Ken Moorhead (dot com): Archive

What's up at KenMoorhead.com?

So… I’ve been wholly negligent of this website for like… at least three months now. I had an awesome plan for March. And I never followed through on it. WTF is up with that? Shit got real, people. Grad school kicked into high gear and I was spending a lot of time catching up. For a while, I was starting up a consulting business (yes. Consulting. 1 year out of undergrad). I...

May 10th

I'm not dead yet...

Hey Alchemists! Things have been pretty crazy lately… lots of things happening all at once in the job hunt, my first quarter of classes has wrapped up, and I’ve been spending the little bit of free time I have working on this website… behind the scenes! I’ve decided that I need different things from a blogging platform. Tumblr has been good for me to get me feet wet with,...

Mar 16th

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Better late than never, eh? I shot these videos yesterday but haven’t been able to get to Tumblr to post them here. This is the first entry for my “Back to Basics” this month; I’m featuring the first original drink I ever came up with. The second cocktail I did on a whim because I wanted to try the combination of rye, pineapple and Peychaud bitters (Okay, so I cheated...

Mar 3rd

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Modern Alchemy... it's for YOU

Some unexpected information and inspiration came from my job interview this past Friday with respect to what I’m doing here at Modern Alchemy. My mission for this blog is to educate and remove the intimidation people feel toward mixed drinks. I feel that lately I’ve bent the direction of this blog toward content for fellow cocktail bloggers instead of the professional just home from...

Mar 1st

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Whoops, I forgot to update this week...

I have a paper and a presentation due Monday, and had a job interview today that I’ve spent the week prepping for. It went very well, by the way. Just anxiously awaiting a phone call. Ahem. In case you-know-who happens to be reading this entry. Thanks everyone that stopped by through the week, traffic’s been up a bit lately. Thanks also to DJ Hawaiian Shirt, Forrest Collins and Utah...

Feb 27th

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Shaken or Stirred? And what is bruising anyway?

Can’t drink today as I’m recovering from losing my voice over the weekend. Decided to do a technique lesson on an oft debated topic: how does stirring a drink really compare with shaking? Check out the video, and comment to let me know your reactions! Also, what future technique lessons would you like me to focus on, or, What questions do you have about how to mix drinks?

Feb 23rd

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Xplorador Wines Chilean Harvest 2010

Xplorador wines is hosting a drawing to send one lucky winner to Chilé for the 2010 wine harvest. If you know me, you know I love wine as much as I do cocktails. If we’ve talked about wine, you know I think South America, and specifically Chilé, is hot - and it goes beyond my love for the great carmenere grape. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope Xplorador picks me for the Chilé...

Feb 22nd

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Alcohol Advertising: True Originals No. 2

Bacardi’s gone viral (or at least trying to) lately with their True Originals ads. The latest features a sexy female bartender (they all are, aren’t they?) mixing up a piña colada. Check out the video, and comment below to let me know what you think of this campaign! (Note: Also making this post to test out some SEO workarounds because SEO for Tumblr is a little…lackluster.) ...

Feb 22nd

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Pink Gin Cocktail 2 1/2oz London dry gin 3 dashes Angostura bitters Shake over ice and strain into cocktail glass. The complexity in this drink took me surprise - I was expecting a good cocktail and wound up with a great one! The comparison to tempranillo I feel is most appropriate in terms of the earthy components that wine possesses, not so much the fruit notes. This one is too...

Feb 20th

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The Algonquin 3/4oz Rye whiskey 1/4oz dry vermouth 1/4oz pineapple juice Shake over ice and strain into cocktail glass. Catch my interview on the DJ NewStyle show podcast at DJNewStyleShow.com Follow the hosts: http://twitter.com/djnewstyle http://twitter.com/thegermfreak And hear them live Tuesdays @ 9PM EST http://hearustalk.com/live

Feb 17th

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The Germfreak 1oz Ginger-infused vodka 1oz Lychee liqueur 1/4oz dry vermouth 3/4oz lime juice (roughly 1 whole lime) 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Feb 15th

Hello, Compendium!

