Negroni Week runs through Sunday, Sept. 27, and there’s no rule saying you have to make the classic. Gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth in equal parts is a perfect drink. It’s also a great starting point for playing around.
Waterloo Gin has two Texas-leaning versions worth trying at home this week.
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Waterloo Gin just had its best showing yet at the SIP Awards, one of the few major spirits competitions where the judges aren’t industry insiders but ordinary consumers tasting blind. The Hill Country distillery walked away with Platinum for its flagship Waterloo No. 9 Gin, Double Gold for the Prickly Pear & Rose Gin, and Gold for the Barrel Aged Gin, a clean sweep across the brand’s three core expressions.
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Most bars that call themselves the largest patio bar in Dallas are overstating the case. Happiest Hour is not. The numbers are what they are: 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space spread across four full-service bars, a rooftop deck with a downtown Dallas skyline view that stops people mid-sentence, and a beverage program running more than 50 beers, wines on tap, and enough signature cocktails to fill a Saturday afternoon without repeating yourself. It sits at 2616 Olive Street in the Harwood District, steps from American Airlines Center, and on a Saturday it opens at 11 a.m. — which is the correct time to start if the plan is to make a day of it.
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Spring doesn’t announce itself with a memo. It shows up one afternoon when the air smells different and you suddenly want to be outside with something cold in your hand that isn’t a glass of wine. That’s your signal. The heavy bourbon drinks of winter served their purpose — they got you through — but the season has turned and your bar cart deserves to reflect it.
These three cocktails are built for the transition: bright, fresh, and easy enough that you don’t need a culinary degree or a bar tool you’ve never heard of. Name-brand bottles you likely already own, ingredients from any grocery store, and results good enough that whoever you’re pouring for will ask you to make another one before they’ve finished the first. Spring has a flavor. Here it is.
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Long before the Gin & Tonic or the Manhattan became household names, the Martinez quietly laid the groundwork for modern cocktails. Often considered the direct ancestor of the Martini, this drink emerged in the mid-1800s, likely originating in San Francisco or the small town of Martinez, California, where bartenders were experimenting with the new Italian vermouth arriving on American shores. Its creation reflects an era when cocktails were as much about balance and sophistication as they were about fortifying spirits for the workday—or the long evening ahead.
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Holiday cocktails have a way of pulling the season into focus—the lights, the laughter, the soft hum of a house full of people. They’re festive by design, little celebrations poured into glassware, whether you’re dressing up a quiet night or kicking off a full-blown holiday gathering. The graphic you shared fits the mood perfectly: creamy whites, ruby reds, spiced browns. These are drinks built for sparkle. And a few of them, in particular, make the season taste as good as it looks.
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We have been thinking today about a few East Dallas bars and their uniqueness they offer the community. This patina that we enjoy has taken many years to develop and we are all the better for it.
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by Steven Doyle
Who doesn’t love a fantastic frozen confection? Mix in some exotic fruit and a touch of booze and you have an instant party. This is what Picolé Pops is all about. With a location in Bishop Arts on Davis and a new location opening this weekend in Deep Ellum there will be plenty of happy enjoying the fruits of Picolé. Continue reading
Filed under Crave, Steven Doyle
