Results tagged “properlysauced”

We picked up this little beauty over the weekend at Open Books, the cool River North bookstore we told you about back in January. Printed in 1957 by the Peter Pauper Press of Mt. Vernon, New York, Aquavit to Zombie is a mini-encyclopedia of spirits and drink recipes compiled by Peter Beilenson with charming illustrations by Ruth McCrea. We were curious to see how one of the recipes would stand up, so we made ourselves a gin fix. more ›

did a simple comparison between grocery stores and bars to discover a remarkable geographically [sic] phenomenon. We had expected that grocery stores would outnumber bars and for most parts of North America that is the case. But we could also clearly see the "beer belly of America" peeking out through the "t-shirt of data." Starting in Illinois, the beer belly expands up into Wisconsin and first spreads westward through Iowa/Minnesota and then engulfs Nebraska, and the Dakotas before petering out (like a pair of love handles) in Wyoming and Montana.

If you're anything like us, late February has you crawling the walls and begging whatever deity you ascribe to for a break to the grey skies and constant snow. The pervasive effects of SAD generally have us craving some sort of tropical respite, and if there's no way to spend the next three weeks in the Florida Keys then boozy rum drinks are the best way to combat the winter blahs. more ›

During a visit to Demera a couple of weeks ago, a waiter pointed out that the restaurant served a special Ethiopian honey wine. Even better, he said, one variety was actually made in-house. We were instantly sold, and thus began our first experience with Tej. A traditional drink similar to mead, Tej is fermented from honey and flavored with various herbs and spices, including buckthorn. more ›

We ran our very first Properly Sauced nearly two years ago. So, after a bit of research, we were shocked! shocked! to discover that we had never written about what is arguably our very favorite cocktail: the Mai Tai. more ›

A few weeks ago we found ourselves in Boston and thirsty for a cocktail. The interwebs told us that a visit to Drink would be worth our while. They were most certainly correct. How to describe the place? Picture what would happen if The Violet Hour operated a bar on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, and you'll have a fair idea. As bustling a bar as we've had the pleasure to visit, with each bartender expertly fashioning cocktails at the speed of sound. more ›

Ah, the Gimlet. The classic drink of tropical breezes, summer heat and sunny days. Why, you may ask, are we featuring it now? When it's 30 degrees and there's a freezing rain advisory, we need all the hints of summer we can get. All you need is a lime - suddenly you feel warm all over again. more ›

The holidays mean parties, and (if you're smart) parties mean a punchbowl. As a host, who wants to spend the latter part of the evening rooting around in the pantry trying to figure out how to make a palatable drink from the vodka, peppermint schnapps and diet tonic water that are leftover after the "good stuff" is gone? Not us. No sir, a punchbowl is the way to go. It requires a little setup time, but once it's prepared you can back away and concentrate on mingling. more ›

Now that the temperatures have dropped and the snow has started to fall, different kinds of cocktails are needed to revive our flagging spirits. Here at Chicagoist cocktail labs, winter cocktails have always been our favorite, and this concoction is no exception. more ›

Via Art of Drink we discovered Beverages De Luxe, a wonderful bar book dating from 1914. Digitized from a copy in the collection of the Library of Congress, it's an utterly fascinating glimpse into the world of alcohol just before Prohibition. It features a number of pieces written by various distillers and brewers, including chapters entitled "New England Rum" and "Making 'Hand-made' Sour Mash." The entire second half of the book is made up of cocktail recipes from clubs and hotels across the country, and that's where we found the Auditorium Cocktail. more ›

As every good foodie knows, each new and exciting trend produces plenty of stale, unexciting hangers-on. Exposure quickly dampens our enthusiasm, but even lasting trends are hurt by the legions of high-priced, low-quality imitators. I've seen this happen with cupcakes, creme brulee, bacon, boutique pizza - and now it's happening with cocktails. Recently, I've been ripped off by a lot of bad cocktails, and it's reaching the level of a trend. more ›

If you were crazy enough to make the Tiki on Acid after we posted about it then chances are you've still got a bottle of green chartreuse in your liquor cabinet. The magical green elixir has such a potent kick that a little goes a long way, and there aren't many cocktails in standard rotation that even try to incorporate its intense herbal flavors. more ›

Before “Shaken not Stirred,” medium-dry vodka martinis and fresh bottles of Stoli, James Bond was a drinker of a different sort. In his initial outing as Britain’s favorite superhero spy, he instructed the bartender to make him a drink, which has become one of our favorites. Later, the drink was identified with the love interest of the story, Vesper Lynd. We love the Vesper for a lot of reasons - the association with the dapper gentleman of the 60s, the combination of Gin and Lillet Blanc - but it has faded from public view in favor of flashier, neon-colored successors. more ›

As we discussed in our review last week, the cocktails are the high point of dining at The Drawing Room. Watching an expert mix the cocktails that he designed is a joy, and Charles Joly is an affable and knowledgeable mixer. He was also kind enough to provide us with the recipe for our favorite drink of the evening, The Nooner. more ›

People of Chicago, we all know how this works. It feels like autumn, it will soon be autumn. But there will be a weekend between now and snow time where it is 85 degrees. And we will all rejoice and smile at strangers on the street and feel weird that we even began to drink apple cider. We suggest you tuck this little recipe away until that day when you can savor the last bit of summer we have. more ›

