I’ve mentioned it before, and probably will again one more time in the next week, but this little site over at Blogging Tales of the Cocktail has tons of useful info for anyone attending Tales of the Cocktail, or anyone wishing they had.

Now, with a new post that just went up, the site has something that’s going to be absolutely essential to any Tales-goer: Chuck Taggart’s guide to eating in New Orleans. If you’re at all familiar with the Gumbo Pages, you’ll know Chuck’s is a voice to sit up and pay attention to when the topic turns culinary, and if you’re not familiar, you better get over to the Gumbo Pages right away.

Making it even more useful, Chuck mostly steers clear of the fancy dinner joints (with a couple of very notable exceptions), and instead emphasizes the po’boy and jumbalaya places worth visiting within walking distance of the Monteleone (or, if you’ve got a bit more time and a hankering for incredible grub, a short cab ride), whether it’s for lunch, a less formal dinner or, in some cases, to satisfy that late night gumbo craving.

I have yet to enter the Blackberry / iPhone / whatever age, so I’m printing this one off before I hit town. If the Tales Blog isn’t in your RSS reader yet, hit it now — and get ready for a whole lot of action once Tales kicks off next week.

Tags: Events // 1 Comment »

Next week is Tales of the Cocktail, and I’m completely swamped with final preparations. I spent most of today filtering spent strawberries out of Partida reposado for the Tequila por Mi Amante I’ll be serving at the “Making Your Own Cocktail Ingredients” session, along with finishing up a large batch of falernum and decanting nearly a gallon of Jamie’s Amer Picon replica that are also for the session.

But I’m doing several other events at Tales, and one well-worth mentioning is the Spirited Dinner at Palace Cafe on Thursday, July 17. I had a great time last year at the Delachaise, and I’m looking forward to this year’s dinner as well. The menu was designed by Chef Ben Thibodeaux, and the drinks for the evening’s event were crafted by bartender extraordinaire Jim Meehan, from PDT in New York.

The idea was that chef would come up with the dishes, and the “bar chefs” for the evening (I still squirm at that title, especially when it’s anywhere near my name) would craft complementing drinks. Soon after receiving the menu, though, I was still sharpening my pencil and wondering how the hell I was going to approach this when BLAMMO! Here comes Jim’s cocktail list, smoking over the e-mail and showing a level of craftsmanship and detail that made me cower under my desk.

I’m pretty damn excited to be working alongside these two talented gentlemen (and by “working” I mean I’ll be running my mouth while everyone at the dinner is swooning over the meal and the drinks), and if you’re a reader of this site and you’ll be in New Orleans, I really hope you’ll join us. The menu is below (or if you’re the PDF type, here y’go); tickets can be purchased here, but do it soon–these things do fill up.

Greeting cocktail
Canton Collins (Barsol Quebranta Pisco, Canton Ginger Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Club Soda)

Passed Hors d’oeuvre
Grilled Lobster in a Cilantro and Lime Crema on congree cakes

paired with Silver Cilantro Gin Fizz (Plymouth Gin, Lemon Juice, Cilantro Syrup, Organic Egg White, Club Soda, Green Chartreuse)

First Course
Sweet Potato and Blue Crab Sopa with chili-buttered black grouper baked in a banana leaf

paired with Cafe Colada (10 Cane Rum, Lime Juice, Coconut Sorbet)

Second Course
Vanilla and Black Pepper Crusted Lacquered Duck Salad with a housemade sweet corn and foie gras tamale, bitter greens and romesco

paired with Brennan’s Buck (Bushmills Irish Whiskey, Navan Vanilla Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Aromatic Bitters and Fever Tree Ginger Ale)

Third Course
Cumin-Crusted Wild Boar with caramelized plantain relleno, chicharrones and chimichurri

paired with Three Leaf Julep (Cuervo Traditional Tequila, Agave Nectar, Parsley, Cilantro and Mint)

Dessert
Nanny’s Persimmon Cake with spiced honey, toasted pecans and chèvre ice cream

paired with Dickie’s Derby (Toasted Pecan Infused Bulleit Bourbon, Clover Honey, Grapefruit Juice)

$75
Chef de Cuisine Ben Thibodeaux
Bar Chefs Paul Clarke and James Meehan

Tags: Events // 1 Comment »

If you’ve been around here much, you’ve probably figured out that I have a thing for vintage cocktail books (though I don’t have a thing for updating my bookcase list–that thing’s way out of date). I’m fortunate that I got into this whole cocktail thing somewhat early, because some of the volumes I prize most — a David Embury, The Gentleman’s Companion books, and a handful of others — were picked up while they were still available at quite reasonable prices.

Now, though, forget it — copies of rare books such as Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Guide are regularly spiking into the low four figures on eBay, and some of the most sought-after books — I’ve been on the lookout for Harry MacElhone’s Barflies and Cocktails for years — I’ve never seen for sale.

As I wrote in “Vintage Bar Books, Hot Off the Press” in today’s San Francisco Chronicle, Greg Boehm at Mud Puddle Books is coming to the rescue. Boehm’s a collector himself, and has way more vintage volumes than I’m ever likely to have. Boehm decided to take pity on those of use who’ve wagered our mortgage check on a rare book on eBay only to have mashrooby swoop in and snag it, and scanned several titles out of his collection, produced high-quality replicas, and made them available to everyone.

