Recent Blog Posts

Smirnoff Splashes Down with Mango and Peach

New York Barfly — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:35:00 GMT

It’s flavored vodka mania! During the past few months, we’ve witnessed the launch of countless vodka concoctions. Absolut has their Berry Acai, Three Olives now slings a bubble gum label, Ciroc is in the game with a Red Berry flavor and now Smirnoff is pouring mango and peach flavors.

Do we taste a flavor war?

Smirnoff’s new flavors provide some of the best value – the suggested selling price is $16.99 for a 750 mL bottle (but, of course, prices may vary). The peach flavor is a tasty addition to lemonade or iced-tea based drinks, while the mango works well in tropical cocktails (which, judging by the recent spate of Tiki bar openings, are all the rage).

But, what does this really mean? Smirnoff is the top selling flavored vodka in the United States. As these fruity labels become more widely available, the demand for flavored varieties is only going to grow – and the flavor wars will only escalate.

It’s only a matter of time before bacon-flavored vodka becomes wildly available. And yes, that’s a good thing.

-James Mulcahy writes about food and wine on his blog, NYBarfly .

Balblair Asks: What Vintage is Your Scotch?

New York Barfly — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:05:00 GMT

Here’s a question you don’t come across very often: what year is your whisky?

Most Scotch and whisky makers don’t specify the year that their product was casked. They go by the age: 10 year, 15 year, etc. Balblair, which recently launched in the US, is mixing things up a little bit. They want you to pay attention to the Scotch’s vintage, not just the amount of time it spent maturing.

Like wine, the bottles have dates prominently displayed, and each vintage has its own flavor profile. The single malt selections are chosen for release by year. According to the distiller, only the best whiskies from a particular year, that have reached their optimum peak of maturation, are selected for release.

This means you’ll see a smattering of dates available on the market, and each will appeal to a different type of Scotch lover. The Balblair ’97 contains hints of oak and vanilla. The Balblair ’91 contains hints of spice, and will appeal to those who like a more potent flavor and finish.

Will this “spirits-vintage” trend catch on? Next time you go into the liquor store, don’t be surprised if you see some Vodka 1981.

-James Mulcahy writes about New York food and drink at his blog, NYBarfly.

Mystery Solved in San Marcos

The Armchair Oenophile — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:36:00 GMT

I've been wondering about this place called Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill just off I-35, in San Marcos, Texas. Would they really be wearing bikinis inside? I've been wondering. Really? You know, names can be deceptive. Hooters isn't really about owls, it turns out.

A peak inside Bikinis: PHOTO: ANTHONY HEAD

I wonder no more, though. Inside, every customer is a guy. Every server and bartender, however, is definitely not a guy, and the name of the place is right on the nose. It is not deceiving anyone in any way. This unsolved mystery is solved.

Plus, it just so happens my Lakers are playing the Celtics, and I'm in a sports bar surrounded by gorgeous and voluptuous big-screen televisions. Look now—my bartender approaches. "Hello-o-o," I croon, "Did you know I write for The Tasting Panel magazine?"

Anthony Head is Texas Editor for The Tasting Panel. Read more on his website: www.TheArmchairOenophile.com.

Decoding the Shaker Face.

New York Barfly — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:31:00 GMT

What does your shaker face say about you? That’s the question that one cheeky website asks. Shaker Faces (www.shakerfaces.com) thinks that you can learn a lot about your bartender from the face that they make while they shake you up a cocktail. They’ve gone around the country to scope some top bartenders as they shake, rattle and roll.

It’s true that shaking has become more complex lately. In New York, bartenders have developed overhead, behind the back, and full body maneuvers to give a drink that perfect chill. Plenty of pained expressions go along with their mixing.

Check out Ryan McGrale from The Flatiron Lounge. His shaker face says “you better like my drink, or there will be consequences.” Nice.

-James Mulcahy writes about New York bar culture at his blog, NYBarfly.com .

The Quiet Turtle in Dallas

The Armchair Oenophile — Mon, 31 May 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The place is empty, except for the bartender and myself. Probably just as well. The Bar at The Mansion on Turtle Creek is austere. It's refined. It's like a law school library. That's not to say it's not comfortable. I like the plush seating. I like the grand piano in the corner. I love the scotch selection. The gazelles and the English fox hunting prints on the walls? Eh.

