Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.7.2, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# Alcademics

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://alcademics.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Blogs](https://alcademics.com/blogs/)
- [How to Turn 3 Rum Blends Into 24 Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/how-to-turn-3-rum-blends-into-24-cocktails/) - A while back I spoke with Jayson Wilde of Future Bars on how he developed the menu for Long Weekend in North Beach. He described how he and a coworker made specific blends of rum for strawberry, “tropical,” and watermelon Daiquiris (plus a one-rum unflavored version), and then turned these 4 options into 24 drinks:
- [Make Distilled Strawberry Water or Strawberry Soda](https://alcademics.com/make-distilled-strawberry-water-or-strawberry-soda/) - Several years ago, I bought a home “water distiller” on Amazon. There are tons of different ones on Amazon. My model appears to be discontinued but here is the page of lots of similar ones. The one I bought I made sure had settings that would go past the boiling point of alcohol (78C) and
- [2026 New Drink Books](https://alcademics.com/2026-new-drink-books/) - Here are new cocktails and spirits (and a few other) books out or coming out in 2026. The Nonalcoholic Bar: Classic and Creative Cocktails for Everyone (Jan) Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man's Life (Feb) Spirits of '76: Celebrating 250 Years with Cocktails from Every State (March) Bar Design Essentials:
- [Dirty Drinks Beyond the Martini](https://alcademics.com/dirty-drinks-beyond-the-martini/) - For AlcoholProfessor, I wrote about all the dirty drinks. Read the story here.
- [Water Brands: Enter the Water Choice Awards](https://alcademics.com/water-brands-enter-the-water-choice-awards/) - This August I’ll be judging the Water Choice Awards, a new water competition hosted by The Daily Pour. If your brand hasn’t entered yet, check out the website - entries are due June 30, 2026!
- [Nonalcoholic Cocktails Need Texture](https://alcademics.com/nonalcoholic-cocktails-need-texture/) - In a recent story for AlcoholProfessor I wrote about John deBary’s latest book on nonalcoholic cocktails and the tricks he uses to improve the NA spirits you can buy off the shelf, mostly with the addition of boosting botanicals and/or intense tea infusions. I’m a big fan of deBary’s work in the category. Read the
- [Put Chartreuse in Your Martini](https://alcademics.com/put-chartreuse-in-your-martini/) - In my latest story for AlcoholProfessor.com I share the trend of putting Chartreuse in your Martini, featuring bars such as: Comstock Saloon Bar Maritime Stoa Shiny Prize Crudo Nudo Read the story here.
- [Saratoga Water’s Changing Sources](https://alcademics.com/saratoga-waters-changing-sources/) - In my water tasting classes in San Francisco, I noticed that Saratoga water’s total dissolved solids jumped from around 40ppm TDS to about 100ppm. In the class we measure TDS by using a low-end TDS meter. The change came between one bottle (glass) and the next batch I bought (in plastic). I was wondering if
- [The Cocktail Menu for the Golden Rule, the New Bar from the Che Fico Team](https://alcademics.com/the-cocktail-menu-for-the-golden-rule-the-new-bar-from-the-che-fico-team/) - This new bar Golden Rule is by Thrive City. You can read more about it in the SF Chronicle (paywall) or SFStandard. Below is the cocktail menu.
- [The Ice Book’s Third Birthday](https://alcademics.com/the-ice-books-third-birthday/) - I put together a little celebration collage. You can also see it on my Instagram.
- [A Review of my Water Tasting Classes in The Daily Pour](https://alcademics.com/a-review-of-my-water-tasting-classes-in-the-daily-pour/) - Amanda Paul wrote a review of one of my Water Tasting Classes in San Francisco, for The Daily Pour. The Daily Pour will be sponsoring a water judging called the Water Choice Awards later this year. I quickly realized our host was one of those rare people who moves through the world like an almanac,
- [How I Clarified the Ice Problem - Imbibe Magazine](https://alcademics.com/how-i-clarified-the-ice-problem-imbibe-magazine/) - For the 20th anniversary issue of Imbibe Magazine (to which I have subscribed all 20 years, and written for a few times), Wayne Curtis wrote a story on my work on and solution to creating clear ice at home. Among these was Camper English. A spirits writer based in San Francisco with a background in science,
- [A Review of my Water Tasting Class in Coyote Media](https://alcademics.com/a-review-of-my-water-tasting-class-in-coyote-media/) - Soleil Ho, the former SF Chronicle restaurant critic, attended one of my Water Tasting Classes in San Francisco and wrote up an awesome review of it for Coyote Media. The class was a particularly fun session, with two very opinionated bartenders in attendance. I don’t usually consider water in my daily life. I drink good
- [Dilute Your Own Hazmat Whiskey?](https://alcademics.com/dilute-your-own-hazmat-whiskey/) - Lost Lantern independent whiskey bottler released their Spring 2026 collection, which was themed as a collection of high vs low proof whiskeys. The collection includes American single malts with unsmoked barley, Rocky Mountain bourbons with different mashbills, southern bourbons with different mashbills and malt influence, and rye whiskies with different ryes - and each of
- [Photos from 1906 Earthquake Anniversary Tour](https://alcademics.com/photos-from-1906-earthquake-anniversary-tour/) - On Saturday, April 18, we marked the date of the 120th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire that destroyed about 80% of the city. I partnered with Argonaut California Brandy and we stopped into three bars (my usual tour only stops inside one) for cocktails and light snacks. It was a great
- [Additives in Spirits: Does Caramel Count?](https://alcademics.com/additives-in-spirits-does-caramel-count/) - I wrote a story for AlcoholProfessor.com about additives in rum. The initial point of the story was that the term “additive-free” has become charged due to its use in the tequila industry, and now the term is spilling over into rum.I learned in the process of reporting the story that some brands have used the
- [How to Make an 8 Layer Pousse-Cafe in Under a Minute](https://alcademics.com/how-to-make-an-8-layer-pousse-cafe-in-under-a-minute/) - For AlcoholProfessor.com I wrote a story about the Pousse-Cafe, they layered drink that many of us have seen but never tried. I have never had one!I wrote a bit about the history, but the real bang for your buck is learning how Jack Sotti and his team at Archive & Myth in London have developed
- [Hotaling Closes Junipero Distillery](https://alcademics.com/hotaling-closes-junipero-distillery/) - I’m very late on reposting this to my website, but in February I wrote about the closing of the distillery on Pier 50 in San Francisco where Hotaling & Co produces Junipero gin. Read it here in the San Francisco Chronicle. (paywall)
- [Using Vinegar in Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/using-vinegar-in-cocktails/) - I wrote a story for VinegarProfessor, sister site to AlcoholProfessor, about using vinegar in cocktails. It contains some very good advice from several bartenders. You can read it here.
- [100 Years Ago: Duncan Nicol Dies, Takes Pisco Punch Recipe to the Grave](https://alcademics.com/100-years-ago-duncan-nicol-dies-takes-pisco-punch-recipe-to-the-grave/) - Published Feb 10, 1926, San Francisco Chronicle ‘Pisco Punch’ Secret LostFamed Drink Mixer of Old Days Passes Popular Bar Prey of Drys Duncan Nicol died last night. With him passed the secret of his famous Pisco punch in the days of the Bank Exchange, which once stood on the southeast corner of Montgomery and Washington
- [The Old Fashioned and the Champagne Cocktail are the Same Drink](https://alcademics.com/the-old-fashioned-and-the-champagne-cocktail-are-the-same-drink/) - Well, more or less. In my latest for Food & Wine, I trace the origin of both drinks and how they each deviated from the original Cocktail. Read it here.
- [The Cheap Cooler Was the Best Cooler](https://alcademics.com/the-cheap-cooler-was-the-best-cooler/) - Unless you're an extreme ice nerd like me, you probably don't know that hard sided cooler manufacturers change their models. The first cooler I used to create clear ice was discontinued, but I was able to switch to a similar model .I think the Coleman Party Stacker line went away, and maybe a small model
- [Nightingale Bar to Become Shotski's Alpine Lodge](https://alcademics.com/nightingale-bar-to-become-shotskis-alpine-lodge/) - The Kearny Street bar Nightingale is about to change theme. Owned by Future Bars and most recently home of the pop-up The Merriest Bar, Nightingale will soon become Shotski’s Alpine Lodge in a change of concept. (image from Nightingale Facebook page) They promise "the essence of a ski getaway, minus the cold. As summer approaches,
- [103 Things to Drink in San Francisco, 1855](https://alcademics.com/103-things-to-drink-in-san-francisco-1855/) - I am reading the 1855 book Land of Gold, Reality Versus Fiction by Hinton Helper. You can find it online here. It talks a lot of smack about San Francisco and I love it. San Francisco was a brand new city in 1848 when gold was discovered in Sacramento, but by 1855 the population was
- [Ice in the South China Morning Post](https://alcademics.com/ice-in-the-south-china-morning-post/) - I was interviewed for this story in the South China Morning Post, about ice yet again! Check it out here.
- [How To Highball](https://alcademics.com/how-to-highball/) - For Men’s Journal, I wrote about the choice of sparkling water for your whiskey highball. Read it here.
- [The Ice Book Gets a Four-Page Spread in Men’s Journal](https://alcademics.com/the-ice-book-gets-a-four-page-spread-in-mens-journal/) - I wrote up a relatively short article for Men’s Journal’s Fall 2025 issue but hadn’t seen the final copy until just now: turns out they gave it a four-page spread in the print magazine. As always the photographs from Allison Webber are stunning. Here’s a preview. For more information on The Ice Book, visit this
- [Speaking at the Museum of the Eye Dec 28](https://alcademics.com/speaking-at-the-museum-of-the-eye-dec-28/) - I’ll be giving a short talk at the event “Celebratory Bubbles, Not Eye Troubles” at the Museum of the Eye in San Francisco on December 28th. It’s an annual New Year event.My talk (probably a short one of 20ish minutes) is “Eye-Openers, Corpse Revivers, and Anti-Fogmatics: The Medicinal Morning Cocktail.” It’s based on stuff from
- [Splitting Up My Instagram Account](https://alcademics.com/splitting-up-my-instagram-account/) - My Alcademics Instagram account is looking a bit… scattered between my personal posts, promoting my cocktail history tours, books I’m reading, and stuff that comes in the mail. So I’ve decided to split it up: @Alcademics is my business account where you’ll hear news and updates about my talks, tours, classes, books, and writing. @Camper.English
- [How the Quest for Quinine Led to the Creation of Chemotherapy](https://alcademics.com/how-the-quest-for-quinine-led-to-the-creation-of-chemotherapy/) - My latest for AlcoholProfessor.com is the story of how the scientific quest to produce artificial quinine led to the invention of chemotherapy. It’s a cool story IMO. Read it here.
- [Did the Original Cocktail Sauce Contain Angostura Bitters?](https://alcademics.com/did-the-original-cocktail-sauce-contain-angostura-bitters/) - I am researching Prohibition and a search for "cocktails" in the San Francisco Chronicle turned up a story from 1920 on the origin of the "oyster cocktail" that I think is what today we call "cocktail sauce" that is used more on the shrimp cocktail. (I am a 30+ year vegetarian so I could be
- [Thanksgiving Week Bonus SF Bar Tours](https://alcademics.com/thanksgiving-week-bonus-sf-bar-tours/) - I lead San Francisco Bar & Cocktail History Walking Tours on Saturdays, but not everyone can carve out the middle of a Saturday afternoon. So just for Thanksgiving Week, I added two additional tours: Wednesday November 26, 2025: 5PM after-work tour Friday November 28, 2025: 2:30 PM Black Friday tour See all tour dates here!
- [A Good Bar Needs Good Ice](https://alcademics.com/a-good-bar-needs-good-ice/) - I gave some quotes about ice for a story on the website Shortlist. They also interviewed other people who are correct in saying that better ice makes a better drink, and that attention to quality of ice signifies attention to quality of cocktails. I have the final quote in the story, in response to the
- [New Drink Book Releases in 2025](https://alcademics.com/new-drink-book-releases-in-2025/) - I keep a close eye on new books on drinks (mostly cocktails and spirits rather than beer/wine), and I read most of them that come out every year. On this post I'll keep track of them. I probably won't include every cultural franchise tie-in cocktail book (Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc) but some. If you
- [November and December 2025 Drink Books](https://alcademics.com/november-and-december-2025-drink-books/) - Below are new cocktails and spirits books coming out in the last months of 2025. To see all the drink books that have come out in 2025, click on over to this post. The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity Bookshop Amazon Cocktails Illustrated: 400+ Recipes for the Home Bartender, from Spirit Forward
- [September 2025 Drink Book Releases](https://alcademics.com/savory-and-sweet-shrubs-tart-mixers-for-delicious-cocktails-and-mocktails-amazon-bookshop-american-whiskey-ma/) - Here are new cocktails and spirits books being released in September 2025. To see all the New Drink Books of 2025, visit this link. Savory and Sweet Shrubs: Tart Mixers for Delicious Cocktails and Mocktails Amazon Bookshop American Whiskey Master Class: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Bourbon, Rye, and Other American Whiskeys Amazon Bookshop The
- [Camper English on the Curious Bartender Podcast](https://alcademics.com/camper-english-on-the-curious-bartender-podcast/) - I was a guest on Tristan Stephenson’s The Curious Bartender Podcast last week, talking for nearly two hours about.. a lot of stuff. You can find the podcast on your favorite service from The Curious Bartender website, or to go directly to the YouTube video of it click here.
- [From Blocks to Rocks: How Fancy Ice Cubes Get Made](https://alcademics.com/from-blocks-to-rocks-how-fancy-ice-cubes-get-made/) - In my latest story for Food & Wine, I tell how those big clear ice cubes you find in cocktail bars are made. They don’t just pop out of a machine - every big clear cube you’ve had has been hand-harvested or hand-cut. Check out the story at this link.
- [Turning Whiskey Into Gas](https://alcademics.com/turning-whiskey-into-gas/) - I wrote a story for Offrange about whiskey stillage. It is about how a couple of large distilleries - Jim Beam and Jack Daniels - are letting little critters eat their stillage and burp out methane, which is then cleaned up and used as renewable natural gas. The process of writing this one was a
- [David Wondrich & Me Nov 12 in SF](https://alcademics.com/david-wondrich-me-nov-12-in-sf/) - Cocktail historian David Wondrich’s latest book is the terrific Comic Book History of the Cocktail. He’ll be in SF on Nov 12, in conversation with me at Omnivore Books on Food. Here are the details of the event. It’s free to attend.If you haven’t picked up a copy of the book yet, order one from Omnivore,
- [A Review of The Eighth Rule, Steph Curry’s Cocktail Bar in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/a-review-of-the-eighth-rule-steph-currys-cocktail-bar-in-san-francisco/) - The new Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina in the St. Francis hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square is a huge deal. Attached to it is a smaller bourbon lounge, created in partnership with Warriors’ basketball superstar Stephen Curry. For my first story for SFGate.com (a website that was formerly the website of the SF Chronicle but
- [Ginger’s in San Francisco is Closing](https://alcademics.com/gingers-in-san-francisco-is-closing/) - I got wind that Ginger’s, a gay bar in downtown San Francisco, was closing suddenly. The truth may be that there is still a chance to save it if they find the right person to run it, but honestly the job sounds nearly impossible. Bars named Ginger’s have a long history in San Francisco dating to
- [The Spirits Micro-Festival Era is Here](https://alcademics.com/the-spirits-micro-festival-era-is-here/) - While huge fests like Whiskies of the World, Fog City Social, and WhiskyFest have long been annual traditions, and single-brand tastings are regularly held in bars and liquor stores, an interesting new format has entered the chat. And at least two more of them are scheduled over the next few weeks. Elixir is hosting its
- [Glow in the Dark Ants in Ice Cubes](https://alcademics.com/glow-in-the-dark-ants-in-ice-cubes/) - I was trolling the dollar store for things to freeze into ice cubes, as I do, and found these large fluorescent ants. I froze them into ice cubes using my Clearly Frozen tray. Then I shined a blacklight on them. They look awesome, even better in a glass with a drink. There is a video
- [Air-Conditioned Cocktail Bars in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/air-conditioned-cocktail-bars-in-san-francisco/) - I'm compiling a list of bars with air conditioning in a city that rarely needs it.
- [Alcademics Alert: Website Extreme Maintenance](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-alert-website-extreme-maintenance/) - I have recently moved Alcademics.com and my other sites to a new web hosting service, so you should expect to see more broken links/images than usual! Feel free to contact me and drop me a note about any- particularly after mid-October 2025 after I’ve cleaned up most of the site. CocktailSafe.org is hosted at a
- [How to Drink Baijiu](https://alcademics.com/how-to-drink-baijiu/) - Baijiu makes so much more sense as a beverage when you drink it with food.
- [Repetitive and Continuous Fermentation and Distillation in Baijiu](https://alcademics.com/repetitive-and-continual-fermentation-and-distillation-in-baijiu/) - An explainer on the complex repeat fermentation and distillation processes used in various styles of baijiu.
- [Bartender’s Ketchup is Back on the Menu in SF](https://alcademics.com/bartenders-ketchup-is-back-on-the-menu-in-sf/) - I wrote a story for the SFStandard about elderflower liqueur making a huge comeback. It was so popular when the brand St. Germain first launched in 2007 that it was given the nickname “bartender’s ketchup.” It’s so back, but now bartenders are using a wide range of products. Read the story here.
- [Put a Ring In It: Ring Inside a Clear Ice Cube](https://alcademics.com/put-a-ring-in-it-ring-inside-a-clear-ice-cube/) - I was browsing in the dollar store for stuff to freeze into ice cubes, as I do, and found a bag of party favor rings. They’re made for kids and so can only fit about halfway up my pinky finger, but it’s proof of concept. To freeze the rings into ice, I used my IceOlogy
- [When Fizzy Water Was Medicine](https://alcademics.com/when-fizzy-water-was-medicine/) - My fellow drink writer Liza Weisstuch wrote a story about seltzer and the specific affinity that the jewish people of NYC have for it. The story includes some quotes from me, as I covered the medicinal history of spas and the soda fountain in my book Doctors and Distillers. The story is very fun
- [50 Year Time Capsule from the Transamerica Pyramid](https://alcademics.com/50-year-time-capsule-from-the-transamerica-pyramid/) - There’s a new exhibit at the Transamerica Pyramid from a time capsule buried 50 years ago. I checked it out. The building was completed in 1972- the time capsule is from 1974. Before that, from 1853-1959, it was the Montgomery Block that hosted the Bank Exchange Saloon. The Bank Exchange was the home of the
- [Bottled Water Went Viral 125 Years Ago](https://alcademics.com/bottled-water-went-viral-125-years-ago/) - My latest piece for Food & Wine is "How a Bottled Water Goes Social Media Viral and the Real Differences Between Them" Read it here.
- [Super Juice Explainer](https://alcademics.com/super-juice-explainer/) - My latest story for Food & Wine is an explainer about “super juice.” Read it here.
- [Why the Shape and Size of Ice in Your Drink Matters](https://alcademics.com/why-the-shape-and-size-of-ice-in-your-drink-matters/) - My latest story for Food & Wine is "Why the Shape and Size of Ice in Your Drink Matters." Check it out here.
- [All of the Olives' Brine Time to Shine](https://alcademics.com/all-of-the-olives-brine-time-to-shine/) - My latest story for the San Francisco Chronicle is about all the ways bartenders are liquifying olives in their Martinis - in the vermouth, gin, vodka, brine, leaf tinctures, oil-washing everything, and even an “olive turducken.” Here’s a gift link so you can read it.
- [Talking About Ice on the America's Test Kitchen’s Proof Podcast](https://alcademics.com/talking-about-ice-on-the-americas-test-kitchens-proof-podcast/) - I did an interview with America’s Test Kitchen a long time ago, and it just went up. The first half of the episode is on the history of ice. I come in at around 27 minutes in. The episode is called Why Are Americans So Obsessed with Ice? Start your own ice obsession
- [How to Stretch a Lime - My Story in the SF Chronicle](https://alcademics.com/how-to-stretch-a-lime-my-story-in-the-sf-chronicle/) - I wrote about oleo citrate and super juice for the San Francisco Chronicle. These are techniques for increasing the yield from citrus fruits by eight times or so, using a touch of citric and malic acid powder in a specific way to bump up the flavor and texture of citrus to extend it over a
- [Don’t Drink and Send Telegrams - and Other Advice from 100 Years of Cocktail Etiquette Books](https://alcademics.com/dont-drink-and-send-telegrams-and-other-advice-from-100-years-of-cocktail-etiquette-books/) - My first story for Food & Wine just went live. I took advice from 95 years of cocktail etiquette books, beginning in 1930 and ending with the publication of How to Be a Better Drinker last week [amazon] [bookshop]. I had fun going through my cocktail book collection to find other etiquette books, including The
- [Why Did The Lake Ice Industry End?](https://alcademics.com/why-did-the-lake-ice-industry-end/) - Another section cut from my Vinepair article on lake ice from Norway (yesterday I shared the section on different types of ice blocks) is this one below. In it I explain why lake ice went out of fashion. It wasn’t only that ice making machines got better…. Rise of the Machines In
- [Ice Blocks Are Made in Many Different Ways](https://alcademics.com/ice-blocks-are-made-in-many-different-ways/) - In the story I wrote for Vinepair about harvesting lake ice in Norway, a couple sections got cut out. They weren’t essential to the story, but I liked them a lot! This first section is about ice blocks - I was researching the blocks people use at different ice hotels and ice carving
- [The Return of Ice from Lakes](https://alcademics.com/the-return-of-ice-from-lakes/) - I visited Norway late last year to see an “ice farm.” I wrote it up for Vinepair. The story I turned in was about twice as long (my bad) so I’ll also share some of the stuff that was cut out here over the next couple of days. For now, here is the story. Frosty,
- [The Only Good Alcohol is Made from Wine](https://alcademics.com/the-only-good-alcohol-is-made-from-wine/) - I’ve read in other sources that when grain distillation became available in the 1400s and 1500s, it was viewed as a far less healthy alcohol than that distilled from grape wine. The sources I’m thinking of were from Germany, at a time when distilled spirits were still technically medicinal, even if people were dipping into
- [Esquire’s Best and Worst Cocktails of 1934](https://alcademics.com/esquires-best-and-worst-cocktails-of-1934/) - Esquire magazine printed an article with the Ten Best Cocktails of 1934 - the year after Prohibition was repealed. They included at the end a list of the Worst cocktails as well. Esquire’s link to the story is here, but it requires a subscription to view. DiffordsGuide has the list of best and
- [Heinold’s First and Last Chance Over the Years](https://alcademics.com/heinolds-first-and-last-chance-over-the-years/) - I stumbled across this thread on Threads -it’s a history of the wonderful and historic the bar Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon in Oakland’s Jack London Square, as seen through pictures of its front. If you haven’t been, Heinold’s is a little shack built from the remains of a paddle steamer boat, which opened in
- [The Cocktail is the International Alcoholic Esperanto](https://alcademics.com/the-cocktail-is-the-international-alcoholic-esperanto/) - Here’s a fun excerpt: The American Mercury 1924-09: Vol 3 Iss 9 CLINICAL NOTESBY GEORGE JEAN NATHAN AND H. L. MENCKEN The cocktail, once observed George Ade, follows the American flag. That was twenty years ago. The flags of all nations today follow the cocktail. Its fame has spread over the globe, and justly. It
- [Make Clear Ice Shell Shot Glasses, Bowls, and Other Shapes](https://alcademics.com/make-clear-ice-shell-shot-glasses-bowls-and-other-shapes/) - Most of us ice nerds know about making a clear ice sphere shell as pioneered by The Aviary, but you can use the same easy technique to make other shapes. The technique to make the ice shell for a drink inside a sphere can be found in The Ice Book - and you can
- [The Best Drinks Books of 2024](https://alcademics.com/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
- [Malort Book Review](https://alcademics.com/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 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
- [Why Are Spirits Called Spirits?](https://alcademics.com/why-are-spirits-called-spirits/) - I wrote my take on this subject for The AlcoholProfessor, where the story first appeared. Why is Distilled Alcohol Called Spirits? The word “spirit” has many definitions but most center around either the idea of the conscious self as opposed to the physical body; or an attitude, as in “the spirit of the movement”
- [From Salad in a Glass to Centrifuge: A Cocktail Evolution](https://alcademics.com/from-salad-in-a-glass-to-centrifuge-a-cocktail-evolution/) - This story was originally published on AlcoholProfessor.com. From Salad in a Glass to Centrifuge: A Cocktail Evolution Recently I was thinking about the early years of the craft cocktail renaissance, and how many of the drinks were quite… chunky. And I realized that we can track a lot of the progression in bartending via the
- [The Ice Book Featured on Atlas Obscura](https://alcademics.com/the-ice-book-featured-on-atlas-obscura/) - Check out this great article about me and The Ice Book in Atlas Obscura!
- [Thirty Four New Drink Books for Fall 2024](https://alcademics.com/twenty-new-drink-books-for-fall-2024/) - Update 2: Now this list is up to 34 books Update 1: Detailed reviews of many of these books in my story for AlcoholProfessor are here. Citrus: A World History A Forager's Guide to Wild Drinks: Ferments, infusions and thirst-quenchers for every season Sicilian Cocktails: Contemporary Island Mixology Flavor Lab Creations: A Physicist’s Guide
- [The Ice Book Wins Best Cocktail or Bartending Book at the Spirited Awards!](https://alcademics.com/the-ice-book-wins-best-cocktail-or-bartending-book-at-the-spirited-awards/) - The Ice Book is the winner of the Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book at the 2024 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards! This is the highest award within the global bar community. I am delighted! The Ice Book’s photographer Allison Webber was there to accept the award for us both. photo: @jbrasted
- [Aspirational Water - A Story in The Guardian that Cites The Ice Book](https://alcademics.com/aspirational-water-a-story-in-the-guardian-that-cites-the-ice-book/) - The reporter for this story in The Guardian and I talked a long time about clear ice, iceberg water, and bottled water. Not much made it into the final story from me (so it goes) but I did get mentioned in the lead paragraphs! Towards the end of 2009, Camper English achieved a
- [Has Luxury Clear Cocktail Ice Gone Too Far?](https://alcademics.com/has-luxury-clear-cocktail-ice-gone-too-far/) - I am quoted in this story about luxury ice (from Greenland, sold in Dubai) in which I manage to become an advocate for importing glacier ice for cocktails, lol. Most of what I talked about in the interview was that we all choose our battles when it comes to where and how we support
- [Clear Ice Football, Golf Ball, and Disco Ball](https://alcademics.com/clear-ice-football-golf-ball-and-disco-ball/) - You can make shapes that are 3D turn out clear even if they don't fit into clear ice molds. It's as simple as putting them on top of a clear ice system, with the hole side down facing into the tray below. Resources: The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts
- [Colored Hearts in Clear Cubes for Valentine's Day](https://alcademics.com/colored-hearts-in-clear-cubes-for-valentines-day/) - I made these colored hearts in clear ice cubes. Resources used in this video (affiliate links): The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts https://amzn.to/48V4qzs Heart Stamphttps://amzn.to/3uljhEk Clear Ice Trays: Clearly Frozenhttps://amzn.to/3OwGQkp Dexas IceOlogyhttps://amzn.to/491hByM
- [The Moist Future for MSNBC](https://alcademics.com/the-moist-future-for-msnbc/) - I was invited to write a story for MSNBC.com about the coming new normal of casual sobriety, aka the end of Dry January. I made a bunch of points about generational drinking habits, parallels to vegetarianism, and flaws and challenges of serving nonalcoholic spirits in bars. Read the story here.
- [Directional Freezing on The Weather Network](https://alcademics.com/directional-freezing-on-the-weather-network/) - Well here's something I never expected when I started experimenting with ice all those years ago: The Weather Network did a segment on directional freezing to make ice for cocktails. I wish I was smart enough to have pitched them The Ice Book when it came out! Check out the video here.
- [The Gibson is a New York Drink Gone Big in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/the-gibson-is-a-new-york-drink-gone-big-in-san-francisco/) - It was believed that the Gibson cocktail was created in San Francisco. In this 2008 blog post I cited what David Wondrich told us on a tour. The information is repeated in the Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails: But now new information has come to light. Martin Doudoroff shared information from a tweet on
- [The Mystery Pillar aka The Sacrificial Ice Cube](https://alcademics.com/the-mystery-pillar-aka-the-sacrificial-ice-cube/) - In clear ice cube trays, one cube (or a few) almost always pops up and starts growing upward after some time of freezing. I call this The Mystery Pillar. Others call it the Sacrificial Cube, because it is usually cloudy and must be discarded. While it would be theoretically possible to build a deformable
- [Aqua Vitae Vs Arrak, Terminology and History](https://alcademics.com/aqua-vitae-vs-arrak-terminology-and-history/) - I am reading The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails in order with the Alcademics Book Club, which you may join on Facebook if you wish. (We're on the A's in early January.) I've already learned so much new information and also old information I'm seeing in a new light. One example of the latter
- [Did British Gin Come from Dutch Genever? Part 2](https://alcademics.com/did-british-gin-come-from-dutch-genever-part-2/) - I watched a video by Philip Duff on the history of gin - is gin the British interpretation of Dutch genever? Or does it come from a more or less independent distilling tradition since British spirits were usually based on a neutral base distillate? I watched a seminar by Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller that
- [The Five Best Drink Books of 2023](https://alcademics.com/the-five-best-drink-books-of-2023/) - This year I read more than 40 books, mostly about drinks. My top five favorites are below. This list is not actually the best drink books of the year, but my favorites. (And my favorite technically came out in 2022.) I wrote the title for SEO! What I want out of drink books is new
- [Black Caterers in Food and Cocktail History](https://alcademics.com/black-caterers-in-food-and-cocktail-history/) - In a nice coincidence, right after reading Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice that I reviewed here, [amazon][bookshop] my other book club chose High on the Hog [amazon] [bookshop] as their pick for the month. I just finished up the book (haven't seen the Netflix series yet but will watch next month- having only heard
- [Nonalcoholic Alcoholic Things Are Just Things](https://alcademics.com/nonalcoholic-alcoholic-things-are-just-things/) - First there was nonalcoholic alcoholic seltzer. To help drinkers in their sober curious exploration, White Claw is introducing a new way of drinking. Introducing White Claw 0% Alcohol - a new, non-alcoholic premium seltzer boasting the complex taste and feel of a real drink. Made from ultra-refined seltzer and blended with iconic flavors and hydrating
- [The Mystery Pillar and Ice Spikes](https://alcademics.com/the-mystery-pillar-and-ice-spikes/) - This is a video about "ice spikes" that form in the freezer, and as explained it does so due to the expansion of water when it freezes. He is talking about ice forming in a standard ice cube tray but those of us who make clear ice cubes in trays know this phenomenon as the
- [Water Facts from Drinking Water Book](https://alcademics.com/water-facts-from-drinking-water-book/) - I recently read the 2012 book Drinking Water: A History by James Salzman, in preparation for my forthcoming water classes I'm teaching in San Francisco. It is about the history of public and private drinking water and bottled water, from olden times until recent times. From researching Doctors and Distillers I already knew a lot
- [Ice Gifts - The Starter Pack](https://alcademics.com/ice-gifts-the-starter-pack/) - There are lots of different ice tools you could buy for yourself and others, but when someone I know moves house I tend to buy them a starter pack that takes up the least amount of space in their freezer with a lot of value in icy awesomeness. (A list of all my recommended ice
- [Designer Ice in the News](https://alcademics.com/designer-ice-in-the-news/) - I was interviewed for this short segment on CBS news, which went out to their various affiliate stations. The first person who told me they saw it was actually in Hawaii.
- [Ice Gifts - Super DIY Edition](https://alcademics.com/ice-gifts-super-diy-edition/) - Want to give yourself (or, I suppose, somebody else) some clear ice tools for the most hands-on experience? Skip the commercial trays that make good finished ice and pick up this stuff instead. A list of all my recommended ice tools is here. Small cooler to make the ice Cut-resistant gloves (you can also use
- [Ice Gifts - Splurge Edition](https://alcademics.com/ice-gifts-splurge-edition/) - I have a page dedicated to the ice tools that I use and recommend, but this post is centered on splurge ice gifts. Clear Ice Makers Assuming you're not gifting someone a refrigerator with built-in clear ice maker (those exist now), here are some ice makers. The Ghost Ice Compact system is super sturdy
- [A Perfect Fit for 2.5" Clear Ice Cubes](https://alcademics.com/a-perfect-fit-for-25-clear-ice-cubes/) - I found a cooler and ice cube tray combination that makes clear 2.5 inch cubes. The tray fits into the cooler at the top perfectly - you don't need to make any special effort to hang it nor do you need a riser to sit it on. This extra-large size cube fits the Cocktail Kingdom
- [Halloween Ice Round-Up](https://alcademics.com/halloween-ice-round-up/) - I'm a total sucker for Halloween, and my only artistic medium is ice, so every year I do a post or two or three with dumb stuff I've frozen into cubes, blocks, etc. Here is a round-up and gallery of some: Halloween Ice: Magic Wand and Plastic Rat Halloween Ice: Severed Hand in Ice Block
- [Monks can’t make enough of this famous spirit. Can an alternative from S.F. replace it?](https://alcademics.com/monks-cant-make-enough-of-this-famous-spirit-can-an-alternative-from-sf-replace-it/) - For the San Francisco Chronicle, I wrote about the Chartreuse shortage and how some bartenders are looking locally to Brucato Chaparral as a stand-in.
- [Here's How to Make Perfect Clear Ice for Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/heres-how-to-make-perfect-clear-ice-for-cocktails/) - Sunset Magazine published several excerpts and lovely photos in this story. Read it here, or just pick up a copy of The Ice Book, or join me in one of my Ice Bling Classes!
- [Whiskey and the New Ice Age on Wine-Searcher](https://alcademics.com/whiskey-and-the-new-ice-age-on-wine-searcher/) - In a new story on Wine-Searcher, W. Blake Gray covers ice and whiskey: Are you ruining your prized Pappy van Winkle with the wrong ice cube? Whiskey lovers spend a lot of time pursuing the best one-off bottlings. But you may not have put much thought into the only thing generally added to good whiskey:
- [A Guide to the Best Types of Ice for Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/a-guide-to-the-best-types-of-ice-for-cocktails/) - For this article on Liquor.com, writer Audrey Morgan interviewed Don Lee and I extensively. Whether it’s the mountain of crushed ice on a Mint Julep or a single oversized rock in an Old Fashioned, the right ice can set the right mood, and take a drink from good to great. “Ice serves several functions in
- [A Mention of The Ice Book in the New York Times Magazine](https://alcademics.com/a-mention-of-the-ice-book-in-the-new-york-times-magazine/) - I had a little unexpected treat today, when I saw The Ice Book mentioned in this story "Is Ice the Ultimate Luxury?" in T, the New York Times Magazine. This is the third time the New York Times has written about my little book on ice cubes!
- [The Cobbler is Hot in Cold San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/the-cobbler-is-hot-in-cold-san-francisco/) - I wrote a story for the San Francisco Chronicle about cobblers, mostly Sherry Cobblers. Read it here. While hot weather bears down on much of the country, summer in San Francisco is more of a state of mind than a change in the weather. And many bartenders around the city are addressing the abstract concept of
- [Distillation in Ancient India? Not So Fast](https://alcademics.com/distillation-in-ancient-india-not-so-fast/) - After reading my book Doctors and Distillers, Harold McGee (On Food and Cooking) pointed out to me that proof of distillation in ancient India (supposedly from the fifth century BCE) is not as well established as previously thought. Many histories on distillation cite work from 1979 that claims that elephant head stills were found along
- [How to Make Big Clear Ice for Your Distillery Bar - Distiller Magazine](https://alcademics.com/how-to-make-big-clear-ice-for-your-distillery-bar-distiller-magazine/) - I wrote a story for Distiller Magazine about the various ways to implement a big ice program. It was written with distilleries (that have sampling bars) in mind - they often have a lot of floor space, but even those with distillery bars don't often have a ton of freezer space. I tried to be
- [Smoothing Uneven Ice Spheres With An Ice Ball Press](https://alcademics.com/smoothing-uneven-ice-spheres-with-an-ice-ball-press/) - In this experiment, I started with ice spheres made in a thermos. These come out pretty great in general, but not perfect. So I decided to compare smoothing them to see if I could make them perfectly round and with a smooth surface using these Cocktail Kingdom ice ball presses. The large first one, as
- [HuffPo: How To Make Bar-Quality Ice, The Secret To A Better-Tasting Drink](https://alcademics.com/huffpo-how-to-make-bar-quality-ice-the-secret-to-a-better-tasting-drink/) - Wow, another story about The Ice Book, this time from Huffington Post. I love how they made the pictures pop with the framing. Read it here.
- [Using An Ice Shaver to Make Snow Ice and Flatten Clear Ice Slabs](https://alcademics.com/using-an-ice-shaver-to-make-snow-ice-and-flatten-clear-ice-slabs/) - Just for fun I bought an ice shaver (raspador de hielo) off of Amazon. I didn't particularly need one, I just wanted to try it. It is used to make flavored shaved ices around the world. (Or Mint Juleps in my world.) To use it you slide it across a slab of ice and a
- [Epicurious: How Ice Obsessives Brought Clear Cubes to the Home Bar](https://alcademics.com/epicurious-how-ice-obsessives-brought-clear-cubes-to-the-home-bar/) - I am featured in this nice Epicurious story about clear ice for the home bar. Read it here.
- [Ice Feature in the San Jose Mercury News](https://alcademics.com/ice-feature-in-the-san-jose-mercury-news/) - "San Francisco's Camper English invented a home method for making clear ice that's now celebrated around the world" is the dek to this story in the San Jose Mercury News with the headline "‘The Ice Book’ traces a cocktail writer’s obsession with designing perfect, diamond-clear ice". The story is only available to subscribers unfortunately, but
- [Financial Times: It’s cocktail hour – so put a flower in it](https://alcademics.com/financial-times-its-cocktail-hour-so-put-a-flower-in-it/) - In Alice Lascelles' latest cocktail column for the Financial Times, she covers the summertime trend of using flowers in cocktails and includes a photo from The Ice Book. Read the story here: It’s cocktail hour – so put a flower in it
- [Camper English Named As One of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the Bar World](https://alcademics.com/camper-english-named-as-one-of-the-top-100-most-influential-people-in-the-bar-world/) - Drinks International has released their 2023 Bar World 100 list, a list of the 100 most influential people in the bar world internationally. I am happy to say that I have once again made the list. The list has been released for the last four years and I have been on it three times, missing
- [Vanity Fair: The Glaciers May Be Melting—But Status Ice Is Trending](https://alcademics.com/vanity-fair-the-glaciers-may-be-meltingbut-status-ice-is-trending/) - I was interviewed for this terrific story in Vanity Fair that brings together the modern manifestations of clear ice with its history as a luxury item that quickly transforms into an everyday necessity over and over again. I think the writer did a great job with it. Read it here.
- [Doctors and Distillers is a Finalist for the 2023 Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Spirited Awards](https://alcademics.com/doctors-and-distillers-is-a-finalist-for-the-2023-tales-of-the-cocktail-foundation-spirited-awards/) - I am very happy to announce that Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails is a Top 4 Finalist for the Tales 2023 Spirited Awards in the category of Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits! All the Top 4 nominees are great, as were many in
- [Review of The Ice Book on DrinkHacker](https://alcademics.com/review-of-the-ice-book-on-drinkhacker/) - Rob Theakston of DrinkHacker wrote a very nice review of The Ice Book. He concludes: The hallmark of English’s books is his ability to make dense subjects approachable and accessible without careening too hard into academic or jargon-laden territories. This book is no exception. If you’re looking to take cocktail aesthetics and accents up [a]
- [A Mention of The Ice Book in Scientific American](https://alcademics.com/a-mention-of-the-ice-book-in-scientific-american/) - My fellow ice book author Amy Brady wrote an article for Scientific American on the use of ice and its impacts in cocktail programs. I consider it a success that not only did she include The Ice Book in the story, I was able to get the expression "dirty dump" in Scientific American! Read: Climate-Friendly
- [Clear ice cubes make cocktails taste better. Really](https://alcademics.com/clear-ice-cubes-make-cocktails-taste-better-really-1/) - In the San Francisco Chronicle's Bite Curious newsletter, Caleb Pershan blames me for his new ice obsession. Fair. Clear ice cubes make cocktails taste better. Really I think this way because of Camper English, a drinks writer in San Francisco, who recently published a book on the subject, “The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear
- [The 10 Biggest Mistakes You're Making With Ice Cubes, According To Camper English](https://alcademics.com/the-10-biggest-mistakes-youre-making-with-ice-cubes-according-to-camper-english/) - I was interviewed for this story mostly on storing ice. The 10 Biggest Mistakes You're Making With Ice Cubes, According To Camper English Crystalline or cloudy? The character of your beverage's ice can be a hot-button issue for some. Ice cube reporter Camper English preeminently taught the masses how to make perfectly clear ice cubes at home.
- [Thoughts About Starbucks Ice](https://alcademics.com/thoughts-about-starbucks-ice/) - I was interviewed by Salon.com about the changes to Starbucks ice machines supposedly rolling out. "Starbucks is shifting to nugget ice — and an ice expert has thoughts" English is a world-renowned ice expert. He is the author of "The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts" and, after spending more
- [Cocktail Ice Is a Work of Art](https://alcademics.com/cocktail-ice-is-a-work-of-art/) - This awesome article appeared on the homepage of Liquor.com! "For Camper English, Cocktail Ice Is a Work of Art" After months of tweaking temperature, timing, types of water, and container shapes and sizes, English deduced the technique behind achieving flawlessly crystalline ice with nary a cloud or blemish. This method is known as “directional freezing”
- [Another Ice Book Mention in the Wall Street Journal](https://alcademics.com/another-ice-book-mention-in-the-wall-street-journal/) - In a story about the chewy ice as served in Sonic and at hospitals, the Wall Street Journal interviewed me. Read the story here.
- [Where to Find All the Cool Ice in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/where-to-find-all-the-cool-ice-in-san-francisco/) - I was interviewed on unique expressions of ice in San Francisco for Eater.com. Read the article here.
- [More Ice Tools Advice from Iruma Shibuya](https://alcademics.com/more-ice-tools-advice-from-iruma-shibuya/) - For this article on Bevvy.co, I interviewed several experts in cutting ice. One of them, Iruma Shibuya, wrote such an epic response that I wanted to post more of it once the article published. So here it is, lightly edited. Shibuya talks about the types of tools he has used in Japan and makes some
- [Tools for Breaking Down Ice Blocks](https://alcademics.com/tools-for-breaking-down-ice-blocks/) - For Bevvy.co, I wrote up Ice Tools for the Bar: Knives, Chisels, Saws, and More. This story came out of my own curiosity as to which were the best type of tools to use for cutting and carving ice. So I asked a bunch of people who do it on the regular. Since I wrote
- [A Review of The Ice Book - In German](https://alcademics.com/a-review-of-the-ice-book-in-german/) - Mixology Magazine is a German publication mostly geared toward bartenders. I contributed to it for a number of years and they were great! Now they've reviewed The Ice Book. I read it via the translator on my browser, and it seemed very nice.
- [Why are Americans so obsessed with ice?](https://alcademics.com/why-are-americans-so-obsessed-with-ice/) - The Washington Post asks, Why are Americans so obsessed with ice? When they contacted me about the story, I knew it was going to be about Starbucks. You see, I have a google news alert for "ice" and the news that Starbucks was switching to chewy ice hit last week. People of the internet had
- [A Surprisingly Good Knife for Cutting Slabs of Ice](https://alcademics.com/a-surprisingly-good-knife-for-cutting-slabs-of-ice/) - If you're making slabs of ice in a cooler as I showed folks how to do here on Alcademics and in The Ice Book, you need to cut them up into cubes and other shapes after you pop the slab out of your cooler. Most of the time over the last 10+ years, I've used
- [All About EcoSpirits](https://alcademics.com/all-about-ecospirits/) - For AlcoholProfessor.com, I wrote up EcoSpirits, a company with a system for avoiding single-use glass bottles sold to bars. I've been following them for years and am psyched they've set up locations in the US now. They fill from bulk shipping containers, put them into their custom-made and reusable "ecoTotes" and refill them as needed.
- [Twice the Ice in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution](https://alcademics.com/twice-the-ice-in-the-atlanta-journal-constitution/) - Angela Hansberger wrote up The Ice Book and Ice by Amy Brady for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The story is here (paywalled). I was able to access the text via my public library (did you know you can do that to get through newspaper and even magazine paywalls?) and a few quotes from the story: English's
- ["The Ultimate Guide to Clear Ice"](https://alcademics.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-clear-ice/) - InsideHook writes up The Ice Book. The article includes an excerpt as well. "It’s a wonderful and quick guide for novices and drinks experts alike." "succinct and beautifully photographed drinks guide" "This Is the Ultimate Guide to Clear Ice" Read it here!
- [Inside the Quest for Totally Transparent Cocktail Ice](https://alcademics.com/inside-the-quest-for-totally-transparent-cocktail-ice/) - In the New York Times, Robert Simonson writes about my quest for clear ice and The Ice Book! It's a great article. Read the article here. Order The Ice Book here.
- [More Death Star Ice Spheres](https://alcademics.com/more-death-star-ice-spheres/) - A few years back I showed how you can make the Death Star ice mold turn out clear. There are more tips and detailed information in The Ice Book, and you should probably purchase a copy! Below are some more pics from a 2023 round of making more Death Star spheres for some friends.
- [Local Trendsetter Releases Stylish Ice Book](https://alcademics.com/local-trendsetter-releases-stylish-ice-book/) - The Nob Hill Gazette is a neighborhood newspaper in San Francisco - the posh neighborhood, that is. Writer David Nash penned a little preview of The Ice Book for the paper, which you can read here. It features another of Allison Webber's fantastic photos from the book.
- [Excerpt from The Ice Book: Make a Drink Inside a Sphere](https://alcademics.com/excerpt-from-the-ice-book-make-a-drink-inside-a-sphere/) - Imbibe Magazine published a mini-excerpt from The Ice Book. Check it out.
- [Dots are So Hot Right Now](https://alcademics.com/dots-are-so-hot-right-now/) - I hadn’t noticed just how many different ways bartenders were incorporating the same basic shape until I saw them all together on the menu at the bistro Causwells in San Francisco. “This whole menu I just gravitated to circles,” says Elmer Mejicanos, beverage director and managing partner. “I should have called it the circle menu.”
- [Olives and Ice are a Weird New Pairing](https://alcademics.com/olives-and-ice-are-a-weird-new-pairing/) - Jake Emen ruminated on the newish phenomenon of people combining ice and olives. The story includes references to Disco Cubes Dirty Martini ice, garnish at Hanky Panky in Mexico City, and the cover of The Ice Book by me. Check out the story here.
- [Ice Books in the Wall Street Journal](https://alcademics.com/ice-books-in-the-wall-street-journal/) - This Wall Street Journal article features both The Ice Book by me, and Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks--a Cool History of a Hot Commodity by Amy Brady.
- [How to Make the Stunning Artisanal Ice All Over Social Media](https://alcademics.com/how-to-make-the-stunning-artisanal-ice-all-over-social-media/) - Writer Lisa Futterman interviewed me for this article on how to make fancy ice cubes for Wine Enthusiast. Check it out here.
- [Two More Stories on the Specialty Ice Trend](https://alcademics.com/two-more-stories-on-the-specialty-ice-trend/) - After the New York Times quoted me for this story: The Height of Domestic Luxury? Designer Ice. A few other publications have picked up the beat. The Specialty Food Association (they put on the Fancy Food Show) published this piece Specialty Ice is Trending. And Deseret News published an explainer called Here’s everything
- [The Tiny Ice TikTok Trend](https://alcademics.com/the-tiny-ice-tiktok-trend/) - Punch editor-in-chief Talia Baiocchi writes about another ice trend on TikTok, that of teeny tiny ice cubes. It's a fun story and she asked me to share my thoughts. Read it here.
- [A Shout-Out in Forbes About Ice](https://alcademics.com/a-shout-out-in-forbes-about-ice/) - In an interview on Forbes.com with fellow ice nerd Jonathan Baker of Portland, Maine, I get a shout-out as the originator of the directional freezing system. The article is interesting all around and the pictures, taken by Baker, are great. You can see more on his Instagram account here.
