June 2008 Edition

Look Better Naked Margarita

• 1 1/2 oz. Partida Reposado Tequila
• 1 Lime Fresh Squeezed
• 3/4 oz. Partida Agave Nectar
• 1/2 oz. Egg White
• 1/2 oz. Sambazon Pure Organic Acai
• Rosemary 4" Sprig

Remove the Rosemary Leaves from the wood stem and muddle in a 16 oz. pint glass until aromatic. Add Liquid Ingredients.

Rim a martini glass with equal parts of organic salt with 50 Trace Minerals and fresh cracked organic green peppercorns.

Shake liquid ingredients vigorously until metal shaker is frosted. Strain into chilled, rimmed martini glass and float a 1" Rosemary Sprig on top.

Partida Tequila and Nacional 27 Manager/Mixologist Adam Seger have a better solution to help you get a little healthy while you imbibe this season: Look Better Naked! Partida has teamed up with Seger to create a new margarita crafted from healthy ingredients for a guilt-free indulgence that fuels the body while it delights the taste buds.

The Look Better Naked margarita is made from all-natural ingredients, including Partida Reposado tequila, organic acai, organic agave nectar, rosemary, egg white and fresh squeezed lime juice. Using Sambozan Pure Organic Acai and Partida Organic Agave Nectar fills the margarita with antioxidants, amino acids, dietary fiber, iron, calcium, cholesterol-reducing fructans and Vitamins A and C. The rosemary is rich in vitamin E, preventing cancer and skin damage. An egg white provides a lean source of protein, while the fresh lime juice prevents heart disease and gives an extra dose of Vitamin C.

Folks, I've done it. I've actually found something that the Irish won't drink. O.k., so that's a bit of a lie. But I have found something that the Irish can't drink. I was playing poker the other day at a friend's house when one of the guys brought out a bottle of 'potcheen'. Roughly translated: Irish Moonshine. Potcheen (there are about a half-dozen ways to spell the word) is a child of prohibition laws as old as Shakespeare. Laws were enacted back then to, shall we say, encourage the correct payment of taxes to the British crown for the production and sale of alcohol. As would become a fairly standard theme in the years to come, the Irish took offense to being made to pay taxes to England for things they'd done most of their existence.

The long and short of it was that while they could produce the moonshine whiskey, any attempt to age it made it more likely to be discovered by the folks who wanted their money. Such was the nature of the monarchy at the time that a further law was enacted specifically banning the sale and consumption of this Irish whiskey Potcheen in Ireland. And, as laws tend to do in old societies, the prohibition still stands.

The story gets more interesting. Some enterprising distiller determined that while he couldn't sell potcheen in Ireland, he could export it. So today we can go to our local liquor store and buy potcheen, and toast our lucky friends across the pond with Irish whiskey that the Irish can't (legally) drink. I got mine at BevMo, under the Bunratty brand. The first swig of this stuff is reminiscent of sweet rubbing alcohol, but it gets a lot better in short order. The guy who turned me onto it suggested infusing it with pear or peach, which on first guess sounds like a good idea. I intend to try it.

Second on the list of strange reappearances is a book I discovered almost two years ago. I brought this book along with me to a national meeting (for my 9 to 5), read it, loved it, and put it back in my luggage. Well, as these things often happen, I also managed to nearly completely forget it by the time I got back from the conference. It gets better though; this year is a meeting year again, and as I was getting ready for the trip, I stumbled across the bag I had taken to the last meeting, and lo and behold, there was the book, quietly residing in my meeting bag, forgotten. This in itself would make a great introduction for a cocktail book, but there's one final caveat. The book that I lost and forgot about is all about lost and forgotten cocktail recipes.

Written by Ted Haigh (who writes as Dr. Cocktail), Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails was one of the most interesting trips I've taken through history. He has taken the time to not only find these old favorites but also the tales behind them. I have acquired a few reprints of classic bartender's guides and have been baffled by some of the ingredients they use because they are brands and varieties that died half a century ago; Dr. Cocktail not only gives descriptions of these long lost liquors, but in many cases has done his best to locate the modern equivalent (often finding the modern rebirth of these classic potions). Through the author's diligent research, an enterprising lush can make, in all of its original glory, and cocktail in the book.

And one final note, The Raven now has his own e-mail address at the BarNoneDrinks. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions related "The Raven's Caw" to raven@barnonedrinks.com. Also accepted at this address are job offers, death threats, marriage proposals, offers to enlarge certain parts of my anatomy, awards nominations, petitions for absolution and anything else The Raven might need to know about.

Tune in next month when I explore some of the lost recipes from the book. Until then: Caw!

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About The Raven

J.T. "Raven" Centonze has been a long time student of the art of alcohol. Initially interested in keeping conversation at parties, his love for alcohol grew to an obsession in college. In between his real job of running a college bookstore or two, he is the part owner/operator of his own winery. He bartends at private parties which allows him the innovation of many new, unique drinks.

Partida Tequila

Southern Comfort, also referred to as SoCo, is a common liquor that you will most likely see behind any good bar, or even in someone's private stock. Although the liquor is made by combining whiskey with sweet ingredients, such as sugar, peach, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange, it has a strong flavor that you either love or hate.

While some may not enjoy the liquor straight up, others find it lends a wonderful taste to certain mixed beverages, such as the Crash and Burn, Alabama Slammer, and SloScrew.

One of the most popular ways to enjoy Southern Comfort is in a SoCo and Lime.

The SoCo and Lime, which, as you guessed it, mixes Southern Comfort and lime juice, was created at the Duck-In, which was once a popular eatery in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Patrons there began consuming the beverage and really liked it. So, it's no surprise that it wasn't long before the recipe made its way from Virginia to other states, and people nationwide began to also enjoy the concoction.

Should you decide that you want to try your hand at making a SoCo and Lime, but don't have limes or lime juice on hand, you can use Rose's Lime Cordial if you happen to have that. To create the drink, simply mix equal parts of each ingredient together. Want a lot? Then make it in a standard drink glass. Want just a taste? Then use the same 50/50 technique to create a SoCo and Lime shot.

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Val, Val Val. What do we say about Val? I can say that she's been doing a bunch of work for us here at Bar None for the last few months, but most of it site related, not for our newsletter. However, I think she'll start becoming a regular feature here so we hope you enjoy her writing from some little place called Hoboken or was it Halifax? Hmm, maybe it was Hammonton. Wherever it was, she's doing a fine job and we're happy to have her aboard.

 

After a mysterious absence last month, my gal Zlata emerges from her hiding spot bringing with her these great recipes, with exclusive photos. Thanks Hot Stuff!

Absolut Relief

• 2 parts Absolut Mandrin
• 1 part Fresh blood orange juice
• 1 part Cranberry juice
• 1 part Raspberry liqueur

Mix all ingredients in shaker with ice; shake vigorously. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish a slice of blood orange.

Courtesy of Byblos
114 S 18th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215)568-3050

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Absolut Pleasure

• 1 part Absolut Citron
• 1 part Absolut Mandrin
• 2 parts Strawberry infused simple syrup
• Splash of Sprite
• Splash of our mix

Shake Absolut Citron, Absolut Mandrin, simple syrup and sour in shaker with ice. Strain over ice in rocks glass, add splash of Sprite on top.

Courtesy of Denim Lounge
1712 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 735-6700

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Absolut Mojito

• 3 parts Absolut Mandrin
• 1 part Cruzan Estate Light Rum 2 Years
• 2 parts Lime Juice
• 1 part Mandarines Liqueur
• 1 part Simple Syrup
• Soda Water
• Mint Leaf

Fill a highball glass to the rim with crushed ice. Pour absolut mandrin, cruzan estate light rum 2 years, lime juice, mandarines liqueur and simple syrup over the ice. Top up with soda water. Garnish with a mint leaf (leaf).

I'm officially booked for my Tales of the Cocktail trip in July. New Orleans here I come. The Raven will also be there. All going well, we'll blog to the site everything that's happening.

We should also have a bunch of great stories, recipes and ideas to pass on to you after the show. If you haven't heard of it, click the image below to find out more.

 

Never underestimate anything that comes in a small package. Chances are if you do, you may very well miss out on a good thing. The power of small packages is evident in McLain & Kyne's (M&K) range of bourbons. Touted as "very small batch" bourbons, each spirit is well handcrafted with a rich serving of ingredients that include corn, malted barley and rye. And as a further enhancer these spirits are made with the use of crisp limestone water from Kentucky.

As rich as its spirits is the McLain & Kyne story, one that leads back to its founder Trey Zoeller and his father Chet who continue to carry on the tradition of good ole bourbon as established by their ancestors in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Today McLain & Kyne offers three "very small batch" bourbon whiskeys that are sure to please even the occasional drinker. These whiskeys include Jefferson's Reserve Very Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, Sam Houston Very Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky and Jefferson's Very Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky.

There is a technique to producing the small batches of bourbon whiskey, one that involves the selection of the best barrels of whiskey by distillers. In the small batch bourbons process, 200-300 barrels are picked and then mingled together before they are bottled. Up to 8-12 barrels of various ages of whiskeys are usually selected to be mixed and produce whiskey that is both robust and consistent in quality and taste.

Each brand of M&K bourbon whisky has a unique taste that incorporates flavorful ingredients like vanilla and caramel and the hints of wood from the barrel which these spirits were cured gives it a rustic feel.

The packaging of these small batch bourbons look more like cologne bottles than they do whiskey, especially the Jefferson's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky and Jefferson's Reserve Very Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky.

Jefferson's Very Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky is bourbon that is strongly flavored with caramel and an assortment of fruits that are of berry and citrus. Sipping it approaches pure pleasure as all the ingredients come together, but the lasting end is its smoothness that goes down warm and toasty, thanks to the wood cure, but not before leaving a slight tingle on your tongue.

The candy-like aroma is also striking in Jefferson's Reserve Very Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Peaches, vanilla, raisins and the distinct taste of butterscotch are the elements in this dry tasting bourbon. So elegant and sophisticated is Jefferson's Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon that it has won the Gold Medal for the International Review of Spirits.

Finally if you are seeking bourbon that is spicy in taste with bursting flavors of nutmeg, corn and rye, then you would absolutely love Sam Houston Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. This bourbon has also accomplished gold medal status in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as in the International Review of Spirits.

These fine batches of bourbon whiskeys are distributed by Castle Brands Inc. Care to indulge?

 

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Asha Brodie has spent an interesting 19 years in print media in Trinidad. She currently lives in the USA with her husband and daughter. Her lifelong love affair for writing continues...

 

Our latest Rober Plotkin article talks about avoiding common pitfalls in your bar.

Robert is the founder of BarMedia.com

For the past 17 years, Robert Plotkin, has been working to provide beverage operators with the right career tools they need to attain success. He has created the best management systems, tools, software and books available in the hospitality industry. His nationally acclaimed products are in the offices and behind the bars of the most successful hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and hot spots worldwide.

 

Every great endeavor comes with its own unique set of problems and challenges. Why would life behind bars be any different? The reality is that working a busy bar is fraught with pitfalls ranging from popping champagne corks to slicing a finger on broken glass. All the while sidestepping an array of shift ending calamities, one must maintain a smile, stay composed and always represent the best interests of the house.

 

• Serving Doubles - If the management still allows the service of doubles, be extremely wary of patron looking to ingest that much alcohol that quickly. A double is more than twice as potent as a regularly prepared drink. Complicating matters, people consume doubles at the same rate that they do other cocktails. An alarm should go off in the back of your head, because the likelihood of experiencing a problem with the person is hovers in the probable range. Fore warned is fore armed.

   

• Dull Paring Knives - One of the similarities bartending veterans share is an assortment of scars obtained by attempting to hurriedly cutting fruit garnishes with pathetically dull paring knives. Regardless of you might think, dull knives are much more hazardous than sharp ones. The problem is that dull knives require extra pressure to make an incision in a fruit rind. When in a hurry the knife can slip off the fruit and slice open a finger or palm. Because the hand is exceptionally vascular, you can anticipate that it will be extreme challenging to staunch the flow of blood in time to work your shift.

  If you find yourself behind the bar with a dull knife, go to the kitchen and ask to have it sharpened. If time doesn't permit you to do that, flip over a ceramic coffee mug and use the unglazed bottom to hone the blade.

