Nice 2008 interview to Barnaby Conrad III, author of the first large glossy book on the Martini (1995). Quietly disclosing some Martini wisdom... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olz7xamAmNs
Barnaby Conrad III on the Martini
Moretenders, Istanbul
I love visiting cocktail bars just after their opening time, when the evening has not started yet and you get the feeling of increasing excitement for what will happen soon. This is the moment when you can quitely talk to bartenders and when you can witness the rituals of bar preparation, and from these moments …
A Martini created by AI
Generative AI has finally reached the world of cocktails, with apps such as https://www.bargpt.app/. Yes, Bar GPT... I gave it a try, asking for a classic martini cocktail with a summer twist, a drink able to represent the history of the martini. Here is what I got: Vintage Voyage Martini Embark on a sensory journey …
Alice and the Wonderland Martini
While doing resaearch for my new book on the Martini Cocktail (!!!), I found a little gem, that for some reason I had forgotten. In the interlude of the first ever (lovely) book dedicated entirely to the Martini (1976), John Doxat reports about an allegedly unpublished passage from Alice in Wonderland, in which Alice meets …
Dale Degroff on the Martini
Dale DeGroff, known as the king of cocktails, is one of the most important figures in the cocktail reinassance movement of the 21st century. Co-founber of the Museum of the American Cocktail, author of classic books on the themes, mentor to a copuple of generations of bartenders, etc. (see his achievements here). In this video, …
Book Review: In defence of the olive in a martini
While doing research for my book on Zen and the Martini Cocktail, I had the chance to read again the Italian book In defence of the olive in a martini. This is a little wonder, where writer Vito Cassano explores all aspects connected to the green gem in our Martini: the olive. The book talks …
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Fantastic Cocktail online library
If you love old cocktail books as much as I do, have a look at the free digital versions of more than 1000 (!!!) classics books available at http://euvslibrary.com/. This is the on-line version of the books collection by the Exposition Universelle des Vins et Spiritueux, a Museum in Bendor Island, in south of France. The Museum …
Martini conversation with Alice Lascelles
Fantastic conversation about Martinis between Tristan Stephenson (aka the Curious Bartender) and Alice Lascelles, drinks journalist and author of one of the greatest books on Martini even written (totally recommended). History, culture, techniques and many more Martini wisdom shared here, thank you to both Tristan and Alice! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjGXiPOHrIE&t=152s
Harvey’s Cocktail Bar, Madrid
Sometimes, when I am in a cocktail-friendly city like Madrid, I like to choose my bar not by looking at rankings and reviews, nor by asking friends and fellow barflies. I just open a (google) map, pick a bar that inspires me, and just try it. I did that with the Harvey's cocktail bar, in …
The Best Gin for Martinis, According to Bartenders
I am always suspicious when it comes to articles containing rankings like this one by Punch, mainly because there are sooo many gins and sooo many preferences that listing a few does not do justice to the field. Still, it is always good to read why great bartenders prefer one gin, and whet they use …
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The Martini Hour 