To my usual audience: Thank you very much for seeing this update, I thank you for stopping by. I have planned out several weeks ahead of what cocktails I’ll doing for Modern Alchemy which will abate some of my consistency issues. Compendium Blogware, Thank you very much for finding my website. I am so very excited to be considered for a position in the company. This space is where I serve...

Feb 1st

Jan 7th

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Sidecar 1oz Brandy (Cognac in this case) 1oz Triple sec (Cointreau) 1oz Fresh lemon juice Shake and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel. Well, I’m two for two so far this week! Feeling a bit of a cold coming on but this drink still hit all the right notes for me. The “wine” elements of the cognac really came through for me in this drink in ways they...

Jan 6th

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Daiquiri 2oz White rum 1oz Lime juice 2 barspoons sugar (to taste) Shake and strain into cocktail glass. Oh look! A video that’s being posted in a timely fashion on the day it’s intended! I love this drink. It’s simple, it tastes great, but it really does take a bit of finesse and panache to pull off well. This is definitely one for everyone at home to try - who...

Jan 5th

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Happy New Year! I hope you like the new design of the site. I couldn’t be happier with how things turned out. 2010 is going to be a great year for me, and I’m excited to be sharing that with you!

Jan 1st

Post-beta Hiatus: Will be back 1/1/2010

Hey guys, I really hate to be flaking like I have lately. I get such support from everyone that comes here, I can’t tell you all how thankful I am for the feedback you all give me. It’s the holiday season which means get-togethers with family and friends. It’s also the gift-giving season; I work for FedEx Express and this past week and coming week are our busiest of the year,...

Dec 21st

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Chas 1 1/4 ounce bourbon whiskey 1/8 ounce amaretto 1/8 ounce Benedictine 1/4 ounce Cointreau Stir all ingredients, strain into cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist. Great drink! I’m usually a bit skeptical for a recipe calling for such little input from so many bottles, but this one pulled it off well. If the Monte Carlo was a little too strong / bitter for you, this...

Dec 18th

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Monte Carlo 2oz Rye Whiskey 1/2oz Benedictine 2 dashes Angostura Bitters Stir over ice, strain into cocktail glass. First off, I had a blast on the DJ NewStyle show last night. You can check out the episode at http://www.djnewstyleshow.com/. Come back next Tuesday at 9PM Eastern for a live broadcast. We talked cocktails, Frank (a.k.a. Germfreak) tried to stump me and then I made a...

Dec 17th

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Vieux Carré 1oz Rye Whiskey 1oz Cognac 1oz Sweet vermouth 1/2 teaspoon Benedictine (splash) 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters 2 Dashes Peychaud’s bitters Well, today’s cocktail turned out to be an exercise in how things can go wrong even when you know exactly what you’re doing. I think this is the first drink I’ve been familiar with prior to creating the video, and I made...

Dec 15th

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I’m back! Last week I found myself in the position of deciding between studying for an accounting final or getting the videos done. I had to pass the class to get into MBA school, so as much as it pained me, it really wasn’t a decision. This week I’m featuring Benedictine, a classic herbal liqueur. Watch for this bottle to start showing up at more bars and on the drink menus at...

Dec 15th

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Dec 5th

On Relationships @ PonderAbout.com →

This has inspired a very personal post I’m looking forward to sharing here. I’m writing it now. I don’t like to do so many teasers, but I want you all to see this first. And if you’re not already, do follow this comic/blog regularly. It’s routinely inspiring and thought-provoking.

Dec 5th

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Café de Paris (via Pastis (or Absinthe) Cocktails on GumboPages.com) 1 1/2 oz Dry Gin Splash Absinthe Splash Half & Half One egg white Shake and strain into cocktail glass. First: It’s the Café de Paris. Not Creme. I was thinking back to last week’s Absinthe Flip as I was making the drink because of the included egg component. This drink, like Tuesday’s,...

