May 2019

The Caesar cocktail was created back in 1969 at the Calgary Inn in Alberta.

To commemorate the opening of Marco’s, the inn’s new restaurant, manager Walter Chell wanted to create a drink that resembled a meal. Inspired by his favorite dish, spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti and clams), Walter mixed a similar combination of ingredients into this new drink. He combined tomato juice, clam nectar juice, Worcestershire sauce, and celery salt to create a sweet, savory, salty, and spicy mixture that was a perfect signature cocktail for an Italian restaurant. He named this kingly cocktail the Bloody Caesar. That same year, the Duffy-Mott Company patented the key ingredient in a Bloody Caesar—canned clam broth and tomato juice—and Mott’s Clamato was born. Today, the Calgary Inn is a Westin Hotel, and it still serves great Bloody Caesars at the bar.

Everyone has a Caesar story, and National Caesar Day spokesperson Dan Aykroyd took a break from his film and comedy career to share some of his personal Caesar moments. In a special commemorative book that celebrates the drink’s 50th milestone anniversary, The Caesar. 50 Years. 50 Stories: Celebrating a Half-Century of Canada’s National Cocktail, Aykroyd recalled the time he served Caesars to The Rolling Stones by a lake, and later went jet-skiing with Keith Richards. “Keith and Ronnie had spent so much time in Canada, they knew the Caesar was a distinctly Canadian recipe, and liked it so much that I made a few jugs and considered sending them home with some Mott’s Clamato as a Canadian souvenir,” he says in the book. “I also think of my dad when I think of Caesars. He’s a big fan of the Pickled Bean Clamato, and even in his late ‘90s, he still enjoys a Pickled Bean Caesar.”

Dan Aykroyd’s Golden Caesar

There have been several different variations on the classic version that Walter created 50 years ago, and Aykroyd has some thoughts on that as well. “I tend to stick to the original, but experiment with the garnish,” he says. “My favorite garnish is a lamb chop with mint jelly. I also like to spice it up on occasion with uniquely flavored hot sauces. Anytime someone muddles something in my Caesar, I typically like it, with the exception of mint, which in retrospect, I think the bartender had intended for a Mojito instead of my Caesar!”

For this special anniversary, Aykroyd created a new Caesar recipe, dubbed the Golden Caesar. “After much trial and error, I was ready to gather a Caesar-tasting panel to sample my creation,” he says. “I called upon bona fide Canadians Colin Mochrie from Whose Line is it Anyway?, Yannick Bisson from Murdoch Mysteries, and the Caesar heiress herself, Joan Chell, whose dad invented the Caesar. We all agreed—this recipe was the one!”

The Golden Caesar is made with red chilis, chipotle hot sauce, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canadian-made Crystal Head Vodka, and the essential ingredient, Mott’s Clamato. It’s finished with a gold dust rim, rosemary sprig dipped in edible gold powder, and sparkler for some festive flair.

In 2009, the Canadian parliament declared the Caesar as “Canada’s Official Cocktail,” and today there are a variety of different mixes and ready-to-drink, single-serving containers available. Here’s to a great Canadian long weekend and excellent National Caesar Day on May 16. And for those who are curious about what else Aykroyd is up to, he’s currently working on the new production of Ghostbusters III. We’ll toast to that with his Golden Caesar!

Dan Aykroyd’s Golden Caesar

Dan Aykroyd’s Golden Caesar

Ingredients: 

• .5-inch strip Red Chili (Mild to Medium)
• 1.5 oz. Crystal Head Vodka
• 1.25 oz. Canadian Cabernet Sauvignon
• .5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 4 dashes Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
• 2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 5 oz. Mott’s Clamato Original
• Edible Gold Powder (for Rim)
• Mott’s Clamato Rimmer (for Rim)
• Matt & Steve’s Extreme Bean (for Garnish)
• Rosemary Sprig (for Garnish)
• Lemon Wedge (for Garnish)
• Sparkler (for Garnish)

Preparation: Rim your glass with Mott’s Clamato Rimmer mixed with edible gold powder. Muddle red chili in the bottom of a pint glass. Add vodka, wine, lemon juice, and sauces. Fill the glass with ice, top with Mott’s Clamato Original, and stir. Garnish with a Matt & Steve’s Extreme Bean and a sprig of gold powder-dusted rosemary. Skewer a small sparkler into a lemon wedge and place on the side of the glass. Light sparkler outside before serving.

The post Dan Aykroyd Celebrates the Bloody Caesar With a Brand-New Book appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

We love a good cocktail competition at Chilled, which is why we’re excited about The House of Lustau’s 2019 Solera Standout.

