For most of the five-plus years that I’ve been writing the Cocktail Chronicles, it’s been my pleasure to be joined in the boozy blogosphere by my good friend Jeffrey Morgenthaler.

On July 22, Jeff and I will shift our online cocktail musings into real life during a Spirited Dinner for Tales of the Cocktail, to be held at Jackson in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood, where we will be joined by our co-host, former Raines Law Room head bartender Jeremy James Thompson and Jackson chef John Hammond.

The full menu and details are below, but let me sum it up: a five-course meal at one of New Orleans’ best restaurants, along with six (six!) cocktails, all for $90 per person – plus, those drinks were developed and selected by Jeff, Jeremy and myself, and we’ll be on hand for your dinner-conversation pleasure. In today’s era of $15 cocktails and $30 entrees, a $90 cocktail-pairing dinner isn’t only reasonable – it’s a downright bargain.

Anyway, there are still seats available; please join us. Here’s the number for reservations: 504-522-5766.

And before we get to the menu, here’s one more pitch: a few months ago, the good folks at Imbibe Unfiltered ran “Five Things You Never Knew about Jeffrey Morgenthaler.” That’s a pretty good list; here are five more things about Jeff that, while maybe not unknown, at least bear restating:

1. Jeffrey Morgenthaler isn’t known as “the Jamie Boudreau of Portland” for nothing: y’see, Jeff’s not just a famous blogger – he’s also a phenomenal mixologist. If you join us for dinner at Jackson, you’ll see him mixologize the hell out of a bunch of drinks, and some of them even have names.
2. Not only is Jeff’s favorite movie The Sound of Music, but he can really rock the lederhosen.
3. While he lives the lifestyle of a globetrotting young man, next year Jeff turns 40. Forty! I know!
4. Jeff was inspired to start barrel-aging cocktails by London barman Tony Conigliaro, but the real reason he decided to bring barrels into the bar is so he can get away with repeatedly dropping references to his “wood” when talking to guests.
5. Yes, his hair is real. For now, anyway.

Thursday, July 22 – 8:00 pm
Spirited Dinner at Jackson, 1910 Magazine Street, New Orleans
Chef John Hammond; drinks by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Jeremy James Thompson and Paul Clarke
$90 per person; reservations 504-522-5766

Aperitif

Alexei’s Pleasure Club (Thompson) – Dubonnet, Russian Standard vodka, Herbsaint, Scrappy’s Cardamom bitters

First Course

Endive with Roquefort bleu cheese & lavender honey

Paired with Yellowjacket (Morgenthaler) – Appleton Extra rum, lavender-honey syrup, fresh lime, housemade orange bitters, soda

Second Course

Watermelon Gazpacho

Paired with Tio Dobles (Clarke) – Don Julio blanco tequila, fresh grapefruit & lime, Luxardo maraschino and Hawaiian sea salt

Third Course

Locally caught Grouper encrusted with macadamia nuts, topped with a fresh mango-pineapple salsa

Paired with Third Course Cocktail (Morgenthaler) – Leblon cachaça, fresh lime, pineapple gomme, egg white, Luxardo amaretto, apricot preserves

Fourth Course

Ostrich medallion with fig & red wine reduction

Paired with Red Heering (Thompson) – Averna, Aperol, Cherry Heering, fresh orange

Fifth Course

Pavlova topped with sliced kiwis, strawberries & fresh whipped cream

Paired with Demerara Fizz (Clarke) – El Dorado 12-Year-Old rum, fresh lemon, simple syrup, egg white, soda, Peychaud’s bitters

Tags: Events by Paul
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I love it when someone lectures me about vermouth.

It’s happened a couple of times recently; a few weeks ago, when a guy sitting at the bar at Zig Zag decided it was his duty as a cocktail geek to put this random stranger sitting next to him (me) on the path to good drinking by relating that so many people — myself included — are ignorant of how to properly store vermouth and too lazy to figure out the differences between the different styles; and more recently, in the comments on last week’s martini post over at Serious Eats.

When I say I love being lectured about this, I’m not being facetious (well, not entirely). While I’ve written about vermouth and aperitif wines a few times over the years, and prepared a presentation on vermouth for last year’s Tales of the Cocktail, I appreciate it when someone offers up stray bits of knowledge about a class of drinks that, just a few years ago, nobody really gave a shit about.

