Let’s face it, mid-winter is almost upon us and there is not a ground hog is sight. It is getting downright tundra cold out there and Mother Nature is sure to unleash a deep freeze. Some say one should think of a warm place like a tropical island when winter’s freeze is cutting through your bones. Others hope a St. Bernard will come dashing around the bend with a neck barrel full of warming brandy. Well I like to imagine a warm place that combines the heat and brandy; I mentally revisit my annual mid-summer pilgrimage to sizzling hot New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail where I order a Vieux Carré cocktail upon arrival at the Carousel Bar.

Le Vieux Carré (pronounced view-kar-ray) is the French term for “Old Square” and is another name for the Crescent City’s iconic French Quarter. Walter Bergeron, the head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone’s bar, created the drink in 1938 as homage to New Orleans’ most celebrated district. The Monteleone’s hotel bar would later become the Carousel Bar with its famous rotating bar. The Monteleone, one of the French Quarter’s grand hotels, is also fittingly Tales of the Cocktail central and the Vieux Carré is still served as the house cocktail.

The Vieux Carré cocktail is a perfect example of a well-balanced mix of diverse spirits and bitters. French cognac, American rye whisky, and Italian sweet vermouth share the stage as base spirits. The monastically produced Bénédictine liqueur brings sweetness to the drink to offset the boozy trifecta. The bitters round out the mixture by cutting the sweetness and bonding the spirits.

Classic Vieux Carré
¾ oz cognac
¾ oz rye whisky
¾ oz sweet vermouth
¼ oz Bénédictine
Dash of Peychaud’s bitters
Dash of Angostura bitters
Lemon peel

Tools: Mixing glass, bar spoon, Hawthorne strainer, jigger, Swiss peeler

Method: Combine bitters and liquors in a mixing glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a double rocks glass over ice and garnish with a lemon peel.

Still not warm enough for you? Take the recipe above and head south of the Tropic of Cancer to Guyana, the land of many waters and home of Demerara rum. In a recent night on the town, I was lucky enough to encounter a marvelous rum version of the Vieux Carré while dining at New York’s legendary Monkey Bar. The origins of the rum variation are hazy like that night but one of my fellow diners did order one at Julie Reiner’s Flatiron Lounge and was so thrilled with the libation that he began to spread the gospel. I was sold after one sip. The Rum Vieux Carré I ordered at Monkey Bar was made with El Dorado 12 Year Old Demerara rum in lieu of cognac. All of the other ingredients: spirits, bitters, and proportions remained true to Bergeron’s original, however it was served up and not on the rocks which makes for an elegant presentation.

El Dorado translates to City of Gold in Spanish and this liquid gold is an underrated treasure. El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum is produced by Demerara Distillers and is composed of rum from nine different stills ranging from copper still, wooden Coffey, and double wooden pots. Once thoroughly blended, the rum is aged in old bourbon oak casks. The end product is the lovely amber colored aged rum with the flavor of honey, toffee, fruit, and spice taking center stage with dry and smooth finish.

I used Sazarac 6 Year-old Straight Rye Whisky (90 proof) and a subdued sweet vermouth like Dolin Rouge to keep the focus on the El Dorado. A bold vermouth such as Carpano Antica or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino may overwhelm the other base spirits. Sazarac’s peppery taste compliment El Dorado’s complex flavors and add extra punch to the drink. The lemon twist at the end adds the right amount of citrus oils and brings out some of the El Dorado’s fruit.

Rum Vieux Carré
¾ oz El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum
¾ oz Sazarac 6 Year Old Straight Rye whisky
¾ oz Dolin Rouge sweet vermouth
¼ oz Bénédictine liqueur
Dash of Peychaud’s bitters
Dash of Angostura bitters
Lemon peel

Tools: Mixing glass, bar spoon, julep strainer, jigger, Swiss peeler, Manhattan glass

Method: Combine bitters and liquors in a mixing glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain the mixture into a frosted Manhattan glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

So when you are stuck out in the freezing cold this winter try to imagine that St. Bernard bringing you a barrel-aged Rum Vieux Carré and then get to a reputable cocktail bar and order one! Keep warm mes amis.

*Photo by Vanessa Bahmani. 

**Got a cocktail question? Reach Fredo on twitter @loungerati, email me at fredo(at)loungerati(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

***Fredo Ceraso is the editor-at-large of the lounge lifestyle blog Loungerati.com. He is head cocktailian and a co-producer of The Salon parties. Fredo is a member of the USBG New York chapter and rolls drinks at many Lounge, Swing, Jazz Age, & Burlesque events in New York City.

Winter is coming. The leaves are long gone; stark bare branches and the increasing chill in the air are all that remain of autumn. The sun’s attempts to warm its subjects get undermined by the biting wind. Perfect time to duck into your favorite watering hole and defrost with a winter libation. Keeping with my philosophy of seasonal cocktails, a drink to get you through the frigid weather should be a hearty concoction that warms the body and spirit. Sure we could go with the yuletide staple, eggnog but it is served cold and a bit ubiquitous for my tastes. We need a warm beverage with a boozy punch. Look no further than the granddaddy of eggnog, a drink that used to be an American Christmas tradition called the Tom and Jerry.

The Tom & Jerry is a predecessor to modern eggnog. The origins of the cocktail can be traced back to the days of Walt Whitman. There are various theories of who created the Tom and Jerry, but Jerry “The Professor” Thomas made the drink a saloon staple from 1850-1880s. According cocktail authority David Wondrich’s book Imbibe! From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to “Professor” Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar (2008), Jerry Thomas claimed to created the drink for a patron in 1847 while working at a bar in New Haven, CT. Wondrich’s deep dive into Thomas’ life does uncover that this claim may have been part of the typical sporting man lore of the time. The Tom and Jerry and its derivates were popular in New England before Thomas’ birth in 1830. The Tom and Jerry is listed as recipe number 174 in Thomas’ quintessential cocktail manual, How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant’s Companion (1862).

Tom and Jerry
Original recipe by Jerry Thomas 

5 lbs of sugar
12 eggs
1/2 small glass of Jamaican rum [1 oz]
1½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice

Method: Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and the yolks (separately) until they are as thin as water, then mix together an add spice and rum, thicken with sugar until the mixture attains consistence of light batter.

To serve: Add one tablespoon of this mixture to a small bar glass, then add one wineglass (2 oz) of brandy, fill rest of glass with boiling water and grate nutmeg on top.

The original version of the drink needs all that sugar to thicken the mixture against the hot water. To Wondrich’s point, by using hot milk instead of water, the same consistency achieved and amount of sugar can be dialed back to two pounds. The versatility of the drink does not stop with water or milk. In How to Mix Drinks, Thomas is already tweaking the drink and recommends that the 2 oz of brandy can be broken up in 1 oz Cognac, 1/2 oz Jamaican, and 1/2 oz Santa Cruz rum. I believe we can go a step further to make the drink easier to execute in a single serving.

