The Aging Bartender

Why is the Pickleback so Damn Tasty?

If you’re a reg, and you are a fun person, you’ve been receiving one or two of these lately (even The King himself had one last night). Some bread and butter pickles with a half ounce of bourbon between courses. Sure, it’s got some of my favorite things, namely vinegar, sugar, cucumbers, and bourbon but

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  • Why is the Pickleback so Damn Tasty?

    If you’re a reg, and you are a fun person, you’ve been receiving one or two of these lately (even The King himself had one last night). Some bread and butter pickles with a half ounce of bourbon between courses. Sure, it’s got some of my favorite things, namely vinegar, sugar, cucumbers, and bourbon but…

  • Size 2025

    Let’s review: Newton’s Third Law: Action & Reaction. His third law states that for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction. If object A exerts a force on object B, object B also exerts an equal and opposite force on object A. In other words, forces result from interactions. Murphy’s Law:…

  • Improving the Corn ‘n’ Oil

    Hey man, I’m not dissing the original, but there’s no goddam corn in it. Over at Rustic, we’ve got the corn, oh, we’ve got the corn. It’s still in development, but in the future this one will probably incorporate (in-corn-porate?) a fresh version of the real mcCoy in some way. At any rate, it’s the…

  • New Cocktail: Lost Cause

    If this were one of those typical food blogs I’d probably start talking about how much I love fresh apricots in the summer and yawn. Instead, I’ll say this: “If you’re losing your soul and you know it, then you’ve still got a soul left to lose.” Can’t remember the full quote or who said…

  • Watermelon, the Great Anticlimax

    On the defensive from the get go this morning, ladies and germs. Hey, you try to write a blog every damn day and see how you feel, especially after a punishing night in the well, my joints sore with the promise of more cocktail shaking in the future. The original title of this post was…

  • Farmer’s Market Loot: 7.7.23

    This time of the year there’s so much great produce, it’s more about what to exclude. Unfortunate but sort of zen. “Remove what is unnecessary,” is some sort of mantra or wise speak, right? Sounds like some cool kung fu shit to me. Stick to the basics, formulate your menu, make lists, yada yada. Zzzzzz.…

  • Bar Hack: Make Your Own Crème de Pample Mousse

    I spelled it that way so it looks nice in the mobile version. WordPress still has some issues with long words. This is an easy recipe. I leave it until I need it, but due to the low ABV involved it will take more time to infuse and the longer the better. I do a…

  • Remember the Hawk

    A year ago today I walked in to my jiu jitsu class, got changed, went out onto the mats and started doing my regular mediocre type warmup. A routine developed from laziness and knowledge from a dude on instagram, a physical therapist over at Vert in Santa Monica, that I had a private training session…

  • The Atypical Eight Bottle Bar

    I worked a wedding this past Saturday and only brought eight bottles. But listen closely, I didn’t take my own advice and bring the typical eight you’re “supposed to,” but it worked out just fine. Number one, this was atypical in the sense that the people who hired me, M&J, knew exactly what they wanted…

  • Bar Hack: Pamperol

    Ah yes, pamperol. It does sound like something a baby’s dirty diaper has sat in for a moment, no? Alas, it’s just the name for another combination of two delicious alcoholic libations. Two is better than one. Bartenders often do this as a time saver. It’s easier to pour one bottle than two. It’s also…

  • Wedding Bells in Lompoc

    Your friendly neighborhood aging bartender went on a little 15 hour field trip yesterday. From LA to Lompoc, CA, on a fourth of July weekend. Yup. The Perceived Stress Scale ticker went through the roof as me, and my trusty, beautiful assistant, Jo, sat in gridlock traffic for almost five hours on our way into…

  • New/Old Cocktail: The Cure

    There’s a select group of cocktails that sell like the proverbial hotcakes of yore no matter what. This is one of those cocktails. The Cure. Not named after the damnable emo band. Sorry. I think the original name was supposed to be some sort of pun on getting married. I can’t remember the whole thing.…