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Monday Booze News the sustainable bar, robot bartenders and win some booze

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Monday Booze News: Cookies and Punch Edition // stirandstrain.com

Holiday Gift Guide: You High Roller You…

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So you’re a high roller. A baller. Actually, I don’t really understand what any of that means. But if you just won in big in Vegas and have gobs of cash to spend decorating your home bar, let me help. Also, did you know I make drinks for hire? Let’s chat.

Holiday Gift Guide: The High Roller // stirandstrain.com

You can buy yourself a brand new pair of lungs; lucky you. Let’s put that ash out on a Hermes ashtray then while you are sipping on the ridiculously expensive Dalmore 62 you just grabbed from your crystal desktop bar. Unless of course your butler just pushed in your 70’s vintage bar cart with some bubbly ready to pop. And when you’re ready to head out the door and mix up some drinks for friends…well, you have that well crafted bar bag ready at hand.

1. Waterford Crystal Tabletop Bar 2. Armand de Brignac Brut Champagne 3. Tiffany Cocktail Glasses 4. Hermes Ashtray 5. Dalmore 62 6. Bartender Bag 7. Bar Cart

 

Check out all the past gift guides here!

The Traveling Bar: Harlowe // Los Angeles

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The Traveling Bar: Harlowe in West Hollywood, CA // stirandstrain.comThe Traveling Bar is an on-going series where cocktail bloggers, bartenders and boozy professionals pick their favorite neighborhood watering holes. Los Angeles has produced some of the best bars in the country over the past few years, so it makes sense that we find ourselves back there again. Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, one half of the duo behind 12 Bottle Bar, gives us her West Hollywood favorite. ~Elana

Who: Lesley Jacobs Solmonson
Website: 12 Bottle Bar
Bar: Harlowe
Where: West Hollywood (Los Angeles, CA)

The Traveling Bar: Harlowe in West Hollywood, CA // stirandstrain.com1. What do you look for in a bar?

Like a cocktail, it requires an equal balance of the right ingredients. In this case, impeccably made drinks, great food (to soak up the alcohol), a welcoming atmosphere that invites you to stay awhile, and bartenders eager to share their craft.

2. Here’s the scenario: your cocktail lovin’ friend is coming to your town for ONE night. You only have time for ONE bar. Which one is it?

Los Angeles is so full of amazing bars from east side to west side that picking a favorite is a serious challenge. But, given the parameters I mentioned, Harlowe fits the bill on every level.

3. What makes this place so special you’d bring them here?

When you walk inside, you feel you’ve stepped back in time. The designers wanted to capture the Golden Age of Hollywood and they have succeeded beautifully – vintage tiles, lamps with a gaslight feel, charming paintings of winsome ladies on the walls. There’s a huge central bar that runs the length of the room, booths around the sides, even a shrub-enclosed patio. The lighting is dim enough to feel moody, but not so dark you can’t see your drink. Some nights they have DJs, which I tend to avoid because I like to talk with friends and the bartenders. I usually go on the early side because I can do just that.

The menu changes seasonally, but the selection of drinks covers the gamut from original cocktails that use less common spirits like apple brandy, pisco, rhum agricole, and genever, to classic drinks that have been house-bottled like their Sazerac or put on draft like their Negroni. And the drinks are served by some of the cities best bartenders, who love discussing the nuances of their creations or debating the best way to make a classic. Just be sure you don’t try to get into a major conversation if the bar is full!

4. What do you order for your friend? What do you order for yourself?

For me, it would be the West Hollywood. Of all the cocktails I’ve had in the last year, this is the one I come back to again and again — and even make at home. It’s essentially a Manhattan, but the balance of Laird’s Apple Brandy, Noilly Prat Ambre, Dry Curacao, Angostura and the Calvados-soaked apple garnish is an inspired reinvention of the classic.

For my friend, it would, of course depend on their spirit of choice. If they weren’t sure, I’d order them a Shandy Koufax, a combination of Cana Brava rum, Amaro Meletti, , pineapple gomme, lemon, California IPA, and Angostura. A slightly tropical, refreshing rum-beer mash up.

5. Does the bar have food? If not, where would you go for a bite?

One of the reasons I chose Harlowe is because many bars don’t have food unless they are in a restaurant. I purposely didn’t choose a restaurant bar because that felt like a cheat. Harlowe’s menu was created by L.A. chef Eric Greenspan and, while it is mainly snack-based, the offerings are hearty and fun. If I just want a few nibbles, I go for the charred brussels sprouts and cheese puffs. When I’m really hungry and plan to stay awhile, I can choose from fish ‘n chips, a French Dip, or — my favorite — the open-faced bologna sandwich with gruyere and a fried egg. Now that really gives you a foundation for a night of imbibing.

*Photos courtesy of Lesley Jacobs Solmonson.

More Traveling Bar Posts found here!

And one more thing…

If you haven’t yet, you guys need to check out the The 12 Bottle Bar cocktail book! It’s one of my picks for the Boozy Book Club Gift Guide, and should be under your tree this year.

Monday Booze News making cocktails with leftovers, wine without the headaches and newbie drinking tips

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boozenews-glass

Holiday Gift Guide: It’s a Jungle Out There

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When nature calls…be sure you have a drink in hand.

It's a Jungle Out There Holiday Gift Guide 2014 // stirandstrain.com

Life is hard. Especially when you have a monkey on your back (er…shoulder). But with a solid recipe book, a glass to drink from and a zebra striped shaker, you can face the wild world with confidence, albeit 3 sheets to the wind.

1. Flamingo Glass 2. Sippin’ Safari 3. Fish Napkins 4. Snake Coasters 5. Zebra Cocktail Shaker 6. Elephant Bottle Opener 7. Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch

The Southall Tonic

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The Southall Tonic // stirandstrain.comFor some time now I’ve had a “warming cocktail with turmeric” sitting in my to-make queue. Summer clearly was not the time to bust that out. Now that it’s turned a tad cooler out, I figured I should quickly get my act together and make this, especially before I found winter had sped by and it was too late to make it again (story of my life).The Southall Tonic // stirandstrain.com

Inspiration came from an unlikely place this time in the form of online dating. Yes, if you’ve been a loyal (or even semi-loyal) reader on here you know I am attached, so I wasn’t out looking, but Match.com came looking for me! In collaboration with the site, they asked me to come up with a London-inspired cocktail. Something that you’d want to order on your first date. You know, the date where you’re trying to impress the other person with your knowledge of fine spirits and interesting ingredients…. that “showing off” I try to impress all of you readers with every week.

For me, when I think of what Londoners are drinking, my mind goes to sophistication. Classy, gin-based cocktails (I’m picturing the American Bar at the Savoy), and then, perhaps, closely followed by beer (I mean, there’s a lot of pubs around town). But all of that tends to start to seem mundane when you suddenly have to impress someone on a first date. And first impressions are everything. So, I’ve come up with a London-inspired cocktail that is still sophisticated, but much more interesting than your run of the mill gin and tonic. Looking for your ice breaker? Here you go…The Southall Tonic // stirandstrain.com

What was my inspiration behind this cocktail? Tony Conigliaro, whose imaginative cocktails are inspiring to myself and many others way across the pond, and curry. No, seriously, curry too. When I think of the flavors of London, I immediately go to the fragrant and spicy dishes found everywhere in town. An amalgam of cultures, London lets you cherry pick the best flavors found all over the planet. But for today, my mind went to curry.The Southall Tonic // stirandstrain.com

Or, more specifically, the turmeric found in curry. Turmeric’s bright yellow color not only provides a beautiful color for the cocktail, but its peppery flavor profile gives it a nice earthy, warm kick too. Oh, and if you’re looking for some banter, it also has numerous health benefits, lots of which you can wiki when you have a moment (just not during your date please).

