New York Bar- Speakeasy Event

Last Thursday evening I had the pleasure of hosting a Speakeasy themed event at The New York Bar Association.
I began the evening by blaming the cause of Prohibition on pissed off broads. What is that saying “Hell has not fury like a women scorned” . Well if you were a woman during early 1900′s , bars were off-limits to you, unless you were a hooker. (nice right!)  So picture this , if you were married your husband could spend every night in the bar without you and if were single you weren’t allowed to go to the place where all the men were hanging out.  Do I have to say more, pissed off woman are very dangerous creatures…

The cocktails featured that night were the following:

Midnight Run

1.5 oz Zacapa rum

1.5 oz Laphsong (smoked tea) black tea

1 oz Bulleit Bourbon

1 oz Pomegranate Juice

¾ oz Cinnamon /star anise syrup

½ oz Lemon Juice

¼ oz date molasses

½ oz Rose Water

Clubland 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book

2 oz Ciroc

2 oz Dry White Port

1 or 2 Dashes of Angostura bitters

Glass: Martini Glass

Garnish: Lemon Twist

Fill a pint glass with ice.  Add the vodka, port and bitters and stir well.  Strain into a chilled martini glass. Pinch the lemon twist over the drink, rub it around the rim of the glass and drop it into the drink.

 

Corpse Reviver

.75 oz No. Ten

.75oz  Lemon Juice

.75 oz  Cointreau

.75 oz Lillet Blanco

1 dash of absinthe

Shake and strain into a martini glass

 

Whisky Smash

2 oz Bulleit

½ lemon quartered

4 mint leaves

1 oz Simple Syrup

Glass: Rocks Glass

Garnish: Mint sprig

Muddle lemon,mint leaves and simple, add Bourbon. Shake with ice and strain into a ice filled rocks glass

 Enjoy….

Saving the world one cocktail at a time..

Nicole Miller Fashion Night Out

Last week I had the pleasure  of creating the cocktails for Nicole Miller ‘s “Fashion Night Out Party.”
Ciroc Vodka one of my favorite vodkas was the sponsor and below are the three cocktails that I served at the event.

The Nicole

1.5 oz Ciroc

. 5oz Dry Sherry

. 75 oz simple (should this be simple syrup? If so, will it make this cocktail sweet?)

1 oz fresh lemon juice

Served up in a martini glass

Lemon twist

Coco Daqi

1.5 oz Ciroc Coconut

.75 oz Simple

1 oz Fresh Lime juice

Glass: Martini

Garnish: Lime Wheel

                                     

Ciroc Reviver

.75 oz Ciroc

.75 Cochi Americano

1 oz Stirrings triple sec

.75 Fresh lemon juice

Mist of absinthe

Glass: Martini

Garnish: Orange twist

Favorite Bars

Many of you have asked me about my favorite cocktail bars so here they are:

New York City Lower East Side

1) Death and Co:  Located on 6th street between 1st and A.  The space is intimate, the cocktails are amazing and the bar staff are charming.  This a great place to take a date and or a good group of friends to just chill and catch up. 

Insider secrets: Arrive early if you would like a seat and access to the bar. There is no standing allowed, so if no seats are no available they will take your name and number and call when there is.

What to order: Do not order a vodka cocktail, this is a place with an amazing drinks, find a spirit that you like, (other than vodka) puruse the cocktail section, be brave and order something adventurous.

p.s. They also have great food…

2) Mayahuel: Located on  6th street between 1st and 2nd. They have one of the most amazing selection of Tequila’s, Mezcal’s, cocktails and food that can be found anywhere in this city.  The owner Phil Ward and girlfriend Katie do a great job of accommodating guest and making sure that they are well taking care of.

Insider secrets: They do not take reservations and accept guest on a first come, first serve basis. Arrive early to guarantee a seat. There is no standing allowed, so if no seats are available they will take your name and number and call when there is.

What to order:  Did I mention that they have the most incredible selection of Tequila and Mezcal. Take advantage of this and order a cocktail from the menu that contains one of these two. One of my favorites is watermelon cocktail with a cayenne pepper/sugar/salt rim..
Food: When it comes to the food, just trust the server. Tell them what you like and don’t like, then let them do their thing. I have never been disappointed.

3) PDT  Located on St. Marks between 1st and A. With only 45 seats the space in intimate and not ideal for groups larger than 6.  Once inside take time to read through the menu, the stories under the cocktails are just as good as the cocktails themselves. If you are hungry ask for the menu and order fantastic hot dogs and tater totters from Crif dogs.

insider secrets: The secret entrance is through the phone booth in Crif dogs, once enter pick up the phone and the host will open the door to find out if you have a reservation or to let you know if there is seat available.  The good news is if there is a seat available you may come in or to ensure your entrance call the phone number 212-614-0386a  before 3pm to make a reservation.

