Drink A Week

I Don't Want to Wait Another Year!

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:09:00 +0000

The 15th arrived quietly, but the serenity of the morning belied the storm on the horizon. The storm that was to be the second annual Pfiff! beer/food fest. It was a perfect San Francisco day to eat tasty food, and drink tasty beverages in a glorious oasis, and all I had to do to earn my keep was labor under a harsh taskmaster. I've said many times that I am far from a beer expert -- My brain can only handle so much information, and I've chosen to spend that capital on spirits, cocktails, and 80's pop culture (with a focus on cartoons, and D&D). Rather than give you a full, blow by blow write-up I'm just going to spew out some random observations. Also, I was a little bit too busy to take notes.

Rob is nothing less than ambitious in the kitchen, and he didn't pull any punches when putting together the menu.

-- The opening salvo was a great way to kick things off. If you've never had peaches with goat cheese, you're missing out. It's a beautiful match that was bolstered by the peppery arugula and matched beautifully with the La Fleurette which was light, and crisp with a nice bit of "earthy" citrus.

-- The Chiostro, which contains wormwood, wasn't quite what I expected. This was a case where I was somewhat sabotaged by my cocktail loving ways. I was expecting a much more bitter punch such as one gets with Absinthe -- While there was certainly a bitterness from the wormwood, and it made a nice addition to the aroma, it wasn't the slap on the tongue I was expecting. Unlike me, it seems brewers know what restraint means.

-- Not only was Nora the home run beer of the homerun beer of the day, it has magical healing abilities. The use of the kamut flour made the batter a bit thinner than I'm used to working with which wasn't a problem except for the flipping. The hot oil was flying my friends, and at one point a hasty flip bathed my forearm in boiling rain. It actually wasn't that bad, but I was feeling the distinct tingling of hot oil action when I popped the top on one of the Nora bottles. The loud pop was followed by a cascade of foam running down my arm. I scrambled for glasses to save the precious beer, and when all was said and done folks were drinking and my arm felt great. Some would say it was just the effect of cold liquid on the burn zone, but it was magic I tell ya, magic!

-- The pairing of the Strada San Felice with the soppressata, polenta, and tomato was one of my favorites of the day. The soppressata (for me anyway) sublimated some of the more dominant flavors in the beer, giving me stronger hits of the more subtle flavors. It was a great way to taste the layers of this complex, tasty beer. Also, I could have bathed in that tomato sauce.

-- The Palanfrina/fig and honey cake was another excellent pairing. The sweetness of the figs and honey really made the chestnut accent in the beer sing.

Everybody who came out deserves a big thanks as this sort of thing can't happen without folks actually, you know, being there, but there are few folks in particular who get a little extra round of applause.

Rob and Des -- The amount of work that goes into these things is tremendous, and I get the pleasure of swooping in for the easy part after Rob and Des have done all the real work. As a bonus I get to learn about beer that I would probably never even think about.

Dave Hauslein -- As the beer manager for Healthy Spirits Dave was instrumental in securing for us the grand array of beers we had on hand. Not only that, but he brought along an amazing post-meal beer that I pretty much missed out on as I was occupied with another conversation elsewhere. He was kind enough to donate to me the rest of his sample. I still feel kind of bad for taking it from him, but not that bad. Because it was amazing.

Erik E. -- After some "enthusiastic encouragement" on my part, Erik was kind enough to bring some punch to the affair. Not just any punch mind you, but a Modernist Punch. One which was an experiment in blending into a punch the essential flavors of beer. Even better it was quite tasty. Even better than that, he gave me a bottle to take home.

Jordan Mackay -- The fritters were the cause of a bit of a slow down, but Jordan came to the rescue risking hot oil to lend a hand in the kitchen. At the end of the day, as we were cleaning up, I was joking asking Rob what we would be doing next month. I was only
half joking in so far as I knew such a thing wasn't going to happen, but sweet gravy I wish they were monthly events.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Old Fashioned Ode

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:44:00 +0000

When I first moved to San Francisco, Rob was one of my roommates for several years (by the way, if you ever have the chance to live with a home-brewing beer nerd I highly suggest you take it). Along with being the primary architect of my move out here, he took it upon himself to show me his favorite local spots. One of the first places he took me to was Spec's. Spec's is a mecca to the age of bohemians and beatniks, full
of old timers, and knick-knacks from by-gone days. I loved the place immediately, but that's not what Rob had brought me there for. Here, he assured me, was where I needed to go to get an Old Fashioned. This was not a terribly popular beverage during my college days, so while I was familiar with the drink, it was one I had not yet had. Fortunately for me, I like booze and I trusted my native guide, so an Old Fashioned it was going to be.

With the 20/20 hindsight I have these days, I must say that in its construction there were many things I think are wrong with the typical Old Fashioned that are found these days. At the time, however, it was a minor revelation -- One that would be another piece in the puzzle of geekery that would come together many years later. Watching the drink being made, I kept thinking that something so bare bones couldn't be that much better than the Whiskey alone. I was quite happy to find myself completely in the wrong, and it wasn't the last time I'd head over to Spec's for an Old Fashioned.

When I started getting serious about cocktails, it's no surprise that the Old Fashioned was one of the first drinks I really dug into. This drink is about as simple as it gets, yet the whole is truly more than the some of its parts. As I experimented with the drink, I eventually settled on the recipe that, for me, is perfection.

(My) Old Fashioned

2 oz. Rittenhouse Rye BIB
1 cube white sugar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 tsp. water

In an Old Fashioned (surprise!) glass muddle the sugar cube with the water and bitters until the sugar is dissolved. Add the Rye, some ice, give it a stir, and garnish with a flamed orange peel.

There are a couple of things you'll notice missing that are frequently found when ordering this drink these days -- First is the muddled cherry, and orange. This is referred to by purists as "fruit salad", or "garbage", and I am inclined to agree. There are some who insist that a reasonably small slice of orange muddled into the drink is a tasty addition. I bear those folks no ill will, but I've always found it unnecessary. The giant hunks of muddled orange most often found? What the hell people? This not a drink that needs to be diluted with a cup of juice. Ranting not withstanding however, the slightest hint of orange is rather nice. Thank God for garnishes. The second, and far more important, is the slug of seltzer. This "addition" is unequivocally not ok. I would attempt to wax poetically about this, but I'm already getting riled up. This is not a drink that wants or needs to be lengthened.

