This is a pretty nerdy one, so here’s the tldr: Bartenders need ice like chefs need ovens. There’s 3 things that really matter to get your drinks right: Your ice must be at 0 celsius: it should have liquid water on the surface Your ice should be in cubes, not chips or crushed And it […]
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When you ordered a G&T in the before times, you would be presented with a long list of gins & tonic by your mustachioed mixologist, all served in balloon glasses with ever more ridiculous amounts of delicately tweezed and coiffured garnishes. We’d built up a mystique around preparing cocktails, calling ourselves mixologists and posting artful […]
You probably thought I’d forgotten about this, or at least transferred my allegiance to Vittles (hi, new subscribers!), but in fact the dearth of content has been us moving between drinking seasons. In winter we can rely on the heavy stirred brown drinks to sip huddled against the radiator, and in spring the zingy sours […]
I remember a night working at Off Broadway in Hackney, many years ago, where an off duty bartender had brought in a shitake mushroom infused sweet vermouth that he was so proud of. He was begging us to put it into a Manhattan, so I did, and I am grateful to him for the idea, because I can […]
As we ease into another futile bank holiday, eagerly waiting for permission from Boris to step outside, there’s a delicious shortcut to feeling summery: fortified wines. It’s not a wine with a moat and some fancy crenellations, but rather wine that’s been given a bit of a lift with some spirits and sugar, and in […]
Effervescence is such a delightful word. Say it with me. It’s not just onomatoepeic, it’s something more, it captures the feeling of opening that can or bottle, slowly pouring it and the _tingle_ of those bubbles on your tongue. Truly, fizzy pop is a joy. There are some fizzy drinks, though, when mixed with hard liquor become more […]
As usual, before we get into this, let’s go and make sure our ice trays are full. We’re going to discuss two of my least favourite cocktails today; the Bloody Mary and the Espresso Martini. I find these super difficult, not because they’re necessarily _bad_ drinks, but because, along with the mojito, they’re the cocktails […]
I’ve fallen behind in sending these, sorry, but a reminder that you can also see me doing video tutorials over at https://instagram.com/manhattansproject. Here’s a bumper edition to make up for it. Before we begin, fill up your ice trays! Sours Sour is a wonderful word. Say it now, quietly, under your breath. Imagine the sharp […]
You know the drill, empty your ice trays and refill. Can’t be doing with warm drinks. Well, we’re officially locked down. Smart and attractive folk like the readers of this newsletter have probably been doing this for at least a week, so I hope your routines aren’t too affected and your doom spirals have been […]
Do the ice thing. Fill your ice trays, empty any ice you have into tupperware. You know the drill. We’ve been advised to keep a distance of 2m from everyone in public, and the government has belatedly advised people to stay away from pubs, bars, restaurants and theatres (without ordering them to close, and without […]