Announcing the Finalists of the First-Ever Louis Royer “Show Me the Proof!” High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition
Hanna Lee Communications, an award-winning agency specialized in spirits, food, wine, and lifestyle PR and event management, announced the 12 finalists of the first annual “Show Me the Proof!” High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition for professional bartenders and mixologists. The competition, hosted by Hanna Lee Communications and the first of its kind, spotlights the seasonal mixability of Louis Royer “Force 53” VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac, one of the highest proof Cognacs in the U.S. market today.
Exemplifying the current trend of over-proof spirits achieving popularity, more than 100 recipes celebrating the four seasons were received via ShakeStir.com from bartenders and mixologists from across the U.S.
The 12 finalists include: Brad Farran (Clover Club/Death & Co.,
NYC); Claire Sprouse (Rickhouse, San Francisco); Franky Marshall (The Tippler/Monkey Bar, NYC); Ivan Radulovic, (Macao Trading Co., NYC); Jeff Bell (PDT, NYC); Joe Campanale (Anfora/dell’Anima/L’Artusi, NYC); Liz Pearce (The Drawing Room, Chicago); Lynnette Marrero (Astor Room, NYC); Pam Wiznitzer (L’oubli/The Dead Rabbit, NYC); Sother Teague (Amor y Amargo/Booker & Dax, NYC); Theo Lieberman (Lantern’s Keep/Milk and Honey, NYC); and, Tim Cooper (GoldBar, NYC).
The competition will culminate on Wednesday, September 19, 2012, when the finalists will each
“…showers bring May flowers.” And, the James Beard Awards.
Yes, it’s that time again. Time to see who steps onto the stage at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall to accept the medal that announces to the hospitality industry that he (or she) is at the top of their game.
About a month ago the 2012 James Beard award nominees were announced, leaving the food world all a buzz. And the chatter will last up until late in the evening of May 7th, when the last award has been handed out and the last morsel of food created by the country’s best chefs and the last drop of champagne has been savored by the winners.
In celebrating the 25th anniversary of the foundation, and 23 years of bestowing these awards, it is evident that the James Beard Foundation is as much a winner as any of the stellar culinary and beverage artists who got a nod. James Beard Foundation President, Susan Ungaro, notes, “This year is the 25th anniversary of the foundation. And the 23rd year of the awards. Our awards committee wanted this year’s event to celebrate 25 years of American food at its best and salute the legacy of James Beard. Most notably, after our ceremony at Avery Fisher Hall, the grand tasting will feature chefs from all over the country each creating a recipe from one of James Beard’s cookbooks. He was not only a restaurant advisor/consultant, but also a mentor to a number of great restaurant owners and chefs; many of whom went on to win.”
She continues, “We are really excited about the fact that we’re playing up James Beard’s role in the development of the food world. How prescient he was
The French are coming. And the new breed of bar is on its way.
By Miguel Calvo
High-end cocktail bars have been around for quite a while in the United States. In New York alone tropical Lani Kai (www.lanikainy.com), austere Death & Company (www.deathandcompany.com), tiki style Painkiller (www.PK-NY.com) and stylish Dram (www.drambar.com), to name a mere few, have set the standard in what people expect from a proper mixologist bar. In other parts of the country too, like in Chicago at The Drawing Room (thedrchicago.com), these bars exemplify what is now the norm in cocktail culture in the United States; offering fresh ingredients, paying attention to glassware, drink specific ice, house infused spirits/ bitters and atmosphere to match. While a number of the new breed of American bars have embraced a singular spirit centric focus like punch pavilion Cienfuegos (rum; www.cienfuegosny.com) and Mexican style Mayahuel (tequila; www.mayahuelny.com) many still embrace Prohibition rooms as Milk & Honey (www.mlkhny.com/newyork) and PDT (www.pdtnyc.com). So are we ready for a European invasion that may challenge what we have thought should be a mixologist bar?
Across the water there is a surge in the style of what may be the new direction of cocktail culture that is headed our way. These drinking dens sometimes have a selective door, they allow standing (and occasionally dancing), and have no fear of vodkas. Of course you may find the usual spirits suspects on their menu such as Hendrick’s gin (www.hendricksgin.com) and Appleton rum (www.appletonrum.com); but right alongside these iconic brands proudly stand a group of vodkas, such as Ketel One (www.ketelone.com) and Stoli (www.stoli.com), which are commonly ignored by their stateside brothers. Another big difference is that these cocktail crafters who, like their US counterparts, embrace the use of bitters like Peychaud’s (www.sazerac.com) and
Bar Diaries with Naren Young and Simon Ford takes you behind the scenes By Francine Cohen
Oh sure, sometimes it’s glamorous; famous people coming in for your drinks, keeping the party going and being recognized as the ringleader of it all, phone numbers and propositions flying across the bar. But the truth is, you work hard for your money…long shifts with wet hands, satisfying customers who don’t know what they want but know they don’t like gin until you make them a gin drink without telling them it’s gin and they tell you it’s delicious, hours spent perfecting a cocktail recipe, planning that drink menu, batching five gallons of cocktails for a charity event that you graciously donate your time to, keeping a straight face when the liquor salesman comes in to sell you something that has absolutely no application at your bar and it’s obvious he hasn’t a clue about his product, the list goes on and on.
And it’s all chronicled in Bar Diaries with Naren Young and Simon Ford; taking you behind the glitz and glamour of tending bar.
Ever made a cocktail that was so stunning it took your breath away? Trying to up your photography game to take it beyond those low light, poorly composed shots you’ve been posting? Needing to put your drink portfolio together so you can take your career from bartender behind one bar to consultant behind many?
Your photographic technique is about to get a shot in the arm (and there may be a shot or two of whisky in those cocktails served while you learn) courtesy of NYC’s cocktail photography dream team.
Join PDT (www.pdtnyc.com) bartender John deBary, Leo Borovskiy of Lush Life Productions (www.lushlifeny.com), and Elba Giron of We Shoot Cocktails (www.weshootcocktails.com) for a collaborative afternoon workshop. Whether you’re a newbie on a quest for something better than blurry iPhone shots, or you’re a seasoned shutterbug, this workshop is for you. Share your tips and pick the brains of some the industry’s top photographers in one of the most challenging photographic environments, PDT. We’ll also explore DIY light tents, basics of online photo sharing and much more. Not to mention sip and shoot delicious cocktails!
42BELOW Presents the Cocktail World Cup National Finals
Sunday night 3/7 is going to be one of those evenings that, where no matter what city you live in, you might as well stay home and drink wine because your favorite bartender is going to be in NYC, competing at the 42Below Vodka Cocktail World Cup National Finals. www.42below.com
We’re not naming names (okay, we will eventually), but we are willing to say that if you’re invited to the Ace Hotel (www.acehotel.com) on Sunday night you might have a Lynn House, Thomas Waugh, Todd Thrasher, Philip Green, Paul Sevigny, Jason Brown, Matthew Coughlin, Sean Hoard (and more) sighting.
Spirited sipping leads to $5,800 raised at the Hearts & Cocktails for Haiti Benefit
By Francine Cohen
Photo courtesy of Lush Life Productions
Who said people drink just for pleasure? Sometimes they drink to help those in pain. At least that’s what was going on at Bar Celona in Brooklyn on Sunday, January 31st when hundreds of spirits industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts gathered to raise a glass and some much needed funds for Haiti.
Haitian American Ray Raymond of Leblon Cachaça and Dave Catania of Chairman’s Reserve organized this important evening and welcomed their industry friends and cocktail lovers to join them for cocktails created especially for the evening by some of New York’s best mixologists.
