Alcademics

Category: camper_clips

  • Camper’s Cocktails in Every Day with Rachael Ray

    I have a two-page spread in the November 2011 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. 

    It has a few trends – stuff like fresh ginger and sherry/port in place of vermouth along with some ice cube tricks (recognize that rainbow ice?).

    Rachael ray mag

    Also it has four recipes I developed- a spirit-interchangeble mint buck, a Grapefruit Vesper, a Sparkling Cinnamon Punch, and a port/espresso dessert drink. Nothing ground-breaking but they're all pretty tasty. 

    Run screaming to your local newsstand and pick it up!

  • Three SF Bars Reviewed on DiffordsGuide

    I wrote a new bar report for CLASS Magazine online. 

    It includes short reviews of Jasper's Corner Tap, Harry Denton's Starlight Room, and Wo Hing General Store. 

    The story is here. 

  • Cool Factor: Cocktail Coolers in the LA Times Magazine

    For my latest feature in the LA Times Magazine, I asked bartenders from warm-weather cities to share their recipes for cool cocktails.

    The bartenders are Larry Rice from Louisville, Bobby Heugel from Houston, Erik Simpkins from Atlanta, Todd Thrasher from Alexandria, Anthony Schmidt from San Diego, Rhiannon Enlil from New Orleans, and Michael Shearin from Los Angeles.

    Latm coolerss1(Photography by Bartholomew Cooke for LA Times Magazine)

    Cool Factor
    The Dog Days Just Howl for Long, Tall, Cold Libations
    By Camper English 

    Different times of the day, changing atmospheric conditions and succeeding meal courses all call for a specific type of cocktail. But it’s the sweltering days and lasting sunlight of August that compel us to seek coolers replete with ice. We asked some of the America’s best bartenders based in warmer climes for a drink to chill us out, and their picks make use of a variety of methods and flavors to accomplish this task, from shaved ice and coconut milk to cucumbers and mint—even a splash of light beer. Cheers!

    Go here for the recipes!

    Latm coolers2
    (Photography by Bartholomew Cooke for LA Times Magazine)

  • Alcademics Wins a Best of the Bay Award

    This is turning into a pretty good month. Alcademics was just given a Best of the Bay Award in the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

     

    Best of the bay 2011 cover

    BEST LIQUOR LOWDOWN

    Why is it that we like to read about food and drink so much on the Web? In no other Internet area, except maybe porn, is the meeting of the weightlessly virtual and the essentially physical so addictively fruitful. And while crackerjack local liquor expert Camper English's Alcademics site doesn't tear off your panties with glossy cocktail shots, his entertainingly detailed descriptions of the latest drool-worthy liquors will have you practically licking your screen. Over the past four years — besides visiting more than 70 distilleries, blending houses, and bodegas in 14 countries — Alcademics has helped refine the Bay Area's cocktail-blogging niche with some much-needed worldliness and a willingness to look deeper at what's in our highball. (English's degree in physics helps here.) Now you can drink to feel smarter!

    www.alcademics.com

     Thanks SFBG! All the awards are here.

  • Camper English Wins Best Cocktail Author at Tales

    Camper English TOTC Best Writer Award 2011

    I'll post more when I can get to a computer (I lost my power cord) so long story short: Hooray for Me!

    I win the best non-book cocktail author award last night at Tales of the Cocktail.

    That is awesome.

  • Tequila is the New Vodka; Tequila is the New Scotch in LA Times Magazine

    I've brought up one side of this topic before here on Alcademics, but now both sides are in a magazine.

    In today's Los Angeles Times Magazine I have a story on tequila, looking at how brands are being produced and marketed – some like vodka; others like scotch. 

    As our preference for 100 percent agave tequila grows, it’s no surprise that brands are now popping up to take advantage of that trend. But what is really interesting are the niches tequila is carving out: Some are being bottled in sleek vessels complete with the same marketing and mystique that seems to be inspired by premium vodkas, while other new tequilas are promoting the artisanal, historical and romantic notions of the agave spirit, akin to scotch whisky—even if the brands were created within the last week.

    It's a whopping 1,000 word story. Please give it a read and let me know what you think. 

    Tequilastoryphoto
    (Photo: BRIAN LEATART for LA Times Magazine)

  • Camper English: Penthouse Model

    In the June issue of Penthouse, I have a travel story about my trip with Dos Equis to Playa Del Carmen. You can read the original posts here on Alcademics in part one, part two, and part three.  

    PenthouseJungleHuntJune2011Page1S

    I've written for Penthouse previously, but this is the first time I've appeared in its pages as a super sexy model. Check me out!

    PenthouseJungleHuntJune2011Page2S

    Hot stuff, right? 

  • In Which I Blather On About…

    …cocktail snobs versus geeks, micro and macro trends in cocktails, what drinks win cocktail contests, why I'm not sick of speakeasies, and much, much more.

    Read this interview with me on Mix Pour Sip.

    Camper english mix pour sipS

  • The SF Chronicle’s 2011 Bar Stars

    The SF Chronicle has announced the 2011 Bar Stars, bartenders who deserve special recognition. The introduction by Wine Editor Jon Bonne is here.

    The Bar Stars are:

    Click the links for the write-ups on each bartender.

    Morganyoung
    (Photo by Russell Yip/SF Chronicle.)

  • Good on Toast, Great in Drinks

    Balsamic2
    (Photo courtesy of That's My Jamm)

    David Ruiz of Mr. Smith's makes jams and preserves just for cocktails. I wrote about it with a quick note about jam in cocktails historically, and in which bar you can find a mezcal drink with strawberry-raspberry-jabanero jam. Yumz.

    Read about That's My Jamm on Tasting Table. The story is here.