Keeping Up with the Collins

I must be homesick for NYC...more specifically, my home in Red Hook, Fort Defiance.  Lately my former job and co-workers have been showing up in my dreams.  I figured out that when outside forces threaten me, my sub-conscious goes to my "safe place", The Fort, to work out the problems.

Enough with Psychology 101!  Get to some drinks!  

In honor of the Collins section we used to have at Fort Defiance, I have created my own Collins section at SoBou for our Spring Menu.  Entitled "Keeping up with the Collins", it is a list of refreshing twists on the classic Collins (gin and fizzy lemonade).  I also threw in our most popular cocktail, The Faubourg Tall Boy since it is a combination of a Tom Collins and a Kir Royal.  




Michael Collins
1 1/2 oz Powers Irish Whiskey
3/4 oz Lemon
3/4 oz Lavender syrup

Shake, stop with soda in a collins glass, garnish with fresh lavender



Cumberbatch Collins
1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz lemon
1/2 oz Benedictine
dash of simple
2 slices of cucumber

Shake, stop with soda in a collins glass, garnish with Cucumber



Joan Collins
1 1/2 oz Square One Basil Vodka
3/4 oz lemon
1/2 oz simple
muddled strawberry

Shake, stop with soda in a collins glass, garnish with basil



Phil Collins
1 1/2 oz Barrel aged Bols Gevever
3/4 oz Cointreau/simple
3/4 oz lemon

Shake, stop with soda in a collins glass, garnish with fresh thyme

The Next Battleground: The Old Fashioned

Yes! 19th Century Old Fashioned

In recent years, we historically minded bartenders have fought the good fight for the case of the Martini.  A Martini is a drink consisting of Gin, Vermouth and sometimes bitters with a twist.  They are not made with vodka and no vermouth, and they are not Dirty.  They certainly DO NOT have any fruity thing like Apple pucker, pom or choco tacked on to the front of them.  They can be served in a martini glass, though I prefer an classic Nick & Nora.  If you like Vodka in a martini glass with no vermouth, you just ordered chilled Vodka in a Martini glass.  That, in no way, is a Martini.  If you do not like the taste of vermouth (and I keep my vermouth chilled and fresh so you really should like its delicious taste) then no amount should go into your Vodka drink.  Since Vodka, by its very nature, has no odor or taste, it won't matter if I make your drink "dry" or extra dry.  I splash or a full ounce, all you will taste will be vermouth.   


I could go on, but you know what I am talking about, right?  PS...if you really are afraid of Gin, try my Vesper.  It has converted 9 out of 10 dirty vodka drinkers when made by my hands.  What really helps is the story, and that is where we bartenders can flourish and nail the sale.

Em..No, thanks. 20th Century Old Fashioned.

While this battle obviously rages on, I see a new battlefield opening up.  The Old Fashioned.  I'll admit, as a young drinker, I was besotted with that mush of orange and cherry.  It was like a Shirley Temple for grown ups.  I always knew it was too sweet and asked for extra bitters and eventually requested no sugar at all.  Extra bitters, no sugar, nice cherries, bitter orange rind, the 20th Century Old Fashioned (as we called it at Fort Defiance) is not a terrible drink in the right hands.  Some drinks still demand this fruity slush, such as the Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned.


But a true Old Fashioned is from the 19th century and one of the oldest cocktails ever made, hence the name and the fabulous story that goes with it.  Bartenders...convert your customers with the story of how the Old Fashioned got its name and see your educated customers flourish with your sales.

The Story of the Old Fashioned

May 13th, 1806 Hudson, NY- the first recorded date of the definition of the word cocktail.   Spirit, bitters, sugar, water.  Boom.  That is it easy peasy.  It was basically a bittered Sling.  It was a drink, singular, like the Martini, not a class of drinks (see above).  Introduce ice and fresh citrus peel and you have got a more modern looking Cocktail.  More specifically, you have what we at Fort Defiance called the 19th Century Old Fashioned.  But when did the drink become old fashioned?  Well flash forward to the 1860's-1880's.  This is bartending's first golden age, the days of Jerry Thomas, Only William and the Bon Vivants.  You have all sorts of mustachioed barkeeps in vests and diamond stick pins making all sorts of drinks, lighting Blue Blazer's on fire and putting on a show behind the bar (sound familiar?).  Well an old timer would stumble into one of these new-fanagled saloons and order a Cocktail, you know, the DRINK.  Well these wise ass bartenders or "Mixologysts", as they called themselves, would ask what kids of fancy cocktail the old timer wanted.  After all they were trained and well versed in all sorts of cocktail creations, fizzes, flips, bucks, improved cocktails etc...


