My Name Is Christopher Buecheler

Christopher Buecheler Photo

But you can call me Chris.

I'm a web designer/developer by day and a novelist by night. I was born in Massachusetts and raised mainly there and in Syracuse, New York. I have held Senior Web positions at GameSpy, Humor Rainbow (OkCupid), and Crispy Gamer. At all three companies I was heavily involved in all aspects of front-end design and development, as well as working with the engineering teams to make the sites function. Additionally, I provided support to the Marketing and Ad Sales departments, and worked closely with Editorial. I also sometimes wrote for the sites, when I had the time.

Currently I am employed on a contract basis by a small San Francisco startup, GoldenSpear. I have also developed and launched BlogShouts.com, through a company I started with a friend, Dart Publishing Ltd.

I have self-published three novels, with a fourth on the way. The first, The Blood That Bonds, is a free eBook that has been downloaded over 400,000 times. The sequel, Blood Hunt, was released on September 1, 2011, and has sold more than 22,000 copies. The final book in the trilogy, The Children of the Sun, was released on November 1, 2012. I've had short fiction published in GUD Magazine and Aurora Wolf, and I write non-fiction cocktail articles for Primer Magazine.

I move pretty frequently. In the past twelve years, I have lived in Orange County, California; Syracuse, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York; and Indianapolis, Indiana. These days I live in Providence, Rhode Island, with my wife Charlotte, and our two cats, Carbomb and Baron Salvatore H. Lynx II. In my spare time – of which I never seem to have enough – I invent cocktails, brew beer, travel, study French, play guitar and drums, follow the NBA and NFL, and visit local bars and restaurants with my wife and my friends.

Get My Books

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I Craft Cocktails

The cocktail rennaissance has taken the world by storm, and I've become fascinated with the movement. I've visited dozens of hiqh-quality cocktail bars around the country, bought and read several craft cocktail books, and maintain a large collection of spirits, mixers and bitters. I also create my own cocktails, one of which won the amateur arm of Tanqueray's "Best T & T" contest in 2010. I sometimes write cocktail-related articles for Primer Magazine. Here are some of my favorite cocktail creations!

  • The Cortland

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    The Cortland came about after long experimentation with a bottle of Laird's Applejack and various herbal liqueurs, in different proportions. Essentially a modified sour, the drink features a toned down level of the tart ingredient – in this case, lime juice – in order to avoid overwhelming the apple flavor of the base spirit. The addition of Galliano brings a mild herbal background that actually seems to intensify the apple notes. The name is a nod to the Cortland apple, which was in turn named after the county in Upstate New York where many are grown. [More …]

    Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over cracked or crushed ice. Shake thoroughly to combine and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Flame an orange peel over the surface of the cocktail and drop it into the drink.

    Apple brandy, whether American or French (Calvados), can be substituted for the Applejack. Beware that some American apple brandies are very sweet and you may want to adjust down the amount of curaçao depending on which type you use.

  • The English Bulldog (Winner: Tanqueray "Best T & T" Contest)

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    A play on the traditional gin and tonic that incorporates additional ingredients which bring an increased complexity to the drink. The orange marmalade, in particular, is a nod to British history, which I thought was fitting for a British drink made with British gin. Refreshing and not too strong, the English Bulldog is a great beverage for a summer picnic or a Sunday afternoon. I highly recommend Fever Tree tonic waters, which are absolutely delicious in this recipe. I like their naturally low-cal version, myself. [More …]

    Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes and set aside. Combine first five ingredients in a shaker with cracked or crushed ice and shake vigorously. Strain into the Collins glass, top with tonic water, stir gently and garnish with an orange peel (flaming optional) and a lime.

    Standard Tanqueray London Dry will work just fine, and is the gin that this recipe was based off of. Tanqueray Rangpur will bring even more citrus notes to the party and is definitely not a bad alternative. You could also use Tanqueray Ten, but personally I think if you're going to buy an ultra-premium like that, you shouldn't cover it up with too many other flavors. Better to just add some vermouth and a couple of olives or a lemon twist and call it a day.

  • The ChaChaCha

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    My lovely wife Charlotte is French, and she loves champagne in basically any form (as long as it's not too sweet). I don't know if it's bred into the French, or if it's just her in particular, but she's definitely a fan and I've definitely become much more fond of bubbly since meeting her. Sometimes we experiment with champagne cocktails, and this drink — The ChaChaCha (short for Charlotte's Champagne and Chartreuse) — came as a result of careful testing with various amounts of liqueur, bitters, and sparkling wine. I must give her full credit on this one: we both played around with a lot of recipes, but she's the one who found the right balance. [More …]

    Pour the Chartreuse and bitters into a champagne goblet or flute. Top off with sparkling wine. It's fast, it's easy, and it's absolutely delicious. Dry and herbal with a hint of sweetness and a satisfying zing. What more can you ask for from a cocktail?

