Mixology Monday - Coming Monday, October 15!

Get in on the Action...

I am excited to host October's MixMo. For those who don't know, Mixology Monday is the brainchild of our pal, Paul Clarke at Cocktail Chronicles. We cocktail bloggers / bartenders / Mixologists / cocktail enthusiasts across the internet have a little "cocktail party" of sorts. One blogs hosts each month, and chooses a theme.

Everyone who wants to be involved posts an appropriate drink on their own blog, then emails the host, who compiles a list, with links. The host then posts MixMo in its entirety on their blog for the world to read about all of the wild and wonderful cocktails everyone has presented.

With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be fun to focus on food pairings. Over the last year, or so, I've become a big fan of cocktail pairings... here are a few of the latest reasons why:

While in London, a few weeks ago, I had the honor of experiencing mind-blowing savory cocktails made by Bombay Sapphire's Europe-based Mixologist, Jamie Walker. After touring an immense gourmet herb garden on the grounds of Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (a Relais & Chateaux property in Oxford, England), Jamie gave us a cocktail demonstration featuring ingredients like beets, fresh herbs and morel mushrooms. Incredible. And, these "gourmet cocktails" pair incredibly well with world class food. (The restaurant at has two michelin stars, I might add... more on that to come in a future post.)

I've also recently enjoyed a glamorous dinner at a Hollywood mansion atop a hill, hosted by Jose Cuervo to show off their Platino (platinum) tequila. It was very eye-opening for me to try the variety of cocktails, made with tequila, that went nicely with passed canapes, Chilean seabass and dulce de leche flan. The drinks paired particularly well with the bird's eye view of Los Angeles stretching for miles below us. (more on that coming soon, too...)

I also tried bourbon cocktails paired with barbeque (talk about a perfect pairing!) at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, a couple of weeks ago. Yum! (I've written a bit about that here and there's more to come.)

All of this to give you an idea that cocktails and food go well together. Whether you choose gin, tequila, vodka, whiskey or something else, don't be afraid to get creative.

I'm hoping that this MixMo will entice some of our food blogger friends to get in on the action, too!

I suggest that you present a cocktail - name, ingredients and photo - and also give an idea of what kind of food (or a specific dish) it pairs well with.

Cheers - and Bon Apetit!

Is a Bartender a Better Cocktail Blogger?

I have been a long time admirer, and “cyber friend” of Jeffrey Morgenthaler. I like the guy and have mentioned him many times on The Liquid Muse. That's why I was a little taken aback by the snide tone in this declaration in a Mixology Monday post (where, by the way, all are welcome):

“There are a few reasons why I’m more excited than ever for Mixology Monday this month. First of all, I’m beside myself because our host is Jimmy Patrick, who is a fellow bartender and a good friend. Bartenders are a surprisingly rare breed in this little cocktail blogger community of ours, so he and I are often awash in a sea of pundits.”

I would like to interject, at this point, the definition of “pundit:”

"A pundit is someone who offers mass-media opinion, analysis or commentary on a particular subject area on which they are presumed to be knowledgeable…the term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities lacking special expertise … it can be used in a derogative manner."

Now, I realize that Jeffrey was not singling me out – cuz I'm neither an "active" bartender nor a pundit, last time I checked - so I’m not going to get all “girly” on you here. However, the sentiment that as bartenders Jimmy and Jeffrey are "awash in a sea of pundits" raised my eyebrows…

Is one to believe that only a bartender holds the esteemed credentials to be a valid cocktail blogger? And, who exactly differentiates a “pundit” from an “expert?” And, to go one step further… let’s talk about the definition of a blog. Is it a “web log” more of a forum of the written word, or one of proving who can slam out '29 cosmos for the bachelorette party on table 10' in five minutes flat?

And, really, does it matter? Isn’t this quibbling over petty crap anyway?

One thing I appreciate about “our little cocktail blogger community” is that every single cocktail blogger brings something to the table. Some report on tiki drinks, or others are passionate about bringing astrology into the mix. Some collect cocktail shakers and others analyze whiskey from one country or another. And, most don’t work behind a bar. This ain’t the Bartenders Guild chat forum, after all.