In my recipe below, I use Grand Marnier instead cognac, a full ounce of Smith & Cross over-proofed Jamaican pot stilled rum, substitute pimento or allspice dram for the crushed spices, and simple syrup for the sugar. The result is a spicy and rich boozy cocktail that can be a true corpse reviver in the winter months. The Grand Marnier brings the cognac element but also adds the right amount of orange peel and citrus to the drink. It also marries well with the bold molasses flavor of the Smith & Cross. Using pimento dram adds the mild spice flavors of clove, allspice, and cinnamon while saving on preparation time.

Tom and Jerry
1/2 simple syrup
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Pot Still Rum
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth allspice dram
1 egg (optional: yolk and whites beaten separately)
4 oz hot milk
Ground nutmeg

Tools: Mixing tins, Tom and Jerry cup or Irish coffee mug, jigger, egg separator, grater, Hawthorne strainer

Method: Combine ingredients in mixing tins (except milk), dry shake for 5-10 seconds to emulsify the egg. Strain into a T&J cup or Irish coffee mug, add hot milk, and garnish with ground nutmeg.

*Photo by Vanessa Bahmani with FrenchChristmasWallPapers.net

**Got a cocktail question? Reach Fredo on twitter @loungerati, email me at fredo(at)loungerati(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

***Fredo Ceraso is the editor-at-large of the lounge lifestyle blog Loungerati.com. He is head cocktailian and a co-producer of The Salon parties. Fredo is a member of the USBG New York chapter and rolls drinks at many Lounge, Swing, Jazz Age, & Burlesque events in New York City.

PREFACE
Happy Hour: Rusty Nail (By Paystyle; February 2010)

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Many years ago, when I embarked on a journey to learn about the Rusty Nail, I went right to a few local dive bars. I believed the hype. Naturally, a Rusty Nail could only truly be enjoyed in an establishment with peeling paint and New Year’s Eve decorations circa 1987. So I hit Arthur’s Tavern in Greenwich Village. Holland Bar near Port Authority. O’Connor’s in Park Slope. The Subway Inn next to Bloomingdale’s and then a few more for good measure. One thing was consistent; my drink request was generally met with an arched eyebrow from the barkeeper followed by a wipe of dust off the Drambuie bottle. The scuttlebutt no one had ordered one in years.

THE DRINK
The Rusty Nail is a quintessential “old man” drink and has an unforgiving moniker, which predicts a night ending in the proverbial gutter. The name alone is enough to send a shiver down your liver. Let’s take the image: A nail. Sharp. Metallic. And rusty! Not too appealing if you ask me. The Rusty Nail does not evoke the antebellum scenery of a Mint Julep. Nor does it enjoy the sophistication of the Martini. On the contrary, when we think of the Rusty Nail, we think of some hole in the wall bar in Hell’s Kitchen serving the flophouse pensioners. To make matters worse, there is little knowledge of the cocktail’s origins but it does appear on cocktail menus at such notable watering holes like the 21 Club in the late 1950s.

Scotch. Drambuie. Ice. An optional twist. That combination doesn’t sound like rotgut or bathtub gin! Sounds kind of elegant actually. Wait, what is Drambuie anyway?

THE INGREDIENTS
According to the brand’s site, Drambuie means the “drink that satisfies” in Gaelic and has a long history dating back to the mid-18th century. It is a secret recipe attributed to highland patriot Bonnie Prince Charles Stewart from 1746. Prince Charles tried unsuccessfully to usurp English control over his homeland and sacrificed his secret recipe as payment during his exile to France. The liquor is a combination of blended Scotch and heather honey. It can be imbibed on the rocks or in mixed drinks. After reading up on the regal story of Drambuie, it’s hard to believe that the honored liquor has become associated with such a dive drink as the Rusty Nail.

When choosing the brand of Scotch to use in your Rusty Nail, the quality is important. Typically, the Rusty Nail is mixed using a blended scotch. In the past, I have been a fan of J&B (that’s Justerini & Brooks), Ballentine’s, and Famous Grouse as the base. So for my first Rusty Nail, I went with reliable old Famous Grouse. In my opinion, any of these blends can hold their own against Drambuie’s sweetness any day of the week but The Famous Grouse stands out. Famous Grouse is medium bodied with flavors of toffee and spice showing through. Grouse compliments the Drambuie by not being overwhelming.

For my second Rusty Nail, I chose the artisanal path and went with Bowmore single malt scotch on the lower end of the price scale called Legend. Founded in 1779, Bowmore Distilleries is the oldest producing house in Islay. The Bowmore Legend has no defined age, but is typically crafted from 8-year-old scotch. Some characteristics: it is 40 % alcohol by volume (80 proof), with tasting notes of lemon, peat, barley, and sweet honey. In addition, Legend retails for under $30 making it very attractive for cocktails and mixed drinks. In the Rusty Nail, Legend blends perfectly with Drambuie’s honey essence but retains the legendary Islay robust smoky flavor. This substitution of blended for single malt scotch is trans-formative, improving the original Rusty Nail formula thus making it is a pleasure to sip and savor on a crisp autumn night. One last thing, the original recipe is 1 ½ oz scotch and ½ oz or ¾ oz Drambuie, however, if you use an Islay single malt scotch, I recommend increasing the amount of Drambuie to balance out the flavor.

THE IMPROVED RUSTY NAIL

2 oz. Scotch (I recommend Bowmore Legend)
1 oz. of Drambuie
Twist of Lemon (Optional)

Tools: Jigger, bar spoon, Old Fashioned glass, and Swiss peeler

Method: Build in an Old Fashioned Glass. Add ingredients, a 2” square big ice cube, and stir. Serve garnish with a twist.

Insider’s Tip: Blended Scotch drinkers, you will love the Rusty Nail with a low cost single malt like Bowmore Legend. Try one next time you desire a scotch and soda or a Rob Roy on the rocks. It doesn’t have to be in a dive bar. Indeed, let’s help the signature cocktail of the “the drink that satisfies” find its way out of the gutter and onto every cocktail bar’s menu.

*Photograph by Vanessa Bahmani

**Got a cocktail question? Reach Fredo on twitter @loungerati, email me at fredo(at)loungerati(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

***Fredo Ceraso is the editor-at-large of the lounge lifestyle blog Loungerati.com. He is head cocktailian and a co-producer of The Salon parties. Fredo is a member of the USBG New York chapter and rolls drinks at many Lounge, Swing, Jazz Age, & Burlesque events in New York City.

