Mocktails that Don’t Suck
Nolan Morehouse asks: I want to make some mocktails. Any recipes that you recommend? - Here are my thoughts and recommendations.
Making Cocktails For a Group While Traveling
The entire Praxis team got together for a few days of caffeine-fueled work last week. I was in charge of cocktails for our evening brainstorming sessions. Our rental house had rocks glasses and an ice machine, but no juicer, strainer, or shaker. Here is what I came up with.
How do I use Fernet Branca?
I'm starting a new column here on Cook Like Chuck. My friends ask me a lot of questions about food and drink, so I'm going to post some of my replies here. First up: How do I use Fernet Branca?
Tipple Tuesday: Hot Toddy
Amanda and I have had a cold all week, complete with a runny nose, sore throat, and cough. We got sick of NyQuil's taste, but still wanted something to soothe our throats and knock us out before bed. Hot Toddys were just the thing we wanted in this cold weather.
5 Barrel Aged Cocktail Recipes
One of the gifts I'm giving to a family member this Christmas is a 2L charred American Oak cocktail aging barrel. Here are 5 cocktail recipe options I scaled up to 2L to go along with it.
Tipple Tuesday: Benedictine & Brandy
Today's tipple is a simple 1:1 combination. I hesitate to even call it a cocktail. But it is delicious and a wonderful complement to your holiday cheer.
What’s Aging Next: Vieux Carré
The next cocktail I'm aging in my oak barrel is the Vieux Carré, a classic New Orleans cocktail with rye, cognac, vermouth, Benedictine, and bitters.
New Cocktails Section is Live!
I added a new section to Cook Like Chuck: Cocktails! Now you will find my 27 favorite cocktail recipes with notes on how to make them, the cocktail books I recommend to people most often, and the tools I use to make cocktails here at home.
Barrel Aging Manhattans
My Manhattans have been aging in the barrel for ten weeks now. They've really smoothed out and picked up hints of vanilla, oak, and charcoal. I'm not tasting any oxidation on the vermouth. I'm very pleased with how this batch turned out.
Aging Homemade Pear Brandy
Aging this pear brandy for two months with a toasted oak stick turned the harsh spirit into something completely different. Right now I'm using it as a cocktail mixer. In a few more months it will be a regular sipper.