Earlier this summer while on a trip to L.A. we made a pilgrimage to Tiki Ti. A tiny place perhaps (it seats fewer than thirty people) but its importance in the world of cocktails looms large. Opened in 1961 by Ray Buhen, a former bartender at the original Don the Beachcomber's as well as several lesser establishments, Tiki Ti has almost single-handedly kept many a vintage cocktail recipe from vanishing forever. Buhen passed away in 1999 but his son and grandsons proudly carry on the Tiki Ti tradition. more ›

Yesterday was National Rum Day, but just because it's over doesn't mean we'll stop imbibing. Today's weather is in fact perfect for a Dark 'n Stormy® (one of the few cocktails to feature a trademarked recipe, by the way). more ›

Culinary gimmickry seems to be everywhere these days. Molecular gastronomy, bacon-infused candy, flavored air - oh my! While this epicurean mayhem can be a bit overwhelming, we’re always ready to try something new. As we have learned from restaurants like Moto and Alinea, sometimes “gimmicks” can be an opportunity to showcase artistry, creativity and some really tasty food. Or, it can go horribly, horribly wrong. more ›

At first, we called this refreshing cocktail a “Pomegranate martini.” This nomenclature has become the standard in restaurants and bars all over the nation, as anything served in a martini glass has become a “something-tini.“ Apple-tinis, berry-tinis, chocolate-tinis; it seemed like the trend would never end, so we intended to quietly add our own to the list in the form of the “Pom-tini,” or something equally witty. more ›

Summertime: living is easy, the fish are jumping, and it's time to sit back with a long cool one and get pleasantly hammered. We have just the thing. more ›

We’ve written about our love of root beer many times, so when we last visited The Gage and saw this drink on their menu, we just had to order it. The Gage does lots of nice things with root beer (including a decadent dessert) but this is our favorite so far. Unfortunately, the drink was seasonal and is no longer on the menu - but they were nice enough to give us the recipe, so we can drink to our heart’s content. And we will. Oh yes. more ›

In the weeks leading up to our anniversary party Saturday night, Whistler mixologist Paul McGee was in touch with Sonja and Derek Kassebaum of North Shore Distillery to work on the cocktail that many of us downed in large numbers. McGee came through with flying colors with an eponymous, deceptively potent concoction with North Shore No. 6 gin as the base spirit. "I like the botanicals in No. 6, which is one of North Shore's lighter gins," McGee said. more ›

We recently received a sample of Mount Gay Extra Old, a fine aged rum from Barbados we'd never tried. On the rocks it's superb: a true sipping rum with hints of burnt sugar and spice, and a subtle floral scent. Actually it reminded us a lot of bourbon. That started us thinking ... more ›

The Negroni is one of our favorite pre-meal cocktails. Deeply colored, intensely flavored and stimulating to the appetite, the mixture of Campari and Gin has become a staple after-work drink in our house. We’ve always been an advocate for under-utilized liqueurs, and Campari definitely fits the bill. Moreover, we hope it will stimulate the curiosity of home bartenders, leading them to a whole new class of drink, the Italian “Amaro” or bitter liqueur. more ›

Cinco de Mayo is just around the bend so we'd like to introduce you to an old friend of ours, El Diablo. You may already know his foreign cousin, Suffering Bastard. El Diablo comes off as the quiet younger brother to his more popular sister Margarita, but he's no shrinking violet. He's at his best during the long, hot days and nights of summer. We guarantee that you'll want to invite him to your barbecues and picnics again and again. more ›

Came down with the mother of all chest colds last week, which also led to the worst sore throat we've had in years. Lucky we had five liters of the cure in the freezer that didn't cost us an arm and leg to make. Consider this recipe the next time you're tempted by the kitsch of buying Danny Devito's Limoncello (if you check out that link, click on the musical Sorrento lemon at your own risk). more ›

On our first visit to Mercat a La Planxa, we asked to taste this strange-sounding concoction before we committed to an entire $30 pitcher. We were completely taken with the flavor, and have ordered it every time we’ve been back. The folks at Mercat were good enough to give us the recipe, which we’ve adapted for your home use. After looking at the effort required to make it, we’re less shocked by the price tag. more ›

That's what some of us will be by the end of the day, no doubt. Might as well get there pleasantly. And that means avoiding the stupid green beer -- or anything else that looks like the slime mold from Swamp Thing. Instead, try some nice Irish whiskey with a goodly portion of lime juice. To be honest, the Suffering Bastard is really more of a summertime drink. But since it's so gorgeous out there today, what's the harm in having a little wishful thinking? more ›

Ginger is one of the most common ingredients in modern cocktailing. It’s infused into vodka and gin; muddled into the bottom of martinis; and crystallized as a garnish. It adds an exotic, spicy twist to a ton of classic cocktails without turning them into something you’d find wrapped in cellophane in the candy aisle of the grocery store. So, the last time we were browsing the shelves at our local liquor superstore and found Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, we decided to take a risk and try something new. After drinking almost an entire bottle, we’re glad we did. more ›

As Chuck kindly pointed out, I competed in Texas de Brazil and Meals on Wheels Chicago's Inaugural Caipirinha contest (and actually won!). My goal was to take what makes a caipirinha awesome and crank up those flavors - hence sugar infused with lime oils from the zest and the addition of the lime juice from those zested limes. Having turned in my drink recipe and instructions a week before the contest, I felt a little..err,..boring when I saw the fantastic ingredients (ginger, cilantro, blood orange juice, strawberries...) in front of the other contestants' stations and realized it was too late to improvise or change directions. After watching me bite my lip worriedly, Chuck reassured me to stick with my game plan and that simplicity was a good thing. So, without further ado, here is the L-Stop Caipirinha recipe: more ›