Summer seems to be lingering around with above average temperatures during the day and then retreating in the evenings as the air becomes chilled. How does one seasonally imbibe during this confusing cross over? Should one go straight to boozy and mix a Manhattan or remain in summer mode with light effervescent drinks such as a fizz? How about the best of both worlds with the Harvest Moon Buck featuring the mysterious Bohemian elixir Becherovka?

THE DRINK
Becherovka is a complex herbal liqueur, which hails from the quaint burg of Karlov Vary (Carlsbad) in the Czech Republic. This high alcohol content (76 proof) “bitter” has been continually produced by the Jan Becher Company since 1807, nearly two generations before Campari. There are approximately 20 herbs present in Becherovka but like its’ monastically produced cousins Chartreuse and Bénédictine, the recipe for the elixir is a mystery. It is so secret that only two people are trusted with the recipe at any time. They produce the herb and spice mixture on a weekly basis, and then infuse it into the base alcohol. Once blended, the spirit is aged in oak barrels from Moravia, the Czech Republic’s wine growing region. The result is a spirit golden in color and has the distinct flavor of cinnamon, anise, cloves, and ginger.

I researched Becherovka cocktail recipes and all signs pointed to a drink called the Red Moon cocktail for my autumn feature. The ingredients are 1¼ oz Becherovka, 5 oz black currant juice, and 1½ oz of club soda. Seemed simple yet significant, so I made mixed one. Sadly, the Red Moon lacks the alcohol kick and worse, I barely tasted the star of the show, Becherovka. Not to mention, it is way too sweet for my palette. To make the drink bearable I dialed down the currant juice to 2 oz and likewise upped the Becherovka to 2 ounces. The drink was better with more elements of ginger and cinnamon showing through but still lacked the hearty kick, which the cooler season demands.

So I developed my own cocktail that builds on the Red Moon’s foundation but actually puts Becherovka in the driver’s seat. The libation is called the Harvest Moon Buck, which works well as a seasonal transition cocktail. In addition to Beckerovka, the other ingredients are Barrel Aged Bols Genever, black currant juice, fresh lemon juice, and ginger beer.

THE MODIFIERS
Lucas Bols released its barrel aged Genever this past summer to critical acclaim. They take an 1820 recipe for Genever or “Holland Gin” made from a medley of from rye, wheat, and corn; then triple distilled the spirit in a copper pot stills, and blended it with juniper and other spices. It is aged in French oak barrels for 18 months giving the final product a gold color with notes of wood and spice. Barrel Aged Bols Genever’s malt whiskey characteristics are the perfect compliment and take the role and the engine of the drink. The flavor profile has been compared to a young bourbon or whiskey with corn being prominent. Thus, the barrel aged Genever supplies a subtle addition to the flavor and more importantly increases the alcohol content.

Ripena® black currant juice is a British food stalwart and has the equivalent billing to pomegranate juice in the United States for it’s high Vitamin C plus anti-oxidant properties. Ripena takes its’ name from the Latin ribes nigrum – the scientific name for the black currant. Black currant juice gained popularity in England during the Second World War when Vitamin C rich juices like orange juice were in short supply or rationed due to the German U-boat blockade. Word to the wise, the Ripena is concentrated with sugar and it is recommended to dilute 1/3 oz with 4 parts water. For cocktails, I recommend treating it Ripena like a syrup so in the buck recipe I substituted it for simple syrup. Visually, it gives the drink a crimson color.

Finally, I used Reed’s Extra ginger beer to add effervescence, spiciness, and compliment Becherovka’s own bite. The Buck recipe usually employs ginger ale, however, I have found that Jamaican ginger beer adds the right amount of spice and distinct flavor to the formula. In the Harvest Moon Buck, it balances out the black currant juice’s potent sweetness and the sour of the lemon without detracting from the spirits.

HARVEST MOON BUCK

2 oz Beckerovka
1 oz Bols Genever Barrel Aged
1 oz black currant juice
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
3 oz ginger beer
Lemon wedge

Tools: mixing tins, Hawthorne strainer, jigger, pairing knife, highball glass

Method: Place ingredients into tin along with ice, add cracked ice, and shake vigorously. Strain over ice into a Highball glass and top with ginger beer. Garnish with lemon wedge.

Na zdravi (cheers)!!

*Photograph by Vanessa Bahmani

**Got a cocktail question? Reach Fredo on twitter @loungerati, email me at fredo(at)loungerati(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

***Fredo Ceraso is the editor-at-large of the lounge lifestyle blog Loungerati.com. He is head cocktailian and a co-producer of The Salon parties. Fredo is a member of the USBG New York chapter and rolls drinks at many Lounge, Swing, Jazz Age, & Burlesque events in New York City.

PREFACE
Vermouth 101: The Old Hickory

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Well now that you have an appetite inducing “qualifying round” under the belt, time to move to the first course. When it comes to vermouth cocktails, the next logical step in expanding ones appreciation of what the spirit can do is to go back to the beginning. In the time line of modern cocktail history, there are only a few that showcase vermouth’s qualities and still deliver a high proof kick. Cocktails such as the Turf Club (equal parts sweet vermouth and gin with bitters) or the El Presidente (equal parts dry vermouth and white rum, with curacao, grenadine, and bitters) only give vermouth equal billing. Meet the cocktail that puts vermouth in the front of the room and happens to be the Grand Daddy of the modern Martini: The Martinez Cocktail.

The Martinez is a predecessor to the Martini that is allegedly attributed to Jerry “The Professor” Thomas as its creator. It is important to note that the drink does not appear in Thomas’ original 1862 printing of How to Mix Drinks or the Bon Vivant’s Companion but then it appears in the 1887 edition, which has led to speculation as to its true origins. It is not clear who “Martinez” was or whether he existed at all. Like any good bar tale or creation myth, there are plenty of theories of who invented the libation. One thing we do know, the Martinez fell off the radar of bartenders once dry vermouth became plentiful around turn of the century and the dry Martini became king.

Since the fin-de-siecle, the Martinez cocktail has been relegated to the history books but is making a legitimate comeback thanks to the recent cocktail revival. This dark period is understandable, since the caliber of vermouths available in the last few decades has not been conducive to making the Martinez palatable. As I mentioned in the previous posting on the Vermouth Cocktail , the quality of the vermouth is critical when mixing a cocktail where vermouth plays the base spirit.

THE DRINK
The Martinez’s construction is rather simple with only four ingredients: Italian vermouth, Old Tom gin, maraschino liqueur, and aromatic bitters–stirred, and served up a citrus peel. In an attempt to get the historical taste profile spot on, I recommend using the following spirits when mixing the drink:

First, use a sweet or “Italian” vermouth that follows the original vermouth formulas of the nineteenth century. Brands such as Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth or the newly released Vermouth di Torino by Cocchi not only bring a robust flavor profile to the Martinez, they are similar in composition to the vermouths used by the likes of Jerry Thomas the sporting bartenders during the cocktail’s heyday. I actually prepared a Martinez using one of the mass produced brands in my research for this article–take it from me, there is no comparison to the Carpano or Cocchi products.

