Category: Spirits

Matcha Highball

Having directed my attention to Japanese cocktails during the Tokyo Olympics last year, I discovered the MATCHA HIGHBALL which I wanted to spotlight again for Japan Day, 5/14/22. Highballs are a very popular way to experience cocktails in Japan, especially...

Genoa Vodka

If you like Campari cocktails (Negroni, Boulevardier) and want to apply it to vodka, the GENOA VODKA is it. Or if you’re on the fence about Campari because you think it too bitter, the Genoa Vodka is a nice way...

8 Cocktails to Make for New Year’s Eve

As we approach a new year, it’s nice sometimes to toast the outgoing and incoming with something different, something memorable. If your go-to cocktail or champagne is too anti-climactic this year, here are some New Year’s suggestions as previously posted...

Mai Tai (War Time Cocktails, 1935-45)

Smith’s Union Bar, Honolulu Strolling into Honolulu’s Smith’s Union Bar, just a few miles away from the military docks and ports of 1941 Pearl Harbor, one is greeted by a calmer, more open-area bar than the other dark seedy places...

Gold Rush Cocktail (a.k.a. Chapel Hill)

When lemon and orange flavoring are mixed with bourbon, good things happen. The GOLD RUSH (EXPANDED) is one such drink and is one of my favorites. If you ask for one at a bar, they’ll hand you a Whiskey Sour...

Flying Dutchman

The FLYING DUTCHMAN is a legendary ghost ship from the 17th century that can never make port and is doomed to sail the oceans forever (see “History” below). Or, it’s a classic gin cocktail. This is a simple yet tasty...

Melon Ball Drop

The Japanese melon liqueur, Midori, is the predominant flavor of the MELON BALL DROP. The sweetness of the Midori, and to a lesser extent the elderflower liqueur, is balanced nicely by vodka and fresh lemon juice. It’s a popular choice...