What To Drink Features

Cocktails, Sunny Side Up

Egg whites are an essential ingredient in many classic cocktails. Are you adventurous enough to try one?
An Awakening with Zombie Cocktails

These five zombie cocktails will keep you up at night while you’re fending off a zombie invasion (or watching one on tv).
Cocktails from the Silver Screen

Drink along with the characters in your favorite movies with these five cocktail recipes.
Cocktails to Enjoy with your Favorite Television Characters

TV show-inspired cocktails to sip on this evening while you watch your favorite characters’ antics.
Al Higgins: Your Irish Whiskey Buying Connection

Al Higgins of Dublin’s Celtic Whiskey Shop recommends 5 Irish whiskey brands you might not know but will soon love.
2 Pubs, 100 Whiskeys, and The Man.

Dublin bar owner Michael Foggarty really knows his whiskey. Here he recommends his favorite Irish whiskey brands.
Cocktails Made with Berkshire Mountain’s Spirits

From hot mulled cider to a summery peach cocktail, Berkshire Mountain Distillers spirits always make a fine cocktail.
4 Distillers Who Left Successful Careers to Make Hooch

Not everyone comes from generations of whiskey makers. These entrepreneurs left their jobs in order to pursue their passion for spirits and become part of America’s craft distilling movement.
Spirited Backstory of New York Distilling Gin

More about the witty namesakes of New York Distilling’s two types of gin.
5 Urban Craft Distilleries

From San Francisco to Brooklyn, these city-dwelling distilleries enhance their urban communities and inspire consumers to try local spirits.
Three Ways to Enjoy Ransom Spirits

Ransom Spirits’ unique products are perfect for cocktails. Here are three recipes you should try.
5 Influential Craft Distilleries in the Pacific Northwest

These five distilleries are among the top influencers in the country in terms of what they make and how they do it.
Rejuvenate Your Cocktails with Corsair’s Flavorful Spirits

Add a new twist to your cocktail with Corsair Artisan’s adventurous spirits.
5 Innovative Craft Distilleries in Bourbon Country

Think you know what bourbon country looks like? Think again. These distillers are shaking things up.
Drinks to Enjoy with your Toes in the Sand

Whether you’re actually enjoyed a beach vacation or just dreaming of one, these five cocktails will whisk you away to an island oasis.
A Bit of Fiction in your Cocktail

Follow in the literary footsteps of Hemingway, Faulkner and Fitzgerald with these cocktail recipes.
Put that Bubbly to Good Use: Champagne Cocktails

Champagne is delicious on its own, but champagne cocktails are even better. Take your drinking up a notch with these 5 recipes.
An Introductory Guide to Small-Batch Flavored Vodka

Leave the cake flavored vodka on the shelf and reach for an all-natural, small-batch option instead.
Cool Down with Five Refreshing Mint Cocktails

There’s nothing like a refreshing burst of mint to energize your cocktail. Here are five recipes.
5 Craft Distillers in Colorado You Should Know

Colorado is a hotbed of distilling activity. Here are five mile-high distillers to keep a close eye on.
Gin Cocktails Made with Roundhouse Spirits

Roundhouse Spirits in Boulder, CO is known for gin and innovation.
Daily Dose of Vitamin-C Cocktails

For me, there’s nothing like a nice glass of OJ with my breakfast in the morning, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy orange juice at happy hour as well. Here are ten orange juice cocktails to try out.
5 Great Shooters for Post-College Drinkers

A selection of sophisticated shooters for even the most discerning palates.
Roll Out the Barrel: Aging Cocktails to Perfection

What’s that barrel doing behind the bar? There’s probably a delicious cocktail maturing in there.
The Ever-Faithful, Always Delicious Pimm’s Cup

The Pimm’s Cup won’t abandon you to a tipsy fate in the middle of a cocktail party.
Sherry Isn’t Just for Sipping: Two Cocktails for Sherry Beginners

Sherry isn’t just for your grandmother anymore. You’ll find it on cocktail menus in top bars around the country.
Drink At Your Own Speed: Low-Alcohol Cocktails at High Altitude

Bartender Bryan Dayton believes in giving people low alcohol cocktail options at his Boulder, CO restaurant.
Summer Rum Revival in 6 Cocktails

Hooch bartenders recommend their favorite rum cocktails of the summer season.
The Scotch Starting Line-Up

Just getting into Scotch? We’ve got some tips for you.
How Moonshine Changed America

From backwoods stills to big-time moonshine rings, whiskey-making has always been a part of American culture.
Daiquiri Diversity: 5 Rums to Try

