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September 2022

Congratulations to Mariangela Urquizo and Lance Bowman, Finalists of the Bartender’s Society Cocktail Competition

By | Mixology News

Congratulations to bartenders Mariangela Urquizo, from the West Coast, and Lance Bowman from the East Coast in winning the Bartender’s Society Cocktail Competition and moving on the Global Finals happening this October, 2022.

 

The Bartenders Society Cocktail Competition brought bartenders from all over the nation together to compete for the title of Best Bartender. To enter each bartender created a unique cocktail inspired by the theme: Your Vision of the Latest Cocktail Trends. Finalists were asked to create a video reflecting why their creation fit a current cocktail trend of the moment.

 

Mariangela Urquizo won with her Sacre Verte cocktail and Lance Bowman with his Sense Memory cocktail. Both bartender finalists from each coast will battle it out in Paris, France at the global finals on October 17th and 18th for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip for two to Bordeaux, France.

 

For more information, or to view additional cocktail entries visit The Bartenders Society Cocktail Competition.

 


 

West Coast Finalist:

Mariangela Urquizo

Sacre Verte

Sacre Verte

The pandemic has changed certain trends in the cocktail world, and I see that we have moved back to the classics and riffs. On the other side of that coin, I have noticed a smaller growing trend again of cocktails that are no waste and culinary driven, with a focus on simplicity.

The cocktail inspiration here was to reduce the use of things that have a lower shelf-life expectancy or that do not have a dual use. The flavors are culinary driven, but also simple to replicate at home. With the shortage of staff in the industry, with recession and the cost of goods going up, and with the new shift to “no waste cocktails”, this is an attempt to find solutions to our new reality and accommodate the challenges.

The Sacre Verte is an easy to make drink with little waste; the olive oil is made from the cilantro incorporated into the drink. One has other uses for the items in this cocktail that would otherwise not be as shelf stable as other ingredients. The other ingredients, of course having a longer life expectancy and better control for flavor are citric and malic acid solution.

Each ingredient targeting being under four steps to make and short time infusions (Marie Brizard falernum with fennel pollen). This cocktail’s elements are something easy to produce at a bar with little staff, or for the home bartender who just needs to order a few ingredients that they can then use for their home cooking as well!

The flavor is complex, delicate, and elevated. Yet its simplicity allows anyone to make this and enjoy the Sacre Verte (sacred green)!

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Saint James paille Rhum
  • 1/2 oz. Marie Brizard Falernum, fennel pollen infusion*
  • 8 dashes citric acid solution**
  • 8 dashes malic acid solution***
  • 9 well sized cilantro leaves

Interchangeable: three cilantro oil drops**** and a small fennel pollen rim (for garnish)

Preparation: Shake with ice, double strain in a Nick and Nora glass, garnish with fennel pollen on small section of glassware rim, a little goes a long way, and/or with three cilantro oil drops. **Citric Acid 10%: 1st step: 10 grams Citric Acid, 2nd step: 90 grams distilled water, Mix well, store in dasher bottle. ***Malic Acid 10%: 1st step: 10 grams Malic Acid, 2nd step: 90 grams distilled water. Mix well, store in dasher bottle.

*Marie Brizard Falernum Fennel pollen infusion:

2 oz Marie Brizard Falernum for 31 grams of fennel pollen. Let sit for a day. Because fennel pollen is very flavorful, potent, and can be expensive, you just want a light touch on the liqueur. I made the amount based on serving ratio, but you can scale up for this depending on serving amounts.

****Cilantro oil: Mainly just an optional garnish for an extra nose of cilantro on a delicate drink. But this oil can be stored in a dropper and used for other applications such as soups, in bigger production dressings, etc.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups packed cilantro
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation: Liquify in blender, filter strain all large particles out to get the blended oil.

 


 

East Coast Finalist:

Lance Bowman

Sense Memory

Sense Memory

My creative process for creating cocktails is something I first thought was odd, first I think of the cocktail experience and aromatics, with actual flavor and the cocktail itself coming after these ideas. As hospitality professionals one trend I love seeing come to the forefront is viewing what we provide as an experience, not just putting out a cocktail. Even the best cocktail can be an underwhelming experience if all the pieces don’t make for an immersive journey, or even worse if it is served under pretentious auspices. I’ve long been a proponent of putting the experience first. That’s not to say cocktails can’t be fancy, or esoteric, it’s the delivery and small details that can take a cocktail from being a self-indulgent ego stroke for the person behind the bar to something that makes the guest feel truly special. The trick is using the right techniques and creating the environment that can make even the most esoteric cocktail feel as comfortable as someone’s favorite pair of comfy shoes. My vision of cocktail trends is being able to embrace multiple trends and techniques to deliver this.

