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.

 

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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!

 

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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!

 

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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

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!

 

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This is the fifth article in our seven part series: State of Drink: Portland, Oregon. We hope you enjoy. Cheers!

Often, the most memorable discoveries are ones encountered when looking for something else. Thus was the case of my introduction to 12 Bridges Gin from Integrity Spirits in Portland, Oregon. My sojourn to Portland was to be an exercise in convivial quaffing with compatriots both seasoned and freshly acquired. We were to sample from the alcohol infused bounty of the Portland cocktail scene, and in this we were quite successful. While I was prepared to discover the best booze blooms of the Rose City, the appearance of 12 Bridges Gin in my hand and my glass can best be described as a welcomed surprising inevitability.

12 Bridges Gin from Integrity Spirits of Portland, Oregon

Part of the very exciting Portland craft distillers community, Integrity Spirits is a small operation creating modern but stimulating distillations focused, currently, on Lovejoy Vodka, Lovejoy Hazelnut, Trillium Absinthe Supérieure and 12 Bridges Gin. The gin draws naming motivation from the twelve bridges that span the city of Portland as well as the twelve botanicals that give 12 Bridges Gin its character.

12 Bridges front label

Integrity has clad 12 Bridges Gin within a strikingly beautiful package. The theme of twelve bridges is carried throughout the bottle from the embossed pewter label on the front to the image of Portland’s Hawthorne Bridge that is screen printed on the back. The design, given life by ID Branding of Portland, Oregon, has won awards and accolades from many in the package and graphic design worlds since its’ debut in 2008. Integrity plans to periodically update the bottle with images of the other eleven of Portland’s Willamette river spanning bridges.

12 Bridges Gin back label

On the nose, 12 Bridges offers the expected juniper but also notes of citron, cucumber, mountain stream and light toasted grain. It is very inviting. At room temperature, 12 Bridges may be one of the most full flavored gins I have experienced yet avoids being muddied or seeming comical like some gins that try to play up certain notes as a marketing angle. Hidden within the well balanced whole are notes of cucumber, rose hips, all spice, cardamon and, of course, juniper. 12 Bridges is also one of the weightiest gins on the tongue I have ever had. It has real weight which I find quite pleasant while still offering the necessary crispness I prefer, especially from a gin I intend on taking straight. Integrity Spirits say they distilled 12 Bridges to blend the London Dry gin and Dutch genever styles together. With it’s juniper base, crisp finish and full flavor profile I believe they have succeeded in that endeavor.

12 Bridges back bottle label

I would recommend using this gin in any application that appreciates and makes use of both the depth of flavor and viscosity that 12 Bridges Gin offers. Certainly, it excels straight up and possesses enough flavor to stand up to melting rocks. Being from Portland, the land of homemade and do-it-yourself everything, 12 Bridges Gin is a natural in a G&T made from homemade tonic. It definitely is a gin worthy of mixological experimentation as its depth of flavor and full weight offer unique colors of possibility to the clever bartenders palette. I have also tried 12 Bridges in the following beverages and found it right at home:

• A Bittered Gin Sling,
• A L’Oranger cocktail from the recently closed Fenouil restaurant in Portland,
• the Corpse Reviver #2,
• the Bronx,
• my very own Sanitarium Cocktail, and
• a Classic Gin Martini.

The downside to 12 Bridges lay in its small batch nature. There is not a lot of inventory to be found outside of Portland. Which is not to say you will not find it. Rather that it may take some effort. I was able to find it online at K&L Wine Merchants who were boasting one bottle left in the Hollywood, California location. Alternately, find a pen pal from Portland and ask them to ship you a bottle. These are very friendly folk who are intensely proud of what they have collectively created. I am sure they would be glad to do the honor for you.

However you may find 12 Bridges Gin, I highly recommend you try. It is a decidedly new world gin with an old world soul and has interesting story to tell.

 

Related posts:

1. Tasting Notes – Bluecoat Gin
2. Tasting Notes – Junipero Gin
3. Tasting Notes – Hendrick’s Gin

There are moments for when a liquid slap in the face is preferable or even required.  Then there are those wherein a quaff of sophistication is what is called for.  It is in this hour that one is right to invite rather than eschew pretense, dress to the nines and carry about airs whilst trading witty bon mot.  The drink one carries at such a time should not be so stout as to impede the command of conversational faculties yet must still be stiff enough to banish care.  Selecting your tipple of choice here requires the same care and discernment employed in electing which necklace or cuff links shall accompany your gown or tuxedo.   It is an accessory worthy of leaving a mark on your character in a manner similar to escorting a dull date or forgetting the name of ones’ host.  If you find yourself in such a moment, I humbly suggest you call for The Gilded Lilly cocktail from The Alembic in San Francisco.

