LA Cocktails

Index of MCC articles by The Minty

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

Jun22

MCC: Is There a Book Idea On Your Cocktail Menu?

Posted on June 22, 2012 by the minty

a drink from Brad Thomas Parson’s Bitters Book

One of the seminars I attended at the Industry Invitational at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic was about cocktail books. Titled “Is There a Book Idea On Your Cocktail Menu,” the seminar was sponsored by Chatham Imports and moderated by Kara Newman. Brad Thomas Parsons, author of Bitters; Jim Meehan, author of the PDT Cocktail; Lori Narlock, a PR professional and book author; and Maks Pazuniak and Kirk Estopinal, bartenders and authors of the self-published Beta Cocktails book all gave their experiences on writing cocktail books.

So you want to write a cocktails book?

(L-R) Brad Thomas Parsons, Jim Meehan, Kara Newman, Lori Narlock, Kirk Estopinal, Maks Pazuniak

Moderator Kara Newman asked Brad Thomas Parsons to begin. He described being a writer who wrote an article about bitters and then he thought it would also make a good book. He would then spend time writing the book proposal and looking for an agent who looked for a publisher. It took about a year and half of research and writing then almost another year before it was published.

On the other hand, bartenders Kirk Estopinal and Maks Pazuniak bypassed that process by writing the book and uploading it to a self-publishing website. I had a quick glance through the book and loved the photographs and recipes. But the writer in me cringed at some of the typos. It seemed to me though the book would serve as a good guide to some of the more creative cocktails modern bartenders are coming up with.

It seemed appropriate Jim Meehan was on this panel as his PDT Cocktail Book is nominated for Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book at Tales of the Cocktail. He’s edited two editions of Mr. Boston’s Official Bartender’s Guide and frequently contributes writing to other publications and online sites. He cautioned the crowd and asked them to do their research before writing the book. He knew for his own book which was published through Sterling which is owned by Barnes and Noble, the store needed a book that was a beautiful and appropriate for display.

Jim Meehan also gave a little bit more background on being your own marketing team.You have to be good with social media- Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc. Who else is going to sell your book? Also networking is good.

Some other tips included:

The proposal should be 2 pages.

Name check – read who’s acknowledged in the books you like.

And the agent is not your mom.

Chatham Imports

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

Jun22

MCC: Diageo World Class 2012

Posted on June 22, 2012 by the minty

Peter Dorelli, The Savoy London

At the recent Manhattan Cocktail Classic, I was invited to attend the Diageo World Class Happy Hour which happened nightly for 3 nights of the Industry Invitational. For the first time, the United States was invited to compete in the international bartending competition. Tanqueray Gin Global Ambassador Angus Winchester and Peter Dorelli of the Savoy London were on hand to explain the contest. They asked American bartenders to participate by submitting a video of themselves. From the submissions, 20 were chosen to compete. The US finals took place this past Tuesday in New York. Portland, OR bartender Ricky Gomez will represent the United States in the World Class competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dorelli will judge that competition along with Salvatore Calabrese and Dale De Groff in July.

Tony Abou-Ganim

At the happy hour, the 2010 World Class winner Erik Lorincz bartended along with other notables including Tony Abou-Ganim (Las Vegas), Sean Kenyon (Denver) and Ezra Pattek (Miami).

Ezra Pattek

There were four themed rounds. The following are the winners:

Classics with a Twist: Nathan Burdette, Cleveland (judged by Jim Meehan and David Nepove)
Spice Market: James Menite, Brooklyn (judged by Julie Reiner)
Food Pairing: Sother Teague, Brooklyn (judged by Steve Olson)
Ritual Theatre: Steve Schneider, NYC (judged by Tony Abou-Ganim)Overall Winner: Ricky Gomez, Portland

Bulleit Old Fashioned by Peter Dorelli

I’m pretty excited for Ricky. I met him at last year’s Portland Cocktail Week and he put on a great show at the Bon Vivants’ Triple Buck competition. Here’s the video. I think he has the showmanship to represent America.

