Wednesday, August 22, 2012

48 Hours in Oaxaca - A Mezcal Tasting

I recently jetted on down to Oaxaca City, Mexico, well, to drink Mezcal. Oaxaca is an amazing city in South Western Mexico, nestled in a lush valley, and surrounded by magnificent mountains. The city is a mash-up of indigenous people and Spanish Colonialists - meaning bright colors, soaring churches, and awesome molé. To name a few things that the we can credit the Spanish for: impressive architecture (said churches), and the art of distilling (mezcal).

Casa Armando Guillermo Prieto - Home of Zignum Mezcal

We landed in Oaxaca, battled traffic through the brightly hued streets, and finally made it to our hotel, Camino Real, a former convent of Santa Catalina, built in 1576. We were whisked off to the main dining event of the evening, which was held in what was the church adjacent to the convent. A feast was already in place - enormous clay vessels full of beautifully prepared rice, vegetables, tortillas, and 3 different kinds of molé. Be still, my heart. There was a yellow molé with beef, a red molé with pork, and the traditional black molé with chicken. (Apology for the lack of photo here - molé rarely photographs well). Not surprising to you, dear reader, a Mezcal Margarita swiftly arrived into my hand, and one of my favorites - spicy, sweet, and smoky!

On the stage were dancers in traditional dress whirling about, and a band played in one can only imagine used to be the altar. The dancers came out in many different styles of costume - each from the different regions of Oaxaca - covered in elaborate embroidery, intricate knits, colorful patterns, and shimmering ribbon.

After dinner we went over to a neighborhood watering hole - Los Amantes Mezcalería - where bartender/mezcal guru León poured tastes of his favorite Mezcals from massive, glowing glass vessels. A guitar player sang in the middle of the small tasting room (working for a tipple, I'm sure), and I let my eyes devour every inch of the walls as I sipped on my Lemon Tea infused Mezcal - smoky yet sweet with the essence of citrus. The walls of the tiny room are covered in Mezcal artifacts, traditional masks, paintings, and odd sculptures, the shelves painted a minty green reminiscent of Deyrolle in Paris. What a gem. Praise the gods who made Mezcal there is a tasting room by the same owners here in nyc!

Los Amantes Mezcalería

Mesmerizing, no?

Then for a night time stroll around the zócalo, which was full of people out celebrating on a Friday evening. Street vendors were out tempting the air with the smells of delicious late night treats, and the young and restless were off to their next destination of the evening.

Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán Surrounded by Agave

But this girl was exhausted, so back to the hotel I went, tickled with the mere thought of sleep. And yet, on my bed, was not only a little taste of that legendary, spicy Oaxacan Chocolate, but this:

The Way to This Girl's Heart

The morning I woke refreshed, and practically ran down for breakfast. I had heard rumblings the night before that the breakfast in the hotel was incredible - and let me tell you - it was. Sweet corn tamales, molé tamales with sweet prunes wrapped in banana leaves, fresh pastries, fruit, cooked up sausages, beef, and eggs with spinach, salty Oaxacan cheese, and a full selection of fresh juices from guava, to pineapple, to cilantro.

Breakfast of Champions

We had a big day ahead of us - and we were off to Monte Albán, the archeological site up in the mountains overlooking Oaxaca Valley. Monte Albán is believed to have been founded in 500 B.C., and was abandoned as late as 1000 A.D. . At the city's peak, it was believed to have had a population of 17,200 people, making it one of the largest cities in Mesoamerica.

Central Plaza

The site is impressive - a city of residential and civic structures built for games, ceremony, and science. The central "plaza" of Monte Albán is built like a stadium for large ceremonies, with areas for smaller ceremonies within the complex. There were places for worship, an observatory to keep track of the calendar by tracking the alignment of the sun, ball courts, and ceremonial tombs. The site is lush with grass, and overlooks the fertile valley surrounding it. There is a serene calm to the place, but one can still imagine it filled with people, watching elaborate performances, heated games, or just going about their daily lives.

But we came here for Mezcal, no? Yes!

A quick primer on Mezcal. Mezcal is distilled from the maguey plant, a type of Agave plant. There are over 200 different species of maguey all of which used to make the spirit. Mezcal's more famous relative, Tequila, is made from blue agave and must be made in the state of Jalisco and a few other limited regions, by tequila law. Oaxaca, is famous for Mezcal, tequila's strong, smoky, badass older brother, which for the most part is made today exactly the same was it was made 200 years ago.

Myth has it that a lightning bolt struck an agave plant, which cooked the center, and released the agave juice. This "elixir of the gods" was reserved for priests and holy men. Then, the Spaniards arrived, bringing distillation technology with them. They were looking for something stronger than pulque (an indigenous alcoholic beverage made from the agave plant), and Mezcal was born.