What to order: The more outrageous the hotdogs sound the more delicious they taste. If you are not a dog fan order the tater tots, they are equally as tasty.  When it comes to the cocktails take your time to read the stories that go with each one, their insightful and entertaining.  As you peruse through the list you will be guaranteed to see ingredients that you will not recognized. Do not be afraid, instead ask the highly trained bartender what they are, how they taste etc.. Also they are very good at making recommendations….

4) Raines Law Room  Located  at 48 W 17th  located between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas.  The concept is truly unique, the bar feels like you are in some bodies kitchen. There is kitchen aisle in the middle where the bartenders create their cocktails, behind them kitchen cabinets, sinks etc all the feelings of intimate but retro NYC kitchen.  The main room feels like somebodies living room, with intimate lounge seating containing retro couches facing each other with a coffee table in between.  To order a cocktail you simple push a button, which will then light up a number in the kitchen telling your server which of the tables needs their attention.

Insider secrets:  They accept reservations on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday only email them at: reservations@raineslawroom.com  and somebody will contact you via email to confirm you reservations.  During the rest of the week they operate on a first come first serve basis. If there are no seats available they will take your name and number and call you when there is room.   My favorite place is to hang out in the kitchen to watch the bartenders at work but if you are with a large group, the booths are best.

What to order:  Like many of the other speakeasy RL offers an incredible selection of classics, many with their own unique twist. One of my favorites is the Corpse Reviver, I am not exactly sure what special touch Meagham Doorman  (the head bartender) gives this drink , but it is the best rendition I have ever had.  

Uptown:

5) Bar Pleiades located inside the Surrey Hotel on 26 E 76th Street and the corner of Madison.  This glamorous art decor bar is like nothing else you will find on the upper eastside. (trust me I have tried) It has a elgant bar with comfy seats to settle into and surrounded it are Coco Chanel inspired lounge areas to sit and catch up with friends.  My favorite place as usually is at the bar especially when barman Cameron Bouge is behind it   Inspired by the famous Chef Daniel Boulud Cameron’s cocktails are thoughtful, seasonal and extremely savory. 

Insider Secrets:  This is place where gentleman should look dapper and ladies can be glamorous. It is not required but you are the upper eastside so you might as well take advantage of the opportunity to throw on your best duds. If there are only a few of you I recommend sitting at the bar so you can watch master Cameron at work> If you are lucky and it is not so busy you may have the chance to find out what he is currently cooking in his kitchen for the next menu. Last time I was there he gave me the secret to his La Paloma. He created his own grapefruit soda and the key ingredient was the champagne yeast that was used to create it.  The second ingredient was a pinch of sea salt. I would seriously love to spend a week with that man in his kitchen.

What to order: All the cocktails are adventurous and unique, I recommend that you and your friends order one of each and slowly work your way down the list.

Next week: Join me in exploring all the great bars of Brooklyn on at a time….

New York Bar Association

Just this past Thursday, I taught of class of very enthusiastic and very thirsty lawyers.

The class theme, was to learn the basics on how to create a delicious summer cocktail.   Along the way we discussed bar tools and their use;  The art of creating a balance cocktail using acid, sugar and alcohol; Some tidbits about a fellow lawyer named David August Embury, who also happened to be a cocktail enthusiast  and wrote one of the most influential cocktail books of his time called “The Fine Art of Mixing drinks” . 

Lastly the  path of cocktail creation through time and the basics of what makes, Vodka Vodka, Gin Gin and Tequila Tequila..

This week, in honor of my students from the NY Bar Association, I am going to discuss  Mr. Embury and his theory’s.

Plus the cocktails created in class.  Tune in next week for  the “basics on how vodka is produce”

 David Augustus Embury: November 3, 1886 in Pine Woods, New York – July 6, 1960.

was a senior tax partner with the respected Manhattan law firm of  Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle.

Embury makes it clear that he had “never been engaged in any of the manifold branches of the liquor business” and that his experience was “entirely as a consumer “.  He possessed an insatiable curiosity about the whys and wherefores of many things and particularly of food and drinks.” Embury’s was passionate about quality cocktail’s and used that passion to write a book called The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948), a classic encyclopedia of the 20th century cocktail.

