Tag Archives: history

Nov5

The Bartender’s Handshake: Fernet Branca

Posted on by
Standard

Branca minis – Menta & Fernet

 

While I was at Boston Cocktail Summit, I attended Francesco Lafranconi’s “Do You Speak Amari.” Amari is the plura of amaro, Italian liqueurs that are generally bitter and used as digestives. In the last few years, bartenders have been using amari in cocktails and I’m not talking about Fernet Branca and coca-cola.

We tasted about 15 amari ending with Fernet-Branca. Francesco casually mentioned Fratelli Branca, the company that produces the bitter minty liqueur, was not the first to make fernet which is a type of amari but they were the ones that popularized it. So much so that most people when they say fernet mean Fernet-Branca.

Fernet-Branca, even animals love it

 

Fernet Last Word – “Fernetaboutit”

 

Like any good enthusiast, I developed a taste for Fernet-Branca and I particularly like it in cocktails. Memorable ones I’ve had include a Fernet Julep I had Art Beyond the Glass earlier this year. But I tend to go back to Hanky Pankys or I might as for a Fernet Last Word. This cocktail or “Fernetaboutit” is 15 Romolo’s variation on a Last Word. Traditionally made with gin, you replace it with Fernet-Branca. I’ve had it with other fernets and it’s not the same. Also, note although I do like other maraschinos, this cocktail is best with Luxardo Maraschino. Interesting enough, Francesco  had mentioned it was the Luxardo company that first developed fernet but I need to research this more as I can’t find further information on this. I may have to go to Italy.

  • .75 oz Fernet-Branca
  • .75 oz Luxardo Maraschino
  • .75 Green Chartreuse
  • .75 lime juice

Fill a cocktail shaker with all ingredients, shake approximately half a minute like a madman than strain and serve up.

Fernet-Branca bikes

ooh, Minty Fernet-Branca bikes!

 

Lately I have discovered that the West Coast makes a mean Hanky Panky. We like our Fernet-Branca and it shows up beautifully in this cocktail. While in Boston, I had a Hanky Panky that I couldn’t figure out what it was at first. The recipe traditionally calls for a barspoon of Fernet-Branca and this bar was apparently a stickler to the recipe. It jogged my memory of the time Eric Alperin, owner of the Best American Cocktail Bar, the Varnish once asked me- how did I make make my Hanky Panky. I had confusedly answered wasn’t it gin and fernet? And he clarified if I did a barspoon or was it equal parts? And considering how perfect his was, I decided my version would be just like his- a lot of fernet!

Hanky Panky

 

  • 1.5 oz gin
  • 1.5 oz sweet vermouth
  • .75 Fernet Branca

Stir rapidly until shaker (or mixing glass) is icy cold and you can’t stand to touch it anymore. Strain and serve with an orange peel (though I used lemon in the picture as I didn’t have a handy orange around).

I’m going to tell you right now that the recipe usually calls for 2 dashes of fernet (or about .25 oz/ a barspoon). Every time I’ve had it this way, I want more. So, I upped it to .75 oz but I bet it’d be okay with 1 oz. Think of it as a Fernet Negroni (equal parts).

What is this? Americano Fernet Menta?

 

One day, I was shopping and spotted Americano Fernet Menta. First I decried the imposter but really, as we know by now, this must be a type of Fernet. I actually wouldn’t call it a variation of Branca Menta since wouldn’t they just drop the fernet from the label? Or were they talking about how minty fernet is? And it is.

Branca Menta

 

I was sent Branca Menta and Fernet-Branca since I sadly couldn’t attend the Fernet-Branca breakfast at Tales of the Cocktail.  I remember the first time I had seen Branca Menta was at the Vesper at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. Bartender George was going to make me his Hanky Panky variation and accidentally grabbed Menta instead of Fernet-Branca. He didn’t actually use Menta but I kept an eye out for future cocktails made with Menta. I’ll be doing some cocktail R&D soon.

Fernet-Branca flashlight

 

My favorite swag from Boston Cocktail Summit. A Fernet-Branca logo flashlight! I’m using it like a bat signal at bars.

In the meantime, I really hope I get a California Fernet-Branca challenge coin soon. Do they even have them in LA?

Fernet-Branca

Fratelli Branca

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2012

 

Oct16

La Maison Cointreau Comes to LA November 7-8

Posted on by
Standard

La Maison Contreau is coming to Los Angeles November 7 and 8 to the Carondelet House. The events are free and you sign up on their website.

What’s going to be really cool is Cointreau has scanned almost 300 old cocktail books that will exhibited. I’d be excited to find the oldest recipe for a Sidecar!

After exploring the books, you’ll get a hands-on mixology lesson with brand ambassador Kyle Ford.

Afterwards, you’ll be invited for “feasting and dancing.” It sounds like a fun night and I’ll see you there.

The NY Times has a great article about the event.

Carondelet House

627 S Carondelet Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057

 November 7-8

7P-10P

Mar20

Arizona Cocktail Week: Cocktail Culture & Trends

Posted on by
Standard

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

Mar19

Arizona Cocktail Week: Garden to Glass

Posted on by
Standard

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

Mar16

Submit a Sangrita Recipe & Win a Trip to Tales!

Posted on by
Standard

Viva Sangrita! Viva Tequila Ocho!

 

Listen up LA Bartenders! You have until April 7 (12 AM PST) to submit a sangrita recipe to Tequila Ocho. The regional winner will compete against the other finalists from San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago and Miami at Tales of the Cocktail this July. The Viva Sangrita National Champion will be escorted south to the highlands of Jalisco to tour the Tequila Ocho facilities with the Bon Vivants.

