Liquid 2012

march 13, 2012 - march 26, 2012

www.stuffboston.com

liquid

Buzz Words | The Mad Science of Mixology | History on Tap

JIMMY CHOO

Where does the spotlight shine brightest?

todd skoglund

lululemon athletica newbury open friday, march 16

boston prudential center, 800 boylston st. call 617.262.8500, Visit saKs.coM/boston or Find us on FacebooK, tWitter, itunes and saKspoV.coM

yoga instructor co-owner of South Boston Yoga

BOSTON

march 13, 2012 – march 26, 2012

HOTS 7 Editorial Director: Scott Kearnan GET Senior Managing Editor: Jacqueline Houton

...this or that 9 ...seen 10 ...close 11 ...cultured 12 ...pretty 14 ...out 16 STYLE 18 GOOD STUFF 20

FEATURES

better boozing through chemistry 23 history on tap 30

FEED

23 Domingo-Martin Barreres of Market at W Boston is one of the science-minded drink-slingers featured in “Better Boozing Through Chemistry” on page 23.

Letter from the Editor

Warning: in the spirit of our Liquid issue, I thought I’d compose this letter while having a few sips myself. What follows may therefore vacillate wildly between overstated enthusiasm and unexpected melancholy. But if you can withstand the whiplash, we just might establish an unlikely <4> 3.13.12

camaraderie and find ourselves crooning “Don’t Stop Believin’” together by the time we reach the end.

After all, a good drink usually delivers a pleasant buzz — the kind that leaves you feeling inspired, invincible, and convinced that you can do anything. Sadly, vodka-inspired enlightenment has never actually helped us develop the formula for time travel on a cocktail napkin. (The light of day reveals it was just a half-finished game of hangman. Sigh.) But in the feature story “Better Boozing Through Chemistry” on page 23, Luke O’Neil highlights some local bartenders who are reinventing the way we drink. They’ve conquered methods of molecular mixology, using special tools and unique approaches to transform spirits and yield interesting new forms,

food coma 37 5 courses 38 stuff it 39 liquid 40 RESIDE 42 SEX 43 FLASH 44 andrew cabot’S STUFF 46

textures, and flavors. Of course, I could totally do that too if I tried.

What, you don’t believe me? You’re looking at me like you don’t believe me. Hold on, I gotta pee . . .

Back. What was I saying?

Ah, yes. Those cocktail chemists are at the vanguard of a forwardthinking trend. But another effect of alcohol is nostalgia, so we looked to the past for the feature “History on Tap.” Adam Tokarz collected more than a dozen watering holes — from high-end hotel bars to traditional Hub pubs — that hold a prominent place in Boston history.

If you’re wondering where George Washington was served grog and where Malcolm X served jail time, head to page 30. I know it got me thinking about all the fond memories I’ve created over drinks.

Like that time, at that place, where we did that funny thing. That was

awesome, right? I mean, I should say this more often, but — I love you, man.

Oh, before I forget, here are a couple of other highlights. There’s a roundup of booze-inspired beauty products in “Sipping Pretty” on page 14. “Crashing the Tea Party” spotlights a politico-skewering burlesque show on page 12. And maybe it’s the beer goggles, but singer Jordan Knight is looking as good as he did in his New Kids heyday in “Get Close” on page 11.

So in conclusion . . .

Wait. Did you hear that? Oh my God, I love this song! “Just a small town girl . . . living in a lonely world . . .”

Hold my glass. I need both hands for the air guitar.

Scott Kearnan Editorial Director

Design Manager: Janice Checchio Staff Writer: Miles Howard Food Editor-at-Large: Louisa Kasdon Contributing Writers: Kara Baskin, Marissa Berenson, Renata CertoWare, Cheryl Fenton, Jeannie Greeley, Meghan Kavanaugh, Heather Bouzan McHugh, MC Slim JB, Luke O’Neil, Erin Souza Contributing Photographers: Natalia Boltukhova, Lara Callahan, Kelly Davidson, Michael Diskin, Kim Gray, Tim Gray, Eric Levin, Melissa Ostrow, Chris Padgett, Joel Veak Party Photographers: Derek Kouyoumjian, Erica Magliaro, Natasha Moustache, Michael Young Intern: Emanuelle Honnorat Vice President, Sales and Business Development: David Garland Vice President, Print Media Sales: Marc Shepard General Sales Manager: Sean Weymouth Senior Account Executive: Luba Gorelik Account Executives: Nathaniel Andrews, Melanie Bolduc, Chris Gibbs, Laura Rodriguez Advertising Operations Manager: Kevin Lawrence Traffic Coordinators: Jonathan Caruso, Colleen McCarthy Director of Marketing and Promotions: Brian Appel Interactive Marketing Manager: Lindsey Mathison Director of Creative Operations: Travis Ritch Advertising Arts Manager: Angelina Berardi Production Artist: Kelly Wight Online Content Coordinator: Maddy Myers Senior Web Developer: Gavin Storey Director of Finance: Scotty Cole Circulation Director: Jim Dorgan Circulation Manager: Michael Johnson Distribution Generalist: Nick Gemelli STUFF Magazine is published by the Phoenix Media/ Communications Group Chairman and Publisher: Stephen M. Mindich President: Bradley M. Mindich Senior Vice President: A. William Risteen Vice President, Integrated Media Sales: Everett Finkelstein Vice President, Integrated Media Sales: Joe Charves Director, Interactive Media Sales: Brian Russell Senior Account Executives of Integrated Media Sales: Margo Dowlearn For advertising rates, call 617.425.2660. For editorial inquiries, call 617.536.5390.

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Printed by Cummings Printing, Co.

3.13.12 <5>

HOT PANTS

h o t

We suspect Kathy Rego may be a bit of a perfectionist — not that we’re complaining. The Philly-born designer spent a decade directing the fit department at Anthropologie, but she still decided to devote two years to figuring out just what makes an utterly flattering pair of pants. The result of her research is Cabe, a sophisticated new line of dresses and separates, including more than 10 impeccably tailored styles of pants (none of which will induce the dreaded “diaper butt”). Named in honor of the tailor grandmother who taught Rego how to sew, the line boasts clean cuts, instant-classic appeal, and a reasonable price point, with pieces ranging from $98 to $320. A full collection is slated for Fall 2012, but Boston is one of four cities getting an early taste: look for the Summer 2012 capsule collection in late March at Louis (60 Northern Avenue, Boston, 617.262.6100).

HOT TICKET

Sigh. It’s still more than six months before we’ll get our next American Horror Story fix.

But at least we can console ourselves with another supernatural serial — one that may pack even more visceral thrills and chills, since it’ll unfold in the flesh. That’s the hook of Blood Rose Rising, a live-action series from Actors’ Shakespeare Project founder Ben Evett. In the premiere episode, “Immaterial Girl,” a history professor becomes romantically involved with a spirit haunting his Victorian mansion. Can he bring his ghostly girlfriend back to life? Will his living lover learn what he has happening on the side? Find out at the Davis Square Theatre (255 Elm Street, Somerville), where the first installment is playing now through April 7. Expect a nightclub atmosphere complete with bar service and live accompaniment from an alt-rock band. Grab tickets ($25–$30) at brownpapertickets.com.

HOT HAIR DO

HOT AND HEARTWARMING

Kelsey Beck is only a sophomore, but the newly crowned Miss Boston 2012 spends a lot of time with seniors — senior citizens, that is. Late last month, the traffic-stopping Harvard student beat out 10 tough competitors, wowing judges with her piano prowess and compelling platform: advocacy for the elderly. Beck plans to pursue a career as an attorney specializing in elder care, and she hopes to use some of her $7,500 in scholarships and prizes to pay for law school after completing her undergraduate studies. But in the short term, look for her at events around town and the 2012 Miss Massachusetts pageant, where she’ll represent the Hub. We’ve got high hopes, especially since Beck’s mom was crowned Miss Florida in the ’70s. Stayed tuned for June to see whether snagging state titles runs in the family.

For years, Restaurant Week has helped us expand our culinary horizons (not to mention our waistlines). Now our cut-and-color routines are getting a similar shake-up with the firstever Salon Week, the brainchild of local hair gurus Marc Harris and Maria Lekkakos. The premiere promotion will have some of the Hub’s hottest salons — including Studio 9, Salon Eva Michelle, and Bradley & Diegel — offering select services for 50 percent off, so it’s a perfect time to give a new stylist a try. The event is slated to go national this fall, but Boston gets first dibs from April 1 through April 7. Find full details and participating salons at salonweek.com.

HOT AND SWEATY

Yo yogis: on Friday, March 16, the doors will open at a shiny new Lululemon Athletica (337 Newbury Street, Boston). But the grand-opening party for the latest outpost of the yogaand athletic-wear favorite falls a week later. So be sure to mark your calendars and pack your mats for All Paths Lead to Yoga: Party. Yoga. Love. Neon. A mash-up of yoga, hip-hop, and silent disco, the event will take over Copley Square on Friday, March 23, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hip-hopyoga instructor and brand ambassador Goldie Kaufenberg (pictured) will lead a class while a DJ’s beats are delivered straight into attendees’ headphones, creating what’s sure to be a surreal sight: a crowd of Bostonians dancing and downward-dogging in complete silence. Sounds like a must to us. Find out more at allpathsleadtoyoga.com.

3.13.12 <7>

GET

SEEN

Close

cultured

GETthis...

A good cocktail party often leads to cases of mistaken identity. We’re not talking about intrigue among the guests — just among their glasses. All that mixing and mingling can leave imbibers reaching for one another’s drinks and scrutinizing the shade of every lipstick smudge. (Side note: trying to discern the difference between Harlot and Vixen isn’t nearly as fun as it sounds.) So why not preempt confusion — and cross-contamination — by offering your friends a little bling with their choice of beverage? Pick up a six-pack of these cocktail wine-glass charms ($10) at The Boston Shaker (69 Holland Street, Somerville, 617.718.2999), Davis Square’s amply stocked cocktail supply shop. The glittery little gems are great for any sort of stemware, whether you’re serving snifters of Scotch, flutes of bubbly, ice-cold martinis . . . or even glasses of the house’s finest box wine.

or that...

The morning after a big bash, there’s often a house full of unwelcome guests waiting for the bleary-eyed host — namely all those spent bottles of booze. We’re normally proud if we manage to stagger through the debris field and deposit the empties in the recycling bin. But the crafty creators of these Sundrop earrings ($21) have found a far more impressive use for them.

