Indy Spirits Expo This year’s Indy Spirits Expo on November 17th was much improved since last year’s inaugural year, though crammed into the cool, brick-walled nightclub space of The Mighty. This event offers one of the better opportunities I’ve seen to sample everything from cachaca and pisco, to absinthe and eaux de vie, all in one room, among the best… Read more →
In my travels last week through the magical land of Tequila, Mexico, I tasted, yes, ridiculous amounts of tequila from a wide range of distillers, but also at various restaurants and bars. After watching tequila being made and sampling it in its homeland, I gained a deeper appreciation than I already had for the agave spirit. Here are three superb… Read more →
COCKTAILS Fall cocktails abound on menus around town but leave it to the artful hands behind the bar at Alembic to create a savory pumpkin drink (pumpkin being my most beloved taste of Fall). Their Pumpkin V. 3.14 ($11) is made with Old Pogue bourbon, Old World Spirits walnut liqueur (which I recently wrote about in the Guardian’s FEAST food… Read more →
There’s mezcal… and there’s Del Maguey. You may have heard me talk about Del Maguey mezcals and the line’s founder, Ron Cooper, in the past. A session with the gentle yet passionate Ron (like his mezcal seminar at 2010 Tales of the Cocktail) is forever memorable. Even the way he describes fermentation stays with you: “[Fermentation is like] wild creatures… Read more →
ARMAGNAC Bas-Armagnac Delord, 25-year – At a recent visit to my neighborhood haunt, The Alembic, Daniel Hyatt offered a pour of recently acquired Maison Delord’s 25 year Bas-Armagnac (“Bas” signifying the western region of Armagnac where grapes to make this armagnac are grown). I love the elegant simplicity of the label and seal – what’s inside the bottle is anything… Read more →
“[Whisky] feels appropriately intellectual: a drink you can wrestle with, linger over, and appreciate with all its nooks and crannies.” — Victoria Moore, “How to Drink“ WhiskyFest turns into Whisky Week with many of the world’s great master distillers and brand ambassadors in town from the reaches of Scotland and Kentucky. I had the privilege of meeting with seven different… Read more →
COCKTAILS PROSPECT, SoMa – In the midst of 3.5 star reviews and consistent accolades, Prospect moves forward in its early opening months shining. My first take on it was strong and repeat visits only confirm. This place is the whole package (see Top Tastes for food, below for wine). Enter more supreme cocktails from Brooke Arthur and crew. On the… Read more →
ROSE PISTOLA, North Beach – Lovely bar manager Aurora Siegel maintains a fine cocktail menu at Rose Pistola that could be easy to miss in North Beach’s tourist bustle. Finely-wrought takes on classics like Rose’s Manhattan ($10 – Bulleit Bourbon, sweet vermouth, bitters, Amarena cherry juice, essence of orange) mingle with bright refreshers like The Q ($11 – Hendrick’s Gin,… Read more →
COCKTAILS SPOONBAR, Healdsburg – I wrote last issue about Spoonbar in Sonoma County. It’s up to you get out there… and fast… for some of the best cocktails in all of the Bay Area (no surprise) from Mr. Scott Beattie. Ask for the full cocktail menu beyond the one you get when first seated. It’s a glory of new creations,… Read more →
It’s a sad truth that at events on the scale of Tales of the Cocktail, it can be hard to find a decent drink… yes, it’s not easy batching drinks for hundreds of people. But whether on a smaller scale in a tasting room or with simple but robust recipes, like Audrey Saunders’ drink below, here are a couple that… Read more →