What Did YOU Think About this year’s Tales of the Cocktail?

I heard feedback from a range of mixologists and bartenders who attended seminars at Tales of the Cocktail, all week. A few sentiments were repeated again, and again. Here are the things I heard, and some of my suggested solutions. What are yours?

Complaint #1: The content of the seminars. Overall, attendees love the topics covered. However, some experienced bartenders were hoping to be more challenged but found the information presented redundant and elementary.

Suggested Solution: Tales of the Cocktail is a wonderful gathering because the general public (ie: novices) are welcome to learn alongside experts in the field. It would be a shame to lose this aspect because it is part of what makes Tales so special. I suggest dividing the seminars into: “Enthusiast” and “Expert” categories, and let the attendees choose according to their own experience level.

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Complaint #2: Overcrowding. As a member of the “media” covering the 5-day event who got a free pass to any seminar of my choosing, I hate to shoot myself in the foot with this one. However, it is understandable that people who paid between $40 - $85 to attend – and found themselves without a seat and NO cocktail samples – would be upset by the overcrowding.

Suggested Solution: Limit the number of “free” entrants to each seminar and make presenters, Vip’s and press RSVP. Set aside a certain number of seats for them, and make sure that there are enough seats for paying attendees. Most importantly – have a qualified person standing at the door to check people off the list as they arrive. It is more work when organizing these seminars – but keeping people happy will keep them coming back year after year.

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Complaint #3: Piggyback events. It is pretty sad that some liquor companies would set up parties around New Orleans during the Tales week - but not support Tales of the Cocktail. I mean, that's low. Yeah, yeah, its “business” and they want to put out the least amount of money to take advantage of all the cocktail industry in one place --- but, seriously, it just make you look like cheapskates. (You know who you are.)

Suggested Solution: Give liquor companies sponsoring Tales of the Cocktail a special “Tales ;09 Approved” rating to place on their invitations, websites and other marketing material leading up to our annual festival. That way, we know who is truly has the ‘Tales spirit’ and who is merely a tacky imitation.

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What are YOUR complaints and suggestions? Post them in the "comments" at the bottom of this post.

San Francisco Cocktail Week 2008

The second annual San Francisco Cocktail Week just wrapped up – and if you missed it, you will be sorry! I journeyed up the coast, last year, to cover the very first SF Cocktail Week 2007 and was impressed with what the boys from the Bay Area are doing to rally the tippling troops, so I had to show my solidarity again. (Gosh, darn, twist my arm.)

Starlight and Cable Cars

The first event kicked off last Tuesday (May 13) at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room, where Tony Abou-Ganim was honored. With decades of mixology under his belt, and boundless passion behind the stick, Tony’s nod was well deserved. The crowd toasted him with the now legendary Cable Car cocktails, which Tony created years ago while working at the Starlight Room, atop the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. The famous drink is proudly still served by today’s barmen.

Another well-respected mixologist, Jacques Bezuidenhout also worked at the Starlight Room and I was excited to share a Cable Car with him, as well, while interviewing him on-camera for an upcoming video for The Liquid Muse Cocktail Show!

Save the Sazerac!

Elixir Saloon stirred up support for Tales of the Cocktail - what a preview of what's to come in New Orleans! H. Joseph Ehrmann owns the historic saloon (which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year!) and is one of the three founders of San Francisco Cocktail Week.

He, along with Jeff Hollinger (GM of Absinthe and author of Art of the Bar) and Duggan McDonnel (of Cantina fame), decided to organize the citywide event with an eye toward unifying San Francisco’s finest bartenders. H told me that San Francisco was the first to organize a whole week around World Cocktail Day.

Proceeds from Friday’s ‘Save the Sazerac’ event at Elixir raised awareness and money for our brethren in New Orleans, and support for Tales of the Cocktail. The Grand Dame of the Crescent City herself, Ann R. Tunnerman, flew in for the party and energized the crowd for the upcoming biggest cocktailian love-fest of the year, Tales of the Cocktail, which runs July 16-20. (Be there or be a sad little puppy!)

H also prepared his version of the Sazerac, the Shirazerac, and the crowd around the bar was no fewer than 5 deep at any given moment. Jeff Hollinger jumped behind the bar to help out, and even with the boys mixing 10 drinks at a time, everyone had to elbow our way in to secure a drink, and still wait at least half an hour between rounds!

Shirazerac (by H of Elixir)

1 barspoon of Shiraz syrup*
2oz of Sazerac Rye
1/2 barspoon Pastis Herbsaint
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 Star Anise
1 quarter size round of lemon rind

Fill an Old Fashioned glass with ice and set aside to chill. Cut the lemon rind to a circle about the size of a quarter, without pith. Stick a toothpick through the star anise and into the lemon rind until only a small bit of the toothpick shows from the top, breaking off the extra beneath the lemon. Set garnish aside. In a separate glass, put shiraz syrup at the bottom of the glass and cover with the rye whiskey and the bitters. Stir to dissolve the syrup. Stir briefly. Empty the chilled glass and add the Absinthe substitute to it, swirling around to coat it and leaving a small pool of what is left at the bottom. Strain the cocktail into that glass and add the Star Anise as a floating garnish.

