Tag Archives: vodka

Dec21

Hophead Vodka and Nikka Whisky from Anchor Distilling

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anchor

Hophead Hop Vodka & Nikka Whisky

Anchor Distilling Company recently launched their own vodka, Hophead Hop Vodka. They also started importing Nikka Whisky from Japan.

I had a chance to taste both recently and I think they’re great additions to the Anchor portfolio. The Hophead smells amazing. If you like beer, you must smell and try it. Although technically it’s a vodka, it’s distilled from two types of dried hops which is a bit more like an eau de vie rather than a flavored vodka.

Nikka was founded by Masataka Taketsuru. The legend goes he stood next to a still in Scotland to figure out how tall stills should be. When he got back to Japan, he helped open a whisky distillery that later became part of Suntory. He eventually founded his own distillery in the 30s.

I am also a big fan of Japanese whiskies like Suntory’s Yamazaki and Hibiki. I would say the Nikka Takesuru 12 Year is closer to the Yamazaki than the lighter style Hibiki 12.

Tonight, Seven Grand is doing a special tasting of the Nikka. The tasting is limited to reservations. Join the Whiskey Society at Seven Grand for $120 a year which gets you into unlimited whiskey tastings (at least once a month but this month there were 3).

Anchor Distilling Company

 

Seven Grand

515 W 7th St., 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90014 – (213) 614-0737

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012

 

Nov30

New Tequila, Gin, Vodka and Rum from The 86 Company

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Simon Ford for The 86 Co

Simon Ford for The 86 Co

Simon Ford (most recently known as Plymouth Gin brand ambassador) and Dushan Zaric (co-owner of Employees Only and Macao Trading Company bars in NYC) co-founded The 86 Company offering Tequila Cabeza, Ford’s Gin, Aylesbury Duck Vodka and Cana Brava Rum.  They were in Los Angeles recently promoting the brand and did a stint at the R&D Bar at Harvard & Stone.

I’ve seen Simon a few times in my booze travels  and it’s hard not to be happy around him. He has an infectious grin and I enjoy his wring on Liquor.com and Food Republic. Also, this video I took of him and others at Tales of the Cocktail was probably one of the highlights at the Absolut party (see pics).

Dushan and Jaymee at Tales of the Cocktail -- Absolut Party

Dushan and Jaymee at Tales of the Cocktail — Absolut Party

I’ve been to both Employees Only and Macao Trading Company but I know Dushan best from Tales as well. He also was at the Absolut party bartending along with one of nominated The Minty Hot Bartenders, Jaymee Mandeville from Drago Centro.

With Simon and Dushan highly respected in the Industry, their spirits offerings were highly anticipated.

The 86 Co tasting

The 86 Co tasting

I got to Harvard & Stone a bit too late to try the offerings from The 86 Co but I’ve tasted the Cana Brava Rum a few times and tasted the others in cocktails.

The Cana Brava Rum Daiquiri

Daiquiri Classico

That evening, I tried the Cana Brava in the Daiquiri Classico. The Cana Brava works best in cocktails. On its own, I felt it’s a bit sharp but the general consensus is it’s a great mixing rum.

Mum's Apple

Mum’s Apple Pie

That was evidenced in the Mum’s Apple Pie. Here, the Cana Brava is mixed with apple cider, lemon, Demerara syrup and ground cinnamon. It was the perfect Fall cocktail. I could have had another and considered the other drinks on the menu; the Tom Ford Collins made with the Ford’s gin and West Side Cocktail made with the Ayelesbury Duck vodka. That was basically an Eastside but with vodka.

But alas, I had to call it an early night so I’ll have to try to catch the Ford’s gin and Tequila Cabeza at some other point. I’ve seen the Cana Brava at a number of LA bars now including most recently at the Varnish.

The 86 Company

Harvard & Stone

5221 Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90027-4908 - (323) 466-6063

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2012

Sep14

Cocktails with Purity Vodka

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getting ready to make cocktails with Purity Vodka

 

Several weeks ago I received a bottle of Purity Vodka.   I decided to play with the vodka with some goodies I got at Tales of the Cocktail.

I gathered up some fresh mint, grapes, Angostura Bitters, tart apple shrub from Shrub & Co, cherries from Filthy Food, organic minced ginger from The Ginger People and ginger beer. Although I didn’t have a particular cocktail in mind, I make cocktails a bit like how I cook. I experimented with flavors until I found something I like.

getting ready to muddle

 

First added a barspoon of the organic minced ginger from The Ginger People along with 10 or so fresh mint leaves into a shaker. I also put in about 6 halved and seeded red grapes. I muddled everything before adding 2 oz of the Purity vodka and .75 oz of the tart apple shrub from Shrub & Co. After shaking until my tin was frosted, I poured everything into a glass and added my favorite AZ Bitters Lab Orange Sunshine bitters. The garnish was perhaps a bit excessive with 2 full sprigs of mint but I am the Minty after all.