First to the Traditional Palenque:

As we drove into Matatlan, Oaxaca, "Capital Mundial del Mezcal", the first thing I noticed were all of the Palenques with their massive stone wheels used to mash the agave plants that lined the road as we started getting closer to our destination. They were literally next door to one another - each shop making its own type - with tasting rooms and their specialty aguadiente (firewater) for sale! The excitement! If only there had been time to visit all of them!

La Piña

This, in a quick summary, is how they prepare mezcal: First the agave plants are stripped of their leaves, which are reserved for the smoking process. About 100 piñas are smoked in a gigantic hole for three days, which is covered in agave leaves, wood, and hot rocks, and left to smoke. The piñas are then cut up further and mashed using the iconic stone wheel, turned by a horse or a donkey. The broken down pieces are moved to large wooden barrels, water is added, and they are left to ferment for another three days. This is where mezcal gets wickedly exciting; there are traditional recipes that include adding pineapple, red bananas, cinnamon, and even a chicken breast or a turkey breast during distillation to impart more flavor. (Note: the pechuga - chicken - mezcals are amazing.) After fermentation, the juice is separated, and distilled using a copper still or sometimes a clay still, which too affects the flavor profile. They then add water to the 120 proof Mezcal to get it back to 80 proof for legal consumption.

Piña Pit

Mashing the Smoked Agave

Fermenting Agave

Distilling, and More Palenques Across the Street

120 Proof Mezcal

Traditional production methods inherently make Mezcal small batch, and thus, the quantity is highly limited. It continues to be a handcrafted spirit by nature, and the plants themselves take seven years to mature. In recent years, there has been a more international interest in mezcal, and appropriately so, production techniques are changing to keep up with the demand. Facing much controversy is Zignum, which uses modern industrial methods to make its mezcal, and instead of smoking the piñas, the mezcal is barrel aged at the end of the process. The result is a milder, smoother version of the husky traditionally prepared mezcal, and yet is quite tasty. I prefer the joven to the reposado - for I enjoy the clean spicy, almost sharp, smoky flavors.

Barrels and Impressive Fermentation Equipment at Casa Armando Guillermo Prieto

Slightly Obsessed with this Awesome Label

Thankfully, at this point, it was time for lunch. We were first greeted with a delightful round of Mezcal to sip, I started with a joven, it was lunch after all. Followed by an even more delightful round of Mezcaltinis - why, I would like one - or one of each that is!

Muddled Passion Fruit with 2 oz Zignum Reposado, Agave Nectar, Ice, Chapulin and Salt Rim

Hello, Friend

Lunch was pretty amazing - a spread of local flavors, and most ubiquitous of all were the citrusy, crunchy, chapulines (grasshoppers) a local delicacy. Those little guys were in everything - the nuts, the tacos, the cocktail rims, the dessert! It was quite a feast, squash blossoms stuffed with corn and cheese, Tongue Memelitas, filet of fish with capers and tomato marmalade with rosemary and honey, shrimp, a beef filet with mojo de chapulín (garlic grasshopper sauce), and chocolate rolls stuffed with Oaxacan chocolate mousse and guanábana, topped, with grasshoppers.

Totopos con Chapulines y Guacamole & Camarones con Yempura de Pitiona

Filete de Pescado al Limón con Alcaparras, y Mermelada de Tomate con Romero y Miel

Rollitos de Chocolate Rellenos de Mousse de Guanábana y Chocolate Oaxaqueño

And what else arrived at our table? Zignum Añejo. The Añejo is also made with Espadin Agave, and is aged for 12 months in oak barrels, compared to the 4 months of a Reposado. This stuff is like the delicious freak child of Bourbon and Tequila. A good portion of the smoke is softened by the caramel and vanilla from the aging process, it is extremely smooth, round, and yet has that spicy kick that I've been craving lately. This, my friends, is a fine bottle of Mezcal. Certainly not traditional, but sure to be a favorite in my liquor cabinet.

12 Months of Aged Deliciousness

We had a few hours to ourselves - and I took to the streets. For I, was not returning without a colorful momento of this amazing city. After much negotiation, I victoriously purchased a handsome red Jaguar to hang on my wall - but here are a few of my other favorite finds:

Corazón with Milagros


Hand Painted Animals


Colorful Tin Corazóns

Time for Dinner you say?

Off to Pitiona, a wonderful restaurant run by chef José Manuel Baños in the Historical Center of Oaxaca City. We started off with a delightful sage cocktail with Zignum joven, and a plate of appetizers that featured Lengua, Totopos, a razor thin carrot taco stuffed with briney vegetables, a handsome filet of fish served with Chichilo-Mole, and Pork with Salsa de Chicatanas. For those of you who aren't privy, Chicatanas are flying ants that are harvested for 2 weeks a year, and because their harvest requires timing, patience, and skill, they are very expensive - 400 pesos per kilo. Although this dish was not my favorite dish of the evening, it was such an honor to taste this Oaxacan delicacy.

