Gruvy Cocktails

Because of our association with the blog, AustrianWinesUSA.com , we’ve developed a gruvy relationship with Austrian wines and viniculture. In particular, I’ve grown an affinity for Gruener Veltliner (For those of you who don’t me very well yet, turning me into a Gruener fan was quite the feat – I typically steer clear of white wines….).

But an Austrian-themed cocktail particularly caught my eye this past week when Anne Brockhoff (blogger at Food Drink Life) wrote an article in a Kansas City paper disclosing the awesome mixology prowess of KC’s growing cocktail scene and Bartenders Alliance.

Mark Church, bartender at Grünauer in Kansas City was declared the bar champion of the 2010 Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition with his Refined Austrian Cocktail. The recipe calls for a lot of ingredients not stocked behind the average cocktailian’s bar, but I’m anxious to start collecting and concocting. I do already have the Kirschwasser liqueuer; Hiram Walker makes a fantastic all natural kirsch liqueur.

The Refined Austrian Cocktail:
Austrian gin, Austrian brandy, house-infused aromatized wine, Kirsch liqueur and homemade aromatic bitters, garnished with a grilled orange wheel

Also, if someone could please explain to me what exactly “house-infused aromatized wine” is, I would be greatly indebted to your help! :)

So pay a visit to Anne’s article and read up on some of the other great bartenders and their highly-praised cocktails judged by BAR partner and KC’s own Doug Frost. TJ Vytalcil’s Silver and Sand cocktail particularly whetted my booze-y appetite as well.

So, as my dear friend Ron Burgandy would say: “Stay classy, Kansas City.” I can’t wait to come and give your cocktails a try!

Cheers!
SJ