October 8, 2019
The Old Fashioned – so tasty. But, sometimes a wee bit overlooked today. Not by your normal drinker, but by (a bit, I think) those who maybe talk a lot or write a lot about drinks, as focus sits more maybe on drinks with lots of ingredients and such. Not all the time! A little, though. Anyway, all of this is to say, I was super happy to be able to write about some awesome Old Fashioneds recently, made in the awesome city of Seattle (best bartenders in the world!), for the also awesome Seattle magazine. If you missed it, check out my Seattle Old Fashioneds article, and then go have one. Or have one while you read! What a great idea.
September 24, 2019
Hey kids, you like laughs right? Well, recently (if you think about the grand breadth of time that us ridiculous humans have been on earth, super recently) I got to go down to new-ish Seattle hotel bar Ben Paris and have a Last Laugh cocktail made by Abigail Gullo. Now that’s a laugh worth savoring – and you can savor, too, cause I then wrote about it for Seattle magazine, and they printed what I wrote, and all that. For reals! Go check it out now, why dontcha.
Tags: Abigail Gullo, Bars, Ben Paris, Cava, Cocktail News, cocktail recipe, Gin, green Chartreuse, Last Laugh, Last Word varient, lime, maraschino liqueur, Seattle Bars, Seattle Magazine
Posted in: Bars, Cocktail News, Seattle Magazine
July 16, 2019
Cocktail, bar, and spirit lovers, I’m sure that you haven’t missed a moment of Seattle magazine lately – cause you’re far too smart for that. But I also know that things get busy, and other things come up, and then this, and then that, and then you find you’re a little behind, and it’s okay! You know why? Cause you can catch up on any pieces you might have missed right here and now:
• Baker’s, An Excellent Neighborhood Bar—With Delicious Drinks—Arrives in North Ballard
• Sure, Windy City Pies’ Pizzas Are Delish—but Don’t Miss the Drinks
• Skål Brings Meat, Mead and More to Ballard
• 5 Drinks to Help Celebrate National Poetry Month
June 11, 2019
Recently, I took the long trip (hahaha, I kid, I kid) over to Bellevue, WA, to visit a neat little bar called Civility & Unrest, and instantly – after having a few of the find cocktails – wondered why I hadn’t been before. While there, I got to chat a bit with friendly and talented bartender Jessie Yoskin and she made me a refreshing botanical springtime French garden of a drink called A Day in Giverny, and then I got to write about it, with recipe, for Seattle magazine. Now, you, lucky you, can read about A Day in Giverny, too. Do it now, or you’ll be sad!
April 2, 2019
Hello spring-flingers! Guessing you’ve been so busy with all the getting ready for the changing of the seasons that you may have missed a few of my latest pieces from the magnificent Seattle magazine (by the way, I know you – yes, you – haven’t probably missed any pieces, but a few others may have, so, you know). But don’t worry if you have – I’m here to help! Below are easy to click on hyperlinks for you to catch up (and while some may be seasonal for seasons past, they still contain delicious drinks).
March 12, 2019
Seattle has loads (most in the world, in my opinion, admittedly biased) of fantastic bartenders, some shaking more recently, and some who have shaken for years, and helped develop not only our cocktail culture, but the world’s. One of those who fall into that elevated category is jolly Jay Kuehner, who has bartended in a number of spots, but who is perhaps most known for his groundbreaking work at the gone-but-not-forgotten Sambar, and who is now (among other things) making delicious drinks at The Cloud Room. One of those is called the Xavi (a Spanish-inspired spritz), and I was lucky enough to write a bit about it, and Jay, for the smashing Seattle magazine. So, go read about the Xavi spritz made by Jay Kuehner.
Tags: Bars, Cloud Room, Cocktail News, cocktail recipe, cocktails, Jay Kuehner, Seattle Bars, Seattle Magazine, Xavi
Posted in: Champagne & Sparkling Wine, Cocktail News, Cocktail Recipes, Seattle Magazine, vermouth
February 26, 2019
As I chatted with you about in our previous Fletcher Flora Cocktail Talk posts that were up here recently, I’ve been reading a three-pack book (meaning, it contains three novels) from this sadly lesser-known pulp/pocketbook star, and in the second book, Let Me Kill You, Sweetheart, you can really see what set him apart, as it has a level of creativity in how it approaches what should be a straightforward murder, with multiple narrators (including the killer, though we don’t know who it is until the last sentence, and the murder victim) and backstories. It’s pretty neat. And, it has a nice hotel bar where a fair amount of action – or in-action – takes place, including the drinking of Miller High Life! Now, way before the MHLife renaissance, my pals and I were big, big fans of the American beer, because it’s nice on a hot day, because it was a sort-of outsiders beer (and we were sort-of outsiders), because it didn’t cost a ton of $$ (and we didn’t have a ton of $$), and, well once we started, why stop? So, seeing a MHLife quote in a book from Fletcher Flora from 1958 was neat. And love that they call it Miller’s High Life. Read it, and you’ll agree:
An hour later, at eleven-thirty, the taproom of the Division Hotel was almost deserted. The only persons present were Bernie Juggins, the bartender, and Purvy Stubbs. Purvy sat on a stool and stared moodily into half a glass of Miller’s High Life that was going flat. He hadn’t drunk from the glass for quite a long time, and it looked like he sure as hell was never going to drink from it again, and for all Bernie could tell from looking at him, the fat bastard might be dead.
–Fletcher Flora, Let Me Kill You, Sweetheart
February 5, 2019
A new year has started, and that means it’s time for me to provide you with a new chance to catch up on some of the goodness I’ve been able to write about for the always-good
Seattle magazine (anyone who has read everything I’ve written already, well,
you’re my favorites). Check out the below to catch up.
