The Bar Mix Master Has Spoken...

Makers Mark Ambassador Program

2011-12-27T11:52:00.000-06:00

To say I like Maker's Mark bourbon would be an understatement. It is my go to bourbon. Way back in 2006 I wrote a blog entry about bourbon found here. In that article I mention the Maker's Mark Ambassadors program. To this day I probably get two emails a week ask me how to become a member. To which, I have been very happy to reply with a link to Maker's online form to sign up. You can find it

Bourbon Butter Pecan Gelato

2011-06-27T21:13:00.001-05:00

I had to repost this... “@imbibe: A little something to make you feel good on this Monday evening: http://t.co/oLnkTWN”

Pegu Club New York, NY

2011-06-26T20:51:00.006-05:00

Just a portion of Pegu Club's vast bitters collection So I recently visited one of my all-time favorite bars, Pegu Club in New York City. This bar was co-founded by Audrey Saunders the "Libation Goddess" back in August 2005. This place is a classic cocktail lover's paradise. The concept for the bar was to recapture and preserve a part of cocktail culture that is formed by thoughtful

Miss Charming's Drink Trivia IPhone App

2011-05-21T12:52:00.001-05:00

I first had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Cheryl Charming way back when I first started my journey to learning about cocktails via the webtender.com forums. Cheryl has published several cocktail related books. This being one of my favorites, Miss Charming's Book of Bar Amusements. Now a days Miss Charming is living in New Orleans and bartending at The Bombay Club where she has

Jim's Place Collierville, TN

2011-05-17T19:54:00.001-05:00

In the town of Collierville, TN where I now live I've been fortunate to find a great little watering hole called Jim's Place. Jim's Place is an excellent restaurant and has very good casual cuisine but its the bar at Jim's that keeps me coming back. More specifically its the bartender at the Jim's Place that keeps me coming back and her name is Roya. Have you ever walked into a bar and have

Finding GOOD Bartenders

2010-11-13T21:52:00.003-06:00

Maybe its just me, or the places I go, but I find it increasingly hard to find a GOOD bartender. One that I might label a bar chef, one that has a handle on the classics and the flavor profiles from which beget some good Specialty Cocktails. For a while now, I've been asking bartenders the question, "So where did you learn to be a bartender?" The normal answer I get has the person starting in a

The savvy drinker-Spirits and taste

2010-11-10T19:45:00.005-06:00

Spirits drinkers can be fussy drinkers, I should know. Particularly if they know how to mix good drinks themselves. Good quality spirits and excellent taste are the basis of what a real spirits drinker wants. Whether you drink vodka, Scotch, rum, bourbon or the incredible Japanese rice whiskey, it's all a matter of taste and quality. Knowing where to drink has a lot to do with it as well, whether

Cocktail Cupcake

2010-07-14T14:11:00.000-05:00

Yum, I just had a Guinness and Bailey's Irish Cream cupcake and it was delicious. The combination of spirits and sweets make for a great pair. A while back I wrote about Cake-tales and Pie-tinis, the creation of Michael Waterhouse served at New York's Dylan Prime restaurant. These desserts in a glass was one thing but Cocktail Cupcakes are out of this world. Using alcohol in cooking isn't

Maker's 46 Launch

2010-07-01T00:20:00.003-05:00

Big news from Loretto, KY the home of my favorite bourbon Maker's Mark. Today the distillery launches a brand new product called Maker's 46. Here are the details straight from the press release. Maker’s 46 is a handcrafted, full-bodied Bourbon whisky that starts off as original Maker’s Mark. The transformation into Maker’s 46 begins when fully matured Maker’s Mark is emptied from the barrel so

Where can I find Bitters?

2010-05-29T22:27:00.003-05:00

So I've been living in Tennessee for 2 years now. I didn't realize how accustomed I'd become to Louisiana liquor laws. I know the laws here in Tennessee more closely approximate the rest of the country, but my goodness! All I want is some Angostura Bitters and I can't find them anywhere. In Louisiana I just walk into my local supermarket and pick up my Bourbon, Vermouth, and Bitters in one shot.

Chris McMillian at The Renaissance Pere Marquette

2009-02-14T11:01:00.002-06:00

For those of you that don't know Chris McMillian, let me introduce one of the best bartender in New Orleans. Chris is the bar keep at the Renaissance Pere Marquette just off Canal St. Chris used to bartend at the Ritz-Carlton. Now his new bar stage is a bit more modern and the bar length is a great deal more, which are both good in my opinion. My wife and I visited Chris two weekends in a row a

KAI Vodka

2008-12-14T18:00:00.005-06:00

There is a new ultra-premium vodka that has recently made its way from Vietnam into my hands called KAI Vodka. Unlike European vodkas, which are crafted from wheat, rye, or potatoes, KAI is distilled from rice. The rice used in KAI Vodka is of the rare yellow-blossom variety that grows only in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam, the so-called “Napa Valley of rice.” This rice-based beverage

The Bar Mix Master has left New Orleans...