The Grape Escape

 

I call this cocktail the Grape Escape. I was very pleased with the lightness of the drink. The grapes were ripe enough so I didn’t need any simple syrup. I also liked the bit of spicy ginger kick and the shrub was the perfect amount of acidity.

Moscow Mule time

 

For my  next drink, I decided to go with the classic Moscow Mule but with a twist.

Moscow Mule variation – with Angostura and Filthy cherries

 

After adding 2 oz of Purity vodka to the glass with ice, I topped it with ginger beer. Then I added two barspoons of the liquid from the Filthy Food cherries and enough Angostura to make me happy (about 6 dashes). Give it a quick stir and add the cherries for a garnish. I used a clear glass to show the drink but I would drink these out of my metal cups next time. My only change is to actually add lime juice and maybe a teensy bit of simple syrup. The ginger beer I use is on the drier side so it’s not very sweet.

Purity Vodka

Shrub & Co

Filthy Food

The Ginger People

Angostura Bitters

© The Minty // LA Cocktails  2012

 

Aug15

Spirits of the Times: Artisinal Spirits Tasting

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Chagossian Fight Song with Pink Pigeon & Soberano

I recently attended another LA Times and Liquor.com Spirits of the Times tasting event. This time it was for artisinal spirits at Sadie in Hollywood. I’ve always loved the back patio at Sadie and there were four tables set up to taste. Before I even got two steps in, everyone said I had to go check out Pink Pigeon Rum.

I’ve known about Pink Pigeon for a little bit as Kate Grutman from Formosa is also the Pink Pigeon ambassador. I tried the Chagossian Fight Song with Pink Pigeon rum, Soberano 8-year-old Spanish brandy, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, orange bitters, Jerry Thomas’ Decanter bitters, Luxardo maraschino cherry. If you like Manhattan twists like I do, I highly recommend this drink.

Lepanto Brandy

You were also able to taste the Soberano and Lepanto Brandy expressions neat at the Pink Pigeon table. Like the previous tasting I went to, not only were you able to try small bites from the restaurant, you were able to vote for your favorite cocktail. It was very close but I did eventually pick one which I’ll reveal at the end.

El Mayor

Moving on to the tequila table. We tried the three El Mayor expressions; blanco, reposado and anejo. The rep really wanted us to try the reposado though I tend to go anejo first (and usually only) and she was right. I did like the repo more. The anejo didn’t have the depth I usually like. However, in general I wasn’t too into this tequila. And the drink wasn’t great. The Paloma called the for the El Mayor blanco, club soda, lemon-lime soda, lime and a pinch of salt. In general, every Paloma I ever had was made with grapefruit soda. Even Squirt would do. This was just too watery for an already watery tequila. I really wanted to advise people to drink it straight.

Makers 46

Thatcher’s Organic Artisan Liqueur

Well, if “artisan” is part of your spirit’s name, of course Thatcher’s apple spice ginger was invited to the tasting. First I tasted it neat and realized quickly I rather have it cold or at least with water. I was ready for a cocktail. They were making the Harvest Hatten (Maker’s 46, Thatcher’s Apple Spice Ginger, Martini & Rosso Rosso, Cherry bitters, Angostura bitters). It was served as a punch but I would have of course liked it up. I do realize it was a crowded tasting so I understand why they did serve it that way. Still, it was already quite watered down within the first hour. Like the failed Paloma, this was not a contender for best cocktail of the night. With that said, I bet it’d be pretty fine if I had it freshly made.

Karlssons Vodka

The last drink I tried was the La La Land from Karlsson’s Vodka. Jaymee Mandeville from Drago Centro developed the recipe for them. And although it was pre-batched, the cocktail was freshly chilled before serving (take note, Thatcher’s). I really liked this summery drink made with Karlsson’s vodka, Aperol, raspberry & white pepper syrup, lemon, cucumber, mint and Bitter Truth celery bitters. I have always thought of Karlsson’s as more of a savory vodka which is why it tends to go well with peppery notes. Enjoying it neat and chill with a fresh grind of black pepper is also ideal.

