drinkmemag_issue21

lifest yle through the gl ass

s

r l at i v e p e u

– A Toast to the Most –

is sue

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2 1 . . . au g u st + s ep tem b er 2 012

MUSIC. ART. DRINKS.

Because the highest form of art is drinking with friends.

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aug + sept 2012

ingredients you’re the _____est | issue

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21

f e at u r e s

12 youngest

44 most (x) in the world

Barely-legal wines Constance Chamberlain

Superlatives savvy drinkers should know about

18 hoppiest

Bartenders competing for the top spots Ford Mixology Lab, New York

Worth the trip: west coast IPA Bradley Japhe

46 winningest

24 spendiest Wines that cost more than your car Janice Fuhrman

30 weirdest Bizarre booze ads ’n’ brands Richard English

40

12

d e pa r t m e n t s

4 from the editor

40 48 hours in...

8 design

Helsinki, Finland Paul Ross

Flasks Dava Guthmiller

52 featured recipes

10 new booze

54 profile

Kilchoman Machir Bay David Driscoll

Master Cicerone Rich Higgins Yael Amyra

28 book review

58 e-drinking

Extreme Brewing Victoria Gutierrez

38 eat your booze Muscat Chantilly Cream Denise Sakaki

58 libation laureate Ale Gasso

60 menu

from the editor

If each Drink Me issue was a person,

we’d now be able to drink legally as we pounce on our 21st issue.

Your editor: super-imbiber (artist’s rendition)

This is the best issue yet. With the farthestflung superlatives and the craziest tidbits you’ve ever read, this issue tops them all.

Our best writers are letting you know about the youngest and the most expensive wines, the hoppiest beers, the craziest advertising, and the world’s top (and perhaps most tattoo-iest) bartenders. Knowing the biggest, tallest, longest, and strongest gives you the best perspective on the world. While you’re sipping on your favorite cocktail, remember that even if the peatiest whiskies, strongest beers, or oldest bottles of wine aren’t your favorites, they are often bottled with the most interesting stories.

Alcohol and superlatives are tastiest when paired together. In fact, the best selling series book of all time, The Guinness Book of World Records, was launched by an old manager of the Guinness Brewery (which happens to make Ireland’s best selling alcoholic drink).

Though this is definitely the goofiest letter I’ve ever written, I hope this is your favorite issue.

The biggest cheers,

Daniel

daniel yaffe,

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editor—in—chief

grab your tiCketS beFore they Sell out!

Se

pte

mber 17

-23

come to the 6th annual sf cocktail week and

raiSe your SpiritS. special events lively parties seminars after parties

TickeTs

For more information and to buy your tickets and Gold Passes, visit sfcocktailweek.com

LIFESTYLE BEYOND THE GLASS

SFCoCktailWeek.Com SF CoCktail Week

@CoCktailWeek

dandiest EDITOR IN CHIEF: Daniel Yaffe best kisser ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Victoria Gutierrez TRAVEL EDITOR: Paul Ross creative DIRECTOR: Tracy Sunrize Johnson most illinest, illinest B-boy WEB DEVELOPER: Aman Ahuja

ADVISORY BOARD: Jeremy Cowan, H. Ehrmann, Cornelius Geary,

Hondo Lewis, David Nepove, Debbie Rizzo, Genevieve Robertson, Carrie Steinberg, Gus Vahlkamp, Dominic Venegas

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To find out more, check out redlaser.com

cover illustration by kenn louis to see more work: www.kennlouis.com

CONTRIBuTORS: Yael Amyra, Constance Chamberlain, David Driscoll, Richard English, Ford Mixology Lab, Janice Fuhrman, Ale Gasso, Dava Guthmiller, Victoria Gutierrez, Bradley Japhe, Tracy Sunrize Johnson, Cover by Kenn Louis, Paul Ross, Denise Sakaki, Daniel Yaffe, Sierra Zimei

THANk YOu: Kate Bolton, Sangita Devaskar, Stephanie Henry, Sitar Mody, Mary Samson, Skylar Werde

PuBLISHER: Open Content

www.opencontent.tv Eriq Wities & Daniel Yaffe

more than 100,000 people read drink me ! interested in advertising with us? ads@drinkmemag.com

recycle me Drink Me magazine is printed on 20% recycled (10% postconsumer waste) paper, using only soy-based inks. Our printer meets or exceeds all Federal Resource Conservation Act (rcra ) standards and is a certified member of the Forest Stewardship Council.

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The entire contents of Drink Me magazine are Š2012 and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any manner without written permission. All rights reserved.

please! drink drink responsibly. responsibly. please!

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Sneakiest Drinks: do it right with the fl ask

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For more information 415.362.1116 www.sfbartending.com

text by Dava Guthmiller of Noise 13 Branding and Design

Originally shaped to neatly slip into the suited trouser pocket, the flask has long been the sneakiest way to sip your fine distilled beverage while out and about. Classic designs were made of metal or glass, but you can find newer ones made to pass the metal detectors. Since we’re talking design, I still believe the sexiest ones are of the metal variety.

Sexier still are the ones slipped into a lady’s garter belt.

Of course, it’s easy to find flasks in every shape, size, and material. The versions in green or black from Stanley are perfect for a quick shot around the campfire (or to fit into your skinny jeans). There are larger vintage styles in leather and silver for the classic man from Sir Jack’s. If you’ve got a good sense of humor, or wish you had great facial hair, I’d go with the ”My Stache Flask” from Urban Outfitters.

For the ladies, you can go classic with an embossed white beauty from Dwight and Murlene on Etsy, or white ceramic from Alexena Cayless in the UK.

color coordinate them for weddings.

My favorite of these options is a personalized message branded into leather from Moxie and Oliver on Etsy.

What would you keep in your sneaky little flask? Personally, mine is always stocked with whiskey. But I’m sure a mixed drink or any other fine distilled liquid would work just fine.

Just for good measure, there are also tons of places that will customize your sneakiest drink with etching and design services for every occasion. Logo up for business gifts, or monogram and clockwise from top left : Leather flask, J Crew;

embossed flask, The Hair of The Dog; First Aid Bella flask, Uniquevintage.com; ceramic hip flask, Alexenacayless.co.uk

d r i n k m e m a g .c o m

9

new booze

Kilchoman Machir Bay text by David Driscoll, K&L Wine Merchant

I

love the new Kilchoman Machir Bay so much that,

immediately after securing every bottle in the western United States, I emailed the K&L customers to tell them it was my early candidate for best whisky of 2012. We sold over three hundred bottles in forty eight hours. My credibility was definitely on the line, but I was confident that others would be as amazed as I was. How could a whisky so young be so precocious, so complex, and so utterly delicious? The answer lies in the spirit itself.

My visit to Kilchoman distillery this past May helped to uncover the mystery behind the quality in their youthful malts. When distillery manager John MacLellan allowed me to taste the newlymade whisky, fresh off the still, I was simply spellbound. This wasn’t the standard, tangy white dog most distilleries hand out during their tour, but rather a lively, vivacious, flavor-packed jolt of energy reminiscent of the finest mezcals or blanco tequilas. It was no wonder this whisky tastes so good after three years of oak aging! It was instantly delicious upon creation. While all of the Kilchoman whiskies so far have been limited, single barrel, or batch releases that sell through

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quickly, Machir Bay is their attempt to bring a stable house blend to the market — a bottle that will hopefully be there the next time you go back to the store. Made with three-, four-, and five-year-old whiskies, the combination of both Bourbon and sherry-aged malts brings a soft and supple feel to the whisky, with hints of butterscotch that dance around the smoky finish.

