Beverage

Balsamic vinegar. Arugula. Smoked jalapeno. Blenheim apricots.

Matthew Biancaniello isn't cooking with these ingredients. He's making drinks.

Call him a cocktail chef: a self-taught alchemist who has perfected the art of combining fresh herbs and produce with liquor to make garden-crisp cocktails. Through his company, Eat Your Drink, he now serves as a consultant and bartender for high-profile clients. He shared his expertise on creating and successfully launching an innovative produce cocktail program.

In recent years, bartending has been elevated to an art form by professionals like Tony Abou-Ganim (left), one of the world's foremost bartenders and author of The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails. Instead of pouring drink mix from a bottle, a mixologist creates perfectly balanced cocktails with fresh and novel ingredients. Dedication to the craft isn't just about the ingredients; professional bartenders need serious tools.

Abou-Ganim has spent four years collaborating with design company Product Council to develop and manufacture his own line of fine barware. He shares his personal take on essential bar tools and advice for aspiring mixologists.

Since discovering the delightful properties of the tea leaf some 3,000 years ago, the Chinese have made tea their national drink. It has evolved into more than just a beverage -- it's a taste experience, a ritual and an art form.

Can a paper cup of coffee ever compete?

There must have been many reasons to "get happy" back in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s in the newly formed United States, when happy hours typically started around 3 pm and continued until dinner.

Maybe that’s why George Washington always ate late.

It was President George who also became the country’s first major distiller of whiskey. Even Martha Washington relaxed with a toddy each day. Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration Of Independence in a tavern, and every signer of the Declaration drank alcoholic beverages.  

At first glance, it is hard to miss the gigantic signature of John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence. While Hancock wanted to make sure the poor eyesight of King George would clearly see his name, the size is said to have also been attributable to Hancock’s penchant for tipping the bottle as well. In fact, his alcohol smuggling business - run off the books to avoid British taxes - was so lucrative that at one time he was the wealthiest man in all the colonies. 

And then, after drafting the United States Constitution, the 55 people involved in its creation celebrated with a massive party that included a bill for 60 bottles of claret, 54 bottles of Madeira, 22 bottles of port, 12 beers, 8 bottles of whiskey, 8 bottles of hard cider and 7 bowls of alcohol punch. 

We'll leave it to you to do the math.

  
The idea of a sweet digestif to round out a meal has gone into overdrive. Bartenders and chefs are teaming up to create after-dinner drinks more decadent than many selections traditionally featured on dessert menus. Whether driven by budget-conscious consumers trying to combine dessert and an after-dinner drink into one indulgence or by calorie-conscious diners believing that it’s better to drink than eat their cake, the trend is taking the sweet cocktail well beyond a simple glass of Bailey’s.

Gourmet syrups and specialty liqueurs can save time and make dessert drinks highly profitable, and sugar-free syrups are also available for lower-calorie or low-sugar dessert cocktails. Imaginative syrup flavors make it easy to serve up dessert martinis like these created by Monin.