The blog page for Smart Guy In A Tie. We explore topics from cocktail trends to creativity to branding, and everything in between.
Sherry has been around for centuries, but was lost to the United States when Prohibition struck. As bartenders are diving deeper into history, sherry is slowly moving back into the limelight. Dan Greenbaum's The Second Marriage takes this classic wine and blends it with a classic cocktail to create a modern masterpiece, as #100DaysOfCocktails discovered.
Brazil's native spirit, cachaca, has been getting more and more respect over the last five years. It has claimed its own identity, and bartenders have been reaching for it more as it steps out of the shadows. Internationally respected mixologist Naren Young mixed it with champagne, mint, and apple juice to create the Amazonia. It is a light and refreshing oasis for #100DaysOfCocktails to explore.
There are many stories in history of the wrong thing happening at the right time. According to Andrew Friedman in Gary Regan's book The Negroni, grabbing the wrong bottle while making a Boulevardier added apple brandy to the cocktail instead of rye whiskey. A star was born in the Mela d'Alba, and the subject of Day 41's of #100DaysOfCocktails.
You expect fall cocktails to have apple and cinnamon components in them. But tequila? Devlin DeVore of Centro in Boulder, CO could imagine it, and did, when the Manzarita was created. Add in a little elderflower liqueur as a sweetener, and you have a little slice of fall in a glass, as #100DaysOfCocktails discovered.
The toddy has been around forever. It is simple to add bourbon or rum to hot water with a bit of lemon at the end of the night. In Apothecary Cocktails, Warren Bobrow changes the liquor to the richer, herbal Jägermeister but keeps the overall formula in tact. #100DaysOfCocktails found it to be a great way to end a long day.
Sometimes it is a simple shift that creates a new cocktail. The Gold Rush, which seems like something that should have been around forever, was a recent creation at Milk & Honey in the early 2000's. Substituting simple syrup for honey syrup fully shifts the flavor and mouthfeel of this whiskey sour variant.
On a fateful night in the late 1990's, Audrey Saunders met Dale DeGroff. That did not just change the trajectory of Saunders' career, but the path of the New York City cocktail scene. She updated many restaurants bar programs, creating a path of inspiration to her opening the Pegu Club in 2005. The Gin-gin Mule, something she created at the Beacon Restaurant, adds a little extra flavor to the traditional mule recipe, as #100DaysOfCocktails discovered.
The 21c Museum and Hotel in Louisville, KY, is not just known for warm hospitality and innovative art. They are known for Proof on Main, their cocktail bar and restaurant attached to the venue. They graciously shared Above the Board in the book The American Cocktail, and #100DaysOfCocktails could not have been more excited.
