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This weekend I'm going to switch to a new blogging back-end. The website address should stay the same and I'm hoping I can have all my rss feed readers updated/redirected, but if you don't see new content showing up in your blog reader by Monday (but do see it on the homepage) please sign up again and let me know! Until Monday, you may see some major weirdness. Please cross your fingers for the next two and a half days.

Lunchtime Hanky Panky

In today's SF Chronicle, Gary Regan writes about the Hanky Panky cocktail, created by Ada Coleman, a legendary bartender from the Savoy. The drink interests me because it contains Fernet-Branca, the incredibly bitter Italian amaro that all the bar/restaurant industry workers in San Francisco drink by the gallon both to cause and cure hangovers. I've really, really tried hard to like Fernet, and am afraid that I'll get kicked out of the city if I don't learn to love it. So I whipped up this cocktail but was stuck on "two dashes" of Fernet the recipe calls for. Fernet is a bitter liqueur rather than an aromatic bitters, which means (technically) you can drink it on its own. So it doesn't come with the little dasher plug on it like your standard Angostura or Peychaud's bitters. So I used about 1/4 ounce of Fernet in the drink and now the drink tastes like Fernet. Not loving it. I'll use less next time. I have had one Fernet cocktail that freaks me out how much I love it; served at Beretta and I believe created by Thad Vogler. It's the Fiskadoro, made with Fernet, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, and Tia Maria. There is nothing in the ingredient list that screams "yummy" to me, but somehow the balance of the drink brings out the mint element of Fernet but not so much the dry bitter barky element. Lordy it's delicious. Now I just made myself thirsty, and I already have a drink in front of me.

Martini, with a meaty garnish

Morton's steakhouse in San Francisco announced they'll be giving out free filet mignon steak sandwiches weekdays from 5-7 PM to lure in the happy hour cocktail crowds. They seem to be promoting their cocktail program heavily lately so I may check out what they're doing one of these days. Free food would get me there sooner rather than later, if I weren't a vegetarian. Let's make a deal- you buy the drinks and I'll give you my sandwich.

Speaking of pisco

The most significant (and embarrassing) fact I learned at Tales of the Cocktail is that pisco is not, in fact, made from whole grapes. According to Diego Loret de Mola of BarSol, it's made from the fermented juice of grapes, just like regular brandy/cognac/armagnac. I don't remember where I read/heard that pisco was made from whole grapes, and I especially don't want to know how many times I repeated this information incorrectly. But that's what learning is all about- not just learning new stuff, but learning when you're wrong, wrong, wrong.

Pisco in 'Cisco

In the August issue of San Francisco Magazine, I have a story on the return of the Pisco Punch, a cocktail that was invented during the Gold Rush era at the Bank Exchange bar. The story highlights Pisco, the new lounge opening next to Destino any day now. The story also mentions that you can get a Pisco Punch at Level III, Cantina, and the Presidio Social Club, but that's ain't everywhere. You can also find it at Orson, Farallon, and Beretta. It was briefly on the menu at Bourbon & Branch. Beyond the punch, the Pisco Sour and other pisco drinks are showing up at places like McCormick & Kuleto’s, Zazil, the Alembic, Coco500, Range, Clock Bar, and NOPA, plus all the Peruvian restaurants that have been serving it all along. And there is another new pisco-focussed restaurant opening on the Embarcadero soon- La Mar Cevicheria Peruana. For all of the other flavors and trends making their way into Bay Area cocktails, nothing is moving onto menus as fast as pisco.

DISCUS: Discuss

DISCUS, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, launched a new Repeal Day website that tells about the history of Prohibition. They also have excerpts from Gary and Mardee Regan's and David Wondrich's books, a long with a list of Prohibition-era recipes. I've always thought that DISCUS was in a tough position. They report on facts and figures- every time you see sales numbers for spirits they're the ones who compiled them; they are the main voice of moderation campaigns in the United States, and they lobby to get pro-drinking legislation passed while being chummy with politicians. They promote the ability to drink more while suggesting people drink less and are anti-regulation while being part of the government system. It's got to be a weird niche to fit into. Anyway, the Repeal Day website is another part of that. They're calling out states that still have blue laws on the books- no Sunday sales of alcohol, no election day alcohol sales, no sampling of liquor like you can do at wineries, and other laws dating back to Prohibition. So while it's an informative look at the lasting effects of Prohibition, it's also an advocacy campaign to repeal laws leftover since Repeal Day.

