Some Well-Meaning Banter

Some comments I had to post on Off the Presses,

Autumn and Galliano

Inspired by Morganthaler's use of Strega, I just used the last of my Galliano L'Autentico sample bottle in a wonderful Autumnal cocktail. While my program is doing it's part to chew through San Francisco's supply of the old, lower proof stuff (two bottles a week!!!!!), I still don't think we are going to get into the new supply for few months. So, in preparation of a fall drop, I give you the Autunno:

1 oz. Calvados
1 oz. Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz. Galliano L'Autentico
1/4 oz. Maraschino

Stir gently over ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass, garnish with lemon zest.

It's Funny Because it's True.

Camper, will write my eulogy?

Why bother writing original posts when you have friends who blog like this.

Mean New Zester found on Liqurious

This thing is just plain vicious

Tales

It pains me to no end to find myself quoting Jimmy Buffet:

My head hurts, my feet stink, and I don't love Jesus.
It's that kind of mornin', really was that kind of night.
Tryin' to tell myself that my condition is improvin'
and if I don't die by Thursday I'll be roarin' Friday night.

I knew going into Tales that I was not going to be up to posting while there and I am sort of gratified (justified?) to see that most blogs cocktailian are noticeably thin on their Tales coverage. There was just too much going on. Rather than attempt to give a detailed recap, I am just going to freeform it. If you fit in here somewhere, thanks. If you were there with me and you don't see a reference to yourself, don't feel bad, I was just too drunk to focus.

10 Po'Boys (that's right, 10!!)
The Alibi
The Oregon Cocktail Suite
Elevator Networking
Carousel Bar Networking
Lobby Networking
Sidewalk Networking
Poolside Networking
In the Pool Networking (only a little bit gay)
Late-night Suite Networking
Morganthaler ('nuff said)
Mother's
MotAC (just lovely)
Sunrise...all 5 of them
lime juice
Meyer the Hatter
Lance Winters sitting next to Ted Breaux Sitting next to me
Gary muthergrabin Regan!
LUPEC Boston (I love you gals)
Last call at the Old Absinthe House (don't we get a T-shirt or something for making that long)
Where the hell is Dominic Venegas?

One last Blog before Tales

If you profess to care about Whisky at all, this will fascinate you.

Bruichladdich is replacing their oldest washback right now. This is big doings for a number of reasons. The one that just blows me away is this. The man in charge of the procedure is one Duncan McGillivray, Distillery Manager and one of the most gentlemanly men I have ever met. Well, it turns out that the wood he is replacing was installed by his great uncle... 105 years ago.

In a world of hi-tech column distillation and white grape-passion fruit confected vodka, stories like this border on biblical for me.

Off to Tales I Go

I doubt I will blog for the next week, but expect some fun stuff when I get back.

Here is an interesting site put up by the folk at Hendrick's Gin in the meantime.

Rick Nails it Again

I love Martini Groove.

Tales of the Cocktail

Alright. So I am completely overwhelmed by the line up this year. I have noticed many other bloggers posting their itineraries (none of which have included my panel yet....bastards) and I am quite impressed with how well thought out and organized they seem to be. I, for one, will be winging it.

Wish me luck.

PS: I promise to post a pic of each and every po'boy I eat.

Diet Sodas get you drunk

Science proves diet sodas really do suck. Todays NY Times.

The Express Train to Awesometown

Wow!

How not too smell spirits.

Friday's San Francisco Chronicle had a piece on the latest release of Rye from Anchor Distilling. The above pic of me seemingly killing my olfactory nerves accompanied. I would just like to point out that someone had put ice in all the samples and I had pulled my cube and was trying to warm up the whiskey so I could actually smell something. It was way under 90 proof by the time I stuck my nose in it.

As for the whiskey, Jackie and I both were simply dumbfounded by how tropical the nose was. Pineapples all over the place. On the palate, it is much more mature and restrained than the previous releases. A definite must buy if you can find it.

What's in a name

If you ask a room full of bartenders what the hardest part of making up new drinks is and you will almost always get the same answer...The Name. This is mostly because we want people to actually drink our creations and generally speaking, the name printed on the menu is the best way to get the consumers attention. Yet we also don't want to to come of as too silly. I often quote Simon Diford and suggest using racing forms and stealing horse names.

Well here is a non-boose-related site that turns up some interesting names.