Have you ever heard of Märzenbier? Probably you won’t unless you’re an expert for German beer varieties.  At least the name is quite easily explained: it was traditionally brewed in March (März is the German word for March). But as with so many traditions this is not really the case anymore. Read More →

They still exist out there: the uncomplicated classics that can be easily mixed with very few few ingredients and they do not have lost any of their compelling advantages despite their proud age. Unfortunately, in Germany and also in other European countries outside of the United Kingdom these classics are not particularly well-known; this may be due to the historical distance to the major venues and birthplaces of cocktail culture. So it is time to make a small contribution to their dissemination. Read More →

The Eeyore’s Requiem is a type of cocktail I absolutely love. It is clearly more at home on the bitter side and is once again a twist on the Italian classic Negroni. But it contains a higher aromatic complexity of bitter tones, which I find really exciting. Time to lift the secrets of the Eeyore’s Requiem! Read More →

The “Riegele Biermanufaktur” is a German brand for craft beer products founded by beer-sommelier Sebastian Priller-Riegele, who pays tribute to the many different varieties of brewing styles by offering some interesting specialties within the Riegele range. Read More →

Some time ago I have read an interesting article about Eau de Vies, fruit brandies and especially pears on the website of the Mixology magazine. I had already noticed on several occasions that lately many bar menus and also many spirit retailers started to rely more and more on noble fruit brandies and their French interpretation, the Eau de Vies. Especially the pear seems to be the fruit of the hour when it comes to such spirits. In this respect, I set out to experiment with the matter myself. Read More →

In 1988 a certain John Hall opened up a small pub in Chicago, where home-brewed beer was sold to the public. It was named after the neighboring Goose Island. Today, the Goose Island Brewery is a prestigious address in the US Craft Beer Market and nowadays there are Read More →

Recently, in the context of an article on the Italian classic, I have announced to introduce some variants of the Negroni cocktail every now and then to show the great diversity the essential yet simple principle of the drink (vermouth, bitters and a spirit in mostly equal parts) has to offer. This triple combination is really an unbeatable foundation for aromatic cocktails that are settled a little bit more on the bitter side, exactly the way I like cocktails the most. Today’s version of the Negroni takes us away from Italy to the landscapes of South America… Read More →

The traditional producer of Cognac, Ferrand, has gained a lot of reputation in the rum segment of the international market for quality spirits due to their outstanding Plantation range. Many bottlings have appeared in this series which beautifully reflect the wide range of flavors that rum has to offer, both for beginners as well as connoisseurs. Read More →