The Cocktail Artist

When was the last time you had a daiquiri? We’re not talking about one of those sweet frozen slushes with an umbrella and a huge straw that you drank from a plastic cup at a poolside bar. A true daiquiri is a classic drink, served in a cocktail coupe. It is made using only three ingredients – light rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup. We hadn’t had a daiquiri in quite a long time, and a brief spell of warm weather in the midst of winter made us want to step away from the whiskey and mix up something tropical. The daiquiri's origins lie in Cuba. Its name comes from a small village near Santiago that became the focal point of the US invasion of Cuba in 1898 (during the Spanish-American War). One theory of the cocktail’s birth is that it was created by a group of American mining engineers around 1900, but honestly, we’re talking about a cocktail with three ingredients – all local to Cuba (and other Caribbean Islands). It seems unlikely that it took a group of American engin...

This is yet one more version of the Manhattan. It’s one we’ve been making and refining for a long time. Don’t confuse this with the Boulevardier – which is a wonderful cocktail that’s a cross between a Manhattan and a Negroni (with bitterness provided by Campari). The Boulevard is smooth and slightly sweet and gets even better when you have the patience to barrel age a batch. We put the ingredients into our little oak barrel almost two months ago and now we are more than ready to enjoy the results. In the meantime, the Artist has had some time to do some more painting, and the Mixologist has been playing around with new versions of the recipe. Our Boulevard Cocktail is a great drink even if you don’t go through the barrel-aging process, but if you’re interested, our friends at DeepSouth Barrels can hook you up with a small oak barrel for your home bar. Not only does the aging process elevate your cocktails, but also quite convenient to have that pre-made batch ready to serve to...