Binny's Blog

Let the good times roll and shake up this recipe for a Ramos Gin Fizz, one of New Orleans most well-known cocktails. It's perfect for your Mardi Gras celebration.

The temperatures are plummeting after a relatively warm start to the winter season. There’s no better time to whip up some hot cocktails to get you through the grey winter days and long, dark winter nights.

Toddies are a broad class of cocktails that generally combine a spirit with water and sugar. Usually but not necessarily served hot, toddies also often include citrus, spice and/or herbs to create a soothing elixir, believed by many to ease the symptoms of the common cold and flu. Toddies are easy to make, provide a potent kick of booze, and happen to be quite appealing on a cold winter’s eve in the Midwest.

We aren’t talking about “the” perfect Manhattan, some might argue that the incredibly popular sweet Manhattan already holds that title, but “a” Perfect Manhattan. A variation on the theme that has the maker replace half of the Sweet Vermouth with Dry Vermouth. This perfect 1:1 ratio of Vermouths is the origin of the name.

This cocktail is an old timey classic, but it required a side trip to the 1980s to land on this prohibition era gem. Try this fruity but refreshing silent film era classic. It will leave you speechless.

The 1980s were a time of excess, and that included the cocktails. Every thing was overly sweet and overly proofed.

It's March, which means the Barrel to Bottle Crew is contractually obligated to talk about Irish spirits. Last year, we tackled some of Pat's favorite Irish whiskies.

The Scotch and Drambuie based delight known as the Rusty Nail got a 21st century update with the addition of the immensely complex herbal liqueur Green Chartreuse. The result is known as the Carthusian Nail. We must confess that we have “borrowed” this idea to create a St. Patrick’s Day friendly version we are calling the Brass Nail.

The classic Grasshopper cocktail has roots in New Orleans, but it took our neighbors to the north to popularize the decadent ice-cream-based version. This is an adults only Shamrock Shake that packs the punch of a swift knock on the noggin with a shillelagh (in a good way!).

A sophisticated Irish influenced meal full of familiar flavors and perfectly suited for family or a small dinner party - oven roasted salmon with carrot sauce, parsnip puree and caramelized cabbage.