International Woman's Day March 8th 2012

This event is part of my Farewell NYC Tour, so make sure you come out!  

Since I first started with LUPEC NYC, this has been one of my favorite events that I look forward to every year.  Women & Whiskey?!  How can it get better?!  Well, this year I am making my critically acclaimed drink, the Charlie Hustle.  And we are having this event at one of my favorite bars in NYC, Lani Kai.  I am glad my scotch drink has some tropical flair with its smoking rosemary and live rosemary branch garnish.  I think I need to wear a hat festooned with Rosemary...what do you think?

Charlie Hustle

1 1/2 oz Great King St Scotch

1/2 oz Peat Monster Scotch

1/2 oz Maple Syrup

1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

1/2 oz fresh Lemon Juice

Garnish: Rosemary "Smoke" and fresh Rosemary branch 

To "Smoke" your glass, take a dry sprig of rosemary and set it on fire on a heat proof service. When it smolders and smokes, invert an old fashioned glass over the smoking branch.  This adds and smokey warm aromatic quality to the drink.  Shake the rest of the ingredients in a tin filled with ice and strain into  your smoked glass filled with fresh ice.  Garnish with a fresh branch of rosemary.

Broad Appeal

LUPEC NY is starting a monthly charity bar shift called Broad Appeal, where us ladies take over the downstairs bar of Macao.  The first one is tomorrow night.  So come out and support Meagan and the Wounded Warrior Project.


And next month will be my shift and my final night in NYC!  Save the date! March 20th 2012!

Ladies Behind the Bar

My favorite battle of the sexes

My dear friend Francine wrote a great piece about what it is like to be a lady in this male dominated field and I am even quoted.  It won't stay that way for long, I think.  I just hope eventually we all get the same respect, pay, shift and job opportunities as the boys do.  But as it is culturally in every field, its an uphill climb.

"You Can't Grow a Mustache*"

[Shakestir.com]

Small World

In August of 2008 I wrote on this blog about the lovely lady bartenders at Pegu Club. Tonight I learned that that lovely lady was probably none other than one of my dearest friends, Erin Williams of Hush Cocktails.

What a lovely small world we are in. I like it. And I love my LUPEC Ladies.

Speaking of lovely LUPEC ladies...well done to Yael at Painkiller for making amazing tiki drinks and workin' that jigger and blender like the pro that she is! Delicious and nutritious! This bourbon bitch had what is essentially a cucumber mint julep all mixed up in the fancy high tech blenders yum!

Too bad the seats at the bar are not designed for humans..ouch! I thought bike butt was painful this week, now I have Tiki bar butt!

Make sure you join Hush Cocktails and LUPEC at the Manhattan Cocktails Classic for the Micro Spirits Odyssey. This will be an all-day micro-distilling extravaganza at Butter Restaurant, featuring dozens of boutique brands, creative cocktails, and gourmet culinary pairings.

I am most looking forward to the seminar below:

Our "ForeBroads"
Sunday, May 16th, 3:00pm - 4:30pm

with Melanie Asher - CEO Macchu Pisco; Alexandra Guarnaschelli - Executive Chef, Butter Restaurant; Lynette Marrero - LUPEC NYC chapter president; Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan - Master of Wine; and Erin Williams - Founder, Hush Cocktails

Hear the stories of the woman's role in culinary and cocktail culture - along with distillation past, present, and future. Discover how females formed their roles working in distilleries during prohibition by running saloons and speakeasies, to the new trend of extremely successful women running their own restaurants, bars, distilleries and business related to.

This is now in my heart and head:

Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Here it comes! Having missed the two day preview back in October, I am looking forward to being involved in this main event in May!

I know for sure I will be working the Margarita Seminar, natch, on May 16th. And keep an eye out for Barlesque, the burlesque and cocktail themed LUPEC after party!

Tickets on sale tomorrow!

"Manhattan Cocktail Classic - Main Event"
[NY Times]

We Can Do It!

PAMA Pomegranate Liquor invites you to celebrate Rosie the Riveter's 90th Birthday!

March 12th would have been the 90th Birthday of this true American Icon. In her honor, LeNell Smothers created a cocktail that embodies her can-do spirit that has captured the hearts and minds of Americans for decades.

Join us on Tuesday March 9th From 6-8pm at Rye House (11 W. 17th st) for a Rosé the Riveter cocktail to toast this true American Icon!

LUPEC NY founding members Lynnette Marrero and Eryn Reece will be slinging cocktails for Rosie's birthday behind the bar at Rye House, a new American gastropub nominated for multiple Time Out Reader's Choice awards.

LeNell herself might also make an appearance via Skype from Mexico! Don't miss this chance to drink once again with LeNell Smothers!

