There are a lot of lovely bitter liqueurs out there. Suze was introduced to me as the French version of Campari, which, honestly, doesn’t do it justice. Not that Campari isn’t amazing, it is! Why else would we write about it? But Suze and Campari are uniquely different. They both have a balance of amazing bitter and sweetness. However, Suze showcases a herbal complexity and intensity of aromatics that isn't as easily discernible in Campari. Similarly, the were both created as

Now heading to South America, we will learn about another grape brandy, pisco. Pisco has been around since the 1600s. The Spanish settlers in South America decided to start making their own brandy using their knowledge and traditions in tandem to wine making. Legally, the brandy must come from either Chile or Peru to be called pisco. However, each country has their own rules about the process, what grapes to use, and their own day to celebrate the pisco sour. To this day, th

The final products, making you thirsty I found brandy far too late in life and am trying to make up for lost time. Though I could say that about many spirits, I feel most strongly about brandy because of the story behind it and the endless possibilities of what can be done with it. Brandy has been made for a very long time, from many different fruits all over of the world. Simply put, it’s any distilled spirit made from fruit juice. In today’s big box liquor stores, you can l

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

This might seem like a simple subject, but it's so much more than that. Quality ingredients make quality cocktails. And simple syrup is no exception. It is often made incorrectly. So grab a beverage and let Teakwood Tavern walk you through how to make simple syrup as well as a few classic cocktails that include it as an ingredient. Simple syrup is something that will show up over and over again. And there are plenty of recipes out there to follow. Our favorite comes from Dave