There’s been lots of recent activity in the local ready-to-drink beverage scene. Vikre Distillery is canning a pink and bubbly French 75, Crooked Water Spirits has announced a bottled Negroni, and Plain Spoke Cocktail Co. from Madison, Wisconsin, has just introduced a canned mojito to complement their Bourbon Smash and Moscow Mule. Now perhaps the … [ Read more]
DIY black walnut Nocino: A northwoods twist on an Italian classic
July 19, 2017 by
Italian walnut liqueur, or nocino, is a centuries-old treat made from unripe green walnuts infused in strong alcohol. It is available commercially, but families used to make their own concoctions, sweetened and spiced to their taste with flavors like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise, ready to be shared during the winter holidays. In Italy, green … [ Read more]
Craft Cocktail: Fender Bender at Hi-Lo Diner
September 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Hi-Lo Diner looks like something from another galaxy—a gleaming silver craft that landed in the Cooper neighborhood after an interspace voyage—or at very least from a different time. In fact, the 1957 Fodero diner only traveled from Pennsylvania to East Lake Street, but their cocktails are still out of this world. Simeon Priest is our … [ Read more]
Mix This Now: Brandy cocktail recipes
March 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
As part of our look at why brandy seems to be bringing up the rear of the local, small-batch spirits craze, we put together a few cocktail ideas that incorporate the spirit. For starters, a good mixing brandy like Raynal XO ($30) is an able stand-in for whiskey in most cocktails. Heck, even your dusty … [ Read more]
Craft Cocktail: Inlander
December 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Keith Werner (below) has a great idea for holiday drinking: keep a good vermouth handy. Cocchi di Torino or Carpano Antica—come the end of the night, a dose of vermouth with a strong dark spirit and bitters is an ideal fireside slug. Or mix up the vermouth in a proper drink, like the Inlander, which … [ Read more]