"No!  Just stop high there, fancy pants!", I imagine the salty old timer saying.  "I just want a cocktail, an OLD FASHIONED cocktail!"  There is the magical moment in the story.  "And shave that mustache, you hippie", he might have added in my imagination.


And there is how the Old Fashioned got its name.  So mix one up...its so easy to do at home and I can do it even when the cupboards are bare.  That reason is probably why the Old Fashioned is the most popular drink in this household.  The cupboards are often bare.  


Raise a glass to the old timers who just want an Old Fashioned cocktail!


The 19th Century Old Fashioned
2 oz Spirit (Whiskey, rum, tequila, gin etc...)
sugar cube or bar spoon of simple syrup or maple or honey
Bitters (oh just have fun and pick 1 or 2)
Citrus Twist


Build in an Old Fashioned glass (duh) and stir in big rocks.  Twist a spiral or large swath of citrus.  Mostly Lemon, but lime for rum is awesome and grapefruit for tequila and mezcal rocks my world.  This drink gets better as it sits.

Barrel Aged Cocktails at The Beagle

Pal resting by some Tuthilltown Barrels

I had my doubts about barrel aging.  First of all, what is the point is there in putting barrel aged cocktails back in a barrel, hence the wealth of aged negroni's.  Second of all, make a mistake and its an expensive experiment gone awry, hence the wealth once again of aged negroni's.  


But I now have first hand knowledge on how delicious these cocktails can be.  Dan and Matt from The Beagle have introduced some cocktails that have been aged downstairs in our own little solara barrel system.  I am only at the bar on Sundays, and we sell thru them rather quickly but I have been lucky enough to taste all three.  We started with a Tuxedo no. 2, then a White dog Manhattan and now have a Rosalind Russell.  All three are quite different, but have a certain thread that holds them together; they are excellent!  The barrel blends the flavors together and gives it a spicy bite.  The corn-y-ness of the white dog gets a boost from the aging that is exactly what barrel aged cocktails are all about.  And it is a very different cocktail then the original, a truly unique cocktail in the right hands.  I am hoping to do my own, a Diamondback with Pisco and white dog rye.

Guardian of the Booze!

Think you want to try your own?  The Wall Street Journal has step by step instructions in this article here.


In the meantime, come down to The Beagle and see what we are pulling out of the barrels this week!


"Barrel-Aged Drinks: Mix, Store, Pour"
[WSJ]

Lemon Basil Julep

In this hot summer heat wave, its good to look to the drinks that our Cocktail forefathers turned to before the days of air-conditioning.  You may be filled with visions of fine southern gentlemen and their dainty ladies sipping Juleps on the porch of their plantation, but this drink is rooted in pre-antebellum times and was far more global.  First of all, as a classification, it does not have to have Bourbon in it, nor mint for that matter.  A Julep is all about the construction and perfect melding of sugar, spirit and ice.The Julep is one of the oldest cocktails and in the 1700's was used for medicinal purposes with all sorts of herbal relief, not just Mint.

So lets put a modern twist to this summer chiller and head to the Farmer's Market for some seasonal herbs.  Lemon Basil, which is now in season, has a crisp clean antiseptic quality to it.  It is heartier than regular basil and not as sweet with a verbena -like tang.  With a touch of sweetness from the honey syrup and a peppery bite from the Rye Whiskey, this frosty sipper certainly seems like just what the doctor would order on a sweltering day.  The metal Julep cup is a must here to create that nice frost on the cup.  If you don't have a silver Julep cup, the small part of a metal cocktail shaker will do in a pinch.