- [Women in Distilling, 1500s-1700s](https://alcademics.com/women-in-distilling-1500s-1700s/) - This is a quick post on some books I've read on women distilling in olden times. Distillation of spirits came out of medical alchemy (which is to say medical proto-science), and early alchemy books included lots of recipes for distilled medicines with stuff like gold and silver included in them. Some of these alchemy books
- ["Designer Ice" in the New York Times](https://alcademics.com/designer-ice-in-the-new-york-times/) - I'm quoted in this article about fancy ice cubes in the New York Times. The Height of Domestic Luxury? Designer Ice. Join me in my obsession, preorder The Ice Book today!
- [How Instagram Sparked the Clear-Ice Trend](https://alcademics.com/how-instagram-sparked-the-clear-ice-trend/) - In the February issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine, I was quoted on one page about the medicinal history of sparkling water and my book Doctors and Distillers was cited. On the next page, my forthcoming The Ice Book was cited and I provided quotes for a story on ice. That story just went up
- [Making Huge Clear Cubes to Prep for Ice Diamonds and Spheres](https://alcademics.com/making-huge-clear-cubes-to-prep-for-ice-diamonds-and-spheres/) - I've been working on methods to more easily produce huge 3" or so cubes that I can then use to carve into ice diamonds or put into an ice ball press to make spheres. Previously I was trying out inserting dividers into the cooler to make the ice blocks and this works pretty well. But
- [Is Pure TDS 0 Water Actually Bad for Making Clear Ice?](https://alcademics.com/is-pure-tds-0-water-actually-bad-for-making-clear-ice/) - Here's an interesting problem and solution: James Hogarth reached out to me to describe the following. He is using water filtered with a Zero Water filter in a clear ice system. This filter removes all the major dissolved solids in the water, and it comes with a little TDS meter to verify it. But the
- [A Theriac in Digestif Form](https://alcademics.com/a-theriac-in-digestif-form/) - If you read my book Doctors and Distillers you know that cure-all theriacs often contained viper flesh. Now one person has recreated a recipe for a branded theriac called L’Orvietan, with everything but the snake. Bernardini had to travel across Europe on the trail of L’Orvietan. He scoured historic archives and antique bookstores. He acquired
- [Doctors and Distillers/The Perfect Tonic a Finalist for the André Simon Food and Drink Book Awards](https://alcademics.com/doctors-and-distillersthe-perfect-tonic-a-finalist-for-the-andre-simon-food-and-drink-book-awards/) - I was delighted to learn that The Perfect Tonic, the name in the UK for Doctors and Distillers, has made it to the short list for the André Simon Food and Drink Book Awards. The four finalists are: A Sense of Place by Dave BroomDrinking with the Valkyries by Andrew JeffordImperial Wine by Jennifer Regan-LefebvreThe
- [Smoothing Thermos Ice Spheres Using an Ice Sphere Press](https://alcademics.com/smoothing-thermos-ice-spheres-using-an-ice-sphere-press/) - I have several ways to make ice spheres at home, but the one that takes up the least amount of space is using a thermos and ice ball mold. This method produces nice large ice spheres but they're not as smooth and perfect as those made in the IceOlogy trays or big cubes pressed into
- [How to Make Clear Ice, for Martha Stewart](https://alcademics.com/how-to-make-clear-ice-for-martha-stewart/) - I provided lots of quotes for this story on making clear ice on MarthaStewart.com.
- [When Mineral Water Was Medicinal Water](https://alcademics.com/when-mineral-water-was-medicinal-water/) - I provided some context for a story about carbonated water for Wine Enthusiast. “Naturally carbonated mineral spring water was thought to be extra healthy compared with regular mineral water, and far healthier than surface water from rivers and streams,” English notes. “European and American mineral springs rich in iron or other mineral salts were
- [Designs on Clear Ice Cubes Using Clay Stamps](https://alcademics.com/designs-on-clear-ice-cubes-using-clay-stamps/) - Lately I've been making designs on ice cubes using the Ice Designer tool or these Cookie Stamps. I even wrote a story about how Patterned Ice Conquered Drinkstagram. Well in my fairly regular perusal of Amazon for new ice stuff I came across these stamps that are used to impress patterns into clay and other
- [Dividers For An Ice Block](https://alcademics.com/dividers-for-an-ice-block/) - As you know, I make ice in an insulated cooler in the process known as directional freezing first demonstrated here on Alcademics in 2009. Lately I've been playing with an ice sphere press to make super nice looking ice balls. But the problem is that the ice spheres are about 2.7 inches in diameter and
- [Make Clear Stars and Hearts Ice with Silicone Cupcake Liners](https://alcademics.com/make-clear-stars-and-hearts-ice-with-silicone-cupcake-liners/) - You can make clear ice cubes in a tray in a cooler by punching holes in the bottom of each cube compartment and setting the tray on a riser. This is described here. Most commercial clear ice cube trays work similarly. But cubes are not the only shape of clear ice you can make in
- [Making Patterned Ice Cubes with Cookie Stamps](https://alcademics.com/making-patterned-ice-cubes-with-cookie-stamps/) - As you're probably aware, patterned ice is the new logo ice. You can make patterned ice with an ice designer ($160) or a meat tenderizer ($13), and recently I purchased some cookie stamps ($27) to give those a try. The round shape can be limiting, but they're pretty large and will cover a 2" cube.
- [The Technology Behind Nonalcoholic Vermouth](https://alcademics.com/the-technology-behind-nonalcoholic-vermouth/) - I spoke with Martini and Rossi’s Master Blender, Giuseppe “Beppe” Musso, and Senior Master Herbalist Ivano Tonutti to learn how they made their new nonalcoholic vermouths. It was fascinating! The story is now live at AlcoholProfessor.com.
- [Wall Street Journal Review of Doctors and Distillers](https://alcademics.com/wall-street-journal-review-of-doctors-and-distillers/) - Previously the Wall Street Journal had posted an excerpt from my book Doctors and Distillers, so I wasn't expecting this review from wine writer Eric Asimov to come in. Read it here!
- [Review of Doctors and Distillers in The American Spectator](https://alcademics.com/review-of-doctors-and-distillers-in-the-american-spectator/) - A very nice review by Kevin R Kosar in The American Spectator! Walk into the average American grocery store and you will see the spices in one aisle, herbal cures in another, and beer and wine somewhere else. Over-the-counter medicines have their own section, and drugs are locked up behind the pharmacist’s counter. And distilled
- [Patterned Ice is the New Logo Ice](https://alcademics.com/patterned-ice-is-the-new-logo-ice/) - In my first story for Vinepair.com, I wrote about patterned ice - the history and the trend. I'm pretty proud of this one! Read it here.
- [The Big Nonalcoholic Spirits Rating, Round Two](https://alcademics.com/the-big-nonalcoholic-spirits-rating-round-two/) - In 2021 I hosted a group of bartenders to taste a big batch of nonalcoholic spirits. Read that write-up here. Since then, many new brands have come onto the market or been newly imported into the USA. I lined up 17 expressions and tasted them. Fifteen are pictured below, plus I tried the new nonalcoholic
- [An Easy "Trick" for Removing Clear Ice Cubes from Trays](https://alcademics.com/an-easy-trick-for-removing-clear-ice-cubes-from-trays/) - A lot of times I make clear ice in a Ghost Ice or Clearly Frozen tray and after a day and a half or so, it's plenty of frozen enough. If I let it go for two days or longer it is harder to remove the ice cubes - or rather, harder to separate the
- [Cocktails at the new Causwells in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/cocktails-at-the-new-causwells-in-san-francisco/) - The Marina district bistro Causwells has reopened with Elmer Mejicanos (Tony's, Red Window) onboard as the Managing Partner and Beverage Director. He put together a really ambitious cocktail list for the small restaurant with tons of outdoor seating. With a group of friends, I was able to try a lot of the cocktails. Favorites
- [Aqua Vitae Opinions from a 1540 Book on Metallurgy](https://alcademics.com/aqua-vitae-opinions-from-a-1540-book-on-metallurgy/) - I read about a reference to distillation in the Pirotechnia, so I decided to look up the book. According to Wikipedia, "De la Pirotechnia is considered to be one of the first printed books on metallurgy to have been published in Europe. It was written in Italian and first published in Venice in 1540.
- [Fall and Winter 2022 Drink Book Preview](https://alcademics.com/fall-and-winter-2022-drink-book-preview/) - So many drink books are coming out before the end of 2022 I decided to make a list of them. Links are to Amazon and they earn me an affiliate fee. The Little Book of Aperitifs: 50 Classic Cocktails and Delightful Drinks Cheer: A Liquid Gold Holiday Drinking Guide The Cocktail Edit: Everything You Need
- [A Nice Review on DrinkHacker of Doctors and Distillers](https://alcademics.com/a-nice-review-on-drinkhacker-of-doctors-and-distillers/) - DrinkHacker posted a nice review of Doctors and Distillers. English does an excellent job diving deep into the symbiotic history between medicine and alcohol, but he skillfully avoids the dry, academic presentation of information with a light touch and informal accessibility usually absent in alcohol history books. Reviewer Rob Theakston gives it an "A" or
- [Doctors and Distillers Named One of the Best Medical Books of 2022](https://alcademics.com/doctors-and-distillers-named-one-of-the-best-medical-books-of-2022/) - According to the What's Health Got to Do With It? podcast on WJCT news, Doctors and Distillers is one of the best medical books of 2022. Listen to the podcast in which I'm a guest in the second segment.
- [The Cool New Ice Trend In London, 1873](https://alcademics.com/the-cool-new-ice-trend-in-london-1873/) - I was searching for some information on Wenham Lake Ice and stumbled across this article in The Food Journal, published in London in 1873. Wenham is a lake in Massachusetts and its ice was famous and exported to London (I have some interesting info about that in Doctors and Distillers), but by the time this
- [Five Summer 2022 Drink Books Reviewed](https://alcademics.com/five-summer-2022-drink-books-reviewed/) - I reviewed 5 books for Alcohol Professor. The reviews are here. I've also pasted the post below, which originally appeared on AlcoholProfessor.com. The books are (links are to Amazon) The Bartender's Cure The Little Book of Whiskey Cocktails Cocktails, A Still Life Cocktails of Asia Black Mixcellence Boozy Book Reviews: Late Summer 2022New
- [Stars and Other Colored Shapes in Clear Ice Cubes](https://alcademics.com/stars-and-other-colored-shapes-in-clear-ice-cubes/) - I did a new ice thing. I found online these Roks Silicone Ice Cube Tray Inserts, which press shapes, numbers, letters, etc into ice cubes. However, the trays they sell with them make cloudy ice. [note: looks like they're no longer on Amazon but here's their homepage.] So I put them on top of my
- [Improving the W&P Ice Cube Trays](https://alcademics.com/improving-the-wp-ice-cube-trays/) - I recently bought some ice cube trays from W&P Design. They have some funky new ones in blingy cubes and a star shape: But of course if you just fill them with water and freeze them normally they'll come out all cloudy and ugly: So I had planned to freeze them atop a Thermos Funtainer
- [An Interview with Me in Imbibe Magazine](https://alcademics.com/an-interview-with-me-in-imbibe-magazine/) - In which I talk about laser beams and syphilis. Read it here.
- [The New York Times Recommends Doctors and Distillers](https://alcademics.com/the-new-york-times-recommends-doctors-and-distillers/) - Along with the review, the New York Times put Doctors and Distillers on their list of book recommendations for the week. Awesome!
- [An Interview on KCRW's Good Food](https://alcademics.com/an-interview-on-kcrws-good-food/) - I was interviewed for KCRW's Good Food podcast, and they transcribed some of the interview here.
- [Washington Examiner Review of Doctors and Distillers](https://alcademics.com/washington-examiner-review-of-doctors-and-distillers/) - For the Washington Examiner, Jacob Grier reviews Doctors and Distillers: The recipes are a welcome addition, since, as befits the subject matter, Doctors and Distillers is not a dry text. The history is lively, told without getting too bogged down in details of medieval medicine, fermentation, and distillation. Mix the drinks as one goes
- [A Review of Doctors and Distillers in Falstaff International Magazine](https://alcademics.com/a-review-of-doctors-and-distillers-in-falstaff-international-magazine/) - The UK title of Doctors and Distillers is A Perfect Tonic. It's the same book otherwise. A Perfect Tonic was reviewed in Susan Low's The Kitchen Bookshelf column in Falstaff International. She writes: Drinks writer Camper English’s deep interest in science fuels The Perfect Tonic. The book explores the history of fermented and distilled beverages,
- [The San Francisco Standard Covers Doctors and Distillers](https://alcademics.com/the-san-francisco-standard-covers-doctors-and-distillers/) - I was recently interviewed by Astrid Kane of the SF Standard about Doctors and Distillers. You can read the full interview here.
- [I've Been Distilling Some Things](https://alcademics.com/ive-been-distilling-some-things/) - Wine was (probably) first distilled into eau de vie in the practice of trying to make medicines and perfumes like rosewater and wormwood water. Distilling these herbs would make a preserved medicine that would last beyond the herbs' seasons. Today we'd call them hydrosols and essential oils. These were water based distillations, and it was
- [Doctors and Distillers in The Washington Post](https://alcademics.com/doctors-and-distillers-in-the-washington-post/) - Jason Wilson wrote up a great story in The Washington Post Magazine considering the modern "low and no" movement, the threat (or not) of neo-prohibitionists, and thoughts about "mindful drinking" and health of alcohol in general. He interviewed me for the story and provided a fantastic partial book summary: Read the full story here. Learn
- [A Review of Doctors and Distillers in Scientific American!](https://alcademics.com/a-review-of-doctors-and-distillers-in-scientific-american/) - My very favorite magazine, Scientific American, published a review of Doctors and Distillers in the August 2022 issue. Needless to say I'm delighted with it! Read it here!
- [A News Segment With Me on ABC News](https://alcademics.com/a-news-segment-with-me-on-abc-news/) - A quick interview with me on ABC News to promote Doctors and Distillers. They call me a "master mixologist" which is most definitely not true, but I did write a heck of a book!
- [Read An Excerpt About Scurvy from Doctors and Distillers on LitHub](https://alcademics.com/read-an-excerpt-about-scurvy-from-doctors-and-distillers-on-lithub/) - LitHub published an excerpt from Doctors and Distillers, a section on scurvy. Coincidentally, they did so on National Daiquiri Day. Read it here.
- [An Excerpt from Doctors and Distillers in the Wall Street Journal](https://alcademics.com/an-excerpt-from-doctors-and-distillers-in-the-wall-street-journal/) - The Wall Street Journal published a short excerpt from Doctors and Distillers this weekend! Read it here - subscription required.
- [New York Times Review of Doctors and Distillers](https://alcademics.com/new-york-times-review-of-doctors-and-distillers/) - Here's the review of Doctors and Distillers in the New York Times! Here’s to Your Health In “Doctors and Distillers,” Camper English explores the long-running interconnection between medicine and alcohol in daily life. Some review excerpts: In “Doctors and Distillers,” English, a San Francisco-based cocktails and spirits writer, has collected many similar stories
- [The Virtues of Aqua Vitae, from a 1512 Book](https://alcademics.com/the-virtues-of-aqua-vitae-from-a-1512-book/) - A very important early book on distillation is Hieronymous Braunschweig's The Virtuous Book of Distillation. It is otherwise known as the Large Book on Distillation, and it was first published in 1512, after the Small Book in 1500. I believe it was first printed in German, then translated into Dutch, then translated into English I think
- [SCIENCE Magazine Reviews Doctors and Distillers!](https://alcademics.com/science-magazine-reviews-doctors-and-distillers/) - I'm so thrilled that Science wrote a review of Doctors and Distillers. Science is one of the most important academic journals in the world, and if you're a scientist it is a career goal to get into the publication. I didn't get in for doing any science, but for writing about the history of science.
- [Alton Brown Recommends Doctors and Distillers](https://alcademics.com/alton-brown-recommends-doctors-and-distillers/) - Sharing this write-up about my book from Alton Brown: "Alton Brown has given us season after season of food television goodness with multiple shows, including the iconic Good Eats and most recently Good Eats: Reloaded and Good Eats: The Return. He’s also written his fourth Good Eatscookbook, Good Eats: The Final Years, a compilation of
- [Review of Doctors and Distillers in Publishers Weekly](https://alcademics.com/review-of-doctors-and-distillers-in-publishers-weekly/) - My book Doctors and Distillers got a nice review in Publishers Weekly! Cocktail and beverage writer English makes a spirited debut with this vibrant cultural history of alcohol’s transition from medicine to social lubricant. Gin and tonic, a popular concoction consumed by British soldiers in the 1800s to stave off disease and illness, for instance,
- [An Alcademics Study of Liquor Bottle Weights](https://alcademics.com/an-alcademics-study-of-liquor-bottle-weights/) - Since 2009 I have been weighing liquor bottles before recycling them. I was up to 1226 bottles weighed and decided it was about time for me to analyze the data. At the bottom of the post I'll include a link to my spreadsheets. Note that I dated when I weighed the bottles because bottles
- [Measuring the Rate of Freezing of an Ice Block in my Freezer](https://alcademics.com/measuring-the-rate-of-freezing-of-an-ice-block-in-my-freezer/) - I decided to measure the rate of freezing of an ice block in my (pretty crappy) freezer at home. It's just a standard apartment freezer. For all four times, I began with the same set of parameters: Igloo Legend 12 cooler 6 liters of cold tap water (this fills up the cooler a little more
- [Books That Cite Camper English's Work](https://alcademics.com/books-that-cite-camper-englishs-work/) - The other month I came across a citation of something I wrote in a book that I'd not previously known about. This lead me to do a Google Books search to see if there were any more, and there were - a lot! So this post is more or less an item for my resume.
- [A Huge Ice Cube Bling Necklace](https://alcademics.com/a-huge-ice-cube-bling-necklace/) - Nobody gave me a huge diamond chain for the holidays this year, so I had to make my own. I used the typical cooler method for directional freezing, and Put a clear plastic box with holes drilled in the bottom in the cooler. The holes allow trapped air/impurities to be pushed out below it. Put
- [Cutting Up a Slab of Ice Using an Ice Pick or Bread Knife](https://alcademics.com/cutting-up-a-slab-of-ice-using-an-ice-pick-or-bread-knife/) - Years ago I learned how to cut up slabs of ice using only an ice pick, but boy have I improved my technique since then. But the method is the same: Fill a cooler with water and put it in the freezer with the top off. After a couple days pull it out and dump
- [Ice Shot Glasses With a Drill and a Knife](https://alcademics.com/ice-shot-glasses-with-a-drill-and-a-knife/) - I decided to try to make shot glasses out of ice slabs made in a cooler. I froze water, cut it into big cubes and then bought a 1.5 inch drill bit. I was surprised to find how easy it was after that. I drilled a hole in the middle of each. Then, knowing that
- [Halloween Ice: Magic Wand and Plastic Rat](https://alcademics.com/halloween-ice-magic-wand-and-plastic-rat/) - Over on my Instagram account, I posted a lot of pictures of goofy ice projects for Halloween. I realized I should also share them here on the blog for posterity. This is one of several posts. All my 10+ years of ice posts are here. I bought a bunch of silly junk at the Halloween
- [Halloween Ice: Skeletons and Spiders in Ice Cubes](https://alcademics.com/halloween-ice-skeletons-and-spiders-in-ice-cubes/) - Over on my Instagram account, I posted a lot of pictures of goofy ice projects for Halloween. I realized I should also share them here on the blog for posterity. This is one of several posts. All my 10+ years of ice posts are here. I bought some small plastic skeletons and spiders at the
- [Halloween Ice: Eyes in Ice Spheres and Cubes](https://alcademics.com/halloween-ice-eyes-in-ice-spheres-and-cubes/) - Over on my Instagram account, I posted a lot of pictures of goofy ice projects for Halloween. I realized I should also share them here on the blog for posterity. This is one of several posts. All my 10+ years of ice posts are here. These pictures are of various eyes I scored from a
- [Halloween Ice: Masks Frozen in Ice Block](https://alcademics.com/halloween-ice-masks-frozen-in-ice-block/) - Over on my Instagram account, I posted a lot of pictures of goofy ice projects for Halloween. I realized I should also share them here on the blog for posterity. This is one of several posts. All my 10+ years of ice posts are here. I bought a few masks at the Halloween store, including
- [Halloween Ice: Severed Hand in Ice Block](https://alcademics.com/halloween-ice-severed-hand-in-ice-block/) - Over on my Instagram account, I posted a lot of pictures of goofy ice projects for Halloween. I realized I should also share them here on the blog for posterity. This is one of several posts. I bought this plastic severed hand at the Halloween store. To get the fingers to freeze in side the
- [Halloween Ice: Frozen Skull](https://alcademics.com/halloween-ice-frozen-skull/) - Over on my Instagram account, I posted a lot of pictures of goofy ice projects for Halloween. I realized I should also share them here on the blog for posterity. This is one of several posts. This is a plastic skull I bought at the Halloween store and froze in an ice block in my
- [Cranberries Frozen In Ice Sheets and Spheres](https://alcademics.com/cranberries-frozen-in-ice-sheets-and-spheres/) - I covered it on my Instagram account, but I made some simple cranberry ice cubes. For the spheres, I simply added cranberries to clear ice molds. [list of recommended products here] For the spears/sheets, I floated some cranberries in a cooler and let it freeze for about a day. I then broke up the slab
- [The 2021 Best Drink Books Round-Up](https://alcademics.com/the-2021-best-drink-books-round-up/) - For the past bunch of years, I've done a round-up of all the drink books (mostly cocktails and spirits) that have come out during the year, in consideration for gifting. I'm not doing that this year, as there are too many cocktail books, and if you want to see them all, you can visit these
- [A Visit to Hawaii's Ko Hana Distillery](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-hawaiis-ko-hana-distillery/) - I was recently in Hawaii and finagled a visit to the Ko Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum distillery. General Manager Kyle Reutnerdrove me a short distance to a nearby cane field then we walked through the distillery and I got to taste through the line. Agricole-style rum is distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice instead of molasses.
- [English at Eater: Earthy Ube Purple Pina Coladas](https://alcademics.com/english-at-eater-earthy-ube-purple-pina-coladas/) - I wrote a story for Eater San Francisco on a trend of purple drinks with coconut cream and usually ube as a flavoring. Photos by @vivo.visuals, Melissa de Mata, @equal_parts_cocktail, Allison Webber You should probably go read it.
- [Using Untreated Water to Proof Whiskey](https://alcademics.com/using-untreated-water-to-proof-whiskey/) - Many distilleries brag about their pure water supply, but typically that water is only used for fermentation, and then reverse osmosis filtered or distilled tap water is used to dilute spirits down to bottle proof. So the quantity of that special water left in the bottle is small - in the case of vodka it's
- [The Big Non-Alcoholic Spirits Taste Test](https://alcademics.com/the-big-non-alcoholic-spirits-taste-test/) - For a long time I've been tracking the increasing number of non-alcoholic spirits. There are now more than 115 brands on the market. I've also made hundreds of non-alcoholic cocktails with these n/a spirits (mostly Seedlip) for events, when there used to be events pre-Covid. In my opinion, these products do not perform well when
- [Grid Patterned Ice, Plus Blueberries and Cherries](https://alcademics.com/grid-patterned-ice-plus-blueberries-and-cherries/) - I made some fun ice, as I tend to do. For the grid ice, I first made ice using the Ghost Ice tray, then I just set it on a cookie drying rack that I heated up on the stove burner. I think it looks like the tardis from Dr. Who. For these
- [Ice Jenga](https://alcademics.com/ice-jenga/) - I bought some collins-sized ice cube trays (these ones) and decided to make an ice spear version of Jenga. I mean, why not? I didn't expect it would actually work. I mean, it didn't work all that well but I was able to get three out! Probably the second two on the bottom only came
- [Striped Ice](https://alcademics.com/striped-ice/) - I made striped ice cubes. The first time I made striped ice was just before I figured out directional freezing to make clear ice. Having realized that the cloudiness in ice was caused by trapped air and not minerals, I tried to pour very thin layers of water in a tray so that the air
- [A Clear Ice Story at VinePair](https://alcademics.com/a-clear-ice-story-at-vinepair/) - VinePair writer Tim McKirdy wrote a story on How to Create Perfectly Clear Ice, so naturally he included Directional Freezing, and the method I created way back in 2009 using a picnic cooler. This is just a quick post to link to it so that I don't forget. Check it out here.
- [Clear Ice with Quotes from Me in Men's Journal](https://alcademics.com/clear-ice-with-quotes-from-me-in-mens-journal/) - Men's Journal did a story on directional freezing highlighting my cooler method of 11 years ago. Spoiler: It still works. Check it out here.
- [Ice in the Wall Street Journal](https://alcademics.com/ice-in-the-wall-street-journal/) - I was interviewed for a story on ice that appeared in the Wall Street Journal this week. Here's the story link if you have subscriber access. The intro part that mentions me is below.
- [Double Layered Clear Ice Cube Trays In A Cooler](https://alcademics.com/double-layered-clear-ice-cube-trays-in-a-cooler/) - A few years back. a couple different ice adventurers figured out that you can use a silicone ice cube tray to make clear cubes in a directional freezing system (an insulated cooler in a freezer) simply by poking holes in the bottom of the tray, setting the tray on a small riser (to give a
- [Fruit Bowl and Other Ice Projects Made in a Punch Cooler](https://alcademics.com/ice-projects-made-in-a-punch-cooler/) - Josh Colquitt [facebook page] contacted me on Facebook to share some clear ice work he's been doing. He has been filling a punch cooler (aka "beverage dispenser") with water and freezing with the top off inside a big top-loading freezer. The cooler freezes from top to bottom via directional freezing, leaving him with a big
- [The Pre-eminent Cocktail Ice Scholar](https://alcademics.com/the-pre-eminent-cocktail-ice-scholar/) - In this story in The Guardian, I'm mentioned as "perhaps the pre-eminent cocktail ice scholar," in the section about ice snobs. I'll take it. The story isn't about me at all, but it's a long read (no really, it's a very long read) about the packaged ice industry through the lens of one major
- [A Failed Attempt at a Quick-Remove Method for Ice Blocks](https://alcademics.com/a-failed-attempt-at-a-quick-remove-method-for-ice-blocks/) - For over ten years now I've been making clear ice in an Igloo cooler in my freezer, a method I first developed in 2009. You fill a hard-sided cooler with water, stick in the freezer with the top off, and the ice freezes perfectly clear from the top-down, leaving only the bottom part cloudy if
- [All the Cocktail and Drink Books from 2020 for Reading or Gifting](https://alcademics.com/all-the-cocktail-and-drink-books-from-2020-for-holiday-reading-or-gifting/) - It's time for the annual Alcademics drink book round-up! Below are all the books that have come to my attention in 2020. I don't follow wine/beer closely so there are only a few in that section. The links below are to Amazon and to Bookshop.org. If you buy stuff after clicking on a link, I
- [EU Regulations for Vermouth, Americanos, and Quinquinas](https://alcademics.com/eu-regulations-for-vermouth-americanos-and-quinquinas/) - I've had to look up this information a few times so this blog post will make it easier for me to find this information in the future. In the EU Vermouth = fortified aromatized wine with artemisia (wormwood) species. Americano = fortified aromatized wine with artemisia (wormwood) and gentian species. Quinquina = fortified aromatized wine
- [How Much Alcohol Do Bitters Contribute to a Non-Alcoholic Drink?](https://alcademics.com/how-much-alcohol-do-bitters-contribute-to-a-drink/) - 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
- [Kold Draft Ice Machine History from Dale DeGroff](https://alcademics.com/kold-draft-ice-machine-history-from-dale-degroff/) - I was emailing with Dale DeGroff about the new edition of his book The New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Think Like a Master Mixologist, with 500 Recipes and ice came up, as it does. It turns out he was using the big 1.25 inch (32 mm) Kold-Draft cubes at
- [Halloween Ice Fun 2020: Bats, Skeleton Hands, Finger Puppets](https://alcademics.com/halloween-ice-fun-2020/) - This isn't the first year I decided to freeze some goofy stuff in ice for Halloween. Remember that all the years of ice experiments can be found at the Index of Ice Experiments page. Some previous years I've done: Creepy Halloween Mask Frozen In Ice Blocks More Eyeball Ice Balls and Ice Fangs for Halloween
- [Designing A Club Soda From Scratch](https://alcademics.com/designing-a-club-soda-from-scratch/) - I was recently in touch with Top Note Tonic founders founders Mary Pellettieri and Noah Swanson about their new Club Soda that was created specifically for making highballs with whiskey. They went into the process with specific goals in mind to pair it with whiskey, researched styles of water and other brands' mineral content, then
- [Ice Tools Recommended by Camper English of Alcademics](https://alcademics.com/ice-tools-recommended-by-camper-english-of-alcademics/) - These are the ice tools that I have used and recommend. Most of these products are used/shown in The Ice Book. Most of these links go to Amazon. If you're coming to this page fresh, you'll want to check out the Index of Ice Experiments here on Alcademics. Clear Ice Cube Trays Spheres: For
- [Testing Out The Ghost Ice Clear Ice Tray Insert](https://alcademics.com/testing-out-the-ghost-ice-clear-ice-tray-insert/) - Tony Gonzales is a bartender and fellow ice nerd who had clear ice cube trays made. The brand is called Ghost Ice. Well, not really trays, they're inserts that fit into insulated coolers to take advantage of the directional freezing. If you're familiar with the method of poking holes in the bottom of silicone ice
- [Distilling Honey Into Vodka: An Interview with Caledonia Spirits Owner/Distiller Ryan Christiansen](https://alcademics.com/distilling-honey-into-vodka-an-interview-with-caledonia-spirits-ownerdistiller-ryan-christiansen/) - Years ago when I first heard of - and tried- Barr Hill Gin, it was a revelation. The gin is neutral spirits with added juniper and honey- that's it. The honey brings with it other aromatics from the flora the bees feed on. The gin is made by Caledonia Spirits in Vermont. A recent press
- [Getting Nerdy About Soju Production: Sticky Rice, Nuruk Fermentation, Multi ABVs, Korean Production](https://alcademics.com/getting-nerdy-about-soju-production-sticky-rice-nuruk-fermentation-multi-abvs-korean-production/) - I received an email from a newish soju brand Tokki Soju with a really interesting story. Given the technical skill of one of the founders, I thought I could get some additional information, and that's just what happened. First, the background: The brand was launched in 2016 by Founder Brandon “Bran” Hill and CEO Douglas
- [Quinine and Tonic - New Info from Just the Tonic Book](https://alcademics.com/quinine-and-tonic-new-info-from-just-the-tonic-book/) - I recently read the book, Just the Tonic: A Natural History of Tonic Water by Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt. As you know, I also wrote a self-published book about the history of the Gin & Tonic, but mine doesn't have the rich illustrations of this handsome hardbound book - and this book brings forth
- [An Attempt at Recreating the Canned Water Method for Clear Ice](https://alcademics.com/an-attempt-at-recreating-the-canned-water-method-for-clear-ice/) - Trying to replicate making clear ice by "canning" water.
- [An Attempt at Clear Spheres with an Upside-Down Thermos](https://alcademics.com/an-attempt-at-clear-spheres-with-an-upside-down-thermos/) - Alcademics reader Andy L commented on the post about how to Make Clear Ice Balls Using a Thermos with an idea: Fill the ice ball with water and set the thermos upside-down on top of it like a dunce cap. This way the ice ball mold would still be insulated on the top half: Would
- [The Use of Fixatives in Tea-Flavored Gin: A Chat with Gerald Rowland of Coit Spirits](https://alcademics.com/the-use-of-fixatives-in-tea-flavored-gin-a-chat-with-gerald-rowland-of-coit-spirits/) - It's a welcome exception to the hundreds of National Mimosa Day and other generic pitches about liquor I receive to get an email from someone who wants to talk technical details of production, and this post comes from one of them. Gerald Rowland of Rowland Cellars and more relevantly Coit Spirits sent me an email
- [Canning Water to Degas it for Clearer Ice](https://alcademics.com/canning-water-to-degass-it-for-clearer-ice/) - Today's post comes from the work of reader Richard Newell. We'll call it the "canned water" technique for improving ice clarity. We know that the cloudiness in ice comes mostly from trapped air and impurities, which usually are pushed to the center of an ice cube when it freezes. The technique of directional freezing just
- [Cherries Frozen Into Ice Balls](https://alcademics.com/cherries-frozen-into-ice-balls/) - This came out great! Using this technique with the Thermos Funtainer and ice ball molds I put some cherries inside ice ball molds atop the Thermos and froze them. Nothing complicated, these looked awesome. For all the clear ice projects on Alcademics, check out the Index of Ice Experiments page.
- [Ice Blocks with Objects: Sharks and Sunglasses](https://alcademics.com/ice-blocks-with-objects-sharks-and-sunglasses/) - While sheltering-in-place at home, I've taken to doing some (more) silly ice projects. For these I used the basic Igloo cooler method and placing objects near the top of the water line so that they'd freeze into the clear part of the ice after freezing. For the sunglasses, I rested a stick over the top
- [A New Book on Chartreuse Corrects the History of the Brand](https://alcademics.com/a-new-book-on-chartreuse-corrects-the-history-of-the-brand/) - Turns out, they were wrong about some stuff.
- [My Favorite (Nerdiest) Blog Posts About Cognac](https://alcademics.com/my-favorite-nerdiest-blog-posts-about-cognac/) - In which I gather together my best writing on cognac.
- [Dilution and Additives in Cognac (Hine Series Part 6)](https://alcademics.com/dilution-and-additives-in-cognac-hine-series-part-6/) - In this post, I'll talk about diluting and additives used in cognac. There is a lot that happens in between taking cognac out of a barrel and being sealed up in a bottle.
- [Mocktail Thesaurus - Alternatives for the Word Mocktail](https://alcademics.com/mocktail-thesaurus-alternatives-for-the-word-mocktail/) - A list of 60+ long list of alternative terms for "mocktail."
- [The Weird Exception of Early Landed Cognac (Hine Series Part 5)](https://alcademics.com/the-weird-exception-of-early-landed-cognac-hine-series-part-5/) - I have been writing a series of blog posts about cognac, and I've really been looking forward to this one about "early landed" cognac. This series has been detailed information about cognac production generally, and Hine cognac specifically, as I was able to ask the cellar master Eric Forget a ton of questions. It has
- [Aging Conditions for Cognac (Hine Series Part 4)](https://alcademics.com/aging-conditions-for-cognac-hine-series-part-4/) - I'm in the middle of a series of posts about how cognac is made generally, with details from Hine cognac cellarmaster Eric Forget about how Hine is made specifically. Hine offers a special blend meant for mixology (H by Hine), other VSOP and XO blends, single vineyard cognacs, and many vintage-dated cognacs. The posts in
- [Wood and Barrels for Cognac (Hine Series Part 3)](https://alcademics.com/wood-and-barrels-for-cognac-hine-series-part-3/) - At the end of 2019, I sent a list of 100 questions to the cellarmaster of Hine cognac, Eric Forget. I'm writing up what I learned over several posts. Hine is a small (relative to the majors) cognac brand founded a bit over 250 years ago. The main house is located along the Charente River
- [Make Clear Ice Balls Using a Thermos](https://alcademics.com/make-clear-ice-balls-using-a-thermos/) - Most readers of Alcademics are probably familiar with this by now, but I realized that in my many (many, many) ice posts here on Alcademics I don't have a straightforward post listing how I most often make large perfectly clear ice spheres at home. So I made this post to insert into my ice project index. This
- [Clear Ice in Cook's Illustrated](https://alcademics.com/clear-ice-in-cooks-illustrated/) - A quick mention of my clear ice method in Cook's Illustrated and an older Milk Punch story is online and in video form.
- [Cognac Distillation On the Lees (Hine Series Part 2)](https://alcademics.com/cognac-distillation-hine-series-part-2/) - A second post in a series about cognac production.
- [Cognac from Grapes to Wine (Hine Series Part 1)](https://alcademics.com/cognac-from-grapes-to-wine-hine-series-part-1/) - Facts about grapes, winegrowing, and winemaking for cognac.
- [All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Released in 2019](https://alcademics.com/all-the-cocktail-and-spirits-books-released-in-2019/) - More than 70 cocktails and spirits books (plus a few on cider, beer, and spiritzes) published in 2019.
- [Simple Starter Seedlip Recipes - Non-Alcoholic Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/simple-starter-seedlip-recipes-non-alcoholic-cocktails/) - I make hundreds of non-alcoholic cocktails each year for tech events, at which a fair percentage of event attendees do not consume alcohol. I've made it a policy to have drinks that are of equal quality to the alcoholic ones, and for that Seedlip has come in very handy. Many people have issues with Seedlip
- [Non-Alcoholic Spirit Brands List](https://alcademics.com/non-alcoholic-spirit-brands-list/) - A big list of non-alcoholic spirit brands similar to Seedlip, Stryyk, and Lyre's.
- [More Eyeball Ice Balls and Ice Fangs for Halloween](https://alcademics.com/more-eyeball-ice-balls-and-ice-fangs-for-halloween/) - I made more fun ice for Halloween. Recently I put some bouncy eyeballs into ice balls and froze a Halloween mask into an ice block. This time I put some big glass eyes into ice balls and put vampire fangs into other ice balls. The glass eyes were an idea from bartender Ramon Pinon -
- [A Fascinating Interview with Remy Martin Cognac Cellarmaster Baptiste Loiseau](https://alcademics.com/a-fascinating-interview-with-remy-martin-cognac-cellarmaster-baptiste-loiseau/) - I was recently in Calistoga to meet with Baptiste Loiseau, cellarmaster for Remy Cognac. We had a quick interview early in the day but I wanted more info, so I ended up monopolizing his time after dinner. We spoke for a very long time (I promised it was "quick questions" but I think it went
- [Grains of Peril: The Frivolous Florida Gin Lawsuit and Adulterant Analysis by Lance Winters](https://alcademics.com/grains-of-peril-the-frivolous-florida-gin-lawsuit-and-adulterant-analysis-by-lance-winters/) - In which Lance Winters of St. George Spirits analyzes the list of ingredients prohibited as alcoholic beverage adulterants in Florida that are the subject of a lawsuit.
- [Creepy Halloween Mask Frozen In Ice Blocks](https://alcademics.com/creepy-halloween-mask-frozen-in-ice-blocks/) - I froze a Halloween mask into an ice block, with fun results.
- [Eyeballs Inside Ice Balls - Halloween Ice](https://alcademics.com/eyeballs-inside-ice-balls-halloween-ice/) - Another silly ice project in plenty of time for Halloween.
- [Ramping up Aromatics in Cognac: How Camus Does it](https://alcademics.com/ramping-up-aromatics-in-cognac/) - When I was in China helping judge the Camus cognac Shanghai Shake, I had the opportunity to interview president Cyril Camus. Recently the language on Camus' core line changed to invoke "intensely aromatic" language on the branding. Cyril says that this has rolled out in the US and some other markets, with more to come.
- [Dinosaur Head Ice Block](https://alcademics.com/dinosaur-head-ice-block/) - Another ridiculous ice project from Camper.
- [Testing Out IceOlogy Clear Ice Cube Trays](https://alcademics.com/testing-out-iceology-clear-ice-cube-trays/) - Trying out some new clear ice cube trays.
- [The Life and Death of Kold-Draft](https://alcademics.com/the-life-and-death-of-kold-draft/) - Over at Punch, Drew Lazor wrote a story about the Kold-Draft ice machine. He covers the role the big clear ice cube maker played in the cocktail renaissance (I didn't realize it was around so long), and how many bars are abandoning the machine today due to its problematic performance record.
- [Color Talk Resources from Tales of the Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/color-talk-resources-from-tales-of-the-cocktail/) - For attendees of my talk on Color in Cocktails and Spirits at Tales of the Cocktail 2019, below are notes and links from the slides. Product links are to Amazon.com. For all the natural colorings to use in cocktails, see Cocktail Coloring - Natural Food Colorings to Use in Drinks Cocktail Techniques book by Kazuo
- [Cocktail Coloring - Natural Food Colorings to Use in Drinks](https://alcademics.com/cocktail-coloring-natural-food-coloring-to-use-in-drinks/) - A big list of ingredients that can be used to turn cocktails many different colors.
- [Purple Food Colorings: Anthocyanin](https://alcademics.com/purple-food-colorings-anthocyanin/) - Anthocyanins are purple and blue food colorings found in many food products. Here are some of them.
- [Extracting Natural Color from Plants: The Freeze-Thaw Method](https://alcademics.com/extracting-natural-color-from-plants-the-freeze-thaw-method/) - A simple technique for extracting color from flower petals or other plants.
- [Aquafaba Future Experiments and Suggestions](https://alcademics.com/aquafaba-future-experiments-and-suggestions/) - Suggestions on other ways to prepare chickpeas to make froth to replace egg whites in cocktails.
- [Aquafaba Experiments Round 3](https://alcademics.com/aquafaba-experiments-round-3/) - In this round of experiments we test chickpea flour added as a solid rather than liquid.
- [Aquafaba Experiments Round 2](https://alcademics.com/aquafaba-experiments-round-2/) - Another round of experiments with aquafaba aka chickpea water for cocktail use as a replacement for egg whites.
- [Aquafaba Experiments Round 1](https://alcademics.com/aquafaba-experiments-round-1/) - A first round of experiments with aquafaba aka chickpea water for cocktail use as a replacement for egg whites.
- [Rainbow Mini Ice Balls](https://alcademics.com/rainbow-mini-ice-balls/) - A fun project with marble-sized ice balls.
- [Using Burrata Water in Place of Egg Whites in Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/using-burrata-water-in-place-of-egg-whites-in-cocktails/) - Last week I received a pitch about the cocktails at Oxalis in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. One drink ingredient stood out to me: Breakfast Martini, inspired by the classic cocktail and exclusively offered during brunch, this frothy cocktail features burrata water instead of egg white and gomme syrup instead of orange marmalade, in addition to bergamot,
- [Sour Mashing as Industrial Waste Recycling](https://alcademics.com/sour-mashing-as-industrial-waste-recycling/) - I never realized that the sour mash process is partly industrial waste recycling.
- [Thinking Thoughts About Bottled in Bond](https://alcademics.com/thinking-thoughts-about-bottled-in-bond/) - I had some misconceptions about bottled in bond spirits. This post is getting it right in my head.
- [A Daylong Visit to the George Dickel Distillery](https://alcademics.com/a-daylong-visit-to-the-george-dickel-distillery/) - A great revisit to the George Dickel distillery.
- [Nice Rats, But How Were the Drinks?](https://alcademics.com/nice-rats-but-how-were-the-drinks/) - A story about a pop-up rat bar in a tourist attraction haunted house of history.
- [Moving on from the World's 50 Best Bars](https://alcademics.com/moving-on-from-the-worlds-50-best-bars/) - A goodbye to my role as polling coordinator for the World's 50 Best Bars.
- [Deeply Nerdy Stuff About Jack Daniel's Production - Charcoal, Souring, Fermentation](https://alcademics.com/deeply-nerdy-stuff-about-jack-daniels-production-charcoal-souring-fermentation/) - I learned a lot about Jack Daniel's from a microbiologist: enzymes, charcoal, pH, fermentation times, rye stickiness!
- [A Visit to MGP's Lawrenceburg Distillery](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-mgps-lawrenceburg-distillery/) - A visit to the MGP distillery where most of America's rye whiskey is made.
- [A Visit to the Worthy Park Distillery and Sugar Refinery on Jamaica](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-worthy-park-distillery-and-sugar-refinery-on-jamaica/) - In 2016 I took a trip organized by WIRSPA (West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers' Association Inc.) and their quality marque system ACR for Authentic Caribbean Rum. As this was a few years ago, this blog post is somewhat of a photo-and-data dump for you to enjoy photos and for me to refer to as
- [A Visit to the Hampden Estate Rum Distillery on Jamaica](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-hampden-estate-rum-distillery-on-jamaica/) - A visit to this very unique distillery but no photos of the muck pits.
- [A Look at the Once-Closed Long Pond Distillery on Jamaica](https://alcademics.com/a-look-at-the-once-closed-long-pond-distillery-on-jamaica/) - A cool closed Jamaican rum distillery that has since reopened.
- [A Visit to the Monymusk Rum Distillery and the National Rums of Jamaica](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-monymusk-rum-distillery-and-the-national-rums-of-jamaica/) - A quick visit to the Clarendon distillery on Jamaica where they make Monymusk rum.
- [A Revisit of the Appleton Rum Distillery in Jamaica](https://alcademics.com/a-revisit-of-the-appleton-rum-distillery-in-jamaica/) - A return trip to Appleton rum on the island of Jamaica.
- [A Visit to the Cocchi Vermouthery in Asti, Italy](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-cocchi-vermouthery-in-asti-italy/) - A visit to Cocchi in Italy, where they make still and sparkling wines plus wine-based vermouths, americanos, and more.
- [A Visit to the Monkey 47 Distillery in Germany's Black Forest](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-monkey-47-distillery-in-germanys-black-forest/) - A trip to the Black Forest region of Germany to witness Monkey 47 gin being made.
- [A Visit to the Luxardo Distillery in Torreglia, Italy](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-luxardo-distillery-in-torreglia-italy/) - A visit to the Luxardo distillery to watch them make the world famous maraschino liqueur.
- [A Visit to the Rutte Gin Distillery in Dordrecht, the Netherlands](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-rutte-gin-distillery-in-dordrecht-the-netherlands/) - A quick visit to a historic distillery-shop where Rutte gins are made.
- [A Visit to the Nardini Distillery in Bassano, Italy](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-nardini-distillery-in-bassano-italy/) - Nardini, a company known for grappa but which produces a range of liqueurs and amari as well, is headquartered in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, and dates to 1779. I had the chance to visit the company this past fall and wow! We started our tour in the distillery, or rather, one of the distilleries.
- [Announcing the Launch of CocktailSafe.org](https://alcademics.com/announcing-the-launch-of-cocktailsafeorg/) - Announcing a new website dedicated to safety in cocktail ingredients and techniques, CocktailSafe.org. It has been a lot of hard work and there is much more to do, but today we are live! The site was covered in a story in today's New York Times.
- [A Visit to the Bently Heritage Estate Distillery](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-bently-heritage-estate-distillery/) - A visit to the brand new massive estate distillery Bently Heritage Estate. You're gonna want to see this.
- [China Baijiu Trip Miscellany, in Pictures](https://alcademics.com/china-baijiu-trip-miscellany/) - Pictures from the cities of Luzhou and Chengdu, including starfish and pandas!
- [Comparing Continuous Fermentation in Baijiu with Sour Mash Whiskey and Jamaican Muck Pits](https://alcademics.com/comparing-continuous-fermentation-in-baijiu-with-sour-mash-whiskey-and-jamaican-muck-pits/) - A very nerdy (surprise!) look at how and why distillers recycle leftovers from the still into subsequent fermentation batches.
- [The Four Most Common Styles of Chinese Baijiu](https://alcademics.com/the-four-most-common-styles-of-chinese-baijiu/) - A quick outlay of the four main categories of baijiu.
- [A Visit to the Luzhou Laojiao Baijiu Distillery in China](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-luzhou-laojiao-baijiu-distillery/) - An incredible visit to a baijiu distillery in Luzhou, China.
- [Baijiu Backgrounder: A Brief History Lesson](https://alcademics.com/baijiu-backgrounder-a-brief-history-lesson/) - Background information and history on how baijiu brands came to be made at a collection of dozens of distilleries owned by one company.
- [Baijiu Production: Qu and Fermentation](https://alcademics.com/baijiu-production-qu-and-fermentation/) - The unique way in which baijiu and other Chinese alcohols are fermented before distillation.
- [Regional Differences in Baijiu Style and Production](https://alcademics.com/regional-differences-in-baijiu-style-and-production/) - The four main styles of baijiu have origins in different parts of China.
- [Baijiu Production in Relation to Other Spirits](https://alcademics.com/baijiu-production-in-relation-to-other-spirits/) - Americans and other non-Chinese drinkers tend to view baijiu as a completely foreign spirit, indescribable in relation to other spirits except to say that it's strong and stinky. Well I'm here to tell you that though it is quite different, but there are plenty of parallels to other spirits.
- [All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Released in 2018, In Consideration for Gifting or Reading](https://alcademics.com/all-the-cocktail-and-spirits-books-released-in-2018-in-consideration-for-gifting-or-reading/) - Sixty-plus drink books released in 2018. Wowza.
