I’m a Greek-Mexican-United Statesian bartender and I call Minnesota home. An endeavor to discover more of my cultural history has inspired deep-dives into ancestry websites and multiple travels to “Old Country” locations. As history can inform the present, a deeper understanding of my cultures give me new creative spaces in drink-making. Putting our authentic selves … [ Read more]
The (Un)true Story of the Bloody Mary
February 24, 2020 by
TThe following is a narrative interpretation of the real-life claims to the rise (or) the invention (or) the discovery of the Bloody Mary. As is often the case with the history of cocktails, evidence suggests these claims are probably wrong. Drinking tomato juice was all the rage in early 20th-century America, and a Vaudeville comedian … [ Read more]
Pink Drink Pandemonium: The rise of rose-colored gin, plus cocktail recipe
December 23, 2019 by
A pink wave is washing over the Western world and there’s no shortage of strong opinions on the matter. The European and Australian continents are currently glowing with the rosy hue of an explosive drinking trend which might soon light up the U.S.: pink gin. The current definition of pink gin is a far cry from … [ Read more]
Minnesota’s Industry Icons: Badass bartenders leading innovation in the North
October 28, 2019 by
The Minnesota cocktail landscape is seeing a shift change. This year, the local chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild appointed Kate Hoffman Mikkelson as their first female president. Christina Jenkins leads Hai Hai’s highly-awarded cocktail program. Family-run Dampfwerk Distillery Co. has put marketing powerhouse Bridgit Loeffelholz at the helm of their brand new cocktail … [ Read more]
Spirits of the Party: Aperitif, Digestif, and Nightcap recipes for the holidays
October 28, 2019 by
Aperitif Cocktail: Snowbird Spritz The botanical elements in the amaro and absinthe will stimulate the palate—jump-starting the body’s digestive process—and making it the perfect aperitif. The bubbly, slightly dry profile make a moreish combination with a bouquet of aromas crafted to delicately begin any meal among community. Ingredients 2 ounces Heirloom Pineapple Amaro 1 teaspoon … [ Read more]
Raise the Dead with This Corpse Reviver Recipe
September 30, 2019 by
Many cocktails have a quasi-medicinal origin story. Herbs and flowers have long been infused into alcohol and used to treat illnesses like digestive issues, scurvy, or fevers. People once made their bitter medicine more palatable by mixing it with sugar and spirits (sounds like an old fashioned, no?) Tonic water began as simply dissolved quinine … [ Read more]
Spirits Close-Up: Farmers Market Cocktails
August 29, 2019 by
Whether it’s foraging, tending to a garden or farm, bringing home a CSA box, or visiting a farmers market, local produce is making more appearances in city homes. Here’s how to turn your late-summer farm finds into delicious drinks. Muddling The fastest way to incorporate fresh flavor is smashing it into the bottom of a … [ Read more]
Spirits Close-Up: Quit Smoking
August 1, 2019 by
You order a drink and a slate tablet appears in front of you. On the tablet, the bartender ignites a small pile of woodchips and covers it with a rocks glass that fills with white fog. The glass is then quickly upturned and the bartender adds a stirred cocktail. The smoke slowly drifts away as … [ Read more]
Spirits Close-Up: Cobblers Had a Bumpy Road
July 2, 2019 by
Sherry, sugar, ice, fruit. The sherry cobbler is simple and delicious but any hopes of knowing its origins remain as crushed as the ice on which the cocktail is built. Mentioned by notables from Charles Dickens to Queen Victoria, the sherry cobbler became the most famous libation in the 19th-century Western world because of three … [ Read more]
Spirits Close-Up: The Next, Next Cool Spirit
May 28, 2019 by
People are always trying to find what’s “next” in spirits. Whiskey is locked into its heyday. Tequila has overcome the fake amber stuff we shot in college. Minnesotans have decided to be “nice” about the smoke of mezcal. Sherry may never fully bloom here. My money says the next big spirits boom will come when … [ Read more]
Spirits Close-Up: The Minnesconsin Old Fashioned – A “compromise” cocktail
April 29, 2019 by
Ask born-and-raised Minnesotans and they’ll give you an extensive list of differences between them and Wisconsinites or North and South Dakotans. Ask bartenders in the Twin Cities and they’ll tell you numerous confused-out-of-stater stories. Living in different states can feel like living in cultures as different as night and day, but for bartenders on the borders, … [ Read more]
Why You Hate Vermouth
March 26, 2019 by
Bartenders everywhere know that people hate vermouth. Guests are constantly requesting their martini not be sullied with that same swill collecting dust in their home liquor cabinet. They employ an ever-expanding array of vocal burbles and diminutive hand motions to demonstrate how minuscule a measure of vermouth might be permitted. But there’s no chance the … [ Read more]
Spirits Close-Up: Which expensive bottles live up to their price tag?
February 25, 2019 by
Liquor prices can seem arbitrary. The factors affecting the price of a spirit are seemingly unending and often well hidden. What we pay at the liquor store has to do with the spirit’s cost of production and distribution, sure, but also the brand’s marketing budget, celebrity endorsements, custom bottle design, and high-def B-roll footage of … [ Read more]
Clear Ice: The American Way
January 28, 2019 by
Clear ice isn’t just for looks. Clarity means quality, and clear ice makes your drink colder, more delicious, more consistent, more historically accurate, and more truly American. (What?! Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll feed you, baby birds.) Clear ice is a staple at Twin Cities cocktail spots, an integral part of global cocktail culture, and easier … [ Read more]
Spirits Close-Up: Bitters, The Liquid Spice Rack
January 2, 2019 by
The long fence of tiny bottles between you and the bartender at your favorite cocktail spot can be intimidating. Most imbibers know the basics of bitters—the potent infusions of herbal elements and flavor extracts—but for those who aren’t regularly making cocktails for themselves, there’s still a lot of confusion about them. Thankfully, using bitters doesn’t … [ Read more]