Lemon Basil Julep
2 oz Rye Whiskey (I like Rittenhouse 100 proof)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup*
Large sprigs of Lemon Basil
Crushed or shaved ice

Gently muddle about 7-8 leaves of lemon basil in the bottom of your julep cup with the honey syrup.  Add the Rye and a scoop of crushed ice. Stir until a frost forms on the outside of the julep cup.  Top with a big mound of snowy crushed ice and a big sprig of Lemon Basil.  Insert a straw cut short so your face is in the basil everytime you take a sip.  Sit back on the porch and sip the summer away.

*to make the honey syrup, mix equal parts honey and hot water until the honey pours freely.

Fast Ladies Who Can Toss Back some Likker

This Sunday June 12 is NYC's first Speed Rack Competition. The fastest Female Bartenders will go head to head in a deadly tournament of both speed and skill to create good tasting classic cocktails. Cocktail heavyweights Dale Degroff, Julie Reiner, Audrey Saunders and Time Out's Jordana Rothman will act as honored judges. It will be a great LUPEC night out!

Not just a national competition, this is also a benefit for breast cancer research. So I expect everyone in the sound of this post to come and cheer us on. I have been practicing, bartending 5 nights a week but I have great confidence in my huge assets...my brain and skill, natch.

Details you cannot do without-
Where: Astor Center, 399 Lafayette St. (at East 4th St.) NY, NY 10003 (212) 674-7501
When: June 12th, 2011
Time: 4pm
Cost: $10 available here
Who: the most beautiful, accomplished, sexy, stylish, loving bartenders in the city

Zombie's gone to Mai Kai Heaven

Adult Disney World

Rum Renaissance kicked off here in South Florida with a Zombie Jamboree thrown at the legendary Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale. It included a Zombie Seminar by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry and bartenders from near and far throwing down their versions of this classic Tiki drink.

Running from the Zombies

I must make a confession. As a child, I was obsessed with 1950's tiki-tacky. I begged my folks to stay at the Polynesian resort at Disney World. I liked fancy drinks with big garnishes. At the beach I like to dig for buried treasure and play out fantasies closely modeled on The Goonies, Treasure Island and other swashbuckling adventures. To this day I still walk around my apartment in a sarong, trying to stay as naked as possible while I dream of tackling the waves in a dug out canoe and cooking fresh fish by a beach bonfire. It is only recently that I have learned that my early cravings for cocktail culture might have been generated in this childhood desire. Perhaps the Zombie was my destiny calling from the Gods and Goddesses.

Offering myself as sacrifice to the Tiki Gods

As we learned from The Bum's fascinating seminar, The Zombie, created by Don Beachcomer in 1936, almost single handily kicked off the Tiki craze. After the fall of prohibition, many drinkers went back to gin and whiskey, leaving behind the cheap rum drinks of more restricted times. Having access to all this cheap and good rum, Don started wowing the crowds in Hollywood with sophisticated cocktails called "Rum Rhapsodies". To avoid theft of his complicated cocktails, Don forced his bartenders to work behind closed doors in a service bar and wrote his cocktail recipes in code. This led to mass desertion of his staff, rightfully perturbed about not getting their fair share of tips (See?! Tip pools ARE best) and mass disintegration of the actual recipe for a Zombie since no one knew what was in it!

In his exhaustive research, over 15 or so years, Mr. Berry found 3 likely candidates for a Zombie. The first two, from 1950 and 1956, come from printed publications that have quotes from Don Beachcomber himself. (Why not find an interesting cocktail recipe in a magazine about the best places to go to for Burlesque? I guess it was like the Maxim of the day complete with comely babe on the cover.) The third and earliest example of a Zombie recipe came from a holy artifact in Tikidom; a little black book.

Those service bartenders who worked behind screens in Tiki bars had little black books with all of the cocktail recipes written inside. Mind you, they were often still in code, but with this early building block in place from an original bartender at Don Beachcomber's in 1934, Mr Berry now was on his way to finding the most original and likely candidate for the true Zombie. While the 1950's version was well balanced and bright with delicious citrus, the 1934 version was boozy and rich. Seemed a more likely drink to be named Zombie with its dark notes and ability to knock you into a stupor.

