COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: Josh Curtis Edition

As part of my new and ongoing quest to sample inventive and tasty cocktails, I’m very excited to announce the presence of a guest mixologist here on B-Side Blog. He’s none other than Josh Curtis, one of the top mixologists in Los Angeles. In the past, Josh has been a libation guru at Jar and …

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: Poolside Edition

In an ongoing effort to experience new and exciting beverages, I once again turned to the cocktail tome Organic, Shaken, and Stirred by Paul Abercrombie and tackled yet another drink recipe last week. This time, however, I let my friend IndianJones pick the libation of his choice (provided it featured no ingredients that I detested …

QUICK HIT: Pimm’s Cups Are Back

My beautiful and talented friend Katherine recently wrote a piece for Black Book about the ever refreshing and newly rediscovered Pimm’s Cup cocktail. Odds are that you might salivate while reading this article, and as someone who assisted in some of Katherine’s taste testing, I can verify that at least one of the beverages (from …

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: Snap-Pea-Irinha Edition

Once again I’m back with yet another cocktail, courtesy of Organic, Shaken, and Stirred by Paul Abercrombie. This time I come to you with a curious yet wonderful beverage named the Snap-Pea-Irinha, which employs — you guessed it — snap peas as its surprise ingredient. I actually made this latest concoction last week with my …

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: Jessica Rabbit

Last week, after having purchased Organic, Shaken, and Stirred by Paul Abercrombie, I decided I would slowly make my way through the book, endeavoring to make at least one new cocktail a week. I started with a delicious basil margarita, which I’ve since made two more times to equally rave reviews. For this week’s cocktail, …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Basil Margarita Edition

As readers of this blog may know, my friends and I are ardent fans of gathering and making drinks together, specifically of the handcrafted variety. It’s a ritual we creatively call “Fresh Cocktail Hour.” I’ve only documented a few of these forays into mixology on this blog (see examples here, here, and here), but I …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: The Taste of Victory!

As part of my ongoing series of reviewing my free purchases from CSN Stores, I must now move on to my most needed addition to the kitchen: a citrus juicer. My friends and I often convene for what we like to call “Fresh Cocktail Hour,” in which we whip up a batch of beverages totally …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Blood Orange Martini Edition

It’s been a while since I posted about a Fresh Cocktail Hour. In the past, my friends and I have conjured up Bloody Marys and jalapeño margaritas from scratch. At last I have a new addition to the canon. Last weekend, in a fit of impromptu citrus indulgence, I decided to buy some blood oranges …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Jalapeño Cocktail Hour

Yesterday, I posted photos of an epic grocery trip here in Los Angeles where my friend Malibu Judie and I procured thirty-three pounds of fresh produce and two pounds of shrimp to be cooked over the course of the weekend. Well, on Saturday of this past weekend, we put many of those purchases to use …