Dec 5th

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This was a fun one! I didn’t expect such a simple drink to be so complex and rewarding. Good and Plenty (from Doug Biederbeck via Bixology) 1 1/2oz Absinthe (original calls for Pastis) 3 oz Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice Combine ingredients in a highball glass with ice (WHOOPS! I was on autopilot and did the shake and strain to a cocktail glass in this video… need to pay...

Dec 3rd

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Chrysanthemum (by Camper English) Splash absinthe 1 oz Benedictine liqueur 2 dry vermouth 1 thin strip orange peel In cocktail shaker, stir together absinthe, Benedictine liqueur, and vermouth. Add ice and stir for one minute, then strain into martini glass. Squeeze orange peel over drink, making sure oils fall into glass, then drop peel into drink and serve. Quoted from...

Dec 2nd

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I found this recipe on The Wormwood Society website here, where it is attributed to the Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930. Absinthe (Special) Cocktail 1 1/2oz Absinthe 3/4oz Gin 3/4oz Filtered water 1 barspoon sugar 1 dash orange bitters 1 dash Angostura bitters Obviously this drink didn’t do much for me. I’m still warming up to dry gin after my four-year long quarrel, and this...

Dec 1st

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Here’s your Monday intro to… Absinthe week! A few notes: Forest Collins (@52martinis on Twitter) is a lovely and supportive woman in Paris who shares my passion for cocktails. I cannot apologize enough for getting myself confused when mentioning her today… I had Forest Whitaker and Forrest Gump on the brain for some reason. She’s blogging her way through the bars of...

Nov 30th

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Your Thanksgiving cocktail - Absinthe Flip 1 1/4oz Absinthe 3/4oz Filtered water Splash Benedictine (only if your absinthe lacks bitter herbs!) 1 whole egg 1 barspoon sugar Combine all ingredients in mixing glass, shake over ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with star anise (or anise seeds) and ground clove. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving - what was the best part of...

Nov 27th

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Orange Cognac Flip 1 3/4 oz Royale Montaine Orange Cognac Liqueur (or similar light-bodied orange cognac liqueur) 3/4 oz Grand Marnier (or similar heavy/dark orange cognac liqueur) 1 bar spoon sugar 1 whole egg Combine all ingredients in mixing glass and shake until tin frosts completely. Garnish with ground cinnamon. This one will be great when you’re winding down festivities on...

Nov 25th

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Here’s your Tuesday mix: The Porto Flip! 1 1/2 oz Ruby Port 1/2 oz Brandy (or Cognac) 1 barspoon sugar 1 whole egg Add sugar and egg to mixing glass. Stir with barspoon to break down yolk. Add spirits, shake hard over ice until tin frosts completely. Strain into cocktail glass and sprinkle with nutmeg. As you can see, once I worked up the nerve to drink raw egg, I loved it! This...

Nov 24th

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This week’s category of cocktails we’ll be exploring is the Flip. Here’s your basic flip recipe: 2oz Spirit 1tsp Sugar 1 whole egg Shake (and shake some more!) and strain mixture into cocktail glass, garnish with spice of your choice. I had a lot of fun trying the three recipes I’ll post as lessons this week. This class of drink is a bit simpler than the Collins and...

Nov 24th

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une Torsion Sur 1oz Rye Whiskey 3/4 oz Amaretto ~ 1 3/4oz Mineola Juice (squeeze 1 mineola) ~ 1/2 oz Lime juice (1/2 lime) Splash Benedictine Liqueur (slightly long) 3 Dashes Angostura Bitters 2 Dashes Peychaud Bitters Peel mineola twice (upper half & bottom), add one peel to mixing class. Set other peel aside for use as garnish. Cut small swatch from garnish peel and rub in...