Using only a giant magnifying glass and the sun’s rays, the Minnesota-based artisans melt down old bottles of Bombay Sapphire, SKYY, Tanqueray, Jägermeister, and various wines and beers, supplementing with stained glass to round out a full rainbow of hues. Gravity coaxes the molten glass into one-of-a-kind teardrop shapes, which are then topped with recycled sterling-silver wire. Available at the MIT Museum Store (265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, 617.253.5927), they give new meaning to the phrase “good to the last drop.”

— Jacqueline Houton

photos by janice checchio

3.13.12 <9>

GETSEEN

GETclose

…at House of Blues for Big Night 2.0 with the Counting Crows

Heidi Roy, nurse practitioner at MaineHealth Cardiology Her sparkling Pisarro Nights dress was a standout in a sea of LBDs. She paired it with Chanel pumps, a gift from her boyfriend (definitely a keeper).

For fashion inspiration, she looks to the New York Times style section.

Heels and pearls are daily musts for her.

The most-loved pieces in her closet are basics with a bit of glam: True Religion jeans, a sparkly black dress, and black Christian Louboutin heels.

STUFFY:

Gail Chanthaseng, office manager at Alexandra Ryan, stylist at Rue La La Longworth Venture Partners and personal shopper We were immediately drawn to Gail’s vibrant printed dress and equally exuberant smile.

She wore a Giambattista Valli for Macy’s dress with Nine West booties and a floral headpiece from Forever 21.

She says her style embodies femininity and fun: “I’m girly with an edge.”

Gail’s upbeat outlook was as bright as her outfit. “This is a happy Saturday!” she exclaimed. We say that attitude is the best accessory.

Alexandra epitomized what she calls her “tomboy chic” style in a heart-print blouse from H&M, the “Minnie” pant from J.Crew, and Juicy Couture spectators she scored at Marshalls.

She admits to an obsession with skinny jeans and dressy gray sweatshirts. “It’s a problem!”

Her spring fashion goal is to stock up on dresses that transition from day to night.

This professional shopper suggests doing a closet cleanse and ditching anything that hasn’t seen the light of day in two years.

Lauren Rosen, nutritional consultant for Isagenix Lauren lit up the Big Brothers Big Sisters benefit with an ideal combination of color and print.

She anchored a Parker dress with Christian Louboutin booties and a Chanel clutch.

A work-from-home mom, Lauren sticks to jeans (she owns 50 pairs) and comfortable, casual separates.

She shops from home, too, and counts Intermix’s website and Net-a-Porter as her favorite retailtherapy sites.

Great Scotch

What’s invigorating, expensive, and capable of lasting anywhere from half a second to hours? A motorcycle ride down the autobahn? A second-rate gigolo? Close, but not nearly as classy as a snifter of good Scotch. The legendary libation has garnered quite the collective of high-profile, century-spanning fans, from King George IV to Captain Haddock. And as history has taught us, with prestige comes appropriately epic prices. Consider Glenmorangie Pride 1981, which will cost you a cool $285 per glass. Currently the oldest and rarest whisky available from the famed Highland distillery, the Pride was aged in oak casks and finished in Sauternes barriques over the course of almost three decades (and thus may well have been on this earth longer than you). Only 1,000 bottles of this singular single-malt have been produced — and considering that each retails for more than $3,000, we weren’t shocked to learn that one of Massachusetts’s three Pride procurers is Strega Waterfront (1 Marina Park Drive, Boston, 617.345.3992), Nick Varano’s endearingly over-the-top Italian showplace. With its notes of honeydew melon, lemon, and coconut, this decadent liquid dessert might even convince you to forgo the cannoli.

— Miles Howard

<10> 3.13.12

GET SEEN PHOTOS BY melissa ostrow

...with Jordan Knight It’s been a while since his Teen Beat pinup days, but Jordan Knight still elicits decibel-defying squeals from female fans. At least, that was the case when we caught up with the surprisingly still-swoon-worthy singer when he performed at the Estate during Dancing for Hope, a fundraiser for St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children.

Next month, he leaves for a tour of Europe, Asia, and Australia with NKOTBSB, the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys über-group — but not before a final stop on his solo Live and Unfinished Tour, which will hit Showcase Live (23 Patriot Place, Foxborough, 508.543.0609) on Sunday, April 1. Expect songs from his most recent album, Unfinished, plus the requisite dose of oldies. For tickets ($35), visit ticketweb.com.

How’d you get involved with the St. Mary’s event? My wife is on the board. It’s close to our heart because we both grew up in Dorchester.

St. Mary’s used to be St. Margaret’s Hospital. . . . I’d go there when I was little with Donnie [Wahlberg]. His mom worked there, and we’d go to get lunch money or money for the corner store or subway. My wife asked me to perform last year, and I told her, “No, I really have no repertoire right now.” Now I’m on the road doing my thing, so she told me this year I have no excuse. I said, “Well, who’s going to pay for the sound system and everything?” She said, “You are! ’Cause it’s for charity! So get your butt up on stage and sing!” “Okay, okay. I got you!”

[Laughs] But it’s a great cause. We grew up in Dorchester and know how hard it can be. Some people have it rough in life, and all they need is a helping hand.

Your April concert is right by Gillette Stadium. That reminded me: didn’t the New Kids perform a halftime show at the Super Bowl? We performed in 1991 at the Super Bowl, but it was cut off by coverage of the Gulf War. We did this big, elaborate performance piece. I think Mickey Mouse might have been in it, the whole cast of Walt Disney. [Laughs] It was a big, big production. We flew in the night before from the American Music Awards, we went on, and we thought it was great. Then when we got off, everyone was like, “We didn’t see you on TV!” Fast-forward 20 years, and the New Kids are back together. How is it touring with the group again? The whole reunion is a dream come true. Most pop teen groups, by this time they’re on drugs or whatever. Being laughed at. Jokes. For us to be able to do what we did and band together, hold each other up and be strong, and have such a great city help us along and have our backs — it’s a dream come true.

How is it working as an independent artist?

I love doing things independently because I control everything. I’m not a control freak, but it does feel good! It makes my experience in music very rounded. When I do the New Kids, we’re a democracy. Then I do my own thing, and I get to control everything. It’s the best of both worlds.

How has social media changed the business? We can touch fans instantly with a tweet or on Facebook. For a group like us, with a fan base like ours, that’s wonderful.

They don’t have to wait until we get on MTV or VH1. We can post a video or tweet a TwitPic, so they don’t have to buy US Weekly. It’s like our own magazine, our own network, our own everything.

Has fatherhood impacted your music? I did a song for Unfinished called “Never Alone” that was based around the whole bullying situation.

Having kids in school, with them venturing on the Internet and stuff like that, that definitely

inspired my songwriting for that song. It’s tough, trying to keep it clean and trying to be a sex symbol at the same time, but I think I’m pulling it off.

Are you ever taken aback by how devout New Kids fans are? It’s very touching, and a lot of times the girls will show pictures of us.

They’ll say, “Look! Here we are, 20 years ago!”

And it’ll be a real picture of one of us with them that they took at a meet and greet or some event. It’s like, holy crap — we’re still here and they still really love us. It’s a real gift, and a lot of musicians would die for that situation.

— Scott Kearnan 3.13.12 <11>

GETCULTURED Crashing the Tea Party

Ever since Dan Savage started spreading Santorum across the Web back in 2003, we’ve waited for political opponents of gay rights, contraception, and abortion rights to get an equally epic local lambasting. (After all, which state legalized same-sex marriage first?) Nine years later, it seems we’re getting our wish, thanks to the opening of Beaver, a burlesquefilled stage show from the Boston Tease Party that skewers the hypocrisy of all who favor “small government” everywhere but in the bedroom.

Beaver is the brainchild of married couple Vanessa White and John Wentworth, the choreographer and set designer, respectively, behind bawdy holiday favorite The Slutcracker.

“Obama’s election in 2008 renewed my interest in politics and, to a lesser extent, government,” says Wentworth. “It was during 2010 when I noticed what seemed like a cloud of hatred over the American landscape, which called itself the Tea Party.” Incensed but inspired by its denigrating rhetoric, White and Wentworth turned to their theatrical roots. “Vanessa coined the name Boston Tease Party and initially suggested running a PAC to raise money for guerrilla political advertising,” recalls Wentworth. After several meetings with colleagues like Femme Brulée and members of Black Cat Burlesque and White’s Babes in Boinkland troupe, they proposed a satirical scripted show, one that would skewer what Wentworth calls “a campaign against progress, science, understanding, and compassion.”

According to White, the title of Beaver was taken from one of the three ships that participated in the original Boston Tea Party.

The ribald riffs on Americana hardly stop there.

“Dancers begin the evening writhing in Americanflag bondage gear,” teases White. “Naturally, the Statue of Liberty is molested by Trump during his search for a birth certificate.” Other acts include a shopping-mall-abortion interlude à la Michele Bachmann and a Shakespearean take on Occupy Wall Street.

White and Wentworth are the first to acknowledge the show’s inflammatory nature.

(A tagline on the Beaver website welcomes all bulletproof-vest donations.) “We started writing the outline of Beaver while on a trip to Yosemite,” says White. “We were writing to candlelight by a woodstove and stressing out about how nutty we were making the show. Something about the

air at 8,000 feet made us clear in the head . . . or completely woozy.”

But to White and Wentworth’s delight, an October preview of Beaver was warmly received by the majority of the audience. “We had this one gay couple from Britain attend,” says Wentworth. “And by the end, they came up and thanked us and the cast. Many people did. For a lot of the audience, and us, it was a very cathartic show.” The rest of us can behold Beaver at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 16,, and Saturday, March 17, at the Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Square, Somerville, 617.625.5700). Book tickets ($20) now at feitheatres.com — and leave the Reaganite relatives at home.

— Miles Howard

Back to the Future

For as long as we can remember, Ken Burns has been the undisputed king of the Civil War epic. Who could have guessed that the most formidable challenger to his slowpanning, sepia-toned opus would come courtesy of an indie band from Brooklyn? The Lisps have made a name for themselves with colorful, clap-worthy numbers like “Are We at the Movies?” and “Pepper Spray” that draw on diverse genres — folk and Western pop music, vaudeville and rock. So perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that the quirky foursome’s new musical, Futurity, promises to have history and sci-fi making sweet music together.

For the American Repertory Theater’s world-premiere production, front man César Alvarez and company will don period costumes and introduce us to Julian Munro, a Union soldier who supplements days of destroying Confederate railroad tracks with dreams of high-tech inventions and a utopian future. With a little help from metaphysician Ada Lovelace, Julian sets about building a steam-powered machine that could eradicate war — or land him in a straitjacket. If Steve Jobs had been born in the 19th century, this is how history might have unfolded.

Futurity will be performed by the Lisps at OBERON (2 Arrow Street, Cambridge, 617.496.8004) from March 16 through April 15. Grab tickets ($25–$35) at americanrepertorytheater.org.

— M.H.

<12> 3.13.12

GETpretty

are yoU

Sexy?

Sipping Pretty

We’ve made too many tipsy beauty mistakes in our day to advocate tippling and grooming concurrently.

(Somehow that shave never comes out so clean four beers in, and if you’ve ever tried applying eyeliner after one too many glasses of wine . . . well, you get our drift.) But products that incorporate wine, beer, and booze can boast good-for-skin effects — not to mention some truly intoxicating scents.

mani Q Nails •Waxing •Tanning

Two Locations in Dorchester

— Heather Bouzan McHugh

FOR THE GIRLS

• Chardonnay Massage ($130) and Body Wrap ($150) at The Spa at Rowes Wharf (70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, 617.439.3914) in the Boston Harbor Hotel. Every year, the spa develops treatments to complement the hotel’s storied Boston Wine Festival. Offered through the end of March, these two utilize antioxidant-rich products by Olavie, a line that taps into the free-radical-fighting qualities of the chardonnay grape. The stress-busting massage revives dry skin with a hydrating chardonnay massage oil, while the body wrap includes a chardonnay sugar scrub, a Vichy shower, and a decadent chardonnay body-butter massage.

Visit Our Newest Salon Across From Ashmont Station.

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• Citron de Vigne Eau de Parfum ($38–$80) at Fresh (121 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.421.1212).

Inspired by Fresh co-founder Alina Roytberg’s tour of the Veuve Clicquot vineyards, this crisp unisex scent is excellent for everyday wear. Top notes of citrusy neroli, bitter orange, and pink grapefruit are grounded in a pinot noir–inspired heart note and an earthy base. Should you need to mentally transport yourself to a French vineyard during, say, a rush-hour T ride, Citron de Vigne is also available in rollerball form, ideal for travel.

• FarmHouse Fresh Bourbon Bubbler Body Scrub ($35) at Bella Santé (38 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.424.9930).

Mark this one down as “most likely to be stolen by the boyfriend.” Made with Kentucky whiskey, which soothes skin and helps other ingredients penetrate deeper, this brown-sugar scrub leaves skin super-soft but residue-free.

The gingersnap-pecan scent is an added bonus.

11 Granite Ave Dorchester, MA 02124 (617) 288-8889

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• The Beer Soap Company Beer Soap ($8) at Sault New England (577 Tremont Street, Boston, 857.239.9434). Each bar in this collection of more than 110 soaps is made with a particular domestic or imported brew. Sault New England, appropriately enough, stocks three Sam Adams varieties, including New England (White Ale), Original Stock (Boston Ale), and Winter Lager (take a wild guess), as well as a Hipster variety made from Brooklyn Red Lager.

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• Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo ($9.95–$29.95) at Lush (166 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.375.5874). It almost sounds drinkable, with its blend of organic stout beer, lemon juice, and cognac oil. But this shampoo is too good to use for anything but lathering up. The stout’s proteins are a boon for frizzy hair, adding weight and smoothness, while the lemon lends shine. Plus, the beer’s yeast has good-for-scalp properties. Expect a heady aroma of cognac and citrus to emanate from your locks for the rest of the day.

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• Moonshine Cologne ($78) at Ball and Buck (3 Lewis Street, Boston, 617.742.1776). The guys at the rugged North End boutique have a hard time keeping this one in stock, so cross your fingers that they haven’t run out by the time this story hits stands. If they have, don’t despair: a re-order is inevitable. Dubbed “a gentleman’s cologne” by its three former-frat-brother creators, this scent contains woodsy notes of gin, tobacco, leather, and black pepper. <14> 3.13.12

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photos by janice checchio

GETOUT ema

THURSDAY, MARCH 15 You may want to be sitting down the first time you hear Erika M. Anderson grittily growl, “I wish that every time he touched me left a mark.” That’s the haunting core of “Marked,” one of many eerie arrangements from the South Dakota-born Anderson, a recent

Rolling Stone “Artist to Watch” who spent five years with noise-folk band Gowns before going solo under the stage name EMA. Her debut studio album, Past Life Martyred Saints, combines raw lyrics — touching on self-mutilation, drug use, and relationship wreckage — with guitar riffs submerged beneath thick,

GETOUT melodic layers of synth feedback and bass fuzz. The sublime results, such as “California” and “Marked,” bring to mind Blonde Redhead’s lyrical tremble, the organ swells of Zola Jesus, and even Tom Waits’s symphonies of strange percussion.

Intrigued yet? Don’t miss EMA’s 9 p.m. show at Brighton Music Hall (158 Brighton Avenue, Boston, 617.779.0140). Grab tickets ($12) at ticketmaster.com.

slated for release on March 20, McInnes will swing by the Middle East Upstairs (472 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, 617.864.3278) for a 6:30 p.m. show on his life, legacy, and areas of expertise. Expect plenty of ironic introspection along with scathing fashion wisdom culled from his Street Boners photo anthology. Buy tickets ($8) at ticketweb.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

When Simon Cowell exited American Idol, some of us hoped he would forgo The X Factor and set his sights on a new spectrum of soon-to-be-blubbering victims. (“If you prepared sushi like this 2,000 years ago, people would have stoned you!”) But the acid-tongued Englishman’s example has helped shepherd a new kind of contestant into the crosshairs: bartenders.

That’s the idea behind the upcoming American Idol/Iron Chef Mashup Cocktail Competition, set to take place at 6 p.m. at The Hawthorne (500A Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 617.532.9150). With limited ingredients and even less time, six

Who do we have to thank (or blame) for the proliferation of skinny jeans and indier-than-thou musical tastes? Gavin McInnes certainly bears some responsibility. The Canadian writer, comedian, and provocateur has been dubbed “the godfather of hipsterdom,” and with good reason. Not only was McInnes the mind behind Vice magazine’s all-things-hipster fixture “DOs and DON’Ts,” but he has also published his own mini-comics and fronted a number of memorably named bands (including Anal Chinook and Leatherassbuttfuk). With a memoir titled How to Piss in Public

kevin smith

MONDAY, MARCH 19

Boston bartenders will go shaker to shaker in hopes of creating the night’s finest concoction. Planet Hollywood CEO Robert Earl (Randy), WROR’s Lauren Beckham Falcone (Paula), and former UK Bartenders’ Guild president Salvatore Calabrese (guess who?) will judge each heat while onlookers enjoy complimentary cocktails and savory bites. Proceeds from tickets

($25) will be used to help establish an annual prize in beverage management at the BU School of Hospitality Administration. Get yours at tinyurl.com/7gawwha.

where they’ll play a 9:30 p.m. show at T.T. the Bear’s Place (10 Brookline Street, Cambridge, 617.492.2327). Grab tickets ($10) at ticketweb.com.

includes an autographed copy of his book. Find tickets ($28) at coolidge.org.

wedNesDAY, MARCH 21

THURSDAY, MARCH 22

Historically, the French have been celebrated for their philosophers, foie gras, and laissez-faire attitude on nude advertising. Fair enough, but what about their house music?

After all, we’re talking about the birthplace of synthesizer savants like Daft Punk, Justice, and, now, Parisian duo Housse de Racket.

Guitarist and keyboard player Pierre Leroux and drummer Victor le Masne cut their teeth as session musicians for countrymen like Air. Later, under the wing of legendary producer Philippe Zdar (Phoenix, Cut Copy), the boys began making their own material, bringing bright chords, crisp vocals, and a youthful innocence to tracks like “Oh Yeah,” “Roman,” and “Chateau.” Buzz over Housse’s new album, Alesia, has earned them a swath of spring tour stops, from the Coachella music festival to good old Cambridge,

It takes a special strain of artistry to imbue convenience-store clerks, New Jersey stoners, and comic-book geeks with a cinematic sheen. But that’s the bread and butter behind Kevin Smith’s decades-spanning career as a comedic auteur. Now the Silent Bob actor and Dogma director is turning from the screen to the page with his new memoir, the artfully titled Tough Sh*t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good. Chronicling episodes like his fallout with the megalomaniacal Weinstein brothers, his fluctuating weight, and his decision to start smoking pot at age 38, Smith spins a sardonic but ultimately inspiring yarn about his unlikely ascension to success. As part of a national tour in support of the tome, he’ll appear at the Coolidge Corner Theatre (290 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617.734.2501) at 7 p.m. Admission

MONDAY, MARCH 26 There’s a reason Mom always placed a gallon pail of ginger ale by your bed whenever stomach flu struck. Long before its assimilation into IKEA biscuits, ginger was used as a medical remedy in numerous corners of Asia. So it’s fitting that the spicy root will soon serve as the centerpiece for A Spoonful of Ginger, the Joslin Diabetes Center’s eighth annual benefit dinner. A robust helping of Boston chefs, including Joanne Chang, Jose Duarte, and Jasper White, will whip up gingery delicacies to raise some serious greenbacks for the center’s Asian-American Diabetes Initiative. The forks start flying at 6:30 p.m. in the Art of the Americas Wing of the Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.267.9300), so attending nibblers can ogle the works of Winslow Homer and Co. between bites. For tickets ($250), visit events.joslin.org.

— Miles Howard

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tyle

Sophisticated Scene.

Global Cuisine.

Sip/Tuck

Choosing just one favorite drink is hard, but finding a go-to handbag is harder. So check out these picks inspired by different imbibing personas. Each has enough room to hold all your going-out essentials — and enough style to make a distinct impression (even if the details of the rest of the night get fuzzy).

— Austyn Ellese Mayfield

For the Oenophile

While your pals are swinging from the restaurant rafters, you’re still sipping cabernet under a crystal chandelier. Don’t worry: the demure silhouette of this “Apapane” quilted clutch ($125) from Ted Baker (201 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.450.8339) has plenty of space to hold bail money for your more raucous friends.

For the Martini Maven

When you’re out, you command attention — so you need a bag as sleek as the straight-up concoction you’re sipping. A metallic number like this “Candy” acrylic clutch ($595) from Jimmy Choo (100 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.927.9570) will add wattage to your spotlight.

For the Lowball Lover

If you prefer small-batch bourbon to syrupy cocktails, reach for something bold yet classic, like this Muse double diagonal clutch ($110) from LIT on Newbury (223 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.421.8637). Its unique details add modern edge to a familiar envelope shape.