- [What to Try When Directional Freezing Doesn't Produce Clear Ice](https://alcademics.com/what-to-try-when-directional-freezing-doesnt-produce-clear-ice/) - A few hints if your clear ice isn't coming out so clear.
- [Ice Advice: Will My Clear Ice Turn Cloudy When Stored in the Freezer?](https://alcademics.com/ice-advice-will-my-clear-ice-turn-cloudy-when-stored-in-the-freezer/) - The answer is "no."
- [Ice Advice: The Right Way to Store Ice in the Freezer](https://alcademics.com/ice-advice-the-right-way-to-store-ice-in-the-freezer/) - How to store ice without it sublimating or taking on smells.
- [Audience Feedback on Camper's Tales of the Cocktail Seminar](https://alcademics.com/audience-feedback-on-campers-tales-of-the-cocktail-seminar/) - Great feedback on a seminar I gave this year at Tales of the Cocktail.
- [Historical Info About Scurvy and the Confusion Between Lemons and Limes](https://alcademics.com/historical-info-about-scurvy-and-the-confusion-between-lemons-and-limes/) - Fun facts about everybody's favorite maritime disease!
- [Spiders and Insect Ice Balls for Halloween](https://alcademics.com/spiders-and-insect-ice-balls-for-halloween/) - I made some ice balls with spooky spiders and other insects frozen inside them.
- [Genepy Liqueur Versus Artemisia Genepi](https://alcademics.com/genepy-liqueur-versus-artemisia-genepi/) - A look at the difference between the plant artemisia genepi, and the liqueur that takes its name from it, genepy.
- [What is Alchermes Liqueur?](https://alcademics.com/what-is-alchermes-liqueur/) - Bittercube bitters have launched a new line of liqueurs, and one of them is an alchermes. So you may be asking yourself, what the heck is alchermes?
- [A Guide to Botanicals Used in Cocchi Aromatized Wines & Vermouths](https://alcademics.com/a-guide-to-botanicals-used-in-cocchi-aromatized-wines-vermouths/) - A closer look at 23 botanicals used in Cocchi products.
- [Map of All Distilleries Where Chartreuse Was/Is Made](https://alcademics.com/map-of-all-distilleries-where-chartreuse-wasis-made/) - A map and timeline of all 7 of Chartreuse's distilleries.
- [A Belvedere Distillery Visit and Vodka Terroir in the Single Estate Series](https://alcademics.com/a-belvedere-vodka-distillery-visit-and-the-science-of-terroir-in-the-single-estate-series/) - I visited Poland with Belvedere Vodka to see how the vodka is made and to learn about the then-forthcoming Single Estate Rye series of vodkas, in which the same rye was grown in two different parts of Poland and separate, unfiltered vodkas were made from each. We got super deep into the science of terroir.
- [The History of Orange Curacao and Triple Sec, Updated](https://alcademics.com/the-history-of-orange-curacao-and-triple-sec-updated/) - This post takes you to an updated older post about the historical and practical differences between orange liqueurs.
- [Campari Production Info: Extraction, ABV, Coloring, and Fining](https://alcademics.com/campari-production-info-extraction-abv-coloring-and-fining/) - Processes and parameters used in production of Campari. Now we just need to figure out what's in it.
- [A Little Overkill at my Tales of the Cocktail Seminar on Bitter Flavors](https://alcademics.com/a-little-overkill-at-my-tales-of-the-cocktail-seminar-on-bitter-flavors/) - The slightly ridiculous amount of tasting samples I prepared for a talk at Tales of the Cocktail.
- [Bitter Ingredient Flavors and Use from Martini Vermouth Masters](https://alcademics.com/bitter-ingredient-flavors-and-use-from-martini-vermouth-masters/) - A lot of bits and bites of information about bittering agents used in vermouths and aperitivo bitters from some people who know a lot about them.
- [Three East Bay Drinking Itineraries in the July Issue of San Francisco Magazine](https://alcademics.com/three-east-bay-drinking-itineraries-in-the-july-issue-of-san-francisco-magazine/) - Check out the July issue of San Francisco Magazine for three East Bay drinking itineraries from me.
- [More Ice Ball Shenanigans](https://alcademics.com/more-ice-ball-shenanigans/) - A few new ice ball projects to share with y'all.
- [Once Always Almond, Orgeat Has Gone Nutty!](https://alcademics.com/orgeat-has-gone-nutty/) - In my new story for SevenFifty Daily, I wrote about how orgeat, the French almond syrup famously in the Mai Tai, is now being made with a range of nuts, seeds, and other ingredients. The story cites examples from around the country and we come up with a new working definition for orgeat. Check it
- [Black Cocktail Alternatives to Activated Charcoal](https://alcademics.com/black-cocktail-alternatives-to-activated-charcoal/) - While one could add a medication-interaction warning about activated charcoal, like an allergen label on a drink menu, there are other ways to color a drink black that don’t require a scary-sounding note. SevenFifty Daily asked bartenders around the country for cocktail-darkening alternatives and learned that black sesame seeds, cuttlefish ink, and black food coloring are among the ingredients being used.
- [The Future of San Francisco Cocktails (Predicted By Me) in San Francisco Magazine](https://alcademics.com/the-future-of-san-francisco-cocktails-predicted-by-me-san-francisco-magazine/) - Ten articles by yours truly on drinking and bartending trends in the SF Bay Area.
- [Allergy Labelling Approaches on Cocktail Bar Menus in the US and Abroad](https://alcademics.com/allergy-labelling-approaches-at-bars-in-the-us-and-abroad/) - We looked at labelling for nuts, seafood, soy, gluten, vegan/vegetarian, how these are listed on various menus or handled only in person, and look at a few unusual things that need to be labelled in UK bars. Bars I spoke to include Trick Dog, the Proper Hotel, and the Tonga Room in San Francisco, Bar Clacson in LA, Bresca in DC, Saint Ellie in Denver, Bar Fiori in NYC, The Aviary in Chicago and New York, and The Hide Bar in London.
- [Directional Freezing, Freeze Distillation, and an 1890 Story About Ice Purity](https://alcademics.com/directional-freezing-freeze-distillation-and-an-1890-story-about-ice-purity/) - The relationship between directional freezing and freeze distillation, and how the same concept can be used to explain a story from 1890 that clear ice from a lake is more healthy than the water from which it came.
- [Directional Freezing, as a Patent Law Exam Question](https://alcademics.com/directional-freezing-as-a-patent-law-exam-question/) - Is, or was, Directional Freezing a patentable process for making clear ice? That question was proposed on a trademark class exam this winter.
- [Making Clear Ice with the Clearly Frozen Ice Cube Tray](https://alcademics.com/making-clear-ice-with-the-clearly-frozen-ice-cube-tray/) - Testing out a new product that makes clear ice cubes using directional freezing, a process uncovered here on Alcademics.
- [Ice Tips in Southwest Airlines Magazine](https://alcademics.com/ice-tips-in-southwest-airlines-magazine/) - Southwest Air's magazine features a method found here on Alcademics for making a clear ice ball and freezing objects inside it.
- [Almost All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Published in 2017 for Reading or Gifting](https://alcademics.com/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.
- [Paloma History - Tracing the Facts and Fiction about this Tequila Cocktail's History](https://alcademics.com/paloma-history-tracing-the-facts-and-fiction-about-this-tequila-cocktails-history/) - Tracing the facts and fiction about the history and origin of the Paloma, a cocktail made with tequila, lime, grapefruit soda, and a pinch of salt.
- [That Time I was a Resident Ice-Pert](https://alcademics.com/that-time-i-was-a-resident-ice-pert/) - I went to New York, and all I talked about was ice.
- [What is a Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey?](https://alcademics.com/what-is-a-blended-straight-bourbon-whiskey/) - I thought that "blended" and "straight" whiskey were at odds with each other, as blended whiskeys must contain at least 20% straight whiskeys in their blend. So I looked it up.
- [The Gin & Tonic Stage Show at Bar Convent Berlin](https://alcademics.com/the-gin-tonic-stage-show-at-bar-convent-berlin/) - Some pictures from my presentation at Bar Convent Berlin, since it was awesome.
- [Boiled Versus Rested Water Clarity with Directional Freezing: A Comparison](https://alcademics.com/boiled-versus-rested-water-clarity-with-directional-freezing-a-comparison/) - Can boiled water degas it? Or will gas become reabsorbed into water, thereby making just-as-cloudy ice in the directional freezing system.
- [Bugs are Back in Your Booze](https://alcademics.com/bugs-are-back-in-your-booze/) - In my latest story for SevenFifty Daily, I wrote about the return of cochineal coloring in spirits. As you probably know, Campari removed the cochineal from their formula around 2006. Now a lot of brands - some of them Campari substitutes, some not - are putting it back in.
- [This Guy will have Visited all the World's 50 Best Bars](https://alcademics.com/this-guy-will-have-visitied-all-the-worlds-50-best-bars/) - Nico de Soto of Mace in New York has visited 49 out of the World's 50 Best Bars 2016 list. He'll hit the last one shortly, and if his predictions are correct, also finish the 2017 list (announced October 5th in London) soon afterward. I interviewed him for SevenFifty Daily.
- [Sensors in the Whiskey Warehouse Sending Data in Real-Time](https://alcademics.com/sensors-in-the-whiskey-warehouse-sending-data-in-real-time/) - In my latest story for SevenFifty Daily, I wrote about new temperature and humidity sensors installed in warehouses at Buffalo Trace, and what those could mean for studying aging of spirits and adjusting future blends.
- [The ROI of TOTC](https://alcademics.com/the-roi-of-totc/) - In my latest piece for SevenFifty Daily, I asked a bunch of people about the return on investment of Tales of the Cocktail: How they measure it and how they maximize it. I also interviewed Tales' founder Ann Tuennerman to get her advice on how to maximize the event as an attendee or small brand sponsor, and addressing the question, "Is Tales too big?"
- [New Business Models for Large Format Cocktail Ice Providers](https://alcademics.com/new-business-models-for-large-format-cocktail-ice-providers/) - Large format cocktail ice providers have been around for a while, but now big cube/sphere/spear providers are branching out into new shapes, sizes, making machines, and pushing into retail.
- [Copyright, Trademark, and Patents for Bars, Brands, and Booze Recipes](https://alcademics.com/copyright-trademark-and-patents-for-bars-brands-and-booze-recipes/) - A story on how copyright, trademark, and patents in the world of craft cocktails.
- [Science of Spirits Aging on the new SevenFifty Daily](https://alcademics.com/science-of-spirits-aging-on-the-new-sevenfifty-daily/) - Check out the new website Daily SevenFifty, where I have a story on the science of aging spirits.
- [Robot Bartenders in the News](https://alcademics.com/robot-bartenders-in-the-news/) - While robots will eventually make all our jobs obsolete, they seem to be coming for bartenders first. Three robot bartender happenings have popped up on my radar recently.
- [Campari is Made Differently Around the World: Cochineal, Coloring, ABV, & Eggs](https://alcademics.com/campari-is-made-differently-around-the-world-cochineal-coloring-abv-eggs/) - Depending on where in the world you live, Campari is sold at different levels of alcohol and colored and labelled differently. Here's a look at a few bottles from around the world.
- [The Impact of Phylloxera on Absinthe](https://alcademics.com/the-impact-of-phylloxera-on-absinthe/) - If absinthe was made with a distilled wine base, why did the wine industry lobby to have it banned? Notes from a discussion about the impact of the vine infestation phylloxera on absinthe in the late 1800s.
- [Make Amazing Frozen Liquor Bottle Displays using Directional Freezing](https://alcademics.com/make-amazing-frozen-liquor-bottle-displays-using-directional-freezing/) - Using just a cooler, a makeshift stand, and a bottle you can make cool-looking displays for home, parties, or the bar.
- [Freeze Liquor Bottles Inside an Ice Tube for Better Bottle Service](https://alcademics.com/freeze-liquor-bottles-inside-an-ice-tube-for-better-bottle-service/) - Using just a cooler, a tube, and a bottle you can a super funky display for your party or for bottle service at your bar.
- [Freezing Mini Bottles Inside Collins Ice Cube Spears](https://alcademics.com/freezing-mini-bottles-inside-collins-ice-cube-spears/) - Party Trick! Using an insulated cooler and some gift boxes, you can make super clear tall collins glass ice spears with mini bottles frozen inside them.
- [Fire Inside Ice (Okay, Fireball inside an Ice Ball)](https://alcademics.com/fire-inside-ice-okay-fireball-inside-an-ice-ball/) - Having fun putting cocktails inside ice spheres and filming them exploding.
- [Phylloxera, Gin, and Scotch Whisky](https://alcademics.com/phylloxera-gin-and-scotch-whisky/) - An interesting find in an old book concerning phylloxera and scotch whisky.
- [How to Monogram your Ice Cubes with Ice Brands](https://alcademics.com/how-to-monogram-your-ice-cubes-with-ice-brands/) - I've seen bars around the world imprinting their clear ice cubes with logos and monograms, so I decided to test out some methods of doing so at home.
- [Using Isolated Acids in Cocktails: A Report and Recipes](https://alcademics.com/using-isolated-acids-in-cocktails-a-report-and-recipes/) - In my latest article for CooksScience.com, I wrote about bartenders using isolated acids like citric, malic, tartaric, and succinic to amplify flavors and acidity in cocktails.
- [Edible Flowers Frozen in Incredibly Clear Ice Balls](https://alcademics.com/edible-flowers-frozen-in-incredibly-clear-ice-balls/) - I'm on a mission to freeze everything I can get my hands on into crystal clear ice balls. Here are the results of some experiments with edible flowers. They turned out super cool.
- [Gin, Tonic, Ice, and My Tombstone](https://alcademics.com/gin-tonic-ice-and-my-tombstone/) - A video interview with Camper English on the Gin & Tonic, clear ice, and other stuff.
- [All About Ice in the Washington Post](https://alcademics.com/all-about-ice-in-the-washington-post/) - A story about ice in the Washington Post with quotes from your host Camper English.
- [Bad-Idea Cocktail Ingredients in the New Issue of Imbibe](https://alcademics.com/bad-idea-cocktail-ingredients-in-the-new-issue-of-imbibe/) - In the new issue of Imbibe (US), M Carrie Allan has a story about dangerous cocktail ingredients in which I'm quoted. She covers things like tobacco, homemade tonic water, and marijuana; and has a sidebar of other potentially-dangerous ingredients worth knowing about.
- [Fun with Limes Inside Clear Ice Balls](https://alcademics.com/fun-with-limes-inside-clear-ice-balls/) - I have been playing around with putting objects inside ice spheres. Here are a bunch of lime wedges and slices that came out looking slick.
- [Summer Cooler Cocktails to Enjoy in 1967](https://alcademics.com/summer-cooler-cocktails-to-enjoy-in-1967/) - An interesting selection of summer cocktails from a 1967 calendar.
- [How to Freeze a Spiralized Lime Inside a Clear Ice Ball Sphere](https://alcademics.com/how-to-freeze-a-spiralized-lime-inside-a-clear-ice-ball-sphere/) - How to freeze a spiralized lime into a perfectly clear ice ball sphere. Super cool!
- [Resources for Cocktail Events: Edible Flowers, Dry Ice, and More](https://alcademics.com/resources-for-cocktail-events-edible-flowers-dry-ice-and-more/) - A few resources I've used to find bulk items for events, thanks to my internet friends.
- [Popular Scotch Cocktails of 1967](https://alcademics.com/popular-scotch-cocktails-of-1967/) - A vintage calendar from 1967 reveals cocktails made with scotch from that era.
- [San Francisco's Second-Oldest Drinking Spot](https://alcademics.com/san-franciscos-second-oldest-drinking-spot/) - The bar Elixir was recognized this weekend as being the second oldest (known) drinking location in San Francisco by the wacky historical/drinking club E. Clampus Vitus (aka The Clampers).
- [Iceberg Animal Ice Molds Let you Experience Local Cooling in your Glass](https://alcademics.com/iceberg-animal-ice-trays-let-you-experience-local-cooling-in-your-glass/) - Trying out new ice molds with animals floating atop drinks like sea ice.
- [Oxymel: The Other Vinegar Drink](https://alcademics.com/oxymel-the-other-vinegar-drink/) - Vinegar drinks: Shrubs, switchels, and oxymel. What's the difference and how do you use them?
- [Water Chemistry at Deanston, Bunnahabhain, and Toberymory Distilleries](https://alcademics.com/water-chemistry-at-deanston-bunnahabhain-and-toberymory-distilleries/) - Several years ago I visited the Deanston and Bunnahabhain scotch whisky distilleries. Click on those words to read about the visits. At the time I was there I was really obsessed with the effects of water in distilled spirits (not that I'm over it), so I followed up with some super specific questions about the pH
- [Lunch in a Teepee, Dinner in a Castle: A Luxe Trip to The Glenlivet](https://alcademics.com/lunch-in-a-teepee-dinner-in-a-castle-luxury-from-the-glenlivet/) - A lovely trip to The Glenlivet distillery in Scotland.
- [What to Drink When You're Not Drinking, According to Bartenders](https://alcademics.com/bartenders-reveal-what-to-drink-when-youre-not-drinking/) - 100 bartenders responded to my query: What do you drink when not drinking?
- [How to Make the Death Star Ice Mold Turn Out Clear](https://alcademics.com/how-to-make-the-death-star-ice-mold-turn-out-clear/) - Those Star Wars Death Star ice ball molds make ugly, cloudy ice - here's how to make it clear and gorgeous with Directional Freezing.
- [Distillery Visit: Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey in Denver](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-stranahans-colorado-whiskey-in-denver/) - A detailed visit to the Stranahan's single-malt whiskey distillery in Colorado.
- [I Waited in a Long Line for Whiskey, or, A Heroic Tale of Endurance](https://alcademics.com/i-waited-in-line-for-whiskey-or-a-heroic-tale-of-endurance/) - I flew to Denver to wait overnight in the cold for Stranahan's annual Snowflake whiskey release. Here is my story of bravery and heroism.
- [All the Cocktails and Spirits Books Published in 2016 for Reading or Gifting](https://alcademics.com/all-the-cocktails-and-spirits-books-published-in-2016-for-reading-or-gifting/) - This year's batch of cocktail and spirits books - all put together in one big list to make your gift list (or your own wish list) easy to see.
- [Bartender Nexus: Range in San Francisco and its All-Star Cast](https://alcademics.com/bartender-nexus-range-in-san-francisco-and-its-all-star-cast/) - The owners of Range Restaurant announced that they'll be closing at the end of the year after 12 years in operation. Let's talk about how important this restaurant was for the world of San Francisco cocktails. This little restaurant was a surprising nexus of talented bartenders. I've been making mental notes of "nexus bars" for a while as
- [Milk Punch: Science and Practice](https://alcademics.com/milk-punch-science-and-practice/) - A huge story I wrote on the practical and theoretical best practices in making clarified milk punch in Cook's Science.
- [Sherry, As Simply as I can Describe It](https://alcademics.com/sherry-as-simply-as-i-can-describe-it/) - A concise-ish description of the sherry cocktails from a story I published in 2011.
- [Hey I wrote a Gin & Tonic Book](https://alcademics.com/hey-i-wrote-a-gin-tonic-book/) - And all the information about it is on this page right here. No recipes, no tasting notes. Just a little history of the bitter highball from 1630 to today.
- [Frozen Dinosaur Incubator Laboratory, As An Event Bar Theme](https://alcademics.com/frozen-dinosaur-incubator-laboratory-as-a-bar-theme/) - I made cocktails for a code developer event a week ago and was able to get theme approval of "frozen dinosaur incubator laboratory" for it. This post is just some pictures from the event to show off. The company has a dinosaur in some of its material, and I knew I was going to serve Old
- [Thank You For Your Purchase!](https://alcademics.com/thank-you-for-your-purchase/) - You are awesome.
- [Tonic Water AKA G&T WTF by Camper English](https://alcademics.com/tonic-water-aka-gt-wtf-by-camper-english/) - Note: This book is sold out! Some of the material is included in my book Doctors and Distillers, due out in July 2022! In the meantime, two books on tonic that I love are Just the Tonic [amazon][bookshop] and Something & Tonic [amazon][bookshop] The extraordinary and hilarious history of one of the world's
- [Thank you for your order!](https://alcademics.com/thank-you-for-your-order/) - Thank you for your order.
- [Nothing Shaken, Nothing Stirred: The Perennial's Strained Relationship with Ice](https://alcademics.com/nothing-shaken-nothing-stirred-the-perennials-strained-relationship-with-ice/) - A very forward-thinking cocktail program designed to eliminate waste at San Francisco restaurant The Perennial, with special attention on water waste.
- [Sulfur Control in Sherry Casks Headed to Midleton Distillery](https://alcademics.com/sulfur-control-in-sherry-casks-headed-to-midleton-distillery/) - How the makers of Jameson and Redbreast keep whiskey-ruining sulfur out of their barrels.
- [Testing Out the Rabbit Clear Ice Tray](https://alcademics.com/testing-out-the-rabbit-clear-ice-tray/) - Testing out a new clear ice cube tray that's hitting stores this fall.
- [Why Sherry Cask Whiskies are Aged in Spanish Oak But Sherry is Aged in American Oak Casks](https://alcademics.com/why-sherry-cask-whiskies-are-aged-in-spanish-oak-but-sherry-is-aged-in-american-oak-casks/) - Answering a lingering question about the type of oak barrels used in Jerez for sherry exported to Scotland to age scotch whisky.
- [The Return of Blue Drinks: A Story from 2012](https://alcademics.com/the-return-of-blue-drinks-a-story-from-2012/) - People are all excited about blue drinks these days, but I first wrote about their return in 2012. Since Details magazine went away and the story is no longer online, I rescued this story from the Internet Archives.
- [All About Pechuga Mezcal: Meat Infused Agave Spirits](https://alcademics.com/all-about-pechuga-mezcal-meat-infused-agave-spirits/) - Would You Like the Chicken, the Turkey, or the Rabbit? Inside the Weird World of Meat-Distilled Mezcals
- [With Pokemon Ice Balls You Can Catch All The Drinks](https://alcademics.com/with-pokemon-ice-balls-you-can-catch-all-the-drinks/) - Pokemon Go is taking America by storm, but if you want in on the action without leaving the comfort of your home bar you might try making these Pokemon-themed ice balls instead.
- [The Difference Between Bitter Almonds, Sweet Almonds, and Stone Fruit Seeds](https://alcademics.com/the-difference-between-bitter-almonds-sweet-almonds-and-stone-fruit-seeds/) - What is the difference between sweet almonds, bitter almonds, and cherry, apricot, and peach pits? This entry hopes to make that clear.
- [Watch Me Say Things About Japanese Bartending in this Awesome Short Film](https://alcademics.com/watch-me-say-things-about-japanese-bartending-in-this-awesome-short-film/) - Alan Kropf and Matthew Noel made a short film about Japanese bartending in which they interviewed knowledgeable US bartenders, filmed working Japanese bartenders, and also had me say a few things.
- [What They Got Right - and Wrong - at ABV in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/what-they-got-right-and-wrong-at-abv-in-san-francisco/) - I decided to interview one of the owners, Ryan Fitzgerald, on what he feels they did right and wrong, and what changed from initial plans, when opening San Francisco bar ABV.
- [What to Talk About, When you Talk About Armagnac](https://alcademics.com/what-to-talk-about-when-you-talk-about-armagnac/) - I wrote a piece for Liquor.com on armagnac - not so much on armagnac generally, but on how bartenders might quickly describe to customers armagnac and how it's different from cognac.
- [Vodka Made from Fog Water on Popular Science](https://alcademics.com/vodka-made-from-fog-water-on-popular-science/) - In my latest story for PopularScience.com, I wrote about the new Hangar 1 Fog Point Vodka, which was diluted with fog-harvested water from San Francisco; most of it from beneath Sutro Tower on Twin Peaks.
- [LASER STAVES! How whisky makers are using barrels toasted with an infrared 'sun on a stick'](https://alcademics.com/laser-staves-how-whisky-makers-are-using-barrels-toasted-with-an-infrared-sun-on-a-stick/) - In a post for PopularScience.com I wrote about a technology being employed to toast wine and now whiskey barrels with infrared light.
- [What is Directional Freezing?](https://alcademics.com/what-is-directional-freezing/) - Directional Freezing is a simple method to make crystal clear ice by controlling the direction that water freezes. It was first explained here on Alcademics.com by Camper English in December 2009. The method has been written about in books, used in commercial products, and is employed in many small cocktail bars around the world.
- [Make Perfectly Clear Ice Balls Using a Beer Koozie](https://alcademics.com/make-perfectly-clear-ice-balls-using-a-beer-koozie/) - A refinement of the method of making clear ice balls using a mold and a thermos. This method uses a beer koozie instead.
- [A List of Awesome Bar Names from Jamaica](https://alcademics.com/a-list-of-awesome-bar-names-from-jamaica/) - Jamaica has a ton of little bars with "sexy" names. Here is a list of fun ones we saw.
- [Slushie Machine Cocktails: Calibration Tips from a Pro](https://alcademics.com/slushie-machine-cocktails-calibration-tips-from-a-pro/) - The San Francisco temporary bar TSK/TSK, which will sometime this year be reincarnated as Horsefeather, featured several alcoholic slushies on its menu. Slushmaster Mitchell Lagneaux said he was often asked for his advice on how to make them delicious, and rather than writing the same advice over and over he thought he'd point them to this post on Alcademics instead.
- [Between the Heart and the Tails, the 'Seconds'](https://alcademics.com/between-the-heart-and-the-tails-the-seconds/) - In pot-still distillation we always talk about the cuts: the heads and tails that are discarded (or recycled), and the hearts cut that become the spirit that ends up in the bottle. But some distillers make a cut between the heart and the tails called the "seconds."
- [Use an Aquarium Pump to Freeze Objects Inside Ice Blocks](https://alcademics.com/use-an-aquarium-pump-to-freeze-objects-inside-ice-blocks/) - You can make a clear block of ice using an insulated cooler with the Directional Freezing method. You can also use this method to freeze objects inside of ice blocks including freezing a full-sized bottle inside an ice block. If you are able to add an aquarium pump to the mix, you can make clear ice from
- [(Almost) All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting](https://alcademics.com/almost-all-the-cocktails-spirits-books-published-in-2015-for-reading-or-gifting/) - My annual list of most all of the cocktails and spirits books that have been released. This year we see tons of whiskey books again, and a whole segment of bar-specific cocktail books and a new category of narrative cocktail history.
- [The Science of Barrel Aging on PopSci.com](https://alcademics.com/the-science-of-barrel-aging-on-popscicom/) - I wrote a story for Popular Science on the science of barrel aging. The story was inspired by a trip to The Glenlivet where I tasted a 50-year-old whisky without any smoky qualities - but 50 years ago this and most whisky would have been at least lightly peated. So I went into the article specifically looking
- [How to Freeze a Bottle in a Super Clear Ice block](https://alcademics.com/how-to-freeze-a-bottle-in-a-super-clear-ice-block/) - This technique to freeze a bottle inside an ice block uses directional freezing (freezing inside an insulated cooler with the top off so that it only freezes from the top-down), with the bottle raised high so that it's in the clear part of the ice block.
- [Cocktails in Sydney's Downtown District](https://alcademics.com/cocktails-in-sydneys-downtown-district/) - While I was in Sydney for the Bacardi Legacy global cocktail competition earlier this year, I checked out a bunch of the bars. Here is a write-up of just one neighborhood's best cocktail options.
- [Science on How Spirits Change or Age in the Bottle, Rather than the Barrel](https://alcademics.com/science-on-how-spirits-change-or-age-in-the-bottle-rather-than-the-barrel/) - Do spirits change in the bottle? Yes they do, and so much depends on the type/size of the bottle and where it's kept. Here is the science on the subject as learned in a seminar at Tales of the Cocktail.
- [Carbonation Fun Facts Explained with a New Carbonation Device, Plus Bonus Math!](https://alcademics.com/carbonation-fun-facts-explained-with-a-new-carbonation-device/) - I was sent a sample of a new carbonation device called the Bonne O, and in trying it out I had a lot of questions about how it worked. That lead to a conversation with its founder and a Saturday morning spent doing math.
- [Cocktail Citratres: What, Why, and Where?](https://alcademics.com/cocktail-citratres-what-why-and-where/) - Citrates are an approximation of sour mix: sugar and citrus combined, but in a form that is predictable, reproducible, and stable. They start with an oleo saccharum (citrus peels and sugar), then add other acids and mouthfeel agents.
- [How Drinking in 1948 was like Drinking in College, or in 2005](https://alcademics.com/how-drinking-in-1948-was-like-drinking-in-college-or-in-2005/) - A post-WWII quote reminds me of drinking in 2005.
- [Making Clear Ice Balls with Tovolo Sphere Ice Molds and a Cooler](https://alcademics.com/making-clear-ice-balls-with-tovolo-sphere-ice-molds-and-a-cooler/) - Another method of making super clear ice spheres using different molds in a cooler.
- [The 99 Items I Packed to Give a Cocktail Seminar...](https://alcademics.com/the/) - I gave two full-length seminars and one mini-seminar at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this year. For my seminar on Prehistoric Cocktail Technology, I went kinda big. This post is my packing list, with its 99 items. Ridiculous.
- [How to Make Whisky in a Hot Climate in a Short Amount of Time](https://alcademics.com/how-to-make-whisky-in-a-hot-country/) - On my trip to the Kavalan whisky distillery, I spent a lot of time asking questions about the differences in production between Kavalan and scotch whisky, and other changes made to compensate for their unique aging environment. Here are a few observations.
- [Kavalan Whisky Distillery Visit in Yilan, Taiwan](https://alcademics.com/kavalan-whisky-distillery-visit-in-yilan-taiwan/) - A visit to Taiwan to see how "the world's best whisky" is made at Kavalan.
- [A Few Notes About Cocktail Pharmacology](https://alcademics.com/a-few-notes-about-cocktail-pharmacology/) - Notes from a seminar called The Pharmacology Behind Creating Flavor-Addicting Cocktails.
- [Vermouth: History and Legal Regulations](https://alcademics.com/vermouth-history-and-legal-regulations/) - A ton of information about the history of vermouth (both sweet and dry kind of come from the same place) and its legal definitions in the European Union.
- [A Brief History of Popcorn in Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/a-brief-history-of-popcorn-in-cocktails/) - In my latest piece for Details.com I wrote about the history and current status of popcorn in drinks, be they fat-washed in or garnished with.
- [Natural Food (And Drink) Coloring Notes and Future Experiments](https://alcademics.com/natural-food-and-drink-coloring-notes-and-future-experiments/) - I'm at the very beginning of some research into natural food colorings for my seminar on Prehistoric Cocktail Technology at Tales of the Cocktail this July in New Orleans.
- [Prehistoric Cocktail Technology Live! at Tales of the Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/prehistoric-cocktail-technology-live-at-tales-of-the-cocktail/) - All of the amazingness you could witness at my seminar during Tales of the Cocktail.
- [Domaine Du Tariquet Armagnac Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/domaine-du-tariquet-armagnac-distillery-visit/) - We walked all around this property, up on top of huge wine tanks (I'm scared of heights but I do it for you, dear reader), to a super modern bottling line, and then to the completely incongruously ridiculously small room in the middle of it all, where the single wood-fired armagnac still is slowly churning out eau de vie.
- [Armagnac Maison Gelas Visit](https://alcademics.com/armagnac-maison-gelas-visit/) - A visit to the stylish armagnac house of Gelas, where they're making single-varietal bottlings and even barrel-finished armagnac.
- [Distillery Visit: Armagnac Delord](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-armagnac-delord/) - Armagnac Delord is located at the edge of the town of Lannepax in the Bas Armagnac region. It is one of just three armagnac houses that uses pot stills along with the typical armagnac continuous stills.
- [Distillery Visit: Domaine Boingneres Armagnac](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-domaine-boingneres-armagnac/) - A visit to armagnac house Domaine Boingneres with a nighttime dinner next to the still and a visit to the warehouse to drink from the barrels.
- [Armagnac Dartigalongue Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/armagnac-dartigalongue-distillery-visit/) - A visit to the very cool Armagnac Dartigalongue.
- [Distillery Visit: Chateau de Maniban Armagnac at Chateau Castarede](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-chateau-de-maniban-armagnac-at-chateau-castarede/) - I had the chance to visit the Chateau Castarede, a 17th Century estate/castle in the Bas Armagnac region where they produce armagnac. Florence Castarède was our host for the day.
- [A Visit to a Cooperage in Armagnac](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-a-cooperage-in-armagnac/) - We drank tannins out of a puddle at this tiny barrel-maker's property in Armagnac.
- [Armagnac Baron De Lustrac Visit in Gascony, France](https://alcademics.com/armagnac-baron-de-lustrac-visit-in-gascony-france/) - Most houses grow grapes or make wine or distill wine or age brandy, but Baron De Lustrac, or more accurately the company Millésimes et Tradition, they mostly bottle up single-vineyard, single-grape, single-vintage armagnacs that have been stored on the property where they were distilled.
- [Chateau De Laubade Armagnac Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/chateau-de-laubade-armagnac-distillery-visit/) - A visit to the unique and artsy Chateau De Laubade armagnac house.
- [The Glorious Return of the Gibson](https://alcademics.com/the-glorious-return-of-the-gibson/) - Over the past year I've noticed the Gibson popping up on cocktail menus, so I decided to have a deeper look and write about it for Details.com.
- [De Montal Armagnac Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/de-montal-armagnac-distillery-visit/) - De Montal armagnac is made at this coop I visited in Gascony, France.
- [Domaine De Pellehaut Armagnac Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/domaine-de-pellehaut-armagnac-distillery-visit/) - My visit to Domaine de Pellehaut armagnac was super quick, and so also is this post.
- [Janneau Armagnac Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/janneau-armagnac-distillery-visit/) - Maison Janneau armagnac is located near the town of Condom. It is the #1 exported brand of cognac.
- [Armagnac Marquis de Montesquiou Visit](https://alcademics.com/armagnac-marquis-de-montesquiou-visit/) - A visit to the aging and blending facilities of the small armagnac brand Marquis de Montesquiou.
- [What's the Difference Between Cognac and Armagnac?](https://alcademics.com/whats-the-difference-between-cognac-and-armagnac/) - If cognac is tequila, armagnac is mezcal: Smaller, wilder, and more rustic. In this post I'll cover some of the differences between these two French grape brandies.
- [Introduction to Armagnac: History and Production](https://alcademics.com/introduction-to-armagnac-history-and-production/) - Armagnac is a French grape brandy most similar to cognac, but ultimately very different in production and flavor profile. In this post I'll cover the basics of armagnac.
- [Distillery Visit: Limoncello Di Capri in Italy](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-limoncello-di-capri-in-italy/) - This limoncello is not like the others. A trip to the tiny island distillery where Limoncello Di Capri is made.
- [Distillery Visit: Molinari Sambuca in Colfelice Italy](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-molinari-sambuca-in-colfelice-italy/) - Molinari Sambuca is an anise liqueur originally created in Civitavecchia, a port city north of Rome. Much like Schiedam in the Netherlands where the spices that came on ships ended up in local spirits (juniper for genever and other ingredients for liqueurs in that case), star anise reaching Civitavecchia wound up in in local spirits and gave birth to the category of sambuca.
- [Distillery Visit: Ancho Reyes Ancho Chile Liqueur](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-ancho-reyes-ancho-chile-liqueur/) - Last fall I visited the growing, drying, and production facilities for Ancho Reyes chile liqueur near Puebla, Mexico. I learned a lot about chilies.
- [A New Clear Ice Ball Maker That Seems To Work Okay](https://alcademics.com/a-new-clear-ice-ball-maker-that-seems-to-work-okay/) - There is a new clear ice ball maker on the market, so I gave it a test run.
- [A Daylong Visit to Cognac Hine](https://alcademics.com/a-daylong-visit-to-cognac-hine/) - I visited a bunch of cognac houses in the fall of 2014, and spent nearly a whole day with Cognac Hine at their vineyards, winery, distillery, and blending house.
- [The Complicated Aging Process for Cognac, as Seen at Cognac Hardy](https://alcademics.com/the-complicated-aging-process-for-cognac-as-seen-at-cognac-hardy/) - In 2014 I visited several cognac houses, and had the pleasure to spend several hours with Benedicte Hardy of Cognac Hardy in their aging and blending facilities. We got really nerdy with specifics on aging cognac. But first, some background. Hardy specializes in luxury cognacs, and in general is blended in an "approachable" and "feminine" style.
- [Cognac Deau Visit](https://alcademics.com/cognac-deau-visit/) - A quick tour of the house of Deau Cognac in France.
- [A Visit to Merlet Cognac and Liqueurs in France](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-merlet-cognac-and-liqueurs-in-france/) - The Merlet family has been distilling in France for 5 generations, but have only launched their own brand of cognac in recent years. They have a really interesting history that I learned on a visit to their chateau, vineyards, and distillery in 2014.
- [Distillery Visit: Bunnahabhain Single Malt Scotch Whisky on Islay](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-bunnahabhain-single-malt-scotch-whisky-on-islay/) - They call Bunnahabhain "the welcoming taste of Islay" because unlike other Islay scotch whiskies, most Bunnahabhain is not smoky. Here are is how the whisky is made.
- [Distillery Visit: Deanston Single Malt Scotch Whisky](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-deanston-single-malt-scotch-whisky/) - A visit to the Deanston single malt scotch whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands.
- [Dunder and Dragons: Making Rum at Lost Spirits Distillery](https://alcademics.com/dunder-and-dragons-making-rum-at-lost-spirits-distillery/) - A pot still shaped like a dragon and a scientific reinvention of the ancient dunder pit process? Only at Lost Spirits Distillery in California.
- [Peru, Bird Poop, and the Birth of the Agro-Industrial Complex](https://alcademics.com/peru-bird-poop-and-the-birth-of-the-agro-industrial-complex/) - Peru is an exciting country for drink nerds like me, as it is the birthplace of the potato, pisco, and the cinchona tree that produces quinine for tonic water. I didn't realize until recently that it was also the birthplace of the international guano industry, perhaps the world's first exported industrial fertilizer.
- [Bars, Restaurants, and Sights of Lima, Peru](https://alcademics.com/bars-restaurants-and-sights-of-lima-peru/) - In 2014 I visited Peru with Pisco Porton. In this post, I wanted to write up some places I visited in the city of Lima. I was only in town for about a day in a half, so I didn't see much. Cocktail Bars and Restaurants in Lima Johnny Schuler's Key Club This restaurant is sort
- [Sights and Cities Along the Pisco Trail in Peru: La Ruta Del Pisco](https://alcademics.com/sights-and-cities-along-the-pisco-trail-in-peru-la-ruta-del-pisco/) - This post is an overview of getting to the pisco region, where to stay, and things to see. It covers Chincha, Paracas, Asia, Ica, Huacachina, and Las Islas Ballestas.
- [Distillery Visit: El Carmelo Distillery and Hotel in Ica, Peru](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-el-carmelo-distillery-and-hotel-in-ica-peru/) - Last year I visited 5 distilleries in Peru with Pisco Porton (read about that visit here and here): Vinas de Oro, Tres Generaciones, Lovera, Hotel El Carmello, and La Caravedo where Porton is made. This post is about my visit to El Carmelo in the region of Ica, Peru. El Carmelo is an unusual property, a quirky hotel and
- [Distillery Visit: Lovera Pisco in Ica Peru](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-lovera-pisco-in-ica-peru/) - A visit to the Lovera pisco distillery in the region of Ica, Peru.
- [Distillery Visit: Tres Generaciones Pisco in Ica, Peru](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-tres-generaciones-pisco-in-ica-peru/) - This post is about my visit to Tres Generaciones in the region of Ica, Peru.
- [Distillery Visit: Pisco Vinas De Oro, Chincha, Peru](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-pisco-vinas-de-oro-chincha-peru/) - This post is about my visit to Vinas de Oro in the region of Chincha, Peru.
- [Clear Ice Cubes Using a Tray in a Cooler](https://alcademics.com/clear-ice-cubes-using-a-tray-in-a-cooler/) - The short answer is: Poke holes in the tray and set it on a riser at the bottom of an insulated cooler. The long answer? Read along.
- [How Pisco Porton is Blended](https://alcademics.com/how-pisco-porton-is-blended/) - It's not so simple: Three different shapes of stills and eight permitted grape varietals makes for a lot of possibilities.
- [A Visit to La Caravedo, Home of Pisco Porton, in Ica, Peru](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-la-caravedo-home-of-pisco-porton-in-ica-peru/) - Hacienda La Caravedo is the oldest working distillery in the Americas and the place where they make Pisco Porton. It's located in Ica, Peru, about a four hour drive south of Lima. I visited in the spring of 2014. The distillery dates to 1684. Below is a picture of the document establishing the distillery. The
- [2500 Words on the Blood and Sand Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/2500-words-on-the-blood-and-sand-cocktail/) - The Blood and Sand is one of the rare recipes that appears first in The Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930. The recipe makes no sense when you see it written: It is equal parts whisky, orange juice, Italian vermouth, and cherry liqueur. It sounds excessively sweet, bland, and fruity, but in reality is fresh and juicy, rich yet nuanced, and it can be made masculine and smoky or light and easy depending on the brand of scotch used.
- [Making a Clear Ice Block from the Bottom Up](https://alcademics.com/making-a-clear-ice-block-from-the-bottom-up/) - Commercial ice machines like the Clinebell freeze blocks of clear ice by freezing from a cold plate on the bottom, while a water pump near the surface keeps water circulating (thus preventing ice from forming on the surface). An Alcademics reader wrote me to tell me about a method he developed that sort of combines these two methods for the home user, producing a mini-Clinebell-type block.
- [International Eggnog: The History of the Drink and Variations Around the Globe](https://alcademics.com/international-eggnog-the-history-of-the-drink-and-variations-around-the-globe/) - It covers what I could learn about eggnog at the time (keep in mind this is 4 years ago), including the history of the drink and its possible relation to British egg drinks like posset and wassail, along with other American drinks like Grog and the Tom & Jerry.
- [More Than 40 Drink Books Published in 2014 for Reading or Gifting](https://alcademics.com/drink-books-published-in-2014-for-reading-or-gifting/) - This has been a great year for cocktails and spirits books- tons have come out, and the majority are written by well-respected bartenders and other experts. Here are more than 40 books to consider for your holiday gifting or reading for your own enjoyment.
- [A Nine-Page Feature on Trick Dog's Caitlin Laman](https://alcademics.com/a-nine-page-feature-on-trick-dogs-caitlin-laman/) - A big profile I wrote about bartender Caitlin Laman of Trick Dog in San Francisco.
- [The 2014 Spirits Gift Guide Is Now Up On Details.com](https://alcademics.com/the-2014-spirits-gift-guide-is-now-up-on-detailscom/) - Each year for Details.com I write a gift guide of spirits to consider for holiday gifting or just winter drinking. This year's list includes 11 spirits and 1 book, nearly all of which came out in the later half of the year.
- [Fact-Checking the Clear Ice Balls Method](https://alcademics.com/fact-checking-the-clear-ice-balls-method/) - I tested a method of making clear ice balls at home. It works just fine.
- [How Many Potatoes are in One Bottle of Vodka?](https://alcademics.com/how-many-potatoes-are-in-one-bottle-of-vodka/) - How many potatoes are in one bottle of Karlsson's Vodka? Answer: This many.
- [Enzymes in Spirits: What Are They and What Do They Do?](https://alcademics.com/enzymes-in-spirits-what-are-they-and-what-do-they-do/) - Exploring enzymes in spirits. What are they, what they do, and how they're used in different spirits.
- [The Weird History of Vodka in Sweden](https://alcademics.com/the-weird-history-of-vodka-in-sweden/) - In Sweden, vodka was originally made from grapes and grains. Then the potato took over as did a government monopoly on production (except for a little export product called Absolut). But when the country joined the European Union, that all changed. Now potato vodka is back again.
- [Camper English Awarded International Cognac Writer of the Year 2014](https://alcademics.com/camper-english-awarded-international-cognac-writer-of-the-year-2014/) - Last week I had the honor of being awarded the International Cognac Writer of the Year for 2104. The annual award is granted by the Bureau national interprofessionnel du Cognac, the BNIC.
- [Potato Information and Resources](https://alcademics.com/potato-information-and-resources/) - Websites, books, and various resources about potatoes.
- [When Vodka Was Made From Potatoes](https://alcademics.com/when-vodka-was-made-from-potatoes/) - Despite the common belief that all vodka is made from potatoes, very little of it is. We'll look at when and where vodka was first made from potatoes as we trace the spirit's history.
- [Which Countries Grow the Most Potatoes?](https://alcademics.com/which-countries-grow-the-most-potatoes/) - Potatoes originally come from Peru, but they're only the 18th largest producers of the crop. China and India, which are relatively new producers of potatoes, are the top growers. Then the US and Russia are nearly tied for third and fourth.
- [The History of the Potato, Part II](https://alcademics.com/the-history-of-the-potato-part-ii/) - We have looked at what a potato is and the introduction of the potato to Europe. Now we'll look at the slow spread of potatoes around the continent, then talk about french fries, yum.
- [The History of the Potato, Part I](https://alcademics.com/the-history-of-the-potato-part-i/) - In today's history lesson, we'll look at how the potato came to Europe.
- [My First Centrifuge, and Somewhat-Clarified Tonic Syrup](https://alcademics.com/my-first-centrifuge-and-somewhat-clarified-tonic-syrup/) - I bought a centrifuge and did a first set of experiments with tonic syrup.
- [Make Perfectly Clear Ice Balls Using Insulated Mugs](https://alcademics.com/make-perfectly-clear-ice-balls-using-insulated-mugs/) - Alcademics readers have come up with a method to make clear ice balls using plastic molds sitting atop an insulated container. Cheap and easy!
- [The Potato, Explained](https://alcademics.com/the-potato-explained/) - The potato is native to the Andes mountains in Peru, and was the most important crop of the Incas. There are about 5,000 potato varieties worldwide. Three thousand of them are found in the Andes alone, and all potatoes came from this single place of origin.
- [Name These 12 Lost San Francisco Bars](https://alcademics.com/name-these-12-lost-san-francisco-bars/) - Can you identify these 12 no-long-existing San Francisco watering holes?
- [Sacramento Drink Scene Story is Now Up on ImbibeMagazine.com](https://alcademics.com/sacramento-drink-scene-story-is-now-up-on-imbibemagazinecom/) - That big feature I wrote on Sacramento's cocktail, coffee, and craft beer scene has gone up on the magazine's website. Even if you're not a subscriber (and you really should be), you can read the story online here. Related articles Drink Books Published in 2013 in Consideration for Gifting or Reading Ginger Beer Cocktails
- [The Trendiest, Yet Mostly Secret Cocktail Ingredient Right Now Is Salt](https://alcademics.com/the-trendiest-yet-mostly-secret-cocktail-ingredient-right-now-is-salt/) - It seems that every bartender is using salt in their cocktails now - whether they tell you about it or not. Here's a trend piece for Details.com.
- [13 Newish Bartender-Recommended Gins on Details.com](https://alcademics.com/13-newish-bartender-recommended-gins-on-detailscom/) - In my latest story for Details.com, I asked bartenders which new gins they love to drink. I only included ones with multiple recommendations, and here is a list of 13 that rose to the top. I tried to limit them to gins launched in the last two years, though there may be an exception
- [Potential Dangers of Homemade Tonic Water](https://alcademics.com/potential-dangers-of-homemade-tonic-water/) - If you're making or drinking a lot of homemade tonic water, beware of cinchonism, a condition caused by a buildup of quinine.
- [Here I Am Talking About Ice Again](https://alcademics.com/here-i-am-talking-about-ice-again/) - In the new issue of Cheers Magazine, I was interviewed by writer Kelly Magyarics about ice. She covered topics relevant to bartenders, such as machines, molds, making ice in industrial quantities, the Aviary's ice program, and more.
- [Disaronno Distillery Visit in Saronno Italy](https://alcademics.com/disaronno-distillery-visit-in-saronno-italy/) - This July I visted the town of Saronno, Italy, and the blending and bottling house where they make Disaronno liqueur (formerly known as Disaronno Amaretto). So The Legend Goes Disaronno, as with many brands, is based on a legend involving a beautiful woman and a secret manuscript. We visited the chapel where the story begins.
