So last week during thre snowpocalypse, I took some time and re-read David Wondrichs' Imbibe! I stumbled upon what is my favourite cocktail of the moment. Its the Buck and Breck as noted on page 207. I tried making it true to form and wasn't 100% happy with the presentation. I'm hoping that Jerry Thomas doesn't haunt me for the following adjustments.
The Adjusted Buck and Breck. Now this was originally named after the winning democratic presidential ticket of James Buchanan and John Breckenridge in 1856 and if I wanted to steal the rights to this drink and get it on cocktaildb then I would copyright it 2008 and call it the Bama' & Biden, but I'll give props to the ol' timers and leave well enough be with the adjustments.
The original Buck and Breck: ( from Imbibe! ) fill small bar glass with water and throw if out again, then fill the glass with bar sugar and throw that out leaving the glass apparently frosted inside. Pour in a jigger(1&1/2oz.) of cognac, a dash of absinthe, and two dashes of Agnostura bitters, and fill the glass with cold champagne, then smile.
So in modernizing the recipe, ( who really can fill a glass with sugar and discard it and feel good about themselves? ) I have been enjoying the following...
The Adjusted Buck and Breck Take a chilled glass and coat the inside with absinthe (a la a sazerac) and discard. Add 2 spoons of sugar and cover the top of glass with yer hand and shake the sugar so it coats the glass. In a pint glass combine 1.5 oz Cognac and 2 dashes of Agnostura( or Boker's if you have it) and stir. Strain the cognac mix into the sugared glass and top with cold champagne.
This is one of the few JT recipes I've seen that DIDN'T call for a twist, so I decided to throw one on just to be snazzy. Smile and enjoy.
I'm kinda excited, my next post is #100 fot b.i.t.s. and I'm going to do a round-up of my favourite drinks of 2008.
First off my apologies to all I've offended tonight.
The past week of blinding blizzards and snowstorms has left the neighborhood and most of Seattle with a strain of cabin fever. Me myself? I haven't gone 6 blocks in a week. im feeling a little smug about not having to go to belltown 3x a week. This has been the most snowfall I remember in my 30 years in town. It's been crazy busy and we've run out of a bit of our hot drink staples, so I've been improving a lot. I'll post some hot recipes soon.
a few snippets that will make sense if the right person sees it:
#! Sorry I woke you up, it was a long night. #2 Stick it out, things will seem better tomorrow #3 3$ on a 47$ tab is not ok, no matter how bad our economy is. Stay home and drink.
A previous bar I worked at had a very popular sage greyhound and since then the marriage of grapefruit and sage has been a favourite of mine. For this MxMo I wanted to do something along those lines and devised this:
The Coursing Sling
8 leaves of sage 1/4 oz. simple syrup 2 oz. Gin ( I used Cascade Mountain) Juice of half a grapefruit 3 dashes peach bitters Ginger beer
Gently bruise the sage and simple in the bottom of a pint, then add ice, bitters, grapefruit, and gin. shake and pour into a collins style glass. Add ginger beer to cover. Garnish with a sage sprig.
Modern greyhound racing has its origins in coursing. The first recorded attempt at racing greyhounds on a straight track was made beside the Welsh Harp reservoir, Hendon in 1876, but this experiment did not develop. The sport emerged in its recognizable modern form, featuring circular or oval tracks, with the invention of the mechanical or artificial hare in 1912 by Owen Patrick Smith. O.P. Smith had altruistic aims for the sport to stop the killing of the jack rabbits and see "greyhound racing as we see horse racing". The certificates system led the way to parimutuel betting, as quarry and on-course gambling, in the United States during the 1920s. Coursing is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs —chiefly Greyhounds and other sighthounds— catching the prey by speed, running by sight and not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practiced both by the nobility, the landed and wealthy, as well as commoners with sighthounds and Lurchers. In its oldest recorded form in the Western world, as described by Arrian the sport was practiced by all levels of society, as remained the case until Carolingian hunting law (Forest Law) appropriated hunting grounds, or commons, for the king, the nobility and other land owners.
1 oz Plymouth Gin 1 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin Juice of half a lemon Egg White Ginger Beer
Dry shake all ingredients except ginger beer. Add ice and Shake. Strain into an ice filled collins type glass. Slowly add ginger beer as this has a tendency to foam on top.
I know I'm double posting ( different DP - thanks Ethan ) but its Dec. 5 and want to give a nod to the people celebrating repeal day today. As for me, today would have been my brothers 37th birthday, and in memory, I'm drinking Jack and Coke's all night.
First off, vacation is GREAT. I've been awake by by 9am the past 3 days and that is the first time that has happened in a while. Second, I'm hoping this glass of Zacapa gets my head right. I added that and Plymouth Sloe Gin to the homebar yesterday.
There was a bourbon appreciation dinner held last night at my former work haunt sponsored by the fine folks at Alchemy Consulting and while I'd been on the serving side of many a Spur event, last night I was part of the crowd and having a great time. The boss and I had decided to meet up a bit before the event at the Rob Roy (aka Viceroy) for some prefunctionary cocktails and apparently great minds think alike as I sat down next to Murray and waited for the boss to arrive. It really wasn't the slightest bit awkward when he moved down a seat so the boss could sit down. Tara who manages the RR was accompanying so the 4 of us moseyed on down to the gastropub.
We were greeted at the door with delicious manhattans and the best of the best in the cocktail world of Seattle, well, them and half a dozen others who wanted to get you their price list, a lot of hob-nobbing ensued, and the revelry started. I managed to snap this blurry (how appropriate) cameraphone pic of Toby Maloney and Murray Stenson, who were across the table from me.
Somehow I became friends with Jamie B. last night. I jokingly had the 50 loonie spot in my wallet and made the most of it. We shared a cab up to Barrio which was in the midst of its soft open, saw Casey and Keith and don't remember much else. Hope I didn't insult too many people.
Did you know that a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry was called a Catalina cocktail? I didn't either, and to think I used to get persnippity that people asking for vodka crans with a lime were technically asking for a cape cod.
So night before last I got to work and the first three seated asked me to make a drink that had St. Germain and Absinthe. I was happy about the following mix. Two ounces of gin, a quarter ounce of St. Germain, Creme de Violet, and lemon shaken and poured into an absinthe rinsed glass. I told them they needed to name it and they dubbed it the Catalina.
So last night before work I decided to have dinner at Union as its Keith from Moving at the speed of life's last weekend before moving on to the ghetto, and was asked, "So are the rumors true?"
I've decided to leave Spur.
I put my notice in last saturday and sunday the 30th of November will be my last day at the pub. I gave it a solid 4 months and have learned a ton about molecular mixology and have had to sell some of the most amazing food I've ever seen, but regrettably, it's just not the spot for me. I could go into details but (after realizing that there are a few readers out there) dirty laundry best not be aired on the interweb, besides, I firmly believe its one of the best new places in town.
I've just been working too much and need some time off. There have been countless times over the past 8 months(even before Spur I was working too much) where I haven't been able to do things I've really wanted to do. I still will be every Monday at Sun Liquor and covering an extra few shifts here and there. I'm big into facebook now and updating when I work so feel free to look me up and add me. I just want to take it easy over the holidays, Is that so bad???Plus after the cat came out of the bag due to This story broke about the WSBG I really want to spend some time in the treasurer role I'm in.
Darcy O'Neil :: November 13, 2008 11:23 PM While I was reading an article, by Stephen Beaumont, he linked to the “Omnivores 100”, which is a list of 100 foods the author of Very Good Taste thinks you should try at least once in your lifetime. Well, I thought it was such a good idea that I made one for “Imbibers”. This list isn’t all encompassing, nor is it a “good stuff only” list. There are a few things that may make you pause. In most cases the list is not brand specific, but for certain things it is, because of the world wide popularity. Feel free to participate, or not, but it is a good exercise to see what you are missing in life.
Remember, this is just a list of things you should try. I’m sure a few scotch addict’s, vodkaphiles and beeroholics will recommend a particular brand, but in most cases, this list is style specific, instead of brand specific. But please feel free to make recommendations.
Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions. 2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed. 3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch 4) Post a comment here and link to your results.
My compy2000 is being a brat and not bolding like it should so I'm going with a plus for that which I have tried, and a minus for that with I have not imbibed
OR
If you don’t have a blog, just count the ones you’ve tried and post the number in the comments section.
