Welcome to this week’s roundup of interesting cocktail and spirits related articles plus a few fun bits of news just made for cocktail party conversation starters.
Reading Roundup
Grant Achatz, Science-Minded Chef Turns to Cloning
(New York Times)
For those of us curious to check out the latest from the creator of Alinea (and its associated cocktail bar Aviary) Pete Wells gives a good idea of the current state of things. Sounds like the drinks are maybe still a bit “bumpy” with “moments when I felt like a parent helping the Aviary staff to complete a project for the science fair.” But, I do get a kick out of cocktails names like Science A.F., Wake and Bake or Bring Me Another Smurf and will definitely be checking things out when I get a chance.
The Worlds 50 Best Selling Classic Cocktails 2018
(Drinks International)
Drinks International just released the results of their annual poll to find out who’s ordering what in bars around the globe. Once again, the Old Fashioned rolls in at No. 1 and my favorite, the Dry Martini, hovers around No. 5. Read the full list to find out the other 48 classic cocktails most popular around the world.
This Artisanal Cocktail Apothecary Is Foraging Your Bitters (and Living Your Buzzwords)
(Vinepair)
What happens when a drinks slinger combines her bar skills with her multiple passions of nature, food science, ecological agriculture and botany? She moves to the great outdoors with her work-life partner to create a range of bitters and syrups and creates “an actual lifestyle, not just a ‘lifestyle brand’.” (and like the first article in the list, this one also features a great cocktail name: Lumber Sexual)
Entries open for Courvoisier’s Toast of Paris cocktail competition
(Bar Mag UK)
What’s interesting about this article is not the announcement that Courvoisier is accepting entries for their Toast of Paris Cocktail Competition, but rather that one of the factors in determining success will be how “Instagram-worthy” the cocktail is.
Asian Restaurants are at the Center of Cocktail Innovation
(Camper English for San Francisco Magazine)
San Fran’s Asian restaurants have gone from so-so sake bombs to a more interesting approach to their drinks programs that incorporates flavors from their kitchens like yuzu, take inspiration from other countries like India or focus on favorite spirits in the East such as whisky.
Cocktail Party Conversation Starters
Get all tongue tied around new people? Try this week’s cocktail party conversation starters next time you’re stuck for small talk…
Did you hear about…
The fool who flushed her emotional support animal?
The cops who caught a criminal based on a cartoon sketch?
Bermuda rolling back their same-sex marriage laws?
And, this week, when I’m not reading cocktail news or finding bizarre conversation starters, I’m reading: Render Feminist and Food Culture Quarterly #3
