We Have A Winner!

This was hard to judge!! Not only because sipping-n-spitting 42 cocktails leaves a little alcoholic residue in the body... but because we had many worthy entries. We were looking for 4 seasonal highlights and one overall winner. Big congrats to all who submitted drinks and especially to the top rung:

Pink Vesper: Overall winner, John Valorsi of Luna Park, San Francisco
Velvet Violet: Spring Cocktail, Sean Serino of Bar Lubitsch, West Hollywood
Jamaican Rose: Summer Cocktail, Gabriela de Luma of Organic Panificio, Marina del Rey
Pinky Couture: Fall Cocktail, Mike Rose of Ma'Kai, Santa Monica
Pinky Palmer: Winter Cocktail, Chuck Meyer of Luna Park, San Francisco

TLM Goes Mute!

During the Tiki Block Party at Tales of the Cocktail, I was asked to interview Rob Bryans, VP of 10 Cane Rum. See that video here and learn why he thinks it is the best rum in the world.

But, please know that I did ask him a million questions that were edited out so the video wouldn't be 20 minutes long... (Trust me - my big mouth is rarely at a loss for words!)

And, if you haven't already tried 10 Cane, you don't know what you're missing. It is delish!

Tune In Today for Live Radio Show!

I'm heading back in the radio studio, this afternoon, to be a guest on the Tom Leykis show. Adam the Wine Guy and Dan Dunn, a spirits writer, will also be guests and we will be fielding calls from listeners.

How totally fun - and slightly nerve-wracking considering there are (literally) millions of them!

The show airs around the country but in LA can be heard on 97.1 at 6 pm (PST). I'll be making a couple of cocktails on the air and hanging out in the boys' club house for a few hours. Care to join me?

Alcohol Free Cocktails

No, It's Not an Oxymoron...

Want to bring a little non-boozy fun into your summer party repertoire? Watch my latest "how to" video demonstrating how you can be a Thoughtful Entertainer and include everyone in the fun - even guests who are pregnant, on medication or have a long drive home...

San Francisco Cocktail Week Saves the Sazerac!

Did you miss SF Cocktail Week? Do you love a good, old fashioned Sazerac cocktail? Are you a fan of New Orleans and Tales of the Cocktail? Then, this video is for you...

Cocktails Are Fun!

Stop Stressing - and Start Shaking

One of the things I emphasize in The Liquid Muse Cocktail Classes is that Mixology is not brain surgery! You’re making a drink, not creating an atom bomb. Most likely, you’re mixing one up at the end of the day; to relax, enjoy with a loved one, sip as the sun goes down and the stress rolls off your mind and body. It’s a moment to wear a smile and have a chat. In a word – cocktails are fun!

Now, don’t get me wrong – a well-heeled bartender making historic cocktails and quality drinks is a thing to treasure, praise and throw money at. But, the average person doesn’t want to feel intimidated when opening a bottle. “Am I doing it right?” Or worse – “Am I doing it wrong?,” is not something someone should be thinking when pouring him/herself a drink.

I encourage people in my classes to “make the drink your own.” If someone likes it sweeter than the recipe calls for, or if they prefer it more tart --- by all means, add more sugar / simple syrup / agave nectar or lime juice / lemon juice or whatever. It is YOUR drink, after all.

For example, I hate wine tastings where some guy in a suit “talks down” to the crowd, or talks over the average person’s level of knowledge. It is pretentious and counter-productive. It is equally unfortunate in a Mixology seminar. Cocktails are something to enjoy. The history is fascinating, the lore is intriguing, the 'good old' recipes, spirits, liqueurs and traditions are something to uphold. But, not everyone who loves a quality cocktail is a bartender, mixologist or industry professional.

I also don’t believe in strictly “following the rules" when it comes to food, wine or cocktails. As long as you start with quality ingredients, and absorb a few basic guidelines, I believe in following your own palate. If you like red wine with fish – who cares? It’s nobody’s business but your own.

I think that some of the appeal of people like Rachael Ray, for example, is that she makes everyone feel like they can whip up a decent meal. Her catch phrases like the somewhat hokey “Yum-o!” and getting the average American housewife in Kentucky to by Extra Virgin Olive Oil (versus Crisco or some other such crap) by calling it the cutsie “E.V.O.O.” gets that housewife to remember the healthier option when she’s walking down the supermarket aisle. And, isn't that the whole idea?

Rachael Ray draws scoffs and sneers from some professional chefs - and even nobodies who have nothing better to do than diss her - but let them laugh. Her books, TV shows and other endorsements prove that she’s on to something… people want to feel like they can make a dinner their friends ad family will enjoy. She gives them some basic skills, tools and ideas – then sets them free.

This is my approach to cocktails. Anyone can do it. Everyone should do it – and feel free to do it his/her own way. Use good ingredients – fresh fruit, herbs, vegetables, juices. Throw away the sweet and sour and pre-bottled lime juice. Chuck out the nasty "bubble gum" vodka, and get some quality spirits. Then squeeze some grapefruits, muddle some cucumber, press an apple … and get creative while having a good time creating a drink that YOU enjoy.

