Campari

I took the leap.  After looking through a few recipe books and seeing it taunt me page after page as I flipped, I went to the liquor store and bought a bottle of Campari.  I thought I would be getting a red digestive with sweet qualities but with a bitter flavor, kind of like earthy sweet vermouth.  I was terribly inaccurate with my guess.

 

I poured half an ounce into a cordial glass and I knew instantly I was going to struggle getting it down.  A heavy pine smell greeted me and as I took a sip, it made me shudder.  Campari’s description as a ‘digestive bitter’ was accurate by at least half.  It is not the delicious, hoppy bitter of an India Pale Ale, but a saliva-inducing, tree-bark flavored kick in the tonsils.  My first thought was to pour it down the drain, but I am a glutton for punishment, and I finished it.  So, now that I have another 735ml of Campari, I guess I had better try to make it bearable. 

Negroni

¾ oz gin

¾ oz Campari

¾ oz sweet vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or an ice-filled rocks glass.  Garnish with an orange twist.

The Negroni is a stronger cousin of the Americano, which uses club soda instead of gin.  I used Bombay Sapphire Gin in my Negroni.  The twist of orange provides a delightful aroma; so much so that it deceived me into thinking I might like this drink.  Even though it is in equal parts with the other ingredients, the taste of Campari is prevalent.  The gin (at least the Bombay Sapphire) is not a strong enough flavor to turn the Campari into a complimentary flavor.  All in all, I really struggled finishing this drink.

Boulevardier

¾ oz bourbon or rye

¾ oz Campari

¾ oz sweet vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or an ice-filled rocks glass.  Garnish with an orange twist.

The only difference between the Boulevardier and the Negroni is the use of bourbon or rye instead of gin.  I used W.L. Weller 12 Year Old whiskey, and the strong bourbon flavor balances this drink better than the lighter gin in the Negroni.  It might be that I prefer bourbon to gin, but I will be making another Boulevardier before I make another Negroni.

Have you ever had Campari?  A Negroni?  A Boulevardier?  If you try any of these, leave your thoughts in the comments.  As always, I can be reached through Twitter @rebellionwhisky.    

A Bitters Pill To Swallow

We’ve all seen that little brown bottle on the bottom shelf of the liquor store.  You know the one: it has a slightly oversized label that extends over the fat part of the bottle.  There is probably a bottle in your home bar right now.  You bought it years ago to put in a particular drink that you didn’t like and you haven’t opened it since.  So there it sits, in cocktail purgatory.  You don’t know why you keep it; it doesn’t know why it has to sit there unused.  I’m here to tell you that a functional relationship between you and bitters can be salvaged. 

To start, there are two different varieties of bitters: cocktail bitters and digestive bitters.  Digestive bitters can be consumed straight and can be served in measurable quantities.  Examples of digestive bitters are Campari, Chartreuse, Benedictine, and Absinthe.  For the sake of brevity (and perhaps laziness), we will only be covering cocktail bitters, (specifically aromatic bitters) in this post. 

Cocktail bitters are made by soaking herbs and spices in alcohol, which extracts and concentrates the flavors of the ingredients.  With that in mind, there are a variety of recipes that correspond to today’s market offerings of bitters.  The bottle with the oversized label is Angostura bitters, probably the best known and most recognizable type of bitters.  It’s also the easiest to find.  The Old Fashioned is an example of a cocktail that utilizes Angostura.

Old Fashioned

1 sugar cube

1 tsp water

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 oz rye or bourbon whiskey

Muddle sugar, water, and bitters together until the sugar is mostly dissolved.  Fill glass with ice and then add the whiskey.  Garnish with a twist of orange peel and a cherry.

Another example of an aromatic bitter similar to Angostura is Peychaud’s Bitters.  Peychaud’s is the vital component in the Sazerac, which I covered in an earlier post about The Monarch.  Other examples of aromatic bitters include Fee Brother’s and Scrappy’s. 

There are tons of other types of cocktail bitters beside aromatic, from lime to chocolate to apple to lavender.  I will make an entirely separate post that deals with exotic bitters.

Do you have a bottle of bitters in your bar?  What’s your favorite drink that contains bitters?  Comments are always appreciated, and questions can be directed to @rebellionwhisky.  

Hey! There's A Quail On The Fireplace!

