Category: bitters

  • The Best Drinks Books of 2024

    These are some of my favorite cocktails and spirits books I read in 2024. Several of them I blurbed for their authors. There are few more books that were published this year that I haven't read yet, so maybe they'll get on next year's list.

    My 2023 Best Of List is here, by the way. In no particular order: 

     

    Cocktail Theory – A Sensory Approach to Transcendent Drinks

     

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    A sciency book that's half about the perfect conditions for cocktails, half about applying perfumer techniques to cocktail development. 

    My video review

    Buy It: Amazon Sfumato 

     

     

    Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits

    Dustry booze cover

     

    My blurb: An investigation into the secretive and competitive collectors and their methods, unsolved mysteries, and mythological caches. The once worthless dusties inspire Goldfarb to debate the monetary value of quality versus rarity and the proximity to fame. And unlike, say, stamp collectors, the author and every other dusty hunter must grapple with the decision whether to taste a moment in time or to keep time locked away in a bottle.

    My review

    Buy it: Amazon (note: super cheap right now) Bookshop

     

    Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home

    The cocktail parlour

     

    My blurb: The Cocktail Parlor is a literature review of women-authored books in which there are mixed drink recipes, and an analysis of what those drinks reveal about the changing role of women in society. [Along the way,] Dr. Nice cites so many fascinating authors that I kept one browser window open to search for more information about them and another to add their books to my reading list. Rarely has a drink book so enthralled me yet left me thirsty for more.

    My review

    Buy It: Amazon (currently on sale) Bookshop

     

    The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit

     

    Absinthe forger

     

    My blurb: Retracing the steps of a prolific modern-day forger of absinthe who tricked enthusiasts and experts, Evan Rail deciphers how the spirit was distilled, colored, blended, bottled, and sold a century ago, and takes us to meet members of the current absinthe collecting community spread throughout Europe who improbably cracked the case of the faker together. I finished this book in a couple sittings because of its plot and pacing, but also learned a ridiculous amount of new and unexpected information about absinthe along the way. If you’re interested in vintage spirits generally, absinthe specifically, the importance of online communities, or tasty true crime, this book is for you!

    My review

    Buy It: Amazon Bookshop

     

    Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit

    Malort

    A wonderfully surprising and authentic telling of brand history that had me engaged and enraged! 

    My review

    Buy It: Amazon Bookshop

     

     

    The Bourbon Drinker's Companion: A Guide to American Distilleries, with Travel Advice, Folklore, and Tasting Notes

    Bourbon Drinkers Companion

    Tastings and a travelogue. Tons of great information from a distiller's point of view, and honest reviews not given in isolation. 

    My review

    Buy It: Amazon Bookshop

     

     

    Spirits Distilled : A Guide to the Ingredients Behind a Better Bottle

     

    Spirits distilled

    My blurb: Spirits Distilled is a new view of booze from the ground up. Beyond illuminating the plants, people, and production of all the major spirits categories, Nat Harry’s thoughtful recommendations should empower us to make better choices in the liquor aisle.

     

    Buy It: Amazon Bookshop

     

  • Malort Book Review

    This review that I wrote first appeared on AlcoholProfessor.com

     

    Boozy Book Review: Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit by Josh Noel

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    Jeppson's Malört is a famously disgusting liqueur from Chicago. It’s the drink that your party friends force you to try when you visit them, or sometimes the drink that a dive bar bartender might give new visitors as an ironic “Welcome to Chicago” shot. You try it, you make a horrified face and usually say something like, “Why does this toxic sludge even exist?” and everyone laughs. The memory and the bitter flavor stick with you for a long time.

    In Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit Chicago Review Press (September 3, 2024), Josh Noel traces the path of the liqueur from its 1930s origins to its unlikely rise nearly a century later to its eventual sale to CH Distillery.

    I expected the book to be full of jokes and quotes from people about how bad the liqueur tastes – and it has tons of them, and they are hilarious. What I didn’t expect was for the book to be so engaging and for me to become so invested in the story as Noel tells it.

    How Malört Came to Be

    Jeppson's Malört was a commercialized version of a Swedish bäsk brännvin, a wormwood-flavored liqueur with a medicinal reputation for soothing the stomach (and traditionally for eliminating intestinal parasites). The product was first sold to Chicago’s Swedish expat community as a reminder of similar liqueurs from home.

    The brand was purchased by George Brode, who marketed it to the large working-class Swedish immigrant community of Chicago after Prohibition. He also advertised it as a macho drink, with slogans in the 1950s like, “No woman wets her whistle on Jeppson, that’s a he-man’s prerogative.”

    Most of the book follows the story of Patricia (“Pat”) Gabelick, however. She was hired as Brode’s secretary in 1966, became his longtime mistress, and inherited the brand when Brode died in 1999. At that point, Malört sold very little – the height of its sales was in 1973 when it sold under 4000 cases. By 2000 it was selling sixty percent less than that.

    Ironic to Iconic

    It wouldn’t reach those 1973 levels again for forty years. Malört’s reputation elevation from zero to hero was due in almost no part to Pat Gabelick, despite her being the star player in its story. (She didn’t like it and never drank it but did provide hours of interviews with the book’s author.) With its dated bottle label and bottom-shelf status in Chicago’s neighborhood taverns and liquor stores, young drinkers were intrigued by the mysterious liquid and eventually adopted it as their own.

    Meanwhile, the brand didn’t even have a website, and few people knew anything about it or why it tasted the way it did. (As far as I can tell its only ingredients were wormwood, sugar, and alcohol, so there’s your answer.) However, a few fan pages on Facebook and Twitter sprung up celebrating the “Malört’s face” people make when first trying it. It was young fans of Malört like these that essentially rescued the brand from extinction.

    A Little Help from Friends

    The book details how three key fans volunteered their time and expertise to Pat Gabelick spreading the word of Malört. They built the website, made t-shirts, held promotional events, pitched distributors, and ran social media. They seemed to do everything but control the finances – or receive payment for their efforts.

    Their work ensured that media attention grew, then copycat Malörts were released, and a hostile takeover by a major liquor company disguised as a trademark lawsuit ensued. They fought it off. The brand became more successful than ever, on its way to selling 10,000 cases by 2017.

    It was this story of the wholesome scrappy crew of fans working with an elderly lady to promote a unique local spirit that really hooked me. Author Josh Noel turned what could have been a silly brand history book into an underdog story. I found myself fully invested, rooting for the team to win and for everyone to come out rich and happy.

    That’s not exactly what happened, though. While Pat Gabelick made out well for herself, I wouldn’t be surprised if the people who helped save Malört and build it into a big enough brand to sell for millions are left with a bitter taste in their mouths.

