Tag Archives: bar stories

Jan23

Las Vegas: The Hottest Cocktail Spots

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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
Jan17

Recap: Carpano Antica Awards Winners

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eva

Americano Royale

On December 10, 2012, Fratelli-Branca presented the Carpano Antica Awards. Bartenders in Southern California were invited to submit videos for various categories. The Imbiber Dan Dunn MC’d the show and notable bartenders and bloggers presented the awards.

Here are the categories and winners:

  • Best Use Of Carpano Antica in a Cocktail- Come Up With A Truly Unique Recipe


Nate Howell , Cusp La Jolla


  • Best Pour – Show Us Your Best Form And Skill


Joey Malone, Yael Vengroff, and Devon Tarby

  • Best Foreign Film – Feature An Italian Cocktail Or Theme From The Birthplace Of Fratelli-Branca…Italy!

Golden Eye  / Matty Gordon of Solace & the Moonlight Lounge (Encinatas – SD)

Loved that this was filmed at Copa d’Oro!

  • Best Look – Who Cares About The Drink, How Well Can You Dress?


Blind Barber  /Justin Fix

  • Best Use of Effects – Special, Sound or Visual, This Award Goes To The Best!


3rd Thursdays   /Alexander Liberman and Justin Lapriore

 

  • Il Meglio – Italian For “The Best”

Lee3 Productions

LA loves #laybacks!

DJ-Bartenders Steve and Dave

DJ-Bartenders Steve and Dave

The party was DJ’d by everyone’s favorite DJ-Bartenders, Steve Livigni and Dave Fernie.

Carpano Antica vase

Carpano Antica vase

Pretty classy vases at the Awards.

Host Dan Dunn

Host Dan Dunn

Dan Dunn kept the show rolling.

Lil' Twisted in the house

Lil’ Twisted in the house

Lil Twisted Jaymee Mandeville (Drago Centro) and Cari Hah (Neat, Cole’s) were some of the best dressed presenters and attendees. I loved their video too.

Presenters Aidan and Marcos

Presenters Aidan and Marcos

I thought some of the best presenters were Aidan Demerast (Neat) and Marcos Tello (1886, Bols Genever). Prior to the Awards, they alluded to not being prepared but that was just a sham.

Layback with the trophy

Layback with the trophy

Lee3 productions got my vote for best immediate use of their award with a layback. Yep, that trophy was an actual bottle of Carpano Antica mounted on a base with a plaque.

Here are some other videos I thought were great:

Fernet Stirrer Squad

Harvard & Stone talks Fernet and tats

Ram Soss

It’s pretty awesome this cocktail was invented generations ago for your family.

 

– edited to add the video recap from Carpano Antica

Fratelli Branca

Carpano Antica

and the amaro that seemed to have stolen the show… Fernet-Branca

 

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2013

Apr17

A Cuban Manhattan at Charlie Palmer

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Cuban Manhattan

After tasting a couple of drinks from the late night happy hour menu at Charlie Palmer, I spotted Brugal Rum and asked for an Old Fashioned with it. As it turned out, I got a Rum Manhattan instead. The internet gods have decreed this drink a “Cuban Manhattan.” Brugal though is from the Dominican Republic.

I agree with the bartender that this dark rum made a better Manhattan than an Old Fashioned but I wouldn’t have been adverse to one. I told her sometimes I’d get a tequila Manhattan which the internet gods are calling a “Tijuana Manhattan.” Calling these drinks by location reminds me of the freeway signs in LA. You have to know that San Bernadino is to the East and Santa Monica is to the West on the 10 freeway. Cuban = rum, Tijuana = tequila.

Caribbean Sunset

Caribbean Sunset – 10 Cane Rum, Star Anise, Clove, Citrus, Sugar Cane

For a drink with a lot of spices in it, I didn’t get much from this cocktail.

Eno

Eno – George Dickel Tennessee whiskey, orange, ginger infused ginger honey ale

I am afraid I didn’t fare much better with the Eno with its confusing ginger infused ginger honey ale.

So, how do you drink like the Minty? Order something you know you’ll like. It this case, let’s go Cuban Manhattan!

Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s

South Coast Plaza

3333 S Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 – (714) 352-2525
 
© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012
Mar19

Arizona Cocktail Week: Garden to Glass

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Panelists Adam Seger and Natalie Bovis

 

As part of Arizona Cocktail Week, there were seminars which ranged in topics such as “And Now a Word About Gin,”  “Garden to Glass,” “I Love Blenders, I Hate Blenders,” “Craft Cocktails in a Flash,” and more. I attended two including “Garden to Glass” and Cocktail Culture & Trends.”

