Hercules Found!

If you have not been following the intrepid Mr. Ellestad in his survey of the Savoy, I highly suggest you amend your ways. Aside from the obvious coolness of his steady path through the book, he has come up with some great observations concerning lost ingredients.

This recent post sheds some fine light on Hercules, a bottle I have been wondering about for years now.

Vegetarianism and Stuff

Camper is ...well...Camper just is sometimes.

Bitter, bitter, bitter.

We launched our new Amaro-focussed menu last night and I love it.

Tonga in the Times

Sweet Fancy Moses! How do we get Martin Cate to head up a revamp of the Tonga Room.

Back in March, the SF Chronicle broke the news (to me anyway) the Tonga Room was doomed.

My main man Nate Dumas from PDT and The Clover Club in NYC was visiting and we went up for one last Scorpion Bowl (beautifully horrendous.)

Today, the Times revisited the subject...with pictures even.

Am I the only one that sees the recently barless Martin Cate as our last, best hope for the Tonga Room.

I am starting a damn Facespace group!

Two New Cocktail Mag's Launch

Apparently spring is a good season to launch your beverage mag. I was alerted to two different launch parties this month for adult beverage based periodicals.

I met Daniel Jaffe in New Orleans last year in front of the Old Absinthe House at around 4:00 in the morning and vaguely remember calling him nuts for getting into the printing business in the Internet age. Nonetheless, his Drink Me has launched...and I pronounce it cool.

I met one of the guys from Mutineer Magazine in L.A. at the American Food and Wine Festival on the back lot at Universal Studios. Again, both publisher and barman were a little into our respective cups and I vaguely remember him asking me to write for him. Somehow he has been able to launch without me.

I think these guys are great. Other than Imbibe (which is 1 or 2 years old I think) drinks coverage has been coming in the form of Newspaper columns and piggy-backed into food and lifestyle magazines. This new breed of drinks publishing is pretty to look at, more than a little irreverent and just plain fun to read.

Real Mezcal

So after that Mezcal Video I posted a few days ago, I decided to try to find some better info.

Lo and behold, Ron Cooper (aka, Mayor of Awesometown) has his own 10 minute inspirational here.

Crap!?!

Who knew?

This from bartleby.com and the American Heritage Dictionary.

crapulence

SYLLABICATION:
crap·u·lence
PRONUNCIATION:
krpy-lns
NOUN:
1. Sickness caused by excessive eating or drinking. 2. Excessive indulgence; intemperance.
ETYMOLOGY:
From crapulent, sick from gluttony, from Late Latin crpulentus, very drunk, from Latin crpula, intoxication, from Greek kraipal.
OTHER FORMS:
crapu·lent —ADJECTIVEcrapu·lous —ADJECTIVE

Prohibition Isn't Over

I've said it before inreference to the Three Tier System of alcohol distribution in the US that means up to half the end price of a bottle of hooch is pure tax. But this piece from the Salt Lake Tribune talks about liquor laws that read like medieval religious law more than contempory commerce guidelines.

From page 3 of Virginia Elliot's 1933 recipe guide, Quiet Drinking.

Selecting the brand of beer you like best is more important than selecting your brand of coffee. Most people drink coffee because it is hot, but they drink beer because they love it.

Word.

Mezcal on Wine Library TV

The host is a goof.

The show is decent.

The guest is great.

The product....well, I do think it has a place in the world, but not my favorite for sipping.

watch here.

Sent using only the power of my mind.

Another Sherry Cocktail Contest

I was just alerted to De Maison's 2009 Cocktail Contest theme and it's Sherry!

Get your recipes in.

Go Go Diageo

My disdain for 'big booze' is a poorly kept secret. Every once and awhile though, I too fall for the marketing. Gary Regan of Ardent Spirits linked this video today.

I just watched it 3 times in a row.

WTF!!

Look what the Alembic is trying to hide on their back bar. Hard to see, but that is definately a bottle of Midori.



