Makers Mark Ambassador Program

To say I like Maker's Mark bourbon would be an understatement. It is my go to bourbon.

Way back in 2006 I wrote a blog entry about bourbon found here. In that article I mention the Maker's Mark Ambassadors program. To this day I probably get two emails a week ask me how to become a member. To which, I have been very happy to reply with a link to Maker's online form to sign up. You can find it HERE. 

The picture you see here of my cozy Maker's Mark bottle was my latest gift for being an Ambassador. Over the years since I've joined I received all kinds of neat items, everything from glasses to golf balls. A particular favorite was the stick of wax and a letter seal. Although this bottle sweater is pretty up there. It's very festive, don't you think?

For joining the Maker's Mark Ambassador program you not only get cool gifts, but the following as well:

• Your name on a Maker’s Mark barrel.
• An opportunity to purchase a bottle of Maker’s Mark from your batch.
• Updates on the aging of your bourbon.
• Advanced notice of rare, special-release bottles.
• Opportunity to purchase Ambassadors-only Maker’s Mark merchandise.
• Many other items that confirm your honorable status.

Maker's marketing department in my opinion is the best in the spirits business at promoting their product. They got me writing about it.

Cheers

Bourbon Butter Pecan Gelato

I had to repost this... “@imbibe: A little something to make you feel good on this Monday evening: http://t.co/oLnkTWN”

Pegu Club New York, NY

Just a portion of Pegu Club's
vast bitters collection

So I recently visited one of my all-time favorite bars, Pegu Club in New York City. This bar was co-founded by Audrey Saunders the "Libation Goddess" back in August 2005. This place is a classic cocktail lover's paradise. The concept for the bar was to recapture and preserve a part of cocktail culture that is formed by thoughtful preparation that is at the core of cocktails.

The name for the place is a tribute to an officer's club established in the then Rangoon Burma during the British colonial rule in about 1910. At this club they served its name sake the famous gin cocktail the Pegu Club.

The reincarnated Pegu Club in the Soho district serves as a beacon to those who hold the craft of the cocktail in high regard and has been accredited as the learning ground for many other fabulous bartenders recently established in the New York area with the same mantra.



 On my visit this time I had the pleasure to be served by Kenta a long term barkeep behind the stick at the Club. One thing I absolutely love about the Pegu Club and its very talented bar staff is that I can call for any classic I can fathom and they are on point. Not only do they know it, they nail it. So enough with all these words, here's what I had:

Last Word
Gin
Lime Juice
Green Chartreuse
Maraschino Liqueur
Mix equal parts of the ingredients, shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.



Kenta mixing up my Manhattan

 Manhattan
3 parts Rye or Bourbon
1 part Sweet Vermouth
2-3 shakes of Angostura Bitters
Stir well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Negroni
2 parts Gin
1 part Sweet Vermouth
1/2 part Campari
1 twist of lemon
Build in a rocks glass over ice, stir for 20 seconds, and add lemon twist.

Martini (wet)
2 parts Gin
1 part Dry Vermouth
1 twist of lemon
Stir ingredients with ice for 20 seconds and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

A few nice touches to these, both the Manhattan and Martini were served with an extra carafe of bonus drink in bowl of ice. The Manhattan was severed with bourbon soaked cherries and the Martini with olives both on the side. I really enjoyed this touch. A lot of times I tell people making my Manhattan to hold the cherry, but having it on the side it doesn't taint the drink and I can still have a nice snack that goes well with my drink.

I think my favorite drink of the visit was the Negroni. When I asked Kenta for his proportions he told me that he puts 1/2 Martini Rossi and 1/2 Punt de Mes for the sweet vermouth portion. Very nice.

If all this isn't enough another great thing about the Pegu Club is the clientele. Being able to actually rub elbows with others that really appreciate a good cocktail is very refreshing. When Kenta was mixing up our cocktails everyone quit talking and just watched. We watched as he mixed, stirred, iced, and garnished at great precision, it was as if he was an actor on stage. Sure the cocktails took longer to make, but no one cared. When you're getting drinks as fine as these waiting isn't an issue at all.

Cheers

Miss Charming's Drink Trivia IPhone App

I first had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Cheryl Charming way back when I first started my journey to learning about cocktails via the webtender.com forums.

Cheryl has published several cocktail related books. This being one of my favorites, Miss Charming's Book of Bar Amusements.

Now a days Miss Charming is living in New Orleans and bartending at The Bombay Club where she has elevated its bar to another level. I can't wait to head down to New Orleans and visit her again.

The latest news from Cheryl puts her IPhone Trivia App on sale for 99 cents through the summer of 2011. The app has 5,000 trivia questions which are always fun. The app has Miss Charming's usual flair in its styling and is very easy to use. To find it in the App Store search for "Miss Trivia." Or click the ITunes button bellow.

Jim's Place Collierville, TN

In the town of Collierville, TN where I now live I've been fortunate to find a great little watering hole called Jim's Place. Jim's Place is an excellent restaurant and has very good casual cuisine but its the bar at Jim's that keeps me coming back.

More specifically its the bartender at the Jim's Place that keeps me coming back and her name is Roya.

Have you ever walked into a bar and have the barkeep great you by name and ask you if you'd like your usual? If not, believe me it feels really good. Now you're probably saying to yourself, "I bet you go to this bar every night or at least very frequently." But no, what makes Roya an awesome (I don't use that word lightly) bartender is that I only go to Jim's Place once every two to three months. Her memory is simply amazing. As you sit at the bar you start to realize she is addressing everyone by their name. Its actually funny to watch some people's reaction when she greets her guests.

Roya understands that customer service, decent conversation, and obviously great cocktails are the driver that keeps her clientele come back again and again. For me going to a bar is more of a social thing. I can generally make a good drink at home but you don't get that interaction that you get at a bar. Rubbing elbows to elbows with other folks you don't know but probably have something in common with is part of the overall experience. One thing I really noticed about Roya's method of operation is that she starts up a conversation with a guest, banters back and forth some, then pauses, and it usually starts up a conversation between the two strangers sitting next to each other.

Now I would be remiss if I also didn't mention that Roya knows her stuff behind the stick otherwise as well. What a delight to have a bartender mix up a Manhattan, with bitters, with the right proportion if vermouth, without saying a word.

So next time you find yourself in Collierville, TN (suburb of Memphis), stop into Jim's Place, where Roya knows your name. You won't be sorry.

Finding GOOD Bartenders

Maybe its just me, or the places I go, but I find it increasingly hard to find a GOOD bartender. One that I might label a bar chef, one that has a handle on the classics and the flavor profiles from which beget some good Specialty Cocktails.

For a while now, I've been asking bartenders the question, "So where did you learn to be a bartender?" The normal answer I get has the person starting in a lower end position and working their way up. I then ask if they went to bartending school. I get about an 80/20 split to this, 80 percent say no, and 20 percent say yes. Of the 20 percent that confirmed they went to bartender school, I'd say about 95 percent are NOT what I would classify as a GOOD bartender. Sad but true, at least from my experience.

The 80 percent left  learned from a seasoned veteran in the form of OTJ (On The Job) training. This group, from my experience, seems to have a better chance for learning the art the right way. Learning that bitters really do go in a Manhattan, that sour mix is a bad shortcut, or that the glass is called a cocktail glass NOT a martini glass these are all little things that seem to be lost on those that were taught the wrong way and never really bothered to confirm the truth about their profession.

I know what your thinking, our host to this little blog is getting on his soap box again, maybe so. So again, the problem I face is that I have such a hard time finding that GOOD bartender. One that has a passion for their profession, one that enjoys serving up small glasses of satisfaction to everyone of their patrons. But I digress...

Geography also seems to have something to do with finding GOOD bartenders. When I lived in New Orleans it was fairly easy, when I travel to New York City its easy, and when I seek out known bar chefs I have no problem however, here in Memphis, TN I've only found one (more on that later). I travel a good bit in the US, more so with my last job, but from my experience there are some hot spots: New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago. I'm sure there are more smaller pockets of bar passion out there, but its clear the concentration is in certain areas.

So, if you are looking to get into bartending and your serious about it I would recommend finding a tavern where the bartender knows his/her stuff and try to get them to mentor you. We have to make sure the old school knowledge that's in the world doesn't die off with age.

Good Luck.

The savvy drinker-Spirits and taste

Spirits drinkers can be fussy drinkers, I should know. Particularly if they know how to mix good drinks themselves. Good quality spirits and excellent taste are the basis of what a real spirits drinker wants. Whether you drink vodka, Scotch, rum, bourbon or the incredible Japanese rice whiskey, it's all a matter of taste and quality. Knowing where to drink has a lot to do with it as well, whether you drink in local pubs or the absolute swankiest nightclubs.

Knowing your drinks

It's an interesting fact that spirits, which are supposed to be the same drinks, never actually are. All good spirits are quite different and have their own unique texture and flavor. For example, there are any number of different types of rum, and none of them are the same. No two types of Scotch are alike. Bourbon is always unique.
That's extremely important, when mixing drinks. The fact is that each type of spirit affects the flavour of any type of drink mix. Alcohol does play a part in the chemistry of the mix, but there are other factors involved, and that includes the chemistry of the spirits themselves and the way they're produced.
It's a good idea to spend some time checking out the very best spirits and educate your palate properly. The best spirits are considered the best not because they’re expensive, because they’re the product of very high quality production techniques. A brand like Johnnie Walker Black label, for example, is the result of excellent production technique, a well-established method of distillation, and very strict quality controls. Maker’s Mark is another example of a famous brand with very high quality standards.
That’s also why they’re excellent mixers. You'll find that the best bartenders far prefer these extremely reliable drinks as their mixing base, and it's very useful to know which are the best spirits for mixing drinks. 

A matter of good taste

The fact is that low quality spirits can sabotage any drink. Imagine a Black Russian with poor quality coffee liqueur. That's bad enough, but add third rate vodka, and you've got the disaster on your hands. It's not so much drinkable as forgettable.
Drink mixes are basically recipes, and you must remember that the ingredients themselves must be very high standards, as well as the basic drinks. Fresh is always better, and it is one of the reasons the best drink mixers insist on fresh herbs and fruits and other materials. These drinks are better prepared immediately before serving, although really high quality spirits and ingredients will keep very well.
The classic drinks like martinis, daiquiris, Black Russians, and gin and tonic are a good way of sharpening your skills and getting the necessary understanding of how drinks and ingredients mix together. Taking the time to learn how to mix your own drinks will drastically improve your drinking experience, and it's also a lot of fun. Savvy drinkers enjoy their drinks and that's the way it should be.

Cocktail Cupcake

Yum, I just had a Guinness and Bailey's Irish Cream cupcake and it was delicious. The combination of spirits and sweets make for a great pair. A while back I wrote about Cake-tales and Pie-tinis, the creation of Michael Waterhouse served at New York's Dylan Prime restaurant. These desserts in a glass was one thing but Cocktail Cupcakes are out of this world.

Using alcohol in cooking isn't something new, but desserts like Cocktail Cupcakes put the flavors of the alcohol as a lead actor rather than in a supporting role. You really get the full flavor of the spirits in the frosting.

The mini treat I had was created by Amanda King. She is starting a business here in the Memphis, TN area called AK Cupcakes. She has an array of flavors. If you happen to live in the Memphis area give them a try, you won't be sorry. Here is her site http://akscupcakes.blogspot.com/

If you happen to be in the Atlanta, GA area I also found this site http://www.cocktailcupcakes.net/, although I haven't tried theirs.

Cheers

Maker's 46 Launch

Big news from Loretto, KY the home of my favorite bourbon Maker's Mark. Today the distillery launches a brand new product called Maker's 46. Here are the details straight from the press release.

Maker’s 46 is a handcrafted, full-bodied Bourbon whisky that starts off as original Maker’s Mark. The transformation into Maker’s 46 begins when fully matured Maker’s Mark is emptied from the barrel so that 10 seared French oak staves can be affixed to the sides. Then, Maker’s Mark, which is made with red winter wheat for a smooth taste, is put back in the barrel and aged for several more months, allowing the natural caramel, vanilla and spice flavors released by the staves to enhance the end product.

I"m really excited about the product and hope it tastes as good as it sounds. The process is said to bring out the caramel and vanilla flavors while keeping the bitterness down. The name a little odd, but the reason for it has nothing to do with the bourbon's age its the profile number assigned to the "wood recipe" created by Brad Boswell, Wood Chef. Brad was a collaborator with Maker's Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith.

I haven't personally tasted this yet, but I have high hopes. You might want to head to the stores now because they plan to only ship 25,000 cases of Maker's 46 this year, which is likely to make it a hard find.

Alas, I can always hope some of the nice people at Maker's will send me some to review.

Read more about Bourbon...

Where can I find Bitters?

So I've been living in Tennessee for 2 years now. I didn't realize how accustomed I'd become to Louisiana liquor laws. I know the laws here in Tennessee more closely approximate the rest of the country, but my goodness! All I want is some Angostura Bitters and I can't find them anywhere. In Louisiana I just walk into my local supermarket and pick up my Bourbon, Vermouth, and Bitters in one shot. But in Tennessee (and most everywhere else) no such luck. Bitters for some crazy reason are only sold grocery stores and liquor stores only sell liquor.

I've always thought the Louisiana law on selling liquor in grocery stores made a lot of sense. Liquor stores are always getting robbed and they often induced a seedy element which makes for a scary trip to get one's tipple on. Selling liquor in grocery stores made it safer and much more convenient as your mixers are there too. But I digress, not the point of this post.

Back to the bitters dilemma. Up until now I've been going through my various back stock of bitters and haven't been forced to go in search. However most recently I have had to replenish the supply. When I went looking, store after store had nothing, nada. They had nothing but the same old set of Margarita mixes and dusty cans of Coco Lopez. I'd almost swear it was the same cans if I didn't know better. Of course you ask a store clerk and they look back at you like you've grown a third eye. "Bitters, bitters! What do you want that for?"

Finally after much searching and an ask of a knowledgeable local liquor store clerk, I was pointed to one of those boutique grocery stores, you know the ones, where the soccer moms and turtle neck dads get their tofu and crab spread. There it was beside the designer tonic water, Angostura Bitters!! Whoa!!! $8.23!!!! What the hell! (Sorry for all the ! but that's how I felt) I guess they know they are the only game in town, perhaps there is some deep conspiracy going on that I've uncovered and your very erratic blog author here will go missing, although none of you would know... hmmmm.

But really has the price of bitters gone through the roof recently? Is there a bitters shortage of which I'm not aware?

On top of all of this when I asked to special order some Plymouth Gin at the liquor store I was told they can only special order liquor they can get from their local distributors, state law. Really?!? Alas, online shopping I will go.