There are a couple of great resources on the web providing tips for first-timers to Tales. Last year, I highlighted first-timer herself The Dizzy Fizz’s blog post. I also mentioned on Twitter a post from Tales vet Fred Yarm that offers more than enough strategy for tackling Tales (or, the "multi-ring circus" as he refers to it!).
This year, I was privileged that Geoff, editor of DrinkSpirits.com, asked for my insights to before heading to New Orleans, as this will be my first return to the city since last year’s Tales. Check out his blog post on the Tales blog for my tip, along with other fantastic advice for industry vets returning for another year of cocktail camaraderie – and perhaps debauchery – in New Orleans.Yes, I'm included among the likes of Tony Abou-Ganim - wow!
Here are a few items of note on my calendar for this week:
Spirited Dinner – We selected a Spirited Dinner this year that I am very much looking forward to attend. Jonathan Pogash and Hal Wolin together are Exploring Whiskies in Cocktails, in collaboration with William Grant.
Not-to-miss-party – Bartender’s Breakfast. Following the Spirited Awards ceremony on Saturday night, this Pernod Ricard event is the final hoo-rah for most of the Tales participants for the year. I unfortunately had to bail out of this party on the early side last year so am looking forward to celebrating to its fullest extent this time around and catch all the great bartenders in action!
I look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces in NOLA this week. Definitely feel free to shoot me an email so we can try to cross paths, or follow my action via Twitter at both @stephaniejerzy and at @drinks4thehouse.
Hey guys. I’m here with your D4TH riddle of the day: A (super awesome) PR manager comes to New Orleans with 3 full, unopened bottles of Mandarine Napoleón XO Reserve – a product not currently available in the states. She shows off the bottle to industry bloggers and consumers alike. How many bottles does she return with?
Answer: One. But it’s empty. And I have no inkling as to who took the other two hand-etched bottles as keepsakes of this BEYOND limited edition product. Lucky bastards. (Not that I’m bitter I only got one dram of it on the rocks or anything like that...)
In all seriousness, Steve and I had a great time in New Orleans working with our clients Marc de Kuyper and Albert de Heer of the brand Mandarine Napoleón. Within an hour of checking in at the Hotel Monteleone, we were all on our way to the Mixoloseum House to have an informal meet-and-greet with the bloggers behind the Thursday Drink Night chat room. If you haven’t been before, you must check it out on Thursday nights (obvious enough..)! All photos below are courtesy of Carson Grey Photography.
What a full bottle of Mandarine Napoleón XO Reserve looks like before you let it loose with bloggers. 15 minutes later...
...no need to adjust your computer screen. That bottle is now half empty.
On the Thursday afternoon of that 5-day stint at Tales, Mandarine Napoleón was available as a sponsor during the Summer in Paris luncheon held at the legendary Antoine’s, complete with that notorious, but oh-so scrumptious Baked Alaska. Mandarine Napoleón fit beautifully into the French-inspired menu and accompanying spirits, with the product’s deeply-rooted history with Napoleon Bonaparte himself over a century ago.
Arno Van Eijmeren (bartender extraordinaire in Rotterdam) and I (the, uh, non-bartender extraordinaire) crafted up beautiful Mandarine Sour cocktails with the simple recipe below. The traditional Egg Sour recipe from The Savoy Cocktail Book actually calls for a 1 part of brandy; however, since the macerated oranges (or tangerines as they are called in Europe) are distilled with fruit brandy, you get your – albeit much smoother – boost to a 40% abv distillate.
Mandarine Sour 2 oz. Mandarine Napoleón 1 oz. Fresh lemon juice ½ oz. Fresh egg white 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters Thoroughly shake all ingredients and pour into an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry.
Some other highlights from our time with the Dutchmen: ·Me and the boys grabbing a steak dinner at Dick Brennan’s Steakhouse. I looked like such a wimp drinking my Whisky Sour and eating my 8 oz. steak next to their humongo-ginormous-extra-huge 24 oz. slabs of meat. ·Grabbing some cocktails at Bar Tonique. We had sort of an unfortunate experience there as the place was super packed (as it should be) with just one lone man behind the bar (bad call during Tales week). ·Empathizing with their recent loss in the World Cup finals. Trust me, even a month after it’s all been said and done, they’re still reaming… ·Lounging in the Carousel Bar into the wee hours of the morning. Those guys tormented the poor waiter in the lounge on night when he repeatedly came back trying to understand exactly what I wanted in my Blood & Sand and then failed to produce one. Sigh… Until next year, Tales...