The first five books come out next week: The Modern Bartender’s Guide from O.H. Byron; The Mixicologist by C.F. Lawlor; Recipes of American and Other Iced Drinks by Charlie Paul; Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Guide; and, at long last, Barflies and Cocktails. A reformatted version of David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks and a replica of Jerry Thomas’ original 1862 book will be out in October.

While there’s a lot to be said for owning original copies, good-quality replicas can provide all the information you’re seeking from these books, along with the look and feel that make the old guides all the more fascinating. I received review copies while working on the Chronicle story, and I have to say they have a really accurate presentation — the size, binding and colors are all right, without the fragility and wear you find in the old guides. These replicas even include the advertisements found in the originals, which are a good way to get a glimpse of the particular time and place as they were when the books were first published.

So check out my Chronicle piece for more info. If you’ve been looking for these books, they’re only available online for now, though they may also be at Tales of the Cocktail; you can find them at Amazon, or for a lower price at Cocktail Kingdom.

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Tales of the Cocktail is now just a few weeks away, and Jesus, am I busy. I want to point out a few things that I’ll be doing in New Orleans — such as posting updates with more than 30 of my fellow booze-bloggers at Blogging Tales of the Cocktail (coincidentally, where this is cross-posted) — and I’ll start with an event I’m moderating: Making Your Own Cocktail Ingredients.

After I suggested this topic to Tales organizers, I started looking around and realizing that the sheer breadth of the types of home- and bar-made ingredients currently in use — along with those being created by bar professionals and home enthusiasts every week — would dwarf anything this panel would be able to cover in 90 minutes. Rather than aim for comprehensive coverage of the types of bespoke ingredients that are now in use, this session is designed to get the creative juices flowing for amateurs and professionals alike.

Since I can be a complete doofus in person and especially in a public presentation, I invited three remarkably talented panelists to help flesh out the session. Erik Ellestad and I will cover the home enthusiast’s end, with examples ranging from simple but tasty infusions — that’s a boatload of Tequila por Mi Amante in the photo, soaking away in preparation to being poured for whoever shows up — to compound syrups (falernum! orgeat!) and house-made liqueurs such as Swedish punch; we’ll then kick it over to the pros: John Deragon from PDT in New York and Jamie Boudreau from … uh, his apartment in Seattle, I guess … who will cover house bitters, fat-washing and more complex ingredients such as Jamie’s vintage Amer Picon replica.

We’ll be mixing a few cocktails and pouring a few samples, and unless you’ve given a few of our recipes a spin, you’re likely to encounter a whole bunch of flavors you’ve never come across before. Our sponsors for the event are Death’s Door Gin and Partida Tequila — special thanks to Jacques B. for helping me score a shipment of reposado with which to lay some TpMA on the crowd — and, assuming I ever finish my presentation, it should be a great event. If you’re in town, be sure to grab a ticket and come see what we’re pouring.

Making Your Own Cocktail Ingredients takes place Saturday, July 19 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at the Hotel Monteleone; tickets may be purchased here.

Tags: Events // 6 Comments »

[This notice is cross-posted at the Mixology Monday blog. What MxMo blog, you ask? Well click on through and see — I’m not running nearly as late with this as I thought I’d be.]

We’ve recently marked the second anniversary of Mixology Monday, and this month’s event had almost 40 participants, possibly the most ever. It’s time to bring it up one more level.

For July, Mixology Monday will take place on Monday, July 21, and this round will feature New Orleans. There are two ways to participate:

1. Mix up a cocktail that either originated in or is inspired by New Orleans, and post about it by Monday, July 21. By “originated,” I mean classics such as the Sazerac or the Milk Punch, as well as more recent creations such as the Obituary Cocktail or the Hurricane; really, there are tons of them out there, and with a little web research (my site has its own fair share of them) you’ll come up with a number of choices. And by “inspired,” I mean don’t be limited by what’s already out there; follow the New Orleans style and knock some Peychaud’s bitters or Herbsaint into the glass for a little NO touch. Hell, even tiki drinks qualify — Don the Beachcomber was created by Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, who hailed from…that’s right.
2. Or, get your booze-bloggin’ butt down to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail from July 16 to 20, and post one of your favorites out of the flood of drinks you’ll encounter. (And it doesn’t have to be a typical New Orleans cocktail; the fact that you’re drinking it while in town is good enough.)

Top get option #2 started, on Wednesday, July 16, there’s a reception for cocktail bloggers at the Hotel Monteleone from 4:30 to 6:00. This thing is all ours, folks, and it’s even being billed (somewhere down in the fine print) as “Mixology Monday Live.” This reception comes just as the event is kicking off, and we’ll have food and cocktails for every blogger who can make it.

Right now there are more than 30 cocktail bloggers who are coming to New Orleans and participating in Blogging Tales of the Cocktail, and — with a little help from the gods of airline transport — we’ll finally have the opportunity to say “I thought you’d be taller / thinner / drunker” to all these folks we’ve only known online for so long. We’ve got bloggers coming from as far away as New Zealand and the UK for this; if you’re still on the fence about it, better jump in now. (And if you’re a cocktail blogger coming to Tales and you aren’t on the Tales Blog contributors list but want to get in on the game, let me know and we’ll get you lined up. )

Even if you can’t make it to New Orleans to be with the rest of us, you can join in the fun with Mixology Monday. I’ll host this round; to participate, just have your post up on or before July 21, and pop a note in the comments section to this post. And if there’s any way you can make it, we’d love to have you join us at Tales of the Cocktail. Hope to see you there.

Tags: Mixology Monday // 14 Comments »