  Embury’s Basic principles

  •A drink will never be any better than the quality of the cheapest ingredient in it

  Components of a cocktail

  •The base is the principal ingredient of the cocktail. and typically makes up 75 percent or

more of the total volume of the cocktail

• The modifying agent is the ingredient that gives the cocktail its character. Its function is to soften the raw alcohol taste of the base, while at the same time to enhance its natural flavor. i.e. vermouth, campari etc

 • Special flavoring and coloring agents include liqueurs (such as Grand Marnier or Chartreuse) Cordials, and non-alcoholic flavored Syrups (such as Grenadine or Orgeat syrup)

  Categories of cocktails

 •Cocktails of the Aromatic Type use as modifying agents bitters or aromatic wines or spirits.

•Cocktails of the Sour Type use as modifying agents a fruit juice (typically, lemon or lime) and sugar. For these a ratio of 1 part sweet to 2 parts sour to 8 parts base is generally recommended.

•The idea that a drink must be made according to one exact recipe preposterous, and that the final arbiter is always your taste.

•

Once one understands the basic components of each type of drink, new cocktails can be created by substituting a different base or modifying agent or by adding a special flavoring or coloring agent.

Using these theory’s and basic principles of balance: Acid, Sugar and alcohol anybody can make a great cocktail.

COCKTAILS CREATED IN CLASS

The cocktails we created were:

Coconut Colada2 oz Cîroc Coconut

1 oz pineapple juice

.5 oz whole milk

Directions: Starting from the least expensive ingredient first, pour each into the mixing glass.

add ice and shake vigorously. Using your hawthorn strainer strain the liquid into a rocks glass filled

with fresh ice. Squeeze a lime wedge over the top of the drink and then throw in.

Glassware:  Rocks glass

Garnish: Squeeze of Lime

 

Hot Pink

1.5 oz Don Julio Blanco
.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1.5 oz Fresh Watermelon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup

Directions: Add 1 slice of 1/4 inch think jalapeno into the mixing glass,
next add simple syrup and muddle the two together until the jalapeno is broken up.
tip for a hotter cocktail add the jalapeno seeds, less spicy remove them.
2nd- wash hand thoroughly to remove all the oils from your fingers

Next add watermelon, lime juice, Don Julio Blanco and ice shake vigorously.
Using your hawthorn strainer strain the liquid into a rocks glass filled
with fresh ice. Squeeze a lime wedge over the top of the drink and then throw in.
Glassware: Martini glass or Rocks glass
Garnish: Watermelon slice or lime wheel

Coconut Caiprioska
1 whole lime cut into quarters
2 spoonfuls of sugar
2 oz Cîroc Coconut
Top with soda water
Shake and strain over ice

Directions: Add 1 whole lime cut into quarters into the mixing glass,
next add 2 spoonfuls of sugar and muddle the two together until the lime
juice is extracted.

tip for less sweet, add less sugar and vica versaNext add Ciroc Coconut and ice, shake vigorously.
Using your hawthorn strainer strain the liquid into a highball glass filled
with fresh ice, top with club soda
Glassware: Highball
Garnish: Lime Wedge

 

Cucumber Fresh
1.5 oz Tanqueray Ten
3 cucumber slices
4 leaves of mint
.75 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup

Directions: In the mixing glass add 3 slices of english cucumber sliced a 1/4 inch thick,  mint and simple syrup.
Muddle them together until cucumber juice is extracted. Next add lime juice, Tanqueray Ten and ice.Shake vigrously and using your hawthorn strainer strain the liquid into an ice cold martini glass

Glassware: martini glass
Garnish: Cucumber wheel

Good luck and if you would like to learn something about vodka, turn in next week for my next post.

Saving the world one cocktail at a time!!

TOP HOTELS OF WORLD-Part two

This past Friday I had the pleasure of speaking at Astor Wine and Spirits on one my most favorite topics: Famous Hotel Bars from around the world. For this class I added on Ricky’s the bar in the Taj Mahal in New Deli, India, as well updated the featured cocktails from the Merchant Hotel and Connaught Hotel bar.  The cocktails featured in class were:

ZETA BAR-SIDNEY HILTON

  Smoked Bacon & Maple Syrup Manhattan

60 mls Bacon infused Bourbon
10 mls Sweet Vermouth
10 mls Noilly Prat
Dash Angostura
1 Barspoon Maple Syrup
Stir & Strain Into A Martini Glass Garnish with speared crispy bacon & Cherry
The drink is a nod to PDT and Don Lee’s/Jim Meehans Bacon old fashioned where it was created

  Infusing Bourbon with Bacon 

 Ingredients: 3-4slices of bacon, or enough to render 1oz of fat (pdt uses Benton Bacon but any extra smoky will do 1 bottle of bourbon, I recommend Bulleit Instructions: 1)Cook bacon in pan and reserve rendered fat. When bacon fat has cooled a bit, pour off one oz from the pan 2)Pour Bourbon into a non-porous container 3) strain the bacon fat into the container and infuse for 4 to 6 hours at room temp.  4) Place mixture in the freezer until all the fat is solidified. With a slotted spoon, remove fat and strain the mixture back into the bottle.