Setting the stage is an important piece for this, and this is why before making the cocktail we should burn some palo santo, its fragrant smoke setting the mood and backdrop for the journey that is about to commence.

In creating my cocktail “Sense Memory” a big part of it is just that, using a familiar aspect, in this case, a smell, to instantly take someone to a happy place, in this case, a toasted marshmallow. I know very few people who wouldn’t find the smell of a perfectly toasted marshmallow transportive, many people have lasting memories that are associated with it which helps set up the experience, both visually and aromatically, which hold massive value as those make their impression before our first taste, and imbues a serious drink with some much-needed whimsy.

Another cocktail trend is one I’ve utilized for over a decade and have even written entire menus around, which is the use of tea in cocktails. Tea offers us a huge flavor library to pull from, and can be manipulated in many ways, with different extraction techniques able to make the same tea present differently in different applications. In this case, I did a high-volume extended extraction to draw out some tea tannins that make a lasting impact on the mouthfeel of the drink. And the tea used is also meant to complement the aforementioned marshmallow: a lovely blend of smoky earl grey makes another tie-in to those campfire memories that are part of the toasted marshmallow experience but elevated and twisted a bit with the beautiful bergamot-tinged notes that are a hallmark of earl grey.

I know the “bar chef” and the culinary cocktail trend is entrenched, and maybe an overused trope in some regards, but it gives us access to another flavor library to utilize in our work, and in “Sense Memory” some stunning bourbon barrel aged truffle maple syrup adds not just richness, but a little bit of that slightly damp forest floor sense memory that plays into marshmallows and campfires.

Two more trends I love utilizing are alternative acids, and the use of acids in stirred cocktails. Stirred cocktails can be notoriously difficult to balance since the general rule has been that only shaken drinks should use acid. But in this drink a few drops of acid solution lighten the cocktail and tighten up the flavors, making a cocktail that otherwise would be a bit heavy into something with a tinge of liveliness.

Visual theater is also a part of the experience, and this drink, while simple in its execution, has some unique techniques involved, from the sound of a big cube being spun into the glass, to the aesthetic of carefully measured liquid ingredients being poured over crystal clear ice, to the stir in glass with the cube making perfect rotations leans into the cocktail being a show, while at the same time giving us perfect control over the amount of dilution in the cocktail, speeding up service and using less ice, and therefore less water in our programs.
Trends are also cyclical, and one that a bunch of craft cocktail bartenders have shunned for a long time is the oft-maligned banana liqueur, which isn’t completely unfounded. Cheap banana spirits are awful, but a well-made one, like Marie Brizard Banana, can add nuance, depth, and whimsy to a drink. Instead of being a one-note banana bomb the addition of vanilla, pineapple, and spices makes for a great costar in creating the “Sense Memory” experience.

Finally, we get to the focus of our drink, and a trend that should be at the front of everyone’s priorities, treating the base ingredient with respect. The rhum I chose to showcase, that is the key driver in the cocktail is Rhum Saint James exquisite Cellar Reserve. It’s been a piece of my back bar and my menu for nearly a year now, highlighting a standout single batch from the huge stores of aged rhum held in the Saint James warehouses in Sainte Marie. Aged for 5 years in first fill ex-bourbon cask it gains depth and intrigue, with the hallmark character of Saint James Agricole picking up a healthy dose of wood, vanilla, baking spice, and citrus that stands out, yet at the same time blends in with the other ingredients, and its 51.3% ABV giving the cocktail a certain heft that would be lost with a lower proof spirit. It makes the drink definitively not just a rhum cocktail, but a Saint James cocktail, showcasing the pride and passion of Sainte Marie.

Is this a lot of trends in one drink? Of course, but with a deft hand, and not using a trend just for the sake of being trendy we create a true cocktail experience, part serious, part whimsical, and exceedingly immersive. The experience is something rooted in “Sense Memory” but something that epitomizes the experience coming first and that serious cocktails don’t have to be completely serious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 oz Saint James Cellar Reserve
  • 1/2 oz Marie Brizard Banana
  • 3/4 oz Light Smoky Earl Grey Orange Oleo Syrup*
  • 1 barspon Truffle Maple Syrup (I used the Burton’s x Rare Tea Cellar Collaboration)
  • 3 dashes Bitter Truth Bogarts Bitters
  • 1 dash Bittermen’s Mole BItters
  • 5 drops 10% Acid Solution*

Garnish: Toasted Marshmallow Dusted with Graham Cracker and Abuelita Cocoa

Glassware: Double Old Fashioned

Preparation: Before making the cocktail burn some palo santo to help set the tone for the experience. Place a 2×2 tempered ice cube in a double old-fashioned glass, build ingredients in glass and stir 15 seconds to chill, no additional dilution is needed as the light syrup provides the main dilution component. Toast a skewered marshmallow and dust with crushed graham cracker and Abuelita cocoa powder, place over rim of glass. Serve on a leather cocktail coaster.
Side Serve with a cup of tea (same as used in syrup production) sweetened with .5 ounces of the tea syrup to 4 ounces tea. *Homemade or hard to source ingredients can be sent to judges for ease of replication if desired. *Light Smoked Earl Grey Orange Oleo Syrup: In a bag combine 350 grams orange peel and 1 liter of sugar, vacuum seal and store in refrigerator for at least 48 hours. Brew 2 liters of smoked earl grey tea (I used rare tea cellars Smoky Regal Earl Grey, if necessary you can use a 50/50 blend of high quality lapsang suchong and earl grey, but the specific tea yields the best results) by steeping 30 grams tea in 2.25 liters of 180 degree water for 8 minutes, strain tea, and add hot water to return to 2 liters of volume if needed, add sugar and peels stirring to dissolve, fine strain final product through a fine strainer and paper filter.
*10% Acid Solution: Combine 1 liter water, 60 grams citric acid and 40 grams malic acid, stir to dissolve.

 


 

East Coast Runners Up:

Elena Johnson with Summer Spirit, 2nd Place, $500 prize

Lauren Pellecchia with La Belle Nuit, 3rd Place, $250 prize

 

West Coast Runners Up:

Dallas Juanes with One Night in Yuzu, 2nd Place, $500 prize

Juyoung Kang with Duel Life, 3rd Place $250 prize

 

 

The post Congratulations to Mariangela Urquizo and Lance Bowman, Finalists of the Bartender’s Society Cocktail Competition appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Soul on Fire

By | Mixology News

Our Drink of the Week titled Soul on Fire created by bartender Jes Gutierrez Switaj for the Santo Tequila Transcend the Ordinary Cocktail Competition.

 

“My first love is cooking, from which my love for cocktail crafting evolved,” says Jes of the drink’s inspiration. “My spice rack holds likely every spice you’ve heard of and lots more. I approach my cocktail creation the same way I approach cooking. Let your flavors lead you and you can end up with some delicious art. My spices are like magic potions and powders to me, and I try to use them whenever I can. I wanted the cocktail to be an experience for all the senses. The spice of the peppers leaves your lips tingling, the kind of heat only more heat can quell. The lingering Palo Santo and mandarin oils transport the mind. The drink’s bright golden hue is like the blinding desert sun. An adventure for the palate all in one glass.”

 

To view more competition entries or to enter Santo’s Transcend the Ordinary Cocktail Competition for a chance to win cash prizes enter here.

 

 

 

Soul on Fire

Santo Tequila Soul on Fire

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ oz. Chocolate Milk Washed Santo Mezquila*
  • 1/2 oz. Chili-infused Cognac**
  • 1 oz. Mandarin Orange Juice
  • 1/2 oz. Coriander Syrup***
  • 6 drops Salted Cacao Bitters
  • Squeeze lemon
  • Palo Santo Smoke

Preparation: Rim glass by lightly brushing with some coriander syrup and then sprinkle with ****mandarin salt. Combine cocktail ingredients in mixing glass with ice. Stir until well chilled. Strain into glass over 1-2 large chunks of clear ice. Smoke cocktail with Palo Santo before serving.

 

*Chocolate Milk washed Santo Mezquila:

In a glass container combine 2 oz. chocolate milk and ¼ teaspoon cocoa powder. Slowly pour in 6 oz. Santo Mezquila. Allow mixture to rest for anywhere from 2 hours to overnight, refrigerated. Fine strain through a coffee filter until clear before using.

 

**Chili-infused Cognac:

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz. cognac
  • 1/4 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns
  • 1 Tablespoon dried Ancho Chili pieces
  • 1 dried Chili de Arbol, crushed

Preparation: Combine ingredients in a small jar. Shake and allow to infuse for minimum 3 hours. Stain contents before using.

 

***Coriander Syrup

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup Whole Coriander Seeds
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup sugar

Preparation: Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add coriander and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow seeds to rest in syrup until completely cooled. Strain, bottle and refrigerate.

 

****Mandarin Salt

Dehydrate peel of one mandarin orange, with a much pith removed as possible. Grind dried peel and 1 heaping teaspoon sea salt in coffee grinder until pulverized.

 

 

The post Soul on Fire appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Guy Fieri Invites Bartenders to The Transcend the Ordinary Cocktail Competition

By | Mixology News

Guy Fieri and Santo Tequila invites bartenders to the Transcend the Ordinary Cocktail Competition.  

Santo Tequila invites bartenders to create cocktails that transcend using their authentic 100% Blue Weber agave tequila for a higher quality experience. Let the spirit shine!  