List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire
+Manhattan Cocktail -Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee) +French / Swiss Absinthe +Rootbeer +Gin Martini -Sauternes +Whole Milk +Tequila (100% Agave) +XO Cognac +Espresso -Spring Water (directly from the spring) +Gin & Tonic -Mead -Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale -Chateau d’Yquem +++Budwieser +Maraschino Liqueur +Mojito +Orgeat +Grand Marnier +Mai Tai (original) +Ice Wine (Canadian) +Red Bull +Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice +Bubble Tea -Tokaj -Chicory +Islay Scotch -Pusser’s Navy Rum +++++Fernet Branca +Fresh Pressed Apple Cider +Bourbon -Australian Shiraz -Buckley’s Cough Syrup +Orange Bitters +Margarita (classic recipe) -Molasses & Milk +Chimay Blue -Wine of Pines +Green Tea -Daiginjo Sake +Chai Tea +Vodka (chilled, straight) +Coca-Cola +Zombie (Beachcomber recipe) +Barley Wine -Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl) +Pisco Sour +Lemonade +Speyside Single Malt -Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee +Champagne (Vintage) +Rosé (French) +Bellini +Caipirinha +White Zinfandel (Blush) +Coconut Water +Cerveza +Cafe au Lait +Ice Tea -Pedro Ximenez Sherry +Vintage Port +Hot Chocolate +German Riesling +Pina Colada +El Dorado 15 Year Rum +Chartreuse -Greek Wine +Negroni +Jägermeister -Chicha +Guiness +Rhum Agricole -Palm Wine +Soju -Ceylon Tea (High Grown) +Belgian Lambic -Mongolian Airag -Doogh, Lassi or Ayran -Sugarcane Juice +Ramos Gin Fizz +Singapore Sling +Mint Julep +Old Fashioned -Perique +Jenever (Holland Gin) +Chocolate Milkshake -Traditional Italian Barolo -Pulque +Natural Sparkling Water -Cuban Rum +Asti Spumante +Irish Whiskey -Château Margaux +Two Buck Chuck -Screech +Akvavit +Rye Whisky -German Weissbier +Daiquiri (classic)
I'm lucky enough to do this at both of my jobs. One is a scratch classic cocktail lounge where we juice and make cocktails to order, the other is a gastropub where we are making our own bitters and tinctures as well as making our own syrups from scratch. For those that are new to the making things from scratch I highly recommend adopting the practice as the end results are usually better.
There's examples of making things from scratch I've written about, so instead of writing about making things, I decided to post a cocktail using a few of the made from scratch items I have at the homebar.
I give you the Mailing it In.: 2oz. Sobieski Vodka (oh snap, I'm using vodka - I got it in the mail, get it???) one capful Rosa Roja one capful maraschino one barspoon Erik Chapman Clementine bitters ( Somehow after the bitter meeting I ended up with the boss' bottle and haven't returned it yet, whoops!)
First off, my apologies to Sobieskii vodka. I am not a paid spokesperson, and have never reviewed a product before, so here goes.
I dislike vodka. I very rarely drink it and order it even less. Granted it is the popular thing to dislike these days as far as being a bartender, but I had a three year stretch of nothing but vodka tonics, so I've just had enough. Sobieski was nice to send out a bottle and some schwag.
Sidebar to promotional campaigns: If you are going to send T-shirts out you should try to find out what size would be worn. Not everyone will wear a 2XL.
"You could say we're the anti-vodka." I wouldn't go that far. I had a conversation discussing the theory in brewing beer is to make the least offensive, most acceptable to the general public product in order to be successful and I think a similar theory can be applied to the vodka market. The most common response after forcing shots on my friends was "it tastes like vodka" That kinda summed it up for me. Sobieski is vodka flavored vodka. Very distinct flavor that doesn't have any harsh undertones. I am going to keep an eye out for it and will try to order it when I see it.
Someone last night tipped me a $50 canadian bill. I think that is one of the more confusing gestures I've seen, but It probably made sense in a Canadian way to him.
So I was flipping through the latest Imbibe magazine and saw an ad for an Averna Cocktail contest and remembered a recipe that I did as a joke to counter the Boulevard when it was added to the menu. So I tweaked it into a little bit of deliciousness and came up with a recipe that I'm calling the Blanchard Ave.
I took 3 strips of orange zest topped with 1/4 oz. simple and cooked it in a pint glass using the misto to release the orange aromatics. Then I poured in 3/4 oz. Averna, 3/4 oz. Cointreau, and 2oz. Applejack. 3dashes of peychauds, Ice, and a hard shake later the result was delicious. Someday I'll get a camera and be diligent about getting photo's of these drinks.
Which is frankly awesome if you ask me, but seeing a a front page story in the local paper kinda hit home when somewhere I work was mentioned, and then having the same reporter sitting at my bar kinda threw me for a loop.
also made drinks for two sapphire reps tonight.
But by far my favorite move of the night was taking a spoonful of one of our house made tinctures and lighting it on fire before using the flaming spoon to stir the drink. That was kinda cool.
I am currently enjoying a tasty beverage after a surprisingly busy monday. The Jameson bartenders ball was tonight but alas I was working. Anyways the drink:
Took a frosted rocks glass and coated it with green Chartreuse, then filled it with crushed Ice and poured in some Millers. It was really subtle, ice cold, and just added a touch to the gin.
While this has come to be accepted as an eye opener in our day and age, I'm a sucker for them. Sometimes you don't eat dinner and all the garnish from pickled asparagus spears and green beans, to olives and cucumber slices and suchforth..... frankly does the trick. I decided tonight after hearing about friends foaming mojitos and grasshoppers i needed to step up the game.
Bloody Molecular!
I took one...
Heirloom Tomato
and then blended along with a few heirloom peppers and fresh ground Tasmanian peppercorns...
I added some lemon and lime along with simple and continued blending as I looked for some beef stock..... no luck. Added some emulsifier and kept blending
I recently met a guy at the bar who recently moved from wisconsin and is taking over the bar at a vegetarian restaurant. An awesome conversation about vegan bloody mary's followed and I decided to stick to those parameters.
The next steps is one of my favorites in the molecular mixology.
Blending causes a lot of air to be forced into the mix so its a good idea to let settle for a few hours before loading it into an ISI container or....... TAKE ALL OF THE AIR OUT OF IT.
Then placed said mix into said ISI canister and added a CO2 charge and the resulting foam was good, but i can improve the recipe. I've really been into the Millers Westborne Gin and its peppery-ness was a great base for the spicy sweetness of the heirloom tomato/pepper foam.
I'll admit it, I'm a beer guy. Not in the microbrew kinda way either. I was raised in a house that had a separate fridge in the basement just for beer. Mainly it was Budwieser. The macro of the macrobrews. Collecting schwag became an early hobby as around raceday all the corporate sponsors would plaster their plastic banners everywhere that they could in the neighborhood and being the kids we were, we would swipe them and hose em down and use them as slip-n-slides. Who says advertising doesn't work?
In my time behind the stick I have gotten pretty good at mixing it up and serving some delicious cocktails. Still when I get home I'm usually cracking a Pabst Blue Ribbon.
The original brewery was founded as The Empire Brewery, later Best and Company, in 1844 by the immigrant German brewer, Jacob Best. The brewery was run by Jacob, Sr. and his sons Phillip, Charles, Jacob, Jr., and Lorenz; Phillip took control of the company in 1860. They started the brewery on Chestnut Street Hill in Milwaukee with a capacity of 18 barrels (2.9 m3). Later, in 1863, Frederick Pabst, a steamship captain and son-in-law of Phillip Best, bought a share in Best and Company, by which time the brewery was already selling a lager which they began bottling in 1875 under the name Best Select. Best Select became a popular beer, which the by now named Phillip Best Brewing Company entered in competitions, gaining several awards - sometimes winning against its rival Budweiser. So in 1882 the company started selling the beer with a blue ribbon tied around the neck to signify it was an award winning beer. In 1889 the name of the brewery was changed to Pabst Brewing Company. And 1895 brought additional honors when Pabst became the first U.S. brewer to hit the million-barrel per year mark. The beer was so successful that Pabst began ordering millions of yards of blue ribbon. One factory in 1902 worked around the clock for nearly a year to complete a contract for 10 million yards of ribbon.
