312 Dining Diva noted yesterday that Southern Wine & Spirits' Bridget Albert was named the official mixologist of Redbook magazine. A protege of "Modern Mixologist" Tony Abou Ganim, Albert is one of the cocktailers most responsible for the current mixed drink craze around town with her focus on market fresh ingredients and premium spirits. more ›

Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to be testing out a few cocktails from The Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim's new cocktail book. Abou-Ganim is one of the fathers of modern mixology, one of the superstars of the cocktail revival and a mentor to many of the best bartenders in the country (including our old friends Jennifer Contraveos and Bridget Albert). more ›

Cocktail books are everywhere. Every time we walk into a big discount bookstore, the bargain bin is full of books with titles like “The Drunken Idiot Barman’s Encyclopedia of Cheap Spirits” (or something like that) with 1000 not-very-precise recipes and uninspiring photography. The cocktail books that we bring home with us show off the character and ideas of a single mixologist, with a few innovative new recipes combined with the best of the old favorites. Bridget Albert has created just such a book in “Market-Fresh Mixology: Cocktails for Every Season”and we’ve been working our way through the drinks in the book just as fast as we could. more ›