    In Conclusion

    I really enjoyed this book and was impressed by what must have been a tremendous amount of interviewing and research by author Josh Noel. I don’t know if other readers will become as invested in the story as I did or come away with as strong feelings as I now have about it. But much like a typical introduction to Malört, I plan to foist this book upon many of my friends and watch their reactions when they finish.

  • How Much Alcohol Do Bitters Contribute to a Non-Alcoholic Drink?

    71z8Pv+8ubL._SL1500_I was a speaker on a panel for Tales of the Cocktail 2020 in which I said that we should be careful about bitters in non-alcoholic cocktails. In my experience, if you ask someone who orders a non-alcoholic cocktail if "a dash of alcohol is okay" to put bitters in the drink, most people get uncomfortable with the conversation and then almost all of them say no. So I stopped offering. 

    When you ask someone if a touch of alcohol is okay, you're really asking them to agree to drinking alcohol even when they're just told you they'll have the non-alcoholic drink. For several different segments of people who are not drinking, this is like asking "will you violate your sobriety a little bit?" and I've come to see it as inappropriate. 

    After the talk I had a nice chat with Camille Vidal of La Maison Wellness, who has also been thinking about the impact of bitters. The real question was not so much about asking someone if they want to take alcohol in their drink, but what if the impact of bitters in a cocktail is so insignificant that we can skip the question and use them anyway? 

    We know that products legally allowed to be labelled as "non-alcoholic" can have up to .5 percent alcohol in them.  We also know that some food products like bananas and orange juice and even bread can have tiny percentages of alcohol in them. 

    Out of the conversation we decided it would be interesting to do the math. 

     

    What is the alcoholic impact of alcoholic bitters in a non-alcoholic cocktail?

    We'll use Angostura bitters to figure it out.  Angostura bitters are 44.7% ABV

    How much is a Dash? 

    According to Don Lee, 41 dashes equals one liquid ounce. (this is .7 ml per dash). Dave Arnold in Liquid Intelligence puts it at .8ml. 

    A dash is "little less than one milliliter" according to this post. According to this 1/8 tsp is a dash and that's .6ml. 

    I decided to say we're adding 2 dashes or 1.5 ml of alcoholic bitters to a non-alcoholic drink

    1 fluid ounce is approximately 30ml 

     

    To calculate the ABV of a drink, our math is:

    Volume of each alcoholic component x ABV% Divided by Total Volume of Drink

     

    For a one ounce cocktail with 2 dashes of bitters = 1.5ml X 45% / 30ml = .02 = 2 percent 

    For a two ounce cocktail with 2 dashes of bitters = 1.5ml X 45% / 60ml = .01125 = 1.12 percent 

    For a three ounce cocktail with 2 dashes of bitters = 1.5ml X 45% / 90ml = .00755 = .75 percent 

    For a four ounce cocktail with 2 dashes of bitters = 1.5ml X 45% / 120 ml = .005625 = .562 percent 

    For a five ounce cocktail with 2 dashes of bitters = 1.5ml X 45% / 150 ml = .0045 = .45 percent 

     

    First Conclusion: If you want to make a cocktail that's legally non-alcoholic with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, the cocktail must be 5 ounces in volume and contain no other alcohol. 

    Soft_see1Now let's look if we used a non-alcoholic spirit in the five-ounce drink along with bitters.

    A non-alcoholic spirit like Seedlip must be less than .5 percent ABV. We'll use a Non-Alcoholic Daiquri as an example:

    If we didn't add bitters, we'd have:

    60 ml N/A Spirit at .5% + 30 ml lime + 30 ml simple + 30 ml dilution +  = .3  / 150 = .2 percent ABV cocktail.

    And with bitters plus n/a spirit, we have: 

    60 ml N/A Spirit at .5% + 30 ml lime + 30 ml simple + 30 ml dilution + 1.5ml Angostura bitters at 45% = .3 + .675 / 150 = .65 percent.

     

    A 5-ounce cocktail with 2 ounces of non-alcoholic spirit base and 2 dashes of bitters is barely over the .5 ABV limit, still under 1 percent ABV.

    Second Conclusion: The bitters in a cocktail with n/a spirit contribute more alcohol to the overall drink than the "non-alcoholic spirit," as the bitters are so concentrated in alcohol.  

     

    Final Boss Conclusion: If you wanted to serve legally non-alcoholic (<.5%) cocktails with bitters, you can 

    1. Use non-alcoholic bitters, such as the ones from Dram Apothecary
    2. Make sure the drink is at least 5 ounces (including dilution) in volume for cocktails with 2 dashes of bitters
    3. If you want to make the drink with a non-alcoholic spirit base like Seedlip, dial down the bitters to one dash or leave them out to stay within the legal limit if your drink is 5 oz or less. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Released in 2019

    It's time for my annual post of (almost) all the cocktails and spirits books published this year, in consideration for gifting to others or keeping to read yourself. I know my shelf of to-read books is looking pretty menacing already, and I still have to buy some of these. 

    If I forgot your favorite book please do let me know and I'll add it! I am not excluding any cocktails/spirits books on purpose. 

    Links are to Amazon.com but you are encouraged to support your local independent bookstores when possible. 

     

    6a00e553b3da2088340240a49bad3e200d.jpgLow and No Alcohol

    Just the Tonic: A Natural History of Tonic Water by Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt

    Alcohol-Free Cocktails: The Redemption Bar by Catherine Salway and Andrea Waters

    All Day Cocktails: Low (And No) Alcohol Magic by Shaun Byrne and Nick Tesar

    The Art of the Garnish by Leeann Lavin

     

     

    Gin Books 

    The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World's Greatest Drink, with Recipes by Robert Simonson 

    Sip: 100 gin cocktails with just three ingredients by Sipsmith 

    6a00e553b3da2088340240a4d8bc80200b.jpgThe World Atlas of Gin by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley

    The Big Book of Gin by Dan Jones

    Gin Made Me Do It: 60 Beautifully Botanical Cocktails by Jassy Davis 

    Ginspiration: The Best Distilleries, Infusions, and Cocktails by Klaus St. Rainer 

    Gin Cocktails: Classic & contemporary cocktails by Hamlyn 

    Aged Gin Cocktails: 25 Cocktails for Gin's Newest Style by Aaron J Knoll 

     

    International Books

    The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks: Sake, Shochu, Japanese Whisky, Beer, Wine, Cocktails and Other Beverages by Stephen Lyman, Chris Bunting 