Enter Transcend the Ordinary Cocktail Competition Here and win CASH PRIZES

All Entries MUST BE SUBMITTED by September 16, 2022.  

 

The post Guy Fieri Invites Bartenders to The Transcend the Ordinary Cocktail Competition appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Johnnie Walker’s First Strides Initiative to Close the Gender Gap

By | Mixology News

Johnnie Walker and the brand’s ‘First Strides’ initiative.

 

On Women’s Equality Day, Johnnie Walker announced the next phase of ‘First Strides” on to help close the gender gap in leadership and further the commitment to supporting women.

 

On the heels of Serena William’s monumental retirement announcement and engaging conversations around the impact of women in sports, Johnnie Walker and sports icon Billie Jean King have teamed up to celebrate women’s equality and achievements in sports further with an inspiring OOH billboard campaign.

 

Johnnie Walker partners with King to feature motivational quotes by King herself to inspire the next generation of female athletes to continue to push their boundaries and to enable more future firsts for other women. As a brand that embodies a spirit of collective progress, this campaign highlights one of many efforts under ‘First Strides’ to enable women to lead and close the gender gap in leadership positions.

 

To further support women pushing culture forward, Johnnie Walker will be donating to the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, King’s non-profit organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

 

Billboard Locations (all near home of the U.S. Open, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center):

Northern Boulevard & Broadway - “Create Your Legacy and Pass the Baton.”

 

 

Astoria Boulevard & Steinway Street - I’ve Often Been Asked If I’m a Woman or an Athlete. I am an Athlete. I am a Woman.”

 

 

 

Northern Blvd btwn 35th Ave & 42nd - “It’s Important to Support Those on the Journey to Break Glass Ceilings.”

 

 

 

Northern Blvd & 48th Street - “Pressure is a Privilege.”

 

 

 

LIE & Van Dam Street - “It Wasn’t About a Tennis Match, It was About Social Change.” (Not live until 9/6)

 

 

 

The post Johnnie Walker’s First Strides Initiative to Close the Gender Gap appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Using Vinegar in Cocktails with Jillian Vose of The Dead Rabbit

By | Mixology News

Jillian Vose of The Dead Rabbit tells us why vinegar, although unconventional, features bright and sweet notes that provide a balanced depth of flavors to cocktails and mocktails alike. 

 

Using vinegar in cocktails is an alternate approach to adding acidity to drinks without using citrus or powder acids. In Low- or No-ABV cocktails using vinegar can create sophisticated and unique flavors outside the typical fruit, citrus, and sugar combos found on today’s menus.

 

According to Jillian Vose, master mixologist at the award-winning cocktail bar, The Dead Rabbit, a little vinegar goes a long way. “Vinegar can be a great addition to your bar cart as it has a longer shelf life than most fortified wines and sugar syrup,” she says.

 

Throughout her years at The Dead Rabbit, the bar was crowned World’s 50 Best Bar and Tales of the Cocktail World Best Bar and Best Menu, a menu to which Vose contributed over 40 cocktails. We asked Jillian why vinegar is a must have bar cart item this season. Here’s what she had to say.

 

 

 

How are the different ways bartenders incorporate vinegar in cocktails?

The different ways to incorporate vinegar into a drink are by adding the pure form of the vinegar with the proportion dependent on the desired acidity vs sweet and rich vs thin. You can make countless types of shrubs. If you can make something into a syrup, then it can usually be a great shrub. You can infuse the vinegar with water soluble herbs, spices or produce that have strong flavor characteristics like that of spicy peppers.

 

What are the different types of vinegars bartenders can mix with?

I mean you can use whatever vinegar you enjoy most. I would, however, avoid using large quantities of those that are super sour. If you desire to have that quality in the drink, then start sparingly and add as needed. I find that the blanco balsamic is the most versatile and makes for a nice yellowish hue stirred in drinks and doesn’t affect the color or shaken style drinks. For making shrubs containing fruit, I find apple cider vinegar works very well. Red wine vinegar is great for infusions or adding acidity without influencing the texture of the drink much, unless you’re using enough to thin the drink out.

 

How do you choose a particular vinegar to mix with? 

When choosing the type of vinegar for the drink at hand, you’ll obviously want to taste and analyze it on its own first, just like you’d taste a wine or spirit, write down your tasting and aromatics notes. Other than flavor, the other key factors to consider are sweetness or sourness, and texture. If you’re looking for something to add texture and not contribute a lot of acid, go with something on the sweeter side like the Carandini Balsamics. For something more on the sour side I’d use something less viscous. There are no right or wrong spirits in which to use vinegars alongside in cocktails. However, this is just basic common sense. If it sounds unpleasant, then it probably is.

 

Talk to us about collaborating with Carandini, How did this come about?

I was pleasantly surprised when Carandini reached out to work together some months ago. Although I had included cocktails on menus that contained vinegar, it was not a go-to ingredient for me. Working with Carandini has taught me to treat vinegar as you would fortified wines, wines, and spirits. The vinegar needs to be of good quality and fresh and stored correctly.

Collaborating with Carandini, one of the oldest acetifici of vinegars in Modena, Vose recently developed original cocktails, both boozy and zero-proof, infused with the centuries-old “Emilio” Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI and “Bianca” Sweet White Vinegar. To recreate the boldness of a vinegar-infused savory cooler or an Italian twist on the classic Martini, Vose recommends that home bartenders use a high-quality, heritage product such as Carandini’s.

 

Check out these two recipes that unveil Vose’s mastery in crafting a refined recipe around a single ingredient as well as highlight the beloved Italian pantry staple’s unique versatility.

 

 

 

N/A CARANDINI COOLER

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz chilled Hibiscus Tea
  • 3/4 oz Earl Gray Tea Syrup
  • 1/2 oz Carandini “Emilio” (Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI)
  • Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé Wine

Preparation: Build drink over cracked ice in a medium sized wine glass, top with n/a sparkling rosé wine. Give a light stir. Garnish with grapefruit oils, discard the peel.

 

MARTINI W/ BIANCA SWEET WHITE VINEGAR

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 teaspoon Passionfruit Syrup
  • 1/2 oz Carandini “Bianca” (Sweet White Vinegar)
  • 3/4 oz Martini & Rossi Ambruata Vermouth
  • 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Pineau des Charentes
  • 1 oz Bacardi Ocho Rum

Preparation: In a mixing glass, add liquids and fill with ice. Stir well and strain off ice with a julep strainer into a nick & Nora Glass. Express lemon oils over the top of the finished drink and discard the peel.

 

 

The post Using Vinegar in Cocktails with Jillian Vose of The Dead Rabbit appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Watch Bartenders Paula Lukas and Maxwell Berlin Create their Novo Fogo Bar Strength Challenge Winning Cocktails

By | Mixology News

Novo Fogo Cachaça invited eco-conscious bartenders to enter an original cocktail recipe centering around the theme of sustainable drinking using its thoughtfully produced Bar Strength Organic Silver Cachaça.  

 

Out of hundreds of entries only TEN (10) sustainable and eco-friendly Novo Fogo Bar Strength Cachaça cocktails made it to the competition FINALS and asked to create a video explaining how their cocktail is eco-conscious.

 

*Winning cocktail videos will be announced TWO (2) per week in no order, for a total of TWENTY (20) winning cocktails.

 

Thank you to all the bartenders who participated. Stay tuned for the announcement of the FINALE DATE where the final 10 bartenders will compete for the Grand Prize trip to Brazil coming in September, 2022.

 

 

 

Mercy Mercy Me

Created by Paula Lukas

New York, NY

paulalukas27@gmail.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Novo Fogo Bar Strength Silver Cachaca
  • 1 oz Verjus
  • 1 oz Guava Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Dragonfruit Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Raw Local Honey
  • Pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Preparation: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a coupe. Garnish with raw local honeycomb, banana slice and star anise on the edge of the coupe After you finish the cocktail please enjoy the honeycomb and banana which will then also be enhanced by the star anise

*Garnish Raw Local Honeycomb, Banana Slice, Star Anise

 

 

 

Libélula Rosa: My Pink Dragonfly

Created by Maxwell Berlin

Phoenix, AZ

maxology.berlin@gmail.com

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 oz Novo Fogo Bar Strength Cachaça
  • 2 oz red wine waste
  • 2 oz white wine waste
  • 1 oz caramelized spiced honey scrap syrup
  • 6 soured watermelon juice ice cubes
  • 2 dash orange bitters

Preparation: Blend all ingredients together till smooth. Pour into chilled stemmed glass. Caramelized spiced honey scrap syrup- Bring 1 cup of honey and .25 cup of water to boil. Add bar scraps and spices such as used cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried hibiscus buds, dried orange peels, and ginger peelings till thick and sticky syrup. Let cool before blending. Soured watermelon juice ice cubes: Freeze watermelon juice with small sprinkle of citric acid in ice cube trays, Freeze till hard. Garnish with Watermelon Jerky Dehydrate thin slices of watermelon with light sprinkle of salt till crisp. Cut with dragonfly shape cookie cutter or ant fun shape.

 

 

The post Watch Bartenders Paula Lukas and Maxwell Berlin Create their Novo Fogo Bar Strength Challenge Winning Cocktails appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Bartenders, Check Out Le Grand Courtâge Cocktail Competition to Win Cash Prizes!

By | Mixology News

People are captivated by the romance of wine and the imagery of the French countryside.