If you are a Tweeter RSVP here: http://twtvite.com/rosietheriveter

Women & Whisky

A Charbonneu Gal in Quebec? Oui oui!

The NY Times today listed the latest LUPEC event going on next Monday at the Astor Wine Center. Its a tweetup so make sure all you twits and bloggers come! The Twitvite is here.
Tickets are $30, with $5 of the price to benefit Dress for Success Worldwide and they include two cocktails. Go to Astor Wines for tickets here.

I will be shaking it with the Ladies and you are gonna want to try my own creation, The McGill Law Review!

I am French Canadian (A Charbonneau) and have dear friends and family just north in Montreal. I am always struck by the great scotch you can find in Montreal and reall is makes a lot of sense historically.

Ever since the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite forces at the battle of Culloden, the Scots poured into the French Provence of Canada to start a new life. In Quebec and Montreal the influence of the Scots was strong as they quickly rose up through the ranks of government and public service. Many schools, museums and institutions were founded by the new Scottish mercantile class. One school where I have friends and relatives is McGill University.

This drink is in honor of my friends Benjamin and Jordi, scotch lovers and law students at McGill.

The McGill Law Review
2 oz Of Oak Cross Compass Box Whisky
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Lavender Maple Syrup*
Dash of Rhubarb Bitters
Spritz of Peat Monster

Garnish: Lemon Peel

Spritz a chilled old fashioned glass with Peat Monster. In a shaker prepare Oak Cross, lemon, yellow chartreuse, dash of Rhubarb bitters and Lavender Maple syrup. Shake. Fill spritzed fashioned glass with rock ice and strain mixture in. Garnish with a lemon peel.

*to make the Lavender Maple Syrup, Steep 1/2 a cup of hot water in 1 tablespoon dried or fresh Lavender for 5 min. Mix with 1/2 cup of water. Yields 1 cup of syrup. Good refrigerated for one week.

Hold On to the Night

More Lush Life Photos here

This past weekend we held our LUPEC/USBG Winter Ball. Early in the planning stages, when the 80's prom theme was suggested, I mentioned that I knew of a great place, and a great band and it just snowballed from there.

We were welcoming members of the USBG Illinois Chapter and had wonderful sponsors on hand to do it up right. Saratoga water, Crif Dogs, Glenmorangie, Hendricks, Sailor Jerry, Zacapa Rum, Don Julio, Absolut Berry Acai, Plymouth Gin, Grand Marnier, Tuthilltown Spirits, Cointreau, Sambuca...oh yes...the punch was very much spiked. And spiked rather well.

My cousin Pete came down to lend his hand in the authentic 80's decorations, music and styling department. And just like real high school, I had a Canadian boyfriend...only this time he is real! Ha ha!

Perfecting the awkward hand hold with your gay Canadian boyfriend

Also just like real HS, when I threw an epic after prom party, I spent more time chaperoning everyone and making sure a good time was had by all than actually drinking and having fun myself. But I did dance my feet raw and was pleased with how the event turned out.

It was great fun having the yearbooks out and finally getting to be the Barbie popular girl. Bunnie England and the New Originals rocked, as usual and Frankie and James stood out as true rock stars. Jamie Gordon and Charles Hardwick literally had the floor bouncing with their rendition of the Beastie Boys "Fight for your right to Paaaaaarrrrtay!" Suck it High School!

What should the theme be next year?

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!

Now You're Cookin' with Booze!

I am trying to get into a Vera Wang for the LUPEC/USBGNY Winter Ball next month so I hit the gym this morning..only to see a yummy recipe from Rachel Ray for an upstate NY inspired French Onion Soup. She used NY sharp cheddar, apples and apple cider to give a nice sharp sweet tang to this french classic. I went a bit further by using a touch of Maple Syrup from my cousins, the Pelhams, when my onions would not caramelize, and Applejack Brandy to add that Rye Girl bite!

Try this when you need a cheap yummy soup that fills your house with lovely smells and when you need a good cry. Five onions to chop is not without its hazards. Try wearing goggle..mine were at the gym so I cried like a baby.

French Upstate Canadian Soup
5 large softball sized onions
1/4 cup butter
3 crisp apples
Thyme
Pepper
Salt
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Applejack Brandy
1 cup Apple Cider
1 quart beef broth

Slice onions and throw over the melted butter in a large pot over medium low heat. Stir in salt pepper and thyme. Cook down til they are caramelized, stirring occasionally for over 1/2 hour. Just before the onions are done, stir in chopped apples and maple syrup. When the mixture is good and gooey, add the brandy, cider and broth. When hot it is ready to serve . Add cheesy toast on top for that bistro style onion soup.