- [Notes on the Science of Flavour](https://alcademics.com/notes-on-the-science-of-flavour/) - I attended a seminar sponsored by Disaronno on The Science of Flavour by food scientist Dr. Rachel Edwards-Stuart. I took a lot of notes - and here they are.
- [Making Rye Whiskey at Anchor Distilling in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/making-rye-whiskey-at-anchor-distilling-in-san-francisco/) - Anchor Distilling makes three unique rye whiskies in a tiny corner of a big brewery in Potrero Hill in San Francisco. I visited, probably for my 6th time, to learn the story of how it all started and how the whiskies are made.
- [The Cocktail Menu for ABV in San Francisco, Opening Later This Week](https://alcademics.com/the-cocktail-menu-for-abv-in-san-francisco-opening-later-this-week/) - While they haven't crossed all the T's and dotted the I's (or added the prices) to it, the good folks at ABV in San Francisco let me photograph their new menu.
- [Making Gin and Hophead Vodka at Anchor Distilling](https://alcademics.com/making-gin-at-anchor-distilling/) - Anchor Distilling currently has just three tiny stills in one corner of the large brewery on Potrero Hill in San Francisco. Two of them make their rye whiskeys and Genevieve. The other one makes Junipero gin and Hophead vodka. In this post we'll look at the history and production of the spirits produced in one of the stills at Anchor.
- [A Preview of Bombay Sapphire's New Distillery](https://alcademics.com/a-preview-of-bombay-sapphires-new-distillery/) - This fall the new Bombay Sapphire distillery will open at the site of Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire, about 2 hours' drive from London.
- [All About the Apples (Drinkable Ones, Of Course) on Details.com](https://alcademics.com/all-about-the-apples-drinkable-ones-of-course-on-detailscom/) - In my latest story for Details.com, I wrote about the return of apples in cocktails and spirits. The story mentions the return to drinks after the great Appletini shame and lists a ton of mostly-new apple products.
- [The US Gin Launch Timeline](https://alcademics.com/the-us-gin-launch-timeline/) - For the purposes of categorizing and tracking the American gin renaissance of the late 1990s, I created this huge timeline of when different gin brands launched in the US.
- [A Cocktail Meant to Taste Like Money](https://alcademics.com/a-cocktail-meant-to-taste-like-money/) - The winning cocktail for the Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender competition contained homemade paper syrup meant to reference the government bank notes that were once printed at a mill that is the future home of the gin distillery.
- [How to Carve Up an Ice Block, Tools to Use, and Making Clear Ice at Home](https://alcademics.com/how-to-carve-up-an-ice-block-tools-to-use-and-making-clear-ice-at-home/) - Three articles about ice handling and a very cool video on cutting an ice block on Saveur.com.
- [Regional Airline Mini-Bottles in Saveur](https://alcademics.com/regional-airline-mini-bottles-in-saveur/) - In the June/July Drink insert in Saveur magazine, a story inspired by my small obsession with airline drink lists.
- [Alcademics is a Best Publication Finalist for the Tales of the Cocktail 2014 Spirited Awards](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-is-a-best-publication-finalist-for-the-tales-of-the-cocktail-2014-spirited-awards/) - Alcademics.com has made it through to the four finalists for the Best Publication.
- [A Cup That Keeps One's Mustache Clean](https://alcademics.com/a-cup-that-keeps-ones-mustache-clean/) - In the Drink insert in Saveur Magazine for the June/July issue, I wrote a small story about the very cool mustache teacups at Dead Rabbit. Check it out here. Related articles A Wide Range Of Amari & Cocktails In Which To Use Them in Saveur Magazine What Cocktail
- [Rye Cocktails and Advanced Barrel Aging in Whisky Advocate](https://alcademics.com/rye-cocktails-and-advanced-barrel-aging-in-whisky-advocate/) - In the Summer 2104 issue of Whisky Advocate magazine I have two articles, one on rye whiskey cocktails and another on advanced barrel aging- also of cocktails.
- [A Great Big Story about Gin & Tonics in Saveur](https://alcademics.com/a-great-big-story-about-gin-tonics-by-me-in-saveur/) - In the June/July issue of Saveur Magazine, I have a bunch of drink stories. The biggest, longest one, which took me a few months of research to put together, is on the Gin & Tonic.
- [Ginger Beer Cocktails in Saveur's June Drink Insert](https://alcademics.com/ginger-beer-cocktails-in-saveurs-june-drink-insert/) - Saveur magazine has an insert in the June/July issue that is a mini-magazine called Drink. I wrote a handful of stories for it, including this one on ginger beer and its many uses.
- [Alcademics and Camper English in Top 10 Finalists for Tales of the Cocktail 2014 Spirited Awards](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-and-camper-english-in-top-10-finalists-for-tales-of-the-cocktail-2014-spirits-awards/) - Tales of the Cocktail announced the top 10 finalists in all categories for the 2014 Spirited Awards. Both this website and Camper English have made the list.
- [Ice Trends in Drinks International Magazine](https://alcademics.com/ice-trends-in-drinks-international-magazine/) - The April issue of Drinks International magazine, which I just received in the mail, contains a series of articles about trends at the World's 50 Best Bars. I wrote the one about ice, which should come as a surprise to nobody at this point.
- [It is Now an Accepted Axiom that the North Pole Cannot be Reached Without Lime Juice](https://alcademics.com/it-is-now-an-accepted-axiom-that-the-north-pole-cannot-be-reached-without-lime-juice/) - Vintage Rose's Lime Juice Cordial Ad
- [Specialty Cocktail Ice Providers](https://alcademics.com/specialty-cocktail-ice-providers/) - This is a list of specialty cocktail ice providers - companies that make large, clear ice such as 2-inch cubes, spheres, and spears. Many of them also make sculpture ice but this list is not for that. I haven't put them in any order, so you'll have to look through the list to find ones
- [Freezer Harvest: The New Ice Era on ModernFarmer.com](https://alcademics.com/freezer-harvest-the-new-ice-era-on-modernfarmercom/) - I have a big story on ice up today on ModernFarmer.com. It covers the history of ice in cocktails from the first person to sell pond ice internationally through to today's booming cocktail specialty ice businesses. I think you'll like it. Have a read. For all the stories about ice here on Alcademics, check
- [Turquila? The Weird World of Meat-Distilled Mezcal on Details.com](https://alcademics.com/turquila-the-weird-world-of-meat-distilled-mezcal-on-detailscom/) - In my latest story for Details.com (upgraded to a feature!) I wrote about pechuga-style mezcals. These are mezcal redistilled with seasonal fruits and nuts, plus a chicken or turkey (or deer or rabbit or pig) hanging in the still. I thought there were only a couple on the market, but there are at least 8
- [The Great Decline in Irish Whiskey](https://alcademics.com/the-great-decline-in-irish-whiskey/) - Irish Whiskey was once one of the most popular spirits in the world and declined from thousands of distilleries down to just two by the late 1900s. Sales are once again skyrocketing on the back of Jameson's success, but things were pretty grim for a while. I knew many of the causes of the decline
- [A Visit to the Kilbeggan Distillery in Ireland](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-kilbeggan-distillery-in-ireland/) - A while back I visited the Kilbeggan Distillery in the middle of Ireland. Kilbeggan is in partnership with the Cooley distillery, a much larger one (without a visitors' center) that was once independent but is now owned by Jim Beam. They make not only Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, but also Tyrconnell, Greenore, and Connemara. The distillery
- [How Much Pappy Van Winkle is Left After 23 Years in a Barrel?](https://alcademics.com/how-much-pappy-van-winkle-is-left-after-23-years-in-a-barrel/) - The most sought-after bourbon in the world, Pappy Van Winkle 23-year-old, begins life as 53 gallons of new-make whiskey at 114 proof. What's left in the barrel after 23 years is a mere 14 gallons of bourbon at around 135-140 proof. What makes it into the bottle is even less. So I decided to run
- [Gamsei, A Hyperlocal Molecular Mixology Bar in Munich](https://alcademics.com/gamsei-a-hyperlocal-molecular-mixology-bar-in-munich/) - I've been bursting waiting for the Saveur 100 issue to come out so I could write more about Gamsei, a bar I visited in Munich this fall and included in the January issue of the magazine. The story is now online at Saveur.com, with a lot more info below. Gamsei comes from Matt Bax,
- [A Wide Range Of Amari & Cocktails In Which To Use Them in Saveur Magazine](https://alcademics.com/a-wide-range-of-amari-cocktails-in-which-to-use-them-in-saveur-magazine/) - If you hadn't heard, your host Camper English is the Contributing Drinks Editor at Saveur Magazine now. Hooray! The current January issue is the annual Saveur 100: "Our favorite places, tools, ingredients, cookbooks, recipes, restaurants, and more." I have two small bits in the magazine. The first is on Amari (plural of Amaro) and cocktails
- [Distillery Visit: Bushmills in Ireland](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-bushmills-in-ireland/) - A while back I enjoyed a brief visit to the Bushmills Irish Whiskey distillery, located at the northern tip of Northern Ireland. Bushmills is located super close to the Giants' Causeway, a natural phenomenon that brings tons of tourists through town every day. Pretty much all the tours also stop at Bushmills, whether that's for
- [Why Add Sugar to Rum When it's Made from Sugar in the First Place?](https://alcademics.com/why-add-sugar-to-rum-when-its-made-from-sugar-in-the-first-place/) - As mentioned in yesterday's post, rum is distilled from any sugar cane derivative like fermented fresh cane juice or molasses. But some producers add sugar to their finished rum after distillation. Adding sugar to any spirit can soften it and hide some flaws, but if you look at the (allegedly) sweetened rums in this post on
- [How Much Sugar is Added to your Rum?](https://alcademics.com/how-much-sugar-is-added-to-your-rum/) - It's a funny thing about rum: It all is distilled from a fermented sugar cane derivative (fresh cane juice, molasses, or something in between), but sugar doesn't pass through the distillation process, so some producers add sugar back into the distilled rum to sweeten it up. Recently on Facebook, people have posted lists of sugar
- [Buffalo Trace: A Second Visit to the Distillery](https://alcademics.com/buffalo-trace-a-second-visit-to-the-distillery/) - On my last visit to the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky, I took a very cool tour of the property that you can read about at that link. On a visit this past February as part of the Bourbon Classic event in Louisville, I had another tour that was completely different and I learned all
- [How to Pack Liquor in your Luggage](https://alcademics.com/how-to-pack-liquor-in-your-luggage/) - I travel an awful lot and most of the time I'm bringing packing at least one bottle of liquor with me. (My record was 7 full bottles.) You can read about how much liquor you can pack in your luggage here, which differs per airline. I've never had a bottle of wine or spirits break in
- [SF Bar Write-Ups: Mikkeller Bar, Brass Tacks, The Cavalier](https://alcademics.com/sf-bar-write-ups-mikkeller-bar-brass-tacks-the-cavalier/) - For the website WorldsBestBars.com I write up new (good) bars opening in San Francisco. For November I covered: The Cavalier, a fancy hotel bar/restaurant downtown Brass Tacks, the Hayes Valley bar in the former Marlena's Mikkeller Bar, a downtown beer bar where the staff are actually nice Check out the write-ups here. Related articles
- [Syrups are the New Bitters on Details.com](https://alcademics.com/syrups-are-the-new-bitters-on-detailscom/) - Have you looked through your December magazines yet? In just about every one that I get (and I get a lot of them), there is a recommendation for a specialty cocktail syrup of one flavor or another as a suggestion for gifting. By the time I noticed this, I'd already written my latest story for
- [Jim Beam's Newish Distillery Tour](https://alcademics.com/jim-beams-newish-distillery-tour/) - I've been to the Beam distillery three times now. I wrote about my first visit in 2008 here, with an additional post about the bottling line. Then I stopped by for another brief visit in 2012 where I got a preview of some of the outdoor displays as part of the new visitors' center. In early
- [Four Roses Bourbon Distillery: A Second Visit](https://alcademics.com/four-roses-bourbon-distillery-a-second-visit/) - In 2008 I first learned about Four Roses Bourbon and its history. Then in 2010 I had the chance to visit the distillery and wrote it up here. In early 2013 on a trip to the Bourbon Classic event in Louisville I had a chance to visit a second time. These are some notes from
- [Distillery Visit: Town Branch Distillery in Lexington, Kentucky](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-town-branch-distillery-in-lexington-kentucky/) - In early 2013 I visited the Town Branch Distillery in Lexington, Kentucky. At the time it was the newest addition to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. My visit was part of the Bourbon Classic, a great event that is taking place in 2014 on Jan 31 and Feb 1. The distillery goes by a lot of
- [Drink Books Published in 2013 in Consideration for Gifting or Reading](https://alcademics.com/drink-books-published-in-2013-in-consideration-for-gifting-or-reading/) - I have a to-read backlog of more than 40 cocktails and spirits books in my house, and that's just the print ones. So while I haven't read the majority of these books released in 2013 yet, I want to list them all together in case you want to buy something for yourself or a liquor
- [High-Tech Bar Equipment on PopSci.com](https://alcademics.com/high-tech-bar-equipment-on-popscicom/) - In a slideshow for Popular Science, I wrote about ten pieces of bar equipment you not know about as they're hidden behind the scenes. The story includes equipment used by some of the world's most innovate bartenders and includes equipment including rotovaps, machine-engraved ice, sous-vide cooking, and many others. Check it out on PopSci.com!
- [Liquid Gift Guide on Details.com](https://alcademics.com/liquid-gift-guide-on-detailscom/) - Hey, I wrote up a gift guide of spirits for Details.com. It includes rum, tequila, gin, vodka, scotch and other whiskies, brandy, and a liqueur. Go get it. Related articles Drink Books Published in 2013 in Consideration for Gifting or Reading With Tobacco-Flavored Liquor, You Can Smoke While You Drink
- [Breakfast Cereal in Cocktails is as Pretty Big Thing](https://alcademics.com/breakfast-cereal-in-cocktails-is-as-pretty-big-thing/) - In my latest post for Details.com, I took a look at the multitude of ways that people are using breakfast cereal in cocktails. Initially I thought I'd only find it in a few places but I think there are more than a dozen mentioned in the story and they're located everwhere from London to Bordeaux
- [All About Absolut Elyx and "Sacrificial Copper"](https://alcademics.com/all-about-absolut-elyx/) - Absolut Elyx is the newish, high-end expression of Absolut vodka. On a trip this past winter to Ahus, Sweden, where Absolut is made, we took a day to learn about Elyx. Elyx is a single-estate vodka made in Absolut's old distillery (the new one is only 5 years old), in amazing copper column stills dating
- [The Wide Variety of Irish Whiskey Made at Midleton](https://alcademics.com/the-wide-variety-of-irish-whiskey-made-at-midleton/) - Jameson, Redbreast, Green Spot, Midleton Very Rare, Powers John Lane, Paddy: These Irish whiskeys and more are all made at one distillery: Midleton in County Cork, Ireland. On a recent trip the distillery for a big celebration (I wrote about that here), I learned more about the differences between various products, and gained some perspective
- [A Doubled Jameson - A Return Visit to the Midleton Distillery in Ireland](https://alcademics.com/a-doubled-jameson-a-return-visit-to-the-midleton-distillery-in-ireland/) - A couple of months ago I returned to the Midleton distillery in Cork, Ireland, for a party they were throwing to celebrate the newly-expanded facility. I wrote a one-page story about it for November's issue of Tasting Panel magazine, which you can read here (digital magazine, go to page 149), but I have more to
- [The Difference Between a Shrub and a Switchel](https://alcademics.com/the-difference-between-a-shrub-and-a-switchel/) - I received the new cocktail menu from Brandon Wise of Imperial in Portland, Oregon and noticed that it has the following drink on it: Slings and Arrows: Dewars blended scotch, Lemonhart Demerara rum, Lemon, Mulled pinot noir syrup, Tony's homemade switchel. The last ingredient was described as, "House-made switchel, also known as swizzle or haymaker’s punch.
- [Robot Bartender Report on Popular Science](https://alcademics.com/robot-bartender-report-on-popular-science/) - My first story for PopularScience.com is a report on the bartenders from BarBot, held this past weekend in San Franicso. Go here to read the story! It's mostly a slideshow with videos as well.
- [Caring for Mini Barrels - Beware of Chlorine!](https://alcademics.com/caring-for-mini-barrels-beware-of-chlorine/) - image from wikipedia If you're using barrels or wood chips to make barrel-aged cocktails, be aware that they can develop 246-TCA, better known as "cork taint." Cork taint doesn't only come from corks, it turns out; it can come from barrels. One way that it forms (in part) is when chlorine bleach is used to
- [ABV, A Forthcoming SF Bar from Dalva, Beretta Folks](https://alcademics.com/abv-a-forthcoming-sf-bar-from-dalva-beretta-folks/) - Coming not-so-soon (January most likely) in the former Tokyo GoGo spot on 16th Street in the Inner Mission of San Francisco will be the bar ABV. ABV is a partnership between Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud (owner of Dalva, Dalva Hideout), Ryan Fitzgerald (former Beretta bar manager and Del Maguey Mezcal brand ambassador), and Todd Smith (bartender at Dalva
- [Which Whisky Chiller Works Wonders?](https://alcademics.com/which-whisky-chiller-works-wonders/) - I have a story in the new Fall 2013 issue of Whisky Advocate magazine that's not online. In it I compared a range of devices meant to chill down whisky. Teroforma Whisky Stones [buy] Teroforma Whisky Stones MAX [buy] Balls of Steel [buy] Skybar's Wine Chill Drops [buy] Tilt Spheres [buy] Steel Ice [buy] A
- [Making Absolut Vodka: A Trip to Ahus, Sweden](https://alcademics.com/making-absolut-vodka-a-trip-to-ahus-sweden/) - Absolut vodka is made in southern Sweden, in the town of Ahus in the Skane region. I took a trip there this winter to learn how the vodka is made. The distillery can produce 650,000 bottles of vodka per day and I had about that many questions for the producers. I think it's best to
- [A Visual Guide to Herbs Used to Make Vermouth](https://alcademics.com/a-visual-guide-to-herbs-used-to-make-vermouth/) - This summer I visited Turin and Pessione Italy with Martini vermouth. The distillery hosts the Martini visitors' center and museum, and in this post you can read about how Martini vermouths are made. On one particularly lovely day, our group piled into cars and drove around the countryside to see the local herbs used to
- [How Martini Vermouth is Made: A Trip to Pessione, Italy](https://alcademics.com/how-martini-rossi-vermouth-is-made-a-trip-to-pessione-italy/) - This summer I took a trip to Pessione, Italy, the home of Martini vermouth. Pessione is a small town just outside of the city of Turin, in the northwestern part of Italy. The distillery site was chosen as it is close the the railroad, though it is also close to both wine-growing and herb-growing regions.
- [A Handy Chart for Categorizing Sherry](https://alcademics.com/a-handy-chart-for-categorizing-sherry/) - In my talk on sherry at Tales of the Cocktail, I was trying to summarize sherry in a way that makes it easy to understand what is in the bottles you find on shelves. I think the three slides below get us pretty close (though I had 90 slides during the talk!). The last chart
- [Bottled Waters Most Resembling Waters of Scotland](https://alcademics.com/bottled-waters-most-resembling-waters-of-scotland/) - In this post we'll look at commercial brands of bottled water that resemble water from the Speyside, Highlands, and Islay regions of Scotland. We saw before that different waters bring out different properties in scotch whisky. We can then look at properties of bottled water from Scotland. Thanks to UisgeSource, we can look at the
- [(Re)Introducing Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth](https://alcademics.com/reintroducing-noilly-prat-extra-dry-vermouth/) - Last year I had the pleasure of visiting the Noilly Prat vermoutherie in Marseillan, France, where I learned about how it is made. Shortly after the visit, I wrote a blog post about the differences between Noilly Prat Dry (aka Original Dry), Noilly Prat Ambre, and Noilly Prat Rouge. It took a year, but they are
- [How Column Distillation Works: Pot-Column Still Edition](https://alcademics.com/how-column-distillation-works-pot-column-still-edition/) - At the Tales of the Cocktail convention this year, I moderated a panel with three distillers who run column stills; one 5-column rum still, one continuous bourbon still, and one pot-column hybrid. John Jeffrey is the Head Distiller for Death's Door Spirits. He makes vodka, rum, and white whiskey and will be releasing aged whiskey in the
- [How Column Distillation Works: Multi-Column Rum and Vodka Edition](https://alcademics.com/how-column-distillation-works-rum-and-vodka-edition/) - At the Tales of the Cocktail convention this year, I moderated a panel with three distillers who run column stills; one 5-column rum still, one continuous bourbon still, and one pot-column hybrid. Liza Cordero is the Process Director for DonQ rum, made at the Serralles distillery in Puerto Rico. She runs a pretty gigantic 5-column still. It
- [How Column Distillation Works: Bourbon Edition](https://alcademics.com/how-column-distillation-works-bourbon-edition/) - At the Tales of the Cocktail convention this year, I moderated a panel with three distillers who run column stills; one 5-column rum still, one continuous bourbon still, and one pot-column hybrid. Kevin Curtis is the Distillery Operations Manager for Michter's Whiskey. This company is building a new distillery with a continuous column still. He
- [Does Water Matter in Spirits Production?](https://alcademics.com/does-water-matter-in-spirits-production/) - Though I often write for DiffordsGuide.com, this time editor Ian Cameron wrote about me, or rather, my talk on water at Tales of the Cocktail. Some of the information in the seminar you may have read here previously on Alcademics as part of the Water Project, and some information from the talk is definitely new.
- [A Whisky and Water Tasting](https://alcademics.com/a-whisky-and-water-tasting/) - Today, Friday July 12, is the last day to purchase online tickets for Tales of the Cocktail seminars. There are still plenty of seats in my Water World: Water in Spirits and Drinks seminar, and I encourage you to attend. It's going to blow your mouth. In previous posts, we've seen that different mineral waters
- [Frozen Juice Makes Nice Ice Balls](https://alcademics.com/frozen-juice-makes-nice-ice-balls/) - In my previous experiments with making colored ice balls, I found that the color from food coloring in water didn't evenly distribute, even though it made pretty patterns. But when I visited the new MKT Bar at the Four Seasons in San Francisco, I had a drink with an ice ball with well-distributed color. It
- [Interview with a Water Sommelier](https://alcademics.com/interview-with-a-water-sommelier/) - In researching water in both both distilled spirits and at serving, I came across Martin Riese, a water sommelier. He is the General Manager at Ray's & Stark, a restaurant located at the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA). He is developing a water program for the restaurant, and has his own water brand, hilariously
- [A Visit to the Fernet-Branca Distillery in Buenos Aires, Argentina](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-fernet-branca-distillery-in-buenos-aires-argentina/) - Back in April I visited the Fernet-Branca distillery outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some of you may remember me tweeting about it. Well, it's about time I gave it the formal write-up. Fernet-Branca owns two distilleries: the main one in Milan, Italy, and this one in Buenos Aires. In past years there used to be
- [How Different Waters Affect The Flavor of Whisky](https://alcademics.com/how-different-waters-affect-the-flavor-of-whisky/) - This is some seriously cool stuff! A few weeks ago I tasted waters sourced from Scotland's Highlands, Speyside, and Islay regions and noticed how they brought out different flavors in scotch whisky. Bowmore's master blender Rachel Barrie recently performed a similar experiment, though she didn't name the source of the waters. But it turns out
- [Pairing Mineral Water With Food](https://alcademics.com/pairing-mineral-water-with-food/) - This blog post contains more information from Michael Mascha's book Fine Waters and website FineWaters.com. Previously I looked at How to Classify Bottled Waters and How to Properly Serve Bottle Water. Today we'll look at pairing water with food. You can read the full description of it on the FineWaters website. Basically, Mascha says you
- [How to Properly Serve Bottled Water](https://alcademics.com/how-to-properly-serve-bottled-water/) - The book Fine Waters and the accompanying website have been real eye-openers for me. In another post I wrote about how the author Michael Mascha categorizes bottled waters. In this post I'll talk about how he recommends serving bottled waters. And in another post I'll share his advice on pairing water with food and wine.
- [Water Research Resources](https://alcademics.com/water-research-resources/) - Below are some of the sources I've been using in the Water Project here on Alcademics. I'll update this page as I use more resources and read more books. Fix the Pumps. This book by Darcy O'Neil about vintage soda fountains also has information about mineral waters, which were once made-to-order. It includes practical information
- [How to Classify Bottled Waters](https://alcademics.com/how-to-classify-bottled-waters/) - Most books about bottled water seem to trace the history and environmental impact of the industry, but Fine Waters by Michael Mascha is quite a different book from that. Mascha is a water sommelier and runs the website FineWaters.com, which contains pretty much all of the information in the book as far as I can
- [More Mineral Water Info from a Book on Soda](https://alcademics.com/more-mineral-water-info-from-a-book-on-soda/) - Another useful resource in my exploration of water in spirits and cocktails is Darcy O'Neil's book Fix the Pumps. The book focusses on the history and mechanics of the pre-Prohibition soda fountain. Though largely filled with information on sodas, it includes a chapter and some recipes on mineral waters. Before global shipping became easy, soda
- [Paloma Recipe Round-Up: 20+ Paloma Variations](https://alcademics.com/paloma-recipe-round-up/) - In my research on the Paloma I have come across many variations on the drink, so I thought I'd link to them here. Typically the Paloma is made with tequila (always use 100% agave!), grapefruit soda such as Squirt or Jarritos, a squeeze of a lime wedge and a pinch of salt. Esquire's standard recipe
- [Perfectly Clear Ice Balls - A Clever Trick](https://alcademics.com/perfectly-clear-ice-balls-a-clever-trick/) - One of Alcademics' readers figured out a simple way to make perfectly clear ice balls by using a silicon ice ball mold, a piece of wire, and a pot of water. His name is Craig Belon and so he calls it the Belon Method. No actual parrots are required. [update: Check out easier ways to
- [Building Better Mineral Water: Deconstructing Mineral Waters](https://alcademics.com/building-better-mineral-water-deconstructing-mineral-waters/) - In the Water Project here on Alcademics, I'm looking at what is in commercial brands of sparkling mineral waters and reconstructing them. To do so, first I looked at how to get all the dissolved solids out of tap water. Then I measured properties of commercial mineral waters - pH and dissolved solids- and compared
- [Top Bourbon Historical Myths on Details Daily Blog](https://alcademics.com/top-bourbon-historical-myths-on-details-daily-blog/) - My latest story is up on Details.com. I took a look at Michael Veach's amazing book Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage and wrote about a few of the many bourbon myths he busted. These include who invented bourbon, why it's called that, what they used to put into it to make it taste older,
- [Tasting the Regional Waters of Scotland](https://alcademics.com/tasting-the-regional-waters-of-scotland/) - In my search for information about water sources used for various spirits as part of the Water Project, I came across Uisge Source, a company that bottles waters from different regions in Scotland. The waters from Speyside, Islay, and the Highlands are meant to be representative of the waters used by distillers in those regions
- [Salad in a Glass: Arugula, Spinach, and Kale Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/salad-in-a-glass-arugula-spinach-and-kale-cocktails/) - In my latest post for Details.com, I talk about the interesting trend of leafy green salad vegetables making their way into cocktails. Shut Up and Drink Your Salad: Cocktails Embrace Spinach, Kale, and ArugulaBy Camper English The West Coast style of cocktail in which bartenders muddle a cornucopia of fruits and herbs in their drinks
- [Making Mineral Water: Starting from Scratch](https://alcademics.com/making-mineral-water-starting-from-scratch/) - In the Water Project I'm studying water in spirits in cocktails, from the source water for fermentation through to the sparkling water we use to dilute drinks. As part of the latter research, I'm looking into deconstructing and reconstructing mineral water. Much of the work on this has been done by other people and I'll
- [The Geology of Scotland and the book Scotch on the Rocks](https://alcademics.com/the-geology-of-scotland-and-the-book-scotch-on-the-rocks/) - In my studies of water in spirits and cocktails, I picked up the book Whisky on the Rocks: Origins of the 'Water of Life' by Stephen and Julie Cribb. The book is about the geography of Scotland and how that influences the water sources for scotch whisky. It turns out Scotland's geology is pretty varied
- [Make Easter Egg Ice for Easter](https://alcademics.com/make-easter-egg-ice-for-easter/) - Check out this post from a few years back on making ice shaped like Easter eggs. Short answer: water balloons.
- [A Visit to the Nordic Food Lab in Copenhagen](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-nordic-food-lab-in-copenhagen/) - This February I was lucky to be invited to visit the Nordic Food Lab, which is located on a boat floating in a harbor off Copenhagen. It was formerly the research lab of the world's top-rated restaurant NOMA, and I believe they still have a close relationship and work together on projects. The lab is
- [A Tribute to Harry Craddock on the 50th Anniversary of his Death](https://alcademics.com/a-tribute-to-harry-craddock-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-his-death/) - In January I flew to London for an event to celebrate the life and career of Harry Craddock, author of the Savoy Cocktail Book. The event was sponsored by Plymouth Gin, which is mentioned by name many times throughout the Savoy. The tour was attended by Plymouth's distiller Sean Harrison, the top London bartenders, and
- [Transform Tap Water into Magical Alpine Fairy-Water (Book Excerpt)](https://alcademics.com/transform-tap-water-into-magical-alpine-fairy-water-book-excerpt/) - Today's post is an excerpt from the new book Craft Cocktails at Home: Offbeat Techniques, Contemporary Crowd-Pleasers, and Classics Hacked with Science by Kevin Liu. The book is heavy on the science, which is awesome. And you can download the Kindle version for free Thursday, February 28 - Saturday, March 2. Liu gave me permission to
- [The Ice King of the Internet](https://alcademics.com/the-ice-king-of-the-internet/) - I was interviewed recently for a story in a magazine for the iPad/iPhone called The Magazine. During the interview we were joking that I'm the Ice King of the Internet. The quote didn't make it into the story, but I've adopted that as an official title. Hail your new king! In the story, writer
- [Cocktails in the Champagne Style](https://alcademics.com/cocktails-in-the-champagne-style/) - For CLASS Magazine/DiffordsGuide.com, I interviewed Jeff Josenhans of San Diego's US Grant Hotel. He's been quietly doing pretty cool stuff over there. He implemented one of the first cocktail herb gardens, has barrel aged cocktails that he is able to sell commercially, and now features the "Cocktails Sur Lie" program. Cocktail ingredients (minus the base
- [The Wide World of the Ward Eight](https://alcademics.com/the-wide-world-of-the-ward-eight/) - In my latest column for FineCooking.com, I talk about how the Ward Eight cocktail is everywhere these days. You know how you learn the definition of a word and then suddenly you keep hearing that word everywhere? Over the past month it has been that way with me and the Ward Eight cocktail. I had
- [A Sampling of Sugars from Asia](https://alcademics.com/a-sampling-of-sugars-from-asia/) - Last year at Tales of the Cocktail I gave a talk along, with David Cid of Bacardi, about sugar, syrups, and rum. A detailed write-up of that talk is on the blog Commercial Free Cocktail. As part of that talk, I passed around a ton of samples of sugars to taste. Most of these sugars
- [2012: My Year in Boozy Travel](https://alcademics.com/2012-my-year-in-boozy-travel/) - I decided to add up all the trips I took in 2012 and compare it to last year's travel, and it appears this year I was a total slacker. I took a mere 17 trips this year (22 last year), and flew only 90,000 miles in the air, compared with 150,000 last year. I visited
- [When Did Grenadine Become an Artificial Ingredient?](https://alcademics.com/when-did-grenadine-become-an-artificial-ingredient/) - We all know that grenadine is supposed to be a syrup made of pomegranate juice and sugar, often with orange flower water added in. But most commercial grenadines are little more than red food coloring and sweetener. We might think that artificially-flavored cocktail ingredients like grenadine all came to be in the post-war 1940s and
- [The History of Grenadine Use in Cocktails: Theories and Conclusions](https://alcademics.com/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
- [The History of Grenadine Use in Cocktails: Literature Review](https://alcademics.com/the-history-of-grenadine-use-in-cocktails/) - 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
- [Bartenders Dosing Drinks with Acid (Phosphate)](https://alcademics.com/bartenders-dropping-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
- [Ice Info for New Readers](https://alcademics.com/in-search-of-ice/) - 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.
- [Cocktail Trend Predictions for 2013 on the Details Blog](https://alcademics.com/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:
- [A Huge Interview with Camper English on Eater.com](https://alcademics.com/a-huge-interview-with-camper-english-on-eatercom/) - 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
- [Essential Oils and Cointreau's Centrifuge](https://alcademics.com/essential-oils-and-cointreaus-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
- [Leave Negroni Alone! (A Story on Details.com)](https://alcademics.com/leave-negroni-alone-a-story-on-detailscom/) - 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."
- [Making Clear Ice Using a Blast Freezer](https://alcademics.com/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
- [A Dramatic Video About Ice from The Aviary](https://alcademics.com/a-dramatic-video-about-ice-from-the-aviary/) - Here's a video from Chicago's molecular mixology bar The Aviary with cool slow-motion shots of ice. And here is an index of all of the ice experiments on Alcademics.
- [A Quick Bit on Flips on Details.com](https://alcademics.com/a-quick-bit-on-flips-on-detailscom/) - My most recent story for Details.com is about flips: drinks made with whole eggs. In the piece I talk about silver and golden fizzes, noggs, and a few places to find flips around the country. Go check it out!
- [How Cognac D'USSE is Made](https://alcademics.com/how-cognac-dusse-is-made/) - While I was in Cognac with Grey Goose, I made a quick trip to the Chateau de Cognac where they make cognac Baron Otard in addition to the new product for the US market, D'USSE. I previously visited this chateau to learn about Baron Otard, which was then just called Otard. Baron Otard is the
- [How Grey Goose is Made](https://alcademics.com/how-grey-goose-is-made/) - This September I visited Cognac, France to judge a competition for Grey Goose vodka. While there, I learned about the production process. I'm sorry I don't have pictures of all this to share- you like reading, right? Grey Goose is made in two parts: in Picardy, in the north of France, where the wheat is
- [A Few Things Learned in the Agave Fields in Mexico](https://alcademics.com/a-few-things-learned-in-the-agave-fields-in-mexico/) - On my recent trip with the Tahona Society, we visited took ATVs into the agave fields and "helped" harvest some agave. There, Olmeca Altos tequila Master Distiller Jesus Hernandez filled me in on some details about agave I didn't know, so I thought I'd share them: The quiote, the giant asparagus-shaped sprout that shoots up from
- [A Visit to the Sauza Distillery in Tequila, Mexico](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-sauza-distillery-in-tequila-mexico/) - Today on the Tahona Society trip to the tequila regions of Mexico we visited the distillery of Sauza. Yesterday's visit to La Fortaleza was an example of the most primitive/traditional production methods for tequila. Today at Sauza we say the most high-tech.I last visited Sauza about a year ago, and that post on Alcademics is
- [La Fortaleza Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/la-fortaleza-distillery-visit/) - Yesterday I visited the La Fortaleza distillery. This tiny distillery makes 100% tahona tequila, in the heart of the city of Tequila in the Lowlands. The distillery was rebuilt in a 100 year old distillery site by Guillermo Sauza, 5th-generation Sauza family. His grandfather sold Sauza to the company who sold it to Jim Beam.
- [Visiting Olmeca Altos Distillery](https://alcademics.com/visiting-olmeca-altos-distillery/) - Today we visited the distillery Pedro Domecq, where they make Tezon, Olmeca Altos, and Olmeca tequilas. I wrote about this distillery before on Alcademics. The post is here.Tezon is made from 100 percent tahona-milled agave. It is no longer on the US market. Olmeca Altos is a blend of tahona-milled agave and rollermill agave.
- [Texture in Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/texture-in-cocktails/) - This post is sponsored by PAMA pomegranate liqueur, but written by me. Texture in Cocktails Flavor and balance are probably the most important components of cocktail quality, but it's the temperature, texture, aroma, strength, and presentation that makes for a wel-rounded drink. I pay a lot of attention to texture in both cocktails and base
- [Correct Cocktail Carbonation](https://alcademics.com/correct-cocktail-carbonation/) - In this weekend's story in the San Francisco Chronicle, I wrote about bartenders carbonating cocktails- to order, in bottles, on tap, and in one case with nitrous oxide instead of carbon dioxide. Let's look at the ways bars in the story (and a few places I didn't have room to mention) are carbonating: Citrus Starlight
- [Carbonated Cocktails in the San Francisco Chronicle](https://alcademics.com/carbonated-cocktails-in-the-san-francisco-chronicle/) - My latest story for the San Francisco Chronicle is now online. I wrote about carbonated cocktails and the many, many different approaches bartenders are taking to make them. Carbonated cocktails proving popularBy Camper English A little fizz can do wonders for a cocktail, making it more aromatic, lighter and a bit more dynamic.Traditionally, drinks get
- [The Surprisingly Interesting History and Production of Tabasco Pepper Sauce](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-avery-island-home-of-tabasco-pepper-sauce/) - This spring I went to Avery Island, Louisiana, to see how Tabasco pepper sauce is made. Avery Island isn't really an island, but more of a dry mound (a salt dome) surrounded by wetlands. It's about 165 feet high and that makes it the tallest point in the Gulf Coast. The island is owned entirely
- [I Peated in your Scotch: A Trip to Laphroaig](https://alcademics.com/i-peated-in-your-scotch-a-trip-to-laphroaig/) - In June I took a short trip to Islay, Scotland to see how Laphroaig single-malt scotch whisky is made. Islay is an island off the coast of Scotland known for its smoky, peaty whiskies. What Laphroaig does differently from other scotch producers, as you'll read, is: Floor maltings Separation of malt flavoring (with peat smoke)
- [Jamaican Rums Bring the Stank on Details.com](https://alcademics.com/jamaican-rums-bring-the-stank-on-detailscom/) - In my second story for Details.com, I wrote about the wonderfully pungent pot-still rums and blends from Jamaica. Bring the Funk: New Jamaican Rums Embrace the Stank August 16 is National Rum Day—a virtual invitation for bloggers to post recipes for crappy blender drinks and liquid fruit salads. Not only does this celebrate dumb cocktails,
- [All About Anise](https://alcademics.com/all-about-anise/) - I attended a good portion of a seminar called Anise: Treasure of the Mediterranean at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this July. Though I couldn't stay until the very end, the seminar was great. The speakers were Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller of Mixellany, Franesco LaFranconi of Southern Wine & Spirits, and Orietta
- [Filtration in Spirits: A Primer](https://alcademics.com/filtration-in-spirits-a-primer/) - For CLASS Magazine online at DiffordsGuide.com, I wrote an article about filtration in spirits. This was based on the research I did for my talk on the subject at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic earlier this year. Don't Forget the Filtration FactorBy Camper English Nearly every spirit undergoes some sort of filtration, yet we rarely acknowledge
- [Brown-Forman Cooperage Pics and Videos](https://alcademics.com/brown-forman-cooperage-pics-and-videos/) - The Brown-Forman Cooperage is located in Louisville, Kentucky. There they make the barrels for Jack Daniels and their other brands. Below are some pictures from my visit. You can read about what I saw in my story for CLASS Magazine here. Below are a couple of videos. The first is the machine that puts hoops
- [My Enthronement: The Ordre International des Anysetiers](https://alcademics.com/my-enthronement-the-ordre-international-des-anysetiers/) - I probably won't be part of an enthronement ceremony too many times in my life, so I thought I'd make a big deal out of this one: I was inducted into the first American Chapter of the Ordre International des Anysetiers during Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this July. The Ordre International des Anysetiers
- [Buffalo Trace Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/buffalo-trace-distillery-visit/) - This spring I visited 8 American whiskey distilleries, including Buffalo Trace. Buffalo Trace is owned by the Sazerac company. They make Buffalo Trace, Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee, Eagle Rare, Van Winkle, and other whiskey brands, plus the make/own/import other spirits including Rain vodka, Puebla Viejo tequila, and Glenfarclass scotch. Unlike most of the other American
- [Blue Cocktails on Details.com](https://alcademics.com/blue-cocktails-on-detailscom/) - I attended an awesome seminar on blue drinks at Tales of the Cocktail this weekend, lead by Sebastian Reaburn, Jacob Briars, and Phil Duff. Then I wrote a piece about it for Details.com, the website of Details magazine. It's my first story for the website. I learned a lot more in the seminar than is in
- [Another Way to Make Clear Ice at Home](https://alcademics.com/another-way-to-make-clear-ice-at-home/) - I am honored to have as Alcademics readers people who are just as huge cocktail nerds as I am. Many take on projects that I run out of time to do, pass along better information to me, or fill me in on the science I'm missing. Kevin Liu, who has recently started the blog Craft
- [Heaven Hill Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/heaven-hill-distillery-visit/) - This spring I visited 8 American whiskey distilleries, including Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill makes whisky brands Evan Williams (the second largest bourbon after Jim Beam), Elijah Craig, Bernheim Wheat Whiskey, Old Fitzgerald, Rittenhouse Rye, and Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey, plus they make and/or own Burnett's vodka, Hypnotiq, Lunazul tequila, and many other brands. They are
- [Noilly Prat Vermouth: The Differences Between Original Dry, Rouge, and Ambre](https://alcademics.com/noilly-prat-vermouth-dry-rouge-ambre/) - In yesterday's post I discussed how Noilly Prat vermouth is made, as learned on my visit to the vermoutherie in Marseillan, France. Today I want to talk about the differences between the types of vermouth they make. In most parts of the world, Original Dry is the only Noilly Prat. The Rouge is primarily for the
- [Making Vermouth: A Trip to Noilly Prat in Marseillan, France](https://alcademics.com/making-vermouth-a-trip-to-noilly-prat-in-marseillan-france/) - Though vermouth as an essential ingredient in cocktails, I never gave much though to its production, figuring it was just a simple infusion of herbs in fortified wine. It turns out there is a lot more to it than that. This June I visited Marseillan, France, the home of Noilly Prat vermouth. There, it is
- [A Sneak Peak at Jim Beam's New Visitors' Center](https://alcademics.com/a-sneak-peak-at-jim-beams-new-visitors-center/) - I previously visited the Jim Beam distillery in Kentucky and got a great in-depth tour of the facilities (read about it here), but until recently regular tourists have only had a pretty mediocre visitor's experience. They didn't get to see the actual distillery as it's a very industrial workplace. Now they're greatly expanding the visitors'
- [Maker's Mark Distillery Visit 2012](https://alcademics.com/makers-mark-distillery-visit-2012/) - This spring I visited the Maker's Mark distillery, along with seven other American whiskey distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. I had previously been to Maker's Mark and wrote about my visit here. As you'll read, I learned a lot of different stuff on this trip. Maker's Mark uses a mashbill of 70% corn, 16% soft
- [Woodford Reserve Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/woodford-reserve-distillery-visit/) - This spring I visited eight American whiskey distilleries, including Woodford Reserve. Woodford Reserve's distillery is in a charming setting, nestled down next to a stream in a little valley. The distillery is in a grey stone building dating to 1838, though everything inside it is new. Like most American whiskey distilleries, it changed names and
- [Best Business Bars in Entrepreneur Magazine](https://alcademics.com/best-business-bars-in-entrepreneur-magazine/) - I contributed a few write-ups to Entrepreneur Magazine's annual Best Business Bars story. It is the July issue, hitting newsstands now. I wrote about Azucar Lounge in San Francisco, Drago Centro in Los Angeles, and ROOF at TheWit in Chicago. Pick it up at the newsstand or read it online here.
- [Wild Turkey Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/wild-turkey-distillery-visit/) - This spring I visited eight American whiskey distilleries, including Wild Turkey. The Wild Turkey brand has been around a while, but the current distillery is just three years old, having moved across the street from the old one. It's clean, modern, and spacious. Wild Turkey uses all non-GMO grains in their bourbon and rye, but
- [Jack Daniel's Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/jack-daniels-distillery-visit/) - This spring I toured eight American whisky distilleries, including Jack Daniel's. As you'd expect, Jack Daniel's is a huge operation with a very slick tour. You start with a video at the visitors' center, then take a shuttle up to the top of the hill. There, they burn sugar maple wood into charcoal for the
- [Distillery Visit: George Dickel](https://alcademics.com/distillery-visit-george-dickel/) - This spring I visited the George Dickel distillery, located in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee. Dickel and Jack Daniel's are the two defining Tennessee whiskies: both employ the "Lincoln County Process" of running the new spirit through 10+ feet of charcoal before it is aged. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a requirement of Tennessee whisky,
- [Summer Whisky Cocktails in Whisky Advocate Magazine](https://alcademics.com/summer-whisky-cocktails-in-whisky-advocate-magazine/) - Holy Smokes! They put my story on Summer Whisky Cocktails on the cover of Whisky Advocate Magazine! Inside it's 7 pages of deliciousness, with recipes brought to you by: Alan Akwai Brendan Dorr Jon Santer David Delaney, Jr. Larry Rice Sam Ross Kevin Diedrich Kevin Kelpe Mike Ryan There are swizzles and punches and
- [When Pot Distilled Whiskey Is Not Pot Still Whiskey](https://alcademics.com/when-pot-distilled-whiskey-is-not-pot-still-whiskey/) - What is pot still whiskey? The obvious answer is "whiskey that's made in a pot still," but apparently that's not true if you're in Ireland. I was on a trip recently with whiskey writer/expert/class clown/author Dominic Roskrow and was showing off my sexy Irish whiskey distillery diagram, when he called me out on it. He
- [A Few Thousand Words on the Aviation, In German](https://alcademics.com/a-few-thousand-words-on-the-aviation-in-german/) - In the current issue of Mixology Magazine, the premier German-language bartending magazine, I have a big story about the Aviation cocktail. It covers a bunch of the history of the cocktail - how it originally had creme de violette and then the recipe was probably copied incorrectly and it was not made the right way
- [Another Commercial Clear Ice Cube Tray](https://alcademics.com/another-commercial-clear-ice-cube-tray/) - As you may recall, through much experimentation I figured out a way to make clear ice at home. I later found an ice cube tray that uses the same principle (controlling direction of freezing) to make clear ice. And now someone just pointed me to another ice cube tray that also uses the same principle
- [The Sangria Spectrum in Fine Cooking Magazine](https://alcademics.com/the-sangria-spectrum-in-fine-cooking-magazine/) - In the June/July issue of Fine Cooking magazine I have a story about sangria. We kind of rewrote it a bunch of times and now it's mostly a list of tips on how to make a good sangria, but here is the intro. Traditional sangria is delicious, but it can also be a bit predictable:
- [Extreme Aperol and the No Baloney Negroni](https://alcademics.com/extreme-aperol-and-the-no-baloney-negroni/) - As ongoing part of the Solid Liquids Project, I decided to make high-proof Aperol. I haven't talked about this use of dehydrated liqueurs yet, which is making high-proof spirits with them. Simply add neutral grain spirits plus dehydrated liqueur, plus some of the original liqueur to keep taste consistency. First I dehydrated some Aperol (I
- [Dehydrated Liqueur Flavor Pills and Champagne Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/dehydrated-liqueur-flavor-pills-and-champagne-cocktails/) - As an ongoing part of my Solid Liquids Project, I have dehydrated various liqueurs into flavored powders and am now experimenting with new ways to use them. In yesterday's post I described how I bought a pill press to make tablets out of the liqueurs. I started with Angostura bitters, but then made additional "flavor
- [The Bitter Pill: Dehydrated Angostura Bitters Tablets](https://alcademics.com/the-bitter-pill-dehydrated-angostura-bitters-tablets/) - As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I wanted to find some more uses for the dehydrated liqueurs I spent a few months developing. The index to that experimentation is here. Yesterday I tried putting dehydrated liqueurs into pill capsules, but these did not readily dissolve in any of the drinks I put them in. So
- [A Brilliant Idea That Didn't Quite Work](https://alcademics.com/a-brilliant-idea-that-didnt-quite-work/) - You'll remember I spent a few months figuring out the best way to dehydrate liqueurs into flavored sugars. Now I'm finding new ways to use those liqueur-flavored sugars. Typically bartenders who use these dehydrated liqueurs sprinkle some on top of an egg white foam or use them as a rimming sugar on a cocktail glass.