5 rums to make your Daiquiri more diverse and delicious
The Search for Hemingway’s Daiquiri

What exactly was in Hemingway’s daiquiri?
Ode to the Classic Daiquiri

Rum, lime, sugar…quite simply the world’s best cocktail.
Beer Cocktails: Craft Distillers and Brewers Collide

Colorado is home to craft distillers and craft breweries. Beer cocktails are a natural fit.
From Brews to Booze: Whiskey for Beer Drinkers

If you love craft beer, chances are good that you’ll also love the craft whiskey.
Escape to a Tiki Bar Near You

Why do people love tiki bars? Go experience one for yourself and find out.
A Taste of the Islands: Classic Tiki Cocktails

Classic tiki cocktails are meant to be over the top, a little silly and most of all, fun.
The Lifetime Journey of a Rum Drinker

Michael Neff, owner of The Rum House NYC, describes rum as a roller coaster of flavor.
The Ultimate Cocktail Curriculum

If you’re looking to brush up on your cocktail knowledge, here’s a great place to start. Choose your subject and we’ll help you graduate from basic, to intermediate, to cocktail geek.
Why Absinthe Was Banned, Then Un-Banned

The Godfather of Absinthe explains the spirit’s long journey from banned substance to trendy tipple.
The Truth About Absinthe: 5 Myths Dispelled

Will drinking absinthe lead to a psychedelic trip full of green fairies a la Moulin Rouge? We’ve got the real story.
4 Mischievous Ways to Enjoy Absinthe

Four ways to enjoy absinthe that stir up as much trouble as the spirit itself
The Rise of the Green Fairy

Absinthe is enjoying a long-overdue renaissance thanks, in part, to a rise in production by craft distillers in the USA.
The Bartender’s Spice Rack

Bartenders aross America are making their own bitters to perfectly flavor their cocktail creations.
Bitters: An American Cocktail Story

Author and cocktail enthusiast Brad Parsons explains why he just can’t get enough of bitters
What the Heck Are Bitters Anyway?

What is the magic ingredient in your cocktail? Bitters, of course. Find out what they are and how they improve your cocktails.
Mezcal’s Rich Heritage in Remote Oaxaca Villages

Mezcal distillers in Oaxaca still rely on traditional methods to produce their fine, smoky spirit.
Meet Tequila’s Smokier Cousin: 3 Mezcals to Try

Mezcal, tequila’s smokier cousin, is growing in popularity in the US. Here are three mezcals to get started enjoying this spirit.
A Not-So-Traditional Flight of Tequila

Tequila is the basis for a lot of late-night stories that don’t end well, and that’s sad. The spirit is delicious and interesting, but it labors under the misconception that it needs to be taken as a chilled shot with salt and lime. With the desire to right some wrongs, and with so much good…
Tequila Country: Where Tradition Meets Big Business

Tequila is a product of tradition, terroir and people passionate about making tequila the best it can be.
5 Unusual Spirits to Order in a Cocktail

Step outside your cocktail comfort zone and order a drink with one of these more unusual spirits.
A Flight of Irish Whiskey: 4 Distillers, 5 Bottles

A flight of five Irish whiskeys take you to each of Ireland’s regions and distilleries.
Gin Defined: A Guide to Becoming a Gin Connoisseur

Gin is in. Get to know all about this delicious hooch.
Breuckelen Distilling Sold Out of Whiskey, For Now

Breuckelen’s whiskey is so popular it sold out in 6 months. In the meantime, try their Glorious Gin.
Old World vs. New World Gin

Some gin distillers are preserving tradition while others are seeking something new.
Breaking the Rules: Renegade American Whiskey

Delicious whiskeys that refuse to be categorized
Dave Pickerell on Reviving America’s Whiskey Tradition

Master distiller Dave Pickerell on making whiskey and having fun
The New Golden Rule in Distilling: Sustainability

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a revolution going on. Food and beverage artisans are growing, cooking and eating real food, real slow. They’re flocking to farmers’ markets and farm-to-table dinners like they were the latest smart phone release locations and as if the latest smart phone was being launched there. Wouldn’t it be an…
Why Bartenders Like Flavored Vodkas

Flavored vodkas are a back bar staple
Flavored Vodka Gets Back to Nature

Forget the bubblegum and chocolate. Craft distillers are turning to unique, natural ingredients to give their vodkas authentic and delicious flavor. You’ve probably seen ads for all kinds of flavored vodkas, from basics like lemon to more flamboyant flavors like cake and espresso. But what do you have to add to vodka to make it…
Do-It-Yourself Bottle Service

Better booze, better drinks, less money.
So What If I Like Pink Drinks?

