Sip Scotch and Sail

I tend to be wary of booze cruises. There can nothing worse than being stranded on a boat for hours, surrounded by drunk people as provisions dwindle, waters chop, stomachs turn and restrooms fail. But since there was a promising forecast and the fun folks at Bowmore were in charge, last Saturday's Sip Scotch and Sail event with Liquor.com sounded like a great time. We couldn't have asked for a lovelier summer's day to be on the water with this fine city as a back drop, and great time it definitely was.

While most of last week NYC was covered with thick, gray clouds, the ones in the sky this day looked as though they were personally fluffed by giants. Utterly magical.

Our captain at the wheel. He found volunteers on board to help his small crew raise the huge sails that allowed for a steadier cruise.

A cheers to New York City with a glass of punch, made with Bowmore Legend, from a recipe created by cocktail historian David Wondrich.

Lady liberty in the distance among the fluffy clouds. 

Campari America Whisky Brand Manager Robin Coupar tossing messages in a Bowmore bottle. (Photo courtesy Gabi Porter and Liquor.com)

After an hour and a half of strong sunshine, oysters and Scotchy goodness we docked once again at Pier 17 and headed on foot to Demi Monde bar where the festivities continued down below.

There we were treated to Bowmore Rob Roys and a refreshing, minty Scotch cocktail by beverage director Alex Day, as well as yummy treats from the kitchen (I especially liked the sweet and salty steelhead trout and wasabi nougat bite.) We also tasted through the Bowmore line, including one of my Top 10 favorite Scotches - the Bowmore 18 Year (ever complex and the perfect balance of sweetness, smoke and brine) - as well as the fine and distinguished Bowmore 25 Year.

Steph and me at Demi Monde (photo courtesy of Gabi Porter and Liquor.com).

Robin and Whisk(e)y gal Nicola Riske of Edrington Group (photo courtesy of Gabi Porter and Liquor.com).

Head bartender Scott James Teague and Alex Day (Photo courtesy of Gabi Porter and Liquor.com).

A brief pitstop to Adrienne's Pizza Bar after the event. Then a short train ride to Clark Street made it possible to take in the view from the other side of the harbor, just as the sun had set. Nothing better than a breezy, Saturday evening stroll (and a cool shower, sorry, no photo included) after a long day of sun and fun.

New Traditions

The subject of the The Cloisters came up at dinner a couple of weeks ago, as these things do. I realized it had been a tragically long time since I'd made the trip up there on my own, something I used to do often, especially when I felt off balance. There's something about the surroundings, the gorgeous Medieval art and the healing gardens that press my RESET button. It was the day before my 40s truly begin (just as the year 2000 was a practice run for the real Millenium, I say I'm not really 40 till I'm 41), and according to the forecast, the last day of mild weather for the foreseeable future. Best to make the most of it and get my ass on that A train. 

I took a different approach than I normally do, hiking up the hill where Fort Tryon Park starts on Broadway. I'd packed a picnic lunch (ham, arugula and hot tomato chutney sandwich, carrots and cherries) and stopped here to eat it. Some schleps are very satisfying. Dig the view!

And there she is!

My favorite items in the collection are those that are painstakingly carved and etched with the minutest and clearest of details. In most cases, all from a single piece, which leaves no room for mistakes. The things people spent their time on before the modern age, and with only natural and candle lighting! I am in awe.

Metal etching. This item is way smaller than it seems here, photo not nearly doing it justice.

The inscription on this covered 14th century chalice reads in Latin, "He who shall drink from me shall ever be happy." I'd love to find out if it's true. Can think of many things I'd like to put in it to try.

I love the trend of carving beasts at the foot of tombs. The ones below (as opposed to the ones the knight's feet rest on above) are supposed to stand guard. But I find them very sweet. 

Another beastie. Reminds me of Bruce. 

A very regal camel.

Love all the tranquil courtyards among the twists and turns.

This one is entirely surrounded by detailed columns such as this, all carved with different figures and allegorical signification.

I want a sink like this in my next house.

This fountain will do nicely as well.

Feed me, Seymour! (Ain't it cute?)