- [The Golden Gate 75 Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/the-golden-gate-75-cocktail/) - I created the Golden Gate 75 cocktail in tribute to the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th anniversary. They are doing a whole series of events around the anniversary with a big party on May 27th. I had an idea: Golden Gate 75 is close to French 75. And if we swap out gin and lemon for
- [A South American Sazerac](https://alcademics.com/a-south-american-sazerac/) - Over at FineCooking.com, I posted the recipe for the Sazeru, a version of the Sazerac made with Pisco (from Peru, get it?). I actually made the drink as part of the final exam for the five-day B.A.R. course I took a couple of years ago. We had to create a cocktail with just four ingredients,
- [Cocktail Predictions for San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/cocktail-predictions-for-san-francisco/) - I wrote this piece on predictions for the Bay Area cocktail scene back in November for The Bold Italic magazine, and it has just gone online. They made it look super snazzy for the web. Predictions include: Shorter cocktail menus Hyper-local cocktail menus More Scott Beattie Cocktail party pop-ups Other cities taking the lead over
- [I'm On A Boat (Magazine)](https://alcademics.com/im-on-a-boat-magazine/) - Should you happen to be riding along with Seabourn Cruises sometime soon, you may find a story from me in your onboard magazine. I wrote a story about pastis, how is originated wtih absinthe, and what it's like today. I don't think the story will ever go online, so you'll just have to book a
- [Find Me in the Penthouse](https://alcademics.com/find-me-in-the-penthouse/) - Penthouse magazine, that is. I have a story in the April issue about my trip to Warsaw and the ancient forest with ZU vodka, the bison grass vodka known throughout the world as Zubrowka. But I'm also in Penthouse as a model, again! Of course you'll recognize my hand, sexily caressing that
- [Where Irish Whiskey Really Is Really Made](https://alcademics.com/where-irish-whiskey-really-is-really-made/) - In my story last week in the San Francisco Chronicle, I didn't get the chance to be as nerdy as I wanted to with the specifics of the three (and a half) distilleries in Ireland and which whiskies they make. So here are more details from an earlier draft of the story. Jameson, which accounts
- [Irish Whiskey in the San Francisco Chronicle](https://alcademics.com/irish-whiskey-in-the-san-francisco-chronicle/) - Hooray! I have a story in the San Francisco Chronicle about Irish whiskey. It discusses the popularity of Irish whiskey, some reasons for that popularity, its lack of use in cocktails, a cocktail recipe from Phil Mauro of Rye, and Ireland's three-and-a-half distilleries and their brands. I was able to get through it without even
- [Irish Whiskey History](https://alcademics.com/irish-whiskey-history/) - I recently read the book Irish Whiskey: A 1000 Year Tradition, which is no longer in print but still available. It was originally published in 1980 and most recently reprinted in 1998. A lot has happened since then, but this book has some good historical information. Here are some facts and assertions from the book.
- [The Science of Dilution](https://alcademics.com/the-science-of-dilution/) - While at Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver, I attended the seminar on dilution by Audrey Saunders and Harold McGee. Saunders is the owner of the Pegu Club in New York and McGee is the author of the seminal work On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Part of the discussion
- [Liquid Smoke in the LA Times Magazine](https://alcademics.com/liquid-smoke-in-the-la-times-magazine/) - I have a story about smoke cocktails in this Sunday's LA Times Magazine. Go read it! PHOTO: BARTHOLOMEW COOKE Now, you're saying, "Didn't I already read that?" Nope, that would be Robert Simonson's excellent story in the New York Times, which I learned about after mine had already been submitted. We cover pretty much the
- [A Clear Ice Ball Maker You Can Buy](https://alcademics.com/a-clear-ice-ball-maker-you-can-buy/) - One difficulty with the Igloo Cooler method of making clear ice is that you get a great big block of ice at the end and have to cut it up into usable cubes yourself. I developed an ice cube tray using plastic boxes that gets the ice into long rectangles, and that's a bit closer
- [Modern Day Pond and Lake Ice Harvests in America](https://alcademics.com/modern-day-ice-harvests-in-america/) - I got it into my head that I want to see a pond or lake ice harvest, despite my contempt for winter. Commercial ice harvests changed the cocktail landscape in America in the early-mid 1800s, allowing for the creation of juleps and cobblers and the popularization of the drinking straw and the cocktail shaker. Today
- [How Machine Ice Is Made](https://alcademics.com/how-machine-ice-is-made/) - These are a few ways that ice was and is made, which I learned from the awesome book Ice: The Nature, the History, and the Uses of an Astonishing Substance by Mariana Gosnell. Slushie Method The first way is just like making ice cream the old-fashioned way: snow or cold water mixed with salt can become
- [Carbonation Science](https://alcademics.com/carbonation-science/) - I was lucky enough to get a sample of the Perlini cocktail carbonating system, but before I even got around to using it I was fascinated by carbonation information the instruction manual. Note: Yes, I read the instruction manuals. Pretty much always. The Perlini is basically a cocktail shaker than you fill with carbon dioxide
- [How Water Freezes](https://alcademics.com/how-water-freezes/) - This post is about how a lake freezes, but it should be more or less the same for how an insulated container freezes in a freezer. The information is from the excellent book, Ice: The Nature, the History, and the Uses of an Astonishing Substance by Mariana Gosnell. Turnover As temperatures lower, the water in a lake
- [2011: My Year in Cocktail Writing](https://alcademics.com/2011-my-year-in-cocktail-writing/) - Looking over the year (read: sending invoices) for 2011, it turns out that I managed to get a lot of work done in between all the trips. This year I contributed to: FineCooking.com as the weekly cocktail blogger Mixology Magazine in Germany The LA Times Magazine Caviar Affair Magazine SilverKris (Singapore Airlines) Penthouse Magazine The
- [2011: A Year of Spirituous Travel](https://alcademics.com/2011-a-huge-year-for-travel/) - In 2011, I traveled to 12 foreign countries not counting repeats on 22 different trips, flying 156,000 miles to do so. I had a mere 80 nights in hotel rooms and one or two hangovers. My trips this year were: Vino 2011 in NYC Jameson Irish Whiskey in Ireland Casa Noble Tequila in Mexico Angostura
- [Instant Infusions in Tasting Panel Magazine](https://alcademics.com/instant-infusions-in-tasting-panel-magazine/) - I have a short piece in Tasting Panel Magazine about the instant infusion method - using a whipped cream charger filled with nitrous oxide to infuse flavors in spirits - and Purity Vodka's promotion of the technique. The story is at this link, which opens a digital magazine reader. By the way, the original Dave
- [Trends in Craft Beer in SilverKris Magazine](https://alcademics.com/trends-in-craft-beer-in-silverkris-magazine/) - My editor at SilverKris, the inflight magazine for Singapore Airlines, emailed me something like, "I hear craft beer is becoming popular. Can you do a story on that?" "Sure," I said, knowing that boiling down everything going on with craft beer into even a feature-length story was going to be incredibly difficult. The story kind
- [New Fernets in the San Francisco Chronicle](https://alcademics.com/new-fernets-in-the-san-francisco-chronicle/) - In the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, December 18th, I have a story on the category of fernet. Leopold Brothers has a modern formulation of fernet that should be hitting story shelves this Wednesday afternoon, and Tempus Fugit Spirits has a vintage recreation of fernet coming in the new year. (Photo by John Storey) From
- [Japanese Bartending Story](https://alcademics.com/japanese-bartending-story/) - I have a short piece in the new issue of Caviar Affair magazine describing the influence of Japanese bartending on the rest of the world. The magazine also has lots of pricey booze recomendations, stories about port and cognac, and a few bartenders you may know. The digital version of the magazine is at this
- [Bartenders Looking Very GQ](https://alcademics.com/bartenders-looking-very-gq/) - Hey, I'm in GQ magazine in the December issue. Surprisingly not as their Man of the Year, but in the Bombay Sapphire advertorial looking somewhat constipated. The four-page spread is about the Most Inspired Bartender contest 2011, for which I was one of the judges. We all carved our names into that ice block
- [Bars in Japan: Observations](https://alcademics.com/bars-in-japan-observations/) - Here are some observations about bars in Japan from my trip with Suntory whiskies. You can smoke in bars in Japan. Bars were all a little bit smoky, but none of them I visited were smoky that your eyes hurt. When you enter a cocktail bar and most other types of bars, they give you
- [Bars in Japan: Miscellany](https://alcademics.com/bars-in-japan-miscellany/) - On my five-day visit to Japan with Suntory whiskies I hit 21 bars by my count. I am talking about them in groups. Next up: The Rest of Them. The difference between the various styles of bars is subtle and I'm defining them as I see them. I'll be describing whisky bars, cocktail bars, highball and standing bars,
- [Bars in Japan: Standing and Highball Bars](https://alcademics.com/bars-in-japan-standing-and-highball-bars/) - On my five-day visit to Japan with Suntory whiskies I hit 21 bars by my count. I am talking about them in groups. Next up: Standing and Highball Bars. The difference between the various styles of bars is subtle and I'm defining them as I see them. I'll be describing whisky bars, cocktail bars, highball and standing bars,
- [Bars in Japan: Cocktail Bars](https://alcademics.com/bars/) - On my five-day visit to Japan with Suntory whiskies I hit 21 bars by my count. I am talking about them in groups. Next up: Cocktail Bars. The difference between the various styles of bars is subtle and I'm defining them as I see them. I'll be describing whisky bars, cocktail bars, highball and standing bars, and pubs/clubs/dives. Many
- [Bars in Japan: Whisky Bars](https://alcademics.com/bars-in-japan-whisky-bars/) - On my five-day visit to Japan with Suntory whiskies I hit over 20 bars. I think the best way to talk about them will be in groups. First up: Whisky Bars. The difference between the various styles of bars is subtle and I'm defining them as I see them. I'll be describing whisky bars, cocktail
- [A Visit to the Yamazaki Distillery in Japan](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-yamazaki-distillery-in-japan/) - Yesterday I wrote about visiting the Hakushu distillery in Japan. Today I'll write about Suntory's other single-malt distillery, Yamazaki. It is located between Kyoto and Osaka, at the convergence of several rivers. I believe they said the distillery welcomes 100,000 visitors each year. (Mount Fuji as seen from the train to Kyoto.) The Yamazaki distillery
- [A Visit to the Hakushu Distillery in Japan](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-hakushu-distillery-in-japan/) - I visited the Hakushu distillery owned by Suntory, located in the Yamanashi prefecture, about two hours by train from Tokyo in Japan. There is a new Hakushu single malt whisky on the US market. As I mentioned in a previous post, Hakushu was built in 1973 and is located at a high elevation - 700 meters
- [A Kim Kardashian Shrinky Dink Sun Catcher Painted in Dehydrated Midori](https://alcademics.com/a-kim-kardashian-shrinky-dink-sun-catcher-painted-in-dehydrated-midori/) - I found a new use for the dehydrated Midori I made in the Solid Liquids project. I made a sun catcher in the shape of Kim Kardashian from her Midori ad, and painted it with dehydrated (and rehydrated) Midori for her dress and X-Rated Fusion liqueur for her hair. Because why not? I started with
- [Solid Liquids: The Missing Link Aviation](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-the-missing-link-aviation/) - I haven't created cocktails yet with the dehydrated liqueurs I've been making for the Solid Liquids project, mostly because I figure y'all are don't lack imagination and will find good uses for them. But here's a drink I've been hankering to create since the beginning. The Aviation cocktail was originally made with gin, maraschino liqueur,
- [Camper's Cocktails in Every Day with Rachael Ray](https://alcademics.com/campers-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?). Also it has four recipes I developed- a spirit-interchangeble mint buck, a
- [A Visit to the Cointreau Distillery in Angers, France](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-cointreau-distillery-in-angers-france/) - This October I visited the Cointreau distillery in Angers, France. Angers is located southwest of Paris, about equidistant from Paris and Bordeaux. I hadn't realized, but Cointreau was not originally famous for orange liqueur, but for Guignolet, a cherry liqueur. Cherries were brought the region by King Rene', who lived at the Chateau D'Angers. We
- [Solid Liquids: The Deconstructed Midori Sour](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-the-deconstructed-midori-sour/) - Just for fun in the Solid Liquids Project I put some dehydrated Midori to good use. I made a Deconstructed Midori Sour. You dip the lemon in dehydrated Midori, bite into the Midori-coated lemon, and then do the shot of vodka. With people who do the lime-salt-tequila shot, they use the lime to and salt
- [Three SF Bars Reviewed on DiffordsGuide](https://alcademics.com/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.
- [Happy 60th Birthday, Golden Cadillac Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/happy-60th-birthday-golden-cadillac-cocktail/) - Poor Red's BBQ in the California gold country is famous for the Golden Cadillac, a cocktail created in 1952. Next year will be the drink's 60th birthday. It's a combination of Galliano, creme de cacao, and cream, thrown into a blender. Poor Red's sells them by the thousands. (They don't look this fancy at Poor
- [Which Liqueurs Crystallize When Dehydrated?](https://alcademics.com/which-liqueurs-crystallize-when-dehydrated/) - In the Solid Liquids Project I've experimented with various methods to dehydrate liqueurs into solids. I've found that not every liqueur does crystallize through conventional heating methods to boil off the alcohol and water. Ones that do not crystallize usually leave a thick, sticky, gummy glob at the bottom of their container. I have not
- [A Note About Dehydrating Honey-Based Liqueurs](https://alcademics.com/a-note-about-dehydrating-honey-based-liqueurs/) - In the Solid Liquids Project I found that liqueurs sweetened with honey do not crystallize. (At least the honey-sweetened liqueurs that I tried.) I theorized on why and how we might over come this in this post. However, in reading an unrelated book, I think I found the real reason these liqueurs are not crystallizing. I was
- [Orange Liqueur Dehydration with Tapioca Maltodextrin](https://alcademics.com/orange-liqueur-dehydration-with-tapioca-maltodextrin/) - It's nice when other people do experiments for you. Reader Jonathan Faircloth started a blog called The Zymologic Table to record the trials and tribulations of making orange liqueur dust. Though it's not my experiment, this is a continuing part of the Solid Liquids project, in which I am searching for ways to dehydrate liqueurs
- [A Trip to Italy with Pallini Limoncello](https://alcademics.com/a-trip-to-italy-with-pallini-limoncello/) - I am one lucky son-of-a-gun. This September I visited Rome and the Amalfi Coast with Pallini Limoncello. Though we began the trip in Rome and went to the Amalfi Coast later, I'll explain the process of making limoncello in the proper order. The Lemons of the Amalfi Coast The lemons for Pallini are sfusato ("elongated") lemons,
- [A Trip to Sweden with Purity Vodka](https://alcademics.com/a-trip-to-sweden-with-purity-vodka/) - This summer I went to Sweden (twice this year!) with Purity vodka. Purity is located not far from Malmo, across the water from Copenhagen, in a building on the estate of Ellinge Castle. Now, Ellinge doesn't look like a typical castle, but there has been one in some form here since the early 14th century
- [DonQ Rum Visit to Puerto Rico](https://alcademics.com/donq-rum-visit-to-puerto-rico/) - This summer I visited the Destileria Serralles Puerto Rico, the home of DonQ Rum. DonQ is distilled in the southern part of Puerto Rico, in Ponce. The distillery has been on the same site since 1865. As with most rum distilleries, it was once the site of a sugar refinery and the distillery was a
- [Hunting Bison in Poland with ZU Vodka](https://alcademics.com/hunting-bison-in-poland-with-zu-vodka/) - No bison were harmed in the writing of this blog post. This summer I flew to Warsaw with ZU vodka, known in the rest of the world as Zubrowka. Zubrowka is bison grass vodka; vodka flavored with grass. The stuff tastes like caramel and jasmine and hay, and makes apple juice taste like apple pie.
- [Solid Liquids: Dehydrating Other Liqueurs Part Two](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-dehydrating-other-liqueurs-part-two/) - In yesterday's post in the Solid Liquids Project (project index here) I had expanded beyond dehydrating Campari into dehydrating other liqueurs, namely X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, Wild Turkey American Honey, Irish Mist, and Midori. These are all part of the Skyy Spirits portfolio. Of these four, only Midori crystallized like Campari had. I tried several methods
- [Solid Liquids: Dehydrating Other Liqueurs: Problems](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-dehydrating-other-liqueurs-problems/) - So far in the Solid Liquids Project (project index here) I've been experimenting with the best way to get liqueurs into a solid/powder/sugar form. I have performed all of these experiments with Campari so far, but now it's time to try some other liqueurs. Since Skyy Spirits is sponsoring this project, I began with other
- [Making Sugar from Cane and Beets](https://alcademics.com/making-sugar-from-cane-and-beets/) - In the continuing study of sugar, today we'll look at how sugar is made today. According to Sugar.org, this is how sugar is made from either beets or cane. For sugar cane: ❧ Grinding the cane to extract the juice;❧ Boiling the juice until the syrup thickens and crystallizes;❧ Spinning the crystals in a centrifuge
- [Sugar Production in Modern Times](https://alcademics.com/sugar-production-in-modern-times/) - In the Sugar Spirit Project we've looked at the history of sugarcane and sugar production (project index here). In this post we'll look at sugar production today. Some of this information may be out of date due to the date of my reference books/websites, so please take it all with a grain of salt. Nowadays,
- [An Amusingly Disgusting Way to Drink Vodka in Sweden](https://alcademics.com/an-amusingly-disgusting-way-to-drink-vodka-in-sweden/) - While I was in Sweden with Karlsson's Gold vodka, we learned a traditional way to drink vodka. It is called Kaffegök, and it is gross. You take a cup and put a coin in the bottom. Then you fill it with coffee until you can't see the coin anymore. Then you add vodka until you
- [Karlsson's Vodka: It's In The Blend](https://alcademics.com/karlssons-vodka-its-in-the-blend/) - Months ago I started to talk about my trip to Sweden with Karlsson's vodka. I only covered how to pick potatoes so far. The potatoes for this vodka all come from Cape Bjare in Sweden.To get there, we drove from Copenhagen, over the relatively new bridge that connects Denmark to Sweden with Malmo on the
- [Solid Liquids: Campari Fruit Roll-Ups](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-campari-fruit-roll-ups/) - In the Solid Liquids Project (project index here) we are experimenting with the best methods to dehydrate liqueurs, and then putting the dehydrated liqueur to good use. This is one of those uses. I've been using a food dehydrator as one method of dehydrating liqueurs. It works well enough, though other methods are faster. In
- [Sugarcane and the Environment](https://alcademics.com/sugarcane-and-the-environment/) - For the most part rum is made from molasses, the byproduct of sugar production. So when we study the issue of the environmental impact of sugarcane production we need to keep in mind that molasses is the waste product of sugar production. Rum is recycling! That said, we're studying not just sugar but sugarcane production
- [Dehydrating Liqueurs: Stovetop Crystallization Method](https://alcademics.com/dehydrating-liqueurs-stovetop-crystallization-method/) - So far in the Solid Liquids project, I experimented with using the food dehydrator, oven, and microwave to dehydrate liqueurs into flavored sugars. The project index is here. Well, thanks to a Facebook friend, I now have a much more efficient way than all the others I've tried. Lauren Mote, co-owner of Kale &
- [Solid Liquids: Bulk Liqueur Dehydration in the Oven](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-bulk-liqueur-dehydration-in-the-oven/) - This is just a quick post in the Solid Liquids Project (project index here) to note that you can dehydrate liqueurs in the oven in containers other than the silicone cupcake holders that I've been using. Many people have SilPat non-stick baking mats. These are great but have the problem of being flat so liquids
- [The Sugar Spirit Project: Enter the Sugar Beet](https://alcademics.com/the-sugar-spirit-project-enter-the-sugar-beet/) - In studying sugar and sugarcane (go here for the project index) we need to study the sugar beet; sugarcane's competitor. Here we'll look at the sugar beet's early history. Sugar beets were not economically important as a source of sucrose until the mid-1800s. In 1774 a German scientist discovered the sugar from beets was the
- [Solid Liquids: Campari Syrup](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-campari-syrup/) - In the last post in the Solid Liquids project, I used dehydrated Campari to make a non-alcoholic Campari & Soda. Then it occurred to me that for that purpose there was no need to dehydrate the liqueur completely. I could just burn off the alcohol and have a non-alcoholic syrup. So that's what I did.
- [Sugar in Early American History](https://alcademics.com/sugar-in-early-american-history/) - In studying sugarcane and sugar, we've looked at its biology, origins, spread to the West, association with forced labor, how it was processed in the olden days, and how the English developed a taste for it. (Go here for the project index.) Now we'll look at sugar in America. Again I have used these resources
- [Solid Liquids: Cane Sugar, Fruit Sugar, and Honey](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-cane-sugar-fruit-sugar-and-honey/) - I hit a snag in the Solid Liquids Project (project index here) as I can get some liqueurs to dehydrate into a powdered sugar, but not others. In the last two posts, I think I've identified a commonality in the liqueurs that did not crystallize: they are probably sweetened with something other than (or possibly
- [Primitive Sugar Production](https://alcademics.com/primitive-sugar-production/) - In studying sugarcane and sugar, we've looked at its biology, origins, spread to the West, and its previous nefarious association with forced labor. (Go here for the project index.) In today's post we'll look at how sugarcane was processed in the olden days to make cyrstallized sugar. Most of this information comes from the sources
- [Solid Liquids: Dehydrating Liqueurs in the Microwave](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-dehydrating-liqueurs-in-the-microwave/) - In the process of making powdered liqueurs for future use, I've been trying to figure out the best method to get liquids into solids. I'll be comparing the microwave to the oven to the food dehydrator, using Campari as my first liqueur in all of them. In today's post we'll look at using the microwave.
- [Sugarcane and Slavery](https://alcademics.com/sugarcane-and-slavery/) - Boy is this ever a topic I'd rather avoid! However there is no denying the historic link between sugarcane production. We were tracing the spread of sugarcane and the sugar industry from the Old World to the new. But slave labor used to harvest and process sugarcane began long before sugarcane was brought to the
- [The Spread of Sugarcane in the New World](https://alcademics.com/the-spread-of-sugarcane-in-the-new-world/) - When we last left off looking at sugarcane's spread from India/Indonesia to the rest of the world, the sugar industry had shifted from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic islands of Spain and Portugal, including Madeira and the Canary islands. During this time, the powers in Europe were developing a taste for sugar. Sugar was only
- [Solid Liquids: Dehydrating Liqueurs in the Oven](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-dehydrating-liqueurs-in-the-oven/) - In the process of making powdered liqueurs for future use, I've been trying to figure out the best method to get liquids into solids. I'll be comparing the microwave to the oven to the food dehydrator, using Campari as my first liqueur in all of them. In today's post we'll look at using the oven.
- [Solid Liquids: Dehydrating Liqueurs in a Food Dehydrator](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-dehydrating-liqueurs-in-a-food-dehydrator/) - In the process of making powdered liqueurs for future use, I've been trying to figure out the best method to get liquids into solids. I'll be comparing the microwave to the oven to the food dehydrator, using Campari as my first liqueur in all of them. For now let's talk about the food dehydrator. I
- [The Spread of Sugarcane in the Old World](https://alcademics.com/the-spread-of-sugarcane-in-the-old-world/) - In the last post we looked at what sugarcane is. Now we'll see where it came from and how it traveled around the world. Sugarcane is a tall grass native to the region of the India and Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated in New Guinea, perhaps independently in Indonesia. In 325 BC Alexander
- [Studying Sugar: A Resource List](https://alcademics.com/studying-sugar-a-resource-list/) - In the Sugar Spirit Project, I've had to use several sources to research material, so I figured I'd list them on this page should you want to read them yourself or check my work. I'll add to the list as I use more resources. Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History
- [How NOT to Dehydrate Campari](https://alcademics.com/how-not-to-dehydrate-campari/) - I figure, why not try the method that looks easiest first, even if it seems doomed to fail? That's what I decided to do as an experiment in dehydrating liqueurs down to sugar: to see what happens when you cook Campari the fastest way possible to get all the liquid out. I put two
- [An Oral History of Liqueur Dust](https://alcademics.com/an-oral-history-of-liqueur-dust/) - In studying the methods bartenders have used to dehydrate liqueurs into flavored powders, I mentioned that I didn't know the complete origin story of the practice. Luckily, Jacob Briars, currently the global brand director for Leblon cachaca (and formerly with 42Below vodka), sent me an email with the full story as he remembers it. You
- [Sugar Spirit: What is Sugarcane?](https://alcademics.com/sugar-spirit-what-is-sugarcane/) - In the Sugar Spirit project, we're going to look at sugar's history and production, but first we should establish what sugar and sugarcane are. Sugar and Sucrose When we talk about sugar, we mean table sugar, or sucrose. To chemists, sugar refers to a class of 'edible crystalline carbohydrates' that also includes fructose and lactose.
- [Announcing the Sugar Spirit Project](https://alcademics.com/announcing-the-sugar-spirit-project/) - Today marks the launch of the second Sponsored Project on Alcademics: The Sugar Spirit. The Sugar Spirit Project is sponsored by Bacardi Rum. Rum is made from any sugarcane derivative and is the real sugar spirit, but in this research project I'll primarily be studying sugar itself. In writing about cocktails, we often come across recipes
- [Cool Factor: Cocktail Coolers in the LA Times Magazine](https://alcademics.com/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
- [Sugar Spirit Project Index](https://alcademics.com/sugar-spirit-project-index/) - The aim of the Sugar Spirit Project is to research sugar: its history, production, distribution, forms and use, and byproducts. This page is the project index that will link to all the posts. Hot-linked posts have gone up already, text posts are yet to come. Feel free to suggest more aspects of sugar for me
- [Every Drink I Had at Tales of the Cocktail 2011](https://alcademics.com/every-drink-i-had-at-tales-of-the-cocktail-2011/) - Below are the tweets sent out as I was recording every drink I had at Tales of the Cocktail for the second year in a row. The totals are: Wednesday: 18 Thursday: 41 Friday: 28 Saturnday: 19 Compared to last year, this looks like a ton more drinks. But really I kept it to small
- [Solid Liquids: Techniques](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-techniques/) - The next step in the Solid Liquids project is to look at the various methods people are using to dehydrate liqueurs down to sugars. After searching the interwebz, here are some techniques I found. I don't think the original DrinkBoy forums are online anymore- at least I can't find them- but that's where this technique
- [Solid Liquids: Dehydrated Liqueurs on Cocktail Menus](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-literature-review/) - I've spent some time researching powdered/dehydrated liqueurs online to see where and how they've been used. Turns out: all around the world. Below are the few I found. It seems that for the most part these dehydrated liqueurs are used as a powdered rims on cocktail glasses, as garnishes sprinkled on top of egg white drinks,
- [Solid Liquids Project Index](https://alcademics.com/solid-liquids-project-index/) - The aim of the Solid Liquids Project is to research the best way to dehydrate liqueurs and use the resulting flavored sugar in creative ways. This page is the project index that will link to all the posts. The Solid Liquids Project Cocktails with dehydrated liqueurs found on menus. Literature review: techniques used to dehydrate
- [What is Fernet?](https://alcademics.com/what-is-fernet/) - By far the most famous type of fernet is Fernet-Branca, but there are other fernets on the market. So what is fernet, generally speaking? (Thanks to commenter Scott who wrote in on the "Shhh It's a Secret" seminar at Tales of the Cocktail write-up for asking the question that I never thought to ask.) I
- [Alcademics Wins a Best of the Bay Award](https://alcademics.com/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 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
- [The Wide World of Pisco](https://alcademics.com/the-wide-world-of-pisco/) - For years, the only piscos available were the single-grape quebranta and the blended acholado, often with quebranta at its core. Now we can find all eight approved Peruvian pisco varietals and several different acholado blends. In my latest story for the San Francisco Chronicle I talk about the wide range of piscos now available and
- [Camper English Wins Best Cocktail Author at Tales](https://alcademics.com/camper-english-wins-best-cocktail-author-at-tales/) - 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.
- [World Class Round-Up on DiffordsGuide.com](https://alcademics.com/world-class-round-up-on-diffordsguidecom/) - I was in New Delhi all last week working both on reporting on the Diageo Reserve World Class Global Finals here on my blog and helping Simon Difford and his (ass-kicking) crew write a special edition of the online magazine and produce the official book that will come out later. Still working on that, actually.
- [Tequila is the New Vodka; Tequila is the New Scotch in LA Times Magazine](https://alcademics.com/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
- [How to Pick Potatoes](https://alcademics.com/how-to-pick-potatoes/) - Earlier this month I visited Cape Bjare, Sweden to learn about Karlsson's Vodka. Karlsson's is made from a blend of seven heiroom "virgin new" potatoes. This means that the skin hasn't fully developed into the brown stuff we recognize here in the States. In Sweden, restaurants serve these little tiny potatoes as a delicacy (I
- [Camper English: Penthouse Model](https://alcademics.com/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. I've written for Penthouse previously, but this is the first time I've appeared in its pages
- [Carved Ice Balls: Starter Molds](https://alcademics.com/carved-ice-balls-starter-molds/) - Here's a method that gets ice balls started using the cooler method for making clear ice. This comes courtesy of Dave Michalowski, for I saw it on his Facebook page and asked if I could steal his pictures to share. Thanks Dave! He says, "I am using the round containers for the ice balls. I
- [The Humble Potato and the Dangers of Monoculture](https://alcademics.com/the-humble-potato-and-the-dangers-of-monoculture/) - Recently I watch the documentary The Botany of Desire on Netflix, based on the Michael Pollan book of the same name. Of the four plants they focussed on, one was the potato. And as I was planning a trip to visit a potato vodka distillery, I decided to take notes. The Origin of the Potato
- [Tales of the Cocktail Preview: The Chainsaw Shift](https://alcademics.com/tales-of-the-cocktail-preview-the-chainsaw-shift/) - This is a preview of a seminar that will be given at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, which takes place July 20-24, 2011. The Chainsaw Shift There are two seminars this year at Tales about setting up an ice program. I'm pretty sure this one will be the only one with chainsaws though. The other, How
- [All About Orris: Harvest in Tuscany](https://alcademics.com/all-about-orris-harvest-in-tuscany/) - In Tuscany on a botanical trip with Bombay Sapphire, we learned how the orris root is grown and processed to use in the gin. Orris root is the rhizome of the Iris flower. Here in Tuscany they are grown on sloping hills between rows of olive trees. Nice space. These iris flowers are not grown
- [Picking Juniper Berries in Tuscany: A Photo Album](https://alcademics.com/picking-juniper-berries-in-tuscany-a-photo-album/) - In May I visited Italy to learn more about the botanicals used in Bombay Sapphire. From Tuscany they get both the juniper berries and orris used in the gin. In the rolling hills of Tuscany at high elevations where there are few trees and many wildflowers are found the juniper bushes. They're kind of ugly,
- [In Which I Blather On About...](https://alcademics.com/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.
- [A Thousand Year Old Drunken Regret Letter](https://alcademics.com/a-thousand-year-old-drunken-regret-letter/) - For my book club I read the book Foreign Devils on the Silk Road by Peter Hopkirk. It's about European explorers finding and raiding the artwork of abandonded and sand-buried cities along the silk road. In a chapter on finding a hidden library of ancient scrolls at Tun-huang, the author notes (page 175) that they found "a
- [The SF Chronicle's 2011 Bar Stars](https://alcademics.com/the-sf-chronicles-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: Morgan Young (I did this write-up) Carlo Splendorini Jason "Buffalo" LoGrasso Alex Smith Kevin Diedrich Click the links for the write-ups on each bartender. (Photo by Russell Yip/SF
- [Good on Toast, Great in Drinks](https://alcademics.com/good-on-toast-great-in-drinks/) - (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
- [Stovetop Ice Balls: A First Attempt](https://alcademics.com/stovetop-ice-balls-a-first-attempt/) - Now that we know one way to make crystal clear ice, what are we gonna do with it? One thing I've wanted to attempt is to make ice balls. These can be carved by hand, but that's a lot of work. The big copper ice ball makers make lovely ice balls, but these cost a
- [A Better Use for Peeps Than Eating Them](https://alcademics.com/a-better-use-for-peeps-than-eating-them/) - A couple years ago I made Peep straws. Here's the original post.
- [It's Easter Egg (Ice) Time Again](https://alcademics.com/its-easter-ice-time-again/) - Here's the Easter Ice project from a couple years ago that I'm reposting. Go here to learn how to make it.
- [Slow Bars Getting Faster, Fast Bars Getting Better](https://alcademics.com/slow-bars-getting-faster-fast-bars-getting-better/) - In my story in this Sunday's SF Chronicle, I discuss some ways that cocktail bars are trying to build drinks faster, and how nightclub-type spaces are trying to make better quality cocktails without slowing down. In theory, we appreciate the extra time and effort bartenders spend on their cocktails - using exact measures of ingredients,
- [Working With Beverage Bloggers: DOs and DON'Ts](https://alcademics.com/working-with-beverage-bloggers-dos-and-donts/) - The other day I gave a talk on social media at the WSWA convention in Orlando. The audience was mostly distributors, brand owners, and PR professionals. We had five people on the panel and just an hour to to talk, so naturally I was the last one to speak and we were already over our
- [Styles of Pisco: A Mystery Solved](https://alcademics.com/styles-of-pisco-a-mystery-solved/) - Depending on where you look online, you'll find that there are either three or four categories of Peruvian pisco.This is confusing if you want to write about it. The Problem Some sites say that there are four types: Puro, Aromatico, Mosto Verde, and Acholado. Others say three: Puro (which includes the four aromatic varietals of
- [Is This The Best Blue Cocktail Ever?](https://alcademics.com/is-this-the-best-blue-cocktail-ever/)
- [Sloe and So It Goes](https://alcademics.com/sloe-and-so-it-goes/) - With The Bitter Truth Sloeberry Gin joining Plymouth Sloe Gin in the category of sloe gins that have sloes and gin in them, your Sloe Gin Fizz doesn't need to be full of false advertising. That's basically what I talk about in my most recent post for Fine Cooking.
- [Annoucing: SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs](https://alcademics.com/speakez-pubs/) - This is a project I've been consulting on for several months- time for the big announcement! [For those of you just discovering this, take note of the date of this post...] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ramada Inn Launches New Dining Concept in 18 US Locations: SpeakEZ! Prohibition Pubs Aberdeen, SD, April 1, 2011 --Great restaurant chains
- [The Missing Caipirinha](https://alcademics.com/the-missing-caipirinha/) - I've been writing for Fine Cooking magazine's website for several months now, and realized they don't have a recipe for the Caipirinha online. Shameful. So in my latest post I wrote about the drink, the base spirit cachaca, and some variations. Check it out.
- [Casa Noble Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/casa-noble-distillery-visit/) - Way back in February I took a quick trip to Mexico to visit the distillery La Cofradia, where they make Casa Noble tequila. They make other brands there too, but I was there as the guest of their flagship brand Casa Noble. A Beautiful Distillery La Cofradia is located about a mile outside of the
- [Angostura Rums Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/angostura-rums-distillery-visit/) - In my last post I talked about the history and production of Angostura Bitters. In this one I'll talk about the history and production of Angostura Rums. I visited the distillery on Trinidad in March 2011. History of Angostura Rums The House of Angostura was in the bitters business since 1824, but didn't enter the
- [The History and Production of Angostura Bitters](https://alcademics.com/the-history-and-production-of-angostura-bitters/) - In March I visited the Angostura distillery in Port of Spain, Trinidad. They make not only Angostura Bitters here but also the line of Angostura rums and rums for several other brands. In this post, I'll focus on the bitters. The History of Angostura Bitters Angostura Bitters were created in 1824 by Dr. Johann Siegert. They
- [For the Love of Orgeat](https://alcademics.com/for-the-love-of-orgeat/) - In my latest post for FineCooking.com I talk a little bit about orgeat as a segue into posting the recipe for Dominic Venegas' Mi Ruca cocktail that helped him win the SF regional 42Below vodka cocktail world cup. (Photos courtesy of 42Below Vodka.) Most of what I know about orgeat comes from the research for
- [Pickle Back in Los Angeles Times Magazine](https://alcademics.com/pickle-back-in-los-angeles-times-magazine/) - I wrote up a short ditty on the Pickle Back (A shot of whiskey- usually Jameson- with a pickle juice chaser) for the Los Angeles Times Magazine's March issue. Read it here. (Photo by Brian Leatart)
- [Irish Coffee: It's All in the Cream](https://alcademics.com/irish-coffee-its-all-in-the-cream/) - In Ireland a few weeks ago, I had Irish Coffee three times in as many days. Irish Coffee was invented in Ireland and is credited to a bar at the Shannon airport. Then it was recreated in San Francisco at the Buena Vista. Its popularity in the US helped it travel back to Ireland where
- [Cocktail Snobs](https://alcademics.com/cocktail-snobs/) - In the March issue of 7x7 Magazine, I have a story about Cocktail Snobs. Now that customers know so much more about cocktails some us are becoming fussy about them, never ordering from the menu but insisting on on-the-spot creations, trying to stump or school the bartender with obscure drink requests, and trainspotting mixology by
- [What's the Difference Between Orange Curacao and Triple Sec?](https://alcademics.com/whats-the-difference-between-orange-curacao-and-triple-sec/) - There are no legal differences between triple sec and Curacao, only a few practical and many historical differences. In summary: Both triple sec and Curacao are orange-flavored liqueurs, and today’s triple secs are typically clear, while curacao is either clear or sold in a variety of colors, including blue. Curacao liqueur is not required to
- [Sherry is to Tequila as Vermouth is to Whiskey](https://alcademics.com/sherry-is-to-tequila-as-vermouth-is-to-whiskey/) - Sherry and tequila are showing up together on more and more cocktail menus. I wrote a story about that in the Sunday, February 20th San Francisco Chronicle. (Del Rio cocktail by Josh Harris of the Bon Vivants. Photo: Craig Lee) More drinks including Tequila and SherryCamper English, Special to The ChronicleSherry and Tequila are having
- [Jameson Irish Whiskey Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/jameson-irish-whiskey-distillery-visit/) - In early February I visited the Jameson Irish Whiskey distillery - actually two of them. The original Jameson distillery is in Dublin, but it is no longer made there. In 1971 it moved to the Midleton distillery in Cork. The reason is because in the late 1960's Irish Distillers was formed, a merger of Jameson,
- [Chartreuse Secrets](https://alcademics.com/chartreuse-secrets/) - Some friends who meditate told me about the movie Into Great Silence, which follows the Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse in the French Alps. As I barely stop talking you can bet they weren't telling me about its depiction of the silent lifestyle of the monks as something of interest, but because there is
- [High-Falutin' Boozin'](https://alcademics.com/high-falutin-boozin/) - Another magazine I write for that is not usually online is Caviar Affair, for which the tagline is, "Celebrating wordly indulgences and luxury living." That's so *me*, right? Actually it really is, except that other people indulge me in the luxury to which I've become accustomed. Anyhoo, they did put the new issue online. Unlike
- [Flowers and Champagne](https://alcademics.com/flowers-and-champagne/) - Here's something you already know: Sparkling wine + Floral liqueur = fun drink. I hadn't realized until I started writing my latest Fine Cooking blog entry just how many new floral liqueurs have hit the market. In recent years several new floral liqueurs have been brought to market, including St. Germain (elderflower), Esprit de June
- [Big in Germany](https://alcademics.com/big-in-germany/) - I try to link to all my writing available online, but you really only see two-thirds or so of it. And even if you could see it all, most of us couldn't read it because it's in German. I am a regular contributor to Mixology magazine, based in Berlin, and for this magazine I write
- [Which Vermouth is Which?](https://alcademics.com/which-vermouth-is-which/) - In Friday's FineCooking.com blog entry, I have a little story about how I remember which vermouth is which: sweet, French, white, Italian, dry, red. I could never keep them straight until I came up with a mnemonic device. Read it here. Plus! There is also the recipe for the Bamboo cocktail.
- [Sherry, Reconsidered in the Los Angeles Times Magazine](https://alcademics.com/sherry-reconsidered-in-the-los-angeles-times-magazine/) - **Update: This story is no longer on the LA Times Magazine website, so I have pasted it here. In yesterday's LA Times Magazine I have a huge feature on sherry. (photographs by Nigel Cox) As a wine category, sherry has practically everything going for it: a tremendous range of flavors, a rich history dating
- [Cocktails and Italian Spirits](https://alcademics.com/cocktails-and-italian-spirits/) - Last week I spoke on a panel in New York for the Vino 2011 convention. The event mostly focuses on Italian wines, but this year they also offered a cocktail seminar. The seminar was called “Renaissance of the Cocktail in America: Top Spirit Professionals Assess the Role and Opportunities for Italian Spirit.” The panel was
- [Absinthe Apparatus](https://alcademics.com/absinthe-apparatus/) - In my latest post for FineCooking.com, I discuss what all that absinthe-serving equipment is for. The fountain is not, of course, filled with absinthe, as in this music video. It is filled with plain old ice water. Read more about that here.
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-bodegas-hidalgo-la-gitana/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, which is located in Sanlucar de Barrameda. (La Gitana is their most famous brand. It's a manzanilla; similar to fino but aged in Sanlucar.) (The bodegas were wonderfully old, moldy, and dusty.) (One of the
- [The Anti-Malarial Further Fortified Fortified Wine Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/the-anti-malarial-further-fortified-fortified-wine-cocktail/) - In my latest post for FineCooking.com, I touch on Dubonnet and the Dubonnet Cocktail. Dubonnet was invented as an anti-malarial wine. It's useful even if you don't have a mosquito problem. Read! Learn! Behold!
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Bodegas Lustau](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-bodegas-lustau/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Lustao. (Barrels in the Lustau bodega.) (The vinegar aging room smelled heavenly. I'd love to go back and just study vinegar.) (These new casks are being prepared for Jameson Irish whisky that is aged in ex-sherry casks.
- [Tequila Distillery Visit: Patron](https://alcademics.com/tequila-distillery-visit-patron/) - In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to the Patron distillery in the town of Atotonilco. (The distillery is on a huge plot of land. It's a huge distillery. This is the front gate.) (This is the hacienda, which is the center of the
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Bodegas Gonzalez Byass](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-bodegas-gonzalez-byass/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Gonzalez Byass. (The grounds of the bodega have grape vines covering the streets to provide shade.) (A train takes people on a tour around the bodega.) (One of the rooms for special events.) (A barrel signed by Picasso.)
- [Back In My Day, It Was Called A New-Fashioned](https://alcademics.com/back-in-my-day-it-was-called-a-new-fashioned/) - In my latest post for FineCooking.com, I cover the history of the cocktail- the original one. I'm sure you've heard of it: spirit, sugar, water, bitters.
- [Tequila Distillery Visit: Don Julio](https://alcademics.com/tequila-distillery-visit-don-julio/) - In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to the Don Julio distillery in the town of Atotonilco. (Cutting up the pinas before baking.) (Now when I see pinas, I get thirsty.) (Fermenting agave.) (Stainless steel pot stills.) (We had a cocktail contest after the
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Bodegas Williams & Humbert](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-bodegas-williams-humbert/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Williams & Humbert. (The bodega is absolutely enormous.) (There's a horse show inside the bodega for visitors.) (For barrel tasting, the venenciador (in this case, the chief oenologist) inserts the venencia into the barrel to pull out a
- [Spicy Mary](https://alcademics.com/spicy-mary/) - A bunch of years ago I tried to sell a book on infusions, because there weren't any at the time. In some ways I'm glad it didn't sell, because my cocktail knowledge and abilities are so much better now that I would have been embarrassed by many of the cocktail recipes you were supposed to
- [The Martini Does Not Exist](https://alcademics.com/the-martini-does-not-exist/) - The word 'Martini' has very little meaning. Two versions of the cocktail may have completely different ingredients and be served in different formats: A bone-dry-and-dirty Grey Goose Martini on the rocks with extra olives has nothing in common with a Fifty-Fifty gin Martini with orange bitters and a twist. They're not even close to the
- [Tequila Distillery Visit: Sauza](https://alcademics.com/tequila-distillery-visit-sauza/) - In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to the Sauza distillery in the town of Tequila. (First we visited the agave nursery. Sauza is unique in that they propagate their agave not by using baby plants but by... fancier scientific means.) (This is what
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Bodegas Sanchez Romate](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-bodegas-sanchez-romate/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Sanchez Romate. (Our guide used a barrel as a chalkboard.) (Our host.) (The bodega is relatively small and sort of goth.) (We signed a barrel.) Not a touristy bodega- don’t do tours Fino has more oxidation than manzanilla
- [Cheers to Rudolph, Not the Reindeer](https://alcademics.com/cheers-to-rudolph-not-the-reindeer/) - (Image courtesy of Cherry Heering.) In my latest blog post at FineCooking.com, I introduce the Blood and Sand. The cocktail was almost certainly created in honor of the 1922 silent movie of the same name, staring Rudolph Valentino. I've also written a long story about all the different ways bartenders are changing this drink, but
- [Tequila Distillery Visit: Herradura](https://alcademics.com/tequila-distillery-visit-herradura/) - In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to theHerradura distillery in the town of Amatitan. (Here they split the agave in two before baking.) (The magic of Herradura is that it ferments naturally- no yeast is added.) (Sleeping tequila.) Agave grows for 7-10 years
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Bodegas Osborne](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-bodegas-osborne/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Osborne. (The logo for Osborne is the silhouette of a bull. You see it all around.) (This is barrel with a clear end so you can see how flor (a layer of yeast) lives on top of the sherry. The
- [Tequila Distillery Visit: Jose Cuervo](https://alcademics.com/tequila-distillery-visit-jose-cuervo/) - In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to the Jose Cuervo distillery in the town of Tequila. (First we visited an agave field.) (The jimador harvested the agave plant to get the pina, or pineapple, center.) (I planted my own agave from the cuttings
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Bodegas Grupo Estevez](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-bodegas-grupo-estevez/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Grupo Estevez. (Sherry sleeping peacefully in the bodega.) (One of the warehouses is named for flamenco dancer Lola Flores.) (Horse stables and ring behind the bodegas. Jerez is home to flamenco, dancing horses, and sherry.) (The interior is
- [Tequila Distillery Visit: Cazadores and Corzo](https://alcademics.com/tequila-distillery-visit-cazadores-and-corzo/) - In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to the Cazadores and Corzo distillery in the town of Arandas. (Autoclaves cook agave much faster than traditional brick/clay ovens.) (It's a huge operation here. The liquids travel in pipes through a tunnel beneath a road separating
- [Bits and Pieces from Winter Drinking Guide in 7x7 Magazine](https://alcademics.com/bits-and-pieces-from-winter-drinking-guide-in-7x7-magazine/) - My San Francisco winter drinking guide in 7x7 Magazine is coming online in bits and pieces. Here are some: Where to learn about whisky Hotel bars for fancy-time drinking Bars that rent private rooms
- [Hot Buttered Fun](https://alcademics.com/hot-buttered-fun/) - Hot Buttered Fun would be a good party band name, right? My latest post on FineCooking.com is up. It's a recipe for the Hot Buttered Anejo, which is a hot buttered tequila that I had one night when the brand Avion was pouring drinks at Elixir. Check it out here.
- [Four Roses Bourbon Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/four-roses-bourbon-distillery-visit/) - This week I was in Kentucky for a quick visit to the Four Roses distillery. For some history on this brand, see this post a I wrote a few years ago. In short, Four Roses was only a bourbon in Japan for many years, and has recently come back to the US market. They use
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Bodegas Tradicion](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-bodegas-tradicion/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Tradicion. (The small and beautiful bodega.) (Drinking out of the barrel.) (Criadera refers to the level of the barrel in the solera system. The 1/18 refers to the number of the barrel and the total of the set.
- [Chartreuse + Chocolate = Delicious](https://alcademics.com/chartreuse-chocolate-delicious/) - The week before Paul Clarke wrote about the same topic to make it look like I ripped him off, I wrote my next blog entry for FineCooking.com, about the magical mystery combination of Chartreuse liqueur and chocolate. While Paul was creative and found four drinks that combine the two ingredients, I went to Jamie Boudreau and
- [Tequila Distillery Visit: Casa Pedro Domecq](https://alcademics.com/tequila-distillery-visit-casa-pedro-domecq/) - In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to Casa Pedro Domecq in the town of Arandas. (Agave being loaded into ovens. They use the same agave for treatment with rollermill as with tahona.) This distillery makes Tezon tequila, Olmeca Altos, and a mixto tequila for
- [Winter Drinking Guide in 7x7 Magazine](https://alcademics.com/winter-drinking-guide-in-7x7-magazine/) - Oh hello, giant sexy four-page spread in the December issue of 7x7 Magazine written by Camper English! Run screaming to your local newsstand to pick up the latest issue with a guide to winter drinking. In it you'll learn: Where to get your fancy on in a hotel bar The best hot drinks in SF
- [Sherry Bodega Visit: Harvey's](https://alcademics.com/sherry-bodega-visit-harveys/) - In September 2010 I visited several sherry bodegas. Here are pictures and a few notes from Bodegas Harvey's. (At the vineyard.) (The white, chalky soil of Jerez not only seals in water to get the vines through the dry season, it reflects sunlight up to the bottom of the vines as well.) (At the bodega,
- [The Clear Ice Maker That Already Exists](https://alcademics.com/the-clear-ice-maker-that-already-exists/) - So you know how I've been working for months on a way to make clear ice, and figured out that the best way (so far) to do it is with an Igloo cooler? It turns out that someone else thought of that at least a couple of years ago. The Polar Ice Tray is basically
- [Turkey Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/turkey-cocktail/) - In my latest post on FineCooking.com, I tell the tale of a recent Thanksgiving tradition: drinking Wild Turkey. I also link to my experiments with Wild Tofurkey and share a new-fangled Old Fashioned recipe from the brand. Check it out here.
