Joe Nice's European Tour starts Friday and he's bringing the business to 5 countries in 8 days!  Check the dates, and if he's in a city near you we suggest hiding your China and taping-up your windows.

• May 11: Manchester, UK
• May 12: Istanbul, TR
• May 16: Dublin, IE
• May 17: Dusseldorf, DE
• May 18: Helsinki, FI

The Rock and Roll Hotel was one of the first establishments to trail-blaze their way into DC's NE H Street Neighborhood, now dubbed the "Atlas District".  Since those early days they have presented a consistent formula of live indie, rock and electronic acts downstairs with local DJs upstairs playing a blend of get-your-feet moving music.  With a recently finished rooftop deck going up just in time for Summer, R&R was already on our short list of places to go in the District.  Now, our good friend Neil Kurland of Baltimore's Soul Mob is taking over Sunday nights in the upstairs, leveraging his many travels around the globe to bring DC a sampling of some of the amazing artists that he has had the pleasure of meeting, and introducing their sounds to the District.  Expect a night of truly underground house music with a focus on the dance floor!

Gourmetbeats will be in attendance this Sunday the 13th for the soft-opening featuring Philly's DJ Terreyl - Bring your Mama!

More Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/380304745355417/

Catch Tyler Schmith tonight in Baltimore @ Red Maple: 930 N. Charles St!

If you are a music lover in the DC area you undoubtedly know that ForwardFest is going on this week, one of the city's largest electronic music festivals.  They have done a great job this year of bringing out some names that are really pushing boundaries in current music.  Tonight our own Joe Nice will be behind the decks along with Legendary dubstep trailblazer Hatcha for what is sure to be a bass-heavy night of chest-thumping music.

Also, our good friends from the ForQuarters collective as well as The Elders will be in another part of the city for the Forward Fest House showcase.  All in all it's a great night to be in DC.  We'll see you out tonight!

Photo: Madeline Wolf

World-renowned flavor genius and master mixologist Alex Ott sat down with us last month at the Tommy Boy Entertainment sunset sessions in Miami to speak about the similarities between mixing drinks and mixing records, the science behind great libations, his new product Mercy, and what to drink the next time you find yourself in a dive bar:

GB: So tell us about Mercy.  I've seen the window displays on Collins Ave. here in South Beach.  What is it and is this fairly new?

AO: This is I would say a year old.  It launched in New York and a couple months ago here in Miami and its blowing up wherever you go.  It's not an energy drink, that's very important, it's not caffeinated so it doesn't boost you up and make you seem nervous.  It's a health drink that happens to prevent hangovers and, most importantly, it's an every day product.  It doesn't have to be consumed with alcohol.  It doesn't prevent you from getting intoxicated but rather it prevents you from getting the nausea and the headache the day after which are caused by a depletion of nutrients.  That's where this product comes in.  It basically boosts up the Glutothion level in your cells and in your liver to get the Acetaldehyde out of your system with the help of vitamin B1 and Thiamine.  It also includes tons of multi-vitamins, anti-oxidants and minerals, and it can also be used to mix in cocktails like I did today.

GB: So there are some benefits to it besides drinking it with alcohol?

AO: Absolutely, we're not promoting it with college kids to make it look like "oh, now your invincible".  We're not trying to do that.  We're all about Responsible Revelry.  In case you did drink too much, this would be the product that saves you from the day after.  Prevention is everything.  The day after is too late because than you're already depleted of everything important in your body.  It's been in the making for a very long time, there's a lot of research packed into it, twenty years of research.

GB: You have experience in chemistry and biology correct?  Did you contribute to the creation of Mercy?

AO: Yes biochemistry and molecular microbiology.  I co created and flavored it myself.

GB: Now you've worked with a lot of establishments that are known as much for their music as their food and drinks - Buddha Bar, Sushi Samba - and now here you are at WMC.  It would seem that music plays a major part in your life, is that correct?

AO: Absolutely!  Tommy and I  (of Tommy Boy Records) have been long friends, we did a lot of events in India together and Mexico, and obviously we talked about health, he is a total health nut just like me.  I have been a big fan of Tommy Boy records since I can think of, back when I was a skater at age 14 and I was listening to classic hip hop and all these amazing famous artists.  I never thought I would be standing here today pitching my own product, being on the step-and-repeat with THE guy, so it's a super special day for me although the city's a little nuts right now.

GB: Do you find there is a connection between what you do as a mixologist and what the DJs are doing with their music?

AO: DJs are called mixologists sometimes.  I think that when people think of mixologist they think of a bartender, and that's not correct.  I am in a total different profession right now.  I'm purely science, so I create what the bartender sells usually, so the mixologist as a DJ is doing the same thing but using different ingredients.  Personally, when I work with cocktails I use homeopathic potions and elixirs that stimulate your body, meaning I can guide you into any direction I want.  I can wake you up, make you fall in love; there's uppers, there's downers, memory evoking elixirs, healing juices, anti-aging, anti-anxiety...  Because I know a lot about the vital nutrients and vital chemicals in these herbs and spices, that's how I design my drinks.  It's what they are supposed to do.  It's not just a yummy cocktail, they actually have a lot of chemistry and science in them to get the people in the right mood, and that's what the DJ does too.  He looks at the people and he says "now i gotta wake them up!"  It's a biorhythm of sounds and it's the same with ingredients.

GB: So when you're creating these cocktails for celebrities at the Oscars or for these high-end bars, do you go in trying to satisfy the customer as best you can, or do you also try to bring your own point of view and philosophy into the mix?

AO: It's important for me to promote what I do.  I'm not one of those people that hides their recipes or says "this is a secret!  I won't tell you how to prepare it!"  I would be foolish to do that because I want people to know what they can do in their own kitchens.  That for me is the most important thing, to educate people while they are drinking.  If they have consumed lots and lots of libations and they still feel fine the next day, they are like "wow, you can actually do that the right way" instead of listening to all the marketing.  People don't really look at the ingredients anymore.  They just blindly trust the maker and say "OK let's try it" and have no idea what they are putting in the bottle, but since it has some famous star singing about it then obviously people are listening.  It can create a lot of problems.  I'm trying to do the exact opposite and to tell people about what's bad.  This can be a very controversial thing sometimes between me and the spirits industry.  I choose very carefully who I work with, who I make cocktails with, and what products I mix with.  I'm trying to stay true to a mission statement that says I will never work with artificial ingredients, and so far for the last 22 years that's what I've done.

GB: Now we've heard rumors about a possible Travel show that may or may not be in the works.  Can you tell us anything about that?

AO: Yes well it's top secret at this point and we are in talks with a certain TV channel.  We started filming independently already in a few countries because there is a lot of camera work involved, traveling in the jungle, flavor extracting from Borneo to China to Madagascar, showing ingredients that people ingest every day or have on their skin.  Vanilla in Madagascar for instance.  It's the most used spice in the world and people don't know what plant it comes from.  They think there's a vanilla tree that grows somewhere.  So I educate them that this is a product that comes from the orchid.  Or watermelons in China, they are the biggest producer of watermelons in the world.  Or cachaça and coconuts in Rio.  I travel to all these exotic countries to introduce an ingredient that people pretty much ingest everyday but know nothing about.  I try to show them what kind of effect it has on their central nervous system, and how you can be the MacGyver of your kitchen.  You don't have to be a rocket scientist to make a decent cocktail,  everybody can do that at home.

It helps that I have a background in science, because I can explain to people why this ingredient and what it does, and create a perfect balance in the cocktail.  People can taste the spirit.  They know it's gin, they know it's single malt scotch, they know it's rum, but they don't know how much is in it.  Many people want that alcoholic burn on their palate and that's basically your taste buds saying goodbye to your body.  They want to get the bang for their buck though.  They spent some money and they want to get as much alcohol as possible, but they don't really know how dangerous that is.  Plus you shouldn't be absolutely hammered after the second drink.

GB: You are speaking to the long island ice tea drinkers out there I assume?

AO: Exactly.  They say give me a ten count of alcohol for ten bucks and then you throw up in the bathroom two drinks later.  Drinking is a social thing.  You should be able to consume plenty of cocktails and enjoy the company of your friends.

GB: One last question.  Let's say that you find yourself in a dive bar, somewhere in middle America.  What does a master mixologist order when your choices are limited?

AO: I actually get that question a lot.  I'm a big fan of tequila.  It's made from a big fat pineapple.  A lot of people don't know that!  The agave plant has a huge pineapple that needs to grow for at least 7 years.  That's where all the fruit sugar is and that's what you make tequila from.  I like to mix it with pineapple juice which has a high fructose sucrose content, so it keeps you awake, and then I put a little lime in it.  That is the drink that I can drink all night long.  Sometimes if you have cilantro I'll add that, and maybe put a little savory ingredient in there like some cayenne pepper and ginger.  Then it's called the "Intergalactic Peace Pipe".  It's a savory cocktail, kind of like a burrito in a glass.  It's really delicious.  It's citrusy, it's savory, it's sweet, and it has tequila in it.  It's an upper.  An actual upper.

Check out Mercy online at http://www.drinkmercy.com/

Baltimore's ForQuarters Collective is once again bringing some top-tier talent to Charm City, this time all the way from the Netherlands!  If you are a lover of deep or jacking house music, chances are you have heard one of Tommy Largo's productions.  With releases on many of the country's top House Music labels, Tommy's songs have been played by the likes of DJ Sneak, Derrick Carter, Mark Farina and Johnny Fiasco just to name a few.  His productions are proven floor fillers, and now he brings his signature sound to Baltimore for another installment of The Gumball!  As an added bonus, opening support is being provided by our good friends The Elders, further securing this as a can't-miss evening.

TRACKLIST:

1. Al Green - Gospel According to Al Green - Acorn
2. Hardsoul ft. Ron Carroll - Back Together (Soul Purpose Mix) - Soulfuric
3. Smoove & Turrell - In Deep (Kraak & Smaak Remix) - Jalapeno
4. Nathan G-Come & Get It (Original Mix)-Large
5. Liquideep - Feel It (Andre Lodemann Remix) - Deeper Shades
6. Mic Newman - The Fidelity - Freerange
7. Sonny Fodera - Missed Call (Original Mix) - Large
8. Faisal-Start Over-Monkey See Monkey Do
9. Yakka - Something For My Soul (Original) - Nite Grooves
10. Hedonist - Chicago Nights (Original Mix) - Mjuzieek Digital
11. Nick Harris - Surfing With Kilgore (Original Mix) - Stoned Immaculate
12. Anthony Rother - Sleep - Data Punk
13. Franky Rizardo - Real Love - Defected
14. Mowgli feat. Amber Jolene - Back In The Day (Original) - Defected
15. Superfunk & Ron Carroll - Lucky Star (Solomun Remix) - Noir Music
16. Jay West - Smile - Brown Eyed Boyz Records
17. Margaret Grace - My Love is Not Blind (Extended Vocal) - Save Your Soul

The conference is here and we’re jumping in!  Watch out for live tweets from the Gourmetbeats twitter team to show up right here on the front page, or follow the list on twitter at http://twitter.com/gourmetbeats/wmc2012-gourmetbeats-team

Remember, you can see ALL of our WMC2012 featured posts by following the WMC2012 Tag.  As our last WMC countdown post, we wanted to feature some of the parties that we may have missed.  With 500+ events happening, there is just no way that we can cover all of it, and those that we featured here don’t even begin to scratch the surface of what’s out there.  Here are a couple of others that we didn’t get to.

Future Classics (TODAY)
Organized by our good friends Terry Thompson and Neil Kurland, future classics at the National is going on its Fifth year at the conference, and features some of the biggest names in dance.  The venue itself is out of this world, and this is sure to be a showcase of the wilder side of Miami.

Baltimore Soultree (WEDNESDAY)
Bringing that Baltimore sound to Miami and featuring our good friend N’Dinga Gaba, along with DJ Pope, Teddy Douglas and Cleo Khary, this will be a great place to get your dose of Soul on Wednesday!

Topless (THURSDAY)
Pool party featuring squirt gun battles, beach balls, and booty shaking music.  Need we say more?  Presented by our friends at SpinSpinNYC!

APT Entertainment Showcase (FRIDAY)
Another rocking day party, we’ll let the lineup speak for itself: Mark Farina, Sonny Fodera, Atnarko, Nutritious, Colette, Wattie Green, Olivier Desmet, Jason Hodges, Hanna Haise, Andy Riley, Joshua Iz, Hugh Cleal, Sleep & Boo, and Elephant Noise.  What???

House Guests @ Love/Hate Lounge (SATURDAY)
This little bar down on Washington Ave is one of our favorite places in Miami.  Last year we saw our top two performances of the conference here.  It’s just large enough to allow comfortable dancing, has awesome sound, and the Saturday night party with DJ Sneak, DJ Mes, Sonny Fodera and DC’s own Dimitri Max is sure to be a showcase of jacking house at its finest.

The Un-Official WMC Hangover Vol. 4 (SUNDAY)
Sunday marks the end of the conference and our favorite closing party has returned to D’Vine Hookah Lounge!  Featuring some of the best in the biz, including Oscar P, Jeff Craven, Jonn Hawley, Tommy Largo, JC Hanna, The Elders, and more, it’s a great place to unwind with friends before bidding farewell back to normal life.

Full event listings:  http://www.thelistwmc.com/

Wednesday March 21st at Deluca
530 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
8PM-Midnight

What's better than dancing to great music?  Doing it for a great cause!  Organized by our good friend Donny Sizemore (Sizemo) and featuring some great Gourmetbeats talent including The Elders and our own Tyler Schmith, the event hopes to raise awareness for the Campaign for Cancer Prevention which supports several of the world's largest and longest running studies into understanding cancer causes and preventions.  It's free, but we suggest contributing to Donny's goal of $3,000 towards the cause!

Afternoon Delight - Friday March 23rd

Daytime parties are one of the best things about the Winter Music Conference.  It's been cold all winter, and March in Miami is that perfect time when you can work on your tan while your friends are still wearing long-sleeves back home.  The girls are in bikinis, the palm trees are swayin', and the hardest decision you'll have is choosing where to spend your day.  If it's house music and outdoor revelry that you're looking for, March 23rd's Afternoon Delight is a great choice.

Going on its 7th year at the conference, A.D. has successfully remained one of the most exuberant and well attended daytime events at the WMC, bringing just the right mix of excellent music, lovely ladies, and ice cold popsicles.  Adam Auburn of LA's Auburn Entertainment along with DAE Recordings and a host of other sponsors and contributors have successfully branded Afternoon Delight as a rocking ass party, and after being named as one of the best 5 daytime events in Miami by Mixmag, it's even expanded to LA where it is now a regular summer fixture.

One of the things that elevates Afternoon Delight from the rest of the daytime WMC events is the careful planning that's put into the lineup.  Not just the top-tier talent that plays every year, but the thoughtful programming of set times which results in an overall experience that is cohesive and never boring.  You can bet that as the sun is going down, the music will align with just how your feeling at that moment, and this makes for one of the best vibes we've experienced at the conference.

The lineup this year sticks with the recipe seen previously of proven crowd-moving performers and includes the likes of Todd Terry, Ron Carroll, Jamie Lewis, Andy Caldwell, Spinna, Jask, Groove Assassin, Adam Auburn, Aaron Dae & Dirty, and David Sabat.  Recently moving to Oceans 10 @ 960 Ocean Drive, you can find tickets and guestlist requests at http://afternoondelight2012.eventbrite.com/

The thing that we love about The Electric Pickle is that they take their mission of focusing on the "descerning music enthusiast" to heart.  Looking at the lineup you can tell that they are not a venue that just books anyone that shows up with an act.  They have a certain vibe - call it what you will - and the artists and events that they book reflect that.  We're excited about the GIANT-Throbbing-Electric-Pickle-Invades-Miami party on the 25th, but they also have events from Crosstown Rebels, Air London, Planet E plus more!  See all their events on the website.

Wednesday March 21st