The season of thanks and giving is now upon us, and so is the season of giving back. At Downtime Cocktails, we place a lot of value on "doing good" with Batch 22. As a spirit producer, there's lots of demand for us to attend fundraisers and charity events, and...
A delicious cocktail is one thing, but it's made so much better by a great space in which to enjoy it. That's not to say your favorite wood-paneled neighborhood watering hole—dimly lighted with neon beer brands buzzing in the windows—doesn't have its place. Comfort and familiarity are important attributes when...
Before an American vodka producer from Austin, Texas (Tito's) became the most popular brand of vodka in the world, Smirnoff held that title without challengers. And it had reigned for many decades previous. Smirnoff vodka was first produced in Moscow . . .
Batch 22 wins a gold medal at the 2024 New York World Spirits Awards.
Molecular gastronomy, which involves using scientific methods to create new flavors and presentations in food, has influenced the world of cocktails. Some techniques used in both areas, such as spherification and aeration in food, and the use of dry ice and aroma guns in cocktails. Let's look at some of the complex...
We love PUNCH and punchdrink.com. It's one of our favorite sources for information about what's hot, cool, creative, and exciting in the world of spirits and cocktails. PUNCH recently announced their list of the Best New Bartenders in America, which they have compiled since 2018. Each of their picks has...
Have you recently ordered a Pink Lady? A Grasshopper? A Blue Hawaii? A Harvey Wallbanger? These were among the most popular cocktails of the 1970s. Most are vibrantly colored and designed to mask the base alcohols with lots of sweet liqueurs and flavors such as mint, orange juice, and coconut. ...
Jack Daniels. Don Julio. Johnnie Walker. These have become household names because they represent brands that sit on the shelves of most bars in...well, most households in America. We thought it would be fun to delve into the histories of some of these iconic eponymous spirits and to learn more...
Walk up and down the aisles of your favorite liquor superstore and you'll experience the dizzying number of choices that are available to the average consumer. Some of the larger retail outlets, for example, will have double aisles filled with just one category; hundreds of gins, hundreds of vodkas, masses...
This is one of our favorite topics for newsletters and blog posts. The next time you're in a bar or restaurant, pay close attention to how the service teams communicate with each other. You'll probably notice that they have a language and a set of behaviors all their own. Some...
When we first entered the spirits market with Batch 22, we plunged in headfirst. We did our research and pre-planning, of course, but like so many things, we soon found out that there's a whole bunch of critical stuff you can only learn by doing. For example, we assumed that...
We've seen the trend developing over the past few years, and this year it's become even clearer: Mexico City is where it's at in the cocktail world. Take a look at the Top 10 Best Bars in North America list, published every year by TheWorlds50Best.com. Mexico City has 4 bars...
What do you look for in a bartender? Think back for a minute. What have been the most satisfying bartender experiences you've had in the past? Were they times when you found comfort in a friendly face? An accommodating professional who could listen to your cocktail preferences and create a...
America's Founders loved to drink. During Colonial times, sanitation was not great and water sources were often not potable. For hydration, it was common for folks to drink madeira, port, beer, or rum fairly consistently throughout the day. Alcohol, in fact, was thought to cure illness, provide strength, and warm...
Are you a Caffiend?If you're a spirits enthusiast and you love coffee, the last few years have been a java-sipping paradise for you. Coffee cocktails have been one of the hottest trends to hit the American bar scene in recent years. Sure, the ubiquitous Irish Coffee has been a bar...
On Saturday evening, June 15, the Downtime Cocktails team was honored to be part of the 12th Annual Ed Asner & Friends Celebrity Poker Night, which was held at NBC's Radford Studios in Studio City, CA. The star-studded event raised money for the Ed Asner Family Center, which provides services...
