Category Archives: bar crawl

Apr26

Recap: Brugal Rum at El Dorado with Lindsay Nader

Posted on by
Standard
Lindsay Nader

Lindsay Nader

As part of Bartenders Weekend, one of the after-parties for Speed Rack was at El Dorado bar. It was sponsored by Brugal Rum. LA bartender and new Remy Cointreau ambassador Lindsay Nader guest bartended.

Brugal Rum cocktails

Brugal Rum cocktails; Side Boob & Built for Speed

 

For $5 a cocktail, we probably should have tried all the cocktails but we settled for two of the three. My friend went with the Side Boob which is the greatest name ever for a drink. And I had the Built for Speed. I really like mine. It’s was like a minty, herbal daiquiri. Second Base also sounded fun.

Side Boob – Brugal dry rum, Cointreau, lemon, vanilla syrup, chocolate bitters

Built for Speed – Brugal dry rum, lemon, sugar, mint, Green Chartreuse rinse

Second Base – Brugal dry rum, Aperol, lemon, ginger syrup, lavender, bitters, soda

Brugal was also our party bus sponsor which I loved since they was a sponsor of the party bus at Tales too (ah, memories).

 

Brugal Rum

Bartenders Weekend

El Dorado Cocktail Lounge

1030 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101  —  (619) 237-0550 

All posts about Bartenders Weekend by The Minty

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2013

Apr2

Culver City: Bespoke Cocktails at Oldfield’s Liquor Bar

Posted on by
Standard
The Delicious Sour

The Delicious Sour

Last year, I checked out Oldfield’s Liquor Bar and knew I had to return for a visit — and sit at the bar. And after I tasted Robin Jackson’s Auchentoshan Triple Threat punch, I knew I had to plant myself in front of her bar.

It’s funny because I had met a bar owner from Dallas at the 2011 Portland Cocktail Week and he texted me I needed to go meet Robin after he met her at last year’s Portland Cocktail Week (which sadly I couldn’t attend). It took me a while but I finally did meet her officially this evening when I visited Oldfield’s.

She asked what I wanted and I was in a mood for a sour. She came up with The Delicious Sour (applejack, peach liqueur, lime, egg white). And it was delicious. It was a nice way to ease into the evening after cocktails at Caulfield’s and the neighboring Bigfoot West.

Cigar Box

Cigar Box

Next I asked what she was working on. And then I noticed she had Amaro Braulio which is one of my new favorite amari. She gave me her Cigar Box (Black Grouse, Mezcal, Amaro Braulio, orange bitters). Black Grouse Scotch is smokier than Famous Grouse and if you don’t like the peaty stuff, this may not be for you. But I do like that smokiness and with a bit of mezcal, this was a serious drink. It was done old fashioned style.

Pisco Punch

Pisco Punch

To end, I went back to something lighter and asked for pisco. She made a pisco punch for one with her own pineapple gomme syrup.

Oldfield’s was just as loud this evening when I first went but somehow it was better sitting at the bar. It’s still my preferred way to explore the menu and cocktails at a cool bar.

Next time, I’ll just have to go earlier in the evening.

Oldfield’s Liquor Room

10899 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034 – 310-842-8066

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2013

Feb13

213 Day Today, Free Membership to Cana Rum Bar & Win a Trip to San Diego

Posted on by
Standard
Tears of a Clown

Tears of a Clown

Today, February 13 marks the first 213 Day for the 213 Nightlife Bars – The Varnish, Seven Grand, Las Perlas, Caña Rum Bar, Casey’s, Cole’s, Broadway Bar, Golden Gopher, 4100 Bar, and Tony’s.

Everyone who goes to any of the 213 bars will receive a complimentary membership to Caña as well as a raffle ticket to win a trip to San Diego. The winner will receive train tickets to San Diego, hotel stay and drinks for two all night at Seven Grand San Diego.

Juniper Flats

Juniper Flats

In the meantime, I’ve been enjoying the new drinks menu at Cana.

My faves so far are Tears of a Clown (Campari, Cocchi Americano, lime, maple-thyme syrup, fizz) and Juniper Flats (Tanqueray gin, Averna, lime, guava, canela). Both are simply delicious, easy drinking and thirst-quenching after a round of dancing with the new Thursday night music made more lively by DJ Anthony Valdez (KCRW).