Sage Mezcaltini

Puerco con Salsa de Chicatanas

After dinner we decided to venture out for more fun - we hopped over to Café Central, by the same owners as Mezcalería Los Amantes. Ok, truth, one of my cohorts had acquired a bottle of Mezcal from Los Amantes earlier in the evening on loan, and we were off to the second venue to deliver pesos to the man.

Café Central - Late Night Hot Spot

Did we find said man? No. Did we dance until the wee hours of the morning? Yes. This place was alive - stylish Oaxacans dancing to a range of music from traditional mexican to late night dance music. At some ungodly hour I fell into bed, grateful for such an incredible day.

Although we were off to the airport pretty early in the morning - I did get a taste of that legendary Oaxacan Hot Chocolate for breakfast - creamy, spicy, and nutty. If only I could start every morning with such a delicacy...

I can't wait to return to Oaxaca again - I would love to have spent more time in the city, getting to know the people, the back alleys, and tasting more mezcal. Mezcal the spirit, like Oaxaca, is a bit wild - born from different cultures, creative, colorful, spicy, and that smoke - oh that smoke - how you will crave it once you've tasted it.

xxG

Want More? Go!

Eat:

Restaurante Pitiona Cocina de Autor
Allende 108, Centro Histórico
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico
01 (951) 51 40690 y 51 447

Drink:

Mezcalería Los Amantes
Allende #107, Centro Histórico
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico
Miércoles a Sábado
17:00-22:00 hrs

Los Danzantes
Macedonio Alcala No. 403-4,
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico

Café Central
Hidalgo 302, Centro Histórico
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico

Stay:

Camino Real Oaxaca
Calle 5 de Mayo 300, Centro Histórico
Oaxaca 68000, Mexico

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Tasty Social Media Icon Roundup

In an unrelated search, we just stumbled upon some tasty social media icon sets! Now we're obsessed! We've compiled a roundup of our favorite foodie social media icons, and with most of them free, get downloading, people! Why use a benal corporate icon when one can use little cakes in the shape of the twitter T ?

Below, a few of our favorites:

Social Media Cocktails

Enjoy!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

It's National Rum Day, What Are You Drinking?

Seriously people, it's national rum day. And Rum, is delicious.

Perhaps you're feeling an island-y slush-y Piña Colada, the storm of a Hurricane, or a lovely Mai Tai. Vacation in a glass? Yes please!

A Zombie is guaranteed to get one in a festive mood - frighteningly potent with 3 variations of rum in addition to cherry brandy - and devilishly delicious:

Bring Out the Beast

Zombie
Debuted at the 1939 World's Fair

1 1/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Dark Rum
1/2 oz Light Rum
1/2 oz High Proof Dark Rum
3/4 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Cherry Brandy
2 Dashes Grenadine

But how about mixing up some classic cocktails with Rum? Genius, we say! We have some insider recipes from some of New York's best bartenders - shaking up some classics using one of our favorite Rums, Santa Teresa.

1796 Manhattan
by Kenta Goto of Pegu Club

2 oz “Santa Teresa 1796” Rum
½ oz Sweet Vermouth Mix (1:1 ratio of Martini & Rossi and Carpano Antica)
½ oz Water (at room temperature)
1 dash of Chocolate Bitters Mix (1:1 ratio of Bitter Truth and Fee Brothers)

Build all ingredients in a separate glass. Slowly pour into a snifter. Garnish with a cherry and serve at room temperature with chocolate-covered espresso beans on a side plate.

1796 Manhattan - Photo by Belathee Photography/Hanna Lee Communications

Island Old Fashioned

by Joseph Schwartz of Silver Lining

2 oz “Santa Teresa 1796” Rum
1 dash of Cane Syrup
1 dash of Velvet Falernum

1 dash of Angostura Bitters

Build in a whiskey glass with ice. Garnish with orange and lemon twists.

Island Old Fashioned - Photo by Belathee Photography/Hanna Lee Communications

Venezuelan Daiquiri
by Kenta Goto of Pegu Club
2 oz “Santa Teresa 1796” Rum
½ oz Demerara Syrup (2:1 ratio of Demerara Sugar and Water)
¼ oz Guava Purée
2 ½ tsp Citrus Mix (1:1 ratio of Lemon and Lime Juices)
½ tsp Meletti Anisette
1 pinch of Nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin. Shake with ice and strain with a loose-mesh strainer into a martini glass. Garnish with sliced guava.

Venezuelan Daiquiri - Photo by Belathee Photography/Hanna Lee Communications

Make like you're on a beach, feet in the sand, listening to a steel drum band, and enjoy the sunset.

Cheers!

