Cocktail Questions: Recipe Recall & Note Taking

A pair of reader questions about recording and remembering recipes.

I’ve always loved letters sections.

My first “byline” in a nationally distributed publication came in the letters page of Amazing Spider-Man — issue number 364.

I was 10 years old, and I had sent in a hand-written letter, scribbled in pencil on wide-ruled paper. It was, at the time, one of the most exciting events of my life. I still have a framed copy on the wall in my home office. Sometimes I take a moment just to look at it. It’s still pretty exciting.

As a kid, I devoured the letters sections of science fiction magazines, trying to get a sense of how other readers approached the stories — and how editors and writers would respond to pointed questions, comments, and critiques.

For the first several years that I worked at my day job, I edited the letters section. I know at least a few well-known columnists who started out editing letters from readers.

The letters section is where readers and writers and publishers and editors and creators connect. It’s where a reader or a fan or even a critic can be heard, in public. It’s where journalism becomes interactive, conversational. It’s where the fourth wall breaks.

These days, we don’t have as many letters sections as we used to. Comments and social media now play that role. It sometimes seems like the entire social web is a sort of supersized, infinite-scroll letters section.

But I still love letters sections, in the old style.

So I’m starting one for this newsletter.

For the four-year anniversary of this Substack, I asked readers to send in questions. You sent in a lot of great questions! In the coming weeks and months, I’m going to try to respond to as many as I can. It’s going to take some time. But as long as you have questions, I’ll try to do this somewhat frequently, depending on the letters that come in, my time, and so forth.

In the meantime, however, please keep the letters coming! If one of you has a question, then a lot of other readers probably have that question too.

When I wrote that letter to the editors of Amazing all those years ago, I probably wasn’t the only young Spidey fan hoping for a Fantastic Four appearance. Even before I made cocktails, I liked combining my favorite things.

Turns out the crossover event I was looking for had already happened in another series. That was news we could all use.

So your questions will help other readers who may struggle with or wonder about the same thing. More generally, your questions will help guide the direction of the newsletter, shaping both its macro direction and micro specifics. I can’t promise any Fantastic Four crossovers, but it’ll be fun, and we might learn a few things from each other.

If you have a question about cocktails, bars, home bartending, or anything else that might be within the broad purview of this newsletter, email it to: cocktailswithsuderman@gmail.com with the words “Reader Question” in the subject line.

Cocktail Notes, Memorizing Recipes, and Generally Keeping Track of Things

One challenge I face is I have a horrible memory. Frequently when I want to make a particular recipe I pull out my phone and search your newsletter or I grab a book off my shelf. However I often struggle with the simple fact of remembering ideas of cocktails to make with ingredients I have access. How do you manage recipes and variations on them?

—Dan R.

I make a lot of drinks and have a well stocked bar. How do you keep track of your recipes?

I understand things conceptually which I think is the point of your work, but I forget the details.

For instance, I made an old fashioned with rum, bourbon and banana liqueur. Loved it and might like to make it again.

I thought about a Rolodex. I’ve tried index cards. Maybe there’s a digital solution….

Anyway, just curious what you do

—Marc

Both of these questions are, I think, versions of the same query: How do I keep track of recipes? On paper or screen — and also in my head?

The main thing is just to write things down consistently, in a convenient, searchable format, with an emphasis on convenience and accessibility. It also helps to host small cocktail parties every now and then.

Let me explain.

My own system is barely a system, because it was devised many years ago, when I didn’t realize I would eventually want a real, robust system. It’s definitely not the ideal method.