The Gilded Lilly by The Alembic, San Francisco

No, but seriously, while it may not be as important as all that, this cocktail is a good one for the home bartender to have command of.  It truly is a sophisticated cocktail recipe and not just because of the floating gold leaf that adorns the top.  The combination of gin and Chartreuse, either green or yellow, is classic.   It is the addition of Moet and Chandon Imperial Nectar demi-sec champagne that elevates the Gilded Lilly to the level of the unexpected.   You can try this one with green Chartreuse instead of yellow if that is all you have on hand but I would cut it back to 3/4 ounce an up the gin by 1/4 ounce so the green Chartreuse does not overpower the drink.

What is not so important here, I think, is the gold leaf.  I realize that it exists as an integral part of the visual presentation here (at least in the mind of the mixologists who created it) but I find it unnecessary.  It strikes me as trying a bit too hard to grab a “wow.”  The flavor of the cocktail alone is enough the garner the respect and appreciation of the imbiber.  That said, it may just be a bit of fun and I am missing the point.

In terms of the recipe, the following is not official.  This is my recreation of the drink and I think I am definitely in the ball park here.  Adjust the Chartreuse as needed to suit your taste.  I opted for a full 1 ounce to 2 ounces of Plymouth gin.  The orange flower water and champagne make up the remaining 1 ounce of this 4 ounce beverage.  This is a fun party drink as the champagne adds just enough bubble and the yellow chartreuse just enough herbally sweetness.

Cheers!

Ingredients

2 ounces Plymouth gin

1 ounce yellow Chartreuse

1/2 ounce orange flower water

1/2 ounce Moet & Chandon Imperial Nectar demi-sec champagne

Method

Add all ingredients except the champagne to an ice filled cocktail shaker and stir well to chill.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.  Garnish at your own risk.

 

Related posts:

1. Cocktail Recipe – The McKinley from Park Tavern, San Francisco

The craft cocktail world has been under assault of late. Its detractors have been busy grabbing online territory taking umbrage to a slew of its characteristics ranging from accusations of trying to hard to that of extreme pretense at the expense of service. These complaints are often nothing more than a whine about perspective. The new so-called mixology bars offend them because they do not represent their view of what a bar should be. They do not like new cocktail menus, house made ingredients or service staff genuinely interested in sharing the knowledge of a true craft cocktail. With little effort their rants can be reduced to an orgy of pre-adolescent-like self importance defined by the silliness of the other, which, in this case, is us. The real truth, as truth often is, is painfully simple. They don’t get it and should just find a new bar and get over it.

Part of the house cocktail menu at Clyde Common

Like with anything else, all bars are not for all people. This seems easily understood in the context of restaurants. Any reasonable person would agree that a countless number of restaurants exist sharing a myriad of cuisines at various price points and levels of creativity and culinary exploration. Yet, when a bar, either in a restaurant or free standing, employs the same level of discovery in the creation of a house cocktail menu these folks become offended. Drinks should be one way, they argue, which can be define as whatever way they want it.

In the article Deming Against Mixology, author Sarah Deming finds great offense when she is qualified on ordering a Manhattan.

““Rocks or up?”
“Up, please.”
“Perfect or sweet?”
“Um…perfect, I guess.”
“Shaken or stirred?”
“Stirred?” Good answer! It’s considered terribly un-Mixologically Correct to shake a Manhattan.
“Angostura bitters or housemade miso bitters?”
“Angostura.”
“Cherry or twist?”
“Twist?” Correct again! This particular mixologist has authored a series of scathing blog posts denouncing the cherry garnish.
“Rye or bourbon?”
“Uh…”
It’s not your fault. You are tired and thirsty and from up close that beard is really scary. You say something disastrously un-MC.
“I’ll take Maker’s Mark.”
A wave of relaxation spreads over the mixologist’s face. He strokes his ascot with a little smile. “We don’t carry industrial liquor here.”
“Industrial?”
“Any brand that has a production of over a thousand cases a year.”
“Oh.”
“In addition, most educated drinkers agree rye whiskey gives more complexity to the finished cocktail than bourbon. Since you’re obviously a little new to all this, let’s start you off with a Kentucky rye that’s been aged in Madeira cask and contains thirty percent corn…”

I have no doubt that this type of interaction happens daily and can be frustrating to some. Upon seeing it laid out in this fashion, I too find it silly and with high level geek factor. However, this is just a case of someone who knows how to make something well while making sure their guest gets the best drink possible. Most of us would think nothing of a waiter who suggests a wine appropriate to the entree or helping someone navigate the dinner menu.