I respect the classics as much as anyone. I admire a maestro who can bang them out so that others can experience what that revered drink should taste like. However, I also am so passionate about cocktails that I want more people to love – and make – cocktails as much as I do.

I say: get out of your head, put down that book, and start shaking and stirring, sister!

*Photo on right courtesy of DPR

Perfect Pairings... 

See how an American-inspired dish at a French-inspired bistro whipped up by a French chef and paired with a California microbrew by an American sommelier come together in a delicious pairing by Cedric Maupillier and Brian Zipin of Central in Washington DC  --- for a good cause, to boot!

So, Ya Wanna Be A Filmmaker...

Just Make Sure You Don't Suck!

I recently completed a 4-day course at the Travel Channel Academy in Silver Spring, Maryland. Whew. Intense.

My goal was to learn to shoot and edit video for my website. My earlier attempts at The Liquid Muse Cocktail Show prove that I needed a little guidance in this department...

I can practically hear the voice of our teacher Michael Rosenblum in my head yelling, "That Sucks!" if he were to look at my first solo attempts, from last year, when I made the Snowcone Cocktail with its horrible audio, jump cuts and bad camera angles, or even my Puerto Rican Mojito, which is slightly better (mostly because its much shorter) but still a long way from where it could be.

But, hey, I've never gone to film school and I was feeling this all out on my own. So, whatever.

During the TC bootcamp, we each made two short videos. Mine are Fresh Noodles and Perfect Pairings. Actually, Fresh Noodles was a re-shoot of what I originally shot that morning. I had spent several hours getting out to Virginia and filming Gina, one of my favorite bartenders, preparing her drink for the upcoming Taste of the Nation cocktail competition. When I took my footage back to the class, Lisa (Michael's partner) said it looked too "directed" and I should seriously consider a re-shoot. My heart sank. Wow - I sucked. I had no idea what to film instead.

I sat there for 10 minutes feeling like a total loser. Then, an image flashed through my head... the noodle guy... I'd shoot the noodle guy at Chinatown Express. Only problem is that it was 5:15 pm, and no restaurant will let you film during their busy dinner service. Crap! I was desperate. I hopped on the subway went to DC's Chinatown anyway.

I think the owner of the restaurant recognized the desperation on my face. "Please," I said, "I know its dinner time, I'll be quick. Only 15 minutes." A couple of hours later, I had about 12 minutes of video shot. Michael had said not to bother coming back with less than 15.

I woke up at 2 am, fretting. I'd spent a ton of money and carved out the time to do this. I didn't want to suck.

Like a blubbering fool, I couldn't stop hot tears from rolling down my cheeks as my husband gave me a pep talk over the phone. He was in Holland on a business trip. I was on the morning train from downtown DC to Silver Spring. "I just want this to be good," I whined. "You just want to be the best," he surmised. I hate it when he brings up my competitive streak when I'm doing something I'm struggling with.

I tinkered around with Final Cut and the Academy staff helped me with audio transitions. My palms poured sweat when we screened our first round of films. Although Michael described the ending of my film "Fresh Noodles" as 'banal,' overall, he liked it. In fact, it was one of his favorites of the day. Enthused, relieved, revived, I headed back on the train with a smile on my face and hope in my heart. Yippee!! I didn't suck!

The next day was even more nerve wracking when I set out to film the second project. Slightly more confident, I shot 40 minutes of footage at Central where chef Cedric Maupillier and sommelier Brian Zipin were creating a soup-and-beer pairing. I filmed far too much, and fell far too in love with too many shots, and crammed a whole bunch of them into my next film "Perfect Pairings." Michael said it was good but had too many fast cuts. He called it "raggedy," a word which haunts me even now. He isn't wrong.. but, "raggedy" is so not what I want my work to be. I am, however, inspired to keep practicing and get good. Get really, really good. (Doh - there's that competitive streak...)

The two best videos in our class were of a guy juggling a bowling ball, tennis racket and soccer ball by Andrew Wong of California; and North Carolinian Mike Unruh's video of himself taking the Travel Channel Academy course. Both were well shot, well edited, and well... the best in class. And, they will appear on the Travel Channel website! (Bravo, gentlemen!!)

Overall, the course was really fun and really stressful but I feel I learned some important stuff. I think there is a vast improvement regarding the basics: how to handle a camera, and the very beginning of my skill with using Final Cut editing software. 

If you're thinking of adding video to your repertoire, the Travel Channel Academy is an effective, though brain-crushing, crash course in guerilla film making. It costs a pretty penny, so if you're on a budget - forget about it. However, if you can pony up more than $3000 for the course, rentals, hotel, airfare, meals, etc., you, too, can learn to vlog your way to internet stardom... and eat a healthy helping of humble pie paired with an intoxicating elixir called 'optimistic aspirations' in the process...

Fresh Noodles

In case you're planning to visit our Nation's Capital for a big St.Patrick's Day celebration, make note of this noodle soup. It just happens to be a great for hangovers... Erin Go Bragh, y'all!