While there is plenty more coverage to come I thought I’d just share a quick update with you all that I have returned to Connecticut after a fantastic trip to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail. Needless to say, my liver has been a bit “overworked” and my arteries are clogged with fried deliciousness. I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
So here’s the quick rundown. I went to New Orleans and, instead of a lousy t-shirt, I came back with:
My own copy of Jill DeGroff’s book, “Lush Life: Portraits from the Bar”
Not one, but two hats, acquired from the Beefeater Welcome Reception and Ricard Midnight Petanque, respectively. Sadly, I traveled by but did not enter Meyer’s hat shop on St. Charles, much to RumDood’s disappointment (I was on the streetcar at the time…)
A beautiful glass bottle etched by hand that at one point contained Mandarine Napoleón XO, a product that is not currently available in the states
And expanded knowledge on a wide range of subjects, from discussing emerging social media practices to exploring the sense of Umami
A plethora of business cards from all the new acquaintances I met and cannot wait to keep in touch with
I look forward to sharing more with you as I recap and detox from this wonderful five-day adventure. But in the interim, I would love to hear from you 1) your favorite memories from Tales and 2) the best thing (swag, spirit, bitters, tchatchkes) you managed to sneak back home in your suitcase.
New England’s recent sweltering heat wave (complete with humidity that this desert gal is not quite experienced in dealing with) was certainly great preparation for my upcoming descent upon New Orleans, the unofficially official birthplace of the cocktail. The occasion is Tales of the Cocktail, the spirits industry's premier event for bartenders, bloggers, liquor reps, and brand ambassadors, and enthusiasts, among others to gather and celebrate the culture of the cocktail community.
There is still much more to learn upon my arrival from those veterans who have attended Tales before and – more importantly – survived. I’m slightly afraid for the safety of my liver, but as they say: When in NOLA, do as the N’awlins do or, rather, drink as the N'awlins drink. Selena of The Dizzy Fizz did a great write-up of tips from the pros that have conquered this event before, so give it a read. If you have more tips and suggestions, please get in touch!
Anyways, since I can’t imagine any of you would be interested here in tracking my every move at Tales (plus, that’s what Twitter is around for. No stalkers, please.), here’s what I’m most looking forward to during my NOLA adventures. In no particular order:
The Beefeater Welcome Reception for a truly exciting Tales kickoff filled with Beefeater gin cocktails! It’s Wednesday evening at the Contemporary Arts Center , which looks to be a beautiful facility. I’ll be taking off from the CAC to the Elms Mansion for A Promenade of Jubilation, presented by William Grant & Sons
Breakfast at THE breakfast establishment, Brennan’s. Oh Banana’s Foster, here I come!
Celebrating the spirit of Le Paris at a Spirited Luncheon at Antoine’s. I’ll be there to celebrate French food and, of course, cocktails. I’m excited to for the delicious Mandarine Sour cocktail, featuring Mandarine Napoleon, brandy, lemon juice, Angostura, & eggwhite.
And then there’s the Tales Spirited Dinner series. We’re off to Le Meritage to enjoy a great meal with cocktails prepared by Jeffery and Jonathan Pogash.
You’ll probably catch me bright and early most mornings grabbing a complimentary cup (or two) of Joe at the Kahlúa Coffee Bar, along with a Kahlúa-inspired cocktail from Kaiser Penguin called “Black Paloma”.
Catching some live music. The Tales After Dark series at Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse has me intrigued, particularly the Brazilian-influenced Chegado.
You might have seen my mention about OVAL vodka’s infusion contest in an earlier post and wondered what the heck I was talking about. I got some ‘splainin’ to do.
Earlier this summer, OVAL vodka asked several cocktail bloggers to accept the challenge of creating a unique infusion using a bottle of OVAL and whatever other ingredients they like. The prize? Two nights stay in New Orleans, during Tales of the Cocktail. Many bloggers jumped at the chance to experiment and create and have some of their expensive hobby paid for!
Participants were asked to submit an 8 oz. sample of their infusion, the infusion recipe, and a cocktail recipe that called for their infusion. We got a number of great entries (you’ll see several featured below) and a judging panel (Gabriel Szaszko of Cocktailnerd, Rick Stutz of Kaiser Penguin, and mixologist Chantal Tseng of the Tabard Inn, met at the Mixo House in New Orleans to taste all the submissions and rate them on the following criteria:
infusion aroma
infusion taste
infusion creativity
cocktail taste
cocktail balance
cocktail creativity
One entry stood out among the rest and the judges’ scores showed agreement that Marshall Fawley’s Thai Infusion was the clear winner. Marshall, a DC blogger at Scofflaw’s Den, clearly put a lot of hard work into the process of creating this complex infusion & will now reap the reward! Check out his entry:
Marshall Fawley’s Thai Infusion:
16 oz. OVAL vodka
1 9-inch stalk of Lemongrass, cut into small rounds
Peel of 2 limes
2 quarter-sized rounds of fresh ginger
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
Place everything in a sealed container and infuse for one week, shaking the container once a day. After one week, strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth.
And his fantastic cocktail….(seriously I love this one!)
Andaman Sun: (picture by Marshall Fawley above)
1 ½ oz. Thai-Infused OVAL vodka
1 ½ oz. Coconut water
1 oz. Piloncillo Syrup* (1 ½: 1 strength)
½ oz. fresh lime juice
¼ oz. Coconut milk
Shake all with ice and double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
*Substitutions for Piloncillo syrup- 1 oz. of Dark Brown Sugar Syrup (1 ½ : 1) or ¾ oz. simple syrup & ¼ oz. molasses.
Congratulations Marshall! You created the perfect cocktail for a creative infusion!
I want to thank everyone who participated in the contest, as well as Chris Stanley, who lent a great hand and made all the cocktails for the tasting. Check out a few featured infusion recipes below. I’ll also post featured cocktail recipes later this week.
Cilantro, Peppercorn & Honey Infusion Recipe by Matt Robold of Rumdood:
Steep a handful of cilantro leaves in a 750ml bottle of OVAL vodka for 24 hours.
Strain out the cilantro and then add ¼ cup of peppercorns (uncracked) to the vodka, along with ½ cup of honey and shake vigorously. Steep for 48 hours and then strain through cheesecloth and/or a coffee filter.
Jalapeño Infusion Recipe by SeanMike Whipkey of Scofflaw’s Den:
Slice up three jalapenos, removing the ribs and seeds. Place in a jar with twelve ounces of OVAL vodka. Let sit for twenty four hours, then strain out the slices of jalapeño.
Take leaves from 1 oz. fresh rosemary, add to 8 oz. OVAL vodka, and allow to infuse for one day. Double strain
to remove leaves.
Chip Infusion Recipe by Blair Reynolds of Trader Tiki: (This one’s extremely complex but great tasting-it was ranked #2 by our judging panel—check out the great cocktail recipe that accompanies it on my next post)
750ml OVAL Vodka
2 large brown coconuts
6 oz. Orange Blossom Honey
1 large Plantain
½ vanilla bean
Pinch demerara sugar
Pinch cinnamon
Drill holes in both coconuts, replace coconut water with OVAL vodka. Let sit for three days. Strain OVAL out of coconuts and into a glass container. Open and slice the coconut, being sure to remove the woody inner skin. Briefly chop the coconut and Plantain in a food processor until at a rough chop. Start a pan at medium temperature, and once at temp, add coconut and plantain. Throw sugar and cinnamon over the cocnut and plantain mix while toasting. Toast until coconut is golden brown. Let the coconut and plantains sit until cool (so as not to boil off the alcohol) then add toasted coconut & plantains and ½ a vanilla bean to the OVAl vodka. Let sit for three days.
Strain the vodka into a separate glass container. Add 6 oz. orange blossom honey and shake heartily. Strain through a Brita filter.
