Tag Archives: craft cocktails

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
Sep12

Jeremy Lake Wins the Galliano Golden Vespa

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Jeremy Lake Enjoying his new Galliano Golden Vespa

 

Jeremy Lake, the bar manager for both Chef John Sedlar’s restaurants, Playa and Rivera, recently won the Galliano Golden Vespa Los Angeles regional competition with his cocktail, the Italian Motorcade. One of his prizes is the Galliano Vespa, a golden one of course.

The finalists were selected from recipes they had submitted online. The LA regional saw bartenders come as far as Sacramento and also from San Diego. Judges including cocktail blogger Thirsty in LA selected Jeremy as the regional winner. There are also four other regional winners including New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.

at Playa

The competition required the use of Galliano L’Autentico which previously was best known as an ingredient in a Harvey Wallbanger (Galliano, vodka, orange juice).

Jeremy’s Italian Motorcade features Galliano, Creme de Cacao, Yellow Chartreuse, coffee liqueur and cream. First he rinses the cocktail glass with absinthe and then adds the stirred cocktail. To finish, he tops the drink with thick cream poured carefully over a bar spoon. Initially the drink would seem like a dessert drink with the rich cream and chocolate/coffee flavors but the kick of absinthe and chartreuse really comes through. And delightedly, the Galliano comes through and lingers at the finish. It really was a special drink.

Jeremy Lake presenting the Italian Motorcade

Italian Motorcade

And it’s gorgeous. The creamy layer atop the glowing green cocktail was very well received by the bar patrons.

Suffering in Silence

 

While I was there, I heard Jeremy had come up with another Galliano cocktail he named Suffering in Silence. Of course I had to try it. Besides the Galliano, there was also anejo tequila, high-proof bourbon (he used St. George’s Breaking and Entering bourbon), lemon and shook with dry ice. After double-straining, the cocktail is garnished with crystallized mint Jeremy made, pickle chips and rimmed with a cocoa and sea salt mixture. When asked why he chose to garnish with chocolate and pickles (was he pregnant?), Jeremy replied the the cocoa inspiration comes from the chocolate notes in the anejo tequila and bourbon. And the pickles from the dill flavor from American white oak barrels the whiskey had been aged in.

This cocktail isn’t on the menu at Playa yet but maybe if you ask him nicely, Jeremy will make one for you.

Galliano

Playa

7360 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 –  323-933-5300

Rivera Restaurant

1050 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015-5100 – (213) 749-1460

 

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  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

Apr5

Social Mixology’s 3rd Anniversary Blowout

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Naomi of Spare Room Guest Bartending SMX

When I heard the pop up Social Mixology was throwing their third year anniversary party with the theme “Blowout,” I immediately checked my calendar. I had so much fun at their Repeal Day party last year and knew this would be even bigger and full of more surprises. It was then a happy coincidence that a couple of LA bartenders were also guest bartending including Naomi Schimek from Spare Room and Alex Strausfrom the Bon Vivants/ Hemingway Lounge. Also guest bartending that night was Nightclub and Bar’s Bartender of the Year, Russell Davis, Josh Harris from the Bon Vivants, Kristen Shaefer from Bond (The Cosmopolitan), Patricia Richards (Wynn), Gaston Martinez (Milagro Tequila), Chris Hopkins (Vesper Bar), Mathias Simonis (Distil) and many more.

Carbonated booze for your pleasure

Held at the Royal Resort, you were greeted with carbonated cocktails immediately upon check-in.

some cool "blowouts"

Tobin Ellis, founder of Bar Magic and Social Mixology, had specified everyone had to have a cool hair-do for the event. I saw some really fun and hair-raising styles. One of the girls in the above picture had her hair rolled all the way up! That must have taken not only gobs of gel but I suspect wire.

Kristen Shaefer for Absolut Vodka (with bottle in her hair)

Danny Ronen of Fair Trade Spirits

As we hopped from station to station, it was obvious how much pleasure everyone derived from the fun hair styles. Danny Ronen wrapped a boa around his head. Many of the guys sported colorful hair while many ladies went for pompadours.

Josh with his amazing tropical drinks

Normally leery of brightly colored cocktails, I happily sipped and finished Josh’s tropical drink. I also enjoyed his buddy Alex’s gin cocktail. It was a nice one for the serious booze nerds in the house.

Bartender Adrienne Miller from New Mexico

Those tropical umbrellas love to wander.

El Melon

The main bar featured Corvo Tequila cocktails. El Melon from Patricia Richards was an easy drinkin’ cocktail Corvo silver, Monin rock melon, fresh citrus sour, Boiron watermelon, fresh basil, kosher salt and peach bitters. I also loved Naomi Schimek’s Sado County Auto Show (Corzo silver, Boiron passionfruit, Yerba Mate, Monin agave, fresh lemon, Angostura).