For the Beer Drinker

You’re the low-maintenance type with simple (but sophisticated) taste. Boasting bright colors and natural materials, this laid-back Holding Horses woven-leather clutch ($128) goes with everything — just like your favorite brew. Find it at Anthropologie (203 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.0545).

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For the Shot Slammer

Whether you’re dodging douchebags or dancing on the bar, you need both hands free to party. Available at Scoop NYC (177 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.874.4400), this fun and flirty Z Spoke by Zac Posen cross-body bag ($325) won’t get in the way when it’s time for the next round of kamikazes. photos by tim gray

The Langham, Boston, 250 Franklin St., Boston 617.956.8765 bondboston.com

goodstuff A Fair Shake

Maybe you drink fair-trade coffee. Perhaps you nibble fair-trade chocolate, too.

Now here comes FAIR (fairsprits.com), billed as the world’s first fair-trade spirits brand. The current product line features a vodka made with quinoa purchased directly from Bolivian farmers’ cooperatives in the Andes, a goji-berry liqueur made with berries harvested by monks in Tibet, and a coffee liqueur made with carefully roasted beans from a farmers’ collective in Mexico. To finish the vodka and liqueurs, distillers from France’s Cognac region blend the fair-trade-certified ingredients into flavors that have been racking up awards, including a “Best of Category” win at the 2009 New York Spirits Awards and a 2009 Gold Medal from the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute. But more than the flavors, it’s the concept that piques our interest.

FAIR was launched after Jean François Daniel and Alexandre Koiransky, two young refugees from the giant French distilleries, decided to spend a year on a worldwide walkabout. They hiked through the Himalayas and the Andes and came up with the idea for a spirits line that hewed to certified-organic farming principles and fair-trade purchasing practices. So far, they have the market space to themselves. The brand is based in Paris (on the Champs-Élysées, no less), and it’s entering the US by selecting markets replete with young drinkers who have more than a jigger of respect for both sustainable farming and cocktail culture. New York was first; then came San Francisco. Now it’s hitting Boston shelves.

Having first sneaked into Boston in late fall of 2011, FAIR is making its way through our mixology meccas — with the help of the Gallic and gentlemanly Martin Dupont (that’s Mar-teen, not Mar-tin), the local brand ambassador. Dupont is using what he calls a BBC strategy, introducing the spirits first in savvy spots in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge. “All the bartenders here are super excited, super interested in the human aspects of the project and the line of drinks. People in Boston are very interested in knowledge about fair trade and how and where we get the product directly from the farmers,” he said at 8 a.m. with incredible energy for someone whose day job is being a night owl.

Dupont is making progress with his BBC strategy. Drink, the Hawthorne, Eastern Standard, Island Creek Oyster Bar, and Cambridge’s ArtBar and OM are all serving FAIR’s quinoa vodka, as is Umami in Brookline. The goji-berry liqueur is the spunky pink element in both Foundry on Elm’s new drink, the Himalayan Gentleman, and Silvertone’s the Tibetano. Who would have guessed you could ever get your buzz on with some help from — and for — monks halfway around the world?

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A Powerful Punch

We’ve heard of voting with your feet and even voting with your fork. But the cultured cocktailers of Opus Affair have introduced us to a concept that sounds far more fun: voting with your drink. The social-networking group for young arts lovers recently debuted the Punch Bowl Fund, a new charitable feature of their monthly mixers at spots around town. Here’s how it works: first, log onto Opus Affair’s website and nominate your favorite nonprofit. Once the submissions are reviewed, three featured organizations are chosen for the next soiree.

All attendees can then “buy” votes for their charity of choice by purchasing $5 glasses of punch, made with a rotating selection of luxury-brand liquors. (Upcoming event sponsors include Fernet-Branca and Carpano Antica.) The top-ranking charity receives all the punch proceeds from the evening — and imbibers receive a warm-and-fuzzy feeling that isn’t just from the booze.

Next up is a party at Storyville (90 Exeter Street, Boston, 617.236.1134) on April 9. To RSVP and add your nomination, visit opusaffair.org.

— Miles Howard

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PREMIUM

RUM

Better Boozing Through Chemistry Molecular Mixology shakes up boston’s Cocktail Scene

By Luke O’Neil

Photos by Conor Doherty

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The mixologist is dead. After a brief dalliance with that highfalutin job description, most of your better drinkmakers have decided they’d rather just go back to being called bartenders.

The term always carried a whiff of pretension anyway, they say, and failed to acknowledge a primary aspect of the job: hospitality.

But that doesn’t mean that the practices of mixology aren’t still with us. In fact, things have only just started cooking. Literally.

Culinary movements have often trickled down to the bar — hence why so many locavore-leaning restaurants are increasingly pouring New England brews and spirits, for instance. “The great thing about the bar and kitchen is that there is so much crossover and opportunity to collaborate,” says Vincent Stipo of Deuxave (371 Commonwealth Avenue,

Boston, 617.517.5915). But Boston bartenders’ intense focus on a return to the basics of pre- and post-Prohibition cocktails made the prospects for molecular mixology seem less certain.

For a while, its forerunner, molecular gastronomy, turned playing Mr. Wizard in the kitchen into the hottest thing since sliced bread — if you sliced that bread with a laser, dehydrated it, sucked out its essential bread-ness, blasted it through an atomizer, and breathed it in through a gas mask in an anti-gravity chamber. But some of that shit got old quick. Foam is not food, people. Also, get off my lawn.

But it’s far too soon to write the obit for such experimentation behind the bar, say some of Boston’s more inventive mixolo — err, bartenders. Some might even argue that a scientific approach lends itself to cocktails more than cuisine.

Molecular gastronomy may be art, but it

doesn’t necessarily fulfill the primary function of food, which is to provide nourishment. (And serve as emotional comfort for those of us without any friends.) On the other hand, no matter how much you screw with them, cocktails are still going to do what they’re intended to do: satiate thirst and get you drunk. (And, you know, serve as emotional comfort for those of us without any friends.)

And while the potential for unique presentations and showmanship is clear, the bottom line here is often enhanced drinkability. In other words, today’s bartenders are using high-tech techniques born in the kitchen as tools rather than as tricks — and infusing their watering holes with a sense of wonder.

DRINK DECONSTRUCTION

Consider mad scientist Todd Maul, who is designing a cocktail list for Clio (370A Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 617.536.7200) that would befuddle a chemist. Or at least someone like me, whose most significant exposure to chemistry comes from living out — ahem, I mean watching — episodes of Breaking Bad.

I spoke with Maul while he was working with a couple of Harvard PhD candidates in biochemical engineering to “crack open” green Chartreuse with a rotary evaporator, a machine often used in molecular gastronomy. “It allows me to deconstruct alcohol, basically to break things down to their molecular components,” Maul explains. It’s a multi-stage process, with each use stripping off more voluble molecules. The first to come off, Maul says, are the aromatics, which create something similar to a perfume. Next is the straight alcohol, which comes out at 160 proof, regardless of the spirit you begin with. (Don’t drink that.)

Further steps strip out rounder, bigger molecules. Eventually, you’re left with the essence of what makes, say, Chartreuse Chartreuse. “The point of it is, I’m able to break open Chartreuse, just seeing how it works and what I can do with it,” Maul clarifies.

The essence of Chartreuse is then introduced to heat in a sugar pan, where it takes on a thicker viscosity. Now it’s ready to be used for cocktail mixing. I tried it in a variation on a Manhattan called a

Somerville, where it’s mixed with rye and the essence of a cigar, which Maul creates by soaking a cigar in vodka until it breaks open and running the mix through the rotary evaporator. Drinking a cigar doesn’t exactly sound appetizing, but the result is a lightly smoky cocktail that mostly just tastes like a perfectly made Manhattan, with the essence of Chartreuse working off the high notes of the rye.

Over at Blue Inc. (131 Broad Street, Boston, 617.261.5353), Trish LaCount is likewise reaping surprisingly good results from whimsical infusions. For her Dinner and a Movie cocktail, she starts with a Myers’s rum base and infuses it with buttered popcorn and malt balls before pouring it over Pepsi on the rocks. If drinking Maul’s Somerville is like having a manly whiskey and a smoke in a handsomely appointed study filled with leather-bound classics, hers is a sketchy date night at a trashy movie. Both sound like fun to me.

COCKTAIL CHAMELEONS

The deconstruction process described above can be applied to almost any spirit. Maul has recently

tried it with beer, port, and Lillet Blanc, a fortified wine that features in Mary’s Liquor Cabinet — a gin cocktail that’s truly transformative.

After he pulls out the water and alcohol and applies heat, what’s left of the Lillet is a caramelized raisinlike substance that Maul uses to coat the inside of the martini glass. The recipe is rounded out with gin, the bitter liqueur Gran Classico, Cocchi Americano (another fortified white wine), and wormwood bitters. As the paint dissolves over time in the glass, it changes the nature of the cocktail, which finishes with a more grape-forward character and more caramel undertones than it began.

Booze isn’t the only thing Maul has broken down. He has also separated citrus into its essential components using a centrifuge — just another part of his quest to reimagine cocktails that seem basic and immutable. A gin and tonic, for example, is four parts: gin, lime, ice, and tonic. “I wanted to look at how I could rethink it,” says Maul.

He used a Middle Eastern black lime, broke it up into powder, and rehydrated it with clarified lime juice from the centrifuge. Then he drilled continued on p26

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holes into large chunks of ice and injected the citrus essence into the center of each cube. It’s a pretty labor-intensive process, but it makes for a cocktail that evolves as you drink it: the dilution of the ice introduces more and more of the citrus to the flavor profile.

A cocktail that ends differently than it began is “for me, part of the fun,” says LaCount. “It makes your drink interactive and ever-changing.” That’s a sentiment shared by the inventive Domingo-Martin Barreres of Market (100 Stuart Street, Boston, 617.310.6790). He’s working with a cocktail that changes its nature as well, but this metamorphosis is even more conspicuous: his aptly named Chameleon Cocktail changes color instantly before your eyes. To begin, he infuses Bombay Sapphire gin with dried blue butterfly pea flowers, fresh ginger, and sugar in a sous-vide machine, which is typically used for cooking foods in vacuum-sealed pouches under low heat for long periods. Sealing off the cocktail ingredients ensures that the alcohol doesn’t evaporate when heat is introduced.

The gin, which comes out a bright blue color, is then strained off and chilled. Meanwhile, Barreres chills a martini glass with ice laced with lemon juice. When the ice is removed, some of the juice continues to coat the glass.

Then he adds the blue gin, which reacts with the citric acid, turning a bright pink.

