Chris McMillian at The Renaissance Pere Marquette

For those of you that don't know Chris McMillian, let me introduce one of the best bartender in New Orleans. Chris is the bar keep at the Renaissance Pere Marquette just off Canal St.

Chris used to bartend at the Ritz-Carlton. Now his new bar stage is a bit more modern and the bar length is a great deal more, which are both good in my opinion. My wife and I visited Chris two weekends in a row a little while back and we had a blast.

The bar was packed and Chris was busy whipping up his magic. I watched as each patron bellied up to the bar. A person would sit down and Chris would greet them all the while peeling, muddling, shaking, straining, flaming another guest's cocktail. I could see their eyes go wide as they realized this wasn't your ordinary liquor-and-mixer type of bar. They look left, and then right down the bar to see all the fancy cocktails and you can see the bar fear hit them in the face. Some would just panic and order a wine or beer, but others would be smart about it and just ask Chris, "What do you recommend?"

I know I almost always use the "surprise me" method with Chris. Here are a few of the cocktails he served up for me and my wife.

The first was the Gin Deaux, obviously a gin based cocktail, but you'll have to ask Chris for the rest. This is a Chris McMillian original cocktail. As he tells it he found himself in Williams-Sonoma at Christmas time and there was a display of ginger and cranberries, which he thought made a good combination. He bought a can of the ginger and started experimenting. If you like cosmopolitans I would strongly recommend this cocktail.

Manhattan garnished with a Luxardo Maraschino Cherry
2.5 oz Rye
0.75 oz Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherry

Stir ingredients in a mixing glass with ice for 15 to 20 seconds. Then strain into a well chilled cocktail grass. Garnish with an un-rinsed Luxardo Cherry.

As you all know I'm a Manhattan lover. It is probably my go-to drink at home when I'm in a whisky mood. Dropping one of these Luxardo Cherries in is divine. These little Italian babies are jarred in Marasca syrup and are a great complement to the cocktail. You can pick up a jar of these at Kegworks. I cut back a little on the sweet vermouth as the cherry adds its own sweet flavor.

Sazerac
0.25 oz Herbsaint (or other Absinthe substitute)
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
2 dashes Peychaud bitters
2 oz rye whiskey

Add ice to an old fashioned glass and let it sit. In a second glass add bitters, simple syrup, and rye. Stir this mixture with ice for 10 seconds. In the first glass discard the ice and add the Absinthe substitute. Coat the entire inside of the glass. This can be done by throwing the glass up in the air while spinning it. If you do this you are likely to get some splash on yourself. You can discard any extra Absinthe substitute. Now strain the 2nd glass into the coated chilled glass. The last step is to garnish with a twist of lemon making sure to rim the glass with the twist.

Of course when Chris made the Sazerac had a story to go along with it about how he had made a mountain of Sazeracs recently for a cocktail seminar he had recently given. Chris likes to coat his glass with Herbsaints (absinthe substitute) by throwing the glass up in the air while spinning it around. As you can imagine by the end of the seminar he was quite coated in Herbsaints.

This reminds me... For those of you who might be traveling with a big group and/or have a business meeting in New Orleans you have the opportunity to have a cocktail seminar given to you by Chris McMillian himself. Contact the Renaissance Pere Marquette for information.

French 75
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Gin
Fill Champagne
1 Lemon Spiral

Shake lemon juice, simple syrup and gin with ice. Strain into a chilled champagne flute and top off with chilled champagne. Use a channel knife to create lemon spiral (be sure to do so over the glass so the oils spray onto the rim). When done add the spiral to the glass hanging the top piece over the rim of the glass.

Chris made this classic for my wife and promptly had to make it 2 more times for other guests.

So the next time you're in New Orleans I highly recommend going to check out Chris at the Renaissance Pere Marquette. Just sit down and ask him to surprise you, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Cheers

KAI Vodka

There is a new ultra-premium vodka that has recently made its way from Vietnam into my hands called KAI Vodka. Unlike European vodkas, which are crafted from wheat, rye, or potatoes, KAI is distilled from rice. The rice used in KAI Vodka is of the rare yellow-blossom variety that grows only in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam, the so-called “Napa Valley of rice.” This rice-based beverage is not sake because although both are rice based, sake is brewed, while vodka is distilled. This delicate grain imparts a much smoother, sweeter flavor.

Who knew, but Vietnam has an ancient tradition of making vodka, a Vietnamese woman created the recipe from which KAI is derived 600 years ago, adding to the brand’s mystique.

Here are some cocktail recipes using KAI’s two flavors, Original and Lychee flavor.


Japanese Tea Garden
1.5 parts Kai vodka
0.75 parts lemon juice
0.5 parts simple syrup
6 Basil leaves
2 parts Fresh Apple Juice


Method: Muddle basil, lemon, and simple syrup, add ice, vodka, and apple juice. Shake and strain over fresh ice or roll all ingredients into a tall glass.

Garnish: basil



Basil Gimlet
1.5 parts Kai vodka
1 part lime juice
0.75 parts simple syrup
4-6 basil leaves

Method: Muddle Basil in lime juice and simple syrup, add ice and vodka and fine strain into a cocktail glass.

Garnish: lime wheel or basil leaf





Kai Pear Bellini
0.75 parts Kai
0.75 parts Kai Lychee
0.5 parts lime juice
0.5 parts simple syrup
0.5 parts pear puree
Float of Prosecco

Method: In a mixing glass add all ingredients except Prosecco with ice. Shake and strain into a Flute.

Garnish: Orange twist


Kai Vodka is currently available in major retail outlets, restaurants, and hotels in Hawaii, California, Arizona, and Nevada. KAI is currently expanding to Florida, Illinois, Georgia, New Mexico, and other markets across the country in the coming months and in 2009 including Texas and New York.

(source KAI Vodka press release)

Pocket Cocktails

Bartending as with all noble professions never stands still.

This summer, Apple extended content offerings on their dominating iTunes store to include software applications. Included in the mix are a variety of bartending and cocktail works, which for a nominal sum can be downloaded straight to your iPhone or iPod touch in a less than a minute.

Pocket Cocktails, is the newest entry in this field. Unlike other bartending and cocktail applications which are mostly text based, Pocket Cocktails uses gorgeous, large, high resolution pictures and incorporates many nifty iPhone features.

The application was produced by a couple in Toronto: Robert Maran, the developer & former computer book packager teamed with Deidra Jones, a veteran of the Canadian advertising industry. Together they worked day and night for several months to produce their first iPhone application.

You have to see this application to appreciate it. The 60's retro theme is very appealing. The application takes adavantage of all of the integrated graphics and navigation features that the iPhone is famous for. This seamless integration of graphics and content provides a fast, dynamic and most importantly, FUN user experience. The video at www.pocketcocktails.com provides a good overview.

As a bonus there is a cool “Random” mode, which allows a user to shake the iPhone to access a random drink image. while serving up the drink, the iPhone spits out shaker noises and catchy phrases.

Pocket Cocktails is available directly through Apple's iTunes webstore, it costs 5 bucks and is a terrific value for the money.


Cheers!

The Bar Mix Master has left New Orleans...

I have some good/bad news.

I just recently accepted a new job that is going to have me and my family moving to Memphis, TN. While this is great news for me and my family it is bitter sweet as I won't really be able to fully experience Tales of the Cocktail this year. At most I will just be able to attend on Saturday.

While I'm sad about leaving New Orleans, the cocktail captial of the south, I am looking forward to discovering the good, good Memphis bars while raising the level of those not so good, good Memphis bars.

For those readers that might be Memphians drop me a line I'd love to hear from you!

With all this said, I won't be able to cover Tales in the TalesBlog the way I had hopped. However, next year look for me there with bells on.

Thanks


Brad

Top 5 Gin Cocktails

As my wife and I were hanging out at Chris McMillian’s new bar stage, the Renaissance Pere Marquette (more on that later), someone asked me what was my favorite gin cocktail. I paused as I had to think for a second or two. I really could not give an answer as there are so many great gin cocktails. So the person replied, "well, how about your top 5 then?"

I rattled off a few that I had recently, but looking back I now know I needed to give this a little more thought. So after a good bit of deliberation here are my top 5 gin cocktails all made with Plymouth Gin and in no particular order.


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.

This is an obvious choice for the top 5, but I don't think I would classify it as my number one pick. The version I like is an obvious tweak from the now popular Dry Martini. I'm at nearly a 2:1 ratio for Gin to Dry Vermouth. The term "Dry" Martini is a bit confusing in that it has little to no Dry Vermouth... so what makes it dry? Good question. I'm not certain where the term started and it is probably lost in history, but the term "Dry" in reference to a Martini means it has an absence of Dry Vermouth. So when I order my Martini I ask for Wet Martini along with the ratio I prefer.


Negroni
1.5 parts Gin
1.25 parts Sweet Vermouth
1 part Campari
1 twist of lemon

Build in a rocks glass over ice, stir for 20 seconds, and add lemon twist.

I fell in love with this cocktail when I started playing around with Campari. Campari has a very distinct bitter flavor that is extremely unique. It takes some getting used to at first, so don't give up on first taste. I'd suggest easing into it. The traditional Negroni recipe calls for equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and campari, but I find a slightly dialed back Campari level yields a slightly better balance. I'd suggest starting with just a few drops of Campari at first and then increase its quantity slowly until you get to a level you like best.


Gin & Tonic
2 oz Gin
0.25 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Fill Tonic Water
1 dash of bitters of choice (optional)

Build over ice in a rocks glass and stir.

This very simple yet elegant cocktail is my go to drink to relax. I'm not much of a beer person so when I'm in a place that it has become apparent that a beer or liquor and mixer are my only choices I go for a G&T. A typical G&T calls for gin, tonic and a wedge of lime on the glass. However when I'm making them at home I forgo the wedge of lime that I would normally squeeze into the drink and add it in at the bar. In addition I add one dash of bitters from my collection.


Gimlet
2 oz Gin
1 oz Roses Lime Juice
1 wedge of Lime

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

There is a constant debate about roses or fresh lime juice in the gimlet. As a cocktail historian I will tell you Lauchlin Rose convinced the British Navy to use his new Lime Cordial to ward off scurvy back in 1867. The Navy officers would then mix this with their ration of gin and the Gimlet was born. An officer and surgeon named Sir Thomas Gimlette is credited with making the cocktail popular between 1879 and 1913. (4)

There are many who believe a Gimlet should be made with fresh lime juice and simple syrup. Normaly I would strongly agree that cocktails should be made with fresh juices, but in the case of the a Gimlet, Roses is in order. See this article for more info on this topic.

When I make a Gimlet I do it in a traditional manner with Roses. I believe a fresh lime/simple syrup gin cocktail is actually a Gin Daiquiri.

Pegu Club
2 oz Gin
1 oz Orange Cuacao
0.25 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

This is a fantastic cocktail that unfortunately you generally can't order by name in just about any bar. You might be able to order this cocktail if you tell the bartender 2 parts gin, 1 part orange cuacao, a splash of lime juice, and bitters.

So there you have my top 5. There are many, many more gin cocktails that also extremely good and I had a tough time narrowing it down to these. I'm sure next week I'll probably change my mind.

Cheers

History of the Margarita - Preview

This post orginally posted at http://www.talesblog.com/

As I sit on the beach while on vacation sipping a Margarita my mind wanders off to a cantina were tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice came together for the first time. Was it a Mexican camarero, a Cuban Cantinero, or an American bartender that created this classic cocktail? Who knows?

Jacques Bezuidenhout and Robert Hess are planning on exploring this topic at the Tales of the Cocktail this year in “The History of the Margarita.” The seminar takes place on Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 1pm. In this interactive discussion Robert and Jacques will be covering:

• The Margarita’s disputable origins covering the strengths and weaknesses of each story
• What “is” and “is not” a proper Margarita
• How the Margarita begat a slew of the sour family variations
• And of course Margarita and Margarita variation cocktail samples

This seminar is perfect for New Orleans as it is the birthplace of the Brandy Crusta. This cocktail which was invented in the 1850’s by Joseph Santina is the cocktail that Gary Regan bases his classification of the New Orleans Sour. (1)

New Orleans Sours call for a base spirit, lemon or lime juice, and triple sec or another orange –flavored liqueur, such as curacao. (1)

Gary puts the Margarita into the New Orleans Sour category, which is a sub-class of the overall Sour category (base spirit, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener). The balance in a sour cocktail is crucial and unfortunately the mix in the modern Margarita has been the victim of mass production and egad pre-mix!

So come check out Jacques and Robert’s Margarita journey down history and find out what a well made classic Margarita can be.

Photo by: Rebecca Ellis

The Cosmopolitan, Sex and the City

My wife is driving me nuts with Sex and the City. She has been watching her DVD collection incessantly since she learned of the upcoming movie. She has the desktop background of Carrie emblazoned on her computer. She is shopping for clothes and shoes worn by the cast (which are not cheap mind you). And yes, she is of course drinking the drink that was made ever so popular by the show... the Cosmopolitan.

Back in 1996 this pop culture phenomenon hit the scene on HBO and hooked millions of women. In our household it was a weekly Sunday night ritual for six seasons. Her girlfriends would come over and join us for dinner, drinks, and Sex and the City. I now have to make a confession as well... I do like the eye candy.

So, with the buzz of the new movie coming out on May 30, 2008 and my wife's obsession I felt compelled to write the obligatory Cosmopolitan post.

Thanks again to Gary Regan and his cocktail archaeology we today know who had a part to play in the invention of this modern classic cocktail. As with most cocktails the Cosmo went through a couple of phases to get to what we now consider a Cosmopolitan cocktail. The original however is credited to Cheryl Cook who bartended on South Beach, Miami for 15 years. (25)

As the story goes, while bartending in 1985 Cheryl notice a big resurgence of the Martini but more specifically the coolness of holding a cocktail glass. Her keen observation lead her to notice that people would order a Martini or a Vodka Martini but did not necessarily like it all that well, but rather they did it too be chic. So when Cheryl received a brand new product from her Absolut rep called Absolut Citron she took on the challenge to create a new "pretty" drink that could be served in a cocktail glass. (25)

Cheryl went to work and whipped up a mixture of "Absolut Citron, a splash of triple sec, a drop of roses lime juice and just enough cranberry to make it oh so pretty in pink." She then served it up to her first guest Christina Solopuerto and within 45 minutes the entire restaurant had a Cosmopolitan in front of them. (25)

This formula in Cheryl's mind was simply a Kamikaze using Absolut Citron and adding a splash of cranberry juice. The cocktail was named after the magazine Cosmopolitan which has the styles and design she was trying to project with her new drink... and Voila! a new cocktail is born. (25)

This drink was wildly popular in Miami for the rest of Cheryl's crazy 15 year tenure in South Beach. Somehow the drink made its way in this form to both San Fransisco and New York City, at which point our second player in this tale comes about and his name is Toby Cecchini. (25)

By the time Toby was introduced to the drink in 1987 it was bastardized to the point of using plain vodka, Roses lime juice and grenadine, pink yes but not too close to Cheryl's version. So Toby put on his mixology hat and re-invented the drink using Absolut Citron, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and cranberry juice. This is now the Cosmopolitan ingredients used today. (25)

A few years later Dale DeGroff also experienced a variation of Cheryl's Cosmo formula that called for Citron, Roses, and cranberry juice. He too used his experience behind the stick to improve the drink. He uses fresh juices, added Cointreau and used his proven sweet to sour formula to come up with the now standard recipe for the Cosmo. In 1996 Dale brought the drink to the Rainbow Room in New York City and shortly there after stars such as Madonna were spotted with the drink to kick off the modern Cosmo craze. (23)

So how did the Cosmopolitan jump onto the screen in the HBO series Sex and the City? Was it because the New York moguls experienced Dale's fabulous version at the Rainbow Room? Or was it the fact that the Sex and the City costume designers Patricia and Rebecca Fields were faithful customers of Cheryl Cook's down on South Beach several years before? Whatever the case it did happen and the inclusion of the pretty in pink cocktail catapulted a modern classic cocktail into every bar in America.

With the new movie just around the corner you can be sure to see many women in bars holding their designer bag, wearing their designer dresses and shoes, while sipping on a designer Cosmopolitan (at least I know my wife will).

Cosmopolitan
1.5 oz Absolut Citron
0.5 oz Cointreau
0.25 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Cranberry Juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish. I've seen the garnish for the Cosmo to be: a lemon twist, flamed orange peel, or lime wedge.

Cheers!

Sex and the City Image courtesy of HBO file photo

The Official State of Louisiana Cocktail

As a Louisiana resident and a cocktail enthusiast I am a full supporter of the Sazerac as the Official State Cocktail!

At this moment there is bill that just passed the Louisiana Senate Committee and is on the way to the full Louisiana Senate. Once the Senate passes the bill it will be looking for sponsorship in the House that will make the Sazerac the Official State of Louisiana Cocktail.

The Sazerac was invented in New Orleans by Antoine Peychaud, of Peychaud's Bitters. This cocktail is among the first cocktails and is accepted as THE first cocktail of Louisiana. It is a wonderful cocktail that has a spicy sweet flavor that truly complements that of the Big Easy.

Antoine Peychaud, a Creole immigrant, operated a pharmacy on the French Quarter's Royal Street in the 1830s. With his background as an apothecary, he was a natural mixologist. His friends would gather for late-night revelry at his pharmacy. Peychaud would mix brandy, absinthe and a dash of his secret bitters for his guests. Later this quaff would come to be known as the Sazerac. (13)

Sazerac
0.25 oz Herbsaint (or other Absinthe substitute)
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
2 dashes Peychaud bitters
2 oz rye whiskey

Add ice to an old fashioned glass and let it sit. In a second glass add bitters, simple syrup, and rye. Stir this mixture with ice for 10 seconds. In the first glass discard the ice and add the Absinthe substitute. Coat the entire inside of the glass. This can be done by throwing the glass up in the air while spinning it. If you do this you are likely to get some splash on yourself. You can discard any extra Absinthe substitute. Now strain the 2nd glass into the coated chilled glass. the last step is to garnish with a twist of lemon making sure to rim the glass with the twist.


This cocktail is as much of a historical landmark as the French Quarter. When visitors come to our state for the first time the cocktail they should try is the Sazerac and this law will solidify that notion.

Ann Rogers, the non-profit New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society, and Tales of the Cocktail are the drive behind this movement. If all goes according to plan the Sazerac will be the Official Cocktail of Louisiana prior to Tales of the Cocktail event on July 16-20, 2008. As if we needed another reason to celebrate at TotC!

If you want to help the Sazerac earn this well deserved status then we need help lobbying the House Representatives. Contact me at bar.mix.master[at]gmail.com to find out how.

Thanks

Brad

Tales of the Cocktail 2008

It's that time of year again. Tales of the Cocktail 2008 is July 16-20th!!

Tales of the Cocktail is an annual event held in New Orleans that draws cocktailians from across the world. Every year this event has grown in size. Tales started in 2003 and was the brain child of Ann Rogers. Ann has been a consummate advocate of the New Orleans cocktail.

What makes this event different from in other bar and spirit convention is that this one is for the cocktail enthusiast/patron not the bar industry. It is a celebration of the cocktail and provides those passionate about cocktails opportunities to teach and learn about this New Orleans tradition.

I started going to TotC in 2005 and I kick myself to this day for missing the first 2 years. I have never been disappointed and each year it gets better and better. The seminars are given by the world’s top mixoligist however they are taught at a level that anyone off the street can understand.

My favorite part of Tales of the Cocktail of the past has to be Cocktail Hour and the Spirited Dinners. At Cocktail Hour there is a ball room full of cocktail book authors and other mixoligist. At each table you can get your book signed by the author and enjoy a sample of one of his/her favorite cocktails.

At the Spirited Dinners a mixologist is matched with one of New Orleans top restaurants. The dinner consists of a degustation menu and a cocktail paired with each course prepared by the chef and bar chef. Absolutely fabulous!

This year I have the pleasure along with some of my fellow cocktail bloggers to cover TotC from the inside out. We will be attending the seminars, going to the special events, and of course having a time that only New Orleans can deliver. All will be document at http://www.talesblog.com/.

At this year’s event there are over 100 scheduled events and seminars packed full of cocktail fun. With seminars/events of the likes of:


· Juniperlooza
· Bartending Techniques 101 and Barware
· Spice and Ice: The Art of Spicy Cocktails
· The History of the Margarita
· Martini Flights
· How to Create the Right Cocktail Menu for your Bar or Restaurant
· Save the Daiquiri Party

…just to name very few.

To check out the description of these and more go to http://www.talesofthecocktail.com/. I strongly recommend attending and if you do look me up while you’re there. If for some unfortunate reasons you can’t make it this year follow the action at http://www.talesblog.com/.

The Oddest of Mixtures

On March 4, 2008 I was saddened to learn that Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, passed away. Back in 1974 Gary and co-creator Dave Arneson created a fantasy game world that brought the works of J.R.R Tolkien to life. I ask, who doesn't want to be the hero that saves the day by taking out a horde of goblins and orcs. The game-world created by Gary and Dave is a far cry, from the now spoon feed online bleeps and bits coming through your monitor. It lives in your head. It's a world that you can imagine and it is much greater and far reaching than any pre-programmed online/console adventure.

Okay, I'm a nerd and I'm proud of it. What do you expect? I work all day managing software development!

First off, there is an interesting parallel between D&D and cocktails. The game got a bad rap, much like bartending and cocktails did during prohibition. During the early 80's D&D was labeled evil and was shunned by a "holier than thou" group of fanatics hell bent on ruining a good time. Sound familiar?

As I started my journey down the cocktail highway several years ago I started to notice a trend. I noticed that many of my online companions that enjoyed the intricacies of mixing libations were also tech nerds. Could it be that I was noticing this just because I was sounding off online and the propensity of those other purveyors of libations also knew technology because of the venue? I don't know.

Nonetheless, I notice a mixture that seems to blend very well together in technology and mixology. This seems to be a very odd mixture. A mixture much like that of a Bloody Mary, where when one first looks at the ingredients you might say to yourself, "hmmmm, that doesn't sound quite right." But when you taste it you fall in love and can't get enough of it.

This mix may be a product of the fact that IT professionals have a lot of stress, but for me it is a bit more. Day to day I create new programs and utilities for my users. I can see that these tools make their lives just a little bit easier to deal with. This makes them very happy; gushing even. However, the process can take a very long time to develop.

On the other hand, with cocktails the gratification comes much quicker. I can whip up a Sidecar and serve it to my guests. A smile immediately crosses their face as the refreshing liquid passes their lips. To me, this satisfaction is very much the same and this is why I think the two blend very well together.

So here is my latest recipe. See if you agree.

My Hobbies
1 part tech computer nerd
1 part cocktailian
0.5 part RPG (D&D) player
0.25 part sports/television

Combine ingredients with ice, strain into the cocktail glass of "free time" and enjoy!

Unfortunate for me and my readers my free time glass is only that of the 5 oz variety and not the mondo chain restaurant cocktail glass size. However as with real cocktails, and not this very bad allegory, its quality over quantity.

So let's give a shout out to Gary Gygax and the wonderful game he created those many years ago. In fact, I bet there are a lot of cocktailians out there right now.... wanting to yell out... "Yes! I play D&D and drink cocktails, so what?" If so... sound off right here.

Cheers!!

Photo and miniature by: Wes Walker