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Next Monday (Nov. 24th) is the USBG & Flor De Cana Master Mixologist Contest at Aspen Lounge. All bartenders and mixologists are invited to participate and demo their skills. Top prize is a TRIP TO NICARAGUA!!! Submit your best Flor de Cana 18 recipe to [email protected] and cross your fingers. Hope to see you next week. Cheers - Elba, Pranna Restaurant
Our good friend Liquid Muse a.k.a. Natalie Bovis Nelsen has just released her new cocktail book "Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be" which hits stores this December. Natalie is a very talented and one of the most respected mixologists in the LA cocktail scene. Her new book offers delicious (non-alcoholic) cocktail recipes for all those moms-to-be. Not only are these drinks tasty and good for mommies with a baby bump, Natalie also gives you tips on how to adjust the cocktail for all those "non-preggies". You can email Natalie ([email protected]) to get on the RSVP list for Preggatinis' launch party and book signing. Here is a sample recipe from her book, just in time for Thanksgiving. Cheers.
Pumpkin Pie Preggatini
1 heaping tablespoon of canned pumpkin
1.5oz sweetened condensed milk
2oz milk
1oz Fee Brothers Spiced Cordial Syrup
2 graham crackers
whipped cream
Grind graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor. Pour onto a small plate. On a separate plate, pour a small amount of spiced cordial syrup. Dip the rim of the martini glass into the syrup, then into the graham cracker crumbs, set aside. Vigorously shake milk, sweetened condensed milk, remaining spiced cordial syrup, and pumpkin into mixing glass, with ice. Slowly strain into rimmed martini glass. Top with a dollop of whipped cream. (Add a splash of rum or brandy to "De-Virginize for Dad" or other non-preggies.)
Recently, I paid a visit to The Mission Restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale. Chef Matt Carter, Terry Ellisor and Brian Raab have created a fantastic "modern Latin American" menu, a unique combination of Peruvian, Ecuadorian and Brazilian cuisine. The music and atmosphere is incredibly relaxed, the interior is beautifully decorated, the food is exceptional, the service and presentation excellent and most importantly, the cocktails are fresh and tasty. I highly recommend trying the Red Sangria, the Mango Margarita and
the very refreshing Mission Margarita. Salud - Stephen, Bartender, Roaring Fork
The Mission
3815 N. Brown Ave
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Tel: (480) 636-5005
One of my regular customers sent this article to me. Can't confirm or deny its truthfulness, but I thought it was interesting. Cheers - Scott, Bartender, Cigar Bar
(PhysOrg.com) -- Whoever thought that science was a dry subject might change their mind after learning about a new discovery in which tequila is turned into diamonds. A team of Mexican scientists found that the heated vapor from 80-proof (40% alcohol) tequila blanco, when deposited on a silicon or stainless steel substrate, can form diamond films.
The key to the surprising discovery is tequila's ratio of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, which lies within the "diamond growth region." The resulting diamond films could have inexpensive commercial applications as electrical insulators, say researchers Javier Morales, Luis Miguel Apátiga, and Víctor Manuel Castaño from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Morales is also with Nuevo León´s Autonomous University).
Originally, the scientists were experimenting with creating diamonds from organic solutions such as acetone, ethanol, and methanol. They found that diluting ethanol in water resulted in high quality diamond films. The scientists then noticed that the ideal compound of 40 percent ethanol and 60 percent water was similar to the proportion used in tequila. "To dissipate any doubts, one morning on the way to the lab I bought a pocket-size bottle of cheap white tequila and we did some tests," Apátiga said. "We were in doubt over whether the great amount of chemicals present in tequila, other than water and ethanol, would contaminate or obstruct the process, it turned out to be not so. The results were amazing, same as with
the ethanol and water compound, we obtained almost spherical shaped diamonds of nanometric size. There is no doubt; tequila has the exact proportion of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms necessary to form diamonds."
