Journal
Essays & notes
Short, opinionated pieces on home bartending — one at a time, as they're written.
- July 2, 2026
Dmitriy Shteynbuk — No, Shaking Does Not 'Bruise' Gin
A phrase that will not die, and a defense of the chemistry.
- July 1, 2026
Dmitriy Shteynbuk — How Much Ice Should Go in a Shaker? (Answered)
The answer is more than you think, and the reason is counterintuitive.
- June 30, 2026
Dmitriy Shteynbuk — Why Wisconsin Puts Brandy in Its Old Fashioned
The whiskey Old Fashioned is the national default. In Wisconsin, it isn't. The story starts at the 1893 World's Fair.
- June 29, 2026
Dmitriy Shteynbuk — Angostura Bitters: What's Actually in the Bottle
The most famous bottle behind the bar, and what its 44.7% ABV of gentian and spices is doing to your drink.
- June 28, 2026
Dmitriy Shteynbuk — 1806: The Newspaper Ad That Named the Cocktail
The word 'cocktail' was already floating around the American press. In 1806, a newspaper editor was forced to define it.
- June 27, 2026
Dmitriy Shteynbuk — Stir or Shake? The One Rule That Decides Every Drink
The choice is not a matter of preference. It is a matter of what is in the glass.
- June 26, 2026
Dmitriy Shteynbuk — The Old Fashioned: The Drink That Defines the Word 'Cocktail'
The 1806 definition of a cocktail — spirit, sugar, water, bitters — is a spec sheet for the Old Fashioned.