New (Cool) Kid in Town: Beretta

I also made a point of getting down to the very new, hip and PACKED Beretta for drinks and pizza fired to crisp perfection. The risotto kicks serious bootie, too, and the cocktails…

Well, with SF Chapter President of the USBG Jon Santer shaking and stirring, would you expect less than outstanding drinks? He created an apple and cherry drink especially for cocktail week. It was de-li-cious!

A mass exodus from Bourbon & Branch has lured several of the city’s finest bartenders to enjoy flocks of thirsty San Franciscans at their new home at Beretta. All’s fair in love and mixology, I suppose.

A Tribute to a Founding Father in Cocktail History

Saturday started off with an amazing surprise. Diego Loret de Mola (most known to us as the Barsol Pisco king) organized a very special trek out to Cypress Lawn Cemetery. We were on a mission to honor Duncan Nicol, who ran the Bank Exchange bar in the early 20th Century and created the Pisco Punch.

John Burton and David Wondrich aided Diego in digging up history on the Nicol, who lays to rest in a magnificent setting. Diego also presented John Burton with a special plaque as recognition for his deep knowledge of cocktail lore and contributions to our field.

Next, Diego took our busload to Fresca, a Peruvian-style ceviche bar for tastes of his native food and more cocktails! In addition to delicious raw fish delights, we tried Coca Pisco cocktails, garnished with coca leaves. (Don’t you just love uppers and downers in one easy sip?) The day was a treat and I definitely felt privileged to be part of the excursion.

Booze and Books

San Francisco magazine’s Scott Hocker moderated a panel of several knowledgeable cocktail history experts including David Wondrich, John Burton, Jim Jarvis and Jordan Mackay just off the lobby of Hotel Rex. Keeping in the Pisco ‘spirit,’ Duggan McDonnel treated the audience to glasses of Pisco Punch. (Now that’s the kind of lecture I can get behind!) The after-party continued at Cantina, where Mr. Mojito stepped behind the bar to shake up more fun.

Final Call at Absinthe

Once again, SF Cocktail Week had its closing party at Absinthe, hosted by Jeff Hollinger. I left town the day before so I don’t have pix from there but if it was anything like last year, I’m sure it was a who’s who of mixology enthusiasts from up and down the West Coast.

So, it was a successful sophomore year for SF Cocktail Week, and With World Cocktail Week wrapped up, all eyes are on New Orleans for an even bigger cocktail extravaganza. See you at Tales in July!

The Sazerac Becomes the Official Cocktail of the Big Easy!

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Ann Rogers Tunnerman, founder of Tales of the Cocktail, the Sazerac has finally been awarded its deserved title of "Official Cocktail of New Orleans!"

If you are headed to Tales, this year, I look forward to clinking (Sazerac) glasses with you. If you are not going, check in on the Tales of the Cocktail Website and The Liquid Muse homepage to see my Daily Recap Webisodes... and cry in your rye whiskey over the fun you wish you were having...

Also, don't forget to check out the TalesBlog. It is a forum where several of us cocktail bloggers are simultaneously keeping you up-to-date with the biggest cocktail convention in the world!

Sazerac Cocktail recipe:

1/2 ounce absinthe
2 ounces rye whiskey
1 sugar cube
healthy dash Peychaud's bitters
lemon peel
big ice cubes (optional)

Pour the absinthe into a rocks glass and swirl it around, coating it well. Pour out remaining liquid. (I keep a tiny bit in...) Place sugar cube in the bottom of the glass, then douse it with Peychaud's bitters. Muddle. Add rye whiskey and garnish with a lemon peel twirl. While most "manly men" tend to prefer this drink 'up,' I like it with big, slow-melting ice cubes.

"Going Green is Big Easy"

Those crazy kids down in New Orleans who came up with a bright idea called Tales of the Cocktail, now present Tales of the Eco-Toddy!

In the words of Ann Rogers Tuennerman, the event will wrap you in “environmentally conscious warmth, comfort and joy sipping ECO Toddies, Nogs, Hot Buttered Rum, Mulled Wine and more green friendly libations.” The evening is hosted by local culinary celebrity Lorin Gaudin and guests will enjoy:

• Green Fairy-Sampling of various Absinthes from around the world
• Green Tea Cocktails
• The Tree Hugger Holiday Market in partnership with Freret St. Market
• Holiday Cocktail Creations by New Orleans top mixologists
• Informal Modeling of Worn Again Fashions by Recycle 4 the Arts designers
• Debut and book signing of Poppy Tooker’s Crescent City Farmer’s Market Cookbook
• Debut and CD signing of Armand's St. Martin's "KATRINA ANTHEM", A Katrina Collection of Memorable St. Martin Songs
• Cocktail Herb Garden- Designed by Anne Baker, Sustainable Farming & Organic Gardening Consultant and Educator. Proudly supported by Absolut Vodka global cooling campaign.

Tales of the Eco Toddy takes place on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 from 5:00pm-8:00pm at Republic New Orleans, 828 South Peters Street. Tickets are $25.00 per person in advance or $30.00 per person at door.

Daily Recap Webisode #1: Welcome to Tales!