English charm is at the forefront of this week's visit into the bar scene of St. Louis: the cozy Fox and Hounds, located in the lobby of The Cheshire Inn.  A quick warning: groups larger than four cannot be accommodated on most weekends and parking can be a chore (though for a few bucks, a valet is an option).  This place is the epitome of small; there are about four bar stools, a couch positioned in front of a fireplace, a circular table that can hold about six people, a few wingback chairs, and a scattering of tables that hold two people each.  The place feels even smaller because of the piano-bass jazz duo that somehow fits into a corner.  The adjective 'intimate' is under selling the feel of the tavern.  The tavern is just that; decorations consisted of taxidermy (quail, caribou, etc.) and rustic wood paneling.  

When we approached the bartender, I asked for a Manhattan for my wife and an Old-fashioned for me.  To my chagrin, the bar lacked rye whiskey, upon which both of the drinks I ordered are dependent.  Rye is becoming more and more popular, so the fact that the Fox and Hounds didn't carry any was disappointing.  After settling on Maker's Mark, we found ourselves a place on the couch.  It struck me immediately that the bar was far understaffed.  With one bartender and one waitress taking orders, the time in between drinks was lengthy.  There is no specialty drink menu, and when I asked for a Tom Collins, I was told that the bartender could not make one because he didn't have any lemonade.  The inability to create any custom order (like, you know, a proper Tom Collins) definitely put a damper on the experience.  I eventually settled on a White Russian that wasn't made with cream (it was still good, but I'm a sucker for Kaluha).

If you want to experience the Fox and Hounds, you might want to try on a weeknight.  And don't expect too much; the drinks will be average, the service less than average, and most likely you will be knocking knees with a stranger (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on the bar experience you desire).

Oh, and have a Tom Collins; they are refreshing.    

Tom Collins

Two parts gin
One part lemon juice
1 tsp Simple Syrup
Soda Water

Fill a Collins glass with the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.  Stir, and add club soda.  Garnish with a cherry.

In Memorandum: The Monarch

For those of you who have been following the birth of this blog, you will know that I recently reviewed a few of the drinks at The Monarch in Maplewood.  It pains me to say this, but, unfortunately, The Monarch is closing its doors for good on March 11^th.  Obviously this is sad for the owners and staff of the restaurant, but in past few months I had really enjoyed popping in to the bar for a drink or two.  The Monarch contained a bar that was able to pay homage to traditional cocktails while also being able to concoct new, daring creations.  One of my favorites was Purgatory, a devilish mix of whiskey, Chartreuse, and Benedictine herbal liquor that one could not consume two of without starting to think about obtaining a ride home.   In the drink description on the menu, it reads: “If you drink very many of these in succession, you will experience this drink's namesake. You have been forewarned.”  They are not kidding.

In keeping on the traditional side, The Monarch was able to drudge up long forgotten memories of the cocktails of yesteryear and replicate them in the most accurate way possible.  The Sazerac is not for the faint of heart, as you can tell from the recipe:

Sazerac

1 sugar cube

3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

2 oz rye whiskey

¼ oz absinthe, Herbsaint, or Pernod

Lemon twist

Fill old-fashioned glass with ice. Muddle sugar and bitters in second old-fashioned glass.  Add whiskey and stir.  Discard ice from first glass.  Add absinthe to chilled glass, swirl to coat inside, and discard excess absinthe.  Pour whiskey mixture from second glass into chilled glass.  Twist lemon over drink, but do not add to glass.

When I first tried the Sazerac, I was incredibly leery of the absinthe.  However, this cocktail has such a small amount, there is only a hint of the black licorice flavor imparted by the absinthe; a subtle kiss of anise that when mixed with the spicy rye, is just the perfect amount.  The Monarch made this drink better than most, and while I can’t say that it’s the best Sazerac I’ve ever had, I can tell you with full confidence that you would not be disappointed if you had one from there.

All in all, a big thanks to the folks of The Monarch.  To the bartenders, the waiting staff, the chef, and the owners, we wish you luck in your future endeavors.  Thanks, and cheers.

Ginger Beer: Where Have You Been All My Life?

The inspiration for today’s post comes directly from the pages of Mr. Boston.  I noticed an ingredient in many recipes that was both foreign and intriguing: ginger beer.  My first thought: what is the difference between ginger beer and ginger ale?  As it turns out, the modern day difference is slight.  Traditionally, ginger beer was just that: a fermented, alcoholic beverage made from ginger, sugar, water, and lemon juice.  Today, however, both ginger beer and ginger ale are carbonated beverages that are sold as soft drinks.  That is not to say they are the same thing; ginger ale, as you are probably aware, has a more subdued ginger flavor and overall is more comparable to a lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7-Up.   Ginger beer has such an intense ginger flavor that you the finish tastes spicy.    It is quite an experience having one plain.  There are many different brands of ginger beer, such as Barritt’s or Bundaberg.