Diageo World Class US Facebook

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

Jun22

MCC: Alcohol Health & Mercy

Posted on June 22, 2012 by the minty

Alcohol Health Seminar – (L-R) Dr. Steven Lamm, Alex Ott, Dr. Richard Firshein

As part of the Industry Invitational at this year’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic, I attended a seminar on Alcohol Health presented by Mercy. The talk was given by Doctors Steven Lamm, Richard Firshein and co-founder and bartender Alex Ott. First Dr. Lamm talked with us regarding what was known to be safe- one drink for women and two drinks for men a day. Given that some over indulge occasionally, the human body may not be able to process the alcohol (ethanol) quickly enough. The resulting hangover I learned is not really caused the booze itself but acetaldehyde, the chemical the body is producing to break down the alcohol. It is considered 30 times more toxic than alcohol itself. The headache, nausea and fatigue is caused by the acetaldehyde.

Mercy claims its blend of amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes and herbal supplements will help you detox and won’t have a hangover. You would have to drink Mercy during or after your night out to be effective. It is not an energy drink and the doctors didn’t recommend trying to drink it in the morning– that would be too late. The side benefit is apparently Mercy would also rid you of the alcohol flush also known as the Asian glow for some of those affected by it. This is because Mercy helps break down acetaldehyde which some people can’t It was emphasized Mercy however does not rid you of intoxication.

Essentially Mercy claims its drink will help your body produce more glutathione which neutralizes and removes free radicals and toxins. When you drink, you also lose the amino acid glutamine which when your body tries to produce more of it, it wakes you up. Mercy says if you drink their product, it helps retain the glutamine and so you’ll sleep more soundly.

On their website, Mercy says their product works best chilled and recommends 1 full call for every 3-5 drinks. They don’t recommend more than 3 cans of Mercy per day (they said you should probably not have more than 9 drinks a day).

One of the main ingredients of Mercy is milk thistle which is known to help with liver function. B vitamins are also helpful to the liver and Mercy includes Thiamin (B1), Niacin (B3), B6, B12 as well as vitamin C and folic acid (B9). For the complete list of ingredients, scroll down the page here. And then check out their FAQ why each ingredient helps combat hangovers.

I tried my drink mixed with Mercy at the seminar and found it slightly watery and vaguely sweet. It tasted a bit like spa water- that is, water with cucumber. It was innocuous enough. I didn’t like the smell however. And I know they recommend for it to be drunk cold but I tasted a warm can on its own. It was not pleasant. The website says largely drinks have not been made with B1 because it doesn’t taste good. Mercy features it heavily though supposedly a version that is more pleasant. Still, I wonder what was the faintly chemical-y smell?

For a good read on the history of fighting hangovers, check out the Modern Drunkard who apparently goes for the hair of the dog method of saline solution, oxygen and Bloody Bulls (Bloody Marys with beef bouillon). I am often asked what do I do. Well, I firmly believe in being well-hydrated and fed and I do actually drink (or try) to have water between drinks. I also know my limits.

Overall I found the seminar a bit of a mixed bag, so to speak. It was good to learn the hows and whys of a hangover but I was a bit thrown off when Alex Ott spoke about bartenders probably unknowingly mixing potentially toxic drinks. He seemed to sneer a bit at the whole garden to glass movement. Yet then he said it was probably safer and more delicious to make your own drinks from ingredients from your fridge and/or spice rack. Granted, that was a bit in reference to pre-made syrups and flavored alcohols. Still, if trained mixologists shouldn’t be mixing cocktails without knowing how the ingredients interact with each other, how would you do any better as a home bartender?

Also, one of the doctors said women tend to get drunk faster which I knew but then he said people who weigh more also do. This seems to be patently against logic considering how skinny people seem to get drunk faster. Still, everyone’s bodies are slightly different. Plus, it is known you can build your tolerance.

Overall, it was a very interesting talk. It got people thinking about the effects of alcohol and how to prevent hangovers.

