Robert Simonson

Contributing Editor

Robert Simonson writes about cocktails, spirits and bars for the New York Times. He is the author of The Old-Fashioned: The Story of the World's First Classic Cocktail (2014), A Proper Drink (2016) and 3-Ingredient Cocktails: An Opinionated Guide to the Most Enduring Drinks in the Cocktail Canon (2017).

Cocktails

In Search of the Ultimate Espresso Martini

We asked 10 of America’s best bartenders to submit their finest recipe for the Espresso Martini—and then blind-tasted them all to find the best of the best.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro

Cocktails

Buenos Aires Has Its Very Own Old-Fashioned

Decades after it first debuted, the peculiar preparation has become standard practice in Argentina’s capital city.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Macías Crudeli

Cocktails

When John O’Donnell Talks, People Listen

For the longtime Van’s employee, bartending is the only job he’s ever known.

story: Robert Simonson
photos: Eric Medsker

Cocktails

Does Clear Ice Really Matter?

Many top-tier bars still argue that clear ice offers little beyond aesthetics. But that’s not the only consideration.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro

Places

McHale’s Was a Real New York Bar

The Theater District bar, which closed in 2006, was the sort of working class place that no longer exists in Times Square, or in the city as a whole.

story: Robert Simonson
illustration: Lauren Cierzan

Cocktails

In Search of the Ultimate Corpse Reviver No. 2

We asked 12 of America’s best bartenders to submit their finest recipe for the Corpse Reviver No. 2—and then blind-tasted them all to find the best of the best.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro

Places

Bar Review: “Specialty Drinks” for the Ages

John Dye’s revamp of the Milwaukee institution, At Random, aims to preserve a piece of drink history without falling prey to it.

story: Robert Simonson
photos: Haas + Haas

Cocktails

Is That Classic Cocktail’s Origin Story Actually True?

If the story of a drink’s invention sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Here, seven tips on how to tell fact from fiction.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro

Cocktails

Let’s Talk About Flatiron Lounge

Former bartenders, patrons and owners reflect on the recently shuttered bastion of the New York cocktail revival.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Daniel Krieger

Cocktails

What (and Where) You’ll Be Drinking in 2019

From CBD drinks to Japanese gin, the cocktail and spirits trends that will make a difference in 2019.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro