It’s not quite the year without a Santa Claus, but I concede that this will be the year of a greatly diminished BBH holiday post. As you may recall, my annual ritual this time of year is to ask a few industry friends to create a unique, holiday-themed cocktail that I include in a blog post and share on social media. It’s always a fun challenge, coordinating participants and getting to their various bars in time to photograph the drinks and write up the article. In 2020? Not so much. It crossed my mind, of course. But in the interest of safety – and in recognition of the fact that my annual bl ..read more

It may be de rigueur for Irish whiskey brands to portray their booze as a portal to a forgotten era. That’s no surprise; whiskey distillation in Ireland dates back centuries, and to conjure the spirit of that tradition and incorporate it into modern whiskey production is to achieve a certain kind of alchemy – what appears to be a new variety of whiskey is in fact just the latest verse of a long-running epic poem. Much of it may be marketing palaver. Still, there’s an undeniable appeal to the notion that the whiskey in your glass is similar to the whiskey sipped by your forebears. That being s ..read more

Have you ever wanted to make a bourbon banana cream pie but didn’t have the time, energy, or motivation to follow through? Well friends, you have come to the right blog. Just in time for Thanksgiving, here’s a way to enjoy bourbon banana cream pie without all the fuss of having to actually make a pie. Easier and boozier than the real thing, this cocktail is exactly what we need for this challenging holiday season. 1 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil 1 oz overproof bourbon (I used Belle Meade Cask Strength bourbon) 1 whole egg ½ oz vanilla syrup 4 drops toasted pecan tincture Shake all i ..read more

I can only imagine what it’s like to launch a new product in 2020. It hasn’t exactly been a year for clinking glasses and celebrating achievements. And how much more disappointing must it be when your product has been years in the making? Such is the case for Virginia Distillery Company, which released the first batch of its long-awaited single malt whisky this past April. VDC’s whisky has been aging for nearly four years, but the company was founded back in 2011, meaning this journey began nearly a decade ago. Releasing their flagship product in a year marked by a pandemic, social unrest, an ..read more

Sometimes the name of the cocktail precedes the drink itself. Such was the case with this one. I keep a running list of cocktail names for those occasions when I come up with a good drink but can’t think of an appropriate title. I consult the list, and if there’s a good match, the drink gets a name. For years, “Power Ballad” was languishing on that list. But as badly I wanted to use it, I hadn’t really come up with any drinks deserving of the name. But eventually I learned that my buddy Adam, aka Mr. Muddle, also kept a list of names for his drinks, and much to my chagrin, “Power Ballad” was ..read more

Looks like an Old Fashioned, tastes like a Hemingway Daiquiri. Papa would approve. Combining elements of two different drinks can be a highly effective method of cocktail creation, and one I don’t employ often enough. At some point last year, I had the idea of doing a mashup of two of my favorite cocktails – an Old Fashioned and a Hemingway Daiquiri. So I grabbed my nearest notebook and scribbled down a few thoughts on potential ingredients, proportions, and even gave it name. Then I completely forgot about it. Recently, amid a similar fit of cocktail inspiration, I grabbed that same notebook ..read more

Well, here we are again. Another year over, and a new one just begun. If the typical rituals of the season – crossing names of the shopping list, sending cards, readying holiday feasts – have got you feeling stressed, allow me to offer some friendly advice: always make time for a cup(s) of cheer. And with that, I’m pleased to present the 2019 edition of the Boston BarHopper holiday blog post. If you’re a regular visitor to this space, you probably know the drill – every year when December rolls around, I invite a handful of Boston-area bartenders to come up with an original, festive cocktail ..read more

Scotch casts a long shadow over the world of single malt whiskies. It represents the high water mark, if you will – the standard by which other single malts are judged. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard (or said) something to the effect of “it’s almost like a really good scotch” when sampling a single malt from somewhere other than Scotland. It’s meant as a compliment, of course, but almost a backhanded one. It implies that the best that can be hoped for from a non-Scottish single malt is a convincing mimicry of a superior style. With the release of its flagship single malt on the ho ..read more

I’ve always looked askance at premixed beverages, and with good reason. But ‘Merican Mule raises the bar. I tend to view canned cocktails with grave skepticism. As a home bartender, the process of making a drink brings me as much joy as the act of drinking one. And as a frequenter of cocktail bars, I’ve grown accustomed to fresh ingredients, premium spirits, and that certain je ne sais quois that a skilled bartender can bring to nearly any drink. The thought of trading that alchemy for the convenience of a can is anathema to me. Plus, I assume that whatever “cocktail” is inside will be a pale ..read more

Glendalough’s rose gin defies expectations, appearance. It’s natural to jump to conclusions about a rose gin. At best, it might seem like an attempt at a “gateway” gin – a softer expression of the pine-y spirit, finished with rose petals, a la Hendrick’s. At worst, it might appear to be little more than a marketing gimmick, prioritizing color over flavor in hopes of standing out on a crowded shelf. Glendalough Distillery’s rose gin is neither of those things. The Irish company’s second U.S. gin release is vibrant and unusual, with a flavor profile as striking as its pinkish hue. Looks Aren’t ..read more