RICKYS-TAJ MAHAL

  Guava Berry Martini

1.5 oz Ciroc vodka
1.5 Crème de Mure
. 5oz Guava Juice
. 5 oz Cranberry Juice Garnish with Lemon zest
Instructions:add all the ingredients to your shaker, add ice
shake and strain  chilled into a martini glass

  Cardamon Sensation

1.5 oz Smirnoff vanilla vodka
5pcs Cardamom
.5 oz Lime Juice
.25 oz Pineapple Juice
 4-6 pieces whole pineapple

Instructions:muddle cardamom, pineapple & vodka together,
add remaining ingredients, shake and strain  chilled into a martini glass

  Nutty Jim

2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
muddled Cinnamon stick
. 25 oz simple syrup
1 oz apple Juice
Instructions:add all the ingredients to your shaker, add ice
adshake and strain  chilled into a martini glass

  Lemon Lime

1.5 oz Ketel vodka
.75 oz Lemon grass syrup infused with red chili’s
. 75oz Lime Juice
Top with Ginger Ale
Garnish with lime wedge Served over ice in a rocks glass

Instructions:  Add all the ingredients the shaker with exception of the ginger all. 
add ice, shake and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Fill to the top with ginger ale

MERCHANT HOTEL-BELFAST

  This is a  recipe for our “Iconic Cocktail”, which we call The Phoenix. It is a quintessential Irish cocktail…… •  •·        

 35mls Plum-infused Poitin •·       
 15mls Pear eau de vie •·        
35mls Pure Armagh “Discovery” Apple Juice •·        
20mls “Mourne Flower” Honey Syrup •·        
15mls Fresh Lemon Juice •  •
 Instructions: Stir over ice and strain into a 10oz Punch Goblet over a large cube of ice. Serve with an 8″ straw and decorate with a fan of apple slices and some fresh grated nutmeg.

CONNAUGHT HOTEL-LONDON

  The Malecon

 50ml Bacardi Superior
15ml 10y/o tawny)
10ml Oloroso Don Jose Reservas Especiales
3drp Peychaud’s bitters
2bsp fine sugar
30ml fresh Lime Juice
Instructions: Shake all the ingredient with chunks of ice and double strain in a cocktail glass, garnish with a piece of ice..

Enjoy everyone and please check out my blog in two weeks where I will post some of my latest and greatest creations for spring.

Saving the world one cocktail at a time!

Elayne Duke

SAVE THE DATE

This Thursday, I had the pleasure of teaching the art of making cocktails at an event called Save the Date. Save the date is an organization that originating in New York and fills the dating need in Los Angeles. This organization joins singles for networking at various events to meet attractive and successful group of individuals looking for that special someone. These candidates commonly lack the time to find their mate with the financial gloom of late.

Founders of Save the Date(ing) personally meet with every prospective member to see if they would be a good fit for the group. Those who make the cut, dish out $250 quarterly in membership dues and pay a la cart per event they attend. The vetting system the ladies use is meant to ensure quality in the membership base, and from the event I attended, it seemed to work quite well. For more information on Save the Date(ing) or to apply to become a member, please visit www.savethedateing.com.

This Thursday event was a called “Martini Madness”, a hands on course where each participant was giving the bar tools necessary to make four different gin/vodka cocktails. The cocktails created in class were :

Cucumber Daiquiri

1.5 oz Tanqueray gin

3 Cucumbers

Fresh Mint

¾ oz Lime Juice

1 oz Simple Syrup

Lime Wheel

Served chilled in a martini glass

preparation: In a mixing glass, muddle cucumbers, mint and simple syrup, add the remaining ingredients, shake

with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with lime wedge

 The Graduate

1.5 oz Smirnoff vodka

1 oz fresh pressed apple juice (i recommend red orchard)

.5 oz Canton Ginger Liq

.5 oz Simple syrup

.5 oz Lemon Juice

Served in a chilled martini glass garnished with a candied ginger

Preperation:  Add the ingredients into the mixing glass, add ice and shake, double strain into a chilled martini glass

Garnish with candied ginger

 

Smoky Martini

.25 oz Lagavulan single malt scotch

3 oz Smirnoff vodka

Served chilled in a martini glass

Direction: Fill the mixing glass with ice, add in Lagavulan, stir until the ice is coated with scotch, strain out into a shot glass, leaving the ice in the mixing glass.  Next add in the Smirnoff, stir until cold, strain into a martini glass.  Garnish with olives.