• Pre-Opening Bottles of Wine - Preparing a bar for opening is akin to preparing for an invasion. One line item on everyone's opening duties is to pre-open bottles of house and varietal wines. This allows that bartenders to grab a new bottle of wine, yank the cork and continue pouring. It's a rookie mistake, however, to completely remove the cork from the bottle when pre-opening. The savvy thing to do is to bring the cork out about 2/3rds the way and leave it. This maintains the vacuum seal and extends the useful life of the wine.

• Soda Gun Nozzles - The first place an experienced health inspector will look behind the bar is the soda gun nozzle. It is notorious as the dirtiest square inch behind the bar. Never let the dispenser's nozzle dip into a guest's drink and take concerted measures to clean the post-mix beverage dispenser nightly.

• Dirty Glassware - Holding a glass up to the light to visually inspect if it's spotlessly clean is the mark of a conscientious bartender. Check also that the rim is not chipped or cracked. To verify the cleanliness of your shelved glassware, pick a glass at random and fill it with club soda. A clean glass will not have streams of carbonation rising from the sides or bottom. Carbonation streams indicate a source of dirt, oil or film. While you're at it, check the cleanliness of your pitchers and carafes.

• Ice Cubes - Ice is considered a food substance, and as such, it cannot come in contact with your hands. Likewise, do not let the handle of your ice scoop lay in the ice bin.

   

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  Proven Strategies for the On-Premise Operator

  This may be the best resource guide ever written for controlling, managing and operating a beverage operation profitably.

  Covering virtually every aspect of a beverage operation, Robert Plotkin has left no stone unturned. From analyzing bartender and server productivity to explaining how to use pour cost formulas to increase profits, it is a guide that anyone can use to increase their profits, reduce their costs and understand how to do it in a step-by-step format.

   

Sloe Gin Fizz

• 1 1/2 oz. Plymouth Sloe Gin
• 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
• Club Soda or Sparkling Water

Combine Plymouth Sloe Gin and lemon juice in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into a highball glass filled with ice and fill with club soda or sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of orange and a cherry.

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Plymouth Sloe Gin hits the US market June 1st. You can find it in the following bars:

New York:

• The Flat Iron
• Death and Co
• PDT
• Craft
• The World Bar
• The Campbell Apartment
• The Carnegie Club
• Bookmarks Lounge
• Madison & Vine

Boston:

• No 9 Park
• Green Street
• The Eastern Standard

Chicago:

• The Violet Hour
• Drawing Room

Los Angeles:

• The Doheny
• Craft

San Francisco:

• Bourbon and Branch

 

Remember the good ol' days when you were a kid and you stood on the street corner selling lemonade and iced tea to the passersby? You never made very much money, but you loved the experience. It was your first glimpse at the business world and it was pretty exciting.

Now you're all grown up, you've had more than a glimpse of the business world, and you have to admit, it was a bit more exciting with your crate, paper cups, and tin can full of change out on that street corner. One thing that hasn't changed is the delight and refreshment that iced tea brings on a hot summer day. And now that you're all grown up, you can enjoy iced tea like a grown up. This June, celebrate National Iced Tea month with special iced tea cocktails brought to you by Castle Brands. They will make growing up almost seem worth while.

Pallini Palmer

• 1 Part Pallini Limoncello
• 2 Parts unsweetend Iced Tea

Build in a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a mint sprig.

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Crazztini

• 2 oz Boru Crazzberry Vodka
• 2 oz Raspberry Iced Tea
• Splash of Pallini Raspicello
• Splash of Cranberry juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass.

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Long Irish Iced Tea

• 1 oz. Boru Citrus Vodka
• 1 oz. Celtic Crossing Liqueur
• 1 oz. Gosling's Gold Rum
• 1 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 Splash Cola

Fill a tall glass with ice and add ingredients. Garnish with a twist of lime.

Averna ran a cocktail competition from January 1st through March 31st. All entries were divided into three geographical regions: Northeast, Southeast/Midwest and West. A judging panel of leading spirits experts selected 10 semifinalists from each region to move on to the regional semifinals scheduled in San Francisco, New York and Miami respectively. A total of five semifinalists were selected from the three regional competitions (two each from the San Francisco and New York competitions, one from the Miami competition)

What's the point? Bar None has copies of the winning recipes here for you. We'll feature one a month for the next few months so you too can make these great cocktails.