 

Dark N’ Stormy

Ginger Beer

2 oz dark rum

Garnish with a lime wedge

The Dark N’ Stormy is an interesting drink in that the name is actually trademarked by Gosling Brothers, Ltd, makers of both Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer and Gosling’s Black Seal Rum.  Using Gosling’s products or not, the Dark N’ Stormy provides a spicy finishing kick from the ginger beer along with the smooth, molasses flavor imparted by the dark rum.  I happened to have some Plantation Grande Reserve, so the vanilla taste was pronounced.  The recipe of the drink itself is up for debate, however.   One source says:

Pour ginger beer into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.  Float rum on top.  

And another:

Pour rum over ice.  Add ginger beer.  Add the juice from the wedge of lime.  Stir well.

 So, which is it?  If you are floating the rum as from the first recipe, I would recommend doubling the recipe and using a highball glass.  Then, drink the beverage with a straw.  I have tried both ways, and I recommend not floating the rum, but that’s just me. 

There are many variations to the Dark N’ Stormy such as the Light N’ Stormy, which uses a light rum such as 10 Cane instead of dark rum.  One other slightly horrifying version is the Small Craft Advisory in which the ginger beer is replaced with just plain old beer.  I’m assuming they mean a lager of some type.  I don’t think I’ll be posting about that drink anytime soon. 

Have you ever had a Dark N’ Stormy?  How about ginger beer?  Is there anyone adventurous out there who would be willing to try a Small Craft Advisory?  Comments are always appreciated.

The Monarch

The Monarch is a top notch restaurant, and its bar matches the high standard of dining.  Set on the corner of Manchester and Sutton in downtown Maplewood, Monarch provides a bartending staff well suited for the creation of, well, whatever you want.  At $10 for every cocktail on their menu, Monarch becomes a special occasion bar for most.  It wouldn’t be the best idea to order a Jack and Coke here, so if you are looking for simplicity, this is not your place.  If, however, you are looking for upscale, you have found your heaven.

Upon first arrival, the bartender presented us with a great menu of cocktails.  The menu was divided into classic cocktails, seasonal cocktails, dessert cocktails, and the Monarch’s own recipes.  The time-sensitive nature of the seasonal cocktails enticed me to select from that portion of the menu.  I noticed a drink called “K-T Flip.”  Here is where everything gets a bit hairy.  The ingredients are as follows: 

Four Roses bourbon, Tuscany red wine, simple syrup, bitters, and one whole egg  
(A whole egg?  Why in the world would you put an egg in a cocktail, other than a dire need for protein?  I’ll address the concept of “flips” in a future post.)

The drink is shaken together with ice and served in a Chardonnay glass.  It looks like latte; after the egg is shaken, the drink creates a foam layer that floats on the rest of the coffee colored drink.  Bitters are added on the top of the foam as an aromatic.  After asking the bartender about the drink, he informed me that it was a version of a coffee cocktail, which is also available at The Monarch.

Coffee Cocktail

1 ½ ounce port

1 ½ ounce brandy

1 teaspoon simple syrup

1 whole egg

Shake hard with ice and strain into a wine glass.  Garnish with grated nutmeg.

The texture of the K-T Flip is slightly deceptive, as the foamy head implies a creamy consistency.  However, none of the ingredients add this creaminess, and the drink goes down similarly to a chilled glass of wine.  As the glass is tilted, the foamy head moves aside, allowing the rest of the drink to pass to the lips.  The drink is quite smooth, and there is enough bourbon in the cocktail to prevent it from being overly sweet.  There is not an alcohol bite, which makes this drink suitable as a dessert drink.

Have you ever been to the Monarch?  Have you ever tried a coffee cocktail?  Let me know what you think of both in the comments.            

Free Cuba

I went to the liquor store on my way home from a particularly tough day at work.  This is always a bad idea.  Or a good one.  It depends if you look at the trip financially or otherwise, but I’ll say this: I tend to splurge on alcohol when I’m in a bad mood.  Unfortunately, I had not performed the required research to have any idea what I wanted.  I racked my brain, trying to remember the contents of my home bar.  The sudden realization that I had exactly zero bottles of rum ushered me to the proper aisle.  Once there, I was overwhelmed; so many options, from so many different countries left me with quite a decision to make.  So, how do you make a choice?