Monday, August 13, 2012

Feed Your Inner Caveman - Well Fed Cookbook Giveaway! - CLOSED

We're always interested in hearing about how people eat - favorite foods, fetishes, and guilty pleasures. We heard about the Paleo diet a few years ago (Ms Duquesne pontificated on the Monkey Hot and the meaty trend), and now we've come to learn that more and more people are on the Paleo scene.

We were recently introduced to the cookbook Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat by Melissa Joulwan, which follows the rules of the caveman, or cavewoman. Shes an original Texas Roller Girl, Cross Fit aficionado, part time yogi, all meat lover.

Miss Joulwan

If you're wanting to go Paleo full boar or not, Well Fed is a charming cookbook with lots of delicious recipes for the caveman in all of us. We sat down with her for a little Q&A about her new cookbook:

Gastronomista: Why Paleo?

Melissa Joulwan: It should be obvious: big hunks of meat and leopard-print loincloths!

Leopard Print Lion-Cloths, Duh.

I joke because I love. There are a handful of reasons I believe paleo is the best way for just about everyone to eat. Paleo eliminates grains, dairy, legumes, junky seed oils, and added sugar, all of which means our bodies enjoy much more stable insulin responses and reduced inflammation. We’re used to seeing, say, a scratch get puffy and red, but we don’t usually think about the inside of our bodies experiencing that kind of inflammation. That’s exactly what happens when we eat foods that contain anti-nutrients or spike our blood sugar.

The paleo diet focuses on lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, animal protein, and naturally-occurring fats — all in reasonable proportions. Once you get used to it, it feels like a natural, sane way to eat. And that sanity is a gift for anyone who’s had weight issues or been an emotional eater. By breaking the cycle of sugar spikes — and in their evil little hearts, grains are really just sugar — I learned how to “just eat” for the first time in life. It’s enormously liberating.

G: Why and When did you decide to go Paleo? In your opinion, what is the difference?

MJ: Honestly, I started eating paleo for the girliest, most cliché reason: I wanted to lose 15 pounds and my traditionally “healthy” diet wasn’t doing it. I’d already given up grains on my own, but then I started working with Melissa Hartwig (founder of Whole9) on my nutrition, and she suggested I fully commit to paleo by giving up dairy and legumes, too. There was never such a hissy fit as the one I threw when I was asked to stop eating blueberries and milk for breakfast. But she challenged me to try it for a week to see how I felt. In just two days, I had no bloating and my sleep quality improved. I was sold.

Paleo Motivation

That was three years ago, and I’ve eaten 90% paleo ever since — minus two 3-week trips to Prague during which I consumed a metric ton of schnitzel and dumplings. But the kickass thing about paleo is that when I returned home from the debauchery, I immediately started eating clean again and within four days, I felt like myself again.

Thanks to a thyroidectomy, I don’t have a thyroid gland which presents all kinds of challenges because the thyroid controls metabolism and is really affected by inflammation. Eating paleo helps me manage my thyroid issues, including my energy, mood, and sleep.

G: What's the difference between the Atkins diet and Paleo?

MJ: As I understand it, Atkins is mostly about restricting carbohydrates, so it includes junk like artificial sweeteners, seed and vegetable oils, and low-carb grains and flours, as well as the processed foods made from them. Eating paleo means eating real food in as natural a state as possible: meat, vegetables, fruits, fats. There are very few paleo “products” because processing is not kind to nutrients. The “no processed foods” thing is also one of the biggest differentiators between paleo and gluten-free eating plans, too. Paleo eschews (yay, eschews!) grains not just because of the gluten, but also because of the anti-nutrients found in grains. Gluten-free cakes, breads, cookies, and other treats, especially the kind found in a supermarket, are not really healthy choices. If it’s made in a factory, you probably don’t want to eat it.

G: One thing that I like about the book is that you emphasize eating real food - what are some of your go-to cooking ingredients?

MJ: I always say that I like peasant food... there are a few kinda fancy restaurants I like to go to once in a while, but mostly like to eat international food that’s like what you would get if you went to a normal person’s house for dinner in, say, Morocco or Turkey or Prague or Korea. So my favorite ingredients are simple, high-quality things — grass-fed ground beef, pastured eggs, organic collard greens, cabbage, spaghetti squash — jazzed up with sexy spices and slinky fats. One of my favorite things to eat is spaghetti squash, cabbage, and ground beef sautéed with coconut oil and a spice blend called Tsardust Memories. It’s sweet, spicy, earthy... totally comforting. Having said that, I’m also madly in love with truffle salt. (Eat it on a fried egg and feel your eyes roll back in your head.) And homemade mayo. I plop it on everything in a way that’s pretty indulgent.

Cocoa Cauliflower

G: You mention Middle Eastern Cooking in your book - what recipes in Well Fed are based on this cookbook? What is your favorite recipe from this classic?

