This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Through the Redwood Empire and Trees for the Future partnership, Redwood has planted a tree for every bottle of whiskey sold and has planted over 1.7 This Earth Month, Redwood promises to plant 100 trees for every six bottles, or one tree for every cocktail sold at participating bars. million trees to date. Sign up HERE.
blanc vermouth 1 dash lemon bitters Tools: barspoon, strainer Glass: cocktail Garnish: 5 drops of olive oil, large green olive Stir all of the ingredients with ice until well chilled, strain into a chilled glass, then garnish. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature, then strain infused vodka and bottle for use within 24 hours.
It’s a subcategory stuffed with tried-and-true labels and buzzy emerging brands, but there are some splendid bottles that fly under the radar — and this collection of underrated gems is thrilling to explore on its own merit. Dant Bottled in Bond Kentucky Bourbon will always have a spot in my well and home. Here’s what they had to say.
“Fifteen years ago, people’s palates were not attuned to bitterness,” he says. People’s palates evolve, It’s like clockwork — people start out enjoying sweet, but they eventually evolve towards more bitter flavors. Campari’s bitterness is nothing bad to the public now.” But I think I enjoy it because I like bitter flavors.”
Bartenders often treat [making] it like a sacred rite, but at its core, it is just bourbon, sugar, bitters, and a twist. In many bars, ordering an Old Fashioned feels like checking a box instead of creating an experience. There is too much egg white, not enough sugar, clashing flavors from their bitters selection the list goes on.
It’s a relatively straightforward process, with guests receiving a curated experience — and the restaurant might even move bottles that have been collecting dust. I do equal parts gin and dry vermouth , orange bitters , and both an olive and a twist. The combo is simple, but with good ingredients, it absolutely shines.
Lance Bowman, barmanager, UMMO , Chicago There is no other vodka I could be more excited to mention than Good Vodka. Besides its fantastic taste, 10 percent of the proceeds from every bottle sold go to local LGBTQ+ organizations, making it a drink that supports and celebrates the community. Distilled in Bloomington, Ind.,
Pumpkins While orgeat is traditionally made with almonds, at Tiki Chick in NYC’s Upper West Side, barmanager Linda Nivar reinvents the syrup with pepita seeds (the hulless seeds of certain pumpkin varieties) creating a unique spin on the tiki bar staple while honoring her Latin roots. Add sugar and stir. Add vinegar and stir.
bitter aperitif, truffle & morel infusion. Picture credit Nightjar Sebastiano Cristofanon, BarManager at Nightjar, said : Ive always been on the lookout for an energy drink thats as natural as possible and still tastes great. Zooz is available in aluminium cans or glass bottles. Forest Fog.
The trendiest shots right now, according to bartenders: Fernet Branca Hard Start Mezcal and Amaro Angelino Rye-Nar Forghetti Dickel whiskey and shot of au jus Vermouth Green Tea Bourbon Tequila Amortized wine Bottled-in-bond rye St. Cameron O’Brien, bartender, Swan Bar , San Diego “Shooting Branca Menta is the way to go!
Which bottles are truly delicious? That’s where the whiskey world’s most underrated bottles come in. In general, underrated bottles tend to over-perform in their price points, and several of the bottles recommended are easy to find at most liquor stores. It’s the most perfectly versatile bottle I know.
Albert Beltran, barmanager, Wayfare Tavern , San Francisco “Whenever you’re at a loss for what to drink and just want something light and refreshing, look no further than a white vermouth and soda. ” —Hailey Cook, barmanager, Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge , Bend, Ore.
bottles that have recently earned a spot on their back bars. From actually delicious coconut rums to woman-owned Guatemalan bottles, these are the best new rums being poured stateside. Dean Hakim, barmanager, Heirloom at the St. It has a medium body and tasting notes of dark chocolate, spices, and bitter orange.
In short, it’s made the right way all for a very reasonable price under $30 per bottle (for the Blanco).” ” —Nick Hirsch, mixologist manager, RMD Group “ Tequila Ocho and Maestro Dobel are both great tequila options under 50 bucks. ” —Hugo Lopez, barmanager, Bakan , Miami “La Gritona Reposado Tequila ($39.99
Ullo owner and drinks creator, Kurtis Bosley Ullo Pizza & Wine 23 The Strand, Dee Why NSW @ullo.pizzawine ULLO Pizza & Wine is the new venue by Oi Hospitality (Banco Manly, Corretto Dee Why, Bottled by BLOC) that is bringing a late-night vibe to the Dee Why Strip.
