Today we celebrate the 76th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition (by way of the ratification of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution on December 5, 1933) here in the United States. Prohibition – for those of you blissfully unaware – was the nearly 15 year period in the early 20th century when the consumption of “intoxicating liquors” (our favorite kind of liquor) was outlawed. Read More
Our friends over at The 50 Plus Male – a blog for men of the baby boomer generation – asked us to write a guest post about cocktails and the role of the cocktail hour in social life. We chose to write about the cocktail we most identify with the baby boomers – the Martini. You can find the full post over at The 50 Plus Male. The boozy part is provided below.
One of the best parts of writing about cocktails and spirits is that the audience is nearly universal. I actually come from a technology background where, with a few exceptions, there wasn’t much diversity in the crowd. But writing about spirits on Spirited Cocktails, I’ve met so many people from so many different backgrounds and walks of life, and it truly enriches my experience. Read More
As Thanksgiving approaches this week, many of us have accepted as a foregone conclusion that we will eat to a point that is well beyond comfortable. We will stuff ourselves full of turkey, potatoes, vegetables of all kinds, and of course, plenty of dessert.
As with so many things in life, the solution to this problem (in this case, feeling overstuffed, but feel free to substitute your problem here) is drinking. Read More
I had the privilege this week to complete the BarSmarts Live course – a training program geared toward the new generation of bartenders. The course was put together by spirits giant Pernod Ricard, but I found that, while many of the examples obviously cited Pernod Ricard brands, the course was very comprehensive and conveyed a wide range of industry information.
The course is broken up into five parts: four self-paced modules completed at home with a book, DVDs, and online quizzes, and a one-day live session which includes seminars, a written exam, and a practical exam. Read More
I don’t know how I ever survived without my iPhone. It helps me manage my e-mail, contacts and calendar. But also gives me directions, plays my music (and my NPR podcasts), and keeps me entertained on the subway. It is my one essential piece of technology. Read More
As you may have noticed, my posts over the last two months have decreased slightly in frequency. That is to say, I haven’t posted anything at all for about five weeks now. That’s kind of a long time, right? Yeah, I thought so, too.
So I do have some lame excuses, mostly to do with my changing jobs recently. I’m starting a new company, which I’ll tell you about more when it’s really up and running. But the fact that it’s taking up every minute of my day and night is no excuse for my not getting ridiculously drunk and telling you good people how I did it. I’ve been trying to keep up a bit via Twitter (@cocktailspirit), but that’s not enough. So I promise I’m going to get back to my real job of writing about booze, even though it doesn’t really pay me anything at all.
Except I’m going to the south of France this week for almost two weeks. Now you really feel sorry for me, right?
Seriously though, I promise I’ll get back to work as soon as I get back from France. As hard as it is to keep up, I love writing about cocktails and cocktail culture. Starting this blog – and especially meeting the people I’ve met as a result – is one of the best things that’s every happened to me, and I promise not to let it fall too much further behind.
Thanks for your understanding!
Cheers,
Josh
Calling all imbibers! Lindsey Johnson (@livethelushlife), who is one of the New York cocktail scene’s fearless leaders, and a close friend of ours, has submitted a wonderful panel idea to SxSW (South by Southwest). The panel is entitled Booze Blogging: Liquid Conversation. Now stop and think for a moment – can you think of any better topic for a panel discussion? We can’t.
Moving on: SxSW picks their panels by popular acclaim, so Lindsey needs your votes. Please head over to the SxSW PanelPicker and give Lindsey’s panel a big ol’ thumbs up. We need to carry the message of cocktail culture (and also our thoughts about building an audience, ethical blogging, etc.) to the masses.
Vote early. Vote often.
Cheers,
Josh