    Great Northern Cocktails by Shawn Soole

    Drunk in China: Baijiu and the World’s Oldest Drinking Culture by Derek Sandhaus

     

    6a00e553b3da2088340240a4b42e4b200d.jpgWhisky Books

    World of Whisky: Taste, Try and Enjoy Whiskies From Around the World by David Wishart, Neil Ridley

    The Complete Whiskey Course: A Comprehensive Tasting School in Ten Classes by Robin Robinson

    The Whisky Dictionary: An A Z of whisky, from history & heritage to distilling & drinking by Ian Wisniewski

    Whisky Cocktails by Hamlyn

    The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius by Bob Batchelor

    Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible 2020: North American Edition by Jim Murray

     


    6a00e553b3da2088340240a444b248200c.jpgRum and Tiki 

    Rum Cocktails by Hamlyn

    The Home Bar Guide to Tropical Cocktails: A Spirited Journey Through Suburbia’s Hidden Tiki Temples by Tom Morgan and Kelly Reilly 

    Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails by Shannon Mustipher

    Minimalist Tiki by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith

    A Rum Tale: Spirit of the New World by Joseph Piercy 

    (new translation) D. KERVÉGANT – Rhum and Cane Eau-de-vie (1946)

     

    Other Spirits

    That's the Spirit!: 100 of the world's greatest spirits and liqueurs to drink with style by Jonathan Ray 

    The Tequila Dictionary by Eric Zandona

    Understanding Mezcal by James Schroeder

     

    6a00e553b3da2088340240a48a126d200c.jpgMisc Recipe Books 

    Schofields Classic Cocktail Cabinet by Joe Schofield, Daniel SchofieldHow to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks by America's Test Kitchen

    Gather Around Cocktails: Drinks to Celebrate Usual and Unusual Holidays by Aaron Goldfarb

    Vogue Cocktails by Henry McNulty 

    Cocktails with a Twist: 21 Classic Recipes. 141 Great Cocktails. by Kara Newman

    Flask: 41 Portable Cocktails to Drink Anywhere by Sarah Baird 

    Happy Hour: The Cocktail Card Game by Laura Gladwin and Marcel George

    Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World by Derek Brown and Robert Yule

    The Complete Home Bartender's Guide: Tools, Ingredients, Techniques, & Recipes for the Perfect Drink by Salvatore Calabrese 

    Bar Chef: Handcrafted Cocktails by Christiaan Rollich

    Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion by Maggie Hoffman

    6a00e553b3da2088340240a4a0eb13200c.jpgFloral Libations: 41 Fragrant Drinks + Ingredients by Cassie Winslow

    From Garden to Glass: 80 Botanical Beverages Made from the Finest Fruits, Cordials, and Infusions by David Hurst

    French Moderne: Cocktails from the Twenties and Thirties with recipes by Franck Audoux

    Fancy AF Cocktails: Drink Recipes from a Couple of Professional Drinkers by Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval

    The Postmodern Bartender by Hayden Wood

    The NoMad Cocktail Book by Leo Robitschek

    The Aviary: Holiday Cocktails  by Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas, Allen Hemberger

    How to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks by America's Test Kitchen

    Let's Get Blitzen: 60+ Christmas Cocktails to Make Your Spirits Bright by Sother Teague

     

     

    Misc Books: Industry, Bitters, Distilling

    Botany at the Bar: The Art and Science of Making Bitters by Selena Ahmed, Ashley Duval, Rachel Meyer 

    How To Get U.S. Market-Ready: Wine and Spirits by Steve Raye

    The Art of Distilling, Revised and Expanded: An Enthusiast's Guide to the Artisan Distilling of Whiskey, Vodka, Gin and other Potent Potables by Bill Owens, Alan Dikty, Andrew Faulkner

     

    6a00e553b3da2088340240a4c051c9200b.jpgCocktail and Culture Books

    The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions 

    Shaken: Drinking with James Bond and Ian Fleming, the Official Cocktail Book

    Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time by Brad Thomas Parsons

    Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum?: and Other Cocktails for '90s Kids  by Sam Slaughter

    Drink Like a Geek: Cocktails, Brews, and Spirits for the Nerd in All of Us by Jeff Cioletti 

    A Sidecar Named Desire: Great Writers and the Booze That Stirred Them by Greg Clarke and Monte Beauchamp

    Gin Austen: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the Novels of Jane Austen by Colleen Mullaney 

    Gin Rummy: Gin Lovers Playing Cards by Emma Stokes and Jean Andre

    Glass and Gavel: The U.S. Supreme Court and Alcohol by Nancy Maveety

    Bourbon Justice: How Whiskey Law Shaped America by Brian F. Haara 

     

    Beer, Cider, and Wine Books 

    6a00e553b3da2088340240a4b36012200d.jpgDrink Better Beer: Discover the Secrets of the Brewing Experts by Joshua M. Bernstein 

    Cider Revival: Dispatches from the Orchard by Jason Wilson

    Spritz Fever!: Sixty Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails by Elouise Anders 

    The Cider Insider: The Essential Guide to 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now by Susanna Forbes

    The Lager Queen of Minnesota: A Novel by J. Ryan Stradal 

    Natural Wine for the People: What It Is, Where to Find It, How to Love It by Alice Feiring 

    Celebrate Rosé: Cocktails & Parties for Life's Rosiest Moments by Ashley Rose Conway

    Cheese Beer Wine Cider: A Field Guide to 75 Perfect Pairings by Steve Jones and Adam Lindsley

    Sakepedia: A Non-Traditional Guide to Japan’s Traditional Beverage by Jeff Cioletti

    The Bucket List: Beer: 1000 Adventures " Pubs " Breweries " Festivals by Justin Kennedy

    The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson

    YES WAY ROSÉ A Guide to the Pink Wine State of Mind by Erica Blumenthal and Nikki Huganir

     

    Not enough books for you??? Check out:

    All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Released in 2018

    All the drink books that came out in 2017

    All the Cocktails and Spirits Books Published in 2016 for Reading or Gifting

    All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting

    More Than 40 Drink Books Published in 2014 for Reading or Gifting

     

     

     

  • A Guide to Botanicals Used in Cocchi Aromatized Wines & Vermouths

    I had the pleasure of visiting the winery and distillery for Cocchi in Piedmont, Italy. More on the visit in a later post, but for now I wanted to share a bunch of images I took of botanicals used in the production of their products. 

     

    Cocchi products

     

    American readers will be familiar with Cocchi Americano, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, and their Barolo Chinato. 