When you visit Kilchoman, and you realize how tiny their production is, how long it takes them to make their whisky, and how passionate they are about its flavor, you can’t help but fall in love with this distillery. Theirs is the one whisky I’ve tasted that completely defies everything we know about aged, mature single malt. It’s a whisky that can hang with its older teenaged brothers while still in the toddler stage, something that many experts are unwilling to admit possible.

Critics are quick to harp on Kilchoman because of the higher price tag (the Machir Bay runs $54 at K&L), but when you make whisky in smaller batches, the cost of production is inherently higher. Like any craft spirit, the question you have to ask yourself is: is it worth it? Some whiskies are worth paying extra for.

The Machir Bay is one of them.

E very year , the best of the best in the alcohol and bar world are awarded at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards.

H ere ’ s the r u ndown of winners straight from the event in N ew O rleans . Congrats to the best!

American Bartender of the Year: J oaq u i n S i m o Best American Brand Ambassador: J i m Rya n Best American Cocktail Bar: T h e Va r n i s h —Los Angeles, Ca

Best International Brand Ambassador: Angus Winchester Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book: PDT Co c k ta i l B o o k

Best Bar Mentor: Steve Olson

Best New Product: Co g n ac P i e r r e F e r r a n d 18 40 Fo r m u l a

Best High-Volume Cocktail Bar: E a s t e r n S ta n da r d — B o s to n , M a

Best Restaurant Bar: Sl anted Door —S a n F r a n c i s co, C a

Best Cocktail Writing Non-Book: L i q u o r .co m Author: Dav i d Wo n d r i c h

International Bartender of the Year: A l e x K r at e n a World’s Best Cocktail Bar: T h e Co n n au g h t B a r — Lo n d o n , UK

World’s Best Cocktail Menu: C a l lo o h C a l l ay — Lo n d o n , UK World’s Best Drinks Selection: S a lvato r e at T h e P l ay b oy — L o n d o n , UK World’s Best Hotel Bar: Artesian Bar at T h e L a n g h a m — L o n d o n , UK World’s Best New Cocktail Bar Criteria: The Zet ter Tow n h o u s e — L o n d o n , UK

Y

The O

U

N

and the Tastiest

wines to uncork asap text by Constance Chamberl ain

G

It’s true that many of the world’s great wines only show their best after several years of aging, but this doesn’t mean that all wines are meant to aged. In fact, the majority of the world’s wines, about ninety percent, are meant to be consumed within the first year after bottling, if not sooner, and an additional nine percent are meant to be consumed within five years of their release! What’s more, wines under $25 are almost always meant to be consumed young.

A

dding to the race to drink your wine in time, an opened wine’s lifespan is very short — usually not exceeding forty-eight hours. While it may not taste bad enough to be poured down the drain, the wine will have undergone some unfavorable changes due to oxidation (for example, you might feel the urge to dress your salad with it). there are a few ways to determine whether a wine is meant to be aged, or if it should be consumed as soon as possible. Why is it so important to pay attention to the vintage date on the bottle, anyway? The answer is not as simple as you might think, and much of how or why wine ages, particularly the small proportion of white wine that does, largely remains a

mystery today. As a general rule, you can expect that the zip in your Sauvignon Blanc will only stay for a couple days after opening, and if you’re opening a 2006 in the year 2012, you might as well just use that bottle for your finest pasta sauce. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are rather rare.

Luckily, most retail shops won’t lead you astray when it comes to fresh wines and will be sure to consistently update their own inventory with the current vintages.

Be wary of closeout deals and sales that are set just to move inventory, and you may want to avoid corner shops without a high turnover. Most importantly, beware of the home cellar where a bottle of wine may have gotten lost and is now past its prime.

d r i n k m e m a g .c o m

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T

here are some simple tools customers can use when determining if a wine is still “fresh.” First, pay attention to the vintage date: a white wine bottled more than two or three years before consuming is generally past its prime. However, there are exceptions to every rule. Highacid white grapes such as Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, and Assyrtiko can withstand several years of aging. Certain winemaking techniques can also prolong the age of a wine such as the use of oak, which is why some of the very best chardonnays, including white Burgundy, can stand the test of time.

A wine’s lifespan is very short—usually not exceeding forty-eight hours That doesn’t mean that red wines are impervious. Red wines can be tricky when using vintage as a benchmark for freshness. Many times, whether for legal reasons or stylistic preference, red wines will not be released on the market until several years after the grapes were harvested. In this case, consumers can use “clues” such as the region, the grape variety, and if worse comes to worst, the back label where it has become increasingly common for producers to write the suggested lifespan of the wine.

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Customers can also use color cues.

Wine changes color as it ages; whites become darker and reds become light, both trending toward the color brown.

With the exception of sweet wines or white wines that are meant to be aged, most white wines should have a bright, vibrant lemon color at their peak and red wines should be garnet or ruby.

Aroma character can also reveal a lot about the freshness of a wine. If the wine smells more of nuts than fresh fruits, it’s generally been oxidized. While this is sometimes done on purpose and is certainly a welcome aroma for wines like sherry or Madeira, it is generally a sign the wine is creeping past its prime.

Aroma is also one of the best cues to determine if a wine has been open too long: does it still smell like wine, or more like vinegar?

W

hile knowing how to look for an over-aged wine can be helpful, this information always begs the question, “why?” Rather, what exactly is going on inside the bottle that makes it so important to consume the wines young in the first place?

The way a wine ages depends upon a lot of things: the grape, the region, the winemaker’s influence, and the care taken with the bottle from the time it leaves the cellar to the time it ends up in your glass. Perhaps most important,

however, is the balance of certain components in a wine, including but not limited to residual sugar, alcohol content, tannins, ripeness of fruit when harvested, pH levels, and the use of sulphur throughout the winemaking process and at bottling. In most cases, higher levels of each of these things results in a longer living, more complex wine, particularly in red wines.

K

eeping things simple, aging a wine comes down to the

influence of oxygen.

Much like the effect it has on human skin, oxygen breaks down the components of a wine which can leave it flabby and a skewed version of what it was when it was young. In the case of red wines, a high level of phenolic compounds (tannins from the grape skin, stems, and seeds), acid, and alcohol are necessary for aging as these compounds are able to utilize the oxygen and prevent the breakdown of flavors. This, of course, coincides with the knowledge that most wine should be drunk young as most wines being sold and drunk today are those lower in tannin, acidity, and alcohol.

As for white wines, there is little known about what makes the lucky few suitable for long-term aging, but the assumption made thus far is dependent on high acid and, therefore, lower pH level wines such as what is found in Riesling—which is certainly not to say that all Riesling should be aged.

Wine changes color as it ages; whites become darker and reds become light In short, if the wines on the rack are under $25 it is safe to assume that they should be consumed within one to five years of bottling, but a little wine knowledge of grapes, producers, and regional character can go a long way.

Nevertheless, drink up! There is no sense in seeing a good wine go to waste.

D eb u nking screw caps Despite the fact that screw caps are becoming increasingly popular throughout world of wine, certain prejudices still exist. There is a strong misconception that a wine under screw cap is cheap. While twisting off the top might not be as romantic as removing a cork, screw caps create a nearly impermeable seal that can guarantee a fresher, brighter wine that will keep the fruit fruitier and the taste zippier for longer. Added bonus: Wines under screw cap are much more functional — no screw pull required—which means enjoyment any time!

16 th

AnnuAl

ad

Hopping a

ride west A History of West Coast IPA

India Pale Ale boasts a long and proud tradition dating all the way back to mid-nineteenth century England.