Cock...Tails

stealth mixing

Mathias Simonis partnered with Dustin Drankiewicz to provide some stealth mixology. The two walked around wearing trench coats with “cock” and “tails” written on the back of their coats. If you asked for a drink, you were served a damn good one.

Everyone was raving about Gaston’s mad scientist hair and station. I was aiming for Russell Davis’ Amaretto cocktail but he ran out of mixers and in the meantime, Gaston wrapped up his Sailor Jerry station. Most continued to party at the tequila bar or danced the night away. There was also a food truck but many opted to go to one of my favorite Vegas joints, the Peppermill.

Social Mixology is on the move. I hear they’re heading to New York soon. I hope that means I get to catch them at Manhattan Cocktail Classic!

Links! Get on it!

Social Mixology

Bar Magic

Social Mixology Repeal Day 2011 Party

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

Mar29

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

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St. George Spirits - Terroir Gin

I invited a friend to one of my favorite bars, Bar | Kitchen at the O Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles a week or so back. Coincidentally,  Dave  from St. George Spirits was also dining at the bar. At this point, I cannot actually tell you if I’ve had any of the St. George Spirits other than the absinthe. Perhaps I have had a drink made with the other spirits but I really didn’t remember. I tasted the Terroir gin and knew instantly I had never had it before. I would remember the rich complexity of this gin.

I’m so curious now about the other two gins St. George has. I have heard all three are wonderful. And then there’s also the fourth, Faultine Gin, they exclusively sell at K&L.

After I looked up St. George, I realized I’ve most certainly had some of the other St. George products including Hangar One vodkas and the new Firelit Liqueur which is a coffee flavored liqueur. Although I don’t drink vodka much, I respected Hangar One for its natural tasting flavored vodkas. At one point in my early drinking career, I used to drink Cape Cods with their Mandarin vodka.

Breaking & Entering Bourbon

Bourbon Bitter French

Daniel, B|K’s bar manager asked me what I wanted. I enjoy looking at the weekly list of classic cocktails they posted. The Bitter French immediately caught my eye. Made with gin, I wondered how it’d be with the Terroir but Daniel surprised me and made it with Breaking and Entering Bourbon. Bourbon is one of my favorite spirits and I really enjoyed this cocktail with bourbon, grapefruit juice, sparkling wine. Here’s a good recipe. 

I’ll have to keep a better eye on St. George Spirits!

 

St. George Spirits

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2012

Read related posts to Bar | Kitchen

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LA’s Best Bartender Competition featuring Bar | Kitchen bar manager Daniel Zacharczuk

dineLA Lunch at Bar | Kitchen

New Bar Menu at Bar | Kitchen (July 2011) – don’t miss the Root Beer Absinthe Float

Crack Tots at Bar | Kitchen

Happy Hour at Bar | Kitchen

Mar20

Arizona Cocktail Week: Cocktail Culture & Trends

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Cocktail Culture & Trends: The US and Beyond

 

Moderated by Angus Winchester (Tanqueray Gin), the panel on Cocktail Culture and Trends: The US and the Beyond at Arizona Cocktail Week a few weeks back included panelists Andy Seymour (BAR Founder), Danny Valdez (Ron Zacapa), Todd Richman (Sidney Frank Importing), Marcos Tello (Bols Genever), Duggan McDonnell (Encanto Pisco), Aidan Demerast (Neat Bar), Sarah Mitchell (Juniper Society) and Danny Ronen (FAIR Spirits).

Angus caught us up on cocktail history. He explained America invented the cocktail in the 1800s and there was a golden age until Prohibition. Bartenders fled and people essentially forgot how to make drinks until about the 50s. That was the silver age of bartending. He’s calling our current times the bronze age. However, with the internet, this age seems to be about trends that come and go very quickly. What he’s seeing now are:

Fresh cocktails-

Even national chain restaurants like TGIFridays are doing fresh juice programs. They’re a bit of leaders with trends, having the cornerstone of flair bartending back in the 90s.

Twisted classics -

It seems every bartender is putting their own stamp on classics.

Angus asked how could we tell if it’s a genuine trend versus fashion. For instance, is it a trend if 100 bartenders are doing it or you can go to your local bar and get that “trendy” cocktail.

Andy Seymour mentioned he thought sherry and mezcal would be trendy years ago. A cocktail with mezcal, sherry, agave and Angostura bitters is very appealing now.

Sarah Mitchell explained how her Juniper Society came about. At her bar in London, she had a weekly tasting and discounted drinks. Pretty soon other bars followed suit with their own rum and agave (tequila) clubs.