When Fredrick Pabst died on New Year's day of 1904 he left control of the business to his sons Gustav and Fred Jr. In 1906, the Pabst Brewing Company first began to use caps on bottles instead of corks. Growth continued up to Prohibition when alcohol production was made illegal. Fred Jr. and Gustav successfully guided the company through the discouraging years of prohibition by switching to malt syrup, tonic, cheese and near beer. When the beer returned to the market in 1933, minus the blue ribbon, it quickly became a national brand brewed in several locations across the country. In 1935, Pabst was the second brewer, following Krueger Beer, to put beer in cans. Called "Export", the cans came with a picture of a can opener on the side, with opening instructions. During World War II all cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon were painted a military green and were exclusively made for the troops because of tin rationing. During the 1950’s, Pabst sponsored boxing on CBS, a detail that can be seen in vintage footage of some of Jake LaMotta's fights used by Martin Scorsese in his classic film Raging Bull. In 1958, with an annual production of 3.9 million barrels (620,000 m3), Pabst Blue Ribbon had now sold a total of 100 million barrels (16,000,000 m3) since first being brewed, an event commemorated by adding the red stripe to the logo. Annual sales figures climbed each year, helped by Pabst cutting the price of the beer, until it reached a record high of 18 million barrels (2,900,000 m3) in 1977. Although impressive, Budweiser had achieved the same output nearly ten years earlier, and would never again see Pabst Blue Ribbon as a competitor. Although it had fallen from the number one spot, the brewery continued into the 1960's as one of the country's top producers.
Cases of Pabst. Pabst was also renowned in Milwaukee for its brewery tours. A statue of King Gambrinus welcomed visitors, who gazed upon a vast, beer-filled warehouse as they were informed that another, equally-sized warehouse sat in the basement--for distribution to Wisconsin alone. Visitors to Pabst's tour were rewarded with sometimes bottomless glasses of beer at its end-of-tour Sternewirt Pub. Complete with a statue of Captain Frederick Pabst and waitresses pouring from pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pabst Dark, and Andeker, the pub was popular with both tourists and locals, especially students from nearby Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In 1983 it purchased another famous name in U.S. brewing, Olympia (Another of my favorites - I have an Oly Horseshoe tattoo). Then in 1985 Pabst itself became a takeover target when it was absorbed by General Brewing. By the 1990's Pabst was once again positioning itself to regain former glory as it became one of the first foreign brewers to set up operations on the Chinese mainland.
Pabst then entered a period of poor management and decline. After several messy years spent fighting corporate buyouts, Pabst was sold for $63 million to Paul Kalmanovitz in 1985. Advertising stopped. Quality dropped. Drinkers turned elsewhere. At the time of Kalmanovitz’ death in 1988 it seemed like the brewery would have to close, but Lutz Issleib took and kept the Pabst brand alive, although production was fairly static. In 1997 one of the saddest chapters in Pabst's proud history was written. Facing the cold reality of bleak financial performance at its flagship brewery, it closed all Milwaukee facilities—brewery and headquarters. A century-and-a-half after its birth the last barrel rolled out its fabled doors.
One of the last of the major Milwaukee brewers, Pabst suffered during the 1980's from an ill-fated dichotomy; the very essence of its success was bound to sideline the brewer from volume competition with Budweiser and the other major American brewers of the 70's. Pabst's Milwaukee brewing process, with a death-grip on tradition, quality, and the "old ways" which made it famous, was in stark contrast to its major competitor, Budweiser, who chose to mass advertise, diversify, and field several modern breweries nationwide outside St. Louis. This antiquation eventually brought the end to Pabst market share and, eventually in 1997, its Milwaukee operations. Two major events in the beer market revolutionized the mass beer market from 1970 to 1990, none of which Pabst fully participated in. To understand the context of these changes, it's important to note the top selling beers in 1970 in contrast to twenty years later in 1990. The top beers (sales - U.S.) in 1970 were 1) Budweiser, followed by Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz, and Miller High Life. By the 80's, the market had been totally re-invented due to the advent of "Lite" beer by Miller and subsequent light beer additions by other brewers. Furthermore, a federal judge had ordered Coors Brewing Company to expand its operations outside of the Rocky Mountain area, forcing Coors to ship their product east of the Mississippi for the first time. The resultant reordering of beer sales by 1990 stacked up with Budweiser still on top, followed by Miller Lite, Bud Light, and Coors Light. Only Budweiser had remained from the original hierarchy, and was the only "non-light" beer remaining on the listing. Pabst had not followed the media frenzy of its major competition, and its choice to not advertise coupled with its staunch adherence with tradition (note how many times other beers change their labels, for instance) gave rise to a grass roots revival later in the next millennium; a resurgence in market share of which Pabst is now fully enjoying.
I woke up hurting after last nights escapades. I missed the huge cocktail event that I should have gone to only to nap on and off and generally refuse to leave my couch and the online world of Vana'diel, Then having a few too many at last call at the bar. I was a tad late to the WSBG meeting and found out that Jon Santer of Martin Miller's Gin was in attendance. I also fond out later that this guy was involved in the SFBG, Bourbon and Branch and also is currently at Beretta. He listened in on the meeting and gave some great insight and advice. I don't know when I moved up from the last kid usually picked for kickball, but I've gotten associated and had the pleasure to meet with some really great people this year.
On the Molecular Mixology aspect...... My take on an obscure drink.
I have 3 books that list it and they are all different. I have read the books of several different bars and found even more different recipes. So in using the general consensus of ingredients the Bella, Bella listed here fits my general proportions. I want to have all the ingredients except the limoncello mixed and strained into a fancy glass and then cap it with a limoncello foam.
I wanna call it the Bella, Bella, Bella. In the experiment tonight I tried turning a commercial brand limoncello into a foam. I only tried out one cup. Way to small an amount for the isi I later deemed. Added methecellulose and egg white powder but the foam died after 3 minutes. More experimentation. Also we are going to do a batch of our own limoncello.
I should have taken a photo, but I didn't. I should have more than a camera phone, but I don't. Damn you AT&T.
I've been making a ton of egg drinks lately as they are available in the kitchen and having fun with fire! The misto is badass. Loaded with Stroh and Agnostura goodness. So I did gin, lime, simple, and rhubarb bitters along with an egg white and used the hand blender to whip. In a pint glass I muddled a little cucumber and added ice and then the whipped blend. A vigorous shaking later and strained into a cocktail glass, I scorched the top of the drink with the misto. I need to nail down the proportions but I think the Rhub Gimlet is a winner.
I also got to watch the manager go on a creative spree and whip up falernum, pimiento dram, and cinnamon tintcures. I have the next two days off, but I'm looking forward to having some new toys to play with this weekend.
Speaking of this weekend, on friday I'll be behind the bar with Zane Harris from Vessel which is going to be a fun time for sure.
So as I am having some free time at the pub, gastropub, I am getting to have access to some really fun stuff.
Today I melted down a half cup of white chocolate chips and added it to 2 cups of half and half then blended it wit a small amount of xantham gum. (On an aside I am happy to be working for someone I can call Chef Tough who helped me figure out most of these ideas tonight.) So I took that mix and loaded it into an ISI canister and applied a CO2 charge. I'll say it was delicious and the staff ended up just making espresso and topping it with the white cocoa whip. I'm trying to make up an espresso cocktail to use it with.
Later on I tackled our grenadine recipe and used one jar of pomegranate juice and simmered it with a half cup of sugar then added a small amount of sodium alginate and blended it down. The next step was some of the coolest shit I've seen. There is a contraption that we use to vacuum pack that if we put liquid in we can extract all of the air out of said liquid. The grenadine had the body to sink like I wanted and is very nice, If I do say so myself.
I'm really happy that I've built mondays into the night that its become. The fact I can have a full house at 10pm on monday is rad, but when its a room full of people I don't really know, that kinda scares me. When complete strangers are saying "I heard this, and this, and this." its kinda throws me off. Tonight was also a night where as I'm taking an order, two people wanted to close out and each split their tabs three ways, as the bottle I'm pouring from goes empty. This scenario happened more than once.
Whatever... I'm complaining about people spending money as the economy is crashing. I'm jaded to the worst of points.
The highlights were starting my day at 12:30 with a booze tasting and having some of the Dewar's Signature before work while my boss was there. Awesomeness. From there onto staff meeting and house cleaning. After that the entire staff went out for mexican food. rad.