While some people among us, like Jeffrey and Jimmy, are talented at both mixing drinks behind the bar and writing about them in front of the computer screen, a good many bartenders I know --- skilled, wonderful bartenders I’ve written about on my cocktail blog, in fact --- are not necessarily good writers. Grammar, spelling and good, old fashioned sentence structure is not their forte, and could be a reason they are better at working with their hands than with the turn of a phrase. But, shouldn’t they be welcomed to pull up a stool in the cocktail blogosphere anyway?

And, let’s not forget that a good many cocktail bloggers are indeed not bartenders but freelance journalists with a passion for Mixology who give bartenders, their establishments and the liquor they pour a helluva lot of free publicity! Some bartenders owe their escalating “Rockstar Status” to the people who make less in a week than a bartender does in a weekend, but continue to sit on their asses all day singing the praises of a drink they had at some hole in the wall.

Speaking for myself, I haven’t worked in a bar for a good, long while but I have to say that I love trying out recipes at home and get all lathered up over my little vintage cocktail books. I also love getting paid to create cocktail recipes for events and liquor companies. And, I particularly love writing about a great bartender. Because frankly, there aren’t so many of them out there. And, if one of them sits his or her butt down long enough to write blog post, I say, “bravo!” even if he doesn’t have a degree in Literature or Journalism or has even written his or her own high school term paper.

Isn’t a shared passion for the cocktail what "our little cocktail blogging community" ultimately has in common?

Mixology Monday!

I finally got it to together and am participating in a Mixology Monday with my fellow cocktail bloggers. Created by Paul at the Cocktail Chronicles, a while back, these little gatherings have, apparently, captured the attention "big boys," like Food & Wine Magazine blog. (However, MxMo invitations continue to be passed around by the movers and 'shakers' of the Cocktailian Webosphere, so you Sipsters reading this are still getting the inside scoop!)

This month's "cocktail party" is hosted by the lovely Gwen at Intoxicated Zodiac. Her blog blends drinks and astrology - a niche within a niche! As a salute to the sun in Leo, Gwen has chosen "orange" as the theme for this month's cocktails. (And, might I add that I happen to be particularly partial to this sign. My husband, sister, mom and childhood best friend are all Leos. In fact, so are my mother-in-law and a few other good friends. Which reminds me, I'd better get out some birthday cards...!)

Staying with the Playboy theme, I've decided to feature the Orange Shell Cooler, featured in the Playboy Host & Bar Book (1971). I even mixed one up last night, as an "encore" after the Champagne Manhattan. I took a photo, which didn't come out too well. But, as they say, don't judge a book by its cover. Like a Playboy Centerfold, its what inside that counts.

1 extra large California orange
1 ounce 151 proof rum
1/2 ounce curacao
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 teaspoon
1 slice cocktail orange in syrup

“Cut a cap off top of orange about 1/ 2inch from top. With a sharp grapefruit knife, gouge out the meat, leaving orange shell intact. Squeeze enough juice from meat to make 1 1/2 ounces of juice. Shake orange juice, rum, , lime juice and sugar well with ice. Strain into orange shell. Place orange shell in a bowl or sup dish about 7 inches in diameter. Pack finely crushed ice around orange. Fasten orange slice onto cocktail spear and place across orange cup. Serve with a short colored straw. A show- off concoction for drink hobbyists and rum specialists.”

Natalie's notes: I used 10 Cane rum instead of 151. And, I didn't bother with a cocktail orange in syrup. (Not sure where to find one of those, anyway. Sounds yucky.) I love mixing fresh juices and rum. (duh, right?) I am definitely going to play around with this recipe some more and find the perfect Liquid Muse twist...

Cheers, Gwen and all you other MxMo participants!

MxMo - Spice It Up!

I am exited to participate in a Mixology Monday - its been a while! And, this topic is right up my alley. I love a bit of spicy in my cocktail!! Thanks to Craig at Tiki Drinks & Indigo Firmaments for thinking of it. Here are a couple from The Liquid Muse repertoire...

