Kara Newman reviews spirits for Wine Enthusiast magazine and is the author of NIGHTCAP, coming September, 2018, and Shake.Stir.Sip. (Chronicle Books).
Kara Newman
How Pittsburgh Became an Eccentric Tiki Mecca
The ocean is nowhere in sight, but that hasn’t stopped Pittsburgh from developing one of the deepest—and quirkiest—tiki cultures in the country. Kara Newman takes a look inside Steel City’s…
- story: Kara Newman
- photos: Michael Henninger
How the Last Word Became a Cult Classic
What is it about the Last Word—that equal-parts cocktail driven by gin and green Chartreuse—that has spawned such adoration from bartenders? Kara Newman on the pre-Prohibition-era drink's revival, and the…
- story: Kara Newman
- photo: Daniel Krieger
WTF Is Wrong with the Blood and Sand Cocktail?
A time-honored Scotch-based classic, the Blood and Sand has been around since the 1920s. But by modern standards, it's a mess. Kara Newman on how today's bartenders are finding ways…
- story: Kara Newman
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Meet the New Martini
Subtle upgrades are making the world’s most nuanced drink worth seeking out all over again. Kara Newman unravels the postmodern Martini.
- story: Kara Newman
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Building a Better Ramos Gin Fizz
From blenders to bubble tea makers to a piston-propelled shaker, Kara Newman on the how bartenders are hacking their way to the perfect Ramos Gin Fizz.
- story: Kara Newman
- photo: Lizzie Munro
The Second Coming of the Jungle Bird
Once a bitter outlier in the tiki canon, the Jungle Bird's growing popularity has given rise to a whole new catalogue of riffs on the original. Kara Newman on the…
- story: Kara Newman
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Pour Some Manischewitz on It
The infamous Seder sidekick, Manischewitz—aka "Mani"—is finding a new audience amongst bartenders for its surprising versatility in drinks. Kara Newman on how the wine everyone loves to hate is finding…
- story: Kara Newman
- photos: Lizzie Munro
The Pickleback Shot Lives On
A decade ago, the Pickleback was simply a bartender favorite in Brooklyn, largely unknown to the general public. Then, global Pickleback Mania ensued. Kara Newman on the rise of the…
- story: Kara Newman
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Meet the Brooklyn Cocktail Family
What is it about the Brooklyn cocktail that has spawned so many spin-offs? Kara Newman on the origins and essence of the borough's eponymous drink and its many Brooklyn neighborhood-inspired…
- story: Kara Newman
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Thicker Than Water: Why Texture Matters in Vodka
In an era where aromatic spirits like mezcal, aged rum and whiskey rule, vodka is often dismissed for its neutrality. But perhaps we're going about evaluating vodka the wrong way.…
- story: Kara Newman
- illustration: Natalie K Nelson
