Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
My first truck load of household goods has arrived at Casa Cóctel, my new home in Baja, Mexico. As I am unpacking my vintage Playboy collection and eagerly awaiting the arrival of my bourbon collection, I am reminded of one of my favorite drinks of all time.
Several years ago for my birthday, Miss Flighty Alberta Straub combined both her jamaica and her famous "Spa Mix" with other delicious ingredients in what she calls her Playboy Bourbon Cooler.
When she first sent me the instructions to prepare this drink for my birthday party, I was so nervous about getting every detail perfect. I was a bit intimidated about finally meeting this famous bar personality who had made plans to come to my former shop LeNell's in Brooklyn to host not only my birthday, but the store's anniversary.
As we assembled all the ingredients in some of my beautiful antique punch bowls and got to know each other better, I realized there was no need for the fear of not getting it all "perfect." It's not always about having an exact recipe, but understanding flavor and pleasing guests. Important lesson, indeed.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
While unpacking into my new home in Mexico, my drink making options remain limited. We still await the delivery of my wine and spirits collection. No drinks possible with original Amer Picon, Red Hook Rye or Old Schiedam genever just yet.
I have grown accustomed to having hundreds of bottles of liquor and wine on hand to experiment with every day. When faced with limited supplies, our creativity can often open up combinations we normally would not consider. However, I've just honestly been too exhausted from this move to get very creative these past few weeks. Having easy yet delicious old favorites on hand gets us through hard times.
All the stress from this major over-the-border move from New York to Baja, Mexico, has taken its toll on my body. I cannot afford a real spa visit, but I have a spa-mix recipe. Bartender Alberta Straub's famous "Spa Mix" is one of those easy standby's that's healthy and so versatile when you don't have a pantry full of esoteric liqueurs and bitters on hand.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell'sliquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
My first truckload of household goods from the States arrived in Mexico this past week. As soon as the refrigerator powered on, we headed to the market for groceries. First stop was a stand labeled "Semillas," meaning "seeds," where we found nuts, spices and dried hibiscus known as "jamaica" heaped tall in metal tubs and baskets. Tired of the boring jamaica we've found in restaurants -- over diluted and often made with jamaica concentrate -- Demian and I were excited to make a big batch of deep ruby red, tart jamaica as one of the first things to put into Casa Cóctel's refrigerator.
Alberta Straub, aka Miss Flighty, is a bartender committed to organic, natural ingredients in her drink making. She introduced me to making cocktails with jamaica. Miss Flighty loves using it as a replacement for cranberry juice and has been quite the evangelist for jamaica's refreshing, inexpensive and kidney-cleansing benefits. Jamaica is one of Alberta's bar essentials and she proved to me how delicious and versatile it is. Now it's a bar essential for me, too.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
A dear friend who loves his absinthe fully deserved my splurge on a 1910 sample of pre-Prohibition absinthe as the perfect way to celebrate his birthday. Older absinthes made without the use of fake coloring often show off what the French call "feuille morte" (or "dead leaf"), simply meaning the green hue has turned more golden. This old sample had stood the test of time and proudly displayed a golden-green hue.
We tasted it on its own, then enjoyed a nice glass in traditional French style, diluted with ice-cold water, enjoying the slow milky color that appeared. The French call this precipitation of essential oils out of the absinthe the "louche." Other methods of serving might include the addition of anisette, maraschino or sugar syrup. The pure pleasure of tasting an old sample was enough for us to savor simply with sugar and water.
True absinthe is back on the retail shelves again in the U.S., but sad to say this delightful beverage is still grossly misunderstood. Yes, the real product contains wormwood. No, you will not hallucinate and kill people by having a glass of it.
Modern science has revealed that true distilled absinthe even made with wormwood contains very little thujone, the ingredient in artemisia absinthium that our government officials claimed to be so worried about. Funny thing is that the herb sage has more thujone than wormwood, but the FDA never banned it. The truth is absinthe was not "legalized" again in the U.S. -- it just took 75 years for someone to work through all the bureaucratic red tape to clarify thujone limitations.
Looking for a spooky way to serve a cocktail this Halloween? How bout black vodka?
Blavod has been marketing a vodka distilled from molasses and colored with extracts from the Burmese black catechu tree since 2004. The black vodka coloring brings a dark shadow to any Halloween bash.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
When I had to shut down my liquor shop in Brooklyn due to a lost lease back in February of this year, I decided to hit the road the very next day after vacating the former LeNell's Ltd storefront. Guest bartending, teaching classes and learning from talented bartenders made the pain of losing my beloved business sting less.
I spent a month in Holland learning from the amazing men of Amsterdam's door 74, which is without a doubt Amsterdam's best classic cocktail bar. While there, I decided to reach out and see if I could finally meet a woman I had admired from across the Atlantic ocean.
Ms. Fenny van Wees, the distiller of A. van Wees Distillery de Ooievaar, runs the last authentic distillery left in Amsterdam. The distillery's heritage goes back as far as 1782. I was eager to meet this feisty woman, whose passion is to keep the old ways alive and not give into pressures to mass produce, which compromises quality. She uses only raw, natural products and hand-selects her herbs, flowers and spices. We spent a whole day together at the distillery, leaving me so elated I could barely get to sleep that night.
The approach of chilly weather may leave many craving warm libations, but this Vodka Rosemary Lemonade Fizz is truly a drink for all seasons. The bloggers of the Bitten Word tackled this Gourmet recipe, which eschews the usual infusion to instead create a simple syrup with sugar, rosemary and lemon juice subbing for water. The syrup can keep for weeks in the fridge and need only be topped with vodka and a dash of club soda to be served.