Place 2 level teaspoons of lavender flowers and 1 ½ cup of OVAL vodka in a glass container with a lid that will seal. Allow to sit out of direct sun at room temperature for 20 hours. Strain lavender flowers from liquid and return to glass container.
Calendula & Rose Hip Infusion Recipe by Ted Munat of Le Mixeur:
750ml OVAL vodka
1 cup dried calendula
4 tbsp dried rose hips
Combine in a jar and let sit for 24 hours. Strain out calendula and rose hips.
For those of you who haven’t been following my footsteps on Twitter, I arrived in New Orleans yesterday for the Tales of the Cocktail festival. My trip didn’t start so well, after listening to the lady sitting next to me on the plane verbally assault our fellow travelers about their “flight etiquette” for a half an hour straight.
But things changed dramatically for the better once I was safely within the French Quarter limits. I’m staying at the Hotel Monteleone, a New Orleans landmark with a rich history. I’m so glad to be in the middle of all the action this year (last year we stayed in a hotel just outside the French Quarter).
After attending an awesome Welcome Reception put on by Beefeater gin, Steve & I headed over to the Mixo house, a Bed & Breakfast that's been completely rented out by a couple of crazy bloggers with an insane collection of booze, for the OVAL vodka infusion contest judging. There judges Gabriel Szaszko of Cocktailnerd, Rick Stutz of Kaiser Penguin, and Chantal Tseng, bartender at the Tabard Inn in Washington, DC, put these infusions (and their respective cocktails) to the test. I'd like to send a huge thanks their way, and I'd also like to extend a huge thanks to Chris Stanley, who prepared all the cocktails for judging (which, once you see the recipes you'll understand, is no small feat-especially when you're vying for bar space with dozens of cocktail afficianados).
In the coming days (ok, perhaps when I get back to the office) I'm going to write up a more detailed post and share some infusion recipes, cocktail recipes, and cocktail photos with you dear readers. But for now I'll have to leave it short and simple. Marshall Fawley of Scofflaw's Den took top prize with a creative Thai infusion and a delicious cocktail to boot! The judges were in complete agreement that his entry deserved the grand prize so Marshall will be having a portion of his stay in New Orleans paid for by OVAL vodka. Congratulations Marshall & well done!
Is it really that time again!? Believe it or not, tomorrow I’m headed back down to the Big Easy for Tales of the Cocktail, “the summer’s most spirited event.”
The weather has just started to not suck here in Connecticut (we’ve been hammered by serious rain, thunderstorms and yes, even a tornado for about the last month) and now I have to leave it behind for the sweltering sweaty mess that is New Orleans in July.
Ahhh, but I love it! And I’ve been training-daily two-mile runs in my snow suit followed by high-proof cocktails in a steam bath. I’ve prepared.I’m focused. I’m ready.
As I am a complete control freak (and may possibly suffer from OCD) I’ve created quite the detailed agenda for myself while in New Orleans. I won’t put all the little details down here but I will give a few of the highlights away. Here we go:
Using Blogs & Online Tools to Promote your Bar, Brand, or Career (Steve’s on the panel-come watch him preach Social Media Marketing and possibly embarrass me in a crowded room)
The Cocktails That Made Gin Famous
On The Fly Competition (this is going to be a fun one)
Caipirinha Competition (got to see what my friends at Leblon are up to)
Saturday:
Breakfast @ Brennan’s (‘nuff said)
The Three Amigos (heard it was hilarious last year)
And last but not least….The Spirit Awards (how can they possibly top last year’s host—Shooter McGavin!?)
So, if you’re a stalker and would like to know my every move in New Orleans (kidding…please don’t stalk me) or if you’re sad and alone at home and would like to live vicariously through me, check in here for daily (I’m optimistic) updates or follow me on Twitter. By the end of the week, you’ll already have your trip booked for next summer. Trust me.
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r, I was privileged that Geoff, editor of DrinkSpirits.com, asked for my insights to before heading to New Orleans, as this will be my first return to the city since last year’s Tales. Check out his blog post on the Tales blog for my tip, along with other fantastic advice for industry vets returning for another year of cocktail camaraderie – and perhaps debauchery – in New Orleans.Yes, I'm included among the likes of Tony Abou-Ganim - wow!
