TALK DRINKS

Forbidden Island

Back in the days of Trader Vic and Beach Bum Jerry, Tiki drinks where made with care using fresh ingredients and a assortment of quality rums. Somewhere along the way things deteriorated, along with cocktails in general, where quality and fresh where no longer important. Horrible artificial mixes and cheap spirits where substituted and we entered a dark time for mixed drinks. Thankfully all that has started to change and we are slowly seeing bars using fresh juices and quality ingredients in their cocktails. This has also resulted in a resurgence of Tiki Bars and Drinks. Bars like Trailer Happiness and Mahiki in London have helped put the Tiki drink back on the map. Martin Cate a Tiki Master has helped put the Tiki Drink back on the radar here in the US. He has a wonderful bar called Forbidden Island here in Alameda.

The Hub Cocktail @ Conduit Restaurant, SF

Conduit is a fairly new restaurant here in San Francisco and Reza Esmaili is the talented Bar Manager behind the beverage program. He has done a great job with the Spirits selection and some very interesting fresh cocktails. One of them he calls The Hub. It is a delicious aromatic cocktail made with Tequila. He actually mixes the Partida Blanco and Reposado together with some Peychauds bitters and a hint of Kubler Absinthe. Nice twist on the classic Sazerac. Reza's cocktail lists always has a mix of some classics and some seasonal fresh cocktails. If you have a chance stop in at Conduit and try a few of their tasty cocktails. Cheers - Jacques

Upcoming Wine, Spirit & Beverage Events

Here are some upcoming wine, spirit and beverage events to watch out for.

May 13–19
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Cocktail Week

May 16–18
Paso Robles, CA
Paso Robles Wine Festival

May 24–26
Austin, TX
Austin Wine Festival

May 24–26
Willamette Valley, OR
Memorial Day Wine Weekend

June 27–29
San Francisco, CA
Pinot Days

July 16-20
New Orleans, LA
Tales of the Cocktail

New NYC Hotspot - The Big Apple

Greetings from NYC. If you are looking for a great night out on the town, you have to visit Elizabeth, a new restaurant and cocktail bar. Gardner Dunn is behind the stick creating modern takes on classic cocktails to match the modern American cuisine. The cocktails are fresh, seasonal and delicious. You may have tasted Gardner’s mixology skills at Los Dados in the Meat Packing District. Elizabeth is located just below Houston on Elizabeth street. Cheers - Willy Shine, Contemporary Cocktail Inc.

Tequila Honeysuckle w/ Watermelon - Hotlanta Times

There is a great cocktail on our menu called the Bees Knees which consists of Gin, fresh lemon juice and honey syrup. This combination of citrus juice and honey syrup also creates what is called a honeysuckle cocktail which can be made with several different spirits. recently I've had tequila on the mind so I created a tequila honeysuckle and bumped it up a notch by adding a couple of chunks of watermelon. I found that the watermelon added another layer of flavor and paired well with the honey syrup and the richness of a Reposado Tequila. This cocktail was really amazing and I encourage anyone who is trying to build up their drink repertoire to add this one to their list! Enjoy - Navarro Carr, Trois, Atlanta

Tequila Honeysuckle w/ Watermelon
1.5oz Partida Reposado Tequila
3/4oz fresh lime juice
3/4oz honey syrup(2 parts honey, 1 part water, brought to a slight boil and then cooled)
2-3 watermelon pieces (approx. size of an ice cube)
Lightly muddle the watermelon and then add the Reposado Tequila, lime juice and honey syrup. Shake all the ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Around the World - What Happens in Vegas ...

Hi everyone. As my first post, I would like to give you a special cocktail recipe that I created. This cocktail is wonderfully refreshing, clean and crisp with a very unique flavor. Cheers - Anthony

Around the World
3/4oz Hendricks’s Gin
1oz PAMA
6 muddled skinned cucumber slices
1/2oz yuzu juice
1/2oz elderflower liqueur
1/2oz agave nectar syrup
Muddle cucumber in the glass part of a Boston shaker, add ingredients shake with ice and strain in a chilled 9oz cocktail glass. Garnish with cucumber slice, edible orchid and pomegranate seeds dusted with easy leaf edible silver.

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo – Windy City Post

Hola!!!

Hope everyone had a festive Cinco de Mayo. I know I did. Check out my interview on the FOX Morning News.
Salud – Alex.

Welcome Anthony Alba in Vegas - What happens in Vegas ....

We would like to welcome a new Master Mixologist to the TALKDRINKS family of bar chefs. Originally from New York, Anthony Alba moved to Las Vegas in 1989. He has been in the food and beverage industry since the tender age of 14. He started his bartending career in 1999 and found a home at the Rio in 2006 as the Property Mixologist. Anthony is now a beverage consultant with his company, Liquidity Global. He creates cocktails, trains beverage staff and works with spirit brands all around the world. His style would be described as cutting edge and heavily influenced in culinary traditions. He has been organizing, competing and hosting competitions in both Flair and Mixology since 2002. Anthony is currently the Vice President for the Nevada Chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild. In his spare time, he likes to dabble in molecular mixology, makes his own wine and beer and even distills his own spirits! Cheers.