MJ: The Middle Eastern recipes in Well Fed are either recipes I learned from my dad or ones I concocted myself, but I was able to do that because I’ve read Middle Eastern Cooking from cover to cover so many times. There are two recipes on my blog that are adapted from that book: fancy spiced olives (which I make every Christmas, without fail) and a grain-free Chicken Bastila, which is a savory-sweet Moroccan pie made with chicken and almonds. I’d made the original — with phyllo dough and powdered sugar — a few times and just got a bee in my bonnet one day to make a grain-free version. It came out great, and I actually got a Tweet from a restaurant manager in San Francisco who said he liked my paleo version more than the original.

G: What are your favorite recipes from Well Fed?

MJ: I have a soft spot in my heart for the Bora Bora Fireballs because I dreamt them one night. How dorky is that?! I woke up thinking about meatballs made with pineapple and rolled in coconut, and I was convinced I must have read about them somewhere online or in one of my old- school Tiki cookbooks. I spent all kinds of time doing Google searches and looking through my cookbooks, but didn’t find a recipe. I really did make it up in a dream. Nerd!

My other favorites are the ones that were big challenges to adapt, like Char Siu and the Paleo Pad Thai. Asian food tastes so good because it combines sweetness with spice and heat. It was fun to experiment and figure out how to recreate the experience of those dishes — that “takeout” feeling — without the eleventy million kinds of sugar found in both.

And Chocolate Chili. Because it’s chili. And it’s chocolate.

Chocolate Chili

G: We've always considered Spaghetti Squash to be a magic vegetable - a squash that's spaghetti, what?!? What is the most surprising transformation recipe?

MJ: Cauliflower might be my favorite sneaky-deaky vegetable. You can turn it into rice, use it as a substitute for cracked wheat (in tabbouleh or kibbeh), mash it like creamy mashed potatoes, and roast it — and all of those versions taste amazing.

The other surprise was jicama. White potatoes are nutritionally worthless, so they get the thumbs-down from most paleo practitioners. But jicama is a pretty good substitute. Well Fed includes recipes for home fries and “potato” salad made with jicama, and they’re some of my most popular recipes. The texture of jicama isn’t quite as starchy, but especially in the salad, the other ingredients — bacon, hard-boiled eggs, homemade mayo — dress it up so much, you can’t even tell it’s not potato. Go, yam bean! (And for astute readers who know jicama is in the legume family, it’s paleo approved because the jicama itself is the root of the plant and doesn’t include the anti-nutrients of the seed, like beans do.)

Jicama Salad

G: Going Paleo must take a lot of discipline, how often do you cheat? What's your favorite cheat food?

MJ: When I’m living regular life, I cheat about once a week, but I call it “having a treat” because I don’t like to feel like I’m doing something wrong. My most frequent indulgences are popcorn (at the movies with butter), corn tortilla chips and salsa, or ice cream from this new shop in Austin called Lick that uses all local, organic ingredients to make flavors like Caramel Salt Lick and Strawberry Basil. I should also confess that a few times a year, I go totally off the rails. At Christmas, I eat Russian Teacake cookies until I look like a snake that ate a goat, and we really like Barley Swine in Austin. When we eat there, I eat everything they serve me and drink Prosecco with abandon.

G: Most Memorable Meal you've ever had

MJ: When I was about 8 years old, Pennsylvania was hit my a blizzard, so my dad picked us up early from school and took us to his restaurant/motel so we could all stay the night. The next morning, we got up and made doughnuts in the restaurant kitchen, then made snowmen in the parking lot.

As a grownup: a picnic on the grass at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. We ate this meringue (along with cheese and wine) and I swear, I have never tasted anything like it. It’s a chocolate cloud on the tongue.

G: Guilty Pleasure

MJ: Kid Rock, an undying devotion to Nacho Cheese Doritos, sticking Q-tips in my ears

G: Breakfast in Bed

MJ: Chicken Nanking (from the House of Nanking in San Francisco), ordered to go the night before, after eating dinner there and realizing that more Chicken Nanking for breakfast would totally rule. (My husband Dave and I did this once when we were dating, and it was the best thing ever.)

G: Pick your Poison

MJ: A shot of Becherovka, preferably in a gypsy bar in the Czech Republic. Jim Beam, neat, at a loud punk rock show. Ice cold Prosecco, but only if I’m dressed up and wearing winged eyeliner.

G: Last Meal

Sharing an extra-large pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese with my husband, in our pajamas, while watching Pretty in Pink, sighing over magic that can happen at a high school dance, followed by awesome making out.

: : : THE GIVEAWAY : : :

Eat Like A Caveman

Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat

Signed by the Author

: : HOW TO ENTER : : :

1. Leave a comment on the post answering: your inspiration for going Paleo (loincloths, spears, etc).

2. Tweet #WellFedGiveaway @xxGastronomista

3. *Extra entry* “follow” Gastronomista and/or “like” us on Facebook.