- [The Orange in Pyrat Rum](https://alcademics.com/the-orange-in-pyrat-rym/) - A great rum mystery is finally solved! If you've had Pyrat rum, you've probably noticed its very strong orange taste- so strong that many people have wondered if something was added to the rum. Well, now we know why Pyrat tastes so much like orange. I was at the Patron tequila distillery last night meeting
- [Fortune Ice: Like A Fortune Cookie But With Ice](https://alcademics.com/fortune-ice-like-a-fortune-cookie-but-with-ice/) - In my latest set of fun experiments with ice, I created fortune ice. I'd been meaning to do this for a while, but two things made it actually happen. First, I bought a Tovolo King Cube Ice Cube Tray to make 2-inch cubes. Second, I realized I could use my Label Maker for the fortunes. I was thinking
- [Beer in the Penthouse](https://alcademics.com/beer-in-the-penthouse/) - Finally, I'm appearing in the pages of Penthouse magazine. Oddly, they didn't ask me to model. That's not me on the cover. In the December issue of Penthouse magazine, I have a two-page spread on "Advanced Level Beer Gear," including some gift items like a homebrew kit, kegerator, and a dog collar that holds a
- [On FineCooking.com: Homemade Grenadine and the Jack Rose Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/on-finecookingcom-homemade-grenadine-and-the-jack-rose-cocktail/) - Please check out my latest blog entry on FineCooking.com. It's about making your own grenadine and the Jack Rose cocktail. Read it here, and feel free to comment (over there) on your own grenadine or Jack Rose recipe improvements.
- [Cognac Cocktails in the Los Angeles Times Magazine](https://alcademics.com/cognac-cocktails-in-the-los-angeles-times-magazine/) - My first story for the LA Times Magazine is now online. It is in the Sunday, December 7, 2010 print edition. (Photo by Bartholomew Cooke) The story is a brief airing of a pet peeve: Why are there so few cognac cocktails being served when we're supposedly in the midst of a classic cocktail renaissance? The
- [Does Refreezing Clear Air-Free Ice Result In a Large Clear Block?](https://alcademics.com/does-refreezing-clear-air-free-ice-result-in-a-large-clear-block/) - This is an experiment in my ongoing project to make clear ice. I've figured out a way to do it using an Igloo cooler. This experiment is an attempt to make clear ice without one. A long time ago, I tested the theory that freezing, thawing, and refreezing water makes clear ice blocks. After 13
- [Cutting Blocks of Ice with an Icepick](https://alcademics.com/cutting-blocks-of-ice-with-an-icepick/) - update 2021 Better ice cutting pictures are on this post. To cut the large blocks of clear ice that I make at home using and Igloo cooler (methodology here), I have always busted out the saw I bought for that reason. However, last week I gave a talk on ice at Portland Cocktail Week with Evan
- [More Fun with Ice: The Time Bomb](https://alcademics.com/more-fun-with-ice-the-time-bomb/) - The fun with ice continues! In ongoing experiments freezing things in ice, I decided to try freezing food coloring in the middle of an ice cube. Then when the ice melts, the coloring will release and change the drink. Click on the link below to see how I did it and what happened. The first
- [Using Salt Walter as an Insulator to Make Clear Ice](https://alcademics.com/using-salt-walter-as-an-insulator-to-make-clear-ice/) - This blog post is a continuation of this experiment. In this experiment, I wanted to test out another way to insulate an ice cube tray to make clear ice. Inspired by a comment from another blog entry by a reader named Gael, I decided to try salt water as an insulator rather than just plain
- [Welcome Back, Harvey Wallbanger](https://alcademics.com/welcome-back-harvey-wallbanger/) - With the new formula of Galliano and a renewed interest in the fern bar, the Harvey Wallbanger is about due for a comeback. In my latest post for Fine Cooking, I investigate the cocktail. Have a look, and remember that comments make me happy and keep me employed.
- [Making Clear Ice Without a Cooler](https://alcademics.com/making-clear-ice-without-a-cooler/) - In a set of experiments, I showed that you can make clear ice by controling the direction of freezing. The container I've been using for this is an Igloo cooler. When using it, the ice freezes from the top-down and all the cloudiness in the ice forms at the bottom of the container rather than
- [Germany, Ensslin, Aviation, and Blue Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/germany-ensslin-aviation-and-blue-cocktails/) - My latest post on FineCooking.com is up. It's typical of my thought process: I was going to write about my time in Germany and ended up talking about a German bartender who wrote an American cocktail book in which the Aviation cocktail was first mentioned and later forgotten. Read it here. (I took this picture-
- [The Tequila-Sherry Connection](https://alcademics.com/the-tequila-sherry-connection/) - Every time I look for sherry I find tequila there too. What is it with the tequila people and the sherry people being the same people? Steven Olson aka Wine Geek is both a tequila and mezcal ambassador and also a sherry ambassador. Jacques Bezuidenhout, Partida tequila brand ambassador and sometimes sherry ambassador, also created
- [Berlin Cocktail Snake](https://alcademics.com/berlin-cocktail-snake/) - I'm in Berlin, Germany blogging for the bar show Bar Convent Berlin. I had a few extra hours today, so I decided to see some of the city. I visited a remaining portion of the Berlin Wall, passed by some sausage stands, had a beer, and saw the sign for the famous cocktail snakes. The
- [Intro to Negroni, over at FineCooking.com](https://alcademics.com/into-to-negroni-over-at-finecookingcom/) - My weekly recipe is up on FineCooking.com, a quick introduction to the Negroni cocktail. Perhaps you have heard of such a thing?Check it out, and if you have a preferred way of making the Negroni different that the typical equal parts, stirried, up method, feel free to comment over there on FineCooking. Comments make me
- [Freezing Objects in Ice](https://alcademics.com/freezing-objects-in-ice/) - As you know I've been making clear ice at home. I've got a lot more experimenting to do, but for now I thought I'd try freezing a bottle inside a block. I started with a mini bottle of Chambord, since it's the flashiest one I own. I tied a piece of fishing line around the
- [How Long Does Sherry Last?](https://alcademics.com/how-long-does-sherry-last/) - Sherry is a wine, albeit a fortified one, that does spoil after a certain time being open. It also typically doesn't improve once it is put into the bottle so here's how long to keep it around. According to the Consejo Regulador of Sherry, the wine should be stored for the following times: Fino or Manzanilla:
- [Sherry is Not Just for Sipping](https://alcademics.com/sherry-is-not-just-for-sipping/) - In the new issue of Fine Cooking Magazine, Tara Q. Thomas has a story on sherry with food pairings (preview mode so far- full story should appear at the link later). To pair with the feature on the FineCooking.com drink blog, I list a simple recipe for the Sherry Cobbler. Should you want more complicated
- [The Historically Inaccurate Gimlet](https://alcademics.com/the-historically-inaccurate-gimlet/) - My second piece on the FineCooking.com cocktail blog is up. It is a rather simple fresh lime Gimlet recipe. I know that the Rose's lime cordial Gimlet is historically accurate, but I mean seriously, yuck.
- [Less Alcohol, More Trendy](https://alcademics.com/less-alcohol-more-trendy/) - My new story for the San Francisco Chronicle is online. Latest cocktail trend is low-alcohol drinksCamper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, September 17, 2010Like a food menu, a proper cocktail list reflects a chosen theme while catering to a variety of diners. The low-alcohol drinks now showing up around San Francisco are designed to satisfy
- [A Homemade Giant, Crystal Clear Ice Cube Tray](https://alcademics.com/a-homemade-giant-crystal-clear-ice-cube-tray/) - As you're probably aware, I've been dabbling in experiments making clear ice at home. [update: An organized index of ice experiments on Alcademics can be found here.] The way I've found that works best is to freeze ice in an Igloo cooler with the top off. (Please read the post before you tell me to boil
- [Ice Meets Chainsaw](https://alcademics.com/ice-meets-chainsaw/) - Ice nerds got a real treat this Tuesday, for Andrew Bohrer from Seattle was guest bartending in San Francisco along with Amanda Womack from Cask. He brought chainsaw Thursday to the city in order to chop up giant blocks of clear ice from an industrial ice maker into big cubes that could be further cut
- [The Bar Agricole Bar Staff](https://alcademics.com/the-bar-agricole-bar-staff/) - This coming week is the pre-opening of Bar Agricole, the big big big restaurant/bar project from Thad Vogler about which I am very excited. Bar Agricole opens on August 16th (15th according to the SF Chronicle). I asked Vogler about his bar staff- and got a surprise. All the bartenders will work full-time at Bar
- [Percent Cloudiness in Top Frozen Block Ice](https://alcademics.com/percent-cloudiness-in-top-frozen-block-ice/) - I'm somewhere along the process of creating an ice cube tray that takes advantage of the top frozen ice that I make in an Igloo cooler. As the cooler lid is off when I freeze water in it, the water freezes from the top down like a pond in winter. The cloudy part of the
- [The Fourth Annual Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards](https://alcademics.com/the-fourth-annual-tales-of-the-cocktail-swag-awards/) - Another year, another Tales of the Cocktail convention in New Orleans, another chance to rank the swag! I started giving the swag awards in 2007. 2007 Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards 2008 Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards Once again this year they had a gifting suite
- [Bar Eras in San Francisco and Beyond](https://alcademics.com/bar-eras-in-san-francisco-and-beyond/) - I have a great-looking four-page story in the August Eat + Drink issue of 7x7 Magazine. The story splits up old bars and new bars inspired by old bars into five types/eras: Barbary Coast, Speakeasy, Martini Bar, Tiki Bar, and Fern Bar. In each category I list some identifying factors and a few era-appropriate drinks. There are also
- [Every Drink I Had at Tales of the Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/every-drink-i-had-at-tales-of-the-cocktail/) - I just returned from New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail, a cocktail convention attended by many of the world's top bartenders, drink writers, PR representatives, and superenthusiasts. I think this was my favorite year of the convention to date. I tweeted every cocktail I had over the week. Let's see how messy that looks added up!Tuesday
- [Bar Agricole Cocktail List Revealed](https://alcademics.com/bar-agricole-cocktail-list-revealed/) - The SF Chronicle's Jon Bonne gets the scoop on Bar Agricole's forthcoming cocktail list. The story has lots of information about the bar/restaurant (one we've been awaiting for about 2 years). The bar is set to open August 15 or 16. So go read it. For those of you not lucky enough to have sampled Thad Vogler's
- [The Safety of Milk Thistle](https://alcademics.com/the-safety-of-milk-thistle/) - A few months ago, founder Mike McAdams of Drinkwel reached out to me. This product is meant to be a vitamin for drinkers rather than just a hangover cure.I told them that I was unsure about one of the ingredients in the mixture, milk thistle, as I'd heard reports that rather than being good for
- [So, So Many Orange Liqueurs](https://alcademics.com/so-so-many-orange-liqueurs/) - (Craig Lee / Special to The Chronicle)My latest story from this Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle is now online.Quest for best orange liqueur comes full circle Camper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, July 9, 2010When a critic complained that the orange liqueur in the margarita at Tacolicious had an "off flavor," owner Joe Hargrave decided to do
- [Tiki Drinks in Fine Cooking Magazine](https://alcademics.com/tiki-drinks-in-fine-cooking-magazine/) - Oh hey, my latest story for Fine Cooking magazine is online already. Tiki TimeShowstopping tiki drinks are back on the menu, and they’re causing quite a stir. Here’s how to create these tasty cocktails at home—don’t forget the swizzle sticks and umbrellas.by Camper EnglishSipping from opposite sides of a cocktail served in a hollowed-out pineapple, a
- [The Double Rainbow Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/the-double-rainbow-cocktail/) - I decided to create a drink to honor the best video of the weekend, "Yosemitebear Mountain Giant Double Rainbow 1-8-10". (Scroll down to see it if you haven't already.) It's guaranteed to make you say, "DOUBLE COMPLETE RAINBOW! What does this MEAN?" The Double Rainbowby Camper English 1 ounce vodka1 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur4
- [Erick Castro to Leave Rickhouse at End of Month; Take Brand Ambassador Job](https://alcademics.com/erick-castro-to-leave-rickhouse-at-end-of-month-take-brand-ambassador-job/) - Erick Castro, bartender and general manager of Rickhouse in San Francisco (up for three awards at Tales of the Cocktail this year) has revealed that he'll be leaving the bar at the end of July. He'll now be the West Coast Brand Ambassador for Plymouth and Beefeater gins. This is another bittersweet announcement in the
- [Latin, Packing, Pisco: A Few Articles I've Written Lately](https://alcademics.com/latin-packing-pisco-a-few-articles-ive-written-lately/) - I've had several stories come out recently, so I thought I'd share them here. This blog is also my resume, after all. Friday I wrote about my recent piece in the daily email Tasting Table San Francisco. This one is about Encanto Pisco, brought to us by a bartender, a sommelier, and a distiller. Attention people attending
- [More Fun With Distillery Waste](https://alcademics.com/fun-with-distillery-waste/) - I am a big fan of distillery waste. Not bathing in it, but learning about it. In most cases where a grain is distilled into whiskey or vodka, the spent grain (after all the sugar has been removed to be fermented) is sold off as animal feed. In Cognac (at Hennessy anyway) the spent lees (grape parts) are
- [Fettercairn Distillery Visit- Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery Tour](https://alcademics.com/fettercairn-distillery-visit/) - Last week I visited the Isle of Jura, The Dalmore, and Fettercairn distilleries in Scotland. These brands are all owned by White & Mackay. This post is about visiting the Fettercairn distillery. (Fettercairn marked with red pin. Map made with Google Maps)From The Dalmore distillery we went on yet another gorgeous drive over two mountain
- [The Dalmore Distillery Visit- A Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery Tour](https://alcademics.com/the-dalmore-distillery-visit/) - Last week I visited the Isle of Jura, The Dalmore, and Fettercairn distilleries in Scotland. These brands are all owned by White & Mackay. This post is about visiting The Dalmore distillery. (The Dalmore distillery indicated by red dot. Map from Google Maps.)From Jura, we took a boat to the mainland and then drove diagonally
- [Jura Distillery Visit- A Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery Tour](https://alcademics.com/jura-distillery-visit/) - Last week I visited my 50th distillery/blending house at the Isle of Jura. What made it extra special is that we hit it at 1:30 in the morning. Though the Isle of Jura is closer to mainland Scotland than Islay, to reach it you take either a plane or ferry to Islay then another quick
- [That Ice Story is Online](https://alcademics.com/that-ice-story-is-online/) - The short piece on making crystal clear ice at home I wrote for Wired Magazine is now online. Check it out!
- [The Perudriver: A Cocktail with Pisco, Orange Juice, and Orange Liqueur](https://alcademics.com/the-perudriver-a-cocktail-with-pisco-orange-juice-and-orange-liqueur/) - I was trying to create a cocktail for my seminar at Tales of the Cocktail using an orange liqueur, a sponsor of my session. After attempts at an Orange Negroni and Orange Absinthe Frappe that both failed, I came up with this way-too-simple and drinkable-as-heck cocktail, perfect for summer days and morning cocktailing. I really
- [Coffee liqueurs make a splash in cocktails](https://alcademics.com/coffee-liqueurs-make-a-splash-in-cocktails/) - Here's my new story in the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, June 30.Coffee liqueurs make a splash in cocktailsby Camper EnglishThe craze for organic, shade-grown, micro-roasted slow-drip coffee has percolated into the cocktail world. Bartenders are improving classic coffee drinks, finding ways to harness the beans' bitter, aromatic qualities rather than just the caffeine kick.Most
- [Another Ice Banner Attempt](https://alcademics.com/another-ice-banner-attempt/) - You may think all I do is futz around with ice all day, and you'd be mostly correct (for proof, see the index of all of the ice experiments on Alcademics here). I attempted to make another site banner today using a clear piece of ice stamped with ALCADEMICS, but I think I like the orange
- [An Icy Weekend in Monterey](https://alcademics.com/an-icy-weekend-in-monterey/) - This past weekend I spent about 12 hours cutting ice and it was awesome! As part of a bartender catering gig with Rye on the Road I worked a wedding and rehearsal dinner in Monterey. With a trusty ice saw and my new ice pick from Cocktail Kingdom I went to town on those blocks
- [Making Crystal Clear Ice in Wired Magazine](https://alcademics.com/making-crystal-clear-ice-in-wired-magazine/) - Run screaming to the newsstand to pick up the June issue of Wired magazine, because there is a story by me in it. Sure it's only 100 words long and it's about how to make clear ice, something you may have read about here, but you can consider it a collector's item. Update: The article
- [The New Alcademics Banner](https://alcademics.com/the-new-alcademics-banner/) - My experiments with ice continue. I've got a routine down to make clear chunks of ice and now I'm experimenting with freezing objects into it. As you can see I have some room to improve but I did make a groovy, if a bit large, new banner for Alcademics.
- [The Olive Centipede: The Frightening New Release in the Torture Garnish Genre](https://alcademics.com/the-olive-centipede/) - The Olive Centipede was created by Dr. Heiner, a disturbed German bartender formerly famous for his flair garnishing techniques. The evil Dr. Heiner decided to create a garnish centipede, made from sewing three olives together along the olives' digestive tracks, pit-to-pimento.
- [Blending Scotch Whisky at Morrison Bowmore](https://alcademics.com/blending-scotch-whisky-at-morrison-bowmore/) - After my visit to the Bowmore and Auchentoshan distilleries, our group stopped by the headquarters of their parent company, Morrison Bowmore. (This company is in turned owned by Suntory, and is distributed in the United States by Skyy Spirits.) There we met with Senior Blender Iain McCallum, who is sort of a legend even
- [An Auchentoshan Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/an-auchentoshan-distillery-visit/) - On the last day of my trip to Scotland with Bowmore, we went to another distillery, Auchentoshan. This distillery is located just outside of Glasgow, on a former estate. Auchentoshan is in the Lowland region of Scotland, one of just five single-malt-producing distilleries there. It’s also unique as the only scotch distillery that triple distills
- [Aging and Terroir on Islay](https://alcademics.com/aging-and-terroir-on-islay/) - The malting and distillation are only the first two weeks in the life of a scotch whisky: the aging time in barrels is where the liquid spends the vast majority of its existence- and where it gains much of its flavor. In this post we look at the potential influence of place in scotch whisky, learned on a recent trip to Islay, Scotland.
- [A Visit to Bowmore on Islay in Scotland](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-bowmore/) - Hello from Islay! I'm in Scotland on a trip with Bowmore. After a first night of bar exploration and jetlag adaptation in Glasgow, I was ready for the press trip to begin. I spent the morning blogging about the previous night, then had a day to explore Glasgow. I can't say I learned a ton
- [Dashing Don Lee and Greg Boehm's Old Tools](https://alcademics.com/dashing-don-lee-and-greg-boehms-old-tools/) - On Monday April 5th, Greg Boehm of Cocktail Kingdom and Don Lee of Momofuko Ssam Bar gave a talk at Rickhouse in San Francisco. Boehm's plane was delayed so Lee gave an impromptu talk on one of his bar science projects. (When I last spoke with him, he was measuring the BRIX count of sugar
- [California Rum](https://alcademics.com/california-rum/) - Last week I visited the St. George Spirits distillery to sample their new rum, Agua Libre, and watch them distill more of it. The new release was distilled from fresh California-grown sugar cane juice (not molasses) and aged for two and a half years in French oak barrels. From the media contact: After pressing 25
- [How Beachbum Berry Saved Easter](https://alcademics.com/how-beachbum-berry-saved-easter/) - My friends were throwing a zombie-themed Easter party (raising from the dead, get it?) and planned cocktails to serve at it. They had a Painkiller, Hemmingway Daiquiri, and Dark n' Stormy on the menu. Obviously something was missing: the Zombie. As they went shopping for booze and mixers, my friend kept texting me about
- [Japanese Bartending Technique](https://alcademics.com/japanese-bartending/) - (Photo taken at Orgo in 2009)Last summer when I was in Singapore I had the chance to experience Japanese bartending for the first time. I went to Koffe Bar K, a chain with I think just one outpost in Sinagpore. They do ice ball carving there, though I didn't think to ask to see
- [Home Bar Recommendations: One of Each](https://alcademics.com/home-bar-recommendations-one-of-each/) - When Jonny Raglin and Jeff Hollinger were looking to open Comstock Saloon (hopefully this month), they had a big limitation to work with: the size of the back bar. It only has room for one or two types of each base spirit. This is a challenge for Raglin in particular as between his former post
- [Traveling in Style at the Cocktail World Cup](https://alcademics.com/traveling-in-style-at-the-cocktail-world-cup/) - [This is one of many posts submitted live from the 42Below Vodka Cocktail World Cup international cocktail competition. For official event photos, go here. For my photos, go here.]On the fourth day of the Cocktail World Cup in New Zealand, we began the day in Queenstown, New Zealand and ended it in Wellington. Keeping with
- [The New Sweet](https://alcademics.com/the-new-sweet/) - The story on cocktail sweeteners I wrote for the April/May issue of Fine Cooking magazine is now online. You can read it here.
- [Fine Cocktails in Fine Cooking Magazine](https://alcademics.com/fine-cocktails-in-fine-cooking-magazine/) - I have a story in the new March/April issue of Fine Cooking magazine. It's about the variety of ways to sweeten cocktails with raw sugars, maple syrup, agave, honey, etc. Pick up a copy to find a Mamie Taylor variation with evaporated organic cane sugar by Thad Vogler of Bar Agricole in San Francisco, an
- [Better Cocktails Creep Into the Castro](https://alcademics.com/better-cocktails-creep-into-the-castro/) - My first story written for 7x7 Magazine is now online. Castro's Last StandLong a bastion of bad drinks and a good time, the city’s biggest party neighborhood is slowly but surely learning how to wield a muddler.by Camper English While the Tenderloin, Mission and Haight are reveling in white whiskeys and raw sugars, in the Castro,
- [A Trip to Guatemala for Zacapa Rum](https://alcademics.com/a-trip-to-guatemala-for-zacapa-rum/) - The other week I went to Guatemala to learn about Zacapa rum at the source. It was great. The sugar cane for Zacapa is sourced from the western part of Guatemala, near the Pacific coast where it is hot and humid. Here they cleaned up the cane field for the demonstration of cutting. In reality
- [Chartreuse Goes Through The Roof](https://alcademics.com/chartreuse-goes-through-the-roof/) - First, they came for our bitters. Then they outlawed our egg whites and our infusions. What more could go wrong for bartenders this year?I'll tell you what: Chartreuse now costs $11 more per bottle. The wonderfully complex liqueur made by monks has been a favorite of bartenders who mix it into cocktails like the Chartreuse
- [Curing Olives at Home, Part II](https://alcademics.com/curing-olives-at-home-part-ii/) - This post is a continuation of this one on how to brine olives at home. My olives went from this: To this: To see the process, keep reading by selecting the link below. As you may recall from the earlier post, I was late on buying olives so the ones I ended up with were
- [Bars Inside Other Bars](https://alcademics.com/bars-inside-other-bars/) - In my latest story for San Francisco Magazine, I talk about bars opening inside other bars. Photograph by Chris Brennan Make it a doubleThese bars within bars offer patrons a choice of drinking styles.By Camper EnglishThe hottest haute cocktails require a range of syrups, bitters, fresh herbs, several types of gin, a lot of storage
- [The Great Debate Continues](https://alcademics.com/the-great-debate-continues/) - You may recall a few weeks ago I wrote a piece for the San Francisco Chronicle about bartenders being less snobby that proved a bit controversial. Now a few others have taken up the conversation. My initial story had the following quote from Erick Castro of Rickhouse that touched a few nerves:"Three years ago it
- [How to Make Clear Ice, The Hard Way](https://alcademics.com/how-to-make-clear-ice-the-hard-way/) - Darcy over at ArtofDrink.com has taken up pursuit of clear ice. In his first post, he noted something that I did not consider and that could be very helpful. As the ice increases in thickness it begins to corral all of the impurities into the center of the block. Dissolved air and unfiltered water will
- [Up in your Internet](https://alcademics.com/up-in-your-internet/) - Oh hai. I've been writing a lot of stuff lately on this new fangled thing called the internet. I did a few things for Tasting Table, like this piece on bartenders swapping out whisky in drinks for mezcal and this other one on where to get a good cocktail during the day in San Francisco. For
- [The Science of Sweet in the San Francisco Chronicle](https://alcademics.com/the-science-of-sweet-in-the-san-francisco-chronicle/) - The science of cocktail sweeteners is Camper English's latest story in the San Francisco Chronicle.
- [Brining Olives at Home](https://alcademics.com/brining-olives-at-home/) - Don't wait until December to buy fresh olives to brine at home, because that's late in the season. This is the first of a series of blog posts on curing olives in brine solution at home.
- [Is Faster Frozen Ice Less Cloudy than Slower Frozen Ice?](https://alcademics.com/is-faster-frozen-ice-less-cloudy-than-slower-frozen-ice/) - In this ice experiment, I compare large blocks of ice frozen at the highest and lowest freezer temperatures to see which is more clear vs. cloudy.
- [Inside the Freezer of an Ice Nerd](https://alcademics.com/inside-the-freezer-of-an-ice-nerd/) - A rare, behind-the-scenes look into the freezer of an ice nerd.
- [Fun with Sugarcane](https://alcademics.com/fun-with-sugarcane/) - I bought a stalk of sugarcane at the farmer's market and tried to extract the juice from it at home. It's not easy!
- [Why Can't I Get a McDonald's Hamburger at Chez Panisse?](https://alcademics.com/why-cant-i-get-a-mcdonalds-hamburger-at-chez-panisse/) - People complain that you can't get a Budweiser at Rickhouse. But do they think they should be able to get a McDonald's hamburger at Chez Panisse?
- [Clear Ice Blocks at Home in an Igloo Cooler](https://alcademics.com/clear-ice-blocks-at-home-in-an-igloo-cooler/) - In my latest set of experiments on making clear ice in the home freezer, I try using a hard-sided Igloo ice cooler- with great success! Read on.
- [User-Generated Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/usergenerated-cocktails/) - In my latest story for the San Francisco Chronicle, I examine how bars are now trusting consumers to make good decisions instead of putting out lists of rules about what they can't order.
- [New History on the Pisco Sour](https://alcademics.com/new-history-on-the-pisco-sour/) - Pisco historian Guillermo Toro-Lira discovers new truths and falsehoods about the history of the Pisco Sour.
- [Montego Bay, By Way of Heaven's Dog](https://alcademics.com/montego-bay-by-way-of-heavens-dog/) - I can't stop thinking about the delicious drink I had during Tiki Week at Heaven's Dog. So I asked bar/general manger Erik Adkins for the recipe and he was nice enough to share. "The Montego Bay is listed in Beachbum Berry's 'Intoxica'. He says that it is a Don the Beachcomber Drink from the Hotel
- [Smuggler's Cove in Pictures and Words](https://alcademics.com/smugglers-cove/) - Smuggler's Cove, the San Francisco tiki bar by "Shoeless" Martin Cate, opens in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 8th. I got a sneak preview along with other members of the press on Thursday night. To give you an idea about the level of excitement around this bar opening, some cocktail nerds drove up from Los
- [Carving Big (and clear) Ice Cubes](https://alcademics.com/carving-big-and-clear-ice-cubes/) - After much experimentation I have found one method to make big clear chunks of ice. That method is to put water in a cooler in the freezer, then chop off the top clear layer. Now the trick was to get this into useful sized cubes for glasses. *Update 2021: A better post on cutting up
- [Clear Ice Blocks from the Fridge](https://alcademics.com/clear-ice-blocks-from-the-fridge/) - Make clear ice in your home refrigerator.
- [Don't Forget the Wild Tofurkey](https://alcademics.com/dont-forget-the-wild-tofurkey/) - When you're out shopping for your liquor-loving vegetarian guests for Thanksgiving this year, don't forget to pick up some tofu and booze to make my special Wild Tofurkey dish. It's tofu marinated in a cocktail and baked. Mmm.
- [Another Clue to Ice Clarity: Slow Freezing Like a Japanese Pond](https://alcademics.com/another-clue-to-ice-clarity-slow-freezing-like-a-japanese-pond/) - The other night a friend of mine told me that she read something about clear ice, which as you may recall is a topic of interest of this blog. Naturally I forgot what she said (we were at a bar, remember) but the next day I found the following email I had sent to myself:
- [Does Freezing Water in Layers Make Clear Ice?](https://alcademics.com/does-freezing-water-in-layers-make-clear-ice/) - Here's a new edition in my ongoing ice experiments. So far, there experiments have been: Distilled vs. Tap Water Melting and refreezing water Hot Water vs. Cold Water Carbonated Water vs. Still Water Horizontal vs. Vertical Container Shapes With successes in: Releasing Air Trapped in Ice Cutting Corners to Make Clear Ice So far my
- [Passing the B.A.R.](https://alcademics.com/passing-the-bar/) - This past fall I took the B.A.R., Beverage Alcohol Resource, five-day course in New York. The course has two levels- "Ready" and "Certified", with the only difference in the number of drinks one has to make within a certain time on the practical bartending exam. The course ran for about 12 hours each day for
- [SF Cocktail Geography](https://alcademics.com/sf-cocktail-geography/) - Jay Barmann from SFist.com attended my talk at SF Chefs.Food.Wine and kept the handout. Today he's posted my categorization of nearly every type of cocktail program in the city, which is good, because formatting html is a pain. The categories I made up so don't get too hung up on them- it's just how I
- [Cutting Corners to Make Clear Ice](https://alcademics.com/cutting-corners-to-make-clear-ice/) - In an ongoing set of experiments I've been trying to make clear ice at home. I've tried: Distilled vs. Tap Water Melting and refreezing water Hot Water vs. Cold Water Carbonated Water vs. Still Water Horizontal vs. Vertical Container Shapes Releasing Air Trapped in Ice With some success on the last one. While what would
- [Making Clear Ice by Releasing Trapped Air](https://alcademics.com/making-clear-ice-by-releasing-trapped-air/) - [update: after this post, I figured out the trick to making clear ice - check here for the solution.] Finally, I've got a minor success in my clear ice experiment to share. So far in an attempt to make perfectly clear ice in my home freezer, I've tried: Distilled vs. Tap Water Melting and refreezing
- [Clear Ice and Container Shape](https://alcademics.com/clear-ice-and-container-shape/) - Today is Ice Day on Alcademics, so stay tuned for more exciting coverage of my ongoing experiments to make clear ice in my home freezer. So far, I've tried: Distilled vs. Tap Water Multiple melting and freezings of water Hot Water vs. Cold Water Carbonated Water vs. Still Water So far I haven't achieved... anything,
- [Does Carbonated Water Make Clearer Ice than Still Water?](https://alcademics.com/does-carbonated-water-make-clearer-ice-than-still-water/) - This is another in my ongoing experiments to make clear ice. So far, I've tried comparing: Distilled vs. Tap Water Multiple melting and freezings of water Hot Water vs. Cold Water Someone in the comments mentioned hearing that carbonated water would freeze more clearly than still water. As most of the cloudiness in ice appears
- [Nice Ice in the News](https://alcademics.com/nice-ice-in-the-news/) - The Associated Press released the following story on ice today, with a quote from your favorite icesperimentator Camper English. The whole story is here. SIP: Bartending trend calls for nice ice, baby By MICHELLE LOCKE Associated Press Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Erik Adkins spends a lot of time on ice. As general manager of
- [Does Hot Water Make Clearer Ice Than Cold?](https://alcademics.com/does-hot-water-make-clearer-ice-than-cold/) - I have been doing experiments at home to try to get the clearest ice possible. So far my experiments have compared: Distilled vs. Tap water Multiple melting and freezings of water I have not yet had success. Will the third time be the charm? (*Update - You might want to skip to this index page
- [Every Day with Camper English](https://alcademics.com/every-day-with-camper-english/) - Run screaming to your local newsstand to pick up November's issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine. I have a story in the issue about how to go out drinking with your hometown friends on the night before Thanksgiving without ending up hungover when you've got to cook all the next day. Naturally, the advice
- [Drinks With: Francisco Alcaraz of Patron Tequila](https://alcademics.com/drinks-with-francisco-alcaraz-of-patron-tequila/) - A few months back I had a very long lunch with Francisco Alcaraz, Paton Tequila's Master Distiller and Blender at the restaurant Kokkari in San Francisco. Alcaraz is not only the current master distiller, he created the recipe for Patron. Alcaraz studied chemical engineering at the University of Guadalajara then went to work as an
- [A Visit to Cognac Paul Giraud](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-cognac-paul-giraud/) - My final visit in the Cognac region of France was to the house of Paul Giraud- quite literally his house. In my brief visit we first learned about Giraud's philsoophy: while other houses try to use blending to get a round and multi-faceted flavor profile, Giraud tries to emphasize particular flavors in each bottling. I
- [Otard Cognac Visit](https://alcademics.com/otard-cognac-visit/) - Last month I took a big trip to Cognac to learn about cognac. One of the many houses I visited was Otard. This cognac house is located in the former fortifying castle of Cognac in which Francois the First was born, on the Charente River next door to Hennessy.A tour of Otard is part castle
- [A Visit to Courvoisier Cognac](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-courvoisier-cognac/) - On a recent trip to France, I stopped in to Courvoisier cognac for a visit. Courvoisier is located not in the city of Cognac, but in Jarnac- one of the two other main cognac towns along with Segonzac. Jarnac appears to be a bigger city than Cognac and looks a bit more lively. I popped
- [Cognac Pierre Ferrand Visit](https://alcademics.com/cognac-pierre-ferrand-visit/) - One night on a recent visit to France, I visited Cognac Pierre Ferrand. It was awesome. Our group had the good fortune to visit Ferrand on the first day of the cognac harvest, and the bad fortune to arrive so late that we missed seeing it. Alas. Still, we had a tour of the still
- [Cognac Frapin Visit](https://alcademics.com/cognac-frapin-visit/) - A few weeks ago I went to France to learn about cognac. One of the stops was the house of Cognac Frapin.Frapin sells only estate-grown/distilled/aged cognac, produced in the Grande Champagne delimited region of the cognac area near the town of Segonzac. Frapin is a massively impressive operation from the cellars to the blending room
- [A Cooperage in Cognac](https://alcademics.com/a-cooperage-in-cognac/) - I've been to nearly 50 distilleries of all kinds of spirits, but a few weeks ago was my first visit to a real cooperage- finally! Vicard Tonnelleries is a 6th generation cooperage near Cognac in France, where they produce 60,000 French, Eastern European, and American oak barrels each year. American oak? Yes indeed. They buy
- [A Visit to the House of Remy Martin Cognac](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-house-of-remy-martin-cognac/) - In France recently, I had a tour and dinner at the house of Remy Martin in Cognac. They don't allow photography in the cellar, so this post is a little light on the pictures. (Suck it up and read.)We entered the building at night so it's hard to recall exactly what the house complex looks
- [Cognac Tesseron Visit](https://alcademics.com/cognac-tesseron-visit/) - While in France recently I visited the cognac house of Tesseron. This brand is notable for having probably the second largest collection of old cognacs in demijohns in all of Cognac. Cognac can only age for so long in barrel before the spirit becomes flabby and loses its aromatic qualities. For cognac made from grapes grown
- [Cognac Visit: Bache Gabrielsen](https://alcademics.com/cognac-visit-bache-gabrielsen/) - While in the Cognac region of France, I stopped in to cognac house Bache Gabrielsen for a visit. I was greeted by fourth-generation family member Herve Bache-Gabrielsen and taken to their tasting room around a wooden table in the upstairs office. Bache Gabrielsen is located on a small, nondescript street in Cognac. There are few
- [A Day at Hennessy](https://alcademics.com/hennessy-cognac-visit/) - The first stop on a big trip to Cognac, France last week was Hennessy. I met up with my host Cyrille at the Hennessy office, one of the Hennessy buildings that dominates the waterfront on the Charente River in the small city of Cognac. First we talked a bit about sales. Hennessy sells the most
- [All About Cognac](https://alcademics.com/all-about-cognac/) - I went to Cognac last week to learn about cognac. I learned a lot. So what is cognac, anyway? Cognac is an aged brandy distilled from grapes in the Charente region of France. The Cognac region is separated into six delimited subregions based primarily on the makeup of the soil: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies,
- [Beverages by the Bowlful in San Francisco Magazine](https://alcademics.com/beverages-by-the-bowlful-in-san-francisco-magazine/) - My latest story in San Francisco Magazine is online here. The pictures are way better in the print version. Beverages by the bowlfulBy Camper English, Photograph by Shaun RobertsThough punch predates the classic cocktails San Franciscans have been sipping for the past few years, it has taken a while for local mixologists to commit to it.
- [Oakland Names Official Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/oakland-names-official-cocktail/) - ... and it's the Mai Tai. Or maybe not. (Apparently they don't fact-check the newspaper's blogs.) Instead it was official Mai Tai day in Oakland, and they're trying to get the drink recognized as the city's official cocktail. For a debate on the origin of the Mai Tai, read this, and for Trader Vic's version
- [Bartenders Hitting Their Hoes](https://alcademics.com/bartenders-hitting-their-hoes/) - For some reason, the San Francisco Chronicle didn't choose the above title for my story that comes out Sunday August 30th. I can't think of why. More bars growing own cocktail ingredientsCamper English, Special to The ChronicleFriday, August 28, 2009 Victoria D'Amato-Moran grows tomatoes, Asian pears, Fuji apples, blackberries, roses and many herbs in her South
- [Does Distilled Water Freeze Clearer than Tap Water?](https://alcademics.com/does-distilled-water-freeze-clearer-than-tap-water/) - In my last set of icesperiments, I froze, melted, and refroze (tap) water to see if it became clearer on successive refreezings. It did not. This time I compared tap water with distilled water to see if one would freeze more clearly than the other. I froze it, then melted and refroze it four more
- [Gin Definitions](https://alcademics.com/gin-definitions/) - A few months back I attended a seminar hosted by Plymouth and Beefeater gins. This was held on the same day the new EU definition of London gin became law. The law sets down three categories of gin by production method- not by flavor. They are:Gin- Can be basically vodka with flavors added at bottling
- [Does Refreezing Ice Make it Clearer?](https://alcademics.com/does-refreezing-ice-make-it-clearer/) - I am trying a series of experiments to find the best and most practical way to make clear ice in my home freezer. Future experiments include distilled vs. tap water, boiled vs. not boiled, hot vs. cold water, different shapes of containers, etc. For this experiment, I started with plain tap water. I then froze
- [USB Drives are the New Press Kits](https://alcademics.com/usb-drives-are-the-new-press-kits/) - I get a lot of press kits in the mail. Lately the USB drives they put the images and information on have been getting really colorful. You know how some people have really awesome collections of vintage barware and cocktail books from the 1800's? Maybe in 50 years I'll have the biggest collection of branded
- [The Ultimate Test of your Liquor Cabinet](https://alcademics.com/the-ultimate-test-of-your-liquor-cabinet/) - Not only is the Laphroaig Project delicious and surprisingly tropical for its ingredients, it's a test of your liquor cabinet. If you have all of these ingredients at home you are a huuuuge cocktail geek. The Laphroaig Project was created by Owen Westman at Bourbon & Branch and it's also available at Rickhouse, both in
- [Drinks With: Cuervo Tequila Bigshots](https://alcademics.com/drinks-with-cuervo-tequila-bigshots/) - Drinks With... is a regular Alcademics category where I share what I learned when meeting with industry notables. Last week I asked Alcademics readers what I should ask Francicso Hanal Alfaro, Cuervo's Maestro Tequilero and Araceli Ramos, Director at La Rojeña, the Cuervo Distillery. You answered here and on Facebook. I didn't get to ask
- [Moldy Ice](https://alcademics.com/moldy-ice/) - I got these alphabet ice molds on Amazon. They're fun because I can send love notes to myself in my cocktails, and leave subliminal messages in other peoples' drinks. The item description says they can also be used in the oven and for things like butter molds and chocolate, but that sounds hard. I'll stick
- [Simple Syrup: It's Good to be Rich](https://alcademics.com/simple-syrup-its-good-to-be-rich/) - This post lists the spoilage times for different simple syrups. You can use it to determine how long until simple syrup will spoil. Simple syrup is never just that simple. Some people make it 1:1 sugar to water. Others make it 2:1, and call it "rich simple syrup." One-to-one simple syrup is easy to make-
- [Heirloom Tomatoes, Ripe for Drinking](https://alcademics.com/heirloom-tomatoes-ripe-for-drinking/) - It's tomato season and all the local restaurants are rolling out the tomato carts and tomato specialty dinners. The bartenders are getting in on the action too. At Range, Carlos Yturria's famous Sungold Zinger is back on the menu, made with Sungold Zinger cherry tomatoes, No. 209 gin, lemon, agave syrup, and salt. The bartenders
- [Ginger Beer Gives a Buck more Bang](https://alcademics.com/ginger-beer-gives-a-buck-more-bang/) - My latest story in the San Francisco Chronicle (from Sunday's paper) went online today. Read it here. Ginger beer gives a buck more bangCamper English, Special to The ChronicleFriday, July 24, 2009When ginger ale or beer is mixed with citrus in a drink, it is - or more accurately, was - known as a buck.Early
- [The Count of San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/the-count-of-san-francisco/) - Silly me, I didn't even notice that my story on Count Niccolo Branca of Fernet-Branca was in this month's San Francisco Magazine. Here it is.The count comes a-courting Bottle talk with the CEO behind San Francisco's favorite shot, Fernet-Branca. By Camper English, Photograph by Cody Pickens San Franciscans consume around 35 percent of all the
- [The Third Annual Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards](https://alcademics.com/the-third-annual-tales-of-the-cocktail-swag-awards/) - It's that time of year again, the time for the Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards!View the winners from 2007 here and the 2008 Swag Awards here. This year instead of a gift bag there was a swag room at Tales, so you took a bag and walked around and filled it up with items
- [Drinks to Match the Dress](https://alcademics.com/drinks-to-match-the-dress/) - San Francisco bartender pairs cocktail with cocktail dressCamper English, Special to The ChronicleSunday, July 12, 2009Many cocktail contests now require bartenders to pair drinks with meals or invent them on the spot with a secret ingredient, but a recent competition challenged mixologists around the world with a new pairing: cocktails with cocktail dresses.Jacqueline Patterson, a
- [History of the El Diablo Cocktail in Trader Vic's Books](https://alcademics.com/history-of-the-el-diablo-cocktail-in-trader-vics-books/) - I was trying to find the first reference to the El Diablo cocktail recently. Mexican El Diablo 1/2 lime 1 ounce tequila 1/2 crème de cassis Ginger Ale Squeeze lime juice into a 10-ounce glass; drop in spent shell. Add ice cubes, tequila, and crème de cassis. Fill glass with ginger ale. Searching the web,
- [Rickhouse: A First Look](https://alcademics.com/rickhouse-a-first-look/) - Yesterday I stopped in to Rickhouse, the new bar by the folks from Bourbon & Branch, Swig, Anu, and the liquor store Cask. The bar is located at 246 Kearny Street at the site of the long-time gay bar Ginger's Trois. (I believe Anu was built where Ginger's Too was once located.) Ginger's was a
- [A Camper Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/a-camper-cocktail/) - SeanMike over at Scofflaw's Den is making cocktails for mixologists, bloggers, and other folks, and naming them for those people. And now he's made one named The Camper, made with blanco tequila, grenadine, lemon juice, pineapple grapefruit soda, and Peychaud's bitters. Sounds tasty- I can't wait to try me.
- [The Intercontinental Cocktails of Charles H. Baker](https://alcademics.com/the-intercontinental-cocktails-of-charles-h-baker/) - I wrote a story in this weekend's San Francisco Chronicle about Charles H. Baker's cocktails and their popularity, centering around the program at Heaven's Dog in San Francisco. "A hazy memory of a night in Havana during the unpleasantnesses of 1933, when each swallow was punctuated with bombs going off on the Prado..." This line
- [Alcohol Abstinence Education](https://alcademics.com/alcohol-abstinence-education/) - Recently in the news, a 16 year old kid apparently died of excessive alcohol consumption at a party. (The autopsy is not complete, could have been other things in his system.) First the police locked up the party host who threw the event while his parents were away. Now they're trying to find who purchased
- [San Francisco Cocktails, Past and Present](https://alcademics.com/san-francisco-cocktails-past-and-present/) - It's unusual for me to miss days of blogging, but I've been busy writing up some stuff for SF Cocktail Week. Check out these pieces I wrote and let me know if I'm missing anything big (or am completely full of beans). San Francisco's Historic Cocktails and Barbary Coast SaloonsConnecting the Past to the Present:
- [Alcademics in India](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-in-india/) - Alcademics was mentioned in The Telegraph, a newspaper in Calcutta, India, in a big story on cocktail blogging. Also mentioned were CocktailChronicles, TheLiquidMuse, KaiserPenguin, SpiritsAndCocktails, MyAchingHead, IntoxicatedZodiac, and Cocktailians. The global takeover continues!
- [Alcademics En Espanol](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-en-espanol/) - The Alcademics global onslaught continues! This time the site has been mentioned in the Spanish magazine Vinos y Restaurantes. My Spanish translation skills aren't what they used to be, but I'm pretty sure it says, "Alcademics is the most awesome cocktail blog in the universe, and everyone knows it."
- [Alcademics in Mutineer Magazine](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-in-mutineer-magazine/) - In the April/May issue of Mutineer magazine, there is a 12-question survey with a bunch of cocktail bloggers, including your pal Camper of Alcademics. It's fun to see how different answers are on some topics (making your own ingredients, ingredients we'd like to see used more) and how similar on others (absinthe, vodka vs. gin).
- [Top 5 Beer Cocktails on Epicurious.com](https://alcademics.com/top-5-beer-cocktails-on-epicuriouscom/) - Hey look, I wrote another story for Epicurious.com! It's the Top 5 Beer Cocktails, including ones you know like the Shandy and Black Velvet, plus ones that are probably new to you: The Stout Diplomat by Yanni Kehagiaras The Happy Mich by the Tippling Brothers The Cure by Gina Chersevani My previous story for Epicurious
- [How Sweetened It Is](https://alcademics.com/how-sweetened-it-is/) - Here's the second of my two stories in the San Francisco Chronicle this weekend. Spirits: Bartenders find new ways to sweeten the dealCamper English, Special to The ChronicleFriday, April 10, 2009Nearly all cocktails contain a sweetening agent, the simplest of which is raw sugar or simple syrup. Other, newer options include ginger, elderflower, and blood
- [Bartender Style](https://alcademics.com/bartender-style/) - I have two stories in this Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle. The first one is on bartender style, with man-on-the-street shots taken at the St. George Spirits distillery during the American Distilling Institute conference last weekend. On Location: Bartenders' personal styleCamper English, Special to The ChronicleFriday, April 10, 2009Bartenders' outfits are largely dictated by the venues
- [Eggsactly the Right Glasses for Easter Shots](https://alcademics.com/eggsactly-the-right-glasses-for-easter-shots/) - Well, maybe not eggsactly. As you can see these have holes. I taped the bottoms but the one on the right still leaked. These are fancy new high-tech "hinged" eggs. The old boring ones without holes would be better at holding liquids.
- [Here is that Drink I was Talking About](https://alcademics.com/here-is-that-drink-i-was-talking-about/) - You know how I was blogging about that great new drink that's unavailable because there wasn't enough Hangar One chipotle vodka to put it on the menu? Well, they heard the outcry, they delivered more chipotle, and now the Escondido Romano is on the menu at Nopa for all to enjoy as of yesterday. Hooray!