Second, use artisan Old Tom gin such as a version produced by Ransom distillers of Sheridan, Oregon. Ransom Old Tom gin is a historically accurate replica of mid-1800s recipes developed with the guidance of cocktail historian David Wondrich. It is produced in small batches, alembic pot distilled, 88 proof (44% alcohol by volume), and has a distinct malt flavor that blends well with vermouths. Old Tom is a variety of gin that is a sweetened that predates the now ubiquitous London Dry gin.

THE MODIFIERS
Maraschino liqueur: Luxardo is a premium brand maraschino liqueur made from marasca cherries of the Dalmatian coast in Croatia. The liqueur which has an ancient pedigree has origins in the Dominican monastaries of the region. The award-winning Luxardo recipe dates from 1821 and is produced in Torregue, outside Padova in Italy.

Bitters: Try to get your hands on Dr. Adam Elmigirab’s Boker’s Bitters, a revival of the original Boker’s company recipe dating from 1853 is the authentic choice. If Boker’s is out of reach, I suggest the Bitter Truth’s Jerry Thomas’ Own Decanted Bitters or Angostura aromatic bitters.

THE MARTINEZ

2 oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
1 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
1 Tsp of Luxardo maraschino
Dash of Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas’ Own Decanted bitters
Lemon peel

Tools: bar glass, bar spoon, Swiss peeler, strainer, and coupe glass

Method: Combine ingredients in mixing glass, add cracked ice, stir rigorously until proper dilution achieved, and strain into chilled cocktail glass, then release the citrus oils from an lemon peel and discard.

Insider’s Tip: Substitute a thicker bodied gin of the Holland Gin variety such as Bols Genever Barrel Aged for a unique update on this classic. Typically, Holland gin does not mix well with sweet vermouth, however, the Barrel Aged Genever picks up many notes which exist in whiskey, and thus make for a better partnership.

*Photograph by Vanessa Bahmani

**Got a cocktail question? Reach Fredo on twitter @loungerati, email me at fredo(at)loungerati(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

***Fredo Ceraso is the editor-at-large of the lounge lifestyle blog Loungerati.com. He is head cocktailian and a co-producer of The Salon parties. Fredo is a member of the USBG New York chapter and rolls drinks at many Lounge, Swing, Jazz Age, & Burlesque events in New York City.

A lounger pal of mine recently coined the term “qualifying round” to rationalize why going out for just one cocktail never happens. Who could just order one drink and leave their favorite cocktail bar? It is akin to ducking out mid conversation! To address this issue, his policy is to order one drink to set the stage and then order a second to truly experience the drink. In other words, he has a two-drink minimum. I offer an addendum to the “qualifying round” – a lower alcohol palette primer that should work whether you are out for just “one drink” or starting an evening long cocktail crawl.

May I introduce you to the quintessential qualifying round: The Vermouth Cocktail.

I know what you are thinking, vermouth? You mean that dusty bottle sitting on my shelf that I occasionally break out for Martinis? First of all, if that vermouth bottle has been sitting in your liquor cabinets for over a month just dump it. The reason most people dislike vermouth is because the product has spoiled sitting on that shelf. Vermouth is a fortified wine and as we know wine has a short shelf-life. So please purchase a fresh bottle and refrigerate after opening. It should last you a month or so.

Most of us think of vermouth as a modifying spirit, a compliment for iconic heavyweights like the Martini, Manhattan, Negroni, and other classics. The reason I advocate using this spirit as your aperitif, or qualifying round is because it warms up the palette in anticipation of stronger alcohol and food. The French and Italian have a great culinary tradition that begins with an appetite inducer, the same should apply when drinking cocktails.

WHAT IS VERMOUTH?
Vermouth is a fortified wine whose base is infused with spirits and herbs. Typical ingredients include quinine, bark, cloves, citrus peel, and herbs such as chamomile, juniper, cinnamon, and cardamom. Sweet vermouths have more alcohol with 10-15% sugar content, while dry vermouth is lighter with fewer than 10%. Most vermouths, even the sweet (which has a red color), begin life as a white wine. The spirits used in the infusion are generally neutral grain but fruit brandies are also employed in some brands.

THE MAIN PLAYERS
Carpano Antica Formula is the granddaddy of modern vermouth, tracing its roots to the home of modern vermouth Turin, Italy. In 1786, Antonio Carpano, the creator of commercial vermouth, developed a fortified wine by infusing over 30 types of plants and herbs (including wormwood) and then sweetened it with grain spirit. According to drinks historians, Teutonic aromatic wines and Goethe poetry influenced Carpano during the marketing of his new product, naming is vermouth after the German word for wormwood, wermut.

Today, Branca Distilleries, famous for Fernet Branca amaro produces Carpano Antica based upon the original 1786 recipe. Carpano deploys complex flavors with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and bitter herbs that stands up to the strongest of whiskeys, tequilas, and amari. It is especially prized amongst cocktail bartenders who revel in its depth of robust flavors but can be overwhelming in certain cocktails. However, when added to the Vermouth Cocktail recipe, Carpano steals the show.

Another outstanding vermouth for use in the Vermouth Cocktail is Dolin Blanc. Maison Dolin et Cie produces a premium brand of vermouths from the alpine Chambéry region of southeast France. Vermouth de Chambéry has also received the appellation d’origine controlée (a.o.c) certification due to the unique characteristics of the soil of the area. Though Dolin is famous for its rouge, dry, and even strawberry vermouths, their vermouth Blanc is by far my favorite. Blanc is produced like an un-aged sweet vermouth that is infused with 54 plants and herbs that includes rose petals but none of the ingredients that create the red color. It is a more thoughtful variation of the mass produced bianco vermouth but with the unique aromatic vegetation of Chambéry.

In addition to Carpano Antica and Dolin Blanc, some excellent vermouths that can be used in a Vermouth Cocktail are Punt a Mes (also made by Carpano), and the newest entries into the field from California: Vya (made from orange Muscat wine) and Sutton Cellars.

THE DRINK
A typical Vermouth Cocktail is very simple, comprising of equal parts of two types of vermouth plus a dash of orange bitters with a lemon or orange twist. The key is to get the right vermouths in the mix. Enter a superb update of the traditional recipe called The Old Hickory, which uses both Carpano and Dolin Blanc. The Old Hickory, which appears in Stanley Clisby Arthur’s Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em (1937) has been adapted by bar man Maxwell Britten for the inaugural menu at Brooklyn cocktail den, Maison Premiere. The drink is a modified  Vermouth Cocktail with a New Orleans twist due to the addition of Peychaud’s bitters.