Top Hotel Bars-Merchant Hotel

    

Merchant Hotel- Belfast, Ireland    Last week we explored some of London’s most posh hotel bars, the Dorchester and the Connaught Hotel. This week we jump the pond to explore the Merchant Hotel located in Belfast, Ireland.  A hotel bar  which won “The best hotel bar in the world” at Tales of the Cocktail this summer.   The man who help design the bar and created and oversees the entire cocktail program  is a gentleman named Sean Muldoon.  

Below is my interview with him:   

How did you come to work at the Merchant Hotel?    The Bar opened three and a half years ago. My boss assured me from the offset that if cocktails were ever going to work in Ireland it would only be in this bar and only with my input. He knew I was the right person to run the bar and I was head-hunted for the role       

Does the bar have a historic past?    Yes, the building that it is in was built in the 1860′s and served as the headquarters for the Ulster Bank. The area where it is situated was once the historic heart of Belfast. It ceased to be a bank about  15 years ago and lay dormant for several years until my boss snapped it up around 8 years ago.    

Do you have a philosophy behind your cocktails?   Yes – to make the best drinks found anywhere on the planet! Whilst a few other bars also make great drinks in other corners of the globe, they keep their menu’s short so as to concentrate on those specific 18-20 drinks for a set period of time. We on the other hand concentrate on making 120 drinks great throughout the course of an entire year or more.     

How do you decide what goes on the menu?    We include the drinks we feel deserve to be on the menu: certain classics; forgotten drinks which may not be ”classic” but we feel ought to be promoted – and our own variations of these styles of drinks. We keep on drinks which sell well, replace or revamp drinks which don’t sell well and keep our own ”original drinks” quite simple.     

How often do you change your menu?    Once every fifteen months or so. Our menus are more like books – we tend to call them Bar Books. An awful lot of planning goes into our menus; finding the right concept for each new volume of the Bar Book is what takes up most time. Once we decide on a way to go, everything else – the drinks, recipes etc – fall into place quite easily.   For example, Volume One of our Bar Book was based on the Stork Club Bar Book (1946); Volume Two of our Bar Book was based on Here’s How - Mixed Drinks (1941); whereas the newest installment of our Bar Book is based loosely on Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails (2004).   Our menus are a considerable marketing spend - the most recent one cost us £11,000.00 to get 2000 copies done.     

 Are their drinks that never change? If so what are they?    We always aim to make better our drinks and never ever allow ourselves to become complacent or happy with what we’ve got. This is what distinguishes us from other mainstream hotel bars. Our drinks recipes are always changing – there is not one drink on our list that I can honestly state is final! 

 

Is there a spirit you favor amongst all the rest?    Rum & Whisk(e)y – due to their many different forms and complexities.    

  

Do you have philosophy about how your guest should be treated?    The philosophy I preach is that the guest must always leave the bar feeling satisfied. We aim to ensure at all costs that the guest has (at the very least) a ”pleasant” experience with us that will hopefully entice them to come again.   

  

Do you have a signature way to serve each cocktail or do any cocktails have a unique or memorable way of being served?    We take the time to perfect every single recipe that features in our Bar Book. It’s not enough that a drink tastes “good” – to us it has to taste “truly great”! Every single drink we serve is therefore done to the best of our ability. To have a long list such as ours and ensure every single drink on it is consistently made well is a real challenge and is something we pride ourselves on (regardless of who it is that is making the drinks).    

  

When hiring bar staff what character traits do you look for?    For a member of staff to walk into our bar and serve cocktails right away they would have to have a great proven track record. Generally we start staff as either bar-backs or floor-staff and they gradually progress over time to the bar. We look for good attitude, ability to communicate with other staff members and customers, dependability, commitment and they must possess a genuine desire to learn.    

  

Name what thing that you would like your guest to remember about your bar?    

Excellent drinks and the fact that we are a ”friendly” bar. We aim to be 5* in a very friendly and unintimidating manner – we want our guests to feel as comfortable with us as they are in their own homes or local taverns.    