So what's your Old Fashioned recipe of choice? I'd be especially interested in hearing from folks who disagree with my stance on the muddled orange and/or soda. Am I missing something?

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Does All Italian Beer Suck? Find Out With Pfiff!

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:41:00 +0000

It was around this time last year, as the San Francisco summer was thinking about maybe staring (or not), that my friend (and huge beer nerd) Rob decided it was time to gather fellow beer lovers for a American wild ales tasting, complete with food pairings. The event turned out to be a great time all around, and even before the day was over Rob and I were talking about how he would need to do a tasting again.

August, it seems, is an auspicious month, because the date has been set for another grand tasting.Once again Rob has selected an intriguing theme -- Italian beer. If you're anything like me, you like to dunk your toast in your egg yolks, love monkeys, and don't think of Italy as a producer of great beer. This is your chance to put one of those notions to the test (hint: it involves beer. Well, maybe also monkeys if we can figure out a way to break into the zoo). Once again, each beer will be paired with food and I'll be lending had hand in the galley -- Since this time around I have the use of both hands it won't be as funny to watch me wield a knife, but the food should get on the table quicker. As an added bonus, all the beer is being provided by the fine folks at Healthy Spirits which means that should any of the beer you try really strike your fancy, you won't have to run all over town collecting your favorites.

Head on over to Rob's site for details, or keep on reading for the quick and dirty info.

When -- Saturday, August 15, at 3:00 p.m
Cost -- $45 (worth every penny I might add)
Location -- You'll have to RSVP for that, but it's pretty centrally located and has a plethora of public transportation options.

You can RSVP to rob_denunzio [at] yahoo [dot] com or head over to his site and leave him a comment.

Last year was a great, casual way for beer nerds, and novices (like myself) to taste and talk about interesting beers, and I expect this time around to be no different so get to gettin' already.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Clock Bar -- Year One

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:03:00 +0000

In just a few short days, the one year anniversary of Clock Bar will be upon us, and they've got a hell of a celebration about to begin.

Like all good birthdays, they are setting them selves up for a birthday week, with new guest bartenders each day beginning on Monday -- An amazing line up at that. They're also having a different spirit sponsor each day. Normally I would be wary of liquor sponsors for something like this, but they happen to be ones which I quite like (or, in the case of Chartreuse, love in a way which is illegal in several states).

Here's the line up -- Plan your week accordingly.

Monday, July 13: Scott Beattie and Jacques Bezuidenhout. Sponsor: Partida Tequila.

Tuesday, July 14: Brooke Arthur and Neyah White. Sponsor: Domain Canton and Chartreuse.

Wednesday, July 15: Their birthday proper -- Steven Liles. Sponsor: Plymouth and Beefeater 24.

Thursday, July 16: Erik Adkins. Sponsor: Bols Genever.

Friday, July 17: Dave Nepove. Sponsor: Flor di Cana.

Reflections on Two Years Down

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Just like that, two years have come and gone since we started this humble blog. While it is somewhat on the moribund these days, we've still got a pulse. We've had a great time doing this blog, and don't plan on going anywhere soon.

Before we go any further, A huge thanks goes out to H. Joseph Ehrmann, proprietor of Elixir -- He has been kind enough to allow us to conduct our experiments, and be generally supportive of our endeavors (he even asked Ed and I to come up with a Hot Buttered Rum variation to put on the menu last winter which was pretty cool).

To be sure, the last two years have been quite an experience for both Ed and I -- We learned pretty quickly that I jumped the gun in naming the blog Drink A Week, because actually coming up with a drink a week is, you know, pretty hard. Making an average drink isn't that hard, we've made plenty of those, but really knocking something out of the park takes the kind of resources, and time that we just don't have. There are a fair number of bartenders out there who are constantly creating, and tweaking drinks and I've developed an even greater respect for that aspect of their job than I had before.

Ed and I have also been able to meet a really terrific group of folks under the guise of being bloggers. This has been a bit more the case for me, as I am not in the industry, but beyond bartenders, distillers, and the like we have also had the pleasure of meeting numerous other cocktail geeks and bloggers. Cocktail geeks are a great bunch, and beyond having a great time meeting those folks, one frequently learns a little something along the way.

Speaking of learning, the downside of chronicling what is essentially their personal learning process is that, for me at least, the more I learn, and write about what I'm learning, the more I realize there's a lot I don't know. There is no shortage of people putting their opinions on the internet with mixed results. Trying to create an informed opinion on anything, however, and blogging about the process is a decidedly more dicey matter -- There's a big difference between, "This is just my opinion.", and "This is my opinion, but I actually know what I'm talking about."

On one of our earlier posts, I had just about finished it up when, in looking at something else for another idea I had, I realized I had written something incredibly naive in the post I was about to publish. I corrected it (and no, I won't tell you what it was), and ever since then there's been a tiny voice asking me if I really should be doing this. On the other hand, part of the reason I wanted to blog about our experiments was precisely because we thought it would be interesting, at least to somebody, to watch us (myself in particular as I'm the total novice in this equation) learn by exploration.

Finally, a big thanks to our readers who have stuck with us through our shenanigans. Writing is hard, and doing so when you feel as though you are working in a total vacuum it's torture. It's nice to know we've got a posse on this trip. Big thanks are also in order for those folks in the industry who have been exceedingly generous in sharing their time, and expertise in helping me to learn more about spirits and cocktails. Whenever I mention that I have a blog to a bartender I'm just hoping they won't laugh at me. To not only not be laughed at, but have my enthusiasm taken seriously has been fantastic.

Here's to another year ya'll -- Cheers!

40) Siesta #1

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:48:00 +0000

1.5 oz. Tezon Blanco Tequila
.5 oz. Plymouth Sloe Gin
.5 oz. St. Germain
.5 oz. Lemon Juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass

Sweet Jebus! We done actually threw down with a drink for the first time in for the ever.