The contest closes in one week (12 pm EST). Winner will be selected on Monday, August 20th, and will be emailed that day.

Good luck, and many thanks to Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat author, Melissa Joulwan!

xxG

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

A Sit Down with The Masters of Jameson

For those of you who don't know, your Miss Emma Emerson is an architect. Which means, graduate school was involved. Which means booze was necessary. The preferred poison was Jameson, and we still give it all credit for subsequent successes in academia, and in life.

Needless to say, we are fans.

We were absolutely tickled when we were asked to meet and interview Master Distiller Liam Donegan and Master Cooper Ger Buckley while at Tales of the Cocktail. (Note: this was pretty much as close to meeting Santa Claus for this girl as it gets.)

First of all, let us say how wonderful and lovely both Liam and Ger were - charming men who have devoted themselves to this brand, not only as a whiskey, but as a family and as a way of living. (We understand the way of living part, we do). We discussed all things Jameson for a few hours, (which is another reason why Tales of the Cocktail is an incredible event) from the site in Ireland where it's made, the importance of copper stills, the types of barrels used, to a few of the Jameson Reserves, Black and Gold.

Team Jameson was interested in providing a Reserve line designed for the Jameson lover (us), but a bigger, bolder version of the original. We tasted two marks, the Black Barrel Select Reserve, retailing at $44 a bottle, and the Gold Reserve, retailing around $70.

First to the Jameson Black Barrel. Jameson has created an exceptional product, flavors of granny smith apple, wood spice, pepper, cinnamon, with some leathery notes, which are credited to the Sherry casks that part of the spirit is aged in. The Black Barrel is very smooth to drink, full of flavor, and finishes long and smooth. Speaking of casks, they were able to create this seductive blend by combining a specific proportion of pot still whiskey and rare small batch gran whiskey, aged an average of 12 years in different types of barrels - ranging from new Oak char, re-used American Bourbon Oak barrels, and re-used Sherry European Oak barrels.

What was inspiring to this lady was the science of it. Many years ago, we fell in love with Single Barrels. The bourbon from one barrel tasted wildly different from the next. But with blends, so much of that unique barrel flavor is instead used to help build the blend, which in turn is the identity of the brand. The Master Blenders then taste each barrel, taste the combinations, and make sure that the blends are consistent.

With an enormous brand such as Jameson, there is a science to it (Liam is a Chemist after all), all of which is secret of course. The details are critically important - how long they take to re-fill barrels that have arrived from Kentucky (3-4 days), the process of distilling the whiskey, and the care of the Sherry barrels coming from Spain. In fact, Jameson works with the company in Spain to ensure the consistency of those barrels. Whiskey, like wine, is alive - and the symbiotic relationship between the grain spirit, the raw materials of the charred wood and the copper, and the triple distillation process are what make Jameson a consistent and high quality whiskey. They never allow their casks to sit outdoors, and take great care to maintain them.

Enter Ger, Master Cooper, a mulit-generational cooperage. He shared a bit of how he works with the casks, breaking them down, repairing them, putting them back together. We were surprised to learn how these casks are so handmade, especially in this age of CNC and 5 axis robot technology. Ger shared with us some of his great-grandfather's tools, which were some of the most impressive tools we've ever seen. (We take no credit for the carpet choice, it's not our fault people).

Cooperage Tools - As Organized Neatly by Us

Cooperage Tools - As "Organized" by Ger

A final taste of the Jameson Gold Reserve to finish of the wonderful afternoon, which was more spicy and peppery, more hot on the mouth, significantly sweeter, and with strong flavors of apple, pear, and butterscotch. This mark is closer to a Bourbon because it is aged in new-char American Oak barrels, giving it more vanilla flavors than most scotches.

We have to thank Liam and Ger for their time and their generosity. It was such a treat to meet the professionals from the world's most popular whiskey who make their product like it's an artisinal small batch. It's a comfort to know that our beloved Jameson is made with as much care as any small brand out there, if not more. Cheers to that!

xxG

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Tales from Tales - 2012

It has taken us a week to recover. Truth.

The city of New Orleans is taken over by Tales of the Cocktail every year, which brings in the cocktail elite from all over the world. Mixologists, Writers, Master Distillers, Brand Ambassadors, Bar and Restaurant Owners, as well as enthusiasts of all things libation. In our time in New Orleans, which was regrettably short, we met so many wonderful and creative people it left us bubbling with inspiration, not to mention our heads throbbing from numerous days of excess.

New Orleans is really the perfect place for this event, in fact we couldn't event imagine Tales in any other city. There is something intoxicating about the NOLA, and it's not all the Sazeracs we had either. The city is alive with creativity - artists, musicians, chefs, bartenders, writers - all of whom thrive on the history of the city, the good and the oh so bad.