Most of the rum production today takes place in the Caribbean and Latin American.  Nearly all rum is created from sugarcane, whether the sugarcane is in the form of juice or in molasses, which is a byproduct of the sugar refining process (other rums are made using sugar beets).  The differences in rum (or ron in Spanish, or rhum in French) is very dependent on the culture where the spirit is produced.  English-speaking countries (such as Barbados, Guyana, and Jamaica) tend to produce rich, dark rums with a heavy molasses flavor.  Countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, and Dominican Republic, which are predominately Spanish-speaking, create lighter, smooth rums called Añejo.  French-speaking countries are known for rhum agricole.  This rum is produced in Haiti and Martinique. 

If you go to the supermarket to buy your rum, you won’t find the previously mentioned regional differences.  You will find rums like Bacardi Superior and Bacardi Gold and a plethora of spiced rums like Captain Morgan and The Kraken (which comes in a great bottle).  For most cocktails, though, these rums add either too little (in the case of Bacardi) or too much (spiced rum) flavor.  The most important word in the previous sentence is most.  Daiquiri’s and Bacardi cocktail’s are perfect with Bacardi, and the Captain and cola is omnipresent in today’s bar scene.  If you really want to make a great cocktail, though, you are going to have to expand your horizons.

I really love dark rum, and I recommend branching out with a brand such as Plantation Rum Grande Reserve (Barbados) or El Dorado 12 year old (Guyana).  Both of these rums are reasonably priced, and El Dorado has many cheaper varieties than the 12 year old.

So, let’s take a classic rum cocktail and use some quality rum. 

Cuba Libre

2 oz Plantation Estate Grande Reserve

4 oz cola

Lime wedge

Fill a highball glass with ice.  Add rum and cola.  Squeeze lime into glass.  Stir.

Every time I think of a Cuba Libre, I think of the movie Cocktail. 

Red-eye Roulette: Grumpy Old Man

Dear Internet,

I cannot express how much joy you bring me.  If it were not for you, I would probably be outside right now, actively participating in a physical activity in which I have no interest.  Instead of swimming in a lake, I am watching someone else swim in a lake on Youtube.  Instead of watching a sporting event on television, I am following my friend’s reactions on Twitter and Facebook.  Life is good.

But all is not perfect in this relationship, internet.  No, there is one outstanding issue that I have with you: there are too many websites that provide user-submitted cocktail recipes.  You know the sites, the ones where the drinking community can post the cocktail they concocted last night; the one they had to create because they ran out of orange juice so they used Bud Light instead.  What am I supposed to do with all of these drinks?  Are any of them good?  How do I filter out all of the cocktail nonsense?

Sincerely,

A Disgruntled Drink Searcher

Well, seeing as how the internet hasn’t responded to me personally (yet), I decided to get to the bottom of this whole business with a series of posts called: Red-eye Roulette! (Applause)  Many of us try to be bold and attempt to get out of our comfort zones with a new cocktail.  We have been to those overwhelming websites with page upon page of drinks that you have no idea if they are good or not, only to get desperate.  Eventually, you end up with something that only the bravest of us or those firmly entrenched in the college lifestyle should try.  The easy solution would be to ignore those drinks and just stick with what you know, but I am a glutton for punishment; therefore, I will be trying a random drink approximately once a week to help filter out the noise. 

Without further ado, this week’s drink is: the Grumpy Old Man.   (The fine folks at http://www.drinksmixer.com/ will even scale the recipe to the number of servings you desire.) 

       

Disclaimer: it’s ultimately up to you to decide the quality of the whiskey you put into these drinks, but for this one, I wouldn’t use anything from the top shelf.

Lucky me, it’s a bourbon recipe.  I used W.L. Weller 12 year old bourbon for this recipe, which has high wheat content, so the bourbon is fairly smooth.  The shot of lime reminds me of a whisky sour, but the ginger ale adds a dry mouth feel.  Don’t have any tequila?  No problem, because I can’t help but thinking that this drink is a perfectly fine substitute for a margarita.  Sure, the ginger ale adds crispness to the drink that you won’t find in a margarita, but when push comes to shove and you just happen to have some ginger ale, give it a try.