Nov 21st

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Mineola Bourbon Rickey 1 1/2 oz Mineola juice (~ 1 whole mineola) 1/2oz Lime juice (~ 1/2 Lime) 2 oz Bourbon 2 Barspoons Sugar Zest only the mineola into a mixing glass. Add sugar, juice fruits and add the bourbon. Shake vigorously and strain into a Collins glass, top with soda and finish with a quick stir. As the video shows, I wasn’t so thrilled with how this one came out....

Nov 20th

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Amaretto Rickey: 2oz Amaretto 2oz Fresh Lime Juice 2 barspoons bar sugar (~3/4 tbsp or so) Zest lime in mixing glass, add sugar, lime juice and amaretto. Shake over ice, double strain into ice-filled Collins glass, top with soda and give quick stir. First things first, the comments are now working. So comment below and name my show! Second: DJNewStyle puts on a great show Tuesday nights at...

Nov 19th

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Tom Collins (Gin Collins): 2oz London Dry Gin (I don’t recommend using Hendricks like I did in the video, but that’s what I had on hand) 2oz Fresh Lemon Juice 2 barspoons bar sugar (~3/4 tbsp) Zest lemon in mixing glass, add sugar, lemon juice and gin. Shake over ice, double strain into ice-filled Collins glass, top with soda and give quick stir. The first mixing lesson here! Get...

Nov 18th

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Here’s your introduction to a week of Rickeys and Collins(es?) I neglected to describe the contest at the end of the video (nearly 16 minutes? I was rambling!) so I’ll do so here… I want a name for this little “show” I’m putting on. Something clever and catchy. The problem is, I suck with names and headlines. Sooooo I’m going to give all of you some...

Nov 17th

Zen Wine: The Death of Wine Multitasking (via... →

Shut up, drink and talk about what you taste. You don’t need years of experience to appreciate something or pick out its traits.

Nov 11th

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Shot this pretty quickly tonight. Leave me comments, please! I’m still getting more comfortable on the camera… Looking forward to featuring recipes soon. Again, comments comments comments! What do you like? What don’t you like? What would you like to see in the future?

Nov 11th

Delay on Video Blogs... (it's a good thing)

I am so so sorry and so frustrated with myself that I didn’t make the time to shoot any videos today. I had to run across town early in the day to take care of my sister’s cats, came home to clean my room before filming because… well, I don’t think anyone wants to see me making drinks in a cluttered mess. By then I’d lost my peace and quiet for the day and just had to...

Nov 3rd

The Dave Initiative — A Dash of Bitters →

Nov 3rd

The Spiral Staircase: 3,2,1 Cocktail →

Nov 3rd

Serious Cocktails: Applied Math | Serious Eats →

Nov 3rd

PonderAbout.com →

This is way better than those cheesy corporate motivational posters.

Nov 2nd

Video Quality

Hey all, For me, at least, the quality on these videos is lacking. The flip automatically saves the videos as MP4 files. I have had some luck playing them back using Xvid/Divx, so I’m going to see if changing the filetype from MP4 to something else helps. If you watch the video in a smaller pane, it’s not so choppy. I’ll play with it more on Sunday or Monday and repost the video...

Oct 31st

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My apologies for this being a bit rough. I’m still getting the hang of both operating the camera and being in front of it. The important part: I had fun and am excited to post more!

Oct 31st

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Video Blog inbound...

I have a video blog uploading to TubeMogul right now… Unfortunately, my connection (further hindered by the fact that I’m uploading over my house’s wireless net instead of a hardline… silly me) is slow enough to make this take a while. I’ll post it here first thing tomorrow, but I will say this: It’s pretty cheesy! I’m still figuring out the FlipCam, so...

Oct 30th

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Oct 30th

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Oct 28th

“Martinis are like breasts: one’s not enough, and three’s too many–and four’s a...”

– Dizzy Recap: Days 3 & 4 of the NYC Wine & Food Festival « The Dizzy Fizz

Oct 28th