Sure, I could have spent Tuesday at home, writing, being generally productive. But this little staycation trip felt like even more of an accomplishment. I think I should make a point of coming here at least once a year. It might as well be June 19th, right? Make it a pre-birthday tradition. Great way to focus on the new year ahead for me, while looking back in time at some of my favorite things.

The Reason It's a Cliché Is Because It's True

That title is taken from one of my all-time favorite Lloyd Cole lyrics, from the song "A Long Way Down." Tuesday night I had the pleasure of seeing him perform an acoustic set at Bowery Electric.  I went alone, on a rainy night. Hoping for the distraction that it was. There are just some nights that seem on the precipice of something, and this was one of them.

You see, things haven't been going so well. Sporadic work at best. Promising interviews and balls in the air that turn into meteorites, hitting the earth with a fiery crash. A great guy who it turns out was only a mirage like so many others, just took a while longer to fade into the horizon. And then a big health scare, which I would know more about the next day.

Turns out, I'm OK. Although let's just say that I'm feeling slightly guilty about all the times my friend Dennis and I joked that our favorite Lifetime movie that never got made is "Happy Birthday Cancer." But all's good. Or at least, it seems it will be. All's relieved. Very relieved. 

This is why I tip well, folks. 

But enough about me. So Bowery Electric on a rainy Tuesday night...

Dave Derby, a former bandmate from a Lloyd Cole one-off outfit called The Negatives opened. Huge surprise, Jill Sobule, another member of the band, came to see the gig. So they played a couple of songs together. 

Then a handsome young lad who had a very familiar look about him came onstage to tune the guitars before Mr. Cole was to take the stage. 

As easily guessed, this was William Cole, who is attending NYU and clearly had a great music teacher. Turns out he's helping Dad out on this mini-tour, playing some of the more complicated arrangements of a couple dozen songs.

Lloyd Cole is one of those British singers who sounds better as he gets older (looking at you, Richard Thompson and Robyn Hitchcock).  He sang all the important stuff, and as I heard "My Other Life," "Rattlesnakes," "Happy For You" ("Lay your head upon my shoulder/Let it rest there for a while/I guess I'm still good for something/Once in a while"), "No More Love Songs"("I gave 'er whisky/And she gave me everything"), "No Blue Skies," "Lost Weekend" and so many other well-crafted tunes, I felt a wash of calm and contentment I hadn't felt in weeks. All that needed to be happening in that moment was in that small club, and all the other shit I had no control over could go on without me for a couple of hours.

William at one point tried to work the crowd, scanning the audience and saying how great it was to perform in front of so many smiling faces. To which his dad quipped, "That's no son of mine!"

"Perfect Skin" and "Brand New Friend" rounded out the encores. In all a great way to spend a night before a day that would, to paraphrase, not be so sure. And as it turns out, way surer than anticipated.

So if they did have to make "Happy Birthday Cancer," Winona in the title role, right?

A Visit to Hillrock Distillery

There are days when my life definitely doesn't suck.

Last Tuesday, May 22nd, was one of them.

I was introduced to Hillrock head of marketing Danielle Eddy at Pegu Club during Manhattan Cocktail Classic at the Women Behind Bars seminar. She presented me with what appeared to be this mini perfume bottle, which turned out to contain the first solera aged Bourbon made in the USA, produced at Hillrock Distillery in the Hudson Valley. I was very intrigued. After some follow up, it turned out she was arranging trips for spirits professionals to tour the distillery in Ancram, New York the following week. Hired cars with door to door service. Dinner was involved too. Would I like to go? 

Hey, is whiskey wet when the Pope, a bear and a one-legged duck drink it in the woods? 

That Tuesday, our amazing, kind and patient driver, Jones, picked Stephanie and me up in Brooklyn on the way to the other four daytrippers scattered around Manhattan. We had chosen the 80s pop station on Sirius radio to play us out of Brooklyn, and Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue" provided the perfect soundtrack to rev us up for the day. The fun continued as we picked up USBG (United States Bartenders' Guild) NY chapter VP Marshall Altier and headed west. Publicist and writer Cynthia Parsons McDaniel was next, then Louis 649 owner Zach Sharaga and finally Inside F and B founder Francine Cohen. We were off! 

