Cocktailia

If you ask around about noteworthy bars in London, you won’t get far without hearing about the bars at the Connaught Hotel. There are two: The casual Coburg Bar near the hotel entrance, and the fancier Connaught…

Yes, you read that right. A Cosmo.

Cosmopolitan

• 1 1/2 ounce citrus vodka
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
• Splash of cranberry juice
• Orange zest for garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker…

Yesterday I finished giving Cocktailia a much needed facelift. Gone is the stark white design with little to no indication of what’s what or where around the site. I think this new design is quite a bit more…

Toronto

• 2 ounces rye
• 1/4 ounce Fernet Branca
• 1/4 ounce simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange zest for garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass and stir until cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail…

Champs-Elysées

• 1 1/2 ounces Cognac
• 1/2 ounce green Chartreuse
• 1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 ounce simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until cold. Strain into a…

On my recent visit to Portobello Star, a cocktail bar in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood, I was particularly impressed by their beautiful embossed menus (as well as by their fantastic Manhattan).

Designed in the style of the original…

Death in the Afternoon

• 1 ounce absinthe or substitute
• Champagne

Pour absinthe or substitute (I made this one with Pernod) into a Champagne flute, then fill with Champagne.

This cocktail was created by Ernest Hemingway, author of…

Scofflaw

• 1 1/2 ounces rye
• 1 ounce dry vermouth
• 3/4 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 ounces grenadine
• 2 dashes of orange bitters

Shake all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The…

La Louisiane

• 3/4 ounce rye
• 3/4 ounce Benedictine
• 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
• Dash of absinthe or substitute
• Dash of Peychaud’s bitters
• Maraschino cherry for garnish

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass and stir until cold. Strain…

I’ve had a few people ask about the mixology competition at the Great American Distillers Festival last weekend and where they could find a list of those competing and the results. Unfortunately, the event web site doesn’t contain…