Well, random lecturing strangers, let’s make one thing absolutely clear: I give a shit about vermouth and aperitif wines — partially because they’re delicious, partially because they’re an absolutely essential component in the cocktail world, but mainly because, when you come right down to it, aperitif wines are just so fucking cool — and, whether you’re a drink geek zapping out cocktails at home, or a bartender who likes to actually know the ingredients you’re working with and how best to serve them, a basic understanding of vermouth and aperitif wine is as important as knowing the differences between bourbon and rye whiskey or which drinks should be shaken and which should be stirred.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece for the San Francisco Chronicle about the class of aperitif wines known as quinquinas and chinati, which includes familiar brands such as Dubonnet and Lillet along with newer arrivals in the U.S. such as Bonal Gentiane-Quina and Cocchi Aperitivo Americano. To dig even deeper into the whole class of aperitif wines, liqueurs and cocktails, on July 24 I’ll be joined by Neyah the Great for our session, Art of the Aperitif, at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

Chances are, if you’re reading this blog (I’m assuming I still have readers after my recent shoddy blogging habits), you’re already familiar with the way a classic aperitif cocktail such as a Negroni can fire up the palate in preparation for a meal. But the world of aperitifs is wide, and especially today, with more aperitif wines and liqueurs coming onto the market, the time is ripe for really digging into the category. We’ll discuss some of the background of these different products, along with some classic ways of preparing and consuming them, but we also don’t want to get stuck in the mud of history — aperitifs are a living category of drinks, and they provide an exciting selection of flavors and character to introduce into new drinks, all designed to ramp up the appetite of your guests. We’ll be touching on some of the physical ways these types of drinks provoke the palate, and the way a good aperitif actually makes food taste better. And since these drinks are lower in alcohol, and are consumed at the start of a meal, good aperitifs can play a role in helping the business side of a bar or restaurant.

Anyway, those are a few things we’re planning on touching on during our session, along with pouring a couple of cocktails and tasting samples of aperitif wines including Noilly Prat Ambre vermouth and the new (to the U.S.) Martini Rosato vermouth. If you’re planning to find yourself in New Orleans next month, come check us out.

Art of the Aperitif: Exploring pre-prandial spirits, wines and cocktails
Saturday, July 24, 2010, 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Grand Ballroom South, The Royal Sonesta Hotel
300 Bourbon St., New Orleans
$40 (advance), $45 (door) – tickets may be purchased here

Tags: Events, Vermouth by Paul
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It’s come up from time to time that I have a taste for absinthe. If you’re in Seattle this Sunday, March 7, you can join me for a glass or three at an Absinthe Soiree at the Sorrento Hotel, starting at 7pm.

We’ll be in the Fireside Room, and I’ll be in the company of fine folks such as Robert Hess (now, without facial hair!) from Small Screen Network, Gwydion Stone from Marteau and the Wormwood Society, and Marc Bernhard from Pacific Distillery. In addition to the absinthe tasting there’ll be French cabaret music, an absinthe-cocktail cash bar, some food to keep you steady while you have another taste of absinthe, and a bunch of folks who are similarly more interested in the green fairy than the Oscars’ red carpet. Tickets are only $20, and you can buy them here.

Hope to see you there.

Tags: Absinthe, Events by Paul
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Part of recalling that I have a blog is remembering all the stuff I forgot to post over the past few months. Well, I’ll probably forget to post about some (hopefully not all) of these events in the weeks to come, but I’ll get at least a brief mention out of the way at the beginning of the month: here are a few events taking place in December.

• Most notable for readers of this blog, Mixology Monday is scheduled to take place on Monday, December 14. I know, we missed November — this is due to a mix of technical problems, miscommunication and suddenly realizing the month was almost over — but now it seems like we’re ready to go for December’s event. This round of MxMo will be hosted by Kevin Langmack at Beers in the Shower, and Kevin has chosen as his theme “Money Drinks”, which means — well, I’ll let Kevin explain it in his announcement post, but suffice it to say this should be an appropriate theme for the holidays.
• If it’s December that also means it’s time for Repeal Day. For those not in the loop, here’s a little background: way back when, a bunch of people (usually distinguished by their pinched expressions and dreary personalities) decided that matters of personal liberty be damned, nobody in the U.S. of A. should be allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. Somehow, inexplicably, this became the law of the land in 1919, and for the next 13 years people absolutely drank like fish. By 1933, however, it was clear that the whole ordeal was a stooooopid idea, and on December 5 of that year, Utah — yes, Utah — ratified the 21st amendment, giving the repeal effort a 3/4s majority and sending Prohibition the way of the passenger pigeon. Now, on December 5, we remember the end of that long unpleasantness by, of course, hoisting a few. Those of you in the DC area should check out the 2nd Annual Repeal Day Ball, hosted by the DC Craft Bartenders Guild, while locals here around Seattle should head down to the Repeal Day party at Vessel and make sure Keith gets no peace at all.
• If you do celebrate Repeal Day at Vessel or any other fine Seattle establishment, be sure to leave some space in your liver for Drinking Lessons at the Sorrento Hotel, on December 7, when the guest bartenders are Zane Harris and Anu Apte from Rob Roy. I finally got around to attending a recent Drinking Lesson with Alex Day from Death & Co. and Toby Cecchini of the now defunct Passerby (more on this later), and if Zane & Anu put on an event anything near the caliber of what these guys did, it’ll be a lesson for the ages.
• How is this next one connected? Not entirely sure , but as a PSA for readers who like a smoke with their scotch, I’ll mention that Partiga Cigar is holding several “Benji Menendez Socials” in cities around the country to introduce the Benji Menendez Partagas Master Series Majestuoso. I’ll admit I’m mostly a cigar neophyte, but somewhat curious, so when the event organizers asked if I’d offer passwords to my blog’s readers who might be interested in attending one of the socials, I thought, “What the hell, why not.” (And the disclaimer: I’m being paid bupkus for mentioning this event, and considering that I haven’t consumed a tobacco product in close to ten years, the sample stogie that may or may not be on its way has little power to sway my judgement. The organizers just caught me at an uncharacteristically generous moment.) Anyway, the socials are in LA on December 1; Las Vegas on December 3; Chicago on December 8; and NYC on December 15. If you’re interested drop me a line (let me know which event you’re hoping to attend) and I’ll give you the password.

