Author: Camper English
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The History of Grenadine Use in Cocktails: Theories and Conclusions
After reviewing the literature of grenadine in cocktails, I have a few observations. Grenadine Use Was Probably Influenced by Europe We know that pomegranates had been grown in the US since the 1700s, and that they were grown commercially before 1917. But as far as I can see, grenadine as a cocktail ingredient really…
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The History of Grenadine Use in Cocktails: Literature Review
When was grenadine first used in cocktails? I thought this would be a simple question to answer, but not so much. Along the way to figuring this out, I've had to split up this one blog post into several. First we'll look at the cocktail books from 1862 – 1930 and see where grenadine is…
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Bartenders Dosing Drinks with Acid (Phosphate)
My latest post for the Details.com Daily Blog is about acid phosphate and its popularity in cocktails. I mention Darcy O'Neil's Fix the Pumps book, of course, as well as his line of acid phosphate and lactart. I name-check a few bars serving acid phosphate drinks as well, including: The Ice Cream Bar in San…
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Ice Info for New Readers
Hello new readers – The best of the ice posts are: – How to make clear ice using a cooler – How to make giant crystal clear ice cubes Then some fun projects with ice are here and here and here and here.
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Cocktail Trend Predictions for 2013 on the Details Blog
In my latest story for Details.com, I wrote a list of five trends for cocktails in 2013. The include low-alcohol cocktails, the butcher and bartender connection, carbonated cocktails, bulk cocktails (punches, bottles, and cocktails on tap), and new molecular techniques. Check it out! Related articles Drink Like Hemingway With Philip Greene's New Book Book Review:…
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A Huge Interview with Camper English on Eater.com
I've got something to say! Apparently. Eater.com did a big interview with me about the SF cocktail scene and now it has gone live. I blab about everything from the lack of molecular mixology in San Francisco to the death of muddling to the rise of carbonated cocktails. It goes on and on. Photo by…
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Essential Oils and Cointreau’s Centrifuge
In 2011 I visited the Cointreau distillery in Angers, France. I wrote about that here. After I returned I realized I had a few more questions. Luckily, Cointreau's Master Distiller Bernadette Langlais was in San Francisco last night so I had a chance to clarify some questions about the centrifuge part of the process. To recap, Cointreau…
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Leave Negroni Alone! (A Story on Details.com)
In my latest post for Details.com, I talk about the Negroni. That poor cocktail is less famous than the Martini and Manhattan, yet suffers more at the hand of bartenders. "Everywhere you look, the Negroni is being deconstructed, smoked, solidified, gelatinized, flamed, dehydrated, foamed, carbonated, frozen, clarified, and subjected to other forms of mixological torture."…
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Making Clear Ice Using a Blast Freezer
A few weeks back I was talking to Charles Joly, beverage director of The Aviary in Chicago, about ice. (This happens a lot.) We were talking about the cooler method I use to make clear ice. The Aviary has a Clinebell machine that makes 300 pound blocks of sexy, clear ice that they then cut…