Red Eye to Rio

Red Eye to Rio

I didn’t have a chance to inquire about the Red Eye to Rio (Leblon cachaca, lime, maple syrup, “that evil rum,” Peychaud’s bitters) as I was a bit busy. I should have asked what that evil rum was but maybe it’s a general observation about rum? Perhaps I’ll ask tonight during 213 Day!

Cana Rum Bar

714 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 – (213) 745-7090

For all 213 bars locations, check out 213 Nightlife.

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2013

Feb1

Los Feliz: Cocktailing at Big Bar

Posted on by
Standard

Most Interesting Cocktail In the World by Matt Schaefer

 

I just got word Big Bar is rolling out their new cocktails soon. Hurry over to try these before these are gone.

Matt Schaefer isn’t at Big Bar anymore but he did leave behind the legacy of the curiously or maybe not so curiously named:

Most Interesting Cocktail in the World -Mezcal Vida, lime, cinnamon, chocolate chili bitters

I hope they keep this cocktail on the menu. As promised by the name, it is very interesting with a blend of smokey, tart and a dash of sweet to balance it out.

Bollywood Style! Prom at Big Bar on Valentine's Day, February 14

Bollywood Style! Prom at Big Bar on Valentine’s Day, February 14

 

If you don’t have any Valentine’s Day plans, Dan and Eugene at Big Bar invite you to their annual Prom shindig. This year’s theme is Bollywood. Expect some shenaningans.

 

Sal Paradise

Sal’s Paradise – Oro Torontele pisco, grapefruit, lime, honey, sour cherry bitters

Whenever I’m feeling like I should take it easy, I turn to my buddy pisco. At Big Bar, there’s an easy sipper called Sal’s Paradise that does the trick. But because it’s so easy to drink, expect this to go faster than a Manhattan or another stirred cocktail. Insert a lip smacking “ahhhh” here.

 

La Rosita

La Rosita – Partida reposado tequila, Campari, Dolin dry vermouth, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth

Do you love Negronis? I’ve been replacing the gin with other spirits and one of my favorites is a reposado tequila. This is a classic cocktail known as a La Rosita. I like that it uses both dry and sweet vermouth so it’s not entirely too cloying.

 

Selero Gin Fizz

Selero Gin Fizz

 

Selero Gin Fizz – Plymouth gin, Green Chartreuse, lime, celery, egg white

If I sat at Big Bar and counted up what was the most popular drink off the current menu, I would have to go with the Selero Gin Fizz. I finally tasted one earlier last month and I don’t know what took me so long to get around to it. It certainly has some of my favorite ingredients like Green Chartreuse and I love fizz drinks with egg whites (I also love flips and sours). This is a savory cocktail that would be great during brunch as well.

St. Anne’s Helper

St. Anne’s Helper – Eagle Rare 10-Year bourbon, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, Amaro Meletti, Forbidden bitters

My first love though are still brown, bitter, stirred drinks. And St. Anne’s Helper fits the bill perfectly. Plus it has one of my favorite amari, Amaro Meletti.

See you Valentine’s Day! Now I have to find a sari…

 

Big Bar at Alcove

1927 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027 — (323) 644-0100
 

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2013

Jan23

Las Vegas: The Hottest Cocktail Spots

Posted on by
Standard
Even slightly close to the Cosmopolitan? Go to the Vesper!

Even slightly close to the Cosmopolitan? Go to the Vesper!

It’s not really a secret The Vesper at the Cosmopolitan is my favorite bar on the strip in Las Vegas. It’s pretty much like coming home.

Bangkok

One Night in Bangkok

It’s apparently been a while though since I looked at Vesper’s menu. I prefer to go off the cuff but bartender George Sproule said I should try some of the new cocktails. Quite a few looked attractive and I tried a couple including the One Night in Bangkok (Tanqueray Rangpur gin, ginger beer, cardamon, lime, coconut cream, kaffir leaves, egg whites). The Tanqueray is rangpur lime flavors — a sort of hybrid of mandarin orange and lime.

This was so delicious that my friend who tasted all my drinks this weekend asked for another sip. This fragrant and frothy concoction is probably something I’d sip at the end of a night at the bar.

Mulberry

The Mulberry

Next I tried The Mulberry (Baker’s bourbon, Nonino Quintessentia, DOM Benedictine, whiskey aged bitters, Creole bitters) which is generally my brown, bitter, stirred style. I liked it though I still love the Mayan more from their opening menu. Check out George in this video mixing the Mulberry.

