about

My love affair with liquor began long before I was of legal drinking age. In fact, it was my (very responsible, loving) parents who introduced me to the sweet taste of Midori Melon liquor (thanks, mom and dad!) At our big, fat Italian holiday feasts, I was allowed to have a few sips—I’m attributing it to our mother country’s more lax attitude towards minors drinking. The second it hit my lips and I felt that buzzy feeling in my stomach, I fell head over heels.

Unfortunately, high school and college were consumed with consuming crappy booze and beer. I’m embarrassed to admit that I drank my fair share of Zima (wow, that’s dating me) and long island iced tea’s at Harvard’s now defunct bar The Crimson (ditto). Towards the end of my senior year at Boston College, I started experimenting with after dinner liquors late night in our dorm room—namely, Bailey’s and Amaretto—though I admittedly had no clue what I was doing.

It wasn’t until I moved to New York City in my early twenties (I suppose the age when you should begin drinking!) that I began to gain a greater appreciation for quality drinks. It was the early aughts and—by my calculations—the beginning of the so-called cocktail renaissance. I took advantage of it, frequenting speakeasy-esque bars like Little Branch in the West Village and Ward III in Tribeca. I began to lick my chops at the sight of a cocktail menu, even more so than the food.

After over eight years of tippling in NYC (whilst working at women’s health magazines, mind you) I relocated to San Francisco, which is as big of a cocktail city as it is a foodie one. Since I moved in early 2012, I totally drank the artisanal, farm-to-bar kool-aid they serve out here. I’ve made it my mission to belly up to the best bars, drink the best drinks, and learn as much as I can about concocting quality cocktails.

This blog is my way of sharing my love of liquor—I’ll tell you about the tastiest cocktails I drink, how to make them and the stories behind them. I’ll share boozy tips, recipes, ingredients, tools, and the occasional literary quote. I hope it will inspire you to experiment in your own at-home bar and get a little tipsy tonight. Cheers!

That's me in the middle - with two of my favorite gals, drinking flaming margaritas in LA