All posts by the Bartender
A Journey Down Campari Lane - May 11th, 2015
![Negroni Close-up](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Negroni-Close-up-75x75.jpg)
This was one of my first posts when we launched our blog. I’m re-posting it because, get this, the first Read the Rest…
It’s Time To Face The Music - April 23rd, 2015
![Old Radio](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Old-Radio-75x50.jpg)
By now, hopefully you’ve figured out that we’re more than just a food blog. Our goal is to be your one-stop source Read the Rest…
Pineapple Daiquiri – A Happy Hour Trip to the Tropics - April 11th, 2015
![Frozen Pineapple Daiquiri](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Pineapple-Daiquiri-75x75.jpg)
It’s that time of year when, for many of you, warm sunny weather just can’t get here fast enough. So, we’re Read the Rest…
What’s New? - March 3rd, 2015
![Yummly Publisher Network](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/yum-to-save-75x75.png)
The Hostess and I are pretty excited to introduce what’s new here at our humble blog: We’ve been accepted by Read the Rest…
Blood Orange Gin And Tonic – A Refreshing Spin On A Classic - February 26th, 2015
![Blood Orange Gin and Tonic](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Blood-Orange-Gin-and-Tonic-75x75.jpg)
For the most part, I’m a creature of habit. It’s the way I’m wired. Google “if it ain’t broke, don’t Read the Rest…
Finally. The Best Bloody Mary. - January 13th, 2015
![Do It Yourself Bloody Sign](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Do-It-Yourself-Bloody-Sign-75x50.jpg)
I love a good Bloody Mary. There’s just nothing like a frosty pint glass full of spicy tomato-y goodness overflowing Read the Rest…
Hand-Shaken Cranberry Margaritas - December 3rd, 2014
![Cranberry Margarita](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Cranberry-Margarita-75x75.jpg)
The Hostess is on a serious cranberry binge. Cranberries have recently taken over our kitchen. And our blog. Cranberry scones, Read the Rest…
Holiday Punch – Champagne, Cranberries, and Spiced Simple Syrup - November 15th, 2014
![Pouring Champagne](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Pouring-Champagne-75x75.jpg)
Last night the Hostess and I made another appearance as guest bartenders at Salon Rouge, one of our favorite local Read the Rest…
Celebrate Fall With A Caipirinha - October 17th, 2014
![Caipirinha](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Caipirinha-75x75.jpg)
Fall has arrived, and as the cooler weather and earlier evenings drive us indoors, I’ve decided it’s time to change Read the Rest…
Lavender — It’s Not Just for Grandma’s Bathroom - August 7th, 2014
![Lavender Martini](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Lavender-Martini-75x75.jpg)
During the summer months the Hostess and I live in what I’m beginning to think of as “Lavender Country.” There’s Read the Rest…
Watermelon Martini – Summer Food in a Martini Glass! - June 17th, 2014
![Easy Summer Menu](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Watermelon-Martini-75x75.jpg)
If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you know how the Hostess can go on and on during this Read the Rest…
Pork Ribs: A “His and Hers” Recipe - June 12th, 2014
![Basting the Ribs](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/13-Basting-the-Ribs-75x112.jpg)
People who follow our blog know that when it comes to putting the food on the table, the Hostess and Read the Rest…
Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini – a Lemon Drop with a Twist - May 20th, 2014
![Raspberries](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Raspberries-75x75.jpg)
This is one of my favorite cocktail recipes. It’s one of the very first drink recipes we added to our Read the Rest…
Cinco de Mayo? Cinco Margarita Recipes! - May 1st, 2014
![Shades of Taos Margarita](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Shades-of-Taos-Updated-75x75.jpg)
So you’re thinking of throwing a Cinco de Mayo party this weekend? Really want to impress your guests with something Read the Rest…
Got Limes? Try a Kamikaze! - April 29th, 2014
![Kamikaze](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Kamikaze-75x75.jpg)
I really get excited about “classic” cocktails. Especially the cocktails dating back to the pre-Prohibition era that have loads of Read the Rest…
Gettin’ Social - April 3rd, 2014
![Entertaining Couple Staff Meeting](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Entertaining-Couple-Staff-Meeting-75x56.jpg)
Hey there — Jon here, with a post that’s slightly off-topic from our usual fare. Sometimes I do a little Read the Rest…
Top Off St. Patrick’s Day With An Irish Coffee - March 14th, 2014
![Irish Coffee](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Irish-Coffee-75x75.jpg)
St. Patrick’s Day is a tough holiday for me to understand. Sure, I’ve read about who St. Patrick was, what Read the Rest…
A Toast to Winter’s End - March 4th, 2014
![Rye and Vermouth](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Rye-and-Vermouth-e1602730454433-75x113.jpg)
Depending on where you live, throughout much of the United States this has been a winter for the modern-day record Read the Rest…
Craft Beer Confessions - February 24th, 2014
![Oskar Blues Crowler - Front](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Oskar-Blues-Crowler-Front-e1602729910753-75x113.jpg)
I have a confession to make. Although I’ve presented myself as the cocktail guy on our blog these past 18 Read the Rest…
Pulled Pork Sliders – A Game Day Crowd Pleaser - January 27th, 2014
![Pulled Pork Sliders](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Pulled-Pork-Sliders-75x75.jpg)
Contrary to tribal folklore, men really do appreciate something besides a bag of chips for football game snacks. It’s just Read the Rest…
Blueberry Martini? What a Great Idea! - January 16th, 2014
![Hangar 1 Maine Wild Blueberry Vodka](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Hangar-1-Maine-Wild-Blueberry-Vodka-75x112.jpg)
It all started a year ago when a friend of ours showed up at our house with a bottle of Read the Rest…
The Bartender Crosses Over to the Dark Side: The Old Fashioned - January 4th, 2014
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Muddling-75x49.jpg)
Our blog is now partway through its second year, and in looking back at my cocktail posts I realized that Read the Rest…
The Bartender Suggests a Cocktail for New Year’s Eve: The French 75 - December 30th, 2013
![French 75](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/French-75-75x112.jpg)
With New Year’s Eve upon us, our thoughts turn to reflections on the passing year, hopes for the coming one, Read the Rest…
An Alcohol-Free Alternative: Cosmo Punch for the Holidays - November 18th, 2013
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cosmo-Punch-portrait-75x112.jpg)
A few evenings ago, the Hostess and I tended bar for a local business at their annual holiday open house. Read the Rest…
Last Call for Margaritas! - May 3rd, 2013
![Top Shelf Margarita - Pouring](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Top-Shelf-Margarita-Pouring-75x112.jpg)
I’m wrapping up my series of Margarita Month postings with a yet another tequila-based recipe, our Top Shelf Margarita. This Read the Rest…
Another Round of Margaritas: Shades of Taos - April 30th, 2013
![Shades of Taos - Pouring](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Shades-of-Taos-Pouring-75x69.jpg)
Shades (noun): A present reminder of a person or situation in the past, as in “Shades of my younger days” Read the Rest…
Margarita Season is Coming - April 26th, 2013
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Tequila-Bottles-75x49.jpg)
There’s something about that first really nice spring day. Not that day where there’s still a chill in the air Read the Rest…
Resolutions, Remedies, and Research: A Tale of the Gin and Tonic - March 28th, 2013
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Case-of-Fever-Tree-Tonic-75x63.jpg)
I’ve posted quite a few of my favorite drink recipes since the launch of our blog a few months ago. Read the Rest…
When Life Doesn’t Give You Lemons… - January 26th, 2013
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Tangerine-Lemon-Drop-thumbnail-75x56.jpg)
I never really considered how the phrase, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” might apply to bartending. But a few Read the Rest…
Great Cocktail, Dumb Name - January 20th, 2013
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Aviation-with-Luxardo-bottle-75x108.jpg)
When happy hour approaches and I ask our guests if I can shake them up a little something at the Read the Rest…
Bartending field research, north of the border - January 5th, 2013
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/The-Wickaninnish-75x58.jpg)
The Hostess and I recently spent an extended weekend at The Wickaninnish Inn on the remote western coast of Vancouver Read the Rest…
My quest for the perfect Pizza Margherita - December 23rd, 2012
![Pizza and Wine](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Pizza-and-Wine2-75x112.jpg)
A few years back, The Hostess and I vacationed with friends for a couple weeks on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. We Read the Rest…
How to set up a bar at home - December 16th, 2012
![Set Up Your Bar Anywhere](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Set-Up-Your-Bar-Anywhere-75x44.jpg)
I have to admit, it doesn’t seem all that long ago that bartending at home, to me, meant having a Read the Rest…
A Little Respect for the Cosmo - December 3rd, 2012
![Cosmopolitan](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Cosmopolitan-75x107.jpg)
With the holidays coming on, it only seems right to pay homage to the Cosmopolitan. This crowd-pleasing cranberry-hued cocktail is Read the Rest…
Our road show leads us to a Mocktini - November 21st, 2012
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Pomegranate-Mocktini-75x51.jpg)
Recently The Hostess and I volunteered to serve drinks at an open house for a local business. The event was Read the Rest…
Season’s Drinkings… - November 16th, 2012
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Christmas-Cocktails-75x80.jpg)
As The Hostess observed a couple days ago, the holiday season is already upon us. This time of year, opportunities abound for Read the Rest…
Resurrection of an old favorite cocktail: Grape Nehi - October 22nd, 2012
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Nehi-bottlecap-75x75.jpg)
Those old enough to have been a fan of the 70’s TV series M*A*S*H may remember that Nehi Grape soda Read the Rest…
Our take on a classic cocktail - October 15th, 2012
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Classic-Gin-Martini-75x112.jpg)
Not everyone is a fan of the classic gin martini. It’s an acquired taste, and like caviar, or oysters, or Read the Rest…
I’m not a real bartender, but I play one on the web… - September 18th, 2012
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/The-Bartender-75x79.jpg)
I’m not sure how or why it happened, but the “when” part is pretty clear. It was just before Christmas back Read the Rest…
Three Lessons Learned from a Lemon Drop Martini - September 7th, 2012
![](https://www.entertainingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DSC_3922-small-e1612985104515-75x92.jpg)
My signature cocktail is, without question, my Lemon Drop. Our return guests expect them as soon as they walk through Read the Rest…