“Old Hickory” was the the nickname of Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States, due to his somewhat bitter and prickly demeanor. Jackson rose to national prominence during the War of 1812, becoming a bonafide war hero when his forces, despite being out numbered and outgunned, repelled a superior British army in the Battle of New Orleans. Like its’ namesake, the Old Hickory cocktail could be a nineteenth century original. Britten updates the specs by using artisinal vermouths that are true to their original recipes and does not skimp on the Peychauds. The result is battle between bitter and sweet that brings forth waves of complex earthy flavors with hints of chocolate that entice the palette. The orange twist whose oils are extracted above the cocktail during preparation delivers an air bust of citrus. Simply put, The Old Hickory is a vermouth lover’s dream and stellar example of the potential of the Vermouth Cocktail.

The Old Hickory
Adapted by Maxwell Britten of Maison Premiere

1 ½ oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
1 ½ oz Dolin Blanc or Dry (we prefer the Blanc)
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
2 dashes Orange Bitters

Tools: 10 oz Old Fashioned glass, Swiss peeler, bar spoon

Method: Combine bitters and vermouth in an Old Fashioned glass, add 3-4 Kold Draft or equivalent 1” square ice cubes, and stir with bar spoon for 15 seconds. Extract oils orange twist above drink and garnish.

Insider’s Tip: Maison Premiere orange bitters house mix is equal parts Regan’s No. 5 and Fee Brothers West Indian orange bitters.

*Got a cocktail question? Reach Fredo on twitter @loungerati, email me at fredo(at)loungerati(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

**Fredo Ceraso is the editor-at-large of the lounge lifestyle blog Loungerati.com. He is head cocktailian and a co-producer of The Salon parties. Fredo is a member of the USBG New York chapter and rolls drinks at many Lounge, Swing, Jazz Age, & Burlesque events in New York City.

Paystyle and Vanessa are in New Orleans this week for the annual cocktail fête of the year, Tales of the Cocktail–hands down the most important event in the world for cocktail heads, bar chefs, liquor companies, alcoholics, et al. I’m sure P + V have been trashed since they landed at Louis Armstrong airport yesterday morning. Although it must be HOT AS HELL down there right now so I ain’t jealz. Nope nope.

Like last year, Paystyle will be reporting back on all the hottest events he attended. He’ll be attending a seminar given by master bar chef Hidetsugu Ueno, of Tokyo’s High Five bar, so stay tuned for that. He’s the ice diamond dude!

Most importantly though, Vanessa, professional photographer and Pay’s wife, is having a SOLO SHOW of her Happy Hour photos at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. This is huge! Please stop by the reception this Friday 7/22, between 5pm-7pm. See above card or click here for details. Congrats, Vanessa!

Please do hit up Paystyle on Twitter if you are down in NOLA this week though, and meet him for a Pimm’s Cup!

In the past week there’s been a lot of buzz in cocktail circles regarding the outcome of a legal dispute between Pusser’s rum and Painkiller, a tiki bar in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It’s a story that’s led to a lot of anger among us folks in the cocktail biz, as it touches on a number of issues we consider important, so I figured I’d touch on it here. And because the dispute involves the confounding and often contradictory legal concept of intellectual property, there’s been some confusion that I think needs to be cleared up as well–and who better than a lawyer to do so?

Photo copyright www.thelodownny.com. They were the first to break the story about the Pusser’s drama. Read the original post here.

At the heart of the dispute is a classic tiki drink called the Painkiller. It’s a drink I wrote about a couple years ago (photographed above; updated post here), and it’s one I still enjoy on a hot summer day. It also happens to be the name of a tiki bar in Manhattan which opened just a year ago. The bar’s name, obviously, is a tribute to the drink and by extension, its creators. The name Painkiller also happens to be trademarked, and that trademark happens to be owned by the rum company Pusser’s. Painkiller (the bar), as you might imagine, also happened to feature the Painkiller (the drink) on their menu, and not necessarily with Pusser’s rum in it.

So when Painkiller (the bar) opened its doors a year ago, Pusser’s became pissed off about it and demanded that the bar cease and desist the use of their trademarked term as their name, and that they cease selling drinks called Painkiller unless it featured Pusser’s rum. When the owners of Painkiller refused, the rum company decided to sue the bar in federal court (because the trademark is filed with the federal government), claiming “irreparable harm to its brand, unfair competition and unfair business practices.” Rather than duke it out in court (which may seem like the honorable thing, but remember honor can also be very expensive) the owners of Painkiller decided to settle out of court. Accordingly, the owners have now changed the name of their bar (it’s now officially called PKNY), surrendered their domain name, and removed any references to the Painkiller drink.

When word spread last week, the cocktail community was ablaze with fury over the issue. People soon took to social media outlets like Twitter and various blogs to sound off against Pusser’s. Many called for a boycott of the rum brand, and a Facebook page was started called Bartenders Against Trademarking of Cocktails, which garnered hundreds of members in a matter of hours. Jackson Cannon, bar manager of Eastern Standard in Boston decided to take it a step ballsier by changing the cocktail menu to feature the Painkiller “proudly made without Pusser’s rum,” and posting a picture of the new menu along with his business card on Twitter, proclaiming “This is my menu… This is my card… You know where to find me!”

Photo by Jackson Cannon.

So who’s really at fault here? To wrap our head around the issue (and various sub-issues), I figured it best to divide the analysis into three parts: the legal, the ethical, and the practical considerations.

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

Any legal analysis of this issue must begin by clarifying the differences between a patent, a copyright, and a trademark, the three main areas that comprise what is collectively referred to as intellectual property.

Patent

First let’s get patent out of the way because it doesn’t really apply in this case, though it’s still useful to understand the basic concept. When someone seeks a patent, they’re seeking a property right for an original invention or process they’ve come up. Having a patent allows the patent holders to exclude others from manufacturing or selling that invention or process.

So what can and can’t be patented? A robot that has human emotions? Hell yes, and pretty cool at that. How about if someone invents a procedure from which to turn water into wine? Yes, that process can be patented, and would also be damn cool. But how about a recipe, because that’s a process, right? Well, the answer is, sometimes. Technically recipes can be patented, but only if they present some new or inventive method of preparing said recipe. So to get more specific, a mere listing of ingredients and preparation instructions is not sufficient to receive a patent. Even a unique combination of ingredients is not enough. The process itself must be novel. So as it relates to cocktails, the simple answer is that cocktail recipes can not be patented. So even if you use your special homemade yak testicle bitters in an original cocktail creation, at the end of the day it’s just a stirred cocktail that’s no different from a Manhattan with regard to how it’s prepared and the types of ingredients used (base spirit, a presumed modifier, and bitters).