Sponsored by Martin Miller's gin

In this episode:

- Ann Rogers Tunnerman gives the Tales of the Cocktail history
- Kevin Brauch of The Thirsty Traveler flashes his pecs
- Sexy Beefeater gin girls pose for the camera
- Andrea Thornton gives a little Hotel Monteleone history
- Martin Miller's gin co-founder, David Bromige, tells us about his brand

Also meet:

- Diego Loret de Mola from Barsol Pisco
- Robert Hess of DrinkBoy.com and the Cocktail Spirit Show with the Small Screen Network
- Michael Silvers of Uber Bar Tools

Vintage Cocktail Books Now Available to All!

My only truly old vintage cocktail book is called “Burke’s Complete Cocktail & Drinking Recipe,”published in 1936. I love it. I have it on a special shelf. I take it down just to look at it when I’m having a bad day. Yes, it brings out my inner “cocktail geek.”

So, when I got an email telling me about Mud Puddle / Cocktail Kingdom’s vintage cocktail book reproductions, I began to salivate and quiver with pleasure. My geek-o-meter went on overdrive and I couldn’t type fast enough to tell them that – YES – of course I’d love to cover this on The Liquid Muse.

And, much to my delight, I received 2 sample books in the mail upon returning from Tales of the Cocktail. Great timing since the week after Tales is a bit like the week after New Year’s. You’re tired, full of toxins, and feel a bit like “now what?”

They are both beautiful. One is called “The Mixicologist, or How to Mix All Kinds of Fancy Drinks” by C.F. Lawlor. How kewl. And the original copyright is 1895!! And, get a load of this Dedication. Makes me woozy with delight:

“This book has been prepared for the benefit of those who patronize the best bar-rooms, wine-rooms, and club-rooms, so that they may know what is really good, and when and where they can get it. If that class shall be benefited, then the writer will feel amply repaid for the time and trouble he has expended and feel that a life spent in the service of good taste has not been in vain.”

Is that not just absolutely, fantastically AWESOME!?! Ooooh, I love this book.

The other sample Cocktail Kingdom sent me is called “Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Illustrated Bartender’s Manual, or How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style, and a Guide for Hotels and Restaurants.” Harry Johnson calls himself: “Publisher and Professional Bartender, and Instructor in the Art How to Attend a Bar.” Fa-bu-lous, n’est ce pas?

The first line of Mr. Johnson’s book reads:

“Early in my childhood, I developed a fascination with cocktails in general, and bartending in specific. It wasn’t the alcohol that caught my attention, but the craftsmanship, the skill and the art.”

Doesn’t that just make your skin all tingly? If you are a true Sipster, it should.

I don’t have to tell you what to get the cocktail lover in your life for the next gift-giving holiday. (You better believe this post will end up in my husband’s inbox, too…) Visit Cocktail Kingdom and brighten someone’s day. Maybe they’ll whip you up a little history in a glass as thanks.

Miss Charming's Cocktail Cinema at Tales of the Cocktail

I want to give a big, huge, shout-out and hug to Cheryl Charming, aka: Miss Charming. At the last minute, she could not attend Tales of the Cocktail but as they say on Broadway: "the show must go on."

And it did!

Cheryl chose "Auntie Mame" as the movie, and people piled in to watch it. There were Side Cars a-flowing and both Jeffrey Morgenthaler and Darcy O'Neill showed up to help out.

See a bit more in my Daily Recap Webisode #5. I gave Cheryl a big "hello" from New Orleans which didn't make it into the final cut (once it was filmed, it was out of my hands in the editing room...).

But, I'm sure we all agree that Miss Charming was there in spirit! We missed you, Cheryl!

Step by Step Guide to Free Publicity for Your Bar or Product

"Making the Most of the Media"

I was honored to be on a panel alongside two fab ladies at the 2008 Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas: Ann R. Tunnerman, PR Maven and founder of Tales of the Cocktail and Jenny Adams, contributing Editor to Nightclub & Bar Magazine, Columnist for the Miami Herald, Author of "Mixing New Orleans" and Freelance Writer Extraordinaire.

My "credentials" include: Providing Mixology services (customized cocktails for parties and personalities); Editor of The Liquid Muse; I pen two monthly cocktail columns (one regional, one internationally syndicated) and freelance for other magazines. My non-alcoholic cocktail book (featuring original recipes) comes out in December. (I start Book Two next month.)

Our seminar was aimed at helping bars, restaurants and liquor companies make the most of the media. I've extracted some highlights from our seminar and added some personal notes:

1. Approach all types of press with your story ideas: blogs, magazines, newspapers, trade publications, etc.

2. Read several back issues of the targeted publication so you can suggest where your story / product might fit.

3. Explain your idea in 300 words or less, include contact info, any timely details.

4. Make your story idea specific and unique. Everyone says, “We have an awesome premium vodka!” A better pitch is: “Our awesome premium vodka is the only one in the world made from banana peels! We’re serving it to the Queen of England for her birthday bash held on a rocket ship to Jupiter!”

5. Send jpgs of the product / place / event with the pitch. Low-res is fine for online, and high-res 300 dpi is necessary for print.

6. Follow up by email a week or so later.

My personal requests, particularly regarding The Liquid Muse:

1. The Liquid Muse is devoted to cocktails, liquors, wines, bars, restaurants, destinations (travel) and the people related to them, with a particular focus on high-end / luxury angles. So, if you send me a “I (heart) Teddy Bears” T-shirt or ask me to publicize your beer-bong-a-thon, please understand that you are not talking to my demographic audience.

