How to Make a Real Old-Fashioned

A good cocktail is timeless; this trend is not

(NEWSER) - Not even a month after one mag wished for the speakeasy trend to die, Gossip Girl (yes, a show about high school and college kids, but that’s another topic) is pounding another nail in the cocktail conceit, Derek Brown writes. With one of the show’s characters opening a Prohibition-style joint—“an authentic trend … co-opted by teenie-boppers and dumbed-down programming”—the trend has clearly “jumped the shark.” More»

New drinks throw away rules about mixing alcohol

(NEWSER) - The days of keeping your beer and liquor separate are over, with bartenders crafting crossover drinks that mix beer with other spirits—even wine. “Other countries have been doing this for a long time,” one beer connoisseur tells the New York Times. Creations range from the “Muddy Puddle”—iced espresso with bourbon, stout, and a peanut dust rim—to the beergarita—a margarita with sour ale and framboise. More»

(NEWSER) - The affinity for fresh, local produce in US restaurants has spilled out into the bar, USA Today reports. Many mixologists—or the new term of art, “bar chefs”—are starting their days scouting farmers markets instead of ordering syrups. “The flavor in the produce is not only better,” one bartender said, “but I love the idea that we are contributing to a family-run, neighborhood farm.” More»

Festival has more alcohol, drugs, sex than films

(NEWSER) - The name “Cannes” once conjured up images of Hollywood glamor and French sophistication, but no more. The film festival has turned into a marathon of binge drinking and sleazy sex, attended by high-heeled, fake-tanned partiers who are “not interested in the films, only the party scene,” one tells the Daily Mail. “During the festival it’s all sex, sex, sex,” frowns a local. More»

Restaurants, liquor firms aim to gussy up drinks

(NEWSER) - In a tough economy, restaurants are hoping to cash in on cocktails—and bartenders are going back to school to improve their mixology prowess, the Wall Street Journal reports. Restaurants hope expert barkeeps will bring in upscale drinkers, and the courses help trainees score top jobs. But the advanced-level programs are “no walk in the park,” says a designer. More»