Sent using only the power of my mind.

WTF!!

Look what the Alembic is trying to hide on their back bar. Hard to see, but that is definately a bottle of Midori.



Sent using only the power of my mind.

Ed Hardy's vodka

Crazy bad bottle...and only $35 each!



Sent using only the power of my mind.

Beautiful beautiful beautiful

Chow.com posted a great little piece starring two of my favorite people and one of my favorite cocktails.

I plan on watching it every night before I go to sleep...twice.

Quantitive Analysis Gone Wrong

I was kind of interested in this article by the title, but it sure got dumb as it went on. I am particular fond of the stated fact that a rum and coke has twice as much alcohol as a gin and tonic.

Interesting world this writer lives in.

Sherry Competition Video

A video of the recent Sherry Competion in New York showed up on youtube. It was nice of the editors to cut me off before my drunken ramble.

Oooooo, Beverage Scientist Stuff.

I got a press release today and felt as though I should share in the silliness.

WORLD’S FIRST COMPLETE RECOVERY BEVERAGE LAUNCHES
Code Blue Hydrates, Replenishes and Detoxifies to Help You Feel Better Faster

New York, NY – January 15, 2009 – Code Blue™, the world’s first complete recovery drink, launched today and is available for purchase on www.drinkcodeblue.com. Designed by beverage scientists to revive your body, Code Blue’s powerful ingredients help you feel better faster by combating dehydration, replenishing vital nutrients and removing harmful toxins.

Code Blue was created for people who enjoy going out at night but need to wake up feeling refreshed the next morning. Code Blue can be consumed before, during and after a night out to speed the recovery process and bring the body back into balance.

Michael Sachs, former brand manager of Grey Goose Vodka, joined brothers Jeffrey Frumin and Steven Frumin, who led winning beverage campaigns with their marketing company UCG, to found Code Blue. The founders combined decades of experience in the beverage and nightlife industries to develop the concept, filling a need in the marketplace for a complete recovery beverage.

“We’ve seen people turning to any beverage available hoping for a complete recovery solution, from sports drinks to vitamin-infused waters to Pedialyte®, but nothing is as effective as Code Blue,” said Michael Sachs.

Code Blue’s revolutionary formula is backed by some of the biggest names in the beverage industry including: Jack Belsito, Former CEO of Snapple; Hank McInerney, Former CEO of Tetley Tea; and David Kanbar, Former EVP and Director of Skyy Spirits.

“Every ingredient in Code Blue performs a specific task in restoring the body to its natural condition and promoting healthy liver and kidney function,“ said Sumner Katz, the Tufts University scientist behind Code Blue’s formulation and a veteran in the food science industry.

Code Blue is the first ready-to-drink beverage to include Reduced Glutathione, one of the most powerful antioxidants available. Reduced Glutathione helps to neutralize free radicals and is a key mechanism in the body’s purification process.

Code Blue is also the first beverage to contain a proprietary blend of Prickly Pear Juice and Agave Nectar. Prickly Pear acts as a natural anti-inflammatory that boosts the immune system. It has been used for centuries by indigenous Mexican tribes to treat a variety of ailments and conditions.

The drink is sweetened with natural Agave Nectar, which also serves to replenish the body by providing essential vitamins and minerals. Natural citrus flavors combined with Agave Nectar and Prickly Pear Juice create a great tasting, functional beverage.

Code Blue contains the optimal amount of electrolytes to help consumers stay hydrated and a potent vitamin and mineral complex, including high levels of Vitamins B12, B6 and Vitamin C, as well as Vitamin A, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium. Code Blue has only 60 calories, contains no caffeine and is low in sugar and carbohydrates.

Code Blue is packaged in a fully recyclable 12 oz PET opaque blue bottle. Its cutting edge design utilizes “LiquidMetal” technology to replicate a polished metal look, and a 3D Holographic Ink label which provides a strong shelf presence.

The recovery beverage will be available in select nightclubs, restaurants and hotels beginning in September 2008, with retail establishments to follow.

Chugging a MGD with a few aspirin always seems to work for me.

Flame up on Bauer's Blog

Yes, I read Michael Bauer's blog.

No, I have never and probably won't ever comment on it.

Holy Schnikies, did cocktail culture catch some flames on the most recent post

Another Completely Un-Booze Related Post

I love San Francisco.

Someone took it upon themselves to relabel most of Bush Street last night in honor of our new President.

I thank them...hilarious.

I wish Mr. Obama the best of luck, this ain't gonna be easy.

Glorious, Digital Cocktail-Geekery

The right proper Mr. Simon Difford of the eponymous guide sent a release today unveiling his new iPhone Ap, Cocktails Made Easy.

I pronounce it good. Very good in fact. But as with the original Difford's Guides (actual paper is so 2006) the real value for me is not the spot-on recipes and meticulous technique. It's the pics.

Absolutely beautiful, clinically clean images of pristine cocktails.

Inspiring.

Also, the shaking option which just brings up a random drink his a blast.

I Thank You V.

One of the truely great things about being a bartender, or more specificly, running a bar program to be proud of, is the chance to turn deserving and appreciative guests on to special products. My bar is lucky in that we have more than our fair share of foodies, wine geeks, spiritists, hop-heads and mixies that are quite happy to listen to us when we are jazzed those beautiful things that make our world fun.

One of our favorites in this area is V. (he happens to be a doctor, but we just call him by his first name.) V. is game for anything, as long as we believe in it. I have poured him everything from aged Chacaca, to the Brora 30, to Scaldis Prestige. On top of this, his wine knowledge is vast and regularly shares the most serious bottles on our wine list with the staff. I used to feel guilty about drinking these quater glasses he would pour for me until I realized just how important it is for him to share. I believe that have the enjoyment he gets out the good stuff is knowing that others are enjoying it as well.

V. went over the top this month.

Our Wine Director loaded up on some incredible bottles from Heredia Reserva line. Most notablely a 1970 Todonia, a 1976 Todonia and a 1976 Bosconia. V. Jumped at the chance, bought a 76 Bosconia (Tempranilio, Grenache, Graciano & Mazuelo) and shared it. I was stunned at how lively and bright a 3 decade old wine could be. I will not review it more than to say this was a wine I could easily drink every day...a friggen miracle.

Well, a couple of days after this, I had 3 guys wander in kind of late and ask for the bottle list. I sell them a mid-priced Rhone I am fond of, they dig it and it is gone in about 20 minutes. They look over the list again and ask about the reserve section with the Heredia Reservas.

"It just so happens that I got a half glass of one of the 76's a few nights ago," I say and I relate to them the experience and my surprize at how lively it was. I am little stunned when they say 'let's go for it.'

They love it so much they follow it with the '76 Todonia and share some with me. This one tasted much more mature (as weird as that it is to say about such equally old bottles) and was the prefect follow up.

The next week when V. comes back in, I tell him that I owe him a thank-you for the initial tasting he shared with me as it allowed me to sell two more bottles and I give him my notes on the Todonia. He immeadiately orders our last remaining bottle of that vintage and shares it again. As a matter a fact, he is so happy with it, that he buys our last 1970 Todonia ($325) to lay away so that it didn't get bought before he had a crack at it.

We opened it tonight.

Amazing.

I thank you V.

Shot of Hope

One of my very generous regulars dropped one of these guys off for me last week.

I love it.

Get one.

Master of Time and Space....and Spanish wine.

I have had a big couple of months (moving sort of hindered my regular blogging groove, but I am back) on every front of my life.

Professionally, I won a couple of competitions that I am pretty excited about. Firstly, the Vinos de Jerez invitational which meant cash, a trip to Spain and most important of all, a full scholarship to the BAR. Secondly, a cava cocktail contest I entered months ago just ended and I won a hand-painted porron to celebrate with! I know, I know, it says Chris D. won, he was kind of enough to alert me to the contest and submit the recipes for me.

Just waiting for Rioja and Portugal to get on board with cocktail contests so I can wrap up the whole of Iberia and get on with world domination. Look out Andora, I got my eye on you too.

Look where Josie Landed.

Sometime San Francisco Bartender Josie Packard packed it and moved to Boston with her love this year. We were all sort of wondering where she would end up. You see Josie is in it purely for the love of the cocktail. She is (or rather was) not a career waitron who found solace and inspiration behind the bar like so many of us. Instead, she came to game as a result of her fascination with vintage drinking.

Today's New York Times shows that she has found a bar with the same values.

I congratulate Josie, John Gertson (the head barman I believe) and the rest of the crew. Your bar looks wonderful.

Camper breaks into Environmental Design.

Today on Alcademics. Camper gets his architecture on.

Really?

The New York Times had an article on the 12th exposing the recent explosion of cocktail culture.... Wow, they really have their hand on the pulse with this one. I mean really, cocktails? Who has read anything about cocktails recently?

Aside from the redundancy of the piece, I was struck by the picture included. It is of a bartender at the new Apotheke in Manhattan setting up Absinthe drips over flaming sugar cubes. I am quite surprised that a program of that stature would follow this relatively recent Czech tradition. I know it looks cool and all (it must really be crazy in the opium den aesthetic of Apotheke) but I was under the impression that this was total sacrilege. I am no big fan of the Wormwood Society (I ran afoul and scored a heap of vitriol for being photographed with a bottle of an unfavored Absinthe in the foreground) but I will defer to them as far as procedure goes and they could not be more clear that burning is wrong. I think I even saw a 'Friends don't let friends burn the sugar' T-shirt.

I would love to know what is going on there.

Huh?

Jamie Boudreau is cool.

I have only met him a couple of times and never really got down to chat, but he is cool. He is a great writer, a brilliant photographer and I assume a great bartender as his knowledge and taste are both becoming legendary.

The latest update on his blog (put it on your feed...now) leaves me a bit twisted.

I have both the urge to lay down some snide comments and to congratulate him as well as thank him for saving a program in an historic bar.

I will do both.

Tini Bigs!?! That's just great. I hear Todd Smith is teaming up with Jimmy Meehan and pulling some shifts at respective local Cheesecake Factories.

Seriously, what a great opportunity to evangelize and make a beautiful bar respectable again. Good luck.

How'd that come off?

I declare that I now own the word 'cool'.

This is Absolutely retarded.

It is no secret that I am not a vodka fan. I bad mouth it quite a bit, rarely reach for it and do my damnedest to talk it's drinkers into trying something else with more character. It is not that I actually dislike the spirit when it is well made. I do not have a vendetta against the tradition itself...vodka did not ruin my life or kill my family. But it did lie to me.

It started (in my opinion) in the 80's with those Absolut print ads. They were undeniably cool and got us thinking of liquor as fresh, hip and current. Unfortunately they got the category pumped up with the notion that the outside of the bottle is more important than what's inside. Sidney Frank took it further in the late 90's with the creation of Grey Goose and the lies grew from the little white variety (bottles are worth more because of the 'art' involved) to some serious bullshit (French vodka?)

Now Absolut wants to own the word the co-opted for their name.

Screw you Absolut. Good luck getting on any back bar I put together ever again.

Liqurious

Liquious is fast becoming my favorite bar-related feed. I know absolutely nothing about it other than it seems to be a juried user-driven clearing house of articles. All of the feeds I subscribe to have popped up and I have discovered quite a few new ones through them.

Check it out.

Whiskyfest!!!!

Whiskyfest is coming to San Francisco for it's second year this week. I am actually missing the event itself, but have been having some some fun with the auxiliary events that it has spawned.

Here is a iphone shot of the Rye producers I would be harassing if I was in town on Friday.

High-Tech in DC

I found this video on Washingtonian.com in a piece morning the passing of an underground cocktail event called Hummingbird to Mars (here is where the name came from..not bad). While I personally have found that sous vide is unnecessary for infusing alcohol unless you are super pressed for time, I respect those that are into reaching out for new techniques. This may not be the most informative video out there, but I enjoyed it am taking a few ideas from it.

Cherries and Glass

Cherry Heering is one of my favorite bottles to pull out when I want to give a cocktail a little twist. I can't think of any drink that doesn't work with the addition of a quarter ounce or two of the stuff (seriously, try anything.) I was recently turned on to the very unique contest they are running for both fashion and drinks designers. I am trying to resist the urge to enter something, but could not help but bounce around the site as it is put together so nicely.

The best thing about it for me was the glassware. Just where the hell has Orrefors been my whole life anyway? The pic above is from a line I could never hope to afford where each stem is encircled by an engraved silver ring.

Just beautiful.

Forbidden

My main rum guy, tiki expert and somtime personal taxi driver (that's twice now buddy) is a gentleman name Martin Cate, proprietor of Forbidden Island on Alameda. His cocktails are righteous, his mastery of our lore and history is unrivaled and whats more, he is just a plain nice guy.

Eric Felton wisely featured Martin in his WJS article on Tiki recently, you should read it.

The Octomore Bottle

The Whiskey Exchange is a tremendous source of news and knowledge for those interested brown liquor. Today they published the first look we are getting at the Octomore bottle (see my early posting for more info.)

How cool does this thing look?

Holy Crap, Morgenthaler is One Smart Cat

Jefferey Morganthaler is in Berlin for something called a Bar Convent. He has been posting about his experiences leading up to his presentation and it all looks pretty fantastic.

However, the recount of his presentation is truly informative. It makes me want to quit this blog and pick up another shift.

Speakcheezy!?!

Jason Wilson wrote a great piece for the Washington Post on the Speakeasy/Prohibition theme that modern cocktalians are so obsessed with (myself included.) Just check out the matching outfits Marcos Tello, Eric Alperin and I just happened to put together.

Just Horrible

Trashy, but I totally want a pair.

Cougar Bourbon

I just had a friend ask me about Cougar Bourbon. I had never heard of it so naturally, I get to digging. As best I can tell it is an Aussie-only brand that is contract distilled in Indiana at the old Seagram's distillery that Pernod-Ricard purchased then sold to Angostura's parent company, CL Financial. I have absolutely no clue to how it is, I am just posting it because I think it is fascinating that there is still more whiskey out there to discover.

Also, here is an ad I found on youtube...not bad.

Brotherhood

I am just home from a weekend in Los Angeles where I helped tend what must be California's first Genever bar. The event was Wolfgang Puck's American Food and Wine Festival. The location was the back lot at Universal Studios. The product was some beautiful Genever courtesy of Bols. These were all good things.

The company I had however, was inspiring. Next to me was Eric Alperin and Marcos Tello, two absolutely devastating bartenders and just plain beautiful people.

This 'cocktail thing' we got going on just keeps getting better and better.

My First Atempt at Mobile Blogging

Looks the The Torture Museum has a temporary exhibit at the Oakland Airport....It's a trophy case of vintage machines designed to humble and frustrate bartenders.



Sent using only the power of my mind.

Genever

Read it, learn it, drink it, love it.

From my Dad

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today.
If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today.
If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today.
But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you will have received a $214.00.
Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg.
A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year.
Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year.
That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!

Makes you proud to be an American!

Dr. Bamboo

Dr. Bamboo never ceases to amaze me. Check out his blog on the Tiki art of Ice Cones.

If only we could harness his power for good....

'The Worst Hides the Best'

A wine maker in the Languedoc has recently used self-derision in a pretty bold way to draw attention to his new bottling's. An article in Wine Business International launches 'Vin de Merde,' or Shit Wine.

Pretty funny.

I was particularly drawn to the phrase 'The Worst Hides the Best.' This can be so very true. A good example for me came in the form of a cocktail book from the early 40's called 'Here's How,' in one edition and 'Just Cocktails' in another. Over all these are just plain bad books. Many mislabeled drinks and screwed up recipes are one thing. Truly racists and sexist cartoon illustrations in the margins are another. They are actually why I kept reading the book the first time I saw it. I couldn't believe how bad it was getting.

Then I came across this gem.

The Derby:

2 oz. Rye Whisky

1/2 oz. Benedictine

Bitters (I like Peychaud's here)

Hmmm. That didn't actually sound too bad. Well those who know me, know I have completely fallen for this drink, even after finding out it really should be called a Monte Carlo (I sticking with Derby though). I think of it as a smart Manhattan and slip it in on people who profess to not like whisky drinks. It borders on being my signature drink and I found it in one of the worst vintage books in my collection. The worst hides the best indeed.

Ardbeg Fun

The guys at Ardbeg sure are having a good time marketing recently. I just got word of the Blasda today. A very lightly peated Ardbeg? I look forward to trying it and am very curious to see how it is received faithful peat-heads.

The pic is of me and the boys digging peat on Isaly.

The Future

These guys hung out at my bar last night and we had a blast.

MUST HAVE IT

Port-o-Pong

Drinks of The Teardrop

The last two nights at Nopa, we have had Alyson Dykes from The Teardrop Cocktail Lounge in Portland visiting behind our bar and it has been great. We featured some drinks from our friends to the North with much success (went through almost 2 full bottles of Yellow Chartreuse in 2 nights....c'mon now, what bar does that?) and Alyson took to making our drinks with aplomb.

I forgot to take a pic of her behind the bar so imagine the above is her.

We are going to send my boy Matt Conway up to complete the exchange soon and then start shopping around for more guests. Phil Ward from Death & Co. definitely got the exchange thing rolling early this year when he swapped with Thomas Waugh from The Alembic. Like all ideas that I love, I have knocked it off.

Here is a sample of the menu:

Vow of Silence (top seller!) Martin Miller's Gin / Grapefruit / Lemon / Yellow Chartreuse / Averna Amaro / Gomme Syrup

Venial Sin Partida Blanco / St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur / Luxardo Maraschino / Yellow Chartreuse / Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal / thai chili tincture

Empyrean Sazerac 6-yr Rye / ramazzotti / luxardo / del maguey minero mezcal / lemon / flaming orange

Insufferable Bastard Sazerac 6-yr Rye / Aviation Gin / Cynar Amaro / Lime / Ginger Beer

Wondrich and I like Hats.

The above pic (provided by the excellent Mr. Eric Alperin) is of a certain cocktail historian and myself listening to the Master Distiller, Paul Wanrooij, at the Wynand Fockink Distillery in Amsterdam (yes...I know, I know, I am a big fan of Wynand Fockink too). These guys specialize in the herbal distillate that is the flavor component of Genever as well as making liqueurs and bitters.

To be blunt, I was in heaven here. All the flasks behind him are infusions he is playing around with as he designs new flavors and such. Mr. Tal Nadari even sneaked me a pour of his potato spirit which was so much more than any vodka I have ever had. Not being constrained by faulty focus groups and marketing suits, he didn't strip the nuance and terroir of the spuds with over filtering and smootheners but rather left the spirit a natural and true expression. It was delicious.

While this was actually the last stop on our series of tours, I definitely learned the most here. The history of the place along with the passion of the distiller are palpable in the air. If you can be in the building and not be inspired by it...well, I just don't think that would be possible.

Ebay Problem

Many who know me know I have a slight EBay addiction that I am dealing with. The above is an advertisement I bought late one night that was waiting for me when I got home today.

I love it.

Amsterdam

I am just back from a very cool trip to Amsterdam and am still gathering my thoughts as far as posting goes. Here is a taste of what is to come.

I am not saying they drink a lot over there, but just look at the size of their jiggers.