We’re all familiar with the story. Ebenezer Scrooge is a stingy, nasty man who brings nothing but unhappiness into the lives of everyone associated with him. He is unable to find joy anywhere, even at Christmas. But he wasn’t always that way. There was a time in his life when he did know joy and he …
Those of you who have read my blog from the beginning know that I have a certain affection for the cocktail known as a Pimm’s Cup. It was the drink that I’d had in a particular bar a few years back, and then couldn’t seem to find anywhere else. I made my own version at home and that kicked off my passionate love affair with the world of spirits. That’s my own personal history with a Pimm’s Cup. The more global history behind this cocktail involves a farmer’s son named Pimm from Kent who owned an …
There is a wonderful thing that happens when you become a parent. It begins as the tiniest thought in those first few moments after you realize you’re about to have a baby, especially if it’s your first. “I’m going to bring a brand new little life into this world,” is what goes through your head. Am I right? Oh, the joy you feel! The wonder. The awe. As time goes on, a little bit of worry finds its way in. Will everything be ok? How will my life change? Will I have enough love, and time, and energy for everyone …
Many, many classic cocktails have a very muddled history where we find a multitude of bartenders, bar owners, and even authors claiming to have created their recipes. This is not the case with the Moscow Mule. The facts behind the story are almost completely unanimous and they go as follows. In the 1940s, John Hublein was the president of G.F. Heublein & Brothers, the company that made A-1 steak sauce. Hublein had purchased a small vodka label called Smirnoff back in the 30s in an effort to get …