Fueled by a similar passion and belief, Tawnya Falkner gave up her career in architecture and real estate development in San Francisco and moved to Burgundy. Armed with her vision to create an affordable every day luxury that personifies the French spirit of the joie de vivre and celebrates life’s simple pleasures, she took a different approach to the industry based on the opportunity she envisioned.

 

Falkner’s vision led to the production of Le Grand Courtâge French Sparkling Wines. Produced in Nuits St. Georges, Burgundy and sourced from multiple French wine regions, these vegan-friendly bubbles were designed to be dry, crisp, light wines with baby bubbles and a lovely fruit-finish to create very balanced flavors. By capitalizing on the versatility of sparkling wines, this independent female-owned and managed company successfully developed these award-winning French wines that are among the top selling French sparkling wine brands in the Premium category. Chilled spoke with Falkner about the popularity of sparkling wine and Le Grand Courtâge. She also shares details about The Le Grand Courtâge Live Joyously Sparkling Cocktail Competition, where bartenders can win cash prizes!

 

What inspired the name and approach for your wines?

Le Grand Courtâge (the Great Courtship) signifies the courtship between French and American wine culture, grapes from different regions and the old and new world styles. There was intentionality in my approach based up on what I felt was needed in the marketplace given that some 70% of brands are bought on packaging alone and American’s have a lighter/sweeter palate. Many bubbly and rosé consumers are female, and women control more than 80% of spends in the United States for all goods. I set out to re-imagine a rather antiquated category and create brands which are both timeless, yet modern.

 

Why do you think sparkling wine is so popular in bars now?

The pop of the cork is the universal sound of happy and it elicits a smile. I believe one of the positives of the pandemic is that it helped people to see the importance of elevating and celebrating every day and not taking things for granted. I also think the combination of the effervescence and acidity are enormously pairable for cuisine and cocktails as bubbles both awaken and cleanse the palate (a.k.a. the scrubbing bubbles for the palate) and people realize the versatility of sparkling wines from brunch to dessert. Consumers are starting to infuse bubbles into regular weeknight dinners since they can transition through a meal and pair with a wide array of foods. We’re seeing a shift away from the cheap swill previously used in cocktails and mimosas. With craft spirits and elevated ingredients, finally bubbles are getting their due.

 

What interesting things are being done with Le Grand Courtâge Sparkling Wines?

We are seeing far more elevated brunch (goodbye bottomless) drinks like spritzy sips (Aperol alternatives), sparkling Sangrias, sparkling cocktails featuring a range of spirits from the expected like gin and vodka to mezcal, bourbon and everything in between.

 

What are some things bartenders should know about mixing with Le Grand Courtâge?

These wines are not as light and sweet as prosecco, nor as dry and yeasty as a champagne. A perfect mid-range palate without a heavy yeasty/brioche finish and a nice acidity balances out flavor profiles and helps soften heavier spirits. The 187ml are our “faux” top and since they are screwcap, it allows for an easy open/close when only 1-2 oz are needed.

These wines offer an approachable, affordable, versatile, accompaniment that is very cuisine and cocktail friendly.

 

In our Bartenders Guide to Wine, we cover the by the glass (BTG) evolution of wine. What are your thoughts on that?

Americans like variety and choice. BTG is about exploration and discovery and awakening the palate to new things and experiences. Wine is like a vacation – it transports you to a place and is a state of mind. The way wine is consumed has changed. Customers prefer quality over quantity and want to be able to match wine with food, discover new wines and terroirs without fear of judgment. They also want to control consumption and budget. In other words, consumers drink less but better.

 

What kind of wines are needed to make up a good BTG menu in bars?

A more robust by the glass (inc more bubbles) offering beyond the usual suspects of Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, etc. Also, a range from value to expensive and a wide variety of wines and grapes to educate and bring people along on their wine journey.

 

Chilled Media Presents The Le Grand Courtâge Live Joyously Sparkling Cocktail Competiton.

Bartenders—Interested in getting in on the sparkling wine trend and winning CASH PRIZES? Create a sparkling cocktail that embodies the French spirit of Joie de Vivre and living joyously, and you can win cash. Elevate the everyday, enter here.

 

 

The post Bartenders, Check Out Le Grand Courtâge Cocktail Competition to Win Cash Prizes! appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Sip Mindfully at Suckerpunch, Portland’s First Zero-Proof Cocktail Bar

By | Mixology News

The prompt “drink responsibility” has turned into “sip mindfully” at Suckerpunch

Portland, Oregon’s first-ever zero-proof bar and bottle shop set in the mixed-use Goat Blocks building in the Buckman neighborhood.

I repeat: zero-proof, non-alcoholic, booze-free.

