Published February 3, 2020, at Distiller Magazine, my new bottle column covers trends and reviews international spirits. This first column calls out 2019 releases and trends in rum, clairin, gin, vermouth, whiskey, coffee liqueur, absinthe, coffee amaro, bourbon and Japanese whisky here.
Covering the 11 top gin cocktails around the US at Liquor.com, you’ll find my top national drinks on menus at these bars/restaurants: Longway, New Orleans Rosa Rosa, Portland, OR Moongate Lounge, San Francisco 67 Orange Street, New York City Watertable at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, Huntington Beach, CA Naive, Louisville Beacon Tavern, Chicago The Alex Craft Cocktail Cellar & Speakeasy, Washington D.C. Supper, San Antonio The Douglas Room, San Francisco (Now Closed) Here’s… Read more →
My latest print feature in Gin Magazine (from the publishers of Whisky Magazine, which I have also written for here) is on 10 top Toronto bars that do right by gin — article here. Past issues of Gin Magazine:— My San Francisco bars article here— My Berlin bars article here— My Tokyo bars article here— My Copenhagen bars article here Read more →
My first print feature for the new Gin Magazine UK (from the publishers of Whisky Magazine UK, which I have also written for here) is on San Francisco bars that do right by gin. The magazine is widely accessible in Europe and available by subscription here. Online link to my SF bars article here. (Bars written about below: P.C.H./Pacific Cocktail… Read more →
With a stellar judging team, I am a judge for awards in double gold, gold, silver and bronze medals for craft (small batch) spirits from around the world for ADI’s annual Craft Spirits Awards. During an intensive few days of blind judging with some of the best in the industry, we all anticipate the final day when post-judging, we can enter… Read more →
Almost daily, I’m tasting a wide range of spirits, wines and beers, whether at restaurants and bars, distilleries, wineries or breweries or as samples crossing my desk. Over the past few months, there have been many new spirits releases, including these spring and winter releases since the year began. I’ve been having fun experimenting with cocktails with recently released Cent-Anni… Read more →
Almost daily, I’m tasting a wide range of spirits, wines and beers, whether at restaurants and bars, distilleries, wineries or breweries or as samples crossing my desk. For March, here are recently-released spirits standouts. WhistlePig Old World Series: Sauternes, Madeira, Port ($117.99) WhistlePig’s Old World Series was just released, showcasing WhistlePig Rye aged in three different types of wine casks… Read more →
Sebastopol is a laid-back town famed for Gravenstein apples and wineries. Over the years, many of the apple orchards have been replanted with vineyards, but there are a few left, with a growing number of artisanal hard cider producers preserving and showcasing the area’s apple wealth (see our recent feature on Devoto Cider), with an annual Apple Blossom Festival in… Read more →
Most days, I’m tasting a wide range of spirits, wines and beers, whether at restaurants and bars, distilleries, wineries or breweries or as samples crossing my desk. For January, here are 3 wine standouts, a spirits highlight and a notable mead. WINES of the MONTH – 2013 Azienda Agricola COS Frappato from Sicily: On Shelly Lindgren‘s impeccable Italian wine list… Read more →
Many spirits cross my desk or are tasted at numerous bars or distilleries I visit in any given month… being in Asia half of October, there were dozens of spectacular (and rare) spirits I tasted, mostly in Japan. Those will be explored more in upcoming articles in Whisky Magazine UK, on my Liquor.com page, here at The Perfect Spot and… Read more →