The first is the Nolita Heat, which was featured as the first ever "official nonalcoholic cocktail of Tales of the Cocktail 2008" and the second drink, which comes from my eco-friendly cocktail class, was originally called it Spicy Grapefuit Margarita. Luckily, Ted Haigh (aka: Dr. Cocktail) gave it a far better name, as you'll see below...

NOLitA Heat
(The Liquid Muse Virgin Mixology, 2008)

1-2 jalapeno slices
1/2 ounce limejuice
1 ounce Prickly Pear syrup (or prickly pear puree)
2 ounces mango juice
Fre alcohol-removed Brut sparkling wine
1 skewered whole jalapeño or Thai chili

Muddle jalapeno slices and limejuice in a mixing glass. Add ice and mango juice, then shake vigorously. Strain into a champagne flute. Slowly pour in Prickly Pear syrup, allowing it to settle on the bottom of the glass. Top with Fre Brut, and garnish with a skewered jalapeño or Thai chili on the side of the glass.

Hot Rod Cadiallac
(The Liquid Muse Sustainable Sips, 2008)

1 1/2 ounces 4 Copas organic tequila
1 ounce lime juice
2 ounces freshly squeezed organic grapefruit juice
1 slice jalapeno
3/4 ounce 4 Copas agave nectar
course sea salt

Rim 1/3 of 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.

Happy Repeal Day!

For those who don't know, tomorrow is Repeal Day. It's the happy drinker's national holiday! It commemorates the day the US Government lifted that nasty little period of time referred to as Prohibition.

There is alwasy something fun going on in the blogosphere around Repeal Day, and this year I'll direct you to Jeffrey Morgenthaler's blog, where he hosted this month's Mixology Monday. Enjoy a bevy of exciting libations from around the globe...

Happy Drinking!
xo The Liquid Muse

Today is Mixology Monday!

If you have not yet emailed me your contribution of cocktail - food pairings, please do so today!!!

I'm compiling an intriguing list of cocktail bloggers' and food bloggers' pairings. (So cool to get everyone together.) Not sure where some of my cocktail blogger buddies went for this one... Camper? Paul? Darcy? Jeffrey? Gwen? Rick? Where you at?

I'm going post today's MxMo tomorrow, so everyone has a chance to get their link emailed over...

Chow! I mean, "Ciao." (This pairings thing is making me hungry!)

Mixology Monday, November

Here I come careening in at the last possible moment to share a drink at the online cocktail party, otherwise known as Paul Clarke’s baby, the infamous MxMo! This month, Jay - Britain’s premiere imbiber at Oh Gosh! - is host. He has chosen none other than “gin” as the topic. “Pip, pip, cheerio!” I say to that.

While I enjoy a vodka cocktail from time to time, it has staged a sneaky little take-over, pushing gin out of the limelight for the last several years. (I blame it all on Sex in the City and their over-exposed favorite cocktail, and the inane multitude of variations of the Cosmo… but that's ranting from other posts.)

So, here we are with gin back at the forefront. I mean – geesh – have you noticed all the gins (and “gin light”) on the market lately? What do I mean by “gin light?” Well, let’s put it this way…

As with whiskey, some people (women in particular) get it in their heads that gin is “too strong,” “will give me a terrible hangover,” “is an old man’s drink.”

While the mainstays of solid, good old aromatic gin (like Bombay Sapphire, for example) are regularly enjoyed by the masculine and well-to-do, new products appeal to the gin-wary. G’Vine has more floral notes that juniper ones. Sonnema Herb refers to itself as a ‘vodka’ but it does have juniper notes. (Isn’t juniper what makes a ‘vodka’ a ‘gin,’ after all?) Damrak is angling to get Holland back in the gin game (gin began as genever, then became the drink we know when British soldiers brought it back to the home country, and later to India where the ‘gin and tonic’ was widely drunk … for “medicinal purposes” staving off Malaria.) Today, rebellious Blue Coat gin steals the British spirit Stateside.