  

If the bar had all unlimited funds(which I am under the impression that yours does) is there any spirit that you would like purchase but currently cannot & why?   We have all the products we need really. Some of the products we have difficulty in obtaining are old forgotten flavors such as Swedish Punsch, original Piemento Dram, Bokers Bitters etc, etc. However there is a movement today to recreate some of these flavours and these are slowly becoming more available.    

  

Name three things that are truly unique about your bar?   

• Our drinks lists
• Connoisseurs Club that we run (www.theconnoisseursclub.org)
• our product selection.

 Do you have a signature cocktail that your bar is famous for?    We have recently developed an “iconic cocktail” which we hope the bar will become famous for through time (particularly amongst tourists).    It is a potent single-serve punch made with plum-infused poitin, pear eau de vie, fresh lemon, local flower honey and pure County Armagh apple juice.    A nationwide competition is about to be launched to find out an appropriate name for it – we want it to be a quintessential Northern Irish drink whose name gets decided by the Northern Irish people.    

What celebrities have visited your bar?    Tom Hanks, Bryan Adams, Shirlie McClaine, Richard Attenborough, Gloria Estefan, The Police, Meryl Streep, Morrissey, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Scissor Sisters, Kings of Leon, Simply Red, Tony Curtis etc, etc.    

Best night of the week to come in?    Saturdays are busiest and Fridays are nice – but I myself like Sundays. On Sundays we always get a nice, steady crowd of guests who all seem to know what they want and are there to enjoy the whole cocktail experience.   

Does your country have a have signature ingredient that can only be found there?    Poitin: Poitín is a spirit that was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and it comes from the Irish word pota, meaning “pot”. It is traditionally distilled from malted barley grain or potatoes and for centuries was classified as “moonshine” in this country.   

On one sad note, the drink that they were most famous for a few years was there Mai Tai, which sadly is no longer available at the bar. Below is the story of why it was so famous:   Our Mai Tai was so special is because it was made using the original rum – J Wray & Nephew 17yr old from Jamaica – that Trader Vic used when he created the drink in 1944. We have two shots of the rum left but it has unfortunately become oxidised over time and it now tastes more like a woody bourbon than the rich pungent rum it once was.    The bottle we had been one of only six original unmarked bottles that were left; these bottles once thought to be inexistence were discovered during a worldwide inventory that Wray & Nephew conducted several years ago.  

 In my class at Astor wine and spirits we created the Mai Tai, using the recipe given to me by bartender Michael Mcilroy who worked for had the pleasure of working for few months at the Merchant Hotel and who currently rocks the bar at two of New Yorks finest cocktail bars Milk Honey (New York) and Dutch Kills (long island city).   

 The recipe is as follows: Mai Tai Recipe:   1 ¼ oz Wray and Nephew 17yr old rum  (We used Appleton 12yr old), ¾ Fresh Lime Juice, ½ Orgeat Syrup (almond syrup), ¾ Curacea ( orange liqour)  ½ Rock Candy Syrup (we used thick simple syrup) Served over crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.  

      

Top Hotel Bars in the World

Recently I  gave presentation at Astor Wine and Spirits called the Top Hotel Bars in the World and I must say it was one of my favorite ones to date.  The research alone was fascinating because it allowed me to reach out to many of my contacts around the world, as well as to new ones who I was introduced through friends of friends (Facebook is a wonderful tool).  

What I had learned is that though each place has their own unique style and twist on what they served, they all had a few things in common: 

 As a guest or just a general consumer the service at great hotel bar will be like nothing you have every seen. ( Well unless you dine in 5 star restaurants on a regular basis The reason for this service is that  unlike other bars the level of training for staff at top hotel bars is taking extremely serious.  The best example of this that I can share is the Dorchester Hotel  where my friend Charolotte Voisey worked. She said the bar staff (all of whom were very experienced already) received 3 weeks of intense training consisting of the:

• Grassroots on all spirits
• Cocktail Creation
• Hospitality Training
• Proper etiquette
• Proper serve

The general rule of thumb is that you never truly know who is in your bar. That person looking all scruff and little bang up could be a bum, but it could also be a celebrity a princess or princess etc dressing down.  So all who entered should be treated like the King of Dubai and given 5 star service no matter what.

Beyond service the other thing you will general find is:

• Top quality ingredients, many times rare and hard to come by
• Rare and expensive spirits: i.e. Timeless Cognac, Rare vintage champagnes etc
• Top bar men and Women
• Classic Cocktails
• Spirits that range from the rarest to the most popular
• Great Ice

 THE HOTELS BARS RECOMMENDED:   

• Park Hyatt/Timber House – Seoul, Korea
• The Opposite House/ Punk & Mes- Beijing, China
• Sidney Hilton/Zeta Bar- Sidney Australia
• Merchant Hotel/Merchant Bar- Belfast Ireland
• Dorchester Hotel/The Dorchester- London, Eng
• Connaught Hotel/American Bar- London, England
• The Ritz/Hemingway Bar- Paris, France.

For this article I am only going to discuss the Dorchester Hotel.
( Tune in next week for the Connaught Hotel, followed by the Merchant Hotel, The Ritz and lastly the Zeta bar in Australia)

The Dorchester:

 

  

The Dorchester’s front garden

The three of the hotel’s e-Butlers stand in front of the London Plane tree, named one of the Great Trees of London. The e-Butlers assist guests with technology issues, which have ranged from linking laptops to the hotel’s broadband to setting up an intranet between the Dorchester and New Zealand for the composers of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

” Posh” is one of Londoners’ favorite descriptors, and no London hotel more epitomizes the word than The Dorchester.  

Opened in 1931, The Dorchester’s combination of opulent decor and devoted, respectful service quickly won favor with royalty, leaders of nations, celebrities, and CEOs.

Some of The Dorchester’s best-known guests have included Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Muhammed Ali, Alfred Hitchcock, Oprah Winfrey, Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Russell Crowe, Karl Lagerfeld, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Drew Barrymore, Michael Jackson, Cate Blanchett, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, Morgan Freeman, Nicholas Cage, and Sharon Stone. Above, in

 DORCHESTER BAR:

 

DORECHESTER COCKTAILS

  The list is around seventy strong under entertaining headings with roughly twelve per section; The most popular are the Twinklers, Evolution of the Martini and Fancy Drinks. They feature new creations and also classics dating back to the work of the first great head bartender at the Dorchester – Harry Craddock. They also have a specialist Gin and Tonic selection with unique serves, bespoke and boutique brands alongside the big beasts of the Gin world which always pleases a British heart.

The bar also has one of the great collections of vermouth’s. It’s a martini purists heaven! •They have one of the most extensive Vermouth Collections in the world –Why Vermouth: They wanted to do something unique for the bar culture in London and focusing on Vermouth they gave other bartenders a classroom to come learn and taste everything they needed to know about this category –Also all of the  Classic cocktails all have vermouth in them –Traveled to France and Italy researching and tasting various brands and styles –Imported brands never seen before in London and now you will find them on most the London back bars. –Brand Like:  Noilly Pratt Amber, Chinzano organces  Martini Rossi Rose were not available until the Dorchester brought them in.

Signature cocktail is the Martinez, it’s a benchmark classic but made impeccably and uses their own bespoke Old Tom Gin which is unique to

them. They use Punt e Mes for added depth and chocolate richness and finally a specially recreated Boker’s bitters aged in a miniature new American oak barrel. Each sip of this Martinez lasts a lifetime, it’s balanced and exceptionally aromatically complex.

 •Then on to their T10 Negroni, this is served in a statuesque ruby-red tumbler with a frosted glass stirrer. It’s heroic in size and you need formidable arm strength to lift this baby. The ice is clear and hard as if hewn from a glacier, now I’ve had many Negroni’s but the presentation and quality of the one at the Dorchester still makes it my favourite.

SIGNATURE SERVE:

 Negroni was alway thrown- put ingredients into mixing glass, separate them about two feet or so apart and throw drink back and forth 4 or 5 times. It make the drink just as cold and stirring it but it add more aeration to it.
Basically any cocktail that would normally be stirred would be thrown.

 Until next week when I write up on the Connaught Hotel and some of their famous cocktails.

Elayne Duke

 

 

Fall Cocktails

Fall, is one of my favorite times of year in NYC. The air is crisp and clean—well almost. The flip flops are retired and the boots come out, jeans are back and comfy cashmere sweaters are abound.  With the change of seasons also comes the changing of food and cocktail menus to more comforting and seasonal flavorings.  These changes usually start with the varieties of herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables being used in food and cocktails alike. In summer you are more likely to see fruits consisting of watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, peaches etc herbs: mint , cilantro, lemon grass,basil and rosemary Vegetables: heirlooms tomatoes and cucumbers. 

