Vote for the Official Drink of the Oval Office!

Get to the polls and fulfill your civic duty before it’s too late! No, I’m not talking about politics—I’m talking cocktails. Oval Vodka is looking to find the Official Drink of the Oval Office and it could be your very own creation! Thousands of submissions have already poured in, so don’t miss your chance. All you have to do is create an original cocktail recipe that features Oval Vodka. The polls close Saturday, October 25th at 11:59pm so get to it!

The entries will be narrowed down to five finalists, and those cocktails will be available for tasting and voting at the Oval Vodka Launch Party, which will take place Monday Nov 3rd at the Bryant Park Hotel Cellar Bar. The judging panel, which will include fashion designer Richie Rich of Heatherette, Mike Dawson of MAXIM Magazine and others will announce the winner just in time for Election Day, so we can all welcome the new president with a delicious cocktail. Head over to the Oval Office Site to make your mark and do your part today!

New Absinthe Mata Hari Cocktails!

I actually got to be the taste-tester for these original Absinthe Mata Hari cocktails, developed by Bryce Hardy. I can tell you my personal favorite is The Bohemian Mojito, but the Cherry Life Saver is delicious and tastes just like the candy, and the Courtesan packs a punch but tastes great too. If you’re thinking about throwing an Absinthe Party, serve up a few of these along with the traditional ritual—it’s a modern spin with the mixable Absinthe!

Cherry Life Saver

1 1/2 oz. Cherry Vodka
1 oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
1 oz. Hiram Walker Triple Sec
1 oz. Cranberry Juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

The Bohemian Mojito

6-8 Mint Leaves
2 lime wedges
2 dashes Simple Syrup
1 oz. Bacardi Limon
1 oz. Absinthe Mata Hari
Soda Water to top

Throw the mint leaves in the bottom of a Collins glass. Squeeze in the juice of two lime wedges, and add the wedges to the shaker. Add the simple syrup and muddle. Add the remaining ingredients and tumble. Return to Collins glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a generous sprig of mint.

The Courtesan

1 part Absinthe Mata Hari
1 part Southern Comfort
1 part Lime Juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into a chilled shot glass.

TOTC Seminars and Samples

I finally made it to a seminar…Latino Libations presented by Tony Abou-Ganim. Always an entertaining presentation, Tony was helped by some fortuitous finds in the audience that almost upstaged the master. Aided by the able talents of Diego Loret de Mola of BarSol Pisco. Tony gave an informative history lesson and current take on Cachaça and Caipirinhas, Pisco and Pisco Sours, Rum and Mojitos. I recognized someone in the audience and stopped to say hi and it turned out to be Stacey Smith, Beverage Director of Pappas Restaurants in Houston whom I shared a great dinner with at the Sante’ Restaurant Symposium last year. Also attending the seminar were Herbie Loebl of Pisco Montesierpe Jean Francois Bonneté of Mystique Brands and Michael Trujillo, New Mexico mixologist for SWS.Next it was downstairs to the Cocktail hour with about 30 stations serving some incredibly diverse cocktail creations. Frankly though, I didn’t like many of them. It struck me as though everyone erred on the side of “creativity” in a palette of flavors I’m not really in love with… a lot with hot peppers, unique combinations of spices and fruits, interpretations of classics substituting tequila for rum or in one case a Brandy Alexander made with Absinthe that quite frankly, smelled like mildew! We did get to meet Natalie Bovis-Nelson aka The Liquid Muse and enjoyed her creation the Nolita Heat.