Whereas the crown colonies initially introduced this hoppier varietal, it can be argued that it wasn’t really perfected until the mid-1990s, in

Southern California. text by Bradley japhe

It was then and there that renowned brewmaster Vinny Cilurzo serendipitously stumbled upon a formative formula after accidentally adding fifty percent too much malt to his mash.

The industrious brewer from San Diego then compensated by doubling the hops in his recipe. The result was a sap-like sud “so bitter it was like licking the rust off a tin can,” according to Cilurzo.

Soon after this serendipitous mistake, he coined the tenuous term ‘Double IPA’ to describe the newly minted monster he had just unleashed upon the world.

That was 1994. The bitter beer craze was born. Shortly thereafter, craft brewers up and down the West Coast were incrementally ratcheting up the IBU’s (International Bitterness Units) of their inebriants to see how far down the hop hole one can plunge while maintaining a certain degree of palatability.

The continual amplification of DIPA’s is an endeavor naturally biased toward beer makers residing along the Pacific Crest.

That’s because the ingredients responsible for the blasting bitterness, mainly the so-called ‘C-hops’—Centennial, Columbus, Chinook, and Cascade varieties—come from the greater Northwest.

Places like Washington, Oregon, and Northern California are brimming with these mystical buds unique for their signature grapefruit and pine tones, hallmarks of the Double IPA flavor profile.

d r i n k m e m a g .c o m

19

I

t should come as no surprise that Cilurzo, the man responsible for the origin of the species,

went on to open his own brewery in the geographic center of the

West Coast. Nor should it stretch credulity to learn that his most celebrated offering, Pliny the Elder, is routinely regarded as the supreme DIPA—the gold standard by which all others are measured. He was, after all, there at inception. One of the country’s foremost innovators in the craft beer scene, Vinny and his wife purchased Russian River Brewing Company from Korbel Champagne Cellars in 2002. Since then, Pliny has gone on to win virtually every beer award imaginable, amassing a cultlike following in the process.

Just for an idea of how vaunted his reputation has become, consider this: on a recent trip to the brewery in Santa Rosa, California, I witnessed a bar patron ask Vinny to sign the back of the Pliny the Elder T-shirt he was wearing. Okay, full disclosure—it was actually me who did this, but that’s beside the point. The fact is he’s now a rock star. Think of him as the man who puckered a thousand lips.

But just because Vinny headed north doesn’t mean that San Diego fell off the map. Quite the contrary. The birthplace of Double IPA continues to stand by its lasting legacy of heavily hopped grog.

At the forefront of this movement is the world-famous Pizza Port. Although

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siblings Gina and Vince Marsaglia originally opened their business in March of 1987 as a food establishment, it wasn’t long until insatiable demand for their tasty homebrews required diving headfirst into the brewpub market. By the early 2000s, they were taking home multiple medals from the Great American Beer Festival, thanks in large part to their Frank Double IPA. This hoptastic beast with an 8.1% ABV was universally embraced for its distinct floral aroma and balanced bitterness. It helped to define what this relatively new style of beer was all about.

A

round this same time, local favorites Stone Brewing Co. and Ballast Point Brewing emerged on the national scene thanks largely to their masterful line of heavily hopped West Coast IPAs. As more and more festivals and competitions began featuring separate categories for West Coast and Double IPA’s, it became clear that the style was gaining serious traction within the global beer drinking community. As a result, microbrewers from around the country started seeing the importance of getting their hands on West Coast hops — lots of West Coast hops. All of a sudden, unbelievably bitter beer was being embraced by parts of the country that would have reviled it just several years earlier.

masked by a wall of creamy maltiness.

But even New Orleans has been swept up by the West Coast wave. NOLA Brewing Company has quickly become one of the city’s most popular craft breweries, bolstered by the strong sales of their very own West Coast-inspired Hopitoulas IPA. The beer benefits greatly from three weeks of dry hopping, which produces an end result that they describe as piney and citrusy. Sound familiar?

In Austin, Texas, for example, an area traditionally known for light beer and lager, Independence Brewing Company began producing Stash IPA. It’s brewed with three pounds of hops per barrel,

Take Interstate 10 half a day east from New Orleans, and you’ll end up running out of highway in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, home to Intuition Ale Works. Owner and Brewmaster Ben

“It makes sense to go to the source, and IPA for me is defined by the West Coast” including the Cascade and Columbus varieties. “It makes sense to go to the source, and IPA for me is defined by the West Coast,” notes Head Brewer Michael Waters. The beer is remarkably drinkable considering that it boasts a whopping 100 IBU’s (a typical IPA hovers around 60).

Davis spent some time in Northern California where he was clearly influenced by the proclivities of West Coast sud sensibilities. Just one sip of his aptly named I-10 IPA reveals his roots. It relies on a “?@!#-ton of Northwest hops” to give it the flavor profile so indicative of IPA’s made on the other

n

end of the transcontinental

earby in the Big Easy, beer drinkers conventionally flocked toward flavors

that were sweeter and more innocuous,

with hop characteristics

interstate.

But the migration of mad hops didn’t stop upon the sandy beaches of the Sunshine state. Further north in the vastly under-explored city of Charleston,

©2012 Imported by Pilsner Urquell USA, Washington D.C. * Beer d r i n k m e m a g .c o m Please drink responsibly.

21

But the migration of mad hops didn’t stop upon the sandy beaches of the Sunshine state

South Carolina, Westbrook Brewing Company is pushing the envelope as to what a West Coast IPA can be. Brewer and founder Edward Westbrook is continually experimenting with an array of flavors; unique beer that is at

Cilurzo’s backyard. Not only has Vaccaro managed to capture the very essence of the Double IPA, he does it so masterfully it becomes clear that a single region can no longer claim dominion over this essential style of beer. The West Coast

once familiar and dastardly

IPA is now that in name only.

deviant. His Covert Hops, for example,

has that piney aroma that strongly suggests the West—as well it should with over four pounds of hops per barrel. Yet it has an initial dark, roasted malt taste for the tongue to enjoy as the bitterness takes hold.

I

f Edward Westbrook is trying to spin West Coast IPA in his own particular direction, Scott Vaccaro is taking the style straight forward and running with it. Owner and Brewmaster of New York’s sensationally successful Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, Vaccaro has earned high praise for his Captain’s Reserve Imperial IPA. What he considers to be the calling card of many craft brewers, this variety of beer is one that he no doubt refined during his stint as a brewer at Sierra Nevada — one of the West Coast’s premiere producers.

Just one taste of the Reserve takes your tongue on a three thousand mile road trip back to the rolling redwoods

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a u g –s e p t 2 0 1 2

of Vinny

Thanks to the explosion of microbreweries across this fine land, beer enthusiasts (geeks) from all fifty states can enjoy local, hop-laden craft beer from almost any nearby package shop. And considering that the piney, citrusy hallmarks of this variety perish rapidly, locality is no small development. But even if you traveled a very short distance to enjoy your next glass of super hoppy IPA, it’s important to consider the lengthy lineage of this distinct, modern classic. So raise the glass to the West and make a toast to the brewers that brought these fundamental flavors to the mainstream.

It’ll taste better that way. And bitterer.

ere!

Wish you were h

www.CraftSpiritsCarnival.com Grand Tasting - Oct. 13 & 14 Fort Mason Center

The World’s Most Expensive Wines

text by Janice Fuhrman

They battle one another at the most exclusive wine auctions, line the cellars of the biggest collectors, and occupy pride of place on the wine lists of the best restaurants. The world’s most expensive wines come from the Old World and the new, and they carry a big mystique along with their hefty price tags. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The most expensive wines on earth include Bordeaux’s five First Growths —Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau LaTour and Chateau Haut Brion—which usually range from $750 to $1,000 a bottle, depending on vintage.

They were named ‘First Growths’ precisely for fetching the highest prices in the first place. Burgundy’s Domaine de la Romanée-Conti can demand even higher prices, given the wine-drinking public’s unquenchable thirst for pinot noir and chardonnay. The list also includes Napa Valley’s “cult wines,” such as Screaming Eagle ($750), Harlan Estate ($500), Colgin Cellars ($325), Bryant Family Vineyard ($335), and newcomer Yao Family Wines ($625)—all Cabernet Sauvignons or Cabernet Sauvignon blends. And bear in mind, these are prices from the estates themselves; resale prices for good vintages and big names can fetch up to ten times the sticker price.

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a u g –s e p t 2 0 1 2

d r i n k m e m a g .c o m

25

D

espite the cachet involved, wineries at the top end aren’t keen to talk about

their prices. Perhaps partially in def-

erence to the world economic downturn, winery personnel scurry at the mention of the topic, while the same wine producers embrace the media limelight when it comes to promoting their wines.

But retail and banking sources indicate that the main factors behind the prices of top-tier wines are the cost of doing business and market conditions. Costs include the price of land or grapes (these comprise about thirty percent of the total cost of winemaking in Napa Valley), a winery facility, and salaries for trained workers who do everything from farming the vineyards to marketing the wine. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Many wines playing the high price game these days will call themselves “handcrafted,” “artisan,” or “reserve” wines.

What does that mean? Sometimes, very little. There are no laws in place to limit or define the use of these terms. But in the case of the world’s most expensive, chances are it means wine producers are sparing no expense in hiring the most knowledgeable winemakers and viticulturalists, purchasing the highest quality

grapes and winery equipment, and taking more time to age the wine in ideal conditions.

The price of a bottle also reflects what the market will bear. “What someone is willing to pay for fine wines is what really matters,” says Rob McMillan, founder of Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division in St. Helena, California.

And with a small supply of the world’s luxury wines such as Bordeaux first growths, top Burgundies, and California cult labels, that can be a lot.

“Supply and demand is a big factor,” adds McMillan. “All pricey Napa wines are small production.

There is a limited supply of real estate here, so there is a limited amount of Napa wine to satisfy worldwide demand.”

many wines call themselves hand-crafted, artisan, or reserve wines. what does that mean? sometimes, very little 26

a u g –s e p t 2 0 1 2

in general, profit margins are slim in the winemaking business

Yao Family Wines, owned by the Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, sold out its entire first 2009 release of three hundred cases to buyers in China, where top Bordeaux and Burgundy wines have become status symbols among its burgeoning group of billionaires. In setting the $625 price for its inaugural release, Director of Winemaking Tom Hinde said, “We didn’t look at what the market would bear so much as where we wanted to position the wine on the world stage.

Our true benchmarks are luxury classic Bordeaux blends.” $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I

n general, profit margins are slim in the winemaking business. “But at the higher price points, the gross profits are better.” says McMillan. “Those wine producers, though, tend to plow profits back into the brand itself, and they work in much smaller quantities. By far, the most profitable wineries are larger ones because when you make $1 a bottle profit and you sell millions of bottles, that’s going to be true.”

bid of $220,000 in 2008, and two years later a $400,000 bid purchased a lot of one hundred bottles that had earned 100 point scores from the Wine Advocate.

There are social, psychological, and business reasons for why charity auction prices rise to over-the-top levels. A donor may benefit from the publicity surrounding a special bottle, a bidder may need a tax break, and they might just enjoy the excitement generated by a high bid or be motivated to raise money for charity.

In the wine-fueled partying that accompanies the top auctions, prices can skyrocket in competitive bidding — so if you have a few hundred thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket, just head on over to a wine auction and start raising that paddle.

The very highest prices paid for wine have been at charity wine auctions. In 2000, an Imperial (6-liter) of 1992 Napa Valley’s Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon sold for $500,000 to a California high tech executive. At the Naples Winter Wine Festival in Naples, Florida, a 12-liter bottle of 2003 Sine Qua Non Inaugural Syrah brought a winning

d r i n k m e m a g .c o m

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bo ok review

Extreme Brewing: An Introduction to Brewing Craft Beer at Home (Deluxe Edition) au thor --- Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery s u bject --- homebrewing, extremely text by victoria Gutierrez

Sam Calagione is the kind of beer nut who works with a molecular

archeologist in order to accurately recreate a resin and pomegranate-based beer once made by the ancient Etruscans. He is also the kind of brewer who will create a Japanese tsunami inspired beer called Faster, Bigger, Better, Bolder (Gradually, Quietly, Steadily).

Taking those two details into consideration, he doesn’t necessarily strike one as the type of guy to write a really useful homebrewing book. Alas, he is, and Extreme Brewing is that book.

After a quick breeze through the basics of beer (barley, malt, hops, water, yeast), Calagione dives right in to getting you started on brewing. His suggested beer for virgins is the A-to-Z Brown Ale, a very simple beer made complex by the use of exotic sugars and some upgraded hops — helpful in avoiding the possibility of being stuck with a couple gallons of just ho-hum beer. Calagione anticipated, and rightly so, that the types of people buying his book as their introduction to homebrewing are probably serious beer geeks sick of being armchair brewers.

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The original version of Extreme Brewing features plenty of easy-to-follow extreme beer recipes, but the deluxe version takes it fourteen beers further. Do you like Dogfish Head’s 60-Minute IPA? Now you can make it at home. Allagash’ s Belgian Wit? That’s in here too. Want to try seriously wild recipes from other homebrewers? You’re in luck.

In short, if you’re a hop head who’s gaga for Dogfish Head beers and you want to try your hand at getting extreme in the kitchen, grab a copy of Extreme Brewing—and don’t forget to invite us over to taste your rendition of Xtreme Brewing’s Dirty Banana.

• 24 Taps & Over 150 Bottles • Great Wines • Gourmet Pub Fare with Beer Pairings • Kitchen Open ‘til 1 am

3141 16th St., at the corner of Albion, San Francisco, CA between Valencia & Guerrero | www.monkskettle.com

Those

a

z i a ng m

alcohol ads!

The

rd wei

est, fun

niest, and aweso

mes

t

Brands of all time

text by Richard English

A

lcohol branding and advertising are nothing new. Producers have been naming and marketing their stuff at least as far back as dynastic Egypt. It took, however, the arrival of mass visual media for the practice to really go worldwide. Some of those alcohol brands and their resulting ads have become part of our memetic landscape. Others, though, have been so strange, so nonsensical, or so completely politically incorrect, that they have died laudably speedy deaths. What follows is, in no particular order, a sampling of those oddities:

Olde Frothingslosh Beer Brewed by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company beginning in the fifties, Olde Frothingslosh was originally something of a joke product, inspired by one of local radio personality Rege Cordic’s gag commercials. Heralding itself at the “Pale Stale Ale” with the “Foam on the Bottom,”

it caught on with the beer buying public due largely to the presence on its label of Miss Frothingslosh (also known as Fatima Yechburgh), who was praised for her “beauty, talent, poise,... and quantity.”

Portrayed by one Marsha Phillips, the fictitious Miss Frothingslosh and her

frothing, sloshy product reached the height of their mutual popularity in the seventies, before finally going to that great ice chest in the sky.

Iron City Bock The Pittsburgh Brewing Company was, for years, a source of interesting and off-beat advertising, with such beer promotion staples as the NFL Steelers team picture cans in the seventies. But what’s the deal with the goat?

