André Darlington

He had Gary at Booze and Vinyl!! This is probably unlike any other episode you’ve ever heard. André Darlington has written two books where he pairs great music with a craft cocktail recipe! And he’s really done his research on the music so he pairs just the right drink.

In this episode:

  • How to “slut up” a boring beer
  • How to make a GREAT martini
  • Staples you should have in your at-home bar
  • “Naked & Famous”
  • Liquors you probably didn’t know about from around the world
  • The place you probably didn’t think about getting liquor from, but should be
  • The drink that “devastated” Gary
  • Finding dead animals in moonshine
  • The “unicorn beer”
  • The research behind the book

Quotations:

“Make sure your ice is fresh. If your ice has been sitting next to a bag of shrimp, the chances are, it’s going to have taken on some of the flavors, and you don’t want that.” ~André Darlington

“The other thing, specifically with martinis, is that vermouth is low proof. So you want to have that stored in the refrigerator.” ~André Darlington

“You don’t want the bottom of the shelf–just good level, you know, middle-shelf kind of liquor is what you’re looking for.” ~André Darlington

“Nowadays it could be Paper Planes; it could be Naked and Famous.” ~André Darlington

“What’s interesting is all cocktails come from India in a way. When the British were stationed there, they started making what they called “punch,” which the word for “punch” was originally a Hindu word, meaning “five things.” ~André Darlington

“India is really a fascinating place for cocktails.” ~André Darlington

“You’d be surprised at how many bartenders sneak away and Google it.” ~André Darlington

“You can kind of take a can of beer, especially a not great kind of commercial beer, and just slut it up with all kinds of stuff.” ~André Darlington

Bio:

André Darlington is the author of Booze Cruise: A Tour of the World’s Essential Mixed Drinks and Gotham City Cocktails: Official Handcrafted Food & Drinks From the World of Batman, as well as The Official John Wayne Cocktail Book (Sept 20, “22) and Bar Menu (Oct 18, ‘22). He is co-author of Booze & Vinyl, Booze & Vinyl Vol. 2, The New Cocktail Hour, and TCM’s Movie Night Menus.

In addition to food and beverage writing, André has published two books of poetry. The Prettiest Star was a finalist for INDIES Book of the Year in 2018. Kirkus Reviews called the debut work “breathtaking.” China Bus was an IndieNext Recommended book of 2018 and a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award in 2019. 

André has been a columnist for Organic Life magazine, a contributor to Mandarin Quarterly, as well as the alt-weekly, Isthmus, where he was an award-winning food critic and wine columnist. In 2016 he opened the lauded farm-to-table restaurant and natural wine bar, Field Table, designed by JBF award-winning architects, Heliotrope.

André has been a Napa Valley Vintners’ Association Fellow and a judge for the international wine competition, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, as well as for the American Craft Distillers Association. He is a frequent guest speaker for companies, non-profits, and clubs such as Google, The Smithsonian, ThinkCompany, and Park House Dallas.

Guest’s Contact Info:

You can follow André on Instagram and Facebook.

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