Herzog Cocktail School

02/17/2024

In another very timely post, I reply to Stanley Tucci's extremely enjoyable video from *checks notes* May 2022, in which he mixed Martinis for the "Searching for Italy" crew on a gorgeous Calabrian terrace.

I've never met Stanley Tucci, but I have enjoyed his pivot to culinary travelogues and his high-profile interest in mixing cocktails at home. I've attempted to make some inferences about what he likes in his cocktails based on his Instagram videos, and I have a suggestion for a recipe I think he might enjoy.

In this analysis, I have drawn heavily on the thermodynamic work of Dave Arnold in "Liquid Intelligence" – and also on the literary work of John Steinbeck in "Sweet Thursday," the drink in question having first been published in that novella.I have also done a nontrivial amount of math.

You'll find Mr. Tucci's original Martini video here: www.instagram.com/tv/CeEfsKBAybb

And here are Bookshop.org links for the books I mentioned:
Liquid Intelligence: https://bookshop.org/a/5422/9780393089035
Sweet Thursday: https://bookshop.org/a/5422/9780143039471

And here's the post itself:
https://www.herzogcocktailschool.com/recipe-blog/2022/5/29/a-cocktail-for-stanley-tucci

Stanley Tucci posted a charming Instagram video of him making cocktails for his Searching for Italy crew. I enjoyed watching it, as I’ve generally enjoyed his pivot to culinary travelogues and his high-profile interest in mixing cocktails at home. This video, in particular, lends itself to the kin...

02/10/2024

With the year of the Dragon starting today and the Super Bowl tomorrow, it's obviously time for an unrelated and overlong post about which brandy to use in your home bar.

I tried a few bottles you can get for less than $30 around here (in some cases by compromising on their size) to decide which one(s) I'm prepared to give my official seal of approval as reasonable workhorse spirits for mixing drinks at home.

It even comes with a cocktail recipe: the Brandy Alexander, a wonderfully wintry drink perfect for this *ahem* 50º February day in Boston:

Brandy Alexander
1 oz. brandy
1 oz. crème de cacao
1.5 oz. light cream or half and half
Shake, strain, serve up, and sprinkle grated nutmeg on top.

Let's talk about brandy. It's one of the major spirits classes. Major . It should be in your regular rotation if you're serious about making cocktails at home. It's essential for the Sidecar, which David Embury rated as one of the six cocktails everyone should be able to make. It's one of the ingr

06/01/2023

Tickets for Tales of the Cocktail 2023 are now on sale, and for the first time *ever*, Brian Hoefling is a speaker! Check out his panel, "Spirits of the Trees: Acerum, Arrack, and Ogogoro," on Wednesday the 26th - we have more information in this Official HCS Blog Post: https://www.herzogcocktailschool.com/recipe-blog/2023/6/1/totc-spirits-of-the-trees

Or, you can skip straight to registration here: https://whova.com/portal/registration/tales_202307

04/04/2023

A useful reference for your apple brandy needs, wherever in the U.S. you might be:

03/30/2023

A little extra reason to celebrate this Opening Day, from Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks:

Happy opening day ! Missing those faces on the other side of the bar today, but we’re counting down the days til we’re fueling you up pre- or post-game. Just like the ‘04 Sox, we’re comin’ back, baby⚾️🏟️

08/09/2022

The Cocktail Seminars is in the Boston Globe today, in Liza Weisstuch's Sips column! And the accompanying recipe is our old friend the Yale Cocktail:

2 ounces London dry gin
⅓ ounce dry vermouth
⅓ ounce crème de violette
1 dash Angostura bitters

In an ice-filled mixing glass, combine all the ingredients. Stir 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Brian D. Hoefling has been teaching people about the history and science behind their drinks since his days at Yale.

07/28/2022

The Cocktail Seminars is a Top 4 Finalist for a Spirited Award at Tales of the Cocktail - and the ceremony is *tonight*! Even if you're not in New Orleans, you can stream the awards show - often called 'the Oscars of bartending' - and find out whether I move from Top 4 to Top 1 in real time!

Virtual access is just $15, and you'll get access to a lot of the seminars, too. Get your tickets here: https://tix.wrstbnd.com/e/l?e=tales22&s=TOTCPACKAGES

The show starts at 5pm Central (6pm Eastern). Wish me luck!

06/02/2022

Breaking news: Brian Hoefling's book, The Cocktail Seminars, has been announced as one of the Top 10 nominees for the 2022 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in the "Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book" category!

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation announces Top 10 Nominees for the 2022 Spirited Awards. The 16th Annual Spirited Awards celebrates global excellence in the drinks industry and recognizes professionals, organizations, and establishments shaping the cocktail community.

05/07/2022

This is, without exaggeration, the biggest news in rum in half a century.

04/17/2022

Friendly reminder to patronize the producers you want to remain in business:

After being hit hard in 2020, the U.S. craft beer industry started bouncing back last year. But this year, the outlook has grown hazier.

03/22/2022

Join Brian Hoefling this Thursday for a *four*-drink cocktail class with Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street! He'll walk through the Old Fashioned, Dry Martini, Applejack Rabbit, and Americano, along with a crash course in the techniques illustrated by each.

The goal is to guide participants in building their home bar carts, so the twelve ingredients being used for the selected recipes can be combined to make no fewer than twenty-seven known classic cocktails (that we can think of!).

This class will be taught online, and is consequently available everywhere! Tickets are just $29.95 per household/streaming connection, but you can get a 15% discount using the code BARCART15. Register at:

Join guest teacher Brian Hoefling for a class where you'll learn how to turn a small set of ingredients into dozens of amazing cocktails.