And there I got my warming cocktail, with turmeric. A couple dashes of lapsang souchong tea tincture gave the drink not only some heft, but an unexpected smoky flavor coming from such a brightly colored cocktail. Rounding out the ingredients, orange flower was added as a finishing touch calling out some of the Middle Eastern influence also found around town. Orange was used instead of lime for the much needed citrus element for this take on a Gin and Tonic.

Southall Tonic

2 ounces London Dry Gin, Beefeater used here
3/4 ounce Turmeric syrup (recipe below)
3-4 drops Lapsang Souchong tea tincutre
4 ounces tonic water, Fever-Tree used here
2 sprays orange flower water (use an atomizer to disperse)

orange peel for garnish

Build the drink by adding a large ice cube to a double rocks glass. Pour in syrup and then add drops of tincture. Pour in gin, top with tonic and then spray orange flower water over glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Turmeric Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh turmeric root, cleaned and roughly chopped

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 2 hours. Strain into an airtight container. Store for up to one month.The Southall Tonic // stirandstrain.com

Strong orange oil on the nose and the hint of quinine. The first sip is both sweet and immediately hits you with savory from the tea tincture; it’s an unexpected twist. Next layer of flavors you get are more earthy from the turmeric syrup which balances the sweetness of the syrup and tonic against the strong, smoky lapsang suchong. In the end there is still a crisp bite from the gin that reminds you, at its core, it’s just a tarted up Gin & Tonic.

This post is in collaboration with Match.com. For more information on their city guides, please visit them here!

Monday Booze News the biggest trend in cocktails, lots of Thanksgiving inspiration, and drive-thru booze

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Monday Booze News Cocktails // stirandstrain.com

Holiday Gift Guide: The Boozy Book Club

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Curling up by the fire, cocktail in one hand, a great book in the other, is one fantastic way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon. And this year, we’re in luck with the amazing plethora of cocktail books that have hit the shelves. Ready to crack one open? Let’s dive in with this week’s Gift Guide!

Holiday Gift Guide: Boozy Book Club // stirandstrain.com

 

From single spirits to honing your craft to the actual science behind that drink, there is a cocktail book out there for everyone this year. Thanks 2014. And if your bartender is still shaking your Manhattan, well, there’s a book for that too.

Top Row: Sherry / Death & Co / Shrubs

Middle Row: Proof / The Bar Book / The Old-Fashioned

Bottom Row: Liquid Intelligence / Spirit of Gin / The 12 Bottle Bar

 

Check out all the past gift guides here!

Cranberry Especial Cocktail

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Cranberry Especial Cocktail // stirandstrain.comLast night I made a batch of cranberry sauce. Don’t worry, I realize Thanksgiving is still a week away and no, I’m not going crazy with early prep. It’s actually for a project that you guys will hear about next week. Anyway, it was delicious. It’s also a reminder of how food has changed in my life.

Cranberry Especial Cocktail // stirandstrain.comWhen I was a young person, I had no idea what real cranberries looked like, apart from some illustrations on a bottle of cran-apple juice, and for me, cranberry sauce was cylindrical and had ridges. This was just an accepted fact until I actually ate real homemade cranberry sauce. I don’t remember liking it very much. It was too tart and soupy and where was all the sugar?! Now we make cranberry sauce at home every year and once in awhile I will eat out someplace that still uses canned. It’s more a novelty now; like eating Twinkies. Twinkies are pretty gross now to me, as are most of those grocery store goodies I used to crave.

This isn’t a rant by the way about processed foods and being a food snob. Mainly standing over the stove making the sauce last night just reminded me about how much I’ve come to appreciate and love home cooked food.

Cranberry Especial Cocktail // stirandstrain.comAlso, that I actually really like cranberries too. And so here is your token cranberry holiday cocktail because Thanksgiving is next week. And… cranberries!

1-1/2 ounces Oloroso Sherry, Williams & Humbert Dry Sack 15 year Oloroso used here
3/4 ounce unsweetened cranberry juice, Knudsen’s used here
1/2 ounce gold rum, Phraya used here
1/2 ounce simple syrup, see note above
2 dashes orange bitters such as Fee Brothers
orange peel for garnish

In a shaker 2/3 filled with ice, combine sherry, cranberry juice, rum, simple syrup and bitters. Shake well about 20 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with an orange peel.

I created this drink for Serious Eats as a lighter, lower ABV cocktail that you can drink at your holiday party and not get tanked with. I chose the Dry Sack Oloroso style, with its dry, sweet and nutty profile, as my perfect match for cranberries. The sweetness of the sherry also balances the lip-puckering tartness of the cranberry juice. And using real unsweetened cranberry juice here instead of a syrup helps to lighten the dense and potentially sticky mouthfeel of sherry. (Using a heavy syrup alongside of an Oloroso might have been, well, too much of a good thing.) Because sherry has only 20% ABV, the drink makes for a nice, lighter alcohol aperitif to start your evening. An extra half ounce of gold rum added to the drink gives more spicy depth to the drink without adding much boozy punch or detracting from the sherry’s flavor.

The Traveling Bar: Hotsy Totsy Club // East Bay

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The Traveling Bar: Hotsy Totsy Club Albany // stirandstrain.comThe Traveling Bar is an on-going series where cocktail bloggers, bartenders and boozy professionals pick their favorite neighborhood watering holes. Today we’re back in the East Bay (in Northern California)  joined by Todd from Honestly Yum for his favorite place to get a drink. Read on to find out where you can oogle a tower of gin and then later feast on tacos. Mmmm… ~Elana

Who: Todd Wagner
Website: Honestly Yum
Bar: Hotsy Totsy Club
Where: East Bay (Albany, CA)

1. What do you look for in a bar?

While admittedly I’m quite the cocktail nerd, by no means would I consider myself a cocktail snob. Consequently, I like a bar that takes its craft seriously, but doesn’t take itself too seriously; a place that can mix me up a boulevardier or a last word, but won’t get snarky if I order a rum and coke or a screwdriver. I’m a sucker for a good tequila selection and fresh citrus. Friendly bartenders go a long way, especially when I see they have a group of loyal regulars.The Traveling Bar: Hotsy Totsy Club Albany // stirandstrain.com

2. Here’s the scenario: your cocktail lovin’ friend is coming to your town for ONE night. You only have time for ONE bar. Which one is it?

The first place I always take my friends is the Hotsy Totsy Club in Albany, CA. It’s my favorite neighborhood bar – I grew up just around the corner. Nothing beats it!

3. What makes this place so special you’d bring them here?

The Hotsy Totsy has it all: the charm of your friendly neighborhood bar, mixed with the craft of today’s cocktail scene. The local regulars are practically family. The owners Jessica and Michael keep the bar stocked with an evolving selection of spirits, old and new, including an impressive tower of gin. The bartenders are all incredibly knowledgeable, and in times of indecisiveness they never fail to mix me up something delicious.The Traveling Bar: Hotsy Totsy Club Albany // stirandstrain.com

4. What do you order for your friend? What do you order for yourself?

Hmm, so many choices…if it’s chilly outside I’d probably order my friend a “Hot Totsy”. It’s a flaming drink that uses overproof rum, brandy, honey syrup, lemon juice, hot water, and a winter spice blend. The spices are toasted over the flaming glass, which always makes for an impressive show (and smells incredible, btw). If the weather’s warm, and let’s face it we’re in California, I’d probably go with something cold and refreshing like “El Matador” (pictured here) – Hangar One chipotle vodka, Ancho Reyes, lime juice, agave and cilantro with a sriracha-salt rim. As for me, I’d probably order a glass of well-rum and fresh-squeezed grapefruit. Old habits die hard.

5. Does the bar have food? If not, where would you go for a bite?

The bar itself doesn’t serve food, but there’s an incredible taco truck called Tacos El Autlense parked in the Totsy’s parking lot, 7 days a week. Cocktails and tacos…it doesn’t get much better than that!

*Photos courtesy of Todd Wagner.

More Traveling Bar Posts found here!