So the low-lights were serving vodka hot toddies; take the common way to serve vodka, chilled and neat, and do a complete 180 and serve it warm with lemon and citrus............................ ya. Also played around with 42 below honey vodka to no avail.
Early in the night some @$$ hole ended up breaking the wood on our 300 year old antique woodwork near the entrance and that was not a fun ordeal. He's gonna hate that bill.
We had plumbing issues earlier in the month and had a re-occurance tonight where I had to stay til 4am to find out we have a pour spout somehow lodged in the plumbing.
I have a meeting in a few hours where I am gonna have to fill the boss in on this and talk about website stuff for the WSBG.
Honey do me. Had a guy that ordered a vodka redbull and after explaining that we didnt have energy drink he moved onto a stoli raz press. I kept my snickers to myself and was totally fine with his over average tipping. He was ordering rounds and was obviously a nightclub bafrtender. This speculation was confirmed when he asked if he could explain a drink to me.I am always down to learn new recipes so I didnt shudder as it was explained to be 1/3 Midori, 1/3 Barenjager, and 1/3 pineapple. I actually ordered a round of these and the jury is still out.
T.W.I.B. #7 Chocolate "Martini" vs. The worst dirty martini EVAR! So we were busy and me and the bar manager were both making drinks behind the bar when we got a ticked for "vodka Martini, dirty, see server" Fortunately i didnt make it but they wanted half water, half vodka and as dirty as we could make it. Later in the night I got an order for a chocolate martini.
I've talked about this in the past but still cant explain why I have an affinity for making this drink really well. I did equal parts vodka, tuaca, kuhlua, an frangelico topped with Cool Whip, ok not really but some cool fresh whipped cream from an isi canister along with chocolate shavings on top.
So in having fun I asked which would win in a steel cage death match, that dirty martini or that chocolate "martini" The explanation I got was priceless. One took 30 seconds and wasn't that great, one took five minutes and wasn't much better.
Touche'
Closing aside: I just threw together some 43, some St., Gin and bitters and I think there's something there.
So this MxMo post is going to offer up two things.
My current favourite of he classics has been the Sangaree which I've been playing around with variations consists of any base spirit plus lemon, sugar and water. According to Imbibe a Sangaree is a cocktail consisting of a wine, a spoonful of sugar and water. I was described this drink containing lemon as well and want that considered into the mix. My favourite drink of this summer is a cooler which is basically an Applejack Sangaree.
Served in a tall collins glass: 1.5 oz. Applejack Juice of half a lemon .5 oz. simple syrup Top with water.
Wiki says...
Applejack is a strong alcoholic beverage produced from apples, originating from the American colonial period. It is made by concentrating hard cider, either by the traditional method of freeze distillation, or by true evaporative distillation. The term "applejack" derives from "jacking", a term for freeze distillation. Known as "Jersey Lightning", applejack's long history in New Jersey includes once being used as currency to pay road construction crews during the colonial period. Around 1760, George Washington discovered this unique beverage, asked for and received the Laird family recipe and soon introduced Applejack to the Virginia Colony.[1] From the fermented juice, with an alcohol content of less than ten percent, the concentrated result contains thirty to forty percent alcohol, is slightly sweet, and usually tastes and smells of apples. Freeze distilling concentrates all of the alcohol by-products of fermentation including ethanol, methanol and fusel alcohols. Distillation by evaporation can separate these as they have different boiling points. Due to the relatively higher cost and lower yield of alcohol produced from fruit fermentation, commercially produced applejack may be composed of apple brandy diluted with grain spirits until the drink reaches the desired alcohol content. The oldest distillery in America is Scobeyville, New Jersey's Laird & Co.,[2] a producer of applejack (This is the same Laird family from which George Washington received his recipe). The "Apple Jack" that Laird & Company produces is an apple brandy, produced by distillation by evaporation and blended with neutral spirits.
Applejack is honestly one of my favourite spirits and I'm curious if one of my Applejack recipes is known under another name. If you can find my Newjack known under another name i'll give you a night of drinking on me.
The Newjack 3.5 parts Applejack .5 part Maraschino Liquor 2-3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Today was the 2nd meeting and had some new faces and outlined some more structure to the Guild. Things are going amazingly well for bringing together so many strong minded individuals and we are all putting our teammate hands in there. I'm happy to say i am on the treasury alongside Casey. Still a ton of work for everyone but things are rolling along well.
So I have been settling into my new schedule and having 3 days off and still need to write about my Oregon trip two weeks ago as well as Vegas and not sleeping for 48+ hours and the hilarity that ensued. This week I am staying home and will spin those yarns a little later this week. I'm still tired and recovering.
Yesterday was the first meting of the WSBG The founding members of the Washington State Bartenders Guild were: Andrew B., Andrew F., Anu, Casey, Charles, David, Erik, ,Keith, Kevin, Will, & Zane. The eleven (if you say it fast enough it sounds like Elvaan {I feel like a total geek and i'm playing ffxi} sat down and had a great discussion about what the objectives and hopes were for this group and there is a solid group the wants this to happen.
Eric Witsoe turned 40 and had an awesome rooftop BBQ where I had some delicious Champagne courtesy of someone named Dr. Hurt. After that the crew went bowling. I've ben bowling since i was 13 and damnit if I'm gonna bowl I wanted my gear. Put on the ol' wednesday night league shirt and grabbed my ball and shoes and met up with everyone at the Garage. My game is hella rusty but I did finish the first game with 4 strikes. It felt great to have a Turkey tenth again.
So I'm taking back the previously mentioned recipe and renaming it the Northwest Trail. Works great with any northwest gin so people get to choose the path they take similar to the Oregon Trail Game
I'll be a bit of a fanboy and say I had a few instances tonight where I was making drinks for some really rad people. Early in the evening I had Robert Hess and he gave me bartenders choice. I tried out an experimental cocktail I've been working on and while its a drink I'm working on for Spur, I did a variation at Sun tonight. In the classic cocktail spirit I'm going to offer variations #1 and #2. Its the hessgin. Its pronounced like Hessian, could be spelled hesitian, or for fucks sake be called the Charlton Heston. I like naming drinks almost as much as I hate naming drinks.
Hessgin #1 (spur version) 1.5 oz. Gin .5 oz lime .5 oz Licor 43 dash of Fee bros. Lemon bitters drop of Rose Flower water on top
Hessgin #2 (Sun version) 1.5 oz Gin Juice of half a lime .5 oz. Tuaca dash of Fee bros. orange bitters drop of Orange Flower water on top.
later in the evening I had Andrew Bohrer sit down right before Keith and his new wife (who wouldn't let me charge them nothing as a belated wedding gift >.< ) sat down. Ended up talking more about the guild idea as Andrew showed off some things he had been working on. I am honesty curious about the homemade blue curacao recipe. I have made up such recipes as :
Blue Myself
1.5 oz. Vodka or Gin Juice of half a lime Juice of half a lemon 1/4 oz Simple 1/4 of Blur Curacao
As I'm sipping on a Bulleit and h2o I wanna give the highlights without giving away the whole scoop. Things went better then expected. Mr. Bulleit himself is a venerable ol' gentleman and I was happy to meet him and have pictures taken afterwards. Dave put together an incredible program that paired cocktails with a 7 course meal and all were top notch. There is expected to be a nice write up in several placeas and I'll post them when I see em.
It was supposed to be my day off so as soon as possible I got out of there and tried to catch up on my usual thursday and went to the Zigzag and asked Murray to make me anything not using Bulleit which got one of the biggest laughs that I've ever gotten from him. Unexpectedly, Keith sat down next to me sporting a sleek new summertime / p.o.w. camp haircut and we finally got to talk about the idea of the Washington bartenders guild at length. We bonced ideas off of Murray and Eric for a bit (aside: I heard Eric broke his arm and I want to wish him a speedy recovery and want to say the guy who gets to cover his shifts is one lucky son of a bitch. We talked a bit about my upcoming Vegas trip to see Motorhead and discussed what concerts were worth traveling to see. Get well soon.) and I am hoping they will want to be a part. There's a lot to do in prep but I want to help get the guild off the ground. I'm going to Oregon for a few days this week and am looking forward to picking Jeffery Morganthaler's mind for advice. That and I want some Everclear
TWIB #5: I quit and didn't throw a fit.
I never want to see a ticket like this again. Yes, it says "Light on vodka". they deserve a punch in the ear.
My last night at the Sitting Room was slow as hell and it justified my decision. I will miss everyone there and wish em the best. ( I just mt'd beat and contemplated leaving it.) I ended the night by discounting a shot of the Remy XO and quickly making a beeline to Sun. There I ran into the girl for the first O.A.A. segment only to find out that her Grandmother had passed away. Turns out her Grandma was my Grandma's bestfriend and someone I had known all my life. I felt very small and like a very big asshole at the same time.
nothing sux like walking in and finding your dog has been sick all night. I'm starving but can't fathom eating due to the stench. My parents have agreed to watch her twice over the next two weeks and I hope she gets back in good health.
I used to live in Ballard circa 01 to 06 and also worked there for a long time and although I rarely get out there anymore, I still love that part of town. Yesterdays excursion was a journey to hang with my old roomate and meet up for our old tradition of the BBC. BBC stands for Ballard, Beer and Chili.
Mike's Chili Parlor has been serving it up for over a hundred years and is the spot where me and my ex roomie/bestfriend get together to hang out and reconnect. The Geoffmon is one of the more intelligent people I know. I can sit down with him and spew out all the crazy shit I've been up to and catch up with all his masters program studies in racial topics in the USA and we can both seem like scholars in our respected fields.
After a BIG ASS BOWL of chili we ventured onward to Sambar. I mistakenly had thought forever that it as called Sandbar and now feel like an idiot. That place is one of the coolest, coziest bar i've been in. Michael was in Sun on monday and I wanted to repay the visit. the drinks were topnotch and as soon as I can find a date i'll be back.
From there we went down market street and I was a little heartbroken as we passed 1420 and the ol' bowling alley was fenced off and decrepit as hell. The day I walk by and see it no longer standing will be a sad one. I had 2 CD's i've been wanting to purchase, so we went to Sonic Boom and grabbed the last copies of The Airborn Toxic Event and American Steel. I'll agree with the Tank (despite him owing me ten bucks) and say its the punk rock record of the year.
After that me and the G went to our favorite best kept secret in Ballard and went to the Fu Kun Wu, which we always have called the fuckin' wu. The yohimbe drinks were tasty and we got to go downstairs and check out the opium den which is their private downstairs space. We don't know the reason for it yet, but we want to hold a cocktail event down there. ( I'm gonna think G's masters celebration. ) At the Wu we had a very serious conversation about one of our friends who is currently behind bars (not like I am behind bars, he's in for 9 counts of B&E) and we need to go up to Bellingham and visit him. He's a Kevin too.
Next stop was the Bal-Mar which Sun has a deadbeat connection with. Mr. Staley also won Sun's halloween costume contest for portraying Walter from the Big Lebowski which is one of my favorite movies of all time. He wasn't working apparently but Joey was rad and made some great drinks. By this point in time I don't remember what they were.
I ended up back on the hill at the Saint slamming drinks before I went home with a twelver. So when I woke up and did the usual where is my sh*t routine and while looking for my keys I checked the door and found the roomie's keys still in the handle. Glad I wasn't the only one last night. p.s. I can't find my phone again.
So when I got the new job I had already been scheduled for a few sundays that they were more then happy to accommodate me as well as my manager covering and giving me my birthday off. Go, go run on sentences! Basically out of the 31 days we've been open, and the five sundays so far I've worked I've only done one. Aside from sept 7th I'll be at the pub every sunday, and if sundays are like this from here on out i'm stoked
A while back I was lent the Ritz Paris book from Casey and found it absolutely amazing.
I honestly love it when people leave their drink decisions to me and give me a set of parameters based on their liking. It gives my interests in the field of craft bartending solid validation.
Today when I showed up, the chefs showed me Catmint for the first time. My mind started racing....
The Kittycat Julep: 1 sprig Catmint 1/2 oz Catdaddy 2 dashes Fee Bros. Whiskey Barrel bitters Muddle sprig, Moonshine, and bitters in a pint glass, fill said pintglass with Ice and add 2 oz. bourbon. (I used Bulliet) Shake vigorously In a separate pint muddle the hell out of some bare ice. Strain mix into rocks glass and add crushed/muddled or shave ice to glass. Garnish with a sprig of Catmint.
I sold a few of the kitties tonight and was very happy about it, considering it was a first time recipe. I was more happy about the group of five around midnight that trusted me with there selections and only had one drink deemed unhappy with. Two rounds of five and one return. I batted .900.
Also I had Jim and Zane from VESSEL come in tonight and play bartenders choice and that was quite an effing thrill. I made them an American Beauty, a varied Jersey Sour and the Lack of Will.
So I just went through and cleaned out my inbox and found this overlooked gem from my Ma. I remember who Floyd is. He brought a fifth of scotch to my parents 40th anniversary a few years back when I was living back at home. I remember drinking that bottle and finding a like for Muirhead scotch
From: "ELDA" <****.**********@msn.com> Date: June 25, 2008 7:46:59 PM PDT To: <*************@aol.com> Subject: Funny Story !!!
I've got a funny story to tell you, in response to your e-mail about your son making the newspaper with his new drink. I thought it sounded so good for a summer drink. Wine gets a little heavy in the summer. I went over to Ocean Shores this past weekend and my girlfriend and I decided to make the "Whippersnapper." Well, she didn't have martini glasses so she pulled out two beer schooners filled with ice. I didn't know how many shots of Absolute Pear to use in the shaker for those two big glasses so she said probably "four shots," which would be eight shots for two schooners. We pureed the pears, made the simple syrup and added several "dashes" of anisette. I shook it up and poured into the iced glasses. Well......we were breathing fire!!! I told her not to light a cigarette! Oh, man! We laughed so hard and were snockered by noon! Whoo-hoo! We kept adding ice and eventually the drink became what I'm sure it's supposed to be. We loved it, but will have to "tone it down a bit!" Isn't that funny?
First, we were improvising because she didn't have martini glasses, secondly, she didn't have a shaker so we used a wine carafe that had a top, thirdly, we didn't have a bartender strainer so the pulp was also in the drink. In fact, we didn't have a bartender! That's what we really needed. You'll have to tell Kevin. I'm sure he'll shutter at the thought! We loved the drink, though, after it was watered down a bit (or, a lot!)
Now that I'm home I'll try it again with a little more restraint! haha If nothing else it was a fun day! Neither of us got sick or had a hangover so that's good.
I'm not gonna lie, I see some really funny things spending all the time I do behind the bar, and decided to pay homage to my favorite part of a rain delay and start a new blog segment detailing some hilarities.
Also I'm kicking myself for missing the local flavors segment of MxMo. The pub prides itself on using local and naturally organic ingredients so I should have had something stellar all lined up, but all I've been doing is drinking and sleeping, occasionally interrupted by times of awesomeness interspersed with some rock and roll.
TWIB Notes #1
They were actually really nice.
So there was a pair who was obviously at odds over something drinking at the bar. She is all dolled up and the dude is standoffish as all hell. The visual I can't fully describe here is the lady had obviously had a boobjob or two at sometime in her life. She is in a low low cut top sitting across from the guy doing every motion except landing a plane or touching her elbows together behind her back to fully grab his attention while he sat there arms crossed.
The drink order doesn't change the entire time they are there and after the 2nd drink I decide to see if this guy can just loosen up. I start pouring a touch heavier for the next round. After using the lavatory, he settles in next to her and is no longer across the table. Progress. They moved on to cuddling after the next drink, to making out during the next round, to me contemplating to ask my server to request the lady keeps her hands out of the gentleman's lap when she dropped of the last round. Certain parts of the job I really love.
TWIB Notes #2
The Chocolate Martini
So a guy who I had seen once or twice over the past few months had a seat and orders a Hendricks Martini and strikes up a conversation about Gin. He inquires about recommendations and I tell him as much as I can about the uprising of micro-distilleries popping up in the northwest and had a debate over my feelings that drier london gins work better with olives and the more flavor heavy gins work better with a twist, or in Hendricks case a cucumber.He is soon joined by two ladies and the first one asks me if we have cranberry juice.
*momentary look of confusion*
Um... yes, yes we do.
Can I have a cranberry vodka?
*thinks people need to learn how to order by stating liquor first then mixer* *makes drink*
Oh! can I have a lime???
*Next time order a Cape Cod for chrissakes!*
The other lady asks if we can do a Chocolate Martini , but can you make it kinda creamy? I decided to step it up a notch. I also thought about making her a Brandy Alexander to see if she'd notice, but went creative. I also made this later in the week for one of my cooks who graduated culinary school and decided to name it for her in her honor. I've made this lately with both strawberries and blueberries and both are tasty
The Chocolate Lily:
1oz. fresh seasonal fruit muddled in 1/4 oz. 40's style heavy whipping cream 1.5 oz vodka 1.5 oz godiva chocolate liqueur Use a peeler to flake bakers chocolate on top.
Insert sexy picture here when I buy a camera.
TWIB Notes #3
Long promised visit.
I had the awesome pleasure of serving the best bartender I've ever met and his ladyfriend this week. I mean I served them this week, not she's his ladyfriend this week. Damn you grammar! One Negroni, one Corpse reviver #2 ( we both admitted we had no clue about the #1) and one Blood and Sand variation using rum ( i went with the Flor de Cana 7 ) and Sun Liquors' own house infused cherry brandy, garnished with one of the infusion pit-in cherries. Staying with going against the grain I served it neat in a chilled rocks glass instead of up. I also rocked the Juno
Sun and Sand:
Juice of half an orange 1 oz. Flor de Cana 7 year 3/4 oz. Cherried Brandy 1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth ( I didn't use Cinzano but would have ) Served in a frosted rocks glass with a brandied cherry
I just wanna say that last night was sorta epic, Actually the whole day was kinda awesome
I needed to see a guy about a thing and since he was near the sodo I had to meet him at Hooverville. Its been a long time since i went to a bar I had never been in before, let alone heard of, and I really took a liking to this place. They didn't seem to have any neighborhood to rely on for clientele but here was a constant flow of people swinging in and they had a great bottle selection to say the least. I had a shot (againtst my better judgement for that time of day) of the black maple hill for eleven clams. The decor and layout reminded me of several bars I used to love to hang out in so in a weird twist of fate I felt like home in a place I've never been before. Oh yeah, the whole reason I was out was a buddy had an interview for a bar manager position and I hope he gets that.
After that we went to what is quickly becoming one of my favorite places. The Deluxe is within walking distance and they have 2 pool tables that are usually not in use. I think I am going to use pool to fill the bowling hole in my soul. They have some awesome brews on tap and good bottles so I've been there the past 3 days with no explanation. Oh yeah, burgers. Thats why.
So after the pool we decided to actually "go out". Drunkenly deciding to make it a western shirt night was a bad idea. Granted the two shirts were similar, but something had to be going on for totally random strangers to walk up to me and decide to comment on it. The first place we stopped by the Dunnes for some cherry bombs, and Andrew, the guy I took my class 12 with asked us how was the sale at the western wear store. Drink shots and make a hasty exit through the side door.......
So with great weather, the city of Seattle at our feet, and looking for adventure I decided to finally go to a place I had been avoiding. I had heard all the past reviews of pretentiousness and stayed away, but after meeting one of their guys as a customer at my new place I wanted to go in. I am truly impressed with VESSEL
I literally just poked my head in the door and wanted to see if there was two seats next to each other at the bar and the bartender politely asked two beautiful ladies if they would be willing to move down a seat so we could sit down. After seating I asked the bartender to put their drinks on my tab. A quick perusal of the selection I saw something I have heard about in legend and went for it. I'm sorry Seattle, but I finished their supply of Red Hook Rye. I cant remember the name of the drink my friend had but it involved macerated cherries and a flaming misto which I have read about but never actually seen that show. It was extremely awesome but didn't take the gold that night. Solid silver.
From there went to the friends current place of work and had a glass of Bulleit cause they were out of Makers like everyone else in town. After the biggest Jagerbomb I've had since the bowling alley closed, we went right around the corner to the Zigzag and I had 2 delicious drinks then on to the Can where outside, Casey literally fell down laughing about the western shirts. I ]m not sure about why but after killing my first diamondback I called out for The Show. I wanna learn that shit. It looks freaking awesome. Tasty as fiery hell and gold medal all the way.
Geek aside a and cocktail specific I'm plannng on using Mr. Budreaux's bacon infusion idea and trying it with applejack. I'm gonna look for some apple smoked bacon, oh yeah. I'll be working a Bulleit dinner later in the month that is looking innovative. I got contacted by a PR company promoting Dr. Mixologist He better be good. That's a big title. I have liked and used the Cocktail Specialist moniker in the past. I know I put Dr. in my myspace name and that is more of a Jekyl and Hyde reference. People like Dr. Dre and Dr. Folds use the title because they are a master of the crafts they persued but didn't actually go to college. The vodka drinks look nice but I would have made the McCain Julep much more red. If I get the chance when I go to NY I wanna see this guy.
Life is good. Maybe I'm just a bit excited to see the Trio tonight, but its ben a while since I've felt like this waking up. I'm not sure what possessed me to have 4 fernet,2 redstripes, 1 makers h2o and 1 jackalope between 1230 and closing but I think I was just excited to be sitting by myself at my favorite bar with one of my top three favorite bartenders in the world and chatting like we used to. Anyways now I need to take care of the laundry and everything else cleaning wise I've been putting off for the past week, Or maybe hit the shower and get the hell out of this mess.
Tonight was one of those nights that was super awesome and had equally defeating moments as well. My lower half is killing me. I wore the wrong shoes for a 13 hour shift. Next off day I'm going shopping. Since it was Sunday and parking is free I decided to drive only to be able to find no parking and having to pay because I was running late by that point.
Got to show off the new and Improved Whippersnapper and there will be some tweaking and we're shooting for when pears will be in season but the managers all seemed to approve. Also talked a little about the Coney Island but that will take some planning to fully develop. Ended up writing for a bit after work and came up with some lyrics I like. The business trusted me to close down the place and I made sure everything was clean, but I think I may have done something wrong with the books.
The bar that was up for sale is officially going to be sold and that is a great wide open. I want to give it a chance but I don't know how wise it would be to commit further than the transition period.
I'm now officially less than a week away from turning 30.
I have two ideas that I'm really excited about. One I revised the recipe for the Whippersnapper. Just need to figure out the syrup. Also I have an idea for a desert styled Long Island that I'm calling Coney Island Ice Cream. Gonna pitch em and post details later.
I'm sad I didn't make the rash decision to blow off work and go. I'm already planning on next year.
I debated on putting my preference of Sazerac up as my post but decided to go with the experimental recipe.
New Orleans Cocktail #25
So I'm into gaming and aside from online rpg's I am a huge madden fan. I remember playing it on PC before it was a console game. I am lucky in the fact that my older brother's best friend is involved in marketing for EA sports. I have gotten advanced copies in the past and I think I need to make a call. Pretty much my best team in the 08 edition was the New Orleans Saints. I became a big Reggie fan this year. They had a 3 back offense set that if you put #25 in lead tailback and Deuce at fullback was devastating. I'm rambling, to tie this all together I had been playing with St. Germain (gold) and Fernet Branca (black) in trying to make a NOLA cocktail. I was thinking Bourbon since Bourbon street is kinda famous. I tried these 3 together together and its deliciousness was familiar in a way..... A little later it clicked that it was basically Jaime's Cooper Cocktail from the Food & Wne Cocktails 2008. I met him earlier in the month at the bitter meeting and walked away with a batch of his Boker's bitters and decided to give him a nod and add half an eyer dropper of said bitters in he mix.
My phone broke so no picture and I tended to pour a bit heavier on the accents.
1 1/2 oz. Bourbon 1/2 oz. St Germain 1/2 oz, Fernet Branca 1/2 a dropper of Boker's bitters
So when I got to work I sat down with one of my owners and my manager and talked about things. I had stated something that was totally misconstrued. My blog until now had really only been shown to close friends and people that i know well, and while I use this blog to bitch about things that butt hurt me for that moment, My personal opinions are much more positive in person and those are fully true.. My ex told me yesterday that when googe-lng the name of the new spot several things pop up before the actual business website, I forgot to mention that, but I will next friday. I hadn't accepted that what people say online people take seriously IRL. Too much online gaming guess.
My highlight tonight was hearing from someone whose opinion I respect that I landed myself in an amazing spot. I'm giddy i get to work two nights a week there. I know I will make more this sunday covering at my main bar, but I actually would rather be working my first sunday at the new place. Next week I guess.