Did you take the leap of faith and try the Grumpy Old Man?  Let me know what you think in the comments.  As always, follow me on Twitter for updates on new posts and random other thoughts about cocktails.   

The Scottish Arms

Welcome to my first (documented) venture out into the St. Louis bar scene.  First on the docket: The Scottish Arms.  Located on the east edge of the Central West End, The Scottish Arms is best known for their exhaustive offerings of (what else) scotch whisky.  

Quick tangent: ever wonder some brands are ‘whisky’ and others are ‘whiskey?’  It all depends on where the spirit is produced.  American and Irish brands are the only ones that spell it whiskey.  All other brands (Scottish, Canadian, etc.) are spelled whisky.  Why, I hear you ask?  I have no clue.  Maybe in another post I will tackle that question.

Scotch is an acquired taste, and as such, I have failed to acquire it.  It seems like it would be right in my wheel house; it is whisky, after all.  At family gatherings, it is always available, and I always partake, yet, I have not found a special place in my heart for it as I do with bourbon. However, like the dutiful blogger that I am, I feel that I need to experience each and every bar’s main feature.  So, of course, I get a sampler of three scotches.  I let my kilted, bearded waiter drive my choices, as I know nothing about the different regions or brands.  I was presented with Cragganmore, Dalwhinne, and Bunnahabhain brands from the Speyside, Islay (pronounced eye-lay), and Highland regions, respectively.  (If you are geographically curious, the map at the start of the post will help.)  Three scotches, three very different experiences.  Flavors varied from honey to smoke to floral to leather.  The most profound moment of the tasting occurred when trying the Bunnahabhain.  My waiter described it thusly: “It’s like being punched in the mouth, but then that same person makes out with you after.”  At first, I smirked at the seemingly over-the-top description, but after tasting, I realized that his statement was very accurate.  The alcohol bite of the Bunnahabhain was at first overwhelming, but the honey flavors smoothed out the finish, almost to the point where it could be considered sweet.  Granted, it still had a leathery taste to it, but overall, I would gladly order a dram of it.

Seeing as how this blog is supposed to be about cocktails, I then decided to browse the Arms’ cocktail menu.  The first one to catch my eye was called “The Redundant.”  The menu description:

Based off the Alcoholic’s White Russian which used Bailey’s instead of cream, we though a lightly smoky scotch such as Johnnie Walker Red would play nicely and it does.  So what to call it?  Originally we called the Drunken White Scotsman[sic], but we thought that was a bit redundant.  Johnnie Walker Red, Kahlua, Frangeilco[sic], Bailey’s.

I love White Russian’s, so this was an exciting variation; in theory, at least.  While the Bailey’s is a fun idea, it takes away the richness that heavy cream would provide.  The smoky flavor imparted by the Johnnie Walker is barely noticeable, but the Frangelico provides a welcome nutty flavor.  Overall, I would rather just have a White Russian, but maybe my taste buds are not trained enough to enjoy the scotch addition.  And if you like Bailey’s, then definitely give this drink a try.

In relation to the previous post, my wife ordered the Rye Manhattan from the cocktail list.  They put a ton of bitters in their version, almost to the point where the sweet vermouth is nullified.  My wife ordered two, if that is any indication to the quality of the drink.

Ever been to The Scottish Arms?  How was your experience regarding the drinks or otherwise?  Leave your opinions in the comments.

Also, I started a Twitter account as a way to announce new posts.  Feel free to comment or ask questions @rebellionwhisky.    

The Manhattan

I’ll make no secret about it:  I love whiskey.  More specifically, I love bourbon.  What makes whiskey bourbon? According to United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section 5.22(i)(1):

“Bourbon whisky”, “rye whisky”, “wheat whisky”, “malt whisky”, or “rye malt whisky” is whisky produced at not exceeding 160° proof from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn, rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain, respectively, and stored at not more than 125° proof in charred new oak containers; and also includes mixtures of such whiskies of the same type.

Right, what you need to know there is bourbon has to be 51% corn.  (Note that, contrary to popular belief, bourbon does not have to be made in Bourbon County, Kentucky.)  From there, however, the amount of adjuncts (other grains) can vary wildly.  With this in mind, you have to be careful when selecting bourbon for particular types of cocktails.  Bourbons with a significant amount of wheat, such as Maker’s Mark or W.L. Weller, tend to be smoother than bourbons with more rye.  Rye imparts a spicy character into the bourbon as can be seen in Bulleit (pronounced “bullet”) bourbon.