Miami Ink - Welcome to Miami

Margie and I had a great time the other night celebrating the birthday's of Ami James & Chris Nunez from the hit show Miami Ink. The party was held at their new lounge Love Hate on South Beach. The Spirits of choice for the birthday boys were Zyr Vodka and Partida Tequila. Their outstanding bartender / manager  / mixologist, Christian Sanders, has come up with some very unique cocktails using fresh juices and ingredients such as yuzu, fresh ginger and cucumbers. This is a spot you have to check out and get a tat while you are there. Welcome to Miami - Marita

Chicago’s Criminal Seduction – Windy City Post

I attended a charity fashion show for Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund last Friday at the Libertine. A few notable sponsors of the event were Oakley Eyewear, Vidal Sassoon, CT Couture, Partida Tequila and Bonnie & Clyde’s Clothing. The evening was kicked off by the sounds of DJ Marcos Morales while the guests enjoyed margaritas and the fashion show began around 11pm. The models did an awesome job working the staircase runway and there was even a model from America's Next Top Model. Here are a few memorable pics from the evening that will help relive the experience. Cheers – Alex

The Amatitan Monk Cocktail - Windy City Post

Here is a tasty cocktail I found when visiting a great restaurant in Chicago called MK. John Kinder, who is one of their talented mixologists, created this delicious recipe. Stop by MK when you get a chance. Say hello to my buddy John and ask him to whip you up one of his cocktails. You won't be disappointed!! Salud - Alex

Amatitan Monk
2 oz Partida Tequila Reposado
3/4 oz St. Germain
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz lime juice
1/4 oz lemon juice
Shake and strain into cocktail glass.

"I like this recipe because it lets the Tequila shine while taking advantage of the natural acidity in Tequila and St. Germain. The Benedictine adds complexity as a third or fourth note." - John Kinder

Are You Worthy? - Welcome to Miami

How many times have you stood behind the velvet rope outside a club or bar praying to be one of the selected few to be chosen by the almighty doorman? Do you look at yourself in the mirror before you leave and ask yourself "Am I worthy"?
What makes these arrogant guardians of the gate such experts in selecting the ideal club goer to gain access to ....? Is there a school that they attend?

Tales of the Cocktail - New Orleans 2008

Last year, I attended Tales of the Cocktail for the first time and was blown away with what a quality event it was. Most of the best bartenders around the country were to be seen in NOLA either enjoying some cocktails or teaching their craft. The 5 days were jam packed with Spirit & Cocktail Seminars as well as cocktail dinners and a lot of late night cocktail enjoyment.

I am very much looking forward to this years Tales of the Cocktail that will run from July 16-20 in NOLA. Ann Tuennerman is the organizer and owner of Tales of the Cocktail and she's got this year's Tales full with even more events. Check out www.TalesoftheCocktail.com for more info. Ann has also been looking for signatures as she is lobbying for the Sazerac Cocktail to be recognized as the official Cocktail of New Orleans.

I hope to see you all in the Big Easy for this Wonderful experience. Cheers - Jacques

The Skinny Carlos - Hotlanta Times

We all know that tequila is a very mixable spirit due to its flavor profile and body. Well, I've got a new Tequila cocktail that will be on the menu at Trois this month. It is called the Skinny Carlos and was inspired by the Mexican billionaire and 2nd richest man in the world Carlos Slim. He recently beat out Bill Gates and is second only to Warren Buffet. Here are the ingredients:

The Skinny Carlos
1.5oz Tequila Blanco
1oz Lillet Blanc
3/4oz fresh grapefruit juice
1/2oz pomegranate syrup
1.5 z of Brut Champagne
First, add the champagne to a Collins Glass with ice. Shake the first four ingredients over ice and strain into a Collins Glass over ice and champagne. Garnish drink with a large grapefruit twist and enjoy!

After experimenting, I realized that adding the champagne first helped create a more balanced taste with or without a straw. 
Navarro Carr
Bartender at Trois
1180 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309

The Sporting Life #2 – L.A. Happenings

Who says there’s nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon? Apart from getting together with new friends to explore & advance the cocktail culture of your current chosen home city. (disclaimer indemnifies, as we’re all transients and my wife chose for me to live here) Host Marcos Tello has an ever increasing rolodex full of top notch bartenders. Last Sunday, we had a gathering at Osteria Mozza of nearly 30 of L.A.’s finest to talk cocktails. It was an informal get together of pros, amateurs and cocktail bloggers, all interested in creating and finding out about great cocktails in LA.