Speaking of stupor, the next part of the Jamboree was indeed that with 6 different teams of bartenders from around the world (well, two came from Mancheser, England at least) competing for best new interpretation of a Zombie. It was fun to be on the other side of a contest for once and have a chance to show my mom and dad what I do. Some local boys did real good with a bright passion fruit version and a very authentic deep rich version with a raw sugar rim. The winners (there was a tie) was Esteban's NY version that was rich with vanilla and the Vegas version that was full of nutmeg, citrus and a complex note from the lemongrass syrup. I wish I had a pirate loot to recognize them all!

The Molikai bar in the front of Mai Kai is Joe's favorite place on earth. And no wonder. It looks like the inside of an 18th century sailing ship. Lovely girls in sarongs serve you the finest drinks made from fresh juice, syrups and numerous rums. There are no liquor bottles in sight and all the mixing is done in secret behind a spinning lazy susan. With half off drinks and appetizers from 5-7pm, I'd be here every night too!

But the real charm of the Mai Kai lies in their elaborate serpentine dining rooms and gardens and nightly Polynesian shows. Its like Disneyland for adults. And the show is a thing of wonder. The talented joyful dancers and musicians take us on a journey through many islands of the Pacific; from New Zealand to Tahiti and Hawaii. Energetic, elegant and heart pumping, these performers were astoundingly beautiful and expressive. I found my breath taken away many times and was even distracted from the tasty dinner. The longest running Polynesian show since 1956 (even Hawaii can't boast that!) is an absolute treasure to South Florida and I am so excited to have discovered it!

I think I know where we are going for Grammy's 93rd Birthday next year....

Thank You for Being a Friend!

I want to send a special thanks to to my good friends, neighbors, and co-workers who came out in support of our snowy night at Fatty Johnsons on Wednesday. Ivy and I had a great time and our drinks were a big hit. The turnout was amazing despite the winter blast. Perhaps we'll be back sometime soon.

Here is an early Valentine's day presents for all of my dear friends!

St Lucian Tonic

I came home in the most lovely little blizzard last night. The streets were coated in a white sheen of quiet clean. Pal and I raced thought the snow covered sidewalks and I couldn't wait to take him for a walk to the park in the morning. He has the cutest puffy orange vest for playing in the snow. He looks like those hot guys in High School I always had a crush on..in their puffy vests and cowboys hats. LeSigh.

Pal playing in his sexy vest with a friend

I only make the dog where the vest when we are going to be out in the snow playing all day. Otherwise he just gets so sad wearing those silly things.

Anyway.... Four hours later I got up to move the car and it was rain and ice and and winter hellscape!!! We went back inside and I slept half the day away feeling like I had a cold and never wanting to leave the house again. One pot of homemade soup (with dandelion...the biggest ones I have ever seen!!) and a low fat grilled cheese sandwich (not as bad as it sounds...when dipped in ketchup) and one truly awful IQ lowering movie (too embarrassed to say) followed by a hernia inducing viewing of the Ricky Gervais Show and I am ready to go out again!

Maybe a drink first.... Something warm right? Yes! But something to chase away this hint of a dull ache in my bones that could turn into a cold...so something with vitamin C!

Blood Oranges are in season and they a not only gorgeous, they have a lovely tart taste that is perfect in some cocktails. I have been using them a lot with gin, but today I am going for some rum. Spiced rum. Who know what tropical St Lucian herbs and spices might lead to some healing powers? And then who better that The Bitter Truth to make a spicy herbaceous tonic to heal my runny nose?

I better have a big mug.

St Lucian Tonic
2 oz Chairman's Reserve Spiced
3/4 oz The Bitter Truth Pimento Dram
4 oz hot cider
2 oz fresh squeezed blood orange

Heat the cider and pour over the other ingredients and a clove studded slice of blood orange.

I just got back from a walk in that mess and I was humming along happily due to this tonic...see? It works!

I'll Take Manhattan

I have been thinking about what my cocktail book would be like. I'd want to do something that combine history, personal and otherwise, my favorite spirits and the city that has inspired me this past two decades. The answer is simple; the Manhattan. Older than the Martini with countless variations, the Manhattan is the perfect subject. It also happened to be my favorite cocktail to both drink and play around with (Brown, Bitter & Stirred, Lindsay?).