The Garden to Glass seminar was moderated by Kim Haasarud (mixologist and cocktail book author) and the panel included Charlotte Voisey (Hendrick’s Gin, William Grant & Sons), Natalie Bovis (The Liquid Muse), Mark Tarbell (Tarbell’s Restaurant), Adam Seger (Mixologist, HUM Liqueur), Danny Ronen (Brandmaster of FAIR Spirits) and Maya Dailey (local farmer, Maya’s Farm).

Kim asked the panel about the first time the bartenders started doing “farm to glass.”

Adam Seger talked about being in Chicago and how he starting growing herbs at the bar he was working at. This required bringing in dirt up to the roof and watering every day. And discovering what grew well indoors. He probably grew seven different kinds of mint just to see what worked for his mojito. He mentioned why wouldn’t you drink like you eat- seasonally.

Natalie Bovis started out as a restaurant publicist and got involved with the other side of things when she saw chefs using rooftop gardens for herbs. She saw a cocktail trend following suit. Now she’s on her third book on culinary aspects and living New Mexico and still into mixology.

 

Charlotte Voisey

Charlotte was at the FIG restaurant at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica. She was inspired by the famous farmers market there. She wanted to make excellent drinks with the best ingredients.

 

Danny Ronen talked a bit about fair trade and how people are so into organic and no pesticides but certification costs money. He felt sourcing was equally important. Were the products made with slave labor? We tasted a drink made with quinoa vodka that was really made more like a whiskey.

 

Next we heard from Mark and Maya. They talked about their working relationship. Someone wanted to know if Mark asked Maya to grow him certain things or was it him trying to use what she gave him. It was a little of both, of course.

Mark thought the mixology movement was a bit like the food movement in the 70s/80s. And Maya talked about how important it was to cultivate relationships and build community.

The talk moved on from garden to glass to discussing spirits  more. Adam talked about his HUM Liqueur which I had for the first time at Cafe del Rey in Marina del Rey and later met Adam at a Michael’s guest bartender series. Adam talked about how he was working on the formula when Francesco Lafranconi told him it needed kaffir limes in his charming Italian accent. And he was right. Adam was asked what’s the difference between infusions and bitters. Apparently it’s time. Sometimes infusions can turn into bitters if you leave it too long (for reference, bitters take about a month).

Overall, the panel covered where the movement was coming from and mentioned some leading bars around the country. It would have been nice though to hear about local Arizona restaurants and bars that have a garden to glass program. For instance, does Tarbell’s? From their menu, it looks like they do  use fresh juices but probably could be more creative with local ingredients.

Perhaps for the next Arizona Cocktail Week, we’ll see more nods to tequila and local produce. A tequila, nopales and agave cocktail, maybe?

 

Arizona Cocktail Week

Dec16

The Making of Kate Grutman’s “I’m on a Boat!” Cocktail

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Kate with her tiki stencils

 

For Social Mixology’s Repeal Day party at the Cathouse (Luxor Hotel) in Las Vegas, Kate Grutman from Sotto, came up with “I’m on a boat” (Sailor Jerry’s, pineapple, lime, unsweetened Thai coconut milk, Orange Crush soda, Angostura Bitters spray). I had the opportunity to see how this cocktail evolved from specs to the actual drink that was given to guests.

cocktail specs

 

I'm on a Boat!

let's try this spray-on design

in a coupe?

 

The drink was originally planned for a rocks glass but Kate wanted to see how it’d work in a coupe. The idea was to mist the Angostura over the tiki stencils to create a pattern over the drink. It didn’t leave much of an impression. If only this cocktail had an eggwhite foam. A sour drink would showcase the tiki stencil superbly.

back to the drawing board- original plan for the glassware

 

But this now meant there was no garnish. Should we use an orange slice? Kate and I left for a quick meal and the barbacks quickly chopped up orange slices to go with her cocktail.

voila!

 

After dinner, Kate was inspired to add simple syrup to the mix. She felt the fresh pineapple juice wasn’t quite sweet enough. I really thought it added to the mouthfeel of the cocktail. Voila, it’s now perfect.

stenciled bev naps

 

But what to do with the stencils? She was inspired to spray the designs onto beverage napkins. Brilliant!

club is now ready, let's get this party started- family meal of Mezcal

 

final product- I'm on a Boat!

 

Sometime later in the night, I happened to catch the drink was now garnished with dehydrated orange wheels. Very nice.

Stay tuned for a full report on the Repeal Day party presented by Bar Magic’s Tobin Ellis on The Minty soon.

 

Links!

