Chilled Magazine - Volume 8 Issue 3

䌀䠀䤀䰀䰀䔀䐀 刀䄀䤀匀䔀 夀伀唀刀 匀倀䤀刀䤀吀匀

글

㔀 䐀愀渀渀礀

吀伀倀

䔀一䰀䤀䜀䠀吀䔀一䔀䐀 䠀伀匀倀䤀吀䄀䰀䤀吀夀 圀䤀吀䠀 匀吀䄀刀 刀䔀匀吀䄀唀刀䄀吀䔀唀刀 䌀刀䄀䘀吀 䈀刀䔀圀匀

䴀攀礀攀爀 䤀一

一伀䰀䄀

匀琀愀爀 刀攀猀琀愀甀爀愀琀攀甀爀

䌀伀䌀䬀吀䄀䤀䰀 䐀愀渀渀礀 䄀倀倀刀䔀一吀䤀䌀䔀 倀刀伀䜀刀䄀䴀 䴀攀礀攀爀

吀䠀䔀 䤀一䐀唀匀吀刀夀 倀刀伀匀

吀䠀䔀一 䄀一䐀 一伀圀 吀䠀䔀 匀倀䤀刀䤀吀匀 䄀刀䔀 䌀䄀䰀䰀䤀一䜀

吀愀氀攀猀 吀䠀䔀 䄀刀吀 伀䘀 䈀䄀吀䌀䠀䤀一䜀 漀昀 琀栀攀 䴀䤀堀䤀一䜀 唀倀 伀嘀䔀刀ꀀ 䌀漀挀欀琀愀椀氀

㠀㔀Ⰰ 㠀㔀Ⰰ 䌀刀䄀䘀吀 䌀伀䌀䬀吀䄀䤀䰀匀

䜀伀䤀一䜀 䤀一吀䔀刀一䄀吀䤀伀一䄀䰀 圀䤀吀䠀

吀䄀䰀䔀匀 吀伀唀刀 伀一 䬀攀瘀椀渀 䐀椀氀氀漀渀 吀伀倀 䌀刀䄀䘀吀 吀攀氀氀猀 䄀氀氀

㔀

䠀椀猀 䨀漀栀渀渀椀攀 圀愀氀欀攀爀 䠀漀漀欀 唀瀀 ☀ 圀栀礀

䈀刀䔀圀匀

䐀爀愀洀愀

䬀攀攀瀀猀 䤀一 一伀䰀䄀 圀愀氀欀椀渀

吀䠀䔀 䈀䔀匀吀

䈀攀猀琀 䈀愀爀琀攀渀搀攀爀 䄀搀瘀椀挀攀

䘀刀伀娀䔀一 圀椀氀氀礀 䐀䄀䤀儀唀䤀刀䤀 匀栀椀渀攀 圀椀琀栀

䤀一 一䔀圀 伀刀䰀䔀䄀一匀 ☀ 嘀䔀䔀嘀 嘀漀氀甀洀攀 㠀 ⴀ 䤀猀猀甀攀 ㌀ 唀⸀匀⸀ ☀ 䌀愀渀愀搀愀 ␀㐀⸀㤀㤀

䴀椀砀椀渀最 唀瀀 伀瘀攀爀 䌀爀愀昀琀 䌀漀挀欀琀愀椀氀猀

䐀䤀匀倀䰀䄀夀 唀一吀䤀䰀 匀䔀倀吀䔀䴀䈀䔀刀 ㈀ 吀䠀Ⰰ ㈀ ㄀㔀 䐀䤀匀倀䰀䄀夀 唀一吀䤀䰀 匀䔀倀吀䔀䴀䈀䔀刀 ㈀ 吀䠀Ⰰ ㈀ ㄀㔀

Th ree decades ago, Master Distiller Jimmy Russell created something special. And while many have since followed in his footsteps, there is still only one American Honey®— a premium blend of Real Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and pure honey.

It makes an excellent base for your next cocktail and the perfect opportunity for you to create something special of your own.

JIMMY RUSSELL MASTER DISTILLER W I L D T U R K E Y® B O U R B O N

Enjoy Responsibly. Wild Turkey American Honey ® Liqueur. 35.5% alc./Vol. (71 Proof). Campari America. San Francisco, CA ©2015

SIP RESPONSIBLY ©2015. GREY GOOSE, ITS TRADE DRESS, THE GEESE DEVICE AND FLY BEYOND ARE TRADEMARKS. IMPORTED BY GREY GOOSE IMPORTING COMPANY, CORAL GABLES, FL. VODKA 40% ALC. BY VOL. DISTILLED FROM FRENCH WHEAT.

DISTILLED ONCE. BECAUSE WHEN YOU START WITH THE BEST, ONCE IS ENOUGH. Our continuous column distillation process is specifically designed to capture the unique quality of France’s finest wheat.

real fruit.

simpliďŹ ed.

Order Complimentary Samples Visit perfectpuree.com/chilled Samples complimentary to foodservice professionals only

perfectpuree.com • (800) 556-3707

Carmelized Pineapple Coconut Smoothie

Blood Orange Guava Smoothie

2 oz. The Perfect Purée Coconut

3 ¼ oz. The Perfect Purée Pink Guava

2 oz. The Perfect Purée Carmelized Pineapple

¾ oz. The Perfect Purée Blood Orange

¾ oz. pineapple juice

¼ oz. lemon juice

1 medium banana, frozen

1 ½ oz. plain yogurt ¼ cup crushed ice

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Stay Perfectly Balanced at Rise & Shine Smoothie Bar With the long days and even longer nights in store for you at Tales of the Cocktail®, it’s important to start your day with The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley’s Smoothie Bar. Stop by in the morning to select from three signature smoothies that you can make your own with rejuvenating add-ons.

When & Where July 16th − July 18th 9AM − 10:30 AM Hotel Monteleone Carousel Lounge

Partake in morning yoga at “Mind, Body & Spirit”

Visit talesofthecocktail.com for complete details and tickets

CONTENTS

VOLUME 8 - ISSUE 3

features

94

104

Tales of the Cocktail Keynote Speaker

Their Stories, Then and Now

Danny Meyer

Tales and the Ladies

96

108

Best Bartending Advice

Irishman Whiskey Cocktails

Willy Shine and Veev

Mixing With The Irish

116

Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition Sydney, Australia

122 Recipes

Craft Cocktails

98

110

126

The Festival, Then and Now

TOTC Expands Across the Globe

Salon By Sucré New Orleans, Louisiana

History of Tales of the Cocktail

Tales On Tour

102

112

A Modern Day Mixer

History With A Twist

Fever-Tree Tonic

6

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Sipping Through Tales

Hot Spot

INTRODUCING

THE RICH A N D IN T EN SE

FLAVOR

of

TANGERINE

™

TANGO BBACARDÍ BA ACARDÍÍ Tangerine™ AC ®

Orange Juice Orange Wedge

LIVE PASSIONATELY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. © 2015. BACARDÍ, THE BAT DEVICE, TANGERINE DEVICE AND TRADE DRESS ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED. BACARDI U.S.A. INC., CORAL GABLES, FL. RUM SPECIALTY – 35% ALC. BY VOL. BACARDI.COM

CONTENTS

VOLUME 8 - ISSUE 3 VOLUME 8 - ISSUE 3

departments

PUBLISHER Jeff Greif ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, EDITOR AT LARGE Thom Meintel EDITOR IN CHIEF Gina Farrell SENIOR EDITOR Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

Editor’s Note

68

10 A Message From Joaquín Simó

Bottoms Up!

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Vicki Cruz ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Kristen Reed

12 Cool Products - Stuff you need to know about 14 Cool Bottles - Rum Original 16 How to - Mix With Herbsaint

64

The Locals

20 Bartender Submission - Leslie Ross 22 Bartender Submission - Konrad Kantor 24 Ask Josh - Craft Cocktail Movement 26 Mentors - Girls With Bols 30 Bar Owner - Jeff Berry 32 Cocktail Book - A Lime and a Shaker 34 Director - Brooke Arthur 36 Bar Owner - Cure Collective 38 Craft Spirits Expert - Jennifer Massolo 40 Brand Profile - Bittered Sling 44 Apprentice Program - CAP at Tales 46 Meet CAP Members - Then and Now 48 Spirited Screen - Kevin Dillon, Johnnie Walker Scotch 50 Craft Funding - Pura Vida, Indiegogo 52 Distillery Profile - Phenix Brands

Advanced Mixology

58 Drink In History - The Frozen Daiquiri and the Go Cup 60 Mix Better - Lemonade and Whisky 62 Food Know How - Flavors of NOLA 64 That’s the Spirit - Stop to Smell the Flowers 66 New and Next - Southern Comfort 68 The Buzz - The Jerk Store Called 70 The Next Mix - Absinthe 72 Crafting Cocktails - House-Made Ingredients 74 Tales at Tales - Love Connections 76 Tap That - Top 5 Breweries in NOLA 78 In the Know - Shock Top 80 Drink to That - Perfect Purée Smoothies 82 Drink Well - Locally Preserved 84 Behind the Scenes - Tales Gives Back 88 Spotlight Launch - Plantation Pineapple Rum

Mix It Up

18 Behind the NOLA Bar 42 Celebrity Sippers - NOLA stars 54 Get Mixing - Berry Balancing Act 56 Buzz Worthy - The Imbible At Tales!

90 Shaking and Stirring - Launches 128 Last Call - Chillin’ With Michael Mosley

Special Thanks to Ann Tuennerman and Paul G. Tuennerman

8

CHILLED MAGAZINE

MARKETING COORDINATORS Zachary Lee, Megan Donnelly, Shuting Luo

14

ART DEPARTMENT Daniel Batlle, Rick Jensen, Jessica Bartlett, Jackson Ryan PROMOTION ART ASSISTANT Michael Scarso EDITORIAL STAFF Nicole DiGiose, Christopher Osburn, Monique Farah, Bryen Dunn, Mike Gerrard, Ariana Fekett, Judi Laing, Frankie Corrado, Michael Tulipan Megan Eileen McDonough, Sara Kay, Francine Cohen, Cydnee Murray, Michael Nagy, Shawn Evertsen

58

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Curtis, Madina Papadopoulos, Joaquín Simó, Nicole DiMattei, Gwendolyn Knapp, Michele Lex, Joe Gendusa, Michelle Dunnick, Abigail Gullo, Richard Fri, travelsquire.com PHOTOGRAPHY Cover Photo: Danny Meyer - Photo by Melissa Hom Kevin Dillon - Photo by Claudette Barius Images: Shutterstock.com MARKETING Joy Sinacore SUBSCRIPTIONS TO SUBSCRIBE TO CHILLED MAGAZINE (PRINT OR DIGITAL EDITION AVAILABLE ON YOUR TABLET AND SMART PHONE VIA OUR CHILLED APP) LOG ON TO CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM HOW TO REACH US INFO@CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM ADVERTISING INQUIRIES FREE AGENT MEDIA 212-213-1155 CHILLED MEDIA, LLC. PRESIDENT Anthony Graziano LEGAL REPRESENTATION Ferro, Kuba, Mangano, Sklyar, P.C. CHILLED MAGAZINE Volume 8 - Issue 3 Copyright ©2015 Chilled Media, LLC. Chilled Magazine® and the Chilled Magazine® logo are registered trademarks owned by Chilled Media, LLC. All rights reserved. www.chilledmagazine.com NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION Curtis Circulation Company, LLC.

BRIGHTEN UP ANY COCKTAIL! FLIP IT!

GIVE ANY ORDINA RY C O C KTA IL A BUR S T OF SPARKLE! WITH A FLIPPED KORBEL 187ML CLIPPED TO THE RIM AND READY TO ENJOY!

FLOAT IT!

TOP OFF ANY OF YOUR FAVORITE COCKTAILS WITH KORBEL CALIFORNIA CHAMPAGNE FOR A BETTER AND EVEN BRIGHTER EXPERIENCE!

CELEBRATE RESPONSIBLY.

©2015 F. Korbel & Bros., Guerneville, Sonoma County, CA. Producers of fine California méthode champenoise champagnes for 133 years. KORBEL is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

K O R B E L .C O M | R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y . O R G

EDITOR’S NOTE

VOLUME 8 - ISSUE 3

Photo by Eric Medsker

GUEST EDITOR JOAQUÍN SIMÓ

Sometimes, great things spring forth from the humblest of origins. In 2002, the first Tales of the Cocktail began when a few dozen cocktail enthusiasts had a small gathering in New Orleans to chat about drinks new and old. A dozen years later, that modest turnout has swelled with attendees from all over the world attending a dizzying array of glitzy parties and hyperfocused seminars and tastings.

That kind of growth would have been impossible to pull off without the extraordinary efforts of the Cocktail Apprentice Program, which had a similar growth trajectory as the festival it serviced expanded at an exponential rate. In 2008, a little over a dozen passionate bartenders arrived at the Hotel Monteleone’s kitchen to find a lengthy work list, a few dull knives and a juicer that had been bought at a drugstore. We drank, we swore, we juiced, all day, every day. We also forged bonds of friendship and respect that last to this day. To witness the evolution of that kitchen prep pain into the powerhouse organization that it has become is one of the most impressive things I have seen in my 15 years in this industry.

It comes as no surprise that the growth of Tales of the Cocktail has mirrored the growth of not only the craft cocktail movement but also the craft spirits industry. This issue of CHILLED applauds Tales of the Cocktail and the bartenders that make it legendary. We’ll zero in on the trailblazers who are trying new and different things as well as the big boy brands who may sometimes seem to be a baby step behind but always manage to catch up in the end. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Joaquín Simó

Joaquín Simó is a 15-year industry veteran who has tended bar in pubs, restaurants, rock n’ roll clubs and craft cocktail bars, including a 5 ½ year stint at Death & Co. He served as the deputy editor for the 2009 and 2010 F&W Cocktail books and was awarded the 2012 Spirited Award as American Bartender of the Year. He has been a panelist at Tales of the Cocktail, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Thirst Boston, Portland Cocktail Week, Bar Convent Berlin, Copenhagen Spirits & Cocktails, and Paris Cocktail Spirits. He is also a partner in Alchemy Consulting but can be found most nights behind the stick at his NYC flagship bar, Pouring Ribbons, now in its 3rd year. Pouring Ribbons embodies the Tales of the Cocktail aesthetic and has always affirmed that the bar’s core identity is centered on conviviality and deliciousness.

10

CHILLED MAGAZINE

BOTTOMS UP!

COOL PRODUCTS

STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TANQUERAY NO. TEN IMPERIAL SHAKER

BY JASON CRAWLEY

Here it is, the world’s coolest cocktail-making machine. Recreated from a nineteenth-century drawing under the meticulous guidance of spirits aficionado Jason Crawley. The five foot-tall Imperial Shaker radiates authenticity, from its cast iron, brass, copper, and silver materials to the elliptical shake created by the crank. To top it off, it mixes one hell of a drink. tanqueray.com

CANE SIMPLE

The first and only individually packaged liquid sugar and flavored sweetener, available in three flavors: original, vanilla, and mint. It is 100% natural, gluten-free, and contains no additives. The product dissolves instantly in tea, coffee, and cocktails. pjpmarketplace.com

AMORETTI ORGANOLICIOUS PREMIUM BLUE AGAVE NECTAR

Replace the simple syrup and sugary ingredients in just about any drink recipe. Produced from the blue agave plants that thrive in the volcanic soils of Southern Mexico, this organic agave nectar is made without the addition of artificial flavors or colors. Agave is quickly becoming the preferred sweetener of the health conscious consumer. amazon.com

FRESH HARVEST FRUIT WINEMAKING KIT

From Master Vintner, everything you need to make amazing wine from scratch in under an hour. Turn fresh fruit into remarkable wine, and the list of fruits you can use to create your homemade wine is endless.

Check out other wine and cheese making kits from Northern Brewer. northernbrewer.com

12

CHILLED MAGAZINE

JOIN OUR 250 YEAR JOURNEY Enter the Hennessy Academy and experience 250 years of legendary craftsmanship Visit Hennessy.com or text “academy” to 46758

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Imported Cognac Hennessy®, 40%, 43% Alc./Vol. (80˚, 86˚). ©2015 Imported by Moët Hennessy USA, Inc., New York, NY. HENNESSY is a registered trademark.

BOTTOMS UP!

COOL BOTTLES

RUM ORIGINAL

SAILOR JERRY SPICED RUM

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum releases a limited edition Military Wrap bottle to select off-premise stores. The black bottle pays homage to Norman’s legacy and military roots and features a piece of his iconic American eagle flash art. “While most Sailor Jerry fans might remember Norman Collins for his impact on the tattoo community, this limited edition bottling allows us to celebrate his time in the U.S. Navy,” says Brand Ambassador, Paul Monahan.

STOLEN RUM

Stolen Rum founded by Jamie Duff, reflects his vision to steal life back, doing what you need to do in life without asking permission from society. “Our lives will only be our own when we steal them back,” says Duff. “At the heart of the Stolen brand is world-class innovation of our products, taking rum to places it has never been – a DIY punk ethos to everything we do.”

FACUNDO NEO RUM

Facundo Neo Rum is part of Bacardi’s new premium rum collection, named after founder, Don Facundo Bacardí. The sensual figures from the Neo bottle take their cue from the famed Art Deco-style El Edificio Bacardi in Havana, where the nude motifs of sirens emerge from bold geometric shapes. The black and silver front and back labels display details about the rum. It is presented in the tallest bottle of the Facundo Rum Collection.

RHUM CLÉMENT

Rhum Clément and renowned street artist JonOne unveil an exclusive collaboration to commemorate the company’s 125th anniversary. Only 10,000 bottles of this extremely limited edition, ultra-luxury Clément V.S.O.P. Rhum Agricole Vieux series by JonOne have been produced, featuring the collectible graffiti design that has made JonOne a star of the international contemporary art scene.

14

CHILLED MAGAZINE

#Barbancourt

- Rhum Barbancourt -

Perfection Isn’t Achieved Until It’s Expected

BOTTOMS UP

HOW TO

HOW TO MIX WITH HERBSAINT With Abigail Gullo

HERBSAINT, AN ANISE-FLAVORED LIQUEUR, IS NEW ORLEANS’ ANSWER TO ABSINTHE. ONCE NEW ORLEANS WAS GROUND ZERO FOR ABSINTHE IMBIBING. THEN ALONG CAME PROHIBITION AND NO MORE ABSINTHE. WHEN PROHIBITION CAME TO AN END 21 YEARS LATER, ABSINTHE WASN’T ON THE BAR MENU. BUT SINCE PEOPLE STILL ENJOYED THE FLAVOR, HUMAN INGENUITY STEPPED IN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. LOCAL DISTILLER J. MARION LEGENDRE STARTED BOTTLING HIS OWN VERSION OF ABSINTHE, CHANGING THE NAME TO HERBSAINT BECAUSE THE PRODUCT CONTAINED NO WORMWOOD. Wormwood or not, Herbsaint still resembles the profile of its anise-tinged cousin. And, in New Orleans, locals are still faithful to this absinthe substitute, which lends the requisite flavor to everything from Oysters Rockefeller to the Sazerac.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Ingredients Herbsaint was originally created as a stand-in for absinthe, but in NOLA it has become the choice ingredient in a Sazerac while also inspiring its own series of cocktails such as the Herbsaint Frappé, the Herbsaint Suisse and the Herbsaint Punch.

The original 100-proof recipe, which is now sold by the Sazerac Company, is a common element in many classic New Orleans cocktails for its more gentle, floral anise flavor mixed with an herbaceous complexity, which offers a more potent delivery of flavor.

Mist Make sure to distribute the Herbsaint flavor. It’s best to use a spray bottle because it will evenly coat a cocktail glass and will help to break up the molecules to express all of the complex flavors, like celery, citrus, and cinnamon.

“I use a frozen cocktail glass when spraying Herbsaint because I find it sticks to the glass better,” explains Gullo.

Combine The strong licorice-y flavor is extremely versatile. It brings out certain botanicals in gin really beautifully, the spicy quality works well with rye, and it cuts through the sweetness of bourbon. “I’ve never met a spirit that doesn’t mix well with Herbsaint,” simplifies Gullo. “But, if you don’t love the flavor of black licorice, don’t mix Herbsaint with vodka! There’s nothing in vodka to temper the flavor and all you’re going to taste is black licorice.”

16

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Still don’t have a vermouth mister in your bartender bag of tricks?

Go to barproducts.com and use coupon code CHILLED for 10% off, one-time offer on this professional cocktail mister.

ABIGAIL DEIRDRE GULLO Abigail Deirdre Gullo is the head bar chef at SoBou, a spirited restaurant south of Bourbon Street.

Abigail first discovered her love for mixology when she lived in Dublin, Ireland and transformed her apartment into a classic cocktail salon. Gullo’s original cocktails have been recognized in numerous national and international competitions as well as in the media.

Her Margarita won People’s Choice at the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail, and her drinks have been featured in The New York Times. She is a member of the USBG, LUPEC and proud supporter of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans. Abigail currently blogs about her craft at RyeGirl. ryegirlnyc.blogspot.com.

Photo Courtesy of SoBou

At New Orleans hot spot SoBou, bartender Abigail Gullo uses the spirit in numerous ways and has plenty of tips to make the application successful. “Nothing is as ubiquitously New Orleans as a strong cocktail,” says Gullo. “Like Oysters Rockefeller, King Cakes, and Pecan Pie, we have New Orleans to thank for Herbsaint and Sazeracs. Herbsaint is a New Orleans-born original and comes from the Creole word “holy herb.”

In New Orleans, the fondness for the liqueur has never gone away.”

TIPS

Herbsaint will last on a shelf forever. “I’ve known grandmas who’ve had Herbsaint in their cabinet since the 1960s,” jokes Gullo.

GO PRO

The Corpse Reviver #2 with its Herbsaint rinse has become a classic NOLA drink. It’s rightfully considered by many to be the best tasting of the Corpse Reviver cocktails.

CHARBONNEAU WAY Created by Abigail Gullo INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Willet Family Reserve Rye ½ oz. Maple Syrup ½ oz. Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice ¼ oz. Amère Sauvage Liqueur Herbsaint, for misting glass PREPARATION

Combine the rye, maple syrup, lemon juice and liqueur in a shaker. Shake hard and strain into a cocktail glass misted with Herbsaint.

Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

THE TAYLOR BIRD SAZERAC Created by Abigail Gullo INGREDIENTS

1 oz. Cognac 1 oz. Rye whiskey 1 Barspoon Steen’s Cane Syrup (or extra-rich 3:1 Demerara Syrup) 2 Dashes Orange Bitters 4 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters Herbsaint Rinse PREPARATION

Rinse a chilled rocks glass with Herbsaint to coat. Stir the remaining ingredients in a mixing glass with cracked ice and strain into the rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist after expressing its oils over the drink.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

17

MIX IT UP

BEHIND THE BAR

BEHIND THE

N O LA BAR

BIG EASY BUCHA

New Orleans’s first commercially available kombucha company, available in two flavors, Cajun Kick and Jazz Juice, with a third specialty flavor, Voodoo Brew (a coffee kombucha hybrid) rolling out soon. Big Easy Bucha is available on tap, in growler and bottle formats and in mobile kegerator at Tales of the Cocktail for apprentices to enjoy. bigeasybucha.com

KINA LILLET

Lillet, the historic French aperitif brand, recently discovered the last known bottle of 1967 Kina Lillet. The artifact is part of the permanent collection of The Museum of the American Cocktail’s New Orleans location. The bottle will be showcased in an exhibit to help tell the story of the Martini, its development and evolution, from the Martinez to the Vesper and beyond. lillet.com

COCKTAILS & SONS SYRUPS

Founder Max Messier is an award-winning bartender based currently in New Orleans, LA. His line of syrups is produced with natural ingredients, no additives or coloring agents and employs locally sourced Louisiana raw sugar, organic ingredients and natural preservatives. Each product was tested and approved by his bartender brethren across the United States. cocktailsandsons.com

EL GUAPO BITTERS

Originally created for the use at one local bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the line of El Guapo Bitters got so much attention from the folks at Tales of the Cocktail and local bartenders that Scot Mattox, founder, decided to provide his locally grown, whole ingredient bitters to all. El Guapo extracts concentrated flavor from fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices using no artificial flavorings or essential oils. The brand also donates 10% profits to support the men and women of our Armed Forces. elguapobitters.com

18

CHILLED MAGAZINE

JAW-DROPPING

SMOOTHNESS. BROW-RAISING

BOTANICALS. RETHINK GIN. WE DID.

