The Cocktail Hour
Whether you sip it with friends, chug it before hitting the dance floor, or take it as a post-work pick-me-up, there\u2019s clearly nothing like a cocktail for bracing the spirit. In addition to its peculiar history as a medicinal tonic, plenty of hard science lies behind the perfect cocktail, from the relationship between taste perception and temperature to the all-important decision of whether to shake or stir.\n\nWhat\u2019s more, according to historian David Wondrich, mixology is \u201cthe first legitimate American culinary art\u201d\u2014and one that has since caught on around the world. Raise a glass, and listen in as we discover the cocktail\u2019s historical origins, its etymological connection to a horse\u2019s butt, and its rocky history, post-Prohibition. We also check out an original copy of the world\u2019s first cocktail recipe book at New York City\u2019s bartending mecca, Cocktail Kingdom; take a private cocktail science class with Jared Sadoian of The Hawthorne in Boston; and talk red-hot pokers with culinary scientist Dave Arnold. Cheers!\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices