Monthly Archives: May 2012

May25

Chaya Beer Garden Returns + Sake Festival Recap

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taiko drummers at Chaya Downtown

Last Friday, Chaya Downtown welcomed 9 regional sake producers who poured 25 different sakes. At $35, this was very reasonable since it included food. I really hope Chaya brings this back as it was very successful and I got to taste many interesting things besides sakes including a spicy plum wine and a not-too-sweet sparkling sake. I also enjoyed a yuzu flavored sake and had quite a few outstanding traditional sakes. Here are some pictures from the event. For all the photos, check out my flickr set. 

Also check out my videos of the taiko drummers who brought a lot of energy to the event.

Hannya inkoubai Plum Wine with Chili Pepper

This Hannya Ginkoubai Plum Wine with chili pepper probably stole the show for a lot of people. Their tag line- “brave enough to feel the fire” is appropriate.

While at my last table to taste sake, I met Brian Boothe who indicated the above sake was his favorite of the event. He is a certified sake professional. We talked about how there are sake shops in San Francisco, Seattle and New York but none in LA. Perhaps with enthusiasts like Brian, there will be soon.

In the meantime, Chaya Downtown is switching things up to beer. Their annual Japanese Beer Garden returns June 5 through August 31st. I look forward to the yakitori skewers, particularly the beef tongue and mushroom. A new item, the Mozuku somen sounds intriguing.

Kanpai!

Chaya Downtown – beer garden June 5- August 31, Monday through Fridays, 4PM-Close

525 S. Flower St., Los Angeles, CA 90071 — 213-236-9577

Previous Beer Garden posts on The Minty

2011

2010

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

 

May25

Disaronno Mixing Star – LA Regional Competition

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The search is on for the Disaronno Mixing Star

On Monday, May 21st, 18 bartenders gathered at St. Felix in Hollywood for their shot at Disaronno’s Mixing Star competition.  Of the 18, 7 will go on to the finals and a total of 17 finalists will compete  in Las Vegas in  June. The grand prize is a trip to Mumbai, India and a chance at a role in a Bollywood movie.

Judges from left to right- Effie Panagopoulos (US Marketing Manager for Disaronno), Paul Sevigny (Disaronno National Ambassador), David Nepove (USBG President), Adrian Biggs (Pour Vous and Barcadi Ambassador)

Judges included Disaronno US Marketing Manager Effie Panagopoulos, Disaronno National Ambassador Paul Sevigny, USBG President David Nepove and Adrian Biggs from Pour Vous bar and Bacardi Ambassador.

Tobin Ellis, Disaronno West Coast Ambassador

Disaronno West Coast Ambassador and Bar Magic’s Tobin Ellis served as MC for the evening.

Sicilian Smash

Sorrentine Punch

Guests imbibed on Disaronno cocktails such as the Sicilian Smash (Disaronno, Barcadi 8, blood orange, lemon, mint)  and the Sorrentine Punch (Disaronno, rum, Campari, grapefruit) while watching the competitors make 3 cocktails in 10 minutes for the judges.

Joshua-Peter Smith, Aspen

First up was Joshua-Peter Smith from Aspen. He would later take 7th place of the regional heat. What was unusual about his cocktail was the use of both heavy cream and goat cheese. Smith is a former chef and drew on his background for his inspiration for this Disaronno cocktail with apples and goat cheese.

The Italian Scapegoat

  • 2 oz DISARONNO
  • 1 oz Heavy Cream
  • 0.5 oz Orange juice
  • 0.5 oz Lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Goat Cheese
  • 1/8 Fuji Apple

Muddle apple. Add rest of ingredients and shake with ice. Double strain into Rocks glass with crushed ice. Orange zest for garnish.

Roger Gross, Las Vegas

Roger Gross works at the Vesper Bar at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. He described being frustrated with his former sales job and seeing the light when he saw a bartender having a great time and making a ton of cash. Now he works at one of the best bars in Las Vegas. He calls his cocktail the Chance Encounter. Roger came in 6th.

Chance Encounter

  • 1.5 oz DISARONNO
  • 1 oz Zaya rum
  • 1 oz Lime juice
  • 3 Cardamom Pods
  • 0.5 oz Caramelized Pineapple Puree
  • 1 Egg White
  • 3 dashed Tiki Bitters

Muddle cardamom. Add rest of ingredients. Dry shake. Then Shake with ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with 3 cardamom pods.

Jake Bliven, San Diego

Part of the competition was judged on personality and it counted towards 40% of the score. I had seen Jake Bliven compete at the recent Don Q finals at Manhattan Cocktail Classic as did USBG President David Nepove. Mr. Nepove remarked Jake seemed like an entirely different bartender. And it must have been a positive thing as Jake came in 5th.

The Rise of Figgy Stardust

  • 1 oz VSOP Cognac
  • 1 oz DISARONNO
  • 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1 small Egg
  • 3 dashes Mole Bitters
  • 1 bar spoon Fig Preserves

Combine ingredients. Dry shake. Then shake with ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with mint and grated cocoa.

Lauran September, Los Angeles

Lauran September from the Spare Room in LA made a dramatic entrance. She was carried out on a chair by two half-dressed men. Watch the video here. Tobin Ellis had been drawing the personalities out of the more quiet bartenders– asking if they spoke other languages or inquiring about their favorite curse word. As you can imagine, Lauran hardly needed the Q&A to show off her personality after that grand entrance but when she answered the curse word question, the room grew quiet. And probably quite a few bartenders murmured her favorite word when they realized they could have disarmed the crowd with a circus trick of their own. Lauran landed in 4th place.

Austerity Pact

  • 1.25 oz DISARONNO
  • 0.75 Bols Genever
  • 0.75 oz Talisker 10
  • 0.25 oz Benedictine
  • 4 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir ingredients in large mixing glass. Strain into rocks glass with large ice. Orange peel for garnish.

Armando Conway, Los Angeles

Armando Conway from La Descarga in LA luckily followed Lauran and quickly asked a buddy to carry him in. They were blowing their whistles (quite a few LA bartenders wear these whistles that honors a charity that gives them to Africans to ward off attacks) to the music and the hoots and hollers of the crowd. When asked if he spoke other languages, Armando promptly said he did- 5 which included Cuban, Colombian, Mexican, etc.  There was much laughter from the crowd and he came in 3rd.

The Martinique Smuggler

  • 1.5 oz Rhum Agricole
  • 0.75 oz DISARONNO
  • 0.5 oz Orgeat Syrup
  • 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
  • 0.75 oz Grapefruit

 

Combine all ingredients. Shake and strain into old fashioned glass with ice. Grapefruit peel and mint for garnish.

Quinn Johnson, Los Angeles

Quinn Johnson is a relative newcomer to the bartending competition scene. He started out working at a college bar and now works at Planet Dailies/ Mixology 101 helmed by Joe Brooke for the Maestro, Salvatore Calabrese. Watching Quinn was like watching Salvatore himself. He had the same sort of showy movements when shaking a tin that had been designed by Maestro Calabrese. Although I was fearful of a drink that contained both Disaronno and another strong Italian liqueur, it turns out the Italians love each other. Quinn’s drink won the judges’ hearts and he was awarded 2nd place.

Blood and Passion

  • 1.75 oz Johnny Walker Black
  • 1 oz DISARONNO
  • 0.5 oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
  • 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
  • 0.5 oz Monin Blood Orange Syrup
  • 0.5 oz Passion Fruit Juice

Combine all ingredients. Shake and strain into old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with orange peel and clove.

Patricia Richards, Las Vegas

Patricia Richards from Las Vegas came out behind the bar to personally chat with the judges and then she blessed them by sprinkling marigold petals on them. She described her drink, My Chai, as  something she thought of when she thought about possibly winning that trip to Mumbai, India. I remember having a version of her winning cocktail from the Repeal Day party Social Mixology threw last December in Vegas. With two different Indian whiskeys as well as the Disaronno, this cocktail may lead her to Bollywood.

Mai Chai

  • 1.25 oz DISARONNO
  • 0.75 oz Amrut Indian Single Malt Whiskey
  • 0.25 Amrut Sherry Cask Single Malt Whiskey
  • 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
  • 0.25 oz Agave Nectar
  • 1 dash Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients. Shake and strain into old fashioned glass with crushed ice. Garnish with kumquat and clove garnish.

LA Regional Winners

After nearly 5 hours, the winners were announced and now the anticipation is high for the finals in Las Vegas. Who will be the next Mixing Star? And will they have to dance in the Bollywood movie?

Disaronno

Disaronno Mixing Star

Disaronno Mixing Star Twitter

Disaronno Mixing Star Facebook page

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

May24

New Spring Cocktails at Ray’s & Stark Bar

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Dragon Sour

Hop on over to Ray’s and Stark Bar at LACMA because spring has sprung and there are new cocktails to try. The warmer season brings a touch of lightness to the cocktails, making it easy to enjoy a few on the patio. One of the new ones I liked was Sommelier and Bar Smith Paul Sanguinetti’s riff on a pisco sour. With Oro Pisco, fresh local kiwi, lime and egg white the Dragon Sour would be a tasty opening cocktail to enjoy with the oysters or would go nicely with the charcuterie or cheese.

Peaches ‘N’ Herb

 

If you want something with a bit of a wallop, go for the Peachs ‘N’ Herb. Made with Mezcal Vida, local peach honey, lime and sage that is picked from the garden at Ray’s, it’s also an ideal sipping cocktail. Most people proclaimed it their favorite upon tasting.

Dirty Harry

My taste runs towards brown, bitter and stirred so the Dirty Harry (Famous Grouse, Scotch, Mezcal Vida, Fernet Branca, orange bitters) was more my style. Here’s the recipe:

 

  • 1 oz Famous Grouse Scotch
  • 1 oz Mezcal Vida
  • 3/4 oz Fernet Branca
  • 1/4 oz simple syrup
  • 2 dashes orange bitters

Combine with ice, stir, strain and serve up.

 

Cubano Libre

 

Even with simple drinks like a rum and coke, Stark Bar has created their version of the Cubano Libre with Matusalem Classico Domincan Rum, Smoked piooncillo sugar, barrel aged bitters and Mexican Coke.

Rose Wishes & Lavender Dreams

Another favorite was the Rose Wishes and Lavender Dreams, a play on the famous closing from Robin Leach– “Champage Wishes and Cavier Dreams.”

This cocktail might possibly be the 12 Noon cocktail of choice from the imbibers who lunch at Ray’s and Stark. Made with gin, Chanteau L’Afrique Cotes De Provence Rose, St. Germain, lavender syrup and lemon, this would go well with food. Forget red wine, I’d have this drink with lamb.

I’ll have to return to try the other new drinks on the menu. I’m particularly interested in the Original Swizzle (Mezcal Vida, Campari, maraschino, fino sherry, agave, lemon), Blacklisted (Old Overholt rye, blackberries, honey, lemon),  and Miracle 8 Mile (Bourbon, Meletti, orange peel).

 

Find these and more on the menu as well as some from the Winter cocktails list.

Ray’s & Stark Bar at LACMA

5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 – (323) 857-6180
 
Other Ray’s & Stark Bar posts on The Minty
 
Winter Cocktails
 
Dining at Ray’s
 
 
 
© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012
May23

Introducing Port Cocktails

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Snap Dragon (left) and Angry Candy (right)

 

When The Minty was a young lady, she got it in her head that drinking port was very sophisticated. While others had coffee, I tended towards a glass of port, usually tawny port. Since I started drinking craft cocktails a handful of years ago, I switched from port to amaro after dinner. About two years ago, I started noticing sherry sneaking into craft cocktails and now I welcome port coming to the party as well.

Recently at Cliff’s Edge, Port Cocktails made a big splash starting the night off with a glass of Trafalgar Punch (Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Port, armagnac, overproof rum, lemon, water, nutmeg). Cliff’s Edge used recipes from David Wondrich as well as offering some original port cocktails.

Next I tasted the Snap Dragon (Fonseca Siroco White Port, green tea infusions, peach bitters, topped with Prosecco) and Angry Candy (Taylor Fladgate 10YO Tawny Port, bourbon, Forbidden bitters, brown sugar, Luxardo cherry). I liked the light Snap Dragon but felt the Angry Candy didn’t quite have that “punch” as its name suggested. Perhaps if it was a spicy cocktail– infuse the bourbon, perhaps?

Bin 27 Martini

 

Next, I sampled the Bin 27 Martini, a classic cocktail from the Port Cocktails website. Using Fonseca Bin 27 Ruby Port, vodka and cranberry juice, it’s a revved up version of what you may have been drinking in college.

Saint Valentine

 

In the mood for rum? Try the Saint Valentine with Fonseca Bin 27 Ruby Port, white rum, orange curacao and lime. A modern daiquiri.

Pink Diamond

 

I’ve had many kinds of port before- ruby, tawny and even white but never had I had pink before this night. Croft Pink Port makes a nice light addition to a cocktail. This Pink Diamond (Croft Pink Port, soda, lemon wedge) would be a perfect sunny patio drink.

I’m so glad I didn’t have to give up port or cocktails, now I could have both! Last I heard, Cliff’s Edge was working on a punch program. Expect to see more punches including port punches in the future.

 

Port Cocktails

Taylor Fladgate

Fonseca Porto

Croft Port

Cliff’s Edge

3626 West Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90026-1059 - (323) 666-6116

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2012

May22

The Sporting Life with St. George Spirits

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Single Malt Whiskey

What I love about going to Sporting Life meetings is getting to try new (to me) spirits. St. George Spirits sponsored the May. As I previously noted, I was familiar with the St. George absinthe but can’t recall tasting their spirits individually. After tasting and loving the St. George Terroir gin, I was eager to try the others.

At the meeting, I got to try the Single Malt Whiskey which I thought tasted a bit chocolately. It was explained to me that “Evil Genius” (founder and distiller) Lance Winters was a beer brewer before he became a spirits distiller. Ah, that explains the botanicals and quite the nose on many of his spirits.

dry rye gin

 

I tasted the Dry Rye Gin and then sipped the Dry Fashioned (St. George Dry Rye gin, grapefruit and lemon peel). It was really perfect.

Singapore Sling

And what about the Bontanivore Gin? I couldn’t leave St. George’s third gin out. I had it with the Singapore Sling (St. George Bontanivore gin, Benedictine, Cherry Herring, lemon, pineapple). It was a sunny day and the perfect libation on the patio.

I really must make it up to the Bay Area soon to visit the distillery.

St. George Spirits

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2012

Previously: St. George Spirits- Terroir Gin and Breaking & Entering Bourbon

May18

Derby Day at Seven Grand with Bulleit Bourbon

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Hollis Bulleit

 

 

Bulleit Bourbon celebrated Derby Day earlier this month at Seven Grand with friends and family. Guest enjoyed Mint Juleps and Horse’s Necks. I also tried an old fashioned with Bulleit rye which was delicious as expected.

Seven Grand

Mint Julep – Bulleit Bourbon, mint, sugar

 

Seven Grand is opening another location in San Diego soon and the SD crew was in town to train. They kept the drinks coming for the thirsty crowd.

Seven Grand was the perfect choice for a Derby party

Horse’s Neck- Bulleit Bourbon, ginger beer, Angostura bitters

 

The horse I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby this day. But everyone wins when you have another.

 

Best Hat at the party

Everyone dressed up in their derby finery but no one had a better hat than Hollis Bulleit, World Ambassador for Bulleit Bourbon (and 6th Generation Bulleit). Still, this one was pretty fun!

 

Bulleit Rye Old Fashioned

 

I’ll have to come up with a better hat for next year’s party!