  • The Buffalo Red

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    The Buffalo Red started out as a Sazerac, but has come a long enough way from its roots that I don't feel bad claiming it as my own. It still retains the wash with anise-based liquor, and the Peychaud's Bitters, but we replace rye with bourbon, and bring both maple bitters and Muscovado simple-syrup to the party. The resulting drink is warming, earthy, and not-too-sweet. Urban Moonshine makes the maple bitters, and you can easily buy them on Amazon.com if they're not available at your local quality liquor store. [More …]

    To make Muscovado simple syrup, just buy Muscovado brown sugar (easily found at local mega-marts or organic groceries) and then heat it with an equal portion of water until it dissolves. Cool the resulting liquid and store in the fridge.

    Pour Pernod into an empty rocks glass and swirl to coat. Discard excess Pernod. Fill rocks glass with a few large, solid ice cubes. Add all ingredients to the rocks glass and stir several times to combine. Flame an orange peel over the glass, and drop it in. The resulting drink should be a beautiful reddish-brown, like Autumn leaves. Sit back in a comfy chair, take a sip, and relax.

  • The Lexington Limey

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    The Lexington Limey, another bourbon-based cocktail, was invented on the spot at my Day-After-Halloween Party for my friend and occassional editor Elise. She liked the combination of Pimm's and Bourbon – British and Kentuckian – and decided the name should reflect that. I've served this drink at a few other parties, and people seem to enjoy it, so I'm highlighting it here. It has the distinction of being the oldest of my creations on this list, but hey … the Manhattan's been around since the 1870s and it's still going strong! [More …]

    Combine Ingredients in a rocks glass over ice. Stir well to combine.

  • The Arizona Gimlet

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    This recipe came about because I wanted to make one of my favorites, the gin gimlet, but was lacking Rose's Lime Juice, an essential ingredient in that particular classic. Undaunted, I set about creating a replacement cocktail with the same refreshing blend of citrus, the punch of gin, and just a touch of sweetness. [More …]

    The end result? The Arizona Gimlet, which I'm really quite happy with. It's got a real citrus kick, but the vermouth helps smooth things out and keeps the gin from being overpowering, and the agave syrup, when used with a light touch, avoids the cloying sweetness that Rose's lime sometimes delivers. I've even come up with two different preparations, depending on what mood you're in. Give it a try!

    • 2 oz gin
    • 1 oz dry vermouth
    • 1 oz fresh lime juice
    • 1/3rd oz Agave Nectar (raw, amber, light … whatever kind you want)

    Preparation 1: Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker, shake like crazy, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and serve with a twist of lime. Delicious and potent!

    Preparation 2: Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker, shake like crazy, strain into a rocks glass over ice, top with club soda and stir. Serve with a lime wedge. Refreshing!

I Brew Beer

There is something inherently satisfying about cracking open a beer that you brewed and bottled yourself, pouring it off into a glass, and taking that first sip. I've made several batches of beer, from light blonde ales to big, black stouts. I'm still in the partial mash stage of brewing (don't have the space or the setup for full mash, yet), but I've had some successes. Here are some of my recipes that I think have come out the best.

  • Firefly American Pale Ale

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    Firefly is a classic APA in the style of Sierra Nevada. It uses two famous brands of hops from the Pacific Northwest, Cascade and Liberty, to achieve a balance of bitterness and piney, grapefruity aroma. This is probably my most successful beer to date, in terms of nailing the style exactly on the head. Goes great with a burger! [More …]

    Ingredients

    • 2.0 lb Crystal 10° malt
    • 1.0 Crystal 20° malt
    • 2.0 lb Light dry malt extract
    • 3.3 lb Light liquid malt extract
    • 3 oz Cascade hops
    • 3 oz Liberty hops
    • WYeast 1056 American Ale Yeast
    • 1 tsp irish moss
    • 5.5 Gallons Spring Water