2. Don’t send me a press release about your new liquor and expect me to write about it without receiving a sample. Trust me, it’s not for yet another bottle of booze – my home bar over-floweth. I simply won't publicize a liquor I haven’t tasted.

3. Sending a sample doesn’t guarantee coverage. If I don't like the product, I’m probably not going to spend time writing about it. Ultimately, this is better for your product. I often write about things I love right away. If I'm too busy right then, I keep them in mind for future coverage.

4. Don't harrass me or write snippy follow up emails! If a review hasn’t gone up in a timely manner, keep in mind that my blog is a labor of love. I don’t make much money off it. If you aren’t paying for a review or advertisement, you are in line with all the other folks who want free publicity. Paying gigs always come first. A sample bottle of $12 booze, is not payment.

5. Refer to #2 – 4 for bar, restaurant and event coverage.

6. Send pitches via email. Do NOT pitch by phone. If I answer my phone, I’m usually driving. I live in LA. Driving is my very limited personal phone time. Don’t mess with it unless we have an appointment to speak by phone, or you'd like a Liquid Muse Signature Cocktail for an interesting and lucrative liquor launch or upcoming event. Then, please feel free to call me. If you want to pitch your bar or product for free publicity on my website, an email does the trick.

7. How can we work together? I'm always willing to cross-promote and team up on the right opportunities. E-me, then let's talk... I'm gearing up to re-vamp my website yet again, so I'm open to opportunities.

Please understand that I welcome your emails, press releases, invitations and product samples. I wish I had 6 employees because things would move a little faster on my end. I want to know what your PR clients are doing. I want to write about that fabulous new liqueur. I want to discover your restaurant / hotel / destination. Yes, I go on press trips.

I want to share all the fantastic, delicious, impressive things I experience with anyone who will listen. We want the same thing in the end --- we want to help people know how and where to spend their precious leisure time and money. And, they want to know, too. Help me help you, and we all win!

LA Bartenders Unite!

So, finally, something that I’ve been hoping to see come to fruition is a reality.

I started The Liquid Muse Cocktail Club’s Cocktail of the Week, last summer. I highlighted a cocktail from a different LA restaurant in each mailing. (Its currently called The Liquid Muse Mixology Museletter because I just can't do it once a week. Its more-or-less monthly. Sign up for it here.) I was hoping that by highlighting the few quality cocktails I could scrounge up in this town that Angelenos would take note, then seek out and demand better drinks.

Then something wonderful happened. I met some fantastic LA-based bartenders at Tales of the Cocktail, last year, who felt the same way I did. Why are cities like San Fran and NYC (not to mention Seattle, Chicago, Boston and DC) respected for their fine drinks – while LA lags behind as land of the “vodka redbull” or even less appetizing, “Skinny Bitch (rum and diet coke)?” Especially when there are some talented and creative bartenders out here, with a passion for “the craft of the cocktail.” (to reference the grand Dale DeGroff)

Marcos Tello recently launched The Sporting Life (with a little help from his friend and business partner Damian Windsor ... who apparently loves Partida, judging by this photo...). It’s a Los Angeles-based bartender club, of sorts. And, cocktail bloggers are included. (We are all cocktail geeks together, after all…)

The first meeting comprised about 10 people and Joe Keeper (of Bar Keeper fame) lent the cozy back patio behind his store. Marcos sprung for the booze himself, and greeted everyone with sparkling cocktails.

The second meeting was this past weekend at Mozza – a great score considering it’s a tough place to get a reservation to PAY to drink there. This time, the fellas brought on a liquor sponsor. (Hello… if anyone can actually get a liquor sponsor it’s those of us who work with, sell and create new cocktails with their products!)

And – it was a good one! I’ve been a fan of Partida Tequila since I first blogged about it back in the summer of 2006. One of my favorites – and owned by a woman. How much more cool does it get?

The boys whipped up some awesome drinks on Sunday. One with Campari. One with cucumber foam. And, another sort of Tequila Old fashioned. It was the perfect way to kick off a Sunday afternoon, to be sure.

This time the crowd was about double what it was last time, and we had a surprise guest. Jacques Bezuidenhout who reps Partida came down from San Fran with his girlfriend, for the meeting. (Who says No-Cal and So-Cal don’t get along?)

Also in attendance were four cocktail bloggers – including me. Chuck Taggart from Gumbo Pages, Ted Haigh from Dr. Cocktail and Marleigh Riggins from Sloshed were all in one corner together. (Elitist snobs.) Just kidding. I was joyful to be in the real live company of other people who sit in front of a computer blathering on about cocktails for little to no pay. Just for the pure love of it. (Crazy people stick together, ya know!) And, Ted gave a presentation on bitters.

The bartenders came from all sorts of respected hot spots around town: Seven Grand, Doheny, Comme Ca, Bar Marmont, Villa, El Carmen, Fatfish – and more I’m surely forgetting right now (sorry guys).

And, of course, our host Chris Ojeda, the barman at Mozza, gave us a fascinating rundown of the incredible collection of Amaro behind Mozza’s bar. It’s got to be the biggest collection of Amaro in LA. Most bottles have never been opened. The bar menu features several drinks made with Amaro, which is ridiculously cool. Try the Montenegro Fizz, Meletti Smash or The Bitter End to see what I’m talking about…

In the coming weeks and months you will be seeing these talented folks featured here on The Liquid Muse Blog and in The Bartender Diaries. After all, birds of a feather drink together! I raise a glass to Marcos for getting this underway. And, here’s to The Sporting Life!