“Sangrita is the traditional Jaliscan accompaniment to a fine Tequila. In it’s most traditional form it is tomato juice, orange juice, lime juice, and a spicy element, either hot sauce or fresh or dried chilis. We believe Sangrita is much more than that. Sangrita is a seamless blending of tart, sweet, spicy, and savory. When made with love, imagination, and paired with the right tequila, it becomes a ritual, and is a transcendent drink experience. We believe this pairing is the best way to enjoy Tequila Ocho. We task you with this: Craft your finest, original, thought and palate provoking Sangrita to pair with one of the 3 Tequila Ocho expressions currently available in your market. You are not restricted to the traditional recipes for Sangrita. Rather, we encourage you to think outside the box. Be innovative, while using the parameter of the collective, tart, sweet, spicy, and savory as your only guideline.”

 

Check out their site for more details and submit!

The LA regional competition date and venue TBA. Watch this space or follow the Minty on twitter for updates.

 

 

Related Reading:

Tequila Tasting with the Bon Vivants

Always a party with the Bon Vivants!

I recently loved this green sangrita (verdita)- just to give you some ideas.

Oct10

Behind the Scenes: The Making of Guns and Moses

Posted on by
Standard

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
Sep20

The Making of a Cocktailian

Posted on by
Standard

So Fernet of You

Anyone who reads the Minty for a while gets the sense I enjoy a good cocktail. With a whole section devoted to bars and another website devoted to hot bartenders, one might wonder why do I need another site? I don’t plan to duplicate what I’m doing. I’ll continue to write about bars on the Minty blog and feature bartender profiles on Bar-Stalker. Interviews such as with Marcos Tello or Matthew Biancaniello will go on the Minty. I see this site, LA Cocktails, as where I want to talk about everything else. Where I’d like to talk about the history, the people and perhaps there will be “fiction.” For a long time, I had a dating blog that was my notepad (so to speak) of what would eventually be my book. While the book never quite got finished, I accumulated more stories from the bar stool than anyone should rightly have.

For the time being, let me tell you how I became a cocktailian– or what I like to call an drinks enthusiast or booze nerd. I have always been a bit of a geek and now I’m a cocktails geek.

I had my first drink at 19. This was in college. I never sneaked liquor when I was a kid and I suppose 2 years shy of legal drinking age was enough excitement for me. I started going to frat parties where I drank things like “jungle juice.” This delightful punch was crappy vodka and Tang. I drank whatever the kids were drinking those days- Boone’s Farm and wine coolers. Eventually I would learn about Screwdrivers and the many variations of it. Bay Breeze, anyone? My favorite variation of a Madras. I had my first one in Atlanta. My best friend preferred gin but I didn’t have an affinity for juniper. It would take a while before I discovered other gin styles. Until then, vodka was my lover.

I have always been a completist- meaning someone who is a bit OCD. I tend to want to learn everything about things I’m into. In college I moved from vodka “cocktails” to Amaretto sours. Amusingly, I was recently asked by a craft bartender if I used egg whites back then. No, this was college. It was horrible, terrible sour mix. It was an epiphany when I had a real whiskey sour. And heaven when I tried a pisco sour.

At some point, I started drinking French Martinis. This was my way of ignoring Cosmopolitans because they were too trendy. I had a friend who asked for them on the rocks for the fear someone thought she was being trendy.

Bartenders at this point generally thought I was a pain when I asked for Madras or French Martinis or worst, Mai Tais. They had no idea how to make them. So I started going easy on them. I drank more dirty martinis, vodka tonics (OMG!) and yes, Cape Cods (“cranvodka”). I refused however anything with energy drinks or diet soda. Bleh. I never drank beer and thought people who drank wine were pretentious– the same goddamn people who used words like “lovely.” Oh, how times have changed. I was probably just graduating college at this point.

My cocktails now expanded to Key lime martinis, Girl Scout cookie shots, Kamikazis (but not as shots) and some disastrous blue drinks. I wish I could tell you there were gems there but you probably wouldn’t appreciate hearing about finding a bartender who knew how to make Chocolate cake shots (those are clear and not made with Godiva liqueur, by the way). And let’s not talk about Long Island Iced Teas and their Asian counterpart, Tokyo Teas. Those were my Sunset Strip days.

Still, when did I leave vodka behind before I discovered whiskey? I’ll point you to a bottle of Jameson. Oh, the Irish.

And then it was all downhill from there. The craft cocktail movement hit LA and Seven Grand turned my head fully towards the world of whiskey. I not only loved bourbon but proclaimed it to be my baby. These days I’m drinking more rye but I’ve also branched out to rum and many, many other spirits. I am delighted when I find a new amaro. I’ve even judged a cocktail contest and am very excited to attend Portland Cocktail Week next month. I’m starting to get geeky about beer and wine now. But cocktails will always be my first love.

My favorite sorts of cocktails now are brown, bitter and stirred cocktails. I love Manhattans. And I enjoy very classic cocktails. I also dig the new trends of farm-to-glass and appreciate the care that goes into making a cocktail. Whenever I go out with friends who aren’t booze nerds like me,  I try not to sneer too much about sweet drinks and vodka considering my own dark past. Stating my obvious distaste has gotten me into a bit of trouble. Don’t let me go on and on about spirits. I’ll want to punch myself in the face. Let’s just drink.

Cheers!