    Process

    1. Bring 3 gallons of spring water to 155° F
    2. Steep crystal malts in water for 40 minutes, drain and discard
    3. Bring liquid to a rolling boil
    4. Add dry malt extract and stir to incorporate thoroughly
    5. When foam subsides, add 1oz Cascade hops and continue boiling for 15 minutes
    6. Add irish moss and continue boiling for 5 minutes
    7. Add 1 oz Liberty hops and continue boiling for 5 minutes
    8. Add liquid malt extract and continue boiling for 8 minutes
    9. Add 2 oz Liberty hops and continue boiling for 2 minutes
    10. Remove hop bags, cool to 75° F
    11. Transfer to fermentation container
    12. Add extra spring water until total liquid volume reaches 5 gallons
    13. Pitch Yeast, seal fermentation container
    14. Ferment 2 weeks at 68-72° F
    15. Add 2 oz Cascade hops to secondary fermentation container
    16. Transfer beer to secondary fermentation container
    17. Secondary-ferment 2 weeks at 68-72° F
    18. Add priming sugar, bottle
    19. Bottle-ferment 2 weeks at 68-72° F

    Stats

    • 5.6% ABV
    • 33 IBU
    • 1.057 OG
    • 1.014 FG
    • 11.5 SRM

  • Bittersweet Resolution Chocolate Stout

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    Bittersweet Resolution is a big, dark, sweet stout that's tempered with a pretty solid dose of bitters. It uses dark brown sugar to increase the density (and eventual alcohol content), provide extra flavor, and improve mouthfeel. It's also dry-hopped to give a little bit of hop aroma to what is otherwise not particularly a hoppy beer. When I opened the first bottle after two weeks, I was a little disappointed with it, but after aging the beer for a couple of months, it improves dramatically, developing a much more nuanced balance of flavors. If you brew this, do it in the summer, and then wait until the cool days of fall have arrived before cracking open a bottle. [More …]

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb American Chocolate Malt
    • .5 lb American Caramel 120°
    • .5 lb American Caramel 60°
    • .5 lb De-Bittered Black Malt
    • .25 lb Roasted Barley
    • 3.3 lb Dark Liquid Malt Extract
    • 3 lb Dark Dry Malt Extract
    • 1.0 oz Amarillo Hops
    • .75 lb Dark Brown Sugar
    • 0.0 tsp Irish Moss
    • 1.0 oz Tettnanger Hops
    • 1.0 ea WYeast 1728 Scottish Ale
    • 1.0 oz Hallertau Hops

    Process

    1. Bring 3 gallons of spring water to 155° F
    2. Steep chocolate, caramel, and black malts, with roasted barley, in water for 40 minutes, drain and discard
    3. Bring liquid to a rolling boil
    4. Add dry and liquid malt extracts and stir to incorporate thoroughly
    5. When foam subsides, add 1oz Amarillo hops and continue boiling for 40 minutes
    6. Add irish moss and continue boiling for 10 minutes
    7. Add dark brown sugar and continue boiling for 5 minutes
    8. Add 1 oz Tettnanger hops and continue boiling for 5 minutes
    9. Remove hop bags, cool to 75° F
    10. Transfer to fermentation container
    11. Add extra spring water until total liquid volume reaches 5 gallons
    12. Pitch Yeast, seal fermentation container
    13. Ferment 2 weeks at 68-72° F
    14. Add 1 oz Hallertau hops to secondary fermentation container
    15. Transfer beer to secondary fermentation container
    16. Secondary-ferment 2 weeks at 68-72° F
    17. Add priming sugar, bottle
    18. Bottle-ferment at least 8 weeks at 68-72° F

    Stats

    • 6.2% ABV
    • 30 IBU
    • 1.067 OG
    • 1.020 FG
    • 37.8 SRM

  • HC Imperial Coffee Porter

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    Hubbard & Cravens is the best coffee establishment in Indianapolis, in my not particularly humble opinion, so when the time came to make a coffee porter, I knew I wanted to use one of their custom roasts. I went with their "Bali Blue Moon" blend, which is dark and aromatic. Steeping just a quarter pound of it in the hot wort for ten minutes lent a noticeable coffee flavor and aroma to the final product, which also has some very nice chocolate and wine notes. This one is my dad's favorite of the ones he's tried. [More …]

    Ingredients

    • .75 lb Chocolate malt
    • .5 lb Crystal Malt 120°
    • .5 lb Crystal Malt 60°
    • .25 lb Dark Chocolate Malt
    • .125 lb Roasted Barley
    • 2.0 lb Pilsen Light Dry Malt Extract)
    • 1.0 lb Bavarian Wheat Dry Malt Extract)
    • 3.3 lb Pilsen Light Liquid Malt Extract)
    • 8 oz Belgian Candi Syrup
    • .75 oz Nugget Hops
    • 0.0 tsp Irish Moss
    • .25 lb Dark Roast Coffee (ground)
    • 1.0 ea WYeast 1332 Northwest Ale