But as we enter the colder months, slowly these ingredients are faded out and new ones come on the scene.  For fall my favorite fruits to work with are pears, apples (juice and cider) and cranberries herbs: sage, thyme and basil  spices: all spice, chipotle,hazelnut, ginger,nutmeg, cloves, vanilla and cinnamon vegetable: Pumpkin Other things to try: jalapeno infused Lemon grass, ginger beer, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey syrup, brown sugar, caramel,chocolate,coffee, graham crackers,

When it comes to spirits many believe that these shift with the season as well, and they do but not entirely. To many Tequila,rum and gin are for the summer months only.  But this is definitely not true, at least not in my opinion. With the explosion of the cocktail scene, restaurant and bars alike have become more diligent about changing their menus with the seasons, allowing these traditional summer time spirits to be enjoyed year round by blending them with cider, pear nectar, cinnamon and so on.  Cocktails can also be enjoyed warm or cold but for now we are going to discuss cold cocktails and below are some of my favorites: (Tune in next week for some hot cocktails)

 

Negroni Light

.75 Tanqueray Ten
.75 oz Aperol
.75 oz Sweet vermouth
Garnish with twist of grapefruit zest
Served over ice

Pumpkin Spice
1.5 oz Ciroc
.75 oz Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liq
. 25 oz Pumpkin Spice Agave nectar
. 50 oz Apple Cider
.5 oz Lemon juice
Fresh Cinnamon sprinkled on top
Served chilled in a martini glass

Sugar and Spice
1 oz Ketel Citreon
1 oz Cranberry Juice
.50 oz Fresh Lime/
.75 oz Honey syrup
Splash of  St. Elizabeth All spice
Strain into a sugar rimmed martini glass

Pear and ginger
1.5 Smirnoff Pear
1.5 oz Pear Nectar
.5 oz Cantone Ginger Liqueur
.5 oz Grand Marnier
.75 oz Lemon Juice
Garnish with candied ginger

Pearfectly Sinful
1.5 oz Don Julio Blanco
1.5 oz Pear Nectar
.5 oz  Honey Syrup
.5 oz Lemon Juice
Fresh grated cinnamon
Shake and strain into a martini glass

Little Bit of Country
1.5 oz Bulleit
.25ox=z Luxardo cherry liqueur
.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.75 jalapeno infused maple syrup
Dash of Angostura
Flamed orange zest
Served chilled in a martini glass

Honeysuckle
1.5 oz Zacapa Rum
.75 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Honey Syrup
.5 oz Cointreau
Served in a sugar rimmed martini glass
Orange slice

Toasted Pumpkin
1½ oz Pimms
1oz Hiram Walker pumpkin
¾ oz Godiva Caramel
½ Grand Marnier
served chilled in a martini glass
fresh grated cinnamon on top

Tune in next week  for Hot Fall Cocktails!

 

 

 

 

PGA TOUR-KETEL COCKTAILS

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working as a mobile mixologist for Ketel Vodka a the PGA Tournaments  hosted at the Barclay’s Golf Course in NJ. You might ask yourself, what does she mean by mobile,  I asked myself the same question before I got there.  Basically each day I was stationed at a different VIP tent, where I served guest  three signature Ketel cocktails. The cocktails were a huge hit so I thought I would share them with you:

 

Cucumber Cooler
1.5 oz Ketel Citreon
3 slices of english cucumber
3/4 oz Fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
3/4 Ginger beer

preparation: In your mixing glass add 3 thin slices of cucumber, fresh lime juice and simple syrup
Muddle until the cucumber looks like ceviche, add Ketel Citreon and ice, shake vigrously
Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice, top with ginger beer, garnish with a cucumber

 

 

Ketel Citreon and Lemonade
     2 oz Ketel Citreon
3 oz Lemonade

preparation: Fill a highball glass with ice, add  Ketel Citreon and lemonade, stir
Garnish with lemon wheel and a straw

 

 

 

           This last drink you have seen featured before but it has become one of favorites because it challenges peoples senses.
            When people see tomato, cucumber and basil they think salad not cocktail, but if these ingredients are used correctly
            a delicous savory cocktail can be had.

                                                                             Roman Holiday
                                                                               1 Tomato slice
                                                                             2 cucumber slices
                                                                             1 fresh basil leaf
                                                                            2 oz Ketel Vodka
           ¾ Lime Juice
         ½ oz Simple Syrup
        ½ oz Cynar (artichoke liq)
preparation: In your mixing glass add cucumber, tomato, basil
Muddle until it looks  like ceviche, add ketel, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, add ice, shake vigrously
Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice or into a martini glass
Glass preperation: Wet the edge of the glass with lemon or a lime wedge, dip the glass into a sweet and spicy combo consisting of the following: rock salt, ground smoked chipotle and sugar (thank you Phil)

 

Log in next week for my top ten fall cocktails!