The other night, I cracked open a bottle of Laphroaig 10. It was a Christmas present from my mom. Though such a gift would normally be a sipping Scotch after dinner, something inside of me just wanted to have it while I was eating. From the first sip to the last, I was utterly blown…
Category: Drinks & Cocktails
Restaurant Review: Kelly’s Pub (Carteret, NJ)
They say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Well, when you are about to walk into a bar and read a sign near the door saying, “Pledge allegiance or get the hell out!”, I think your mind would begin to form certain images. I was expecting to see a raucous crowd of old, white men…
2018 Holiday Buying Guide: Kamora Coffee Liqueur
There are some knock-offs that truly taste like their inspiration. Others are fruitless wannabees that tried in vain to be something they could never be. Kamora Coffee Liqueur manages to avoid the latter and taste almost identical to Kahlua. I was never a big drinker of coffee liqueur, but then Justin really got into White…
2018 Holiday Liquor Buying Guide: Black Box Spirits
This column is going to serve as a guide for what you may buy for the person who appreciates liquor in your life. However, the first installment is not necessarily what you would get for someone as a gift, but rather, what you might want to have on hand for that holiday party you are…
Reviews of The Tapp and Set Back Inn (Tarrytown, NY)
Having a love of dive bars and recently falling in love with John and Peter’s in New Hope, Justin and I set out on our trip to Sleepy Hollow to locate some good bars. The Tapp was recommended as a place for good beers while the Set Back Inn was noted to be the dive…
The Recipe Book: Greg’s Pumpkin Pie Martini
I was searching for a recipe for a good pumpkin spice martini. One by one, most of the recipes called for multiple cream liquors and even flavored vodkas. I thought that was ridiculous and that I could achieve a desired flavor with minimal ingredients. According to my two taste-testers, I succeeded, and present you with…
Rum Buckets and Wings at Miami Club (Keansburg, NJ)
After a few hours at Runaway Rapids, Justin and I were thirsty…and a little bit hungry. The smell of grilled meats had lured us across the street to the amusement park. We had grabbed a beer one night at a place called Miami Club a few weeks earlier. On this afternoon, we ended up stopping…
A Quick Stop at Gaslight
This is not a review, just a quick piece to say that I have finally been to Gaslight in Atlantic Highlands. They have been around since 2014 and I have worked in town since 2011. I have always heard this was an ultra-hipster spot. The restaurant actually bears no name, simply a literal gaslight in…
Fermented Musings: Sometimes You Get What You Pay For
As anyone who reads this column will know, I am a fan of The Macallan scotch. The 12-year has become my go-to imbibe not only for the flavors but affordability. At an average little over $50 a bottle, it isn’t necessarily cheap, but it’s not prohibitive at this stage of my life either. I have…
Fermented Musings: Resurrecting Andrew Bell’s Ginger Wine: Barrel Prep!
Stephanie and I decided to use the long Thanksgiving weekend to make Andrew Bell’s Ginger Wine recipe. The first step, however, is to prepare the oak barrel. The cask was ordered from Oak Barrels, Ltd. and came with specific instructions. The first order of business was to fill the barrel with water and drain it…
Vat 69 Gold and the Perfect Scotch Sour
Every year on my birthday, my parents would try to find me a bottle of whiskey that I had never heard of before. Sometimes, it is random. Other times, there is significance. Last year, it was the Quiet Man Irish Whiskey, named after the classic film starring John Wayne. This year on a spring trip…
Restaurant Review: The Globe Hotel (Red Bank, NJ)
The Globe Hotel has been serving up drinks since 1840. At that time, there was actual lodging. Today, it’s just a bar and restaurant. I had been there for the first time two or three years ago. My friend had something famous in these parts—the Globe Burger—which is just like any other burger except for…