And it seems most of the crowd agreed. La La Land from Karlsson’s won the best cocktail that evening though I actually vote for the Pink Pigeon’s Chagossian Fight Song. Both were great and I look forward to the next tasting.

LA Times Events

Liquor.com

Sadie Kitchen & Lounge

1638 N Las Palmas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028 — (323) 467-0200

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012

 

Aug14

Judging the EFFEN Art of Design Contest

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bartenders racing for ingredients

Last week, I attended EFFEN Vodka‘s Art of Design. I would have the opportunity to taste drinks and vote for my favorite. However, once I got there, I was named a judge. I’ve judged other cocktail contests before and I always find it fun. The event was held at the Marvimon House on the edge of Chinatown. Having grown up in Chinatown and just around the corner from Marvimon, I was rather surprised how beautiful the space was. They are managed by the same company that also has Smog Shoppe in Culver City. My cousin had gotten married there earlier this year and I could see the similarities between the two. I particularly loved the giant horseshoe over one of the bars.

The evening also featured art, jewelery and fashion via the many lifestyle writers in attendance. It did not feel like the typical Hollywood experience but rather more other-worldly. Guests were invited to try their hand at making a Effen Cucumber drink by selecting fresh ingredients. I opted for an Effen Cucumber, grapefruit, watermelon and thyme drink. It was delicious. They were also passing around cocktails made from recipes developed by the contestants earlier.  Amanda Gunderson from the Bazaar at the SLS Hotel won the Facebook Fan Favorite award for her drink, Sunday Funday.

The MC and fellow judge bar owner Dave Whitton explained to me the rules. There would be five teams of two bartenders. Each team was headed up by a well-known bartender and the budding mixologists worked with them to come up with a winning recipe. The bartenders raced for ingredients and then had 20 minutes to come up with the recipe. They had to batch the drink immediately for the large crowd. Watch the bartenders race here.

table of ingredients

I found it interesting the bartenders nabbed bowls of fruit and other fresh ingredients and generally ignored the other spirits. This was a good sign. They wanted to play up the vodka and not lean on other strong liqueurs or spirits.

Team Red: Stephan & Tyler

Over in the corner, Team Red had set up shop. Stephan from the 213 Group was paired with Tyler Dow. They came up with the Effen Smash.

Team Red: Effen Smash

I felt the Effen Smash (Effen, blackberries, basil, lemon) was a bit more like a cobbler. With the smashed blackberries piled on top of the drink, it was a bit difficult to get to the drink. It definitely needed a straw. I initially had tasted the drink in a smaller plastic cup and it was much better in a real glass.

Team Blue: Sonny & Jason

Lugino Bonsera (aka Sonny) from Villains Tavern and Roger Room‘s Jason Bran were busily figuring out the recipe and probably doing some math to properly batch the cocktail. Check out Jason’s bar kit.

Team Blue: Old Thymey Blue

Sonny told me about their drink, the Old Thymey Blue which was made with Effen, falernum, blueberries, peach bitters, thyme. This drink would win the people’s choice.

Team Yellow: Justin & Amanda

Team Yellow was comprised of Justin Stidham from Wood & Vine and the aforementioned Amanda Gunderson.

Team Yellow: Smooth Operator

Their Smooth Operator with Effen Black Cherry, ginger, rosemary, lime, simple syrup  was the judges’ favorite and won the contest. It was a bold move on their part to use the Effen Black Cherry.  It was very refreshing and I know at least one other judge quite in love with the simple but nice looking garnish. Piercing the rosemary through the lime is very classy.

Team Purple: Curtis & Joel

I do have to say though I was very much impressed with Team Purple’s cocktail. Leading the team was Joel Black and Curtis Harrier from the new Shore Bar. Curtis is the lead bartender there and also works with Joel.

Team Purple: Mango Tango

They came up with the Mango Tango with Effen, cilantro, yellow bell peppers, mango, lemon sour. I’m pretty much a sucker for drinks with bell pepper. The drink was very complex and multi-layered starting with a bite of cilantro and swimming towards mango and ended with a beautiful bell pepper.

Team Orange: Damian & Steven

Roger Room‘s Damian Windsor was paired with Steven Flores, a freelance bartender.

Team Orange: 99 Degrees in the Shade

Their drink, 99 Degrees in the Shade with Effen, strawberry, jalepeno, mint, cucumber, simple syrup was an absolute classic. Slightly spicy with the summery mint and strawberry. Dave Whitton wanted to rename it 99 Shags and when I asked Steven about it, he said I could call it anything I wanted. Ha, let’s keep it 99 Degrees in the Shade which seemed like a prediction of the hot weather LA has been having.