And probably a whole bunch of other stuff that I’m missing along the way. Anyway, keep an eye out for the MxMo post, head to Vessel (or DC) on the 5th, the Sorrento on the 7th, and around the country all month, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

Tags: Events by Paul
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‘Twas the night before — okay, it was the night before Tuesday, and still a respectable way before Thanksgiving nevermind Christmas (and come to think of it, not much in that house was quiet at all),  but all mangled holiday story preambles aside, on Monday, November 16, the Washington State Bartender’s Guild organized a Yuletide-themed party that put everyone in Seattle in a holiday mood (at least, those 60 or so who braved the rain and wind and had invites to the event).

As I mentioned in a pre-event announcement a while back, this Evening of Holiday Drinks, hosted at Barrio, on Capitol Hill, was the WSBG’s kickoff for the holiday season. Why hold such an event in mid-November? Quite simply, because there are a god-awful number of horrendous holiday drinks out there (a Horny Ho Ho Mojito, anyone?), and it’s time to push a few good ones into the spotlight they deserve.

The event was sponsored by Maker’s Mark, Cruzan, Laird & Co. and Martin Miller’s Gin, and over the course of the evening guests were served samples of six punches and cocktails — some classic, some contemporary — that shared one common element: they did not suck.

Almost all of the drinks served that evening have appeared on this blog before; one notable exception is the Palin’s Christmas Punch; the recipe for this is listed below.

Here are the drinks we served at the event:

• Tom & Jerry – a classic winter warmer, prepared at this event with Maker’s Mark and Cruzan Estate Single Barrel rum.
• Northern Spy – a contemporary Laird’s Apple Brandy-based cocktail created by Josey Packard, now at Drink in Boston, that’s excellent in the late autumn / early winter.
• Palin’s Christmas Punch – created by Milk & Honey bartender Sam Ross, this punch won last year’s Martin Miller’s Masters competition, and with good reason. Ignore or embrace the inspiration behind the name, depending on your personal politics, but do not ignore this drink — it was the clear favorite at the WSBG event, and one of the few (only?) holiday drinks that uses gin as a base.
• Reveillon Cocktail – from my good friend Chuck Taggart, this apple brandy-based drink has become a holiday standard at my house, and hopefully many more after its appearance at the WSBG event.
• Christmas Rum Punch – Rum! Fire! What’s not to like? Simple yet flashy, and tasty to boot.
• Goodnight, Irene – Strictly speaking not a holiday drink, but between the bourbon & Branca Menta this original cocktail from Audrey Saunders tastes like Christmas to me.

Thanks to all who came out for the event, and for those who wish to play along at home, here’s the recipe for Palin’s Christmas Punch:

Palin’s Christmas Punch

• 12 ounces Martin Miller’s Westbourne-Strength gin
• 12 ounces lemon juice
• 10 ounce demerara date syrup*
• 14 ounces Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur
• 1/2 ounce Regan’s Orange Bitters #6
• 1 1/2 ounces absinthe
• 1 750-ml bottle dry champagne

Muddle the peel of two lemons in a pitcher with around one ounce of superfine sugar in a large pitcher until the mixture is an aromatic paste. Add everything except the champagne and stir briefly with ice; strain into a punch bowl filled with lemon ice** and add chilled champagne. Stir, serve in punch cups, garnish with absinthe-drizzled dates***.

* Demerara date syrup: Make a syrup by combining 2 cups of demerara sugar with one cup water in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking until completely dissolved. Let cool, then add to a container with a cheesecloth bag filled with 1 cup of crushed dates; let sit for three days. Strain to remove sediment before use.

** Lemon ice: Using small molds (I used a muffin tin), place a thin slice of lemon in each compartment and fill with water. Freeze overnight before using.

*** Absinthe-drizzled dates: Spear a date on a cocktail pick (ideally a twig of pine or Douglas fir) and drizzle with several drops of absinthe.

Tags: Drinks, Events, Gin by Paul
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