So lets start at the beginning. The first Manhattan I had was with my Grampa Charbonneau. He liked his sweet, with bourbon (kinda hard to find rye then anyway) on the rocks with a cherry. I ordered the same from the bar as a fresh 21 year old eager to bond with my Gramps. We were in some family style restaurant, I can't remember which one. My Gramps liked placed like Perkins and the Pondarosa. When I went back for seconds I mentioned to the bartender that I found the drink a bit sweet. I don't know what kinds of bartending Angel was working the Golden Corral that night but he mentioned that I might take my Manhattan perfect. He messed around with the proportions and I had my first taste of how good a Manhattan could be. Oh, I still wanted the cherry of course. I was 21 after all.



Gramps Manhattan
1 1/2 oz Bourbon
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
Bitters

Stir on the rocks with a cherry

Perfect Manhattan
2 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth

Stir in a glass with cracked ice. Strain into a cocktail glass with a cherry.

The First Salute

There is a new drink going in the menu at Fort Defiance tonight. It captures the historic zeitgeist of my beloved workplace and is one of my favorite recent creations.

I wanted to create a tasty rum drink using an aged rum that would be a nice transition from our glorious Indian Summer to the cold winter months ahead. I also have been playing around with making my own version of the tiki classic, Don's Mix. I made a simple syrup with Cinnamon, grapefruit zest and star anise. Star Anise has been a favorite since tasting my Grandmother's homemade Pizzelles as a child. (And a trip to Niagara Falls last week to visit my 95 year old Aunt Nevia reminded me I STILL have not put my Grandmother's Pizzelle iron to the test!) I have used those lovely star anise pods to infuse bourbon and make Coquito. The flavor comes through nicely in a syrup too.

Armed with "Abby's Mix", some lime and Chairman's Reserve, I had a stellar new drink. The rum adds a hint of vanilla and a full bodied boost while the syrups spiciness comes through to the end of the sip. Now....I needed a name.

So came to the rescue our local bon vivant, Phil. When I mentioned the Rum comes from St Lucia, he stood and saluted me at the bar, a not so easy task after two of said cocktails. Turns out, island nation was the first to salute the young America and recognize them as a sovereign nation, a mere 4 months after declaring independence. The extraordinary historical writer Barbara Tuchman wrote a book about the event and its importance in our Revolutionary war.

Well, that certainly fits the theme of our Fort Defiance. Its a delicious drink, so it will fit in on our tasty menu. It even fits Toby's guidelines for a good drink (3 ingredients!!)

The only thing....after some cursory research (I MUST check my facts) I found out it was the nearby Dutch controlled island of St Eustatius that actually fired the first salute. St Lucia was under British and French control back and forth over the years and was probably in no condition to be as cheeky and brave as those Dutch.

Still, its a good story and a good name and I am sticking with it! By the way...its 82 degrees in St Lucia today. Want to to go?

The First Salute
2oz Chairman's Reserve Rum
3/4 oz "Abby's Mix"
3/4 oz Fresh Lime

Shake with ice and serve straight up.

From TheFirstSalute.org:

On November 16, 1776, a small American warship, the ANDREW DORIA, sailed into the harbor of the tiny Dutch island of St. Eustatius in the West Indies. Only 4 months before, the United States had declared its independence from Great Britain. The American crew was delighted when the Governor of the island, Johannes de Graaf, ordered that his fort's cannons be fired in a friendly salute. The first ever given by a foreign power to the flag of the United States, it was a risky and courageous act.

Swag Cocktail

I collected some of my loot (yes, all survived unbroken in my luggage) from Tales of the Cocktail and made a nice refreshing cocktail on this sunny hot NYC day. I used my ice spear mold to make a nice tall drink with Summer Edition Beefeater Gin and Sence Rose nectar. This is the same Rose nectar they use in the $21 cocktails at Daniel. But I'll make it for you for fee...if you come over before I run out. And bring more tonic!

Swag Cocktail

2oz Beefeater Summer Edition Gin
2oz Sence Rose Nectar
Fentiman's Tonic Water
3 lime wheels

Pour ingredients over 3 ice spears in a tall Collins glass. Garnish with lime wheels in glass.

Dreaming of Frozen Sazeracs

There is a ton of posts forthcoming dear readers, but first I must share my first dream back in NYC.