    I've been studying a lot of these botanicals lately, and found the write-ups on these from the tasting room to be very good. So I'll just post them here for future reference (yours and mine). Note that there is some good information on a few of these at the Cocchi website

    You might also check out this similar guide I did from a visit to Martini vermouths: A Visual Guide to Herbs Used to Make Vermouth.  

    All of the below images were taken at the Cocchi winery in Italy. 


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  • Campari Production Info: Extraction, ABV, Coloring, and Fining

    At this year's Tales of the Cocktail, I went to a terrific seminar called Til The Bitter End, lead by Audrey Fort of The Rooster Factory brand development agency.

    I also gave a seminar about bitterness at Tales, with an emphasis on understanding the flavor of different bittering agents. This seminar, on the other hand, was about bitterness in general and measuring the impact of bitterness in different spirits in particular.  Though I researched the heck out of my own seminar, I also learned a ton in this one. 

    One of the panelists was Mike Capoferri, Italian Portfolio Ambassador for the Campari Group. I'd not met him before and his part of the presentation was great. While Campari, the liqueur, doesn't disclose any of the ingredients in the bottle that make its distinctive flavor, Capoferri was able to share some of the very complicated production processes that go into it. And they're so complicated that it wouldn't matter if they disclosed every ingredient. 

    So first, some technical terminology that I'd not seen in this way before, defining various extraction techniques depending on whether it's done in alcohol or water: 

    Bitter flavors extraction

    One thing he mentioned in the seminar is that bitter compounds are not soluble in high-ABV alcohol. And I learned in the preparation for my own seminar that bitter flavors do not generally distill. That's why most bitter ingredients are macerated in the spirit rather than redistilled like gin. (In the case of Cointreau, I learned when I visited the distillery a few years ago, they distil their bitter oranges that have been macerated with pith in order to remove bitterness from the infusion.)

    Essential oils (like from the peels of those oranges in Cointreau) on the other hand do distill well, and are soluble in high-ABV alcohol. 

    Within the Campari portfolio, Averna is a simple extraction of botanicals in high proof spirit, so the result is a not-super-bitter amaro. 

    Braulio, in contrast, is macerated at a lower proof, to enhance the bitter flavors.  

     

    Anyway, those maceration techniques are used in the production of Campari:

     

    Campari Production

    I'm glad to see Campari isn't just  Herbs -> Infusion -> Filtration -> bottling. I like it when things are interesting. 

    Three important observations (of mine) from this:

    1. "1 of 8 Colorants": As I revealed on this blog post about how Campari is made differently around the world, insect-based natural cochineal coloring seems to have been replaced by artificial coloring in most parts of the world, but not all. The post identified some of the ways that the red coloring is labelled – and now we know there are eight variations (or at least there were at the time this slide was made)!
    2. "1 of 5 ABV's": Also on the blog post we knew there were different ABVs. I'm surprised there are only 5. But on the other hand, 5 ABVs times 8 colorants means they could make up to 40 variations of Campari. 
    3. "Fining": On that same blog post, we saw from the bottle in Jamaica that Campari "contains eggs." I am pretty darn sure that is from the fining process (also used in beer and wine) that brings the liquid to clarity. The only thing to note here is that they use the term "fining" rather than "filtration" which helps build our case.  To repeat from that blog post, even though in most countries Campari is no longer colored with insects, it is still almost assuredly not vegan.  

    So, that was awesome. Thanks to Audrey Fort and Mike Capoferri for the info. 

     

     

  • A Little Overkill at my Tales of the Cocktail Seminar on Bitter Flavors

    This year as usual I gave a seminar at Tales of the Cocktail (well this year I gave one myself and then was on a panel for another one; this post is about the one I gave solo). This one was called Bitter Flavors: Taste the Rainbow. 

     

    bitter samples

    The idea was to give everyone information and tasting on individual bitter flavors- particularly the major ones of quinine/cinchona, wormwood, gentian, and rhubarb- because so often they're mixed together in amari and bitters. I chose for my tasting spirits that I thought were most indicative of the bitter flavors:

    • Rhubarb: Zucca (they sponsored the seminar)
    • Wormwood: Amaro Alta Verde 
    • Gentian: Saler's Gentiane
    • Cinchona: Kina Aero d'Or

    Plus Zucca wanted to feature a couple of cocktails, so at just 1 sample of each type of bitters I was worried that I wouldn't be able to ensure everyone could really isolate each type of bitter flavor. 

    So, as is my way, I panicked and went way overboard on homemade samples. By the end, everyone at their seat had 2 cocktails, 4 bitter beverages, 10 microtubes of bitter tasting samples, and 5 bitter solids. 

     

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    The preparation took me (along with help from my pal Maria) dozens of hours. I made infusions of various bitter flavors in alcohol, then diluted those down with water so they were essentially non-alcoholic. Then we put them all in microtubes and the solids in little baggies (luckily I live near a bong store), labelled them all, and then made an index and assembled ziplocks of everything. 

     

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    Oh, and I also created a print-out of most popular vermouth and amaro brands, and what the known and suspected bittering agents are in each. That project took me another 20 hours or so. Sometimes I think I might go too far.

    So during the seminar we now had plenty to taste and in the case of those big four bitter flavors, a finished product to confirm that taste in a product they could find on the shelf. The seminar seemed to go really well (we'll see when I get the reviews back) and I certainly felt everyone got their money's worth- a big fear of mine when I'm presenting. 

    Camper English at Tales of the Cocktail

    (photo stolen from Maggie Campbell)

    Camper English at Tales of the Cocktail

    I'm not sure that I'll ever do this seminar again in this format, but I may put together an ebook of some sort with the information from the seminar in it. 

     

     

     

  • Bitter Ingredient Flavors and Use from Martini Vermouth Masters

    Bitter martiniAt this year's Bar Convent Brooklyn, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ivano Tonutti, Master Herbalist for Martini & Rossi (and Bacardi products generally) and Giuseppe "Beppe" Musso, Master Blender of Martini & Rossi.

    The timing was excellent, as I am preparing to give a talk on bitter ingredients for Tales of the Cocktail, and they were in town promoting the newish Martini & Rossi Riserva Speciale Bitter Liqueur. 

    The Bitter is part of the new premium Riserva line, along with Rubino (red) and Ambratto (white) vermouths. We spoke primarily about the new Bitter and and plants used in the Riserva line; but in some cases we were generalizing beyond that. So please consider this general information rather than super specific to any one product. 