Guest Writer, On a Gas Can Full O' Southern Hospitality

In my line of work, I meet some awsome people. Among them is Jenny Adams, author of Mixing New Orleans and freelance writer. We finally clinked glasses, in person, at Tales of the Cocktail this past July, and were instant drinking buddies! Here is a little about Jenny, followed by her first contribution to The Liquid Muse:

Jenny Adams is a full-time freelance writer and the contributing editor of Nightclub & Bar magazine. She dreams of one day being well known for her writing, but still able to run around incognito due to her somewhat handicapped sense of fashion. She digs cream cheese, sailboats, words like 'visceral' and loud, live music. She can't stand overly-fruity cocktails, small children when they're sticky, words like 'genteel' and when her bacon isn't fully cooked. For more aboutJenny, please visit jennyadamsfreelance.com.

Oxford is to Mississippi what the city of Austin is to Texas. It’s slightly out of whack with the rest of the state – a sort of oasis for liberal minds and literary genius, a verdant speck of a town where moonshine and Veuve Cliquot are poured with equal zeal as women teeter by on Prada heels. The town earned the nickname “The Little Easy” during its heyday in the early ‘90s, and today, it is still one of the South’s best places to Happy Hour. Where else do people sit around discussing Faulkner’s lesser known works over fried pickles and Martinis?

In this little oxymoron of a town with only 20,000 residents, one cocktail is known to top the rest, however. You haven’t been to Oxford, Mississippi till you have climbed atop a ripped barstool at Ajax Diner, ordered the catfish and a Bloody Mary. The waitress will heft a red, plastic gasoline can with a smile, and if you it’s your first time, the experience can be slightly bizarre.

In this gasoline can is Proprietor Randy Yates’ town secret to curing the effects of the night before. He mixes it by the gallon to ensure customers never go without. Add in your favorite vodka, and Wah-la!

A note: I once had a theory that if one drank this magical hangover juice all night long, one would awake refreshed and feeling quite normal after an entire night out partying. I regret to say, my hypothesis was proven false in the winter of 2006. I had to have another in the morning before feeling my usual self.

Ajax Diner Bloody Mary Mix:

4 cans of V8 Juice
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 cups orange juice
1/2 T. horseradish
1 T. kosher salt
1 T. black pepper
1/2 T. cumin
1/2 T. garlic powder
1/2 T. celery salt
1 T. red pepper flakes
1/2 T. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup Coke
Tabasco to taste

Combine all ingredients in gallon container. Mix well. Fill tall glass with 1 1/2 ounces of vodka and sufficient mix. Garnish with a squeeze of lemon, a squeeze of lime and a spear of pickled okra.

Cocktails with S.O.L.E.

From the Farm to the Glass -
and the first flavored organic vodka is coming soon...!

Seasonal. Organic. Local. Ethical. “Sole” is the heart of sustainable cuisine. And, a sustainable diet doesn’t stop at the kitchen. Today it’s easier than ever to carry that philosophy behind the bar!

This topic came up at Tales of the Cocktail, and a panel of speakers passionate about blending “eco” and “gourmet” contributed their two cents.

Of course, the one nearest to my heart was Allison Evanow, CEO of Square One Organic Vodka. I first interviewed Allison last fall. One of the things that stands out most when remembering that phone call, was her stirring the persimmon puree bubbling on her stove. How often does a CEO of a liquor company create “from scratch” cocktail recipes in her own kitchen?

Allison considers herself a foodie and ‘environment local advocate.’ She lives in the Bay Area and shops at the farmers market, incorporating fresh, seasonal ingredients into her cooking and home bartending. Her product reflects her commitment to an organic lifestyle.

While some vodka boast about being distilled 4, 5 or 6 times, Square One Organic Vodka is made from organic rye and distilled only once. As Allison points out, “Some people say, ‘You distill out all the impurities, so who cares?’” Evanow’s answer to that is: “Start at square one and do it right the first time.” It even has a USDA Organic seal on the bottle.

And, Square One fans will be excited to know that the first flavored organic vodka – Square One Organic Cucumber – will be out this fall!

So, it is little wonder that I included Square One Organic Vodka in my Sustainable Sips Cocktail Class in Los Angeles, last week. I took a cocktail Square One presented in the Farm to Glass seminar called the Creole Martini, and gave it my own twist to create this cocktail, which I demonstrated to the students in my class:

Farm Fresh Caprese Martini
2 ounces of Square One® Organic Vodka
2 ounces of tomato water
juice from 1/2 lemon
dash angostura bitters
Garnish: Caprese Skewer

Shake vodka, tomato water, lemon juice and bitters with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a Caprese Skewer.

Caprese Skewer: Marinate a piece of mozzarella (or mozzarella ball) in olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar for a few hours. Before serving, slide mozzarella, an organic cherry tomato and organic basil leaf onto skewer and lay across glass.

Tomato Water: Freeze large round organic tomatoes overnight. In the morning, set them out to thaw in a glass dish. Peel the skins and over a separate dish, squeeze the tomatoes with your (clean) hands. Collect that liquid, and set tomato “meat” aside to use in cooking sauces, later.