 

 

Suckerpunch started as a pop-up* event before getting “sucker-punched” by the pandemic, then pivoting into mocktail kit shipments (packed with preferred non-alcoholic spirits and mixers) for folks to sip soberly at home. The second COVID-19 restrictions lifted; the in-person experience resumed—moving from “pop-up” to (semi-) permanent status.

 

*Food for thought: Pop-ups refer to culinary concepts or events that are separated from a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant or mobile food cart. They play a large part of the foodie scene in Portland: Many businesses that started as pop-ups became some of the city’s top establishments, i.e. Indonesian standby Gado Gado. (via Eater PDX)

 

The team continues to work out kinks today (kudos to customer comment cards) as they “remain open-minded” to the non-alc [N/A] category “for the people,” mentions owner Andy McMillan. Suckerpunch not only attracts sober-curious guests through artful alc-free options… but recovering ones (that fill 30-percent of capacity during service hours). “It is a safe space for those to share their journeys,” McMillan adds. In fact, the experimental space features a cubical center bar for guests to circle and converse for that “community feel” while expert bartenders shake, stir, and swirl euphoric cocktails.

 

Suckerpunch

 

As a “pioneer to the N/A experience,” McMillan describes, Suckerpunch prioritizes healthy zero-proof offerings with an emphasis on top-quality ingredients of the Pacific Northwest, such as Seattle’s herbal (and harmless) spirit, The Pathfinder and Hood River’s Wilderton distillate, “rooted” by flavor (not alcohol).

 

A novel ingredient: imagination, poured differently per drink. There is “something new to each drink,” McMillan states. “No riffs on real cocktails.”

 

Inventive alcohol-free cocktails include:

  • Everything Else Has Failed: a beaming blend of verjus – the juice of unripened wine grapes (vert jus is French for “green juice”) – green celery sap, tart citrus oleo “with lemon-lime acidity,” and tonic; capped with a celery stalk. “Unabashedly sunny. Ridiculously refreshing,” per menu description.
  • I’m OK To Go: a “punch of brightness” balancing warm Wilderton Earthen, Smith Tea’s golden turmeric tea, zesty ginger root, in-house honeycomb cordial, and rich red beet juice; pistachio and dill oils atop the tulip glass.
  • Ritual Howl: a ‘lil’ spicy, ‘lil’ sweet treat with The Pathfinder Hemp & Root elixir, smoldering habañero peppers, dashes of El Guapo Love Potion #9 Bitters, and fizzy mandarin-flavored soda – “notes of anise, honey, and burnt orange swirl around a refreshingly herbaceous center.”
  • One Cent Magenta: a smokescreen of fiery Three Spirit Livener (powered by guayusa, Schisandra, and energizing plants), juicy black cherry, sun-dried blackberry, tarragon, smoked salt, velvety cacao, and house-made lapsang mist for spritzing.

 

Boozeless beers come from Athletic Brewing Co., including the sessionable ‘Run Wild’ IPA (combining five Northwest hops) and crushable, classic ‘Upside Dawn’ golden ale. As for dealcoholized wine, there is sparkling Töst “tea” and award-winning Joyus who blindly fooled folks at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

 

Regarding bites, an à la carte menu is available with various bar snacks and sweets from Portland purveyors like Cultured Kindness’ vegan ‘choke dip and crackers and Lauretta Jean’s handmade pie served with Kate’s hand-whipped ice cream.

 

All in all, the sober-conscious charge led by McMillan will drive liquid creativity and overall wellness down the west coast within the coming months (and years). The “social” setting is shifting to more inclusivity—shattering preconceived notions of “enjoying a drink.”

 

 

The post Sip Mindfully at Suckerpunch, Portland’s First Zero-Proof Cocktail Bar appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Putting an Italian Spin on an ‘Old’ Classic

By | Mixology News

One of the top Italian eateries in the northeast with locations in New York City and at Atlantic City’s popular Hard Rock Casino and Hotel, Il Mulino has made a name for fans of the cuisine thanks to an incredible attention to detail and raft of high quality ingredients, all utilized with equally elevated and homestyle recipes.

 

But aside from the cibo (the Italian word for food), the same passion goes into a unique menu of drinks. They take centerstage at the establishment’s location at the aforementioned Hard Rock, the casino known for an array of music memorabilia peppered around every corner of the property, from handwritten lyrics courtesy Britney Spears, dresses worn by Beyonce and a piano that once belonged to Frank Sinatra.

 

Here at Il Mulino, the cocktails can also rightfully be considered stars themselves all thanks to Sara Given. A veteran who first slung drinks at The Palm Atlantic City, she’s been head bartender here at Il Mulino for the past decade and is the architect of its popular cocktail menu. When it comes to constructing drinks for an Italian restaurant, one quality Given looked for were “ingredients found in Italian cuisine; flavors that could add a nuanced twist to classics.”