So I have been having some hard times helping people lately. One of my bars is changing ownership so that is going to be an intriguing development. Said bar is known for its Pomegranate Cosmopolitans. I had one guy who as far as I know has not been on QA ordering these all night long. I hate admitting it, but I make a damn mean cosmo, throw variations, like said pom cosmo, into the mix and occasionally you find the delicious.
So an aside that isn't an aside:
The Sazerac is in my top 3 favorite things to drink. Its a drink I use to gauge the person making me drinks. If they don't know what it is then I switch to makers and h2o. Hence ordering it from half the bars in town I have tried a wide array of flavors attested to this drink. I am not proud of what I am about to say......
I like a fucked up Sazerac.
If you use a sugarcube thats cool. I may just like two. Also use hella Peychaud bitters. I lie it shaken. Lord have mercy. when I make it at home my barspoon is MIA or dirty.
2-3oz. of Rye 1/4-1/2 of Simple syrup. 6-8 Dashed Peychaud Bitters Just enough Absinthe to coat the bottom 50% of a frosted double rocks glass.
Also I am going to order the pom cosmo from the boss. I hate saying it but there is a certain % of our male clientele that are looking for vodka drinks and I think this one could do well there.
2oz. Vodka 1/2 oz Triple sec Juice of one lime 1/2 Sun Grenadine
So two or three weeks back I covered an industry night at sun where there was a couple who were drinking stoli greyhounds all night and when receiving their check told me that they thought it was industry night and I went back in and voided their tab and re-rang it and they signed out and took off. Apparently I did it incorrectly and they were double charged. There was a note of it in the log and my boss ended up paying them out cash to settle everything. They have been in a few times since then and not mentioned it.
Tonight after working my 4th night in a row and being off at midnight I went by sun and after closing out and walking outside saw the guy who had been double charged and went to make sure everything was settled okay when he said some of the most annoying hsit I have heard in a while. This is my best attempt at all the stuff I could quote.
KL: Hey, how ya doin? Did everything get settled about that credit thing? JA: Ya the other two bartenders took care of it KL: okay good.... (as I light up a smoke.....) JA: ( I can't recall what said leading up to this but his key point was the following ) I know you guys have XX amount in promo every night and i want to say if you want to be a better bartender you should have given me a free drink last time.
..........................
I walked away and decided to write about being a dick instead of being one.
First of all go fuck yourself. Second of all let me tell you how much of a fuck up you are. I have never had a conversation with you. Don't expect me to know where you work. If you actually work in industry you should know that errors with the credit system can cause major problems. Be nice about that.
As far as the promo, if you know about that the shut the hell up about it. Know we are given that XX amount in order to build clientele and not handle errors, also apparently your girl made no mention of the round of shots for the bar for her friends birthday that I picked up 5/8ths of that tab.
One of my favorite things to throw on at the end of the night lately has been the song common people by Pulp. I offer the following comparison side by side:
So as of right now the first open to the public day for Spur Gastropub will be this Friday and I'll be behind the bar with David Nelson. Its going to be a huge learning day so it would be fun if some friends were there. My managers have decided I can give away one free drink and one free menu item this friday. So if you have come and gotten a drink from me in the past year or so then please come on in, check out the new space, and the first round is compliments of Spur that night.
So my last Sunday off was a blast. Myspace held a free show at El Corazon featuring Dragonforce! Yes, it was a metal sunday.
Me and friends arrived after getting stoop'd and even though a friend was watching the door it apparently was a professional event where we had to wait in line to get our wristbands before entering. Proceeded to the bar where my friend assured me he "didn't have to pay for drinks" so I figured I'd pay for shots and he'd cover beers. First round 2 PBR's and 2 shots of jack, repeated a second time the n the 3rd time a round of three shots. Between the 2nd and 3rd round outside I was introduced to the bartender where he assured me that we'd met before despite my recollection. On into the show which was amazing despite the crowd. I haven't been in a pit in a few years. After getting knocked around for a while I went back to the bar to close my tab.
$53.
I pondered for a moment.
If the Jack was 6 like i thought the 7 shots should have been 42. the PBRs were $2, and even though there were supposed to be none on my tab 5 would have brought it to 52. If the Jack was 7 then 7 would have been 49 and i was charged for 2 beers that weren't supposed to be there. Either way i didn't care ( it was a FREE DRAGONFORCE SHOW ) Just wanna say i thought I'd be paying less. I'll just drink down the street at the Mars Bar or in the alley behind the club (like I used to) from now on.
From: recipes@achewood.com Subject: Thank you for your recipe submission! Re: Hick Tipple Recipe Date: July 4, 2008 10:52:00 AM PDT To: kevin.langmack@gmail.com
Thank you for submitting a recipe for the Achewood Cookbook II!
Remember, by submitting you give Achewood the right to publish your work, either in whole or with modifications, as determined by the Recipe Jury.
Your current recipe status is: YOUR RECIPE IS ON PROBATION. SHAME ON YOUR RECIPE.
Those whose recipes are selected for inclusion in the book will be contacted by a member of the Achewood creative team or Achewood Board of Attorneys.
Best Regards, Bi-Tor, The Recipe Robot
I'm waiting on my ex-roomate/singer/guitarist/hairdresser to show up so I can get a CUT, then off to Spur to help out. The open is one week away and there is a bit to do still. Also I got a message from my nephew and after browsing his mypace ran across this, which is frankly a bit awesome.
So this was in my myspace inbox tonight, Name withheld:
i'm pretty sure that i owe you and the other bartender at sun a huge apology and this is probably the only way i'll get to do it so i'm sorry. for the record i know one of those girls only as an aquaintance and the other i see in like 2 year intervals. i didn't know she was a horrendous bitch like that. and i have no intention of talking to her ever again.
this isn't me trying to be able to go into sun or anything i understand why i'm 86'ed i just want you and the other bartender to know that i'm sorry and thanks for spitting in her face. seriously though, i was unaware until cale told me the other day (even though i was right there but i black out occasionally and that was a black out night). it made me feel a little better about the situation when i found that out. well done sir well done (thats not me being sarcastic either i am genuinely happy about it) anywho sorry again :/
On the side note: The Sitting Room changed the menu today and my Whippersnapper got renamed to the Pere Ricard. My first cocktail recipe to ever get press has been bastardized from me. I was not told this beforehand and am frankly a little perturbed.
So I heard tonight from a fellow blogger that a reason he likes my blog is its personalness. I know thats not a word. I make stuff up sometimes. So i wanna write about how swell things have been the past week.
I think I have managed to set myself a schedule that will indulge my workaholic side and not drive me crazy. I am going to always do my Mondays at Sun Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Sitting Room and I was informed at the 9am meeting from hell that I am going to be scheduled Fridays and Sundays at Spur Gastropub
So other then workking 74 hours last week the following cool things happened: There was working thursday at Sun and the whole previous post about Eric Seed from Haus Alpenz LLC. I covered y first Friday at the Sitting Room and met a bunch of my co-workers regulars. Saturday was typically slow for a pride weekend on QA. Then on the 7th day, He rested.
Sunday was the Bitters Meeting. I got good response for my first recipe and I'm looking forward to the next idea. I managed to walk away with an assortment of a dozen bitters from the good people at the meeting. Afterwords some of the group went for dinner at Smith After hat went home for a bit and settled into the 4th disc of BECK: Monglolian Chop Squad. About 10pm I left and had plan to meet up with a friend who ditched me for his lady but went to 611 and had a Pearadactyl from Justin. Went to Union and proceeded to get housed at Union. I'm surprised I made it to the 9am meeting from hell. i don't remember everything I had but it was all excellent. I am sold on the bar menu linguine.
Other stuff that has been cool is I'm trying to play more FFXI, I got Beat Crusaders P.O.A. and popdod arriving soon. Sorry folks, I got the last copy on Amazon. Beck disc 3 should arrive tomorrow and I can't wait.
So I covered tonight at Sun and was lucky enough to be visited by some very knowledgeable people. I was visited tonight by Eric and Joseph (sp?) from Haus Alpenz LLC. Granted I braved danger in what we we're doing, but it was a worthwhile endeavor. As stupid as it sounds I really enjoy being explained things that I don't fully understand. I got to play around with and tried their Pear Williams Purkhart Alto Adige Eau-de-Vie, Batavia Arrack van Oosten, Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, and had some of The Scarlet Ibis Trinidad Rum. All the product info is here..