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TINKERING WITH TEXTURE

Bartenders aren’t just playing with flavor and color: texture is another variable that can be tweaked for wild results. At Market, Barreres has done experiments with a spherified mojito preparation — essentially a bite-sized mojito jelly or “caviar.” Spherification, which turns traditionally liquid ingredients into more solid forms, is a technique made famous by El Bulli’s Ferran Adrià, one of the world’s most widely renowned chefs.

It’s also being used behind the bar at Deuxave, where Vincent Stipo is working with ginger caviar for his RumRunner cocktail. He begins with ginger syrup, introduces a touch of citric acid to “enhance the acidity and balance the sugars,” and then stabilizes it with sodium alginate — “a flavorless gum that helps to increase viscosity.” Using an eye-dropper or, for a larger sphere, a spoon, he drops the syrup into a water bath seasoned with calcium chloride, which firms up the caviar. “When the two liquids touch, a sphere is automatically formed around the syrup,” Stipo explains.

He drops the resulting ginger pearls into a cocktail of blended rums, pineapple purée, tarragon, and bitters to add a finishing burst of flavor.

Stipo has also worked successfully with dehydration, creating fruit garnishes that gain continued on p28

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an added sense of texture and new dimensions of flavor. In one instance, he imbued a lemon chip with cinnamon flavor by boiling thin slices of lemon in syrup and then dusting them with the spice until crisp. Elsewhere he’s played with Ultra-Tex 3, a tapioca-derived starch used to thicken fruit purées.

“This is big, because oftentimes my purées contain citrus or other fresh fruit, and heat will affect the taste and color. The last time I used it was to make a black-cherry purée thicker. I wanted to use it as a garnish, by painting — yes, with a paint brush — the inside of a Pimm’s cocktail and then pouring the liquid in.”

At Blue Inc., LaCount is playing with states of matter too. Take her Two-Timin’ Bastard, a devious riff on the classic Suffering Bastard.

It’s essentially two cocktails in one glass (hence the name).

LaCount fills one pint glass with ice, bourbon, citrus juices, simple syrup, and bitters. Meanwhile, in a second glass, she mixes gin, Becherovka, and a dash of cranberry juice over ice. Returning to the first glass, she tops it off with liquid nitrogen and inserts a long straw. The liquid nitrogen freezes the bottom layer of the cocktail and provides a solid base on which to pour the contents of the second cocktail. “Then you splash ginger beer on top and add two small straws,” she explains.

“You can then drink from the large straw, which has been frozen to the bottom half, and the small straw — and get two drinks at once.”

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

All this may sound like a lot of work to go to through just to make a cocktail. But rethinking how we drink is worth it, Maul tells me while manning the minigrill at Clio, cooking cherries and oranges for his version of an Old Fashioned. (The changes in color and flavor that happen to foods at high temperatures are the result of something called the Maillard reaction, if you’re still paying attention to the sciencey stuff.)

“Thinking outside the box stimulates imagination, which makes one think outside the box and on and on,” Barreres says of his “perpetual-motion potions.” He calls the added work addictive. “Imbibing is a sensory experience. I don’t care what anyone says: if there are two equally balanced cocktails, the one that has an interesting story, <28> 3.13.12

Trish lacount of blue inc. technique, or garnish will always be better. Would you rather drink out of glass or plastic? Exactly.”

Behind-the-scenes preparations like these can make a guest experience memorable, agrees Stipo. “There are so many small details high-quality restaurants take the time to perfect that may often go unnoticed, but

the intangibles are what help us to exceed expectations.”

And stand out from the competition. “Everybody in the world makes a gin and tonic. I want to make one no one else is making,” says Maul. “If you want this one, you have to come see me; these are going to be unique to here. People go to their favorite

restaurant to get chicken done the way they like it because that’s how they do it there. Everyone makes chicken. I want to make the best chicken gin and tonic you’ve ever had.”

Given the way these types of experiments are progressing, I wouldn’t be surprised if he means that literally.

History on Tap

A stumbling tour of some of Boston’s storied watering holes

By Adam Tokarz If likened to a cocktail, the Commonwealth’s capital might be a fresh twist on an Old Fashioned. After all, Boston is a modern city that pays endless homage to its historic past (hence all those cobblestones and tourist dollars). So in the spirit of our Liquid issue, we’ve explored a host of Boston establishments where history and booze intersect. Allow us to be your inebriated guide on a stumbling tour of some of Boston’s most storied pubs and clubs, from traditional taverns once frequented by founding fathers to modern nightspots that nod to their properties’ past lives.

Whether you wind up sipping martinis where Sylvia Plath once waxed poetic or enjoying a Sam Adams seasonal over the oldest hard-carved bar in America, you’ll discover that local history has never seemed quite so lush.

Storyville Jazz producer and native Bostonian George Wein opened the original Storyville nightclub — named after the redlight district of New Orleans, often cited as the birthplace of jazz — in the Copley Square Hotel in the 1940s. It soon hopped to Harvard Square and then Kenmore Square, and all the while its walls reverberated with the dulcet tones of legendary musicians like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday, who recorded a live album there. Decades after Wein’s storied spot closed, a new Storyville (90 Exeter Street, Boston, 617.236.1134) opened last September in the original locale. Its loungy Bordello Room and fleur de lys motifs nod to its NOLA namesake, and ceiling coves adorned with lyrics from songs once performed at Storyville riff on its musical heritage. So does the Lady Day, a tasty blend of gin, Campari, passion fruit, and honey that should help loosen limbs on the dance floor.

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J.J. Foley ’s

The Warren Tavern

Contrary to popular belief, Jeremiah was not a bullfrog. Nay, he was a simple Boston bar owner who came over from Ireland’s County Kerry and set up shop in 1909. His legacy, however, continues to be a good friend to you, me, and anyone else who’s looking for a sip and a sandwich in the South End. The oldest continuously family-owned pub in Boston, J.J. Foley’s (117 East Berkeley Street, Boston, 617.728.9101) has seen its fair share of mischief over the decades. During Prohibition, the bar fronted as a shoe store (we presume the pumps were very popular). And it’s been a frequent backdrop for the shenanigans of sports heroes, Herald writers (whose offices were long located just down the street), and politicians.

In fact, then-State Senator Barack Obama partied here during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In 2007, J.J. Foley’s made one of its few major changes in a century, opening a café that offers moderately priced fare in a ’hood full of expensive eats, causing fans to raise the pressed-tin roof in celebration.

Erected in 1780, The Warren Tavern (2 Pleasant Street, Charlestown, 617.241.8142) is said to be the oldest watering hole in Massachusetts, and its old-timey interior — think exposed beams, rough wooden columns, and framed black-and-white photos of historic Charlestown — has welcomed many a famous wigged face in its time. Why, when he wasn’t busy trading bayonet blows with the Redcoats, George Washington could be found there washing down anti-Anglo sentiments with a healthy glass of grog. So in honor of General George and his service to our country, trek down to the tavern and order a “colonial” cocktail that (perhaps coincidentally) bears his name: the Washington Apple Martini, a mixture of Crown Royal, apple Pucker, and cranberry juice. While our first president probably wasn’t a huge appletini fan, we’ll assume he’d appreciate the sentiment, shrug his stately shoulders, and say, “Hey, whatever keeps you warm while fording the Delaware in the dead of winter, right?” Amen to that, George. Amen.

Amrheins A true Boston institution, Amrheins (80 West Broadway, South Boston, 617.268.6189) has been scoring points with locals and tourists alike by offering generous portions and pours since 1890. Located on the corner of West Broadway and A Street, the Southie staple is outfitted with wrought-iron chandeliers, cozy booth seating, and ornate woodwork, creating the perfect neighborhood-pub ambiance for knocking back a few cold ones. The restaurant underwent a renovation in 2005, but it maintains its century-old appeal with alcohol-inspired artifacts — like the oldest hand-carved bar in America and the first draft beer pump in Boston. Our advice? Grab some upscale pub fare (like the lobster macaroni and cheese), order a frosty brew, and let history repeat itself. And if you overindulge, take advantage of one of the spot’s more modern amenities: Amrheins recently introduced a free shuttle service, which picks up and drops off patrons in South Boston every evening.

Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale Handrails from the bygone Filene’s Basement and original tracks left over from the construction of Park Street Station do not an episode of Vintage Hoarders: Boston Edition make. Rather, they serve as period décor at Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale (48 Temple Place, Boston, 617.426.0048), a veritable museum of Boston-related mementos (including streetlamp posts that double as coat hangers . . . and a place to steady yourself after one too many). Erected in 1868 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building was first home to Chandler’s Corset Store, a boutique where high-profile women shopped for highend unmentionables — hence the corsetry now adorning the walls. Later, it became a cutlery shop, from which the modern-day Stoddard’s takes its name. Nowadays, the gastropub infuses new energy into old traditions, creating craft cocktails à la “Professor” Jerry Thomas, who wrote the 1862 barkeep bible How to Mix Drinks.

Try a classic from their impressive list, like the 19th-century-appropriate Martinez, made with Hayman’s Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, Maraschino, and orange bitters.

The Bar at Taj Boston “The hotel formerly known as the Ritz” has been a Boston landmark since 1927. And with its proximity to Newbury Street shopping and enviable views of the Public Garden, the hotel attracted quite the famous crowd in years past. Notable guests have included crooners (Frank Sinatra), swooners (Judy Garland), and everyone in between. The Bar (15 Arlington Street, Boston, 617.536.5700) was no exception. In fact, the stately firstfloor watering hole was a favorite of two of the Bay State’s most legendary scribes. In the late ’50s, after auditing Robert Lowell’s poetry class at BU, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton would regularly head to the bar, where they’d talk of poetry and suicide attempts over martinis and free potato chips. The two confessional queens were joined by fellow poet George Starbuck, who struck up an affair with Sexton. The hotel’s 2002 “facelift” was followed by an ownership change in 2007, but the Bar’s allure is as palpable as it was half a century ago, making it a perfect place to drink in martinis and the views proffered by those floor-to-ceiling windows.

The Gallows The prospect of “hanging out” at a bar takes on new meaning at The Gallows (1395 Washington Street, Boston, 617.425.0200). Its name nods to its proximity to the former site of the city’s gallows, which stood near South Boston Bay; the waterfront location may have helped perpetuate the legend that many a pirate was hanged there (pickpockets and other criminals, as well as nonconforming Quakers, were more frequent victims). It’s also a stone’s throw from the South End Burying Ground, which “broke ground” in 1810 and saw some 11,000 burials over the course of 50-odd years. Today, this boo-tiful South End space serves up juicy burgers, to-die-for poutine, and shareable boards laden with artisanal cheeses and cured meats. Pair any of these delectable dishes with Preston’s Poison (made with banana- and spice-infused vodka, Punt e Mes, and a drop of honey and finished with lemon), and you’ll be able to go home and rest in peace.