My other picks from the menu would be:

#1 License – Laird’s applejack, La Gitana Manzanilla sherry, pear eau di vie, lemon juice, bitters

Fear & Loathing – St. George Terroir gin, Crema de Mezcal, maraschino, lemon, pineapple, cherry bark bitters

Corpse Bride – Bols Genever, Aperol, Solerno, absinthe ice sphere, lemon, strawberry-rhubarb syrup

rye

Redemption rye, Swedish Punsch, Citron Sauvage

I was at the Vesper three times my last trip so there are a few more cocktails to cover. George asked if I had tried the Bittermens Citron Sauvage yet which I haven’t. Bars are using the Citron Sauvage in place of orange curacao (Triple Sec). With the Redemption Rye and the Kronan Swedish Punsch, this cocktail was not as “old man drinks” like as my usual whiskey drinks. Tart, odd, different came to mind. None of it bad, of course. Actually, I liked it because it made you think about the drink a bit.

mezcal

Don Julio blanco, basil eau di vie, mezcal, absinthe

On my way out of Vegas, I hit up the Vesper for old time’s sake– er, sure, okay I was planning on an one & done sort of thing but we had some time to kill. We had just come from a great buffet lunch upstairs at the Wicked Spoon but I was saving my drinking for Vesper. I wanted some brunch cocktails.

Bloody with St. George Breaking & Entering Bourbon

Bloody with St. George Breaking & Entering Bourbon

First I asked George for something along the lines of a Bloody Mary but no vodka. He got to work and about 7 minutes later presented me with a Bloody with St. George Spirits Breaking and Entering bourbon. A guy sitting next to me was so fascinated by the use of Bitter End Memphis BBQ bitters and the amount of time it took to make the drink. “I think it took him half an hour!” No, really, it was more like 7 minutes. It was delicious of course with the right amounts of savoriness and piquancy.

Then I let George have at it with both tequila and mezcal. For good measure, there was also basil eau di vie and absinthe. Although it didn’t taste the same as the Scotch drink I had the night before, it reminded me of that wizardry.  I don’t have a great shot of it but imagine a brown, bitter, stirred drink with: Macallan, Talisker, Cocchi di Torino, Amer Picon, Fernet-Branca and Campari at Vesper. Luckily though I got the recipe.

Flying Scotsman

  • 1.5 Macallan
  • .5 Talisker
  • 1 cocchi di Torino
  • .5 Campari
  • dash Fernet-Branca
  • dash Amer Picon

Stir, strain, serve up and garnish with lemon twist.

Flying Dutchman

Flying Dutchman

The Vesper Bar at the Cosmopolitan

3708 Las Vegas Blvd S., Las Vegas, NV 89109  –  (702) 698-7000

Clear jiggers at RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay

Clear jiggers at RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay

Over at RM Seafood at the Mandalay Bay, I’ve been hearing good things about the bar program where Nathan Greene (formerly of Vanguard) just took over. He says he’ll be rolling out a new menu at the end of this month. And for those in the know, he’ll also have a secret menu. Now you know.

1

gin & byrrh

I let Nathan have free reign over what I was going to drink and he gave me a cocktail of St. George Terroir gin, Byrrh, Drambuie 15, Dubonnet Rouge, Dolin Blanc, bitters, orange oil. The Drambuie 15, Dubonnet Rouge and Dolin Blanc is his custom blend he likes to use in cocktails. Normally I’m not a Drambuie sort of gal but the 15 is actually pretty good.

pisco & June

Pisco & June

Next I spotted June, one of my favorite liqueurs. I first had it in Seattle and haven’t seen it in LA yet. I don’t think it’ll be as popular as St. Germaine but it has a similar floral quality but it’s less sweet and cloying. This unnamed cocktail is pisco based. Nathan used Barsol pisco, Espirit de June liqueur, orgeat, lemon, orange blossom water and grapefruit bitters.

RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay

3930 Las Vegas Blvd S., Las Vegas, NV 89119  —  (702) 632-9300
 
Herbs & Rye menu

Herbs & Rye menu

When I originally did research on cocktail bars in Las Vegas, I came across Herbs & Rye but never quite made it. Downtown Cocktail Room was the furthest off the Strip as I got.

Bijou

Bijou

I enjoyed reading through menu mentioning the different eras of cocktails. I usually get a house specialty but since we were at a table, I couldn’t talk to any of the bartenders. I ordered a classic cocktail, the Bijou (gin, Green Chartreuse, sweet vermouth) off the menu. It was very good.