Mercy

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

Jun20

Global Rematch Beyatch at Macao Trading Company

Posted on June 20, 2012 by the minty

Macao Trading Company

Steve Schneider – US Winner

When I was in New York for Manhattan Cocktail Week, one of the most anticipated non-sponsored events was Global Rematch Beyatch. The energy was high when I got to Macao Trading Company. The main bar was set up for two competitors at a time. And a makeshift bar in the bar served a simple menu of essentially booze + mixer or beer. I got a Jameson on the rocks and settled back to watch the speed competition. It was time to put the jiggers away.

On May 14, several countries held their own Rematch competitions. London bartender Johan Ekelund competed in both London and NYC. He hopped on a plane after his competition in the UK and flew to compete in New York. After comparing times and tallying any penalties, the overall winner of the Global Rematch is Bobby Hiddleson of London. The US winner is Steve Schneider from Employees Only and Macao Trading Company. He had an amazing time of 10 drinks in 81 seconds. Here’s the video.

competing at Global Rematch

After interviewing some bartenders, I found out it was basically a good-will competition. It wasn’t sponsored by any brands and all the bartenders competing laid down $100 of their own. Then it was winner takes all. Bartenders had to make 10 drinks and the fastest took the pot. The drinks were all tropical in theme. And you had an easy one- pop the top of a beer as drink #10. From my understanding, this friendly competition has happened at least once before in New Orleans. Hence, this was the Rematch. I investigated to discover what the first match was called but no official answer so I’m just going to call it Match.

It was pretty crowded at the main bar. I watched one round there but later watch the next heats on the screen.

Sasha Petraske

One of my favorites to watch that night was Sasha Petraske. I’ve not met him but he is legendary in the bar community having started Milk and Honey in 2000. One of the early modern bartenders interested in craft cocktails, his name is synonymous with the modern day speakeasy. The MC joked how Sasha probably hated the loud, raucous and jeering crowd. He ignored them as he set up his well. I watched him carefully wipe down every bottle before he even began. He probably spun out his drinks around 3 or 4 minutes which is incredibly fast but not fast enough to beat Steve’s score of 81 seconds. Later I saw Sasha straw test a few drinks after the judges tasted and he made such faces! Oh yes, taste does count.

Now will there be a rematch for the Rematch?

311 Church St., New York, NY 10013 — (212) 431-8750

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

Jun20

MCC: Introducing Sorel

Posted on June 20, 2012 by the minty

Columbia & Congress

One of the exciting new products I tried at Manhattan Cocktail Classic was Sorel, a hibiscus liqueur produced by Jack from Brooklyn. I first tried it at the Gala and then at Brooklyn Day, one of the themed days of the Industry Invitational. Over 15 vendors from Brooklyn came together at the Andaz 5th Avenue including Sorel.

I was immediately reminded of Ribena, a black current syrup used to make drinks. Take care though not to confuse the two. Sorel is mixed with not only Nigerian ginger, Indonesian cassia and Brazilian clove, it contains 100% New York grain alcohol. It’s 15% alcohol.

Guests got to try four cocktails. I tasted two including the Columbia & Congress and Flor de Fuego.

Flor de Fuego

The cocktails were created by bartenders from Brooklyn bars Huckleberry and Jakewalk. Sorel is a versatile liqueur. It could be treated as a modifier or enjoyed straight, hot or cold.

I particularly liked the Flor de Fuego and liked the punch of tartness from the Columbia & Congress.

Flor de Fuego – created by Michael Dulle of Jakewalk

1 oz Sorel
1/2 oz El Buho Mezcal
3/4 oz Laird’s Applejack Bonded, 100 Proof
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc
1 dash Angostura bitters

Stir, strain into ice-filled rocks glass, lemon twist to garnish.

Columbia & Congress - created by Michael Dulle of Jakewalk

1-1/2 oz Flor de Cana
1 oz. Sorel
1/4 oz lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup

Shake, strain into coupe, garnish with a lime wheel.

God Save the Queen – created by Juan Castillo of Huckleberry

1-1/2 oz. Brooklyn Gin
3/4 oz. Sorel
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. Cocchi Americano

Shake, strain into a coupe, garnish with lemon twist.