Well, the good people of Munich, with their Bavarian accents, pronounced the traditional Einbeck beer as ein Bock, which means “billy goat.” Instead of quietly sipping on German beer, however, this goat is leaning on your fence, barging its goggle-eyed way into your barbecue. Excuse me! At least he brought some suds.

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Red’s Pure Old Panther Piss The product of Prohibition-era moonshiners, RPOPP didn’t last long after the repeal of Volstead. Maybe it met its demise because of the questionable name, and maybe it was due to the overly graphic label.

Or, more than likely, perhaps we’re not still drinking Pure Old Panther Piss because the stuff inside the bottle probably did taste like exactly that.

Lemon Hart Rum

Stil Vodka

Among rum enthusiasts, Lemon Hart has attained an almost legendary status.

Imported to the US from Guyana, the rum was huge in the fifties (from whence comes this ad). It fell into a bit of a decline, only to be reborn bigger than ever in our present decade with a new 151-proof model. How popular was

This advertisement appeared alongside the launch for New Zealand’s Stil Vodka.

The announced competition was to win $8000 or one round trip ticket to Moscow, with the rest of the $8000 in cash. The intention was for the

it in the fifties? Well, apparently, even cats and strange skinny children enjoyed it.

winner to find himself a prospective bride. While interviews with the brand’s CEO showed that it was all intended as a tongue-in-cheek joke, an advocacy group for Russian ex-pats in Kiwi land filed a lawsuit to stop it.

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Schneider Beer There’s subliminal advertising, and there’s, well, ‘liminal.’ This ad for Argentina’s Schneider Beer was far too conscious and overt for many ad buyers, prompting Schneider’s creative team to come up with something a little less... mammary.

Five Wives Vodka At first glance, this brand’s label seems pretty innocuous: five ladies from yesteryear on a vodka label. What’s the big deal, right? Well, the big deal, according to officials in heavily Mormon Idaho, is that the name of the product is potentially offensive to women

Ursus Beer Ursus is touted as “Regele berii în România” (“The King of Beers in Romania”), but as we can see, the King is altogether undressed. Who this ad was aimed at, I’m not totally sure. But I’m willing to bet Ron Jeremy likes it.

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and Mormons. Regardless, the vodka is now approved for sale in Idaho. Oddly enough, Five Wives is made by Utah producer Ogden’s Own Distillery, and sells fairly well in Utah.

Chicken Cock Whiskey This is one of those the-times-havechanged examples, where word usage has rendered a product name all but useless as anything apart from being the butt of silly jokes. Meant to be a noble old brand, Chicken Cock Whiskey was a blended American whiskey in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Nowadays, the brand would probably have a hard time getting the TTB to approve the label.

weeks after Jackson’s arrest on child molestation charges. And, even more bizarrely, it was Bruce Rheins himself who directed the CBS News coverage of Jackson’s trial. Public outrage was evident, and the couple withdrew their application.

Cream of Kentucky Bourbon

Why did the chicken cross the

Again, the times aren’t just a-changin’, they have a-changed. This shock-

road? To have some Cock, of

ingly racist ad was illustrated

course.

by Norman Rockwell and was published in 1940—one of several stuffy ads illustrated by the artist to awaken magazine readers to the wonders of being super rich and drinking five fingers of bourbon in your coattails.

Cream of Kentucky bourbon went out of production in the eighties. We can think of more than ‘double’ reasons why.

Jesus Juice Michael Jackson as Jesus Christ.

This remarkably insensitive idea was dreamed up in 2004 by two Californians, Dawn Westlake and Bruce Rheins, who filed their trademark application just

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Sangaria

Wodka Vodka

From Japan comes this non-

Can success be achieved by

alcoholic, make believe beer,

offending as many of your

just for kids.

It looks like beer and develops a foamy head like beer. It sells like gangbusters in Japan, and the line has expanded to include kid-friendly wines and cocktails. But, for reasons all too obvious, it hasn’t really made a stir in the States. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the shrill lament of concerned parents coast to coast when they’re confronted with the mere idea of Sangaria.

Billy Beer Famous and important people often have embarrassing relatives lurking in their family closets. Rather, we all have embarrassing relatives, but most of us aren’t famous or important enough for anyone to care. Have any of them attained more goofy notoriety than President Jimmy’s brother Billy? Probably not.

And as for how the beer tasted? I think they may have gotten their hands on Red’s panther recipe.

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potential customers as possible?

The makers of Wodka sure took a stab at discovering the answer. In addition to this ad, they also got in double-dutch trouble with one showing a dog in a yarmulke with the caption “Christmas Quality; Chanukah Pricing.” The vodka’s been given a ninety-point rating and has been swigged on television by none other than Martha Stewart, so something must be working.

Cervecería de Mateveza 24 Reviews $$

3801 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94114 San Francisco has another must-visit destination for hoppy connoisseurs: Cervecería de Mateveza, a parkside nanobrewery cafe. Crafting Argentinian-inspired house beers brewed with yerba mate (yes, the caffeinated herbal tea), otherwise known as the hipster’s Four Loko, this cervecería serves their suds on draft and in bottles alongside brewer guests like Magnolia and Allagash. To soak up your buzz, they also dish empanadas both savory and sweet. Stick around and seat yourself at the communal table, or take your refreshments to go – Dolores Park is right around the corner!

Vibe: Shawn S says, “You can tell a lot of love went into this place. It is a small corner hangout with about 7-8 rotating craft beers on tap (MateVeza is the beer of choice). In addition, there is a cooler with a large selection of bottled beer available for take-out or to drink on-site (plus corkage). If you’re hungry, you can grab a hot empanada for $4. Empanadas are from El Porteño (the same place that has a kiosk in the Ferry Building).”

Joe W says, “Kudos to the team of Mateveza for bringing their vision to 18th and Church, an area in dire need of some decent beer. Bravo on the three taps that feature Mateveza beers. I tried the Yerba Mate IPA (quite tasty) and the Morpho Herbal Ale. The unifying theme here is: lighter, more refreshing than most craft beers.”

Hours: Tue-Sat 12 pm - 10 pm, Sun 12 pm - 6 pm Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only Food: Argentine

For more reviews of Cervecería de Mateveza, as well as hundreds of other bars, restaurants, and any other business you’re looking to connect to, shimmy on over to www.yelp.com, or download the Yelp mobile app today!

eat your booze

Simple Delights M u scat C hantilly C ream text and photograph by Denise sakaki

The best desserts are often the simplest,

when ingredients are allowed to shine without a lot of fuss. Summer fruits, most notably berries, are truly sun-kissed from the warm days when they’re at the height of their picking season. Ripe with natural sugars and the perfect balance of tartness, they’re jewels in a seasonal crown, especially raspberries or blackberries. They star perfectly in a simple dessert, topped with velvety light Chantilly cream flavored with a sweet Muscat wine.

A lightly sweet dessert wine, Muscat tends to have a pleasant floral quality.

It brightens the richness of heavy cream and gives this dessert a summery flourish. Chantilly cream is just a fancier way of saying sweetened whipped cream, where flavors like vanilla and in this case, Muscat, are infused during the whisking process. The flavored sweetened cream is whisked until soft peaks are formed, and that’s it — turn the mixer off to keep from over-whipping it. If you’re whisking it by hand, that’s probably about the time when your arm will feel like it’s falling off. Chantilly is meant to be soft, like a creamy pillow of air, which is why it’s the perfect accompaniment to summer berries, and one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make.

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M u s c at C h a n t i l ly C r e a m

serves 4 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 2 tablespoons chilled Muscat wine 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups fresh summer berries

1. Whether you’re whipping the cream by hand or using a mixer, put your mixing bowl and whisk into the freezer or refrigerator for fifteen to twenty minutes. Getting the mixing tools as cold as possible will help the cream whip more easily.