Though it was a cool, cloudy and wet day, it felt great to finally experience some country scenery after so many months stuck in the city. When we were nearly at our destination, we noticed two lawn chairs sitting on the hill, which to me set a sweet tone for the rest of the afternoon. (We later learned they belong to a local couple known by all as "Chuck and Chuck.")

The distillery is halfway up an impressive hill (hence the "Hillrock"). The founder, Jeff Baker, actually lives on site with his wife, Cathy, in a stylish colonial house a little way's up. We gathered there on the porch before our tour began, and were greeted by Storm (he's the gray one) and Shadow, the regal Australian sheep dogs that not only preside there, but actually appear on the crest of Hillrock's logo. 

First was a visit to the malting chamber, where barley was spread out to begin its long journey. I've toured distilleries before, but this was the first time I actually saw the process. First hand. 

Then we had a look at the stills and mash bins.

We all got to sample the new make as it passed through. It's like a grown up version of tasting from the chocolate river in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! (In our case, we had their full blessing to "touch with human hands." Hey, all that alcohol kills any germs, folks. That's me with Head of Ops Tim Welly, Cynthia in the background.)

I'm excited about the solera Bourbon, aged the same way as certain sherries, with younger whiskey added to older ones to age together and slightly oxidize. Genius idea and some pretty fabulous juice! This is Master Distiller Dave Pickerell (you might remember him from such whiskies as Maker's Mark) taking a sample from the solera. 

We sat down to taste the first two Hillrock products that will hit the market later this summer, the aforementioned Solera and their Single Malt, both excellent and shining examples of American craft distilling made with careful attention to detail. I've mentioned in my articles that although I want to support craft products, too many producers are impatient to see their brand on shelves and start to turn a profit. Thus they don't age their spirits long enough or cut too many corners in the process. This is not the case here. Was especially delicious paired with local foie gras and cheeses.

One of their fun packaging ideas is to sell the single malt directly in a 3 or 5 liter mini barrel with a tap on it. This gives the customer the option to further age and develop the spirit as they store it. Great idea for bars and restaurants, especially.

After our tasting, we went back up to the house where a three-course, chef-prepared meal of local goodies awaited us: spring pea and mint soup, roast beef and veggies with savory Hillrock sauce and bread putting with sweeter Hillrock sauce. All of this washed down with good 1996 Bordeaux, which we brought more of out onto the porch to sip and chat.

There's me with (L-R) Hillrock owner Jeff Baker, Cynthia Parsons McDaniel and Zach Sharaga.

Then, suddenly, as if a planned grand finale had been art directed with the Disney special effects department, the sky began to change, then change back again, resulting in an unbelievable double rainbow over the grain fields!

But soon the rains came in and it was time to head back into the city. Jones still had a long night ahead of him delivering us all back safely.

Behind every great distillery is a great dog, and Hillrock has the fortune to have two of them. Here they are standing guard in front of the house as the clouds rolled in.

Thanks to Danielle, Dave, Tim and especially Jeff and Cathy for such a fantastic and generous experience. Can't wait to see Hillrock Whiskey evolve in all the exciting and creative directions they have in store. 

Going Pink

I've never been much of a pink girly girl. Even when I was very young, my wearing pink phase lasted like five days, and from there I was always drawn to darker, less bright colors. Until now, I never allowed my reds to swing brighter than a muted coral.

But suddenly I'm all about the pink.

What is happening to me?

I recently wrote an article on Lillet Rosé, a juicy pink treat from the classic French apéritif producer. This is pretty great stuff, folks. It's not just me drinking the Aid de Frais. I'm pretty sure this is the rosey culprit. It matches this weather perfectly. One of the things I love about it, besides the lip-smacking flavor, is since it's slightly fortified, I can keep a bottle around to sip from when the mood strikes. Much as I adore rosé vino in the warmer seasons, these days it can be hard to commit to opening a full bottle if I want to be sure to get my money's worth (cheap Jew on a budget that I am.)

Well, this week has sure been up and down. Great highs during the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (above is the Iroquois #2 from Hotel Bars Past and Present at Lantern's Keep) on the weekend and earlier in the week. But once the schmoozing and stunt-drinking ended, and my liver had a moment to stretch, it was back to real life. This means back to chores, chasing paychecks and trying to get some sort of handle on the eternal mystery of the opposite sex.