If this year’s competition is anything like 2018’s, we’re expecting award-worthy cocktails made by some of the most talented bartenders in the world. If you’re a bartender who’s interested in submitting a winning cocktail with Lustau’s sherries, vermuts, and brandies, here’s how to enter.

To enter the Solera Standout, you need to create a cocktail that includes two products from the House of Lustau. The top four bartenders will win a trip to Spain to visit the Bodega. Of those four finalists, one will be chosen to win the grand prize of $1,000. The competition is open to bartenders in the United States and Spain who are 21 years and older.

Lustau’s 2019 Solera Standout

Last year’s finalists came up with some truly delicious cocktails. Estrellas from Christina Mercado included spiced rum and banana liqueur to complement Lustau’s Solera Reserva Brandy and Pedro Ximenez Sherry. Andrew Larson’s Balance on Earth mixed Solera Reserva Brandy with Lustau’s Rare Cream Sherry and added mint demerara syrup and lemon juice for some zing. And Antonio Gonzales infused Lustau Brandy de Jerez with strawberry and pink peppercorn before mixing it with mezcal, Campari, Fernet-Branca and Lustau PX Sherry for his Spanish Lullaby cocktail.

All of these libations were incredible, but it was Devin Kennedy from NYC’s Pouring Ribbons who took home the grand prize for his cocktail, The Rule of Three. The winning drink was a mix of gin, Lustau Palo Cortado Peninsula Sherry, Lustau Blanco Vermut, pink peppercorn tincture and a grapefruit twist. “The Lustau Blanco Vermut comes in as a flavor lengthener, echoing the floral components that are in the Mahon Gin, as well as the almond and mineral quality in the Palo Cortado,” Kennedy says. “The moscato grapes in the Vermut gives a hint of fruit and sweetness to balance the cocktail out.”

To enter House of Lustau’s Solera Standout competition, visit the contest website. Entries will be accepted until June 30, 2019.

The post House of Lustau Wants Talented Bartenders to Enter the 2019 Solera Standout appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

In the recently published book The Seven Moods of Craft Spirits: 350 Great Craft Spirits From Around the World, author Dominic Roskrow headlined the Copper & Kings entry, “Creative Brilliance,” with the first sentence, “Is this the world’s coolest distillery?”

It just might be. Music is the pulse of Copper & Kings in Louisville, Kentucky (literally and figuratively). It permeates the distillery’s identity in almost every way—from the show poster-inspired bottle labels to its copper pot stills, each named for a woman in a Bob Dylan song.

When visitors walk into the distillery basement cellar, a daily playlist blasts from a row of subwoofers, pulsing the distillery’s aging brandy against the barrel’s interior, increasing its contact with the oak. Copper & Kings Founder Joe Heron calls this method “sonic-aging.”

Copper & Kings CR&FTWERK

In a way, that process is a good analogy for the brand itself: unorthodox, innovative, underpinned by method, and very loud. You need those traits if you’re going to succeed as a brandy distillery located in Kentucky’s Bourbon Country.

According to Heron, when most people think of brandy, two main categories come to mind: the Californian “cheap and sweet,” and the traditional European brandies. He didn’t want to be encumbered by either preconception, especially as he felt innovation in the American brandy segment was at a standstill.

“We make American Brandy with a capital A and a capital B, and four years ago, there was no such thing as American Brandy. No definable personality, no innovation, and no momentum,” says Heron. “We wanted to juxtapose ourselves versus very traditional Cognac by using the heart of American distilling as our geographic anchor. That gave us the ability to be ourselves, to be anything that we wanted to be, and to paint with a very extensive creative palette. This is America—we are not limited to a small, provincial geographic dogma. We have the whole continent to work with, any grape varietals or fruit that we find interesting, and barrel finishes to push the boundaries of unexpected flavor profiles.”

Innovation and invention sits at the heart of Copper & Kings. “In many ways, it’s as much a personality disorder as a business strategy,” jokes Heron. “It’s our personal oxygen, our corporate voice, and a substantive reason why American Brandy is cool and exciting right now. American Brandy boogies.

“We’re like a band. Our band puts out a lot of records. We don’t expect you to like every song, but we’d really like you to love the music, and to hopefully appreciate most of the songs on every album.

“We execute conceptual innovation. We are less interested in literal product descriptions than in adventurous, creative journeys for drinkers to explore and stories to enjoy in their glass.”

It’s also enabled the distillery to explore innovative collaborations that reach consumers who may not traditionally consider themselves brandy drinkers. Most recently, Copper & Kings partnered with famous Chicago distillery FEW Spirits to release Copper & Kings via Chicago American Brandy—pure copper pot-distilled American brandy matured in FEW’s rye whiskey barrels.

Or GEOGRA&PHY, which Copper & Kings describes as “adventures and explorations of pot-distilled brandy from around the world.” The bicontinental brandy is an equal blend of American and South African pot-distilled brandies.

Copper & Kings GEOGRA&PHY

There’s also CR&FTWERK, the distillery’s ongoing collaboration project with renowned craft beer breweries across the United States. “I have a lot of respect and affection for their ‘balls-to-the-wall’ invention and creative expression, because really what you see in a Copper & Kings bottle is creative expression distilled,” Heron says. “And partnering with breweries like 3 Floyds, Against The Grain, Sierra Nevada, Sun King, and The Bruery, to name a few, is just a thrill. I’m a little starstruck, in truth.” The resulting collaborations culminated with a series of small-batch American Brandy, aged for 12 months in oak barrels previously used to age eclectic American craft beer.

Jagger and Richards, Lennon and McCartney, Heron and O’Daniel (as in Brandon O’Daniel, Copper & Kings’ master distiller)… these are just a few of the world’s most rockin’ collaborators. “Although the reality is that I’m pretty much just Brandon’s roadie,” laughs Heron.

The brand, Heron says, will keep creating, innovating, and exploring new concepts.

But at the end of the day, Copper & Kings still has a tremendous amount of focus on its first national hit (no pun intended): its original brandy, which smacks of blackberry, bourbon, and jaw-dropping Americana. It’s high-proof, but surprisingly sippable—like stone fruit that’s been amplified via surround sound.

As Heron says, “This is not ordinary, everyday brandy. This is a bad-ass brandy. It goes to 11.”

The post Copper & Kings is America’s Most Imaginative Distillery appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

If you’re Italian, you might have memories of family members pulling an ice-cold bottle of limoncello from the freezer after a big meal.

Or perhaps you’ve experienced the homemade stuff in your favorite red sauce restaurant. Either way, limoncello is one of our favorite liqueurs, especially as the weather gets warmer and light, fresh ingredients make their way to our tables.

While there are plenty of great limoncello brands on the market, it’s a super-easy spirit to make in your own kitchen. Just ask the team at the Austin, Texas, restaurant Il Brutto, an authentic Italian spot helmed by chef Erind Halilaj that features dishes like homemade pizzas, pastas, and breads. The bar menu boasts a solid list of Italian-inspired cocktails and drinks, including the Limoncello 75, which is mixed with its house-made version of the lemon liqueur. Il Brutto offers a complimentary glass of limoncello to guests after each meal, which is one reason why the team decided to make it themselves.

“We taste-tested several commercial brands,” says general manager Charity Sadoy. “While some were better than others, there simply wasn’t much supply to offer it complimentary to all of our guests, which we felt was an important gesture of hospitality and tradition.”

Making limoncello became a favorite task for many members of the Il Brutto staff, so it inspired the restaurant’s newly launched Limoncello Club. “Staff would gather around the bar, and three to six of us would peel lemons together while conversing,” Sadoy says. “It was always a pleasant time of day, and we thought it would be something special that we could share with our guests.”

Every Monday evening from 5 to 7 p.m., guests are invited to grab a seat at the bar and help the staff peel lemons while enjoying 50 percent off their drink of choice. There, you’ll learn some of the secrets behind the recipe and take home a custom-made pin and recipe card. After two months, the staff will call you to retrieve your bottle of limoncello that you can enjoy in your own home.

Even if you’re not visiting Austin anytime soon, you can still make Il Brutto’s delicious limoncello. Check out their easy recipe for the crowd-pleasing cordial below.

Il Brutto’s Limoncello

Il Brutto’s Limoncello

Ingredients:

• 1 liter Overproof Vodka
• 20 Lemons
• 1 liter Simple Syrup

Preparation:

1. Peel the lemons, avoiding the pith as much as possible. Less white on the peels is better to avoid bitterness.
2. Place the lemon peels in a glass jar. Add the vodka. (Juice the naked lemons and make lemonade! Il Brutto uses the lemon juice in cocktails and in the kitchen on salads.)
3. Let the jar sit for a minimum of four weeks in an area that stays cool and dark. (Il Brutto steeps its jars for eight weeks minimum.)
4. Strain off the lemon peels.
5. In a separate container, mix the simple syrup and infused vodka.
6. Store in the freezer and serve in chilled glasses.

The post How To Make Homemade Limoncello appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

When people think of West Coast beer destinations, Portland, Oregon and San Diego immediately spring to mind.

But a burgeoning craft brewery movement in Los Angeles has put the SoCal city on the national beer map.

“Los Angeles started as a beer bar town,” says Paige Reilly, director of operations for New Original Breweries, a quartet of breweries leading the L.A. scene. “Beer evangelists would flock to beer-focused pubs to taste the latest and greatest from breweries like Firestone Walker, Allagash and Sierra Nevada, or even further afield from Belgian and German breweries abroad.”

That’s changed during the last decade. Breweries have popped up across town, from the pioneering Eagle Rock Brewery to Chinatown hits like Highland Park Brewing to travel-worthy spots in Torrance like Monkish and Smog City. L.A. may have caught on a little late, but drinkers in the city have leapt face first into craft beer culture. “I think one of the reasons the L.A. brewery scene has grown as quickly and successfully as it has is because there was such a demand from day one,” Reilly says. She now counts 80 breweries and brewpubs among her peers. “It’s an incredible feeling to see those same beer bars filled with the same evangelists, but now they’re drinking almost exclusively L.A.-brewed beer,” she says.

Whether you’re an Angeleno looking to explore your local breweries or a visitor to the City of Angels, here are the seven breweries you need to visit.

Eagle Rock Brewery

Eagle Rock was the first brewery in 60 years to establish itself in L.A., and it kicked off the city’s modern craft brewery craze back in 2009. The brewery initially gained popularity for its Solidarity bottling (since discontinued) that proved Angelenos could brew compelling but fun beers, and the brewery’s innovation hasn’t slowed. These days, Eagle Rock turns out award-winning brews in a range of styles. Make a pilgrimage to this groundbreaking venue, and check out their sours and Day Trip series while you’re at it.

Eagle Rock Brewery

Monkish Brewing

Opened in 2012, this Belgian-style brewery in Torrance is somewhat of a contradiction. At its core, Monkish is devoted to yeasty Belgian beers, aged meticulously by brewmaster Henry Nguyen. But in 2016, the brewery blew up when it introduced West Coasters to hazy, unfiltered IPAs, despite a sign that hung in the taproom for years that read “No MSG. No IPA.” The lines for weekly can releases haven’t ceased since, but we’d advise popping by anytime for one of Nguyen’s fruity saisons.

Monkish Brewing

New Original Breweries

Since selling off Golden Road Brewing to AB InBev in 2015 and launching Artisanal Brewers Collective, Tony Yanow’s dream team has consistently opened some of the best beer spots in town year after year—including four breweries grouped under the title New Original Breweries. The Stalking Horse Brewery & Freehouse, 6th & La Brea, Bluebird Brasserie and Broxton are all fantastic, and we would be remiss to pick just one from the killer quartet. Simply direct your gullet to the nearest option, and settle in for a good time.

New Original Breweries

Arts District Brewing Company

213 Hospitality is responsible for many of the best cocktail bars around L.A. like Seven Grand and The Varnish, but their brewery (in partnership with Brian Lenzo of the Blue Palms Brewhouse craft beer bar) shows the team can do anything beneath the nightlife umbrella. Arts District Brewing is really the ultimate daytime hang and boasts games like skeeball, corn hole and darts. Bring a crew, and direct any beer-averse friends to the full liquor bar for quality cocktails.

Arts District Brewing Company

Angel City

You’ll be able to spot Angel City’s bold neon signage from a few blocks away. Originally established in 1997, the brewery moved into its current Arts District home in 2013 after it was acquired by Boston Beer Co. by way of Alchemy & Science. The brewery’s historic digs, decorated with street art from Shepard Fairey among others, is worth a visit alone. You’ll also find the brand’s core range on tap along with a few exclusives, in one of the best places to drink in downtown L.A. Try the IPAs or one of the limited releases, which in the past have included an Avocado Ale and Speculoos Spiced Ale.

Angel City Brewery

Smog City Brewing

Smog City has been gathering accolades since it was a small contract brewing operation out of Tustin Brewing Co. But the fully fledged taproom in Torrance (just a hop, skip and a jump from Monkish) offers the brewery’s constantly expanding range. Start with their core beers, especially the unbridled Coffee Porter, before exploring their seasonal releases and solid sours program.

Smog City Brewing

Highland Park Brewery

While the original production facility is located in Highland Park, the brewery you can actually visit is in Chinatown, where a relaxed, welcoming warehouse space provides the perfect backdrop for Highland Park’s fun, inventive brews. The brewery churns out a wide array of styles, but no matter what you choose, expect equal parts complexity and easy drinking. Highland Park also sports a kitchen, making it a full-service, all-day hang.

Highland Park Brewery

The post 7 Los Angeles Breweries You Need to Visit appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Sexiness, sophistication and class—these three words have always been synonymous with the Martini.

From its long, slender glass to the single green olive you can see from across the room, its image is as classic to American cocktail culture as the Rat Pack. Although most people consider vodka to be the base for a classic Martini, that’s far from where it began. The original recipe called for gin, vermouth, bitters and a lemon peel garnish. It wasn’t until a certain spy famously changed the game and ordered his Martini “shaken, not stirred” that vodka officially came into the picture.

In 1953, James Bond introduced the world to the Vesper Martini in the novel “Casino Royale.” Bond ordered three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet and a lemon peel. The Vesper was purposefully made with both vodka and gin to reflect the double agent for which it was named. This memorable moment would immediately popularize vodka as a main ingredient. Slowly over time, the use of bitters and vermouth waned as people ordered their Martinis “bone dry.” The dirty little olive showed up and forever replaced the lemon peel as the main garnish for the iconic drink.

Bond definitely helped kick off the Martini movement, but the “three martini lunch” really solidified its place in American history. The ability to write off entertainment expenses was introduced in the United States, and so were extended lunches where everyone drank heavily and closed deals (see Mad Men for visuals). Consuming this clear, good-time elixir in the middle of the day was completely encouraged, if it was positive for business. But alas, all good things must come to an end. Although Gerald Ford considered the three Martini lunch “the epitome of American efficiency,” he was defeated by Carter for the presidency, and the support for the tipsy meals lost steam. Employer’s leniency for the extended lunches lessened, but by then the Martini had become a staple in high society.

Since vodka was introduced in America, its popularity has never waned. In fact, it’s one of the most consumed spirits on the planet. Bars and restaurants have completely expanded on the Martini, utilizing everything from espresso beans to serrano chilis. The menu will only continue to grow as endless ingredients are tasted and tested. But the classic Vodka Martini, garnished with a single olive or refreshing lemon twist, definitely stands the test of time. This symbol of sophistication is still one of the most popular orders because you can’t help but feel like a sexy badass spy while sipping one.

The Classic Martini

Vodka Martini

Ingredients:

• 2.25 oz. Vodka
• 1 oz. Dry Vermouth
• Olives or Lemon Twist (to Garnish)

Preparation: Add vodka and vermouth to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until ice cold and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with olives or a lemon twist.

The post How To Make a Vodka Martini appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

With the rise of cannabis and hemp legalization spreading throughout the country, it’s no wonder that craft brewers want utilize this herb in their beers.

Although there has been much receptivity among the general public, the federal government is much more leery, which has only made it tougher for brewers to experiment with this plant. But some brewers have taken the risk and brewed beers using hemp seeds that contain zero THC, the psychoactive compound that the lawmakers frown upon.

Even with no psychoactive compounds present, brewers have had a tough time getting FDA approval, including popular breweries like New Belgium Brewing with their Hemperor HPA. “This beer has been over two years in the making, most of the time spent learning and reacting to laws that really suppress this crop’s usage,” says Ross Koenigs, the research and development brewer at New Belgium. “Flavor-wise, this is the beer we wanted to make, but because of misinformed laws governing the use of industrial hemp, we had to take a creative and long-winding road to get to this point. We’re happy with where we landed, and we’ll be working to change federal regulation so that one day we can brew The Hemperor HPA with hemp flowers and leaves as we originally envisioned.”

New Belgium Hemperor HPA

New Belgium’s HPA was banned in Kansas when it was released, but the ban was finally lifted in the past few months. But besides the legality of the substance, how is a hemp beer actually brewed? In the case of HPA and several others—including Humboldt Brewing Company Hemp Ale, Fitger’s Brewhouse Homegrown Hempen Ale, O’Fallon Brewery Hemp Hop Rye and Venice Duck Brewery Stoner Duck—they are all brewed with hemp seeds. They can use shelled, toasted whole seeds, or hemp hearts, which is the meat of the seed itself without the shell. The whole seed produces nutty flavors, while toasted whole hemp seeds give you even roastier notes with some coffee-like characteristics. This is the route that Humboldt Brewery took with their Hemp Ale, an amber beer that presents plenty of roasted flavors.

When using hemp hearts, the result is a softer roasted quality compared to the previous techniques. The use of hemp hearts is what New Belgium utilized when brewing up their Hemporer HPA. What really separates this hemp beer from the rest is its dank-like aromas and flavors that, in the most literal sense, smell and taste like cannabis. An experimental hop called HBC 522 is responsible for the pungent notes found in the beer, along with a bit of dry-hopping using Simcoe.

Hemp beer’s creation and arrival on the public market has brought with it a necessity to educate people on the importance of the hemp plant and what it can do to help the planet’s current environmental turmoil. New Belgium, in particular, saw this as an opportunity to help people better understand the benefits of the plant and raise an overall awareness of the potential environmental and economical advantages it can provide. The Colorado-based brewery partnered with GCH Inc, a company that was founded by Willie Nelson and his family to build brands that were inspired by his journey as an artist and hemp champion, with the goal of supporting a national advocacy campaign. For every barrel of Hemperor HPA that is sold, one dollar is donated to help raise awareness and support pro-hemp bills in the House and Senate, so you’re supporting a worthy cause while enjoying an ice cold brew.

The post The Recent Rise of Hemp Beer appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Michel Roux, a trailblazer in the spirits industry and avid supporter of philanthropy and the arts. We are remembering and celebrating his life with this profile from a previous issue of Chilled Magazine.

When Michel Roux came to America, his first job was as a dishwasher.

That was the beginning of a life that has spanned four decades in the liquor business, culminated in his role as CEO of Crillon Importers. Roux immigrated to the United States in 1964, working his way up in the hospitality business. In 1970, he became the first salesman at Carillon Importers and made a name for himself going door to door, introducing his brands. It’s a practice he still follows today and he bemoans the current state of salesmanship and marketing.

“The problem with people today,” observes Roux, “is that they want to do minimum work and want to [make a] profit… Marketing, good marketing [is] quite difficult. I’m still marketing my  brands today, doing the same thing that I used to. It’s very important to be able to talk to people, to go see people.”

In 1981, he stepped into the role of President and CEO at Carillon Importers. During his tenure there, he made his mark with a number of key brands, including Stolichnaya, Grand Marnier, Absolut vodka, and Bombay gins. His creation of Bombay Sapphire, with its alternative  to London Dry profile and vivid blue bottle, revolutionized the gin category.

His artistic  approach  to  branding  Absolut  vodka was groundbreaking, and its influence  cannot be underestimated. Roux wasn’t afraid to push boundaries or ruffle feathers. The Andy Warhol Absolut bottle was the product of Roux’s friendship with Warhol. “When I started with art, I didn’t know what would happen,” recalls Roux. “I knew Andy Warhol very well. He was a teetotaler, he didn’t drink. He made me believe he was using Absolut as a perfume.”

The Absolut Warhol campaign was followed by one with Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Ed Ruscha, Leroy Neiman and Arman. All totaled, Roux estimates that he worked with around 3,000 artists, including musicians and choreographers; his work in the arts community gives him enormous satisfaction.

“My philosophy,” explains Roux, “was that I was not doing things to get something out of somebody. We would do risky things, for instance back then we did so many things with the gay community. I did it to fight  the  bigotry…  The press would pick it up. My philosophy was, is, if you’re doing good you’ll do well. This is what Absolut did. We were always involved for the good.”

Remembering Michel Roux

After Roux stepped down from Carillon, he formed a new company named Crillon where he continues  to use his unorthodox business acumen to shake up the spirits business. Under Roux’s guidance,  Crillon brought Absente to the U.S. market. His portfolio now includes a variety of absinthe  variations,  including Grand Absente, Absinthe Ordinaire, and M. P. Roux’s Supreme Absinthe. The absinthe selection is balanced by Wyborowa vodka, Magellan gin, Rhum Barbancourt and Opal Nera, among others.

Recently, Roux launched Absentroux, an herbal wine specialty that Roux enjoys with sparkling water or  tonic.  As he notes, “If I didn’t like what I have, I  would not drink it.” Roux’s personal confidence in his products  comes  from  experience,  as  well  as  simple pride. He knows how difficult it is to create and define a brand. But he also believes that a brand is far more than just its flavor profile. In Roux’s mind, the spirits world  is a space for innovation, where high concept can  incorporate creativity, civic awareness, and charitable  sensibility. And, with  spirits  like  Bombay Sapphire shaking up the gin world and Absolut vodka championing artistic and civic  causes, Michel Roux was there before it was fashionable.

The post Remembering Michel Roux, a Spirits Industry Trailblazer appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Most non-Angelenos are unaware of the city’s rooftop bars because they know L.A. for its beach bars and celeb-filled hotspots.