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RumBa Built on the approximate Boston Harbor site where a certain tea party jumpstarted the American Revolution, the InterContinental Boston’s curved facade and glass towers evoke the sails and masts of the tall ships that once dropped anchor there. And within the hotel’s high-class cargo hold lies RumBa (510 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, 617.217.5752), a bar inspired by the city’s long history in the rum trade. Behind its U-shaped pewter bar, you’ll find more than 100 rums, from new local brands like Bully Boy and Privateer to Jamaica’s British Royal Navy Imperial Rum, one of the world’s oldest commissioned rums. In anticipation of the June reopening of the nearby Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum (the original closed after a 2001 fire), RumBa is pouring some special tea-infused drinks. Our favorite? The Life and Liber-Tea, a delicious concoction of Privateer silver rum steeped with Earl Grey tea, fresh lemon, and honey syrup direct from the hotel’s apiary. This is one tea you’d be a fool to dump.

Jacob Wirth Restaurant

McGreevy’s

The son of Prussian grape growers, restaurateur Jacob Wirth immigrated to America and soon put his boozy pedigree to good use. Established in 1868 and moved across the street to its current location 10 years later, his namesake restaurant was a humble spot with hearty fare and sawdustcovered floors. But it boasted a giant mahogany bar that served many big Boston names, including bare-knuckled champion John L. Sullivan, who is rumored to have been dealt a rare knockdown there thanks to a runaway keg barrel. It persevered through Prohibition and two World Wars, earning the title of Boston’s second oldest continuously operating restaurant (the Union Oyster House claims the top spot). Today, the sawdust has been swept away — blame the Board of Health — but the Greek Revival exterior of Jacob Wirth (31–37 Stuart Street, Boston, 617.338.8586) has been painstakingly restored to its 19th-century splendor. And that long bar is still an ideal spot to enjoy a draft. (Fun fact: the Wirths and the Anheusers hailed from the same small town in Germany.)

McGreevy’s (911 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.0911) is a perfect place to make like a starting pitcher in September and get your drink on. (What, too soon?) The original incarnation, McGreevy’s Third Base Saloon, has been called America’s first sports bar, having opened its doors Papi-wide to the public in 1894. Founded by avid Red Sox fan Michael “Nuf Ced” McGreevy, the Roxbury spot was covered in museum-quality memorabilia (like light fixtures made from game-used bats) and quickly became a celebratory hotspot for the likes of Babe Ruth and Joseph “Sport” Sullivan, the notorious gambler credited with fixing the 1919 World Series. The bar was given the hook and sent to the showers during Prohibition, but in 2008, Dropkick Murphys front man Ken Casey stepped up to the plate and lifted the once-vibrant venue off the disabled list. Now the new location is frequented by Red Sox stars and fans and packed with pieces of baseball history — including an original portrait of the bar’s namesake and light fixtures made from new Sox sluggers’ bats.

The Bell in Hand (45 Union Street, Boston, 617.227.2098) has had people shouting its praises for more than two centuries. The first, of course, was Jimmy Wilson, Boston’s town crier for 50 years, who opened the Bell in Hand in 1795. Though it moved from its original location, it claims to have been in operation ever since (not counting the dark days of Prohibition). And in that time it’s played host to historic heavyweights like orator Daniel Webster and war hero Paul Revere, who fueled up on Smith’s Philadelphia Cream Ale — the only drink available until 1919. (Jimmy and, presumably, several successors weren’t fans of the hard stuff.) Nowadays, the breadth of offerings has expanded considerably, as curious tourists and local history buffs can come in from the cobblestones to indulge in a Bell in Hand ale, a specialty craft brew by Sam Adams that’s only available at the pub, and wax nostalgic with beers in . . . well, you get the idea.

The Liberty Hotel It’s downright criminal to bypass Alibi and the Liberty Bar, two nightspots located inside the swanky Liberty Hotel (215 Charles Street, Boston, 617.224.4000), the former home of the Charles Street Jail. Before a $150 million acquisition and renovation gave it new life, the space spent more than 130 years housing prisoners, including notable inmates Malcolm X, Mayor James Michael Curley, and Sacco and Vanzetti. These days, more modern mug shots hang in Alibi’s first-floor space.

(That orange jumpsuit really brings out the dollar signs in Paris’s eyes.) And horizontal stripes are totally optional on Fashionably Late Thursdays at the rotunda’s Liberty Bar, where beautiful models strut their stuff to house beats and eligible singles hope to get patted down. Thirsty? Alibi’s got your Jailbait, a blueberry mojito with silver rum that’s worth going away — and out — for.

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The Bell in Hand

top photo by melissa ostrow; bottom photo by joel veak

The Last Hurrah

Woody’s L Street Tavern

If we were to meet the Omni Parker House at a cocktail party, it’s safe to say we might be a bit intimidated, hearing him go on about hanging with Teddy Ballgame after epic battles with the Yankees and hosting literary greats like Emerson and Longfellow for drinks at his Saturday Club. And when he casually mentions that he hosted JFK’s bachelor party and has had this sort of social life for more than 150 years? Well, now he’s just bragging, right?

Call it what you will, but the Parker House has been a constant source of rich and varied history since its 1855 opening. Freedom Trail walkers can duck inside and do their own name dropping at its classic whiskey bar, The Last Hurrah (60 School Street, Boston, 617.227.8600). Ask for a Harvey Parker, named after the hotel’s original proprietor, and treat yourself to Jameson’s Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters, served with a Maraschino cherry.

A senator, a football star, and a sports trophy walk into an Irish bar. A set-up for a lousy joke? Not quite. In the past several months alone, Senator Scott Brown, Patriot Wes Welker, and Lord Stanley’s Cup have all stopped in for a nip at the popular Southie pub (no word on whether the trophy preferred an ale or a stout). Famously featured in Damon and Affleck’s Good Will Hunting, Woody’s L Street Tavern (195 L Street, South Boston, 617.268.4335) is a cozy space where you’ll find plenty of movie memorabilia and a long, narrow bar whose brews are cold and cheap. Depending of the time of day and week, the clientele ranges from local yokels to yuppies, xenophiles to college kids. While they don’t serve food, they do allow you to bring in outside eats from the pizzeria across the street. Plus, there’s a jukebox for pumping up the crowd with the Dropkicks’ latest ode to Boston. To recap: music, Hollywood history, and cheap beer. How do you like them apples?

photo by melissa ostrow

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Steak Salad at The Hawthorne It’s been a fecund year for Boston’s top-flight bars: veteran bastions of cocktail craft have been bursting open like ripe milkweed pods and sending downy seeds drifting to new soil. Cradles of bartending talent like Drink, Eastern Standard, Deep Ellum, Green Street, No. 9 Park, and Craigie on Main have helped spawn new venues like Backbar and Brick & Mortar. As important, the craft-cocktail ethos — with its exacting emphasis on using high-quality ingredients, drawing inspiration from pre-Prohibition classics, and attending to details like ice, glassware, garnishes, and bitters — has lost some of its mystery and novelty. The new places are hewing to this ideal while radiating a calmer, more relaxed vibe.

Staffed by an absurdly talented team led by co-owner Jackson Cannon, The Hawthorne (500A Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 617.532.9150) plays very much in this new low-key vein. Set off an unmarked entrance in a quiet basement space in the Hotel Commonwealth, it feels less like a bustling speakeasy than the tastefully decorated garden-level home of a successful artist — more living room and den than cocktail lounge. Whether perched at the front room’s larger bar, one of its traditional cocktail tables, the back room’s tiny bar, or its comfy clusters of sofas and armchairs, you know you’re going to drink well. The neo-classic cocktail lineup features Cannon originals like the Moto Guzzi ($11), a Manhattanish mix of bitter Punt e Mes sweet vermouth and straight rye: looks like motor PHOTO BY joel veak

oil, kicks like a two-stroke engine. A more delicate 1930s note is sounded by the Café Royal Special ($12), a sunset-tinged mix of gin, sloe gin, Noilly Prat dry vermouth, and lemon. There are pages’ worth of digestive bitters ($11), fortified wines ($11–$21), a dozen fine wines by the glass ($10–$22), and seven unusual beers ($9–$23).

Meanwhile, Jeremy Sewall’s kitchen turns out an array of small plates that’s extraordinary for a drinking establishment. Updates on classic bar snacks include a trio of deviled eggs ($8) topped with impossibly crisp prosciutto, fresh-baked soft pretzels ($10) with a bourbon mustard, and generous bowls of warmed exotic olives ($7) and spicy candied cashews ($6). Slightly larger plates include cunning Reuben toasts ($12), hors d’oeuvres-sized open-faced sandwiches with house-corned beef. Least expected and most welcome is a salad of rare, tender, thin-sliced skirt steak ($15) served with cubes of fine Stilton atop arugula sparingly dressed with shallot vinaigrette: hearty and big enough for a meal or light yet satisfying as a shared plate. Much like the cocktails here, it’s delicious, thoughtful, carefully assembled, and elegantly served without a hint of pomp. Like its next-generation siblings, the Hawthorne shows good genes, as well as a serene, hospitable style that is something new — and bound to swell the ranks of Boston’s craft-cocktail aficionados.

— MC Slim JB

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Enjoy IcE cold MIllEr lItE in the nEw GAME rooM at

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Jose McIntyre’s

160 Milk Street, Boston Ma • (617) 451-9460 www.josemcintyresboston.com <38> 3.13.12

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Cynthia Gold of L’Espalier

For more than a decade, Cynthia Gold has been Boston’s tea queen. First came her Cambridge tea house, Tea Tray in the Sky, which later spawned an Arlington restaurant by the same name. Then she continued her reign at the Park Plaza. And now she’s the official tea sommelier at L’Espalier (774 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.3023), where she’s revamping the tea program, crafting custom blends, and consulting on tea-infused dishes and cocktails. It’s a job title shared by only a handful of experts around the world, but it’s one that seems perfectly suited to Boston — home of history’s most famous tea party, many a Downton Abbey and Masterpiece loyalist, and tons of Zen types who are above the coffee thing. (So Seattle!) We caught up with Gold over a cup.

