Bottled Cocktails: Three Places in Boston to Find Them

I find myself writing about cocktails a lot lately and drinking none of them, since I'm on a semi-strict post-vacation diet. It's a bit torturous, really.

Anyway, this is my first contribution to GM's Drive the District blog. It's all about bottled cocktails, a trend that's catching on in Boston ever-so-slowly. Read it here.

Can you afford this cocktail?

Photo via Boston Magazine

I've been a fan of Paste for years, so it was a thrill to get one of my stories published in the magazine this month. I wrote an article about crazy expensive cocktails that was inspired by a $100 drink at Boston bar Wink & Nod.

“Every single person who bought it said it was the best cocktail they’d ever had,” Wink & Nod GM Curtis McMillan says. “I want to make sure that when a person buys this cocktail, they don’t feel like they got gypped. I want them to feel like there’s a reason that they paid $100 for it.”

Read the full story here!

Fall Libations: Applejack

A year or two ago, Todd and I hosted a little party to celebrate our favorite season: fall. We decorated with pumpkins, built a fire in the backyard, and I made a seasonal punch that was gone within the first hour. I haven't been able to track down the recipe since then, but I remember it blended bourbon, apple cider (regular and sparkling), and Laird's Applejack.

That was my first exposure to Applejack, but I soon learned that the spirit holds a special place in American history. Back in the 1820s, evangelist John Chapman, a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed, distributed apple seeds to his followers and taught them how to make Applejack. You can read more about the history here.

As for what you can make with it, you could swap it with whiskey in most recipes to give them an autumnal flair. I'll be mixing up these drinks, too:

The Jack Rose

The Applecar

The Un-Pink Lady

Lots more recipes here!

blueberry french 75.

When Alaina asked me to write a guest post for her blog So Alaina, I didn't hesitate. Her blog is one of my favorites in Boston, and even though we haven't met in person, I already feel like we're friends because we have so much in common. She asked me to create a cocktail for the post, so I took the opportunity to mix up a blueberry French 75. Two of them, in fact. And then I drank both, because, well, Todd doesn't like gin. And we wouldn't want to waste a good cocktail, would we?

Check out the full post here. Thanks again, Alaina!

coupe d'etat.

I've been on the hunt for a set of champagne coupes for awhile now. Supposedly modeled after Marie Antoinette's breasts, these glasses add a glamorous old-school vibe to cocktails and, of course, champagne. My perfect set would be vintage and gold-rimmed, but I also love the glasses with etching. Then again, I love the idea of just having a random selection of different coupes, too.

 via.

via.

Has anyone ever poured a champagne tower? I'm dying to try.

fiesta.

I've never been a big tequila drinker, but margaritas are a different story. This hot weather makes me crave them — and not the stuff made with pre-made mix. What's your favorite recipe?

Orange Lime Margarita from Cupcakes & Cashmere.

This one is super-simple from Readymade.

 Mmm pink grapefruit via A Cup of Mai.

How perfect are these for a party? (No recipe but cute free printables from Living Locurto.)

I'm a sucker for good packaging, and this Espolon is calling my name.