Posts Tagged ‘New Orleans’
Saturday, December 31st, 2011
Memorable cocktails that rise to the top of the list
Stories curated by and photos by Jason Rowan (except where noted)
Photo by Virginia Miller
Most publications are busy prognosticating; focused on the year ahead, projecting trends and anticipating the future. But at INSIDE F&B we decided to take a moment before rushing pell-mell into 2012 and invite you to join us in relieving some stress that always comes with looking ahead. Instead, stop and smell the proverbial roses as we take a look back at some of the spirit industry’s best drinks tasted around the world.
Simon McGoram, Drinks Editor, Australian Bartender Magazine (boozebraggart.blogspot.com/)
The best drink I had all year had to come from one of the more unlikely places in Australia – Katoomba in the Blue Mountians in NSW. Once upon a time it was known as Sydney’s playground – especially during the roaring twenties with Gatsby-like characters parading around in finery. Now the place attracts only a few weekend tourists with its beautiful art deco cafes and hotels remaining for the large part empty and falling into disrepair.
I was up there with my partner for a Valentine’s Day getaway – with February being the middle of summer down under we were expecting swelter. Instead a cool mist hung eerily over the whole town as we walked up the steps of the Carrington Hotel for a pre-prandial tipple. The hotel by the way looks like something out of The Shinning and sure enough during the middle of the week the place was empty and spooky.
We were sat next to a roaring fire in an anteroom next to the grand 1930s ballroom. I was expecting that they might manage a decent G&T but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the cocktail offering. I ordered an Old Cuban – an Audrey Saunders masterpiece that had somehow found its way to this country town. My partner had a Bramble – a Dick Bradsell modern classic from London. The drinks were good. Not exceptional. bBut it was the more the fact that in rural Australia I could order drinks created by the best bartenders of London and New York whilst being transported to almost untouched art deco setting. I thought truly cocktail culture has come of age and perhaps one of America’s greatest inventions can be enjoyed at all ends of the earth.
Stephen Myers, Illegal Mezcal
(www.ilegalmezcal.com)
Drinking a Negroni at an outdoor cafe with a beautiful girl and a great friend on the Sardinian coast as the sun set over a Phoenician ruin and a lighthouse. Rather than the 1:1:1 ratio of the drink on its own it was all the elements of the time, place, people and the great drink itself that made it my best drink for 2011.
Philip Gandevia, cocktail bartender, Eau De Vie, Sydney
(eaudevie.com.au/)
We were having a meeting at Eau De Vie, going over our recipes and making sure that our techniques were uniform. We mentioned a Bijou (equal parts gin, Dolin and Chartreuse, orange twist and discard) and I made a casual statement that of course it was always stirred. One of our team, Taka Shino, demurred, saying that he always shakes his. Not only was this interesting in terms of discovering an inconsistency but it was also something I’d never entertained for this cocktail. “Well, let’s try them,” I said and we made side-by side identical Bijous, mine stirred and his shaken. When we tasted them I was fairly shocked to discover that I preferred the shaken. It was an excellent reminder that the junior bartender can show the senior bartender something
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Tags: 41 Degrees, 7 Leguas Reposado, Adria, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas & The Highball Austin, Angostura, Asian Fantasy, Auckland, Audrey Saunders, Aviary, Barcelona, Beefeater, Beefeater 24, Bees for Pele, Bijou, Bill Norris, Bon Vivants, Bourbon & Branch, Bradsell, Bramble, Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters, Campari, Carrington hotel, Charlie Chan cocktail, Chartreuse, Chris McMillan, Cuidad Deus, David Suro, Des Drie Fleschjes, Desmond Payne, Diageo Reserve’s World Class Bartender Competition, Dolin, Drink Factory, Dubonnet Rouge, Eau de Vie, Gaz Regan, Hawthorne Lounge Melbourne, Ian Scalzo, Ilegal Mezcal, Jack Rose, Jacob Briars, Jacob Grier, Jason Rowan, Jonny Almario, Karlsson's, Katoomba, kopstootje, La Hermosa, Lance Mayhew, Leblon Cachaça, London's Viajante, Lower East Cider, Lucas Bols USA, Manhattan, Mark Huang, Martini, Mea Culpa, Melbourne. Bar Americano, Metrovino, Myfannwy Rigby, Negroni, New Orleans, New Zealand, Old Cuban, Oregon Culinary Institute, Perrier Jouet Brut NV, Philip Gandevia, Portishead, Portland, Prizefighter, Rhiannon Enlil Cure, Ruby in Copenhagen, Sardinia, Saxon & Parole, Sazerac, Sazerac Royale, Sean Hoard, SF Bay Guardian, Siembra Azul, Simon McGoram, Stephen Myers, Stone Fence cocktails, Sydney, tAIWAN, Taka Shino, Teardrop Lounge & Clyde Common, Tequila Interchange Project, Tequila Ocho, The Perfect Spot, Tickets, Time Out Sydney, Tomas Estes, Tony Conigliaro, Tori Amos, Trinidad Sour, Vieux Carré, Virginia Miller, Wilson & Wilson, Woodford Reserve, Zacapa 23, Zdenek Kastanek