Punchy’s Tipple - created by Michael Dulle of Jakewalk

1-1/2 oz King’s County distillery Bourbon
1/2 oz. Sorel
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. St. Germain Elderflower

Stir, strain into rocks glass, orange twist expressed (served neat with twist discarded).

Check out more recipes here.

Later I got to try Brooklyn Gin on its own. I quite liked it and am very excited it’s coming to LA soon. I hope Sorel follows soon! I think LA bartenders would have fun using it in drinks, particularly those featuring the bounty from our local farmers’ markets. On the other hand, I could see it in classic cocktails as well. A Sorel Manhattan would be an interesting twist.

Sorel

Jack from Brooklyn

© The Minty // LACocktails.com 2012

Jun20

MCC: Dev Johnson Wins The Don Q Mix It Up Competition

Posted on June 20, 2012 by the minty

Don Q Ultimate Mix Off LA Regional

Dustin Drankiewicz competing at the Don Q Competition with USBG President David Nepove looking on

One of the cocktail competitions I was excited to see at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic was the Don Q Mix It Up competition. I had attended the LA Regional contest as a judge.

What lurked under his bartender’s coat…sequins!

With competitors from USBG chapters from around the country, the competition lasted several hours as both technical and taste judges evaluated the Don Q cocktails. Five winners were announced including Dev Johnson in first place with his cocktail, The Jones Act. The hometown hero works at Employees Only in New York. Taking second place was Julio Cabrera, one of Miami’s finest bartenders. J.R. Starkus from Las Vegas came in third place. And Sheridan Fay (Houston) and Nicole Tyler (Reno) came in fourth and fifth respectively.

Edwin Cruz, Los Angeles Regional Winner

The five winners will receive a trip to Ponce, Puerto Rico to visit the Serralles Distillery where Don Q is made. They will also be featured in Don Q’s holiday videos.

Dev Johnson’s winning recipe:

The Jones Act

1½ oz. Don Q Añejo rum
1½ oz. Llopart Brut Cava Rose
½ oz. Cherry Heering liqueur
½ oz. Marie Brizzard Crème de Cacao (Brown)
½ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
One Lime wheel and
Bunch Fresh mint

Pour the rose into a chilled cocktail glass. In a shaker tin, add rum, lime juice, liqueur, brown crème de cacao and ice, then shake. Strain into the cava filled cocktail glass. Garnish with the stem of the mint top pushed through the center of the lime wheel.

Don Q

Jun19

MCC: Count Negroni’s Birthday Bash

Posted on June 19, 2012 by the minty

As part of this year’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic, I attended Campari‘s Count Negroni’s Birthday Bash where I enjoyed Negronis in all forms- freshly stirred, barrel-aged, bottled & carbonated and on-tap. I had a sneak peak of the bottled Negronis at the Gala a few nights before.

Carlos Cuerta (Chicago) representing Ohio USBG

Before the party got started at the New York Distillery and adjoining bar, The Shanty in Brooklyn, Campari held the Best Aperitivo finals. Previously Campari held regional contests and Carlos Cuerta representing the Ohio USBG chapter and Juan Alvarez, Jr. from the Los Angeles/ Orange County USBG chapter were among the 29 finalists. Contestants showcased their best cocktail and in the end, judges selected Morgan Schick from San Francisco as the winner. He goes on to compete in Beijing to represent the US in the International Bartender’s Association 2012 World Cocktail Championship Finals.

Negroni Sbagliato by Frank Cisneros

We kicked off the party with Negroni Sbagliato (Campari, Cinzano Sweet Vermouth, Mionetto) from Frank Cisneros (Dram). Everyone was dressed in their best mustaches and top hats for the event in honor of Count Negroni. And if you didn’t have the appropriate facial hair, temporary tattoos were passed out. Everyone had fun at the photo booth with the various props. And the music rocked with DJ Questlove rocking it out.

Franky Marshall of Monkey Bar stirring Negronis

Franky Marshall (Monkey Bar) and Kenta Goto (Pegu Club) were set up to stir Negronis made with the New York Distillery’s Dorothy Parker gin, Cinzano Sweet Vermouth and of course, Campari.

