The Goods: Three Boston Treats We Love Right Now

Great mention of the Barker & Mills cherries in Boston Magazine. Continue

Posted on October 3, 2012 by bsadmin

The Boston Shaker is the exclusive purveyor of these handpitted, small-batch bourbon-vanilla cherries, perfect for classing up a homemade Manhattan or a simple scoop of vanilla Häagen-Dazs.

Pick up a copy on the stands or check out the link below to view it only.

via The Goods: Three Boston Treats We Love Right Now.

Wanna grab some now? Here’s a link to Barker & Mills Cherries on our webstore.

Please note: These are very small batch and each cherry is pitted by hand, then jarred and labeled by hand. We’ll continually get stock in over the next few weeks so feel free to check back or drop us a line at info@thebostonshaker.com to ask us to hold a jar out of the next batch. We should be getting stock through October, but will likely start to run low in November so if you want ’em get ’em early!

Bitters, Bitters Everywhere | Martha Stewart

Great article about bitters and the Hella Bitters gang. Congrats guys! Wish I could have been at that cocktail workshop. Continue

Posted on August 23, 2012 by bsadmin

I’ll admit to being a little overwhelmed. But, lucky for me, the offices of Martha Stewart are home to hundreds of multi-talented individuals, and I only had to walk down the hall to get an education in bitters. Our very own Eddie Simeon, a project manager on the digital ops team by day, moonlights as a bitters baron. Along with three longtime friends, Eddie runs Hella Bitter, a small-batch bitters company.

Check out the whole article at Bitters, Bitters Everywhere | Living Blogs | Martha Stewart. (And you can pick up their bitters @ the shop or via the webstore.)

Note: As much as I love bitters and soda water as a stomach settler, and a great non-cocktail beverage option for pregnant women, I wanted to point out that most bitters are high in alcohol. That being said, so little of it is used in a glass of soda water I feel it likely doesn’t matter. But for those strictly abstaining, definitely mention it before offering it as a non-alcoholic alternative.

Negroni Jello Shots….#yourewelcome

Because sometimes your cocktail enthusiast side and your college junior side want to party together. Continue

Posted on August 13, 2012 by bsadmin

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Water

1/4 Cup grenadine

1/4 Cup OJ

4 Teaspoons Agar Agar

1/3 Cup Campari

1/3 Cup Gin

1/3 Cup Sweet Vermouth

Instructions

Pour water, grenadine & o.j. into a small saucepan and then stir in the agar.
Heat mixture over medium high heat just until it comes to a boil, then remove from heat.
Add the Campari, gin and sweet vermouth to the agar mix and stir to combine.
Pour into molds or 8″x8″ square pan.
Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours.
Remove from molds or cut into shapes.Top with orange zest.
Serve immediately.

Quick notes
To make these stiffer, increase to 5 teaspoons agar.To make them more able to stand at room temperature, use 2 packets unflavored gelatin instead of the agar agar.

Haven’t had a chance to try ’em yet, but couldn’t resist posting it. (Guessing the grenadine and OJ is in there to sweeten them up a bit, but reserve judgement until I get to make ’em).

The Jelly Shot Test Kitchen version looks to be much more traditional in proportion. Guess we’ll have to make both and compare. It’s a hard life, but someone has to do it.

Let us know in the comments if you make ’em and how they came out!

Found via Negroni Jello Shots….#yourewelcome. Thanks Matt!

X-rated cocktails show the saucier side of getting sauced - Boston.com

Yay Kitty! Those who’ve known Amann for years say her new book’s blend of fun flirtatiousness and attention to quality show that she was the ideal candidate for the job. Continue

Posted on August 10, 2012 by bsadmin

Yay Kitty!

Those who’ve known Amann for years, like Adam Lantheaume of The Boston Shaker cocktail supply shop in Somerville, who will carry the book, say its blend of fun flirtatiousness and attention to quality show that she was the ideal candidate for the job.

“I think the book is a hoot. When she told me she was doing it, it just felt perfect. I couldn’t have picked a better person,” he said. “Having Kitty do it tells me thought has gone not just into the names and art but the ingredients and proportions, too. For me, it’s like, let’s not take ourselves so seriously, let’s have a little fun.”

Want something a little fun - check out Kitty’s book - The Screaming Orgasm: 69 X-Rated Cocktails. Hope to have her in soon for a signing too!

Check out Luke O’Neil’s whole article, X-rated cocktails show the saucier side of getting sauced, on Boston.com.

