Pure Spirits: Nardini Fernet & Dantes in Fernet

I would like to begin today’s article with a fundamental commitment: I love bitter liqueurs! Certainly that won’t be a surprise to anyone who is following my blog for a while because my preference for bitter cocktails and accordingly also bitter cocktail ingredients can be found in many articles and recipes (and thus has also played a crucial role in the creation of many of my own drinks). Of course that does not mean that I’m only writing about bitter stuff, but I like to do so for sure. Therefore, it is long overdue to take a closer look at Italian Amari. Read More

Pure Spirits: The Choya Aged 3 Years & The Shōjō Negroni

It’s been a while since I reviewed the “The Choya Single Year” here on the blog, an Umeshu which is part of the premium segment within the product range of Choya. And with the Choya Umeshu Gold Edition I also wrote about an ultra-premium Umeshu which even comes with floating gold-flakes inside the bottle. Today it’s about another representative of the Japanese traditional liqueur genre that is about to conquer the bar world. Read More

Cinema Highball

Fat Washing – For a long time I gave a wide berth to this technique. It seemed to me as time-consuming as making your own syrups, infusing spirits or other gimmickry that expand the flavor palette of your bar. In the meantime, I have to say: It really is not that much of an effort. But I also have to admit: it needs a little planning in advance nonetheless. But hey: it’s not more effort than doing a milk punch. Read More

Pure Spirits: Plantation Guyana 2005 Vintage Edition & Créole Fruit Shrubb

It’s once again time for a rum review here in the blog! It is about a bottle of rum from a series of rums which was able to almost always convince me of its quality in the past, so also today my expectations were quite positive. But high expectations are accompanied by a higher potential for disappointment – that’s a fact you’ll always have to keep in mind. Especially when it comes to a rum from such a prestigious rum nation as Guyana. Read More

Pure Spirits: Pierre Ferrand Réserve Double Cask & Un Moment de Silence

Today it’s time for cognac again – for a rather unusual cognac, to be precise. It’s a cognac that comes up with some special features. And of course I would like – as usual – to present a cocktail in which such a cognac can be used. But first I would like to go into detail on the pure Cognac, which is advertised with a term that has to be investigated: Rancio Charentais. Read More

Pure Spirits: Bulleit 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey & The Boulevardier

The Bulleit brand is not necessarily the oldest and most traditional brand in the world of Bourbon whiskey. Although there are also many much younger Bourbon brands, compared to some long-established heavyweights the Bulleit brand (which is named after former lawyer Tom Bulleit) is relatively young: it only exists since the 1990s. However, the bottle which I want to put to the acid test today only exists since 2017. Read More