Ever become inspired to create a new cocktail by a small blind dog?  I hadn’t either until a few months back.  We had some dear friends staying with us for about a week in the middle of their move to Mexico.  Among the elements of life stowed away for transport they brought their two cats and their mostly blind dog Isis with them as well.

Isis is a micro mix dog of vague Samoyed lineage living deep within her golden years.  Her normally long flowing coat has been shaved quite short for comfort on the long car trip the family is taking giving Isis this odd muscular look that allows her to show off her canine guns.  It is a  unique trait is completely in sync with her fully engaged small dog syndrome.

I was drawn to Isis and Isis watching quickly became a new and frequent habit.  I would mix a cocktail, perch myself in a comfortable spot, and watch her exorcise the full range of what it means to be small, furry, mostly blind, prone to suggestion, and have an attention span of equally diminutive stature.  While there were times when she would just lay around dog style, it was more often the case of watching furry pinball as she was pulled, it seemed, by the next sudden exciting notion that entered her wee head and off she went into a new and novel undertaking.

After enough of the requisite cocktail, recipe bellow, I began to notice that, regardless of our clear differences in size, her superior canine olfactory sense, my opposable thumbs, along with the rest of the registry of differences between man and pooch, Isis and I both shared something very powerful: we get bored easily.  I, too, am usually ready for a new whatever, whenever, and am usually bouncing around the confines of my world as she is in hers.  I decided to toast the realization of this new bond between Isis and I.  As I rose my glass to toast my canine compeñera and the gift/burden we share, I began to lament that in the give and take of our relationship I had only done the later.

Now feeling guilty, I rose my glass calling her name softly. “Isis,” I said.  In mid scurry across my hardwood floor, she abruptly applied the brakes, looked me in the eye and came to a sliding stop.  ”Gracias, para todo,” I said, thanking her for all she had given to our relationship.  Her head dipped slightly which was then became a short jaunt to my side wherein she turned offering me her flank.  A patient but expectant look over her shoulder was very clear.  Isis wanted a scratch.  While continuing to enjoy my cocktail with one hand, I obliged with the other.  My guilt was assuaged.  We now stood together, as brother and sister in distraction.

A moment later she darted away to chase one of the cats.  I sat enjoying my tipple determined to share this little tale in this humble space.  That was six months ago.  Sorry, I got distracted.

The Blind Dog Cocktail is another riff on a Bijou which is one of my favorites.  I simply replaced the gin with Illegal Reposado Mezcal and added a flamed lemon peel.  The Carpano Antica Formula and Green Chartreuse stay along for the ride.  This a cocktail with huge flavor: herbal, sweet, with a pleasing smokiness.

Cheers!

The Blind Dog Cocktail

Ingredients

1 ounce Illegal Reposado Mezcal

1 ounce Green Chartreuse

1 ounce Carpano Antica Formula

1 flamed lemon peel

Method

Mix all ingredients expect the lemon peel in an ice filled cocktail shaker and stir well to combine.  Strain into chilled coupe or cocktail glass and garnish flamed lemon peel.  Serve and enjoy.

 

Related posts:

1. Cocktail Recipe – Bourbon Manhattan
2. Cocktail Recipe – The Gilded Lilly from The Alembic, San Francisco, CA

When your best laid plans hit a snag or face an unexpected turn in the road or are met with an unusual obstacle or even deflate under the pressure everyone’s well meant expectations, it is likely time for drink. Might I suggest this humble offering; The Best Laid Plans cocktail.

The Best Laid Plans Cocktail

The Best Laid Plans cocktail is a simple but bittersweet variation on the venerable Perfect Manhattan with Cocchi Americano standing in for the dry vermouth. Cocchi Americano brings both the bitter and the sweet with its herbal meets orange characteristics and plays off the latent black pepper and orange tones brought to the party by Bulleit Rye. The sweetness and weight of the Cocchi required that I rethink the sweet vermouth in this drink. For a Perfect Manhattan at home, I often opt for Carpano Antica Formula which itself is bittersweet with a weighty viscosity which I thought would be too muddy for the final cocktail. Instead, I turned Cinzano Rosso which I normally find lacks complexity and body, precisely what I was looking for. Cinzano Rosso is slightly herbal and sweet but that’s it, characteristics which played very well in this drink. I finish the drink with a few drops of Agnostura and a lemon peel to add brightness above the aforementioned orange notes.

