I’m writing to you just after the 100th birthday of comic visionary Mel Brooks. He is one of the first people who come to mind when I consider the true meaning of creativity. There are funny people. There are visually artistic people. There are musicians. There are comedians. There are actors. There are film directors. To me, no one has made all of that meld together quite like he has. 

And he’s a master at disarming scary people by making fun of them. “The comedy writer is like the conscience of a king,” he said to Susan Stamberg on NPR in 2018. “He's got to tell him the truth. And that's my job: to make terrible things entertaining.”

Thank you, Mel.

Anyway, speaking of jobs, I’ve been sitting on an idea that I want to run by you. 

I’ve managed to keep this newsletter going the past couple of years through busy times as well as extremely stressful ones. I’m reaching a point where it’s too demanding to keep it going on a regular basis while I’m working on various projects both personal and professional. 

But I’m not ready to quit. 

One of those projects is a novel that I began writing a couple of years ago.

Hang on! Wait. Stay for the spiel.

It’s set in the early 2000s in New York City and there’s a cocktail-related theme to the narrative.

And the romantic twist is the main character needs to reclaim an essential item from someone she hasn’t spoken to for a decade. This someone once broke her heart. 

Before the age of smart phones and social media, can she find him? If she can, does she really want to deal with him? Can she maintain some semblance of work-life balance when everything is teetering out of control? 

So because I need to get back to work on this (actually I’m also writing something else and they’re kind of in a race, which is partly why I’ve been so quiet lately) I’ve thought about presenting it here on a piecemeal basis. If you’re already here, I think you’ll like it!

Don’t worry. I would still occasionally write other essays the way I have been, but my goal is to finish a chapter every month-6 weeks or so. I would present them here in a serialized format. It will mostly be behind a paywall—not only because damn it, it should be! This is exclusive material here! But also, for creative licensing reasons (read: bots don’t pay for subscriptions). 

I’m not entirely positive I can stick to this schedule, depending on life and how well my brain is working in the summer heat, etc. But to borrow a repetitive phrase from reality TV contests: I’m feeling confident. I’ve strongly believed from the beginning when this bee (or rather Bee’s Knees) was first put in my bonnet that I can really do this and it’s going to be worth it to keep going. 

Come with me? 

What do you think? 

In the meantime, while you help me decide, here’s some other stuff I’ve been into: 

Books

Extra Sauce: The Good, The Bad, and the Onions by Zahra Tangorra

I was a massive fan of Brucie in the few years it existed on Court Street in Brooklyn near where I live. I recognized then that chef/owner Tangorra was taking some crazy big swings with the Italian American-ish menu in this little neighborhood makeshift space. This memoir reveals just how truly bonkers some of these ideas played out behind the scenes, including opening the joint in the first place. It’s quite a story! The writing is as deeply flavorful as her lockdown popup meatballs were (plus you get that recipe too). 

The Classic Cocktail Sessions: A Bartender’s New-Fashioned Approach to the World’s Most Beloved Recipes by Toby Maloney and Emma Janzen

How many times have you been to a bar and asked the bartender to make a riff on a Manhattan or Daiquiri or Martini, etc? This book is the classic recipes, how a real bartender approaches them, and how to futz with them to your taste. Brilliant! (You can read my interview with Emma here.)

Bars

I finally went to Bar Snack. Ohhhhhh, I get it. Drinking is supposed to be fun. Thank you for reminding me! 

Oh, and Holiday Cocktail Lounge, which always got it, just launched a new menu paying homage to the East Village in the 1990s classified ads era.

I recommend going to both in the same evening to experience different generations on a theme. 

Celebrity Whisky That’s Actually Good

Laphroaig Willem by Willem, 14-Year-Old Oloroso Sherry Cask-Finish

I’ve always been a massive Willem Dafoe fan and not gonna lie, was a little worried when I heard about this. However, the whisky is as authentically Laphroaig-ish in character (in the best possible way) as any release I’ve tasted from the brand in the past few years. This whisky is Streets of Fire Willem (emphasis on fire), not the French Dispatch Willem. 

Just Great Whiskey

Little & Foster Whiskey Co. Marriage of Mashbills Straight Bourbon 9-Year-Old: a new post-Smooth Ambler project from John Little and John Foster. It’s got this spectacular rich, buttery center and a playful, spicy kick. Can’t wait to taste what they do next. 

Two New Things I Tasted (and Loved) at BCB

Neon Seas Yaeyama Rum: an unaged rum from Ishigaki Island in Japan that’s got this wild, fermented tropical fruit characteristic. The profile is Jamaica-meets-agricole, but has its own kinda funkiness. 

Distilleria dell’Alpe Amaretto del Cansiglio Liquore

Just as with Evening Land, I found this Amaretto to be the one that gets me excited about amaretto. You can actually taste the almond instead of what a chemical factory thinks almonds taste like. It’s so pretty! 

Wine

Evening Land Vineyards La Source Chardonnay (current vintage 2023) and Seven Springs Estate Chardonnay (2024): a few months ago I was invited to a Travel Portland AAPI Food + Wine Collab dinner celebrating winemakers and chefs from the Pacific Northwest hosted at Atoboy in NYC with Visit McMinnville. One of the standouts was superb Oregon Chardonnay by winemaker Sashi Moorman. I don’t get too excited about Chardonnay. What I loved about this one is it has the pulled back acidity associated with a great Chablis or Mâconnais, but with a layered earthy midpalate (roasted mushroom) and just a hint of toast instead of walloping Napa butteriness. Never tasted anything like it. Well, until I got to try these and now it’s my fav. 

To Commemorate 

Rittenhouse Straight Rye 10-Year-Old Bottled-In-Bond: a United States 250th anniversary commemorative edition. Sippable neat but makes one hell of a Manhattan. (Speaking of, there’s a Rittenhouse-related mini subplot in the novel, just saying.) 

Lost Lantern United States of Bourbon 100 Proof: a blend of straight bourbon built from whiskeys sourced from all 50 states! There are three releases in this series, including a Cask Strength and 1776 edition. This is my favorite of the three because to me it tastes the most cohesive, and it has these fun undernotes that remind me of classic American candy bars and apple pie. 

To Honor The Land 

Talking Cedar Spirits Kayak Gin: this is indigenous-owned and operated spirit is made on Chehalis tribal land in the Pacific Northwest from foraged botanicals. It’s beautifully rounded and a touch spicy, with minty notes of pine needle. I’m also really liking TC’s Aperitivo. 

Stay cool in the schvitz,

Amanda