Mental Floss has a list of the stories behind 11 famous cocktails. Mostly, they're named after notorious people (as in the negroni, after Count Camillo Negroni) or famous clubs like the Manhattan. But Tom Collins is different and reading the list reminded me of its hilarious history.The name comes from a popular prank. Over the holidays I read the book Imbibe! by David Wondrich, which had the complete story of how Tom Collins came to be. First, it helps to know that before the Tom Collins became
Flickr: FibroblastThis weekend I visited Bluestem's lounge area, manned by Van John Zarr, one of the best and most knowledgeable bartenders in the area. I was with a large group that included some college students who, while no strangers to drinking, had just turned of age and were inexperienced in world of cocktails.Zarr quickly made them feel experienced. He asked what they liked to drink, and when one customers said gin and tonic, Zarr talked them through a series of possibilities and within
If speakeasies are supposed to be hard to get into, then Manifesto wins. I knew the recently opened bar was located directly below 1924 Main and that you're supposed to go around the back to enter. What I didn't know was the access code for the keypad on the door, or which suite number to dial. Turns out there is no keypad number to dial. You simply press the call button. After you're buzzed in you descend down old wooden steps, past a fuse box and gas meter, before going through brown curtains
I stopped by M&S Grill's wonderful happy hour last week (more on that Friday) and got to talking to the bartender. It's one of my favorite bars in the city not only because of the food specials and the atmosphere but because the mixed drinks are so damn good. As I've noted before, M&S is a true scratch bar -- everything from the juice to the simple syrup is made to order.Flickr: Bi Chrome PhotoThe bartender (mixologist?), Scott Beskow, was just putting the finishing touches on a summer d