Welcome to Talk Drinks!

I can't believe I didn't know until now that Mixologist Jacques Benzouhait started a blog with his pal Junior. I don't Junior but I can tell you that Jacques is a hellova nice fellow, a famous drink maker and associated with some really cool spots, like Harry Denton's Starlight Room in San Francisco.

So, stop by and say "hi" and tell 'em The Liquid Muse sent you.

(Jacques is pictured here at Tales with LA's Vincenzo Marianella and one of the fabulous Sonnema Shaker Boys.)

Conduct A Home Tasting!

There is so much to learn and experience at Tales of the Cocktail. I have tons of notes, and am trying to finally get some info up on the blog!!

This tasting seminar, taught by Jared Brown and Eric Fossard, has some good tips. I’ve added a few extra tidbits here and there, too. If you want to learn to sample liquors like a pro, read on:

• Start with lighter, less flavorful spirits. For example, begin tasting vodkas, then move to gins, then up to rums and scotches. You get the idea…
• When tasting, use more than your sense of taste. Use your eyes first. Like with wine, look at the “legs” of the spirits (how it runs down the sides of the glass after swirling). Note the thickness of the liquid, which contributes to the “mouth feel.”
• When you put your nose above the glass to smell the “nose” of the spirit, Take one preliminary whiff to clear the olfactory senses. Then, smell it again, with your mouth open, and pay attention to the aromas. If your eyes water from the alcohol, blow into the glass once to clear the fumes, then swirl and smell again. Most of “taste” comes from the aroma (just think of why everything is tasteless when you have a cold)
• When you’re ready to taste, take a little of the spirit into the front of your mouth, first, then let it run to the back, to clear the palate. Now, take another sip, and breathe out across it. The alcohol comes right off with the exhale, and you are able to taste it.
• Taste is part nature and part nurture. While some people have naturally sensitive palates, we can all learn to discern certain qualities in food / wine / spirits.
• Keep in mind that while good spirits warm the throat and mouth, bad spirits burn.

Note: Ever wake up feeling like you can still taste the alcohol?
Cheap booze binds its taste to your tongue. Pay a little extra for the good stuff, and you may suffer less the following day. Also, drink one glass of water per alcoholic beverage. This will help keep you hydrated, which lessens the effect of a nasty hangover!

Here are some notes from our tasting session. Up first: Vodka!

Note: Frozen vodka was good for early vodkas which were less refined. The cold help cover the flavor and lessen the ‘burn.’ A good vodka should be savored and experienced at room temperature.
Also, many vodkas have sugar added. Less than 2% is considered “legal.”

• Absolut is lightest, made in the Scandinavian style. It is also the first vodka to step up and call itself a top shelf vodka. It brought about the concept of high-end spirits. This is a wheat based vodka.
• Reyka is less sweet than absolut. Has a mineral character, “stoniness”comes from filtration through lava rock. (also charcoal – purifies it) With vodka, 3-4 distillations is optimal. More than that strips vodka of all its flavor. This is a wheat based vodka.
• In Russia, they are now making a law that vodka must come from wheat. Although, vodka can be made from anything as long as it is distilled up to 90%. And, as we have all noted, the vodka market is very aggressive, doing all sort of new things to capture our imagination, tastebuds and pocketbooks!
• With Stoli, we noticed incease in pepper notes, increase in sweetness, and more mouth feel. It is rounder, smoother (contains glycerine)
• Potato vodkas generally a bit sweeter but are very hard to make because there is a 50/50 chance as to whether potato will fermetnt or rot
• Imperia sharper than stoli, It follows the recipe standardized in 1894.
• Ciroc is a French “premium” vodka. Big lemon aroma comes through as soon as you bring the glass to your nose. Also, on the tongue - big lemon. Jared points out, “This is great with a squeeze of fresh lemon, a little simple syrup and you’ve got a great lemon drop.”

Next, Gin! We made a gentle transition from citrusy Ciroc to junipery gin.

Note: Trying to make Gin with fresh juniper berries is a bad idea! They have to be dried for 6 – 18 months, which condenses down the pleasant oils.

• Plymouth has a very floral balance. Strong juniper comes through right away. A London gin is very citrus, and drier. Legend has it that the Mayflower travelers sailed with more alcohol than water on their ships. They ended up in Plymouth by accident because they were on their way to Virginia but ran out of booze.

Note: The reason why hangovers are worse with gin? Originally, gin was a kidney tonic. It has diuretic effect. It de-hydrates you so the hang over is worse.

Note: When making gin cocktails, if the gin is too intense, you can use a little vodka to dilute it. Conversely, take any vodka drink and use gin for an extra kick.

Onto Rum!
Most of us are familiar with the Puerto Rican rum style - sweet, caramel, vanilla.

Note: Rums are made from sugar cane.
Note: Light to dark is not an indication of flavor in rums. Some lighter rums can be more refined and have richer flavor than some dark ones.

• 10 Cane is from the French side of the Caribbean. Aged in light wood. Oak is used in 90% of wood aging. How does it work? The spirit soaks into the wood, which is where it gets its flavor. When warm, the liquid expands into the wood. When it pulls back, it brings along the flavors. Wood has 175+ flavors, most of which are vanillas. The caramel notes come from charring the barrel, which “caramelizes” the wood.
• Cruzan Estate Diamond rum – Jared shares, “Tasting this, I had an epiphany, and an immediate love.” Underlying caramal and banana. Aged for 2 years.
• Cruzan Estate Dark Rum is sweeter smoother richer on the palate. Underlying walnut. Butterscotch. The aging process refines it. Aged 5 years.
• Note: If rum is aged too long, it has more cognac characters than rum ones. The sharpest flavors are also the ones which dissipate the most quickly.
• Rum Clement – aged 5 years. Already has a cognac qualities.
• Rhum clement XO – Pour it into a brandy snifter you could fool a lot of people into thinking it’s a cognac. Priced to compete with cognacs. Jared says that it could even stand up a to a cigar better than a cognac.
• Captain Morgan Private Stock Rum from rums of Puerto Rico is sweetened, spiced. (By spiced we mean “vanilla-ed”) Less refined and less expensive than Rhum Clement, but very fruity and fun! Still a great product, it’s a matter of how you’re using it and what your taste is at the moment.

At the end of the day – drink what you like – these tips can help you figure out why you like it!

Tales of the Cocktail...

is incredible!! I've been drinking since breakfast... but that's not the good part... (although it doesn't hurt...)

The seminars are amazing. All the big-wig mixologists are here. (ok, "Bartenders"... whatever!)

It is like a cocktailian fantasy come true. I have waaaay more details to come later. It's nearly 2 am. I'm beat folks. But, I have so much to share wtih you soon...

xo The Liquid Muse

All Hail Art of the Bar!

A hearty congratulations to Jeff Hollinger, author of Art of the Bar and General Manager of San Francisco's gorgeous brasserie style bar, Absinthe. His book won the honorable title of "Best Cocktail Book" at Tales of the Cocktail!

Jeff is also one of the founders of the San Francisco Cocktail Week (along with Duggan from Cantina and H. from Elixir). fyi - those guys all rock. If you find yourself in the Bay Area, drink with them. Trust me on that one.

This pic features a few of the movers and "shakers" in the San Francisco cocktail culture. From left to right: Jeff, Debbie, H. and Erin.

Try the Nolita Heat at the Cocktail Hour

Give your liver a break and try my non-alcoholic cocktail today at Tales of the Cocktail!

NOLitA Heat
(Property of The Liquid Muse Virgin Mixology®)

3-4 jalapeno slices
1/2 ounce limejuice
1/3 ounce Prickly Pear syrup
2 ounces mango juice
Fre alcohol-removed Brut sparkling wine
1 skewered whole jalapeño or Thai chili
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Rim chilled champagne flute with sugar, set aside. Muddle jalapeno slices, limejuice and a pinch of sugar in a mixing glass. Add ice and mango juice, shake vigorously, and strain into the champagne flute. Slowly pour in Prickly Pear syrup, allowing it to settle on the bottom of the glass. Gently top with Fre Brut, and garnish with a skewered jalapeño or Thai chili on the side of the glass.

The Bartender Diaries - Lu Brow

“It was just much, much bigger than I thought it would be,” reflects renown New Orleans Mixologist Lu Brow. No, she is not talking about “that little weather incident” (the way most Orleanians now refer to the disastrous Hurricane Katrina). She is referencing the Big Easy’s annual cocktail convention, Tales of the Cocktail, which drew 12,000 people to Louisiana this past July. Brow says, “Its so nice to be surrounded by people who love a great cocktail.”

To call New Orleans a “cocktail town” is an understatement. The city is the birthplace of the cocktail, and overflowing with not only bars, but cocktail lore lingering in the dark corners and crevices of ominously shadowed alleyways, and behind the wrought-iron gates of regal plantation homes. Nearly every dwelling - large or small - has a home bar, and just about every granny has her own family cocktail recipes to pass down to the next generations.

Lu stirs things up at the Swizzle Stick Bar at Cafe Adelaide inside the elegant Loews hotel, in downtown New Orleans. Although Brow describes bartending as “sometimes hard and physically demanding,” she finds camaraderie with fellow female barkeeps and restaurateurs. “When you meet other women in the business, they know what you do… they understand.”

She also collaborated with Ti Adelaide and Lally Brennan on their book IN THE LAND OF COCKTAILS, a delightful collection of stories and cocktail recipes from New Orleans. “It became our Sunday afternoon project, after the hurricane,” says Brow, and describes it as: “a great book about drinking, and comes from a great respect for the cocktail.”

When it comes to defining her own identity behind the bar, she explains: “I like the word Mixologist… [which Lu defines as someone who uses fresh juices, and builds hand-crafted drinks] but I’m most comfortable with Bartender, or someone who works toward creativity. A Bar Chef is on a different level, and works on pairing cocktails with foods, and takes the cooking part a little further. That is an appropriate title for me, too, because I like to cook my own syrups.”

Brow loves to work with food, and first got behind her mother’s stove when she was six years old. She also attributes her understanding of flavor and taste balance to working with acclaimed chefs throughout her hospitality career.

Before Katrina, Lu was a Beverage Manager, and only spent about 10% of her time behind the bar. After the storm, she went to be with her family in Shreveport, not knowing if she’d have a job to return to in NoLa. In the first year after the storm, Brow says that the city cleaned up 26 years worth of trash which had been strewn about. She explains, “200,000 homes were destroyed. It took four months just to get the trash out.”

Right after the storm, a mayor from South Carolina came in to the bar, and shared his experience with hurricane devastation. “He asked if I was committed to staying in New Orleans, explaining it would take at least five years for things to get back on track,” Brow remembers. “If he hadn’t told me that, I would have lost it.”

While in Shreveport - and not able to watch another second of CNN hurricane coverage - a friend offered Lu a job bartending in a gay bar, which catered to men aged 30 – 70. She recalls never having felt more loved in her life: “They even carried the beer for me. I knew after three nights that I wasn’t going back to the dining room floor.”

Back in New Orleans, where she considers brass bands and New Orleans Funk her “heart and soul,” Lu considers the best praise from the old-timers praises her renditions of cocktails originally created in New Orleans itself. She recalls, “About three years ago an elderly gentleman asked. ‘Young lady, do you know how to make a Ramos Gin Fizz? If so, I’d like one.’ Upon tasting it, the man declared, ‘Its perfect. Light as an angel’s wings.’ Beaming pride, Brow shares, “That just made me want to cry!”

Lu is one of the most delightful bartenders (and people) I’ve had the pleasure of meeting while interviewing people for The Liquid Muse. She loves to brighten someone’s day, and it shows. As she describes: “We all work way too hard. Life is hard. [People] come in at the end of the day to enjoy a nice cocktail and get away from it all – a cocktail and a nice conversation.” With a burst of joy, she adds: “I’m so happy to be doing what I do.”

Gearing Up For New Orleans

It's less than a week away - are you coming to New Orleans? I hope to see you at Tales of the Cocktail!

Mixing New Orleans!

Any cocktail lover knows that New Orleans is a mecca for spirits, of all kinds. I became acquainted with many fantastic cocktail books while attending the fifth annual Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, in July. However, the one that really grabbed my attention and pulled at my cocktail-loving heart strings was Mixing New Orleans.

The cocktail was invented in New Orleans, so this book, which shares wonderful old classic cocktail recipes, also educates the reader about the people behind the drinks. It provides an insiders peek into the places and lore surrounding this darkly intriguing and colorfully exuberant drinking city!

Author, Jennifer Adams spent weeks bouncing from shadowy bar to rowdy pub, from historic inn to luxury hotel and she interviewed bartenders, bar owners and barflies along the way. She takes us on a fascinating journey spanning centuries across the streets of The Big Easy. Jenny’s enthusiasm for the topic and editorial experience (Assoc. Editor for Nightclub & Bar Magazine, and writes the monthly “Hip to Sip” for Greater New Orleans Living Magazine) spins decades of cocktail history into tasty little digestible sips. (pictured here: myself and Jenny)

New Orleans is a city with an unwavering soul, and in the face of recent challenges the people and culture prevail. The “cocktail” is so integrated into the city’s identity that without a Sazerac, Pimm’s Cup or historical ties to Absinthe, New Orleans would be missing some of the most intriguing characters – and late night adventures – that make it the complex web of eccentricity that it is!

(Hey Santa! This is the kind of book you buy for yourself, and then throw in another copy for a friend.)

Laissez les bons temps rouler! (hiccup!)

Yo Ho Ho - Happy Rum Day!

Have you noticed the rum trend? Pull off the eyepatch and take a look around. Rum is big! From a classic Pina Colada (not the crappy pre-mixed kind but a real one) to Tiki Drinks to quality sippers, rum is an ingredient no self-respecting bar can be without.

In honor of Rum Day, I am featuring a rum near and dear to my heart, Old New Orleans Rum. I first came across this rum at Tales of the Cocktail. Ben Gersh, the main dude, gave me a sample and I was hooked. (get it? pirate hoo... forget it.) I love this product, not only because it tastes to dang good but also because it represents the people of New Orleans: strong, spicy and rich in character.

Old New Orleans Rum is not only the oldest rum distillery in the United States but the onlyhave won a bunch of awards. Along with his band of bon-vivants, James Michalopolous, a celebrated New Orleans artist, founded the Celebration Distillery where Old New Orleans rum is made.

The hand crafted, small batch premium artisan blends made from only Louisiana sugar cane molasses employs their own unique distillation process, of our creation, that is part pot still and part column still. Want to know what that means? I asked Ben to explain:

“A pot still is a simpler instrument that distills a less concentrated alcohol, but with more complex flavor. A column still is a more complicated still that actually redistills many times at once and produces a more refined, higher proof alcohol.

A pot still is just as it says…a pot. It is covered, is has a tube inserted that runs to another vessel. Alcohol boils at a lower temperature then water. When the alcohol boils and vaporizes it is released through the tube into the second vessel where it condenses. And there you have your alcohol. A pot still will give you an alcohol with a very robust flavor, however leaving impurities in the alcohol.

With a column still, there is a column that acts as the vehicle for the vaporized alcohol. As the alcohol rises it condenses and settles on graduating plates that taper up the column. This creates a more pure alcohol."

If you are in NOLA, celebrate with the folks from the Celebration Distillery at Restaurant Anatole for the Celebrity Bartender Bash where each celebrity bartender will create a specialty cocktail featuring New Orleans Rum. A portion on the proceeds will be donated to Deuce McAllister's Catch 22 Foundation, which is dedicated to enhancing the lives of under-privileged youth and adolescents in the Gulf South Region.

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!