All my booty and my own boo-tay arrived home safe yesterday. I settled in with my roommate, the dog and some pitchers of frozen drinks to catch up on some sleep and DVR. In my restless tossing (still not trying to roll over on the new tattoo) I had a most marvelous revelation!

In my dream I was put on the spot behind a bar (Prime Meats or The Randolph..it kept changing as dreams do) and had to make two Sazeracs. My lack of knowledge about the Dream Bar kept resulting in watered down drinks that I would have to dump and then start all over. When I awoke to the melted disaster of my last frozen drink last night (Mango, Passion fruit, lime, Tuaca and Tequila) I started thinking about how good a frozen Sazerac might me.

But no...it just couldn't work. That drink hinges on its strength. And I want it smooth, like the snowball drinks Alex Day made me at Death & Co or The Tupuelo Julep that Floyd makes at Vanderbilt using a snow cone machine. Then I had the perfect solution! Liquid Nitrogen! Junior Merino has liquid nitrogen for use in his amazing Cocktail Lab! And luckily, he lives but a few subway stops away from me. I think I need to set up a date with Heidi and Junior to create this frozen Sazerac! Make is strong and tasty in the old New Orleans cocktail tradition, but with a bit of Bourbon Street Daiquiri flair! And so pretty with a beautiful big swath of lemon peel!

Cocktails for Breakfast?! Its like Tales of the Cocktail never ended!

Punch, Flair and Bartender Poets

Walter Dendy Sadler's Punch Bowl They got 18th Century Flair!

As my body and mind fought each other for rest in bed this morning, I had visions of the punch I am going to create for The Dizzy Fizz Tastemaker's Punch at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic next week. I am trying to create a Hudson Valley punch using ingredients dear to me and my home region. My base is Apple Vodka from Tuthilltown and wild mountain thyme infused maple syrup. Though not really in season in the spring, I love apple cider so I might want to incorporate that and the fresh berries of spring and summer that we would pick on Greigs Berry farm in Red Hook. Blackberries, raspberries and strawberries were always so sweet when then can be popped in the mouth still warm from the sun. And on the Mountain top, it was always a race to get to the berries before the bears. Parents attach bells to their children when the go berry picking to keep from surprising the lumbering black bears that come down from the mountain. Mountain Jam Punch...does that have a nice ring to it? I need a good name. Mountain Jam is also the big music festival that happens at Hunter Mountain every year.

Speaking of the Mountain Jam, my friend Katy goes every year and she sent me this article from the Atlantic today about the origins of the cocktail. While it is generally accepted that American bartender Jerry Thomas created the cocktail with his 1862 bartender's manual publication, the British were making punch bowls and spirit concoctions long before.

But at least we invented Flair. Take it away Tom.



Hey...At least Tom and Bryan actually pour some alcohol out:

Maya's Flying Greyhound

Not Maya. She needs to be a bit older...

Today I had the honor of meeting Ms. Maya Rose, the newborn daughter of my dear friends Rachel and Ross. Mr and Mrs Cocktail Daddy were there too, so I guess I should not have been surprised to be offered a Corpse Reviver no. 2 soon after my arrival.

We played, bounced and sang to baby Maya harmonies from Big River, but when our glasses were empty it was time for me to play again. I looked in the fridge and found some luscious pink grapefruits. One was squeezed and then tossed in a shaker with Plymouth Gin, Maraschino liqueur and a touch of Creme de Violette. Voila! A Flying Greyhound!

Maya, I hope you go down to sleep like the drink; sweet and easy! And I think I may have found my calling as the bartending babysitter! I do love milk cocktails....

The Henry Higgins

The Henry Higgins

Today is a very special day. It is the birthday of my Cocktail Daddy, Kent Pierce!

As a news reporter for Channel 8 WTNH in New Haven, I know he was very busy working during this Snowpocalypse we are having here in the tri-state area. But he did reward himself with a birthday cocktail of a Dry Gin Martini with an olive. I went into my kitchen to raise a glass to the great man and fully expected to make the same but, horror!, I have run out of dry vermouth! Well, I always have that old bottle that has been on my cart for ages, but I would not dare use that for a cocktail in honor of Kent Pierce!