     

    General Stuff

    • The goal in using different bittering agents is to create a rounded bitter experience with multiple parallel bitters rather than a single-note bitter. 
    • Speaking of single-note bitter, they indicated quinine/cinchona bark pretty much gives that. 
    • When speaking about how different bittering agents impact the flavor, Tonutti would intuitively point to certain parts of his face, indicating where the individual bitter most impacts the palate – for example cinchona is a singular bitterness felt most in the far back of the mouth, different artemisia species were more forward. Gentian and rhubarb root impact the middle of the mouth more. It's interesting to see as we know the "tongue map" is false but yet we feel the impact of different bitter flavors in different parts of the mouth.
    • They use all dried herbs, rather than fresh, for all the many Bacardi products (including things like Bombay, etc.) with the exception of some fresh citrus peels in Oxley gin. Dried herbs are used to ensure consistency and can be more easily measured for water content, etc. 
    • All these bitter agents are infused rather than distilled into products (we're talking about the Riserva line). 
    • They use only yellow gentian root – not the blue stemless gentian that a few producers use. They prefer French gentian as it's particularly bitter and more aromatic than from other places. They say the blue gentian is not super bitter, and it can be thought of more like an herb with root rather than just the root. 
    • Holy thistle is used in salads. In their products, it's used to impart mouthfeel, not bitterness. It is used in most of Martini's products. 
    • Dandelion – Leaves, not roots, are used. In production, leaves must be dried immediately after picking. 
    • Roman Chamomile – The bitterness of it depends on the extraction technique (lower ABV extraction is better for bitterness in general, they say) and the concentration. (I asked about this as I've made chamomile infusions in the past and none were bitter.) 

    Artemisia

    • Between the Rubino and Ambratto there are different ratios of the three artemisia plants used – absinthia, pontica, and vulgaris. (grand/common, lesser/small, mugwort)
    • Absinthium – boldest, bitterest, with a delicate herbal flavor
    • Pontica – herbal and floral, a signature note of Martini vermouth, top note
    • Vulgaris (aka mugwort) – aromatic, with a different and milder expression of bitterness. 

    Barks

    • As noted, Cinchona bark gives a back-palate discreet bitterness.
    • Columba bark is an aromatic bitter with mid-palate bitterness.
    • Angostura bark is between cinchona and columba in its bitterness. 
    • Red cinchona (succirubra) is more bitter than yellow, with higher amounts of quinine, but they describe the flavor as more boring.
    • Yellow cinchona (calisaya) they get from Ecuador. It is slightly aromatic, but there is less of it available on the market. This is used in Ambratto and probably other products. 

    Safety Stuff

    • The amount of thujone in artemisia and quinine in cinchona bark are regulated. They say that their approach to this is to get as far under the legal limits of the active substances as possible. For example, their artemisia providers grow a strains of the plants with super low thujone content, and though they may be plants like grand wormwood that supposedly have a lot of it, they use varieties that don't. Thus if the legal limits of thujone were ever lowered, or as in the case of the US where the legal limit is lower than in the EU, they don't have to worry as they're not close to the limits.
    • For quinine, there is a legal limit of 83 ppm allowed. That is just for quinine, not for quinidine and the other (two, I believe) active alkaloids present in cinchona bark. Tonutti said that rather than counting just the quinine, they keep the total number of all the alkaloids under the 83 ppm limit.  
    • Calamus is banned in the US and in Australia by name, meaning you cannot use it in a product's formulation at all, while in Europe and other countries, you may use the plant as long as the beta asarone levels are kept below a certain amount. [They noted the nonsensical nature of this, as if the problem with calamus is beta asarone, they why not limit the beta asarone?] Thus there are formula differences in some of their products in different countries. They also keep the beta asarone way below the legal limits in Europe anyway. 

     

    This may all seem like random stuff to you, but it was extremely helpful for the talk I'm preparing!

     

    For those of you new to these products, here's the basic info from the brand:

    RISERVA SPECIALE BITTER

    The new Bitter joins the Riserva Speciale Rubino and Riserva Speciale Ambrato as part of a dedicated craft of exceptional Italian Aperitivi for bartenders and drinks enthusiasts. To develop the new Riserva Bitter, MARTINI & ROSSI used 100% natural ingredients and the original 1872 recipe, created by MARTINI & ROSSI founder Luigi Rossi, as their inspiration. MARTINI & ROSSI Master Herbalist, Ivano Tonutti, has carefully selected three rare botanicals (Saffron, Angostura and Columba), to deliver a unique richness and complexity to its taste profile through different dimensions of bitterness. The Bitter is also rested in the same Tino cask that is used for MARTINI & ROSSI Riserva Speciale Vermouth di Torino extracts and shares the vermouth’s common botanical, Italian Artemisia, allowing its unique complex bitter taste to perfectly complement it. ($26.99)

    RISERVA SPECIALE RUBINO

    The small parcels for full-bodied Langhe DOC Nebbiolo wines used to create MARTINI & ROSSI RISERVA SPECIALE RUBINO are blended with extracts of Italian Holy Thistle and Red Sandalwood from Central Africa to deliver a bright ruby red vermouth, which inspired the name of the expression. The delicate balance of botanicals creates a full-bodied herbal and complex style of Vermouth di Torino with a long aftertaste. ($14.99)

    Ambrato packshotRISERVA SPECIALE AMBRATO

    The floral and aromatic blend of small parcels of Moscato d’Asti DOCG wines, used to create MARTINI & ROSSI RISERVA SPECIALE AMBRATO, produces a beautifully honeyed Vermouth di Torino. The yellow Cinchona bark from Ecuador and Chinese Rhubarb create a light bitter taste profile that aromatizes and elevates the flavors of the wines. ($14.99)

     

  • Almost All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Published in 2017 for Reading or Gifting

    Behold! Here is my round-up of all the cocktails and spirits books (plus a few others) that were released in 2017. This year, beyond the annual deluge of whisky books, there are books aping the bartender lifestyle (Drink Like a Bartender, Straight Up), more narrative books (I Hear She's a Real Bitch, By the Smoke and the Smell), and recipe books seeking to simplify the process (3 Ingredient Cocktails, The Imbible, Road Soda) rather than reveal the secrets of complex drinks from top bars.

    All in all, another great year for reading about drinking. 

    The links below are to Amazon.com and if you order from there I get a little percentage from the affiliate program. However if you want to be even more awesome, you can buy my book on the Gin & Tonic too!  