2008-06-24T23:02:00.003-05:00

I have some good/bad news. I just recently accepted a new job that is going to have me and my family moving to Memphis, TN. While this is great news for me and my family it is bitter sweet as I won't really be able to fully experience Tales of the Cocktail this year. At most I will just be able to attend on Saturday. While I'm sad about leaving New Orleans, the cocktail captial of the south, I

Top 5 Gin Cocktails

2008-06-08T22:07:00.006-05:00

As my wife and I were hanging out at Chris McMillian’s new bar stage, the Renaissance Pere Marquette (more on that later), someone asked me what was my favorite gin cocktail. I paused as I had to think for a second or two. I really could not give an answer as there are so many great gin cocktails. So the person replied, "well, how about your top 5 then?" I rattled off a few that I had recently,

History of the Margarita - Preview

2008-06-03T21:45:00.002-05:00

This post orginally posted at http://www.talesblog.com/ As I sit on the beach while on vacation sipping a Margarita my mind wanders off to a cantina were tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice came together for the first time. Was it a Mexican camarero, a Cuban Cantinero, or an American bartender that created this classic cocktail? Who knows? Jacques Bezuidenhout and Robert Hess are planning on

The Cosmopolitan, Sex and the City

2008-05-24T11:21:00.014-05:00

My wife is driving me nuts with Sex and the City. She has been watching her DVD collection incessantly since she learned of the upcoming movie. She has the desktop background of Carrie emblazoned on her computer. She is shopping for clothes and shoes worn by the cast (which are not cheap mind you). And yes, she is of course drinking the drink that was made ever so popular by the show... the

The Official State of Louisiana Cocktail

2008-04-06T18:57:00.003-05:00

As a Louisiana resident and a cocktail enthusiast I am a full supporter of the Sazerac as the Official State Cocktail! At this moment there is bill that just passed the Louisiana Senate Committee and is on the way to the full Louisiana Senate. Once the Senate passes the bill it will be looking for sponsorship in the House that will make the Sazerac the Official State of Louisiana Cocktail. The

Tales of the Cocktail 2008

2008-03-20T19:55:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again. Tales of the Cocktail 2008 is July 16-20th!!Tales of the Cocktail is an annual event held in New Orleans that draws cocktailians from across the world. Every year this event has grown in size. Tales started in 2003 and was the brain child of Ann Rogers. Ann has been a consummate advocate of the New Orleans cocktail.What makes this event different from in other bar

The Oddest of Mixtures

2008-03-18T20:28:00.008-05:00

On March 4, 2008 I was saddened to learn that Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, passed away. Back in 1974 Gary and co-creator Dave Arneson created a fantasy game world that brought the works of J.R.R Tolkien to life. I ask, who doesn't want to be the hero that saves the day by taking out a horde of goblins and orcs. The game-world created by Gary and Dave is a far cry, from the now

Reader Question (January 3, 2008)

2008-01-03T22:49:00.001-06:00

A reader wrote: Happy New Year! I have a bit of a question that may seem out of the way, but I’m hoping that you may have an answer. As of 12:30am yesterday (1/1/87) I turned 21. Point blank, I hate the taste of alcohol. I’ve had it in varying contexts, strong Cali. Wines, shooters, Dark and Stormys (which I had IN Bermuda and it was nasty as hell) even the “shot” of rum in fruit drinks from

Fancy Free Cocktail

2007-10-28T20:52:00.001-05:00

At this past year's Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans I came across a marvelous cocktail called the Fancy Free. Mr. Paul Clark of The Cocktail Chronicles had this fabulous cocktail at his table during cocktail hour. I enjoyed it so much that I continued to run his table even after he had to leave to run is Spirited Dinner. I just discovered it again in my card catalog and all I have to say is

False Advertising

2007-10-16T20:12:00.002-05:00

So I am at the Vegas airport on a lay over for a business trip and I was passing by a 25 cent slot machine. I just happened to have a quarter in my pocket so I said to myself what the heck. I stopped to drop it in to give it a whirl. Alas, there is no coin slot in the slot machine... it only takes bills! Huh!?! I thought to myself well that's interesting. It's kinda like saloons that have

Mixology Monday: Pairings - Añejo Manhattan

2007-10-13T22:14:00.001-05:00

Because I live so close to the great food of New Orleans and my love for cocktails I could not resist this month's topic for Mixology Monday, pairings. So, I decided to try to break my writers block by joining Mixology Monday, which is a group of bloggers that write about the same topic once a month and the host site compiles a round up. This Mixology Monday is being hosted by The Liquid Muse.

Brandy Crusta

2007-06-09T08:50:00.001-05:00

This is a true New Orleans classic which was invented in the 1850s by Joseph Santina. Joseph owned and operated the City Exchange on Gravier Street in New Orleans. (1)This drink is unique in its garnish in that it uses a large amount of lemon peel that almost entirely coats the inside of the glass. A Great Grandfather The significance of this classic is far reaching into what is today some our

And you call your self a BAR and grill. Please...

2007-05-26T00:35:00.001-05:00

I haven't gone on a tirade in a while so... here we go. I'm sick and tired of going to a "nice" restaurant and ordering a cocktail and getting SHIT! Even when you order a modern classic such as a Cosmopolitan, which my wife orders from time to time, what comes out to the table is absolutely abhorrent. A Cosmo is NOT vodka and cranberry juice in a "martini" glass! The standards of restaurant