If you have been wondering where we've been, well now I can let you in on the secret. Willy, Aisha and I have been busy opening up a new restaurant here in New York. Pranna is owned and operated by Rajiv and Payal Sharma, who have been working in the restaurant industry for over 50 years. They have teamed up with the very talented and interesting Chef Chai Trivedi, who has created a unique menu that infuses the cuisines of Southeast Asia with an Indian twist. (he is also a puck rocker) Willy, Aisha and I helped set up their delicious, one-of-a-kind cocktail menu. Our cocktails are made with only fresh fruit, Asian spices and premium spirits. We hosted a grand opening party last week and over 850 of New York's culinary elite attended. The signature cocktails served that evening were the Thai-Gave (Partida Blanco and cilantro), the Silk Road (Yamazaki Single Malt and Thai basil), Harvest Moon (Maker's Mark and pomegranate) and the Dragon Fly (Level Vodka and Thai bird chilies) all of which are on our cocktail list and pair perfectly with the exceptional dishes. Stop by and I will make you one of our specialty cocktails that will blow your mind. Cheers - Elba
The Camelback Inn is one of Phoenix's original and favorite resorts. Nestled in Paradise Valley with a commanding view of Camelback Mountain, the resort recently went through a major renovation and remodel, emerging once again as a must visit spot in Arizona. Much of the work focused on the restaurants, lounges and bars that keep the inn's guests returning year after year. I recently visited a few of Camelback Inn's acclaimed dining properties. Cheers - Stephen, Bartender, Roaring Fork
BLT Steak is Chef Laurent Tourondel's adaptation of the modern American steakhouse. They offer Certified Black Angus and prime steaks, American and Japanese Kobe beef, lamb, chicken, fresh seafood and raw bar selections. Generous side dishes and mouthwatering desserts round out the menu and are complimented by sunset views of Camelback Mountain. They also have a great cocktail on their menu called the Last Oasis. The basil leaves accentuate the hints
of fresh
herbs already present in the blanco tequila, giving the cocktail a lovely
herbal aromatic. Fresh lime juice and plentiful amount of tequila provide a pleasant tingle to the watermelon finish. Delicious!!!
Last Oasis
2 oz. Partida Blanco
1 oz. Partida Organic Agave Nectar
2 oz. yellow watermelon puree
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
2 torn basil leaves.
Build juice to spirits in cocktail tin and shake with ice. Pour in up glass no rocks.
Located in the Southwestern inspired Lodge, the R Bar is the catalyst for social activity. This contemporary gathering spot is the perfect place for meeting new people or gathering with old friends. R Bar features a variety of hand-crafted cocktails, house-made infusions and the Inn’s signature margaritas. A full menu of appetizers, small plates, and full entrees perfectly compliment this high energy lounge and patio. Their Acai Passion cocktail uses Acai liqueur and passion fruit
paired nicely with citrus and tropical
fruit hints of blanco tequila. Mint leaves offer a fresh, latent herbal
presence. It is a refreshing cocktail great for relaxing on R Bar's gorgeous
patio.
Acai Passion
1 oz. Partida Blanco
1 oz. Veev Acai Liqueur
1 oz. passion fruit puree
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
1/4 oz. Grand Marnier
3 mint leaves
All all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake well and pour over fresh ice with mint sprig as garnish.
Happy November!!! Hope everyone had a great Halloween. The Halloween season here in Denver kicked off the 9th Annual Fetish Victorian Ball at the Wish Nightclub Diamond Cabaret. More than 1,000 attendees enjoyed a night of great music, risque shows, and great libations. Denver's party crowd came out in an array of costumes to celebrate Kevin Larson's party of the year. You should have seen the characters who attended. We had white rabbits, Alice the Cheshire Cat, naughty schoolgirls, Indiana Jones, rock stars, pimps, pirates, ballerinas, nurses and vampires. Even Satan and Sarah Palin made an appearance at the party. I love this time of year. Cheers - Scott, Bartender, Cigar Bar