Fionna Gemzon, barmanager, None of the Above , St. Instead of buying Blanton’s, find a good whiskey bar and ask what they’re drinking right now. For every $280 of secondary-market Blanton’s, you can get four $70 bottles that will blow you away. On top of that, the angel’s share causes the price to spike.
Thanks to young distilleries making their debuts to fresh and innovative expressions from legendary brands, each trip to the neighborhood bottle shop carries the potential to deliver a new delight. Andy May, head bartender, The Golden Swan, NYC “ Leopold Brothers Bottled In Bond Bourbon. the hometown of bourbon.”
Mario Firmani, barmanager at an establishment that’s in the 50 Best Bars list, knows a thing or two about the aperitivo. A collective of eight wineries from the Veneto region, the signature La Marca Blue bottles are produced using the Glera grape.
A big reason why Scotch shines with this aura is price: High-end bottles can famously fetch hundreds if not thousands of dollars, and this can color perception of the category as being too exclusive. As a bonus, these bottles will also impress your pals if you choose to share. Here’s the thing, though. It’s still Scotch, after all.
Queen Restaurant & Lounge in Miami has noticed a gradual increase in the popularity of gin among patrons, says barmanager Karol Ansaldi. We carry Old Duff Genever, and it’s a fun bottle to grab if you want to turn some classic gin cocktails on their heads.” The Spicy G&T ($19) combines pine-forward St.
We’re all for buying bottles for our loved ones during the holidays, whether they’re beginner-friendly bourbons , blancos for agave geeks , or stellar Syrahs. Strong, Sweet and Bitter: Your Guide to All Things Cocktails, Bartending and Booze from Behind the Bar Cara Devine, Hardie Grant, May 2023. November 2023.
But as exciting as a fresh, shiny expression of tequila can be, there’s nothing as reliable as the familiar standby that always has a spot on your bar. Shane Mstroine, bartender/barmanager, Table 45 , Cleveland “I’m gonna go a little more niche with Fuentesca’s 2018 Huertas Las Antenas Blanco.
Fortunately, bold bottles built on brine and Band-Aid notes don’t fully represent the peated Scotch category. I’ve used it to make an Old Fashioned along with some Angostura bitters, a pinch of Maldon salt, banana liqueur, and a touch of Amaro Nonino, and the flavor that came out was magical.” It’s also terrific in cocktails.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and wanting to get more into brown spirits doesn’t have to mean dropping hundreds of dollars on hard-to-find bottles. To bridge the gap, we asked bartenders to recommend their favorite bottles for bourbon beginners. Albert Beltran, barmanager, Wayfare Tavern , San Francisco “ Old Forester 86 Proof.
Their guidance included distinctive yet approachable mezcals for newbies, a few smoke bombs for the adventurous, and plenty of bottles in between that will make your Margarita shine. Suzy Critchlow, barmanager, Pascual , Washington, D.C. They work with smaller mezcaleros to help them bottle and distribute their product.
Even at independent bottle shops, you’re likely to see bottles in the 10- to 25-year range soaring into the triple-digits locked inside glass cabinets. You’ll encounter plenty of delicious, cost-effective bottles from well-respected makers that land comfortably in the 10- to 12-year pocket. But don’t worry — we have you covered.
As craft cocktails push the boundaries of what bars can do, bartenders have been able to use Midori in unprecedented ways,” says Leonardo Tedesco, barmanager of Boston’s Somaek and Temple Records. It’s less the base of a cocktail, and instead used with a little more intention.”
The cocktail renaissance hadn’t happened yet, so the back bar was polluted with the usual suspects of flavored vodkas like Stoli Vanilla and Absolut Kurant along with dusty bottles of Galliano and Tuaca that probably hadn’t been opened in years. Now barmanagers are asking, ‘What is your background?’
Three items stand before you: a sealable container, a pile of freshly sliced fruit, and a bottle of booze. When you’re making an infusion, you want to make something that adds to a drink and complements its other ingredients,” explains Carly Bulger, barmanager for 21st Amendment at La Louisiane and May Baily’s Place in New Orleans.
of Averna, and a few dashes of chocolate bitters. But for a cocktail at home, she adds a thin orange or mandarin peel for aromatics, which she often backs up with a dash of Honest John cara cara orange bitters , along with a dash of Angostura bitters. Her go-to combination is 2 oz. of Woodford Double Oaked, 1 oz.
