Yes, I’m still alive.

Apologies for the extended absence, but between a massive glut of work and lazy posting habits (not to mention the death of my camera, which means I’m at text-only publishing in the interim so that’s kind of a problem), I haven’t been around here in a couple of weeks. As we approach the holidays, however, I promise that’ll change — partially because history has shown December to be the busiest month for the blog, readership wise, and also because…well, I have a backlog of stuff to post, and December seems a fine time to do it.

While this backlog includes my coverage of the Martin Miller’s Gin Masters Competition in New York in early November, along with a slew of books and spirits that I have lying around and have been meaning to write about, a more recent item regards something that any regular reader of this site — or any other cocktail blog, for that matter — should be aware of: the launch of The Chanticleer Society.

As any longtime Internet boozehound could attest, the Drinkboy Forum, launched and moderated by Robert Hess, has been an invaluable tool for putting likeminded cocktailians in touch with one another for the better part of a decade. Unfortunately, MSN Groups, which hosts the forum, is eliminating the program in February. While eGullet’s Spirits and Cocktails forum has also been a great online meeting place for some parts of the community, and the recent advent of the Mixoloseum chat room has given cocktail bloggers and similar types a place to go to heckle each other, there hasn’t really been a central place for spirits and cocktail fiends of all stripes to come together, whether they’re bartenders, bloggers, distillers, brand reps, journalists, avid home mixologists or some combination of these. The Chanticleer Society aims to change that.

Created by Robert Hess and named after — well, it involves a chicken reference and some booze; head over to the site for the full story — the Chanticleer Society site is still in its infancy, so things are just starting to roll and the walls need a new coat of paint, but folks are already signing up and starting to look around. So far the membership includes cocktail luminaries such as Dave Wondrich, Jeff Berry, Audrey Saunders and Erik Ellestad, as well as bloggers including Jimmy Patrick and Jay Hepburn. Membership is free and open; just head over, create an account, introduce yourself and then start (or dive into) a conversation.

Check it out here, and I hope to see you over there: The Chanticleer Society

Tags: General by Paul
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I can’t believe I’m writing this post. It’s Monday night, I just got home from the Martin Miller’s Gin Masters Competition in New York — MUCH more on that to come — and I’m absolutely exhausted after spending the past four nights in bars until closing time (I also feel kind of strange; oddly clear-headed and with an uncanny ability to walk a straight line; I’m assuming I’m what’s known as “sober”). But since Darcy and I are the only Mixology Monday participants who have had a hand in every round since day one, and his schedule is forcing him to crap out this month, that means I’ve got to put something together quick and dirty so as not to let down the franchise.

This month’s event is hosted by Doug at Pegu Blog, and Doug chose as the theme “Made From Scratch.” Fortunately I have a project underway right now: Quince Ratafia. Until about a month ago I was a total quince neophyte — I’d had quince paste, and dishes prepared with quince, but I don’t recall ever having handled the fruit itself. But at a recent dinner party, the hosts had a large bowl of quince in their living room, the product of a tree they have growing near their house. I brought some home, not really thinking what I’d do with them, and came in the kitchen the next morning to be surrounded by the aroma of the fruit. It’s absolutely captivating, complex and perfume-like; I knew there had to be a way to drink this stuff.

After comparing assorted recipes for quince brandies, cordials and ratafias, I assembled my quinces, chopped them to little bits, then covered them with cognac. This was initially going to be a one-jar test run, but I had more quince than I realized, so I put up two jars, inserting a cinnamon stick in one and a few cloves in the other, just to see what happens.

All the recipes I saw suggested letting the fruit macerate for a minimum of six weeks, and preferably longer; this means my batches should be ready for sampling just before Christmas, which is exactly what I was aiming for. Once the fruit has done its job and the batches have been strained, I’ll add sugar to taste — maybe set a sample aside to be sweetened with honey — and then go to town.

So, apologies for being anticlimactic by mixing something with no report whatsoever on its taste, but it’s still too soon to tell. (And apologies as well for not putting up the lovely photos of quinces I took during the preparation, but my camera seems to have slipped into a coma during the gin competition yesterday, and I can’t retrieve the data on it just yet.)

Now, to bed. Jesus, what a weekend — but head on over to Doug’s place to see who else participated this round.

Quince Ratafia (work in progress)

• 2 – 3 fresh ripe quince
• cognac
• cinnamon stick and/or cloves and/or blades of star anise (optional x 3)

Thinly slice or grate the quince and place in a sterilized jar. Cover with cognac and add spices. Let macerate a minimum of six weeks (preferably longer), then strain out solids. Sweeten to taste — it’s supposed to be liqueur-like, so be generous if you’re planning on using this as a cordial. The flavors should marry and mature over time.

Tags: General by Paul
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