Dr. Bamboo Monthly Column Archive

Home > Tips > Articles - Dr Bamboo

Dr. Bamboo

Who is Dr. Bamboo? Some say he is a renegade scientist who renounced his original field of study to dedicate himself to the advancement of cocktail culture. Others claim he is a powerful shaman who practices the forbidden arts of a long-forgotten civilization. Still others maintain he is actually a traveler from a faraway world, sent to our planet as an ambassador of intergalactic fine living. Whatever the truth may be, one thing is certain: He makes a mean Martini. When he's not foraging for obscure drink ingredients and vintage barware, Dr. Bamboo works as a freelance illustrator and is the drinks columnist for Bachelor Pad Magazine.

Painkiller- Dr. Bamboo - September 2010

With only a few weeks of warm weather remaining, I feel it is imperative I offer a few words on a subject I have neglected to address for far too long: the venerable vessel known as the tiki mug... One of my firmly held beliefs is that it is impossible to be morose when you are drinking out of a tiki mug.

High Hat - Dr. Bamboo - August 2010

Timing, as the saying goes, is everything. Obviously this applies to a number of things, but since we generally talk about booze here, we'll limit it to that for now. In the realm of adult beverages, timing is important. Being aware of the subtle rhythms that govern drink-making is a boon to anyone, particularly if you bartend at home.

Dry Mahoney - Dr. Bamboo - July 2010

It's not just liquor companies that send me free stuff. I also receive the occasional book (so I have something to read while I'm drinking, presumably). The latest such offering to grace my mailbox is Old Man Drinks, a pocket-sized tome that's a collection of both classic drink recipes and nuggets of wisdom from actual old men.

Caravan - Dr. Bamboo - June 2010

This is the season for cooking in yards, driveways, parking lots or any surface flat and solid enough to support a metal container full of flames. Since this will be happening with increasing frequency in the coming weeks and months, I will use this space to offer up my guide to grilling in the hopes it will improve the experience for you and your guests (unless you're grilling solo, which is also a perfectly fine undertaking...the undisturbed communion between you and your grill can be very meditative and therapeutic).

Oracle Cocktail - Dr. Bamboo - May 2010

This month I am introducing a new feature called Dr. Bamboo Predicts! Every so often I peer into my cocktail glass crystal ball and beseech the mystic powers of the cosmos to grant me a glimpse into the future. Channeling the nebulous energies of the great beyond, I attempt to divine What Will Come To Pass. Strangely, the information I receive is always alcohol-related, but who am I to question the motives of those who dwell in dimensions untraveled by man?

Sterling - Dr. Bamboo - April 2010

People drank differently in the old days. Sure, people in decades past got bombed, consumed poor-quality alcohol and drank for the wrong reasons...same as now. When I say that people drank differently, I'm talking primarily about what they drank...

Caseys Cannonball - Dr. Bamboo - March 2010

Ever find something you thought had been lost forever? Great feeling, right? That's how I feel about Okolehao.

Brandy Smash - Dr. Bamboo - February 2010

Everyone's talking about ice these days. Granted, a lot of people are discussing it right now because they're chipping it off their cars or scraping it off the sidewalks, but I'm talking about the ice we use in our drinks- Those glorious hunks of really cold water that keep our cocktails the right temperature and add that necessary li'l bit of water to balance everything out.

Savoy Tango - Dr. Bamboo - January 2010

It's the drinking we tend to focus on here in this column, and I can guess with a fair degree of certainty that if you're reading this you've been knocking back respectable amounts of eggnog, cider, Champagne and probably a bunch of other holiday hooch for some time now. This is why it's time for some simplicity.

Cinnamon Fizz - Dr. Bamboo - December 2009

During these holiday times, you'll be getting plenty of thick, sweet, creamy drinks. Egg nog will be cascading into and out of drinking vessels everywhere, and you will be plied with all manner of syrupy, dairy-based concoctions employed as a delivery system for all the usual yuletide flavors: chocolate, mint, apple, etc.

Blue Angel - Dr. Bamboo - November 2009

Not every drink has to be a sledgehammer. There is a segment of the drinking community that believes the only drink worth having is one that's composed of 100% heavy-duty spirits and kicks like an elephant gun. While there are plenty of occasions where a drink like that is entirely appropriate, there are many times when you just need something a little less...direct.