The panel started discussing how vodka is not going away any time soon. It has a specific role to play.

Someone mentioned there were probably blog posts already about cocktail trends. As it so happens, I do have a post!

This distracted the panel as they started talking about how there should be a panel on “I Hate Bloggers/ I Love Bloggers.” But it did steer them to talking about how are trends being media driven. Bone Luge comes to mind. The panel seemed to agree that trends like cocktails on tap, carbonated drinks, barrel-aged cocktails were interesting but most people don’t care. Only the writers and cocktail geeks are into the trends.

And yet, we can’t help but be fascinated by cocktails from the 1880s, Madmen style cocktails, tiki, ice, bitters, punches, agave and what Angus calls bartender voodoo- resurrected old cocktails.

Todd Richman brought everything back to perspective by talking about what should matter- hospitality and how customer service comes first. The interaction between the bartender and guests is important.

 

There were a few noteworthy questions from the audience including a woman who wanted to discuss skinny cocktails as a trend. Clearly the panel was uncomfortable with this idea. They maintained as a group that spirits alone aren’t as high in calories. She insisted that she sells a ton of “vodka and fresca” which is practically calorie-free. But where is the joy of that?

We ended with Duggan instructing us to have the juice of the lemons he brought from San Francisco, reminding us what was really important — not just fresh juice was to a bar program but that we are alive and able to discuss such things.

 

Arizona Cocktail Week

Mar15

Arizona Cocktail Week: Tucson Bartenders Take Over Mabel’s

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Tucson Bartenders Take Over Mabel's

 

As part of the recent Arizona Cocktail Week, Tucson bartenders from famed Scott & Co invaded Mabel’s on Main in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bar Manager Ciaran Wiese and his crew of merry makers presented a specialty menu of 4 drinks for the night.

What’s the Dilly Yo – Brokers gin, Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, spicy mustard with seeds, dill sprig

Don’t Rub my Rhubarb- Bacardi Superior rum, lime juice, muddled strawberry, mint leaves

The Cough Lozenger- Old Overholt rye, ginger custard foam, citrus, rosemary, eucalyptus rock candy

Stay Puffed- Chai infused Michael Collins Irish whiskey, cinnamon simple syrup, Angostura bitters, charred marshmallow

What's the Dilly Yo

 

Considering my love of pickles, I expected to love the What’s the Dilly Yo cocktail. However, there was a strong bitterness that I didn’t care for. And I like bitter cocktails. I suspect it was the mustard with seeds.

Stay Puffed

 

I was hanging out with Garrett McKechnie from 1886 (in Pasadena) and he said I should try the Stay Puffed. I was actually surprised how much I liked this one since I don’t really like marshmallow. Aha, I see what they did here- answering a trend (marshmallow vodka) with a strong and more appropriate response.

I didn’t get a chance to try the others but perhaps if I’m ever in Tucson, I’ll just check out Scott & Co. Plus they’re part of a highly-regarded gastropub, 47 Scott.  It sounds like a sure bet for Tucson imbibing.

 

Arizona Cocktail Week

 

Mabel’s on Main

7018 E Main St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251 – (480) 369-3665
 
Scott & Co / 47 Scott
49 N Scott Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701 – (520) 624-4747
 
Dec23

2012 Cocktail Trends

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Queen's Park Swizzle from Black Market Liquor Bar

When I was applying for my press pass for Portland Cocktail Week, I was asked what I wanted to cover. I was particularly interested in cocktail trends. Here’s what I see happening now and will continue to be strong in 2012:

  • It’s a given new restaurants will open with a custom cocktail program, venerable restaurants will revamp cocktail lists to thoughtful cocktail programs. They will at least start with a list of classic cocktails and grow from there.
  • Bartenders who follow a “farm to glass” philosophy- using fresh ingredients they buy from farmers’ markets, working more with chefs and utilizing cooking techniques, spices and unexpected flavors
  • Bartenders who make their own bitters, tinctures, infusions
  • Non-spirit based cocktails (beer cocktails, wine cocktails– like sherry and port cocktails)
  • “New” spirits like pisco, cachaca, aguardiente, baijiiu, grappa, arrack will be discovered
  • Amaros – Americans falling in love with bitter flavors versus going for sticky sweet “martinis”
  • Small-batch, independent distilling

 

I’m looking for more fine drinking in the new year! I’m hoping to get to Manhattan Cocktail Classic and Tales of the Cocktail in 2012. Also, I would love to see a cocktail week in Los Angeles. Maybe Santa will bring that for everyone next year. For more food and restaurant trends, check out this article on The Minty.

 

Happy Holidays from the Minty and LA Cocktails!