The Best Laid Plans Cocktail

;

So should the world turn slightly askew tossing your best laid plans asunder, salute the randomness of it all by toasting to and with The Best Laid Plans.

;

Cheers!

;

The Best Laid Plans Cocktail

Recipe

2 ounces of Bulleit Rye Whiskey

1 ounce of Cocchi Americano

1 ounce of Cinzano Rosso or other unidimensional sweet vermouth

4 drops Agnostura

1 lemon peel

Method

Add all ingredients except lemon peel to an ice filled cocktail shaker and stir patiently until very cold (count to twenty if you need to be objective about this). Wipe the rim of a chilled cocktail glass with the lemon peel. Strain ingredients into the cocktail glass and garnish with the lemon peel.

 

Related posts:

1. Cocktail Recipe – Unfinished Business Cocktail by Teardrop Lounge, Portland Oregon
2. The Classic Martini

I have been fortunate enough to engage in discussions of the bar arts with many a worthy bartender.  Among their love of good drinks and admiration for other good bartenders lay another deep fondness; that of genuine gratitude for their favorite dive.  It is understandable, I suppose, as the dive one calls one’s own is a deeply personal strand in the fabric of life.  It is that place most raw, most stripped down of pretense and expectation while being the venue most likely to house moments with those most accepting of ones true self.  In a very real sense a good dive is a kind of home.  However, few spots in this revival of great drinks have been able to meld the magic of the neighborhood dive bar with the craft behind the rail found at the notable mixology bars.  Those that do exist are often found amongst the tall buildings and dark basements of the big cites of London, New York, Los Angeles and others.  There is another, however, that requires a bridge, tunnel or cab ride out of San Francisco to find.  About thirty minutes later you will come upon a  long standing neighborhood bar that has found new life at the loving hands of some real mixological talent.  Found at 601 San Pablo Boulevard in Albany, California exists the seventy-three year old Hotsty Totsy Club.  I highly recommend you make the pilgrimage.

Spend time among the homes and hangouts of Albany and and nearby Berkeley and you are bound to hear mention of the Hotsy Totsy Club.  Any current or past Albany resident, University of California Berkeley Student or generic east Bay Area boozer will bust into some form of vowel filled guterral utterance upon the mere mention of its name.  The likes of “Aaaaaggghhhhh,” “eueueuemmmmmm,” or “oooouuuuuoooo!” are quite common.  Stories of inebriated farce, fancy and heroism generally ensue.   Most will tell tale of the food available by the Tacos El Autlense truck parked just aside the place.  All will conclude simply and with a glint of appreciation gained from memories earned over time and together: “I love that place.”

The Daily Special Board

Slinging drinks since 1939, the Hotsy Totsy Club holds an honored and venerable place among area watering holes.  It’s not a fame earned for its size, either.  It’s cozy.  But while not all that spacious, it doesn’t feel small.  Rather, The Hotsy Totsy Club is familiar and inviting.  This is a truly great venue for throwing a few back with friends old and new.  A low ceiling with recently installed pressed tin adds to the intimacy as well as a subtle soft luminosity echoing from the bars sparse and evocative lighting.  The main space at the Hotsy holds the bar with very comfortable high-backed bar stools, a few drink islands with leather covered stools and a legendary logo emblazoned shuffle board table, which was just refinished the day I attended.  A re-felted antique pool table draws attention in  back while the whole space is treated the clicks and scratches of actual .45′s working it out inside a classic jukebox.   Just out back is a corral enabling those with incremental needs for nicotine inhalation to enjoy their drinks along with the camaraderie of others of their ilk.  If you were looking for a template from which to model for a rumpus room of your own then this would be the place.

The crowd at the Hotsy Totsy Club is what tells you this place still has the soul of a dive.  The place felt filled with friends I had yet to meet and great conversations about nearly nothing that were waiting to be had.  No one here is on display or on auction.  Denizens here exist to be and enjoy.  Pods of friends with and making history are spread throughout all giving the place a very lively and lived-in vibe.  It is a very easy place to be.

