Two years ago, I attended Tales of the Cocktail and was delighted to sit in on a session that, due to its subject matter–absinthe–carried a touch of danger and intrigue.

Last year, I attended Tales of the Cocktail and, in addition to a reprise of the absinthe session, I was served a drink or two made with Lucid, at that time the only legal absinthe on the market. I also attended an absinthe dinner at a restaurant where we were seated in a private dining room, shielded from the view of other diners partially because we had our own setup of fountain and absinthes, all of which were still on the prohibited list.

This year, absinthe is everywhere; the flood I’d anticipated last fall while writing a feature on the spirit for Imbibe (it’s here, as a PDF) has come even larger than I’d expected. In the months to come we’ll see some of the most spectacular absinthes I’ve ever tried come onto the US market, along with, it should be said, massive amounts of crap.

To help you wade through this steaming pile to find the pony on the other side, on Friday, July 18, I’ll be co-moderating a session at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail titled “Cocktails with a Kick: Absinthe Returns to America.” Joining me as co-moderator will be my good friend Gwydion Stone, founder of the Wormwood Society and producer of Marteau; and the uber-talented Jim Meehan, bar manager at PDT in New York.

With Gwydion picking up the story of absinthe and Jim talking about the ways he and his colleagues are mixing it today, I’ve got a big job ahead of me. Fortunately, I love absinthe, and I love absinthe cocktails, so it’s been a pleasure to dig into the vintage bar books in my collection to find the most interesting and most unusual cocktails in creation. It’s also been fascinating for me to dig through old books and news archives to find references to absinthe, both the ways bartenders were serving it, and the ways it was portrayed in stories and tracts.

I won’t go into detail here — that’s what the presentation is for, after all — but if you’re in New Orleans for Tales, be sure to join us at the Hotel Monteleone on Friday, July 18, at 12:30pm for “Cocktails With a Kick”. Plus, we’re serving lots of good booze, so that should be extra encouragement; you can buy tickets here, and I hope to see you there.

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Tags: Absinthe, Events // 6 Comments »

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 »