Earlier in her piece, Ms. Deming implores bartenders to just “shut up and pour.” She orders a Manhattan and wants you to just bring her a Manhattan regardless that there may be many possible variables to make one. Those of us on this side of the cocktail fence know that a couple of well placed questions will lead to her having a Manhattan she is truly pleased with. She, on the other hand, is just annoyed.

While it is true that service staff can be better trained to handle guests such as Ms. Deming, it is also true that she just doesn’t get it. Bartenders who make homemade ingredients and are interested in exploring what is possible in a cocktail menu are, to a fault, some of the most giving and sharing people you may ever meet. They believe in the ethic of service and find actual satisfaction in creating something that is enjoyed by a patient and appreciative patron. Of course, there are exceptions, but in my experience they are rare.

In my experience people like this just want to say “beer,” slap money on the bar and have a beer present itself.   They are those who are conditioned to believe that any form of discussion from service personnel are a not so subtle attempt at add on sales or a prelude to some sort of localized attempt at marketing such as a buy ten get one free loyalty card. Their defense against such shameless acts is to treat all service personnel as faceless automatons tasked with quietly and invisibly serving their every need. In my experience, these are the people who also push to the front of every line, toss their $1.25 at the barista for their morning coffee and comprise the single biggest contingent of abysmal tippers the world has come to know.

In the latest attack on mixology’s good name, the site americanscholar.org prints Looking For Mr. Goodbar by author William Deresiewicz. He has many problems with the craft cocktail scene. Having just moved to Portland, Oregon two years ago, Mr. Deresewicz is appalled at the proliferation of custom house cocktail menus throughout the Rose City.

“It’s all just way too clever: too self-conscious, too “creative,” and too damn cute. But there are also two more problems with these drinks. They’re too sweet, and they’re too weak. In other words, they suck.”

Mr. Deresiewicz continues by pointing out, erroneously, that the great classic drinks were developed in the 1920′s and 1950′s as an antidote for the rigors of male work and daily responsibility and were thus fairly stiff.

“It’s the ’20s, or the ’50s. A man in a business suit (let’s call him Don Draper, just to pick a name at random) gets through with a stressful day at the office and heads for a cool, dark establishment in the heart of the city to meet a glamorous woman for drinks. She’s had a stressful day herself. (Being glamorous is hard work, too.) They want something strong–they need to take the edge off–and they want something dry–they’re adults. They also want something simple and predictable. Classic, in other words. They don’t want to have to study the menu and choose among a dozen different things they’ve never seen before. They want a martini, or a gimlet, or a whiskey sour.”

There is so much that is blatantly incorrect here that I am almost not sure where to start. Judging by the rest of the brief piece it is clear that Mr. Deresiewicz is being playful. However, his glimpse into the cocktail past is both factually incorrect and insulting. While I enjoy his not at all racially and socio-economically offensive yarn I also enjoy that he specifically calls out the time frame (1920′s and/or 1950′s) as a time when stiff and dry drinks were created as an antidote for tough times while going on to list three cocktails whose histories all date back to at least 1863. I know, only a cocktail geek would find that funny.

Mr. Deresiewicz surmises that these cocktails were simple and stiff to take the edge off of a day lived in New York. Portland, his home of the last two years, is much more laid back and has no “edge” to take off.

“The typical Portlander hasn’t spent the day at the office in a business suit, he’s been sitting in a coffee house in a pair of shorts, working on his website. They’re all kids here, and they should stick with what they know: beer.”

Okay, I did enjoy both of those lines. Has this man been in a cocktail bar in New York or Chicago in the last five years? He appears to not realize that for every one such bar in Portland, Oregon, there are five or more in New York. While it is true that a strong creative and DIY culture exists in Portland these days, the bars of the Rose City are participating in a larger world-wide trend in cocktails. Bartenders today, like the best chefs of the 1980′s and since, are reconsidering nearly every aspect of what they do and are bringing more creativity and skill to that exploration.