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Friday, August 19th, 2011
A Few Of My Favorite Things
By David Ransom
Photo by Charles Steadman
Once again this past July in New Orleans, Mrs. And Mr. Cocktail (aka Ann & Paul Tuennerman) put on what those of us in the business have affectionately come to consider the triathlon of liver survival (drink-filled seminars, drink-filled tasting rooms, and drink-filled dinners and parties… not to mention the obligatory night-ending swing through Old Absinthe House on Rue Bourbon every night just to prove you didn’t expire during the course of the day) that is Tales of the Cocktail (www.talesofthecocktail.com).
Having just completed its ninth year, Tales has grown from a tiny industry-focused event that brought the nation’s top bartenders together for a few days of camaraderie, events, and parties, into a truly international symposium, complete with a “Spirited Awards” program (like the movie industry’s Oscars) that hands out honors to establishments and industry leaders from around the world, and now brings in professionals and consumers from all over the globe to celebrate the world of cocktails in the city that created them.
Rocks Stars and I feel honored to be given the chance to attend each year, and as always, I’m thrilled to be able to share some of my experiences…now that I have recovered enough to be able to write again…
So without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things from this year’s Tales, both good and bad, but really all good, as nothing that includes having a well-crafted drink could ever really be bad… and in no particular order:
Best Hosts Under Pressure: Ann & Paul Tuennerman. Nine years into it, Tales could probably have run itself, but Ann and Paul were everywhere. Every event. Every day. Every night. What amazes me about this is that Paul was recovering from a health scare and had just spent time in the hospital. I have to tip my hat to these two intrepid souls for not staying in the background and recuperating at home while “their baby” was staged. Quite to the contrary, they were all over the place from Tuesday’s Media Welcome Party at Arnaud’s French 75 bar (beautifully run by Chris Hannah, one of NOLA’s finest drinks-smiths – www.arnaudsrestaurant.com),to the final Sunday Brunch with Mr. & Mrs. Cocktail, and everywhere in between. I even ran into Paul solo, visibly tired yet surely on the mend, at the Suntory Suite (www.suntory.com) one afternoon where we chatted on the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street while enjoying a glass of Japan’s finest single malt.
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Tags: Andrews Sisters, Ann Tuennerman, Arnauds, Audrey Saunders, Barsol, Beefeater Gin, Board of Trade, Bon Vivants, Bourbon Street, Campari, Campo de Encanto, Dale DeGroff, Dave Arnold, Dave Wondrich, Dushan Zaric, Employees Only, Fancy Pants, French Culinary Institute, Frenchman Street, Grey Goose, Jason Kosmas, Jill DeGroff, Josh Harris, Julie Reiner, Latrobe's on Royal, Lu Brow, Macchu Pisco, mezcal, Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail, New Orleans, Paul Tuennerman, Pernod Ricard, Pig & Punch, Pisco O, Ramos Gin Fizz, Robert Hess, Ron Cooper, Rosie the Riveter, Royal Sonesta New Orleans, Russian Standard Vodka, Sailor Jerry, Scott Baird, Shawn Kelley, Suntory, Tales of the Cocktail, The Glenlivet, Tobin Ellis, Tony Abou Ganim, William Grant, WWII Museum, Zu Bison Grass Vodka
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Sunday, July 17th, 2011
Food & drink, culture & frivolity abound in the city that knows how to let the good times roll
By Cheryl Charming
(All photographs courtesy of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau unless otherwise noted)
Photograph by Carl Purcell
For the past five years I have attended Tales of the Cocktail (www.talesofthecocktail.com) as a personality, author, seminar panelist, and moderator and each year I roam around the streets not really knowing where to go or what to see and taste. Well, I moved to the French Quarter in October of 2010 and now have a bit more information, so I thought I’d share it with you.