BULLDOG® London Dry Gin, 40% alc./vol. (80 Proof). © 2015 Imported by Campari America, San Francisco, CA. live defiantly. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

ADVANCED THE LOCALSMIXOLOGY BARTENDER DRINK SUBMISSION IN HISTORY

1• 00• er memb

Leslie Ross

Canard - Houston, Texas Leslie is currently the bar director for the Treadsack Group. She oversees the bar and cocktail program for six of their nine concepts, with a spot at the helm, Canard, waiting for her this summer. According to Leslie, Canard is at the forefront in providing exceptional service to guests, while delivering a cocktail program that is both beautiful and delicious. “I tend to use a lot of culinary techniques and do a hefty amount of food driven cocktails,” she says. “Pretty much, if you can taste it, I can make a drink out of it.”

For Leslie the bartending industry is full of bright and interesting people. She hopes that her bartender counterparts will continue to come up with new and interesting angles for serving drinks. “I really love what they are doing in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Paris right now,” explains Leslie. “As far as what’s trending? Batch.

Gone are the days when your cocktail menu has a 20-minute wait time. There’s nothing wrong with condensing that large ingredient beast into a seemingly effortless work of art. Nobody will think less of you for working smarter, not harder.”

THE MULETA

A Spanish G&T meets a Bloody Bull INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Xoriguer Mahon Gin ½ oz. Aperol ½ oz. Valdespino Manzanilla Sherry 2 oz. Vanilla Tomato Jam Cordial* PREPARATION

Thrown, cracked ice, top with Fever Tree Bitter Lemon Tonic.

Garnish with lemon slice, Allspice berries, and a sword pic of Castelvetrano Olives *Vanilla Tomato Jam Cordial 4 Large, Ripe Heirloom Tomatoes (cut into manageable portions) 1 Handful of Sun Dried Tomatoes 4-5 Allspice Berries ½ cup Light Brown Sugar ¼ cup Turbinado 2 Chopped and Caramelized Shallots 1 tsp. Cinnamon tsp. Ground Clove Pre-heat oven to 425F. In a glass baking dish, toss all ingredients with a light drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Roast uncovered 20-30 minutes. Once everything comes down in temperature, blend in a Vitamix, blender or food processor. Strain and squeeze through cheesecloth. Add ½ cup of veal stock, you may choose to clarify it first. Add 1 scraped vanilla bean half. Fortify with 2 oz. dry Curacao for every 10 oz. Tomato Jam Liquid.

20

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Photos By Justin

Calh

ou n

Sortilège, Fresh Orange Juice and Champagne

Sortilège, meaning “magic spell,’’ is a unique blend of Canadian rye whisky and pure maple syrup created from a traditional Québécois heritage recipe – Blended to achieve perfect harmony!

drink responsibly

Sortilège Liqueur, 30% Alc./Vol., Imported exclusively by Sidney Frank Importing Co., Inc., New Rochelle, NY

ADVANCED THE LOCALSMIXOLOGY BARTENDER DRINK SUBMISSION IN HISTORY

1• 00• member

Photos by Bazil Zerinsky

Konrad Kantor

Doris Metropolitan New Orleans, LA Konrad Kantor continues to hone in on his craft after 10 years in the business. First, he works at training his palate, which he feels is an invaluable asset to any bartender. “A bartender hasn’t mastered his bar until he can blind taste every single product behind it,” explains Kantor. “There are many other important things needed in order to further perfect one’s craft, but deductive tasting is often overlooked in the business of spirits.” A lot of his energy is also spent being relatable to all types of people. “Even the best bartenders in the world have shortcomings, but their personalities and willingness to communicate with all types are, first and foremost, what make them so memorable.”

Kantor appreciates where he thinks the cocktail culture seems to be headed. “People are wising up, and the more the average bar continues to focus on making fresh juices and learning classic recipes, the less pretentious the entire craft cocktail scene will become,” he predicts. “Personally, I’m just waiting for the day a famous rapper throws the Corpse Reviver #2 in one of their lyrics. Can you imagine how much that would do for craft cocktail awareness?”

22

CHILLED MAGAZINE

SAZERAC INGREDIENTS

1 oz. Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac 1 oz. Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey ¼ oz. Cocktail & Sons Spiced Demerara Syrup 6 Dashes of The Bitter Truth Creole Bitters PREPARATION

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Coat the inside of a chilled Old Fashioned glass with six pumps of Herbsaint. This works best if you put the Herbsaint into an atomizer so as not to spoil the cocktail with too much Herbsaint. It also saves quite a bit of product! Strain the stirred cocktail into its glass, express one lemon twist over the glass and rub it around the rim of the glass before dropping it into the cocktail.

ABSENTROUX

TM

ABSENTROUX

THE LOCALS

ASK JOSH

CRAFT Cocktail Movement

Something To This

Mixolog y Thing

By Josh Curtis Photos by Stephanie Curtis

T

he Craft Cocktail Movement or, as Jeffrey Morgenthaler calls it, the Cocktail Thing is important for bartenders for the simple reason that there is now a standard for putting out a quality product. What exactly does that mean? Basically, always mixing with fresh juices and house syrups.

You can’t use a ready-made Margarita mix anymore.

Owners of dive bars may cringe at this idea, but at the essential level, purchase some Perricone brand lime juice from your produce purveyor and make 1:1 simple syrup with granulated sugar. This will point your bar program in the right direction and result in a better tasting Margarita without greater cost, which you and your bar’s owner will like. Keep garnishes simple. Plucked mint tops and fresh lime wedges make a nice difference.

It’s also a good idea to have a basic understanding of what proper cocktails are by simply having a few great cocktail books available behind the bar. The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David Embury, and Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh are all great

Josh Curtis is one of LA’s premium bartenders.

Check out his weekly creative cocktail posts @mixingcocktails on Instagram and Twitter.

references. Bartending schools are almost obsolete, but here in L.A. there is an excellent boot camp from Julian Cox and the Soigne Group. The Master Mixology Method is also a modern and legitimate approach to bartender schooling led by Joe Brooke of Bar Rescue fame. I would recommend searching YouTube for informative videos by Dale DeGroff as well. Education is key.

Somewhere down the line mixology became a bad word before people even knew what it was. Master Mixologists started popping up everywhere and much like the word ‘sommelier,’ it was misused, misappropriated, and even discarded in certain places like an over-shaken cocktail. But there are aspects to this Mixology Thing that are crucial to a proper bar.

There is a line in the sand that has to be maintained.

The bartender’s fresh juice and house-made syrup preparation becomes a blank canvas of sorts. Once this is consistently established it’s a cinch to build upward so that the Craft Cocktail bar becomes in a sense another standard for mixing styles in bars everywhere.

Next step: dry shaking and double straining.

SUMMERTIME INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Vodka ¾ oz. Fresh Squeezed Lime ¾ oz. Simple Syrup 1:1 4 Dashes Angostura Bitters 2 oz. Club Soda Fresh Raspberries and Mint

24

CHILLED MAGAZINE

PREPARATION

Build in a Collins glass.

Press raspberries with a muddler. Stir with barspoon, fill with ice. Garnish with zested lemon peel, brush mint top against drink side to activate then place as garnish.

INTRODUCING MAESTRO DE RON

THE NEWEST GRAN RESERVA RUM FROM BACARDÍ® LIVE PASSIONATELY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. ©2015. BACARDÍ, BACARDI GRAN RESERVA MAESTRO DE RON TRADE DRESS, BACARDI UNTAMEABLE AND THE BAT DEVICE ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI AND COMPANY LIMITED. BACARDI U.S.A., INC. CORAL GABLES, FL. RUMS - EACH 40% ALC. BY VOL.

THE LOCALS

MENTORS

By Judi Laing Photos courtesy of Bols, USA What does a group of fabulously spirited women and centuries-old gin have to do with each other?

Well, they have come together under the auspices of the good people at Dutch spirits maker Lucas Bols, producers of the celebrated Bols Genever, to found an important mentoring program. Girls With Bols advances female members of the spirits industry by joining leading ladies together and making them accessible to their novice counterparts. Co-founder, Kate Gerwin, the first female and first American, for that matter, to win the Bols Around the World Championship, explains, “The people of Lucas Bols asked me about what I’d like to accomplish during my year as World Champion. After a discussion about some of the pitfalls women in the industry deal with, and a Kopstootje (traditional Dutch shot and beer ritual), Girls With Bols was born. I am so honored and excited to have the opportunity to bring this group of inspiring women together.

Through events and seminars, this network of incredible women will lead the industry into the future.”

The women who make up Girls With Bols are all accomplished bartenders with many awards and commendations among them. They understand, from their varied experiences, what it takes to make it in the hospitality business and they know how important it is to have a great support system for women who are just starting out.

Herewith the inspiring women at the forefront of this mentoring program: Kate Gerwin in Bismarck, North Dakota; Sabrina Kershaw in Roxbury, Massachusetts; Keli Rivers in San Francisco; Pam Wiznitzer in New York; Jen Ferreira in Providence, Rhode Island; Genie Gore and Anna Knudson, both in Los Angeles, Brent Falco in Louisville, and Mea Leech in Chicago.

This pioneering girl squad will be reaching out to women across the country to teach them, to inspire them and be there for them as this new crop of female bartenders make their way into the spotlight. What’s more, the spirited women of Tales Of The Cocktail and Girls With Bols have teamed up and will announce an educational partnership for the upcoming year.

“Together we will build a network of women who will lead and nurture future leaders,” says Ann Tuennerman, Tales Of The Cocktail.

Proof there is a way to drink genever and do good at the same time!

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TERRIFIC WOMEN OF GIRLS WITH BOLS: On the web: girlswithbols.com On Facebook: facebook.com/groups/girlswithbols On Instagram: #GirlsWithBols

26

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

NEW LOOK

S A M E R E L E N T L E S S PAS S I O N

LIVE PASSIONATELY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. ©2015. BACARDÍ, ITS TRADE DRESS, BACARDÍ UNTAMEABLE AND THE BAT DEVICE ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED. BACARDI U.S.A., INC., CORAL GABLES, FL. RUMS – EACH 40% ALC. BY VOL. BACARDI.COM

now 70 proof

WITH THIS HANDCRAFTED, ALL-NATURAL BEAUTY It’s okay! In fact, it’s perfectly appropriate. Introducing your new love: the all-new, more versatile, 70 proof VEEV®.

It’s handcrafted. It’s all-natural. And its smooth, amazing taste will make all your favorite cocktails better. So go ahead, #CheatOnVodka

DISCOVER MORE AT VEEVLIFE.COM DRINK BETTER, DRINK RESPONSIBLY. ©2015 VEEV®. 35% ALC/VOL (70 PROOF).

PRODUCED AND BOTTLED FOR VEEV SPIRITS, LOS ANGELES, CA.

THE LOCALS

BAR OWNER

Photos by Olivier Konig and Will Crocker Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, the man who in some ways singlehandedly kept the world of tiki alive, isn’t from New Orleans. Nor has he ever owned a bar. Yet, he picked up his life elsewhere and moved to the Crescent City to began anew. As he has said before, it was time he started mixing drinks, not just writing about them. His tiki bar Latitude 29 and Tales of the Cocktail have a lot to do with where he is now. Here’s what he told Chilled about Tales and the tiki revival.

You aren’t from New Orleans, nor had you owned a bar.

Why there?

It was Tales Of The Cocktail that not only brought my wife and me to our new home in New Orleans, but introduced our work to the cocktail world via the Tales seminars, Spirited Dinners®, and other events in which we’ve participated every year since 2005. Because of Ann Tuennerman and her globally prestigious festival, our mission to legitimize tiki in the craft cocktail world got an invaluable leg up, and led to the current tiki revival that we’ve propagated across Europe, Latin America and North America. So we never even considered opening our bar in any other city.

Tiki and New Orleans aren’t usually thought of in the same breath, but rum, tiki, and the island vibe have been settling in New Orleans lately.

Well, New Orleans was the birthplace of Don The Beachcomber (born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt), who single-handedly created the tiki bar and the tiki drink in 1934. So you could say that without New Orleans, there would be no tiki revival!

You’ve been visiting New Orleans for many years.

What has changed in the spirits/bar scene?

The big change came in 2009, with the opening of Cure. With their bar, the first world-class craft cocktail destination in New Orleans, Neal Bodenheimer and Kirk Estopinal ushered the city into the 21st century cocktail renaissance.

How has Tales evolved over the years?

It’s gotten bigger…much bigger! It’s like a small country now.

30

CHILLED MAGAZINE

RUMCHATA FREEDOM BOTTLES Every bottle sold benefits the

The Lone Survivor Foundation restores, empowers, and renews hope for our wounded service members and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support.

RumChata. Caribbean Rum with Real Dairy Cream, Natural and Artificial Flavors.

13.75% alcohol by volume.

Bottled by Agave Loco Brands, Pewaukee, WI. Please Enjoy Responsibly. RUMCHATA and CHATA are Registered Trademarks of Agave Loco, LLC.

THE LOCALS

COCKTAIL BOOK

Photos by Lauren Volo.

A Lime Los Hermanos The Tippling Bros., Tad Carducci and Paul Tanguay, have been attending Tales of the Cocktail for over a decade. Their new book, A Lime and a Shaker, is a great resource for anyone who loves tequila and mezcal and would like to explore the use of both in making cocktails. “It is a fun and practical resource,” say Carducci and Tanguay.

“It’s written from the heart and we hope readers have as good a time reading it and making the recipes as we had putting it together.”

The mixing duo is excited to be a part of the growing craft cocktail culture and this year’s Tales. “As some of the early circle of bartenders to adopt the practice of making thoughtful cocktails using great ingredients, we love to see where it has come in the last few years. As educators, trainers and proponents of the cause, we are truly blown away by how the culture has grown around the country. Working with our mentors at Beverage Alcohol Resource and BarSmarts, and in our own consulting work, we are lucky enough to travel the world and witness the amazing proliferation of passionate cocktail bars and bartenders out there.”

Check out this recipe from their new book.

32

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

Named for brothers: in blood, in spirit, in business.

Boldly flavored, racy, spicy, and smoky, there’s no gray area here; this is a big daddy of a cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Del Maguey Vida Mezcal 2 oz. Passion Fruit Puree ¾ oz. Agave Nectar ½ oz. Fresh Lime Juice 4 Mint Leaves 2 Dashes El Yucateco Green Habanero Hot Sauce PREPARATION

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain over fresh ice in an Old-Fashioned glass with a salt and black pepper half rim and garnish with mint leaf.

THE LOCALS

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Brooke Arthur

Bringing Back The Wine Cooler

By Christopher Osburn

I

Photo courtesy of Anchor Brewing Co.

f you ask Brooke Arthur about her career, she’d say it took a natural progression for a female in the food and beverage industry. “I moved up the ladder from bussing to running food, cocktailing to bartending.” She cut her teeth working for the best bars in the San Francisco bay area. “They passed the torch to me when I was fully trained and eventually I became a bar manager.”

At her start, Arthur created cocktail lists for various well-known establishments including Prospect Restaurant and Wo Hing General Store. From there she took a job at the Michelin-rated restaurant, Range, where she learned the most up-to-date techniques and how to offer outstanding customer service.

One of the newest fascinations in the bar world is bottled cocktails. “Bottled cocktails are another example of what’s old becoming new,” says Arthur.

“Think of how much we all loved (or still love) wine coolers.” She points out that with the right techniques, skill and mix-ability of ingredients bartenders can create a personal beverage to satiate the palate of any drinker. “When bottled drinks are done right, they are perfect for entertaining and add to the experience.”

Arthur fully appreciates the path she took to become the bartender she is today. She encourages young bartenders to do the same. “It is important for novice bartenders to get a mentor and learn, watch, and soak up as much information as they can, then repeat.”

Arthur also values a well-rounded approach toward tending bar. “I have seen extreme shifts in how communities around the country work to support each other,” she says. “We all need to share recipes, train bartenders, love, support and have fun with each other.”

Brooke Arthur is director of education/outreach for House Spirits.

34

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Aviation Negroni INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ oz. Aviation American Gin 1 oz. Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth 1 oz. Campari ¼ oz. Filtered Water PREPARATION

Batch recipe for number of bottled cocktails and multiply the recipe as needed. Fill champagne splits (found in home brew shops) and cap with a capper. When ready to serve, uncap and pour over ice, garnish with an orange slice.

Can be enjoyed as an aperitif.

The Perfect Negroni

© 2015 Palm Bay International, Inc. Boca Raton, Fl.

Equal Parts: Vermouth Cinzano Rosso Campari London Dry Gin

250-YEAR TRADITION

OF

EXCELLENCE

Once regarded as just an ingredient, the right vermouth can make or break your cocktail. Reach for the brand that has been raising the bar since before the cocktail was born – Cinzano Vermouth.

www.cinzano.com

PalmBay.com

THE LOCALS

BAR OWNER

NEALBODENHEIMER, KIRKESTOPINAL NICKDETRICH

By Cydnee Murray, Photos courtesy of Kevin O’Mara Neal Bodenheimer had his sights set on opening a bar in New York. Then Hurricane Katrina razed the city that raised him. He instinctively departed New York for New Orleans, rendered old and in need of help from those who knew it most and loved it best. It took him about five years to realize his vision, but in 2009, with the help of partner Kirk Estopinal, he opened Cure on Freret Street, uptown close to Tulane and Loyola Universities.

“Moving back home was the best decision I’ve ever made and I literally can’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t,” says Bodenheimer. “I most likely wouldn’t have opened Cure, met my wife, had my daughter, cultivated so many valued friendships, and God, there are so many other great things over the years that wouldn’t have happened.”

If it sounds too good to be true, believe in the truth of reaping what you sow, and literally in this case. Bodenheimer planted Cure’s roots in a “barren wasteland for business and now its bustling. I couldn’t have imagined foot traffic when we purchased the building, and now families with strollers are common, says Bodenheimer.

His company, Cure Collective, has now divvied its cure throughout NOLA, with two more successful ventures, Bellocq and Cane & Table. Bellocq, a joint venture with the Hotel Modern, honors E.J. Bellocq, a photographer who, beginning around 1915, took artistic photos of the prostitutes working New Orleans’ Storyville red-light district.

Cane & Table “is the brainchild of Nick Detrich who was our Bar Manager at Cure,” says Bodenheimer. “Nick’s idea was to trace the development and history of the rum trade through food and beverage and what emerged has been pretty compelling. Our space is authentic, so when we endeavored to recreate an old port town bar it didn’t take much. C&T is as much restaurant as bar and we enjoy getting to guide a guest’s experience for more than just a few rounds.”

36

CHILLED MAGAZINE

THE LOCALS

CRAFT SPIRITS EXPERT

By Nicole DiGiose fter much time and effort, spirits expert Jennifer Massolo turned her dream into a reality. In 2012, she founded The Liquid Projects to support artisans in the beverage industry, offering many distillers, bottlers, brewers, and winemakers, who are typically overshadowed by big brands, consulting services. These services range from craft bar concepts and renovations to educational events and portfolio building. She also organizes large and small tastings, and consults for restaurants and hotels. Her main intention is to educate, while shifting the industry’s focus toward high quality producers and products.

A

Right from the start Massolo knew it was her essential goal to support smaller producers. “I liken it to the farmto-table movement of supporting local farmers, and it became important to me to connect who is making our finer spirits,” Massolo explains. Not only is she interested in educating consumers on putting higher quality food and drinks into their bodies, but supporting smaller producers, because she believes they make up the fabric of our towns, cities, and country.

According to Massolo, one of the most effective ways to educate others on quality is to host sampling sessions, specifically blind tastings. “They are the most effective way to educate oneself and others in order to debunk myths that marketing might impart to consumers,” she says.

Massolo recently partnered with hospitality giant Marriott to take on a project with the company’s new hotel, AC Hotel Miami Beach. “Many of the vendors will be sourced from regional artisans, while the craft cocktail program will embrace an array of the finest local and international craft spirits. Utilizing the freshest ingredients and garnishes, the bar will also integrate the highly efficient and modernized process of batching.”

38

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Photo by Mary Beth Koeth

EXCEED EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

EXPECTATIONS

% +25 MORE DOLLARS % +25 MORE DOLLARS CIDER DRINKERS

SPEND

CIDER DRINKERS

SPEND

IN THE ON-PREMISE VS. THE AVERAGE BEER DRINKER (1)

IN THE ON-PREMISE VS. THE AVERAGE BEER DRINKER (1)

SALES RATES SALES RATES

STRONGBOW GENERATES

HIGHER

STRONGBOW GENERATES

VS. OTHER WELL-KNOWN HIGHER CIDER BRANDS (2)

VS. OTHER WELL-KNOWN CIDER BRANDS (2)

AWARDED BEST TASTING COMMON CIDER* *2014 highest-rated common cider by Tastings.com

AWARDED BEST TASTING COMMON CIDER* *2014 highest-rated common cider by Tastings.com

ALWAYS GLUTEN FREE

Enjoy Our Brands Responsibly.

©2015 STRONGBOW ® Hard Apple Ciders. Produced by Stassen SA. Imported by Bulmers Cider Company, White Plains, NY

ALWAYS GLUTEN FREE

Enjoy Our Brands Responsibly.

©2015 STRONGBOW ® Hard Apple Ciders. Produced by Stassen SA. Imported by Bulmers Cider Company, White Plains, NY

CONTACT YOUR DISTRIBUTOR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY 1. CheckMetrics - March 2015 2. GuestMetrics - March 2015

CONTACT YOUR DISTRIBUTOR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY 1. CheckMetrics - March 2015 2. GuestMetrics - March 2015

THE LOCALS

BRAND PROFILE

by Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

I

n 2012, we were home in Vancouver, hand packing, filling and labeling our product with a team of our bartender friends who volunteered their spare time to help us get our first shipment together,” recalls Lauren Mote, co-proprietor of Bittered Sling. “With access to our commercial kitchen limited to between 1:00 to 7:00 a.m., we were fueled by copious amounts of coffee and a determined spirit that we still hold dear. Both our backs and pocketbooks suffered then, truly the meaning of backbreaking passion.”

That passion, plus a major dose of support from Tales of the Cocktail, is what has made Bittered Sling a respected player in the bitters trade.

40

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Now, in 2015, Bittered Sling can be seen on both retail shelves and back bars across the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In 2014, the company received Gold Awards from the International Review of Spirits competition for its Cascade Celery, Malagasy Chocolate and Kensington Dry Aromatic, as well as a Silver Award for Grapefruit & Hops and Plum & Root Beer. Just recently, Mote and her team returned from this year’s Tales event in Mexico where she launched the brand in the Mexican market.

At this year’s festival in New Orleans, Mote and her partner Chovancek plan to release their Condesa Bitters, a limited edition Tales Collaboration Pack. The bitters will be available in the Tales Bitters Market, where Bittered Sling has been named “best-

selling bitters” for the last two years.

This isn’t surprising considering the care that goes into each batch of bitters.