     

    Best Cocktail Books 2017

     

     

    Cocktail/Bartender Lifestyle Books 

    6a00e553b3da20883401bb09d333e2970d.jpgThe Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the Wide World of Booze by Jeff Cioletti 

    Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World's Most Spirited Mousers by Brad Thomas Parsons

    The Art of the Bar Cart: Styling & Recipes by Vanessa Dina, Ashley Rose Conway

    The Bar Cart Bible: Everything You Need to Stock Your Home Bar and Make Delicious Classic Cocktails

    Drink Like a Bartender  by Thea Engst and Lauren Vigdor 

    The Cocktail Competition Handbook by Andy Ives

    Straight Up: Where to drink & what to drink on every continent  by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley

    Meehan's Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan 

     

    History Books

    6a00e553b3da20883401b8d2afccb8970c.jpgMuskets and Applejack: Spirits, Soldiers, and the Civil War by Mark Will-Weber 

    B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S.: Bars And Saloons, Taverns And Random Drink Stories (Volume 1)  by Brian F. Rea 

    Bay Area Cocktails: A History of Culture, Community and Craft  by Shanna Farrell

    Bumbershoots: Abridged by Dominic C Pennock

     

     

     

    Single Cocktail Books

    The Bloody Mary Book: Reinventing a Classic Cocktail by Ellen Brown 

    The Bloody Mary: The Lore and Legend of a Cocktail Classic, with Recipes for Brunch and Beyond  by Brian Bartels 

    Gin Tonica: 40 recipes for Spanish-style gin and tonic cocktails by David T Smith 

     

    Whiskey and Whisky Books

    6a00e553b3da20883401b7c925786b970b.jpgMoonshine Mixology: 60 Recipes for Flavoring Spirits & Making Cocktails by Cory Straub 

    The Way of Whisky: A Journey Around Japanese Whisky by Dave Broom 

    The Bourbon Bartender: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the American Spirit by Jane Danger and Alla Lapushchik

    Canadian Whisky, Second Edition: The New Portable Expert by Davin de Kergommeaux 

     

    Rum Books

    The Curious Bartender's Rum Revolution by Tristan Stephenson 

    Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World's Spirit by Fred Minnick 

    Spirit of the Cane by Jared McDaniel Brown and Anistatia Renard Miller 

     

    Other Spirits

    6a00e553b3da20883401b8d2ba6be7970c.jpgMezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit by Emma Janzen 

    AKVAVIT - Rediscovering a Nordic Spirit  by Sune Risum-Urth and Rasmus Poulsgaard  

    Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Book of Bitters: The bitter and twisted history of one of the cocktail world’s most fascinating ingredients by Adam Elmegirab 

     

    Brand Books

    Hennessy: A Toast to the World's Preeminent Spirit by Glenn O'Brien 

     Fever Tree: The Art of Mixing: Recipes from the world's leading bars  by Fever Tree 

    Brewdog: Craft Beer for the People  by Richard Taylor with James Watt and Martin Dickie

     

    Recipe-Focussed Books

    6a00e553b3da20883401b7c92577e6970b.jpgThe Imbible: A Cocktail Guide for Beginning and Home Bartenders by Micah LeMon 

    Let's Get Monster Smashed: Horror Movie Drinks for a Killer Time by Jon Chaiet and Marc Chaiet 

    Code Name: Cocktail by Vicky Sweat & Karen McBurnie

    The Modern Cocktail: Innovation + Flavour by Matt Whiley

    Road Soda: Recipes and techniques for making great cocktails, anywhere by Kara Newman 

    The Poptail Manual: Over 90 Delicious Frozen Cocktails by Kathy Kordalis

    The Cocktail Guide to the Galaxy: A Universe of Unique Cocktails from the Celebrated Doctor Who Bar by Andy Heidel 

    Cooking with Cocktails: 100 Spirited Recipes by Kristy Gardner 

    The Classic & Craft Cocktail Recipe Book: The Definitive Guide to Mixing Perfect Cocktails from Aviation to Zombie  by Clair McLafferty 

    Boston Cocktails: Drunk & Told by Frederic Yarm

    Beach Cocktails: Favorite Surfside Sips and Bar Snacks

    A Spot at the Bar: Welcome to the Everleigh: The Art of Good Drinking in Three Hundred Recipes by Michael Madrusan and Zara Young

    The Wildcrafted Cocktail: Make Your Own Foraged Syrups, Bitters, Infusions, and Garnishes; Includes Recipes for 45 One-of-a-Kind Mixed Drinks by Ellen Zachos 

    The Cocktail Hour (L’Heure du Cocktail): 224 recipes  Collected by Marcel Requien Presented by Lucien Farnoux-Reynaud 

    3 Ingredient Cocktails: An Opinionated Guide to the Most Enduring Drinks in the Cocktail Canon by Robert Simonson

    Cocktail Chameleon by Mark Addison 

    Prosecco Cocktails: 40 tantalizing recipes for everyone's favourite sparkler by Laura Gladwin

    New York Cocktails by Amanda Schuster 

    Good Together: Drink & Feast with Mr Lyan & Friends by Ryan Chetiyawardana 

     

    Narrative Booze Books

    DownloadThe Angels' Share by James Markert 

    Breakfast Tea & Bourbon by Pete Bissonette

    Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey by Troylyn Ball and Bret Witter

    I Hear She's a Real Bitch by Jen Agg 

    By the Smoke and the Smell: My Search for the Rare and Sublime on the Spirits Trail by Thad Vogler

     

     

    Wine Books

    Note: I don't really cover wine books and  these are just a few of them that came out this year. These are merely the ones that showed up in my mailbox. 

    The Complete Bordeaux  by Stephen Brook 

    Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker

    The Dirty Guide to Wine: Following Flavor from Ground to Glass by Alice Feiring 

    6a00e553b3da20883401b8d2c11b96970c.jpgThe New Wine Rules: A Genuinely Helpful Guide to Everything You Need to Know by Jon Bonne

    Champagne: The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region  by Peter Liem 

    Larousse Wine

     

    Beer and Cider Books 

    Note: Same as wine, this isn't my primary focus but here are a few books. 

    Best Beers: the indispensable guide to the world’s beers by Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont

    Modern Cider: Simple Recipes to Make Your Own Ciders, Perries, Cysers, Shrubs, Fruit Wines, Vinegars, and More by Emma Christensen

     

     

    Food, and Miscellaneous Related Books 

    6a00e553b3da20883401bb09a29c97970d.jpgGastrophysics: The New Science of Eating  by Charles Spence 

    Miracle Cure: The Creation of Antibiotics and the Birth of Modern Medicine by William Rosen

    Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World  by Mitch Prinstein

    What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories by Laura Shapiro 

    The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St Clair 

     

     

     

    Not Enough Books For Ya?

    Here are all the books published in the last three years as well. 

    More Than 40 Drink Books Published in 2014 for Reading or Gifting

    All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting

    All the Cocktails and Spirits Books Published in 2016 for Reading or Gifting

     

  • What to Drink When You’re Not Drinking, According to Bartenders

    It's January, and maybe you're taking a break from drinking so much or maybe you've resolved to drink less. Here are some suggestions on what to drink instead. 