This was created by Debbi Peek, The Drawing Room at Le Passage in Chicago

Anima Bella

• 1.5 oz Averna
• .5 oz Plymouth gin
• 1 oz Mineola citrus juice
• .5 oz orange juice
• .25 oz simple syrup
• 5 fresh raspberries
• 3 fresh blackberries

In a Boston shaker add Berries and fresh citrus. Muddle. Add Averna and gin. Shake with ice. Double strain into a chilled 8oz cocktail glass.

Garnish: Using a wooden pick horizontally, place 2 citrus leaves vertically through the pick, then in a fan shape add thin slices of half moon lime wheels and then a raspberry. On the lime slices, add the peel of the Minneola on top on the outside of the lime. Place on the edge of a cocktail glass.

Intoxicologist OP-KC-INTX $11.99 Keeping with our traditional "Intoxicologist" brand this bright blue opener means business. The new Kolorcoat™ process decorates both sides and the edges of this stainless steel opener with full color artwork.

Basil Hayden's Bubbly

• 1 part Basil Hayden's Bourbon
• Champagne

Pour bourbon into a champagne flute and fill with champagne. Garnish with an Orange Twist or a cherry.

Need great party supplies? Visit our Barstore!

 

Tullamore Dew, the distinctively smooth Irish whiskey, is proud to announce the addition of Tullamore Dew 10-Year-Old, a new bottling in limited release; 900 cases allotted for 2008.

Like the time-honored marques - Tullamore Dew and Tullamore Dew 12-Year-Old - the new bottling is triple-distilled for balance and smoothness. Medium amber gold in color, the 10-Year-Old displays a fresh, malty and slightly woody nose with intriguing citrus notes. It derives its complex flavor of malt and spice, wood and vanilla from long aging in Spanish and American oak casks. Smooth and delicious on the palate with a refined and gentle finish, every sip evokes its pure Irish character.

The Distinctive Taste of Ireland

One of Ireland's finest and most widely distributed whiskeys, Tullamore Dew was first distilled in 1829 in the small town of Tullamore in County Offaly in the heart of Ireland.

Unlike most whisky made in Scotland, it is distilled three times for maximum purity and smoothness. In addition, the barley used in Tullamore Dew is dried in closed kilns rather than over peat smoke to maintain its genuine, natural flavor - one of the defining characteristics of Tullamore Dew. In addition to the new 10-Year-Old, the range of bottlings available in the U.S. also includes:

• Tullamore Dew - The original blend, known the world over for its smooth and gentle flavor. This pale amber blended whiskey has spicy, lemony and malty overtones with charred wood undertones giving a soft, buttery, rounded and complex flavor that lingers in the mouth.

• Tullamore Dew 12-Year-Old - a deluxe, rich, amber blend with a full, smooth and well-rounded character, combining maltiness and pot still character. Sweet-spicy notes overlay a rich, woody background in the flavor of this exceptional whiskey.

• Tullamore Dew Gift Crock - originally created 60 years ago as a special gift package, the ceramic crock is sealed with a cork and comes with its own porcelain stopper. In the tradition of early whiskey bottlings, it makes an excellent presentation for the whiskey connoisseur.

It is widely believed that the Irish invented whiskey. Though no one can prove the fact, it is rarely disputed - except, perhaps, by the Scots. As a growing number of whiskey lovers are discovering, the best evidence may be in a glass of Tullamore Dew shared with a friend.

 

Summer is the season to explore and escape from the banal routines of life. But if work and other responsibilities are keeping you from traveling far from home, why not take your senses on an international expedition from your own backyard with Mexican Cerveza Tecate Light?

To cool off in the summer heat, serve Tecate Light Micheladas - a traditional Mexican beer cocktail prepared with lime juice, salt and (optional) hot sauce.

• 1 Can Tecate Light
• 1/3 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
• Kosher Salt
• Lime wedge

Dip the rim of a highball glass in a saucer of lime juice, shake off excess, then dip moistened rim in a saucer of kosher salt. Fill glass half-way with ice and then one-third full with freshly squeezed lime juice, then top off with cold Cerveza Tecate Light. Add hot salsa, such as Valentina, to taste. 4. Serve with lime wedges.

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