- [Easter Drinks For My Peeps](https://alcademics.com/easter-drinks-for-my-peeps/) - I made these marshmallow peep straws by poking a skewer through the peep, then sliding a straw down the skewer. Fun.
- [Easter Ice](https://alcademics.com/easter-ice/) - You know how I made those cool ice balls before? Well, they really come out looking more like eggs, which inspired me to make some ice eggs for Easter cocktails. Again I just used water balloons filled at the sink. Note: I experimented with water to see if the powder inside the balloons was changing
- [Hello, Wall Street!](https://alcademics.com/hello-wall-street/) - Hey, did y'all see Alcademics quoted in the Wall Street Journal this weekend? Wahoo!Why Do Mocktails Fall Flat?By Eric FeltenLast year the Dry Soda brand of very lightly sweetened fizzy drinks came out with a new flavor, "juniper berry," which it advertised as "the perfect 'non-alcoholic gin and tonic.'" Juniper, of course, is the distinctive,
- [Ice As Art](https://alcademics.com/ice-as-art/) - Gawking at ice isn't just for cocktail nerds anymore! I saw this art review in New York Magazine of an exhibit at Boiler in Williamsburg. In 2004, Strachan cut a 2.5-ton block of ice from the Alaskan Arctic, shipped it to the Bahamas (where he’s from), and exhibited it there in a hermetically sealed refrigerated
- [Chartreuse Tastes Like Hell](https://alcademics.com/chartreuse-tastes-like-hell/) - So says Rachel Maddow on the Jimmy Fallon show. (Okay, she says it tastes like hell until you mix it with other stuff.)Rachel makes a Bijou cocktail for Jimmy (gin, sweet vermouth, Chartreuse, orange bitters) in this segment of the show. (It's near the end of the second break.)
- [Best Garnish Evar](https://alcademics.com/best-garnish-evar/) - Cachacagora spotted this quote from the Sydney Morning Herald's interview with Max Warner of Chivas: Q What's the strangest drink you've ever been served? A In South America, there are large and sleepy bees and the kids wrap cotton threads around them while they're asleep so they end up on a leash. I was served
- [Thujone Delivery Vehicle](https://alcademics.com/thujone-delivery-vehicle/) - Wow- This is a great animated website, promoting a product in cool bottles with limited edition goth-style art. It's too bad about what's in those bottles. They have the European legal maximum amount of thujone, the chemical in grand wormwood that is the supposed hallucinogenic (but isn't really unless you poison yourself with it). In
- [Camper's Clampers Bonus: Plaque Pics](https://alcademics.com/campers-clampers-bonus-plaque-pics/) - As a bonus supplement to my story in the SF Chronicle on E Clampus Vitus, here are pictures I took of the historic plaques located around SF. I didn't get a picture of the Anchor Brewing or Molloy's Tavern in Colma, but here are the other four. Bonus: Bummer and Lazarus plaque.
- [Camper Meets the Clampers](https://alcademics.com/camper-meets-the-clampers/) - Though we like to think the interest in classic cocktails is a recent one, the members of E Clampus Vitus have been celebrating drink history since the year 5937.That date - 1932 in our years - corresponds with the rebirth of an organization commonly called ECV, or the Clampers, whose motto, Credo Quia Absurdum, translates
- [Bar Stars of SF](https://alcademics.com/bar-stars-of-sf/) - The SF Chronicle's Bar Stars 2009 feature just came out, and the introduction to the winners is here. The 2009 Bar Stars are: Reza Esmali of Conduit Brooke Arthur of Range Marcovaldo Dionysos of Clock Bar Cate Whalen of Pizzaiolo Thad Vogler of Heaven's Dog I did the write-up of Thad Vogler. I think the
- [The Trouble with Tequila](https://alcademics.com/the-trouble-with-tequila/) - There's a new study released by Sarah Bowen of North Carolina State University in Raleigh and Ana Valenzuela Zapata of Mexico that says the tequila industry is ruining small farms. I've seen several stories in the media reporting on this and I think many of them are missing a large piece of the puzzle.Basically, the
- [Bay Area Distillers Messing with Agave](https://alcademics.com/bay-area-distillers-messing-with-agave/) - Hey, it's double-bonus tequila Friday here at Alcademics!I just learned that my Chronicle story on Bay Area distillers and business owners making tequila here or in Mexico went live today. The print story should be out this Sunday, in the newly-merged Food & Wine sections. Read the story here. Highlights Julio Bermejo of Tommy's Mexican
- [Drinking by Degree](https://alcademics.com/drinking-by-degree/) - Check out my story in the February issue of San Francisco Magazine. It's about tasting clubs around the city where you earn prizes or a degree by working your way through the menu. I focus on the Tequila Passport program at Tres Agaves, but also mention programs at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, Forbidden Island, and Barclay's
- [Ice Balls Made Easy](https://alcademics.com/ice-balls-made-easy/) - While everyone in their right mind would love one of those fancy giant ice ball makers that go for $1300 and up, they're not the most practical solution for the home mixologist. [Note: since this post went up we've come up with lots of great solutions for clear ice balls and other ice technology. Check
- [Bar-Bary Coast](https://alcademics.com/barbary-coast/) - Wolfgang Weber from the Spume blog and Wine & Spirits Magazine has started a Google map of "classic" (in one way or another) eateries and drinkeries along the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. I've never walked the trail myself but now that he's turned it into a bar crawl I'm much more likely to
- [Heaven's Dog Preview](https://alcademics.com/heavens-dog-preview/) - On Monday I had the chance to check out Heaven's Dog, the new Charles Phan (Slanted Door) restaurant and bar opening on in San Francisco on Friday. On closer inspection, bar and restaurant would be a more adequate description of the place. There's a small noodle bar/kitchen on one side- almost an adjacent business connected
- [A Vintage Pisco Punch Story](https://alcademics.com/a-vintage-pisco-punch-story/) - I was stumbling through the internet the other day and came acrross this vintage story on Pisco Punch, written by Lucius Beebe and published in Gourmet Magazine in 1957. Some choice quotes:Once in the hands of Duncan Nicol it was translated, as by consecration in the name of a divinity more benevolent than all others,
- [Sharing the Sherry Shrub](https://alcademics.com/sharing-the-sherry-shrub/) - In Gary Regan's weekly cocktail newsletter, he shares with us Neyah White's recipe that won the Vinos de Jerez cocktail competition. The recipe is below. It sounds easy because it's only two ingredients, but naturally one of those two ingredients involves seven other ingredients and takes two weeks to make. To see the recipes for
- [The History of the Ice Trade](https://alcademics.com/the-history-of-the-ice-trade/) - I recently finished reading The Frozen Water Trade: A True Story by Gavin Weightman. The book is the story of Frederic Tudor, whose wacky idea of cutting ice in winter from ponds in Massachusetts and selling it to people in warmer climates in the summer turned into a 100 year industry until refrigerated ice became
- [Party Tips from Esquire](https://alcademics.com/party-tips-from-esquire/) - I think it's a little odd to put your New Year's party tips in the January issue of a magazine instead of December, then to give away all the content online before it's even January, but that's why I'm not a rich and famous magazine editor. Nor am I a David Wondrich, who wrote all
- [Cover Girl](https://alcademics.com/cover-girl/) - Did you get your copy of Imbibe Magazine in the mail today? I did. Oh neat, look at that 12-page cover story on scotch whisky. I wonder who wrote it...Wait a minute, I did! That's my story. Hooray!
- [The New Noilly](https://alcademics.com/the-new-noilly/) - Cocktail nerds are abuzz these days with the news that the recipe for Noilly Prat vermouth has changed, as has the bottle. Word is that the American version, which was designed to be mixed into cocktails, will now be replaced with the European, which is more often sipped on its own and not mixed. It
- [Recommended Bottles in the SFBG](https://alcademics.com/recommended-bottles-in-the-sfbg/) - In the San Francisco Bay Guardian this week I have a story on some recommended bottles to pick up this winter season. Here's the picture.
- [New Bars and Old New Bars](https://alcademics.com/new-bars-and-old-new-bars/) - San Franciscans should immediately leave work and run screaming to their local newsbox to pick up this week's San Francisco Bay Guardian. Why? Because you'll find me waiting for you inside. In the Scene insert I have two stories. One of them is on some new recommended bottles of booze. The other is on new
- [San Francisco's Next All-Star Bar](https://alcademics.com/san-franciscos-next-allstar-bar/) - I recently spoke with Erik Adkins (Slanted Door, Flora) who is the bar manager of the soon-to-open Charles Phan (Slanted Door's chef/owner) restaurant next to the Soma Grand building on Mission Street. After much wavering on the name (the code name was "Phantom" at one point, get it), they seem to have settled on Heaven's
- [The Upsides of Prohibition](https://alcademics.com/the-upsides-of-prohibition/) - December 5th is Repeal Day, the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in the United States. We hear a lot about the bummer that was Prohibition, but perhaps now is a good time to reflect on the upsides. What about all the good things caused by Prohibition? - Prohibition popularized Canadian Whisky that came over the
- [Store and Pour](https://alcademics.com/store-and-pour/) - In the December issue of San Francisco Magazine, I have a story on venues like Taverna Aventine, Nihon, the San Francisco Wine Center, and the Occidental Cigar Club where you can store your poison of choice on-site. Read it online here.
- [I am BarSmart](https://alcademics.com/i-am-barsmart/) - You know that BarSmarts certification I was all stressed about, where we had to learn 25 drinks and a lot of information to pass the written and live bartending test? I passed, and am officially BarSmarts Advanced certified. Congratulations to me. Now I can put my new degree to use, backstool bartending by critiquing the
- [Nerdiest Text Message of the Week](https://alcademics.com/nerdiest-text-message-of-the-week/) - SAN FRANCISCO-- New bar Gitane on Claude Lane has received delivery of a Kold Draft ice machine, according to reports to the Alcademics wire service. ---The saddest part about this text message is not that it was sent, but that I was excited when I read it.
- [A Bar Contest You Don't Want to Win](https://alcademics.com/a-bar-contest-you-dont-want-to-win/) - Eater SF hosted a "Douchiest Bar in San Francisco" contest. The winner, unfortunately for them, was Medjool, the rooftop bar in the Mission. Filling out the Top 5 were Matrix Fillmore, Bar None, Americano, and Zeitgeist. The comments on the original post are priceless. "It's as if the marina suddenly puked up it's best and
- [Wild Tofurkey](https://alcademics.com/wild-tofurkey/) - It's almost Thanksgiving, and that means all the booze news is full of stories on what to pair with your turkey. Phooey.As you know, the entire staff here at Alcademics HQ (me) is vegetarian, so I don't play that game. But I do like Thanksgiving, as it's a holiday centered around pigging out and drinking,
- [The Craziest New Cocktail Menu in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/the-craziest-new-cocktail-menu-in-san-francisco/) - DOSA Fillmore opens on Friday, but the drink menu for the restaurant has been released. The cocktails were created by Jonny Raglin of Absinthe, and they look insane. I can't wait to try them. Batsman Martin Miller’s Gin, Darjeeling tea cordial, lemon juice & ginger beer, served over ice with a mint sprig 9Bowler Marian
- [Whisky + Shipwreck = Awesome](https://alcademics.com/whisky-shipwreck-awesome/) - I have a fondness for booze, as you may have realized, but also for shipwrecks and pirates. (Old pirates, not Somali pirates.) So I am particularly thrilled by the story of the SS Politician, a ship carrying 260,000 bottles of whisky that sank off the Outer Hebrides (islands off Scotland) in 1941. The local islanders
- [Alcademics on Epicurious on Absinthe](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-on-epicurious-on-absinthe/) - Hey Look! It's my first story for Epicurious.com! Wahoo! The Top Five Absinthe CocktailsNow that absinthe is legal in America, what are you going to do with it? I share some information about absinthe and suggest the five best cocktails in which to use it.
- [Hotel Wine MacGuyver](https://alcademics.com/hotel-wine-macgauyver/) - Say you find yourself in a hotel room on a cold London night, caught in a bout of sleep-free jetlag, but prepared to take the edge off with a bottle of wine. Unfortunately, you forget to bring a corkscrew. You don't have any cash to tip room service for bringing one up. What do you
- [Clearly a Failure](https://alcademics.com/clearly-a-failure/) - There are various methods people use to make the clearer ice. To remove the air bubbles that make ice cloudy, people suggest boiling or refreezing the water. I decided to give a few options a try to see what worked best. But as we'll see, my results are less than conclusive. Using individual sized apple
- [A day with Charbay](https://alcademics.com/a-day-with-charbay/) - The other week I sat down on the patio behind Swirl on Castro with Marko Karakasevic and Jenni soon-to-be Karakasevic of Charbay and tasted through their line of products. Charbay is a family-run winery and distillery in Napa Valley. And boy do these people like to play with the still- in addition to wine, they
- [Icefusions](https://alcademics.com/icefusions/) - Gourmet.com has a story about a bartender making ice infused with herbs and spices like dried cherry, cardamom, and clove, which open up in cocktails and add new flavors to the drink as they melt. I've had ice made from coconut water and bitters-infused ice before, but this is a new idea to me. Think
- [Look at me, err, at what I wrote](https://alcademics.com/look-at-me-err-at-what-i-wrote/) - I have a story in the latest issue of Malt Advocate- my first one for them. Hooray!It's a round-up of whisky events at Tales of the Cocktail and the increased presence of whisky at the event in general. Run screaming to your local newsstand and read it. You'll find my story right beneath the picture
- [The Gentleman's Companion's Companion](https://alcademics.com/the-gentlemans-companions-companion/) - The Gentleman's Companion by Charles H. Baker is one of the most entertaining historical cocktail books, if not always the most useful. It contains cocktail recipes gathered from Baker's travels around the world, but the best parts are the drink introductions and settings. Like this one:THE JAMAICAN BLACK STRIPE, another Heartener from that Tropical Paradise,
- [Maker's Mark Distillery Visit](https://alcademics.com/makers-mark-distillery-visit/) - As part of a visit to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, I visited the Jim Beam and Maker's Mark distilleries in September. Today I'll talk about visiting Maker's Mark.The distillery has been around since 1805, but was purchased by Mr. Samuels, founder of Maker's Mark, in the early 1950's. This distillery will receive 70,000 visitors this
- [Oh, Sherry!](https://alcademics.com/oh-sherry/) - I haven't seen the print edition yet, but the digital edition of my story in Men's Book (by San Francisco Magazine) is viewable online here.The story is about sherry in cocktails. The story mentions drinks on the menu at 15 Romolo, NOPA, and the forthcoming Gitane, but since I wrote it, sherry drinks have been
- [A visit to the Jim Beam distillery](https://alcademics.com/a-visit-to-the-jim-beam-distillery/) - In September I visited the Jim Beam and Maker's Mark distilleries as part of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. For all the distilleries I've been to in 10 different countries, I'd never seen a bourbon distillery. The Claremont Jim Beam distillery is a huge facility, and one of two where the product is distilled. They receive
- [Here's that story I wrote about bartenders](https://alcademics.com/heres-that-story-i-wrote-about-bartenders/) - Bay Area's best mixologists leaving bars for brands Camper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, September 19, 2008While you're still likely to run into many of San Francisco's best mixologists in the usual cocktail hot spots, increasingly they'll be standing on the other side of the bar.That's because many local bartenders have accepted full- or
- [On ice](https://alcademics.com/on-ice/) - When Alembic bartender Josey Packard talked about moving from San Francisco back to Boston, she was worried about getting the right job. "There's a place opening in the fall that will have a Kold Draft machine, and I think I need to work there," she said. "Otherwise I'll have to make ice at home and
- [Who's rocking at the clock?](https://alcademics.com/whos-rocking-at/) - Not only is Bacar's Joe Parrilli now working at the Clock Bar (note: hat-less!), Bourbon & Branch's Kevin Diedrich will be pulling shifts there too starting today. He told me he'll still be spending some time at Bourbon & Branch- after all, he's the one creating a lot of the homemade syrups, tonic water, and
- [The second annual Tales of the Cocktail swag awards!](https://alcademics.com/the-second-annu/) - Times change, swag changes. This year at Tales of the Cocktail, my swag haul was quite different than last year, but perhaps the presenters' bag o' swag was different than for the media. (Can't I be both?) This year I brought home 3 t-shirts, 4 drinking vessels, 3 types of garnish, 2 absinthe spoons, 8
- [The curious case of the Clock Bar](https://alcademics.com/the-curious-cas/) - Clock Bar, the hyped Michael Mina cocktail lounge opening July 15 in San Francisco, is becoming a lesson in OOPS I FORGOT ABOUT THE COCKTAILS. Early on the project was announced- historic space, famous chef, tasty bar snacks, high-end drinks, yadda, yadda, yadda- and nobody listed as being in charge of the cocktail program. Curious.
- [Plymouth](https://alcademics.com/plymouth/) - Hello chums. The Plymouth gin distillery, it turns out, is just as beautiful as they say, but much smaller than I imagined. Just one big copper pot still makes all their gin, and they don't even need to run it full-time.Beyond the distillery tour, the building holds a restaurant and a cocktail bar, so you
- [Chartreuse on the loose](https://alcademics.com/chartreuse-on-t/) - This week I helped judge a Chartreuse cocktail competition- tough job! Bartenders love making cocktails with the stuff, and I love drinking said cocktails. With my fellow judges Johnny Raglin of Absinthe and Carlos Yturria of Bacar/Grand Pu Bah I think we were in complete agreement with our top choices. Joel Baker of Bourbon &
- [10 Trendsetting Mixologists](https://alcademics.com/10-trendsetting/) - In various editions of the Beverage Network's magazines, I have the cover story on 10 Trendsetting Mixologists from across the country. I interviewed my picks at the Navan/Grand Marnier Mixology Summit this spring. This year’s batch of bartenders to watch have more in common than a penchant for inventing and shaking up tasty cocktails. They’re
- [Absinthe in Men's Book](https://alcademics.com/absinthe-in-men/) - Speaking of absinthe, I just noticed that the story I wrote on the subject (or as I call it, the subject that keeps on paying) for Men's Book San Francisco is online. Go here and forward to page 80.Labels: absinthe, camper_clips
- [Gin on the vine](https://alcademics.com/gin-on-the-vine/) - Immediately after my press trip to Jerez to study sherry, I flew to Bordeaux to learn about G'Vine gin. As far as I know, G'Vine is the only gin made from grape spirit instead of grain spirit, which gives it a round, soft texture and a touch of sweetness. It also has a huge burst
- [Tequila Terroir](https://alcademics.com/tequila-terroir/) - Run screaming to your local newsstand to pick up the June issue of Wine & Spirits magazine, with the Top 100 Value Wines on the cover. Also on the cover is a mention of a story inside on Tequila Terroir, written by me. Hooray! My pal Jenn Farrington took the photos. Here's the teaser: This
- [Scotland Day Eight: Edinburgh and the castle](https://alcademics.com/scotland-day-ei-1/) - We had a nearly four hour drive from Speyside to Edinburgh for our last day on the trip, but it wasn't drama-free by any means. Once again, the back door of the van popped open while we were going down the highway and two peoples' luggage fell out. I watched as one tumbled behind our
- [Scotland Day Seven: The real post](https://alcademics.com/scotland-day-se-1/) - This was our final distillery day in Scotland, but it was a double-header. We started off the morning with a tour of the Glenlivet distillery. By this time distillery tours were old hat, so we just stopped off at the points that deviate from other brands. The we had lunch and a demo of an
- [Scotland day seven: a quick note](https://alcademics.com/scotland-day-1/) - Yesterday at Glenlivet and Strathisla were amazing, but I've no time or Internet with which to post. The picture is of my hotel from last night, at which we were at the bar in the garden until the wee hours of the morning.
- [The Bar Coat Hook Hall of Shame](https://alcademics.com/the-bar-coat-ho/) - 5/1/08 update: Fish and Farm has a great homemade cocktail ingredient program, but alas, nowhere to hang your jacket at the bar. They've been added to the Hall of Shame. -- Every bar top should have coat hooks beneath it. That way you don't have to try to hang your jacket off your bar stool
- [Scotland Day Six: Macallan and no bagpipes](https://alcademics.com/scotland-day-si-1/) - I was on a roll there with two bagpipe days back to back, but alas, the trend didn't continue. On our sixth distillery day, we drove from Inverness to Craigellachie. On the way there, we stopped in Elgin to visit Johnston's cashmere center, a huge wool and cashmere factory where they sew scarves for Burberry,
- [Scotland Day Five: Glenmorangie and the fancy hotel](https://alcademics.com/scotland-day-fi-1/) - Pipercount: 3! On the fifth day of our trip, we headed to the Glenmorangie distillery. They use the tallest stills in Scotland, as the original one was a former gin still. The taller the stills, the lighter the particles have to be to reach the top during distillation, and the resulting scotch has a lighter,
- [Scotland Day Four: Pipercount- Two!](https://alcademics.com/scotland-day-fo-1/) - I started the morning at 5AM catching up on live blogging Scotland. Then I had a walk past Huntly castle and the adorable town of Huntly. It reminded me of towns in Napa and Sonoma in a way, in that it's all cute all-too clean small-town goodness, except in this case it's 400 or so
- [Scotland photos](https://alcademics.com/scotland-photos-1/) - By the way, the photos from my trip can be seen on my Flickr page here, organized by day and distillery. I'll be adding more pictures as I go along. Labels: scotch, travel
- [Scotland Day Three: Death defying](https://alcademics.com/scotland-day-th-1/) - This morning I feel much better after having suffered from near-fatal jetlag the whole trip. I was averaging four hours of sleep or less since the day before the trip began, but last night I finally caught up and had nearly ten hours' worth. It was easier here, as we're staying in the hotel adjacent
- [Scotland Day Two: Pipe-free](https://alcademics.com/scotland-day-tw-1/) - Yesterday we visited the Royal Lochnagar distillery, a very small, pristine place located next to the summer residence of the Queen of England. (The distillery was there first.) On the drive here the landscape turned from lush and green to tall rocky hills covered in heather- which looks like an ugly brown bush when it's
- [Piperwatch](https://alcademics.com/piperwatch-1/) - Scotland Day One- Bagpipe count: 1 I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of bagpipes involved on this press trip. When I went to Mexico on a tequila trip we had one to three different mariachi groups per day. I think it's gonna be like that with bagpipes, which are just
- [SF Represent!](https://alcademics.com/sf-represent/) - I picked up a copy of Food & Wine Cocktails 2008 to see what the representation of bars and cocktails around the country was. West Coast drinks have been getting more attention in the past year and it's great to see this reflected in the book. The cocktails from the Bay Area are: Grapefruit Flamingo
- [Grappa in the SF Chronicle](https://alcademics.com/grappa-in-the-s/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle Italy's Fiery Grappa the Latest Spirit to Go Upscale by Camper English Several spirits have overhauled their previously negative reputations in recent years. Tequila lovers now pay up to several hundred dollars per bottle, and consumers who wouldn't touch gin three years ago now shake it with egg whites
- [Dry Drunk: The Cocktails of Thad Vogler at Beretta](https://alcademics.com/dry-drunk-the-c/) - What's up with my iPhone-tography skills? Do I have to be good at everything? Anyway, Beretta. I was only thinking about the cocktails when I went there, but it turns out that with inexpensive food and lots of communal seating, this may be the one cocktail restaurant in which I can actually afford to eat.
- [At  Beretta, less is more](https://alcademics.com/at-beretta-less/) - When Beretta opens (currently scheduled for April 1), cocktail fans will recognize many familiar faces behind the bar. Thad Vogler (Slanted Door, Jardiniere, Bourbon & Branch) is leading the bar program, and some of the people taking shifts there will be Jon Santer (Bruno's, Range, Tres Agaves, B&B), Todd Smith (Cortez, B&B), Ryan Fitzgerald (Tres
- [Branch news](https://alcademics.com/branch-news/) - News from Bourbon & Branch: They've added classes on Cocktails 101, Rum, and Absinthe to the Beverage AcademyTaking co-management positions after Todd Smith's departure are Joel Baker and Yanni Kehagiaras (pictured) Russell's Room, an additional private room built into the former barbershop next door, is scheduled to open in April. Labels: bars, education, SanFrancisco
- [SF cocktail history](https://alcademics.com/sf-cocktail-his/) - Plymouth gin is the bartender's favorite brand here in San Francisco. What's nice is that the brand sponsors events to thank them for it. In the winter they offered a lecture on molecular mixology techniques, and earlier this week they flew in David Wondrich to lead a big group on a cocktail history tour of
- [Beyond the Branch](https://alcademics.com/beyond-the-bran/) - Big news in SF barland: Todd Smith has turned in his resignation at Bourbon & Branch. He's been with them since long before they opened but said, "It's time for me to move on and do another project." He told me he plans to take some time off and work on some consulting gigs he's
- [Belgian text](https://alcademics.com/belgian-text/) - The text of my Belgian beer bars story from San Francisco Magazine is now online here. And if you're interested, my Aspen travel piece is here.Labels: beer, camper_clips, travel
- [What a wild, wonderful year](https://alcademics.com/what-a-wild-won/) - This past year has been busy, crazy, and wonderful. I realize it's only been a little over a year since I started writing about cocktails and spirits full-time. That seems ludicrous, as I've learned so much since my first big feature in the SF Chronicle in October of 2006. And the thing is, I still
- [Brunch drinks](https://alcademics.com/brunch-drinks/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Daytime Cocktails for New Years Brunch Camper English, Special to the Chronicle New Year's Day often arrives with one pondering the previous night's indulgences and the resulting aftereffects. On the upside, this can also be done with a cocktail in hand. Whether consuming them to nurse the previous night's
- [Lalique- So Chic!](https://alcademics.com/lalique-so-chi/) - By me, in today's SF Chromicle: Splurge on a $12,000 bottle of scotch Though the product isn't available until January, the whiskey lover in your life probably won't mind the IOU for this $12,000 Macallan 55-year-old single-malt Scotch packaged in a custom Lalique crystal bottle. The spirit inside is unusual for Macallan as it has
- [Boozeless Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/boozeless-cockt/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Drink Menus Explore Virgin Territory with Alcohol-Free Cocktails Camper English, Special to the Chronicle Bay Area restaurants and bars are increasingly devoting space on their menus to alcohol-free drinks. These concoctions are more complicated than simple sodas and juices, involving the same glassware, seasonal ingredients and fresh garnishes as
- [New bars in the Bay Guardian](https://alcademics.com/new-bars-in-the/) - I contributed this round-up of new drinking venues to the San Francisco Bay Guardian. As I was taking notes on the venues that opened in the past year, I realized that there are way to many of them to list. The final article has 32 new venues listed, and it doesn't include a third of
- [ChocoCaberYoga](https://alcademics.com/chococaberyoga/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Raise a Glass to Yoga Class A sense of relaxation, the loss of calories and increased flexibility are some of the benefits that come with yoga practice, but the just-opened Cocoon Urban Day Spa and Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant have teamed up with some rewards that are a
- [Genevieve](https://alcademics.com/genevieve/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Fritz Maytag and the team at Anchor Distilling are so far ahead of the curve they must get bored waiting for us to catch up. They've just released Genevieve, a genever-style gin they began developing in 1996, which has been sitting in a tank ever since. Genever is an
- [Breaking News](https://alcademics.com/breaking-news/) - So Lance Winters of St. George Spirits let the cat out of the bag that his absinthe was approved at the end of last week. Well, local booze news doesn't get any bigger than that so I told my editors at the Chronicle it shouldn't wait until Friday's Wine Section and they agreed. Stacy Finz
- [Bourbon, Bourbon, Bourbon](https://alcademics.com/bourbon-bourbon/) - Great NYTimes article on bourbon, with ratings of their top pics. I tend to agree with the reviews (though I haven't tried all the brands), though I might switch the Knob Creek and Woodford Reserve (two of the most available at bars) ratings. Woodford Reserve has become my airline liquor of choice- usually available, great
- [Black (Out) Friday](https://alcademics.com/black-out-frida/) - The SF Chronicle's Wine Section comes out with the now-annual gift guide today. To read the intro and all of the items, start here, then follow the links in the box on the right. I listed some suggestions for gift books (Felten, Wondrich, In the Land of Cocktails), Gary Regan tells us must-have bottles of
- [Hidden bars in Time](https://alcademics.com/hidden-bars-in/) - Hey look, I wrote a little thing in Time magazine's Style and Design issue on hidden cocktail bars as a national trend. Here it is online, and here is the scan. Labels: bars, camper_clips
- [Give thanks for beer and turkey](https://alcademics.com/give-thanks-for/) - By me, in Friday's SF Chronicle: A new Web site by the Brewers Association wants you to pass on the wine this Turkey Day and pop open a craft beer instead. BeerAndTurkey.org offers suggestions for beer pairings with a range of holiday meals, including roasted, smoked and Cajun-style turkey, ham, goose, salmon and lamb. They
- [Felten and Wondrich book reviews](https://alcademics.com/felten-and-wond/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: New books dedicated to old drinks Camper English Many drink books published today are the "Behind the Music" of cocktails, telling the stories of the book authors and recipe histories rather than inventing a slew of new libations. In the past few years we've seen titles including "Vintage Spirits
- [Vintage Cocktail Books](https://alcademics.com/vintage-cocktai/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Bartenders shake and stir their way through cocktail history Camper English, Special to the Chronicle Because of their proximity to sticky liquids, well-used cocktail books often don't hold up over time, which may be why vintage cocktail books from the 1860s through the 1940s are rare and highly collectible.
- [Pumpkin pie, just like Mom used to drink](https://alcademics.com/pumpkin-pie-jus/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Modern Spirits Vodka, the small brand that creates infusions like celery peppercorn and chocolate orange, has released its first seasonal flavor: pumpkin pie. (They'll be launching a rose infusion for Valentine's Day next.) The vodka was infused with pumpkin puree and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and retains a
- [Tiki bar crawl in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/tiki-bar-crawl/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Next Thursday though Sunday is the seventh annual San Francisco Bay Area Tiki Crawl. That the event is spread out over four days and three geographic regions is an indicator that we have a heck of a lot of tiki bars in this part of the world. (Take that,
- [Even over polite whisky conversation, the discussion turns to Britney Spears](https://alcademics.com/even-over-polit/) - Last night I went to Absinthe for a dinner with Mike Miyamoto of Yamazaki Whisky. They brought along David Wondrich, whose new book I reviewed for the Chronicle (review coming out November 9th). We tasted the 12 and 18 year whiskies, as well as a 25-year-old not available in the US. What's unique about these
- [Smells like 'tini syrup](https://alcademics.com/smells-like-tin/) - By me, in Friday's SF Chronicle: For the past few years, cocktail consultant Jacques Bezuidenhout has been sneaking maple syrup into the drinks he invents for the Starlight Room and special events, and perhaps it's finally caught on, because now we see it on several menus about town. At Bar Drake, downstairs from the Starlight
- [WhiskyFest listing](https://alcademics.com/whiskyfest-list/) - Okay, last post about WhiskyFest until I go there: Here is the mention of the event in Friday's SF Chronicle: Lessons in whisky Malt Advocate magazine's WhiskyFest, which has been running annually for years in New York and Chicago, makes its debut in San Francisco on Tuesday. It's a one-stop whisk(e)y workshop, with lectures, tastings
- [Lost ingredients](https://alcademics.com/lost-ingredient/) - Here's my big fat lost ingredients cover story in today's SF Chronicle Wine Section. Resurrecting spirits Camper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, October 19, 2007 Last year, Erik Ellestad, a cocktail aficionado and systems administrator at UCSF, decided to drink his way through a classic recipe book. Though he initially considered "The Old Waldorf
- [Back from Poland](https://alcademics.com/back-from-polan/) - I'm back from Poland and jet lagged as all get-out. I was there and in Paris on a press trip for Chopin vodka. While I'll save many of the details for a later exposition on the trip and for stories I need to write, I'll hit the highlights of the distillery tour. We were there
- [Good things come in small batches](https://alcademics.com/good-things-com/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Oct. 13 is the first Independent Spirits Fest, a big tasting event focused on small producers. Unlike most single-topic spirits bonanzas, this one has a bit of everything: cachaca, single-malt Scotch, liqueurs, flavored vodka, eau de vie, bourbon and more. Most of the Bay Area-based distillers (Charbay, Anchor, St.
- [Roshambo!](https://alcademics.com/roshambo/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: While most wineries sponsor genteel sports like croquet and polo, Roshambo stages a battle of fists. At high noon this Saturday, the fifth annual RockPaperScissors Championship gets under way. Competitors, who must register in advance ($20 at roshambowinery.com), come dressed for battle in opponent-concentration-breaking costumes like blue wigs and
- [Cachaca in the Chron](https://alcademics.com/cachaca-in-the/) - Here's today's story in the SF Chronicle on the state of cachaca: A wave of artisan cachaca hits local bars Camper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, October 5, 2007Nipping at the mojito's heels, the caipirinha is poised to become the next Latin cocktail of the moment. With just three ingredients - a muddled half
- [A categorized list of "martinis"](https://alcademics.com/a-categorized-l/) - A fun list on Kottke.org of (mostly bad) martinis, including Franklin-tini (for Ben Franklin's 300th birthday) Mex-tini (orange vodka + tequila) Sex-tini (Asian sex tonic + x-rated vodka) Flu-tini (vodka + cold medicine) Red Lobster Butter-Tini (butterscotch schnapps + half and half + Bailey's) Bikini-tini (low calorie) K-tini (sauerkraut) Red Hot Santa-tini (chili peppers +
- [Sock Suckers](https://alcademics.com/sock-suckers/) - In Eric Felten's most recent Wall Street Journal article, he takes on bad, and badly-named drinks. He goes into one particular drink but takes an extra sentence to describe the name. Popular in Australia, it seems, is a shooter made of Baileys and butterscotch liqueur. The drink's elaborate and unprintable title vividly describes a "cowboy"
- [Wait, Kuleto's?](https://alcademics.com/wait-kuletos/) - In a very surprising move, classic Italian restaurant Kuleto's in SF's Union Square launched the city's first all-organic cocktail menu. By me, in today's SF Chronicle: What is likely San Francisco's first all-organic cocktail menu popped up in a very unlikely place - Kuleto's, the Italian restaurant in Union Square. The seven drinks on the
- [All bar hands on deck](https://alcademics.com/all-bar-hands-o/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: All bar hands on deck The problem with cocktail recipe books is they get all sticky when you bring them into the kitchen. The problem with fun-sized, plastic-coated cocktail recipes is that the recipes are usually overly sweet and taste terrible. Finally someone figured out a sensible solution- a
- [Caliente Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/caliente-cockta/) - Here's a recent story I wrote for San Francisco Magazine about Latin cocktail bars, and in particular Cantina. I am known to spend some time drinking there on occasion.Labels: bars, cachaca, camper_clips, SanFrancisco
- [Champagne drinking tips](https://alcademics.com/champagne-drink/) - Do not drink champagne. It is evil. Do not not drink champagne at Jardiniere's relaunch party, where Thad Vogler made seven kinds of punch, all of them with champagne. The punches may taste magnificent and restore your faith in the entire punch category, but you should not try them. They will tempt you to continue
- [Popular Singles](https://alcademics.com/popular-singles/) - Roll out the single-barrel Bay Area watering holes snap up bottlings of exclusive whiskeys Camper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, September 7, 2007 The Cigar Bar & Grill in Jackson Square in San Francisco serves a Manhattan you can't get anywhere else, as it's made with the restaurant's exclusive 10-year-old bourbon. Harris' Restaurant and
- [Caliente Cocktails](https://alcademics.com/caliente-cockta-2/) - In September's San Francisco Magazine I have a story on Cantina, a bar I may have mentioned here once or two hundred times already, as part of the Latin cocktail trend. The story isn't online, so run screaming to your local newsstand to pick up the new issue.Labels: bars, camper_clips, SanFrancisco
- [Moonshine By the Bay](https://alcademics.com/moonshine-by-th/) - Bay Area home distillers make modern-day moonshine Camper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, August 24, 2007 Moonshiners live among us. By day they appear to be respectable members of society, perhaps writing software to make your Internet experience run smoothly. But at night and on weekends, after a visit to the farmers' market or
- [Speakeasy's hootenanny](https://alcademics.com/speakeasys-hoot/) - By me, in today's SF Chronicle: Help celebrate Speakeasy Ales and Lagers' 10-year anniversary Saturday with a "rousing, riveting, and spine-tingling blowout hullabaloo" party at the Bayview brewery. The free admission event features live music by Brittany Shane, Crosstops and other bands, a barbecue, and of course, beer. They'll be debuting White Lightning Wheat Beer
- [Getting to know you, and by "you" I mean "your drinks"](https://alcademics.com/getting-to-know/) - Last week at the Rye cocktail competition, Dominic Venegas was one of the judges. Dominic set up the bar program at Range, bartends at Bourbon & Branch and Cantina, and has designed/revamped cocktail menus for several restaurants around town. Oh, and also he's the spirits buyer for John Walker & Sons liquor store. In other
- [So, so many muddlers](https://alcademics.com/so-so-many-mudd/) - If you have anything to do with the booze industry, you're probably drowning in muddlers right now. I brought home seven from Tales of the Cocktail, and over the past month I've been averaging one new muddler every week. Not on purpose. With so many muddlers (and so few friends to give them to) one
- [Just for fun](https://alcademics.com/just-for-fun/) - I posted the story I wrote in 2001 about how to get your daily nutritional requirements in San Francisco from only free bar snacks. Page 1 is here. Page 2 is here.Labels: funny, SanFrancisco
- [An answer to that pesky Leblon question](https://alcademics.com/an-answer-to-th/) - Leblon is a cachaca (Brazilian sugar-cane-based rum) that's aged 3-6 months in used cognac barrels in France. The last part has always been a confusing point to cachaca consumers. Or at least to me. If it's aged in France, how can it be called cachaca? Last night I had dinner at Jardiniere with Gerry Schweitzer,
- [Jam On It](https://alcademics.com/jam-on-it/) - By me, in today's San Francisco Chronicle: Jammin' cocktails Camper English Friday, August 3, 2007 With mixologists around town focusing on farmers' market fruits and fresh herbs, we wouldn't have guessed the hot new cocktail ingredients would be marmalade and jam. But we don't make the trends, just report on them. -- Bar Drake, the
- [The Downtown Vortex](https://alcademics.com/the-downtown-vo/) - It's hard for me to leave downtown without stopping into one of my favorite watering holes. And it's hard for me to leave one of my favorite downtown watering holes without stumbling into one of my other favorite watering holes nearby. Yesterday I hit Bourbon & Branch for some investigative drinking. (The management is not
- [The New Clubs (Are Actually Bars)](https://alcademics.com/the-new-clubs-a/) - I received the latest copy of San Francisco Magazine in the mail today, in which I have a story on the latest trend in nightlife- retro-opulent design bars with demoted dancefloors. In San Francisco, some of the hot new spots opened recently are: Harlot (Bordello theme)Slide (Speakeasy theme)Etiquette (Victorian-bondage theme)Ambassador (Rat Pack theme)Another interesting note
- [Bay Area bartenders earn toasts at New Orleans cocktail event](https://alcademics.com/bay-area-barten/) - Bay Area bartenders earn toasts at New Orleans cocktail event Camper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, July 27, 2007 We like to think our bartenders and their drink creations are extraordinary here in the Bay Area. Last weekend at the Tales of the Cocktail event held in New Orleans, we found validation that it's
- [The Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards](https://alcademics.com/the-tales-of-th/) - It became clear at Tales of the Cocktail that the amount of swag was going to be unmanageable, so I started declining freebies unless I was prepared to lug them home. Not everything made it (hope the hotel maid likes vodka!) and I still had two additional pieces of luggage on the way back. My
- [Tales of the Cocktail 4 - The last two days](https://alcademics.com/tales-of-the-co/) - I think I'm a rare person that made it through all of Tales of the Cocktail without a hangover. But then I drank a lot on the plane and have one today back in San Francisco. Still, the conference was exhausting and I was starting to feel it on Saturday. At the Cocktails and the
- [Eau my goodness](https://alcademics.com/eau-my-goodness/) - By me in today's SF Chronicle: St. George Spirits, the Alameda distillers behind Hangar One Vodka and several eaux-de-vie, liqueurs and one whiskey, have launched another small bottling with big flavor. Aqua Perfecta Basil Eau de Vie is made with Thai and other varieties of basil, soaked in unaged California grape brandy and redistilled. The

## Pages

- [Alcademics: The Study of Drinks](https://alcademics.com/) - Alcademics is the company created by award-winning cocktails and spirits author Camper English. Camper writes about drinks, teaches classes, and leads tours in San Francisco and around the world. ✉️ Alcademics Newsletter - Sign up for a monthly summary of new classes, events, and content. Alcademics Events in San Francisco Water Tasting Workshop Info or
- [San Francisco Cocktail & Bar History  Walking Tours](https://alcademics.com/san-francisco-cocktail-bar-history-walking-tours/) - Purchase tickets here. Quick Info A walking tour about the history of San Francisco cocktails, bars, and bartenders from the Gold Rush to the Beat Era. Mostly outdoors, then we end in a restored 1907 saloon in North Beach for a cocktail together, included in the price. Tours take place every Saturday afternoon, or by
- [Camper English's Talks](https://alcademics.com/camper-englishs-speaking-engagements/) - Camper English is a speaker and educator on the history of alcohol and medicine, the science of cocktails, spirits production, clear ice, and more. Recently he has given talks at Tales of the Cocktail, University of Washington Health Sciences Library, Lafayette Public Library, Campari Headquarters, the Mutter Museum, the Mechanics Institute Library, the United States
- [Private Events, Classes, Talks, Team Building & More](https://alcademics.com/work-with-camper-english-events-classes-and-talks/) - I have worked with all the major international spirits companies, several of the biggest tech companies in the world, and a lot of libraries as well. Please have a look at the options below, then send me a note and we can chat through email or get on the phone. Talks Based on Doctors &
- [instalinks: links from @alcademics on Instagram](https://alcademics.com/instalinks/) - Permalinks Alcademics Homepage Water Tasting Classes San Francisco Bar and Cocktail History Tours Ice Diamond Carving Classes Recent Links from Instagram Dirty Drinks Beyond the Martini Clear Ice and Me in Imbibe Magazine 2026 Drink Books Drink Books 2025: All cocktails and spirits books released in 2025 Pousse Cafe - How Archive & Myth Does
- [Bottled Water Tasting Workshops in San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/water-tasting-classes-and-workshops-in-san-francisco/) - Learn to taste and rate bottled still and sparkling waters like a pro and understand the difference between brands! Tickets are available on ClassBento here. We’ll taste test about 20 different waters and students will leave the class with an appreciation for the variety of water to drink, a way to describe how they taste,
- [Classes and Events: 
Camper English and Alcademics](https://alcademics.com/event-calendar/) - Upcoming events and the current schedule are listed on the Alcademics homepage. ✉️ To be informed of new events, sign up for the Alcademics Newsletter. It is monthly for now, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Interested in a private tour or tasting, corporate team building event, or talk? Start here.
- [The Ice Book by Camper English: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts](https://alcademics.com/the-ice-book-by-camper-english/) - Winner! Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2024! An Amazon Top 50 Best Selling Book! Wired's Best Cookbooks of 2023! "Now, with Mr. English’s new tome, “The Ice Book,” he’s made it possible for every cocktail enthusiast to master clear-ice at home." New York Times "This is
- [Index of Ice Experiments on Alcademics](https://alcademics.com/index-of-ice-experiments-on-alcademics/) - *The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts is now on sale! Learn more about it, pick up a copy, or scroll down to read the last 14 years of ice research. Hello! If you're heard of directional freezing, learned to make clear ice in a cooler or in a thermos,
- [Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails by Camper English](https://alcademics.com/doctors-and-distillers-the-remarkable-medicinal-history-of-beer-wine-spirits-and-cocktails/) - “Every bit as entertaining as it is educational” Scientific American “Best savored, not shot-gunned, with a drink in hand” Science “A tirelessly researched book on the centuries-long relationship between medicine and booze” The New York Times A Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Top 4 Finalist! Finalist for the Andre Simon Book Awards! Buy it:
- [Distilleries Visited by Camper English](https://alcademics.com/distilleries-visited-by-camper-english/) - Camper English has visited the following distilleries, bodegas, and blending houses: Anchor Distilling, USA 209 Gin, USA St. George Spirits, USA Sake One/Momakawa, USA 4 Copas, Mexico Don Julio, Mexico Partida, Mexico Herradura, Mexico El Tesoro, Mexico Cazadores, Mexico Cuervo, Mexico Distilled Resources/Blue Ice, USA Canadian Mist, Canada Finlandia (bottling), Finland Chopin Vodka, Poland Mount Gay Rum Barbados Geikekan Berkeley, USA Rhum Clement, Martinique Rhum J.M., Martinique Chivas/Strathisla, Scotland The Macallan, Scotland Speyburn, Scotland
- [Camper English's Consulting](https://alcademics.com/camper-english-speaking-and-consulting/) - Hello! I have been writing about and working in the craft cocktail space for 20 years and have developed not only an intimate knowledge of the space but also close relationships with people in every strata of the industry. I have consulted for a number of bars, retailers, and spirits brands, as well as judged
- [Alcademics Newsletter](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-newsletter/) - Keep up with Alcademics! Sign up for monthly updates from Camper English including new content, classes, talks, and more. I won't spam you and you can unsubscribe at any time. E-mail address: Name: Country: Are you of legal drinking age in your country of residence?: Yes No
- [Alcademics Links](https://alcademics.com/links/) - Here is some stuff for you to read, when you're not reading Alcademics. BLOGS Drink Nerds: A Dash of Bitters Dr. Bamboo Cocktail Virgin/Slut Drink Hacker RumDood Scofflaw's Den Bibulo.us A.J. Rathburn Jacob Grier Spirits Review A Drink With Forrest BoozeNerds Loving Cup Drinks and Drinking Stir and Strain Bit By a Fox 12 Bottle
- [Alcademics Events](https://alcademics.com/alcademics-events/) - Camper English/Alcademics has developed and served cocktails, led tastings, and created educational displays for such events as: 600 person Conferences 100 person Meet-ups 10 person Private Parties Individual Private Tastings Group Tastings Educational seminars Alcademics/Camper's events and tastings typically have an educational angle and a scientific aesthetic, rather than simple bartending service. (Should you want a
- [About Alcademics and Camper English](https://alcademics.com/about-alcademics/) - Camper English has written for the following publications: 7x7 Magazine [sample]Alaska Airlines Magazine Disclaimer Regarding Samples and Trips As a blogger and journalist, I frequently receive samples of spirits, tools, books, and other freebies, and partake in press trips sponsored by brands, destinations, and industry groups. While not all products and places discussed on this
- [Contact and Connect with Alcademics](https://alcademics.com/contact/) - To email Camper English, please use the address below. alcademics@gmail.com Connect with Alcademics Alcademics on FacebookAlcademics on Instagram Alcademics on BlueskyAlcademics on TikTok Subscribe to the Alcademics Email Newsletter The sign up page is here. It only takes a few seconds to sign up. Alcademics Office and Mailing Address Mailing address and address for classes
- [Books by Camper English](https://alcademics.com/books-by-camper-english/)
- [Craft Bartender Summit Resources Page for Camper English's Liqueurs Seminar](https://alcademics.com/cbs/) - The below material is to accompany the talk "Liqueurs: Understanding, Unpacking, and Hacking the Sweet Stuff" by Camper English Liqueur: Definition in the USA Flavored spirits product containing not less than 2.5% by weight sugar, dextrose, levulose (Sucrose, fructose, and glucose) or a combination thereof made by mixing or redistilling any class or type of spirits
- [Thanks!](https://alcademics.com/thanks/) - Thanks for signing up for Alcademics A-Plus! You should receive an email confirming your subscription. Click on the banner above to return to Alcademics.
- [Alcademics A-Plus Email List](https://alcademics.com/aplus-email-signup/) - Alcademics A-Plus Alcademics A-Plus is a mailing list for giveaways including books, tickets to events, products, swag, and more. All prizes, no spam, and all the emails come with the chance to win something. So far there has been less than one email sent per month. I'll never give out your email address or personal
- [Airline Drink Menus](https://alcademics.com/airline-drink-menus/) - Find out what's to drink while up in the air. Here is a collection of recent airline drink menus from various flights. Note: As of 2020 I'm no longer updating this page, thanks! You might also be interested in the Airline Liquor Packing Regulations page or the Cruise Ship Alcohol Policies page.