A whole bevy of our favorite vodka drinks began with gin – from the martini (originally made with a 7:1 ratio of gin and vermouth) to the Snapper (predecessor to the Bloody Mary).

And, of course, throwing in a bit of feminine lore, lovers of the literati and the wild girls of the roaring 20’s must read Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin (recipe for bathtub gin in this post) These rebellious beauties (Zelda Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Edna Ferber) would drive any sane man to the bottle --- only it would already be empty because the gals would have finished it off hours before!

So, I suppose this is the time when I present a cocktail to share with the MxMo party crowd. Well, since I’m running late, and you’ve probably already drunk your fill, I will leave you with my version a morning-after waster-chaser:

The Liquid Muse Snapper (with a kick)

2 ounces tomato water*
1 1/2 ounces gin
dash salt, pepper, Angostura bitters
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce lime juice
lemon wheel
sprig of fresh dill

Rim a Collins glass with ground chili powder. Fill with ice. Set aside. Shake tomato water, gin, salt, pepper, bitters and lemon & lime juices, with ice. Strain into tall glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprig of dill. Enjoy with an aspirin and a big glass of water after a night out...

*Personally, I can’t stand thick tomato juice, so I prefer tomato water. Make it by freezing several tomatoes overnight, in a glass bowl. Thaw them the next morning in the same bowl and save the liquid that collects in it. Next, peel off the skin of each tomato, and squeeze it over the bowl, so its juice adds to the contents of the bowl. (Set the meat of the tomatoes aside to make pasta sauce.) Strain the liquid from the bowl, and voila – tomato water!

Mixology Monday - A Little Sustenance with the Sauce...

You Won't Leave This Party Hungry!

Wow! What an awesome response to MixMo! This is the first time I’ve hosted one, and I have to admit that it was a little daunting to come up with a theme. So, I went with my heart (or maybe it was my stomach…) and chose a topic which increasingly intrigues me…

Cocktail and food pairings are a creative way to individualize each person’s dining experience. For example, four dinner companions may order four very different meals – in fact, so different that one bottle of wine wouldn’t work for every meal. I’m sure you’ll all be impressed with the many mout-watering suggestions below. Pull up a chair, tie a napkin around your neck, grab a glass and hold on tight! It’s MixMo!

I always like to begin a dinner party with a little bubbly. The “pop” of a champagne cork always sets the mood! I recently created a cocktail for the launch of Napa’s Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé. (I'll be getting a professional photo of this cocktail but haven’t yet, so I “borrowed” this pic from Starchefs, as it looks a teesy bit, kinda sorta similar.)

Cocktail: Bouquet of Rosé

1/2 ounce Scence Rose Nectar
4 ounces Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé
spritz of rose water
Sprig of fresh lavender

Spritz a chilled champagne bowl* (or martini glass) with rose water. Pour in rose nectar and Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé.

Aromatic Garnish: Lay a sprig of fresh lavender across the top of the glass.
*Because aromatics are an essential ingredient in this cocktail, a wide-mouthed glass is preferable.

Pairing: The LA launch party began at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and it was served with wonderful little lobster canapés, oysters and mini truffle risottos.

Drumroll Please... Here are everyone's submissions for a tasty meal from around the globe (including an encore performance). Cheers! Skol! Prost! Salud! (and Bon Apetit!)

Before Dinner:

Whet your appetite with a favorite bar snack! Darcy O’Neil brings a little science to the Art of Drink pairing, featuring his Light Green Fizz with Pretzels.

Hors D’oeuvres:

Anna at Morsels and Musings sent in this super cool round up of cocktail pairings with canapes at bars around Sydney, Australia. The pear-influenced martini with tuna ceviche sounds bloody fantastic, mate!

Soup:

Craig (aka: Dr. Bamboo) managed to send over a little “food porn.” I mean, am I really alone in getting all hot-and-bothered over Celery & Stilton Soup? Sexy it up even more with a martini: shaken, not stirred…

Salad:

A big, whopping to Happy Birthday to Jeffrey Morgenthaler who took time out of his celebration to send in his MixMo pairing. Such skill! Such dedication. You may be getting on in age, Jeffrey, but at least ya ain’t losin’ your touch, old buddy.