 

Bulleit Bourbon

Seven Grand

515 W 7th St., 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90014 – (213) 614-0737
 
© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012
May2

First Taste: Atlantico Rum

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Air Mail

 

Last month, the Sporting Life meeting was at Sunny Spot. It was sponsored by Atlantico Rum which I hadn’t tried before. I got to taste the private cask rum as well as a punch and a couple of cocktails. I would have liked to have tasted all the cocktails offered that day but I had to run off to judge the Don Q LA regional.

First I tried the rum Preakness (Atlantico Reserva, bitters, vermouth, Benedictine). The Preakness is one of my favorite bourbon cocktails so it was interesting to try it with rum.

Next, I asked for the Air Mail (Atlantico Reserva, honey, lime, absinthe, champagne). Some bartenders wondered about this classic champagne cocktail that was served on the rocks but I actually liked it this way. The star anise garnish was pretty.

Other cocktails that day:

Jaspers Punch- Atlantico Platano, demerera, nutmeg, lime, Angostura bitters

Buck – Atlantico Reserva, house-brewed ginger beer

Swizzle- Atlantico Platano, Averna, lime, falernum

I wish I had tried this one as I really love swizzles and I believe Sunny Spot made their own falernum. The cask strength Atlantico was probably the favorite of the day. It’s very smooth and would be the perfect after-dinner drink to sip.

I’ll have to keep an eye out to see if these cocktails make it to Sunny Spot’s permanent list or I suppose I can always ask for something with Atlantico and falernum!

 

Atlantico Rum

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

May2

Welcome to the Shrubbery at Villains Tavern

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New Cocktails at Villains

Villains Tavern is most certainly a destination bar as it’s hidden away in the Arts District near the new Handsome Coffee Roasters. Now serving seasonal cocktails inspired by the garden and shrubs, there are 7 new cocktails to try (they brought back Permafrost from last summer). Bartender Rodney walked us through the cocktail list starting with the Spindle Tree and Angel’s Trumpet.

Spindle Tree

Angel’s Trumpet

The Spindle Tree from the Garden section reminded me of bar owner Dave Whitton’s Becherovka cocktail he submitted for the competition a few months back. As it turned out, I was right about the Becherovka. I liked it right away.

The rest of the table really enjoyed Angel’s Trumpet with its lighter pom-ginger-apple shrub. It was very balanced.

Spindle Tree – Russell’s Reserve Rye, Becherovka, honey, mint, bergamot bitters

Angel’s Trumpet – Maker’s 46, pomegranate-ginger-apple shrub, pineapple, mint, ginger beer, bitters

Lilium

Oleander

For the next round, everyone loved the tartness of the Lilium while I fancied the Oleander with the lavender bitters. Both were so fresh and appropriate for the spring and upcoming summer months.

Lilium – Plymouth gin, lemongrass, lime, ginger, grapefruit, bitters

Oleander – Leblon cachaca, fresh blackberry shrub, muddled lime, lavender bitters

Stan Lee

White Snakeroot

Although the Stan Lee (hibiscus gin sour)  is from the regular menu, Rodney brought it over explaining it went so well with the new cocktails. The bright magenta drink is named after the comic book illustrator, Stan Lee.

We were very excited about the White Snakeroot as it had a few things I loved- Irish whiskey and amaro. I’d like to see this cocktail up next time. While the ice didn’t melt very quickly, I did feel it diluted the cocktail faster than I would have liked which was already lightened by the shrub.

White Snakeroot – Black Bush Irish whiskey, Cardamaro, rosemary & strawberry aged shrub

Passion Flower

Autumn Crocus

The Passion Flower was quite nice for vodka drinkers. And the Autumn Crocus is Villains Tavern take on a margarita.

Passion Flower – Haute vodka, fresh kiwi-strawberry juice, lime, basil

Autumn Crocus - Sino reposado tequila, agave, house blended mango, chili, lime, salt

Venus Flytrap

Of the two tequila drinks, I preferred the Venus Flytrap. The tequila is showcased very well and I loved this particular shrub.