Tales of the Cocktail just finished its tenth year (yes, tenth), which demands a serious toast to creator Ann Tuennerman and her incredible staff. While some may think that Tales is a big party, it is a non-profit educational event that has a most incredible lineup of talks and seminars focusing on the craft of the libation. There were so many seminars that we wish we could have attended - Spiritual Brews from India, Cocktails on Tap, From Cocktail Napkin to Cocktail Bar: How to Open Your Own Bar, The Drunken Botanist, Handmade Bitters Lab, The Emperors New Nose, just to name a few. But there are only so many hours in the day, and we did (and drank) just about as much as physically possible.

We were supposed to start of our Tales adventure on Thursday afternoon, a few tasting rooms, and then the Life and Times of Tom Bullock event on the Creole Queen Boat (which was amazing, as we've been told over and over and over). Thanks to Delta, we spent the evening in the Atlanta airport, crying into a sad beer, instead of a sipping on a Four Roses masterpiece poured by bartending legends such as Jim Meehan or David Wondrich. Delta, It's not you, it's us, but we're done here.

Off to the Employees Only Pop-Up bar at One Eyed Jacks, which was a complete mob-scene, so instead we skipped over to Tonique and got some much needed cocktails. Ahhhh.

Friday was a busy day, so much to do! Tasting Rooms for Diplomatico, Absolut Bloody Mary bar, Heaven Hill Distilleries, William Grant, oh my! It wasn't even noon, and we were searching for some water to help slow down the pace.

Speaking of William Grant. SAGE. Now there's a spirit we are excited about. We fell deeply in love with Root, we always enjoy the summer Rhuby, but Sage, now there's a martini we can get excited about. It tastes like the high desert, open air and freedom.

Then off to the Taste of Italy, where we sipped on different artisinal Italian liqueurs such as Amaro Lucano, Maraschino Luxardo (which is delicious), and Luxardo Cherry Sangue Morlacco (sour cherry brandy aged two years in oak casks), Pallini Limoncello, and one we've been eyeing at the liquor store for quite some time, Fragoli.

Fragoli is made from the tiny wild strawberries that grow in Italy. We remember eating these sprinkled with sugar on a Roman evening in our youth, oh how magical and delicate they were. Maybe we can't get them fresh here in New York City, but we can get them in a bottle - the little strawberries are such a nice treat when sipping on this sweet liqueur. (We bet it would be amazing over ice cream, served with champagne, or strawberry shortcake, just sayin). Ok, ok, maybe this is a chick drink, but we don't care. It's delicious.

Then we were off to meet with the master distillers of Jameson. More to come on that later, but let's just say, we credit Jameson to getting through major life events. Enough said. Stay tuned.

More tasting rooms - Ile de Re Fine Island Cognac, and over to Loa at the International House for a tasting of Smooth Ambler.

We tasted every mark, from the vodka to the gin, to their bourbons and ryes. Good stuff we tell you. We even got to taste a small nip of their barrel aged gin, which was fantastic. Unfortunately the stuff isn't on the market yet, but when it is, we want some (hint hint). The Old Scout Bourbon has more rye than most bourbons you'll find (36%), so their products have a spicy kick on top of the traditional caramel and vanilla flavors. We loved the Gin - aromatic and smooth. They use vodka as the base spirit (instead of neutral grain spirit) and then hang a selection of herbs & botanicals in the still column to give the gin its flavor. We might have a new house gin there.

We then proceeded to park ourselves at the bar of Loa - we had to try the Old Scout cocktail made with Lemongrass, Thyme, Mint and Black Walnut bitters. Divine, we say. We stuck around for a few more cocktails, one of our favorites was the Dick and Jane, served as a cocktail pairing with some pistachios on the side.

We were pretty enamored with this bar - head bartender Alan Walter makes home made syrups and bitters for the bar, and has quite an impressive and expansive cocktail list (7 pages!). All the cocktails come in different vintage glasses - it was quite the impressive menagerie of etched crystal in different shapes and sizes. Dinner at Revolution in the French, got my gumbo and cheese grits fix. Then back to Loa for more cocktails (no shame, no shame).

Saturday morning was a bit painful. Even though we had been wearing Bytox hangover prevention patches, we were still feeling the excess from the day before. We figure, if there's a time to test a hangover prevention product, it's Tales. The patches probably saved me from a crippling hangover, but honestly, we were still feeling the pain. Fortunately, everyone knows the best hangover cure is eggs and bacon, so to Surrey's Cafe we went! Bacon, Shrimp and Grits had us ready to go again!

Back to the hotel for more tasting rooms. Herbsaint, New World Vermouth, and of course, the Absolut Bloody Mary Bar (a girl has needs, after all). While we squeezed in more than we thought was physically possible, mentally and physically, there were some highlights. The Beertales seminar with Fancesco Lafranconi, Adam Richard Seger, and Doug Frost was mind blowingly good. This too deserves its own separate post, so you're gonna have to wait for it, dear readers. Patience is a virtue.