Fish:

I love salmon – and never had it wrapped in Parma ham… but now that I’ve read Jay Hepburn’s pairing, I can’t wait to try it with this “Martini Variation.” Oh gosh! A Jolly good idea, I dare say!

Blaire ‘Trader Tiki’ Reynolds sends us this exotic poisson cru and a tiki cocktail. (It gave me fantasies of running off to the South Pacific.)

Paul Clarke, Granddaddy of the MixMo, out did himself, as usual, with this salmon kedgeree and cocktail pairing (using one of the new ginger liqueurs, too)… Nobody chronicles the joy of cocktails like Cocktail Chronicles.

How about a little Absinthe? That's what Jamie Boudreau has used in the Dutchess cocktail paired with prawns over at Spirits and Cocktails.

Pasta:

Bar Mix Master, Brad Ellis represents The Big Easy in this month’s MixMo by pairing a twist on a Manhattan with Pastalaya. Wondering what the heck that is? Find out here.

Meat-n-More:

In Cocktail Land, we know Shawn by his drink blog, Rejiggered. Well, this Clarke Kent-like 'lawyer-by-day-blogger-by-night ' has now added a food blog to his repertoire. Get the low down on his MixMo drink at the usual spot, and the recipe for the intoxicating sauce (as in for the steak, not the glass) at The Biased Cut.

Deb Ward tempts and teases those of us who are hungry in L.A. with her food blog: Let’s Order / Dinner at Six. I extend a sunny So-Cal welcome to this first-time MixMo “purist.”

Anita & Cameron at Married With Dinner share more than a blissful life together. They also both have a passion for all that’s meaty, slathered and shaken.

He got me at: “Jalapeño short ribs, marinated in pomegranate molasses and bourbon, and mac and cheese.” Then, he paired it with whiskey. And, there is so much more! Feast on course after course of pairings with Michael Dietsch at A Dash of Bitters.

Meatless:

Gwen is our online Goddess who oversees the sun, moon and stars when it comes to pairing cocktails with astrology at Intoxicating Zodiac. In this post, she worked a little tofu into MixMo. (You can also learn how to ward off those pesky deer...)

Got No Freakin' Idea What This is But I'm Sure It's Good:

I am honored to present the first MixMo entry in a language other than English! Christian, from Bavaria, Germany, sent us this drink pairing featuring “wodka” and some other stuff, measured in centiliters, no less.

Dessert:

Let’s top this all off with an elegant dessert from Dominik MJ, the Opinionated Alchemist. Here’s a hint: there’s a gin-hibiscus infusion and lemon… well, just check it out for yourselves!

You’ll want to get Sloshed with Marleigh Riggins’ Cookie Martini (to go with a Chocolate Dipped Harvest Biscotti, no less!)

Drop off to sleep tonight with a big, fat smile and dream of a million fuzzy little sheep after Cynthia Closkey’s Hot Toddy and Oatmeal cookie. It makes me long for snow in North Hollywood, just so I can snuggle by a fire with this cozy pairing.

Midnight Snack:

Former Smirnoff Mixologist, Cameron Bogue, is blogging his bike tour through Latin America - on a motorcycle - at MotoTails. Don’t hate him because he’s living the beautiful life. Just eat and drink vicariously through his MixMo entry. (Just try not to cry when you finish reading about his adventures, and you’re still sitting in that cubicle…)

But Wait... There's More!

Erik at Egullet was kind enough to send over a whole slew of pairings their readers sent in. Don’t touch that dial. These are awesome!

eGullet member bostonapothecary mused over food and cocktail pairings, remembering a fairly successful combination of Carolina pulled pork sandwiches and Mojitos.

Peter the eater recalled an odd device which allowed him to carbonate any alcoholic beverages. One of his favorites was carbonated port wine served with blue cheese.

