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).

Places

There Is Only One True Jim Gallagher

The Irish-born bartender of Molly’s Shebeen on how to cultivate regulars, pouring 12 barrels of Guinness a week and not becoming a bartender.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Eric Medsker

Cocktails

In Search of the Ultimate Grasshopper

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

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro

Cocktails

Seriously, What’s Up With Angostura’s Midcentury Ads?

In the 1940s and ’50s, the company’s strategy for selling bitters skewed bizarrely violent and deeply disturbing.

story: Robert Simonson
illustrations: Via Reid Mirenbuler

Cocktails

A Sleeper Steakhouse Cocktail Goes Viral

The Elmo Cola—a mix of Coke and vanilla-and-cherry-infused bourbon—has quickly become a regional sensation.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro

Cocktails

The Making of an Iconic Cocktail

The stories behind six signature drinks that defined the craft movement—and still matter today.

story: Robert Simonson
photos: Lizzie Munro

Cocktails

In Search of the Ultimate Boulevardier

We asked 11 of America's best bartenders to submit their finest recipe for the Boulevardier—and then blind-tasted them all to find the best of the best.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro

Places

Milk & Honey, New Year’s Eve 1999

Twenty years after it changed cocktails forever, friends and former staff remember the bar’s exhilarating early days.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Georgette Moger

Cocktails

The Cocktail and Spirits Stories That Will Shape 2020

From bartender-branded liqueurs to New York’s newest rising drinks destination, the cocktail and spirits trends that will make a difference in 2020.

story: Robert Simonson
illustration: Rymie

Places

Tom Riley Is the Definition of Old School

The Donohue’s bartender has been mixing Martinis for New York City regulars, including Drew Barrymore and Gay Talese, for 49 years.

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Eric Medsker

Cocktails

In Search of the Ultimate Rob Roy

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

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro