For a once-obscure drink, the Last Word sure gets around. I first posted about it way back in ought-six, and since then a good chunk of the boozy blogosphere has also hailed this excellent drink. The Last Word has its own thread at eGullet, Gary Regan wrote about it in the San Francisco Chronicle, Robert Hess mixed one on video, and that paper of record, the New York Times, ran the recipe in December (while giving credit to yours truly).

Over at the Seattle Times, however, reporter Tan Vinh started sniffing around and discovered that not only was the Last Word’s resurrection the work of Zig Zag bartender Murray Stenson, but he found people around town (namely, me and Robert) who would claim that the Last Word is currently Seattle’s most significant drink contribution to the cocktail renaissance. He then went to Zig Zag, made Murray mix up a bunch for him and his photographer while they took some still shots and video, and stuck it in today’s paper.

You can, and should, read Tan’s story here: The Last Word, a cocktail reborn in Seattle, is on everyone’s lips — but also check out the video of Murray (which I’ve helpfully pasted above) as he usurps “my” recipe and mixes up a couple of Last Words.

(And should you be thirsty for one now, here’s the recipe again so you don’t have to click all over the place:

Last Word

• 3/4 once gin
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
• 3/4 ounce green chartreuse

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well for 10 seconds and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Ta-da!

Next: the Last Word backlash begins….

Tags: Drinks, Gin by Paul
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Where to begin?

No, really – where to begin? That’s the whole point behind this month’s Mixology Monday, hosted by Pink Lady and her bevy of shaker-wielding cohorts at LUPEC-Boston, who have chosen as the theme The First Time. OK, stop sniggering and/or blushing, and for god’s sake don’t start pounding out the damn Foreigner song — oops, too late; the focus this round is on drinks you’d introduce to a cocktail neophyte (one whom you’d like to turn into a cocktail regular).

There are a number of drinks in the playbook that I think are great introductions to the world of cocktails. Some, such as the daiquiri, have been mentioned by other bloggers already this round (thanks a hell of a lot for snagging my original plan, Stevi), whereas others have been on this blog for ages: I think the Southside is a great introduction to gin (especially if you splash a little champagne on top, a la a French 75, which is also a good choice), and I have yet to introduce anyone to an Old Cuban who hasn’t come away craving another one.

While it’s tempting to aim for something extremely basic, I think that would ultimately miss the point of this exercise: to not only introduce someone to a cocktail that is inoffensive and easy to swallow, but to introduce them to the whole concept of a well-made drink and help them understand why freaks like us spend so much time reading, writing and mixing these things (not to mention drinking them). For this, I think you need to give them a glimpse of the delicate complexity inherent in a well-made cocktail without steamrollering them under a wave of Campari, Chartreuse or rye whiskey — ingredients that are indispensable to any drink geek’s liquor cabinet, but that can take a little getting used to.

In addition to the drinks listed above, here’s another that I’ve seen turn curious drinkers into dedicated fans, and that has several major points in its favor: the Corpse Reviver #2.

I am admittedly one of the last cocktail bloggers to write about this drink (here, anyway – and yes, I’m recycling my photo), but I’ve been a fan of it ever since it first passed my lips five or so years ago. In addition to the uniformly positive reaction I’ve seen this drink get from those who’ve been served it in bars, or from those to whom I’ve introduced it, here are a few other reasons why I think the old CR#2 is a good choice for a gateway drink:

* THE NAME – sure, it’s old hat to cocktail fiends, but pretty much everyone does a double-take upon hearing the name for the first time; it sounds kinda cool, and it’s near-impossible to forget. Add to the name the interesting (yet short and approachable) backstory that manages to not only tell something about the drink but about the early days of cocktail culture, and you’ve got a nice, concise package of mixological history to send home with your cocktail novice.

* THE RECIPE – it’s equal parts of four ingredients, plus a single drop of another. In other words, it’s almost as easy to remember as the name (though Lillet may take a little explanation), which means your cocktail novice can repeat it back to other bartenders (those who haven’t already been introduced to it, that is), or can try to replicate the drink at home. Plus, in terms of construction, it’s just measure, shake & strain. Then smile.

* oh yeah, THE FLAVOR – the CR#2 is simultaneously straightforward and complex. Yes, it has gin, but as long as you don’t pummel your initiate with an aggressive gin or something cheap and harsh, it’s doubtful even ginophobes will have much of a problem with it. Then, the classic interplay between fresh citrus and Cointreau, and finally the Lillet – slightly orangey, mildly sweet (and yes, without the bitter bite of the original Kina Lillet or of preferred but totally unavailable alternatives, but you might want to hold off until a future cocktail session before totally geeking out on the poor newbie). Finally, the absinthe — granted, this is the ingredient that’s most likely to cause your novice to rebel, but I like to follow Ted Haigh’s suggestion of using a single drop (okay, maybe two) — it’s enough to season the drink and give it depth and complexity, but not enough to introduce an assertive anise (or any other) characteristic to the finished cocktail. Overall it’s a good balance of sweet and sour, with enough complexity to make it interesting but not so much to overwhelm the first-timer’s palate.

After an initial torrid affair with the CR#2 a few years back, right around the time Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails first came out, I’ve moved on to other things, only coming back to this drink on occasion. That’s too bad — it really is a nice little number, worth breaking out from time to time, especially if you’ve got a cocktail-curious friend coming over and you want to give them a quick and agreeable introduction to your world. Considering that Doc’s book is being revamped and republished this summer, it’s high time to start sampling them again.

Corpse Reviver No. 2

• 1 ounce gin
• 1 ounce Lillet
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• 1-2 drops absinthe

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well for 10 seconds, strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry, should the mood hit.

So there, I finally blogged about the Corpse Reviver No. 2 – about damn time. Head on over to LUPEC-Boston in the next day or two to see what others have been up to this round of Mixology Monday.

Tags: Drinks, Gin, Mixology Monday by Paul
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UPDATED 3/7/09 – RESERVATION DEADLINE EXTENDED & TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE! (scroll down for info)

Once upon a time, there was a group called the Wormwood Society. With members scattered around the world but with a surprisingly large contingent in the Pacific Northwest, the group bantered online about the then-banned (in the U.S., anyway) spirit known as absinthe, wondering if it would ever again be legally available close to home. And from time to time — usually in Seattle, on Saturday nights following a great amount of housecleaning and the purchasing of bags of ice, party snacks and extra glasses — members of the group would assemble to sample many, many absinthes while plowing through the snacks and discussing, at length, why absinthe was so damn expensive when you had to order it from Europe and have it delivered by flying monkeys, and how much better it would be for everyone all around if you could just pick up a bottle at the goddamn liquor store. And a good time was had by all.

Oh, but that was years ago, and the last Green Hour — one memorable not only for its astounding length (I bailed after around 7 hours, but the party went on for at least 6 more), but for the fact that it took place right about the time that the first legal absinthe hit U.S. store shelves — was on Memorial Day weekend in 2007. Was that the end? Once the stuff could be found in any well-stocked liquor store, was there the need for another Green Hour?

Hell yes. And now, it’s here: this coming Thursday (no, not tonight), March 12, at 7pm, the Green Hour returns.

Taking place at Kathy Casey Food Studios in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, Green Hour XV will feature an open bar with absinthes including Marteau Belle Époque, Vieux Carre, St. George, and Pacifique (and probably more), plus absinthe cocktails both familiar and obscure, which will be mixed by myself and some guy who goes by the nom-de-booze Drinkboy. (Plus, there’ll be canapes, hors d’oeuvres, and a bunch of really nice people to talk to.)

Tickets are $35 per person, and — very important — need to be purchased by this Saturday, March 7 (UPDATED 3/7- DEADLINE EXTENDED!). There are about a dozen spots left, as of this morning, so grab ‘em before they’re gone.

Buy your tickets here, and hope to see you there!

Tags: Events by Paul
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We’re a little less than a week away from the next Mixology Monday (I know, it seems like it came up really fast — we’re moving a little earlier in the month with this one, no reason to panic). This round takes place Monday, March 9, is hosted by the ladies of LUPEC-Boston, and the topic is The First Time.* Need more information? I’ll let hostess Pink Lady explain:

This event was inspired by a chance encounter I had with an almost-famous Christian rock musician who, at age 32, had never had a cocktail. “I’d like to try one sometime,” he said, “What do you think I should have?”

It’s an excellent question, and one I though best vetted by wide audience of experts: What drink do you suggest for the delicate palate of the cocktail neophyte? Something boozy and balanced, sure – but one wrong suggestion could relegate the newbie to a beer-drinker’s life. To which go-to cocktails do you turn to when faced with the challenge?

C’mon, folks, we’ve all been there — you’re all into cool cocktails and you find someone who isn’t, but is curious. Now what? How do you show them what you’re all excited about without overreaching with the Campari or the Fernet Branca and freakin’ them out all the way back to Fresca? Here’s your chance to ease a newbie into the game–

Head over to Pink Lady’s announcement post for details on how to participate, and get your drink up by midnight (or thereabouts) on March 9.

* Maybe it’s my ’80s upbringing, but I can’t write that phrase without getting that damn Foreigner song stuck in my head.

Tags: General by Paul
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The latest issue of Imbibe is out, and this one features an article I wrote on a topic that has held my interest for a while: home distilling, aka “modern moonshine”.

I’ve sampled a number of what are delicately referred to as artisan-crafted spirits in recent years, but it wasn’t until last summer at Tales of the Cocktail that I had a chance to see the level of interest that had developed around home distilling. In one of the large conference rooms at the Hotel Monteleone — rendered especially fragrant by the funky heads and tails of a still run that had been brought in earlier for demonstration purposes — Matt Rowley, Mike McCaw and Ian Smiley covered the topic of homemade spirits (or as much as they could of the topic in the 90-minute slot) in front of a fairly packed crowd. (Mike Dietsch provided a very extensive preview of the session over at Tales Blog; his posts are here, here and here.)

I left the room hoping to write an article on the topic and now, finally, it’s in print. I had the great pleasure of interviewing Rowley and McCaw for the story, along with several home distillers whose identities are probably best kept secret for now. I also look at the arena of so-called “legal moonshine”, since several brands describing themselves as such, or deriving from the moonshine tradition, appear in liquor stores across the country. I found little that was noteworthy about most of these brands, although several white-dog whiskies that are arguably in the moonshine tradition are pretty exceptional: my favorites were the Old Gristmill Authentic American Corn Whiskey from Tuthilltown Spirits, and an unaged wheat whiskey being produced by Death’s Door Spirits.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t room in the article to cover some of the useful resources that are out there for aspiring home distillers; I’m pasting below the sidebar that was to be included in the story (updated for use online), but didn’t make it into print.

Be sure to check out the March/April issue of Imbibe, or better yet — subscribe.

There are a number of valuable resources to help today’s hobbyist distillers get started. Keep in mind that in the United States and Canada, distilling without the proper permits is illegal and the penalties can be severe; furthermore, failure to take adequate safety precautions can result in fire or explosion, and poorly produced spirits can be toxic. Hobbyist distillers are highly encouraged to do their homework on the legal and technical aspects before getting started.

Matthew Rowley’s book, Moonshine!, provides not only valuable history on home distilling, but also contains useful instructions and recipes. The Compleat Distiller, by the Amphora Society’s Mike Nixon and Mike McCaw, covers the essential details regarding distilling of all types, and is an invaluable resource for distillers of all levels of experience; copies may be purchased at amphora-society.com.

Experienced distillers have a valuable online resource in the Yahoo Distillers Group, and beginners have the similarly useful Yahoo New Distillers Group. A New Zealand-based hobbyist runs the extensive online resource Homedistiller.org, which features information on techniques and equipment along with a home distiller wiki and online forum. Books, technical papers, articles and other resources on home distilling are available at The Alcohol Library: distillers.tastylime.net/library/.

Tags: General by Paul
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