Natter suggested pairing rich foods with high acid cocktails.

Katie Loeb (aka KatieLoeb) detailed a recent dinner where she paired cocktails with each course.

Erik Ellestad (aka eje) took a predictable route, pairing the vermouth and sherry based Bamboo with cheese and nuts.

Andy Arrington (aka thirtyoneknots) has had some luck pairing a cucumber, lemon, and gin combination he calls "Scottish Cool" with a sashimi trio.

Mixology Monday!

Giving Notice for Last Call...

By the time you read this, Mix Mo will be less than 48 hours away. Email me your cocktail and its food pairing to be included in our online cocktail party. Don't know what I'm talking about? Read this.

(and in case you need a nudge, my email is: natalie@theliquidmuse.com).

Mixology Class on Mondays in September

The Liquid Muse is here to inspire and inform when it comes to intriguing libations and fun things / places / people to know…

This “mixology class” sounds like a fun night out. It takes place at Tandoori Nights (Clarendon, VA location) over three Monday nights in September (the 11th, 18th and 25th) from 6 - 7 p.m. At $20 per person, classes include instructions on how to make a few of Tandoori Nights’ signature cocktails, including the popular Basil Ginger Grand Martini, and Indian appetizers are included. Yum!

I am not paid by the liquor companies, event promoters or restaurants I write up. I am the vessel through which the fun info flows! I also love to get feedback from readers – whether you agree or disagree with my opinions, and like or dislike products or services written up here. Sipsters’ opinions help guide The Liquid Muse content! What do you want to know in the world of cocktails??

If you decide to go, please let us know how it was! Write a Sipster Review for The Liquid Muse community.

“A Drop, A Dash, A Jigger”

San Francisco Cocktail Week Wrap Up

It has been a couple of weeks since I’ve returned from the wonderful and amazing San Francisco Cocktail Week, and I'm still dreaming about it.

Bay Area Mixologists: Jeff Hollinger of Absinthe, H. Joseph Ehrmann of Elixir and Duggan McDonnell of Cantina organized a week-long celebration of the town’s vibrant and collaborative cocktail culture. I’ve written about a few bars I visited up North in posts, below, and now its time to post the grand finale, which took place at Absinthe, with an after-party at Elixir.

San Fracisco Cocktail Week was planned to bubble over into the celebration of The Museum of the American Cocktail’s World Cocktail Day, and the annual Bay to Breakers ‘drunk’ fun run (an amazing race whose participants push fully stocked bars or carry martinis through the streets of the city dressed in wild get-up and toasting good cheer.)

I was able to get up to San Fran for a couple of days with friend and photographer Claire Barrett. We hit 7 bars in two nights, chatting with intriguing personalities and snapping as many complementary images as possible. This was not a sponsored trip. This was a labor of love, which came out of our own personal budgets, workweek, and desire to soak up a little cocktail-inspired fun!

“Absolutely thrilled” is the best way to describe my excitement at meeting so many other people who are passionate about cocktails and the history, lore and “spirit” behind them. On Monday, May 21st, the week’s festivities culminated at Absinthe, a casually elegant Parisian-style brasserie and bar, where the occasional little green fairy peeks out at the revelry.

Wall-to-wall cocktail lovers, bartenders, Mixologists, spirits makers and personalities mingled over drinks and passed apps. It was fun for me to clink glasses with other cocktail enthusiasts such as Ann Rogers, the woman behind Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans; Gary Regan, author of The Joy of Mixology and San Francisco Chronicle’s cocktail column “The Cocktailian;” Alison Evanow, CEO of Square One Organic Vodka and Arne Hillesland from Gin Distillery No. 209 (write up on that coming in a future post...)

I also met Alberta Straub whose new online show “Cocktails On The Fly” recently debuted (Her clips are fun – and she beat me to the punch! I’ve already shot a few episodes but finding the time to edit and post amidst my full time writing career makes it a bit slow going… So, tune in to Alberta’s show in the meantime!).

