Cherry Heering recently celebrated its 200th birthday in 2018. Yet, it’s still all natural, using both sweet black cherries and botanicals to create a rich syrupy cherry flavor. How it's made This deep red liqueur is produced by soaking lightly crushed sweet Danish cherries and a secret blend of spices in a neutral grain spirit. It is then matured in a cask for up to 5 years, with sugar added during the aging process. It’s naturally colored deep ruby red by the cherries. Unli

We're sticking with Italian bitter liqueurs for a second week in a row. Much like Campari, Fernet-Branca is generally an acquired taste. In the world of amaros, it is one of the most bitter and dense examples and can easily overwhelm a cocktail if caution is not used. Yet, as you will see in the cocktails below, when used properly, it can be a powerful ally in your cocktail game. History In 1845, Bernadino Branca created Fernet-Branca in Milan, Italy. The Fratelli Branca Dist

Look at that color! Damn, Campari photographs well. History With the growing popularity of vermouth, different bars and restaurants began playing with more bitter versions in the mid 1800s. Also, having an Amaro as a digestif after a meal was already common in Italy. Gaspere Campari became a specialist of these unique house-made concoctions and decided to experiment with a bitter before-dinner drink. He created the original recipe in 1860 and opened his own bar in an outdoor

For those of you who enjoyed our Chartreuse post, we are returning to Catholicism to learn about another liqueur that Catholic monks created. Don’t worry; we are not getting religious on this blog. Still, you can’t ignore the incredible Catholic contribution to the alcoholic beverage world. For example, Dom Perignon, a Bénédictine monk, invented méthod champenoise, which is the production method for Champagne. But we'll discuss Dom Perignon another day. For today’s post, we a

Chartreuse’s story is as close to a fairytale as there is in the spirits world. In 1605, a French military officer visited the Chartreuse Order of cloistered monks (the “Carthusian”) at a Chartreuse monastery in Vauvert, France and gifted them an alchemical manuscript. The manuscript was titled An Elixir of Long Life, and it contained a recipe for an elixir comprised of 130 herbs, flowers, and spices. © Chartreuse At the beginning of the 18th century, the manuscript was sent

David Wondrich, one of the foremost cocktail historians in the world, says that, “The Martini is the King of Cocktails, the most famous of them all.” Sure, you might fancy an Old Fashioned more, but ask yourself this: What is the first real cocktail that you were consciously aware of as a kid or teenager? Yeah, it was probably the Martini. From the named glassware to James Bond, the Martini is undeniably at the pinnacle of cocktail culture. Yet, lost in all the Martini’s fanf

Who doesn’t love a trip to New Orleans? The food. The drinks. The extravagance. The charm. But seriously, the DRINKS. John and I met my family there this past holiday season and attempted to drink our way through the city. Shocking, I know. Welcome back to Teakwood Tavern One of our two favorites, from the many drinks originating in the Crescent City, is the Vieux Carre. With our love of brandy, rye, and Benedictine, it should be no surprise this is one of our favorite classi