So after settling on some Bluecoat Gin, I searched for a tasty compliment to add the RyeGirl twist to this cocktail. I was thinking of a Martinez instead, but then discovered a bottle of Tremontis Myrtle Liqueur rescued form the Winebow Spirits show on Monday. A touch with the Bluecoat stirred over ice and I had a perfect twist on the Kent Pierce Birthday drink.

I named this drink in honor of the character Kenton played in High School. I was his Eliza Doolittle, natch. I think Professor Higgins, by all counts a worldly and learned man, would have appreciated the Italian twist that brings a dry London gin flavor to the refreshing, very American Bluecoat Gin. Italians don't speak English, and in American they haven't spoken it for years!

Happy Birthday, Darling!

Oh! And if you want to see his hot "Treated, Not Treated" Road report..here it is!

Hearts and Cocktails for Haiti

Lush Life indeed! Photo by Lush Life Productions

Last night the Industry folks came together to give some love back to Haiti and the American Red Cross. Organized by Ray Raymond of Leblon Cachaca and Dave Catania of Team Spirits Imports, Hearts and Cocktails for Haiti filled Williamsburg's Bar Celona with good food, drinks and company.

Yours truly got to take the first shift behind the bar. I must say it was an honor to be behind the stick with bartenders I hold in such high regard, such as Clif Travers, Esteban Ordonez, Leo DeGroff and the gifted mixers at Contemporary cocktails. I made my Lavender Mint Margarita with Luna Sueno Blanco, which I was debating renaming the Purple Rose of Jalisco. Naming everything Margarita, just because it uses tequila and lime is getting quite tiresome. And I am confident enough in my cocktails now to give them the names they deserve. This one, in fact, got rave reviews last night!

The Purple Rose of Jalisco?

There we many other delicious drinks and punches too, from the USGBNY, LUPEC, The Rhum Rhum Room and many other generous sponsors and companies. Jill DeGroff was also on had to sign copies of her book, Lush Life. Seeing her great big warm smile is always such a pleasure. She was in full artist mode as well, sketching and drawing the local talent. I really do feel like I am in a wonderful community of artists and bon vivants! Maybe I can finally start hosting that salon at a round table in the Algonquin like I always dreamed of. Can someone sponsor that for me? Maybe that is what The Alchemy Project will turn into!! Hoo boy!

I brought my friend Kim to celebrate her birthday this night and she really hit it off with Ray's mother and sister by the warm fireplace. Two girls; one from Arkansas and the other from Haiti. This is a remarkable country and a wonderful industry that brings such delightful people together in the name of good spirit and fine spirits!

Together I hope we raised a lot of money for the Red Cross and their relief efforts in Haiti that will be going on long after the party fades.

I know we certainly raised some spirits! Many many Spirits!

Two Classics

Tonight was another lovely ladies of the industry night and good times are always to be expected. It was also a night for some education.

At the USBGNY mixer we were blessed with two guests. Ludo Miazga, formerly of Milk and Honey in London and now the Global Brand Ambassador for Benedictine gave us a spirited and passionate lesson about the 500 year history of this spirits.

Benedictine was indeed created as a medicinal elixir my French monks in the town of Fécamp in 1510. Medieval monks were the cocktail geeks of their time. They wrote and researched many books. Read Latin, Arabic, Greek. Even acted at critic commenting in the margins of the texts they were recording and translating. Why, it was thanks to the hard work of these monks that were are able to see just a fraction of the treasures that were lost in the great fire at the Library of Alexandria (while that silly Cleopatra noodled about!)

Unfortunately even this great recipe for the 27 herbs and spices in Benedictine was lost during that other silly noodling, the French Revolution, when the church became despised for their pompous and greedy ways and the Republic kicked them to the curb (or the Guillotine).

They threw out the baby with the bathwater, however, when they destroyed such great works of beauty and art (see the Angels who lost their heads up near my house at the Cloisters) and this precious recipe for Benedictine.

Luckily, it was rediscovered in 1864 by Alexandre Legrand, just in time for the great liquor revival in the 19th century. This is also the time that Combier and Cointreau came out. Alexandre The Great was also quite savvy in the ways of marketing, employing the great artists of his time to create ads (hello Absolut) and building a Palace to lure tourists to Fécamp to not only see how and where Benedictine is made, but to also appreciate great works of art and design in this pastoral seaside setting.

