The Itinerary: The Great American Road Trip
A glimpse into April and May's newsletters dedicated to showcasing the past and present of American cocktail culture.
For those who are new here, ‘The Itinerary’ is typically a monthly, or bi-monthly newsletter — depending on the theme — published during the first week of every month. I share glimpses into what I’ll be publishing in the weeks to come so all of you know what to expect from The Tipsy Traveler in the weeks to come.
At the end of every Itinerary newsletter, I share my favorite cocktail from the previous month, the best place I’ve stayed or played, links to a couple recent stories of mine that’ve been published, and my favorite photo that I’ve taken recently. If you are simply interested in some of those highlights, then scroll to the bottom of the newsletter. But if you are curious to get the full download on what to expect from my newsletters, then fasten your figurative seatbelt and let’s dive in.
(Note: Check your spam/junk and mark these newsletters as NOT SPAM to make sure it’s safely delivered into your inbox.)
Time to make our way around good old ‘Murica, baby
Yee-haw! Giddy-up, tipsy travelers because we’re going on a 2-month “road trip” around the United States of America. “Land of the free,” blah blah blah. You get the gist.
Road trips typically call for road sodas (American slang for alcoholic beverages consumed while in a vehicle, for all my non-American readers), so passengers, pick your poison wisely, and drivers mix-up your finest non-alcoholic tipple. Don’t worry, there won’t be any fist-pumping at the Jersey Shore on this trip — although feel free to message me, and I, a New Jersey native, can sure as hell tell you where to do that — but there will be lots of travel-worthy drinking intel that might just inspire you to make a spirited pit stop.
Put on your best Texan accent, pack a few black cherry White Claws and some MSG-laden Cheetos, and get ready to learn more about the diversity and history of the States’ cocktail culture through various newsletter formats.
Right, so what the hell does any of that mean, Tyler?
Ah, yes. Right. The details.
During April and May, my newsletters will shed light on the peculiar, new and essence of American bar culture. Expect a couple ‘Sitting at the Bar’ newsletters, spotlighting significant individuals in the bar industry, such as cocktail historian and fellow Punch contributor Al Culliton who will be sharing some fascinating tidbits about cocktail and drinking culture in the U.S; and LyAnna Sanabria, beverage director and co-founder of Papi, a newly opened bar and kitchen in Portland, Maine that’s dedicated to championing Puerto Rican culture.
I’ll be featuring a couple exclusive recipes as well — one of which will be from the first Native American-led bar takeover in history led by Chockie Tom; and a few other newsletters that I’ll keep on the DL for now to keep y’all eager and checking your inboxes for more. (Paid subscribers will benefit from a couple paid-only posts, so stay tuned for those. And if you’re loving what I’m dishing out and want to support me and this passion project while I simultaneously write my first cocktail book, I’d greatly appreciate you joining the paid subscriber club.)
All-in-all, you’re in for an exciting ride and I’m genuinely looking forward to working on these newsletters to share with you all.
Keep your eyes peeled for the first newsletter that is set to publish early next week!
Cocktail of the month:
Pink Gibson at The Lowback, London
Ingredients: Boatyard Vodka | Audemus Umami gin | dry vermouth | pink pickled onion
The Lowback, the sister bar to the beloved and highly acclaimed modern steakhouse Hawksmoor, is the only bar I’ve ever had four martinis at in one sitting The canalside, brasserie-style bar offers a range of “ultimate” martinis, all of which stay true to the classic martini formula, but with one distinct detail: each martini is chilled to -12°C using some clever tech. The result is a range of martinis that are about as good as the cocktail gets.
I included the Pink Gibson martini in my best martinis in London round-up I did for the London Evening Standard back in May 2022, and I recently had it again for the first time in nearly a year after thinking about it countless times since the silky, viscous liquid first touched my lips back in early 2022. It was absolutely sublime (if you like a Gibson martini, of course). In my opinion, Gibsons don’t get much better. And if you’re in London, bookmark this spot and make the journey because it’ll be well worth it.
Best place I’ve stayed or played:
Virgin Hotels, Edinburgh, Scotland
Ailis (my wife for all the newbies here) and I had a little getaway to Edinburgh in February for a mix of work and play, and one of the hotels we stayed at was the newly opened five-star Virgin Hotel.
If you’ve traveled around the U.S, you’re likely familiar with Virgin Hotels, but the Edinburgh property is the first European outpost, which is a big deal for the brand. Our luxurious stay was highlighted with an exceptional meal at the Commons Club restaurant on property, as well as some creative and well-executed cocktails at the Commons Club bar designed by seasoned bartender Leon Wilkes-Back.
Fun fact for Harry Potter lovers: the hotel is also located on the iconic Victoria Street, which is the street that inspired the books’ Diagon Alley; and it’s right around the corner from a few other Harry Potter tourist attractions, such as the graveyard where “Tom Riddle” is buried and the café where J.K. Rowling began writing the famous series. For many fans, these reasons alone are enough to book, but the hotel really is the full package.
Published stories to read:
Evening Standard - Kitsch cocktails: How disco drinks got their groove back
PUNCH - The Key to Better Savory Cocktails? Miso. (Mar 2023)
Favorite photo I’ve taken this month:
