As the holidays draw to a close we can now reflect on our good times and fond memories.  I for one am glad the season is ending.  It was great, but it was also exhausting.  The one thing I will take away was the feeling of serving a new cocktail for the first time at […]

Tiki Oasis starts today!  I’m in the middle of doing final preparation for my symposium this afternoon, The Bitter Side of Tiki.  Since tomorrow (August 16) is National Rum Day,  I thought I’d get a jump on things and share two of the rum recipes I’ll be making in my class today: the EPAC Grotto […]

I’ve teamed up with the nice folks at The Year of Halloween to do a giveaway in support of my Indiegogo campaign!  Click on the link below and let them know you’ve supported the BDW Serrano Cocktail Spice fundraiser by getting a bottle or sharing the link of Facebook or Twitter, and you’ll be entered […]

Tiki Oasis is done for another year and it was a blast! Before I can write about it, I need to recover, so in the meantime, take a look at this recap (and kind words about BDW) from the lovely Tartines to Tikis (which you should already be reading if you have a passion for […]

Come ye back from the sea my friend,  lest the scurvy becomes your end. Drink punch with lime, and a ration of rum.  A brimming bowl, like a bucket of chum, It will blithe your spirit and cure your ill, once you have bellied up and drunk your fill! -Boyd Rinksworld  The punch in this video might be Jamaican […]

Dubonnet, a spicy fortified wine with the bitter tang of quinine, is a great choice to replace vermouth if you want to shake up a traditional cocktail. This drink substitutes the traditional vermouth in the Manhatten with Dubonnet Rouge, and is called the Dubonnet Manhattan or, as I prefer, The Cat-Hatten, named for Madame Dubonnet’s […]

Nothing makes this boy happier than fresh homemade cookies, but true love came this week in the form of absinthe cookies from my talented cohort Ish.   These cookies are awesome!  A subtle anise cookie reminiscent of a fluffy little scone with a potent Absinthe glaze.   These cookies were also very cool looking as the glaze […]

By popular request, here’s a recipe for an old favorite – the Hot and Filthy martini. This drink is served in a cocktail glass with a potent garnish (think an elaborate Bloody Mary garnish or a hot, exotic salad). The goal here is to achieve a savory, spicy, yet very balanced flavor. The Hot & […]

So I wanted to make a Corpse Reviver #2, but had run out of Lilet Blanc.   Inspired by other variations, I swapped the Lilet for Maraska Maraschino Cherry Liqueur and added a squeeze of blood orange for a nice pink color.  One guest recommended I call this “The Panty Dropper” – although no panty actually dropped, I […]

I love a good Greyhound or a Salty Dog, but I find that even this simple drink is pretty repulsive at most bars.  The juice dispensers or little tin cans of grapefruit juice so common at most establishments give an awful, processed or tinny flavor.   Many bars (even those serving “premium” alcohol) are too concerned with […]