Drinking The World

Some days are ho hum. I just flow through life, with little effort, pleasure, or meaning. Other days are filled with excitement or even terror. (Especially back when I was a professional mountain climber, rescue worker, and wilderness guide.) There are days with enlightenment, philosophical and educational. Now, many of my days are boozy times of food and luxury. Being in the food, spirits, and cocktail industry has raised my expectations, expanded my horizons, and even left me somewhat jaded at times. I get invited to events and I wonder, what’s next? Will it be fun? Exciting? Or just plain boring. At the worst of times it’s still pretty good. I get to meet up and chat with my friends, and make some new ones. Across the country, and even around the world, we’re a pretty tight crew. The bartenders and mixologists, spirit brand ambassadors and reps, cocktail/spirit writers and bloggers, fanatic cocktail enthusiasts, and a few others who have a tangible, if not visible presence. I’m glad to know so many, and to call them friends.

The other morning I was invited last minute to fill in for a writer friend, at a rare event. I tasted half a dozen cognacs, culminating with a few sips of a single cask bottling that sent me floating along on a wave of flavor and luxury. The few bottles that will be available will retail for $15,000 each, with only 30 allocated to the U.S, and I walked out of there more than a little blurry around the edges.

Now most people would call it a day. But this was just the start and had at least twelve more hours to go. I sat down at a nice tapas restaurant for something to eat, and a glass of wine, then a beer. I had to quench my thirst a bit and relax after an intense and overwhelming morning. I had an all day and night long event starting just after lunch, and by now I was starting to feel like I was wrapped in cotton wool, feeling no pain. In an unusual turn of events I didn’t know exactly what the next was about, with not even a plan of attack. I was just winging it. Although I had a feeling it might be pretty good, Simon Ford of Plymouth Gin and Absolut Vodka always puts on a great event.

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I've been working for several months experimenting with various botanicals for bitters and to use in making gin. Right now I am working on some bitters recipes that are unique, with a Colonial and Native American medicinal twist. So far I have around 115 botanicals that I've made into tinctures and infusions, with around 40 more that I haven't gotten around to yet, and a future list of another 50 or so which I have to track down. My botanical lab is now stocked with the following essences that are the basis for my "Library" of flavors and aromas.

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On Sunday night October 4th, starting at 8pm was the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Gala Spectacular, held in the Astor Hall at the New York Public Library. To say Gala or Spectacular doesn’t give the evening justice. As you walked up the stairs leading to the libraries entrance, you were guided by the warmly glowing light of candle lit luminaria (a south-west tradition of lining walkways with candles in paper bags), welcoming you the event.

As you passed through the doors into the main chamber, big jazz band, Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks were playing joyfully, setting the theme for the evening. Inside on two floors were a dozen bars staffed by the best of the best in the cocktail world. Spread out among the bars were buffets loaded with a plethora of fine cheese, cold cuts, guinea fowl, pheasant, duck, Berkshire pork, sandwiches, breads, and so much more. There was a also a chocolate buffet, desert tables, and a raw bars with oyster opened to order.

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New York City was afloat in cocktails on the weekend of October 3rd and 4th during the preview of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (MCC.) The two days were just a taste, No, more like a tease, of an annual, week long event of all things Cocktails that will begin in May 2010. the core events were held at the Astor Center, with the preview consisting of two days of seminars, spirit and cocktail tasting events, networking, and a bar where dozens of the top bartenders and mixologists in the world, tag teamed all day long to serve up their creations. In addition many of the best cocktail bars in the city also opened their doors during the days from 1-3pm for special cocktails and mini-presentations. The key point to make about the MCC is that this is a celebration of cocktails from a New York City point of view. Again and again it became clear that the Big Apple isn’t the best moniker for the City That Never Sleeps.

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Just to tease you, here is the schedule for what looks like it will be the premier New York City Cocktail Event of the Fall. The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Fall Preview 2009.

Schedule of Events

Saturday Seminars
12:00pm – 6:30pm, Astor Center
Tickets are $50 each. That half-Benjamin (or a Grant, as some might call it) will also get you complimentary admission to the Official Bar of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (plus one drink ticket) on Saturday. All educational seminars will take place at Astor Center. Note the separate entrances for the Study and Gallery. Rest up on Friday night, and eat a hearty breakfast in the morning.