Meixcan Velvet from The Hotsy Totsy Club

The magic here, as with the most memorable booze rooms, lay in the drinks and the people making them.  The bartenders here are patient, efficient, beyond friendly and damn talented.  I admire anyone who can work at speed without sacrificing beverage quality or the not too common civility.  Cocktail quality is usually why I return to a bar and, by the offerings I ingested, I will return often.  These kids make drinks that are memorable without appearing as a series of biotechnological experiments or arts and crafts projects I will never be able to replicate. They’re just good.  Of note are the following:

The Mexican Velvet drinks far too easily and could be the start of many time shifting adventures.

The Upper East Side is a variation on an original intent Martini substituting the gin for Hudson White Whiskey and is a noble drink worthy of a cigar, a smoking jacket and talk of the weighty ways of the world.

I enjoyed the Carjack, a riff on a Sidecar using applejack, cane syrup and lemon.  I enjoyed it in spite of the fact I don’t generally appreciate applejack.

Same could be said for The Paddington Bear, a curiously named quaff that includes bols genever, applejack, falernum, and orange bitters.

Under the classics, these kids make the best Martinez I’ve had in a goodly long time.

Locals all refer to The Hotsy Totsy Club as a dive and it definitely has that soul.  It also seems so much more in many ways however.  It is extremely clean, well decorated, damn comfortable (most plush stools in the world), and world class cocktails.  In the end it just is.  Feel free to classify it as you need, you need to get here.  You will be rewarded for your effort.

The antique pool table at The Hotsy Totsy Club

Hotsy Totsy Club Spring + Summer House Specialties

wicked good
pisco, liquore stregga and lemon served over fresh cucumber ice

tequila sour
tequila ocho reposado, chamomile liqueur, egg white and fresh lemon

somerset
miller’s gin, yellow chartreuse, grapefruit and lemon

la revolución
la vida mezcal, tomato juice, lime juice + pacifico beer served in a pint glass rimmed
with our own chili salt

upper east side
hudson white whiskey, dolin blanc vermouth and a dash of orange bitters

mexican velvet
a blend of cazadores reposado, chichicapa mezcal, pineapple gum, and fresh lime
in a velvet falernum rinsed glass.

chokehold
rhum barbancourt, cynar artichoke liqueur, elderflower and fresh lemon.

margarita de plata
made with cabrito 100% agave silver tequila, torres liqueur and fresh lime juice
on the rocks with salt.

old manhattan
old overholt rye, antica formula, and angostura bitters, up with a cherry.

carjack
a variation of a classic sidecar made with applejack, cane syrup and lemon.

bitter rivers
a cocktail inspired by a local bartender, DJ, pessimist. citadelle gin, aperol,
a splash of grapefruit and lime juice, club soda and rhubarb bitters.

muay thai
a mai tai with a kick, featuring mehkong thai rum.

in the pink
tito’s handmade vodka, st. germain elderflower liqueur, grapefruit juice
and a splash of cranberry.

san pablo soda
a refreshing mix of citrus vodka, domaine du canton ginger liqueur, lime juice and club soda.

knickerdropper
the classic Jerry Thomas knickerbocker reinvented!
white rum, raspberry gum, orange liqueur and fresh lime.

The Bitters & Booze from The Hotsy Totsy Club

Hotsy Totsy Club fall + winter house specialties

…and everything nice
what girls are made of, snow queen vodka, pear liqueur,
tuaca, sugar, allspice & everything nice.

puppydog tails
just two wags away from a sazerac, teacher’s scotch, pernod, sugar,
aromatic bitters and a dash of laphroig, black liquorice twist.

via copenhagen
rittenhouse 100 proof rye, cherry heering and b&b served up
with a flamed orange peel.

hot totsy
spanish brandy, overproof rum, honey syrup, lemon + ground spices
set ablaze. this is the hotsy totsy’s variation of the hot toddy.

ernesto
cazadores blanco tequila, maraschino liqueur, grapefruit and lime juice.

the miller’s daughter
miller’s gin, dry vermouth, créme de violette, and elderflower liqueur
served up with a peel of lemon.

paddington bear
bols genever, applejack, falernum, and orange bitters.

são paulo
a brazilian inspired manhattan made with cachaça, sweet vermouth
and orange bitters, served up with a peel of orange.