Mote proudly states, “Our bitters are sponsored by Agriculture Canada and hold the coveted ‘Canada Brand’ distinction, which means that Canada is passionate about our product and determined to help us open up new markets. Our bitters are made from 100% fruit spirit, exclusively grown, manufactured and packaged in British Columbia, located in the Western Canada/ Pacific Northwest region. We use the highest quality homegrown ingredients and personally make each of our bitters in small batches; this results in an incredible complexity and concentration in flavor. Jonathan and I are thrilled to have secured a place in a zeitgeist of the world’s bitters manufacturers.”

FACEBOOK facebook.com/bitteredsling TWITTER @bittered_sling @laurenmote @uvavancouver INSTAGRAM @bittered_sling @laurenmote @uvavancouver WEBSITE www.bitteredsling.com EMAIL mote@bitteredsling.com

GO GET

SIDE BAR

Bittered Sling saw its original launch at Tales of the Cocktail in 2012. “Bittered Sling’s existence is owed in part to Ann Tuennerman, who provided my life and business partner, Jonathan Chovancek, and me the incredible opportunity to launch during Tales,” notes Mote.

“It’s the springboard that any startup company dreams of, but most seldom receives. We feel very grateful for that, and have since been involved in every Tales festival, both in their home-base of New Orleans and all On Tour locations.”

SOME

TALES-INSPIRED

BITTERS BY

BITTERED

SLING

Tales and Bittered Sling join together to develop exclusive custom flavors that celebrate the unique character of each Tales of the Cocktail destination. The official Tales of the Cocktail Special Edition Travel Pack by Bittered Sling will feature Vancouver’s “Gastown,” Mexico City’s “Condesa,” Buenos Aires’ “Palermo” and New Orleans’ “French Quarter” bitters. These limited-edition travel packs will be available exclusively onsite at Tales of the Cocktail, 2015.

41

MIX IT UP

CELEBRITY SIPS

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE CELEBRITIES ARE ROOTED IN THE BIG EASY. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THESE FAMOUS NEW ORLEANIANS, YOU’LL FIND THEM HANGING OUT IN THE CITY’S HOT SPOTS.

ANGELINA JOLIE AND BRAD PITT Although it’s rumored that the couple is selling their French Quarter mansion, Pitt’s post Hurricane Katrina effort, Make It Right, brought the do-good pair to NOLA to redevelop the Lower 9th Ward. The duo sips their French rosé, Miraval, while listening to NOLA jazz.

HARRY CONNICK, JR. The actor, musician, composer, who grew up in Lakeview, says about his cocktail-lovin’ town, “you could have a Pimm’s Cup at the Napoleon House. Now that’s old school. That really feels like New Orleans. It’s one of the oldest bars here. There’s also a really old bar called Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop. Every time I pass it, I can’t believe it’s still standing. Hurricanes are extremely popular.”

NICOLAS CAGE A deep history with the city, Cage purchased the infamously haunted LaLaurie Mansion, since foreclosed on, but he still owns his unnamed pyramid-shaped tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No.1.

His drink of choice?

Whiskey.

SANDRA BULLOCK Her adopted son was born in NOLA, so Bullock purchased a home in the Garden District.

She has been spotted at the Sugar Mill for star-studded evenings.

REESE WITHERSPOON Did you know Reese was born in New Orleans? The actress recently came back to her hometown to shoot a comedy with Sofia Vergara. The co-stars indulged in rum cakes from local dessert boutique Sucré.

42

CHILLED MAGAZINE

CHANNING TATUM Owner of Saints and Sinners, a NOLA hot spot styled after the famous red-light district bordellos with a balcony overlooking Bourbon Street. “I love New Orleans, man. I love the spirit of New Orleans,” he says. We’re waiting for the Magic Mike hottie to perform on stage!

It’s Not a Margarita Without

Pura Vida

Margaritas don’t come from France. If you want ‘em to taste as good as they do in Mexico, you have to make ‘em like they do in Mexico; with NARANJA premium orange liqueur. NARANJA is the exact same orange liqueur used in the very first margarita ever made back in 1941, recently acquired by the Pura Vida Tequila Company. Ultra-premium Pura Vida Tequila and NARANJA authentic Mexican orange liqueur, for margaritas that taste like they do in Mexico, not France.

+ www.PuraVida.mx

NARANJA • ALC.40% By Vol./80 Proof • Produced and bottled in Mexico by La Madrilena S.A.de C.V. Pura Vida Tequila • ALC.40% By Vol./80 Proof • Estate Grown, Distilled And Hand Bottled In Limited Quantities Compañia Destiladora De Xamay S.A. De C.V. Enjoy the Good Life, but Enjoy it Responsibly

THE LOCALS

APPRENTICE PROGRAM

Cocktail Apprentice Program at

Tales of The Cocktail One Big, Hard Working, Dedicated Family

H

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson. Photos courtesy of Tales of the Cocktail, J. Mitchell.

ow would it to feel to batch cocktails, in buckets, no less, for as many as 1,000 people? If you are accepted into the Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales of the Cocktail, you’ll find out exactly how it feels, and a lot more. The program has come a long way since its inception in 2008 when it was just a group of bartending buddies batching drinks for fun. Today, an apprentice is likely to learn more in the five days of the program than they would in five months behind the stick.

CAP is one of Ann and Paul G. Tuennerman’s greatest loves. While people often see Tales as one big party, behind the scenes, there is a frenzied ballet of activity with apprentices learning as they work, working as they learn, and generally providing a hidden infrastructure to the entire event. As Paul observes, “We bring together some of the finest, from around the world, to put on what is the Industry’s premier event, and were it not for their passion, dedication, and determination, you would be talking to someone else, right now.”

Unbeknownst to them, those inaugural team members were building a program that is now a coveted feather in one’s bartending crown, offering not only support in one’s endeavors, but also a close-knit family of likeminded souls.

As the bar business has become something people truly see as a lifelong pursuit, CAP has become more ambitious in its reaches. “The question is, we have an industry now that’s very young,” says Lee. “We have this opportunity to do this as a profession. What does it really mean to be a part of this industry? Is this something that you can do for the rest of your life? And, if so, how do you get there – how do you create a generation that will do this as a career?”

“It’s a long, hard week but it’s one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things I get to be a part of.”

Don Lee, one of the two people who has participated in CAP since its inception and is now one of the highest level White Coats recalls that CAP “came about nine years ago because they were gathering the best bartenders in the world to talk about cocktails.”

Mike Ryan came on the following year as a first time apprentice. The program was still in its nascent stages.

As Ryan recalls, “There wasn’t really a lot of organization back then. John Deragon and Don Lee had done it the year before and, although they’re extremely organized and systems-oriented guys, the program was just too large for two people.” The next year Ryan, along with Leo Robitschek and Eric Simpkins were welcomed back as assistant leaders. “As the years have wound on, we’ve finally developed the tiered system we use now,” explains Ryan, “with the White Coats (myself, John Deragon, Don Lee, Leo Robitschek, Cris Dehlavi and Trevor Kallies) leading the program and working as a team to manage the whole unwieldy beast.”

44

CHILLED MAGAZINE

One of the ways to do this, according to Lee, is to hold the participants accountable to their bartending community.

Thus, the CAP system is designed as a hierarchy, with the Gray Coats as the starter level, progressing to red, black, and then white. At each subsequent level, one gains more responsibility and becomes a mentor to those below. “We look for people who will benefit from the program,” says Ryan. “It’s a long, hard week but it’s one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things I get to be a part of, which is why I do it year after year.”

Among the many contributions Tales of the Cocktail has made to the industry, one of the most valuable is its commitment to its apprentice program. Being accepted into the CAP program, which is held in every city where Tales occurs, is like being part of a private club. Once a CAP always a CAP. Many of today’s best bartenders around the world have been in the CAP program; some of them return each year, getting promoted to a higher leadership role. Chilled reached out to many of these CAP members to find out what the program did for them and what their fondest memories are. Turn the page to meet the CAP.

Turn the page to meet CAP

INTRODUCING

The Legend of Italy is Finally coming to the U.S. VOV is an iconic, Italian, all natural spirit made from the highest quality ingredients. VOV is simply made of egg yolks, sugar, aged Sicilian Marsala wine, vanilla from Madagascar and neutral grain spirit.

Now available in California, Illinois and New York. Coming to your market soon. Visit vovzabajone.com

Please enjoy responsibly. Imported by 375 Park Avenue Spirits. 375PARK.COM. VOV – 17.8% ALC. BY VOL. (35 proof)

THE LOCALS

MEET CAP THEN & NOW

STAY CALM AND

Batch On

Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales of the Cocktail

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

LUCAS GROGLIO

Buenos Aires, Argentina | CAP Member: 2014, Buenos Aires Why CAP? Ever since I embarked in the world of cocktails the name of Tales of the Cocktail kept popping out within every talk I had with some of the most well-known and well-respected men and women of the industry.

Photo by Julieta Groglio

A special memory of the experience: What really caught my eye and inspired me to continue was the fact that even though we were working hand in hand with the best leaders in the field, we were treated as equals and each and every one of them took the time to explain the how and why of every task we were doing, making it a great learning experience.

NATHAN DALTON

A special memory of the experience: The thing that encapsulates the entire CAP experience for me is the kitchen.

That amazing kitchen; 70 people working in a tiny space for a week, churning out thousands upon thousands of cocktails and garnishes, and not one person ever getting cranky. We were all there for each other, wanting nothing but to lend a hand whenever we had one to spare. Just having experienced a week like that has changed the way I approach my career.

Where were you then and where are you now?

I am still the bar director for the same organization, but since being a CAP, we have expanded from two locations to five, including Tiki Tolteca which won Food and Wine Magazine’s People’s Choice award for best new bar in America. My CAP experience, short as a week is, has really played a huge part in this success.

DENZEL HEATH

South Africa | CAP Member: 2014, New Orleans

Photo by MTV Africa

What did you learn as a CAP? Technique: Batching was something that stood out for me. We did not batch in South Africa, until CAP last year! Believe it or not! Now the company that I work for leads the way through the batching techniques that I learned as a CAP and implemented into the mass events that we cater for.

When batching 1,000s of cocktails, what lessons did you learn?

That if you make the smallest mistake, you ruin the cocktail experience for a multitude of festival goers! NO PRESSURE!!

Adversely, doing a great job means you ROCK!

46

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Photo by Andrew Kist

New Orleans | CAP Member: 2013, New Orleans

ORON LERNER

Tel Aviv, Israel | CAP Member: 2013, New Orleans

Photo by Gili Levin

A special memory of the experience: We were serving a seminar for Belvedere, serving nothing less than 2,200 different versions of a vodka martini, with sometimes miniscule differences between them. We were behind schedule, with extra hands helping everywhere, turned part of the lobby into a tasting-mat organization surface and in the middle of all this craziness up comes Joann Spiegel with some random pourer-capped bottle and says “Take a knee.” You see, there’s no time for glassware when it comes to CAPs but you gotta keep yourself energized somehow, and so she just walks about and pours liquor down your throat, reminding you that even under ridiculous pressure, you’re having fun all the while making sure the seminars come out awesome.

Where were you then and where are you now?

At the time I was bartending at an innovative cocktail bar called Imperial and since Tales 2013 I’ve opened my own bar called Hide & Seek.

CRIS DEHLAVI

Why CAP? I attended Tales in 2009, went to nine different seminars and every event I could. I was intrigued watching all the behind the scenes work by the CAPS so I applied the next year and got in. I was determined to learn as much as I could and knew that being in the CAP program would give me that opportunity.

When batching 1,000s of cocktails, what lessons did you learn?

There is a fine art and skill to doing it right and you must be able to understand “batch math.” We teach it on day one and it is something that you absolutely use in your own bar. We had shirts made that say “STAY CALM AND BATCH ON.” That pretty much sums it all up.

Photo courtesy of Cris Dehlavi

Columbus, OH | CAP Member: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, New Orleans

JOANN SPIEGEL

New York City | CAP Member: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, New Orleans

Photo by Gabi Porter

Why CAP? I first applied to CAP after attending Tales 2010 as a finalist for a Cointreau competition. I saw and met all these crazy bartenders in white chef coats running around working the hell out of all these events and seminars and I knew I wanted to come back and be a part of that.

A special memory of the experience: A special memory for me is a moment I repeat each year. Saturday night about an hour into the awards, it’s that moment each year where I take a minute to take it all in and look around at the comradeship and the love and laughter of all the fellow CAPs. We have all witnessed each other being beat up pretty hard and Saturday is the first chance to really dust off and start to decompress. It also helps that everyone is dressed to the nines!

DANIEL BIBER

Buenos Aires, Argentina | CAP Member: In 2013 and 2014, in Buenos Aires and New Orleans Why CAP? Applying to be a CAP is not like applying for a cocktail competition. As a CAP you learn from the best people in the industry and are able to work closely with them, building networks and making new friends from all around the world.

A special memory of the experience: While we were juicing for the first day in BA, David Wondrich showed up, greeting us. I couldn’t believe I was right in front of him, but what came after made me go crazier, he grabbed some glasses and made all of us some Sazeracs.

Photo by Juan Hitters

47

THE LOCALS

SPIRITED SCREEN

KEVIN DILLON

KEEPS WALKING WITH JOHNNIE WALKER SCOTCH WHISKY

Fans of the award-winning hit HBO series Entourage are as familiar with the phrase ‘Johnny drinks Johnnie’ as they are ‘Let’s Hug It Out.’ And in what seems to be the perfect storm of all known marketing schemes, every part of the Johnnie Walker Keep Walking campaign has aligned to bring about a touch of advertising genius to the liquor industry scene.

The marketing folks at Johnnie Walker Scotch could not have dreamed up a better character to embody their Keep Walking campaign than Johnny ‘Drama’ Chase of Entourage. Johnny Drama loves the spotlight, the ladies, and his scotch. Though he may be a C-list actor, he has A-list taste in liquor, so of course he chooses the world’s leading scotch, Johnnie Walker. Not only is the much-loved character Drama an avid Johnnie Walker drinker, the Drama character IS the Strider Man, the iconic lad from the Johnnie Walker bottles and the key to the Keep Walking campaign.

Plus, the timing couldn’t be better with the big-screen version of the show being released.

“It’s been a journey to find the right person to bring to life the meaning of the Keep Walking campaign,” explains Brian Cox, Director of Scotch Whisky for Diageo North America.

48

CHILLED MAGAZINE

“Then, we partnered with the new movie Entourage and all the stars aligned. We had the opportunity to work with Johnny Chase, a man who embodies the spirit of personal progress. Drama has faced misstep after misstep, but he continues to put himself back out there and always with a positive attitude. And, as Entourage fans know, he is a true fan of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky.”

SIDE BAR Chilled got to chat with Kevin Dillon about his Entourage character, Johnny Drama, his love of scotch and his propensity to Keep Walking.

Entourage fans are sure to be pleased by the mash-up between the two Johnnies. This time, Johnny Drama may have finally gotten his walk in the spotlight.

GETTING THE PART Becoming the ‘new face’ of Johnnie Walker brings They approached me about doing with it awesome bragging rights, and is a grand gig something and talked to Doug indeed. Especially when the brand has gone so far Ellin, who said he would write it and as to superimpose his face on their recognizable then Kevin Connolly wanted to jump silhouette, with Walker’s distinctive top on board as director so it started to hat, tails, and cane now paired sound like a fun project, and with a with Drama’s characteristic goatee and large product I love. My character Drama’s sunglasses. As a globally well-known luxury favorite drink is always Johnnie Walker, brand, for Johnnie Walker Scotch to depart Johnnie Blue. So it made a lot of sense from the typical label to feature someone’s to have my character do something with face, fictitious or otherwise, would be the brand. unseemly and create instant fame. But alas, in true Johnny Drama fashion, just when he gets so close to making it big, the red carpet MARVELOUS MARKETING MATCH-UP is pulled out from under him.

Well we had the whole Avión Tequila thing, but of course Drama always says, ‘Johnny The Johnny Drama bottle was merely drinks Johnnie.’ a ruse. The brand comes clean in a short film promoting the Entourage KEEP WALKING movie, directed by none other than Kevin Drama has had so many struggles with his Connolly and written by Doug Ellin. The career, he’s got all these ups and downs, he’s short that holds all the same comedic been fired so many times and is constantly timing and meta-shenanigans of the kicked to the curb yet he gets back up and series and movie features Drama dusts himself off and keeps going so that’s what as the main character, dreaming Doug looked at and said, ‘the Strider Man,’ that’s of his big break. Unfortunately Drama, he just keeps going. It’s so cool, just for Entourage fans (and depressingly makes perfect sense. for Drama), the bottle isn’t actually for sale. But, hey, Drama has his dreams, and that relentless hope coupled with his positive attitude is why he Keeps Walking and is why we keep loving him.

ON DRAMA

Johnny Chase is a little bit of head case, but he’s got such a big heart, and he’s just got a lot of perseverance, and just won’t take no for an answer.

You got to respect that, you keep going, keep walking.

That is what he’s all about and I think it’s applaudable.

THE JOHNNY CHASE BOTTLE

Photo courtesy of Charley Gallay.

I dare not even open up a bottle, I think its too cool to have a bottle like that, I couldn’t bare to open it up. I will just drink the regular Johnnie and keep the Drama bottles on my bar. It looks good on the back of the bar. It will be one of those ‘break glass in case of emergency’ type of situations.

DRAMA’S BIG BREAK

Johnny gets a part in his brother’s movie, he thinks he killed it, but then it turns out that not everyone loves it. Woe is Drama, he’s gonna need a little Johnnie in his flask I think. He’ll be down for a little bit but he’ll get back up and Keep Walking.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

49

THE LOCALS

CRAFT FUNDING

INDIEGOGO

By Mike Gerrard Photos courtesy of Pura Vida Tequila Company

50

CHILLED MAGAZINE

S

o, what do ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Sully Erna from Godsmack have in common, apart from being Rock Gods? And apart from the fact that they have both professed a love, a passion even, for Pura Vida tequila? Well, they’ve both agreed to sign a classic Fender guitar in a giveaway that started on the Cinco de Mayo 2015 to help boost an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign to allow their favorite tequila to expand.

Sully Erna. The Sully Smash is an excellent substitute for a Margarita.”

Campaign supporters had a chance to win a Cinco de Mayo party at their home with 20 friends, all hosted

by Pura Vida. Or win tickets to one of Pura Vida’s own parties in one of 25 cities across the USA. Or win backstage passes to a ZZ Top or Godsmack concert.

Having their own distillery will also allow Pura Vida to experiment with flavored tequilas, as Skloss explains, “We are so excited about the new profiles and flavors that this campaign is going to allow us to bring to market. We’re crafting almond, apple, coffee, lemon, orange, and strawberry flavors, among others.

Mixologists, bartenders and consumers are going to love our range of flavors!”

Of course there’s a serious point behind all this Cinco de Mayo tequila madness, as company founder Stewart Skloss explains: “The overall, long-term goal of the campaign is to build and grow our fan base, get Pura Vida into the hands of more people across the globe, and to create awareness for the brand. In order to do that, we need to expand to a new stateof-the-art distillery, and we’ve found the perfect one in Jalisco, Mexico. The money raised from this campaign will help to put a down payment on the distillery.”

“As a small batch craft brand,” says Skloss, “we don’t have access to capital that the big boys do.

Crowdfunding offers a somewhat level playing field as far as capital is concerned, and offers start-up companies like ours a chance they would not have had otherwise.”

The bottom line is, as Skloss puts it simply, “Let’s build this distillery together, brick by brick.”

Skloss’s challenge is to raise at least $250,000 in just over a month, from May 5th to June 10th, 2015.

Skloss has found eight acres of land by Lake Chapala close to the existing production facilities, and has plans in line for a 54,000 sq ft distillery. Every supporter will be immortalized with their name on a brick in the barrel room alongside Billy Gibbons and Sully Erna, and other well-known Pura Vida fans including musicians Ice-T, Aaron Lewis (of Staind), Jason Cassidy, Tobin Esperance (from Papa Roach), Jon Foreman (Switchfoot), Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October), and Laz Pina (from Ill Niño), plus former Houston Texans football pro Travis Johnson, and the bands Bad Suns and New Politics. The list goes on.

Not only are these guys putting their weight behind the Indiegogo campaign, some are getting involved in creating celebrity cocktails too.

“Some of our favorites,” says Skloss, “include The Gibbons, named for our dear friend and partner Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, and the Sully Smash, named after

THE GIBBONS

SULLY SUMMER SMASH

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

1½ oz. Pura Vida Reposado Tequila 1 Fresh Lime Wedge 1 Fresh Lemon Juice 3 oz. Topo Chico (Mineral Water) 2 Fresh Jalapeño Slices

2 oz. Pura Vida Silver Tequila 2 oz. PineappleINGREDIENTS Juice 1 oz. Fresh Orange Juice 1 oz. GrenadineDIRECTIONS

PREPARATION

Combine the first three ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake to chill and combine. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Pour grenadine over the ice. Garnish with a couple cherries and an orange wedge.

In a shaker with ice, combine tequila, juice of lime and lemon wedges. Shake to combine. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice and top with Topo Chico. Add two fresh jalapeño slices.

SULLY SMASH 1 ½ oz Pura Vida Añejo ½ oz Pura Vida NARANJA Orange Liqueur ¾ oz PV Organic Agave Nectar 1 ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Shake ingredients with ice Strain into a crushed ice packed highball glass Garnish with a sprig of mint

PREPARATION*Sully Erna signature cocktail

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

51

THE LOCALS

DISTILLERY PROFILE

PHENIX BRANDS Join the revolution

By Michael Tulipan | Photos courtesy of Phenix Brands Phenix Brands brings a lineup of unique spirits to the U.S. market under the leadership of Founder/CEO Ray Edwards. Edwards describes Phenix, launched in 2010, as “A portfolio of brands that have multiple levels of appeal, some of a craft nature, some of consumer nature, some a crossover. We’ve tried to pick things that are unique but not so unique that they are at the far edge of the spectrum.”

Stiletto Vodka – originally Shpilka – means the heel of a stiletto shoe. Also created by Stepanovich, the vodka is an homage to his granddaughter who loves Art Deco and Erté as much as she loves shoes. Stiletto is made from 100% winter wheat from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and pristine mountain water from Central Asia. 100% organic and gluten free, Stiletto is distilled six times, yielding a clean and crisp vodka.

Phenix’s first product was the introduction of the legendary Samogon, a distilled spirit produced in Kyrgyzstan, in 2011. Essentially the moonshine of Eastern Europe, the name translates as “self-made” and for centuries the spirit was predominantly home brewed. Looking to sell Samogon commercially, distiller Valeriy Stepanovich created an industrial-scale copper still to produce a recipe dating back to the 1700s.

London Vodka has been the official vodka of the British Royal Court since 1910. As ties grew with Eastern Europe in the early 20th century, the need for a vodka to serve to official guests, rather than gin or whiskey, arose. London-born chemist, Leslie Matthews formulated the vodka, which is 94% wheat from the north of England and 6% Welsh rye, and then distilled four times. Though unavailable to the general public until four years ago and only sold in the U.S. since 2013, the vodka has won gold medals at both The International Spirits Challenge and The Tastings International Review of Spirits Competition.

Never before distributed in the U.S., Samogon is crafted from three grapes, Rkatsiteli, Saperavi and Tavkravi, and distilled to 90 proof. “Samogon is what vodka wishes it was,” Edwards says. “It has taste, it has flavor, it has character.” Samogon is traditionally a sipping beverage though Phenix labels it a “cocktail chameleon” and a good base for a variety of cocktails replacing traditional white spirits.

52

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Phenix’s latest release is Mig Fuel, a 90 proof distilled specialty spirit sporting an innovative bottle design echoing its namesake jet. Meant to compete with Jägermeister as a shooter, Mig was crafted to have a citrus flavor profile with notes of chocolate, vanilla and

elderflower and best enjoyed ice cold. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bottle are donated to the Raider Project and The Green Beret Foundation.

Phenix continues to push boundaries with the launch of additional brands this year, including Scottish Badger, a premium blended scotch bottled in London, and LL Kinahan’s Irish Whiskey, “the forgotten Dublin whiskey,” a defunct label popular in the U.S. prior to prohibition and being reintroduced to the market. In

2016, the company will also release Samogon Black and Gold, a barrel-aged version of the spirit.

“As we grow, we will continue to find things that stand on their own, are unique, speak to many different levels, and have some cross portfolio applications,” Edwards says. “We want bartenders to know that we have great products at great prices and we understand how they can be used in their world.”

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

53

MIX IT UP

GET MIXING

Sometimes crafting the perfect cocktail is tricky to pull off but here are some tips for getting it right. When embarking on this artful endeavor, great cocktails can be made from a simple formula and, of course, by paying attention to details.

Here are a few of our quickest tips to mixing up a crafty and tasty cocktail.

First, be sure to measure your pours. If all you can taste is one ingredient, like alcohol, your drink is out of balance. Remember ice is crucial to any cocktail. Cocktails that taste like freezer burn are unspeakable. Use syrups to add sweetness and to add complexity use bitters. Quality ingredients, the cocktail glass and the garnish can make all the difference. Although skilled bartenders may appreciate slightly more complicated trends, they all agree that sticking to the basics will help to balance out your ingredients and give you a crafty cocktail every time.

One of the quickest ways to crafting a trendy drink is by using fresh and seasonal ingredients in your recipe. You cannot go wrong this season by adding in some fresh berries with basil! Give this Blue Betty cocktail a mix, it’s sure to impress.

BLUE BETTY INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Deep Eddy Vodka 2 oz. Topo Chico ¼ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice ¼ oz. Agave Nectar or Simple Syrup 6 Blueberries Basil Leaf PREPARATION

54

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Muddle the blueberries and basil leaf. Combine ingredients over rocks in a highball. Garnish with blackberry and basil.

BOLS GENEVER

Genever is 2015's Next Big Drinking Thing�

Liquor.com

THE ORIGINAL COLLINS 2 oz Bols Genever 1 oz Lemon Juice 0.5 oz Simple Syrup Top with Soda Water

Bols Genever, Grain Spirit, Grain Neutral Spirits, with Natural Flavors, 42% Alc./Vol. Grown, Distilled and Bottled in Holland.

Imported by Lucas Bols USA, Manhasset, NY. Please Drink Responsibly.

MIX IT UP

BUZZ WORTHY

By Nicole DiMattei. Photo by Dixie Sheridan.

Mix two parts humor with one part history, add generous amounts of music, several dashes of science, shake until the tin frosts, and serve along with craft cocktails on the New York stage! This is the recipe for Anthony Caporale’s smash-hit OffBroadway musical, The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking, coming to Tales of the Cocktail this year as part of the Bacardi “Spirits on Stage” Storytelling Festival on Saturday, July 18th, at 3:00PM. In what BourbonBlog.com calls “a first-of-its-kind production,” Caporale tells the story of spirits and cocktails from 10,000 BC to present day, accompanied by The Backwaiters acappella group, comedy sketches, costumes changes, and even onstage demonstrations of fermentation and distillation. Renowned beverage writer, Robert Haynes-Peterson, notes that “while the play is wholly entertaining for the average civilian, it’s particularly poignant for bartenders, cocktailians, and distillery geeks.” Caporale adds, “And just to really put things over the top, we also serve three craft cocktails during the show!”

“My goal is to help audiences appreciate spirits for their cultural and historical significance, as opposed to viewing them primarily as intoxicants,” he explains.

“We’re encouraging education while promoting the beverage industry in the most positive light, and I think the stage gives us an entirely new place to engage consumers.”

After sold-out runs at both The New York International Fringe Festival and the Fringe Encore Series last August, The Imbible has been playing to capacity crowds Off-Broadway in The Huron Club at the historic SoHo Playhouse, an authentic speakeasy for the infamous Tammany Society. The show’s next installment, The Imbible: Rum Shanties and Pirate Drinks, will tell the story of rum aboard Hornblower Cruises and Events Alive After Five New York City Harbor Cruises starting in July.

If you’re attending Tales of the Cocktail or planning a trip to New York, you don’t want to miss this utterly unique cocktail experience! For more information or to inquire about having your brands served at the show, please visit imbible.org.

As part of the show, audiences get three of Caporale’s craft cocktails, including this Old Fashioned he recently created in honor of the late B.B. King.

56

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Tennessee Whiskey 1 bar spoon Brown Sugar 1 bar spoon Memphis-Style Barbecue Sauce 4 Blueberries PREPARATION

In a mixing glass, muddle last 3 ingredients. Fill halfway with ice and add whiskey. Shake until the tin is frosted. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with 3 fresh blueberries floated on top.

C’MON

HAVE SOME MOONSHINE. IT’S BOURBON’S HOTTER, WILDER, YOUNGER SISTER.

OLESMOKY.COM ©2015 Ole Smoky Distillery, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

OLE SMOKY, OLE SMOKY TENNESSEE MOONSHINE, and SHINE RESPONSIBLY are registered trademarks of Ole Smoky Distillery, LLC.

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

DRINK IN HISTORY

The

Frozen Daiquiri and the Go Cup

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson. Photos Courtesy of Booty’s.

W

hen you see the word “Daiquiri” on a menu, it usually conjures one of two images. First, an elegant and simple classic, made with nothing more than rum, sugar, and lime juice. Or for those of us who came of age in the 70s and 80s, (or who dine out at TGI Fridays too often) a slushie mass of strawberries with nary the taste of rum to be found.

Can the best of both these versions, a traditional daiquiri and a frozen delight, be married? The answer would be yes, if you find yourself at Booty’s in New Orleans.

Booty’s Bywater Bomber is the quintessence of a frozen daiquiri, combining rum, pineapple, orange, lime, Angostura bitters and rosewater to produce an icy craft concoction with historic roots. The exact recipe is a “closely guarded secret,” according to Booty’s bartender Wyatt Lowrey. “We’ve been serving craft Daiquiris - all booze, fruit and floral extracts since opening day. The Bywater Bomber is our house Daiq, and we pair it each month with a rotating sibling from one of our bartenders. Past hits have included the sake and orange blossom water Booty Blossom and our Mardi Gras King Caketail, made with Rougaroux Sugarshine Rum, cream and cinnamon.”

Now, it’s easy to ruin a true Daiquiri. The fewer ingredients in a cocktail, the more necessary the nuances. Too much rum and it’s a too-boozy zinger.

Too little and it’s no more than a limeade. The original and simplest version of Daiquiri can be traced back to Cuba in the late 19th century, courtesy of American engineer Jennings Cox. The drink made its way back to the U.S. and, thanks to Hemingway, has been enshrined in drink lore ever since.

58

CHILLED MAGAZINE

As for the frozen part, well, that’s where middle class drink culture comes into play. Enter the blender and the ease of swirling booze, fruit, and sugar into a slick, summery delivery system. Luckily, thanks to the modern cocktail revival, even the tackier versions of the classics have been revamped into, well, classier versions of their tacky forbearers.

Behold Booty’s freshly fruity, frozen Daiquiri delivered in the quintessential smile-inducing delivery system -- the go cup. According to Lowrey, “New Orleans is the quintessential Daiquiri city, and few joys in life are more exquisite than walking down palm tree-lined streets with a frozen drink in your hand.”

While everyone knows about portable booze in Vegas, it comes as a bit of a surprise to first-time visitors to New Orleans. But in a taste that cheerfully offers Drive-Through Daiquiri stands, the go cup is just icing on the cake. “We actually special order perfect Bywater Bomber sized go cups just for the Daiquiri,” muses Lowrey. “The allure of the go cup really has to be experienced to be understood. There’s a special grin that you see on the faces of visitors in town from other parts of the country when they are walking down the street, drink in hand, for the first time.”

Frozen Daiquiri, check. Go cup, check. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Letting us in on a little secret, Lowrey says, “We offer Bottomless Bywater Bombers each weekend during brunch service until 3 pm. We don’t often share that information because we can only produce so many drinks at a time, but feel free to share the secret just this once.”

Photo by Michelle Dunnick

Side Bar

The go cup arose out of historic necessity. Back in the ‘60s, when Bourbon Street was a center of vice, enterprising bar (and other shop) owners started to sell drinks and snacks street side to the age appropriate passersby. “Windowhawking” gave way to portable drinking and, in turn, to a city of walking drunks. The situation reached a fever pitch in 1969 during Mardi Gras when window hawking was outlawed.

Clever business folks found loop holes in the law and continued their boozy business. Finally, ordinances to protect citizens from broken glass went into effect and the go cup, simply a plastic cup for alcohol, was born.

The go cup, and the frozen Daiquiri often found in it, are emblematic of New Orleans’ appeal. About that breezy sensibility, Jeremy Thompson, founder of the New Orleans Daiquiri Festival summarizes, “I’ve always viewed the local Daiquiri culture as an iconic expression of our freedom to consume alcohol outdoors in open containers in New Orleans. The Daiquiri is an iconic representation of that tradition, in that both it and the shops and Drive-Thrus that serve them, only exist because of this freedom.”

Booty’s Frozen Daiquiri recipe is proprietary - and comes in its own customsized Go Cup CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

59

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

MIX BETTER

When Life Gives You Lemons,

Find Someone Whose Life Gives Them Whisky

T

he only thing better than an ice-cold glass of lemonade during summer is using it to make a whisky cocktail. When mixing whisky with the citrusy flavor of fresh lemonade the result is a balanced and refreshing cocktail. Lemonade and whisky cocktails are simple to mix up since they only call for a few ingredients.

Using natural ingredients such as homemade lemonade work great for mixing a low-sugar cocktail. Add some complexity to this drink with the use of fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender and mint.

For the whisky, a rye, like Tap 357 with its unforgettable blend of cask-aged 3, 5 and 7 year old rye whiskies and a subtly sweet pure maple syrup from Quebec’s maple groves is a solid choice. Imported by 375 Park Avenue Spirits, the Tap Whisky Finished Collection currently includes Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky, Tap Port Finished Canadian Rye Whisky and Tap Rye Sherry Finished 8 Year Canadian Whisky.

Go on and give these Summer Favorites a mix.

CANADIAN LEMONADE

Created by Sue Pietoso, mixologist at Jasna Polana, Princeton, NJ INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky 4 oz. Lemonade 3 Blackberries 2 oz. Club Soda PREPARATION

Pour first three ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a tall glass. Top with club soda and garnish with a squeeze of lemon.

60

CHILLED MAGAZINE

MAPLE BLUEBERRY LEMONADE

Created by Jonathan Pogash, The Cocktail Guru INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky 3 oz. Lemonade 10 Blueberries PREPARATION

Muddle the blueberries at the bottom of a highball glass, add ice and remaining ingredients and stir briefly. Garnish with a lemon wheel and floating blueberries.

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

FOOD KNOW HOW

TIPS & TRICKS FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES TO MIX

By Gwendolyn Knapp, Eater.com When it’s summer in New Orleans, a hundred degrees outside and sultrier than all get out, it’s easy to see why the city’s finest mixologists turn to the sweet, but ultra-hydrating watermelon. It’s a simple fruit to use in shrubs, syrups and teas, and a delicious way to enliven everybody’s favorite classics, from the Pimm’s Cup to champagne cocktails.

Compere Lapin’s Ricky Gomez, who refers to New Orleans’ two main seasons as “hot and hotter” regards the Pimm’s Cup as one of NOLA’s adopted classics. The drink gets an added zap of refreshment from a splash of watermelon tea syrup. Uptown at Cure, Kirk Estopinal invokes a summer garden in a glass with a house-made watermelon basil shrub mixed with frigid champagne. Give these Big Easy watermelon cocktails a mix.

C.L. Pimms Cup

Created by Ricky Gomez at Compere Lapin

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Pimms 1 oz. Lemon Juice 1 oz. Watermelon Tea Syrup * PREPARATION

*Watermelon tea syrup: Once the tea is brewed, add equal parts sugar. You could use any tea you find seasonally appropriate. I found the watermelon to be perfect for hot New Orleans summers. Then combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Top off with chilled soda water. Garnish with cucumber or watermelon balls with a little black lava salt on top.

Watermelon Man

Created by Kirk Estopinal of Cure INGREDIENTS

¾ oz. Chilled Watermelon Basil Shrub * 4 ½ oz. Champagne (Cold as possible) PREPARATION

*Watermelon shrub: 2 parts watermelon juice, 1 part sugar, 1 part rice wine vinegar. Heat strain foam off top. While warm throw in a bunch of basil and let steep 5 minutes. Strain, cool. Serve in a chilled champagne coupe.

62

CHILLED MAGAZINE

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

THAT’S THE SPIRIT

Into The Wild

Recipe by Igor Zukowiec, Alchemiq.com INGREDIENTS

Photos by Filip Wolak - www.fotofilip.com What is a craft cocktail? Simply put, in a craft cocktail every element is tailored specifically to the whole drink. Whether simple or complex, a lot of careful consideration, with a focus on flavor, goes into the process of using high quality, fresh ingredients to make a well-balanced drink, that delivers a satisfying experience. Many passionate bartenders and brand owners who come together at the annual Tales of the Cocktail Festival base their creations on this specialization.

This year at Tales, two artisanal brands and two uniquely skilled bartenders match-up to craft some exciting and memorable cocktails. Wild Hibiscus Flower Co. and Gubba Rum pair up with mixologists Igor Zukowiec, bar consultant and founder of Alchemiq, a NYC-based catering company and Anthony DeSerio, awarded bartender, consultant and member of the USBG, to construct beautifully made cocktails, served at The Corner Bar in the lobby of the Hotel Monteleone.

“Quality ingredients, fair trade and sustainable farm programs put us at the center of the world craft cocktail movement,” says Jocelyn Etherington, Co-Owner/Director, Wild Hibiscus Flower Company, a line of 100% natural hibiscus flowers, teas, salts and extracts. “The last three years at Tales, Wild Hibiscus Flower Co. launched new products, most recently flower extracts, including our latest innovative flower extract, b’Lure, an all-natural blue color syrup, highly concentrated with the pigment extracted from the exotic butterfly pea flower, re-invigorating our brand, while drawing inspiration from this awesome industry happening.”

Wild Hibiscus Flower Company partnered up with handcrafted Gubba Rum. “To paraphrase the late great Julia Child, you shouldn’t waste time drinking bad wine,” notes Steven Gubb, Owner/President Paradise Imports, Gubba Rum. “It’s the inspiration behind wicked smooth Gubba Rum. You wouldn’t want to sip inferior spirits, so why create cocktails with one?

Gubba Rum is 70 proof, pure cane-based and organic. We infuse Gubba Gold with the finest vanilla, and Silver with real coconut. No flavorings or extracts are used, making it the perfect spirit to pair with Wild Hibiscus products.”

“We’re grateful to capture the attention of such professionals, like Igor Zukowiec and Anthony DeSerio. “We appreciate their enthusiasm to educate patrons about our brands, and to tell them that - YES, you CAN eat the flower!”

64

CHILLED MAGAZINE

2 oz. Gubba Gold Rum 4 ml (2 full droppers) Wild Hibiscus Rose + Hibiscus Flower Extract ¾ oz. Lime Juice ½ oz. Simple Syrup (2:1) 1 Bar Spoon of Rice Vinegar PREPARATION

Shake all ingredients with ice and serve.

Wild Bunch Punch Recipe by Anthony DeSerio INGREDIENTS

12 oz. Gubba Silver Rum 10 oz. Blue-Tee syrup* 4 oz. Pineapple Juice 4 oz. Lime Juice 16 oz. Raspberry Lambic 1 8.8 oz. (11-flower) Jar Wild Hibiscus Flowers PREPARATION

In a heat-safe container add 5 oz. sugar and top with 5oz. hot water. Add 4 Blue-Tee bags (Heart-Tee Butterfly Pea Flower Tea from Wild Hibiscus Flower Co.) strings removed so as not to tangle while stirring. Stir water, sugar, and tea while still hot to melt sugar and steep tea. Let cool to room temp. Remove tea bags and cover.

Punch bowl ice block: Fill ¼ of the punch bowl with water and place it in the freezer. As it gets the film of thin ice on top, drop in 6 Wild Hibiscus Flowers randomly then let the block freeze. Remove from freezer. Take the ice out of the bowl and put aside. Add Gubba Silver Rum, Blue-Tee syrup, pineapple juice and lime juice to the punch bowl. Stir and place the Wild Hibiscus ice back in. Serve in a punch cup with an edible Wild Hibiscus Flower inside and top with the Lambic. Makes eight 6 oz. servings.

Spirit Journal: Five Stars Espresso: Top 75 Spirits, 2014

vangoghvodka.com

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

NEW AND NEXT

SOUTHERN COMFORT

By Mike Gerrard

“The whiskey drinker of today isn’t just interested in their grandfather’s whiskey,” says Jennifer Powell. As Powell is the U.S. Brand Director for Southern Comfort, one of the world’s best-known spirit brands, it’s a statement worth hearing out.

“They want something that tastes good to them,” she explains.

“Consumers today are also more adventurous and demand variety in options and flavors, while still feeling comfortable about their beverage choices.”

66

CHILLED MAGAZINE

In other words, some consumers want Southern Comfort out of loyalty or tradition or whatever, but they want their own version of it that’s different… and contemporary. Southern Comfort, along with many other spirit brands, have been trying to please the modern market by blending tradition with a customer demand for flavored spirits. But isn’t the market for flavored spirits on the decline? Not according to Powell.

“Flavored spirits are at an all-time high in popularity,” she says, “and Southern Comfort wants to be an important part of that conversation. With the success of our seasonal Gingerbread Spice offering last year and the warm reception for Caramel Comfort this year, we believe that our fans are on-board as well.”

Caramel Comfort is the latest addition to a flavor line, which so far includes Cherry Comfort and Lime Comfort. So why caramel?

“Caramel,” says Powell, “is a versatile and emerging flavor which appeals to both men and women. This new flavor entry can be used in cocktails, as a stand-alone chilled shot or even in dessert drinks.”

It’s a long way from Southern Comfort’s roots in 1874 when a New Orleans bartender named Martin Wilkes Heron, working at a longgone French Quarter bar called McCauley’s Tavern, created a drink which he dubbed Cuffs and Buttons. A few years later, realizing that Cuffs and Buttons was hard to say, drunk or sober, he came up with Southern Comfort. After moving to Memphis he refined the recipe and started bottling and selling it.

That demand for something new-but-old applies to packaging too.

You don’t just throw out Southern Comfort’s history of almost 150 years and put it in a bottle that no one recognizes as Southern Comfort. Customers would wonder if it’s the real thing. But you can tweak those designs, as Powell explains.

“The all-new packaging design is our largest in quite some time,” she says. “We completely redesigned all of our labels to feature warmer colors, bold fonts and an all-around more approachable feel. We also re-engineered the bottles to have a consistent shape across all five expressions, and added our ‘Category of One’ positioning on our redesigned logo and on the bottlenecks. We did keep some staples from previous packaging, including M.W. Heron’s signature on each bottle and his promise of ‘None Genuine But Mine’ on the bottom of each label. The new bottles will definitely catch your eye as you walk down the spirits aisle!”

For all these changes, the company today is actually staying faithful to the origins of Southern Comfort. Bartender Heron was merely responding to the demands of his customers when he created his drink. Some felt that whiskey and bourbon were a little harsh for their tastes, so he softened the harshness by blending bourbon with fruits and spices. There’s nothing new about flavoring spirits.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

67

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

JERK

THE BUZZ

the

called

STORE JERK SEASONING

Photos by Tianna Thomason and Desanti Photography General Manager and bartender at San Diego’s The Duck Dive, Rob McShea won at the statewide level of the Food Network’s Chopped Bloody Mary Contest, with his Jamaican Me Crazy Bloody Mary.

McShea’s winning cocktail is made with Absolut Citron, yellow heirloom tomato puree, Bloody Jerk mix and two jerk-rubbed prawns. “When using jerk seasoning, or any ingredients for that matter, bartenders should always strive for balance. Jerk seasoning is a very bold and pungent flavor profile, one that can be quite cumbersome if not used judiciously. I would advise to taste, taste, and taste as you work your way through conceptualizing cocktails.”

Jamaican Me Crazy INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ parts ABSOLUT Citron 2 ½ parts Yellow Heirloom Tomato Puree * 2 parts “Bloody Jerk” Mix ** ½ part Agave Nectar 1 Piece Lemon, Squeeze 1 Garnish Jerk Rubbed Prawn 1 Garnish Grilled Mango Chip PREPARATION

* Yellow Heirloom Tomato puree: 2 Large, Ripe, Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes (cored), 1 tsp. sea salt, 1 tsp. house jerk seasoning. Puree tomatoes with blender or immersion blender until smooth 30-60 seconds. Season the puree with the salt and jerk seasoning. Blend again for 15 seconds to fold seasoning into the puree. ** Bloody Jerk: 1 mango skinned and pitted, cut into quarters, 1 scotch bonnet, 3 green onions, roughly chopped, 1oz. Worcestershire sauce, 1oz. quality fish sauce, 1 oz. cider vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. house jerk spice. Start by grilling mango flesh on both sides until caramelized/ grill marks are achieved. Add all ingredients to blender and puree until mixture is consistent, 45-60 seconds.

TO MAKE THE COCKTAIL:

Add all ingredients to Boston shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain over fresh ice in a house jerk spiced rimmed Collins glass. Garnish the cocktail with two jerk rubbed prawns, and a grilled mango chip.

68

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Traditional dark Jamaican Rum in character, yet light body notes of gold rum. Full bodied, refreshing and delicious.

GOLD Rum XP, Miami Rum Festival 2015

GOLD Global Rum Masters 2015

GOLD RumBahamas 2015

FINALIST 92/100 Ultimate Spirit Challenge 2012

GOLD 94/100 Beverage Tasting Institute 2012

www.blackwellrum.com FACEBOOK.COM/BLACKWELLRUM

TWITTER.COM/BLACKWELLRUM

INSTAGRAM.COM/BLACKWELLRUM

© Imported by Well Black USA, Miami FL. 40% ALC/VOL. Drink Responsibly.

INFO@BLACKWELLRUM.COM

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

THE NEXT MIX

CAUSE A STIR WITH THE LATEST MIXING INGREDIENTS

MIXING WITH

ABSINTHE

G

iven the French character of NOLA, absinthe achieved quite a bit of popularity in New Orleans where it was widely consumed by all types of people, and not just tripped-out artists and cocktail geeks. Sure, La Fee Verte, or the Green Fairy was banned for a hundred years, but this oftmisunderstood spirit is back, and is once again gracing our cocktails.

Absinthe notoriously returned to the American market with the help of dedicated pioneers like Michel Roux, CEO of Crillon Importers. This legendary

FILGUD!

INGREDIENTS

1 oz. Absente|Absinthe Refined 4 oz. Absentroux 1 Slice of Lemon or Lime PREPARATION

Serve chilled and/or over ice.

Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

spirits master persistently set the precedent for superior brands of absinthe, allowing bartenders to experience mixing with authentic products of the highest caliber just like the ones enjoyed a century before the ban.

“Mixing with absinthe has evolved since the traditional method while still growing from its original roots,” says Michel Roux. “People are exploring and expanding on the original methods as well as embracing their own for new and innovative cocktails.”

New World Frappe

Created by Cesar Diaz of The Ice Plant Bar INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Absinthe Ordinaire ½ oz. Simple Syrup ¼ oz. Lime Juice Pinch of Mint Pinch of Basil PREPARATION

Muddle, shake with mint and basil, double strain, pour over shaved or pebble ice, and serve in a coupe glass.

Check out more absinthe recipes online - chilledmagazine.com

70

CHILLED MAGAZINE

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

CRAFTING COCKTAILS

HOUSE-MADE INGREDIENTS

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING

DONE R I G H T DO IT YOURSELF.

By Cydnee Murray Images courtesy of Terlato Artisan Spirits James Beard Award-winning bartender Leo Robitschek makes his craft stand out by equipping his bar with housemade ingredients, including cordials, bitters, syrups and infusions. Bringing the story alive in each of his creations, Robitschek finds his drinks sought after for his clever take on classic recipes and his one-of-a-kind specialty cocktails.

The Atrium Restaurant at The NoMad Hotel recently held a private tasting event for Terlato Artisan Spirits. Robitschek, Beverage Director, wanted to play off a riff of one of the most classic rum drinks, the Daiquiri. His concoction, featuring an ambitiously delectable house-made spiced squash sauce, is essentially made more sophisticated by the macerated squash, Don Pancho Origenes and sherry.

If nothing else, the squash sauce recipe calls to light the difference in quality between cinnamons. It specifies the use of Ceylon cinnamon, which tends to be a more nutritive alternative to its widely purchased counterpart, Cassia.

OCHO CABRAS INGREDIENTS

1 oz. Don Pancho 8 Year Old Tequila ¾ oz. Spiced Squash Syrup* ¾ oz. Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado Sherry ¾ oz. Lemon juice PREPARATION

*Spiced Squash Syrup: Quarter a Kabocha squash and remove all seeds. Roast the squash in an oven for 1 ½ hours at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and retain squash pulp, while discarding the exterior. For one quart of squash, add eight cups of water, 100 grams of crushed Ceylon cinnamon, 15 grams whole allspice, and six grams kosher salt. Bring to a hard boil. Boil for ten minutes. Strain and retain liquid. Add demerara sugar in equal volume to the liquid and stir until completely dissolved. Combine all ingredients, shake and strain into coupe.

72

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Pisco 100 is fast becoming the latest darling of the bar set. Pisco 100 is a versatile and exhilarating substitute for less exciting spirits in many of the world’s best loved aperitifs and cocktails. When you taste it you will understand why. A Pisco 100 cocktail can be enjoyed anytime. It is especially rewarding to sip handcrafted Pisco 100 straight as an aperitif or eau de vie and it is the perfect accompaniment to a fine imported cigar.

Pisco 100 is more than just a fine spirit distilled from select grapes. It’s an exciting, delicious part of worldly, gracious living.

www.PISCO100.com

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

1

The Family - Andrew, Amanda and Baby Bowie

TALES AT TALES

2

Daniel and Eleni’s first photo taken in New Orleans, 2012

3

Audrey and Robert on NYE 2009

Tales of the Cocktail

2

4

Olga Semoukhina and Eric Rickey

Daniel Castro and Eleni Kamperogiannis

First meeting: High school!

First ‘official’ date: Eleven years later in 2011.

Engaged: At Tales of the Cocktail 2015.

Married: Still to come, October 1st, 2016. in New Orleans.

ons i t c e n n o C

Tales of the Cocktail is known for plenty of indulgences.

Drinks flow freely, flash mobs appear out of nowhere, and even a sudden deluge of rain is greeted with a smile. Is it any wonder that romance is in the air?

Through the years, Tales has seen its fair share of engagements, as well as a wedding, and the, uh-hum, conception of a baby. Here are some of the best love connections made possible by Tales.

1

Andrew Friedman, Amanda Rosbrook, and baby Bowie

First Meeting: Thanksgiving, November 24, 2011, at Liberty Bar, Seattle where Daniel works.

First date: November 26, 2011.

Married: February 2, 2013.

And Baby Makes Three: Conceived at Tales, born May 29, 2013; Baby Bowie has already been to Tales twice.

74

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

3

Robert Hess and Audrey Saunders

First meeting: 2002 at Bemelmans Bar where Saunders bartended.

First ‘official’ date: After years of seeing each other on and off, 2009 at the Swizzle Stick Bar. Married: Officially in Washington State on July 4th, then at the Bartenders’ Breakfast at Tales on July 23, 2011.

4

Olga Semoukhina and Eric Rickey

First Meeting: July 25th, 2012 at the Absolut Opening Night Party at Tales of the Cocktail.

First ‘official’ date: No “official” date because after meeting in New Orleans, the next time that they saw each other, they moved in together.

Engaged: July 16th, 2014 in New Orleans at the same spot that they had their first kiss.

And Baby Makes Three: January 18, 2015.

Married: TBD 2016.

Join Today Tales of The CoCkTail® Never has To eNd Tales of the Cocktail® may only last for a week, but with a Tales 365 membership you can be a part of it all year long. Join Tales 365 this week to gain immediate access to special member-only events, online seminars and podcasts, live Q&As with industry influencers, curated distillery tours and much more.

Sign up this week to receive a special on-site rate of only $129 and the new limited edition Tales of the Cocktail® Bitters Travel Pack. Stop by the Tales 365 table in the registration area to learn more about member benefits and to join Tales 365.

www.Tales365.com

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

By Bryen Dunn. Photos courtesy of Avenue Pub and Second Line Brewing.

TAP THAT

IN

Although somewhat lagging behind other parts of the country, the craft brewing scene in New Orleans seems now to be on an upward swing, with a flourishing well-established brewery, another set to open, and a couple of brew pubs and bars also contributing to the diverse offerings now on tap in the city. Abita Brewing in Abita Springs just north of New Orleans has been open since 1986 and is the most recognized name in the Louisiana craft brew scene, producing hundreds of thousands of barrels of beer annually.

There are two brewpubs that make and sell their own beer onsite, but neither is allowed to distribute beyond their own premises. Crescent City Brewhouse in the French Quarter opened in 1991 bringing the state its first brewpub, and only French Quarter brewery.

The Courtyard Brewery in the Lower Garden District opened just this past October.

After Katrina, New Orleans Lagers and Ales (NOLA Brewing) was established within New Orleans city limits, and just outside the city in Arabi, 40 Arpent started offering their Red Bean and Rice ale made with local red beans, a staple in southern cuisine. Mark Logan from the recently opened Second Line Brewing states, “In addition to local food traditions and agricultural products, I believe that the fantastic food culture of New Orleans offers a great opportunity to explore the possibilities posed by blending craft beer and cuisine.”

In addition to the benefits of having two brewing systems, Second Line Brewing will also be very focused on brewing science. “As a chemist, with a background in biotechnology, I’m very excited about the experimental opportunities that being part of a craft brewery offers. For me, one of my biggest goals for Second Line Brewing is to establish a culture that fosters a sense of community, a love for great beer, and a dedication to experimentation,” Logan explains.

Polly Watts, owner of Avenue Pub in the French Quarter, is very passionate about beer. Although the pub doesn’t brew on the premises, it offers the city’s largest selection of local, state, national, and international brews from their beer menu list that changes daily. Watts cites three current trends in what she refers to as new-to-local beer types: lower ABV beers, sour beers, and barrel-aged, such as the NOLA Funk Series of mostly barrelaged sour beers. However, she points out that the Parish Canebrake and NOLA Blonde remain most popular with customers. “We are now seeing a lot of experimentation in our local and near-to-local market, with formerly rare styles like Commons, goses, hoppy lagers, Berliner wiess, sours, and more.

We are also seeing much more interesting IPAs with brewers using more interesting hops and increasing brewery maturity,” Watt says.

As for the future, Logan surmises, “At present there are no fewer than four breweries in planning slated for New Orleans and I suspect more will come soon.

Our cultural emphasis on food, fun and libations makes New Orleans a great place for craft beer.”

76

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

IN THE KNOW

SHOCK TOP

LEMON SHANDY

Photos by Casey Rodgers As we start to embrace warmer temperatures we can only just recall a seemingly endless barrage of brutally cold temperatures along with recordbreaking snowfall that left us begging for any sign of spring.

The Shock Top Brewing Team boldly challenged what seemed like an endless, and torturous, winter by declaring March as the unofficial start to summer with the return of its summer seasonal, Shock Top Lemon Shandy.

“The return of Lemon Shandy has always signaled summer for us, and we want to help people realize the beer you choose can dictate the season just as much as the calendar,” said Jake Kirsch, VP of Shock Top. Part of what makes Shock Top Lemon Shandy intrinsically summer is the real California lemon peels brewed in each batch.

Beer drinkers were able to shake off this winter’s cold and tap into fresh citrusy summer tastes with the help of Shock Top’s new campaign, 72° and Shock Top. The cross-country journey of ShockMobiles (VW bugs complete with beer taps and the brands iconic Wedgeheads) began at the Limoneira Citrus Ranch in Santa Paula, California and ended on the east coast in Boston. The fleet hit the road on a mission to bring that summer state of mind from the lemon groves of California to the rest of the country. Once they arrived in Boston, Shock Top turned up the heat with a beach party of epic proportion, equipped with hot tubs, special guest appearances and more than 700 Bostonians.

For more information and to see exclusive content from the 72° and Shock Top campaign visit www.facebook.com/ShockTop. Beer drinkers can also join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #72andShockTop.

Limoneira Lemon Grove Event

78

CHILLED MAGAZINE

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

DRINK TO THAT

HEALTH AND WELLNESS AT TALES

By Michele Lex The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley is excited to participate in Tales of the Cocktail, once again with a balanced approach. Cheers to enjoying the long days and nights. But remember, it’s also important to be attentive to ourselves. We at the Perfect Purée hope to provide a refreshing start each day with our

Serenity Smoothie INGREDIENTS

Rise & Shine smoothie bar and with our continued support of the “Mind, Body & Spirit” series.

As hospitality professionals who influence guest experiences, we hope that all Tales attendees will also strive to achieve a positive one for themselves.

Peach-Melba Smoothie

Perfect Fruit Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

Yields: (10) 8 oz. smoothies

2 oz. The Perfect Purée Mango Puree 2 oz. The Perfect Purée Pink Guava Puree 1 cup Organic Pourable Vanilla Yogurt ¾ cup Pineapple Juice

1 oz. The Perfect Purée White Peach Puree 1 oz. The Perfect Purée Red Raspberry Puree 2 Scoops Vanilla or Peach Ice Cream 5 oz. Lemonade

PREPARATION

PREPARATION

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

80

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Place all ingredients in blender; process until frothy and well blended.

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. The Perfect Purée Banana 16 oz. The Perfect Purée Mango 6 oz. The Perfect Purée Coconut 2 oz. Lemon Juice 16 oz. Plain Yogurt 3 cups Crushed Ice PREPARATION

Place all ingredients in blender.

Process until frothy.

SAVE THE DATE

August 22-23, 2015 downtown waterfront as the San Diego Spirits Festival returns for its seventh annual celebration of spirits, cocktails, cuisine and the talented bartenders and chefs who are shaking up the city’s vibrant scene.

SAVE $20 ON TICKETS

(Use promo code COCKTAILS San Diego Spirits Festival

Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier 1000 N. Harbor Dr., Downtown

SanDiegoSpiritsFestival.com

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

DRINK WELL

Locally Preserved SOCI A LLY I M PACTFU L Photos by Anna Addison Photography | Anna Davis Tales of the Cocktail is known to support the health and wellness of bartenders by offering a series of workshops focusing on keeping a balanced lifestyle while working in the spirits industry. Likewise, Tales fosters the use of locally grown, fresh ingredients, in the making of craft cocktails, which not only gives drinkers a nutritional boost, they can help to maintain the environment.

Locally Preserved creates fresh fruit syrups and simple syrups to use in cocktail creations. According to founder Emily Marquis Vanlandingham, the mission of her company is to sustain farmers, create honest jobs and allow everyday people to eat locally, everywhere! “What that means is that in New Orleans, all produce is sourced from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama,” she explains.

“Essentially, we are preserving what is grown locally by making functional modern day products (not just preserves). We are the first all-natural food manufacturing business here in New Orleans.”

Vanlandingham considers farming to be one of the hardest working professions. “Farmers are singlehandily responsible for feeding the world,” she says.

“Most do not make it to fancy dinners or cocktail bars, let alone leave the dirt long enough to relax for a drink after a hard days work. When I started approaching them five years ago to purchase their produce for my syrups, I got a lot of resistance. It was so foreign to them that they just didn’t understand why I wanted their locally grown produce for cocktail syrups.”

“Now,” according to Vanlandingham, “some of the farmers actually show up to events when I invite them and let their hair down long enough to enjoy a cocktail! When I make farm trips I never show up empty handed, I always have jars in tow with recipes and instructions on how to mix them.”

Blueberry Basil Syrup is one of Locally Preserved’s biggest sellers. Blueberries and basil are in a marriage with this product, soul mates in fact. The blueberries are grown by Johndales Farm in Ponchatoula, LA, a town famous for their strawberries.

Special Tales of the Cocktail blueberry flavored syrup will be sold in the books and bitters sales area; the flavor and name will have its debut when the shop officially opens. Tales goers can also sample Locally Preserved Syrups in the Mixer’s Tasting Room.

82

CHILLED MAGAZINE

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

BEHIND THE SCENES

Tales of the Cocktail

GIVES BACK

IT’S NOT JUST A PARTY - IT’S ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

IN

THE SCHEME OF THE MODERN SPIRITS WORLD, TALES OF THE COCKTAIL IS A FORMIDABLE EVENT. BUT ONCE THE DOORS TO THE HOTEL MONTELEONE CLOSE AT THE END OF THE WEEK AND THE

LAST ATTENDEES HEAD BACK TO THEIR “NORMAL” LIVES, TALES OF THE COCKTAIL LIVES ON. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE FESTIVAL ITSELF IS, OF COURSE, KEY: SEMINARS AND TASTINGS OFFER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, THE CAP PROGRAM LETS BARTENDERS HONE THEIR SKILLS, DINNERS ALLOW FOR NETWORKING, AND NEW ORLEANS HERSELF RELINQUISHES HER SECRETS. TALES OF THE COCKTAIL IS ALL THIS AND MUCH MORE. BOTH ANN AND PAUL TUENNERMAN BELIEVE IT IS THEIR MISSION TO GIVE AS MUCH TO THE SPIRITS COMMUNITY AS POSSIBLE.

EDUCATION AT TALES OF THE COCKTAIL Tales is the only cocktail conference with a Director of Education, none other than renowned mixologist Philip Duff. What began as an intimate gathering of like-minded spirits professionals has evolved into the preeminent industry event for concentrated learning through exposure to major industry talent. Duff’s first official year in the education role was last year. “I felt that there was a need for a one stop shop for Tales,” observes Duff. “Someone who would stick their nose in to see that they were sending the right message.”

One of Duff’s first decisions was to create the SED Talks (based on the concept of the TED Talks), which he continues to curate. These sold-out events feature 10-15 minute “talking head” sessions with industry movers and shakers on various topics.

Duff shares Ann Teunnerman’s vision of keeping Tales at the apex of the ever-expanding number of industry events. “The number of speakers isn’t multiplying, but the number of shows has. I’ve been spending a lot of time on quality control.” The way Duff accomplishes this is complicated, but it results in an array of unique seminars that often draw standing-room only crowds.

“I’m not here for sponsors, for the presenters, or for Tales itself,” he explains. “I’m responsible to the attendees - if they feel they got more than their money’s worth for a ticket, if they feel that any sponsors enhanced the seminar they saw, instead of overshadowing it, and if they feel the seminars they attended were a collection of hard work, dedication, and an array of panelists and speakers that you could truly only get at Tales of the Cocktail.”

“It is important to us that we stay true to our mission, vision, and values. Tales of the Cocktail will continue to connect with the global cocktail community, providing opportunities for education and networking for the purpose of sharing best practices, while continuing to give back to the hospitality industry.”

Ann Tuennerman, Co-Founder, Tales of the Cocktail Continued on next page.

84

CHILLED MAGAZINE

B.A.R. PROGRAM Each year New Orleans Culinary & Cultural Preservation Society (NOCCPS), the non-profit organization that produces Tales, chooses recipients from former Cocktail Apprentices for the Beverage Alcohol Resource (B.A.R.) Scholarship Program. The program was founded and is run by six gentlemen who need little introduction - Steve Olson, Dale DeGroff, Andy Seymour, Doug Frost, David Wondrich and F. Paul Pacult. The combination of stellar teachers and intense five-day training have made the B.A.R. Program one of the most coveted training programs in the country.

B.A.R. recipient Bradley Knutson describes his experience thus: “You can’t help but be inspired by a roomful of some of the most talented bartenders in the world, all hunched down at their desks like school children, listening and absorbing as much information as possible.”

THE SPIRITED AWARDS

Each year, Tales culminates in the Spirited Awards where the industry’s best - from bars to bartenders, authors to mentors to brand ambassadors – are feted. Spirited Awards Chairman Simon Ford, who is co-owner of The 86 Co., says, “Each year the pool of talent gets better and better and as more new high level cocktail bars emerge, making the list at the Spirited Awards keeps getting tougher and tougher.

This year I think our Top 10 list showcases a truly phenomenal pool of talent. My focus at the awards will be celebrating the people and places that make our industry great.”

GIRLS WITH BOLS

TALES OF THE COCKTAIL SCHOLARSHIPS Along with B.A.R. scholarships, Tales offers more general scholarships when bartenders have a unique interest, but not the means to further their studies.

Sharon Floyd won a scholarship to start a website called Bartanica with the goal of helping bartenders learn about plants used in spirits production. “I was studying Ayurveda at the time, which uses herbs and spices along with diet and lifestyle to maintain health,” recalls Floyd. “Studying the traditional uses of medicinal plants is fascinating to me, as I knew it would be for others, including bar patrons. Receiving the scholarship was like the green light to keep developing this idea, and maybe take it further.”

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM The NOCCPS also encourages and supports CAP alumni who enroll in college, university, technical school courses, or hospitality courses in order to obtain a degree.

“NOCCPS is offering an unprecedented tuition program, making it possible for dedicated industry professionals to further their careers and improve their businesses,” says Mike Ryan, CAP Manager.

86

CHILLED MAGAZINE

In an ongoing effort to find worthwhile charities, Ann Tuennerman has teamed up with Bols for its Girls With Bols campaign. Co-founder Kate Gerwin, along with a powerful group of industry women, including Sabrina Kershaw, Keli Rivers, Pam Wiznitzer, Jen Ferreira, Genie Gore and Anna Knudsen, will offer scholarships to help female bartenders continue to expand their horizons, as well as demonstrate the power of women in the industry. At Tales Ann Tuennerman is giving Girls With Bols a voice with various events, and will continue to do so throughout the year.

7.

TALES 365 In an on-going effort to bring the highest-quality cocktail instruction and content to spirits professionals around the world, Tales presents Tales 365. This annual membership program offers exclusive, year-round access to Tales content, events and special discounts for bartenders and other members of the cocktail industry.

ADVANCED MIXOLOGY

SPOTLIGHT LAUNCH

PLANTATION PINEAPPLE RUM B AC K B Y P OPU L A R DE M A N D

Plantation Pineapple Rum Stiggins Fancy was launched last year at Tales of the Cocktail and was supposed to be a one and done project. This rum was so well received by the bartenders and the trade at Tales 2014 that it was forced into a comeback. Now, as an annual limited edition offered at Tales each year, Plantation Pineapple is available for tasting at the Plantation Tasting Room.

Introduced by Cognac Ferrand proprietor Alexandre Gabriel in collaboration with spirits historian David Wondrich, Plantation Pineapple Rum Stiggins Fancy is the valued revival of a nineteenthcentury English spirit.

Named for the Charles Dickens’ immortalized Pickwick Papers character Rev. Stiggins, who fancied the drink with a splash of boiling water and three lumps of sugar.

For this collaboration, incidentally the third spirit creation for the pair, Gabriel and Wondrich relied on several ancient recipes to recreate it, and

88

CHILLED MAGAZINE

added a few traditional techniques from their own bag of tricks. Interestingly, the 1824 English Journal of Patent and Inventions and the 1844 Journal of Agricultural Society were their main sources of inspiration, along, of course, with Mr. Dickens.

They expertly infused ripe Queen Victoria pineapples in aged Plantation Original Dark Rum for three months. Meanwhile, they macerated, also in rum, the bare rind of the fruit (where the pineapple’s essential oil chiefly resides) and then distilled it, creating a bright pineapple essence to blend with the lushness of the infused Plantation rum.

“David and I did this project in part out of sheer curiosity,” says Gabriel.

“Mostly, however, we did it because the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality and also the symbol of the Tales of the Cocktail Apprentice program. Stiggins Fancy is our liquid thank you to the Cocktail Apprentices who do so much for all of us.”

With Coco Lopez® Real Cream of Coconut or Coco Lopez® Lite with 40% less fat

Coco Lopez, Inc. |

Miramar, FL 33027 | 954-450-3100

www.cocolopez.com

SHAKING AND STIRRING

SKYY BARCRAFT

Skyy Barcraft is a new line of elevated cocktail-inspired vodka from Skyy Vodka. Barcraft transforms the process of making your favorite cocktails into two simple steps: Skyy Barcraft plus soda for the ultimate cocktail hacked. Available in three flavors: Margarita Lime, Watermelon Fresca, and White Sangria.

PEACH ENVY INGREDIENTS

1 Part Skyy Barcraft White Sangria 2 Parts Club Soda

LAUNCHES

HENNESSY 250 BLEND

Hennessy 250 Blend is a special limited edition rare offering with only 250 barrels available worldwide. The brand celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. The blend is a tribute from the present Master Blender, Yann Fillioux to his predecessors.

To celebrate its milestone anniversary, Hennessy created a cocktail representing American Revolutionary hero Marquis de Lafeyette’s historic voyage aboard the Hermoine, which was recreated and carried two barrels of the Collector’s Blend onboard the ship, each donated to charities.

CUR NON

PREPARATION

Inspired by the Lafayette family motto, Cur Non, which translates to ‘why not?’

Combine ingredients over ice.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilege 1 oz. Apricot Brandy 1 oz. Dry Vermouth ¼ oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice PREPARATION

ann

Phot o

by

Er i

c

rm He

90

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Combine all ingredients in a shake with ice. Shake until chilled, strain into a coupe glass, garnish with an orange twist.

PATRÓN CITRÓNGE MANGO

Patrón Citrónge Mango joins Patrón Cintónge orange and lime. “Not only is Mexico known for tequila, the country has long been one of the world’s largest producers of top-quality fruits and citrus.

Maybe it’s no coincidence then that fresh fruit flavors are the perfect complement in the Margarita and countless other tequila cocktails,” says Ed Brown, President and CEO of Patrón Spirits.

MANGO CAIPIRINHA INGREDIENTS

2 Parts Patrón Citrónge Mango ½ Part Simple Syrup Whole Sliced Lime 2 Chunks Mango PREPARATION

Place the lime, mango and simple syrup in mixing glass, muddle and add Patrón Citrónge Mango and add ice. Shake and pour into a glass. Do not strain.

LL KINAHAN’S WHISKEY

Now imported by Winebow Craft Spirits, was founded in 1779 on Trinity Street in Dublin. It was liked so much by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland that he ordered the whiskey be kept exclusively for himself, resulting in each cask being marked ‘LL’ (Lord Lieutenant). After his death, the whiskey became instantly successful; it was the whiskey of choice for Jerry Thomas, with LL Kinahan’s recommended for his hot Irish Whiskey recipe in his 1862 book, How to Mix Drinks.

OLD & IN THE WAY Created by Ryan Maybee, Proprietor, Manifesto & The Rieger Hotel Grill INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Kinahan’s LL Whiskey ½ oz. El Maestro Sierra PX Sherry ½ oz. Breckenridge Bitters 3-4 Drops Bittermen’s Burlesque Bitters

BACARDI TANGERINE

ROSCATA ROSÉ DOLCE

BACARDI TANGO

BERRY BELINIS

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

1 Part Bacardi Tangerine 3 Parts Orange Juice

1 Bottle of Roscato Rosé Dolce 1 Package of Frozen Mixed Berries, thawed

Bacardi Tangerine is the latest flavor introduced by the famous rum makers, known for their unique blends of fruits and ingredients. The latest rich and intense flavored rum is expertly blended with natural tangerine flavor.

The refreshing taste of tangerine will bring a sunny taste of the tropics to your bar. Great in a Mojito.

PREPARATION

Fill a highball glass with ice.

Pour ingredients and mix well.

Palm Bay International announces the arrival of Roscata Rosé Dolce, the newest addition to Roscato’s popular line of delicately sweet, gently fizzy wines from northern Italy. Roscato Rosé Dolce offers aromas of cherry and strawberry with a hint of cotton candy.

Excellent as an aperitif or served with richly flavored dishes and desserts.

PREPARATION

In blender, process berries until smooth, strain mixture if desired. Pour into a serving pitcher and slowly add wine, stirring gently to combine.

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass and stir over ice until well-chilled. Strain, serve down in a rocks glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

91

AWARDED WORLD’S BEST SINGLE MALT

AWARDED WORLD’S BEST GRAIN WHISKEY - WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS 2014

GOLD MEDAL

- WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS 2015

DOUBLE GOLD / BEST OF CLASS

SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION 2015

- SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION 2015

GOLD MEDAL

SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION 2015

92 PROOF | NON-CHILL FILTERED | IRELAND’S LEADING INDEPENDENT IRISH WHISKEY MAKER | INNOVATIVE DISTILLING SINCE 1782 PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY | WWW.TEELINGWHISKEY.COM | WWW.INFINIUMSPIRITS.COM

In case you haven’t heard, New Orleans is a glorious drinking town and is perhaps one of the best places in the world to enjoy a skillfully made cocktail. And with that goes many things, not the least of which is the story behind each drink. If only we knew them all. And that’s just the point. Behind every drink is a great story. And that’s what this issue of CHILLED is all about. New Orleans is the perfect city to celebrate the craft cocktail and host a festival devoted to educating the makers of them. We’re talking about Tales of the Cocktail of course and one by one we are revealing those stories.

For anyone who has experienced Tales of the Cocktail, it’s often difficult to fully summarize the event. Sure, it’s a great excuse to socialize and bar hop and lord knows New Orleans has some of the best old school haunts mixing up the classics.

But more importantly it’s a place to network and learn new things. And while the former is certainly a key element of the week, the core, even perhaps the soul of the yearly event is its seminars and educational events.

So, this issue of CHILLED is dedicated to TOTC and the throng of people that flock to this one of a kind festival each year.

Our stories range from conversations with members of the Cocktail Apprentice Program, to folks from Tales on Tour and industry pros who’ve attended every event, to a special segment on the ladies and their take on the spirits industry. We also highlight the hottest bars, bartenders, brands and brews in the area along with a special feature mapping out the historical cocktail gems of NOLA. Keynote speaker, Danny Meyer, rounds out our coverage stressing how important it is to serve up great experiences, and we couldn’t agree more. After all, we can all relate to how an experience becomes a story and that’s something all Tales-goers know first-hand.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

93

DANNY MEYER TALES OF THE

CO C K TA I L K E Y NOT E SPE A K E R

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson | Photos by Andrew Kist, Evan Sung

T

You traveled a great deal as a child. Can you tell us how past travel experiences shaped you as a person and a professional? Were your restaurants inspired by particular events or ideas?

Danny Meyer is an apt choice of speaker for an event that gathers spirits professionals under one roof. Luckily, he seems inspired to do so, saying, “I’m excited to be giving the keynote talk at Harrah’s Theater- a great venue and a fantastic opportunity to speak to what I love most about our industry which is to turn great food and drink into making people feel better than before they came in to your establishment.”

Each place we’ve ever opened has always been an opportunity to tell a story and to share our love for a topic or a context, but always in the name of hospitality. I love jazz, so we opened a jazz club. I love barbeque so we opened a barbeque restaurant.

I love horse racing so we serve food at Saratoga Racetrack. I love bars so we opened a bar. I love pizza so we opened a Roman pizza joint. And I love the farmers market so we opened a restaurant right next to Union Square green market.

here are people in the hospitality business who simply do their job and then there are others whose vision elevates hospitality to a craft in and of itself.

As CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, Danny Meyer is one of those visionaries.

And Tales of the Cocktail is lucky enough to share his vision on opening night when he will be the event’s keynote speaker.

After all, the bar biz is all about hospitality, and Meyer thinks that hospitality is so important that he wrote a book, Setting the Table about it. His restaurants, including the eponymous Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke, and many others, literally have changed the face of New York dining.

All totaled, Meyer, his restaurants, and his chefs have earned 25 James Beard Awards. Additionally, he plays an active role in our country’s fight against hunger.

Rather than try to capture how Danny Meyer thinks, it seems fitting to allow his words to speak for themselves.

94

CHILLED MAGAZINE

I always draw from my own experience. I have a big file cabinet in my brain and my heart of things that I’ve loved in the past and opening a new restaurant is the opportunity to open those file drawers and to share what I love in a fresh way so that people can have a new experience.

At the Museum of Modern Art and at the Whitney Museum of American Art, that starts with our love of art. We ask ourselves, is there anything we could do via good food and drink and hospitality that would actually augment your experience going to the art museum?

It’s an opportunity for my colleagues and I, because I certainly have a great team, I don’t do it all myself, not by a long shot, for us to bring what we do to a context that we love- we have the privilege of having a restaurant.

Speaking of hospitality, which is a word comes up again and again in connection with name, tell us about this in terms of being a philosophy” and explain how it has helped your success.

that your “life with

It’s my sense that I’ve never met a person who did not have a deep need to either give or receive hospitality. What I love about hospitality is it’s a lot like a hug – you get one when you give one and when you give one you get one. It’s the most reciprocal human dialogue that exists that makes people feel better.

I know I need it and I love it. We’re constantly working to achieve more excellence in all the things that we do, but we also realize that what we do is not what brings people back. It’s how we make people feel and that is really the message that I cannot wait to share at Tales of the Cocktail.

When did you first realize that hospitality was going to be so important?

It was a big ‘a ha!’ moment for me to understand that hospitality and service are completely different things. Nobody ever taught me that when I was growing up. Service is a way to describe what you do, did you deliver your food on time, etc. and hospitality is a way to describe how you made the recipient of your service feel. And they are very, very different things. Once I understood the ingredients I started to bake it into absolutely everything that we do.

hospitality business because you love the product that you’re serving so much that you just cannot wait to share your enthusiasm with other people. Go into it because, even apart from what you’re serving, the part that matters to you more than anything in life is bringing joy to other people. And if those two things are true, the third box I would urge you to be able to check is: do you have a strong work ethic and do you have a lot of stamina because as soon as you do something really well, there’s going to be someone who comes around to copy it within about two minutes and you’re just going to have to keep pushing to stay on top. If you love all those things, it’s just awesome.

How do you carry hospitality as a concept beyond the business?

I think hospitality within the four walls of your restaurant is nothing if you’re not also expressing hospitality beyond the four walls of your restaurant.

And as far as I know, unless your restaurant is floating in space somewhere, it’s part of a community. And I think that we all need communities that are rooting for our success, and the best way to assure that will happen is to show your community that you’re invested in ITS success. I also think that restaurants that play an active role in their community tend to attract even better hospitality employees. Because most employees, as much as they love what they do, when they go to work I think they want to know that they work somewhere that has a higher purpose than just serving food and drink.

What is one piece of advice or insight you would give anyone entering the hospitality business?

My advice is to go into it for the right reasons and don’t go into it for the wrong reasons. Go into the

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

95

BARTENDER

ADVICE from a

BIG DADDY

BARTENDER

By Francine Cohen, Photos by Raphe Wolfgang

D

on’t jump to the end of this story, just to see if we’re telling the truth, but veteran bartender Willy Shine’s last words of advice in this piece are the following… big love! (Okay, go ahead, you know you can’t help yourself, but do come back up here afterwards). That, in a nutshell, is what this crazy world of bartending is all about. At least from Shine’s invaluable, and successfully navigated position.

Take it from a man who knows. A man who has been at it for well over a decade, in front of and behind the bar creating cocktails, serving guests, working with brands, getting creative with spirits, batching thousands of gallons of cocktails at a time, running a consulting business and all the while maintaining his wits about him and balancing a rewarding home life.

Want to succeed, young grasshopper? Want to figure out how you’re going to take that English lit degree and turn it into something productive and revenue producing that you can be proud of? Want to know the truth that Shine preaches about not being afraid to take risks with your alcohol choices and exploring vodka alternatives like Veev, which are a great way to add an unexpected twist to your cocktail, enhance flavor, and guarantee fresh, organic ingredients?

Then take a page out of Shine’s book. It’s all about big love; big love for yourself (you can’t be efficient if you aren’t confident and believe in yourself and your skills) though that doesn’t mean being arrogant; big love for spirits, big love for cocktail creation, big love for learning, and big BIG love for welcoming your guests and understanding and delivering exactly what they need.

But don’t take it from us, just because we’ve seen Willy continuously soar with every step he takes in this industry, take it from the source himself and read what he has to say, in his own words.

96

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Willy took some time out from his busy schedule to share his passion for bartending, in hopes it might inspire you. Currently he’s inspired by the newly reformulated Veev and the versatility this winter wheat and acai berry spirit offers at 70-proof and agreed to share his passion, personally, as he mentors one talented winner of the “Better Way to Drink” competition. This very creative bartender will receive a once-in-a-lifetime prize of hotel stay, airfare, special invitations to seminars, tastings, and exclusive events; all this while rubbing elbows with top professionals in the industry alongside Shine at the 2015 Tales of the Cocktail. Even if you don’t win you’ve still got a mentor in Shine, just see what he has to say: ADVICE: Don’t be a one trick pony and learn to be keen to all styles of bartending. Don’t run before you can walk and teach only when you have become an excellent dedicated student. Stay humble and be a sponge. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

TIPS: Learn your spirit categories inside and out. Learn the classic building block cocktails inside and out. Get out there. Find opportunities to showcase your skills and put them to the test. Veev Spirits’ “A Better Way to Drink” Bartender Challenge is an excellent opportunity to make a name for yourself as a bartender. The winner will receive a mentorship by yours truly at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, travel accommodations, and access to exclusive seminars and events, so you can learn from other pros.

REGRETS: The mistakes I have made in my life and career were more based on making bad decisions. I have always had an incredible work ethic and leadership capabilities, but early on in my career I was trying to make my own way at a very young age and ultimately took a couple wrong turns. I learned my lessons and became a better man and bartender for it.

SUCCESSES: Hired as the bar director and head bartender at BED Nightclub and restaurant in 2003 with Dale DeGroff as our cocktail consultant. We had one of the best bar teams to date with the likes of Tim Cooper, Leo DeGroff, Candice Coy, Remy Shobitan, Edwin Medina and John Lermayer amongst many others. 8000 sq. ft. two floors with a roof deck and the biggest beverage and cocktail program of its time!

Creating a globally recognized Cocktail Consulting company from the ground up in 2007 called Contemporary Cocktails. It was based on bar and cocktail education, events and marketing.

Being chosen as partner and cocktail expert for Veev Spirits where I travel the country and educate bartenders and consumers on the new Veev reformulated Veev 2.0, create new signature cocktails, and represent Veev at industry events like Tales of the Cocktail.

I was two-sport athlete in college baseball and basketball and I majored in architecture. I have stand up paddled around Manhattan three times.

I’m a dedicated husband and father of two amazing boys.

WHAT ELSE: Bartend for as long as you can because it is the greatest job in the world. It’s a privilege to be able put smiles on people’s faces on a daily basis. Don’t make the jump into the corporate world too early.

That being said, learning all sides of the business is invaluable. Find your passion within this world and set sail.

I was a force to be reckoned with behind the bar! I was a dedicated hard working badass bartender that competed with himself every day to make himself better. I love this industry and would do anything to help any of the up-and-comers to make themselves better bartenders and better people. Big Love!

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

97

HISTORY OF TALES THEN AND NOW 98

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

Once upon a time, there was a little city called New Orleans. It was a boisterous place where food and drink were their own sort of religion, where hospitality was a given, and where gentility still reigned. That was then and this is, well, this is now, and all those characteristics still ring true. This is a city literally filled with a sort of twilight magic and it’s that same magic that explodes each year at Tales of the Cocktail.

If you’ve never heard of Tales, it’s safe to assume you aren’t in the spirits business. If you know about it, but have never been, it’s difficult to fathom the sheer merriment of those six days.

It’s like Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one. And it started, quite simply because Ann Tuennerman wanted “to show people a side of New Orleans they did not know much about and that I loved.”

A year before Tales officially launched, Ann embarked on something called the New Orleans Cocktail Tour, a walking tour that introduced visitors to the city’s many famous bars and restaurants. Inspired by the tour, Ann, who was then still Ann Rogers and not yet Tuennerman, organized Tales. The first Tales was held in 2003.

To set the stage, remember that the modern cocktail renaissance was just beginning. Dale DeGroff was quietly championing fresh ingredients and training a new generation of bartenders. David Wondrich has started writing about drinks from Esquire back in 1999. Folks like Robert Hess, Robert Plotkin, and Brother Cleve were gathering and talking booze history. But at this point, for the majority of folks, spirits and cocktails had yet to take on the mystique they now possess.

David Wondrich, whose Esquire drinks book had come out in 2002, was at the first Tales. As he recalls, “Originally you could have everyone at Tales gather around the Monteleone pool. It was mainly for writers and their

How It Began, What It’s About, Where It’s Going

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson Photos courtesy of Tales of the Cocktail

audience. You had a book and here’s a way to meet people who buy drink books. There were a couple informal talks.

The big event was the Cocktail Hour where everyone was in the conference room and you made drinks batched up [by the Hotel Monteleone], one drink from your book, and you’d be standing at your table pimping your book.

There were spirited dinners and the cocktail walk as well.”

What started as an intimate gathering that was easily contained by the Hotel Monteleone has evolved into the industry’s preeminent event, eagerly anticipated all year. As co-founder Paul G. Tuennerman describes Tales in its current form, it’s “Mecca for bartenders and the equivalent of CES for spirit industry professionals. It’s where everyone, who is anyone, in the bartending and spirits industries comes together for five days of education, networking, sharing of best practices, and of course, a bit of drinking.”

Of course, a bit of drinking.

How could you not in a town that is home to so many historic cocktails from the Sazerac to the Vieux Carré, the Ramos Gin Fizz to the Hurricane.

And, speaking of hurricanes, it was 2006 when Katrina hit that really signaled the sea of change in Tales from small gathering to big festival. Not only was that the year Ann met her future husband Paul, but it was also when New Orleanians of every stripe were affected by one of our country’s biggest natural disasters.

As Ann notes, “In the early years, one of our biggest obstacles came with Hurricane Katrina, which had a profound impact on everyone we knew, personally and professionally.

As Paul always puts it, eventually, history will prove that Hurricane Katrina was a blessing in some ways, not only for the city, but for the event as well. We were humbled by the support the industry showed the following year, and take pride that we came back, in a big way, and have continued to flourish.”

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

99

ThEn Indeed by 2007, the cocktail renaissance had hit New York like gangbusters. And within a few years it would hit the west coast as well. Tales’ evolution seems to have followed the cocktail boom much like a lit fuse on TNT. Wondrich concurs, noting “It rapidly expanded to pull in the craft cocktail world as well. There was a lot of talk. How should we proceed, who should we invite.

Ann was pretty ambitious and has always wanted to grow it. From the year before Katrina to the year after, it had grown quite a bit.”

To illustrate the changes, Paul G. Tuennerman jokes that he “was the Original CAP [Cocktail Apprentice].

Ann’s sister, Jan, used to buy all the produce, mixers, and garnishes, Her mother, Jane, would hand-tie each

100

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

individual lanyard. Ann had a unique way of roping everyone in; it was the epitome of sink or swim. I am glad we all learned how to swim.”

Indeed they did. And the sink or swim attitude continues to this day, carrying over to the industry at large as if to say, “Never give up. Dream big.” It might sound quaint and a bit touchy-feely, but this is a business where anyone with talent, decency, and energy can succeed. If anything, Tales of the Cocktail has convinced bartenders, spirits professionals, distillers, authors, and so many others that this world is not only a viable career, but also a vital and dynamic one.

Today, the event is booming. There are more seminars than any one person can attend, dinners and parties

NOW every free minute, and an apprentice program (CAP) that inspires both fierce competition and even fiercer loyalty. But perhaps the most exciting part of the entire event is the chance to meet colleagues and raise a glass to this remarkable industry, an industry whose job it is to make people happy.

David Wondrich aptly characterizes the Tales of then and the Tales of now when he observes, “You know what really does it for me? I would tell a cab driver that I’m in town for Tales of the Cocktail and they would say ‘what’s that? It sounds fun.’ Now, they know exactly what it is.

New Orleans gets a lot of convention business and the fact that Tales can stick out among all these major conventions shows it has arrived.”

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

101

By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

|

Photos courtesy of Fever-Tree

O

ur story begins in the deepest reaches of Africa where a plant we now classify as the Cinchona tree grows. Known to the natives as the “Fever Tree,” it earned this odd sobriquet because its bark, which contains quinine, has staved off the deadly symptoms of malaria for centuries. This same quinine found its way into tonic water in the mid-1800s and became the British military’s de facto treatment for malaria.

Because quinine was quite bitter, the soldiers arrived at an ingenious solution to make their tonic more palatable by combining it with their gin ration, plus sugar and lime. Thus, the gin and tonic was born – and we have never looked back. Fever-Tree Premium Mixers, which introduced the first premium tonic water to the modern cocktail world in 2005 and has continued to release a variety of fizzy mixers, took its name – and inspiration -- from the Fever Tree. The

102

CHILLED MAGAZINE

company, which celebrates its tenth year in business, takes great pride in the deep sense of history that its name connotes.

Indeed, co-founder Tim Warrilow waxes rather poetic about that history, observing, “It’s a story little told. I think the whole history of quinine is very rich and actually very powerful in the fact that, in its time, malaria was the single biggest killer in the world. There was a comment of the era that [quinine] was as powerful a discovery to the art of medicine as gunpowder was to the art of war.”

On a lighter note, it could be said that FeverTree’s re-invention of tonic water is one of the modern cocktail era’s most powerful discoveries too. As Warrilow observes, “This mixer world had

been so long dominated by one global brand that had been focusing its efforts on cost-cutting and manufacturing efficiency. There’s a wonderful world of flavors out there. Mixers are so important to make a cocktail taste better. What a tragedy that they have been so misused.”

If it seems odd that Warrilow and co-founder Charles Rolls, former head of Plymouth gin, chose to create tonic water rather than a new gin, think again. Both men felt that the world was full of brilliantly-made gins. What was missing was a premium tonic water to help gin shine in the penultimate gin cocktail – the Gin and Tonic.

Yet the road to creation wasn’t easy. The lengths to which the founders of Fever-Tree went to produce their first bottling of Indian Tonic Water sound rather like an adventure novel worthy of Rudyard Kipling.

“Our real start was to seek out the highest quality quinine,” recalls Tim Warrilow, co-founder of FeverTree. “That took me on a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where we had traced the origins of quinine back to one of the most lawless places in the world.” Warrilow returned in one piece, and with a precious cargo of quinine with which to create the company’s first product. The release of FeverTree Indian tonic water took the burgeoning modern cocktail world by storm.

Indeed, just as the quality of one’s ice can alter a cocktail for better or worse, so too can the modifiers one uses. Fever-Tree’s slogan plays on this fact: “If 3/4 of your gin and tonic is the tonic, make sure you use the best.” The dedication to premium ingredients, as well as an ability to capture the provenance of the product, has helped Fever-Tree emerge as the go-to for many bartenders and home enthusiasts.

“There’s been this fantastic renaissance of G & T drinking in Europe.” In fact, Fever-Tree’s tonic water launch in Spain wasn’t a coincidence. A British friend gave a bottle to internationally renowned chef Ferran Adria, who enjoyed G & Ts after a long night in the kitchen. This coincided with the serendipitous launch of Hendricks gin in Spain. A new gin, a new tonic, and the enthusiastic endorsement of the Spanish chefs’ community helped “put the Gin and Tonic back on the map.” With Fever-Tree as the requisite mixer.

What distinguishes Fever-Tree’s products from some of the more mass market competitors is its unobtrusive, yet distinct flavor and its delicate effervescence. “People were driven away from the Gin and Tonic partly because of the flavor of the tonic,” explains Warrilow. “It left quite literally a nasty taste in the mouth. [Fever-Tree] gives it a very different taste and enjoyment level. In truth that was our whole idea. We purposely produced a tonic that allowed you to taste the gin.”

So, what began historically as a way to “help the medicine go down” has transformed into a drinking ritual known the world over. Fever-Tree was instrumental in the elevation of the Gin and Tonic to its rightful place as a cocktail steeped in ritual and relaxation; the company has continued to advance the use of artisan mixers and their importance in drinks. Starting with its name which connotes a dramatic, and even romantic, sense of the past, Fever-Tree adds a much needed layer of complexity to any drink in which it is mixed, while letting the inherent nature of the central spirit shine through.

And that is good medicine indeed.

But Fever-Tree saw no reason to stop with tonic. “No one really looked at quality mixers, the traditional ones, tonic water, ginger ale, soda, ginger beer,” explains Warrilow. “We were very much the pioneer of this category and fortunately the market leader in it today. So what we felt we had done was to restore quality and flavor to the classic mixers. But then, we wanted to rethink the category.” And re-think they did with quality always at the fore of their minds.

“We applied the same principles to all the products,” Warrilow continues. “For our ginger ale, we use three different types of ginger, a wonderful fresh green ginger that we found out on the Ivory Coast, one of the other gingers came from Kochin in India, and then Nigeria. So, for a humble ginger ale, we really did go around the world.” Recent developments include an herbal Mediterranean tonic water with lemon thyme and rosemary from Provence, as well as a soft, floral Elderflower tonic, inspired by the bartending world’s enthusiasm for products like St. Germain.

Currently, the popularity of the Spanish gin and tonic has added fuel to the tonic fire. “It really has revolutionized the gin and tonic,” enthuses Warrilow.

ELDERFLOWER GIN & TONIC INDGREDIENTS

2 oz. Gin Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water (6.8 oz. bottle) Lime PREPARATION

In an ice-filled highball glass, add the gin and top with Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water. Garnish with lime.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

103

by Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

104

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

For more than a decade, Tales of the Cocktail has recognized women who are making the world a better place to drink.

Between Tales of the Cocktail’s annual Dame Hall of Fame Luncheon and leader of it all, Ann Tuennerman (aka Mrs. Cocktail), the drinks industry clearly prefers the glass to be on the bar (with a cocktail in it) and not on the ceiling.

Chilled asked today’s most influential female cocktail professionals what it’s like to be a woman in this great time in the spirits and cocktail industry.

AUDREY SAUNDERS THEN: In 2003, I was the Beverage Director of the exclusive Carlyle Hotel in New York, home to legendary Bemelmans Bar. Dale [DeGroff] was brought in to consult on the re-launch of the bar, and the management asked him who would be the best man to run the program after his consult was finished. He told them that “the best man for the job was a woman” and shortly thereafter he brought me in.

NOW: In 2015, Pegu Club turns 10 years old. Pegu changed the way the world drinks, and it spawned a good number of the finest mixologists in today’s craft cocktail arena. We also innovated the “Charity Cocktail” program, and have employed it in times of disaster. That program alone has raised over $50k for relief simply by utilizing sample bottles of liquor that would normally fall by the wayside, and we’ve shared that program publicly so that other bars could utilize it as well.

HAS THE FEMALE PRESENCE AND TREATMENT OF WOMEN CHANGED AT TALES AND IN THE INDUSTRY? I think Tales does a phenomenal job of recognizing women. How could it not, just look at who’s at the helm! Ann has been a driving force within our industry for many years now, and is a legendary innovator in her own right. I remember, I think it was the 2nd year…perhaps there were 100 – 200 people there? Now look at it.

