Remember
"Lubrication
in Moderation"
= civilized drinking
If you are going
to drink then make it something excellent and choose quality.
A well-made cocktail crafted by a bartender that cares
is one of life's little luxuries.
Bruce
Tomlinson
"A professional
Bartender is someone who can do his or her best work when
he or she doesn't feel like it."
-Bruce Tomlinson
And The Winner
Is…
From Andrew Barrow's The
Spirit World, On August 12, 2008 Robert
Hess posted this.
Tales of the Cocktail is an annual event in New Orleans
to celebrate the history and appreciation of cocktails,
the spirits that go into them, and the people who make
them. In July, they held their sixth conference, and this
was also the second time they also held their “Spirited
Awards” ceremony where they recognize significant
achievements and efforts across various categories. Previously
I listed out for you all of the nominees, but now that
the event is over, it’s time to name names and let
you know who the winners were.
Notable this year in the awards was an international
recognition of people, venues, and products. While cocktails
may have originated in the United States, their impact,
and their craftsmanship can be seen and appreciated all
over the world. A challenge with spreading such a broad
scope over these awards is of course being able to adequately
experience and understand the various offerings. The overall
awards process is overseen by Simon Difford, noted authority
on cocktails and bar culture, and author of “DiffordsGuide
to Cocktails”. To assist Simon in reviewing the
nominees and carefully selecting the winners, he has gathered
an international panel of judges consisting of:
Helmut Adam - Editor of Mixology Magazine
Jacob Briars - Vodka Professor for 42 Below
Philip Duff – Cocktail Expert and Consultant to
Bols
Robert Hess – Host of “The Cocktail Spirit”
and a founder of “The Museum of the American Cocktail”
Anistatia Miller – Author and Director of Exposition
Universelle des Vins et Spiritueux
Xavier Padovani – Global Brand Ambassador for Hendrick’s
Gin
Audrey Saunders – The Libation Goddess behind the
Pegu Club
LeNell Smothers – The Spirited Palate behind LeNells,
NYC
Jamie Terrell – Mixologist and Sagatiba Global Brand
Ambassador
Charlotte Voisey – Mixologist and William Grant
Ambassador
Angus Winchester – Playboy Bartender and Founder
of Alconomics
…all of whom worked closely together to select
this year’s winners. So without further adieu, here
they are:
World’s Best NEW Cocktail Bar
Le Lion
- Bar de Paris - Hamburg, Germany
Best New Product
Fever
Tree Mixers
Best Cocktail Writing
Gary
Regan (San Francisco Chronicle)
Best Drinks Brand Representative/Brand Ambassador
Xavier
Padovani – Hendrick’s Gin
Best Cocktail Menu
1806 Bar
in Melbourne, Australia
Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
“Imbibe!”
by David Wondrich
Best Classic Cocktail Bar
Milk
and Honey, New York City
Best Drinks Selection
Salvatore
at Fifty
Mixologist/Bartender of the Year
Nick Strangeway – Hawksmoor,
London, England
World’s Best Cocktail Bar
Milk
& Honey New York
Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award
Dale
DeGroff - King Cocktail
Plans are already starting up for next year’s “Tales
of the Cocktail” (July 8th thru 12th), and we are
all looking forward to another round of Spirited Awards,
will your favorite bar or bartender perhaps be one of
the nominees?
MIXOLOGY
NEWS
Duo to shake
up Cocktail World Cup Alex Eyre
4/September/2008
Bartenders in the world will battle it out to
win the coveted Cocktail World Cup next week.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Cuba Interested
in Hosting World Cocktail Bar Cup
HAVANA, Cuba, Sept 2 (acn) Cuba is one of the candidates
to host the 2010 World Cocktail Cup, considering its results
in a recent continental competition held in Havana, reported
DTC
.http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/2008/0902cocteleria.htm
Brent Sullivan won Wichita's first
Iron Bartender contest with a concoction of gin and banana
liqueur.
BY JOE STUMPE The
Wichita Eagle
http://www.kansas.com/entertainment/dining/story/515722.html
Oval Vodka Presents...The Race
to the "Oval Office"
Starting September 1st, 2008 the brand is calling on bartenders,
cocktail lovers and consumers to create original vodka
recipes. The winning recipe will be featured on the OVAL
vodka website and the lucky mixologist will win a $500
gift, among other perks.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/Vodka/Recipe/prweb1276624.htm
A21 Cocktail
Lounge , Helsinki
Established by four drinks industry professionals,
the venue was born out of idealism, faith in Finnish flavours
and a willingness to familiarise consumers with better
drinks.
http://www.eatandjoy.com/?p=548
Spirits: The cocktail arena - why so competitive?
