Drinking The World

Make the art of enjoying fine whiskies a part of your lifestyle.

Whisky Live New York 2010 would like to offer you the opportunity to sample some of the finest scotches, whiskies, and bourbons in the world, from the US, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Japan and more. With a couple guest spirits as well.

Please accept their invitation to join them for a night out at beautiful Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, NYC. They would like you to use this Special Discount Code for 20% off your ticket purchase (ny10web32), at Whisky Live New York 2010 in the Ticket Offer Code box online or use this phone number, 1-847-249-4333.

Whisky Live New York, during New York Tartan Week, once again returns to the spectacular Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, 23rd Street on the Hudson River, in the heart of the city, on Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Whether you are a seasoned whisky lover or a novice, you can expect to experience an incredible and in-depth insight into the world of whisky, great food and fantastic entertainment. Whisky Live New York will bring the world of whisky to life, increasing your knowledge of whiskies and a chance to meet the whisky experts.

Book your tickets in advance and save, to ensure your place at Whisky Live New York 2010! Advance tickets may be ordered now at Whisky Live New York 2010. Attendance is limited and tickets are selling fast, so book soon!

Visit WhiskyLive.com more information about their other events in North America and World-Wide.

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.

On Thursday I dined at Bayona Restaurant as Junior Merino, The Liquid Chef, worked his liquid magic upon us all. The meal itself was fine, but the star of the evening wasn't the food at Bayona or chef Susan Spicer, who wasn't to be seen or even heard of all night, but Junior and his cocktails. I was lucky enough to sit at the table with Junior and his lovely wife Heidi. Also with us was David Suro-Pinera, restaurateur, tequila aficionado, and creator of Siembra Azul - a small batch, artisanally crafted tequila of the highest quality. I met David briefly at the airport as we got off the plane on our way to Tales, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him again at the dinner. It was the perfect time to have a nice conversation and enjoy his charming company. Interestingly enough half of the conversation at the table was in Spanish because one of David's friends didn't speak any English. This didn't bother me much because while I can only speak a few words of Spanish, after growing up in NYC I can get the gist of a conversation, especially when the topic is food and drinks. Also at the table was Andrew Toplack, a psychotherapist from Toronto, Canada. This made the conversation around the table even more interesting since I used to be a psychotherapist myself, before switching to the Spirit World.

Dinner started off with a small appetizer of Ashley's Pickled Shrimp with Deviled Eggs, the finest rendition of potted shrimp I have had, with a so, so, sweet and briny flavor, fresh from the sea; with just a hint of mild herbs. I thought that out of the hundreds of shrimp dishes I have had in my life, all over the world, that this was one of the nicest. The excellent deviled egg and lemon basil aioli complemented the shrimp perfectly. I enjoyed it so much that I actually slowed down, cut the shrimp into small bites, and savored every morsel, saving the tasty heads and tails for last.

Paired with the potted shrimp was the La Condesa cocktail, which was sweet and sour, and perfectly matched the dish.

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They call New Orleans the Big Easy, but yesterday was big, but not easy, as I spent my first full day here, prior to the start of Tales of the Cocktail. I am one of the 24 judges for the 2008 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competition, a strict rum judging event coordinated by the Ministry of Rum at Tales. There was a long list of people who were considered as judges for this event and Ed Hamilton, the head of the Ministry, spent several weeks winnowing down the list to some of the top rummies around.

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