Congratulations to Justin and Amanda!

EFFEN Vodka

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012

Jun29

Akvinta Vodka & Formosa Cafe’s Duck Confit Infused Bloody Mary

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Akvinta Vodka

A few weeks back I was sent a bottle of Akvinta Vodka. I had never tried it before and decided I needed to first taste it straight- as is, from the bottle and not chilled. I was surprised by how savory it was. But I did not take that into consideration when I started mixing cocktails. First I mixed the Akvinta with Lillet Rouge and added a few drops Arizona Bitters Lab‘s Orange Sunshine bitters.

I decided it wasn’t quite right or sweet enough. Back into the tin it went and it was drinkable. My next few attempts weren’t getting any better. I kept trying to use this vodka thinking the end result would be more of a typical sweet vodka cocktail but really, this vodka would be better suited as chilled shots with Russian food. Or perhaps as a “martini” or a Kangaroo (Akvinta, vermouth, stirred and served up– I’d go for a cocktail onion over a lemon twist).

Formosa Cafe’s  Duck Down (Bloody Mary)

Then I heard Kate Grutman over at Formosa Cafe was doing an infusion with the Akvinta. Specifically she came up with a duck confit infusion for Formosa’s fabulous Bloody Mary. Her new drink called Duck Down has the Akvinta washed with duck confit, Vince’s original Bloody Mary mix,  lime, Sriracha and garnished with fried spam, gobo root and an olive.

It was in a word, delicious. I don’t think I gulped down a Bloody faster. I also really enjoyed the fried spam and pickled gobo root. This was umami city.

Akvinta is kosher, organic and does not have any added sugar. It’s triple distilled and made from organic Italian wheat and Croatian spring water. It’s filtered through five natural materials; charcoal, marble, silver, gold, and platinum. Akvinta claims these materials does the following:

  • Birch Charcoal — purifies the water to reduce impurities and contributes
    to the taste
  • Marble — reproduces the natural filtration process found when rain
    water     is purified in a natural spring
  • Silver — softens and smoothes the taste
  • Gold — adds warmth to the taste
  • Platinum — unifies all components and adds half-tones to the after taste

I think I’ll make a Bloody Mary next with my Akvinta. I have plans for the wonderful heirloom tomatoes now in season.

Formosa Cafe

7156 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046 — (323) 850-9050

© The Minty // LA Cocktails 2012

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: Absolut Sensory Experience

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Absolut Sensory Experience

One of the seminars I missed at Portland Cocktail Week was the Absolut Sensory Experience. I was excited to see that I would get another chance to check them out at the recent Arizona Cocktail Week.

The vodka tasting was led by King Cocktail Dale DeGroff and Don Lee. First Don talked a bit about our senses and had us do a few different things including clipping our nose while tasting cinnamon.  That demonstrated how important your sense of smell was related to taste. We could taste it was sweet but until we unclipped our nose, we weren’t sure what the powder was until we smelled it was cinnamon. We also smelled various liquids that represented solvents, fruity, bready and grainy so we had these scents in mind as we started the tasting.

Don Lee and Dale DeGroff

Dale led the tasting. He said vodka has been getting a bad rap these days from craft cocktail bartenders and enthusiasts. By definition, vodka is supposed to be colorless and flavorless. Yet the five vodkas we tasted all had flavor. And we’re not talking about flavored vodkas.

Most of the vodkas including Grey Goose and Belvedere leaned more citrusy for me. The Absolut and Karlsson’s vodkas had earthier notes. Bartenders around me immediately recognized the sweet taste of Ciroc which is made from grapes. By the way, Dale says Grey Goose has gotten better since they pulled off their marketing blitz, turning a low-shelf vodka into a top shelf brand.

Later Dale mentioned the distiller who worked for Absolut for a long time created Karlsson’s. Ah, that explains why they had so many flavor notes.

I found it fascinating to learn how Absolut is made. Talk about using local ingredients. They make everything at their facilities in Sweden and it’s immaculate. Dale talked about how their facility is enormous but only a few people are actually in the building as huge machines do the work.

We touched a bit about advertising. Absolut is one of the first vodkas to put their vodka in what is now an iconic clear bottle. Some brands prefer the frosted ones.

If we had more time, I wanted to ask their opinion on flavored vodkas– besides the ones that are flavored with bison grass or pepper. For a while, I wondered who would end up with the most flavors, Stoli or Absolut? But with this push towards using fresh ingredients, I hope companies just make the best vodka they can make.

Arizona Cocktail Week

Absolut Vodka