Let us also take a closer look at one of those statements again.

“They also want something simple and predictable. Classic, in other words. They don’t want to have to study the menu and choose among a dozen different things they’ve never seen before”

Again, the restaurant analogy is an apt one. Unless one is visiting a burger joint when do you hear someone complain about having to look at a menu? He also seems to forget or is unaware that any place with a custom house cocktail menu is more than likely capable of delivering a quality Martini, Gimlet or Whiskey Sour. If what you want is something simple, predictable and classic then you should not look at the house cocktail menu and just order it. Even if you did look at a house cocktail menu knowing that you have already decided to order a Manhattan, why would that be met with such offense?

Another gaze at Mr. Deresiewicz’s short four paragraph piece highlights another interesting trend among the attacks on mixology. In his piece, as with others such as Ms. Deming’s, lay a bit of the slightly older taking a swipe at the somewhat younger. Notice these selected statements:

“They also want something simple and predictable. Classic, in other words,”

They’re all kids here, and they should stick with what they know: beer,” and finally,

“But here’s the really frightening thing: they’re all kids everywhere. Brooklyn, Berkeley, it doesn’t matter. Now it’s all twentysomething hipsters who try to sell you drinks with names like For Esme or The Violent Bear, then hover over your table nattering on about locally sourced ingredients and how they “craft” their own “tinctures” and “infusions.” Craft this, boychik. Just bring me a whiskey.” (okay, that’s funny).

Statements such as these are common in the online rants against mixology. This is a clear case of those in their 30′s or beyond looking back with disdain at a select group of those in their 20′s. The cool of this group of today’s 20 somethings is being mocked by today’s 30 somethings as totally non-cool. As a member of today’s 40 somethings I find this all quite entertaining.

I find the rants against the so called hipsters fall into the same class. Surely, since the first grade we have been socialized to mock those different than us. It becomes an art form in high school as we make fun of each other based on our taste in music or our hair or our clothes or our friends. It is a lazy part of our humanity wherein we define what is cool and deride others who march to a distinctly different drummer.

As a society, we tend to always deride anyone who is an enthusiast of anything beyond what we assume is a sensible level. We first made fun of kids who collected stamps or old men who erected model railroads and it has extended to nearly anyone who has a hobby that others define as not cool.  The beautiful lesson of age is that we all have our own nascent geekery and it is truly better to embrace your own while not judging others for theirs.

That aside, dude, you are only in your thirties. Now is not the time to become the annoyed old man on the block angry at the kids for playing stick ball. If what you want from a bar is a whiskey then order it. You do not even have to gaze upon the house cocktail menu if it offends you. It should not, but there is an easy work around. Just order what you want. Yes, we in the cocktail cognoscenti will mock you when you get order a Jamesen with a Coors chaser while we drink Michter’s, a Rittenhouse 18 year or a Balvenie Single Cask. But at least we will do it quietly and behind your back like civilized people.

Yes, a fair gaze into the world of mixology and the bars and restaurants that claim residence there is to recognize that there is a fair amount of pretense. There are theme bars who take the themes a bit too far and with too much zealousness. There are, unfortunately, places with an unearned air of haughty exclusivity resulting in disinterested service. There are also places who devise house cocktail menus that are just okay. However, these failings, and many others, are true of nearly every endeavor and are not an indictment on the lot.

At the risk of oversimplification, I wish to restate a most obvious truth, all is not for everyone. All restaurants do not appeal to all tastes. All movies are not enjoyed by all cinema goers. All whiskeys are not loved by all whiskey lovers. Yet, there exists a rather vocal virtual contingent of drinkers who are not only not impressed by the ever growing constituency of craft cocktail bars but are, in fact, down right offended by them. Their range of their ire is broad. While they bemoan the continued spread of house cocktail menus into non-theme and even non-bar establishments, they forget our previously expressed fundamental truth. All bars are not for everyone. Whatever your apprehension for disliking a bar, the bottom line is simple: this place is not for you and you don’t get it. You may now depart feeling safe in your annoyed snobbish superiority. That just frees up more space for me and mine to feel safe in our annoyed snobbish superiority. Can someone please pass the house cocktail menu?

 

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