The infamous Tacos El Autlense parked outside the Hotsy Totsy Club

Hotsy Totsy Club Classic Cocktails

harvey wallbanger
ketel one vodka, fresh squeezed orange juice and galliano

carry on
punt e mes, green chartreuse, beefeater gin and lemon juice

blood and sand
teacher’s scotch, cherry heering, antica formula and blood orange juice.

hanky panky
tanqueray 10 gin, dolin rouge and fernet served up with a peel of orange.

negroni
made with bombay gin, antica formula and campari, up or on the rocks,
served with an orange twist.

sazerac
michter’s rye, peychaud’s & angostura bitters + sugar,
served in a chilled, absinthe washed rocks glass.

manhattan
old overholt rye, antica formula + bitters, up with a cherry.

last word
damrak gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse and lime.

martinez
created in martinez california in 1849, this cocktail of old tom gin, dolin rouge,
maraschino + orange bitters is possibly the forefather of the martini.

sidecar
fundador spanish brandy, cointreau, freshly squeezed lemon + sugar,
served up with a sugar rim.

aviation
aviation gin, maraschino liqueur, créme de violette and a squeeze of lemon.

jack rose
applejack brandy, small hand foods grenadine + fresh lime juice, up.

 

No related posts.

The world of agave based spirits is facing a suddenly unsure future.  There is a fight brewing that threatens to severely damage the quality, variety and history of these native Mexican spirits while also prohibiting countless families from being able to make a living crafting the artisan spirits their families have made for generations.  Not only are these small village artisans facing the very real end of their way of life, they are facing it at the whim and will of major foreign spirits brand-holders.  Along with the everyone at MixPourSip.com, I ask you to learn more and to then sign the petition referenced below.

The noble Maguey

For centuries, the world’s powers have looked upon Central and South America as a font of resources, a spring that over-flows with stuff to be taken from there and brought over here for our enjoyment and enrichment.  From gold to silver to potatoes to people to land to canals to culture to food to music and to so much more, the ledgers show mostly withdrawals and shamelessly few deposits.  Time has recorded the destruction of ancient cultures and the slavery of native peoples in silver, gold and mercury mines.  Contemporary eyes have seen (and still see) villages turned to war zones because Americans and Europeans like to snort the by-product of their native plants as well as reefs that have witnessed millennia that are now dead or dying due to the damaging effects of cruise ships and oil platforms.  The demands of our leisure have taken a toll on this paradise of varied landscapes and diverse peoples.  And we are trying to do it again.

Over the last few years, Mezcal has seen an increase in international popularity.  The craft cocktail revival of the last decade has brought us a cadre of hard working bartenders who seek out exceptional quality and variety through which to ply their trade.  Among modern mixologists, Mezcal holds a place of high esteem as a spirit of un-matched singular character.  Mezcal brands such as Alipus and Del Maguey have called attention to the art and traditions of local villages through the bottling of single origin Mezcals.  The popularity of these brands, among others, have brought international attention and appreciation to the efforts and art of small villages throughout agave growing regions.  With this appreciation have come dramatic increases in sales that many large corporately held Tequila brands see as a threat to their share of attention at the bar.

Masked as a way to “protect consumers” from mis-labeled agave based spirits, a handful of large foreign companies who own well known agave spirit brands have lobbied the Mexican government to write, offer and possibly soon to enact changes in how agave based spirits could be labeled both in and out of Mexico.   The new laws are meant to brand the word “agave” by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) along with adding what, in effect, are AOC laws within the world of agave based spirits.

Harvesting Agave

In the opinion of the non-profit advocacy group, The Tequila Interchange Project, the effects of the new laws would be to:

* brand the word ‘agave’ for the exclusive use of producers within the Tequila, Mezcal, and Bacanora appellations and limit its use to spirits made using only the six genus of agave allowed within these areas

* effectively prohibit from market spirits made from 33 other species of agave outside the appellations

* force producers outside the appellations to label their products ‘agavacea aguardiente’ or ‘distilled agavacea’ – agavacea is a much broader term that encompasses several hundred species

* prohibit producers from displaying the percentage of agavacea in their products in labelling, i.e prevent them from displaying ’100% agave sugars’

* limit abv outside of the appellations to between 25% and 35% – currently artisanal mezcals are produced between 45% and 55%

On an even more frightening and human level, David Suro, president of Siembra Azul Tequila and founder of TIP warns of profound social and economic knock-on effects within communities of artisanal producers.

 

“Most of the states where tequila and mezcal is produced already have the largest percentage of migration [to the United States]. If these plans go through there will be even less economic incentive to remain. They will eliminate the means for producers to make a living. Economic migration is the only alternative and with US anti-immigrant laws they will be left in limbo.”

