The Alchemist: An introduction

Early in my vocation, I wondered how bartenders of lore earned the titles doctor and professor. As I seasoned my skills and developed the art, my wondering ceased. I truly enjoyed making cocktails, once I earned the trust of my friends and clients. Like the apothecary with a glass case filled with remedies, I was stocked with a repertoire of mixes to satisfy any need.

Soon, friends began asking, "What would be good for...." I've always been careful to ask the right questions before before mixing a drink: Had they eaten? What had they eaten? What had they just drank? I enjoyed the challenge. People began to rely on me not for the common sedatives available at any dive, but they came in search of the proper elixir to fix their day. Many times the cocktails helped someone celebrate a rise in stock prices or revel in a new love. My reputation and livelihood balanced on the experiences of those I had the honor to serve. It has been said that my drinks don't make you drunk, they make you smarter. When taken in the proper doses, I have been witness to this.

The important skill I have developed, in addition to a memory for recipes and an accurate eye, is the ability to sense what people are feeling, where they had been, and where they want to go. It took me a short while to perfect my treatments, and prescribe them accordingly. Because you'll be mixing my recipes at home in your leisure, you may need more practice, but with patience, you will soon understand that there is a drink for every moment, for each season, and for any mood. Wine and beer have their place in our lives, albeit limited. But cocktails, in their endless myriad of shaken potions, are far more versatile and exacting when it comes to quenching the thirst. A properly prepared cocktail relies on its subtle edge - an element that sparks your insides. It may resuscitate your mind, embarking a delightful conversation; dust your palate, preparing you for a memorable meal; or aid in your digestion, allowing blood to invigorate a more useful part of the body.

The ability to make the appropriate cocktail well is one of my most cherished talents. Similar to tying a bow tie or cutting a cigar, I do not get the chance to practice it every day. But if I am mixing cocktails, I know that something special is happening. A spirit is alive, a spirit from many decades ago, when people took the time to experience life and chronicle it accordingly. Remember, cocktails flourished while the effects of alcohol were under close moral scrutiny. There is nothing "virtual" about these cocktails that we share with you. They are the genuine article, composed of the same proportions and prepared as we would drink them. Whether you create them at home or are fortunate enough to find a bartender adept in the art, we hope you share the experience with us.