Copyright

A copyright provides protection to “original works of authorship.” This includes anything artistic, literary, musical, intellectual, etc. Owning a copyright gives you exclusive the right to do what you want with your creation. You can sell it, reproduce it, license others to reproduce it, display it for free, or perform it as the case may be, and prevent others from doing the same with your work. The reason behind the principle of copyright is to promote creativity by protecting it, with the rationale being that if creative works can be stolen, then creative people have less incentive to do creative things, and society would be presumably worse off.

It’s important to note that a copyright protects the form or method of expression, and not the subject matter itself. So let’s say for example that someone writes a book about the history of the Painkiller cocktail. The writer can copyright his original work of authorship so that someone else can’t just publish his specific writings in whole or in part without his permission. But it doesn’t prevent someone else from writing a different book on the history of the Painkiller cocktail because the subject matter itself is not protected. Otherwise there would only be one book published per subject.

So can recipes be copyrighted? The answer is no. A mere listing of ingredients is not protected under copyright law because it’s not deemed to be a “substantial literary expression.” What could be potentially protected is an accompanying “description, explanation, or illustration.” Thus a cookbook can be protected, but the mere listing of the ingredients for a particular recipe within the cookbook can not be protected.

If that’s the case, then what’s the basis for Pusser’s claim? Read on.

Trademark

A trademark is a word, symbol, or name that is used to distinguish a product of one company from the same product from another company. For example, Coca-Cola is a trademark. The company that owns that trademark, in this case Coca-Cola, has the right to sue another company if that company uses Coca-Cola’s trademark on their products.

The principle behind trademark law is that it encourages honest competition between companies, and enables the consumer to distinguish between competing products. Unlike copyright law which is intended to limit competition, trademark law works to foster competition–or at least that’s what it’s supposed to do. You can see how it would be disadvantageous to consumers if someone were to be able to use the name Coca-Cola or a confusingly similar name to promote their own independent soda product. Even if that product were to be of higher quality than the real Coca-Cola, it would amount to consumer fraud, and we surely wouldn’t want to allow that. When you buy a can of Coke, you expect it to be a can of Coke.

This principle is at the heart of Pusser’s claim, which is that when a customer orders a Painkiller, they expect it to have Pusser’s rum in it because they’re expecting that unique taste. They have two trademarks on the name Painkiller: one for “alcoholic fruit drinks with fruit juices and cream of coconut and coconut juice,” with the claim that the alcohol in the drink is Pusser’s rum; and one for “non-alcoholic mixed fruit juices,” because they also sell a product called “Pusser’s Painkiller Cocktail Mix.” The former trademark enables them to force a bar to either remove the Painkiller drink from its menu or use Pusser’s in the drink. The latter would appear to apply to the issue of preventing a bar from taking on the name Painkiller, since they have a product on the market with that name.

Note that there’s no specific recipe being protected here. Their claim is not based on the precise measurements of particular ingredients to be used in a Painkiller, but rather that any drink called a Painkiller must include Pusser’s rum in addition to “fruit juices and cream of coconut and coconut juice.”

Legal Conclusion

It’s important to remember that the case settled before actually going to trial, so no legal precedent has been set in favor of Pusser’s. Whether or not they would have prevailed is something we’ll never know, but presumably the attorneys for the defendant believed Pusser’s had a good chance of prevailing and thus advised their client to settle; or that even if they believed they could successfully fend off the suit, the cost to do so simply wasn’t worth it.

That said, the fact that Pusser’s owns the trademark is not in dispute, and therefore the legal analysis seems to point in their favor. So why are people still upset then? People are upset, and I believe rightfully so, because this is a case where a colorable and convincing argument can be made that the law as applied has consequences that conflict with the spirit of the law as conceived.

For one, this seems to suppress competition, not enhance it the way trademark law is intended to do. Requiring Pusser’s to be used in any drink called a Painkiller seems no different in principle than requiring only one brand of tequila to be used in a Margarita, or even one brand of pasta to be used in a Fettucine Alfredo. The only difference is that in the case of Pusser’s they happen to have a trademark on that name. The current bartending culture thrives on cooperation and sharing of ideas, and the fact that a bartender could be restricted from using a different rum in a drink recipe just seems plain odd and out of line with plain common sense.

Furthermore, Pusser’s trademark is certainly not akin to that of Coca-Cola, which involves a product with a secret recipe. The recipe for a Painkiller is not only public knowledge, but it was not even created by the Pusser’s. Nor did Pusser’s come up with the name. Worse yet, the Painkiller recipe predates the existence of the company by a decade, and the filing of the trademark by nearly two decades (I’ll elaborate on that later).

This doesn’t seem fair at all, and the entire concept of intellectual property is built on the notion of fairness. It’s therefore too simplistic to say that Pusser’s had a right and they were merely exercising that right. In fact, the more involved legal analysis reveals a reasonable argument that a trademark should have never been issued to Pusser’s in the first place, or in the alternative, that trademark law needs to be changed to reflect a fair outcome in these types of cases.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

All the analysis about legal issues and rights doesn’t change the fact that for many people, something just didn’t smell right. Pusser’s claim that Painkiller’s use of their trademark caused “irreparable harm to its brand, unfair competition and unfair business practices” seemed to many like old-fashioned legal speak drummed up by smart corporate attorneys. Fuel to the fire of that suspicion was added when a few facts came to light that didn’t put Pusser’s in the most honest ethical light.

The first of those issues I mentioned above, that Pusser’s did not even create the recipe for the Painkiller, nor did they come up with the name. Robert Simonson reported on his blog that tiki historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry researched the history of the Painkiller and noted that it was created in 1971 by the owners of the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands. He further notes that the original Painkiller was made with Mount Gay and Cruzan dark rums, not Pusser’s. And as mentioned above, Pusser’s didn’t even exist as a company until a decade after the drink’s creation. This is not in dispute, as it is corroborated by Pusser’s rum founder Charles Tobias in a recently released statement on the company’s website.

This was something I only recently realized. Up until a week ago I believed Pusser’s was the original rum in a Painkiller, and that’s what I wrote two years ago when I first wrote about the Painkiller recipe, and I’ve since had to go back and correct the record. As Simonson noted in his piece, even Jeff Berry, with his immense knowledge of tiki drinks was fooled, and admitted that Pusser’s litigation lead him to believe they actually created the drink. I suspect others with an even more modest knowledge of tiki history were also fooled by Pusser’s claim.

And that’s not the only issue. Besides not being the creators of the drink they’ve trademarked and now aggressively enforce, it appears they’re guilty of the same practices they accuse others of. A crafty member of the bartender community dug up a tweet by @pussers_bvi (the company’s Twitter account) dating back to May 2010 which encouraged consumers to use Pusser’s rum when making a Dark & Stormy. The significance of this is that a Dark & Stormy is the name of a cocktail created and trademarked by Gosling’s rum; it is a trademark that Gosling’s vigorously seeks to enforce in the same manner as Pusser’s. In the legal field, the term for such behavior on the part of Pusser’s is “unclean hands.”