I had just popped into Elixir to say "hey" to Ed after running some errands, and found him keen on working on a drink. We were both feeling a bit loopy, so when he suggested Tequila as a base, I said we should mix it with Sloe Gin. We looked at one another, and decided to go for it. As we discussed what else to put in the drink Ed brought up the St. Germain, as its floral notes tends to work well with Tequila. Since St. Germain is fairly sweet, and the Plymouth Slow Gin is tart, yet has a sweetness to it we thought a bit of lemon would help round it out, and bring a bit of brightness to the drink.

We thought this was going to be a disaster of a cocktail, but were pleasantly surprised to find it was rather tasty. We tend to like our drinks on the dry side, and while we thought this might be a bit on the sweet side it suited our tastes well. The first few sips were Tequila forward, but as the drink sat a bit, the fruit from the Sloe, and the floral from the St. Germain began to work with the agave notes of the Tequila.

We're tossing the #1 in the name as the first thing Ed said upon tasting it was, "I think this needs an egg white." As we drank it, we became more convinced that this drink would work very well as a fizz. Ed (the lucky bastard) is currently off having fun in New Orleans, but when he gets back we are going to see what we can do with the Fizz variation.

Party Time

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:33:00 +0000

Recently I was asked by the girlfriend of a friend of mine, if I'd be willing to come up with some theme drinks for

his big birthday bash. I, of course, said yes. As the party grew closer, the logistics of the event (specifically that there would be anywhere from 50-100 people in attendance) began to make me a bit nervous. One of the biggest challenges was that I had no way of predicting what sort of cocktail tastes the guests would have. In the end I decided to play it on the simple side -- By being kind of a lame cheater, and for the most part just serving up fairly unimaginative variations.

Drink #1
Tequila, St. Germain, lime juice

While I don't remember it, I can't imagine I haven't seen this Margarita variation before. I would imagine it was one of the first things many people did when St. Germain first hit the streets. This one was squarely in the "meh" range -- Not delicious, but not terrible. Not surprisingly it was the least popular of the three. In my defense, I will say that a number of folks were staunchly against Tequila citing all sorts of prior poor experiences. I tried to convince them that it was probably due to the over consumption of mixto, but that did little to assuage fears.

Drink #2
Black Seal Rum, Ginger Beer, half a lime

Yeah! A Dark and Stormy with half a lime thrown in! With this level of creativity, I can't believe I haven't been nabbed by Bourbon and Branch. Sigh. I fall into the camp of people who find lime in a Dark and Stormy to kind of "water" down the drink, but this one was quite popular, and I even had a few people tell me they liked the lime -- Finding that it cut the spiciness of the ginger.

Drink #3
Vodka, Chambord, lemonade

I knew I was going to be doing a Vodka drink, and when I found out that my friend has an freakish love of lemonade I decided to just do a simple spiked concoction with Chambord to add a bit of extra flavor. This tasted exactly what you would think it would. For my tastes it wasn't very good, but sweet Jesus did this thing fly off the bar. The cocktail snob in me winced a bit every time somebody said, "Yum! Tastes just like candy!", but I was happy that so many people enjoyed it as much as they did.

Overall, I had a great time, and enjoyed seeing so many people enjoying their drinks. Were I to do such a thing again, there are a few things I'd do differently.

First and foremost, I'd set a definite "cocktail hour". Going into the party I had thought one of two things would happen -- 1) There wouldn't be much interest in the cocktails as people would be more interested on the kegs, and shot station (that's right. Shot station. I run with a classy crowd.) 2) There would be an early run (the party started at 3) after which folks would "slow down" by switching to beer. What actually happened was that the cocktails were consistently popular, and it wasn't until around 10:30 that I finally broke down the bar. By the time I was done, all I wanted to do was hop in a cab, and head home. Having cocktails from something like 3-7, and letting folks help themselves to whatever was left over after that would have allowed me to spend some time at the party proper.

I would also ditch the "make up drinks" bit. I think everybody would have been somewhat better served by a selection of carefully chose classics. It wouldn't have been too much trouble to seek out drinks that in and of themselves fit the theme I was told about while still being able to offer a selection of drinks that wouldn't be perceived as run of the mill.

Obesello Absinthe Vert

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:36:00 +0000

A while back, We got an e-mail from a representative of Obesello Absinthe asking us if we would be interested in being sent a bottle to try out. Why, yes -- Yes we would. Like most other Americans, Absinthe is new to us due to its recently legal status 'round these parts, so getting our hands on yet another bottle to add to those which we have had so far was a-ok with us. Ed isn't actually much of an anise fan, so it was left up to me to give this stuff a whirl. My life? It is so hard.

I first tried it neat -- The anise was huge (as one might expect) , with a lingering, sweet follow up. Past the anise punch were hints of mint and vanilla. Not surprisingly, sans water it's a big punch of heat and flavor -- Definitely asking for a little bit of water to open it up. With the water, there is a beautiful opalescent louche. Opened up, the botanicals come out to play with the anise -- The flavors cling to the tongue like I used to cling to my He-Man action figure.

I also wanted to give the Obesello a whirl in a cocktail to see how it would mix. My first thought was to try it in one of my favorites, the Sazerac. I decided that it might be more fun to try it out in something different, just for kicks. I ran on over to the always handy Cocktail DB and came across the Yellow Daisy. I had encountered this drink before and thought it would be a good one to take the Obesello for a ride.

Yellow Daisy
1.5 oz. Gin
.5 oz. Dry Vermouth
.25 oz. Grand Marnier
.25 oz. Obesello

The Gin and Absinthe were quite dominant, and it seemed to me that .25 oz. of Absinthe called for is a bit much. However, as the drink had time to rest, a bit more balance developed. The notes of the Grand Marnier asserted themselvs a bit more, and I feel the rounding out effects of the vermouth.

Overall, I like this entry into the Absinthe market. I still fall into the camp of 'if you can only have one Absinthe' choose St. George, but as people begin to take advantige of of the Absinthe craze, and churn out crap, Obesello is a well crafted, worhty entry to the market. Well worth giving a try if you get the chance.

SF Cocktail Week

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Wed, 06 May 2009 05:05:00 +0000

It's down to the wire, but I just done got to let y'all know that San Francisco Cocktail Week is just around the corner. I made it to a few of the events last year, and had a damn fine time at each.

One of the things I'm particularly excited about is the USBG cocktail competition. I've been to a few similar events in the past, and they're a fun way to see a real breadth of drinks being made by the best bartenders around.

The thing I'm really digging for this year is the day of bar school classes that are going on around various parts of the city. All the classes look to be gangbusters, but there are a couple that I particularly wish I could attend.

Cane, grape & cactus -- I probably shouldn't admit this, but Latin spirits are a bit of a weakness in by booze knowledge. I know the basics, sure, but the intricacies of the wide selection of southern continental potables are far from my forte. While it's true that Duggan has been known to dress so snazzy as to cause severe bouts of vertigo, and Jordan will smash you with friendliness (tell him, "not in the face!") -- This is a great opportunity to learn from two of the most knowledgeable folks in the city.

Gentleman's Companion -- I've said many times that I believe Slanted Door is running one of the best cocktail programs that isn't talked about in San Francisco. The man behind that program is also the man behind the program at the recently opened second Charles Phan project Heavens Dog. Erik Atkins is that man, and on my first visit to "The Dog", his passion for the drinks from Charles H. Baker's book was infectious. To see one of the best bartenders, talking about one of his favorite drink manuals will be treat indeed. Also, if you ask him nicely, he may show you how he is able to turn ice blocks into any number of shapes using nothing but the power of his mind.

I'm biased to be sure, but any and all cocktail week events you can make, you should get your fine bodies to. You won't regret it.

Tokyo Fog

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:43:00 +0000

Not too long ago, Rob posted on Twitter that he was about to work on a "Tokyo Fog" based beer. I was pretty sure I was the only person who knew exactly what he was talking about, and quite certain I was the only one who cried out in delight.

Long ago, in the before time known as college, Rob and I had a mutual friend (hi Eric!) who one day showed up at our local coffee shop with a grand announcement. Earlier in the day he had gone to the annual book sale of our hamlet's library, and one of the tomes he had picked up was a cookbook published in the 50's which was geared toward men. What this meant, it seemed, was that the chapter with vegetables had been omitted so that the author could put in more meat dishes. Dishes which contained a preponderance of butter or cream -- Often times both. Of course, there was also a healthy chapter on drinks. It was from this book that Eric became fascinated with the Manhattan, and eventually perfected his personal recipe -- The one which planted the seed in me that would later bloom fully decades later in New York.

But that's not what this is about. No, this missive is about far less sophisticated, dangerous drink which also emanated from that grand work. The infamous Tokyo Fog.

We first heard about this drink as part of the enticement to attend a BBQ Eric was throwing at his house. It was far from needed, as it was generally difficult to keep us away from functions at Eric's place, but it was a welcome tantalization in the midst of a classic Oregon heat wave. So what is this Tokyo Fog you are probably wondering? It's a simple compound consisting of equal parts Bourbon, coffee, and vanilla ice cream. It's mixed into a slurry, and stored in the freezer overnight to reconstitute into what can only be described as sort of a milkshake consistency.

We were well into the consumption of many grilled items when Eric finally brought out the bowl. The sort of milkshake consistency wasn't the most appetizing of looks for a beverage, but how can one go wrong with a combination of three delicious things? Indeed it was delicious, tasting almost exactly like a coffee milkshake -- With no hint of the Bourbon. It was a perfect drink for the day, as the heat would continue to pound us well into the evening. Some of us (ahem) gravitated to it more than others, and we soon found out that just because one couldn't taste the Bourbon didn't mean it wasn't very much there. Just ask the guy who drank the sausage beer. The less said about that the better.

As I've learned more about cocktails, I've found that there are some drinks that shouldn't exist, and some drinks that are best suited to a particular place and time. The Tokyo Fog -- rough, and inelegant -- is a drink in the latter category. I've recommended it as a batch drink for BBQs, though personally, on a really hot day I'd mostly prefer a Dark N' Stormy, or a Daiquiri. Then again, in a backyard filled with friends, and an embarrassment of girllable riches, a big cup (red SOLO please) of Tokyo Fog would be a welcome sight indeed.

As to the naked ambition of capturing those flavors in a beer brewed by one of those with whom I shared that first taste, and memories? Fuck yeah.

Look out, he's got a bar spoon!

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:29:00 +0000

For those cocktail geeks who aren't (or haven't been) in the industry, I imagine that an interest in being behind a for reals bar, whipping up beverages for strangers, begins to bubble up towards the conscience mind like swamp gas. That bubbling exploded in me many months ago, when I asked a friend of mine if he would be willing to let me stage with him at his bar. Like most of my random, great ideas that's about as far as it went. Until I got laid off in December. As I found myself sitting around my house sending out resumes to no avail, watching the Dow plunge to fear inducing levels, and slowly going insane, it seemed like as good a time as ever to bug my friend about it some more. Finally, he relented and got the consent from his boss to let me back behind the bar.

The fool!

There is a great difference between making drinks for yourself, and friends at your home bar. A good drink is a good drink, but there is so much more to being in a service position. It sounds trite, but when you are tending bar you are a host, and the customers are your guests. They may want drinks you despise, or they may be annoying to no end, but your job is to make them happy. There is also a particular procedure to being behind a bar that can flummox any non-industry folk who think they know everything. That was why I wanted to take a shot behind the bar.

I started with pouring beer, and discovered the fucked up intricacies of pouring beer from a tap. I can hear Rob screaming as he reads that, as he has
tried for many years to teach me the basics of pouring a beer, but in a bar each tap has its own life. A life that is full of gassy baggage, and when each mistake is a pour cost, one can get a little freaked out. as the day wore on I was finally called upon to make a cocktail. A Sazerac -- One of my favorite cocktails, and one that I thought I would slam dunk. Yet under pressure to make one for a random guy who had shuffled into the bar, I might as well have been asked to make a battleship from scratch. My stirring technique was criticized. My sloppy methodology of assembling all the components of the drink was pointed out to me. I was made to feel like I had no business behind a bar at all -- And it felt fantastic. There is a strange delight to learning that I had forgotten, and was glad to find again.

Just as my shift was ending, I began to feel the slightest hints of a groove. I was having fun interacting with customers. I had gotten the hang of pouring a good beer, and I even got show my shaker face to a lucky few folks.

I've got a lot more shifts ahead of me before I'm anywhere close to being a bartender, but I'm looking forward to it. The nervous feeling when I'm asked to make a drink. The fucking up, and feeling like an idiot. Making folks feel welcome at the bar, and seeing people leave after having a good time.

Bartending is a tough job, and one I might not be cut out for in the long run, but as a cocktail geek, I'm happy as a monkey in a peanut machine. Maybe I'll even let y'all know where I'm working someday, and you can come on by and I'll make you the best Old Fasioned in San Francisco.

Repeal Day II: The 'Recon Crew -- Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:56:00 +0000

Cantina

In a twist most nefarious,the folks at
Cantina teamed up with John Walker for a Repeal Day extravaganza. They put together a special menu for the evening of $1 cocktails. As you might imagine, by the time Ed and I got there, the joint was jumping, but we were undaunted. Duggan McDonnell was manning the hosting position, while behind the bar upstairs co-owner Aaron Prentice, and Jordan Mackay were churning out the drinks. We both started with an Oriental (Sazerac Rye, Sweet Vermouth, Creole Shrub, and lime juice) -- This is a great cocktail that I'm surprised doesn't get more air time. As we were enjoying our drinks, and trying to stay out of the way, Jordan popped over to say hi, and introduce us to a friend of his, Marcia "Tablehopper" Gagliardi with whom we had a fine time chatting with for a while (she's fabulous!). For our second drink, we went for the Yellow Daisy -- A pleasant mix of Gin, Dry Vermouth, and Grand Marnier. We decided to drift downstairs to the satellite bar, where Dominic Venegas was working his magic which, it turned out, consisted of making Ed and I break our "no shots" rule. As we were chatting with some of the other folks who were about, I noticed Dominic pull out a couple of silver mugs from under the bar. It was early in the evening, but it seemed that it was time for a Blue Blazer. The lights were dimmed, and with deft hands Dominic tossed flaming whiskey from mug to mug. It was a glorious display that was cut short by Ed being called into an emergency run to Elixir, and with that we were off once again.

Elixir

The run to Elixir was quick. A crowd was gathering, and we had other places we needed to be. As long as we were there, and had broken our shot rule, we decided to indulge in a quick shot of the sweet, sweet Jameson. As we left, we began to talk of our next stop. We decided to head out to Beretta or NOPA. As I was eager to try a little something they were serving up for the occasion at NOPA, I used my massive charm to lure Ed NOPA ways.

NOPA

The reason I wanted to go to NOPA was because they were celebrating Repeal Day by unleashing their Red Headed Rye. I had tried some a while ago thanks to persons which shall remain nameless, and was eager to have some more. When we arrived, the bar was crowded, as we had feared. Ed decided we should push through and see if we got lucky. His intuition proved genius, as two stools opened up right in front of us only moments after we situated ourselves behind the bar. As we seated ourselves, we were greeted by the delightful Kent Howard. I had met him randomly several weeks before, and was glad to see him again on our Repeal journey. Ed and I were both on the same page when it came to what we wanted to put that Rye to, and ordered Manhattans. It was a beautiful construction, with all the lively kick a Rye lover could want. We thought about sticking around for another, but it was getting late, and we wanted to make another stop.

Alembic

As we walked in, we saw the benevolent face of the great Daniel Hyatt behind the bar. We were also still on the same page, looking to end our evening with another of our favorite classics -- The Sazerac. Some time ago this became one of my favorite cocktails, and it seemed to be the best way to end our evening. It was one last cheers, and several sips before Ed and I parted ways to our respective homes.

It was a grand (long) night, and a grand way to spend Repeal Day. As I sat at home drinking an enormous glass of water, I began to wonder how we might top it next year.

I'm guessing a booze pool.

Repeal Day II: The 'Recon Crew -- Part One

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:30:00 +0000

If Jeffery Morgenthaler didn't have enough to do what with keeping the fine folks of Eugene well supplied with excellent drinks, he's also the original champion of the greatest holiday in the world ever -- Repeal day. This grand celebratory occasion first came to my attention last year, and while I like to think I did an ok job at celebrating it, I felt I could do better. With Ed not having to work this time around, I knew we could put together something that would be much more appropriate for the day. We decided that a cocktail crawl, one of epic scope, would be just the ticket. The ticket to where we neither knew nor cared.

Slanted Door

As I was heading up towards the Ferry Building, I got a text from Ed indicating that he was running late. It seemed wrong for me to have my first Repeal Day drink sans Ed, but really, my hands were tied. Scanning the list was an exercise in excess -- There were just too many delectable looking drinks to choose from. I kept getting drawn towards the Agricole Rhum Punch (Rhum Agricole, lime, cane syrup, Pimento Dram, and Angostura) and decided to give it a go.

Damn my eyes if this wasn't a great drink. It managed to be both earthy and light, with a neigh on miraculous balance between sweet and sour. Sitting at the far end of the bar, sipping this cocktail while watching freighters drift into view was an excellent way to start the day. It didn't take long before I stopped checking the clock to see how much longer I would have to wait for Ed to show up. It also soothed the pain of the conversation that sparked up next to me about drinks, and why there's no reason to go to Slanted Door for drinks, because one can get a drink anywhere. But I digress.

Eventually Ed arrived, but by that time there were no seats at the bar, and that simply would not do, so we decided to move on. Fortunately for Ed and his thirst problem, our next stop was just down the block.

Boulevard

Ed and I have met lead Boulevard barman Steve on several occasions, but had never had an opportunity to get down there to give his concoctions a whirl. Fortunately, it was but a brief amble away from Slanted Door. Steve had yet to show up as his shift was still impending, but that is not such a thing to stop us, so we snatched up a menu and took a look. Having not been able to scope out their drink menu on-line I wasn't sure what to expect, but we found a fine looking selection. I went for the Rye Smile (Old Overholt, Luxardo, lemon juice, peach bitters topped off with ginger beer) as I'm a sucker for Rye, Luxardo, and ginger beer. Also, I'm a sucker for pretty much anything. Some say it's a problem, I say it's a solution. Ed had a bit tougher time choosing his drink, but finally settled on the Black Briar -- An interesting concoction made simply of blackberry and pasilla puree, and Woodford with a twist.

The woman who made our drinks (whose name we didn't get because we are terrible people) was deft of hand, and soon delivered unto us two tasty looking libations. The Rye Smile was quite good, with the spice of the Rye and ginger beer working nicely with the sweetness of the Luxardo. Ed's drink very nice as well -- The blackberry was a great foil for the spice from the pepper, but wasn't so much as to overwhelm the notes from the bourbon. Steve showed up as we were finishing off our drinks, and it would have been just plain rude were we to not have more drinks.

As I was scanning the menu, Steve offered to whip Ed up something all off the menu, and the business. Smart man that he is, Ed acquiesced and was soon proffered a New Amsterdam (Bols Genever, apricot liqueur, Amontillado Sherry, Velvet Falernum, and Regan's Orange Bitters). This was an interesting one -- The malt from the Genever hit strong at first, then faded quickly leaving a nutty finish from the Amontillado. It wasn't thrilling me, but after having some time to rest in the glass, those main flavor profiles began to blend into a more pleasing shape. I couldn't bring myself to leave the menu, and went for the Man From Athens, Maker's Mark, Carpano Antica, orange juice, and caramelized peach syrup. I liked this expression of the "West Coast" drink trend of bartenders raiding the kitchen. The syrup added a really nice burnt/sweet note to the overall drink.

We could have stuck around for another, but we had a holiday to celebrate.

Clock Bar

It would have been extremely bad form for us to have left the always ebullient Marco Dionysus out in the cold during our festivities. So it was that we headed up to the Clock Bar. When we arrived, we were feeling very much in the mood for some classics. Ed gravitated to his favorite, the Hemingway Daiquiri (Rum, grapefruit juice, Maraschino, and lime juice),and I sated my need for a Last Word (Gin, Green Chartreuse, lime juice, and Maraschino) lust. Both were exactly what we were looking for. For round two, Ed went for a Wibble -- A heady combination of Plymouth Sloe Gin, Gin, grapefruit, lemon juice, and Creme de Mure -- This has been one of our favorites on the menu for some time. It may be a bit of an obvious statement, but there is something magical about the combination of Gin and Sloe, and the Creme de Mure deepens the mixed fruit flavors of the Sloe. I went for a Pegu (Gin, Curacao, lime juice, Angostura and orange bitters) as a nod to the drink that made the magic happen for me.

I didn't take any photos, and blame Marco's rendition of Shakespeare in the guise of Bugs Bunny. It was a magical performance.

Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the whole performance, as we had to move on to the chaos that was sure to be Cantina.

Helper Monkey

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:46:00 +0000

So, um, yeah. The picture isn't that great, but there are a lot of glasses there. Who knew the phrase, "Yeah, fuck it, I'm excited now." could lead to so much delicious chaos.

If you're planning on hitting up Cantina for their Repeal Day festivities tomorrow (Ed and I will be everywhere), and were wondering what the offerings might be like, I'll go ahead and give them the thumbs up.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Book Review -- Artisanal Cocktais

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 10:22:00 +0000

Hi! I'm a lazy bastard, how's it going? Remember how I was all talking about that Scott Beattie book signing, then never took the time to write about it, or the book? Yeah, those were good times weren't they? To make it up to you, I'm going to go ahead and tell you all about it. I know that doesn't sound like I'm making up for anything, but rather performing my bloggerly duty, but that's just because you're wrong. I mean I love you.

As somebody who is not in a position to likely ever get up to Cyrus to try the drinks of Mr. Beattie, I was pretty excited to have a chance to get my lips on some of his concoctions. They were quite impressive, and tasty, with the Painful Punch rocking my world. To be technical, I would have to resort to the official mixological trade classification of "hot damn!" The crowds got big in a hurry, so beyond drinking a painful amount of punch (zing!), and engaging in some celebrity shaking (not what it sounds like, and I'm happy to report that I never once jettisoned the pint glass off the boston and into the head of anybody standing behind me) I was out of there pretty quick.

While I partied modestly, I was still quite happy to have walked away with a copy of the book, Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus which was thoughtfully inscribed with "To the best bartender on the west coast, BFF Scott." I might have added that part myself later -- Don't judge me! Because I'm the sort to judge books by their cover, even before I have seen said cover, I was imagining a book which would be almost Thomas Kellerian in its complexity. Recipes with recipes, and mysterious ingredients that would have me asking, "What the hell is a floozlefruit bush, and where the fuck am I supposed to get a drachm of argon gas?" I was half right.

To be sure, this is not a book for beginners or even for the likes of me, but I didn't think it would be. On the other hand, I was happy to see space taken to talk about proper ice, measuring of ingredients, using fresh citrus, etc. I was also happy to see classics like the Gin and Tonic, and Last Word covered – But as I read through the book I kept had a hard time wrapping my mind around it.

Things like the use of lotus root chips, and foams (though I must admit it is a more restrained use than is often found) seemed a bit much, and the overwhelming emphasis on ingredients that would be hard to find outside of most major cities (but would never the less require a lot of shopping trips) sat weird with me. Still, I couldn't deny the innovative nature of what was being done, and as I said, this is not a book geared towards the fledgling enthusiast.

It wasn't until I read an insightful post about the book over at Underhill Lounge that I realized more what I was feeling about the book. He mentions that it may be that the drinks are more the non-spirit components than the spirits themselves that are the real focus of the drinks. I don't know if I'd go that far, but I wouldn't fight him on that point, and that's were I get stuck. The drinks I had were, as I said above, delicious, but the book seems like more of an academic study rather than a practical manual of drink making. Indeed , the drinks I love the most are those that feature the spirits and there nuances as the star.

But here's the thing – For all the words I've spent talking about the problems with the book, it's incredibly inspirational. It pushes the boundaries of what is thought of as a cocktail, and takes the west coast style of mixology to its most grand. This is not a book for people just taking their first steps into the cocktail world, but for folks who are looking for a bit of inspiration, and new ideas I'd say it's worth a read.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Core Vodka -- Or is it?

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:17:00 +0000

That's a bit too much poorly written snark -- Even for me.

