Curious about Cachaça? Check out this video from Leblon, which features interviews with some of the leading authorities on Brazil’s native spirit. Here, they talk about the important differences between Industrial and Artisanal Cachaça.
12.18.2008
12.10.2008
Visit to Western Carriers Warehouse in NJ
For those who aren't aware of it, Western Carriers is the dominant warehousing and logistics company in the US beverage alcohol business. They have two huge warehouses (actually a complex in NJ) and handle just about every supplier and brand wine and spirit sold in the U.S. Western was one of the sponsors of the U.S. Drinks Conference 2008 in London. I had the pleasure of getting a tour of the facility in NJ from Mike Hodes who joined us in London and runs the Western operation along with Marc Cohen.
A couple of observations of note:
-People: It's what makes the difference here. I know, we've all heard that a lot but MBWA (Management by Walking Around) is the defining management strategy and I bet we saw about 200 people during the tour and Mike knew everyone by first name, and had a personal comment for each and every one.
-Scale: Western is huge, with something like 8 warehouses in NJ and a big operation in CA as well. Pretty much every distributor in the U.S. is getting deliveries from Western at least once a week and many once a day.
-Business scope: They not only handle receiving and distribution of imported goods coming into the country but also have divisions that deliver to retail accounts throughout the metro NY area. Standing in the control room for that operation was like being in Minority Report...super high tech.
-Wine Collections: A big part of the biz is with the auction houses...much of what gets auctioned through Christy's and Sotheby's passes through Western's careful quality control.
So, a big thank you to Mike, Marc, Joel Rubins and Joe Pollack for taking the time to show me around, and also for sponsoring the USDC.
A couple of observations of note:
-People: It's what makes the difference here. I know, we've all heard that a lot but MBWA (Management by Walking Around) is the defining management strategy and I bet we saw about 200 people during the tour and Mike knew everyone by first name, and had a personal comment for each and every one.
-Scale: Western is huge, with something like 8 warehouses in NJ and a big operation in CA as well. Pretty much every distributor in the U.S. is getting deliveries from Western at least once a week and many once a day.
-Business scope: They not only handle receiving and distribution of imported goods coming into the country but also have divisions that deliver to retail accounts throughout the metro NY area. Standing in the control room for that operation was like being in Minority Report...super high tech.
-Wine Collections: A big part of the biz is with the auction houses...much of what gets auctioned through Christy's and Sotheby's passes through Western's careful quality control.
So, a big thank you to Mike, Marc, Joel Rubins and Joe Pollack for taking the time to show me around, and also for sponsoring the USDC.
12.05.2008
Happy Repeal Day!!!
Happy Repeal Day! Everybody's talking about it. Today is the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, which lasted for 13 years in the United States. So, raise a glass and share a toast because....you can!! Here are a few links to what other bloggers have to say about Repeal Day:Matt Robold, a.k.a. Rumdood discusses the long-term effects of Prohibition on bartending and cocktail culture in America over at the Mixoloseum Blog.
Jeffrey Morgenthaler, king of Repeal Day, will most likely be covering his Repeal Day adventures in Washington, DC on his blog.
Camper English explores the “Upsides of Prohibition” on Alcademics.
Natalie of The Liquid Muse offers a prize for the person who sends in the best photo of their Repeal Day celebrations.
Michael Dietsch of A Dash of Bitters has put together a Repeal Day Playlist.
Erik Ellestad provides you with a Repeal Day Round-Up of events in San Fran. Enjoy!
12.03.2008
The New York Times on Booze
The New York Times had a couple of great articles in Wednesday’s Dining Section (thanks to Paul Clarke of Cocktail Chronicles for bringing this to my attention). I especially enjoyed “Let 100 (O.K., 8) Bartending Philosophies Bloom,” which taught me that I’ve been wrong in my discussion of “pre-prohibition” cocktails and cocktail culture. It should really be referred to as “pre-repeal” as there were a whole lot of cocktails invented during prohibition. Touché NY Times, Touché.
I also liked “A Brotherhood Formed with Cocktails and Ice,” which celebrates cocktail geekdom. I’ve got to say though, I understand where Dale DeGroff is coming from when he mentions some of the new bar scenes are “getting a little too sacred.” Check out the article and you’ll see what I mean.
I also liked “A Brotherhood Formed with Cocktails and Ice,” which celebrates cocktail geekdom. I’ve got to say though, I understand where Dale DeGroff is coming from when he mentions some of the new bar scenes are “getting a little too sacred.” Check out the article and you’ll see what I mean.
11.28.2008
Steve here...was on a quick trip to Vienna and had the chance to sample the cocktail scene there. I had heard a lot about Bar Italia which was one of the finalists in the TOTC "best international cocktail bar" competition. Unfortunately, the only time I had for a visit was Sunday night. It's a very unpreposessing storefront
on a busy commercial street just outside the first district, with a short bar and about 10 tables. I was disappointed when I sat down at the bar, rubbed my hands together and asked the bartender what cocktail specials they had. The answer..."none...we don't serve cocktails on Sunday nights, just straight regular drinks." With only about 4 other people in the bar, it didn't bode for an exciting evening, so I trudged off into the spitting rain and drowned my disappointment at the Sacher Hotel with a melange (Viennese coffee drink) and the eponymous Sacher Torte.
Monday we had a bit better luck at Dino's American Bar where Rene van de Graaf
greeted us like long lost friends. Rene has been a big help to us in developing signature cocktails, and is, in my view, the archetype for what a professional bartender should be. As he explained it to me,as a kid he took a parttime job as a bartender and knew right away that's what he wanted to do as a career. When you ask him what he recommends, he asks a couple of questions about your preferences, thinks a bit, makes a couple of recommendations for you to consider, and proceeds to create something that's always special. Skill, style, flair (not "flipping bottles" flair, but the real kind) and great conversation. Turns out there were a couple of other bartenders on our side of teh counter, one from Prague, the other from Berlin who were really interested in picking our brains about brands and the U.S. cocktail scene. I know I should have quit after the 4th "Dark Knight" (I'll have to ask Rene for the recipe...I sort of forgot) and a Montecristo Lonsdale. But all in all, a perfect evening of conversation, cocktails and culture.
on a busy commercial street just outside the first district, with a short bar and about 10 tables. I was disappointed when I sat down at the bar, rubbed my hands together and asked the bartender what cocktail specials they had. The answer..."none...we don't serve cocktails on Sunday nights, just straight regular drinks." With only about 4 other people in the bar, it didn't bode for an exciting evening, so I trudged off into the spitting rain and drowned my disappointment at the Sacher Hotel with a melange (Viennese coffee drink) and the eponymous Sacher Torte. Monday we had a bit better luck at Dino's American Bar where Rene van de Graaf
greeted us like long lost friends. Rene has been a big help to us in developing signature cocktails, and is, in my view, the archetype for what a professional bartender should be. As he explained it to me,as a kid he took a parttime job as a bartender and knew right away that's what he wanted to do as a career. When you ask him what he recommends, he asks a couple of questions about your preferences, thinks a bit, makes a couple of recommendations for you to consider, and proceeds to create something that's always special. Skill, style, flair (not "flipping bottles" flair, but the real kind) and great conversation. Turns out there were a couple of other bartenders on our side of teh counter, one from Prague, the other from Berlin who were really interested in picking our brains about brands and the U.S. cocktail scene. I know I should have quit after the 4th "Dark Knight" (I'll have to ask Rene for the recipe...I sort of forgot) and a Montecristo Lonsdale. But all in all, a perfect evening of conversation, cocktails and culture.
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