But Los Angeles’ tall buildings offer views that only enhance the bountiful stunning scenery. Angelenos learned this long ago, inevitably turning rooftops into exceptionally buzzy scenes. If the bar features a pool or simply a killer view of the gorgeous Southern California landscape, expect an epic wait during prime hours. But it’s all worth it to enjoy a few cocktails while overlooking the City of Angels from a sky-top perch, assuming you pick the right rooftop bar. Check out a few of our preferred venues.

E.P. & L.P.

You don’t have to remember that the restaurant on the second floor is E.P. (a self-proclaimed “Asian Eating House”) and the rooftop bar is L.P. in order to enjoy yourself at this multilevel eating-drinking-entertainment hub in West Hollywood. No matter how you arrive at L.P., you’ll find a rambling venue split among multiple bars. As you explore the space while sipping cocktails like The Instagram Model or California Love, you may stumble on Frankie’s Private Bar, a more discrete area that provides some refuge from the buzz of the main bar. Or you might discover the Melrose Rooftop Theatre, where 150 prime seats host visitors for cult classics and newly released movies every summer.

E.P. & L.P.

Broken Shaker

Whether you’re in Miami, Chicago, New York, or L.A., if you find the Broken Shaker, you find the party. Even on a rooftop above the Freehand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, you’ll feel nestled in a tropical paradise, just like at the original Miami location. A blond wood bar, tropical and desert plants, and a mélange of psychedelic pastel decorations welcome you to an island retreat in the clouds. Snack on L.A.-appropriate wellness foods like the tahini-topped crudite, or go for something more filling with the brown butter Exchange burger. Whatever you decide to get (or if you decide to preserve your waistline for a dip in the pool), be sure to order a beverage from the “DTLA Inspired” menu—like the Agave Gracias with Ilegal mezcal, Braulio, Lejay Crème de Cassis, and piloncillo sirop.

Broken Shaker, NY

The NoMad

It was a big deal when New York’s NoMad blew into L.A. in early 2018, but it was an even bigger deal when the rooftop opened later that summer. Now Angelenos can enjoy Daniel Humm’s extraordinary eats alongside Leo Robitschek’s cocktails outside in the gorgeous weather. Drinks skew summery with options like the Detox Retox, made with whisky, Venezuelan rum, pineapple rum, aged cachaça, coconut water, and Angostura bitters. Be sure to make a reservation and finish off your experience with an ice cream sandwich.

The NoMad

Margot

L.A.’s best rooftop bars are often downtown and in Hollywood, but margot breaks the mold, sitting atop the creative retail-office-dining development PLATFORM in Culver City. Far from the sceney hotel pools in DTLA, the margot space looks like an industrial chic warehouse that’s slowly succumbed to a relaxed jungle lounge. Pick something from the menu of tonic-based drinks, or go with a slushie, which is currently a frozen Negroni-Painkiller mash-up.

Margot

The Rooftop at The Standard, Downtown LA

There are a lot of things to love about The Standard, Downtown LA scene, whether you’re here for the poolside waterbeds, roof deck, delicious drinks, stunning views, or some of the greatest people watching east of Silver Lake. This downtown setup is the epitome of rooftop drinking in the city, with its massive crowds, dress code after 8 p.m., and open-access pool tempting non-hotel guests to take a dip. Come for the drinks and stay for the DJ dance parties.

The Rooftop at The Standard, Downtown LA

Skybar at the Mondrian Hotel

Skybar at the Mondrian sits upon a hilltop perch that provides unrivaled panoramic views of Hollywood and Central L.A. The Sunset Strip location, surging late-night DJ sets, and supremely chic crowd routinely land Skybar on Angelenos’ lists of favorite rooftop bars. The view, both outward onto the landscape and inward on fellow bar guests, is just too good to pass up.

Skybar at the Mondrian Hotel

High Rooftop Lounge at the Hotel Erwin

It seems silly that in a city known for its gorgeous coastline and beach culture, most of the rooftop venues are located in inland parts of town. But not the High Rooftop Lounge. Minutes from Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, the Hotel Erwin’s rooftop spot combines seaside splendor with a fairly relaxed vibe and daily specials like Taco Tuesdays and Wine Down Wednesdays. As you kick back with a craft cocktail while looking at a technicolor sunset that meets the sea, you’ll forget all about those DTLA hotspots.

High Rooftop Lounge at the Hotel Erwin

The post The 7 Best Rooftop Bars in Los Angeles appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

It’s not often that cocktail bars take a leap of faith into a concept that is highly adventurous, potentially risky, and that involves a considerable amount of prep work and culinary techniques.