Thursday Drink Night

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Something I've been quite remiss in mentioning here is a weekly, virtual celebration of cocktail creation and mayhem. It's a sweaty mash up of "your mom" jokes, on the fly cocktails both good and bad, and people going to bed several hours after first saying "I gotta go to bed". This, my friends, is the soused world of Thurday Drink Night. While the chatroom is a fine place to drop any time you're looking for a geek fix, it is the wonderfully inglorious Thursday nights where the magic happens. Which probably explains my regularly forgetting about it, and not showing up.

"That's all well and good," You're saying to your monitor, confirming to your co-workers what they have suspected for years, "but where is the meat in your bloggey sandwich, the trebling crescendo that keeps us always coming back for more? You know, when you talk about yourself."

First of all; I'm not that egotistical that you very much. Second of all; simmer down children, I got you covered. For your viewing (and mocking if you like) pleasure, I present you with the tepidly received contribution I made last evening. I was unable to name the drink as I suck at such things (even more so under pressure), and can't remember what it got dubbed in the chat, so I'm gonna make something up now.

Fistful of Dollars*

1 oz. Plymouth Sloe Gin
1 oz. Haymen's Old Tom Gin
1 oz. lime juice
.5 Tbs. Creole Shrub
2 dashes Fee Bros. Cherry Bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and top with soda**.

* The first person who can tell me why I chose this particular name for the drink will get 500 bonus D.A.W points.

** Soda amount-wise, I'm assuming you have more appropriate glasses than the 10 oz. tankards that are all the rage these days.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

39) The Placeholder

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:24:00 +0000

1.5 oz. Tezon Blanco Tequila
.25 oz. St. Germain
.25 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
.5 oz. lime juice
.5 oz. lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a flamed orange peel

This one wasn't too bad. We've gotten a bit rusty what with not having the time to play around recently. I was happy to revisit St. Germain -- When it first come out, it was being used by everybody for everything and I got tired of it pretty quickly, but it's a damn fine spirit. I'm also ridding a bit of an obsession with Maraschino. I don't know why but I feel like putting it in everything. An idea I can assure you is not a good one.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

The Wreckoning Wreturns

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:18:00 +0000

It is numerically poor form of me to have not posted this at the one month away mark, but I have been rather busy lately with being smart, and handsome. You know how it is. But enough of my being smart, and handsome, let's get down to business. In less than one month, December 5th, Repeal Day will be upon us once again! Some of you may recall my perfectly executed celebration last year, but this year I'm hoping to be a bit more perfect. Ed should be able to join me this year, which will provide me with a much needed dose of 'let's not do that' and 'I have an idea, let's get food instead'.

Even if you just hoist a tasty drink in the comfort of your own home, don't forget to celebrate our right to enjoy delicious, delicious booze.

Then come back here and tell us all about it.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Halloweenie!

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:35:00 +0000

I'm just going to say that the picture speaks for itself. If you have ever wondered why Cantina is one of my favorite bars, now you know. On a totally unrelated note, doing shots at Clock Bar with a guy in a hot dog costume is hilarious! Also check out those sweet pantyhose!

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Guilty Pleasures

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:44:00 +0000

A couple of years ago, well before Ed and I shambled onto the blog-o-kleinbottle, Paul Clarke of The Cocktail Chronicles founded Mixology Monday -- A monthly gathering of cocktail enthusiasts who used their blogs to come together and share their takes on a set topic. Since I've been following it, the MixMos (as they are affectionately abbreviated) have provided some great reading, and introduced me to more blogs with which I can waste my day. However, Ed and I have yet to participate in one seeing as I have a terrible propensity to forget pretty much everything, and Ed is the only known case of a person born with no capacity to remember anything, ever (to compensate he developed sight beyond sight. Mum-Ra, and the UCSF girls dorm are not pleased.)

The latest MixMo that we missmo'd (comedy!) was guilty pleasures, which I found really interesting, because I like both guilt and pleasure. This one I had actually really wanted to remember, but clearly didn't. However I see no reason why I shouldn't expose you all to my shame anyway. I mean, that's what blogs are for right?

Cheap Beer -- Coming of age in the Pacific Northwest during the micro brew explosion, and being this guy's friend makes it all but impossible for me to not love good beer. More often than not, however, when I'm out and about you'll find me sucking on some classic, shitty, American macrobrew. It pretty much comes down to price, because most of the taps at the places I frequent for my non-cocktail needs pour beers that I've had hundreds of times. They are tasty brews to be sure, but they don't hold any excitement for me, and if a beer isn't going to excite me I'm just gonna grab whatever's the cheapest. You know, to wash down the Jameson. Sorry Rob.

Irish Car Bomb -- This is a double whammy of embarrassment. Not only is the name deplorable, but it is one of the iconic "amateur" drinks in the cannon. The problem is that it is also delicious. The first time I tried one I was resistant, insisting to my friend who wanted me to give it a go that it was a stupid drink for stupid people. Eventually I relented, just get him to shut up. A few messy seconds later, and I was recanting my previous statement. I pretty much only drink these when somebody else proposes a round, and often times I'll front that I'm not really into "those things", but everybody can tell I’m lying.

The "Chill Pill" -- I really shouldn't admit to liking this shot composed of equal parts Green Chartreuse and Peppermint Schnapps. The name alone screams "you have no business being in a bar, much less leaving your dorm room", and the presence of Peppermint Schnapps in anything is generally a sign of a liquid apocalypse. As much as I love Chartreuse and think it can save anything (even the rec. center), this drink seemed all kinds of wrong to me when I was exhorted to try it. In my defense I really resisted trying this one, and it wasn't until my friend Francis placed me under great physical duress that I relented.

Look, I'm not even going to try and defend this, because in name and recipe it is almost impossible to do so, but I will say this. During a recent Thursday Drink Night (a weekly, virtual gathering of cocktail geeks that I highly recommend, and really should write about) I threw this bad boy out to the wolves. It's name was promptly changed to Merde Vert, but there was one brave soul who was willing to try it. You can see in the comments that he declared it tasty! In the chat he also indicated that he wouldn't have to use mouthwash for a week. Obviously the only way to interpret that is positively.

My Own Horrifying Creation -- Recently I was at home thinking that I sure could use a cocktail. I also had that nifty swizzle stick I got from Whiskeyfest that had so far gone unused so a swizzle it would be! Staring at my screwy liquor cabinet (more on that never) I began to assemble a drink kind of willy-nilly. In the end I had a "drink" composed of Plymouth Sloe Gin, Hayman's Old Tom Gin, kumquat gastrique, and a few dashes of Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters. I took a sip and blushed -- It was everything I hate in a cocktail. It was way too sweet, and so fruit forward that the nuances of the liquor had been blasted out of the glass via a monkey navigated rocket car. It tasted like a Wild Shameberry Blast(tm) Jolly Rancher, and it was fucking delicious. To sip upon this drink is to know the exquisite pleasure of evil.

Now -- Why don't you all make me feel better about myself by tossing your guilty pleasures in the comments.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Scott Beattie Book Signing Update

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:07:00 +0000

While busily forgetting to get more info on the Scott Beattie event I recently wrote about, Camper English over at Alcademics was kind enough to do the work for me.

When: November 3rd, starting at 6pm.
Where: Cantina, 580 Sutter.
Miscellaneous: There will be a $40 cover, but that's gonna get you a signed copy of the book and (last I heard) a couple of Beattie-tails. I just wrote Beattie-tails, what the fuck?

I'll be there until a ton of people show up, and I start to feel as though the walls are closing in on me and I am forced to flee in terror. Woo!

Thanks Camper, you're the best!

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Twitter? Why the Hell Not.

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:52:00 +0000

There are a great many times in the history of the internet when I have seen things that I thought were ridiculous and stupid. Things that nobody would use. Things that go on to be hugely popular. If you're currently working on some internet widget thing, your best bet for success is to develop something I would deride. Why am I telling you this on a booze blog? Because we have bowed down to the demon twitter.

When twitter first showed up, I thought it was one of the most ridiculous things ever. Live journal for the ADD set -- Awesome! But then, post-whiskeyfest, I discovered that one can update their twitter account via text messages. It occurred to me then, that perhaps using twitter for special occasions on the go might actually be useful. And that I might starting writing inane things just cause I could. Then I would be cool.

So here we are, wrapped in the Succubus arms of a 140 character limit. Should you like to watch us spiral out of control our username is, surprisingly enough, drinkaweek.

If you're a twitter using booze lover feel free to inject your username in the comments. Maybe we'll feel better if we know we're not alone.

Also, with the exception of the upcoming, we will never use the word "tweet". That is objectively, scientifically, stupid.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Whiskeyfest

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:28:00 +0000

Last week, thanks first to Ed and then to H., I was able to attend Whiskeyfest. Given the seriousness of my journalism, I'm sure you've assumed that I have an extensive batch of tasting notes with which to share with you. Of course, you would be wrong. I made the boozefest mistake of a rank amateur -- Thinking, full of hubris, that I would have no problem remembering what I drank. That was problematic on two fronts; my memory sucks as it is, and we were drinking. A lot. We weren't riotously drunk, but when one starts hitting booths that are only offering spirits you drink on a regular basis, it's a pretty safe bet that the tasting notes are going to be murdered within the fog by liquor fueled leper zombies.

Nevertheless, since there were notable things that I remember, and now that I've got a bit more of my hand back, I need to get back to updating this damn thing it's share time!

I've been to some other whiskey shows in the past, and was somewhat disappointed in what felt to me an exclusionary air. The feeling was that those who weren't in a position to increase the market share of a whiskey weren't worthy of much attention. Whiskeyfest felt the total opposite. Every exhibitor we spoke with was incredibly friendly, and more than happy to answer my frequently dumb questions.

At the Rhum Clement booth Ed helped me score a swizzle stick. Like, the real deal West Indies swizzle stick. I know I sound like a freak for being exited about such a thing, but they are both hard to come by and awesome. So there. As I was admiring my stick (see what I did there?) a familiar face appeared at my side -- None other than Underhill Lounge's Chief Awesome Officer Erik Flannestad.

As we were standing at the Rhum booth, Erik if I had been to the Ron Zacapa booth yet. Having heard much of this rum, but not having jammed any of it in my pie-hole previously I went post-haste. That rum, my friends, is fucking delicious. It's got a lovely, buttery smooth mouth feel, and a clean "rum" flavor with a smooth finish. A damn fine sipping rum it is. Suffused with the glow of tasty rum I felt it was time to lower my guard, and open up. Right then and there I came out to Erik as a rumophobe. Sure, I loves me some rum, but as a category it frightens and confuses me. It felt good to get that out in the open.

Having felt we finally had our fill, Ed and I were standing out on the street corner when he had the bright idea of heading over to Clock Bar, and I had the bright idea of thinking that was a bright idea. It turned out that Ed was quite prescient, as it wasn't long after we received our first drink that one Mr. Flannestad was standing next to us. With him was cocktail blogger/writer Paul Clarke. Fortunately I was not quite the gibbering loon I was the I was the last time I ran into him, and can say with confidence that he's a fine gentleman to share a drink with. Ed and I had a few more, and watched as the bar began to fill up with Whiskeyfest refugees whom I'm sure were quite happy to take our vacated seats when we left.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I think I'd have to say that it wasn't so much the booze that fogged my memory, but the fact that I was having too much fun talking to random people, bartenders, and distillers to really focus all my attention on the booze. I definitely many great tastes, but it felt more like hanging out with friends than a time to take notes. Damn, when the fuck did I get all sentimental? Somebody get me a bottle of Jameson and a Clutch album stat!

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.

Scott Beattie -- New Book -- Party!

noreply@blogger.com (drinkaweek) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Some, if not all, of you know that Scott Beattie (the one time cocktail wizard at Cyrus) is about to release his first cocktail book. Per what I am sure is a byzantine contractual agreement he's doing a few of the requisite book signings around the area -- Since I only care about me, and fear all places beyond the boundaries of San Francisco proper, that's all I'm going to talk about. First up, on Nov. 3rd will be what I can only assume will be more of a party than a book signing at Cantina. I'm still trying to get final details about some things, and will pass it on when I get it.

Mr. Beattie will be back in San Francisco on December 3rd at Macy's Cellar. I don't know anything about this one, because it's not a bar. So, you know.

Comments always welcome or feel free to e-mail us at drinkaweek [at] gmail [dot] com.