One year ago, Austin Benzinger, who was then working for an electric vehicle manufacturer, was cruising the aisles of a grocery store with a few friends. On the heels of a pickup basketball game, the players were looking for something hydrating—a seemingly simple quest that ended in disappointment. It was there, in the sports drink … Read more
The last thing I remember was the sunset. It was a Wednesday evening in 2010 as my friend and I brown-bagged our Four Lokos at the riverbank on Brooklyn’s still-undeveloped Dumbo waterfront. We had been covering the uproar around the alcoholic energy drink for a local publication, and decided to see what the fuss was … Read more
Although debate over Martinis often centers around whether the better base spirit is gin or vodka, or if the drink should be garnished with an olive or a twist, or even if the drink should be shaken or stirred, there’s a new argument surrounding the tried- and-true classic: namely, whether or not it’s a scam. … Read more
I had my first taste of Goose Island’s iconic Bourbon County Stout more than a decade ago, before I was of legal drinking age. It was an overwhelming experience for an underdeveloped palate. The intense cacao and coconut notes weren’t necessarily lost on me, but rather subsumed by a foreign gravity. My friends and I … Read more
The Caribou Tavern, or “The ‘Bou” as it’s better known, is as old-school Wisconsin as they come. Its glass block windows prohibit peering in from the sidewalk, but its neon sign beckons newcomers and regulars alike to come inside. There, a long wooden bar runs the length of the space, stained glass lights hang overhead, … Read more
The first Sazerac I ever ordered was in 2008 at a bar in Brisbane, Australia, called The Bowery, one of the only places making serious cocktails at the time. Like many of my bartending compatriots, during the early days of the cocktail revival I pored over David Wondrich’s Imbibe and did countless hours of my … Read more
Happy December, Rockstars!! Wow, everybody. Insane to think that we’ve already made yet another trip around the Zodiac! I’m sure you’re all exhausted—there are mega EOY vibes in the C-suite, believe me! And when you work in Tech, EOY means one thing: It’s time to par-tay. You’re probably thinking, “A party? In this economy?” I … Read more
One of the most emblematic scenes of Drink Masters, a cocktail-making competition series that debuted on Netflix earlier this year, could double as a cruel childhood prank on an unsuspecting palate. Into a stainless steel tabletop still went a mash of black olives—the foamy, drab gray sludge looking not unlike the burnt sugar that seeps … Read more
Just past 8 pm on a brisk Sunday evening in Ridgewood, Queens, a man circled the backyard of the nightclub Mansionsdoling out psychedelic mushrooms from a wine glass holder draped around his neck. Down the block, purveyors of natural wine were showing their freshest wares at the annual RAW Wine Festival, but almost everyone agreed … Read more