    Process

    1. Bring 3 gallons of spring water to 155° F
    2. Steep chocolate and crystal malts, with roasted barley, in water for 40 minutes, drain and discard
    3. Bring liquid to a rolling boil
    4. Add dry malt extracts and stir to incorporate thoroughly
    5. When foam subsides, add .75oz Nugget hops and continue boiling for 20 minutes
    6. Add irish moss and continue boiling for 5 minutes
    7. Add candi syrup and continue boiling for 10 minutes
    8. Add liquid malt extract and continue boiling for 5 minutes
    9. Remove hop bags, steep coffee in hot liquid for 10 minutes
    10. Remove coffee bag, cool to 75° F
    11. Transfer to fermentation container
    12. Add extra spring water until total liquid volume reaches 5 gallons
    13. Pitch Yeast, seal fermentation container
    14. Ferment 2 weeks at 68-72° F
    15. Transfer beer to secondary fermentation container
    16. Secondary-ferment 2 weeks at 68-72° F
    17. Add priming sugar, bottle
    18. Bottle-ferment 4 weeks at 68-72° F

    Stats

    • 6.6% ABV
    • 28 IBU
    • 1.070 OG
    • 1.020 FG
    • 31.2 SRM

I Play Video Games

Star Control II Game Cover Video games have been part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. I started with the Atari 2600 sometime in the very early eighties, when I was maybe four or five years old. The first game I can remember playing is Haunted House, with Adventure soon following. As an adult, I have worked in the video game industry as both a web developer/journalist (GameSpy, Crispy Gamer) and a game developer (I contributed textures and other graphics to Unreal Tournament 2003 and 2004). I continue to find time to play games even now, though they often have to take a back seat to my writing and other projects.

Someday, I'm going to release a novel called Parasite and a video game that is also called Parasite. They will both be set in the same time and place but star two different groups of people. Yes, I have a design document written for the game and a full plot in mind for the novel. Yes … I am a huge nerd.

My Top 10 Games Ever

  1. Deus Ex (PC)
  2. Star Control II (PC)
  3. Fallout (PC)
  4. Half-Life 2/Episode 1/Episode 2 (PC)
  5. Nethack (PC)
  6. Metroid (NES)
  7. The NBA 2K series (PC/Xbox 360/Dreamcast)
  8. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Dreamcast)
  9. BioShock (PC)
  10. Nocturne (PC)

Current Favorites

As you can see, I have a taste for story-driven, exploration-based experiences. And a weakness for first-person shooters.

I Play Music

I began playing guitar in my early teens, and playing drums in my early twenties (though I haven't played on a real kit since 2005, more's the pity). I even have a pretty decent singing voice. I'm by no means a prodigy, but for a self-taught musician, I do all right, and I am still improving. I don't have a ton of time for music, these days, but I still play on occasion and I am still slowly but surely building out a reasonably-priced home studio. Someday I might even release a song or two!

Current Equipment

I also used to have a Pearl Export drum kit (no longer in production) with cheap Zildjian cymbals, but had to sell it due to space considerations. The day I have a basement again, I will have drums again, mark my words!

Desired Equipment

I Follow Sports

The Boston Celtics Win the 2008 NBA Championship I enjoy sports even though I am terrible at them. First and foremost, I love the NBA. It's my sport of choice, even though football is more popular or that baseball has more history. In my opinion, basketball is the perfect marriage of athleticism, strategy, skill, and speed. It's fun to watch when it's being played well, and when it's being played poorly … at least lots of stuff is happening.

On top of that, I am an unabashed Boston fan. I know that means that most of the country hates me, and hates my teams. A lot of Boston fans are complete assholes, but I try not to be one of them, and I don't begrudge other people their rooting interests. This is because I recognize that sports are, well, ridiculous. But they're still fun, so that's why I watch them. I loathe the Lakers and the Yankees with every fiber of my being, but I'm still friends with fans of both teams. It's all good!

Anyway …

Teams I Officially Support

You Can Contact Me

I enjoy hearing from people. Are you a fan of my writing? Do you want to ask about cocktails? Do you want to make fun of my team choices on the sports page? Just fill out the form below, click submit, and you're good to go!