We had a tasting of Monkey Shoulder Scotch with our friends over at William Grant in the lovely courtyard of the W Hotel, (we wouldn't have minded staying there all afternoon bobbing in a cool pool). Monkey Shoulder is a blend of Glennfiddich, Balvenie, and Kinivie, which are aged in used bourbon barrels, and then blended from 27 different barrels. The scotch is then aged again as a blend, and then off to bottling. Let us tell you, this scotch is smooth, spicy, a little bit citrus-y, and rounds out with vanilla and the fruits of pear and apricot, certainly a nice sipping choice.

We also had a taste of Hochstadters Slow and Low, Rock & Rye Whiskey. It's a blend of Rye whiskey, citrus peel, honey, and rock candy, and is another revival product from the 19th century. (Side note, with all these revival products on the market, its clear that our ancestors would make booze out of anything, and so will we.) We're slightly obsessed with the branding of this Rye, but we're not surprised since it's coming from the same company as St Germain, who have that gorgeous bottle that makes us weak kneed every time we see it.

After some amazing drinks with friends, we decided it was time to head over to the Roosevelt Hotel to get a Sazerac. Great bar, bad lighting. That said, the signage is unstoppable, beckoning imbibers as though they've found the holy trinity (they have):

We rolled ourselves a few steps away and into John Besh's new restaurant, Domenica. We saddled up to the charcuterie station, ordered up a meat plate with fry bread (omfg good), and chatted up chef Alon Shaya, who you may or may not have recognized in season two of Treme.

This was an incredible meal. After an impressive spread of home cured meats, an assortment of pickled deliciousness, and fresh bread, we had Squid Ink Tagliolini with Blue Crab, Roasted Cauliflower with whipped goat feta, and a perfectly executed Wood Roasted Goat with eggs and tomato sauce. It was a meal to remember.

Sunday morning was also painful, but we got a bloody mary in our bodies as soon as possible to curb said pain.

When it comes to Bloody Mary mixes, we usually think they are a bit of a hoax. Something that has been packaged for convenience, and is just as easy to create at home. But this Bloody changed our minds. Made with Hoosier Momma Bloody Mix, a rim of her Smoked Spicy Glass Varnish, served with a Benny's Beef Straw. Yes, you read that right, Beef Straw. Note to self, stock apartment with all of these items. For survival.

We then headed out of the French Quarter and over to an incredible brunch spot called Atchafalya. First to the Bloody Mary station, which had quite the spread of pickled items, including brussel sprouts, green beans, okra, olives, and a wide array of every hot sauce under the sun. My creation:

Breakfast was incredible, Eggs Louisianne - Louisiana crab cake, poached eggs, and creole hollandaise. One of my cohorts had Eggs Atchafalaya with fried green tomatoes, poached eggs, jumbo lump crab with creole hollandaise. AND the talented Ms Meschiya Lake was playing. It was one hell of a breakfast, and after which a nap was desperately required.

The Talented Meschiya Lake by Zack Smith - Exhibition at Three Muses

Well rested, we were up and ready to go for the Absinthe Tasting Room at Windsor Court. We had a few pours by Lucid creator Ted Breaux and enjoyed the beautiful hotel. We talked to BJ, one of the founders of the Absinthe museum for a long time and got quite a history of absinthe in the process. Thirsty for more we went over to the Absinthe Room, which proved to be disappointing at best.

Off to Frenchman Street for some live music and more delicious food. We had to wait a bit at Three Muses, but it was worth it! Tuna Tartare Tacos with pickled vegetables and avocado wasabi sauce, Kurobuta Pork Belly with apple chutney and scallion pancakes, and the omg-good Duck Pastrami Pizza with onion marmalade, Fontina, Gruyere, pickled vegetables, and topped off with a duck egg, sunny side up. Everything was served as small plates, tapas style which worked well for the music scene. Truth be told, we could have ordered another one of those Duck Pizzas it was so fantastic. The music was incredible, sadly we did not take note of the name of the band that was playing (whoever you are, you were divine).

There's so much life to New Orleans, the food, the music, the people, the cocktails. Without a doubt, we fell in love with this city, and we hope Tales will have us back next year.

To quote our girl Miss Helen Hollyman, "When New Orleans leaves your blood stream, let's add it back in", time for a Sazerac.

Cheers!

xxG

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Spodee - Wine With a Kick

We usually abandon red wines in summer for the crispier, somehow more hydrating whites. But recently we tasted a red we can hang with during the summer (and winter for that matter), Spodee. It's a bit of a freak wine - it tastes like...chocolate milk. There's really no way to describe it (we were terrified at first), you're gonna have to try it for yourself. It's quite delicious, but we're not surprised considering it's made by one of our living legends, Steve Grasse of Hendrick's and Art in the Age fame.