After all that drinking, I needed a drink.

But just a wee one.

So having finally perfected my oven fried chicken (hint: use an egg wash, flour AND panko, and make sure the baking pan is already hot and sizzling when you add the chicken) after a long day of the above mentioned, I decided to reward myself with just a little of a something. Luckily I had a bottle of just the stuff in my fridge.

Ahhhhh.

I'm thinking I need to find a pink dress to match.

Support the Rack!

Speed Rack, it's cocktails for the boobies!

Last Thursday night were the finals of the competition, which promotes female bartenders from top cocktail spots across the nation and raises funds for breast cancer awareness. The event was founded by   libation angels Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix of LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) NYC. There were four judges, cocktail industry dignitaries Dale Degroff, Julie Reiner and Audrey Saunders, as well as celebrity chef Amanda Freitag. In each round, the competitors, all regional finalists, raced to execute four different cocktails (taken from a list of 50 standard recipes), one chosen by each judge. The bartender who makes them the fastest and most complete in flavor and overall execution (don't forget your garnishes, ladies) wins the round. Our winsome MCs for the evening were top industry personalities Simon Ford and Chris Patino. And let's not forget the tireless barbacking duties shared by some of NYC's finest, such as Michael Neff of Ward III and Rum House and the lovely Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero themselves. 

While the competition is the main event, there's lots happening on the sidelines. This year it took place at the Prince George Ballroom in Murray Hill, which is big enough to allow for several brand-sponsored cocktail booths surrounding the stage. Money is raised through entry fees as well as the selling of raffle tickets, t-shirts and other merch. Here I am getting my rack's worth of raffle tickets.

The brand representatives were definitely an enthusiastic bunch. Here are the ladies of Lillet in their roller derby finest, worn the whole night (all five hours + !) with smiles to match. That's William Grant brand ambassador Charlotte Voisey and Lillet ambassador Amanda Boccato standing. 

This was fun, but also quite the feat of endurance for all involved. It took seven rounds (four regular, two semifinals and one final) in over five hours, including over an hour of preliminary face-offs. Lots of booze to be had, but sadly no water except the one fountain or some plain Perrier (if you asked those making spritzy drinks nicely.) Small bites were provided by Viktor and Spoils and Pies n Thighs, though we could probably have done with more snacks. We even experienced a toilet paper and hand towel emergency. So for those of us who stuck it all the way through, it was as though we were living in an alcoholic version of desert island survival - booze, booze everywhere, but not a drop to drink! At one point, beer was our best source of nourishment.

Still, we happily made it through. In the end, it was down to two feisty ladies from Houston in first and second place respectively: Yael Vengroff of Fitgerald's (though she was one of NYC's own for a while) and Alba Huerta from Anvil and Refuge. 

They say everyone's a winner, but in this case, it was truer than ever. I was tired from watching the event. So I can only imagine how hard everyone worked as competitors, barbacks, judges (that's a lot of cocktail to evaluate!), MCs, promoters, ambassadors, food vendors and everyone working the merchandise and check in. You were all amazing. We thank you from the bottom of our busts!

Some Stuff I Wrote

Hey everyone. Since there hasn't been much left in the tank for my usual posts lately (it will happen again, I swear!) here are some links to stuff I get paid to drink and write about.

The Shamrock Shakeup. Yes, kids. I tried this at home:

Yeah, Mad Men cocktail stories are nothing new. So I upped the ante by designing new ones for certain characters (except Roger, he's old school) to bring them into 1966. Don gets a rye Slurpee.

The Corpse Reviver in time for Easter! Some people can't take a joke...

Not to be outdone by Passover spirits and cocktails. We made Red Sea Sours and Charoset Schlappes to accompany chopped liver and matzo pre-seder. Worth 40 years in the desert, I say.

Sorel liqueur. You will want to drink oceans of this when it hits shelves next month.

And Rum for All! There sure was enough of it...

Make Mine a Negroni! My ode to a favorite cocktail, with some adaptations.

Until next time! (I know, we never talk anymore. I'll be better).

--A