    I asked my bartender pals on Facebook what they drink when they're not drinking alcohol. I didn't expect 100 of them to reply! I put them into various categories mostly based on their first answer to the question. There are some conclusions at the end. It is very long. 

     

    JugWater! And Coconut Water

    It seems that people who like plain water also like herbal tea. 

    Daniel Castro of La Banane in  Toronto, Ontario:  Water. I'm getting older, I get migraines, and so looking after my health is #1. Herbal, peppermint tea is another go-to.

    John Lermayer, Sweet Liberty, Miami:  Alkaline water and green tea (together and separately)

    Paul Bradley of Dubai: Large amounts of water, St Clements, lashings of ginger beer. And coconut water

    Jabriel Donohue of Circadia, Seattle: Plain soda water, herbal tea, non alcoholic beer

     Robert Freeman of Sidecar in Jacksonville FL:  Acqua Panna with fresh squeezed lemon. 

     Charles Steadman: Mayim sparkling water and sencha tea from JoJo tea

    Nonna Titulauri of Hakkasan San Francisco: If I'm out but not drinking, if I'm at a restaurant bar, I either drink hot/cold tea or a coffee beverage. And if I'm at a single standing bar, I just drink water with no ice. I like to keep it simple. I often times go visit my friends after my shift at bars where they work and just have a glass of water. 

    Chris Grimm of Sugar & Olives, Norwalk, CT: I try to drink a couple of litres of water, during a shift. My non-alcoholic, non-water go-to is Pellegrino Pamplemousse. 

    Ricardo Albrecht: Coconut water

     

    1009066_157612477757223_1316551939_oTopo Chico Sparkling Water

    Mindy Kucan of Hale Pele Portland, OR: Topo Chico!!!! I always have a case of topo in my car! Iced tea- sometimes I sweeten it. Black tea, golden milk, and I make this coconut water-banana-cocoa powder-Hawaiian sea salt smoothie that does the trick. 

    Pamela Wiznitzer of Seamstress, NYC: Topo Chico when available. Otherwise, I drink loads of tea and very into matcha these days!

    Brad Bowden of Lounge Here Dallas, TX: Topo Chico for sure! HOLY Kombucha is up there on my go to list. 

    Donnie Pratt: Tap water, Topo Chico or Mountain Valley Springs and espresso 1000 Faces out of Athens, GA are my favorite.

    Stuart Humphries of The Pass & Provisions, Houston, TX: Topo Chico, a highly effervescent agua mineral hard to find outside of Mexico and Texas, goes great with everything, esp. tacos and hangovers

    Greg West: Topo all the way. Topo with hint of lime. So good.

    Cameron George: Topo chico and Ango.

    Kyle Zimmerman, Hutch on Avondale, Oklahoma City: Topo Chico with bitters and an orange slice. I feel like the minerality of topo really plays well with the bitters.

    Will Croxville: Topo Chico if possible, but if not just regular old seltzer water for me.

    Rich Heider II:  Topo Chico

     

     

    Sodas or Soda Water with Splashes of Something

    1449356763-spellegrinoPaul Russell of Hugo's, Portland Maine: Cinotto by San Pellegrino. Also, what I call the hydrito…an N/A mojito with a heavy hand of ango.

    Danny Ronen, Consultant: I go for effervescent with little to no sugar, so:  Perrier Grapefruit, Coconut water (preferably the one Robert Pallone has been working on for the past few years, it's so GD delicious and some of the lowest sugar content i've seen), Hot water, fresh lemon juice (neighbor's tree). 

    Tony Morandi of 900 wall/the Capitol. Bend OR: Coffee. Half soda water/half water. Tea is awesome mid day and night. Veggie based smoothies. Coconut water. But for special occasions, well made/ interesting sodas in limited quantities. Made a pineapple allspice soda the other day that was killer

    Jason Laidlaw of The Shameful Tiki Room, Vancouver: Water, splash of pineapple if I need an energy boost (and the opened can(s) of soda water at the end of the shift. Not at work: coconut water (no added sugar), kombucha, water.

    Travis St Germain of Clover Club, Brooklyn: Soda water lime juice and salt. 

    Matt Roberts of London: 1 lime, Mexican elbowed, pinch salt and soda water during service. Pot after pot of pu'erh tea helps keep the focus on line clean day too!

    Josey Packard of Bar Mezzana, Boston: I make a tamarind syrup that has brags vinegar in it, a no-sugar St John's "syrup," and a sarsaparilla syrup.

     Andy Griffiths:  Sparkling water with yuzu juice!

    Jamaal PatronJames Bowen:  Clayton's Kola Tonic, splash Ginger Ale and 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters for good measure

    Elliot Clark of Trick Dog, SF: Soda water, pineapple juice, and Peychauds bitters. 

    Alastair Burgess: Lemon, lime and bitters, actually available as a canned soft drink in the Caribbean. Other wise, ginger juice, lemon juice ango bitters and soda water.

    Kailee Asher of Counter Intuitive/Undertow in Phoenix AZ: I'm pregnant right now so no drinking for a while…  Clausthaler N/A beer, club soda and ango, dealer's choice N/A cocktail at a cocktail bar – had a really good smash at Otium in LA!

    Odd Strandbakken of Himkok, Oslo. Norway: soda, ice, grapefruit bitters and grapefruit zest!

    Francis Schott of Stage Left & Catherine Lombardi a restaurants, New Brunswick, NJ: Blenheim Ginger Ale (not-so-hot) out of the painted glass bottle (never plastic) or Elderflower syrup and soda. 2 oz in 6 oz seltzer- my favorite brand is Austrian by Nikolaihof. Elderflower syrup in German is Holunderblütensirup (available through Michael Skurnik Wines). Fun to drink – fun to say. I keep a bottle in my refrigerator at all times. 

    Zachary A. Evans: Fresh squeezed lemonade, ginger ale, and cran. Equal parts.

    Ole Buddrus: Technically speaking bitters contain alcohol, that aside my favorite is still ginger ale and angostura, preferably East Imperial.

    Ben Johnson of The Imperial Life, Asheville, NC: I find myself drinking a lot of Coke, or specialty soda in general. When I go out to eat or to a bar, my go to is almost always Peach Nehi soda if they've got it (and most places in Western North Carolina do). I'll also crush a soda water with lime after a long shift. And if I'm at a real dive, I'll generally go for a grapefruit juice (out of a can) and soda, as it looks more like a drink. There's really no reason to be at a dive bar if you're not drinking, so I find it best to mask it at these types of places. 