Why tea? Were you a tea-party girl as a child? Did you have a little china tea set? I never really drank tea when I was young. Fifteen years ago, I was opening up a new restaurant and wanted to learn a bit about tea, so I read and tasted and set up what was a well-regarded tea list at the time. But to be honest, looking back, the options were pretty bad! But I began to be tempted to start to cook with them. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was one of the first chefs in the country cooking with tea. This brought some curious visitors from the tea industry to check out what I was doing, and that was when my tea education really began. I was invited to Asia to learn at the source, and some amazing people were very generous with their time and knowledge. From my first time in the tea fields, I was hooked for life!

What’s the biggest misconception or worst tea habit that most Americans have? People don’t realize that not all tea should be steeped in water fresh off the boil. Lower-oxidized teas — green, white, and lowoxidation oolongs — need cooler water to steep them in. Water that is too hot will literally burn the leaves and dull the flavor.

So should we take our tea with cream or milk? What about lemon?

How many sugars? I would never recommend cream, but some teas are assertive enough to stand up to milk. Breakfast-style blends, for instance, are blended with milk in mind and may even come across as too strong or even harsh without the milk. Personally, the only time I use dairy and/ or sweetener is with a masala-style tea, and I never add lemon. But again, what someone enjoys should always be the deciding factor.

Why a tea sommelier? Is that really necessary? Why not strive for a special tea experience? I’m excited about enhancing the tea program at L’Espalier, but my involvement with the world of tea is wider than that. I teach about tea in culinary schools in the US and overseas as well as being involved with the certification-level tea courses for the Tea Association of the USA’s Specialty Tea Institute. Studying tea is very much like studying wine. There are tremendous parallels between tea and wine growth, production, and tasting.

What are you drinking right now? I’m drinking a roasted oolong — very earthy and soothing, perfect for a chilly day. Like all well-made oolongs, it also has a beautiful layered complexity, spectacular aromatics, and a noteworthy lingering finish. If the weather were warmer, I would be enjoying a lower-oxidation oolong instead. I’m quite fickle depending on the weather, what I’m pairing them with, or even my mood, but I am often drawn back to oolongs.

— Louisa Kasdon

Louisa Kasdon can be reached at louisa@louisakasdon.com.

Any neighborhood dubbed Allston Rock City should offer its inhabitants two essentials: eardrum-crippling concerts and tasty comfort food fit for nursing battered bodies back to health as the sun comes up. For the latter, we predict hungover clubbers and other hungry hordes will flock to the Allston Diner (431 Cambridge Street, Allston, 617.208.8741), home to some of the most sumptuous morning fare we’ve encountered this side of the Mason-Dixon Line.

A stone’s throw from Allston Center, the diner sports sea-foam-green arches and Eisenhower-era advertisements that imbue the interior with convivial cheer. But the ’50s roadhouse vibe is brand-new: owner and head chef Michael Chabot and company spent four months gutting their newly acquired residence, scraping away ancient stains so that every surface sparkled for their February opening day.

Though it also offers plenty of sammies and salads, the diner primarily serves as a shrine to its owner’s favorite meal: breakfast. Ever since his first culinary gig in a bagel shop, Chabot has been fashioning a.m. edibles that span traditional and unorthodox realms. We’re hard-pressed for a better example than his BBQ brisket breakfast ($10.99), a generous heaping of fresh-off-thebone beef brisket on zesty Texas toast, coated with sharp melted cheddar and two eggs, cooked to preference.

That smoke monster is served all day alongside other tempting breakfast fare, like the savory biscuits and sausage gravy ($7.99), a double portion of fluffy buttermilk biscuits liberally doused in fresh sage and gravy thick with sausage crumbles. Then there’s the house favorite, cornbread waffles and chicken ($10.99), a marriage of hand-breaded, fried-to-crispy-

perfection chicken and buttery cornmeal waffles soaked in syrup. (Non-carnivores, take note: the spot also serves up a number of equally hearty vegan options.) Stuffed and satisfied, we thought we’d need a wheel barrel to extract ourselves from the diner, which seems the highest praise for any breakfast we can summon.

— Miles Howard PHOTO BY joel veak

75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 617.357.4810 • www.davios.com 3.13.12 <39>

liquid Buzz words

Have we mentioned that cocktail lists are getting more complicated than ever? Someone should write about that. Savvy drinkers like the ones who read this column will have no doubt memorized the etymology, country of origin, and flavor characteristics of the hundreds of spirits in the contemporary cocktail bullpen, but a refresher never hurts. And while a good bartender will always be happy to elaborate, sometimes you don’t want to risk looking like a philistine (or, if you’re like me, talk to people in public).

So study up on this glossary of some of the stilllesser-known terms increasingly turning up on menus at Boston’s best cocktail bars. You’ll be drunk with knowledge — and regular drunk, probably.

— Luke O’Neil

Got an idea for Liquid? Email lukeoneil47@gmail.com.

Bonal: Bonal Gentiane Quina is a French aperitif wine kicked up with brandy and infused with gentian root, a variety of herbs, and cinchona, aka quinine (an essential ingredient in tonic water and other buzz-worthy quinquina, like Cocchi Americano and Lillet). A complex sweetness with hints of dark, dried fruit balances the quinine’s bitterness. It was once nicknamed “the key to the appetite,” so enjoy it before dinner, or try it in the orange-centric Bonal and Rye cocktail.

Junipero: Use your words to decipher this one. (Actually, you can do that

Cardamaro: This Italian wine-based amaro is infused with cardoon, a cousin of the artichoke, and blessed thistle, a common ingredient in medieval wizards’ magic pouches. It’s a lot more easy-drinking and nutty than it sounds. Actually, it sounds like cardamom every time I say it, and you’ll be notice a lot of that in the nose. Try it in Brick and Mortar’s Khartoum, which pairs it with Montenegro (you guessed it, another amaro) and Smith & Cross rum.

Lustau: This term usually refers to Lustau Dry Amontillado Los Arcos, a

with a lot of these, provided you’ve at least got hazy memories of studying Romance languages.) The base of the name here is actually the base of the spirit, juniper berries, the foremost botanical used in the making of any gin. This London dry style from San Francisco’s Anchor Distilling has become many a bartender’s gin of choice thanks to its lightly spicy, citrusy, crisp qualities.

popular Spanish brand of amontillado sherry (which falls halfway between a fino and an oloroso on the dry/sweet spectrum). Look for it at your nerdier bars or at tapas spots like Estragon, where it might be mixed with the apple brandy Calvados, a nocino (like Nux Alpina — see below), and Angostura bitters.

flavors and warming notes of caramel and vanilla. Try it in Saloon’s Brown Derby cocktail, made with rum, Maraschino, mole bitters, and an orange juice wash, or in the Regal Beagle’s Rhubarb for Ransom, a riff on a Martinez made with Old Tom’s Ransom gin, Maraschino, and rhubarb bitters.

Nux Alpina: This Austrian liqueur is made from grape brandy steeped for months with walnuts and finished with proprietary botanicals. Don’t let the dark, almost foreboding color put you off: it can be subbed in for orgeat to dampen the sweetness of an otherwise tropical cocktail, and it’s great paired with mole bitters, which pull out its bittersweet chocolate character.

Cinzano: The Cinzano family of Turin, Italy, has been producing this vermouth since the 18th century. The exact recipe remains shrouded in mystery. (See what I did there?) But its 35 herbs and spices add up to a finish with a light bitter note, which makes it less cloying than some overly sweet vermouths and a good fit for a drier Negroni or Manhattan.

Punt e Mes: Last vermouth, I promise. But of the three, this is the one that you’ll encounter most often, especially in Americano-style cocktails, as it plays well with the next step in the bitter spectrum, Campari. You’ll also find it in Craigie on Main’s Bramble & Arabica, a cocktail made with coffee, rum, and egg.

Combier: There’s some disagreement over whether Cointreau or Combier came first in the world of triple secs (orange liqueurs). But what matters for our purposes is that more and more bartenders seem to be declaring their loyalty to Team Combier, using it in recipes that call for a light touch of sweet citrus. Try it in an old classic like the Seelbach with bourbon, Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters, and Champagne.

Zucca: “I sure could go for a refreshing glass of rhubarb right about now,” said no one, ever. Still, the amaro Rabarbaro Zucca, whose base ingredient is rhubarb root, is pleasantly drinkable. You’ll most often find it mixed with soda or in a cocktail that takes advantage of its zesty bittersweetness and relatively low alcohol content.

Carpano Antico Formula: This Italian vermouth boasts bright orange

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Somewhere along the Rainbow

C. B. E. D. F.

A.

At Home with Sean Frederick The Bartender and his design-minded girlfriend craft a stylish studio

Always handsomely groomed and rocking a wardrobe as well-crafted as his cocktails, Sean Frederick is a fashionable presence behind the bar at Citizen Public House. But at home, he takes cues from his significant other’s sense of style: his girlfriend, Kim Boutwell, is pursuing her master’s in interior design at the New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University. Her trained eye helps them channel their distinct tastes into a single vision for their home, which is comfortable yet classic. Their chic studio proves that young couples don’t need thousands of square feet or a limitless budget to create a polished look — just a little creativity and an appreciation for timeless design. In fact, ask Frederick to equate the space with a cocktail, and he’s quick to respond: “An Old Fashioned. It never goes out of style.”

— Scott Kearnan

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A. The couple wanted a simple color palette that was “soothing but not mundane,” says Frederick. They chose Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl for the walls and Super White for the trim. A neutral foundation can be easily dressed up with pops of color and striking patterns. We especially love the simple but chic Draper Stripe rug from DwellStudio.

B. When it comes to furniture, it’s smart for young couples to opt for classic investment pieces. This Jamison sofa from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams was an expensive splurge, but its shape is timeless, says Frederick, employing a fashion metaphor. “Trends change, and ties get wider or skinnier,” says the dapper drink-master. “But a crisp white dress shirt never goes out of style. And it’s a lot easier to change the tie, or in this case the pillows, than to buy a new shirt or couch.”

C. Older buildings come with lots of character — as well as less attractive attributes that call for some creative concealment. Boutwell topped an old standing radiator with a solid surface, draped it in fine fabric, and finished it with trim. Behold, a clunky fixture reinvented as an elegant piece of functional furniture.

D. Of course, some older pieces deserve to be displayed. Take these vintage Chinese Chippendale chairs, found at the massive Brimfield Fair in Western Massachusetts. They once sported outdated cushions and chipped red paint, but a Roslindale-based upholsterer gave them new life. They’re still not the most comfortable seats in the house, but damn do they look good. “I understand in a small space every inch is supposed to be usable,” says Frederick. “But I think it’s nice to have room for sculpture.”