Once we’d drunk Absinthe close to dry, it was time to meander on down to Elixir for the after-party, where the fun continued well into the night. By that time, I had “sampled” several of the tempting libations (like Absinthe’s featured cocktail The Bobtailed Nag) so I slowed down on drinks.

Well, to be honest, I slowed down on drinks AFTER I tried Elixir’s featured classic cocktail The Corpse Reviver. (I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t heard of it before - and I couldn’t resist a name like that!) I’d describe Elixir as an old-west gold rush saloon, gone modern, gone retro. Rustic, a little chic and definitely happening, it was a great place to wind down two solid nights of festivities.

The only danger of drinking in San Francisco is the Pavlovian response one develops upon return home. Just hear the city’s name mentioned and the mouth dries, the lips smack and a yearning for an incredibly well-crafted drink, along well-informed and enthusiastic people with whom to share it takes hold...

(But, between you and me, it’s a risk worth taking.)

Libation-loving Londontown

There’s nothing like enjoying a delicacy in its native land. The sophisticated traveler gets an extra thrill from nibbling salty little pearls of caviar in Moscow; indulging in still-wiggling, practically dripping-with-seawater sushi in Tokyo; and sipping a little bubbly amid vine-laden fields in the north of France. So, would it be a surprise for thirsty globetrotters flock to London to sample the latest trends in cutting-edge bartending?

Although the “cocktail” as we know it originated in the United States, London has become the world’s Mecca for classic and contemporary cocktail culture. The British Capital influences the nuances of modern Mixology from New York to San Francisco to Sydney to Singapore.

Many Victorian-era alcoholic drinks (often made with gin) were created there, and have been incorporated into our modern-day roster of classic staples. Updated classics have also come from London, and several of the best barmen around the world, today, have cut their teeth in the tea-soaked Empire of yore.

While at least a dozen “dens of inebriety” are well worth a mention, I'm sharing four of the top-tier drinking holes I had the pleasure of visiting the last time I was in London. Each establishment draws from a traditional base and shakes things up with innovative twists.

***

Lonsdale

The highly urban, design-forward Lonsdale, in Notting Hill, brings a pre-Prohibition-era cocktail party to an Austin Powers-style shag-a-delic hotspot. Brainchild of nightlife leaders Dick Bradsell and Henry Besant, Lonsdale’s colored mood lighting and fiberglass-fabulous textures and shapes give it a spacey Jetsons ambiance while presenting drinks with Old World pomp-and-circumstance.

Considered London’s best cocktail lounges, Lonsdale features a unique method of serving its libations. Rather than forcing guests to crowd around the bar, maneuvering for a bartender’s attention, mixing carts are waltzed directly to tables, as done in elegant ballrooms of the last century.

Charles Vexenat, recently voted Theme Magazine’s Best Bartender in the UK, created a cocktail list for the supper club-style drinking establishment, and many of those appear on the Daily Trolley List, and can be whipped up, tableside.

Again, pulling from traditional methods, bartender Jim Wrigley (right) explains that Lonsdale is “serious about vermouth” and mixes its martinis in a 7-1 (gin – vermouth) ratio. Additionally, instead of “bruising” the drink in a shaker, he prefers to employ a tall mixing glass, in which he lovingly stirs the alcoholic potions. One unusual – and delicious – ddrink, which incorporates both classic and modern influences, is the Rose Petal Martini made with Bombay Sapphire gin, rose liqueur, lychee juice and a dash of bitters.

***

Montgomery Place

Since its opening in 2006, the jewel box sized, sophisticated-yet-friendly cocktail bar known as Montgomery Place presents old-time favorites like the Martinez, which is the predecessor to today’s “martini.” The décor is one part 1920’s underground elegance, one part neighborhood drinking hole, shaken with masculine accents (such as dark wood and hues of brown throughout) and garnished with a sprinkling of Old School Vegas memorabilia.

The staff is well versed in not only cocktail formulas but the history behind each drink. Here, for example, one can learn that the Montgomery Martini draws its name from WWII British Field Marshall Montgomery who liked his martinis very dry (15-1: gin-vermouth ratio).