2. While you’re waiting, prepare your fruits and berries by washing, drying, and cutting them into bite sized pieces.

3. When the bowl and utensils are chilled, start whisking the heavy cream with the powdered sugar. As you whisk, slowly add in the wine and vanilla extract. If you’re using an electric mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are getting incorporated. Keep whisking until soft peaks form. If you’re not sure, take a little spoonful and watch the part of the whipped cream that stretches into a peak, holding it upright — it should droop over easily, like a lazy mountain. That’s when you know it’s done.

4. Chill the Chantilly for about 15 minutes before spooning over the fresh fruit. Serve immediately and enjoy with a glass of Muscat.

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travel

48 Hours in

Helsinki

fi n la n d

text and photography by paul ross

I was in the bad part of downtown Finland,

“Helsinki’s Kitchen,”

where roving gangs of youths terrorized neighborhoods with ebullient conversation and flagrant loitering.

Turf wars were evidenced by graffiti, over-written with spelling corrections. I was warned not to enter after dark, strange advice in a place where darkness is from 3:30 a.m. to 4:10 a.m. I was looking for the beer tram, a tour-n-pour package deal sponsored by the Sinebrychoff brewery. I never found it.

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Lost tours aside, Helsinki turned out to be a burg with a range of nightlife choices that’d make your head spin faster than a locally-made Valmet hybrid on ice. For example, take the joint with the challenging moniker “Liberty or Death.” It’s a funky book nook you wouldn’t expect to find in the trendy Eira designer district, stuffed floor to ceiling with wooden bookcases, punctuated by post-office-type mailboxes and run by a trio of thirty-something

entrepreneurs. They concoct cocktails with the dedication of a true calling. Bar Manager Ramses Showlah shoved a house special my way: ‘Literugia Horarum’ is a wiseass blend of citrus and anise. Another potent potion is their ‘Cran Martinez,’ which looks like a Cosmo but has more inner city going for it.

To the sounds of rap artist Steen1 (in Finnish slang), I stole up the Esplanade, a tree-lined park corridor in the heart of the city. I soon found myself wandering the warren of Teatteri with its bars, restaurant, Summer terrace, and two nightclubs. The drinks must have been stronger than I thought because, in their adjacent theater, I couldn’t understand a thing! Fortunately, I remembered I don’t speak Swedish and the stage attached to the complex specialized in productions in that lingo.

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here’s a lot going on in the immediate hood: the Kamp, arguably the city’s best hotel since 1887, has a clubby bar that attracts every level of Finn society. Right across the Esplanade there is the Savoy, capped with a rooftop bar and restaurant in classic thirties design.

They serve a vodka, aquavit, gin, and vermouth “Ryppy” named for the architect. The Savoy has a central city sniper’s eye view, just beyond their herb garden.

Since I was already accustomed to the height, I also checked out the Hotel Torni, bypassing their ground floor American Lounge for their twelfth-story rooftop Ateljee bar, where the art elite mingle with folks whose business is espionage (this is a documented fact). The view is the best thing; the drinks are good, their prices are fair, and the small space is crowded but nerve-rackingly sedate.

page 40: Sure, at 1:30 a.m. during Helsinki summer, the Esplanade looks quiet enough; but, if there were shadows, I’m sure something would be lurking in them! I was in fact approached by a panhandler and, when I protested that I had no local currency, the beggar took pity on me and kindly handed over a few Euros left: One of the owners/barmen of Liberty or Death serves

up a colorful trio of deliciousness. Is the name of this place a testament to America, or a confrontational challenge? To be safe, I order “Liberty,” in the form of a Cran Martinez cocktail from one Ramses Showlah d r i n k m e m a g .c o m

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travel ctd.

l–r: The Hotel Kamp is regarded as one of the best in Helsinki. Service is so complete that there’s a wee concierge in your mini-bar! Both the famous and infamous have stayed and played here; I’m told that one of “Finland’s Most Wanted,” Aake Yyrrkkii, brazenly perched in this plush red chair while knowingly being sought for more than two dozen parking violations

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ot so with Rymy-Eetu, translating to ‘Wildman’s Bar’— a name full of promise. It’s a pseudo-German tavern, but one that paid off with genuine rowdiness: singing, dancing on the tables, buxom fake fraüleins, serious bouncers, and an anxious queue of guys and gals waiting to get in. The beer selection was also impressive.

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I had too much good drink and felt that I was losing my edge, so I went for something to eat at Juuri. The name means “root” and they take pride in local, organic sourcing which they present in a creation they call sapas, a take on tapas. I’d never had grub quite like this, which included mousse-like smoked reindeer tongue, cauliflower pudding, and roach soup (it’s actually a

type of fish). Of course, with appetizers like the ones featured, there had to be accompanying drinks and, naturally, I had to be an obliging guest. I ordered a Kuusenkerkkå: Hendrick’s gin, Finlandia grapefruit vodka, and spruce sprouts syrup, for nine euros. If you want to make one yourself and can’t handily tap a spruce tree, use some agave syrup.

As long as I was sliding my way upward, I decided to go for the top: the A21, awarded by Jameson distillers the title of “world’s best cocktail lounge.” I had to ring the doorbell to get in. But this was no speakeasy: they made vast seem cozy in an all white space where implied infinity is broken up by gauzy ceilingto-floor curtains, creating intimate

areas furnished with low, square stools.

There’s a fireplace dining and drinking area, complete with a solar eclipse light installation(!), a darker private dining room, and a chicly-inhabited blackfloored disco. Creator/Co-Owner Niko Autti said that, in 2007, he “wanted to bring cocktail culture to Helsinki.” And he’s done so with a vengeance, having educated more than five thousand people in his special events cocktail school.

S

atiated and happy, I braved the near empty streets of the city in the cool light of a midnight sun, having survived the challenges of Helsinki’s Kitchen and looking forward to my next adventure: a Russian riverboat.

above: Sexy, upscale moodiness fills the vast space of the A21 cocktail lounge left: The rooftop restaurant of Helsinki’s Hotel Savoy serves their own

private-label beer in a cut-crystal glass—trés swank! With your fancy Savoy beer you can enjoy gourmet Finnish cuisine, as well as a killer view of the city

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super

the drink me

2

1

3

1

Best selling whiskey in the world:

Jack Daniels, which shipped 119 million bottles of the stuff in 2010 alone

2 3

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4

L argest bot tle of wine:

Wang Chen Wines, with an 1850-liter bottle of ice wine Best-selling beer in the world:

Snow Beer, selling over seventeen billion pints per year in China

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4

Most expensive cocktail:

A $7,439 version of an Old Fashioned, made in Dubai using 55-year-old Macallan whiskey and served in a collectible Baccarat glass

r

5

roundup 6

7

5

Highest Bar:

6

oldest bar:

7

Oldest wine shop in britain:

OZONE, in the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong, perched on the 118th floor

The Brazen Head in Ireland, serving up beers since 1198 Berry Bros. & Rudd, established in London in 1698

Cd 3e WTnO V...

43 sucka

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139 champ

mixologists in it to win it text by Ford Mixology L ab, New York

With regards to bartenders, what does it mean to be the best? The best cocktail, best performance, best timing: these are all factors that can be judged. However, tending bar and making cocktails is an art form—one that has many facets.

Some nights when we hop behind the bar, it feels as though we’re being tested by our patrons. “Do you know what’s in a Sazerac?” “Can you remember all that?”

“What’s an Amaro?” Certainly, there are moments of stress in which everyone can get a little frazzled, but for most bartenders, being behind the bar is a wellchoreographed dance.