All in all my totals were leet.
The recipe highlight of the night was......
the Reveillon Cocktail: 1 1/2 oz. Applejack 1/2 oz. Pear Eau-de-Vie 1/2 oz. Allspice Dram 1/2 - 1 oz. Punt e Mes (depending on taste) 1-2 dashes Agnostura Bitters
Had the conversation about the new job with my owner and things look like they are going to work out.
Had a thrill when just after open the best bartender in town sat down at my bar and ordered a beer. Had a short time to kill and said he'd come see me at Sun this week for the umpteenth time. It was the second time I got to serve him a beer for the second time in my life, the first being a few years ago while working for Pagliacci. After a generous tip I was really excited for the night to come. Whatever, I'll end the fanboy rant.
What followed was the slowest most painful night I have done in forever. to quote Tucker Max it was like masturbating with sandpaper. (opinion piece#2) The kicker was at 1am when we had done last call, a bartender I recognized came in with her guy and wanted just one drink. We exchanged pleasantries and then I broke everything back out and made her a bellini and her guy a rum and coke that was basically a double and was tipped 20%..... on a 14$ tab.... really? the 2 extra bucks to leave a fiver was too much? I am an asshole at times. the rub was them hanging out til after the servers had left and the music was off and lights were out... yada, yada, yada...... Lemme just say the tip from the fanboy rant was 1/3 of my night. Dealing with girl issues but now i'm sleeping.
The good news is I got a call yesterday from the interview I had a while back and was offered the job. I cannot express how happy and scared I am at the same time. I can't tell you all the details yet ( "I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you" ), but the basics are its going to be an Americana themed gastropub focusing and centered on whisk(e)ys and specializing on food pairing with cocktails. I have told that my hiring is based on the fact I realize that wine and food pairing is my weakest link(goodbye) and I need to pick it up in that department. I hate drinking wine, hence I have a soft basis to work on. Wine makes me a weird drunk. I also have been big on my drink having more than one thing poured from a bottle. Call me crazy. I'm looking forward to working like a Jamacian
The bad news is FFXI maintenance is underway..... also I have to figure out about dropping a day at the Sitting Room. Not looking forward to that conversation later.
Now for the sentimental trash aspect. For as long as I remember I have had a fascination with hanging on to empty bottles from really good times when they were emptied. When the lady was nice enough to clean my apartment I LOST THE MAJORITY of my empty bottle collection. I see this as a blessing in disguise, but gone are such bottles as the Fernet I got as my first Christmas bonus from Sun, also the last Heineken served at Sun ( which I stole before I worked there ), The bottle from the batch of applejack I made for my family on mothers day, a bottle of wine which I got on a first date at Chez Gaudy but opened at Artemis, etc. etc. etc....... I thought them being thrown away would be a bigger deal but I guess I'm over it =D
So I really wanted my second MxMo post to be a spectacular one. I wanted to find the most delicious and obscure recipe that no one had ever heard of and make it my own. Unfortunately and fortunately I've been busy in real life.
Bourbon.
As american as apple pie, jazz and most importantly.... the cocktail. The official spirit of the USA by an act of congress ( the bottles-in-bond act of 1897). The first ever federal act of consumer protection. Think about that the next time you order ANYTHING at a restaurant.
Lately I have been making a lot of Juleps with Booker's", recommending the hell out of Jeffrey Morganthalers Bourbon Renewal, and enjoying a TON of bourbon. As I've mentioned in a previous post, I love to enjoy bourbon in 2 ways. Naturally I respect the spirit for what it is and try some straight. That's how I roll. I also really enjoy bourbon on the rocks. I usually drink it that way with a splash of water. I've been told, I have read, and have tons of experience drinking it this way. Evan Williams black and water is still a staple. I am currently enjoying a glass of the Black Maple Hill Bourbon and wondering why life has been so good the past week. I'm playing music again and we have 2 songs written. I've been kinda seeing someone ( see the I'm on fire! post ) and while I was at work today she cleaned my apartment for me. Not the" i'm a lazy guy, "i'll do laundry and throw away the beer cans kind of clean.", the My dvd's are n order and my bookshelf is uncluttered and i believed alphabetized. She's moving to Oregon in less than two weeks and I'm kinda bummed. I also returned home tonight to check my mail and find my copy of Beck : Mongolian Chop Squad and what Can I say? I've found a new level of geekdom. An anime about starting a band.
Drunken ramblings aside, I did make something I was sorta happy about and its named after a hilarious segment in my favorite web comic Achewood. I give you the Hick Tipple 2oz. Bourbon ( my well is Jim Beam ) 1/2 oz. Lime Juice 1/4 oz Simple Syrup 3-4 dashes Fee Bros. Mint Bitters
I was graced by the wonderful writers from the weekly last week and recieved a great write-up from the people who write Voracious : First Call
A weekly Voracious feature in which we walk into a bar unannounced and ask the bartender to make us his or her favorite drink.
Watering Hole: The Sitting Room in Lower Queen Anne
Barkeep: Kevin Langmack
Pick Your Poison: The Sitting Room is this adorable little bistro — and a boon to anyone wanting to spend a little time on Lower Queen Anne but wanting to avoid the tail-hunters. The appetizer happy hour menu is generous and the decor rather lovely. My only beef with the place is the acoustics. There isn’t enough fabric or give in the room to absorb noise, so the din can make hearing a little difficult. I explained the First Call rules a couple of times before Langmark caught exactly what I was trying to say. Once he understood, he offered, “I have this really delicious pear cocktail that I’ve been working on.”
"Beer cocktail?" I replied incredulously, visions of Irish Car Bombs and Snakebites filling my head — not exactly what I’d expected (or hoped for) at this quaint little eatery.
"No. Pear!" he reiterated, with a game chuckle.
"Oh!" I laughed back. Whew.
Langmark explained that the bar got a supply of Absolute Pear Vodka, but hadn’t really been using it for anything. So he poured a shot in a shaker with simple syrup, a pear coulis (puree), and a dash of Ricard Pastis, an anise liquor.
"Something fun in summertime," Langmack said, both of us taking a moment to pause and pray to any and all deities we could think of that summer actually arrives at some point. "I think it’s a good time for drinking."
So what do you call this lovely looking concoction? The Whippersnapper.
Summertime and the living is? So very easy. I was a little hesitant about a drink starring any kind of fruit puree, but Langmack knows there’s more to a sweet cocktail than a sugar assault. The anise gave the whole thing a nice brightness. My drinking buddy Sarah regarded the drink as I gingerly made my way back to the table, desperately trying not to spill (and failing). "It smells like Bath and Body Works," she observed. "In a good way."
But it certainly tasted far more elegant than the store where I outfitted my first apartment bathroom (all subsequent bathrooms featured Soap by Safeway). In keeping with our commitment to summer despite the frigid temperature, Sarah was sipping a Hoegaarden. But she took a break to try my bright-green cocktail.
"I like it," she said, licking her lips. "Umm, you can have my Hoegaarden."
Altogether it was four very enthusiastic thumbs up for Langmack's Whippersnapper. Just think how great it will be if the mercury ever tops 75!
p.s. I like how they get my name right half of the time.
So there is apparently a group of the better bartenders in town all getting together at the end of the month to swap bitters recipes. I have never even attempted making my own bitters before but upon the encouragement of the boss I whipped something that I hope will work. I had a failed attempt at a hibiscus infused vodka about a week ago which left me with 4 oz. of dried hibiscus that I am trying to use on this.
4 oz. of dried hibiscus ( I put mine in loose leaf tea bags ) soaked in regular proof vodka ( I used monarch ) for 2 hours then rinsed at the end. Place this dried hibiscus in a container with one fifth of 100 proof vodka ( I again used the monarch brand ) 1oz dried juniper berries 1oz dried cloves 1oz rainbow peppercorns 1oz almond extract 1oz vanilla extract rind of one valencia orange
I am currently letting it stand for 2 weeks and will post an update later. I pray this works.
I really had meant to make a longer post about the trip to PDX but got sidetracked and the tales have faded into legend. However... I REMEMBER THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP. Paddy's
This place has one of the best selections I've ever seen. I had a glass of the Pappy's 13 yr. Rye, managed to finish the rest of their Suntory and upon seeing the St. Germain walked the bartender through a Cooper Cocktail from the food and wine cocktails 2008 edition.