Amazon Fizz - Dr. Bamboo - October 2009

When you hear the word Amazon, what is the first thing that comes to mind? I always think of piranhas. I guess it's because at an impressionable age I got hit with a whole load of spurious information regarding these guys. I remember learning about the Amazon river in elementary school geography, and like most kids, I promptly forgot everything about it except that it was home to MEAT-EATING FISH.

Zamboanga Monkey Tail - Dr. Bamboo - September 2009

Esquire Drinks is a book I recommend anyone pick up if they can. Even though it was originally published as recently as 2002, it's been out of print for some time. Copies can be found from online used book sellers, and it's well worth seeking out. I came by my copy via a flea market, and it's not the first time I've found a nice bar guide amongst the offerings at thrift stores, used-book emporiums and garage sales.

Torii - Dr. Bamboo - August 2009

When talking with my fellow cocktail enthusiasts, the phrase 'gateway drink' often comes up. Of course, this is a variation on the term 'gateway drug', which is used to describe a fairly mild substance that provides entry to the world of illicit substances and ushers the user into a continuum of more intense offerings.

Pariah's Punch - Dr. Bamboo - July 2009

Yes, it's a tiki drink. However, fans of tiki drinks will glance at the above recipe and likely find themselves saying, 'Okay...it's got lime juice, a nice flavored syrup, several other interesting ingredients and even citrus-based bitters. BUT WHERE IS THE RUM?

Redcoat Rickey - Dr. Bamboo - June 2009

One of the things I frequently notice when rummaging through drink recipes is how varied the instructions for a given drink can be. Sometimes the variations are slight- One recipe calls for a half ounce of something, the other calls for three-quarters. Sometimes ingredients are omitted entirely...or other things are substituted. And occasionally you'll see two recipes by the same name that bear no resemblance to each other whatsoever.

Vespa Jockey - Dr. Bamboo - May 2009

Undeniable signs of warmer days to come are turning up everywhere. The obligatory Spring plants are determinedly knifing their way upward. Car windows are being rolled down. People are putting bandannas on dogs. But perhaps the truest signal that Winter has been fully laid to rest is that yours truly has been wearing shorts for well over a month now.

Watchtower Cocktail - Dr. Bamboo - April 2009

Often when I'm making drinks for friends and I ask what they'd like me to make them, they don't have a specific answer. 'What do you suggest?', or 'Anything you feel like making' are common responses. While I enjoy the chance to foist a variety of both classic and contemporary recipes on willing, open-minded subjects, I hate the idea of just blindly throwing random drinks at people and hoping I come up with something they'll enjoy.

Soju Squeeze - Dr. Bamboo - March 2009

I recently read somewhere that making cocktails was more akin to baking than cooking. This claim centered around the idea of precise measurement of ingredients being required for both. And it got me thinking.

High Plains Drifter No. 1 - Dr. Bamboo - February 2009

The Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide often takes a beating from certain segments of the cocktail community. Not in the literal sense (although there are many sticky, stained and scuffed copies floating around out there), but in terms of where it sits in the hierarchy of bar guides.

Amateur Night - Dr. Bamboo - January 2009

I have a friend who refers to New Year's Eve as 'amateur night.' He makes a strict policy of not going anywhere outside his house on the evening of December 31st. It doesn't matter whether the festivities take place at a dive bar, posh ballroom, or a friend's living room- he doesn't go out. Period.

Holly Jolly Roger - Dr. Bamboo - December 2008

At first glance, it may not seem that Santa Claus and pirates have much in common. But closer inspection reveals that the two share quite a bit more than initially meets the eye. Am I suggesting that a beloved holiday figure is barely any different than a bloodthirsty brigand? Certainly not. But I have noticed there are some startling parallels.

Perky Goth - Dr. Bamboo - November 2008

I'm a Hawaiian shirt kinda guy. Not surprisingly, I'm also a sunny-weather kinda guy. I hail from a land where sunlight is usually in short supply, so I take the chance to embrace a Summertime vibe (real or imagined) whenever I can. I also try to stretch Summer out as long as possible, and I set a goal every year to wear shorts until Halloween. However, I usually have to put on long pants at least once before then, when the thermometer thwarts my efforts.

Stone Fence - Dr. Bamboo - October 2008

I like simple drinks. Even though I spend many nights laboring on recipes that often contain a multitude of ingredients (fans of tiki-style drinks will know what I'm talking about), I'm always intrigued by those recipes that elegantly match 2 or 3 components in flawless harmony. There's a Zen-like aspect of restraint to drinks like this, and much of their beauty lies in what isn't there, rather than what is.