Writing @ Wine Enthusiast
Click to check out my essays & features in my job as contributing writer at Wine Enthusiast
A Vermouth Crawl in Barcelona
Vermouth is Barcelona's favorite drink — and these bars are the best places to raise a glass, from Travel + Leisure
We Need To Talk About Rum
The “Tasting of the Century” raises questions about what lurks in rum’s past. In Everyday Drinking.
Once Sleepy, Cognac Has Become a Top Spirits Destination
My travel feature on Cognac, in Travel + Leisure.
One Plus One Equals Cocktail
Unfussy drinks that require nothing more than opening some booze, then something fizzy, then pouring both into a glass with ice. From Heated.
Unraveling the Secrets of Cognac
Among the world’s finest spirits, Cognac is still a confounding place. In this Vinous report, I cover 50+ producers, with 200+ bottle reviews.
Calvados: The Apple Of A Brandy Drinker’s Eye
My report, in Vinous, with reviews on more than 80 spirits from 20 top producers.
Fresh-Cut Obsession
Rum enthusiasts love fresh sugarcane rums. My report on rhum agricole and clairin in the New York Times.
Aged Agave
Picking an extra añejo tequila takes extra care. My report in the New York Times on this flamboyant category.
Jump-Starting the Aquavit Renaissance
Finding love for the traditional Scandinavian spirit. In the New York Times.
Armagnac: An Education
To make its case, Armagnac has to teach the teachers. My report on this amazing brandy in the New York Times.
Calvados, the Next Generation
In Normandy, young ambition stirs a traditional brandy. My apple-brandy-fueled journey in the New York Times.
Armagnac Appreciation 101
A report from Gascony on the famed brandy.
Loving Calvados to the Core
Not all apple brandies are created equal.
Bitter is Bella
Aperitivi hold court at Happy Hour in Milano and Torino
Worth the Splurge
Extravagant spirits to give thanks for.
Pimms & Proper
Variations on summer’s classiest daytime cocktail. In the Washington Post.
Age is Just a Number
How old is that bourbon?
Liquor Store Archaeology
Byrrh and Swedish Punsch, on the comeback trail.
Why The Hot Toddy Cures Everything
How to heal yourself with the ultimate winter cocktail. In Maxim.
Cold Comfort
Aquavit cocktails, from Scandinavia with love.
Port of Call
Once tweedy, port is now more likely to be found in your cocktail. Washington Post.
Sherry, Baby
Outside the wine cognoscenti, sherry doesn’t get much love. But have your tried it in a cocktail?
The Right Rum
Suddenly, during one particularly gross, sweaty midsummer-evening trudge home, it struck me: You know what would be pretty awesome right about now? A daiquiri.
Is Tequila the New Vodka?
Product placement hits new heights (or lows) when it comes to spirits.
Apricot Brandy, Ups and Downs
Used in the right way, in the right drink, apricot brandy turns golden and magical.
Return of Fern
Is the fern bar ready for its revival? Will we soon see trendy bars themed to resemble the Regal Beagle, Jack Tripper’s swinging hangout in R...
Speaking Shochu
Learning to taste and appreciate shochu, Japan’s answer to vodka.
Drink Me, I’m Irish
For St. Paddy’s Day, skip the green beer and make my whiskey Irish.
The most influential cocktail book
On Hugo R. Ensslin’s self-published 1917 cocktail guide