Victor Bergeron – Trader Vic – created this drink back in the 40s, and is quoted in the 1947 edition of his Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide as saying, “Anyone who says that I didn’t create this drink is a dirty stinker.” When I visited Trader Vic’s in Beverly Hills, I watched their skilled mixologists closely | Read More

Since it’s Cinco de Mayo and everything, I figured I’d post the margarita we use at the bar. I worked on my margarita recipe for a long time until I found that perfect balance between sweet, sour and strong. It’s been very good to us over the years. I learned early on the famous 2:1:1 | Read More

I started making this drink back when I first heard about it in 2006. I used to favor some pretty hefty proportions, but I’ve tamed my version of the drink down just a little in recent years. This drink was created at the Pegu Club in Rangoon, Burma, probably in the 1920s. According to Harry | Read More

The origin of the Margarita is lost to history, but there are several stories vying for the title. The one I like involves a showgirl named Marjorie King, who was apparently allergic to grain alcohol. In 1938, Marjorie was visiting the Rancho Del Gloria Bar in Rosarita Beach, Mexico, when she asked one of the | Read More

The Manhattan allegedly has a documented history. When Samuel J. Tilden was elected Governor of New York in 1874, socialite Jenny Jerome threw a party at the Manhattan Club in New York to celebrate his victory. The bartender created a special drink for this occasion; one half ounce bourbon, one quarter ounce each sweet and | Read More

The Sidecar is rumored to have been invented at Harry’s American Bar in Paris some time in the early teens, and must have taken a popular turn very quickly, as it was a well-established drink by the time Prohibition arrived in the United States. Arguably the greatest cocktail of all time and the basis for | Read More

There’s a long-running joke behind the bar that goes like this: “It’s not called ‘Complicated Syrup’!” and it’s just about every bartender’s go-to joke when one of our coworkers screws up the simple syrup. There’s a reason why it isn’t called “Complicated Syrup”. If you can heat water on a stovetop, you’re on your way | Read More

The Bon Vivant’s Companion of 1933 credits Jerry Thomas at the Planter’s Hotel in St. Louis around 1840, for creating this drink. The charm of the Planter’s Punch is its refreshing mellowness – not to be interpreted as sweetness. I updated it for Vaquero with a touch of unsweetened passionfruit puree in place of the | Read More

This one was named after a band that my business partner, Tony Figoli was in a long time ago. I thought the name was absolutely brilliant, so I decided to do up a drink to commemorate the band – and my favorite spirit at the time. I think the creme de cassis really works well | Read More

I was lying in bed one night a couple of years ago, and trying to come up with some new, exciting drinks for Red Agave’s cocktail menu. This was in the late summer of 2002. Anyway, tomatoes were very much in the twilight of their season, so I thought it would be fun to come | Read More