Mammals gone wild

1. New news to me: Elephants do not get drunk on marula fruit. 2. New news: Malaysian pen-tailed tree shrews do.

Watery whisky

Hate charity but love tax deductions? Like charity but hate thirst? Just like whisky? Then perhaps you'll want to check out the Water of Life whisky auction benefiting rainwater harvesting programs in Uganda. The items up for bid are rare whiskies like the Port Ellen portfolio and a set of 20+ year old Taliskers, though most of the brands are so rare I've never heard of them. There's less than two days of bidding left, so get on it.

Glossy Booze- late July edition

From the glossy magazines that cross my desk... This month, nearly every magazine had one story on Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, one story relating to the Mad Men television show, and an ad for Bombay Sapphire. Odd. Food & Wine (August) lists of eco-friendly spirits with which to mix. Playboy (August) reports on a table-top beer tap that records how much you drink from it an bills you accordingly. Sunset (August) has a memorial to Robert Mondavi, and as part of their One Block Feast series made their own wine and brewed their own beer (pdf file)- which included growing hops. Additionally, they made salt from seawater, which I think would be a very cool addition to the organic margaritas people are making (if seawater is safe). Men's Vogue (August) has a fluffy story on Brunellogate, with a pretty great illustration. Men's Journal lists some recommended Alsatian wines.

Drinking my way through SkyMall

Who doesn't love the awesomeness that is SkyMall? It's a catalogue filled with absolutely nothing you need and everything you want that you don't know you want until you see it and know that you can't possibly go on living without it. It's so good they should call it AirCrack. Anyway, I've been spending a lot of time on planes lately and decided to make a thorough investigation of all the drinking accessories in the catalogue. I didn't do it for me, I did it for you, my fans. What do you call a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine for adults? A Little Snowie. Just add bourbon and you can call the thing a Julep maker. That's great, but entirely useless unless you buy a portable ice cube maker to sit next to it. You know what would be great to put on that sno-cone? Some sort of lemon vodka concoction. And the most efficient way to mix that up is using this fabulous "Old Fashioned Lemonade Stand" (aka lemondrop dispenser) that keeps your booze and juice mixed, and comes with a built-in citrus reamer on top! For simpler tastes, forget the Little Snowie and buy yourself a Lil' Chill Shot machine to cool your shooters down to -2 degrees Fahrenheit. Oddly, the website has dropped the "Lil'" part of the name, but perhaps they didn't want it to be known as Baby's First JagerBomb. Not classy enough? Understandable. Perhaps then you'd prefer this poolside faux-wood tiki table to set your drinks on. Indoors, my choice is the Sixtheenth-Century Italian Replica Globe Bar that opens to reveal glasses and booze inside what looks to be an antique globe- it's a great way to fool the maid who's always getting in to your liquor. These accessories are all great, but they don't meet the entirely of my high-tech boozing needs. Here are some suggestions for new SkyMall products: - Homemade tonic water machine: Just insert of chunk of rare Peruvian cinchona tree bark in one end, and in ten minutes out comes fresh bubbly tonic water. Bark sold separately. - Rim-Tastic 9000: Say goodbye to clumpy rims and hello to the Rim-Tastic 9000! Place your margarita glass in the appliance and select your choice of flavored sugar or salt rims from the control panel, then watch Rim-Tastic go to work creating an even, perfect garnish every time! - Ultra-Sonic Cocktail Shaker: When stirring takes too long and shaking bruises your gin, it's time to call in this new high-tech tippling technology. Using sound waves to integrate rather than agitate your ingredients, your cocktail won't just mix, it will form a molecular flavor bond that holds up to even the most watery of ice cubes. (Also works to clean dentures.)

Many margaritas

The SF Chronicle has a story today on variations of the Margarita, with or without triple sec, etc. Funnily enough we were just talking about this at Tales of the Cocktail. I think the consensus among experts like Jacques Bezuidenhout and Robert Hess (who were speaking on the Margarita at Tales) is that if it doesn't have an orange liqueur like triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier, such as the Tommy's Margarita with just lime, agave nectar, and tequila, it technically isn't a margarita. Still, they argued that it's necessary to explain what the drink is in terms people know at this stage in the game- people who want a Margarita would be hesitant to order a Tequila Gimlet. It's a slippery slope, of course, as most of the same people would say that all the variations of a Martini (Appletini, Summertini, Bacontini) are not Martinis at all. It's funny that the category of foundation drinks that is lime, sugar, and spirit doesn't have its own name. We have the Gimlet, Vodka Gimlet, Daiquiri, Caipirinha, and Tommy's Margarita for gin, vodka, rum, cachaca, and tequila. Each of these drinks allows the base spirit in a cocktail to shine through, just diluting and sweetening it so you don't have to take a mouthful of raw booze.

Sacto gets its own cocktail week

We've been seeing more Sacramento bartenders down in San Francisco lately, as they've started a sub-chapter of SF's United States Bartenders' Guild. Erick Castro from Lounge ON20 & Chicago Fire sent me information on Sacto's first Midtown Cocktail Week this August. The website is here, and this is the schedule: August 5th-11th Tuesday, August 5^th: Cocktail Party Kickoff: Where: L Bar & Martin Miller’s Gin What: Appetizers and cocktails aimed towards local press, industry, city council, etc. Wednesday, August 6^th: The Cocktail Dinner Where: 1. Mason’s & Grey Goose 2. Ink & Diageo 3. Mulvaney’s & Brown Foreman 4. Bistro 33 & Corzo What: Full-course meals across midtown. Cocktails complimenting the dish will be sent out with each course of the meal. Cocktails to be prepared by each restaurant’s own mixologist. Thursday, August 7^th: Mixology Competition Where: Zocalo What: Bartender competition meant to highlight the use of fresh produce and high-quality spirits. Also on Thursday: Guest Bartender Night Where: 1. Zocalo & Partida 2. Kasbah & Skyy 3. LoungeON20 & Pacific Edge 4. GV Hurley & Ultimat Vodka What: Talented mixologists from all over US taking over various bars and bringing their own cocktail menus with them. Friday, August 8^th: The Magnificent Margarita Where: 1. Zocalo & Partida 2. Whiskey Wild & Don Julio 3. Azul & Corralejo 4. Centro & 1800 5. Ernesto’s & Patron What: Participating restaurants across town will all showcase their own seasonal/house margaritas. Twists on the classic will also be encouraged. Prices to vary by location. Saturday, August 9^th: Mysteries of Absinthe Seminar Where: LoungeON20 & Kubler Absinthe What: Seminar geared towards those interested in absinthe, yet possibly having a limited exposure to its flavor and history. Event to take place during early afternoon to avoid conflict, yet take advantage of, Second Saturday Art Walk. Monday, August 11^th: Closing Party Where: Whiskey Wild & Bulleit Bourbon What: Closeout party geared towards restaurant and bar industry.

For every cocktail, a song

Somehow (probably by not owning a functioning television) I missed the whole Bacardi Mojito song/dance craze until someone told me about it a couple of weeks ago. Here it is on YouTube. It's catchy as all get-out so I can see why it's popular. It even has it's own dance moves- let's all do the muddle! I was looking for it today and found this dance video of young kids doing it- at what looks like summer camp or a middle school talent show. A girl plays the bartender in the corner and the kids all do synchronized club moves on stage. OOPS. I'm sure some people on Bacardi's PR staff are jumping out of tall office windows right about now. Today I received a press release for a new branded song- "Caipirinha" by Jinga Boogie, which is sponsored by Leblon. The bottle shows up in the beginning and end of the video, and the record label is listed as "Leblon Productions". It's not a bad idea, since so many people can't pronounce "caipirinha"- and now they can sing it. Some of the lyrics are funny: "You muddle me like ice in your glass My essence changing, you’re crushing everything I want to be reborn in you I want to be new!"

Then later... "You've been with me all this time- I have this inner faith in you You're like sugar to my lime!"

This hot new thing called vinegar

I don't usually copy-and-paste entire stories from other sites, but this one appears to be only on the Gourmet Magazine weekly emailer. (sign up here). It's another story on vinegar in drinks! I'm going to have to try the Vinegar-ade. VINEGAR-ADE For a quick thirst quencher on a hot day, grab a bottle of fruit vinegar and think lemonade minus the lemons. Start with a tablespoon of vinegar in 8 oz of cold water and sweeten to taste. We love it with seltzer water, too. Play around with superfine granulated sugar, honey, or maple syrup. (You can even add more vinegar if desired.) Honey and cider vinegar is a classic combo. Or skip the fruit vinegar and try malt vinegar with maple syrup. Just don't forget to add the ice.