Theo Lieberman with Carbonated Negronis

There was something so “New York” about Theo Lieberman of Milk and Honey. I could imagine him as a street vendor selling carbonated negronis. Maybe one day ice cold bottled negronis could be had from food trucks in New York (and LA!).

Maxwell Britten Stirring Boulevardiers

The crowd was also enthusiastic about welcoming Negroni’s cousin, Boulevardier (Campari, Wild Turkey 81, Cinzano Sweet Vermouth). Stirred by Maxwell Britten (Maison Premiere), he also cut quite the dashing figure.

I had a great time meeting bartenders and enthusiasts from around the country while noshing on eats from local food truck. My favorite were the dumplings from Rickshaw Dumplings. I wish I wasn’t so full. I would have liked to have tried the food from Morris Grilled Cheese and Korilla. And it wouldn’t be a party without cake! Jane’s Sweet Buns served lemon gin cake with Campari strawberry frosting.

It was also a treat to see Francesco Lafranconi receive the lifetime achievement award from the USBG. I half fell in love with him when I watched him MC the Mix it Up competition at Nightclub & Bar in March. He has such a head for stats and dates. I’m convinced he knows all the 100+ secret ingredients of Chartreuse or at least can find out. Well deserved, Francesco!

And happy birthday, Count Negroni!

Campari

More photos from the party here and here.

New York Distillery

The Shanty

Jun18

MCC: Small Screen Network Happy Hour with Charlotte Voisey

Posted on June 18, 2012 by the minty

Charlotte Voisey

At Manhattan Cocktail Classic last month, Small Screen Network hosted three nights of happy hour, each day represented the past, present and future of cocktails. I attended the “past” and “future” happy hours with Charlotte Voisey. Charlotte has a show on Small Screen Network called the Proper Pour.

My favorite was Charlotte’s “futuristic” take on a Boulevardier made with Hudson rye, Aperol and Lillet Rose. Although still boozey, it’s a much lighter version made with the traditional Campari.

If you want to help Small Screen Network, they’re asking everyone to log onto Mission: Small Business and vote for them (log in via Facebook) so they can win a $250,000 grant. Log in via Facebook and do a search for “Small Screen” (business), Washington (State) and Bainbridge Island (city).

Small Screen Network

Jun14

MCC: High West Distillery & Oxley Gin Tasting Rooms

Posted on June 14, 2012 by the minty

High West whiskeys

Part of the fun of Manhattan Cocktail Classic‘s Industry Invitational are the tasting rooms. I hit up High West and Oxley Gin for a taste.

I am familiar with High West, the distillery in Utah. I enjoy their Son of Bourye and Double Rye. I tried their new Rendezvous Rye and Campfire. While the Bourye and Double Rye are very smooth, I felt the Rendezvous was a bit rougher. I was told it’s a blend of whiskeys that haven’t been aged as long. And if you are a fan of peaty Scotch, then Campfire is for you. It is a blend of Scotch, bourbon and rye.

High West vodkas

I didn’t realize they made vodka as well. I recently met someone from Utah who enjoyed their Peach vodka.

High West silver whiskeys

High West also has silver whiskeys; Western Oat and OMG Pure Rye. The OMG stands for Old Monogahela rye. The Monogahela is a river in Western Pennsylvania where there were many distilleries in the 1800s. High West uses an old recipe for its 80% rye and 20% malted rye OMG.

Although the words “liquid fire” come to mind, I didn’t mind it but I’d like to try an aged version.

Jonathan Pogash for Oxley Gin

Next door mixologist Jonathan Pogash was speaking about Oxley Gin. He recently edited the 75th edition of Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide. He mentioned updating some drinks to reflect the modern palate.

pea soup at Oxley Gin

I have mentioned this before but I really did love how everyone had some sort of food and the trend of pairing food with cocktails. As I enjoyed my Southside cocktail, I also had a very nice pea soup with mushrooms. At High West, I had an Australian Meat Pie from a local NY shop.

High West

Oxley Gin