But the team at Campfire in Carlsbad, California, has enthusiastically taken on the challenge to deliver nostalgia by way of its road trip-focused cocktail menu.

The menu was inspired by the communal nature of the road trip, where travelers share junk food, gas money, stories, and playlists, usually in a cramped vehicle of sorts. At Campfire, the bar staff is fueled by snacks and goodies that they share with each other on the down-low, which served as a greater inspiration for the concept. “[It] began with a previous Negroni Week menu, where I had done a White Negroni with orange Starburst-infused Suze,” says bar manager Leigh Lacap. “I put a citric acid and salt rim on the glass. I was so amused that I thought we should do a gas station or 7-Eleven menu.”

Leigh Lacap

After getting the entire team behind the concept, Lacap began to dive deeper with hopes to refine it. “I thought about what leads us to the gas stations and liquor stores and what moments revolve around the sharing of these novel and delicious things—being cooped up in a vehicle on a goddamn road trip,” he says.

At this point, the team began its R&D. Bartender Jake Inez took on the bulk of it by refining anything that needed that extra focus before presenting the full lineup to Lacap, who made the final call on each cocktail. This generated drinks such as the A&W, named after the cream soda and popular fast food joint; Eat. Spit. Be Happy!, inspired by the enjoyment of sunflower seeds; and Flamin’ Hot, a nod to the addicting Cheetos snack. The popular A&W cocktail—made with pandan-infused gin, Byrrh, orange sherbet, and lemon—literally tastes like a liquid creamsicle. “I like to call pandan ‘Asian Vanilla,’” Lacap says. “Jake and I have quite a bit of experience using the extract and the fresh leaves. Jake then created an orange sherbet to give us that 50/50 bar or creamsicle vibe.”

A&W Cocktail

The Cheetos-inspired Flamin’ Hot cocktail is essentially a spicy, roasted corn Margarita that’s made with blanco tequila, lime, Campfire’s roasted corn espelette syrup, and a Flamin’ Hot spice blend rim. “Jake took one of our rock-solid recipes for roasting corn and making syrup and added espelette for some sweet, earthy spice,” Lacap explains. “His Flamin’ Hot spice blend starts with a powdery base of nutritional yeast, to which we added citric acid for that zippy zing you get from actually eating the Cheetos.” Campfire garnishes an entire side of the rocks glass with the spice blend so guests can get their hands a bit dirty—just like when eating Cheetos—and then lick their fingers clean. Talk about nostalgia.

Campfire Interior

While the concept is definitely one that evokes joy, curiosity, and excitement, it is no easy feat for the bar team. “I reformatted how we track all our produce inventory, set up our pars, and [write] our prep lists for making all the product,” Lacap notes. “There was no blueprint we used to release this menu. Nothing to paste into place. It was like opening a brand-new bar.” Aside from its opening menu—which included drinks made from upcycled products and sustainable methods—this menu is the establishment’s most involved thus far because of its labor-intensive prep. Even though the menu is quite a bit of work, Lacap urges bartenders to take a step outside of their comfort zone to embrace the challenge of being creative.

Campfire Exterior

“A menu should reflect your attitude towards your brand and how you want to represent yourself as a bartender,” Lacap says. “If you only dig straight classics, keep the Negronis and Sazeracs on paper. But if you’re strange and inspired by what you hear, see, your travels, your friends, the food you eat, and whatever absurd technique you just read about, then flex that stuff into a glass. Life is about experimentation. It’s good to fail. I find no gratification in playing it safe.”

Flamin’ Hot

Flamin’ Hot

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz. Roasted Corn Espelette Syrup*
• .75 oz. Lime Juice
• Flamin’ Hot Spice Blend**

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake, and strain into a rocks glass coated in Flamin’ Hot Spice Blend.

*Roasted Corn Espelette Syrup

Ingredients:

• 24 oz. (weight) Yellow Corn Kernels
• 32 oz. Sugar
• 32 oz. Water
• 1 tbsp. Espelette Powder

Preparation: Remove husks from corncobs. Roast corncobs on grill until char develops. Cut kernels from cobs. Bring kernels, water, and remaining ingredients to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend in blender and strain.

**Flamin’ Hot Spice Blend

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. Sumac
• 2 tbsp. Paprika
• 2 tbsp. Cayenne
• 4 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast (grind in coffee grinder before mixing)
• 4 tbsp. Salt
• 2 tsp. Citric Acid

Preparation: Whisk all ingredients together.

The post Campfire’s Nostalgic New Cocktail Menu Takes Guests on a Boozy Road Trip appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News