Ann has created an educational festival that provides its attendees with a smorgasbord of topics to choose from, and the cool bonus is the unique perspective that each presenter brings to the table. It offers CAP internships, scholarships, tasting rooms and so much more.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE BARTENDERS JUST STARTING OUT? Begin with the classics, and make hundreds of versions of one drink recipe. Use a multitude of different brands of the same spirit with each version of that drink, and play with different ratios. Taste, taste, taste, and question everything---just because there exists a recipe or a methodology that has a historical standard, it doesn’t mean that you cannot improve upon it. The learning is in the journey.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULARLY RELEVANT STORY OR ANECDOTE YOU COULD SHARE? I sought out Dale as a mentor almost ten years before I opened Pegu Club. I learned everything I possibly could from him— not only about mixology, but he was an extraordinary host and he taught me the fine art of bartending and putting your guest’s needs in front of everything else. I knew what I was doing. I had learned from the best. But aside from Dale, nobody had yet implemented that sort of game-changing cocktail program on a large scale, at least in the U.S. It simply didn’t exist and just before the Pegu Club opening I was feeling a little nervous about it all. I talked to him about it, and he said to me: “Imagine yourself behind the wheel of a big, fine car on a long, open road….there’s nobody in front of you, and nobody behind you… Just drive.”

Charlotte VoIsey WHEN TALES BEGAN, WHERE WERE YOU PROFESSIONALLY? THEN: In 2003, I had just opened Apartment 195 – a Gorgeous Group project.

I was the General Manager but bartending too, we had just won a big award and our all female bar team was showing up pretty well in what was a very exciting growth time in the London cocktail scene. That bar was my life and my passion project for a while, until I moved to America in 2006 to work for William Grant & Sons as an Ambassador where I remain today.

NOW: During my time with William Grant my role has developed greatly and I now oversee our Ambassador program in the USA. My favorite part of the role is getting to work events with the many fabulous personalities in the cocktail world.

Photo Courtesy of William Grant & Sons

Photo Courtesy of Audrey Saunders

WHEN TALES BEGAN, WHERE WERE YOU PROFESSIONALLY?

HAS THE FEMALE PRESENCE AND TREATMENT OF WOMEN CHANGED AT TALES AND IN THE INDUSTRY? Tales was founded, and still run, by a strong, creative hard working woman which set the tone early on I believe. Tales is the most important gathering for our industry anywhere in the world and, importantly, is has never been a boys club.

The event is run by women and has always featured a balance of the greats of the industry, both women and men.

As the industry at large continues to blossom we see more female bartenders and women industry figures emerging and getting their share of the limelight which is great to see. If I had to credit one body for the encouragement of female presence it would be Speed Rack – Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero are simply the best role models girls can have in this business.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE BARTENDERS JUST STARTING OUT? My advice is always to work hard, make your work/life balance a priority, study, put the effort in, surround yourself with great people and learn from them. If you want to make a name for yourself be interesting, be reliable, stay relevant, read as much as you can and develop your own style.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

105

NAOMI SCHIMEK THEN: In 2003 I was tending bar in downtown LA and at that time I had been a bartender for over eight years with fine dining, nightclub and dive bar experience under my belt. I was an avid gardener but it wasn’t until I first read about Tales in 2006 and started discovering the renaissance that I realized I could put my love and knowledge of fruit and herbs toward something more useful. I set goals to learn as much as I could about this craft cocktail world from books and the Internet and when Audrey, Chad and Christy hired me to be on the opening crew of The Tar Pit, I finally got my first formal education.

NOW: At this point in my career I have my own creative consultancy: Schimek Studios; I am the Brand Ambassador/ Cocktail Creator for Cognac Park and I am the President of USBG SoCal. The last program I ran was The Spare Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for nearly four years. I left in September 2014; at that time I had worked a total of 26 years in bars and restaurants, 20 of those behind the bar – we had just been nominated for Best Hotel Bar at Tales and that was one of the biggest honors of my career. I felt good about moving on at a high note.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE BARTENDERS JUST STARTING OUT? It is extraordinarily helpful to find a mentor or pen pal in your particular field (bartending, distilling, etc.). Gain a lot of experience before trying to run your own bar program; learn from as many people as possible in several different environments. Read a lot. If you want to learn, offer to be a barback for as long as it takes to apprentice and move up.

ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE MEN? Shave. Ok, but seriously: Open your mind and realize you are a product of gendered social conditioning. If you are in the company of a more talented or accomplished colleague who happens to be a woman don’t be “that” guy and allow your insecurities to clumsily manifest themselves into rudeness. You think we didn’t notice? We did. To those of you that have helped your colleagues who happen to be women progress in this industry, I salute you.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULARLY RELEVANT STORY OR ANECDOTE YOU COULD SHARE? When craft cocktails made their way around to Downtown LA I called on an establishment to see if they were hiring. I was told they didn’t hire women as they were going for a pre-prohibition era aesthetic and to have a woman behind the bar wouldn’t be “authentic” for that time period. We’ve come a long way, baby.

CRIS DEHLAVI WHEN TALES BEGAN, WHERE WERE YOU PROFESSIONALLY?

Photo courtesy of Cris Dehlavi

THEN: In 2003 I was bartending and serving at M restaurant. I didn’t even hear about Tales until 2008 when I started getting into serious mixology and competing. I met some well-known bartenders who told me about it and it sounded amazing. I went to Tales to experience it. It was incredible and I learned so much. I came back to Columbus and hit it hard. I started competing in every competition I could, joined the newly formed USBG chapter in Ohio, and did BarSmarts wired. The next year, 2010, I applied to be a CAP and was accepted. I was a CAP in 2010, 2011, 2012.

NOW: I was promoted to assistant manager in 2013, and this year I am a “White Coat” which is the very prestigious role of CAP Manager. I traveled to Chicago to do BarSmarts Live and I was accepted into B.A.R. 5 Day and passed. My life and career took a huge turn after becoming a CAP. HAS THE FEMALE PRESENCE AND TREATMENT OF WOMEN CHANGED AT TALES AND IN THE INDUSTRY? The female presence has always been there but over the last five years there are a lot more of us, for sure. Speed Rack has helped with that quite a bit, and I think that the ladies in the industry are very well respected.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE BARTENDERS JUST STARTING OUT? The advice I give any bartender, male or female, is to be very educated. Go through BarSmarts. Learn about spirits and the history of cocktails. And do not ever think that dressing sexy is going to get you respect. The respect happens based on your knowledge and your level of hospitality.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULARLY RELEVANT STORY OR ANECDOTE YOU COULD SHARE? When I did B.A.R. 5 Day there were a whole lot of ladies in that room of 50 of the top bartenders in the world. There were a handful of USBG presidents in there and we were all women. I remember Dale DeGroff and Steve Olson saying that on day one and it was such an honor to be one of them.

106

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

Photo by Eugene Lee, @EugeneShoots

WHEN TALES BEGAN, WHERE WERE YOU PROFESSIONALLY?

Karen Grill Photo by Eugene Lee, @EugeneShoots

WHEN TALES BEGAN, WHERE WERE YOU PROFESSIONALLY? THEN: I was in high school, most likely still sneaking vodka out of my parents liquor cabinet.

NOW: I freely drink (and pour) vodka from my own wells as the GM and Beverage Director at Sassafras Saloon in Hollywood.

HAS THE FEMALE PRESENCE AND TREATMENT OF WOMEN CHANGED AT TALES AND IN THE INDUSTRY? This will be my 5th Tales and there are absolutely more women than ever before in prominent positions in this industry. Now that this industry as a whole has outgrown the Jerry Thomas-esque “speakeasy” trend and has come into the present, there’s a place for women to lead us into the future.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PITFALLS AND BENEFITS WOMEN EXPERIENCE DUE TO THEIR GENDER? We have many of the same advantages and disadvantages as our male counterparts. The only hurdle I think we face is being singled out as women in our positions. Instead of being named a great bartender or a great business owner, we are put into a separate category. The best female bartenders or the best cocktails by women in x city. I’d like to see the gender category fade away and allow all bartenders and industry professionals to be on an equal playing field.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE BARTENDERS JUST STARTING OUT? Be yourself and do what you do best all the time. It’s ok to be competitive but not negative, especially with other women in our industry. Support one another, raise each other up. We’re all in this together.

ALBA HUERTA WHEN TALES BEGAN, WHERE WERE YOU PROFESSIONALLY? THEN: In 2003 I was finishing my undergrad and after spending three years behind the bar I was more certain than ever that I wanted to stay the course and improve my knowledge behind the bar to eventually own my own.

NOW: I own my own concept [Julep, Houston, TX] and still continue to enhance my knowledge every day.

Photo by of Julie Soefer

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PITFALLS AND BENEFITS WOMEN EXPERIENCE DUE TO THEIR GENDER? There are too many to list on both sides of the argument.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE BARTENDERS JUST STARTING OUT? To always keep your goals in perspective and never lose sight of the things that truly move you.

ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE MEN? I know a handful of female bar owners that have a hard time getting asked out on a date. Just because they’re in charge, doesn’t make them any less feminine.

Julie Reiner WHEN TALES BEGAN WHERE WERE YOU PROFESSIONALLY? THEN: I opened Flatiron Lounge the year that Tales of the Cocktail started. It’s been cool to have the same birthday as Tales.

NOW: I have since opened four other bars, three of which are still open. Pegu Club, Clover Club, Lani Kai, and Leyenda. I also launched my consulting company, Mixtress LLC.

Photo by Daniel Krieger

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PITFALLS AND BENEFITS WOMEN EXPERIENCE DUE TO THEIR GENDER? There have been some roadblocks for women working in bars, particularly ones that make the transition from cocktail server to bartender nearly impossible. There was a period of time between 2005 and 2009 where the all male bar staff was popular, and women were shut out from many popular bars. Thankfully, that fad passed, and now you look silly if you don’t have any women behind your bar.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE BARTENDERS JUST STARTING OUT? Do the work! Stay in a bar program long enough to absorb all that it has to offer. Read as much as you can about spirits and cocktails, and get as much of an education as you can. Find a mentor who you trust, and who can lead you in the right direction.

ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE MEN? I’ve been mouthing off for years ;) They’ve heard it all from me.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

107

By Cydnee Murray. Photos courtesy of The Irishman Whiskey

T

hat one friend who notoriously slips out the back of social gatherings without saying farewell will rethink their next attempt at this notoriously named Irish Goodbye. The Irishman Whiskey brand will see to that. Established in 1999,

by Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, the brand creates a Founder’s Reserve blend that works harmoniously with bitter herbs and sweet aromatics alike. Its spice, caramel, black pepper and cinnamon aromas, along with taste components of vanilla and green apple, make it a versatile base for building both classic and contemporary cocktails. Nobody wants to leave a party prematurely where whiskey cocktails are involved.

Previously labeled Irishman 70 because of its 70% single malt to 30% single pot still ratio, The Irishman Founders Reserve, according to Dave Singh of Palm Bay International Fine Wines & Spirits, “is a traditional-style pot still Irish whiskey that contains

no grain whiskey. It is elegant, complex and extremely approachable.” The original and signature blend created by Bernard Walsh is the only Irish blended whiskey to contain 100% whiskey distillates from the copper pot still and 0% grain or column still whiskey.

Single pot still whiskeys, made from a triple distilled mash of malted and unmalted barley, were the most sought after style of whiskey in the world from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. The Walsh’s hope to honor that halcyon era by constructing a world-class distillery, maturing warehouses and a visitor center at Royal Oak, County Carlow in South East Ireland. Due for completion in 2016, the distillery sits on 40 acres and will have the capacity to produce 400,000 cases of all four types of Irish whiskey; pot, malt, grain and blended.

The Walsh clan has been involved with whiskey production since 1870. Bernard and Rosemary found their way back to barley after determining to capitalize on the popularity of Irish coffee. They set about building a company that would blend and bottle the perfect Irish coffee recipe. The Hot Irishman was born, but the Walsh’s had more to prove. With the Hot Irishman, six whiskeys and an Irish cream under their belt, they hope to cater to 75,000 whiskey tourists by 2021.

“Whiskey has evolved,” says Singh. “It is no longer only about the shot. Even flavored whiskey is part of the evolution.” As more people test the whiskey waters, the waters of life, The Irishman, “stands apart by connecting the personal nature of its origins and production to the personal nature of the consumer’s social drinking occasions,” Singh continues. “During this golden age of cocktails, the quality and mixability of Irish whiskey offers a great canvas for the mixologist.”

108

CHILLED MAGAZINE

GIVE THESE WHISKEY COCKTAILS A MIX. The Rectifier INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1 ½ oz. Irishman Founder’s Reserve 2 Dashes Orange Juice (a wedge squeezed) 3 oz. Ginger Beer 1 tsp. Grenadine

In a shaker combine ice, orange juice, ginger beer. Stir to chill. In empty rocks glass, pour grenadine-enough to coat bottom of glass (max 2 count). Pour entire mixture in shaker into rocks glass. Top with soda water or sprite depending on desired flavor profile. Garnish with orange wedge and maraschino cherry at base of glass.

The First Brigade INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1½ oz. The Irishman Founder’s Reserve ½ oz. Barrows Ginger ¾ oz. Lemon Juice ½ oz. Demarara 1 ½ oz. Prosecco

Build cocktail in a shaker. Shake strain into a tall glass over ice. Garnish with a half wheel of lemon.

Irish Sangria INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1 ½ oz. Irishman Founder’s Reserve 5 Mint Leaves 1 Barspoon strawberry puree (frozen strawberries allowed to defrost-Dole) ½ Lime Fresh Juiced 2 oz. Prosecco

Combine mint, strawberry, Irishman Whiskey, and lime juice in shaker, muddle to combine. Add ice and stir to combine.

Pour entire combination into highball or balloon glass. Top with Prosecco. Add garnish of mint sprig or lime rind.

Founders Lemonade INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

2 oz. The Irishman Founder’s Reserve ½ oz. Lime Juice 3 oz. Lemonade

Build cocktail in a shaker. Shake. Strain into a tall glass over ice. Garnish with half wheel of lemon

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

109

TALES ON TOUR

®

TALES ON TOUR

TALES ON TOUR

TALES ON TOUR

TALES ON TOUR

T

ales of the Cocktail takes the show on the road bringing seminars, events and, of course, cocktail culture around the globe. The festival famous for joining the international spirits community together has expanded to other markets. Along with New

Orleans, Louisiana, Tales on Tour branches out to Mexico City, Mexico, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Vancouver, British Columbia. Chilled chats with Tales on Tour members and checks out their city’s signature drink.

Daniel Biber BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Photo by Juan Hitters Since Tales of the Cocktail arrived the game has changed, many bartenders from the city are digging deeper into bartending. Learning new techniques and networking. There’s even a group organizing a BA Cocktail Week.

Tales on Tour changed the way I work, think and deal with my profession. Argentina is a rising cocktail city where the local bartenders are working hard, making their own bitters, discovering and mixing new flavors that are amazing!

Timeless Traveller INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Bacardi Superior Rum ¼ oz. Pears Eau de Vie ¾ oz. Honey 1 oz. Lemon Juice 5 Dashes The Bitter Truth Xocolatl Mole Bitters 1 Star Anise PREPARATION

Shake and double strain in a coupe glass.

Ricardo Nava MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Photo courtesy of Ricardo Nava Tales on Tour was a big opportunity for the local scene, for increasing our performance, sharing our bar with le crème de la crème, and receiving advice from the industry experts. The industry is really excited and we can’t wait for next year.

Tales of the Cocktail helped me to understand where I want to get to with our bar and with our team. In Mexico, we are not all Margaritas and fruity cocktails. We are learning from other countries and working to make the best cocktails.

110

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Carlos Soto MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Photos courtesy of Diageo I have wanted to attend Tales of the Cocktail since I can remember.

I loved reading the writers that lead the seminars and Tales offers the opportunity to learn from them, face to face.

Being a CAP not only challenged me, but it continues to inspire me to work with a team, and to discover new ways to keep learning while promoting the cocktail culture in Mexico.

We focus on hospitality, and the access we have to a wide range of fresh ingredients allows us to constantly experiment.

Trevor Kallies VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Photo by Fred Fung What we rarely saw were the personalities from the global cocktail mainstream. In the first year, Tales on Tour brought ‘Beachbum’ Berry, Dave Arnold, Charlotte Voisey and others.

We’ve seen our cocktail community grow even stronger, and a handful of our bartenders and bars have been recognized at a global level. I think Tales helped play a part in that growth.

After being a CAP in Vancouver I was invited to be a part of the CAP team in New Orleans. I have been a CAP in NOLA every year since. It is a support network like nothing I’ve experienced.

Nathan Dalton NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Photo by Andrew Kist Just like bartenders shouldn’t think about vacationing during Mardi Gras, the middle of July is an all-hands-ondeck,-let’s-see-if-you’ve-really-gotwhat-it-takes blowout. When we travel and meet bartenders, our parting words are, “See you at Tales!” I am the bar director of five bars in and around New Orleans, two of them being just three blocks away from where Tales happens. It’s by far the biggest, most important cocktail event in the world, and thousands of people make their pilgrimage here from every segment of the industry. That means for all the bars in New Orleans, Tales week is our chance to show the world what we are made of.

Something people may not know is, unlike most of America, cocktail culture never totally died out here after Prohibition.

Bartenders like Chris McMillain, Chris Hannah, Paul Gustings, and others before them, were serving great cocktails with a side of history way before it was hip. We’ve always been a city of drinkers, and we’ve always had an intense narcissistic interest in our own history. Put the two together, and you’ve got a formula that will never let good drinking die.

Low Key INGREDIENTS

¾ oz. Mezcal Espadin ¾ oz. Vanilla Infused Martini Bianco ¾ oz. White Crème de Cacao ¾ oz. Lemon Juice Dash of Mole Bitters Dash of Absinth PREPARATION

Shake well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

Garden Gimlet INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Beefeater Gin ½ oz. Cointreau ½ oz. Lime Juice 4 Cubes Cucumber ½ oz. Simple Syrup 3 oz. Witbier 3 Basil Leaves PREPARATION

Shake and strain all ingredients (except the wit) into a wine glass half-filled with ice. Top with Witbier, garnish with cucumber slice and basil leaf.

Ramon Tequila Fizz INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Tequila Blanco ¼ oz. Cointreau ¼ oz. St. Germain ¼ oz. Licor 43 ¼ oz. Agave Nectar 1 ½ oz. Heavy Cream 1 Egg White 2 Lime Wedges Squeezed PREPARATION

Dry shake all ingredients for way longer than you feel is necessary. Then add ice and shake for another 15 seconds. Single strain into a tall glass. Drink with a straw.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

111

SIPPING THROUGH

TALES

Excerpts by Joe Gendusa, New Orleans History With A Twist.

New Orleans has a rich drinking history. For hundreds of years the area has been mixing up time-honored classic cocktails, each with their own TALE to tell.

For cocktail enthusiasts, industry professionals and the nation’s best bartenders and mixologists, there is no better place to tour the foundations of cocktail culture.

As an event that has helped to define this cocktail history, Tales of the Cocktail draws thousands of drinking aficionados to NOLA each year now for over a decade. Many of these folks advance their cocktail education by visiting some of the oldest and most colorful bars in the area and sipping one of its very notable drinks.

Local New Orleanian Joe Gendusa, a licensed tour guide and local historian, is considered by many to be an authority on the eating and drinking history of New Orleans. Joe’s guide, New Orleans History With A Twist, preserves on paper, this learning experience that has been used as an educational tool by Talesgoers since its inception. The handbook takes festival-folk on an historic tour and tells stories of some of the places, people, food and drinks that for generations have captured the hearts and souls of locals and tourists alike.

“I hope History With A Twist will serve as a companion to anyone walking the streets of the French Quarter,” says Joe. “I hope it will wind up on bars and kitchens with marked pages, folded corners and whiskey stains on its cover.”

Check out some of the highlights from Joe’s reference guide and get a glimpse into some of NOLA’s deliciously famous cocktails.

112

CHILLED MAGAZINE

The Pimm’s Cup at Napoleon House

Dating back to 1797, the Pimm’s Cup is their signature drink. Although not invented here, the bar pours hundreds of them daily. Their version differs from the original British recipe in that it uses real lemonade, perfect for continued hydration.

The French 75 at Arnaud’s

Opened in 1918 by Count Arnaud Cazenave, the restaurant has become a legend to locals.

The French 75 Bar will take you back to days in the life of royal leisure, where, after WWI, soldiers would visit to sip this marvelous cocktail, named in honor of the French 75mm artillery shell.

Photos Courtesy of Napoleon House

PIMM’S CUP

French 75

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

Fill a tall glass with ice and add ingredients, top with 7up and garnish with cucumber.

1 ½ oz. Cognac 1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice ½ tsp. Simple Syrup Champagne

Photos Courtesy of Arnaud’s Restaurant

1 ¼ oz. Pimm’s #1 3 oz. Lemonade

PREPARATION

Place cognac, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker filled with ice and shake to chill. Pour into a frosted champagne glass. Top with chilled champagne, add lemon twist.

Vieux Carré at Carousel Bar at The Monteleone

Vieux Carré Cocktail INGREDIENTS

½ oz. Sazerac Rye ¼ oz. Cognac ¼ oz. Benedictine ½ oz. Sweet Italian Vermouth Dash Peychaud Bitters Dash Angostura Bitters Lemon Twist

Photos Courtesy of Hotel Monteleone

A definite stop on any cocktail tour of the French Quarter must include the famous Carousel Bar. It dates back to 1886 when Antonio Monteleone purchased the then 14-room hotel.

Today his descendants still own and operate this landmark on Royal Street. Sip on the legendary Vieux Carré cocktail as the bar goes round and round. Yes, it actually rotates. As the story goes, in 1938, head bartender Walter Bergeron mixed up the Vieux Carré cocktail, which translates to “Old Square” the official name known as the French Quarter.

PREPARATION

Mix all ingredients in icefilled Old Fashioned glass.

Garnish with lemon twist.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

113

Mara

Photos by Kevin O’

The Hurricane Cocktail at Cane & Table

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. White Rum 2 oz. Dark Rum 1 oz. Lime Juice 1 oz. Orange Juice 2 oz. Passion Fruit Juice ½ oz. Simple Syrup ½ oz. Grenadine PREPARATION

GRASSHOPPER INGREDIENTS

1 oz. Green Crème de Menthe 1 oz. White Crème de Cacao 2 oz. Light Cream or Half & Half PREPARATION

Shake well with ice. Strain into stemmed cocktail glass.

Add all ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice.

Shake and strain into a large Hurricane glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange half-wheel and cherry.

Café Brulot and Milk Punch at the Grill Room, Windsor Court Hotel AND BRENNAN’S

rtesy of W

indsor Cou

rt

In the Crescent City, bourbon milk punch is as abundant as Mimosas on a brunch menu, and a great way to start your morning. Brennan’s on the corner of Bourbon and Bienville, is a landmark for its legendary and unparalleled service and a great place to try one. Also, visit the Grill Room for a Café Brulot, a flaming cup of coffee made in a siphon that is infused with brandy, Cointreau and spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamom, orange peels, which became popular in the 1800’s.

Ramos Gin Fizz at the Doris Metropolitan

Invented in the 1880’s by Henry C. Ramos, owner of the bygone Imperial Cabinet Saloon in downtown New Orleans.

Thirsty travelers can taste an authentic version of this frothy favorite at The Doris Metropolitan.

Ramos Gin Fizz INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Gin 1 oz. Heavy Cream 1 oz. Simple Syrup ½ oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice ½ oz. Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice 1 Egg White 3 Dashes Orange Blossom Water 1 Drop Vanilla Extract PREPARATION

Photos Cou

114

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Photos by Poppy Tooker

HURRICANE Cocktail

The Grasshopper at Tujague’s

Guillame Tujague opened his bar and restaurant in 1856 making it the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans. In 1912, Tujague sold it to Philbert Guichet, who is credited with the creation of the famous sweet cordial cocktail known as the Grasshopper.

He reportedly created the drink and submitted it to a New York cocktail contest, in which it won second place.

Photos by John Gembitsky

With WW II raging, the Port City of New Orleans was filled with thirsty sailors and soldiers. Prior to opening Pat O’s on St. Peter Street with partner Charlie Cantrell, Benson Harrison ‘Pat’ O’Brien operated a nearby speakeasy, in which patrons would use the password, Storm’s Brewing, hence the signature drink the Hurricane. Now the drink is well known to most Crescent City tourists. What better place to sample this historic cocktail than the rumcentric Cane & Table bar.

Combine ingredients and dry shake for 10 seconds without ice. Add ice cubes and shake hard for several minutes.

Continue shaking as long as you are able and until you can no longer hear the ice inside. Pour foamy contents into a chilled Collins glass and slowly top with soda.

Serving thousands of Sazerac cocktails a year, the Sazerac Bar is an ideal place to enjoy the timeless and ‘official’ cocktail of New Orleans. In 1838, Antoine Amedie Peychaud, owner of a New Orleans apothecary, served his buddies concoctions featuring his own homemade bitters. Eventually the recipe switched to rye whiskey and this earliest of cocktails remains the specialty drink of NOLA.

The Sazerac INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Sazerac Rye Whiskey ½ oz. Herbsaint 3 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters 1 Sugar Cube Lemon Peel PREPARATION

Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice. In a second glass place a sugar cube and add dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube. Add the 1 ½ oz. of Sazerac Rye to the bitters and sugar. Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with ¼ oz. of Herbsaint, then discard. Empty the mixture from the second glass into the first and garnish with lemon peel. Be sure to strain the mixture.

Some other historical gems perfect for exploration.

The Frozen Daiquiri and The Drive-Thru

Beyond the simple concoction of the frozen Daiquiri is the unique one-two punch of the go cup and the Drive Thru Daiquiri Stand. As Jeremy Thompson, founder of the New Orleans Daiquiri Festival explains, “The rule is as follows: when purchasing a Daiquiri at a Drive-Thru, the buyer is handed a disposable cup with a lid on top. Sometimes the shops will put tape over the lid as well, but it’s not a legal requirement.

The straw will either be taped to the top of the cup or handed to the buyer on the side. This is all perfectly legal. But, if the buyer sticks the straw through the lid, it’s now illegal. Essentially, this is a rudimentary way of transforming a Styrofoam cup with a plastic lid into a “sealed” container, to be treated as the law would treat the packaged liquor from a liquor store.

But the drink must be frozen. Which is to say, you’re not allowed to buy or sell any other type of cocktail which is not frozen from a Drive-Thru.”

Old New Orleans Rum Distillery

In true NOLA style the tour starts with cocktail in hand. The distillery, housed in a 150-year old former cotton warehouse hosts daily tours. For just $10, learn about their artisanal distilling process and the unique story about how these local artists and musicians turned their love of spirits into an awardwinning distillery. Enjoy samplings at the tasting room including the local favorite Cajun Spice Rum.

OLD SPICED CUP INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. Old New Orleans Spiced Rum ½ oz. Crystal Shrub* ½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice PREPARATION

Top with soda water and garnish with a wheel of fresh cucumber. *Crystal Shrub: Add 1 cup of Crystal brand hot sauce and 2 cups of fine grain sugar to a small saucepan.

Heat and stir over low heat to combine.

Bottle after the mixture has cooled.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

115

Photos Courtesy of The Roosevelt

T he Sazerac at Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel

GLOBAL FINALS Chilled provides a first-hand account of the sights and sounds at this year’s Bacardi Legacy Global Finals.

By Thom Meintel. Photos by Jeff Greif and courtesy of Bacardi Media Center.

Persistent dark clouds and an intermittent drizzle mixed with a steady downpour over the course of five days didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of most of the guests and trade who descended upon Sydney, Australia recently for the Bacardi Legacy Global Finals. Bacardi was proud to host exceptional bartenders representing 34 countries, four of them for the first time, and it was a week of celebration and craftsmanship. The annual event was scheduled a bit earlier than the prior year no doubt to take advantage of the warm days and mild nights of autumn in the country’s nightlife capital. CHILLED was on the scene drinking in the excitement that Legacy brings with it not the least of which was a full blown itinerary provided for visiting media which this year included forays to some of Sydney’s hottest bars and restaurants along with an outing to famed Bondi Beach and a climb on the iconic Harbor Bridge.

But nothing prepared us for the two dazzling weekend spectacles – the first on Saturday evening, the Semi-Finals dinner themed “Classic Elegance” and held at the New South Wales Art Gallery, actually Sydney’s Museum of Art. An epic elongated room had been arranged like a gallery with the stage at the far end, and after getting a glimpse of the attire on the competitors vying for the title, it was clear this was going to be a special evening. Welcome drinks upon arrival were a treat - either an Otono with Bacardi Carta Blanca, Montenegro, fresh lemon, blood orange cordial and whites or a Strawberry Daiquiri. The libations signaled not only the southern capital city’s climate, namely mild temperatures

116

CHILLED MAGAZINE

year round, but also its importance with regard to cocktail culture. Sydney has a booming craft cocktail scene which has evolved considerably over the last ten years and it’s become a powerhouse market for spirits. As a result, there are more bars in the Top 50 here than any other city and many of the stronger bartenders are ultimately exported to developing countries around the world.

The second event was the prestigious Grand Final held Sunday evening in the heart of the city at Sydney’s Town Hall with The Golden Age of Cocktails as its theme. With its High Victorian interiors and rich decoration, the ornate 19th century building was the perfect match for the DNA of Legacy, classic with the edge of today. Towering urns of red roses adorned the entrance and the theme prompted many of the guests to wear black tie. A grand foyer led to a spectacular vestibule under an elliptical dome of stained glass and an immense crystal chandelier.

When we arrived the boisterous crowd was already sipping Bacardi’s infamous Daiquiris and Mojitos there at the brilliantly lit bar and a Cubano duo riffed in the corner, its rumba drummer pounding away on his quinto. After several rounds the doors to Centennial Hall opened revealing a glorious venue with a pipe organ out of Phantom of the Opera spanning an entire wall. Minutes later when the lights dimmed a light show comprised of spectacular 3D projections on the huge instrument heralded the opening of the ceremony. The audience went wild with applause capturing the unforgettable moment on their cell phones.

It had been an emotionally charged 48 hours leading up to this moment and stepping back a couple days to the first round of semi-finals held on Friday, I recalled how practiced and professional the first group of competitors were. CHILLED had front row seats for that first round and we watched amazed at what they presented. First up was Lithuania’s Algridas Mulevicius with his “Doremi,” the recipe of which was inspired by music, his ingredients likened to the melody of a song. He cited that bartending was an art, much like music, and that all bartenders are artists in their own way. The drink incorporated St.Germain in honor of Don Facundo’s French wife, and was finished with a spray of Becherovka, the potent Czech liqueur. He shook his tin to the Beatles tune, Hippy, Hippy Shake, a cute touch tying back to his theme.

We were ready to root for the second contendant, Ran Duan from the U.S. He had won over the judges in Miami at the U.S. Finals and we were certain he’d do it again. We previously reported that his tie-in to family in his cocktail, “Father’s Advice,” was a shoe in and he was in rare form this morning, jogging in place prior to mounting the stage. He had produced a snappy video for his presentation and used fortified wines like Amontillado sherry and Punt e Mes to bring out the delicate flavor notes of Bacardi Gold.

His script was perfectly rehearsed and the delivery passionate. We were certain he’d reach the Finals.

Dubai’s Eric Ballard followed with his “El Vestido.”

A Sacramento native with an uncanny resemblance to Daniel Radcliffe, Eric had lived in New Zealand

before moving to Dubai and working for GQ Bar. His parents had flown all the way in to cheer him on, a touching moment especially as his inspiration came from picking raspberries with his Dad as a child (hint: key ingredient raspberry syrup). Sweden’s Emil Areng knocked us out with his video of himself running in a snowy countryside accompanied by The Champ is Here by American rapper Jadakiss and his “Pepin Cocktail” was equally alternative with its liberal use of maple syrup.

Estonia, New Zealand, Australia Russia and France followed a short break. Estonia’s Regeri Zoo played on weather in his “Four Seasons,” a study of four key ingredients with health benefits - fresh sea buckthorn juice, ginger root, lemongrass and lime. He cracked us up when he cleverly deadpanned, “Without Bacardi Gold I’d be making a goddam salad.” Kudos to having a sense of humor, Mr. Zoo. Australia’s Alissa Gabriel from Brisbane was clearly a crowd favorite and beautiful to boot. And Russia’s Dmitriy Chupira lightened up the atmosphere several notches with his over the top video of a rum party out on the frozen tundra. But clearly the intensity of France’s Frank Dedieu left an indelible impression on the judges. He passed out a linen napkin in a plastic bag prior to mixing up his “Le Latin” and primed everyone for a sincere presentation of a winning patriotic cocktail incorporating a white wine called Voignier from his hometown of Lyon. What was his secret ingredient?

Olive brine… Dirty Martini, move over!

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

117

28 HONG KONG STREE T Singapore, Singapore

RE VELRY BAR Auckland, New Zealand

Sugar Man

The Pan Am Cocktail

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

45 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca 15 ml Fresh Lime Juice 15 ml Rich Ginger Syrup 45 ml Ginger Beer 3 Dashes Absinthe 5-6 Slices Salted Cucumber PREPARATION

Pour all ingredients except ginger beer into a shaker and shake, fine strain over ice. Top with ginger beer in a Collins glass, garnish with cucumber flower or fan.

Fast forward 24 hours to the close of Saturday’s Semi-Finals dinner and the announcement of the finalists. Spirits were high as we sipped on a rum Old Fashioned mixed with Bacardi 8 and when the judges took to the stage to announce the eight lucky individuals, a hush came over the room. The list included a few surprises to us but we’ll let you guess which ones: New Zealand, Ireland, Greece, Singapore, China, France, Lebanon, and South Africa. When this select group reconvened the next evening, the CHILLED team geared up to watch a fight to the finish.

China’s Faye Chen dazzled us with her “Gold Fashioned” a nice play on words with the use of Bacardi Gold, and South Africa’s Denzel Heath practically enacted a full blown Shakespearean presentation as he made his “The Lennox” (if only we could have tried it). We loved Greece’s cute interactive map showing his journey from Greece to Havana to Sydney as well as the old fashioned suitcase he toted to the stage. But we loved Xaris

45 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca 15 ml Aperol 15 ml Orgeat Syrup 30 ml Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice 15 ml Egg White PREPARATION

Add ingredients to a tin on tin shaker, adding egg white last. Dry shake to emulsify and then hard shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.

Garnish with 2-3 sprays of atomized Angostura Bitters.

Darras’ drink “Clandestino” even more, sexy with St. Germain and homemade honey vinegar (gasp, no Greek yogurt). But it was Singapore’s Chua Zhibin Peter that warmed our hearts with a uniquely introspective film tying his drink “Sugar Man” to the song of the same name by American folk musician, Sixto Rodriguez. If only you could have seen it, too.

Waiting for the answer after all eight had performed, we wondered who to put our money on. France’s Frank Dedieu took the crown with his “Le Latin”, defying the odds by creating a new classic with a complex flavor profile that can easily become a menu staple thanks to another perennial favorite besides Bacardi Carta Blanca – white wine. Who knew?

Back home and sipping a round of Bacardi frozen banana daiquiris of my own during a fluke May heat wave (in honor of the drink being named the official cocktail of Tales of the Cocktail), I wondered what might be the direction for next year’s entries. Look out, San Francisco!

SPE AK LOW Shanghai, China

THIRST Cape Town, South Africa

Gold Fashioned

The Lennox

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

50 ml Bacardi Carta Oro 25 ml Honey Logan Water 1 Dash Angostura Bitters

50 ml Bacardi Carta Oro 12.5 ml Perdo Ximenez Sherry 12.5 ml Banana Syrup (1:1) 12.5 ml Fresh Lemon Juice 2 Dashes All Spice Pimento Aromatic Bitters

PREPARATION

Stir and strain into a rocks glass.

Garnish with honeycomb.

12.5 ml Egg White PREPARATION

118

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Shake and strain into a coupette. Garnish with lemon zest.

M R . PE ACOCK Chalandri Athens, Greece

SABA Dublin, Ireland

Clandestino

Garrigue

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

60 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca 15 ml St. Germain 25 ml Lime Juice 20 ml Pineapple Juice 15 ml Homemade Honey Vinegar 2 Dashes Worcester Sauce

50 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca 20 ml Lemon Juice 15 ml Yellow Chartreuse 15 ml Orgeat Syrup Pinch of Sea Salt

PREPARATION

Shake hard with cubed ice, fine strain, into a coupette. Garnish with lemon zest and dried lavender.

Hard shake and fine strain into a coupette.

Garnish with dried lime with mint.

This year CHILLED was invited behind the scenes of Bacardi Legacy 48 hours prior to the Global Final with a round of VIP interviews with 3 of the judges held at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel. We had the opportunity to speak with these key players in the global competition’s ongoing evolution and the insight they provided led us closer to the secret of Bacardi Legacy.

Jacob Briars, Bacardi’s Global Advocacy Director, told us that the competition stays true to the formula because it works. With networking the most important element in the contest, a bartender from a developing country like Lebanon can connect on Facebook with a New York bartender like Steve Schneider and gain invaluable info on what’s trending in New York. That way the industry in Lebanon would make a quantum leap as a result.

PREPARATION

Caroline Hipperson, Global Brand Director, described it as a “traveling family” where the team looks to leverage the host city. “Sydney was built on rum and rebellion”, revealed Jacob. What could be truer than the tactic the Legacy finalists must take?

According to Enrique Comas, Bacardi family member and Global Brand Manager, the winning drink is one that can further a bartender’s career. Tom Walker, last year’s winner with his “Maid in Cuba” and a key mixologist at London’s Savoy, managed to get a U.S. working visa and is now showcasing his talents in New York City at Attaboy on the Lower East Side.

At the end of the day judges look for a drink that stands the test of time and will become the next modern classic. Bartenders are expected to sell the story behind their drink to their guests and market it to bars both locally and internationally as well as on social media before the final round of judging takes place. We can only hope this helps the next round of competitors in 2015.

CENTR AL STATION Beirut, Lebanon

REDWOOD Lyon, France

El Mediterráneo

Le Latin

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

50 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca 10 ml Skinos Mastiha Liqueur 20 ml Lemon Juice 20 ml Sugar Syrup (1:1) 6 Leaves Fresh Basil

45 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca 20 ml White Wine 20 ml Lemon Juice 6 ml Olive Brine 2 barspoons Sugar Cane

PREPARATION

PREPARATION

Add all ingredients to a shaker and muddle with basil leaves.

Shake and double strain into a coupette. Garnish with olive oil.

Shake and strain into a coupette.

Garnish with olive.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

119

Flair bartender Nicolas St Jean gives a masterclass

David Cordoba with Dickie Cullimore

The Judges Juan Coronado, Legacy U.S. Brand Ambassador Aligirdas Malevicius, Lithuania

Former champions Tom Walker & Shingo Gokan Global Brand Director Caroline Hipperson reads names of the eight finalists China’s Faye Chen is announced as one of the eight finalists

Jacob Briars, Bacardi Global Advocacy Dir. and Enrique Comas, 6th generation Bacardi family member

The eight finalists take a celebratory selfie

Regeri Zoo, Estonia Xaris Darras, Greece

Ran Duan, USA

Denzel Heath, South Africa Emil Areng, Sweden

120

CHILLED MAGAZINE

Eric Ballard, UAE

Steve Schneider & Barney Toy, New Zealand

Peter Chua from Singapore is announced as one of the eight finalists

Emily Arden Wells & Thom Meintel, Chilled

Dmitriy Chupyra, Russia

Juan Coronado, Steve Schneider and guests The eight finalists announced at the semi final dinner

Global Winner, Frank Dedieu, France Hortense Delaine & Frank Dedieu

Dickie Cullimore, Global Brand Ambassador

Carla Dovgan and Amanda Greenfield, Zeno Group, Jeff Greif, Chilled Alissa Gabriel, Australia

Thom Meintel, Chilled, Daniele Dalla Pola & Juan Coronado

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

121

EXPERTLY CRAFTED CAREFULLY CRAFTED COCKTAILS ARE INFUSED, MUDDLED OR GARNISHED WITH LOCALLY-SOURCED HERBS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS. TARA HEFFERNON, BAR DIRECTOR FOR SONOMA COUNTY’S SPOONBAR IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ‘GARDEN TO GLASS’ MOVEMENT. JOIN HER AND MIX UP SOME OF THESE BEAUTIES. Photos by Samantha Boissonneault.

BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITA INGREDIENTS 1 ½ oz. Frida Kahlo Blanco ½ oz. Lemon Juice ¾ oz. Blood Orange Cordial 2 Dashes Nocino Walnut Liqueur PREPARATION Combine ingredients built in a shaker and give a hard shake. Pour double strained into a rocks glass with fresh, large cubes and garnish with Blood Orange wheels.

122

CHILLED MAGAZINE

BURNING SHRUB INGREDIENTS 1 ½ oz. Tapatio Blanco ½ oz. Fidencio Classico Mezcal ½ oz. Lime Juice ½ oz. Grapefruit Juice ¼ oz. Agave PREPARATION Combine ingredients in a shaker and give a hard shake. Pour double strained into a rocks glass with fresh, large cubes. Add ground chipotle sprinkled on top, and a grapefruit zest.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

123

SHISO FLORAL INGREDIENTS 1 ½ oz. Plantation Three Star Rum ½ oz. Lime Juice ¼ oz. Spirit Works Sloe Gin ½ Bing Cherry Shrub * 1 oz. Seltzer PREPARATION Muddle 1 large red shiso leaf, build everything but seltzer in a shaker and give a light shake, top seltzer into shaker, then pour entire contents into a Collins glass. Garnish with edible flowers and a red shiso leaf.

124

CHILLED MAGAZINE

ZOMBIE INGREDIENTS ¾ oz. Flor de Cana 7 year ¾ oz. Lemonhart 151 ¾ oz. El Dorado 5 year ¾ oz. Lime Juice ¾ oz. Grapefruit Juice ½ oz. Cinnamon Syrup ¼ oz. Pernod Velvet Falernum Mix 1 Dash Angostura Bitters PREPARATION Combine ingredients in a shaker and give a light shake. Pour into a Collins glass and add the desired amount of cinnamon.

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

125

HOTSPOT

SPOTLIGHT

Photos by Sam Hanna | hannafoto.com

126

CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

By Ariana Fekett Salon by Sucré offers a truly friendly and tailored dining experience in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter.

The famous pastry haven has expanded its new location with a full service dining menu.

Patrons can enjoy a light lunch, scrumptious tea service, a refined and indulgent dinner menu, and a diverse array of cocktail and dessert options, including a full list of delicious tea cocktails.

Salon is the creation of executive chef Tariq Hanna and partner Joel Dondis. With the help of general manager and sommelier, Braithe Tidwell, and head bartender, Beth McCaskey, who are both veterans of New York’s Union Square Café. Salon is poised to become a staple dining location of New Orleans, with a sleek and bright interior that functions as lounge and restaurant, and a romantic terrace for drinking in the charming view.

Assisted by sous chef, Emily Crotty, Hanna has created a menu that is influenced by, but not defined by, his love of pastry. Surprising sweet elements sprinkle through the savory menu, and add depth to the flavors and textures. The dinner menu begins with amuse-bouches such as a fried pickle plate of tempura fried olives and cornichons with roasted garlic balsamic aioli, sliderette selections including classic, Mediterranean lamb with tzatziki, and tempura crawfish sliders with key lime curry aioli, and their signature Belgian fries with American paddlefish caviar and chive cream. All entrees come in both appetizer and full size, so you can pick and choose according to your appetite. The tartare is elevated

by Dijon, crunch, and quail yolk, and the diver scallops are accompanied by olives,

bacon, and potato dumplings.

International influence is apparent in the roasted lamb loin, which is expertly prepared and presented on a bed of lentils and root vegetables.

Dessert is a must, and the varied choices are prime examples of the skill and flavor complexity that has made Sucré so famous.

Whether you choose the mille feuille with strawberries and crème patisserie, the chocolate crémeux with glee and cookie, or the affogato with bread pudding, gelato, espresso, and streusel, you can’t go wrong.

Banana lovers will want to opt for the vacharin with banana fritters, caramel, and meringue, and for a light and refreshing choice, opt for the panna cotta with jasmine, fruit, and balsamic.

Customers at Salon are encouraged by a warm and knowledgable wait-staff to choose the pairings best suited to their palate. And with a wine list ranging upwards of 150 choices and a killer charcuterie and cheese selection, diners are exposed to a plethora of options. Cocktail enthusiasts can opt for choices like the Manhattan with Cardamaro and brandied cherries, or the Hemingway Daiquiri with rhum, white grapefruit, lime, and cherry. Tea enthusiasts might want to opt for a tea cocktail like the Rosie Delaire made with scarlet glow tea, citron savage liqueur, prosecco, and candied grapefruit, or the E.J. Bellocq made with genmaicha-infused sake, Cocchi Americano Blanco, and sweet chocolate liqueur.

S al o n’s u ps cale an d e asy atmosphere inspires connection and discovery with fresh ingredients and lush flavors. In the historical French Quarter, this new hot spot offers great promise.

N e w O r l ea ns, L ouisia na CHILLEDMAGAZINE.COM

127

LAST CALL

CHILLIN’ WITH

Michael Mosley Down Time

WRAPPING UP SEASON 2 AS JOHNNY FARRELL ON THE HIT USA COMEDY SERIES SIRENS, MICHAEL WILL NEXT BE SEEN OPPOSITE REESE WITHERSPOON AND SOFIA VERGARA IN THE WARNER BROS./MGM FEATURE HOT PURSUIT. MICHAEL IS ALSO WELL KNOWN FOR HIS RECURRING ROLE AS JERRY TYSON AKA MICHAEL BOUDREAU AKA 3XK, AN ELUSIVE SERIAL KILLER WHO TAUNTS RICHARD CASTLE (NATHAN FILLION), ON ABC’S CASTLE. ALL THIS AND A BARTENDING PAST, MICHAEL WAS SLINGING DRINKS ALL OVER NEW YORK BEFORE HE HIT IT BIG.

I love music. I love tinkering with instruments. I was down in New Orleans this summer and I just love that town. I think it’s one of the best places in the world. Some of the greatest music I’ve heard was produced in that town. There’s music on every corner at every hour of the day.

Photo by Carrie Shaltz.

Bartending Past Cooking

I joined this thing called The New York Times Wine Club. Every couple of months, they send me six bottles of something. I like to chill out and have a glass of wine while I cook.

Favorite Places in NOLA

There’s a place called Cochon, kind of fancy-pants, but nice. And the Acme Oyster House in The Quarter has got good crawfish. I love a good crawfish boil. I mean you can’t really go wrong. There’s a place on Decatur that has amazing fried chicken.

128

CHILLED MAGAZINE

I spent a ton of years bartending and made a ton of money and had fun, it’s a good gig. One of my favorite bars in N.Y. is out there, it’s on Bedford and North 7th. It’s called Rosemary’s Greenpoint Tavern. If you’re ever in Williamsburg, check it out. It’s cool.

Drink

I like scotch. I’m good with a Jameson rocks, it’s not as sweet as Jack Daniels. Every once in a while I’ll get Laphroaig and watch my friends taste it. They go bananas.

2015 Brancamenta, Product of Italy 30% ABV. Imported by Wilson Daniels. www.infiniumspirits.com