Below, is a little NOLA visitors guide to help Tales of the Cocktail visitors trek around the French Quarter and other parts of New Orleans. If you’ve never been to Tales then this will serve you well. If you are a return attendee then you might see something new. I hope you enjoy the information I’ve gathered. Also, if you have information you feel I should include, correct, etc. just Facebook email me.
FYI – This year I’m tending bar at The Bombay Club (830 Conti [CON-tie] – one block from Bourbon www.thebombayclub.com) Tuesday through Saturday. I work with a great bartender named Steven Lemley. In the 31 years I’ve tended bar, he is the best bartender I’ve ever worked with. It would be our pleasure to serve you. We open at 4 pm, offer live entertainment 7 nights a week, and have a wonderful food menu (our chef, Rickey Cheramie trained under Emeril Lagasse at Commander’s Palace).
If you have not reserved a Spirited Dinner for Thursday night, then you should know that we have Maine lobster night on Thursdays for only $25. It includes a 1-½ lb full lobster, salad, and a side. You must have reservations because we fly in the live lobsters based on reservations. On Friday we have entertainer, Judy Spellman and she’s great at getting the crowd going. On Saturday night we have the incredible Luther Kent (www.lutherkent.com) singing the blues. He use to be the lead singer for Blood, Sweat, & Tears in the 1970s. Starts at 9:30pm. I’ll probably be slammed those nights, so I won’t have much time to talk…but it should be fun to watch me in the weeds, lol.
BASIC NOLA INFORMATION
• The French Quarter (Vieux Carré [VOH- care-eh]/Old Square) is only 6 blocks X 12 blocks. It was the very first part of land built upon in the 1700s.
• There are four streets that border the French Quarter. Canal, Rampart, Esplanade, and Decatur/Mississippi River.
- Cross over Esplanade and you enter the Marigny Triangle and the best place to visit is Frenchman street. This area is where the locals go for drinks, food, and entertainment. The best way to get there is a cab or walk East straight down Decatur.
- Cross over Canal and you’ll enter a business type atmosphere, but there are bars of interest to visit.
- Cross over Rampart and…well, DO NOT cross over Rampart on foot at night. Only go as far as Bar Tonique.
- Cross over Decatur, keep walking, and you’ll end up in the Mississippi River 
• All the streets in the French Quarter are one-way. There is no need to constantly look for the one-way signs when crossing a street…just look to see which way the cars are faced.
• The sidewalks in the French Quarter are very uneven and full of holes. The best shoes to wear should have a flat sole. Heels on women are dangerous. Wedges work well, though. Also, the streets are very dirty. so if you wear open toed shoes, then expect to wash your feet often.
• Cabs are very easy to get. They roam the French Quarter streets just looking for someone to pick up. People ask me to call them a cab all the time at The Bombay Club and I let them know that all they have to do is walk to the corner and one will go by every minute. If you are going to use a credit card then ask before getting in because some do not take credit cards.
• Banks/ATM. On both corners of The Hotel Monteleone there are two full service banks with ATM’s; Chase and Capital One.
