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

How Maraschino Went From Darling to Divisive

In the early days of the cocktail renaissance, maraschino liqueur was a skeleton key, unlocking a host of long-lost classic cocktails. But its since become a polarizing ingredient. What's behind…

story: Robert Simonson
photo: Lizzie Munro

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.