Aviation

Aviation

Next, I decided to have an Aviation– made properly with both maraschino and creme de violette. I hadn’t had one in a while and felt like one. Like the Bijou, it was perfect. I ran into some (bar) industry folks as I was leaving and Herbs & Rye is definitely their hang out spot (like the Varnish in LA) but we were off to our next adventure.

Herbs & Rye

3713 W Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89102  —  (702) 982-8036
 
Frankie's Tiki Room

Frankie’s Tiki Room

 I love a good tiki bar and had been dying to go to Frankie’s Tiki Room ever since I found out the designer also did the Tiki Room at Disneyland. Of course, they do say a bunch of respected tiki carvers contributed to the overall aesthetic to the bar.
mai tai

mai tai

Sadly, I think things have changed at Frankie’s. A local bartender in Vegas told me they stopped doing the fresh juices. My Mai Tai was way too sweet. I could not finish my drink and we left early. It would have been fun to just hang out if we were at the bar but the tiny carved wooden seats at the tables were well, tiny, carved wooden seats with the thread-bare cushions. They looked cool though.

 
Frankie’s Tiki Room
1712 W Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102  — (702) 385-3110
 
© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2013
Nov29

December 2012 Repeal Day Parties and More Fun in Los Angeles

Posted on by
Standard

Jason at the Varnish

December is right around the corner which means holidays but for us boozehounds, it also meals Repeal Day parties. So here’s a list of upcoming Repeal Day and more fun events coming soon.

Tuesday, December 4

Cole’s / the Varnish – the 4th Annual Jimmy Barella bartending competition

Ten of LA’s finest will be competing plus live music and drink specials with sponsors Templeton Rye and Fernet Branca including $5 Templeton rye punch on both 12/4 and 12/5.  Competition starts at 6PM (last round at 9PM)

30s style fashion encouraged.

Fernet ice luge at midnight which rolls us into…

Wednesday, December 5 – Repeal Day!

Spirits of the Times is presenting a $20 all-you-can-drink tasting from 6-9PM at Sassfrass. Which is great because starting at 9, Sassafrass and other 1933 Group bars will be doing $.50 cent cocktails. Yes, that’s right, TWO SHINY QUARTERS! The Repeal Day cocktails will be available from 9-11PM.

Other 1933 Bars:

Available December 3-9

Chaya is going to be celebrating Repeal Day for a five days! All cocktails listed below are $12.

Venice: Coopertown Cocktail: From 1917’s “Ideal Bartender” book. It’s a minty, flavorful drink that features Tanqueray Gin, Vermouth, Orange Bitters, and Mint Leaves.

Beverly Hills: The Avenue: Inspired by Old-World Whiskey Sours, which date to the 1700’s, this complex drink is made modern with the inclusion of Passion Fruit Puree and Pomegranate Grenadine that complement Makers Mark Bourbon and Calvados

Downtown: The Hanky Panky: ntroduced in the mid-1920s from Ada Coleman- CHAYA’s iteration features Gin, Vermouth, Fernet Branca, and Maraschino Cherry Juice, shaken with ice, and served on the rocks, garnished with orange peel.

Monday, December 10

All the cool people will be at the Carpano Antica Awards. Some of the Southland’s favorite bartenders have made some great videos featuring Fratelli Branca and Infinium Spirits. Expect a lot of Fernet Branca to be involved. Check out the videos here and vote for your favorite.

Get your free tickets!

And then there’s my little party on Wednesday, December 12 at One-Eyed Gypsy!

Just added! Krista Simmons who recently judged on Top Chef Masters will be our MC for the evening. And the Berry Bros. & Rudd spirits from Anchor Distilling including No. 3 Gin, Pink Pigeon, King’s Ginger and The Glenrothes plus Ron Zacapa XO has been added to the Hot Bartender Prize. See LA’s top 20 hot bartenders vie for the prize!

One Eyed Gypsy

Wednesday, December 12

7-10PM

901 E 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012

RSVP via Facebook

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2012

Oct17

SF: A Bar Crawl from Blackbird to Zeitgeist

Posted on by
Standard

Blackbird – My Lucky Penny

The last time I was at Blackbird, I was fascinated by Shawn, the fasted bartender I ever saw. He’s still there and as quick as ever.  We stopped in for a drink one night I was in SF last month. I normally try to avoid cash-only places but cash-only spots are great because you usually won’t overindulge. I did wish I wasn’t full or else I would have gotten a tamale from the tamale lady who came in!