Whatever the reason, they compel the imbiber to reach for a singular bottle to match the moment’s zeitgeist. If you visit their distillery, you can volunteer to help hand-dip the bottles in their iconic wax tops. One of my favorite bottles of bourbon to reach for has consistently been Chattanooga Cask 111.
One of those early supporters was bartender Brian Miller, who was on the opening bar team at the now-shuttered Pegu Club in 2005 and today serves as the barmanager at New Jerseys Stockton Inn. They used to have a bunch of ABVs and different variations in small little bottles, he recalls. I remember just loving it.
Abraham Flota, barmanager, Prospect , San Francisco “I think both Mojitos and Espresso Martinis are universally hated by bartenders.” Colm Whelan, general manager, Desert 5 Spot New York , NYC “One drink that should be retired from cocktail menus is the Cosmopolitan. Hailey Donovan, barmanager, Northern Spy , Canton, Mass.
” —Martin Fernandez, barmanager Rochambeau , Boston “Not a cocktail, but a spirit: rum. You can make a delicious variation of an Old Fashioned using rum, spices, and Jamaican bitters.” There is something very nostalgic about it, and it’s a great way to use a day-old bottle of red wine.”
However, choosing a bottle to complement your next nightcap while also being kind to your wallet can prove to be a complicated task. Melina Meza, beverage director, Level 8 , Los Angeles “The handiest bottle of Scotch whisky I have for mixing cocktails is Duncan Taylor Scottish Glory. 8 Year Old SRV5 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.
Antico, Brisbane, QLD Apollo Inn, Melbourne, VIC Bar Kokomo, Darwin, NT Bar Spontana, Melbourne, VIC Centro 86, Sydney, NSW Edward & Ida’s, Perth, WA Goodwater, Melbourne, VIC JAM Record Bar, Sydney, NSW Maggie’s Snacks & Liquor, Melbourne VIC Purple Pit Bar, Melbourne, VIC The Caterpillar Club, Sydney, NSW The Emerald Room, Sydney, NSW Pub (..)
Whether it’s a new expression from an old, trusted brand or a label you’ve never heard of, you’re likely going to encounter something that recently rolled out every time you visit your local bottle shop. With each new bottle that emerges, the question must be asked: “Why should I buy it?” the manager gave me a bottle of La Luna Mezcal.
Sitting somewhere between Aperol and Campari on the flavor scale, Select is slightly sweet, delivering citrus fruit and an undercurrent of bitter botanicals that fuse perfectly with Prosecco and club soda. The mixture of bitter Italian liqueur, bubbles, and sweet vermouth results in a vivacious, herbal treat that won’t put you to bed early.
Fortunately, there are ample examples of cost-effective Champagnes on bottle shop shelves to satisfy even the most wine-savvy party guest. They came back with several bottles worth celebrating. You also get a little bit of almond-skin bitterness at the end, balancing out all that ripe fruit.
This is a delicious combination of sweet, smoky, herbaceous, and bitter goodness. And we also serve my personal favorite, and the secret best deal on the menu, which is the Fiat a shot of Jameson served with a bottle of Moretti Italian lager as a backer. Like us bartenders always say, bitter is better.”
For example, in our Red Flag Negroni, it smooths out the bitterness of radicchio. Our sous chef, Leaha Brewer, prepares a 20 percent saline solution, which we keep in a dasher bottle alongside our bitters and tinctures. A few dashes of a 10:1 saline solution is a great place to start for your home bar.
Sam Kiley, general manager, Dovetail Bar , New Orleans Coming in right at the $30 mark, my favorite budget-friendly rum for a Daiquiri is Hampden Estate Rum Fire. Now, this is not the bottle Im pulling for someones first Daiquiri. Christian Favier, barmanager, Seahorse , Charleston, S.C.
For the VinePair team, this means leisurely afternoons at apro hour, TK, and popping bottles of Lambrusco with heaping plates of pasta and prosciutto. Plus, checking out the citys latest openings, whether that be a cheeky breakfast-themed cocktail pop-up or a new wine bar from a Michelin-starred restaurant.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 5,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content