However, the three young bucks who own and run this bar follow some of the most advanced bartending trends, such as “aging” the ice so it is rock-hard and cools the drink without watering it down.

Montgomery Place has been referred to by its peers as “a bartender’s bar” because of the quality and care that goes into every glass; the use of fresh herbs and juices and house-made bitters, grenadines and syrups. As explained by one owner, Italian-born Ago Perrone (right), “For us being a bartender is like being a chef. We want to create the best drinks possible.” Considering the several honors already awarded the 50-seat hotspot, including “Best New Bar” in Theme Magazine and nomination for “Best Bar” in Time Out, it’s safe to say they’re accomplishing that goal.

***

The American Bar

The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel is a trip down Mixology’s memory lane. Although it first opened in the late 1890’s, the bar got its current name after the arrival of Harry Craddock, in the 1920’s. Craddock, an American bartender, traded the Prohibition-era United States for roaring London, and brought the love of the cocktail to a largely port and ale-drinking crowd.

Other notorious Yankee liquor-lovers such as Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ira Gershwin raised a glass at Craddock’s bar during the same time period. The now classic “White Lady” (gin, Cointreau, lemon juice) was created here by Harry himself, according to the 1930 “The Savoy Cocktail Book,” and although the “Dry Martini” was regularly enjoyed in places like New York, Craddock is said to have popularized it with Londoners. (As shown in the photo at left, Bombay Sapphire's London-based Mixologist Jamie Walker and American Bar Chef Jonathan Pogash, it's still a blast!)

Today, Salim Khoury (crowned Bartender of the Year multiple times) reigns over this boozey landmark, and is hailed one of the world’s leaders in drink making. Peter Dorelli is almost as classic as some of the drinks served, being one of four remaining head barmen who’ve worked at the American Bar over the last century.

Patrons range from hotel guests (largely an older American demographic) to local hipsters swinging through “The Strand” on a Saturday night. Early arrivals can snag a sofa, upon which to relax and take in Terry O'Neill’s photos of Hollywood Legends such as a provocative portrait of Elizabeth Taylor.

Art Deco accents and scattered orchids enhance a decidedly glamorous atmosphere. And, a younger version of a Rat Pack crooner belts out lounge favorites through a devilish smile, while tickling the ivories Monday – Saturday. Drink prices begin at $20 but imbibing here is simply something that must be experienced at least once in a cocktail-lover’s lifetime.

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Salvatore, at Fifty

Fifty is a private, members-only club, boasts what some call the best cocktail bar in the United Kingdom. Its lounge, Salvatore, is under the watchful eye of its namesake: Italian cocktail legend, Salvatore Calabrese, who spent a decade as head bartender of the Library Bar at the Lanesborough Hotel, and is sometimes referred to as the Best Bartender in the World.

Traditionally stylish, and modernly sleek, Salvatore features floor-to-ceiling windows, wood paneling and ornate chandeliers making for a grand atmosphere, and reflecting the talented instincts of world-renowned interior designer, Jeffrey Beers.

First opened in 1827 as an upper-class gentlemen’s gambling hall and drinking club, Fifty was one of the most talked about luxe establishments by globetrotters of its day. England’s Duke of Wellington socialized alongside the French Count D'Orsay, and feasted on culinary delights from the chef who had once manned the kitchens of Louis XVI. Today, women and men enjoy fine dining and a little bit of liquid Heaven in the privacy of an exclusive environment.

Calabrese’s cocktail menu boasts many aromatic creative fantasies, which blend sweet, spicy and herbaceous tones, in a myriad of combinations. Possibly his most famous cocktail is the Breakfast Martini (photo left) which is made with gin, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice and bittersweet English marmalade.

Salvatore’s collection of vintage Cognacs serves to establish him as an expert in the area, and he has been featured on TV, radio and in print.

The next time you're headed to the London, take a little stroll through its cocktail wonderland. Just mind your "p"s and "q"s. Though the natives are known to get a little wild, it is a civilized country, after all...