Blackbird – Root of All Evil

 

My friend got My Lucky Penny (chamomile-infused single barrel whiskey, Rosato vermouth, honey, Castillian bitters) while I enjoyed the Root of All Evil (Scotch, Root liqueur, cinnamon syrup, orange). I was pretty delighted it came with crushed ice. I normally am an up cocktail girl but there were a lot of hot guys cruising around so whew, needed a cool one. Some might argue Blackbird isn’t really a gay bar but it is in San Francisco, in Castro and well, there’s definitely a scene there. I might have to do a Gays & Dolls bar crawl with Blackbird and Churchill the next time I’m in SF!

Blackbird

2124 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94114 — (415) 503-0630
 

Russell Davis at Rio Grande

I loved my time at Rio Grande in July so I made it a point to stop by after a drink at Rickhouse.

And if you haven’t seen a fire show by Russell Davis, here’s a cool vid I shot. 

Later, Russell would make me one of his favorite drinks, Paper Plane by Sam Ross, a Little Branch (NY) drink. It was the perfect little drink after a beer and a shot (or shots).

The Bon Vivants

Rio Grande

1108 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103

Zeitgeist

We had a little time to kill before heading down to Los Gatos to dinner at Manresa so we stopped in at Zeitgeist.

Described as a beer garden to me, I thought nothing of the rockers, older couples, hipsters and other assorted characters assembled on loose gravel paved patio. After getting a beer from one of their zillions of taps or a drink, find yourself squeezed in to listen to people talk about their college reunions though I think I rather have sat with the bikers.

Red Snapper at Zeitgeist

 

Day drinking at its finest: Red Snapper on the patio. A Red Snapper is a Bloody Mary with gin instead of vodka.

Dickle mural

 

I couldn’t help it. I had to take a pic of this weird mural! Doesn’t he look like Robert Downey, Jr.?

Zeitgeist pink elephants

 

We only had one but if we had more, maybe there would have been even more pink elephants.

Zeitgeist

199 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94103 — (415) 255-7505
 
© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012
Aug27

Wine Tasting: Checking out Matanzas & Ledson Wineries

Posted on by
Standard

Lavender Garden at Matanzas

During my last trip to SF, we did a day trip out to Sonoma Valley. We decided to try to hit a few wineries in Santa Rosa. After lunch at Rosso, we hopped over to Matanzas Creek Winery. The highlight of this winery (besides the wine, of course) is the vast lavender garden. It’s just fields and fields of lavender. I love lavender and it was so peaceful to see the purplish-blue bushes everywhere.

We stopped to admire the other flowers as well before heading up to the tasting room.

wine tasting at Matanzas

It was fairly crowded but they jovially told us to squeeze on in. The wines we tasted were good though I didn’t fall in love with any of them. Perhaps I’m just too much of a cocktails girl at heart.

Matanzas Creek Winery

6097 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95404 — (707) 528-6464

 

Ledson Winery & Vineyards

After Matanzas, we stopped in at Ledson Winery & Vineyards in Kenwood. Along the pathway to the large manor, we saw rows and rows of grapes. It was a picturesque scene, very bucolic.

vineyards at Ledson

I have always wondered if it was true the wine grapes are not good eating grapes but I did not ask to find out! I did want Greek food all of the sudden though seeing all the grape leaves. Ah, where to find the nearest place for dolmas?

Ledson wine tasting

It was near the end of the day so the tasting room wasn’t too crowded. We were welcomed and were led through a tasting by a knowledgeable guide. My friend had been asking everyone why people didn’t save white wines to age before drinking. Some had responded with varietals that would work okay but Ledson actually tried their best to answer scientifically.

I probably wouldn’t want an aged white wine anyway. And champagne or sparkling wine? Forget it!

Ledson’s Bellismo was really fantastic and I seriously considered a bottle but it’s slightly out of my price range. Maybe the booze fairy will leave it under my pillow one night.

 

Ledson Winery & Vineyards

7335 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood, CA 95452 — (707) 537-3810
 
© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012
Aug23

Barhopping in San Francisco

Posted on by
Standard

Brian Means at Fifth Floor

The last time I caught up with bar manager Brian Means, he was at Zero Zero and in the last year, I’ve watch him tweet about drinks at his new bar, Fifth Floor. I’ve read much about his cocktails. Considering it was a five minute walk from my hotel, it was natural to check the drinks before heading out to a fabulous dinner at Aziza.