So, how does this apply to making the superior cocktail?  Let’s take a fairly straightforward cocktail to see if we can taste the difference.            

The Manhattan, my wife’s favorite, and a cocktail that I have shared with her frequently as of late.  Normally, we would make her Manhattan’s with bourbon, but after some research (you know, Google), I found that the time-honored Manhattan is made with rye whiskey, rather than bourbon.  I liked the bourbon version, but if the traditionalists say rye, then I would give it a shot.  Here are the recipes for the two cocktails that we compared:

Bourbon Based Manhattan

2 oz Bulleit bourbon

½ oz sweet vermouth

3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Rye Based Manhattan

2 oz Bulleit 95% rye whiskey

½ oz sweet vermouth

3 dashes of Angostura bitters

I chose Bulleit bourbon because of its high rye content, thinking that a rye based bourbon will be closer to the traditional Manhattan recipe.  With that said, these two cocktails are like night and day.  The bitters work much better with the rye whiskey.   The vegetable flavors imparted by the bitters work significantly better with the bite of the rye.  With the sweeter, smoother bourbon, the cocktail is far too sweet.  Granted, I wouldn’t have made this distinction without comparing the bourbon version to the rye.  Still, that’s what this blog is all about: discovery.  There is no comparison between the two beverages, and I will never make/purchase a Manhattan without rye whiskey as the backbone again.

How do you take your Manhattan?  Comments are always welcome, as are suggestions for future drink experiments. 

The Search

Ah, the Jack Daniels and Coke.  A simple, ubiquitous beverage that combines the two most recognized drink brands in America.  It is an effortless cocktail that both elder statesman and collegiate drinkers can prepare and enjoy.  I cannot tell you how many of these sweet, mellow beverages I have consumed in my young life, but I’ll tell you one thing: though I have enjoyed them, I am getting bored with the drink.  With the beverage’s inherent simplicity, comes the drink’s unfortunate plainness.  So, what do you do? 

Rebel, obviously, against bland drinks, pre-conceived notions, and our personal cocktail histories.      

With all of that said, welcome to my first sojourn into the world of blogging.  I am actually a little nervous; the thought of individuals caring about what I think and those same individuals basing their choices on my opinions is unsettling.  What type of knowledge do I have over any other individual? 

There is the beauty of this blog: I am not an expert and I will never claim to be.  I am hoping to discover my own opinions about the world of cocktails and try and find a higher level of cocktail enlightenment.  In doing so, I hope readers, whether few or many, also find that next level.

So how do we achieve this enlightenment?  Is it as easy as just trying new cocktails and telling you how I feel about them?  I doubt it; the enlightenment comes from the sharing of opinions, recipes, and techniques.  It’s about searching for the classic way to make cocktails, and then experimenting, expanding, and improving upon the recipe. 

Initially, I will start with finding those classic cocktails and preparing them in the traditional manner.  This will include both simple and complex recipes, varying from a straightforward gin and tonic to an ambitious sazerac (rye whiskey and absinthe!). 

Another significant part of the search will include obtaining opinions about the different brands of spirits available.  Do I prefer Maker’s Mark or Knob Creek as my bourbon of choice?  Is a margarita better with resposado or añejo tequila?  Should you shake a martini á la James Bond-style or stir?  All these questions will (hopefully) be answered. 

 I can hear your skepticism radiating from my computer screen.  How on earth am I going to learn how a cocktail is actually supposed to taste like?  A Mr. Boston recipe book is no assurance that I will be able to make the drinks properly.  Therefore, the final portion of my search will include visiting as many knowledgeable cocktail artists and mixologists in the St. Louis area as possible.  In simpler terms, I will go to a lot of bars.  I will savor their take on classic cocktails as well as taste the bartender’s signature cocktail (hopefully they have one) and rate the experiences. 

Please, feel free to comment on the things I have posted.  Post your favorite way to prepare the drink.  What is your favorite rum?  Tell me your opinions on bars in the St. Louis area.  Who has the best old-fashioned in the city?  Let’s try and find out together.  A whiskey and coke is nice beverage, but do you want to be stuck with just that option?  Or do you like a Cuba Libre better?  Or a Rob Roy?  Or a whiskey sour?  Hopefully you are the inquisitive type like me, and hopefully, you will find your personal cocktail preferences along with me.

Thanks for reading.