Have Cocktail Shaker, Will Travel with Charlotte Voisey & Simon Ford
12:00 pm-1:30 pm @ The Gallery
Once the last legal cocktail was served on the eve of Prohibition in New York City, things would never be the same again. ‘Have cocktail shaker, will travel’ was the mindset of many a passionate barkeep in the 1920’s when their craftsmanship turned criminal. Join Charlotte Voisey, Simon Ford and other assorted friends for a jovial discussion on how New York has been influencing cocktail culture around the world for many years. Liquid references will be served.

The Gallery at Astor Center, 399 Lafayette Street at E. 4th Street
Admission includes entry to the Official Bar of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic plus one drink ticket.

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The Manhattan Cocktail Classic is having a two day preview this weekend at the Astor Center in NYC. Bringing cocktails in force to The Big Apple.

"The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, New York City’s first ever multi-day event celebrating the history, contemporary culture, and artful craft of the cocktail. Part festival, part fête, part conference, part cocktail party, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic brings together the unparalleled talents and opportunities of the bars, bartenders, and restaurants of our great city for two days of activities, both educational and celebratory in nature, championing the common ideals of authenticity, equality, sustainability, service, and pleasure. (There will be some drinking involved, too.)"

The line-up of events and seminars looks great, and the power hitters of the cocktails world have coordinated everything, so you know that this is going to become NYC's premier cocktail event.

I like using ginger syrup in cocktails and sauces when cooking. Here's how I make mine.

Buy ten pounds of the freshest, youngest, firmest ginger that you can find in an Asian produce shop. In NYC's Flushing Chinatown I can get the best ginger for $0.99 a pound.

Cut the ginger into 1" chunks and run through a juicing machine. I use the Breville "Juice Fountain." You will end up with apx. a gallon/4 liters of fresh ginger juice.

Make a simple syrup with the juice by adding equal parts of sugar. In this case a gallon is 16 cups, so in a large pot mix the juice and 16 cups of cane sugar. This is apx. 7.25 lbs. or 3.3 kilos.

Stir gently and bring to a boil and immediately turn off heat. Carefully ladle hot syrup into sterilized canning jars to a half inch from the top. Put on the lids finger tight. Process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes. The syrup will keep for at least a year or two in the sealed jars. Once open store in the fridge where it will keep for several months. This will make around 5.5 quarts of ginger syrup.

With the temperature in the 90's I've been looking forward to cooler style cocktails in the evenings. Here's one I whipped up that reminds me of drinks I had in Cambodia. Kampuchea is another name for that country so I dub this the Kampuchea Cooler.

Kampuchea Cooler

2 oz Pusser's Rum
1 oz fresh Lemon juice
1 oz Ginger Syrup (Click here for recipe)
1 oz Bitter Lemon/Lime syrup (click here for recipe)
1.5 oz ripe, fresh Mango (I use the jarred Del Monte "SunFresh" Mango I get in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle)
3 dashes Angostura bitters

Muddle mango well. Add other ingredients and shake very well on ice. Strain into an ice filled Collins glass or other 12 oz glass. Top with 4-6 oz seltzer water and stir gently. Garnish with a slice of mango or lemon wheel.

On a really hot day like today you need something to cool you off that's refreshing and with a bit of spice. So in honor of a hot and steamy city in Vietnam, where the temperature and humidity can both hit 99, here's the Ca Mau Cooler.

Ca Mau Cooler

2 oz gin
1.25 oz ginger syrup (1 part ginger juice to 1 part sugar)
1 very small, seedless, slice of jalapeno pepper (This can be omitted if you don't want the added spice. But I feel that if you are going to sweat, it might as well be worth it.)
1/2 handful of cilantro
.75 oz lime juice

Muddle well. Shake very well and double strain into a 12 oz glass, add 4-6 oz seltzer, stir gently, and top with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Drink. Repeat as needed.

I always liked Gin and Schweppes Bitter Lemon on hot days growing up. The tart and slightly bitter mixer really kept you cool and refreshed. Here is a recipe I came up with for my own version. It's very similar, but even more refreshing.

1 liter H2O
Juice and zest of three limes
Juice and zest of two lemons
1/2 lime rind
1/2 lemon rind
8 gm fresh ginger root
4 gm crushed (not powdered) Cinchona bark
20 gm citric acid
1 gm salt
400 gm sugar (apx 2 cups)

Bring all ingredients except sugar to a boil and simmer 30 minutes. Carefully filter through a coffeee filter while hot. Should give apx 1/2 liter liquid. Put in jar and add sugar. Shake until dissolved. use syrup with seltzer water to taste. Add gin.