I’d been to Fifth Floor before and thought I’d like to come back to try the food. I still need to come back to try the food. Good thing I’m heading out to SF next week.

Sparrows in the City

 

When Alcademics posted the Sparrows in the City drink back in March, I had an instant craving. I love pisco sours and this one with Oro Torontel pisco, applejack, lemon, egg white, grenadine plus a stenciled sparrow using atomized bitters was very eye-catching. After I tasted it, I did think it was a bit heavy on the Angostura so I actually would suggest Brian get a stencil that is more of an outline. And I do love Angostura but it overwhelmed the delicate pisco a bit.

Boston Tea Party

 

My friend had the Boston Tea Party (Greylock gin, lemon cordial, rooibos and chai tea). I picked it out for her knowing her love of gin and tea. She enjoyed this cocktail very much.

Jewish Mom

 

I had time for one more drink and I went with my usual brown, bitter, stirred type drink. The Jewish Mother (Bulleit rye, Navarro Vineyards Pinot Noir juice, Cio Ciaro, black walnut bitters). The Manhattan-style drink was then garnished with a gold leaf. Fifth Floor was super busy that evening as it was one of the final nights before the foie gras ban took effect in California and they were selling their foie gras cocktail like crazy. I didn’t have a chance to talk to Brian about the Pinot Noir juice but I would imagine it replaces the vermouth normally in these specs.

I’ll be back and hopefully they will still have the Hops & Dreams on the menu. The drink has Templeton rye, Anchor Steam syrup, Maurin Quina, lemon and Angostura bitters. It sounds great as does The Sun Also Rises (House Spirits white whiskey, black tea infused Dolin vermouth, grapefruit, peach bitters).

Fifth Floor at the Hotel Palomar

12 4th St., San Francisco, CA 94103 — (415) 348-1555

Beretta

Beretta is one of my favorite craft cocktail bars in SF. We stopped in after dinner at Mr. Pollo.

I met Enrique there whom I remembered I saw compete at the Mix It Up competition during the Nightclub & Bar convention back in March. He said Beretta was competing in the Bar Brawl at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail. And they won! Congratulations, Beretta!

Lonsdale

 

Miss Carina had her favorite Lonsdale (gin, apple, lemon, honey, basil) while I went with my “usual” Rattlesnake (rye, lemon, maple, bitters, egg white).

Rattlesnake

 

I really like this whiskey sour variation. I wonder if there’s time to visit Beretta next week?

Beretta

1199 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94110 — (415) 695-1199

The Governor

We were staying at the Serrano Hotel and Jasper’s was the hotel bar. I visited a few times during my stay and made my acquaintance with Allison who is from Portland. I never made it to her bar Irving Street Kitchen the times I was in PDX but now I can just visit her in SF. She most recently bartended at Hotsy Totsy Club and Bourbon & Branch.

After a couple of heavy hitters at Rio Grande, I wanted something citrusy. I settled on the Rhubarb Mule (Wild Turkey 81 bourbon, orgeat, rhubarb syrup, lime, ginger ale, Angostura bitters). It was a perfect pick-me-up.

On another night, I had a sip of the Governor which was a pretty and delicate looking cocktail with real chamomile flowers. The drink features Black Bottle whiskey, Yellow Chartreuse, chamomile honey, lemon, egg white and Peychaud’s bitters.

Hanky Panky on tap

Negroni on Tap

 

Jasper’s was one of the first bars to put cocktails on tap. I had their famous Negroni on tap which I enjoyed but I really dug the Hanky Panky on tap. They’re both favorites of mine though.

 

Western Addition

As I left my friend in charge of our seats, I told her to order a cocktail for me with whiskey or perhaps the Western Addition. More specifically, I said “something like the Western Addition.” I was secretly glad to have gotten the Western Addition instead of a bartender’s choice as this combo of Rittenhouse rye, Barcadi rum, Dubonet Rouge, Benedictine, The Bitter Truth chocolate mole bitters was fantastic.