NOTE: When you cross over Canal from the French Quarter the street names change. Here is the list:
Decatur to Magazine
Chartres to Camp
Royal to St. Charles
Bourbon to Carondolet
Dauphine to Baronne
Burgundy to University Place
North Rampart to South Rampart
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Tags: Bayona, Emeril, Irvin Mayfield, John Besh, John Laffitte, museums, New Orleans, New Orleans bars, New Orleans restaurants, NOLA, Old Absinthe House, Susan Spicer
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Friday, February 26th, 2010
DonQ International Rum Competition, World Cocktail Week, Nouveau Sake, Stinky Cheese
2/1-6/21 DONQ RUM/ USBG Competition – Regional, Semi-Finals, International
Regionals – February 1-April 15
USBG chapters holding local cocktail competitions using DonQ Rum http://www.donq.com/rum/ . Regional winners, who are announced on 4/16, will each receive a DonQ Rum kit, a trip for 1 to the Manhattan Cocktail Classic www.manhattancocktailclassic.com including roundtrip coach airfare and hotel, and the right to compete at the Semi-Finals held at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic on 4/17.
National Semi-Finals – April 17 (New York City)
Held at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic on 4/17, drinks will be judged by a jury panel to determine the 3-5 finalists who will comprise the USBG US Drink Team to represent the USBG at the Finals in Puerto Rico. Crowd favorite cocktail determined by attendees. US Drink Team receives
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Tags: Caribe Hilton, charity, Chris McMillian, Dale DeGroff, DonQ, Fire and Ice, fundraisers, julep, Kitano New York, Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Marseille, Museum of the American Cocktail, New Orleans, nouveau sake, Puerto Rico, raclette, rum competition, Seralles, Stinky Cheese, Tour de France, USBG, World Cocktail Day, Zagat
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Sunday, February 7th, 2010
By Francine Cohen
All cocktails created by Esteban Ordonez
We’re New Orleans Saints fans at Inside F&B. And to celebrate the Saints’ first visit to the Super Bowl in their 43 year franchise history we’re offering up a few cocktails for you to serve on the big day, and all year long.
Why are we Saints fans? Well, first of all we appreciate the fact that New Orleans is the gracious host city to the annual drinks conference Tales of the Cocktail, a not-to-be-missed event if you care about spirits and cocktails; and we heartily applaud the restaurant and hospitality community there for bouncing back after Katrina and helping to boost the local economy by making NOLA a foodie and cultural destination once more. And then there’s our very private and personal reason for rooting for the Saints instead of that other team…after all these years we simply can’t forgive the Colts for sneaking out of Baltimore in the middle of the night and relocating.
So, it’s with great support that we present these DonQ rum cocktails created by Esteban Ordonez. Enjoy!
Black and Gold
2 1/2 oz Don Q Gold
1 oz Kahlua (or coffee liquor of your choice)
1/2 oz Cointreau (or triple sec of your choice)
1 lemon peel
1 scented clove
Fill a rocks glass with ice, gently pour in the Cointreau, followed by the Kahlua, run a lemon peel around the lip of the glass and put a scented clove through it. Slowly layer the Don Q gold over the ice to achieve a layered look. Serve with a short straw and the lemon peel and clove. (This drink is a modern take on the classic New Orleans Cafe Brulot cocktail.)
All Saints Punch
12 oz Don Q Cristal
4 oz St. Germain
8 oz Fresh orange juice
3 oz simple syrup
3 oz fresh lime juice
2 chilled cans of Sprite ( or citrus soda pop of your choice )
lime wheels for garnish
In a large container combine all the ingredients except for the Sprite, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve stir thoroughly and transfer to an ice filled pitcher.
Serve into iced rock glasses garnish with the lemon wheels and top of with a splash of Sprite.
Black and Gold Shooter
1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Don Q Gold
In a shoot glass pour the Kahlua first, and then carefully layer the Don Q.
Half Time Hurricane
1/2 oz. Don Q Gold
1/2 oz Don Q Limon
3/4 oz blackberry liquor
Layer the ingredients in a shot glass beginning with the Don Q gold, followed by the berry liquor, and top of with the Don Q Limon.
Saints Black
Equal parts:
Don Q Cristal
Don Q Coco
Kahlua
Shake all ingredients over ice and serve in shot glasses.
Tags: 43 years, Baltimore, Cointreau, Colts, DonQ, foodie, football, Kahlua, Katrina, layer, Limon, New Orleans, NOLA, Relocate, rum, Saints, Sippers, Sneak out, Sprite, triple sec, XLIV
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