Ethical Conclusion

That many in the cocktail community are up in arms over the actions of Pusser’s is not merely an irrational, uninformed, or visceral reaction as some have stated. There are bona fide issues of moral duplicity on the part of Pusser’s which are difficult to avoid, and have not yet been responded to by the folks at Pusser’s. Moreover, most people aren’t well-versed in the legal intricacies involved, so these issues strike a bigger chord than claims of legal right. To most people learning of the issue, Pusser’s actions simply don’t pass the smell test.

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

In addition to the various legal and ethical issues here, a number of people have brought up certain points that are simply common sense considerations, irrespective of the technicalities of the law or otherwise. Below is a summary of some of the most notable ones.

First, and in defense of Pusser’s, they rightly claim that not enforcing their trademark in instances of potential infringement leaves them vulnerable for when they do decide to enforce. Essentially the claim is that you risk losing a right you don’t take care to defend. True as that may be, it’s still a tough sell when you weren’t the creator of the trademark.

Others have noted that claims of legal right aside, suing a well respected bar as Painkiller, with owners as highly regarded in the cocktail community as Richard Boccato and Giuseppe Gonzalez, is asking for a major PR headache. As it is Pusser’s doesn’t have a huge presence in the U.S. market, and pissing off bartenders who are the gatekeepers of consumer awareness and consumption is not a bright way to increase market share.

Furthermore, it’s likely that in its one year of existence, the bar Painkiller has done more to promote the drink–and indirectly Pusser’s as a brand–than all of Pusser’s marketing efforts in the last decade. So rather than seeing the Painkiller the bar as hurting the Pusser’s brand, one could argue the bar has helped shine a positive light on their rum that they didn’t previously enjoy; that with a little creative thinking on Pusser’s part they could have created some mutually beneficial collaborative opportunities.

Lastly, if you’re going to claim that you have a product so unique and amazing as to make it indispensable in a recipe, you had better be able to back it up. As noted above, Pusser’s can’t be that indispensable to a recipe if it wasn’t even called for, nor even existed, when the recipe was created. But even putting that issue aside, perhaps they could claim that the Painkiller recipe is better with Pusser’s than it ever was.

Of course this can’t be proven or disproven because it’s a subjective claim, but one would think that if it makes such a great Painkiller, then tiki bars would use the brand more often in the recipe–at least the bars that fashion themselves as using the highest grade ingredients. But that fact simply doesn’t bare out. Painkiller and other high quality establishments that serve Painkillers often use other rums besides Pusser’s.

Why is that? Contrary to their ridiculously sounding claim on the Pusser’s website that their product is “The Single Malt of Rum,” the truth is that many bartenders and rum experts will tell you is that it flat out sucks. For starters, it’s outright puffery to claim that a rum can even be a single malt (it is impossible, since rum is distilled from sugar, not malted barley). But even if we take the phrase in a looser sense, it doesn’t jive with reality. Paul Pacult, who is a highly respected spirits critic, published a review of Pusser’s rum in his 2008 book Kindred Spirits 2. It may be enlightening to read what he had to say about the highly self-touted rum. Here’s the review in its entirety:

“The brilliant copper penny color is pretty, but displays minor sediment beneath the examination lamp. The opening nose detects peculiar smells of olive brine, seaweed, wood polish, and shellfish; extra air contact does nothing to enhance the briny/solvent-like and weird aroma. Better in the mouth than in the nasal cavity; the palate entry is piney, cedar-like, and astringent; at midpalate there are flashes of molasses, coffee, and tobacco that aren’t significant enough to drag this oddball rum up into recommended territory. Ends up poorly as highly astringent and manufactured tastes dominate the exit. This was originally labeled as “Admiral’s Reserve” in 1993 and 1996. That designation no longer appears on the label, though the abv strength is the same. The detergent-like, cleaning liquid finish brings the rating back down to one star. A waste of a good glass bottle. No wonder the British Navy fell into disrepair. Rating: 1 star/Not Recommended”

One star is the absolute lowest rating that Paul Pacult gives a spirit. In other words, their rum just sucks. Of course that’s only one critic’s review–one notable and highly respected critic–and ultimately you should decide for yourself. Nonetheless it doesn’t help Pusser’s claims that it is the one and only rum that must be used in a Painkiller.

Perhaps then, in the utmost consideration of practicality, some of Pusser’s legal budget ought to be redirected toward product development.

Just a thought.

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below.

Like a whirlwind, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic came and went in a flash, leaving a trail of devastation and destruction in its wake. Except in this case the damage wasn’t in the form of homes and property, but rather brain cells and livers. After many many jamba juices and wheatgrass shots, full recovery was finally attained, and I’ve gathered the requisite photos and videos to give you a proper recap, along with a little peek at some of the action behind the scenes in the Astor Center kitchen.

This year I was fortunate enough to be selected along with a handful of other talented and accomplished bartenders from around the world for the inaugural MCC Bar Fellowship program. From Amsterdam to Aspen and lands in between, nineteen total Bar Fellows were selected to participate in this first ever program. You can view the complete list of Bar Fellows here, and I strongly suggest you keep it as reference the next time you’re in of their cities and you’re in need of an awesomely crafted cocktail. Now you know where to get a great cocktail in St. Louis.

Upon our shoulders was placed the task of turning out the hundreds of cocktails served during all the seminars held at the Astor Center over the course of the week, as well as many of the cocktails served at the opening night Gala. Each seminar presenter provided their recipes, and we got to the task of making them and serving them at the designated time. Most seminars had about 4-5 cocktails, and there were anywhere between 40-80 people in attendance for each seminar. Um, that’s a lot of cocktails.

The daily call time was 9am at the Astor Center kitchen, and most days we didn’t get out until around 8 or 9pm. But of course our work didn’t stop then, because as soon as we were done at the Astor Center we had to motivate to whichever party(ies) were lined up for that evening, with nary a moment to shower.

To kick everything off was the opening night Gala. The NY Public Library building. Hundreds of full-sized, well-crafted cocktails by some of the country’s best. Thousands of dappered out guests. The markings of an epic night, and even more epic hangover.

Nick Van Tiel mixing Plymouth gin cocktails.

Chris Patino, an awesome bartender in both black and white and color!

Looks like they were expecting me.

The gorgeous photographer of Happy Hour.

For all you foodies.

Iron bartender Tony Abou-Ganim (L) and Jim Meehan of PDT (R).

Below, the mad scientist of food and drink, Dave Arnold of the French Culinary Institute, dressed like rocket man with his CO2 backpack tanks was walking around the Gala slinging carbonated Negronis and other fizzy goods.