Rhubarb Mule

Beer old fashioned

 

Allison was working on the next cocktails list with bar manager Kevin and gave me her beer old fashioned to try. Quite a few beer cocktails I have tried tend to be light and frothy but this didn’t seem like a summery drink. With bourbon, Cio Ciaro, Drake’s Denogganizer IPA and two kinds of bitters- Angostura and  special batch of Rocky’s bitters, I really enjoyed the hell out of this drink. I almost wondered if the beer had been reduced to a syrup?

Time to go back to find out!

Jasper’s Corner Tap

401 Taylor St., San Francisco, CA 94102 — (415) 775-7979
 
© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012
Jun8

Manhattan Cocktail Classic 2012 Gala and After Parties

Posted on by
Standard

New York Public Library

Last month’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic kicked off the five days of seminars, tastings, spirited meals and competitions with the opening night Gala. After checking out Mandarine Napoleon earlier in the night, I popped across the street to join the fun.

live music

MCC took over the four floors of the New York Public Library, decking out the normally quiet halls with brilliant sashs, food and of course, drinks. I was very excited to receive a bracelet from Tasting Table that promised to keep track of the drinks I was imbibing. First you had to register the bracelet on your smart phone via a Facebook login (you have a smartphone, right?) and then tap the bracelet at the boxes at each station. As I didn’t receive an email detailing my drinks and the promised recipes, it’s a good thing I did snap a few photos.

Buffalo Trace Smash

My first drink at the Gala was Buffalo Trace‘s Buffalo Smash (Buffalo Trace, peach nectar, ginger ale). It was a light drink to begin my night of serious tasting. I skipped up the stairs to the various floors, tasting and eating my way to the top and then back down to the basement.

Danny Ronen going Brit for the night

I found myself in the vodka room. I stopped to say hello to a few people including Danny Ronen but I was in search of something new to me. Next I found a room full of rum but even then I kept going thinking I would come back to try the Caliche drink Ezra Pattek was serving up.

Chartreuse Meets Mercy

On the second floor, I met the Mercy lady. I found it hilarious how the man with the Chartreuse apron was giving Miss Mercy quite the stare. You think he was checking out her cans?

Hal Wolin for New Amersterdam

 

I was about to turn away from the corner where the men’s room was located but noticed barbers actually giving gents haircuts. Then I saw the New Amsterdam Spirits. Of course I had to try a cocktail from Hal Wolin whom I met at Portland Cocktail Week last year.

Thirsty Barber

I had the Thirsty Barber which is New Amsterdam Gin, dry vermouth and my choice of bitters. I opted for the Bittermens Grapefruit and Hops bitters since I’ve never had those before and they sounded interested. Hal had recommended the standards like Angostura, Peychaud’s or Regan’s orange bitters but I wanted something different. I met some gentlemen from New Jersey while waiting for my drink and they were just so excited to be there. They had rented a car and came with their wives not knowing what to expect. One asked how does one become a cocktail writer- does one drink a lot in college. Sure…that’s one way to go. Well, moving on…

I tried quite a few more cocktails including a classic Negroni from Campari while running into pals from around the country. It was so much fun to see everyone, many I haven’t seen for months — not since Portland Cocktail Week, Arizona Cocktail Week or Nightclub and Bar. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the next big shindig, Tales of the Cocktail!

 

Tanqueray Ginstitute

After the Gala, we went to the Tanqueray Ginstitute after party at Fatty ‘Cue. There I tried three cocktails including a martini, the Green Snapper and the Calcutta Collins. The Green Snapper was my favorite.

Calcutta Collins

 

Calcutta Collins – Tanqueray London Dry gin, caraway seed, bay leaf, mystery tea syrup, lemon juice. Whatever that mystery tea syrup was, it wasn’t my favorite though a friend said hers was good.

 

Green Snapper

Green Snapper – Tanqueray London Dry gin infused with Sichaun pepper corn, sugar cane syrup, celery juice, tomato salt. Delicious!

We had a great time at Fatty ‘Cue. Lots of good appetizers to get the thirst back up.

Next we hopped over to Daddy-O for the Zacapa Rum after party.

Ron Zacapa

 

Like Fatty ‘Cue, it was a tight squeeze inside Daddy-O but we made it just in time to snag some food as well. They had some amazing meatball sandwiches. That was the one thing that tied all the events together- great food at every event to go with the fantastic drinks.

 

drinks with Ron Zacapa

 

My last drink of the night was from Zacapa. What a wonderful way to welcome MCC!

 

The Minty’s article for Tasting Panel Magazine

Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Index of MCC articles by The Minty

 

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012