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above: David Delaney Jr., the winner of Angostura’s Global Cocktail Challenge (in Trinidad), with master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim below: Your author competing for the top title

e’re sure that even the most seasoned veteran would agree that making cocktails for a panel of judges is a much different experience from making cocktails for guests at the bar. What does it mean to be the winner of a competition, and does winning really make one the best?

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When we were budding bartenders starting out in San Francisco, we found ourselves seated at our favorite haunt next to a cocktail enthusiast, someone fully consumed with cocktail culture who prefers to sit at the bar instead of work behind it. Sensing our interest and neophyte industry affiliation, she struck up a conversation about what, and who, she knew. “Don’t you know so-and-so? He was named ‘World’s Best Bartender’ last year!” What struck us the most about our conversation was not so much who,

Could an old dog beat a young buck in a cocktail competition?

Perhaps not

or what, she knew (which was impressive), but the fact that a ‘World’s Best Bartender’ had been named. Who was this person? What had he done to earn

such a high title? The answer was simple: he had earned the title by winning a cocktail competition.

Competitions are a regular occurrence in the spirits world. Often, liquor companies hold these contests to identify new talent and gain access to original recipes by asking entrants to develop cocktails using their brands. To break up the monotony and entice bartenders to enter, each company or brand comes up with a creative way to compete for a coveted prize or title. But what does winning really mean?

From your barstool, you’ve probably judged your very own bar tending competition: “Wow, she’s fast!”

“He knows a lot about cocktails!” “This guy really sucks!”

The advantage that you have while observing technique and talent on your chosen perch is that you’re seeing all of the pieces of the puzzle in context.

You’re watching that bartender, in his or her environment, making drinks and interacting with guests when he’s not aware he’s being judged. Other than this glimpse, how on earth could you measure the skill of an individual with one isolated performance? Competitions attempt to do just that.

It seems there’s a specialized competition for every sort of bartender. There are those for the adventurous: one in

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There’s no objective best bartender, just like there’s no objective best song

particular, called the Cocktail World Cup, involves competing in a series of cocktail competitions, in New Zealand, all while doing physically challenging activities such as white water rafting and bungee jumping! There are those for the charitable: last year, a group of philanthropic female bartenders founded Speed Rack, a speed bartending competition for women to benefit breast cancer research and awareness. And there are those for the studious: to enter Diageo’s World Class Competition, bartenders must study three courses detailing the history of cocktails, completing a quiz in each with a passing score before submitting a video of themselves creating an original recipe. nd then there are practical assessments that seek to do nothing more than give credit where credit is due. Recently, we were invited to participate in a test administered by Tanqueray Global Brand Ambassador, Angus Winchester, which promised to prove who was the best bartender.

Created by an Australian company called Barmetrix, the test seemed simple.

All those participating were given four precise recipes to execute as quickly

A

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and accurately as possible. What was the tricky part? There was a time limit, the exercise was filmed, and the liquor bottles were weighed before and after to test pouring accuracy. At the end, participants were presented with a scorecard, which showed accuracy, speed, and even the revenue that one could generate at that rate of speed and accuracy!

So, is the winner of a competition or the highest scorer on an assessment really the best bartender? Does working the fastest and most accurately make you the best, or are there more parts to the equation? Let’s try an exercise. Close your eyes and picture the best cocktail you’ve ever had. Why was it perfection? Was it made as quickly as possible? Was it made using the best technique? Was it a wellexecuted classic or was it an innovative use of flavors?

Now close your eyes and picture the best bartender you’ve had the pleasure of sitting in front of. Why were they the best? Were they engaging, entertaining, and funny?

A great listener? Or were they just intuitively aware of your desire to have them present when you needed them to be

present and absent when you needed privacy? Was this the individual who crafted the cocktail that you were just picturing? Or did you value this individual most for his or her performance?

Do you even remember the cocktail they made for you? Perhaps there’s a key piece that is just too difficult to quantify or calculate.

he younger generation of barkeeps often admire the older generation for their attention to the guest experience, sometimes at the expense of modern technique. Could an old dog

T

did you value this individual most for his or her performance? Do you even remember the cocktail they made for you?

beat a young buck in a cocktail competition based on speed, agility, or current innovations? Perhaps not. But the old school definitely knows how to treat ‘em.

We visited Bemelmans Bar in New York and met the legendary Tommy Rowles, a bartender who has been a staple behind that very bar since 1958. Tommy was eighteen when he began and now,

fifty-four years later, he can still be seen shaking cocktails and charming guests.

His hours have changed—he long ago traded night shifts for days—and his memory may not be quite what it used to be, but what hasn’t changed is his ability to make each guest feel special.

Bartenders like Tommy are why people go to bars. Aren’t they winners, too?

One of our mentors once said, “There’s no objective best bartender, just like there’s no objective best song.” Well, if you put it that way! Think of all the great songs in the world. There’s a time, a place, and a mood for every single one of them. How we see the world is a product of our perceptions, a conglomeration of tastes and past experiences.

In the world of cocktails, everything is subjective and often situational. Tastes change. Palates change. What’s new eventually becomes old, and everything old becomes new again. This is not to devalue competitions or their merits; the winner of a competition deserves our congratulations for a job well done.

But to say someone is the best in the world? That’s like asking you to choose Madonna or Mick, Michael or Whitney, Lennon or Clapton. And that’s just not fair.

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super refre shing featured recipes

N a r d i n i G r a p pa Buck

Francesco Lafranconi

1 oz Nardini grappa 2 oz tangerine juice ½ oz Thyme & Citrus by Perfect Puree Sparkling Moscato

In a mixing glass filled with ice, stir the first three ingredients, then strain into a flute and top with sparkling Moscato. Stir and garnish with thyme sprig and dehydrated orange wheel.

B a s i l Pa r a d i s i

Karen Hoskin

Juice of ½ fresh lime 3 oz. basil-infused Montanya Platino Rum 2 oz ruby red grapefruit juice ½ oz simple syrup 3 basil leaves Combine all ingredients and shake vigorously.

Strain into martini glass and garnish with fresh basil leaf.

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profile

Rich Higgins M aster C icerone and C O N S u LTA N T à L A B I è R E , S an F rancisco text by Yael Amyra

Rich is one of four Master Cicerones in the world. He lives in San Francisco as a much sought-after beer consultant; his palate and knowledge of beer are synonymous with a Master Sommelier’s expertise in wine.

DM: You’re one of four Master Cicerones in the entire world. Where did you come from, and how did you get here?

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DM: Tell us a bit about the process of becoming a Master Cicerone.

RH: I’m from Lake Forrest, Illinois. I spent my summers in South Carolina, lived in Belgium and Saudi Arabia for a few years, and then went to a liberal arts college in Minnesota. After college, I lived in the Twin Cities for three years working a job as a city planner. During that time, I spent a lot of time home brewing and drinking beer. By the time I was twenty five, not much seemed to be going on with the city planning job, so my wife and I moved to SF—jobless. I went to different pubs trying to get a job, and eventually landed a job at SF Brewing Company as the assistant brewer.

RH: Well, I was accredited in 2010. I took a long test that was rigorous and intense. I took it twice and passed it the second time. The exam was more than what you should know about beer and brewing beer. It was two days of writing about and interviewing with an investigative panel about beer.

I had to orally defend—much like a dissertation thesis—my stance about beer from brewing beer to business and operations knowledge like how to fix a draft dispenser at the bar. Then, there was an hours-long blind tasting of several beers to identify where each beer comes from, what style it is, the process and so on behind the making each beer, if the beer had gone bad...