Myself along with Ted Haigh aka Dr. Cocktail, author of Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, a book you ought pick up immediately if you don’t have it in your bookshelf.

The inimitable Jim Kearns, one of NY’s top bartenders, and a really nice guy.

Since I was in the kitchen all day I didn’t have the opportunity to sit in any of the seminars. But truth be told I didn’t mind it one bit, because the kitchen was where all the action was at. And despite the painstaking labor and long hours on my feet, I felt a real sense of privilege to be around the other team members. By the second day I felt a palpable sense of comradery that was unlike anything I had experienced before. Team leaders were pretty much self-appointed, as were most of our tasks, and it was amazing to see how little ego there was in the kitchen, especially considering how accomplished many of the Bar Fellows were.

At certain moments it was pure magic watching everyone work together. Together we comprised a supremely well-oiled machine as we manned our various stations and turned out cocktails en masse for seminar-goers. We established an assembly-line that was simultaneously chaotic and symphonic, as cocktails were shaken by one group, then passed to another group to pour while someone applied the garnishes, then the shakers were passed back to someone in charge of refilling them with ice and passing them back to be filled with more batched cocktails to be shaken, and the cycle continued this way until that particular set of drinks were completed and taken out by the wait staff.

It comes as no surprise that my most memorable moments of the MCC occurred right in the Astor Center kitchen, and not at events or seminars as one might expect.

One of those moments was when myself and teammate Timo Janse (Door 74, Amsterdam) were charged the dubious task of drizzling lines of honey inside champagne flutes. Because it was such a time consuming task, it needed to be done well in advance of the fire time for that particular cocktail. Problem was, the honey would simply flow down to the bottom of the glass if we did it too far in advance. So in order to avoid finding ourselves in the weeds, we found ourselves seated in the walk-in refrigerator with the crates of champagne glasses, drizzling honey into each and every one. From time to time someone would drop by to grab something from the walk-in, and they were greeted with a rather gay looking scene of two guys sitting across each other, drizzling honey into champagne glasses. All we needed was some candles and the scene would be complete.

Another memorable moment involved crushed ice, of all things. At various moments we had to make cocktails which required crushed ice, which as it turned out the Astor Center did not have such a machine so we had to do it by hand. Not a problem, as that’s the old school way of doing it anyway, except that we lacked a properly solid surface to do the crushing. The standard metal-top tables which you find in most professional kitchens were what we had, but they’re not sufficiently hard enough to absorb the blows required to produce the finely crushed ice called for–not to mention it would be way too noisy of an affair and would disrupt the seminars.

So myself and my partner-in-crime Michael McSorley (Tavern Law, Needle and Thread, Tini Bigs, Seattle) devised a plan to crush the ice out back in the delivery bay where we’d not only have noise insulation but a flat, hard surface to beat the living shit out of the ice. So we laid out some trash bags to cover the floor, grabbed some rolling pins and tablecloths to wrap the ice in, and commenced to lay a hurtin’ on that ice. To the unassuming passerby, it looked like a scene straight out of a mafia flick–two guys beating the crap out of some poor schmuck wrapped in a black body bag. We made sure that ice wouldn’t steal from us again. The video below says it all.

As hard as we all worked, towards the end we began to get a bit loopy, and found unique ways to squeeze fun into the workday. We even devised a game whereby you toss a ring on a table full of liquor bottles, and the bottle it lands on is the one you have to take a shot of. Even Gary Regan got in on the fun.

No workday is complete without a little Soul Train style dance off.

The final event of the MCC was the anti-gala, serving nothing but beer and shots. 

By that time I was pretty cocktailed out, so shitty beer and shots is exactly what I was looking for.

Finally, I leave you with one of the lasting memories that was burned in all our minds (for better or worse), a little something from fellow Bar Fellow Jake Sher, which we dubbed “Jaker Faces.”

Until next May…

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below.

It feels good to return to normalcy (read proper hydration) now that the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (read Manhattan Hangover Classic) has concluded. For myself and the other Bar Fellows of this year’s cocktail classic, normalcy took a bit longer to reach, as we were in the Astor Center Kitchen 12 hours a day prepping and batching the cocktails served at all the seminars. My initial plan for this week was to write a recap of our experience at the MCC, but since I haven’t finished compiling all the photos and video, I’ll try to post that next week. Like I said, normalcy took a bit longer for some of us.

So instead for this week I’ll going to share a new cocktail recipe, but will also be asking for your help. The drink I created is called the Rainforest Cobbler. It features Veev Acai spirit as its base, and I’ve submitted it to the Veev Garden-to-Glass Cocktail Challenge. At stake for the winner is three nights of paid hotel in New Orleans for the annual Tales of the Cocktail, the premier mixology convention/drinking fète. If making cocktails is your business, then your business is to be down in NoLa for Tales in July.

Unfortunately mixology is not always as lucrative as say, being an oil magnate, so we have to resort to such tactics as winning cocktail competitions to subsidize our trips. In fact, I was able to attend Tales for the first time last year precisely because I was a finalist in a cocktail competition. And because I haven’t discovered any oil this year, I’m going to try to win this competition (and a few others) to help get my ass down to NoLa.

The way you can help me win is very simple. Simply click on this link and vote for my drink. You can vote once every day until June 4, and you can tell all your friends to do the same. So check the recipe below, mix some Rainforest Cobbler for yourself and your friends, and cast your votes!

Rainforest Cobbler
1  1/2 oz Veev Acai spirit
3/4 oz Vermouth Perucchi Blanco
1/2 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)
2 strawberries, quartered
1/2 lime, quartered
7 basil leaves

Garnish: sliced strawberries, plus one whole strawberry, leaves removed and replaced with basil sprig as pictured.
Glass: Collins

Place cut strawberries, lime, and basil leaves in shaker and muddle well. Add the remaining ingredients along with ice and shake well and hard. Strain into an empty collins glass. Pack the glass with crushed ice and garnish with sliced strawberry pieces inside glass. Place the whole strawberry with attached basil sprig on rim of glass as garnish and serve.

Note: if you can’t find Vermouth Perucchi Blanco, substitute another blanc/blanco/bianco vermouth such as Dolin Blanc or Martini Bianco. Keep in mind that this is not the same as white vermouth, aka dry vermouth. The color is white but it is not dry. It is distinctly sweet, similar to Lillet Blanc in flavor, which you can also substitute in a pinch. If you do substitute another vermouth keep in mind that you may have to adjust the simple syrup as the various brands do vary in sweetness.

It’s a refreshing drink that’s fairly easy to make and is awesome in the sweltering summer heat. Here in Happy Hour HQ, it’s the type of drink we refer to as a patio pounder. Cheers, and don’t forget to vote!

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below.