Rosemary adds a nice mouthfeel and complexity to the crisp, refreshing drink, but almost any herb will serve well in simple syrup, from lavender to Thai basil. Spill your simple syrup recipes or ideas in the comments.
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Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
Back when I was first learning to make drinks, bartenders weren't overwhelmed with a gazillion competitions to prove their skills. Everywhere you turn now, some liquor brand is sponsoring a cocktail competition. As a result, bartenders and mixologists feel the pressure to expand their resumes with accolades and titles.
Last year, B&B celebrated its 70th Anniversary with a Master Mixologist Showcase. I realized I had judged several competitions, but never actually been in one, so I thought this experience would be good to humble an old dog like me. My drink didn't come in first place, but in the words of my British pals "my chat was on fire." What's the use of a bartender if she can't entertain you and make a decent drink at the same time?
The competition took place in New York's historic 21 Club where bartenders first served up a mixture of equal parts brandy and the herbal liqueur known as Bénédictine in the 1930s. Eventually this drink became so popular, Bénédictine decided to start bottling their liqueur with brandy themselves -- in 1937. I named my cocktail after the abbey where the liqueur was born in Normandy, France.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
Whiskey and wine consume me as well as I them, but coffee must have captured my heart. Unfortunately, my household move from New York City to Mexico has been held up by the restoration of my antique Faema "Urania" espresso machine. Thank the java gods who inspire rare folks such as the Italian gents at Omnipak Imports in New York to work their magic and lovingly bring back to life such old monster machines. How can I ever serve guests at Casa Cóctel with my dignity intact without a proper machine to make lovely coffee drinks? Coffee is just yet another ingredient in the cocktail pantry.
Sean Muldoon is the mastermind behind the award-winning bar menu of the Merchant Hotel in Belfast. When I say award-winning, I mean they took the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Awards by storm, with World's Best Drink Selection, World's Best Hotel Bar and World's Best Cocktail Menu. I had my best ever Irish Coffee in this gorgeous historic bar with the sweetheart, Mr. Muldoon, as my host.
New York City isn't about to forget its cocktail roots.
The wild popularity of New Orleans' Tales of the Cocktail has prompted imbibing New Yorkers to get into the cocktail conference game. Enter the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, which held a preview session over the weekend in anticipation of a full-blown, five-day cocktail conference next May 14-18. Lucky attendees to the preview seminars were taught cocktail lessons from behind the bar at swank locales throughout the city.
The cap to the weekend was a wild party at the main branch of the New York Public Library on Oct. 4, complete with a Prohibition-style "Free Lunch," cocktails from more than two dozen bartenders and a live band that made the place jump in "Great Gatsby"-like fashion. Check out Slashfood's photos after the jump.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
The moving truck rolls into Brooklyn this week. The big international move to Mexico has been brutal to organize, but -- lucky me! -- I had the very cool cats called Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) host a splendid Hasta Luego shindig in my honor.
One of the members, Elayne Duke, served up an original creation she called "Little Bit of Country," that's perfect for the chill coming in the air these days. Her cocktail pretty much sums me up: kick of bourbon, little sweetness, nice tartness, touch of spiciness and just enough bitter to balance it all out. My Granny sent me a fabulous leopard-print dress to wear that just had to have a pink feather boa for the party ... and I sported my cowboy boots for a "little bit of country."
'Sips and Apps: Classic and Contemporary Recipes for Cocktails and Appetizers' By Kathy Casey Photos by Angie Norwood Browne Chronicle Books -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
Kathy Casey isn't a mixologist, she's a "bar chef" -- a trained chef with mad cocktail skills. In "Sips and Apps," she ventures off the well-trod path of standard cocktail guides to explore cocktails with such seductive names as Black Feather and Clear Conscience.
But it's her appetizers that are sure to offer a new trick or two for your next cocktail soiree.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
I drink rosé year round. Get over the idea that it's a flimsy soda-pop wine meant for picnics. When in doubt for food pairing, I often go with the pink. Rosé can be so versatile, even as an ingredient in a cocktail.
You can still find Bordeaux bottles every now and then, labeled claret, that are dark, dry, "serious" rosés. For my cocktail feature this week, I strongly suggest picking up a bottle. If not Bordeaux, look for a rosé made with Bordeaux grapes like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc or a malbec that's so dark, it's almost a light red.
Rosé ain't for wimps. Neither is this cocktail named after Rosie, the American icon who represented the many women who went to work in factories to help us make it through World War II. Toast all the beautiful and strong women in your life who make this world a better place!
Get the recipe for Rosé the Riveter after the jump. ...
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
Hotel bars have the potential to serve as a haven while you are on vacation, but often they are just places to get ripped off for a mediocre drink. When you're lucky enough to happen upon that truly special hotel bar where no detail has been overlooked, the sticker shock on the cocktail menu might just melt away into your highballs.
I had the quintessential hotel bar experience in London's lovely Connaught Hotel. The barmen were as beautiful as the surroundings, but the drinks were the showstoppers. After the most divine martini service ever, the barman suggested I try a margarita.
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
Do you ever get a little argumentative when you've imbibed a little too much? Alcohol consumption often does loosen up the tongue. After a few drinks with my best friend Ben, I recently got all belligerent about Scotch cocktails.
Anybody who knows me knows I love my American whiskeys: bourbon, rye, wheat, even corn whiskey. I'll always prefer bourbon over Scotch -- although, I do enjoy plenty of Scotch whiskeys too. But I've rarely had a Scotch cocktail that made me want to come back for more.
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