AJ Rathbun

Seattle Distillers Make a Spirited Case for Barrel-Aged Gin

Seattle Distillers Make a Spirited Case for Barrel-Aged Gin

Plus: Five Washington gins to try

BARREL RACES: Captive Spirits founders Holly Robinson and Ben Capdevielle produce Big Gin aged in old bourbon barrels

AJ Rathbun

Cocktail of the Month: Grandeza Old Fashioned at Moctezuma's Restaurant & Tequila Bar

Cocktail of the Month: Grandeza Old Fashioned at Moctezuma’s Restaurant & Tequila Bar

Northwest-made Grandeza liqueur introduces hints of citrus and vanilla to a legendary tipple

This article appears in print in the June 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe. The History: Curiously, the history of this descendant of the old fashioned starts with the margarita. Bernie Garcia, owner of Moctezuma’s Restaurant & Tequila Bar (a bustling, welcoming spot with Mexican decor and situated on the outside edge of the Southcenter mall), came up…

AJ Rathbun

How One Seattle Distillery Is Using Tea to Infuse Spirits

How One Seattle Distillery Is Using Tea to Infuse Spirits

Plus: Which tea-infused spirits to try from Woodinville's Four Leaf Spirits, and two cocktail recipes for how to mix it all up

Friends Tom Kelley (left) and Matt McMullen started their Four Leaf Spirits Distillery in 2015; their first product was an herbal-tea-infused liqueur

AJ Rathbun

5 Best Hotel Bars in Seattle

5 Best Hotel Bars in Seattle

Welcoming some visitors to town this summer? Start them off with a cocktail.

Oliver’s Lounge

AJ Rathbun

A Booming Ballard Corner Welcomes a New Neighborhood Bar

A Booming Ballard Corner Welcomes a New Neighborhood Bar

The Corner Spot, from the owner behind Zig-Zag, is serving up a dandy drink menu and a vegan cashew pub cheese appetizer that will have you ordering seconds

You’ll find dandy cocktails and a delicious cashew pub cheese at the Corner Spot

AJ Rathbun

This Wonderfully Balanced Cocktail Is Worth a Trip to Tacoma

This Wonderfully Balanced Cocktail Is Worth a Trip to Tacoma

The Bamboo cocktail at newly opened en Rama in Tacoma is best sipped slowly

En Rama (in Tacoma) bartender Chris Keil’s love of sherry shows up in this balanced, playful drink that’s best to sip slowly

AJ Rathbun

The 'Seattle Grey' Is the Perfect Drink to Fight the Winter Blues

The ‘Seattle Grey’ Is the Perfect Drink to Fight the Winter Blues

The Nook's refreshing drink is the perfect sipper for this chilly weather.

Nook owners and brothers Jimmy (left) and Johnny Rolfe use tea-infused vodka as a twist on the old-school highball

AJ Rathbun

Seattle's Fast and Furious Love Affair With Tiki Drinks

Seattle’s Fast and Furious Love Affair With Tiki Drinks

Ride the local wave of tropical drinks lighting up Seattle’s bars.

Navy Strength’s mai tai (left) and the Painkiller from No Bones Beach Club (right).

AJ Rathbun

Downtown's New Wood-Fire Haven Proves Hotel Bars Don't Have to be Boring

Downtown’s New Wood-Fire Haven Proves Hotel Bars Don’t Have to be Boring

Hotel Theodore's Rider wants to change your perception of hotel bars.

Rider trades in exceptional cocktails, warm ambiance and food from the wood-fired grill.

AJ Rathbun

Seattle’s Cinematic New Whiskey Bar Would Drive Bruce Campbell Wild

Seattle’s Cinematic New Whiskey Bar Would Drive Bruce Campbell Wild

West Seattle's new neighborhood bar is a movie buff's dream.

Legendary cult movie star and author Bruce Campbell lives in Oregon, but the next time he travels north to Seattle, he needs to stop by 2 Fingers Social Club. Opened in October by co-owners Andrew Spence and Ed Wheeler (ex-bartenders at Chupacabra), the West Seattle whiskey bar has a number of cult-horror touches, including a…

AJ Rathbun

Capitol Hill's New Late-Night Deli, Hidden High-Concept Cocktail Bar is Ambitious

Capitol Hill’s New Late-Night Deli, Hidden High-Concept Cocktail Bar is Ambitious

It's deli in the front, party in the back for By the Pound and Bar Justice.

I drink therefore I am? Bar Justice tries to get high-minded in the back of By the Pound delicatessen.

AJ Rathbun

Beacon Hill's New Wine Bar is a Cozy Community Center

Beacon Hill’s New Wine Bar is a Cozy Community Center

The Wine Station aims to be a local gathering space for all.

A Beacon Hill cafe is transformed into an inviting new wine bar.

AJ Rathbun

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