Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I had the good fortune to live in the Downtown (Chinatown) DoubleTree in Boston for a year in college when the dorms were over crowded. Nice furniture, private bathroom, big TV, HBO, maid service - I lived high on the hog. In addition to the full-size cookies at check-in, this location had (not sure if they still do) a platter of mini cookies out every night at 6. In the winter, there was cider too. On my way to/from class I'd snag 2 or 3 cookies. Of course on the really bitterly cold days, one of the nice guys at the check-in desk would give me a warm full-sized one. I was a lucky lady.

This post is about me. I'm a huge beer fan, and enjoy sparkling wines, but basically don't know anything about cocktails. A friend of mine was in the same situation, so we recently went to Eastern Standard in Boston where we sampled the following: Tom Collins, Perodista, Raspberry Fizz, Mint Julep, Aviator, and Absinthe and Old Lace. My favorite by far was the Tom Collins, refreshing and reviving, it tastes of heritage. I could tell why it was a classic. The mint julep was far too strong for either of our tastes. The fizz and absinthe were delicious but more desserts than cocktails. The other two were both delightful but I think maybe unique to ES. I ended the night knowing that I can always feel safe ordering a Tom Collins, and with a new sense of confidence in exploring cocktails and asking questions of the bartender.