Pleiades Journal
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- 26 Octlast post
A journal of classic cocktails and bar culture
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The New York Sour: A Whiskey Sour with a Red Wine Float
The New York Sour: rye or bourbon, lemon, sugar, egg white and a float of red wine. Its surprising Chicago history and how to get the float right.
Home Bar Essentials: Tools, Bottles and Glassware
A practical guide to setting up a home bar: the tools you need, the bottles that cover most classic cocktails, glassware, ice and fresh ingredients.
The Hemingway Daiquiri: Havana, Maraschino and Grapefruit
The Hemingway Daiquiri, created at El Floridita in Havana by Constantino Ribalaigua: rum, lime, grapefruit and maraschino. History, recipe and tips.
What Makes a Great Hotel Bar? Notes from a Former Bar Manager
A former hotel food and beverage manager on what separates a great hotel bar from an ordinary one: light, seating, service, music, menus and memory.
The Singapore Sling: Raffles, the Long Bar and a Tangled Recipe
The story of the Singapore Sling, credited to Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar, why its original recipe is disputed and a balanced recipe.
Spices in Cocktails: Syrups, Infusions and Winter Warmth
How to use spices in cocktails: syrups, infusions, tinctures, rims and garnishes, which spices pair with which spirits, and recipes for spiced syrups.
The Vesper: Ian Fleming's Martini and How to Make It Today
The Vesper martini from Ian Fleming's Casino Royale: gin, vodka and Kina Lillet. Its history, what to use now that Kina Lillet is gone, and a balanced recipe.
A Practical Guide to Vermouth: Styles, Storage and Serving
Everything you need to know about vermouth: how it is made, sweet, dry and blanc styles, Turin and Chambéry, how to store it and how to drink it.
The Penicillin: How a Modern Classic Was Born at Milk & Honey
The Penicillin cocktail, created by Sam Ross at Milk & Honey in 2005: blended Scotch, lemon, honey-ginger syrup and an Islay float. Recipe and tips.
Le Potager: Foraged and Garden Botanicals in Cocktails
How bartenders use garden herbs and foraged plants in cocktails: syrups, infusions and garnishes, which plants are worth trying, and the safety rules that matter.
The Jack Rose: America's Apple Brandy Classic
The Jack Rose cocktail: apple brandy, lemon and real pomegranate grenadine. Its history, Hemingway connection, recipe and how to make proper grenadine.
Ice Is an Ingredient: A Practical Guide to Cocktail Ice
Why ice matters in cocktails: dilution and chilling, shaking versus stirring, the right ice for each drink, and how to make clear ice at home.
From Martinez to Dry Martini: The Theoretical Evolution of a Classic
How the Manhattan and the Martinez evolved into the dry martini: Jerry Thomas, O.H. Byron, Frank Newman, vermouth ratios and recipes for each stage.
L'Apéro: A Guide to the French Aperitif Hour
What the French aperitif is, which drinks to serve (vermouth, Suze, Lillet, pastis, spritzes, Kir), what to eat with them and how to host l'apéro at home.
The Hanky Panky and Ada Coleman of the Savoy's American Bar
The story of Ada Coleman, head bartender of the Savoy's American Bar, and her Hanky Panky: gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca, with recipe and tips.
Black, White and Gold: How Art Deco Shaped the Cocktail Bar
Why so many great cocktail bars look Art Deco: the 1925 Paris exhibition, lacquer, mirrors, geometry, lighting and the design lessons any bar can borrow.
Clarified Milk Punch: The 18th Century Technique Bartenders Rediscovered
How clarified milk punch works, where it came from, and a reliable home method with step by step instructions, ratios and troubleshooting.
The Vieux Carré: New Orleans in a Glass
The Vieux Carré recipe and its history at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans: rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine and two kinds of bitters.
Pairing Cocktails with Food: A Practical Guide for the Table
A practical guide to pairing cocktails with food: matching weight and intensity, using acidity, bitterness and spice, and examples from oysters to dessert.
The Old Fashioned: History, Proportions and How to Make It Properly
How to make a balanced Old Fashioned: whiskey choice, sugar, bitters, dilution and garnish, plus the history of the original cocktail and common mistakes.
In the directory since 2 Nov 2026 · last checked 2 Nov 2026 · RSS