history
The Dirty Martini Cleans Up Its Act
As loathed as it is enduring, the Dirty Martini has long been due for an upgrade.
- story: Gillian Ferguson
- photo: Lizzie Munro
The Surprising History of the Swim-Up Bar
Swim-up bars are now ubiquitous. But how and where did the idea first originate?
- story: Aaron Goldfarb
- illustration: Nick Hensley Wagner
America’s Oldest Rye Whiskey Is Back from Extinction
In "Spirit Guide," Wayne Curtis demystifies the ever-shifting spirits landscape one bottle at a time. This round: the return of Pennsylvania and Maryland rye whiskey.
- story: Wayne Curtis
- photo: Lizzie Munro
A Match Made in Paradise: The Story of Chinese-Tiki
Often the most reliable place to find a tiki cocktail—even if it's a bad one—is at a Chinese restaurant. But why?
- story: Garrett Snyder
- photos: Dylan + Jeni
What Would You Pay for a True Taste of Cocktail History?
Bartenders are using vintage spirits to recreate classic drinks as they would have tasted in decades past. Christopher Ross on the new boom of vintage cocktails, from Mai Tais made…
- story: Christopher Ross
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Why One Spirit Can Have Many Different ABVs
Why does a bottle of whiskey or rum or even Campari have a different ABV in America than it does in, say, Australia or the UK? Bryce T. Bauer on…
- story: Bryce T. Bauer
- photo: Lizzie Munro
The Life and Death of the Martini Glass
Perhaps the most iconic glass shape in the history of cocktails, the angular Martini glass has deep roots in the American imagination—despite being widely loathed by today's bartenders. Lizzie Munro…
- story: Lizzie Munro
- photo: Lizzie Munro
How the Bloody Mary Lost Its Mind
Over the course of a century, the Bloody Mary has gone from urbane to mainstream to outsized social media fodder. Christopher Ross tracks the evolution of the drink—and its garnish…
- story: Christopher Ross
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Why Is the Smithsonian Collecting 50 Years’ Worth of Beer Artifacts?
Earlier this month, the Smithsonian announced an ambitious new research project aimed at retracing 50 years of American beer and brewing. Megan Krigbaum talks to the museum's Director of Food…
- story: Megan Krigbaum
- photo: Smithsonian Institution
Who Orders a Pousse Café, Anyway?
Difficult to make and not terribly pleasing to the palate, the multi-tiered Pousse Café has, for more than 100 years, been a universal emblem of insufferable customers.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro