Introducing: Toasting Coasts

I am excited to introduce you Sipsters to Liza Weisstuch, a Boston-based scribe who contributes to the Boston Globe. Her writing on cocktails, dining, design, theater and other indulgences also appear in The Boston Phoenix, Boston Magazine, DailyCandy, and in an upcoming issue of Imbibe Magazine. Now, she is also an East Coast correspondent for The Liquid Muse, and generously sharing wonderful tid-bits from the Left Coast, where many cocktailian thrills are had. Below is Liza’s first article for us, so settle in for an intoxicating spin around the Boston Harbor, and raise a glass to the lovley ladies of LUPEC (preferably using the cocktail recipe at the end of this piece!)

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The cityscape sparkled along the Boston Harbor. On a recent crisp October night, the law-abiding urban dwellers going about their business in those buildings were completely oblivious to the sultry mischief the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endagered Cocktails were instigating. If you walked along the wharf and listened hard, you could hear some jazzy riffs and raucous laughter drifting from the seemingly unremarkable Louisiana Riverboat bobbing gently on the water. Gentle, however, was hardly the word inside. In upper deck quarters that looked like a downtown gin joint by way of the Love Boat, it was an all-out blowout – LUPEC style.

The LUPEC Boston Tea Party, a fundraiser coordinated by the organization’s Boston chapter, would have warmed the cockles of Dorothy Parker’s heart – and put some fire in her belly. The group’s ten members lassoed some of the city’s finest bartenders and chefs and fashioned a bona fide (albeit provisional) speakeasy on the boat – at least if the records of the era maintained by New Yorker columnist Morris Markey are any measure. Of a Wall Street secret watering hole, he wrote about the time warp effect prompted by “six white-coated fellows flinging the shakers up and down lustily to the tune of rattling ice….while the faintly sweet aroma of gin floated back through the crowd pressed against the rail.” Indeed, the faintly sweet smell of gin – not to mention whiskey – hung heavy in the air. And Golden Age glam ruled as revelers sported feathered headpieces, flapper-esque dresses, mink wraps, bobs and scarlet lipstick. (Sorry, guys, the ladies outdid you.) The debonair bartenders mixed up some serious vintage moxie – Bronx cocktails and Scoff-Law cocktails. Everything was offered in teacups, of course. How else to keep it on the DL?

Also among the tipples was the Flapper Jane, a concoction invented by the LUPEC broads (see recipe below). The Ladies are no neophytes when it comes to creating recipes. Founded in February by Misty “Hanky Panky” Kalkofen, bar manager at Green Street, a Cambridge neighborhood restaurant where the bar has a decidedly old school slant, Boston’s is the fifth LUPEC chapter. The group began in Pittsburgh with the mission of “Dismantling the patriarchy…one drink at a time.” Now each chapter has its own strategy for broadcasting women’s role in the history of spirits – and, by turn, the country. The Boston gals meet once a month around a particular theme and sample – and often create – relevant cocktails. Lest this be construed as your standard girls-night-out cocktail frenzy, take note that they study up on influential grand dames at each gathering. Creativity led them to create a gin cocktail that won a cocktail contest on salon.com; scholarly pursuits led them to exhume an article that ran in the New Republic in 1925 heralding the arrival of the new socialite, Flapper Jane; and social consciousness drove them to raise over $4000 at the Tea Party to donate to Jane Doe Inc, a nonprofit devoted to ending domestic violence and sexual assault.

And so at another historic Tea Party, another social mission was accomplished, (though thankfully nothing was hurled overboard this time around.) The night wore on, but few seemed to wear out. After all, everyone was fueled by the real McCoy.

While Fancy Brandy worked the crowd hawking LUPEC unmentionables and raffle tickets from a contraption reminiscent a burlesque cigarette girl, Kalkofen dashed about attending to her drink – and a few logistics. “Everyone’s saying ‘I couldn’t find the boat.’ It’s a speakeasy -- you have to look harder! And everyone’s asking ‘Can I take this on the dock?’” Kalkofen shrugged. “It’s in a teacup, isn’t it?”

Flapper Jane
1 3/4 oz Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Wu Wei infused Simple Syrup
dash of Peychaud Bitters
Shake in a cocktail shaker, strain into a cocktail glass, and toast your own fabulousness! (Their exclamation mark.)

Dispatch from the LUPEC Boston “USO SHOW”
by Pink Lady, LUPEC Boston

To my left, a tuxedoed man tips his fedora back on his head and slides an arm around a blonde in a birdcage-veiled hat. A flash illuminates their pearly white camera-ready smiles. To my right, a gentleman in a three-piece suit pulls the seat out for his wife as they settle at a round cocktail table to wait for the “USO Show” to begin. A dame in cat’s eye glasses weaves through the dense crowd on roller skates offering chocolates. In the center of the room a legion of swing dancers lindy hop in acrobatic time with ‘40s-era swing spun by cocktail historian and Boston legend, DJ Brother Cleve.

One step across the threshold into the grand ballroom of the Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center feels like a leap several decades back to a USO Officer’s Club, circa World War II. This is the LUPEC Boston “USO Show”, the centerpiece of our fall fundraising campaign to benefit women at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans. I never imagined we’d reach the venue’s 450-person capacity, but now the room seems almost full. And every single guest is dressed to impress.

Doors to the event opened at 7 p.m. with a free swing dance lesson kicking off the night. Then emcees Cathleen Carr and Daiva Deupree of the critically acclaimed New York-based sketch comedy burlesque Two Girls for Five Bucks took the stage. Burlesque dancers from Thru the Keyhole turned up the heat with pink balloons and feathers, followed by a short break to cool off and grab a drink before act two featuring Boston-based actor, improviser and stand-up comedian Harry Gordon as Bob Hope and a rowdy prize raffle.

The wait for the bar is long from 8 o’clock on but the vibe remains positive. Perhaps it’s because the swing dancers are dancing in the hallway to lighten the mood? A sailor twirls a tall, slender brunette: the top of her stocking peeks ever-so-slightly from below her hemline as she dips. Distracting in the best possible way.

When the clock strikes 11 p.m. the crowd is in no rush to leave. I can’t blame them. The LUPEC ladies spend lots of time talking about the cocktails: the ingredients, the preferred recipes, the obscure bitters, syrups and liqueurs making their way back to market after many dormant decades. But it’s all born of a shared love: for the romantic feeling that steals over us when sipping drinks from a bygone era, cocktails our grandmothers may have sipped, with a story and social significance bigger than our own. Imbibing such drinks in a room full of guys and dolls in period dress? Somehow, it’s extra intoxicating.

We can’t wait to do it again next fall.

Cin-cin,

PARTY LIKE IT’S 1944 AT THE LUPEC BOSTON “USO SHOW” WITH ANY OF THESE FINE COCKTAILS:

Rosita
1 oz tequila
1 oz Campari
.5 oz Italian vermouth
.5 oz French vermouth

Stir with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or serve over rocks in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with orange oil.

Hearst
2 oz gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters

Stir in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon oil.

Daiquiri
1.5 oz white rum
.75 oz Lime Juice
.25 oz simple syrup

Shake with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wheel.

Scoff Law
1 oz Rye
1 oz French Vermouth
.5 oz Green Chartreuse
.5 oz Fresh Lemon
1 dash Orange Bitters

Shake with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Moscow Mule
Squeeze .5 lime into a Collins glass (or traditional copper mug) and drop in the skin, Add ice and:
2 oz vodka
1 shot fresh lime
Top with cold ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.

English Flair

David Cordoba is the English lad (with the Spanish name) who placed second in the International Vodka Cup.

A veteran of "Flair" competitions, David is a man of many talents. In the vodka cup, only the drinks mattered but he treated the crowd to a little show at the after-party following the Awards Ceremony.


TIJUANA LADY
35ml Finladia Lime Fusion
15ml Yellow Chartreuse
25ml lime juice
15ml Agave syrup
1 dash Egg white

Put all ingredients into a boston glass add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with lime zest

SUN IS SHINING
60ml Finlandia Mango Fusion
25ml lime juice
2 barspoon Apricot conserve or Jam
Passion fruit
Sparkling or Soda water

Put the first 4 ingredients into a boston glass, mix well with a bar spoon. Add ice and shaker. Single strain into a high ball or sling glass full of ice and top with soda. Garnish with a slice of mango & 1/4 piece of passion fruit

THE WHITE REINDEER NIGHT
50 ml Finlandia Cramberry Fusion
10 ml Cherry marnier
50 ml white peach puree
12.5 ml Demerara - honeycomb vanilla infusion gomme
2 dashes eggwhite

Put all ingredients into a boston glass add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into an old granny's tea cup. Garnish with 3 cubes or balls of white peach

Bukowski's Tavern

Boston's Homage to a Tinsel Town's Rebel Poet

While in Boston, every day, for a week, I walked past a tiny, red, hole in the wall bar nestled between a parking lot and perched on the edge of a bridge over a freeway. Yes, the strange locale caught my attention but the real clincher was the bar’s name. How could I not be drawn in by a rebel writer with a penchant for the sauce, and fellow Angeleno, at that!

I wondered why the watering hole was called Bukowski. Did the controversial mid-20th century poet / novelist / ne’er-do-well own it at one time? Did he drink there? We don’t have a Bukowski bar in L.A.… so why was there one in Bean Town?

Finally, one evening, walking back over the bridge from Newbury Street where I taught The Liquid Muse Sustainable Sips Cocktail Classes to the Hilton, where I was staying, I could no longer resist my curiosity. I’d just pop my head in the crowded wisp of a bar, snap a photo and be on my way… unless incredibly tempted.

Well, as it turned out, there happened to one lone available seat at the bar. I suppose one could call it destiny. Or one could just call it an empty chair. Either way, I decided to try a cocktail.

Until I learned they did not serve cocktails. Only beer and wine. And, if there’s one thing I know about dive bars without a full liquor license, the wine is usually something to avoid. So, I asked the bartender for a beer brewed in good, old Massachusetts.

The native Bostonian on the stool next to mine suggested a Harpoon, which I tried, cuz I never doubt a local. Founded in 1986, it claims to be New England's largest brewery. The beer I had hit the spot - a bit of a bite, plenty of froth and went down smooth.

I also learned that Charles Bukowski has nothing to do with the bar at all. The name is an homage to the writer simply because the bar’s owner is a fan. The bar’s walls are painted by a local artist, and unfortunately I was not allowed to photograph them because the bar’s manager was concerned about them not being copyrighted. This struck me as a bit ironic considering they ripped off someone else’s name for their establishment … but whatever.

With my curiosity (and thirst) quenched, I headed back to my solitary hotel room with visions of vagabond literati running through my mind. If you make it to Boston, take a minute out of sight-seeing and high-end cocktailing to wax poetic with the locals over a long, cold brew. As Bukowski himself would agree, you never know you’ll find on the side of a freeway ramp.

Earth Day in Boston

"Sustainable Sips" Take On More Meaning

I am so happy to be teaching The Liquid Muse "Sustainable Sips" cocktail class on Earth Day! If saving the planet and eating for a healthy body aren't enough incentive to "go green," how about a delicious cocktail?

Last night, I kicked off the first of a week-long run in Bean Town - and we had a blast!

Yes, Lance Armstrong ran the Boston Marathon, yesterday. Yes, the Red Sox won (again). But, I seriously challenge other fun-lovers to have had as much fun as we did down at the Method Home store, down on Newbury Street.

Members of the environmental awareness group called Conscious Consuming attended the class, and learned to reduce their "carbon footprint" while sipping a luscious libation. Conscious Consuming focuses on "increasing awareness of the impact of buying decisions on our health, happiness and environment," which can by all means be brought into the glass. Some students jumped behind the bar to try their hand at whipping up - and even creating - their own drinks!

I've invited some wonderful organic and / or sustainably-minded liquor companies to sponsor my series of classes over the coming months (in Boston, NYC and Minneapolis), and I've designed some yummy drinks with those products. Each of the cocktails is inspired by Method Home, which uses appetizing essences such as cucumber, mint, ginger, lavender and berries to make your home smell like a big, organic field of fruits and flowers!

Below, I'm sharing my recipes so you can whip up a little eco-buzz for your Earth Day party!

(All recipes are intellectual property of The Liquid Muse, LLC and may not be reprinted online or in print without permission from Natalie Bovis-Nelsen.)

Method Margarita Martini

1 1/2 ounces 4 Copas organic tequila
1 ounce lime juice
11/2 ounces grapefruit juice
1 slice jalapeno
1 tsp 4 Copas agave nectar
course sea salt

Rim a martini glass with course sea salt. Muddle jalapeno, lime juice and agave nectar in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add grapefruit juice and tequila. Shake well and gently strain into glass.
*****

Detox America Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces Bluecoat gin
1 ounce Veev acai liqueur
2 ounces organic pomegranate juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar (or 1/2 ounce simple syrup)
pinch freshly grated ginger

Pour all ingredients, except ginger, into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Grate fresh ginger over the top of the cocktail.
*****

Method Mojito

1 heaping tablespoon organic cucumber
1 heaping tablespoon of diced organic lime
1 heaping teaspoon raw brown sugar
2-3 torn mint leaves
1 1/2 ounces Purus organic vodka
Organic Italian sparkling lemonade

Muddle cucumber, sugar and mint leaves in tall glass. Pour in vodka. Top with sparkling lemonade. Garnish with a sprig of mint or lime wheel.
*****

“Green” and White Summer Sangria

Organic strawberries, peaches, kiwis
Purus organic vodka
Veev acai liqueur
Lavender honey
Organic peach juice
Bonterra organic chardonnay

Finely chop fruit into a bowl or Tupperware container. Drizzle with honey then add a half-inch of each peach juice and vodka. Let marinate several hours. When ready to serve, spoon one tablespoon of fruit mixture into each glass, and top with Bonterra. Garnish with strawberry on the rim of the glass.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

The Liquid Muse "Sustainable Sips" Cocktail Classes Kick Off in Boston, This Week!

In addition to covering cocktail trends and designing cocktails for spiffy parties, I love teaching cocktail classes. Seeing the "lightbulb" illuminate above a civilian cocktail-lover's head ("civilian" = not a professional bartender or Mixologist) is a moment I relish. I love to learn new things ... and I love to share those things with enthusiastic recipients of cocktailian information.

Let's face it - making a cocktail is not rocket science - but it is a craft, even a passion for some. I equate it to cooking. Professional chefs and recipe developers have may have more developed skills and experience than the average home cook... but that doesn't mean that wonderful dishes can't be recreated for the family table.

"Eat Organic? Drink Organic!" is the slogan for The Liquid Muse Sustainable Sips cocktail classes. Why would someone spend so much time, energy and thought into picking out what they eat... and be completely ignorant to sustainable cocktails?

Meanwhile, the New York Times is picking up on the "sustainable" cocktail trend (finally - yay). Today's article is a wonderful nod to modern consumer consciousness behind the bar. Jonathan Miles wrote a nice piece on Bar 44 in Manhattan and taps Somer Perez's cocktail shaker for inspiration, and challenges her to make a cocktail with ingredients from within a 100-mile radius. (A challenge I would love to meet! Hell, living in California, I've designed drinks using only ingredients from my back yard!)

I'll be teaching my classes in New York, in May, so I will definitely swing by to sample her delicious sounding cherry drink made with Bluecoat gin, which I was very happy to see as I am using Bluecoat in my cocktail classes.

I've designed four Liquid Muse Sustainable Signature Cocktails to demonstrate at my upcoming classes... and I am even more excited now that the word about the stylish sustainable lifestyle making its way into the glass - and onto the pages of major publications. Read that article here. And, check back over the coming days to see the cocktails I'm highlighting in Boston, New York and Minneapolis over the next few months...

(Strawberry photo borrowed from this cool site.)

Are You Ready for Repeal Day?

Repeal Day is quickly becoming a nation-wide excuse, I mean, reason to raise a quality cocktail with friends from coast to coast, and celebrate our freedom to do so!

December 5, 2008 marks the 75th anniversary of the 21stAmendment… the one which ended Prohibition. That pesky period outlawing liquor began in January 16, of 1919. Although Prohibition wasn’t actually enforced until 1920, the no-drinking law had been in effect for at least 13 long, dry years.

Obviously, people still drank liquor during the roaring ‘20’s and, in fact, cool underground bars and nightclubs sprung up in cities from San Francisco to Chicago to New York. The ‘speakeasy’ got its name because of the secretive nature people used when communicating about them, and used secret passwords to get in.

It was a feisty period of history, as we’ve seen in movies set in that time. Gangsters ruled, women drank alongside men (until Prohibition a “lady” wouldn’t step into a bar) and people set up stills in their own homes. That “bathtub gin” was lethal stuff, though, and many people died of alcohol poisoning, despite using the bathtub to mix the straight stuff with water.

Cocktail culture had been thriving, in the U.S., prior to Prohibition, and many of what we refer to today as “classic cocktails” came from the early 20th Century before the “thirsty years.” Today, our cocktail renaissance includes throwbacks to speakeasy style bars – some of my favorites are Milk & Honey and PDT (Please Don’t Tell) in New York; Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco; PX in the Washington DC area, the Violet Hour in Chicago; the Doheny and the brand new Varnish in Los Angeles. Boston, Seattle, New Orleans and other cities in the U.S. have clusters of bartenders who employ the recipes, techniques skill and passion of the pre- Prohibition cocktailians, and thanks to all of our efforts to promote “cocktail awareness,” there are growing pockets of drinkers who seek them out.

I’m on the road this week - ironically doing nonalcoholic cocktail demos and promoting my new book "Preggatinis." I will likely be in Austin on Repeal Day so if you have anywhere to suggest I go for a Repeal Day blowout, I’m all ears! In the meantime, I thought you’d like to know about some of the sipping celebrations around the country. You can learn more about Repeal Day at repealday.org and prohibitionrepeal.com

I am also offering a GRAND PRIZE for whomever sends in the best photo from their Repeal Day celebration. I will post the top 5 photos on The Liquid Muse Blog, and readers can vote on the one they think best captures the spirit of Repeal Day. The person who sent in that photo wins a bag of goodies, courtesy of Dewar's Scotch Whiskey. Photos must be received by Wednesday, December 10. Winner will be announced on Monday, December 15.

Happy Tippling, everyone!

Washington DC: One of the biggest Repeal Day celebrations, this year, is in our Nation’s Capital. I have a special place in my heart for DC because it is where I was inspired to start The Liquid Muse, nearly 3 years ago. There are some amazing bartenders and mixologists in that area, so if you can get down to City Tavern Club at 8pm, you will not regret it. There will also be visiting mixologists from around the country taking part in the festivities. Tickets are $75 and benefit the Museum of the American Cocktail, the City Tavern Club's Preservation Fund and the D.C. Craft Bartender's Guild. For more information visit dccraftbartendersguild.org


Chicago: A two-fold on Repeal Day sponsored by the Chicago chapter of LUPEC (Ladies United in the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) and a portion of the proceeds from all purchases of food & drink at these events will be donated to the Greenhouse Shelter in Chicago. From their blog:

Act 1: Clark Street Ale House, Informal Happy Hour, 6.00-9.00 pm
Join us for a cocktail or three and toast the occasion. Just buy your own drinks and you won’t get into trouble.

Act II: The Drawing Room, Come Party Like it’s 1933, 10:00 pm
A 1933-style bash! Try the $33 Prefix Dinner & Drink Pairing Menu, or sip on a Prohibition-era cocktail from our special menu, all while listening to 1930’s tunes by the Ron Mills Orchestra.


Boston: The “Roaring 20’s Party” at Eastern Standard. Mixologist Jackson Cannon has created a year-long specialty cocktail menu in honor of the 75th anniversary of Repeal Day. Repeal Day kicks it off:

Juice Joint 6:30 – 7:30 pm cocktail hour
Puttin on the Ritz 7:30 pm, formal dinner
Tin Can Alley band and dancing starts at 10 pm.
Hittin on all Sixes features a 1:00 am breakfast


New Orleans: Dewer’s Scotch Whiskey is partnering with a whole slew of bars around the country for Repeal Day, including these ones in the Big Easy where you can try The Dewar’s Old Fashioned; Dewar’s Highball; Ward Eight; and the Rob Roy:

• Pat O Brian’s
• Antoine's
• Tujague's
• Napoleon House
• Hotel Monteleone Carousel Bar
• Court of Two Sisters
• Commander's Palace
• Lafitte's Black Smith Shop

Los Angeles:
The brand new Cole’s kicks off its premier party on Repeal Day “Eve” (Dec. 4) with a fundraiser for LAConservancy.org. The home of the French Dip sandwich, revelers will get to sample that classic fare, sip cocktails and view the City Ballet of Los Angeles celebrate Cole’s history through the art of music and dance. 1920’s ere attire encouraged! (Keep an eye out for the Varnish, tucked in the back of Cole’s…)

Members of The Doheny drinking club can sip Dewar's cocktails at a complimentary post-prohibition era party featuring music and sip Sazeracs, Old Fashions, and Blood and Sands from 8pm - 2am. Guests can even get a ‘50 Cent Haircut’ from 10pm-1am.

The Edison is having a VIP reception (which I’m so bummed to miss!!) featuring food and classic punch bowl cocktails, and cracking open a special barrell of Woodford Bourbon which was batched by the Edison’s own Aidan Demarest. The doors open to the public-at-large at 8:30 pm featuring Miles Moseley playing music, 20's flappers dancing, and a tongue-in-cheek midnight toast to the Women’s Temperance League, who bespoke the evil of alcohol and got the whole Prohibition thing going in the first place!


San Franicsco: Jane Tunks from the San Francisco Chronicle did a great round up of SF’s Repeal Day parties, so I am including info from her article here:

• Bourbon & Branch is showing off classics such as the Martinez.
• Cantina is throwing a party from 7 – 10 pm with John Walker & Co. also celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The JW & Co. store's spirits director Dominic Venegas is putting together a pre-Prohibition cocktail menu that will be sold '20s prices.
• Elixir is the latest incarnation at the corner of 16th and Guerrero Streets, where that has continually been a saloon for the last 150 years. Proprietor H. Joseph Ehrmann is throwing a Prohibition-themed serving a 1933 cocktail menu. $10 donation to the Boys and Girls club is requested, Period Dress is encouraged!
• Forbidden Island pays tribute to Cuba, the drinking destination of choice during Prohibition, with cocktails like the El Presidente, Mary Pickford and daiquiris.
• Swig: DJs spin '30s-era swing and jazz. The Prohibition menu will include highballs, sidecars and Manhattans made with bourbons and ryes that survived Prohibition.
• Alembic’s bar manager Daniel Hyatt will pair classic cocktails with selected menu items at the Haight Street hideaway.
• Neyah White, at Nopa, shines the mixological spotlight on genever, with drinks like a Cranberry Quince Collins and Dutch Courage. The bar will uncork its house single-barrel Redhead Rye.

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!

Elixir of the Night...

You knew it was only a matter of time before the two biggest passions in liquid dining came together... wine & cocktails. H Joseph Ehrmann at San Fran's first "green" saloon, Elixir, has teamed up with winemaker Night Harvest to create these amazing sounding drinks:

The Star Gazer - Summer Cocktail (Night Harvest Chardonnay)
2 ounces Night Harvest Chardonnay
1 ounce dark rum
½ ounce vanilla bean syrup
½ ounce pineapple juice
1 lime wedge

In a Boston shaker, add all ingredients and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Fill a 10.5 ounce highball glass with ice and strain the cocktail over the fresh ice. Squeeze the lime over the top of the drink, and drop the lime in to finish the drink.

Mixologist’s Notes:
The Night Harvest Chardonnay has bright, crisp, apple and pear notes with a hint of pineapple on the nose. I chose to build on the pineapple and create a summery, tall cocktail. The dark rum highlights the tropical flavors and brings out the oak. To further highlight the oaky vanilla, I used vanilla bean syrup as the sweetener. Shaking the drink hard creates a frothy head, and the addition of a tiny bit of lime juice on top brightens it all.

Yuletide Moon - Holiday Cocktail (Night Harvest Merlot)
4 pitted bing cherries
¼ ounce of simple syrup
1½ ounce Night Harvest Merlot
1 ounce Bourbon
one wheel slice of lemon
fresh nutmeg to grind

In a 16 ounce mixing glass, muddle the cherries (if not pitted, just remove pits after muddling). Add simple syrup, merlot, bourbon and lemon slice. Top with ice to 2/3 full and shake lightly. Empty entire contents into a 10.5 ounce Old Fashioned glass. Top with grated nutmeg and enjoy!

Mixologist’s Notes:
The Night Harvest Merlot has delicious cherry flavors and slight oak to it, so I focused on those cherry and oak notes as the building blocks of the cocktail – a riff on a classic Sangaree. Cherry and Bourbon are a natural pairing for me, so I decided to cut the drink with Bourbon, which blends superbly with the Merlot. The lemon brightens the drink and makes it surprisingly refreshing and light, while the nutmeg provides a wonderful nose on every sip.

Sunset on Dunnigan - Valentine’s Cocktail (Night Harvest Sauvignon Blanc)
2 ounces Night Harvest Sauvignon Blanc
1 ounce citrus forward, light juniper gin
½ ounce elderflower cordial
Grapefruit zest to garnish (either thin strips or a simple round slice without pith)

Pour all ingredients over ice and stir for 15 seconds. Julep strain, and serve up in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a 2” pass of a bar zester over a fresh grapefruit rind, directly over the cocktail so as to spray the oils over the surface of the cocktail. Drop the zest into the drink.

Mixologist’s Notes:
A romantic cocktail that will brighten your evening, the Sunset on Dunnigan complements the citrusy herbal qualities of the Night Harvest Sauvignon Blanc with the same notes in the spirit, while simultaneously adding the botanical dryness of a crisp gin. Elderflower cordial lends a summery, floral aspect that balances the drink nicely with its light sweetness. The slight bitterness of a spritz of grapefruit zest ties it all together.

And, the other big news... H has also started a blog! Behind My Mahogany features "sips and tips from the Elixir stick."

The Manic Mommies and The Liquid Muse

"Sustainable Sips" Earth Day Podcast

While in Boston, I taught several eco-minded groups how to make organic / sustainable cocktails! "Eat Organic? Drink Organic!" is my slogan, and we had a ball!

Listen to this podcast to hear more about my class with the awesome Manic Mommies (who, btw, are super hip, savvy and amazing! They make being a mom seem sooooo cool). Our interview kicks in about halfway through the podcast. And, don't forget to check out their website!

Setting the B.A.R.

We went over so many cool things at B.A.R., yesterday. I don't have time to go into it all but let it suffice to say that at 9 in the morning, Steve Olson and David Wondrich walked us through a quick demonstration in at-home pot-stilling. (It's not legal to do this at home, kids... and they certainly did not sugest we do it. They were showing us how liquor is made. However, you may want to try it anyway... Just don't hold me responsible for suggesting it if you poison yourself with methanol and such.)

A quick recap of yesterday's highlights from the gin and vodka tastings:

Gin tasting - You may be surprised which gin came out (unanimously) at the bottom of the pile. Let's just say its very popular and quite expensive. (I won't name the brand in this post, though.) Other gin news: Martin Miller's got dissed as "the cartoon version of Hendrick's," which is a shame cuz I quite like it. Old Raj got lots of love. And we tried the Bols Genever... slightly yellow color, slightly sweet... not even on the U.S. market yet. But, look for it. This is a big gin trend coming down the pipeline...

Vodka tasting - Finlandia got big props from both Paul Pacult and Dale DeGroff. (Yes, Dale works with Finlandia. He and Tony Abou Ganim teach the Finnishing School - which I took 2 years ago. Great crash-course in mixology, fyi. Still, both Paul and Dale tout Finlandia as the best 'bang for the buck' on the market today. Paul gutted the goose, having dropped it from 4 stars back in 1999 to 2 stars today. They heavily touted Van Gogh chocolate as a good flavored vodka. And, Paul's favorite vodka du jour... Xcellent from Switzerland. Who knew?

I have so much more to tell you but will leave it here for now... and remind me to tell you how great it was to end the day at P.D.T. (Please Don't Tell) sitting around the table with fellow students from Boston, Philly, Connecticut and New Orleans, with a few L.A. pals at the bar. Uniting the country through cocktails.

The First Ever, Soon-to-be Annual Swag Off!!!

Ok, this was totally under the radar, and you had to kinda hear about it by chance... so don't be offended if you weren't there...

My pal - both online AND now in person, thanks to Tales '08 - the dynamic Mr. Jeffrey Morgenthaler had the brilliant idea to create a cocktail competition using only what was found in his Swag Bag.

He enlisted his other pal, Oregon-based writer Lizzie Caston to report on the event. And, of course, I made sure to get it as a feature presentation in my "Daily Recap Webisodes." There are even three all-star judges from around the country... (two belong to the lovely and talented "Ladies of Lupec Boston."

Read Lizzie's article on Jeff's blog, and catch the video on mine, click on Episode 4.

(Photo is courtesy of Lizzie Caston and Jeffrey Morgenthaler)

Fellas: Bushmills Has Got Your Back for Holiday Shopping!

Giving men a fun Black Friday event of their own (while their wives and girlfriends hit the stores) Bushmills Irish Whiskey hosted “Shop on the Rocks” at bars in Boston, Chicago and NYC. The event offered men a place where they could watch sports and participate in bar games with buddies, while shopping online and sampling Bushmills. Representatives from DETAILS were also on-hand to offer tips on shopping and holiday gifts.

The hosts of this event were kind enough to compile the Bushmills Top 10 “Do’s and Don’ts” tip sheet for a fellow to use when buying holiday gifts for his wife or girlfriend, ensuring a positive reaction and the appreciation he deserves! (by the way, the only one I don't agree with is #7 - I love when my husband buys me perfume... as long as it is one of the few brands I actually wear...!)

1. If your gift idea makes cleaning, cooking or any household chores easier, kill it. Even better, get her a maid.

2. When buying clothing for your girl, don’t trust your own fashion sense. It’s not that good. Ask your little sister for help.

3. If you’re unsure what size to get her, always assume the low-end of the scale. Remember: she never looks fat.

4. Never buy jewelry from a store located in a strip mall or whose advertisement you heard on sports radio on the drive into work. Get a reference from a good female friend.

5. Keep sports, fishing and video games out of the shopping equation: she’s not interested … she’ll never be interested.

6. Don’t bust the bank for her gift; it makes you look desperate and weak for affection. Sometimes the most thoughtful gifts don’t cost a penny—think scrapbooks, CD song compilations of music that makes you think of her, giving her (rather than the NFL) your Sunday afternoons for an entire season.

7. Never give her perfume: it’s very high school.

8. Anything tied to her hobbies and passions. It shows that you’re actually paying attention to what she is saying over dinner. (She thinks you’re ignoring her, by the way.)

9. If you order something online, take it out of the Amazon.com box. She doesn’t need to know that you were watching TV while surfing for her gifts online.

10. When in doubt: ask mom.

The Liquid Muse Sustainable Sips

Just in case you haven't gotten these recipes yet, here they are again. These are featured in The Liquid Muse Sustainable Sips cocktail classes, which I've taught in Seattle, Boston, New York - and am coming to Chicago next week! I'm going to do them regularly in Los Angeles, starting in 2009... so sign up for my Museletter to get priority registration!

"Green" and White Harvest Sangria (serves about 12 in white wine glasses)

4 organic red apples
3 organic bosc (greenish) pears
8 organic purple figs
1/4 bottle Veev acai spirit
1/4 bottle organic pear nectar
3 bottles Bonterra Chardonnay

Core the apples and pears, then dice all fruit (skins on) and place in a large bowl. Pour in Veev and pear nectar. Place in fridge to "marinate" for approx 1 hour.

Just before guests arrive, spoon 1 tablespoonful of fruit mixture WITH liquid into each glass. Top with Bonterra Chardonnay (fill glass 2/3 full). As guests arrive, fill with ice and hand it to them for a refreshing, sustainable drink as they walk in the door!

The Liquid Muse Spicy Grapefruit Margarita (recipe for 1 serving)

1 teaspoon seeded, diced jalapeno (taste jalapeno to see how hot it is first - use less or more depending on your tastebuds!)
1 ounce agave syrup
1 ounce *freshly squeezed* lime juice (approx 1 lime)
2 1/2 ounces organic grapefruit juice
1 1/2 ounces 4 Copas organic tequila (I like the reposado for this drink)

Muddle jalapeno and agave syrup in the bottom of a mixing glass (or cocktail shaker). Add limejuice, grapefruit juice and tequila. Fill with ice. Shake for approximately 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime wheel - or if you're feeling adventurous - a jalapeno on a cocktail pick!

FYI - This is NOT Mixology...

Pursuant to my recent post regaling mixology and what it is, I got this pitch from a PR person, which is the perfect of what mixology is NOT.

Just for shits and giggles, read this recipe, gross out, laugh your ass off, then read the pitch which hails the creator of this drink as a "mixologist," laugh some more. Then sigh. This is why so many people still don't get the difference between a hack slinging schlock and a mixologist. Muddling an orange does not make this a balanced cocktail by any stretch of the imagination. I have nothing against this tequila brand - but having nothing but it and peach schnapps... what self-respecting "mixologist" would serve this with a straight face? And charge $38 for it? Are you out of your freakin' mind? Without further ado:

PLATINUM BRUNO JAMAIS MARTINI $38.00
muddle four slices of orange in a Boston shaker add two ounces Patron Platinum Tequila and 3/4 oz peach schnapps
shaken
served up in a double martini glass (chilled)

The PR Pitch for the "sexiest cocktails in the world" ha ha (and I quote): "This cocktail is collaboration between Bruno Jamais and Sommelier Benjamin Maury. Bruno wanted a signature cocktail using his favorite liquor, Patron Platinum. He wanted something strong yet smooth. Bruno liked the way orange flavor is often used to complement tequila using liqueurs such as Cointreau or triple sec but to refine the taste Maury suggested that they use fresh orange instead. The peach schnapps were then added, blending perfectly with the orange while adding a hint of sweetness. Initially this drink was to be served in a glass over crushed ice following the tradition of the Caipirinha but in keeping true to New York style they decided serve it up. Thus, creating the "Platinum Bruno's Martini.""

Yeah, I know. Now that you've laughed, cried, and pulled your jaw off the floor from the audacity of such B.S., go out and make yourself a true cocktail. Or better yet, find yourself a real mixologist to make one for you. xo The Liquid Muse

Mommies Who Drink

I've been aware of Brett Paesel, a woman after my own heart, for some time now. Her book Mommies Who Drink has gotten warm reception from mommies worldwide. Now, she even has a song on You Tube... check it out!

"...honest, affectionate, and smartly written...a welcome antidote to every serious pregnancy and child-rearing guide out there...raunchy, real, and laugh-out-loud funny."

Boston Globe

"Sustainable Sips" Hits the Kansas City Star

While teaching my classes in Boston, in April, I was interviewed by Vidya Rao who wrote this piece about organic sinful pleasures, which recently ran in the Kansas City Star.

Drink up, folks - and feel good about it!

TLM Interviews Guinness Brew Master, Fergal Murray

”Considering it took 248 years to get it so wonderful, we do a few secret things,” confides Guinness Brew Master, Fergal Murray who fell in love with brewing beer nearly 24 years ago. He explains that to become a Master Brewer incorporates both science and art, and can take 10 years of experience to successfully pass the standardized exams at the Institute of Brewery in the UK.

Accomplished in his field, the company sent Murray to Nigeria, to oversee the first Guinness brewery outside the Emerald Isle. He says that the people there came to regard the stout as their own and even asked Fergal why the main brewery is in Ireland, instead of Africa. That sort of brand loyalty has helped Guinness grow to have breweries in 49 countries, and distribute its products to 147 nations. Top markets include the UK, Ireland, Nigeria, US and Ghana.

Fergal still enjoys “dabbling” in the brewing itself, though most of his time these days is spent traveling around the world, talking about products and teaching bar professionals to achieve the “Perfect Pint.” He says that the Guinness experience is as much visual as it is flavorful, claiming, “People drink with their eyes, first.”

According to Fergal, the perfect beer begins with its environment. Guinness should be stored at 38 – 42 degrees Fahrenheit. The bar equipment should be set up with the right amount of gas to push the rich nectar through the draft spout and, of course, clean lines and glasses are integral.

The bartender can then craft "the perfect pint” via 6 steps:

• start with a 20 ounce tulip glass. (Fergal says this design is optimum for the aerodynamic flow of the bubbles.)
• hold it at a 45 degree angle, under the beer faucet
• allow a smooth flow until glass is 3/4 filled
• allow the extra bubbles to settle and the creamy head to form
• top up, creating a domed effect, a “proud head”
• present to the customer

With Spring approaching, and St. Patty’s Day this weekend, I was particularly interested getting to the bottom of rumors that Guinness is less fattening than many paler ales and lagers. Fergal confirmed that Guinness has roughly the calorie equivalent of orange juice. It is also lighter in alcohol than Smithwicks, brewed by the same company but geared toward the taste for higher alcohol content in the American market.

This weekend, no doubt, the Irish brews will flood US streets, from coast to coast. Irish people in the US have celebrated their heritage since early immigrants first held parties in Boston. Fergal is celebrating the feast day of Ireland’s Patron Saint in the Big Apple, enjoying its famous parade.

Fergal says that enjoying a pint of Guinness with friends is well-suited to the social atmosphere of Ireland. “Over the years, I look at the people enjoying our beer, and I feel like their expectation becomes my responsibility to make it perfect.” This weekend, he’ll no doubt get validation that he succeeds in meeting those expectations.

Dining (and drinking!) By Design

With downtown Los Angeles being our most ‘vogue’ neighborhood, this chic fundraiser - showing off white hot interior stylists’ interpretations of exquisite dining rooms - took place at LA Mart Design Center, a few weeks ago.

Since 1984, DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) has donated more than $35 million to AIDS service organizations. Dining By Design is the non-profit’s multi-city fundraising tour. After kicking off in New York City, the exposition is (still) making its way around the country, stopping in Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston. I was happy to catch the wildly stylish L.A. leg of the tour.

These events have raised more than $12 million for AIDS related charities in past years feature awe-inspiring dining installations by industry luminaries such as architect David Rockwell, fashion designer Vivienne Tam and tabletop designer Marc Blackwell who created event sponsor Beringer Vineyard’s table.

The Beringer table was one of my favorites because it brought the outside in-doors. Designer, Marc Blackwell, said that he was inspired by “the passion and honesty in winemaking,” which I thought was well reflected in his melding of Napa’s rustic beauty with chic, modern comfort, creating an elegant-yet-approachable arena for entertaining. (I could imagine myself pulling up a chair and tucking into some roast duck with a juicy Cab or full-bodied Syrah!)

The three-day L.A. celebration began with “Cocktails by Design,” on Saturday, September 13, during which Jason and I meandered from installation to installation, sipping wine and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres. The $125 affair featured some opulently creative interpretations of dining spaces, ranging from antique Buddhas and low tables, to wild prints and rich textures dripping with crystals. There was even one David Rockwell display that featured a fully crocheted dining setting! (How would one clean such a thing?)

Unfortunately, I left town the next day, so I didn’t get to sample goodies from some of LA’s top restaurants at the Table Hop & Taste on Sunday, or the $500 Gala Dinner on Monday. However, at the cocktail party I was able to sample some of Beringer Vineyard’s yummy Third Century wines. So named for entering its third century of winemaking, the winery’s newest line features chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and syrah. (Now available nationwide!)

I can’t think of a more fun way to take in “functional art” for a good cause… and be on the clock tasting wine. I may have even picked up a few interior design tips in the process… though I assure you that I won’t be pulling my knitting needles out of that box in the garage to implement them.