typical staff shots for the staff: Four Roses , Old Overholt , Toki , Iwai Natalie's juices : Kira mentioned this as good quality bottled juice Bars where she's worked and that were...