Over 2,000 of the World’s finest bartenders have signed a petition urging the Mexican government to reconsider these pending actions.  Mixologists of the highest order are trying to use their influence to gain support against these measures.  They are among some of the most widely known bartenders slinging drinks today and include Bobby Heugel from Anvil in Houston, Jim Meehan from PDT in New York and Jeff Morgenthaler from Clyde Common in Portland.  A trait common to nearly all modern mixologists is the respect they hold for the people and the traditions that evolve to create the spirits that they use as the tools of their trade.  A trait which should also flow to you and I, the consumers and benefactors of that trade.

Even the U.K.’s prolific cocktail writer  Simon Difford  has taken a strong stance.  Just today, the web version of Difford’s CLASS Magazine published the following one paragraph editorial:

 

“Rarely have we seen such a blatant example of bullying and anti-competitive behaviour as the Mexican authorities’ plans to brand the word ‘agave’ and initiate a new norma for agave spirit production. [emphasis theirs]

The moves stifle the opportunity for yet-undiscovered categories of Mexican agave spirit outside of the existing appellations to make it on to the world stage, and so prevents their communities from benefiting too.

And they threaten to destroy centuries-old traditions which have the potential to expand the size of the agave category and to widen its flavour profile.

Tequila has suffered in the past from poor quality variants made using non-agave sugars and has done much to improve its international perception through its creation of a defined appellation based around the blue agave. But the industrialised tequila industry’s quarrel should not be with artisanal agave spirit producers who make 100 per cent agave spirits using wild species and wild yeasts.

These unnecessary moves tarnish the face of big business tequila brands and their quest to be seen on an equal footing as other more established spirit categories. The plans are analogous to the Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados industries getting together to effectively outlaw other French brandies. We wouldn’t condone that and neither do we condone this.

We would encourage readers to cast their vote and sign the petition:

www.tequilainterchangeproject.com/stop-nom-186

We have been much lobbied this week by those opposed to the Mexican authorities’ plans. We welcome the opportunity to speak to those who favour the plans and will continue to report the issues in the weeks to come.” [emphasis theirs]

From the historical perspective, this is just another example of anonymous people of means from wealthy countries taking advantage of locals from the America’s for commercial gain with no regard to the long term effects of their actions.  While it may seem silly at first glance to make such a fuss over any ingredient in a Margarita, a longer look shows you the faces of real people whose very way of life, one learned through generations of toil, is seriously at stake.

Whichever side of the brass you stride, you must take the lead of the aforementioned 2,000 bartenders and get involved.  At the minimum, click on one of the many links to the TIP petition on this page and add your name to that petition.  Please also then forward this article to as many of your drinking and bar-tending friends and ask them to do the same.  You may also contact the nearest Mexican Consulate and share your opinions with them as well.  It is our opinion that those of us who enjoy the results of the labor of these artisans, and others like them around the world, should be aware of the effects our drinking dollars and pounds have.  Now the threat of loosing some of those dollars and pounds are causing some booze behemoths to fidget uncomfortably and, thus, would like to change laws so they can rest easy.  It is a story almost as old as history itself.  Make your voice heard.

Thank you for listening.

 

No related posts.

At last, the infamous Week In Cocktails makes its triumphant return.  The WIC took months off to find itself, even dated Julia Roberts in India for a short while, but now is back in full force.  With any luck, the Week In Cocktails will actually make an appearance on a weekly basis.  While that is a noble intention,  let us just enjoy it’s appearance here now.

The Gin-Vent Calendar from theginblog.co.uk

Below are some news and notables from the last week from the world of booze.

• The New York Times just listed Oakland, California as a top five destination in the world for 2012.  This due to Oakland’s burgeoning restaurant and bar scene.   As an Oaklander, I am so proud.
• Saveur magazine offers a tasty quaff called a Breton.  Based on a traditional Czech liqueur called Becherovka that is topped with ice, tonic and a lemon wedge and is a drink that anyone who loves a good G&T should try.
• A local profile of the recently opened Barrelhouse Flat lounge in Chicago with their focus on pre-2oth century flavors.
• Derek Brown of The Atlantic released a list of his top five cocktail experiences of 2011.  Five bars from three countries and five cities are represented.  Justin Pike of the renown Tasting Kitchen in the Venice area of Los Angeles topped the list with his barrel aged Martinez Sour.
• This next one is from October but I am behind in my reporting and this one needs to take a bow.  Our friends at The Gin Blog found (what I believe is) truly divine inspiration in the creation of humankinds first all gin advent calendar.  Called The Gin-Vent Calendar, this is something you must see.
• The food blog Carlene’s Figments has a simple but very satisfying recipe for a gin, rosemary and grapefruit cocktail that I particularly enjoyed.
• If you are looking to fight the winter chill from within the confines of a glass, the kind folks at Spoon Fork Bacon offer a warm and wonderful Winter Spiced Old Fashioned.  If you like a good Old Fashioned give this one a try.  The addition of cardamom and anise play very well here.

 

Related posts:

1. This Week In Cocktails – April 3, 2011

As the head of the MixPourSip.com booze publishing empire, I frequently receive letters and emails from booze marketing firms offering cocktail recipe suggestions that show off their clients ware in a positive light.  Up to now, our vast editorial department has not shown favor on any of these suggestions via publication in this fair space.  Some of these beverages are clever in concept but fall just a tad short in the glass.  Most are well intentioned but don’t always catch our collective interest.  Until now.

The Fall Fig With Honey

This offering below, the Fall Fig Cocktail with Maple, breaks this editorial trend.  The folks behind Russian Standard Vodka informed me of this fall quaff just a few days ago.  It was created by New York Chef and Party Planner Linnea Johansson and is an unique combination of Fall flavors.  I very much like the combination of maple, ginger and fig and in a collins style cocktail.  I originally thought the fresh homey comb garnish was a tad trying too hard.  Giving it a go  proved me wrong.  It is a very nice touch.

I do have a couple of changes I would make to the recipe however and have noted them parenthetically below.  Ms. Johansson’s recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fig puree which I found too sweet.  Instead I employed two tablespoons of organic fig jam which gives good fig flavor without too much sugar.  Additionally,  the honey comb garnish is listed to be dipped in maple syrup  which just collected at the bottom of the glass.  Instead, I used a high quality honey comb still full of good organic honey.

Other than that, the Fall Fig Cocktail with Maple is one we feel you should try.  It pairs well with cheese in the greater Gruyere family as well as with smoked meats.  Because of it’s balanced combination of rich, sweet and slight acidity, it also nobly shares time with a peppery cigar.

Fall Fig Cocktail with Maple

Ingredients

2 oz Russian Standard Vodka

1/2 oz Maple Syrup

1 tbsp of fig puree

2 oz Lemon Juice

1 oz Regatta Ginger Beer

Method

Garnish with 1 honey comb log dipped in maple syrup. Muddle the fruit and syrup in a shaker, add the lemon juice and Russian Standard.

Add ice and shake well. Strain into a glass and top with ginger beer. For garnish, dip honey comb in maple syrup and place atop the cocktail.

Cheers!

 

No related posts.

A few short days ago, while astride my front porch on a sunny fall afternoon, I found myself caught in the rare nexus of serious booze and worthy charity. There lay a package that had traveled far to both inspire and imbibe. It was a sample of a unique Glenfarclas 9 year offered exclusively from the good lads (and lassies) at Master of Malt. Bottled just this last September, this particular whisky is being released in support of Movember 2011, the month long event that has fine fellows the world over growing and grooming their upper lips in support of men’s health issues.

Glenfarclas Movember 2011

Begun in Australia in 2003, the Movember movement has spread the across an entire world of upper lips. Moustachioed men are joining the effort in droves, proud and well groomed, to call attention to a range of mens health issues that often do not get a lot of popular attention or support, such as prostate cancer. Movember.com’s official U.S. web site describes the effort thusly:

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.

Once registered at www.movember.com, men start Movember 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.

Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember.

Even though the month of Movember is quickly coming to a neatly waxed end, you should all visit Movember.com to find out how you can support such a noble and handsome movement.

The aforementioned fine folks at Master of Malt and Glenfarclas have provided another avenue of participation and donation: one of deliciousness. With each £39.95 purchase of this exclusive offering, Master of Malt will donate a full £10.00 directly to Movember to help the cause of improving men’s health. While the donation in your name is nice, getting a full bottle of notably good whisky is even nicer. Warm your heart while you warm your spirit, I always say.