 

That includes the bar’s unique Italian Old Fashioned. An updated twist on the classic drink, it includes Frangelico Hazelnut liqueur as well as black walnut bitters. “We chose Mr. Katz Rock n Rye for its playful blending of rye whiskey, along with organic rock candy sugar, dried Bing cherries from Michigan, organic orange peel from California and a wisp of cinnamon bark,” says Given. “The whiskey, like Il Mulino, was created in New York and is a stand-out product in a crowded space. “

 

Below, make your own Italian Old Fashioned like the one found at Il Mulino.

 

 

 

Italian Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz Frangelico Hazelnut liqueur
  • 2 oz of Mr. Katz Rock n Rye
  • 1 oz Luxardo Maraschino Cherry
  • Dash of Peychaud’s Bittersdash of Black Walnut Bitters

Preparation: Build ingredients in an Old Fashioned glass with large ice cubes, pour. Finish with juice and stir. Garnish with orange peel and Luxardo Maraschino Cherries.

 

 

 

The post Putting an Italian Spin on an ‘Old’ Classic appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Jameson Distillery on Tour Arrives in NYC!

By | Mixology News

Jameson Distillery on Tour is an interactive, free experience in NYC’s Hudson Yards for fans to explore the Irish whiskey’s legendary story, triple-distillation process, and signature smooth taste, happening until September 7th.

 

 

Guests will also be able to interact with immersive branded activities, all while enjoying live music from NYC’s renowned buskers—a nod to the famous Irish tradition.

 

Jameson Irish Whiskey’s Award-Winning Distillery kicked-off a two-week visit to NYC. The tour brought to New Yorkers’ doorsteps a surprise performance by singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy, immersive tastings from the brand’s portfolio, songs from local buskers, and whiskey-infused summer treats.

 

This immersive experience is designed to widen both palates and social circles, providing a dedicated space for friends and new faces to come together through a shared exploration of Jameson’s heritage and history.

 

Located in Hudson Yards and replicating the very place Jameson was first distilled in 1780, the three-part interactive experience, ending Tuesday September 7th took visitors on an unforgettable journey that explores the Irish whiskey’s legendary story, triple-distillation process, and signature smooth taste.

 

“This is the first time we are bringing Jameson’s Distillery on Tour to the U.S., and we couldn’t think of a better spot to host this one-of-a-kind experience than Hudson Yards in New York City, a popular destination that attracts visitors from around the globe,” says Kelly Suhr, Senior Brand Director, Jameson Irish Whiskey. “We’re opening up the world of Irish whiskey, connecting with new kindred spirits, showcasing our storied process and, of course, enjoying our world-class portfolio.”

 

Jameson’s Distillery on Tour put its support behind the local busking community by covering the cost of up to 1,000 permits for New York City entertainers through its “Busk on Us” program. Local buskers can apply for a free permit by visiting www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-us/BuskonUs.

 

Dermot Kennedy’s performance paid tribute to those committed to their craft—much like the legendary Irish whiskey-maker—surprising onlookers at the start of a two-week lineup featuring some of New York’s very own talented buskers, including world-renowned bucket drummer, Jared “Choclatt” Crawford; the eclectic powerhouse with her violin, Joya Bravo; and the composer and songwriter, Justin Sutherland.

 

Barrel Making

 

Those curious to learn more about Irish whiskey can participate in an educational immersion dedicated to the brand’s celebrated Jameson Black Barrel expression. Housed within a larger-than-life barrel that allows guests to feel the heat of the char, smell its vanilla notes and, ultimately, taste its complexity, this special activation will include tales from those who help craft it, including Ger Buckley—an Irishman with a rich legacy as a fifth generation Midleton Cooper, an individual specially trained in barrel building.

 

Within the distillery experience, guests can also interact with branded activities, including shopping Jameson merchandise and snapping pictures with friends at the custom LED photo moment. Visitors can also share a toast and learn whiskey tasting tips and more brand lore from Jameson’s AI Brand Ambassador, Molly: a fully interactive avatar that leverages cutting-edge conversational AI technology from ICONIQ AI. While on-site, people can hold real, meaningful conversations via a continuous YouTube livestream–the first AI livestream by a major brand. Those unable to visit in-person can also book exclusive virtual Bow St. experiences online.

 

With limited availability, fans can take advantage of the complimentary Jameson Distillery on Tour through September 7, open daily at the Public Square & Gardens at Hudson Yards. To learn more about the one-of-a-kind experience straight from Dublin’s Bow St. and reserve a spot, visit jamesonwhiskey.com/distillery-on-tour-nyc.

 

 

The post Jameson Distillery on Tour Arrives in NYC! appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News