How Bartenders Use Liqueurs & Bitters | NYTimes.com

Jim Meehan does it again. A fantastic article. Totally digging the Summer drinks recipe generator/finder too!
Continue

Posted on August 8, 2012 by bsadmin

Here’s my favorite quote:

Tequila, whiskey and other 80-proof or higher dry spirits form the base of a cocktail — what chicken, beef or fish are to the omnivore’s dinner plate. Liqueurs and amari, from low-proof aperitifs like Aperol to full-strength digestives like Fernet Branca, are accents, the equivalent of flavorful sauces. Citrus, vermouth, fortified wine or a carbonated mixer like tonic water are sides rounding out the meal. Aromatic bitters, like Angostura or Peychaud’s, are the salt and pepper of a drink, integrating the mixture and accentuating flavors.

Totally digging the Summer drinks recipe generator/finder too!

via How Bartenders Use Liqueurs and Bitters - NYTimes.com.

Sipping on a Sunset, Italy in Mind - NYTimes.com

Like Aperol? Us too! (And apparently a lot of other folks as well.) Continue

Posted on August 8, 2012 by bsadmin

Like Aperol? Us too! (And apparently a lot of other folks as well.)

But for the time being, we live in the world of Aperol, a slightly bitter, go-down-easy Italian aperitif that has found its way into bartenders’ flutes and highball glasses from Los Angeles to London.

Check out the whole writeup, and links to Aperol food and cocktail recipes at Sipping on a Sunset, Italy in Mind - NYTimes.com.

DIY Bottled Cocktails - Imbibe Magazine

We love this idea! Check out the tips from Chris Ojeda below. Click through for a Bottled Americano recipe. Continue

Posted on July 30, 2012 by bsadmin

We love this idea! Check out the tips from Chris Ojeda below. Click through for a Bottled Americano recipe.

TIPS

Stay Strong. When choosing cocktails to carbonate and bottle, stick with high-proof, spirit-forward drinks think Manhattan, Negroni and the Americano, and avoid bottling ones with citrus juices since those flavors can change over time and are less shelf-stable.

Keep Cool. Bubbles are more lively when the drink you’re carbonating is super-cold, so combine all ingredients ahead and refrigerate for at least two hours before charging with CO2.

Don’t Overfill. Make sure you leave room in the neck of the bottle just in case it tries to fizz over when you open it. And store capped, carbonated bottles in the fridge since the cold air helps hold the bubbles.

Read more and get the recipe for a Bottled Americano at DIY Bottled Cocktails - Imbibe Magazine.

BellyGlad: A Visit to the Boston Shaker

We really appreciate the visit and mention on your site!
Check out the link below to read the whole post and see more of Andrea’s photos. Continue

Posted on July 30, 2012 by bsadmin

Found this mention on BellyGlad from 2010 while surfing the Net for something.

If you haven’t been to this cocktail specialty shop that once lived within the store known as Grand in Union Square but now has its own digs in Davis, you really should go.

Check it out at the link below to read the whole post and see more of Andrea’s photos. We really appreciate the visit and mention on your site!

via BellyGlad: A Visit to the Boston Shaker.

Boston Shaker | A Dash of Bitters

An oldie - but check out the photos of the first shop, inside Grand. Thanks again Mike for the visit, taking the photos and the post! Continue

Posted on July 30, 2012 by bsadmin

On Friday of last week, I had the joy of visiting the Boston Shaker in Somerville, Mass., a semi-new store-within-a-store that specializes in bar- and glassware, cocktail makings (everything but the booze, that is), and other fun stuff. I had a fun visit with proprietor Adam Lantheaume, and enjoyed a cameo appearance by Fred Yarm, of Cocktail Virgin Slut. Here’s a bit of a photo tour, for those who’ve never see the place.

Thats a bit of my history right there. Thanks for the memories!

See more photos via Boston Shaker | A Dash of Bitters.

Shrubs: The Reason You Should Be Drinking Vinegar This Summer. | Chowder - Boston Magazine

Want to make your own at home? Stop by The Boston Shaker to pick up a traditionally made shrub from Tait Farm in Pennsylvania, ready to mix with sparkling water. Continue

Posted on July 23, 2012 by bsadmin

Nice mention of Shrubs for summer sipping on Boston Magazine’s blog. Here’s a section mentioning the Tait Farm Shrubs we carry here at the store.

Want to make your own at home? Stop by The Boston Shaker to pick up a traditionally made shrub from Tait Farm in Pennsylvania, ready to mix with sparkling water. Owner Adam Lantheaume assures apprehensive customers that the vinegar flavor is not as strong as what might be expected. “The same way you would have lemon or lime – that sharp flavor – vinegar falls in that category. You get this something strong on the back of your palate,” he said. “If you’re craving something different, this is a great something different to experiment with.”

Great looking beverages from ArtBar, West Side Lounge, Backbar, and Clover Food Lab as well. Check out the whole thing at Shrubs: The Reason You Should Be Drinking Vinegar This Summer. | Chowder.