A wonderful thing happened during the current cocktail revolution. While mixologists were carefully crafting, their enthusiast spirits spilled over and booze-free drinks have gotten a whole lot more interesting.
I’m pretty high on the shrubs, tonics and house-made sodas showing up on drink menus. I’m sweet on sours. And, especially this time of year, I’m a sucker for a good old-fashioned lemonade.
Here are my five favorite drinks that are way too cool to be called mocktails:
It may seem— this week at least— that summer is fully upon us. But it’s still the tail end of spring, with plenty of news and tidbits about bars, bartenders and bar-ish things blooming.
We’re used to seeing chefs breaking a sweat, but it’s usually on the line in the kitchen.
Last weekend, I spotted chef Eric Donnelly doing some serious manual labor on his new restaurant, RockCreek. It’s tucked behind Uneeda Burger, which is where I was heading for a salted caramel shake. (Yes, it was every sip as good as I remember from the last few times I’ve made the trip to that ever-slammed sandwich spot on the border of Fremont and Wallingford.)
Oh, boy. Snagging an open table at Glo’s felt a little like winning the breakfast lottery. The Capitol Hill diner is tiny and there’s almost always a line out the door brimming with hungover hipsters and senior citizens and everyone else in between willing to wait for one of the best damn morning meals in Seattle.
And, sure enough, almost as soon as I sat down, the dozen tables were filled again, a lone server taking care of the whole room with utter efficiency.
Goat is No. 1, the world’s most consumed red meat, eaten by 70 percent of the planet’s population. And yet, it’s tough to find it on menus in the U.S.
Now, don’t give me that malarkey about goats are too cute to eat. (What about Porky Pig? Yes, those bacon makers are soooey adorable. And on and on about all sorts of animals we routinely find on our plates.)
No, I think the real rub against eating goat is that it’s challenging to cook. It’s extremely lean and it can taste… well… goat-y.
Hello spirit, liqueur, cocktail and local distillery lover. Flowers are blooming, the sun is (at least here and there) shining and we’ve also got a host of interesting new spirit and liqueur releases and news to share.
So, it turns out that part of the reason Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez--King Felix to his many fervent fans--decided to stay in Seattle was pancakes. That’s what a charming profile in Tuesday’s New York Times reported.
If you’re someone who likes bars and cocktails, and you live in or are visiting Seattle, there’s a new app that you must download posthaste. Drink Seattle: A Spirited Journey Through Seattle Bars and Cocktails with A.J. Rathbun (yes, A.J. is me, but trust me when I say you’ll love it) is a mere $1.99 and has more than 50 of my reviews of top cocktails spots, worthy watering holes, delicious dives, swell distilleries and a couple helpful cocktail supply stores for when you want to make drinks at home.
Happy James Beard Day!
On Monday evening, at Lincoln Center in New York City, the biggest names in the food world will walk--no, strut--down the red carpet to the glitzy James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony, where nominees hope to win an award that’s become known as the culinary equivalent of an Oscar. Ah, the James Beard Foundation Awards, aka The Beards.
You owe it to yourself to sip a good margarita on the fifth of May – one that highlights the tequila base but has the requisite tang and sweet. Herewith: three slightly different twists on how to concoct the perfect marg. Pick your fave (or opt for all three) and start sipping.
Brunch has become the go-to way to pamper Mom on Mother’s Day, and why not? Nothing says I love you quite like a big platter of eggs bennies and potatoes fried golden with a mimosa on the side. Thanks for all you do Mom!
I have been on many tasting panels, but there's nothing quite like the full-sensory thrill of being a judge for the Oyster Wine competition, the search for the most oyster-complementary wines. It might be the ultimate food-wine pairing.
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