Venus Flytrap – Milagro reposado tequila, apricot-orange-muscat shrub, lime, sea salt, orange oils

My favorites this night were Spindle Tree, Stan Lee, Passion Flower and Venus Flytrap.

Be sure to check out the nightly events including live music and some great bar food. The Devil Dog, fries, shrimp ceviche and caramel bacon popcorn are my picks.

Villains Tavern

1356 Palmetto St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 — (213) 613-0766

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

May2

Checking Out Scotland By Way of Edinburgh Gin

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Edinburgh Gin

While I was in Las Vegas for Nightclub & Bar, I had stopped by the regional Speed Rack competition where I experienced the joy of a Chartreuse luge. After chatting with the importer, he mentioned they also will be importing Edinburgh Gin. I tried some really liked the more floral (versus juniper) notes. They kindly sent me a bottle and I tried a couple of cocktails.

Royal Gin Gin

 

I had some sweet limes on hand and decided to do a mix of Edinburgh gin, King’s Ginger liqueur and sweet limes. I also added some agave and a couple dashes of Angostura bitters. Once I took a sip, I knew I shouldn’t have used the agave. It was too sweet so I added ice and topped it off with ginger beer. After some adjustments, here is the recipe

  • 1.5 oz Edinburgh Gin
  • .75 King’s Ginger liqueur
  • .75 sweet lime juice
  • Shake, strain, top with fresh ice and ginger beer, add bitters

Negroni with Edinburgh Gin

 

The traditional Negroni recipe is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. I have played with the specs and generally I like it with a bit less sweet vermouth so I can get the most of the bitterness. However, for this Negroni with Edinburg Gin, I decided to try it with equal proportions. It made a lovely Negroni and the floral characteristics were not lost at all.

  • 1 oz Edinburgh Gin
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth

Stir for about 40 rotations. I like them up so strain and garnish with citrus peel. I know there’s a hot debate about the citrus peel. Most prefer orange to match the bitter orange Campari but I like the lighter lemon. In this case, I used a sweet lime peel (which is yellow).

I’m going to have fun playing around with this gin. I imagine it’ll make a lovely French 75, Aviation or perhaps a Last Word– now if only I had some Chartreuse to find out (grin).

 

Edinburg Gin

More photos here.

 

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

May1

The Making of the Smoking Jacket at 1886 Bar

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Garrett setting up the Smoking Jacket

 

A few weeks ago, I caught the end of the winter cocktails at 1886. Although you can’t get the Smoking Jacket (pot still Irish whiskey, housemade 1886 tobacco bitters, maplewood smoke, orange vanilla ash) anymore, I thought it was such a cool process of how they made the drink, I had to post the photos. Created by bartender Lacey Murillo, head bartender Garrett McKechnie kindly showed us the steps to how to make the Smoking Jacket.

First you smoke the maplewood to gather the smoke into the glass.

capturing the smoke

As you can see, the smoke is now in the glass.

keeping the smoke in

Keep a napkin over the glass then pour the cocktail in.

tapping the (vanilla) ash in

Next, tap the orange vanilla “ash” into the glass.

The Smoking Jacket

 

Present the cocktail with the (fake) cigarette for the ultimate presentation. The cocktail reminded me of a smokey Manhattan. Very lovely and something I hope they bring back next Winter.

 

a flight of Caprice cocktails

 

Currently, 1886 is offering a flight of barrel-aged Caprice cocktails (gin, Benedictine, dry vermouth, orange bitters). You get a freshly made Caprice, one that’s aged 4 months and the final one is aged 1-year. Surprisingly, our table enjoyed the four-month best. It had mellowed just enough yet it was still distinctly a gin cocktail. The one-year seemed bordering on whiskey which is unsurprising as the cocktail is barrel aged in whiskey barrels.

In the meantime, the new Spring cocktails calls. I better get on it before it rolls around to summer again.

 

1886 Bar at the Raymond

1250 South Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105 — 626-441-3136

 

More photos here.

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012