Movember 2011: A Well Groomed World Wide Movement For Mens Health

On the nose, the Glenfarclas 9 year Movember 2011 is a superstar. A truly drinkable aroma that is so good it actually, I believe, encourages the slow emptying of your dram just to prolong being caressed by its warming breath. Sounds of hyperbole, I’m sure. However, I am truly taken by it. The briefest inhale of this whisky is forcefully met with the best of both Kentucky and Jerez. A quick whaff of bourbon is quickly followed by the velvet warmth of Amontillado sherry with hidden lesser notes of cardamon, black pepper and pine. It is quite something.

On the palate, a quick welcoming sweetness proceeds an oaky warmth. Later in the sip, the co-mingling notes of light oak and, surprisingly, good blanco tequila hover before a slightly astringent finish of salty carmel brittle candy. Master of Malt describes this expression as an “aperitif whisky” and I think I agree. The flavor is intriguing but light enough to not get in the way of the meal or night to come. That said, I find the Glenfarclas 9 year Movember 2011 performs admirably in the wee small hours as well. It is right at home alongside a hand rolled cigar and a heady conversation about the great mustached men in history.

Doing good is noble. Drinking well is divine. I challenge you to join me at this unique confluence of noble divinity. Buy a bottle or two of the Glenfarclas 9 year Movember 2011 exclusively from Master of Malt and encourage your naked lipped friends to do the same. It’s the least they can do. Then make it clear to them that next Movember it’ll be mustaches all around.

Thank you for listening.

Cheers!

 

No related posts.

Recently, and by recently, I mean over a month ago, a kind reader to our humble corner of the boozernet asked a simple question.  Her name is Elena and she had been reading our piece on the Spring 2011 cocktail menu from Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon.  About two thirds down the list of their house cocktail menu was a drink described as “devilishly pleasant, elegantly fierce” that caught her eye.  Called the “Unfinished Business” she was intrigued and quickly shot off a comunique to our vast editorial department asking if we might obtain the actual recipe.  A simple request to Daniel Shoemaker of the Teardrop was all it took.

The Unfinished Business Cocktail from Teardrop Lounge

As a brief aside, everyone I have had contact with at the Teardrop Lounge have been top shelf in their own right.  Beyond their great cocktails and unique lounge space I have always found their people convivial, talented and eager to share.  This is yet one more brick in my foundational belief that the best bars have the best people well before they pour their best drinks.  It also reinforces the notion that a main trait in a great bartender is an eagerness to share.  Daniel, thank you for sharing this little number.

As for the drink Daniel writes:

We had a drink in the early stages of development that wasn’t working; a couple of the ingredients were fighting against one another.  When we ran up to the deadline for the release of the menu, we streamlined the ingredients, down to the bare bones, but with Laird’s bonded applejack as the base.  We put it on the menu as a great drink, but soon enough we tried it with gin when trying out a Dealer’s choice calling for such.  A light shone from the heavens, and the name was born (because you can always make something better).  Hope that helps.  Cheers, Daniel.

 

The Unfinished Business Cocktail

Ingredients

2 oz Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin

3/4 oz. Cocchi Americano

1/2 oz. Bonal Gentian Aperitif

16 drops kumquat-cinnamon bitters (possible to sub Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic Bitters, but Agnostura will also work in a pinch)

LIGHT dash agave nectar

Absinthe to flame over the top

Method

Combine all ingredients in an empty cocktail  shaker and stir well to combine.  Strain over a large ice cube into the chilled cocktail glass.  Flame absinthe over the top and serve.

Once again, Elena, thank you for your question and Daniel, thank you for sharing your talent and inspiration.

If there is a cocktail recipe at a bar that you would like to find the recipe for please let us know.  We will certainly give it a try.  Send your request to mixpoursip@gmail.com and we will send out the dogs.  Also, if you are a bartender with a drink and story that you would like to share, by all means, share away.

Cheers!

 

Related posts:

1. Cocktail Menu – Teardrop Lounge Portland, Oregon
2. Cocktail Recipe – The Best Laid Plans Cocktail

San Francisco has long been known as a city where one can obtain both world class food and drink.  Park Tavern, which recently opened on picturesque Washington Square in the city’s North Beach Neighborhood, aims to honor this tradition.  The restaurant has been lauded for their food and for good reason (a link to the menu can be found here).  Equal measure of attention will undoubtedly be directed toward the bar.

