Announcements

The end of March/early April is unofficially "Whiskies of the World" season with many festivals around the globe celebrating all kinds of whiskey, whether you're into Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, Irish, Canadian, or Sour Mash...There's something for everyone...Stay tuned this week for a discussion on the plethora of whiskies out there and the brands that made the 'cut' for being the 'best' by readers' choice this past year (official results will be available first week of April)...Also, I will list some new and innovative cocktails that can be mixed up using these fine and undiscovered spirits...

National Absinthe Day is March 5. Absinthe is an anise-flavored spirit that was originally 136 proof and made with grande wormwood. It is typically made by distilling neutral grain spirits with herbs, predominately anise, florence fennel and grande wormwood. Other herbs such as angelica root, coriander, dittany leaves, hyssop, juniper, nutmeg, melissa, star anise, sweet flag, and veronica are also used.

National Kahlua Day is February 27.  Kahlua is a rich, creamy liqueur from Mexico that is made with rum, Mexican coffee, sugar and vanilla. Kahlúa is a blend of sugarcane and 100% Arabica coffee where the sugarcane and coffee beans are grown in the shade and handpicked.  Kahlua traces its roots back to Veracruz, Mexico.  First produced in 1936 by Veracruz, Mexico native Pedro Domeca.

I realize that many of you may not be interested in going this far with creating cocktails, but I think it is interesting to see the cocktail movement for this year. Much of mixology now is presentation and flair. Image is everything, right. If anything, these concoctions can certainly be the talk of your party should you decide to incorporate them into your theme. They would look great on display.

My good friend, John, who is a great chef, is doing a 'Taste of Italy' event in Philly and asked me to provide him with 3 signature Italian cocktails to go with his apps, but I'm all about doing more...If anyone is interested, I am offering them here as a special bonus for the weekend:

Negroni: 1 oz Gin, 1 oz Sweet Vermouth, and 1 oz Campari stirred over ice in a mixing glass and strained into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish = lemon or orange twist (bitter)

Stay tuned for the exclusive interview I will be conducting with Perry Farrell, frontman, from legendary Jane's Addiction band about his new tequila, Dobel, and Ray Liotta, actor (star of Goodfellas, Field of Dreams, Wild Hogs, The Place Beyond the Pines, etc...) about his promotion and marketing efforts for 1800 Tequila...It should appear in the February issue of Chilled Magazine...Isn't that new 1800 commercial pretty cool? Not much said, but very powerful.

I will not be providing any regular content on the site until I complete my writing assignment from Chilled Magazine, but I will post occassionally. I'm really excited about the opportunity to work with Reyka vodka out of Iceland and the indie rock band, Caveman, from Brooklyn. I will be covering the Iceland Airwaves Music Fest for the December issue. Check my facebook page for more details. Please let me know if you want a print copy of the magazine article. Also available digitally at www.chilledmagazine.com.

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for visiting the site and creating an account during its short time online...As you may know, this blog and website will be a launching pad for my upcoming book that I will be promoting and selling on the site (hopefully by the end of the year) as well as marketing my services to the community...In order to help my business grow and provide credibility to my advertisers, publishers, and potential partners and customers, I need your help...I encourage you to continue to follow the site and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, but also share with al