DM: When you were growing up, what did you want to do for a living?

DM: That’s quite a test. How did you prepare for it?

RH: I had no idea what I wanted to do.

I thought I was going to be a banker like my dad.

RH: Participating in the brewing process allowed me to taste well over one thousand beers, and I had spent a lot of time taking notes from bars and

a u g –s e p t 2 0 1 2

DM: What are your go-to beers?

RH: Bohemian pilsners (Czech style) and Belgian Trappist ales.

DM: What are a couple of your personal or professional core values?

books. You really have to be obsessive to get this title.

DM: What do you like to enjoy when you’re not working with beer?

RH: Home cooking. Curing things.

Pickling things. Learning about new cooking traditions. I also love to travel.

DM: What are some current beer trends you are seeing?

RH: Three trends I see are: a restaurant trend towards beer and food pairings; more marketing about how to enhance the enjoyment of beer with the right food, rather than the way it makes you look or feel; and lower alcohol, high quality craft session beer.

The alcohol content of session beer is 4-5% as opposed to the usual 7-8%.

DM: If you want to get away or be alone, where do you go?

RH: I head to unnamed bars. I can’t tell you where or which bars they are because I like to lay low and get away from talking about beer.

RH: I work hard to cultivate and nurture my curiosity, and to have the ability to help people interpret their appreciation and tastes for beer. I would like to think of myself more of an ambassador for beer rather than an expert of beer DM: Where do you see yourself in twenty five years?

RH: Sitting on an amazing hop farm in Belgium drinking beer that I brewed myself in the basement.

DM: What about in three to five years?

RH: I would like to be on the faculty of an educational center devoted to food and libation, and running a brewery again.

DM: What would you say is your greatest achievement to date?

RH: Landing my incredible wife who has been keeping me happy for the past thirteen years.

DM: If you could have just one do-over, what would that be?

RH: To have remembered to turn the cooling on to fermenter number three when I brewed that Kolsch.

d r i n k m e m a g .c o m

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. . . special section . . .

Sup Su p e rl at i ve B a rt e n d i n g by sierra zimei

what is more extreme or exaggerated than regular bartending? That would be guest bartending. Stepping behind an unfamiliar bar with a cocktail menu you’ve most likely never seen before —why would someone want to do this? For the experience, of course!

According to Nicholas Jarrett of New York, “between friendly bars in town, occasionally folks will talk to friends and peers... and a charity drive, shared cause, or simply the desire to work together will come up. One thing leads to the other, and a guest shift is lined up.” As for industry insiders, Jarrett says “obviously, bartenders who work

with brands set up guest events that way as well — it’s part of their job, and part of leveraging the exposure those folks get their job for.”

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, just pay attention to social media outlets for advance notice on guest bartenders coming to town. Odds are, you will be treated to some special cocktails and interesting stories that you wouldn’t get at the bar on a ‘normal’ night.

Here are two cocktails that are easy to make and leave a lasting impression on a guest bartending shift:

pri z e fi g h t e r n o . 1

“m ai m ai” cockta il

Nicholas Jarrett, Dram, Clover Club, Bushwick Country Club

David Ruiz, Stoli Brand Diplomat

1 oz. Fernet Branca 1 oz. Carpano Antica O oz. simple syrup N oz. lemon juice 6-8 mint leaves 3-4 lemon wedges Pinch salt

1 oz. Stoli Vanil 1 oz. Sailor Jerry K oz. Small Hand Foods orgeat K oz. lime juice K oz. SNAP N oz. coconut water

Muddle lemons, mint, and salt in simple syrup. Add other ingredients to tin, shake, and fine strain into a double old-fashioned glass. Fill with crushed ice and garnish with ample mint.

Shake ingredients with ice and strain over crushed ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with mint.

p oem

e-drinking Natalie MacLean Wine Picks & Pairings

Somebody’s Regul ar Natalie MacLean is a ridiculously

text by Ale Gasso

accomplished wine sommelier, writer, judge, and speaker. And for that inescapable confusion we all feel when standing in front of a wall of wines at the store, she offers the ubiquitous twenty-first century answer: there’s an app for that.

Nat’s Wine Picks & Pairings app is available for iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices, and figuring out what wine to buy is as simple as scanning a barcode. Hopefully the wines you’re eyeing are in her database of 150,000+ bottles, in which case a quick barcode scan brings up tasting notes, scores, and pairings.

Drinking something particularly enjoyable at dinner? Scan that barcode again, and her app will try to tell you where to buy it. Saving wines to a virtual cellar and sharing them to Facebook and Twitter round out the comprehensive set of features.

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She walks in all tattooed and been there, trailed by silence taking a stool so certainly something she’s practiced the way she orders two fingers tapping the slant of a brow.

©2012 Inbev, S.A., Hoegaarden® Beer, Imported by Import Brands Alliance, St. Louis, MO

The Drink Me Menu august + september

Cocktails

Beer

Wine

seasonal reviver

Allagash White Belgian-Style Witbier, Allagash Brewing, Portland, Maine (5.2% ABV)

Pievalta “Per Lugo” Verdicchio Brut Castelli di Jesi, Italy nv (12.5% abv)

Alaskan Amber Alt Style Beer, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, Alaska (4% ABV)

L’Ecole No 41 Semillon Columbia Valley, Washington 2010 (14.5% abv)

No. 3 Gin, Cocchi Americano, Cointreau, lemon, stone fruit, dash of absinthe

improved whisper cocktail Cognac, Lillet Blanc, Small Hand Foods orgeat, lemon, mezcal tincture

hibiki highball Hibiki, ginger syrup, Regan’s orange bitters, soda water

sideways tilt Mezcal, Amaro Nonino, Yellow Chartreuse, Angostura bitters

three little birds Pisco, Small Hand Foods pineapple gomme, lime, egg white, Angostura bitters

summer’s kiss Strawberry infused gin, tomato water, honey syrup, lemon, aged balsamic vinegar, basil

SweetWater Road Trip Pilsner, Sweetwater Brewing Co., Atlanta, Georgia (5.2% ABV) Angry Orchard Traditional Dry Hard Cider, Angry Orchard, Cincinnati, Ohio (5.5% ABV) 2011 Gnarlywine Barleywine, Lagunitas Brewing, Petaluma, California (10% ABV)

Ferrari-Carano “Emilia’s Cuvee” Chardonnay Russian River Valley, California 2009 (14.5% abv) Domaine de Colette Régnié Vielles Vignes Beaujolais, France 2009 (12.5% abv) Rolf Binder Cabernet Merlot Barossa Valley, Australia 2010 (14.1% abv)

St. Bernardus Abt 12 Belgian Quadrupel, Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Watou, Belgium (10.5% ABV) cocktails by Kate Bolton of Maven

why does a magazine have a menu?

We taste a lot of really delicious things in the course of creating Drink Me magazine— too many, in fact, to even begin to post reviews for them all. We also wish we had a bar.

The Drink Me Menu is a rotating list of our favorite recipes, beers, and wines of the moment.

Head over to our website for exact recipes, and where to find these tasty beverages.

Want to get onto our menu? Email us: menu@drinkmemag.com

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We have over 100 beers for all your beer needs.

TommysJoynt.com 1101 Geary Blvd. (415)775-4216

NINKASIBREWING.COM

In 1842, we created the world’s first golden beer, the standard by which all

other pilsners are measured. We strive to protect its perfection by express shipping in temperature-controlled containers direct from Pilsen to the U.S. – ensuring a taste as fresh as in the Czech Republic.

©2012 Imported by Pilsner Urquell USA, Washington D.C. * Beer