E. The couple also scours Boston’s SoWa Vintage Market for fabulous finds. That’s where they spotted this bar cart, now home to Frederick’s carefully curated selection of spirits. “I keep out the things I most need within arm’s reach,” he explains. “I also choose bottles that are décor pieces as much as they are products.” Among them is a bottle of Herbsaint (a souvenir from his apprenticeship at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans), Campari for pre-dinner aperitifs, and Fernet-Branca for digestifs. “If I’ve overindulged, my bar cart becomes my medicine cabinet,” chuckles Frederick.

F. The bartender is a smart at-home entertainer, too. He keeps plenty of bar books handy, from reproductions of classics, like Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual, to an autographed copy of Jim Meehan’s latest, The PDT Cocktail Book. And the bar cart’s 19th-century punch ladle, another Brimfield buy, reflects Frederick’s go-to libation for parties. “Punches require a little extra prep work on the front end,” he explains. “But it allows you to focus on socializing and interpersonal communication instead of keeping your head down, making drinks.” phoTos by melissa ostrow

Travel can bring out the best and worst in people. So if you really want to learn about your significant other, there may be no better way than by taking a vacation together.

If it goes well, those sandy beaches and foreign landscapes might inspire an impromptu proposal; if not, you might be tempted to leave your girlfriend lifeless on the seafloor. Since travel habits can reveal a lot about what to expect in a relationship, here are some personality types and warning signs to watch out for. If your SO fits one of these profiles, it may be time to signal SOS. The Uncunning Linguist: If you’ve traveled abroad and your partner can’t be bothered to make even a mangled attempt at a standard greeting in the local language, say “au revoir” to the ignoramus. This habit is a harbinger of a superiority complex and an unwillingness to adapt that will likely plague your relationship once you’re stateside. (And by the way, shouting louder in English doesn’t work. They’re not deaf, you moron.)

The Go-Go-Gadgeteer: “My hotel room looked like OfficeMax!” a friend said, recalling her disastrous travel mate. If your partner is having a panic attack about a weak Wi-Fi connection while you’re riding an elephant, or responding to work emails from the comfort of your cabana, he’s probably the type to text during blowjobs.

Anal Girl: There’s a fine line between planning a vacation and running it like a Tough Mudder event. Consider it a red flag if your partner is dragging you through an itinerary that requires a table of contents. She has already set your wedding date, and she knows her ovulation cycles better than the dog-eared pages of her Terribly Lonely Planet guide.

Nurse Ratched: Though Delhi Belly and the Aztec Two-Step might sound like cute dances, they’re actually movements of a much uglier nature. And when you contract a travel bug, your partner’s reaction is an indicator of his or her level of compassion and resilience. If he or she can’t help you through this little hiccup, you might want to shit and get off the pot.

Miss Misadventure: I believe our sixth sense is one of adventure.

If your partner isn’t willing to try the local goat-testicle stew, the native hallucinogen, or a simple zip-line, she’ll never try that position on page 82 of your Kama Sutra.

The Tight Wad: A vacation provides ample opportunities to see whether your love interest is cheaper than a shot of bad Mexican tequila. Beware the travel companion who stiffs the maid or bellboy or, worse still, haggles with desperate locals after they’ve hand-cut the coconut for his piña colada.

The Insecurity Officer: Cellulite. A face without makeup.

Morning breath. You won’t be able to hide them from your partner forever, and it’s during travel that these ugly truths are often exposed. If your SO can’t handle this rawness (or if you realize she had you fooled with a Maybelline mask), you two might be better suited for superficial booty calls than sentimental sojourns.

The Camel Tow-er: Is that your girlfriend you’re traveling with or a goddamn camel? A severe over-packer reeks of either crippling disorganization or attachment issues. And if you need to have a conversation that includes the phrase “You can take either the stuffed animal or the Xanax, but not both,” you should just stay home.

Enjoy MillEr litE tonight At: Now Serving Ice Cold 20oz Miller Lite Drafts

Only $5!

Celebrate with us on St Patrick’s Day!

— Jeannie Greeley

Jeannie Greeley is a travel-tested freelance writer with a lust for wandering. She can be reached at jeannieg@comcast.net.

The Joshua Tree • 256 Elm Street, Somerville (617) 623-9910 • www.joshuatreesomerville.com 3.13.12 <43>

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sailor jerry’s flogging molly giveaway at mcgreevy’s 1. Johannes Nota and Ian Dana; 2. Andrew Milicia and Juan Villano; 3. Paul Monahan and Natan Alexander; 4. Nick Stamas and Laura Paluch; 5. Carolyn Manganello and Grace Young; 6. Ben Davis and PJ Ouma; 7. Hollie Nickalls, Courtney Chelo, and Cassandra Warren; 8. Sophie Helsham and Josh Silver; 9. Steph Sloan, Rose Fieschko, Caroline Fothergill, and Lanna Tokuhiro; 10. Chris Keiley, Frankie Nash, Lee Berman, and Chris Banks; 11. Mark Reily, Owen Coyne, Kyle Powers, and Ben Brigham.

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burrito bowl II at poe’s kitchen at the rattlesnake 1. Christina and Maria Castagnozzi; 2. Alex Bongiorni, Matt Lanuto, and Ryan Hanofee; 3. Nicole Leeds, Sarah Richards, and Nick Cohen; 4. Mike Massad and David Feliciano; 5. Amanda Morrison and Ashley Bronson; 6. Angel Ventura and Christopher Titus; 7. Wenes Negreli, Cristina Poe, and Rebecca Negreli; 8. Mary Ellen Daniels and Alex Orfaly; 9. Sonali Mukerjee and Keenan Langlois; 10. Brian Roche, Dan McCarthy, Andy Husbands, Jenny Johnson, and Scott Kearnan; 11. Jose Duarte, Jon Gilman, Erwin Ramos, Brian Roche, Andy Husbands, Brian Poe, and Jason Hutchinson.

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JOIN THE MILLERCOORS PUB CRAWLS ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY AT THESE GREAT BARS:

It starts in the LIVING ROOM. Where will it end ?

in downtown Boston At: whiskey’s, Boston 11:00 – 11:45 am Pour house, Boston 11:45 – 12:30pm symphony 8, Boston 1:45pm– 2:30pm Champion’s, Marriott Copley, Boston 2:45pm – 3:30pm lir, Boston 3:45pm – 4:30pm our house East, Boston 4:45pm – 5:30pm daisy Buchanan’s, Boston 5:30

And in Allston/Brighton too At: Castlebar, Brighton: 6:00pm – 6:45pm the last drop, Brighton: 6:45 – 7:30pm Porter Belly’s, Brighton 7:45pm – 8:30pm Corrib Pub, Brighton 8:30pm – 9:15pm Cityside Cleveland Circle: 9:30pm – 10:15pm Barley hall, Allston: 10:30pm - 11:15pm

dj until 2:00am thursday–saturday kitchen open until midnight daily, friday & saturday until 1:00am 101 atlantic avenue • 617.723.5101 thelivingroomboston.com <44> 3.13.12

Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner - Late Night 3.13.12 <45>

Andrew Cabot’s STUFF There’s an old poem about the city’s famed Brahmins: “And this is good old Boston/The home of the bean and the cod/Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots/And the Cabots talk only to God.” Fortunately, the modern-day Andrew Cabot was happy to chat with us. The scion of the storied Boston family runs Privateer International, the new Ipswich distillery that supplies rum to many top bars and restaurants, from Clio to Craigie on Main to Deep Ellum.

The space is full of interesting artifacts, many salvaged from the sea — fitting décor for a place founded by an avid diver and history buff. We caught up with Cabot to discuss his recipe for success, his passion for rum, and the giant bell that’s found a home in his distillery.

That is a very large bell. This 350-pound bell capsized in about 1978 and was found by one of our divers. It hangs over our bar at Privateer. What’s cooler than having a gigantic bell dangling over your bar? . . . The bell reminds me of the oceans and the people who earned their living at sea. . . . It also reminds me of the people who helped build Privateer. Many of the cool artifacts, including the bell, came from our crew.

What’s a privateer? I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t really know. It sounds dangerous. It’s basically a government-sanctioned ship that can attack enemy ships, or a sailor on the ship. So, in the Revolutionary War era, if you captured something British, it’s yours. Take it to a port — Spain, France, et cetera. Then the prize is auctioned off, and you’d be the beneficiary and share it. It can be a little unsavory. This is bare-knuckle stuff. To me, it’s a huge part of the story of our country. Suddenly you had this pure form of capitalism that also served patriotism.

That’s where your namesake comes in. I ended up finding a lot of information about an Andrew Cabot who was in partnership with his brother and others in Beverly. He’d taken a strong lead in privateering. It was high-risk and high-reward. He assembled quite a war chest and made a profit. I had this namesake doing these interesting things, a whole host of entrepreneurial ventures. He was a rum distiller. I looked into craft distilling, and it just had this <46> 3.13.12

great back story. With my own interests in family, history, and gastronomy — it was just a no-brainer.

Why rum and not, say, vodka? Rum was part of the legacy. Cabot was a rum distiller. And of all the spirits, it’s the least developed, in my opinion. In the 1980s, you saw Scotch. In the ’90s, you saw vodka. In the 2000s, you saw tequila or bourbon or gin. Rum hasn’t had that moment.

What’s your favorite rum drink? You had to ask! I very much focus on making rums that don’t have the characteristics that I find too often. Most of those are just manipulations. For instance, I don’t think spice makes rum better. Raisin or prune juice doesn’t make it better. I was trying to make a true spirit, not a cultural or regional interpretation. I make something we call a Light and Stormy: ginger beer, Privateer Silver Reserve rum, and I muddle in a basil leaf. It almost has a Thai quality. It’s so fresh, so delicious, and not overpowering.

You got into this business last year, and you’re already supplying some top restaurants and liquor stores. How’d you do it? We’re still young, but there are a few things we’ve stuck to. The first is a focus on quality. If you are going to differentiate as a craft distiller, you cannot deliver something that’s no better than what the industrial people do. That is rule one. Also, service. We have a direct sales model. We have five people who are selling, and we have a good relationship with bars and retailers. We prioritize their business along with our own. If they need help with a drink or want to learn how to distill, we embrace them.

Your family has been in Boston since the 1700s. How has the city changed since you were a kid? It has the same fingerprints. But one of the reasons that I like the owner-managed, owner-chef places is that I like that old-fashioned connection. I like when a chef says, “This is what I want to make for dinner; it’s off the menu and off the message.” You gain a lot of excitement with big, international brands, but you also lose something. It’s nice to see that bottom-up, local experimentation here now.

— Kara Baskin

PHOTO BY michael diskin

55 Huntington Avenue • 617.536.0770 • www.harusushi.com