The McKinley Cocktail from Park Tavern

The ethos at the Park Tavern bar is local but not so much in the sense of local produce.  Instead, the goal here is to honor the legacy and spirit of this great city and the region in general.  The bar is carefully stocked with a number of local spirits and beers all in the service of the locally themed cocktail menu (a full review of which will follow in coming days).

My favorite part of their cocktail menu, just bellow the house cocktails section, is titled “Parks And Recreational Drinking” and comprises four cocktails named for and inspired by four city parks.  Each is made of ingredients that evoke the history, spirit and legacy of the area surrounding each park.  The drink I sampled during my inaugural visit to Park Tavern was the McKinley.

San Francisco’s McKinley Square Park dates back to 1871 and is one of the city’s oldest.  It is located in the Potrero Hill neighborhood and is a large expansive park lined with Douglas fir and offering breathtaking views of the city. To honor this legacy, the McKinley is a whiskey cocktail built with Old Potrero Whiskey, Douglass fir eau de vie, muddled fresh apple and rosemary and is finished with an Anchor Steam Beer float.  It is a sophisticated and very well balanced cocktail.   All the constituents are present but play well as a harmonious whole.  I really enjoyed and highly recommend this cocktail.

Douglas Fir eau de vie from Clear Creek Distilling of Portland, OR

Apologies are offered as I do not have the precise recipe.  I hope to have it soon to offer.  The ingredients are listed above and are all of quality in their own right.  A few moments of homework should prove rewarding in any event.  If you enjoy rye whiskey but haven’t tried any of the Old Potrero offerings from Anchor Distilling consider yourself behind.  Also, the home mixologist should seek out and play with a bottle of Douglas Fir eau de vie.  I recommend the offering by Clear Creek Distilling in Portland Oregon.

Cheers!



 

Related posts:

1. Cocktail Recipe – The Gilded Lilly from The Alembic, San Francisco, CA

In 2009, Diageo continued their budding tradition of annual limited run whisky releases.  Many of these offerings have come from distilleries that were either closed or were those that usually found their whisky blended.  Of the nine cask strength releases of 2009, my first is the Mannochmore 18 year old 1990 expression.    This is a singular release that is likely to remain one of my favorites for a goodly long time.

Mannachomore 18 yeard old Scotch Whisky 1990 expression

The practice of putting Scotch whisky down in used sherry, bourbon, rum or other casks has been around for a while.  Very few, however, employ multiple casks from multiple locations and having held multiple liquors.  The Mannocchmore 18 year old 1990 is unique in this regard and has been aged in three different styles of cask:

Re-charred ex-sherry bodega European oak

Re-charred ex-bourbon barrels

New American oak casks previously used for sherry

The Speyside distillery of Mannochmore hails from 1971 and is known for crafting whiskys that are floral, sweet and heavy on the palette.  This offering not only honors that foundation but builds upon considerably.  At 54.9% alcohol by volume, the 1990 18 year old brings sincere muscle to the party as well.

On the nose, announces its point of origin as an undoubtedly Speyside whisky.  There is a first hit of butterscotch and vanilla, enough so to make a Kentuckian think of his bourbon home.   Dried apricot, spiced cherry and hints of wet moss come along for the ride as well.  There is also a host of spice that follow with the most prominent being green cardamon and black pepper.

The Mannochmore 18 year old 1990 expression shines in the dram.  The warmth of the elevated proof  give way to caramel, field fresh floral tones and a fruity sweetness.  The medium finish highlights the spicier notes with black pepper pleasantly dominant.  The aftertaste is sweet, warm and lasting.  It is a viscous and heavy whisky with real weight on the palette typical of this distiller.   The addition of filtered water or an ice cube really opens the Mannochmore up to an array of sweet fruit flavors with strawberry and apricot jostling for space with a new found hint of jasmine.  This is a decidedly full flavored whisky but is so without being muddy or overbearing.  The flavors are harmonious and full of curiosity.

I strongly recommend the Mannochmore 18 year old 1990 expression and encourage those interested to seek it out.  It came from a limited release of about 2,600 bottles and was not distributed out of the United Kingdom.  An exhaustive online search finds few Scotch purveyors showing stock of this gem.  Master of Malt is the exception and they are offering  this wisky 18 for £120 (about $197 USD).  This is a must for those interested in smooth yet exceedingly full flavored whiskys.  Enjoy this one slowly.

Cheers!

 

No related posts.