This year, drink the cocktails you love
Vinyl and Cocktail Pairings for 2012

Rock 2012 with the top-selling albums and their perfect cocktail pairings
Recipes For a Legendary New Year’s Eve Party

Recipes for a legendary NYE party
Bartenders Guide to Staying In on New Year’s Eve

Staying in doesn’t have to be boring
Enjoying New Year’s Eve Champagne Cocktails

Champagne cocktails for party pros
10 Classic Cocktails and Who Drank Them

Famous drinkers show you how it’s done
Vodka Martinis Worthy of 007

New Martini classics for Bond and you
Re-Discover the Great Cocktails of the Past

Classic cocktails are replacing the complicated 12-ingredient cocktails of the last decade
Ode to the Classic Gin Martini

The search for a great Gin Martini is a lifelong pursuit
Top 10 Gifts for Cocktail Lovers

Something for everyone (over 21) on your holiday list
Distillery Start-Up: Part 1 of a Series

This article is the first in a series following Evan Faber and Bradford Heap as they start a craft distillery in Boulder, Colorado. The Hooch Life will follow their progress as they get closer to their intended Summer 2012 launch. Starting a distillery is no easy task. “It’s like jumping off a building in a…
10 American Craft Spirits To Try

A boozy American bounty
Fresh Twist for Cosmo Drinkers

Explore beyond cranberry and lime
Fresh Twist for Lemon Drop Drinkers

Fresh flavors for lemon lovers
The Rise of American Distilleries

Local, Sustainable, Imbibe-able. When you go to a liquor store today, the shelves are filled with American-distilled spirits — for the first time in almost a century. Distillation is a true American tradition. From the Revolutionary period up through the 1930s, there were hundreds of commercial distilleries churning out pot-stilled spirits until Prohibition and WWII…
Epiphany: Learning to Love Gin

Think you don’t like gin? Neither did bartender Liam Wager until serendipity showed him how great gin can be. “My first cocktail experience was a disaster with a Bombay Sapphire Martini — a terrible Bombay Sapphire Martini — while I was at a college orientation event,” explains suspender-clad Liam Wager from across the marble bar…
Pickerell’s Picks: American Distillers

Dave Pickerell, the godfather of American whiskey, talks about American craft distillers.
Jim Beam’s Posh Family of Whiskeys

Meet Uncle Jim’s posh relatives
Best Mezcal $100 Will Buy

What do you really get when you spend a c-note on a bottle? The honest answer is, it depends on the bottle. Sometimes you get the best marketing and packaging money can buy. But sometimes you get a rare and wonderful product of craft and artistry. And when that happens, you didn’t just buy a…
The Manhattan: Cocktail of Choice for the Individualist

Want to start a debate? Suggest a definitive Manhattan recipe.
Add a Pisco Punch for a Knock-Out Party

It’s time to think beyond wine, beer, and the Margarita. When you throw a party, you want a fresh, easy punch or pitcher recipe that keeps the cocktails flowing all night long. You may reach for your tried-and-true Margarita drink recipe, but why not try something new this time? Bartender Alexandra Geppert recommends Pisco Punch,…
Boozy Holiday Dessert Cocktails

Rich desserts don’t just come in pie plates this holiday season. Get out your best glassware and try these boozy, delicious cocktail treats. When we think of holiday desserts, visions of rich pies and crispy cookies dance through our heads. But why stop there? If you want to get away from the standard pumpkin pie…
Gift Baskets for Cocktail Lovers

Finally, a holiday gift basket you actually want (hint: it’s filled with hooch). Spread the love this holiday season with the gift of spirits. Rather than simply wrapping up a bottle of your loved one’s favorite spirit, create a gift basket that also includes the ingredients to make a great cocktail. Here are three great…
Post-Feast Digestifs

You’ve had too many helpings of Aunt Martha’s pumpkin pie, and now your stomach hates you. Relax, pour yourself a digestif, and get some relief. The holidays are here. In a time of year filled with epic meals and full bellies in need of soothing, there is perhaps no better time to explore the world…
Holiday Punch Recipes for a Stress-Free Party

Punches are one of the oldest forms of social drinking, part of a slate of retro drinks making a comeback in bars around the country. Far from the Jungle Juice punch bowls of many a drinker’s college days, bartenders today are mixing up punch from 300-year-old recipes and adding modern flavors. When you have a…
Fresh Twist for Gin & Tonic Drinkers

More drinks for G&T drinkers