COCKTAIL SOUR Mixologists across the country are raiding the kitchen and sneaking back to the bar with all kinds of vinegar. Todd Appel, head bartender at Crimson Lounge, in Chicago, created a drink called the Pennyroyal that includes Muscat vinegar; Scott Beattie of Cyrus, in Healdsburg, California, makes several summer cocktails with balsamic vinegar; Duggan McDonnell of Cantina, in San Francisco, uses Sherry vinegar in his version of a Lemon Drop; and Eric Alperin of The Doheny, a private club in downtown L.A., uses Charbay Cabernet Sauvignon red-wine vinegar in a cocktail called The 1896. Vinegar: It's the new citrus.

Vinegarwatch continues!

The second annual Tales of the Cocktail swag awards!

Times change, swag changes. This year at Tales of the Cocktail, my swag haul was quite different than last year, but perhaps the presenters' bag o' swag was different than for the media. (Can't I be both?) This year I brought home 3 t-shirts, 4 drinking vessels, 3 types of garnish, 2 absinthe spoons, 8 mini bottles (I drank two in the room), and 2 keychains. Amazingly, I didn't get a single muddler, compared with last year's seven. For last year's awards, click here.

Second Annual Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards

Oddest promotional tie-in: Rain Vodka's emery board (last year they gave an umbrella, which made more sense given the brand name) Best t-shirt: Hangar One Most useful: Kegworks' citrus peeler (from the garnish seminar) Best (and only) Book: The Soul of Brasil by Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown (Sagatiba seminar) Best Coupon Code: 10% off Mud Puddle Books (Charles H. Baker seminar) Best Garnish: Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup Weirdest/Most Expensive/Best Overall Swag: Hendrick's gin's metal croquet mallet stir stick, mar-tea-ni glass, and handheld cell phone extension were odd on their own, let alone combined. Hendrick's continues to live up to their "unusual gin" campaign with unusual events, swag, and their website, without looking like they're trying to hard. Congratulations on winning this year's Swag Awards! I heard there was a gift bag cocktail contest up at the pool, where people had to make drinks using only the items in their swag bags. Those bartenders, they're a crafty (and thirsty) bunch.

The taste of Los Angeles

I'd heard that Absolut was launching a Los Angeles-inspired flavor to add to their line of city-specific flavors that began with Absolut New Orleans (mango and pepper) last year. It made me wonder, what is the flavor of LA? I finally received the press release. Los Angeles tastes like "an all-natural symphony of blueberry, acai berry, acerola cherry, and fruity notes of pomegranate." I'm gonna say that's totally appropriate. After all, LA made pomegranate juice popular across the country when celebrities started drinking POM, and acai is another one of those "miracle" antioxidant foods along with blueberries. People in LA love healthy-sounding foods they don't have to think about. The joke, of course, is that LA-flavored vodka should like like self-tanner and smog. Here are some recommendations for future flavors. Absolut San Francisco: Bananas and patchouli Absolut New York: Mahogany and asphalt Absolut Albuquerque: Salt and lime Absolut Chicago: Mustard Absolut Miami: Cologne and hair spray Absolut San Diego: (unflavored) Absolut Anchorage: Oil and salmon Absolut DC: Shellac and horse poop

Now that's what I call garnish!

Check out this awesome garnish from Victoria Damato-Moran at the 42 Below vodka competition:

The gallery of shakerface

I love the faces people make when they shake cocktails- everyone has their own style. My favorite shakerface of all time is that of Tony Abou-Ganim, who gnashes his teeth and make an orgasmic sound every time he's got a shaker in his hands. He makes it sound like he Just Can't Wait to get that drink in the glass. Last night I judged a 21 Below vodka competition at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco and recorded the shakerface of the contestants. Here are some of the best- click for larger images:

Tales round-up in the Washington Post

Jason Wilson did a terrific write-up of Tales of the Cocktail in the Washington Post.

All in all, this remains the best place to find out about the state of the cocktail in America. And by all accounts, that's a fairly dynamic state.

Amen! Tales of the Cocktail is a week's worth of information and a year's worth of homework.