Benedictine also became the first bottled cocktail in 1938 when B &B, Benedictine and Brandy, was introduced. And interesting and historic spirit, indeed. Not to mention, tasty!

Lynn House from Graham Elliot Restaurant in Chicago was also at the mixer tonight to talk about Women in Mixology and the Chicago bar scene. She is here in NYC as a finalist in the Benedictine Cocktail challenge tomorrow, and I must say her libation was quite delicious. Kick butt tomorrow, Lynn!

Later, I had a glorious dinner at Schiller's with two lovely ladies. We feasted on oysters and shrimp and sipped gorgeous cocktails. I had the Jerry Thomas, but demanded Cointreau and extra bitters. I have long been a fan of Cointreau...I'd say ever since 1995 when I was using it to make Cosmos! Triple Sec? What is that?

My favorite cocktail (went smashingly well with the oysters) was a delightful concoction of Cointreau, bitters and Champagne.

Another classic night! Speaking of classics....maybe I should try that Cosmo again...

The Crash of 1929

I am working a wedding tomorrow and have created the cocktail list for the happy couple. The theme of their gathering is 1929. Not as terrible as you might think. One half of the couple is European, so Prohibition was not really a factor. And while we may be suffering through a terrible economic crisis, why not remember the free wheeling days right before the crash?

The list features some twists on the classics and a new cocktail created just for the happy pairing!

The Floradora was named after the first Broadway musical hit in the 1900's, which originated in London (where the engagement took place). I first enjoyed this drink at the gifted hands of my friend Meliz, who was working at Brooklyn's Sample on Smith st at the time.

Floradora
1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz framboise liqueur
ginger ale
lime wedge for garnish

The Twentieth Century cocktail seemed like an obvious choice since I have access to loads of chocolate mint. It will make a pretty cocktail with bits of mint floating on the glass like all the money pissed away in the last decade of war and financial decadence.

The Twentieth Century
1 1/2 oz Saaga Vodka
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice


The Pegu Club Cocktail is a classic cocktail from the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. This is a rare shaken gin drink, so in honor of the frostbite my hands will be getting tomorrow, I have substituted Cointreau with Blue curacao and orange flower syrup for a more festive look.

The Blue Pegu
2 oz gin
3/4 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz lime juice
2 dashes Grapefruit bitters
lime wedge or peel for garnish
Orange flower Simple syrup to taste

This drink was created for the couple. It is simple and elegant and very delicious.

Baritarian Rose Cocktail

2oz Saaga Vodka
1/2oz Crème de Violette
Drops of rose water
Lavender syrup
Top with soda water or sparkling wine

There will also be a French 75 punch. And myself in a flapper dress. And Walker in white hot pants and moustache, I hope!

Ahh..good times!

Prime Meats

Last night I attempted to have a Tales -6/21 reunion in Brooklyn. But with everyone working on a busy Saturday night, it turned into Andrea and I visiting Damon and Frank at Prime Meats.

I have been telling Andrea about the pre-prohibition cocktail craze and Prime Meats seemed like an excellent way to showcase how these cocktails can be classic with clean modern twists. The same can be said for the delicious food we enjoyed. The homemade was spatzle was creamy and topped with the most delectable mushrooms. The pork belly over fresh pickled house sauerkraut was also a favorite.

Drinks-wise, we got a Bijou, Manhattan, Sazerac (Applejack), Vieux Carre and an Old Fashioned so the classics were well represented.

Then some handsome boys from the Netherlands joined us and some fresh german and Brooklyn beer was consumed. Besides learning that they could be dangerous with weapons so its a good thing the don't allow guns there, we also learned that Jenever is a spirit that old men drink in Holland. They were tickled to learn that it is the hot new spirit here.

Hey...I like old men. I was drinking Manhattans with my grandpa while everyone was still drinking Cosmos.

After 2am, it was clearly time to bowl, so we headed off to the new Brooklyn Bowl where I had Coffee Stout from the Brooklyn Brewery next door. I figured since we were gonna be up til the sun came out, what better to start my Sunday morning than with some Stumptown coffee?