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).
Robert Simonson
Contributing Editor
In Search of the Ultimate Negroni
We asked 20 of America's best bartenders to submit their finest recipe for the Negroni—then blind-tasted them all to find the best of the best.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photos: Lizzie Munro
Phil Ward Just Wants to Bartend
One of the most idiosyncratic players in the modern drinks movement has never been one to follow trend.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photos: William Hereford
Drink a Harvey Wallbanger to Help Houston
Houston bartender Bobby Heugel is looking to use this oft-maligned classic to raise money for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photo: Julie Soefer
Bar Review: An Iconic New Orleans Bartender Returns to His Post
In "Bar Review," Robert Simonson considers Paul Gustings' return to the historic Tujague's—and what it means to be a great bartender.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photos: Randy P. Schmidt
A Drinking Tour of Coney Island
Despite efforts to redevelop the iconic boardwalk, Coney Island remains a bastion of simple, unpretentious drinking.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photos: Lizzie Munro
Can the Martini-on-the-Rocks Make a Comeback?
In the years following World War II, ordering a Martini or Manhattan on the rocks was a standard affair. For some drinkers, it still is.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Bar Review: Bobby Heugel’s Houston Empire Expands
Tongue-Cut Sparrow and Better Luck Tomorrow may be Bobby Heugel’s most important bars since Anvil.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photos: Kirsten Gilliam
Bar Review: Can the New Chumley’s Live Up to Its Iconic Past?
In Robert Simonson's "Bar Review," he offers a look at some of today’s most notable new venues. Here, he considers Chumley's, a historic speakeasy turned elite—and expensive—restaurant.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photos: Lizzie Munro
How a Motley Crew of Bartenders Transformed Chicago’s Drink Scene
With an opening team of mostly amateur bartenders, The Violet Hour defied odds to reshape Chicago’s drinking scene.
- story: Robert Simonson
- photo: Eden Laurin
Bar Review: The Reimagining of New York’s Four Seasons Bar
In Robert Simonson's "Bar Review," he offers a look at some of today’s most notable new venues. Here, he considers The Bar, the Major Food Group's renovation of the iconic…
- story: Robert Simonson
- photos: Lizzie Munro
