Possessed By Spirits: August 2008

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Midtown Cocktail Week Pictures Part 2

1st Place Winner Victoria D'amato-Moran of La Mar Cebiche

2nd Place Winner Chris Tucker of L Bar

3rd Place Winner Russ Eastman of Lounge On20 with 1st and 2nd Place

The Beautiful Cocktails

Bill Haskin @ Mysteries of Absinthe Seminar Hosted by Kubler Absinthe

Don't Forget The Daiquiri

There is probably no other cocktail that I can think of off of the top of my head that is as refreshingly tasty as the daiquiri, yet is almost NEVER made correctly.

Odds are that if you were to order one anywhere outside of a mixology bar, you wouldn't get anything that even resembles a classic daiquiri.

Most likely, you would probably get a watered-down, blended monstrosity that was overloaded with chemically-enhanced sweet & sour, some sort of lime cordial and bad rum.

Unfortunately, it looks like the once-proud legacy of the classic daiquiri is definitely in need of a little help.

It is such a simple cocktail that it is almost silly to have to reprint the recipe, but alas drastic times call for drastic measures.

The Daiquiri
2oz Light Rum
.75oz Fresh Lime Juice
.5oz Organic Cane Syrup

Combine Rum, Simple Syrup and Lime juice into shaker tin.

Shake vigorously and double-strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lime twist and enjoy.

Possessed By Spirits Cocktail of the Week: The Chartreuse Swizzle

All I can say is that for those of you who have never been lucky enough to have tried the Chartreuse Swizzle, you are truly missing out.

It is a delicate and delightful blend that combines not just sweet and spicy, but also brings together the complex and multi-layered flavors of Chartreuse and Velvet Falnernum in a way that is wonderfully refreshing on a summer day.

I had one for the first time just the other day on a recent visit to the Clock Bar, when I was thirsty and looking for something to beat the heat. Being a swizzle, it was of course, served over crushed ice and was exactly what I was looking for on a hot afternoon in August.

For those of you not able to make the trek to the Clock Bar, here is the recipe for any of you lucky enough to have bottles of Green Chartreuse and Velvet Falernum just laying around the house. Salud!

The Chartreuse Swizzle
1.25oz Green Chartreuse
.5oz Velvet Falernum (clove-spiced liqueur)
1oz Pineapple Juice
.5oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 Mint Sprig for Garnish

Combine juice, Chartreuse and Falernum into a glass and stir briefly. Pack tight with finely crushed ice and garnish with mint sprig.

Midtown Cocktail Week Pictures Part 1

Jon Santer of Beretta @ The Bulleit Bourbon Party

Jared Schmidt of La Mar Cebiche @ The Partida Mixology Competition

Arianna Johnson of Modus Supper Club @ The Partida Mixology Competition

Ken Dayton of Pacific Edge

Alma Martinez of Pueblo Chico Cantina @ The Partida Mixology Competition

Midtown Cocktail Week Recap

I know it's been a little bit of time now, but on behalf of Joe Anthony Savala and myself, we just wanted to say thank you to everyone who was involved with making Midtown Cocktail Week a success.

Whether you were a restaurant owner or a guest bartender, a million-dollar liquor brand or someone who just likes a good drink, we couldn't have done it without you and we deeply appreciate your support.

In the meantime, if any of you couldn't make it out and are looking for a Midtown Cocktail Week Recap, please visit BiteClub.com and you can catch video on anything you might have missed.

Once again, thank you, and we look forward to seeing you next year.

Midtown Cocktail Week Partida Mixology Competition

Midtown Cocktail Week 2008 Episode 13 - Partida Tequila Mixology Competition

Here's a little Midtown Cocktail Week Partida Mixology Competition highlight film courtesy of BITECLUB.com

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Marilyn Manson + Absinthe = Mansinthe?

If anyone of you have managed to get past the six-page spread of Corey Feldman's wife in this month's issue of Playboy, which I wouldn't blame you if you didn't, you might have noticed a little piece on absinthe on page 34.

Apparently, goth-rocker Marilyn Manson is launching his own brand of absinthe, appropriately titled Mansinthe. Besides having a cool looking bottle and a reportedly high-thujone count, it also has a decidedly wicked (pun intended) alcohol content of 66.6%.

I have to admit that I am always skeptical of celebrities getting involved with the liquor industry, because throughout recent history it has typically been more miss than hit.

However, speaking as a fan of his music, I can say that regardless of the flavor profile of Manson's absinthe, it couldn't possibly be any more tasteless than his last album.

While we're on the topic of absinthe, it wouldn't be right if I left you without a good classic absinthe recipe. The Monkey Gland is a cocktail that often gets lost in the shuffle, but it is always tasty when you need a little bit of that good old wormwood buzz.

Monkey Gland
2oz Dry Gin
1oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1 teaspoon real pomegranate grenadine
1 teaspoon of absinthe

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Bourbon & Branch

For those of you who haven't heard the news yet, I just started at Bourbon & Branch this week. Which means, I've been studying all week and trying to get up to speed with their cocktail menu (or should I say cocktail book).

I'm pretty excited for the opportunity to be working in San Francisco and being a lot closer to the heart of the California cocktail community. Its definitely gonna be nice to be able to just drop into Nopa or Berretta and have a drink without having to make the trek all the way from Sacramento.

I don't have my permanent schedule yet, but as of now it looks like I am going to be there Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, so if you are in the area around than drop by and give me a shout.