     

    Tonic Water, Modified

    East-imperial-tonicJacopo Rosito: 54 Mint, San Francisco: Cranberry, tonic, lime !

    Mike Henderson of Edible Beats (Root Down), Denver: Tonic, Lime, and Angostura Bitters. Preferably Q or Indi tonic.

    Jay Villafana of The Slanted Door, San Francisco: Grapefruit and Tonic

    Blair Frodelius. Mid-Century Lounge. Syracuse, NY: Fever-Tree Tonic water and a squeeze of lime, Orangina or Lavender Dry Soda all served on the rocks.

    Brian Means, Michael Mina Group: Seedlip and tonic is delicious!

    Tyler Fry:  Tonic on anything, especially grapefruit. Juices and tea. Chai-spiced cider.

    Jessi Mess, Absinthe, SF: grapefruit & tonic, sometimes with ango.

    Paul Mathew  of The Hide/The Arbitrager, London: House tonic syrup, orange bitters, squeeze of lime, soda, long w/lots of ice. And shots of 50:50 maple syrup and lime juice for a pick-me-up.

     

    Coffee, Please

    CoffeeFred Yarm of Loyal Nine in Boston: My number one nonalcoholic drink is coffee, hot and black, although I have no problem drinking it room temperature such as during a shift or if I have left overs from yesterday's pot. Otherwise, the majority of my nonalcoholic drinking consists of water either still or sparkling. And medicinally (besides its use for making Bucks and Mules), ginger beer such as a ginger-forward one like AJ Stephens is my go to.

    Adam Patrick K of Rothbard Ale & Larder, Westport, CT:  Bulletproof Coffee, tisanes, kombucha

    Tom Zyankali of Zyankali Bar, Berlin:  Café au laut with Vietnamese coffee

    Anthony DeSerio:  Coffee… lots and lots of coffee. Verners ginger ale when i can get it.

    Or Geshury: Espresso tonic. Cold brew from coconut water. Jasmine green speedballed with chamomile/peppermint depending on the time of day. Coconut water + activated charcoal + sea salt (hangover preventative). Fevertree sodas. Mexicoke. Bitters lime and soda when at a bar and not drinking.

     

    Tea and Iced Tea

    TeabagBill Brooks,  The Cannibal Liquor House, Manhattan: I am a big fan of sun tea in the summer. I have 2-3 empty clear growlers that I fill with water, various fruits (watermelon, lemon, raspberry, peaches, etc), spices (mint, lemon verbena, basil), and some really good quality tea. Leave it out in the sun for a couple of hours and I will go thru a jug every 2-3 days. Love my sun tea.

    Gary Crunkleton of The Crunkleton in Chapel Hill, NC: Sweet Tea

    Christian Suzuki of multiple bars, San Francisco: Genmaicha, Oolang (iced for summer, hot during winter), coffee (black…like my soul)

    David Bonatesta: Genmaicha tea , Evian Water or San Pellegrino. Vitamin Water, Carrot Juice, Espresso

    Trevor Easter of Normandie Club, Los Angeles: Bhakti original and coldbrew chai blend.

    Bethany Ham:  If it's cold out – green tea with honey and lemon or chai tea with a little hot almond milk.  If it's hot out – bitters and soda #ftw, iced tea or ice water with a splash of fresh sweetened ginger and ango. 

    Jared Hirsch of Sidebar, Oakland, CA:  At work: Arnold Palmer the way he liked it (3:1 iced tea : lemonade.) At home: Harney and Sons' Paris tea, or Lapsang Souchong tea, or Dr. Browns' Cream Soda. 

    Matthew Rowley, writer: For me it's tea. Iced tea all year and, when the mercury dips, hot tea in an old 500 ml West German beer stein. First one goes down usually before dawn. Second by 7am or so. A third only if I'm not going to the gym that day. Between hot and iced teas, I usually dispatch 2-4 liters per day.  I may have a tea problem.

    Andreas Künster: Black tea (the English way), cold milk, calpis or calpico with soda and a lot of non sparkling water

    Tim Morrison of 4th Street Bar & Grill, Lake Mary, FL:  I'm a tea addict. Hot or cold or any kind. I go thru more unsweet iced black tea than anything. 

    Christopher Day:  Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

     Niquito Constan: mate-cocido (a famous argentinean infusion) with milk and mascabo (red sugar), coffee with milk and honey, ginger beer whenever I can lay myself on one. I tend to mix tonic with juices. Homemade guarana soda, or homemade pomegranate with soda! From time to time I go full on zombie mode and drink guarana flavoured energy drink called V.

    Jen Ackrill, Top of Waikiki, Hawaii: Technically when I'm "not drinking" I'm drinking Dolin Blanc with soda and a grapefruit zest, but when I'm NOT drinking it's Yogi Egyptian Licorice Tea, hot or cold!

     

    Weird Miscellany

    A1jAdGiMqPL._SX522_Cari Hah of Big Bar in Los Angeles: Korean Corn Silk Tea

    Blake Pope of Kindred, North Carolina: Switchel.  It's composition is incredibly simple – usually, just three ingredients: seltzer, apple cider vinegar, and either honey, molasses or maple syrup. I love the simplicity. Kindred currently has a pomegranate switchel on tap and I can’t get enough.

    Thor Bergquist of PS40 in Sydney, Australia:  Smoked lemonade made in house

    Dan Brink:  Apple cider vinegar, honey, cinnamon, ice

    Leilani Vella:  I don't find the trade of sugar for alcohol to be a healthier choice. So kombucha, bitters and soda, lemon grass mint tea, orange slice with fresh mint a splash of lemon juice and soda, or fresh juiced ginger, lemon apple and greens.

     Ariana Vitale: Verjus

     Cordula Langer: Joghurt with soda and homemade smoothies

    Alex Smith, Whitechapel, SF: I have a favorite recovery drink when I go to the gym – when I am coincidentally also "not drinking." Combo of the following: some concentrated cold brew coffee w/ chicory (4 oz), hemp milk (2 oz), natural cane ginger beer (2 oz), coconut water (10 oz), and some Bob's Red Mill chocolate protein powder (3 tbs).

     

    Conclusions

    So if you wanted to take something away from this, here is what I see. Bartenders like:

    • Tea, perhaps even more than coffee. I did not know this. 
    • Grapefruit and Tonic – If you're a tonic water brand you're going to want to release this as a combination flavor. 
    • Topo Chico is so, so hot right now. (I introduce it to my friends as 'bartender water.') Here's a good NYT story about it's new popularity.