Kara Newman, Special to The Chronicle Friday,
August 29, 2008
Victory in a cocktail contest can elevate a mere mortal
bartender to "award-winning mixologist."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/28/WIF612GC62.DTL
Drop the Swizzle
Stick, Grab a Fork
By JULIA MOSKIN Published: August 26,
2008
The line between artisanal food and artisanal cocktails
continues to blur at the new generation of cocktail bars,
like Weather Up, Death & Co. and the Pegu Club.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/dining/27bars.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin
Cocktails and cuisine
A new twist on a classic spirit ARA
Content • August 27, 2008
“Pairing cocktails with food is a very popular entertaining
trend,” says master mixologist Alex Ott, who for
15 years has been creating cocktails for some of the world’s
most upscale, trendy restaurants.
http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080827/LIFE/80826022
Fictitious restaurant
wins Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
If you decided to get a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
for you restaurant wine list, what would you need? The
answer according to Robin Goldstein is $250 and Microsoft
Word. Restaurant not actually required.
http://www.drvino.com/2008/08/19/fictitious-restaurant-wins-wine-spectator-award-of-excellence/
James Langan wins
cocktail challenge
Posted: August 22 2008 James Langan
won the National Cocktail Competition held in the Clarence
Hotel, Dublin, recently. The event was organised by the
Bartenders’ Association of Ireland (BAI)
http://www.barkeeper.ie/News_Item.asp?News_ID=1397
Hooch Heaven:
4th Annual Great American Distillers Festival
August 21st 2008 3:50pm By Matt Graham
More than 20 distillers from all over the country are
converging on our humble little booze-soaked town for
what Rogue president Brett Joyce claims is "the largest
collection of craft distillers in the country."
http://www.wweek.com/wwire/?p=12848
Culinary art in
a glass: Red Feather's Kevin Kelpe takes his cocktails
seriously BY Erin Ryan - eryan@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 08/22/08
There are three components: history, craft and ingredients.
Sometimes the drinks are so heavily nuanced, if you don't
have the craft the flavor isn't there. Sometimes it's
so simple, if you don't use the right ingredients the
formula breaks down. And some drinks are purely history."
http://www.idahostatesman.com/entertainment/story/478335.html
There's nothing
ho-hum about rum drinks
By JENN GARBEE Tribune
Media Services Posted on Wed, Aug. 20, 2008
"There’s a general misconception of what
classic rum cocktails, daiquiris especially, really are,"
says Tim Staehling, Bar Manager at the Hungry Cat restaurants
in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.
http://www.star-telegram.com/food/story/844494.html
Junior Merino Mixes
Magical Drinks That `Taste Like a Painting'
Interview by Robert Hilferty Aug.
19 (Bloomberg)
He invents original cocktails of utter deliciousness and
sophistication, sometimes balancing up to 10 ingredients,
making him New York's most wanted mixologist.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=afc2tJZsCLNo&refer=muse
Bottle Service Breaks
Out
By Michael Martin 08/19/08 (MainStreet)
Bottle service has become a sort of nightlife necessity
often reserved in advance or at the door, granting big-spender
guests exclusive privileges within often off-limit VIP
nightclub circles.
http://mainstreet.com/bottle-service-breaks-out
Welcome back
to the cocktail party
If you've never shaken up a sidecar or mixed a manhattan,
here is a primer to get you started on the world's most
spirited trend.
Joanne Sasvari, For the Calgary Herald. Published:
Sunday, August 17, 2008
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/reallife/taste/story.html?id=c220a39f-eaba-4d07-9ea5-620af9602723
The Truth About
Vermouth: The secret ingredient in today's top cocktails
remains misunderstood
Paul Clarke, Special to The Chronicle. Friday,
August 15, 2008
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/15/WI0111LMMB.DTL
SIPPERS
The award-winning Madrono cocktail is a unique twist on
the classic Sherry Cobbler
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
http://www.silive.com/food/advance/recipes/index.ssf?/base/living/1218623422147950.xml&coll=1
Australia 42Below
Cocktail World Cup Finalists Announced
By Rebecca Harris - [Wed 13/08/2008 03:30:11]
The six finalists who will represent Australia at the
42Below Cocktail World Cup have been announced.
http://theshout.com.au/2008/08/13/article/HUTHECGQTQ.html
I'm
switching phones !!!
07-15-2008
I know
no one cares as
long as I answer the darn thing. As soon as you
find out what the guys over at Cocktail
DB have done, you will want to switch too.
The big brains of Martin Doudoroff, Ted "Dr. Cocktail"
Haigh and Matt Feifarek have taken their Cocktail Data
Base to a higher level with this new IPhone application.
Check out this demo.
"Hurricanes are for tourists. Sazerac's are for
natives."
I borrowed this line from the gumbopages.com
I don't think Chuck Taggart will mind. I met him and he
is a good chap We were at the Tales of the Cocktail last
year...... THE event of the year. It does not matter if
you are in this business or not. If you are passionate
about good cocktails. TOTC is for you.
For information about this event go to www.talesofthecocktail.com
Make sure you check out The Museum of the American
Cocktail exhibit and become a member !!!
You can also go to their website to join. MOTAC http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org
Lubrication in
Moderation
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