Kate Grutman

Sotto  – new post on The Minty

Bar Magic

Tobin Ellis teaching free pouring at Portland Cocktail Week

 

 

Oct10

Behind the Scenes: The Making of Guns and Moses

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ingredients including Cherry Manischewitz

Yesterday, I attended the second annual LA’s Best Bartender Competition sponsored by Table 20 and ran into Kate Grutman, the bar manager of Sotto. I had nominated her and it was cool to hear about which Karlsson’s Gold Vodka cocktail she submitted. As it turns out, it was the Guns and Moses, one of the more favored cocktails of the night.

Guns and Moses by Kate Grutman

Guns and Moses

  • 1-1/2 oz Karlsson’s Gold Vodka
  • 3/4 oz lime juice
  • 3/4 Maraska Maraschino
  • 1 oz Cherry Manischewitz
  • Scant 1/2 tsp. rose water

Garnish with rose petal.

Kate paid tribute to her Jewish ancestry by using Manischewitz and naming the cocktail Guns and Moses. I was a little doubtful when I first saw this drink until I had a sip. (Later we were doing shots of Manischewitz but no one needs to know that right? Oh wait…)

I’ll be recapping the competition on The Minty soon!

 

Sotto

9575 W Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035 – (310) 277-0210
Sep27

A Cocktailian Walks Into a Sports Bar…

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gin martini

 

I wanted to check out Bar | Kitchen’s Social Sunday but they were unfortunately closed due to extenuating circumstances. Since I had plans at LA Live later, I decided to check out Riordan’s Tavern. I was happy to see it was happy hour (every day from 3-6PM) and my martini was only $5. When the bartender asked vodka or gin, he seemed surprised I wanted gin. And then I was surprised it was a good one. Icy cold, swimming in botanicals. I should have asked what gin they used as their well. I didn’t look when the bartender made it. Did he shake or stir? It seems stirred which is how I like martinis. Perhaps I should have gotten a twist (to better complement those botanicals) but I was feeling snacky. Olives, then.

Usually when I walk into a new bar, I like to find a seat at the bar. There were a group of guys taking up a corner then a few open seats closer to the grill area. I found it a bit odd to see how small the bar was for a place called a tavern. I opted to sit in front of the grill rather than smushed into a corner and the wall. It was hot. I had an unintentional facial.

Being by myself, it’s easy to blend in and listen to the bar talk. The bartender handed me off to a cocktail server who didn’t know what a Snakebite was (it was on their happy hour menu- Harp & cider). She was bubbly, sweet and told me she couldn’t wait for a glass of wine soon. I liked her.

A few days ago, I read this great article on Shake Stir on how to drink like a lady at a bar. There were 10 rules which I mostly agree with. But I’d like to get to #9- no texting. The article talks about how being on your phone makes you look insecure or bored. True, it can. But like the person eating by themselves at a restaurant with a book, I really don’t see anything wrong if- this is a big IF– you’re in for a meal or drink by yourself. Meaning you’re not there to pick up anyone. I also know it’s not the bartender’s job to entertain me every 5 seconds. There’s only so much interaction you’re going to have, especially if the bar is slammed. And those guys in the corner? No, not happening.

On this early evening, I couldn’t help but overhear one of them didn’t like Jameson. That’s fine. But Riordan’s Tavern is an Irish bar. Well, ostensibly Irish. They seemed to have more Scotch than Irish whiskey but I digress. Then he said something that made me want to throw something. He liked fruity vodka and in fact didn’t like the taste of booze. Hello, still drinking the gin martini.

See this cell phone? I’m tweeting about you.

Fine, fine, I shouldn’t judge.

Back to the article, I actually think it’s easier for men to approach women if they have an “excuse.” Such as asking about her book. Or what apps she had on her cell phone. Yes, I’ve seen this happen.  Sitting around, drinking without seemingly something to do makes people wonder about you but I think perhaps negatively. It’s not often you see a woman alone at a bar. Unfortunately some may think she’s an alcoholic or “working.”

Oh, maybe that’s just me. Perhaps everyone thinks you’re empowered, that you love hanging out by yourself and you want to make new friends.

The reviews are rather poor for this bar. Complaints of service, food and pricing seem to crop up over and over again. I have no complaints. For that brief hour, it was fascinating to watch a slice of life at a sports bar. The bartender seemed to love to delegate duties. He even asked a line cook to make a Long Island iced tea (oh, it’s one of those types of bars). A trio appeared next to me. The women wanted Bud Light which the bar didn’t carry. They made do with Miller Light. I was a bit disappointed of their choice. But I had to remind myself where I was.

I was once told every bar has its time and place. On this non-busy Sunday afternoon, this bar was there for me.

Cheers!

 

Riordan's Tavern

Riordan’s Tavern

875 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90017 – (213) 627-6879