- [Contact Camper English](https://alcademics.com/contact-camper-english/) - Contact Camper English of Alcademics at the email address below.
- [The Water Project Index](https://alcademics.com/the-water-project-index/) - The Water Project on Alcademics.com seeks to study water in spirits and in cocktails, from the source of distillery water to the best soda water with which to dilute your drinks. This page is an index of all posts in the project. Introduction to the Water Project. Water Sources for Distilling The Geology of Scotland and
- [Minibar Voyeur: Hotel Minibar Selections from Around the World](https://alcademics.com/minibar-voyeur-hotel-minibar-selections-from-around-the-world/) - On this page are pics of minibar selections taken at hotels around the world. Please send in yours if you find it intereseting! The email address is: Thunder Valley Casino, California. Refrigerator is empty on check-in and only filled on request with half-bottle service. Hotel The Gray, Milan, Italy. Featuring a
- [Ice on Alcademics](https://alcademics.com/ice/) - Hello! You're looking for the ice stuff here on Alcademics.com. Please follow this link to the Index of Ice Experiments page to get started. See ya there! Camper English
- [Page Not Found](https://alcademics.com/404-error-page/) - Oops, the page you were trying to visit isn't here. You can start over on the home page, or if you have some time on your hands, let me know what page you were looking for that gave you the error. Have a nice day. Camper English
- [Alchemy Talk Resources](https://alcademics.com/alchemy-talk-resources/) - Seedlip mention of John French's Art of Distillation https://www.seedlipdrinks.com/en-us/our-story/ Books 1500 Brunschwig - Article about the book https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/5268093#S4 1639, The Distiller of London https://amzn.to/2ZtZMGN 1651 A Short History of the Art of Distillation https://amzn.to/3ddPzX2 Distillation Book Timeline 1455 A Very Useful Little Book on Distillations (82 herbal recipes) - were these for Medicinal Waters though?
- [Tales of the Cocktail 2022: Secrets of the Earliest Distillation Books](https://alcademics.com/totc2022/) - This page contains material referenced in my Tales of the Cocktail 2022 seminar "Secrets of the Earliest Distillation Books." References Doctors and Distillers [amazon][bookshop] Short History of the Art of Distillation [amazon][bookshop] The Distiller of London [amazon][bookshop] The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails [amazon][bookshop] Every Home A Distillery [amazon][bookshop] Early Distillation Books
- [Researching Cocktail History Online Resources to Vintage Cocktail Books Newspapers Etc](https://alcademics.com/searchinghistory/) - Researching Cocktail History Online: Resources and Strategies By Camper English General Notes Watch for editions and printings – stuff gets added in later editions and you can falsely credit Just because a site has the Title of the book doesn’t mean they have the book, especially on Google search/books. Many databases are connected –

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://alcademics.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [Technology](https://alcademics.com/category/technology/)
- [cocktails](https://alcademics.com/category/cocktails/)
- [events](https://alcademics.com/category/events/)
- [San Francisco](https://alcademics.com/category/san-francisco/)
- [books](https://alcademics.com/category/books/)
- [bourbon](https://alcademics.com/category/bourbon/)
- [Japan](https://alcademics.com/category/japan/)
- [mezcal](https://alcademics.com/category/mezcal/)
- [mixers](https://alcademics.com/category/mixers/)
- [recipes](https://alcademics.com/category/recipes/)
- [rye](https://alcademics.com/category/rye/)
- [scotch whisky](https://alcademics.com/category/scotch-whisky/)
- [Scotland](https://alcademics.com/category/scotland/)
- [soju](https://alcademics.com/category/soju/)
- [tequila](https://alcademics.com/category/tequila/)
- [vinegar](https://alcademics.com/category/vinegar/)
- [whisky](https://alcademics.com/category/whisky/)
- [fun](https://alcademics.com/category/fun/)
- [garnish](https://alcademics.com/category/garnish/)
- [ice](https://alcademics.com/category/ice/)
- [camper_clips](https://alcademics.com/category/camper_clips/)
- [trends](https://alcademics.com/category/trends/)
- [The Ice Book](https://alcademics.com/category/the-ice-book/)
- [Doctors and Distillers](https://alcademics.com/category/doctors-and-distillers/)
- [water](https://alcademics.com/category/water/)
- [history](https://alcademics.com/category/history/)
- [pisco](https://alcademics.com/category/pisco/)
- [science](https://alcademics.com/category/science/)
- [absinthe](https://alcademics.com/category/absinthe/)
- [bartenders](https://alcademics.com/category/bartenders/)
- [non-alcoholic](https://alcademics.com/category/non-alcoholic/)
- [alcohol law](https://alcademics.com/category/alcohol-law/)
- [bitters](https://alcademics.com/category/bitters/)
- [amaro](https://alcademics.com/category/amaro/)
- [industry news](https://alcademics.com/category/industry-news/)
- [gin](https://alcademics.com/category/gin/)
- [legal/law/regulations](https://alcademics.com/category/legal-law-regulations/)
- [liqueur](https://alcademics.com/category/liqueur/)
- [rum](https://alcademics.com/category/rum/)
- [Tales of the Cocktail](https://alcademics.com/category/tales-of-the-cocktail/)
- [writing_life](https://alcademics.com/category/writing_life/)
- [eco-booze](https://alcademics.com/category/eco-booze/)
- [aquavit](https://alcademics.com/category/aquavit/)
- [distilling](https://alcademics.com/category/distilling/)
- [genever](https://alcademics.com/category/genever/)
- [tiki](https://alcademics.com/category/tiki/)
- [educational programs](https://alcademics.com/category/educational-programs/)
- [gifts](https://alcademics.com/category/gifts/)
- [France](https://alcademics.com/category/france/)
- [bars](https://alcademics.com/category/bars/)
- [sherry](https://alcademics.com/category/sherry/)
- [India](https://alcademics.com/category/india/)
- [health](https://alcademics.com/category/health/)
- [vermouth](https://alcademics.com/category/vermouth/)
- [new_booze](https://alcademics.com/category/new_booze/)
- [cocktail menus](https://alcademics.com/category/cocktail-menus/)
- [beer](https://alcademics.com/category/beer/)
- [cider](https://alcademics.com/category/cider/)
- [food](https://alcademics.com/category/food/)
- [sake](https://alcademics.com/category/sake/)
- [wine](https://alcademics.com/category/wine/)
- [tonic](https://alcademics.com/category/tonic/)
- [tonic water](https://alcademics.com/category/tonic-water/)
- [Canada](https://alcademics.com/category/canada/)
- [pairing](https://alcademics.com/category/pairing/)
- [bar tools](https://alcademics.com/category/bar-tools/)
- [sweeteners](https://alcademics.com/category/sweeteners/)
- [vodka](https://alcademics.com/category/vodka/)
- [experiments](https://alcademics.com/category/experiments/)
- [tea](https://alcademics.com/category/tea/)
- [cognac](https://alcademics.com/category/cognac/)
- [sponsors](https://alcademics.com/category/sponsors/)
- [wood](https://alcademics.com/category/wood/)
- [baijiu](https://alcademics.com/category/baijiu/)
- [molecular mixology](https://alcademics.com/category/molecular-mixology/)
- [punch](https://alcademics.com/category/punch/)
- [brandy](https://alcademics.com/category/brandy/)
- [safety](https://alcademics.com/category/safety/)
- [trips](https://alcademics.com/category/trips/)
- [Italy](https://alcademics.com/category/italy/)
- [germany](https://alcademics.com/category/germany/)
- [grappa](https://alcademics.com/category/grappa/)
- [coffee](https://alcademics.com/category/coffee/)
- [london](https://alcademics.com/category/london/)
- [New York](https://alcademics.com/category/new-york/)
- [champagne](https://alcademics.com/category/champagne/)
- [design](https://alcademics.com/category/design/)
- [Las Vegas](https://alcademics.com/category/las-vegas/)
- [videos](https://alcademics.com/category/videos/)
- [drinking_life](https://alcademics.com/category/drinking_life/)
- [Seattle](https://alcademics.com/category/seattle/)
- [Ireland](https://alcademics.com/category/ireland/)
- [armagnac](https://alcademics.com/category/armagnac/)
- [australia](https://alcademics.com/category/australia/)
- [projects](https://alcademics.com/category/projects/)
- [Mexico](https://alcademics.com/category/mexico/)
- [contests](https://alcademics.com/category/contests/)
- [glassware](https://alcademics.com/category/glassware/)
- [ads](https://alcademics.com/category/ads/)
- [Portland, OR](https://alcademics.com/category/portland-or/)
- [Los Angeles](https://alcademics.com/category/los-angeles/)
- [magazines](https://alcademics.com/category/magazines/)
- [want](https://alcademics.com/category/want/)
- [DC](https://alcademics.com/category/dc/)
- [cachaca](https://alcademics.com/category/cachaca/)
- [Glasgow](https://alcademics.com/category/glasgow/)
- [drinks with](https://alcademics.com/category/drinks-with/)
- [makepage](https://alcademics.com/category/makepage/)
- [SF Bar History Tour](https://alcademics.com/category/sf-bar-history-tour/)
- [classes](https://alcademics.com/category/classes/)

## Tags

- [aqua vitae](https://alcademics.com/tag/aqua-vitae/)
- [arrack](https://alcademics.com/tag/arrack/)
- [spirits history](https://alcademics.com/tag/spirits-history/)
- [distillation](https://alcademics.com/tag/distillation/)
- [distillation history](https://alcademics.com/tag/distillation-history/)
- [alcohol history](https://alcademics.com/tag/alcohol-history/)
- [Juke Joints](https://alcademics.com/tag/juke-joints/)
- [Jazz Clubs](https://alcademics.com/tag/jazz-clubs/)
- [Juice](https://alcademics.com/tag/juice/)
- [Book review](https://alcademics.com/tag/book-review/)
- [Amazon](https://alcademics.com/tag/amazon/)
- [Bookshop](https://alcademics.com/tag/bookshop/)
- [High on the Hog](https://alcademics.com/tag/high-on-the-hog/)
- [Book club](https://alcademics.com/tag/book-club/)
- [Netflix series](https://alcademics.com/tag/netflix-series/)
- [Cookbooks](https://alcademics.com/tag/cookbooks/)
- [Cooking shows](https://alcademics.com/tag/cooking-shows/)
- [History book](https://alcademics.com/tag/history-book/)
- [History show](https://alcademics.com/tag/history-show/)
- [Caterers](https://alcademics.com/tag/caterers/)
- [Recipes](https://alcademics.com/tag/recipes/)
- [Food and drink](https://alcademics.com/tag/food-and-drink/)
- [Cocktail history](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-history/)
- [Black businesses](https://alcademics.com/tag/black-businesses/)
- [directional freezing](https://alcademics.com/tag/directional-freezing/)
- [clear ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/clear-ice/)
- [milk punch](https://alcademics.com/tag/milk-punch/)
- [clarified milk punch](https://alcademics.com/tag/clarified-milk-punch/)
- [milk punch recipe](https://alcademics.com/tag/milk-punch-recipe/)
- [halloween](https://alcademics.com/tag/halloween/)
- [natural food coloring](https://alcademics.com/tag/natural-food-coloring/)
- [food coloring](https://alcademics.com/tag/food-coloring/)
- [natural](https://alcademics.com/tag/natural/)
- [cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktails/)
- [aquafaba](https://alcademics.com/tag/aquafaba/)
- [chickpea](https://alcademics.com/tag/chickpea/)
- [garbanzo](https://alcademics.com/tag/garbanzo/)
- [sour mash](https://alcademics.com/tag/sour-mash/)
- [baijiu](https://alcademics.com/tag/baijiu/)
- [ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice/)
- [genepi](https://alcademics.com/tag/genepi/)
- [genepy](https://alcademics.com/tag/genepy/)
- [alchermes](https://alcademics.com/tag/alchermes/)
- [alkermes](https://alcademics.com/tag/alkermes/)
- [chartreuse](https://alcademics.com/tag/chartreuse/)
- [terroir](https://alcademics.com/tag/terroir/)
- [vodka](https://alcademics.com/tag/vodka/)
- [Belvedere](https://alcademics.com/tag/belvedere/)
- [rye](https://alcademics.com/tag/rye/)
- [curacao](https://alcademics.com/tag/curacao/)
- [triple sec](https://alcademics.com/tag/triple-sec/)
- [orange liqueur](https://alcademics.com/tag/orange-liqueur/)
- [Campari](https://alcademics.com/tag/campari/)
- [amaro](https://alcademics.com/tag/amaro/)
- [bitters](https://alcademics.com/tag/bitters/)
- [tales of the cocktail](https://alcademics.com/tag/tales-of-the-cocktail/)
- [gentian](https://alcademics.com/tag/gentian/)
- [wormwood](https://alcademics.com/tag/wormwood/)
- [cinchona](https://alcademics.com/tag/cinchona/)
- [vermouth](https://alcademics.com/tag/vermouth/)
- [San Francisco Magazine](https://alcademics.com/tag/san-francisco-magazine/)
- [ice balls](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-balls/)
- [orgeat](https://alcademics.com/tag/orgeat/)
- [activated charcoal](https://alcademics.com/tag/activated-charcoal/)
- [safety](https://alcademics.com/tag/safety/)
- [Camper English](https://alcademics.com/tag/camper-english/)
- [trends](https://alcademics.com/tag/trends/)
- [allergy](https://alcademics.com/tag/allergy/)
- [labelling](https://alcademics.com/tag/labelling/)
- [cocktail menu](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-menu/)
- [trademark](https://alcademics.com/tag/trademark/)
- [ice cubes](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-cubes/)
- [clear ice maker](https://alcademics.com/tag/clear-ice-maker/)
- [books](https://alcademics.com/tag/books/)
- [cocktail books](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-books/)
- [whiskey book](https://alcademics.com/tag/whiskey-book/)
- [tequila](https://alcademics.com/tag/tequila/)
- [paloma](https://alcademics.com/tag/paloma/)
- [history](https://alcademics.com/tag/history/)
- [cocktail](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail/)
- [bourbon](https://alcademics.com/tag/bourbon/)
- [definition](https://alcademics.com/tag/definition/)
- [cocktail ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-ice/)
- [Buffalo Trace](https://alcademics.com/tag/buffalo-trace/)
- [science](https://alcademics.com/tag/science/)
- [data](https://alcademics.com/tag/data/)
- [copyright](https://alcademics.com/tag/copyright/)
- [patents](https://alcademics.com/tag/patents/)
- [barrel aging](https://alcademics.com/tag/barrel-aging/)
- [whisky](https://alcademics.com/tag/whisky/)
- [robots](https://alcademics.com/tag/robots/)
- [bartenders](https://alcademics.com/tag/bartenders/)
- [cochineal](https://alcademics.com/tag/cochineal/)
- [bugs](https://alcademics.com/tag/bugs/)
- [phylloxera](https://alcademics.com/tag/phylloxera/)
- [ice logo](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-logo/)
- [edible flowers](https://alcademics.com/tag/edible-flowers/)
- [oxymel](https://alcademics.com/tag/oxymel/)
- [Stranahan's](https://alcademics.com/tag/stranahans/)
- [Colorado](https://alcademics.com/tag/colorado/)
- [Snowflake](https://alcademics.com/tag/snowflake/)
- [pokemon](https://alcademics.com/tag/pokemon/)
- ["Baron de lustrac"](https://alcademics.com/tag/baron-de-lustrac/)
- [sambuca](https://alcademics.com/tag/sambuca/)
- [Bunnahabhain](https://alcademics.com/tag/bunnahabhain/)
- [potato](https://alcademics.com/tag/potato/)
- [minibar](https://alcademics.com/tag/minibar/)
- [hotel](https://alcademics.com/tag/hotel/)
- [liquor](https://alcademics.com/tag/liquor/)
- [wasanbon jaggery sugar](https://alcademics.com/tag/wasanbon-jaggery-sugar/)
- [Sauza](https://alcademics.com/tag/sauza/)
- [Fortaleza](https://alcademics.com/tag/fortaleza/)
- [tabasco](https://alcademics.com/tag/tabasco/)
- [avery island](https://alcademics.com/tag/avery-island/)
- [hot sauce](https://alcademics.com/tag/hot-sauce/)
- [Laphroaig](https://alcademics.com/tag/laphroaig/)
- [Filtration](https://alcademics.com/tag/filtration/)
- [fining](https://alcademics.com/tag/fining/)
- [spirits](https://alcademics.com/tag/spirits/)
- [blue drinks](https://alcademics.com/tag/blue-drinks/)
- [ironic cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/ironic-cocktails/)
- ["Heaven Hill"](https://alcademics.com/tag/heaven-hill/)
- [maker's mark](https://alcademics.com/tag/makers-mark/)
- ["woodford reserve" distillery](https://alcademics.com/tag/woodford-reserve-distillery/)
- [Angostura](https://alcademics.com/tag/angostura/)
- [dehydration](https://alcademics.com/tag/dehydration/)
- [pill press](https://alcademics.com/tag/pill-press/)
- [solid liquids](https://alcademics.com/tag/solid-liquids/)
- [golden gate bridge](https://alcademics.com/tag/golden-gate-bridge/)
- [harvest](https://alcademics.com/tag/harvest/)
- [pond](https://alcademics.com/tag/pond/)
- [lake](https://alcademics.com/tag/lake/)
- [vintage](https://alcademics.com/tag/vintage/)
- [amish](https://alcademics.com/tag/amish/)
- [machines](https://alcademics.com/tag/machines/)
- [how is made](https://alcademics.com/tag/how-is-made/)
- [perlini](https://alcademics.com/tag/perlini/)
- [carbonation](https://alcademics.com/tag/carbonation/)
- [infusions](https://alcademics.com/tag/infusions/)
- [nitrous](https://alcademics.com/tag/nitrous/)
- [soda](https://alcademics.com/tag/soda/)
- [fernet](https://alcademics.com/tag/fernet/)
- [branca](https://alcademics.com/tag/branca/)
- [category](https://alcademics.com/tag/category/)
- [caviar affair](https://alcademics.com/tag/caviar-affair/)
- [tokyo](https://alcademics.com/tag/tokyo/)
- [highball](https://alcademics.com/tag/highball/)
- [suntory](https://alcademics.com/tag/suntory/)
- [hakushu](https://alcademics.com/tag/hakushu/)
- [koku](https://alcademics.com/tag/koku/)
- [kyoto](https://alcademics.com/tag/kyoto/)
- [hibiki](https://alcademics.com/tag/hibiki/)
- [yamazaki](https://alcademics.com/tag/yamazaki/)
- [distillery tour](https://alcademics.com/tag/distillery-tour/)
- [midori](https://alcademics.com/tag/midori/)
- [kim kardashian](https://alcademics.com/tag/kim-kardashian/)
- [sun catcher](https://alcademics.com/tag/sun-catcher/)
- [shrinky dink](https://alcademics.com/tag/shrinky-dink/)
- [aviation](https://alcademics.com/tag/aviation/)
- [creme de violette](https://alcademics.com/tag/creme-de-violette/)
- [every day with rachael ray](https://alcademics.com/tag/every-day-with-rachael-ray/)
- [magazine](https://alcademics.com/tag/magazine/)
- [cointreau](https://alcademics.com/tag/cointreau/)
- [distillery](https://alcademics.com/tag/distillery/)
- [angers](https://alcademics.com/tag/angers/)
- [shots](https://alcademics.com/tag/shots/)
- [deconstructed](https://alcademics.com/tag/deconstructed/)
- [jasper's san francisco](https://alcademics.com/tag/jaspers-san-francisco/)
- [starlight room](https://alcademics.com/tag/starlight-room/)
- [wo hing general store](https://alcademics.com/tag/wo-hing-general-store/)
- [golden cadillac](https://alcademics.com/tag/golden-cadillac/)
- [recipe](https://alcademics.com/tag/recipe/)
- [poor red's](https://alcademics.com/tag/poor-reds/)
- [galliano](https://alcademics.com/tag/galliano/)
- [dehydrated](https://alcademics.com/tag/dehydrated/)
- [orange](https://alcademics.com/tag/orange/)
- [tuaca](https://alcademics.com/tag/tuaca/)
- [limoncello](https://alcademics.com/tag/limoncello/)
- [aperol](https://alcademics.com/tag/aperol/)
- [honey](https://alcademics.com/tag/honey/)
- [crystallization](https://alcademics.com/tag/crystallization/)
- [pasteurized](https://alcademics.com/tag/pasteurized/)
- [dehydrated liqueurs](https://alcademics.com/tag/dehydrated-liqueurs/)
- [amalfi coast](https://alcademics.com/tag/amalfi-coast/)
- [rome](https://alcademics.com/tag/rome/)
- [sfusato lemons](https://alcademics.com/tag/sfusato-lemons/)
- [visit](https://alcademics.com/tag/visit/)
- [puerto rico](https://alcademics.com/tag/puerto-rico/)
- [don q](https://alcademics.com/tag/don-q/)
- [rum](https://alcademics.com/tag/rum/)
- [environment](https://alcademics.com/tag/environment/)
- [warsaw](https://alcademics.com/tag/warsaw/)
- [zubrowka](https://alcademics.com/tag/zubrowka/)
- [zu](https://alcademics.com/tag/zu/)
- [poland](https://alcademics.com/tag/poland/)
- [bialystok](https://alcademics.com/tag/bialystok/)
- [bialowieza](https://alcademics.com/tag/bialowieza/)
- [wild turkey american honey](https://alcademics.com/tag/wild-turkey-american-honey/)
- [cocktail powder](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-powder/)
- [courvoisier](https://alcademics.com/tag/courvoisier/)
- [liqueur](https://alcademics.com/tag/liqueur/)
- [solid](https://alcademics.com/tag/solid/)
- [midroi](https://alcademics.com/tag/midroi/)
- [flavored sugar](https://alcademics.com/tag/flavored-sugar/)
- [sugar](https://alcademics.com/tag/sugar/)
- [production](https://alcademics.com/tag/production/)
- [methods](https://alcademics.com/tag/methods/)
- [cane](https://alcademics.com/tag/cane/)
- [beet](https://alcademics.com/tag/beet/)
- [Kaffegok](https://alcademics.com/tag/kaffegok/)
- [coffee](https://alcademics.com/tag/coffee/)
- [sweden](https://alcademics.com/tag/sweden/)
- [traditional](https://alcademics.com/tag/traditional/)
- [karlsson's](https://alcademics.com/tag/karlssons/)
- [cape bjare](https://alcademics.com/tag/cape-bjare/)
- [torekov](https://alcademics.com/tag/torekov/)
- [fruit leather](https://alcademics.com/tag/fruit-leather/)
- [fruit roll](https://alcademics.com/tag/fruit-roll/)
- [molasses](https://alcademics.com/tag/molasses/)
- [skyy](https://alcademics.com/tag/skyy/)
- [silicone baking pan](https://alcademics.com/tag/silicone-baking-pan/)
- [sugar beet](https://alcademics.com/tag/sugar-beet/)
- [dehydrated campari](https://alcademics.com/tag/dehydrated-campari/)
- [powder](https://alcademics.com/tag/powder/)
- [non-alcoholic](https://alcademics.com/tag/non-alcoholic/)
- [cuba](https://alcademics.com/tag/cuba/)
- [glucose](https://alcademics.com/tag/glucose/)
- [fructose](https://alcademics.com/tag/fructose/)
- [sucrose](https://alcademics.com/tag/sucrose/)
- [dust](https://alcademics.com/tag/dust/)
- [project](https://alcademics.com/tag/project/)
- [sugarcane](https://alcademics.com/tag/sugarcane/)
- [slavery](https://alcademics.com/tag/slavery/)
- [experiment](https://alcademics.com/tag/experiment/)
- [food dehydrator](https://alcademics.com/tag/food-dehydrator/)
- [websites](https://alcademics.com/tag/websites/)
- [microwave](https://alcademics.com/tag/microwave/)
- [biology](https://alcademics.com/tag/biology/)
- [coolers](https://alcademics.com/tag/coolers/)
- [la times](https://alcademics.com/tag/la-times/)
- [new orleans](https://alcademics.com/tag/new-orleans/)
- [convention](https://alcademics.com/tag/convention/)
- [italian](https://alcademics.com/tag/italian/)
- [best of the bay](https://alcademics.com/tag/best-of-the-bay/)
- [guardian](https://alcademics.com/tag/guardian/)
- [san francisco](https://alcademics.com/tag/san-francisco/)
- [award](https://alcademics.com/tag/award/)
- [alcademics](https://alcademics.com/tag/alcademics/)
- [pisco](https://alcademics.com/tag/pisco/)
- [porton](https://alcademics.com/tag/porton/)
- [acholado](https://alcademics.com/tag/acholado/)
- [peru](https://alcademics.com/tag/peru/)
- [herradura](https://alcademics.com/tag/herradura/)
- [casa noble](https://alcademics.com/tag/casa-noble/)
- [cuervo](https://alcademics.com/tag/cuervo/)
- [casa dragones](https://alcademics.com/tag/casa-dragones/)
- [scotch](https://alcademics.com/tag/scotch/)
- [farm](https://alcademics.com/tag/farm/)
- [penthouse](https://alcademics.com/tag/penthouse/)
- [dos equis](https://alcademics.com/tag/dos-equis/)
- [travel writing](https://alcademics.com/tag/travel-writing/)
- [beer](https://alcademics.com/tag/beer/)
- [clear](https://alcademics.com/tag/clear/)
- [carved](https://alcademics.com/tag/carved/)
- [cooler](https://alcademics.com/tag/cooler/)
- [potatoes](https://alcademics.com/tag/potatoes/)
- [monoculture](https://alcademics.com/tag/monoculture/)
- [crops](https://alcademics.com/tag/crops/)
- [alcohol](https://alcademics.com/tag/alcohol/)
- [danger](https://alcademics.com/tag/danger/)
- [agave](https://alcademics.com/tag/agave/)
- [monsanto](https://alcademics.com/tag/monsanto/)
- [chainsaw](https://alcademics.com/tag/chainsaw/)
- [carving](https://alcademics.com/tag/carving/)
- [ice spheres](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-spheres/)
- [orris](https://alcademics.com/tag/orris/)
- [iris](https://alcademics.com/tag/iris/)
- [tuscany](https://alcademics.com/tag/tuscany/)
- [italy](https://alcademics.com/tag/italy/)
- [juniper](https://alcademics.com/tag/juniper/)
- [gin](https://alcademics.com/tag/gin/)
- [bombay](https://alcademics.com/tag/bombay/)
- [sapphire](https://alcademics.com/tag/sapphire/)
- [cocktials](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktials/)
- [journalism](https://alcademics.com/tag/journalism/)
- [hangover](https://alcademics.com/tag/hangover/)
- [regret](https://alcademics.com/tag/regret/)
- [apology](https://alcademics.com/tag/apology/)
- [drunk](https://alcademics.com/tag/drunk/)
- [jam](https://alcademics.com/tag/jam/)
- [preserves](https://alcademics.com/tag/preserves/)
- [marmalade](https://alcademics.com/tag/marmalade/)
- [ball](https://alcademics.com/tag/ball/)
- [sphere](https://alcademics.com/tag/sphere/)
- [japanese](https://alcademics.com/tag/japanese/)
- [colored ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/colored-ice/)
- [easter](https://alcademics.com/tag/easter/)
- [holiday](https://alcademics.com/tag/holiday/)
- [talks](https://alcademics.com/tag/talks/)
- [social media](https://alcademics.com/tag/social-media/)
- [wine](https://alcademics.com/tag/wine/)
- [wswa](https://alcademics.com/tag/wswa/)
- [garnish](https://alcademics.com/tag/garnish/)
- [magic 8-ball](https://alcademics.com/tag/magic-8-ball/)
- [drink](https://alcademics.com/tag/drink/)
- [speakeasy](https://alcademics.com/tag/speakeasy/)
- [prohibition](https://alcademics.com/tag/prohibition/)
- [bars](https://alcademics.com/tag/bars/)
- [caipirinha](https://alcademics.com/tag/caipirinha/)
- [cachaca](https://alcademics.com/tag/cachaca/)
- [mexico](https://alcademics.com/tag/mexico/)
- [horno](https://alcademics.com/tag/horno/)
- [trinidad](https://alcademics.com/tag/trinidad/)
- [museum](https://alcademics.com/tag/museum/)
- [honey vodka](https://alcademics.com/tag/honey-vodka/)
- [dominic venegas](https://alcademics.com/tag/dominic-venegas/)
- [pickle back](https://alcademics.com/tag/pickle-back/)
- [los angeles](https://alcademics.com/tag/los-angeles/)
- [snobs](https://alcademics.com/tag/snobs/)
- [arrogant](https://alcademics.com/tag/arrogant/)
- [grand marnier](https://alcademics.com/tag/grand-marnier/)
- [sherry](https://alcademics.com/tag/sherry/)
- [mezcal](https://alcademics.com/tag/mezcal/)
- [phil ward](https://alcademics.com/tag/phil-ward/)
- [josh harris](https://alcademics.com/tag/josh-harris/)
- [chronicle](https://alcademics.com/tag/chronicle/)
- [Jameson](https://alcademics.com/tag/jameson/)
- [Irish](https://alcademics.com/tag/irish/)
- [whiskey](https://alcademics.com/tag/whiskey/)
- [Ireland](https://alcademics.com/tag/ireland/)
- [monks](https://alcademics.com/tag/monks/)
- [caviar](https://alcademics.com/tag/caviar/)
- [cocktail bars](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-bars/)
- [mixology magazine](https://alcademics.com/tag/mixology-magazine/)
- [Germany](https://alcademics.com/tag/germany/)
- [fortified](https://alcademics.com/tag/fortified/)
- [cocktail trends](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-trends/)
- [jerez](https://alcademics.com/tag/jerez/)
- [sanlucar](https://alcademics.com/tag/sanlucar/)
- [manzanilla](https://alcademics.com/tag/manzanilla/)
- [fino](https://alcademics.com/tag/fino/)
- [bodega](https://alcademics.com/tag/bodega/)
- [solera](https://alcademics.com/tag/solera/)
- [dubonnet cocktail](https://alcademics.com/tag/dubonnet-cocktail/)
- [spain](https://alcademics.com/tag/spain/)
- [vineger](https://alcademics.com/tag/vineger/)
- [vinagre](https://alcademics.com/tag/vinagre/)
- [lustau](https://alcademics.com/tag/lustau/)
- [patron](https://alcademics.com/tag/patron/)
- [atotonilco](https://alcademics.com/tag/atotonilco/)
- [tio pepe](https://alcademics.com/tag/tio-pepe/)
- [gonzalez byass](https://alcademics.com/tag/gonzalez-byass/)
- [water](https://alcademics.com/tag/water/)
- [don julio](https://alcademics.com/tag/don-julio/)
- [dry sack](https://alcademics.com/tag/dry-sack/)
- [williams and humbert](https://alcademics.com/tag/williams-and-humbert/)
- [bloody mary](https://alcademics.com/tag/bloody-mary/)
- [infused vodka](https://alcademics.com/tag/infused-vodka/)
- [martini](https://alcademics.com/tag/martini/)
- [los angeles times](https://alcademics.com/tag/los-angeles-times/)
- [jalisco](https://alcademics.com/tag/jalisco/)
- [blood and sand](https://alcademics.com/tag/blood-and-sand/)
- [flor](https://alcademics.com/tag/flor/)
- [osborne](https://alcademics.com/tag/osborne/)
- [jose cuervo](https://alcademics.com/tag/jose-cuervo/)
- [cazadores](https://alcademics.com/tag/cazadores/)
- [corzo](https://alcademics.com/tag/corzo/)
- [arandas](https://alcademics.com/tag/arandas/)
- [hot cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/hot-cocktails/)
- [anejo](https://alcademics.com/tag/anejo/)
- [winter drinks](https://alcademics.com/tag/winter-drinks/)
- [bourbom](https://alcademics.com/tag/bourbom/)
- [four roses](https://alcademics.com/tag/four-roses/)
- [kentucky](https://alcademics.com/tag/kentucky/)
- [distillery visit](https://alcademics.com/tag/distillery-visit/)
- [olmeca altos](https://alcademics.com/tag/olmeca-altos/)
- [making clear ice cubes](https://alcademics.com/tag/making-clear-ice-cubes/)
- [ice tray](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-tray/)
- [wild turkey](https://alcademics.com/tag/wild-turkey/)
- [cocktail recipes](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-recipes/)
- [fortune cookie](https://alcademics.com/tag/fortune-cookie/)
- [projects](https://alcademics.com/tag/projects/)
- [gifts](https://alcademics.com/tag/gifts/)
- [grenadine](https://alcademics.com/tag/grenadine/)
- [jack rose](https://alcademics.com/tag/jack-rose/)
- [cognac](https://alcademics.com/tag/cognac/)
- [roger room](https://alcademics.com/tag/roger-room/)
- [making clear ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/making-clear-ice/)
- [icepick](https://alcademics.com/tag/icepick/)
- [freezing objects in ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/freezing-objects-in-ice/)
- [how to make clear ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/how-to-make-clear-ice/)
- [aviation cocktail recipe](https://alcademics.com/tag/aviation-cocktail-recipe/)
- [huge ensslin](https://alcademics.com/tag/huge-ensslin/)
- [savoy cocktail book](https://alcademics.com/tag/savoy-cocktail-book/)
- [berlin](https://alcademics.com/tag/berlin/)
- [snakes](https://alcademics.com/tag/snakes/)
- [negroni](https://alcademics.com/tag/negroni/)
- [fine cooking](https://alcademics.com/tag/fine-cooking/)
- [spoilage times](https://alcademics.com/tag/spoilage-times/)
- [open bottle of sherry](https://alcademics.com/tag/open-bottle-of-sherry/)
- [wine spoils](https://alcademics.com/tag/wine-spoils/)
- [sherry cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/sherry-cocktails/)
- [gimlet](https://alcademics.com/tag/gimlet/)
- [cocktail recipe](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-recipe/)
- [scurvy](https://alcademics.com/tag/scurvy/)
- [low-alcohol](https://alcademics.com/tag/low-alcohol/)
- [low-proof](https://alcademics.com/tag/low-proof/)
- [light cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/light-cocktails/)
- [crafts](https://alcademics.com/tag/crafts/)
- [ice cube tray](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-cube-tray/)
- [homemade ice cubes](https://alcademics.com/tag/homemade-ice-cubes/)
- [airline drinks](https://alcademics.com/tag/airline-drinks/)
- [airline drink selection](https://alcademics.com/tag/airline-drink-selection/)
- [spirits selection on planes](https://alcademics.com/tag/spirits-selection-on-planes/)
- [public speaking](https://alcademics.com/tag/public-speaking/)
- [ice carving](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-carving/)
- [chainsaw ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/chainsaw-ice/)
- [bar agricole](https://alcademics.com/tag/bar-agricole/)
- [thad vogler](https://alcademics.com/tag/thad-vogler/)
- [new san francisco bar](https://alcademics.com/tag/new-san-francisco-bar/)
- [ice experiments](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-experiments/)
- [swag](https://alcademics.com/tag/swag/)
- [gift bags](https://alcademics.com/tag/gift-bags/)
- [free sunglasses](https://alcademics.com/tag/free-sunglasses/)
- [absinthe spoons](https://alcademics.com/tag/absinthe-spoons/)
- [tiki bar](https://alcademics.com/tag/tiki-bar/)
- [fern bar](https://alcademics.com/tag/fern-bar/)
- [martini bar](https://alcademics.com/tag/martini-bar/)
- [san francisco bar history](https://alcademics.com/tag/san-francisco-bar-history/)
- [cocktail convention](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-convention/)
- [milk thistle](https://alcademics.com/tag/milk-thistle/)
- [hangover cures](https://alcademics.com/tag/hangover-cures/)
- [liver alcohol](https://alcademics.com/tag/liver-alcohol/)
- [liver cures](https://alcademics.com/tag/liver-cures/)
- [history of triple sec](https://alcademics.com/tag/history-of-triple-sec/)
- [difference between orange liqueurs](https://alcademics.com/tag/difference-between-orange-liqueurs/)
- [tiki](https://alcademics.com/tag/tiki/)
- [tropical drinks](https://alcademics.com/tag/tropical-drinks/)
- [drink umbrellas](https://alcademics.com/tag/drink-umbrellas/)
- [blender drinks](https://alcademics.com/tag/blender-drinks/)
- [flaming cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/flaming-cocktails/)
- [smuggler's cove](https://alcademics.com/tag/smugglers-cove/)
- [beachbum berry](https://alcademics.com/tag/beachbum-berry/)
- [trader tiki](https://alcademics.com/tag/trader-tiki/)
- [double rainbow video](https://alcademics.com/tag/double-rainbow-video/)
- [double rainbow cocktail](https://alcademics.com/tag/double-rainbow-cocktail/)
- [camper english resume](https://alcademics.com/tag/camper-english-resume/)
- [airline magazines](https://alcademics.com/tag/airline-magazines/)
- [packing](https://alcademics.com/tag/packing/)
- [distilling](https://alcademics.com/tag/distilling/)
- [industrial waste](https://alcademics.com/tag/industrial-waste/)
- [heads and tails](https://alcademics.com/tag/heads-and-tails/)
- [fettercairn](https://alcademics.com/tag/fettercairn/)
- [scotch whisky](https://alcademics.com/tag/scotch-whisky/)
- [distillery tours](https://alcademics.com/tag/distillery-tours/)
- [single-malt](https://alcademics.com/tag/single-malt/)
- [scotch whiskey](https://alcademics.com/tag/scotch-whiskey/)
- [the dalmore](https://alcademics.com/tag/the-dalmore/)
- [isle of jura](https://alcademics.com/tag/isle-of-jura/)
- [islay](https://alcademics.com/tag/islay/)
- [jura](https://alcademics.com/tag/jura/)
- [Perudriver](https://alcademics.com/tag/perudriver/)
- [orange juice](https://alcademics.com/tag/orange-juice/)
- [coffee liqueur](https://alcademics.com/tag/coffee-liqueur/)
- [kahlua](https://alcademics.com/tag/kahlua/)
- [white russian](https://alcademics.com/tag/white-russian/)
- [mudslide](https://alcademics.com/tag/mudslide/)
- [araku](https://alcademics.com/tag/araku/)
- [tia maria](https://alcademics.com/tag/tia-maria/)
- [types of coffee liqueur](https://alcademics.com/tag/types-of-coffee-liqueur/)
- [website banner](https://alcademics.com/tag/website-banner/)
- [ice saw](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-saw/)
- [ice picks](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-picks/)
- [wired magazine](https://alcademics.com/tag/wired-magazine/)
- [ice art](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-art/)
- [human centipede](https://alcademics.com/tag/human-centipede/)
- [cocktail garnish](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-garnish/)
- [bar humor](https://alcademics.com/tag/bar-humor/)
- [master blender](https://alcademics.com/tag/master-blender/)
- [auchentoshan](https://alcademics.com/tag/auchentoshan/)
- [bowmore](https://alcademics.com/tag/bowmore/)
- [glasgow](https://alcademics.com/tag/glasgow/)
- [terroir in spirits](https://alcademics.com/tag/terroir-in-spirits/)
- [scotland](https://alcademics.com/tag/scotland/)
- [barrel influence](https://alcademics.com/tag/barrel-influence/)
- [bowmore distillery](https://alcademics.com/tag/bowmore-distillery/)
- [islay whisky](https://alcademics.com/tag/islay-whisky/)
- [floor malting](https://alcademics.com/tag/floor-malting/)
- [peated scotch](https://alcademics.com/tag/peated-scotch/)
- [vintage barware](https://alcademics.com/tag/vintage-barware/)
- [vintage cocktail shakers](https://alcademics.com/tag/vintage-cocktail-shakers/)
- [don lee](https://alcademics.com/tag/don-lee/)
- [greg boehm](https://alcademics.com/tag/greg-boehm/)
- [distilling rum](https://alcademics.com/tag/distilling-rum/)
- [california rum](https://alcademics.com/tag/california-rum/)
- [st george spirits](https://alcademics.com/tag/st-george-spirits/)
- [hangar one rum](https://alcademics.com/tag/hangar-one-rum/)
- [agricole rum](https://alcademics.com/tag/agricole-rum/)
- [american rum](https://alcademics.com/tag/american-rum/)
- [japanese bartender](https://alcademics.com/tag/japanese-bartender/)
- [hard shake](https://alcademics.com/tag/hard-shake/)
- [singapore bars](https://alcademics.com/tag/singapore-bars/)
- [bar class](https://alcademics.com/tag/bar-class/)
- [school for bartenders](https://alcademics.com/tag/school-for-bartenders/)
- [cocktail sweeteners](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-sweeteners/)
- [fine cooking magazine](https://alcademics.com/tag/fine-cooking-magazine/)
- [ted kilgore](https://alcademics.com/tag/ted-kilgore/)
- [gay cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/gay-cocktails/)
- [castro cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/castro-cocktails/)
- [Zacapa rum](https://alcademics.com/tag/zacapa-rum/)
- [guatemala](https://alcademics.com/tag/guatemala/)
- [price increase](https://alcademics.com/tag/price-increase/)
- [olives](https://alcademics.com/tag/olives/)
- [brining](https://alcademics.com/tag/brining/)
- [curing olives](https://alcademics.com/tag/curing-olives/)
- [homemade olives](https://alcademics.com/tag/homemade-olives/)
- [san francisco bars](https://alcademics.com/tag/san-francisco-bars/)
- [dalva](https://alcademics.com/tag/dalva/)
- [bourbon and branch](https://alcademics.com/tag/bourbon-and-branch/)
- [secret bars](https://alcademics.com/tag/secret-bars/)
- [hidden cocktail lounges](https://alcademics.com/tag/hidden-cocktail-lounges/)
- [cocktail snob](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-snob/)
- [arrogant bartenders](https://alcademics.com/tag/arrogant-bartenders/)
- [bartender debate](https://alcademics.com/tag/bartender-debate/)
- [tasting table](https://alcademics.com/tag/tasting-table/)
- [liquor.com](https://alcademics.com/tag/liquor-com/)
- [citysearch](https://alcademics.com/tag/citysearch/)
- [bar reviews](https://alcademics.com/tag/bar-reviews/)
- [cocktail science](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-science/)
- [simple syrup](https://alcademics.com/tag/simple-syrup/)
- [brix level of simple syrup](https://alcademics.com/tag/brix-level-of-simple-syrup/)
- [doug williams](https://alcademics.com/tag/doug-williams/)
- [darcy o'neil](https://alcademics.com/tag/darcy-oneil/)
- [small hand foods](https://alcademics.com/tag/small-hand-foods/)
- [jennifer colliau](https://alcademics.com/tag/jennifer-colliau/)
- [brining olives](https://alcademics.com/tag/brining-olives/)
- [lye versus salt water brine](https://alcademics.com/tag/lye-versus-salt-water-brine/)
- [freezing water](https://alcademics.com/tag/freezing-water/)
- [raw sugarcane](https://alcademics.com/tag/raw-sugarcane/)
- [sugarcane drink](https://alcademics.com/tag/sugarcane-drink/)
- [sugarcane muddling](https://alcademics.com/tag/sugarcane-muddling/)
- [fresh sugarcane](https://alcademics.com/tag/fresh-sugarcane/)
- [speakeasy trend](https://alcademics.com/tag/speakeasy-trend/)
- [ice freezing](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-freezing/)
- [ice blocks](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-blocks/)
- [bar trends](https://alcademics.com/tag/bar-trends/)
- [san francisco speakeasy](https://alcademics.com/tag/san-francisco-speakeasy/)
- [bar rules](https://alcademics.com/tag/bar-rules/)
- [user generated cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/user-generated-cocktails/)
- [pisco sour recipe](https://alcademics.com/tag/pisco-sour-recipe/)
- [pisco sour history](https://alcademics.com/tag/pisco-sour-history/)
- [peru pisco](https://alcademics.com/tag/peru-pisco/)
- [new tiki bar](https://alcademics.com/tag/new-tiki-bar/)
- [martin cate](https://alcademics.com/tag/martin-cate/)
- [smugglers cove pictures](https://alcademics.com/tag/smugglers-cove-pictures/)
- [rum selection](https://alcademics.com/tag/rum-selection/)
- [rum cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/rum-cocktails/)
- [carving ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/carving-ice/)
- [ice cutting](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-cutting/)
- [making clear ice in the refridgerator](https://alcademics.com/tag/making-clear-ice-in-the-refridgerator/)
- [tofu recipe](https://alcademics.com/tag/tofu-recipe/)
- [tofu marinade recipe](https://alcademics.com/tag/tofu-marinade-recipe/)
- [tofu rye whiskey old fashioned recipe](https://alcademics.com/tag/tofu-rye-whiskey-old-fashioned-recipe/)
- [ice clarity](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-clarity/)
- [layered ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/layered-ice/)
- [bar school](https://alcademics.com/tag/bar-school/)
- [spirits class](https://alcademics.com/tag/spirits-class/)
- [lectures](https://alcademics.com/tag/lectures/)
- [cloudy ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/cloudy-ice/)
- [block of ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/block-of-ice/)
- [ice containers](https://alcademics.com/tag/ice-containers/)
- [making ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/making-ice/)
- [carbonated water](https://alcademics.com/tag/carbonated-water/)
- [carbonated ice cubes](https://alcademics.com/tag/carbonated-ice-cubes/)
- [refreezing ice](https://alcademics.com/tag/refreezing-ice/)
- [freezing](https://alcademics.com/tag/freezing/)
- [rachael ray](https://alcademics.com/tag/rachael-ray/)
- [barcrawl](https://alcademics.com/tag/barcrawl/)
- [thanksgiving](https://alcademics.com/tag/thanksgiving/)
- [mocktail](https://alcademics.com/tag/mocktail/)
- [spider](https://alcademics.com/tag/spider/)
- [giraud](https://alcademics.com/tag/giraud/)
- [paul giraud](https://alcademics.com/tag/paul-giraud/)
- [cognac tour](https://alcademics.com/tag/cognac-tour/)
- [coganc](https://alcademics.com/tag/coganc/)
- [Otard](https://alcademics.com/tag/otard/)
- [cognac visit](https://alcademics.com/tag/cognac-visit/)
- [tour](https://alcademics.com/tag/tour/)
- [castle](https://alcademics.com/tag/castle/)
- [ferrand](https://alcademics.com/tag/ferrand/)
- [pierre ferrand](https://alcademics.com/tag/pierre-ferrand/)
- [frapin](https://alcademics.com/tag/frapin/)
- [remy](https://alcademics.com/tag/remy/)
- [remy martin](https://alcademics.com/tag/remy-martin/)
- [france](https://alcademics.com/tag/france/)
- [Bache Gabrielsen](https://alcademics.com/tag/bache-gabrielsen/)
- [Hennessy](https://alcademics.com/tag/hennessy/)
- [grapes](https://alcademics.com/tag/grapes/)
- [punch](https://alcademics.com/tag/punch/)
- [san francisco cocktails](https://alcademics.com/tag/san-francisco-cocktails/)
- [experiments](https://alcademics.com/tag/experiments/)
- [new west](https://alcademics.com/tag/new-west/)
- [london](https://alcademics.com/tag/london/)
- [carterhead still](https://alcademics.com/tag/carterhead-still/)
- [cocktail writer](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktail-writer/)
- [cocktails blogs](https://alcademics.com/tag/cocktails-blogs/)
- [spirits blogs](https://alcademics.com/tag/spirits-blogs/)
- [writers](https://alcademics.com/tag/writers/)
- [journalists](https://alcademics.com/tag/journalists/)
- [wine blogs](https://alcademics.com/tag/wine-blogs/)
- [makepage](https://alcademics.com/tag/makepage/)
- [camper_clips](https://alcademics.com/tag/camper_clips/)
- [sustainability](https://alcademics.com/tag/sustainability/)
- [anchorsteam](https://alcademics.com/tag/anchorsteam/)
- [poussecafe](https://alcademics.com/tag/poussecafe/)
- [additives](https://alcademics.com/tag/additives/)
- [water sommelier](https://alcademics.com/tag/water-sommelier/)
- [water contest](https://alcademics.com/tag/water-contest/)
- [water awards](https://alcademics.com/tag/water-awards/)
- [margarita](https://alcademics.com/tag/margarita/)
- [ranch water](https://alcademics.com/tag/ranch-water/)