The Bar at The Mansion on Turtle Creek. PHOTO: ANTHONY HEAD

Maybe I'm not even supposed to be in here, at least not yet. The place definitely has a club-like atmosphere, and maybe it's too early for any of the club-members to appear. I suspect they're all still relaxing in their five-star suites or checking their stock quotes poolside. I feel like the first guy to show up at a party I wasn't invited to.

I order a Glenmorangie ten-year "with an added whisper of water." That bartender just keeps eyeing me. Maybe it's my tank-top and flip-flops. I have got to remember to bring a collared shirt with me the next time I come to Dallas.

Anthony Head is Texas Editor for Tasting Panel Magazine. Read more on his website: www.TheArmchairOenophile.com .

Get Ready For Maker’s 46

New York Barfly — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:09:00 GMT

The folks down at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Kentucky have only ever made one thing. Until now. A new label from Maker’s Mark is on the way to the market. Deemed Maker’s 46, this spirit puts a new twist on the old Maker’s recipe.

Maker’s Mark fans shouldn’t worry too much – the 46 label uses fully matured Maker’s Mark as its base. Rather than start from scratch, distiller Kevin Smith decided to stick with what works. Once the bourbon is fully mature in the barrel, the top is removed and ten seared oak staves are placed inside. The product is then returned to the shelves, where it is aged for several more months.

The searing caramelizes the sugars of the wood, and the flavor seeps into the bourbon. A recent tasting revealed that Maker’s 46 is kind of like “Maker’s Mark Plus.” You get all the caramel notes and drinkability of the original, plus a more intense aroma and notes of seared wood on the tongue.

Maker’s 46 is set to hit stores in July – just keep your eyes peeled for their signature red wax, which also tops this bottle.

-James Mulcahy writes about food and spirits at his blog, NYBarfly.com

A Bar Bottles their Mixers for Retail

New York Barfly — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:30:00 GMT

Most high-end New York cocktail bars make their ingredients in house, but only one is getting ready to bottle their mixtures and sell them retail. The West Village’s Employees Only restaurant is set to launch a line of artisan bar mixers dubbed Employees Only Brands, and consumers will be able to purchase them at the grocery delivery site Fresh Direct.

The restaurant has been at the forefront of cocktail innovation for years, and they’ve developed a large following of libation aficionados with their prohibition era drinks. They know that any make at home recipe for their drinks wouldn’t quite be the same without their carefully made mixers. Employees Only brands is starting small, the first release will consist of two titles: grenadine and lime cordial, but more titles could be in the works if these are a success.

It’s also a good way for a relatively small-scale operation to raise awareness about their restaurant and make a few extra bucks. The crew behind Employees Only also runs Macao Trading Co., another successful restaurant that focuses on Asian cuisine (and pours their own stellar cocktails). With their two spots, and their new line, they’ve developed into a mini cocktail empire. Maybe you’ll even see them soon on a shelf near you.

James Mulcahy writes about spirits and cocktails on his website, NYBarfly.com .

Enjoying the Blues in Austin

The Armchair Oenophile — Wed, 05 May 2010 00:23:00 GMT

The temperatures have hit the low-90s in Central Texas, which means we'll probably have 100+ degrees soon enough. Last summer, we passed the century mark every day for something like three months in a row. Nighttime temps rarely dipped below 75 until we were deep into October. It's enough to give a guy the blues.

Nuno's is a haven on a hot Austin day. PHOTO: ANTHONY HEAD

That's why I head to Nuno's on Austin's famed Sixth Street. There are a couple "blues bars" in the Capital City, but none make me feel quite as bluesy as Nuno's. Even before I get inside I feel better because Tank (the regular doorman) always asks for my ID, even though I look to be about 70. He's funny, he's kind, and since he weighs about 300 pounds, he's large and in-charge. If there is a cover charge, it's usually a measly three bucks.

The décor is sparse and space is too; but there is usually a solid set of music being played-whether it's Texas blues (think the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan), Mississippi blues (Pinetop Perkins) or Chicago blues (Daddy Ivan). I love that—unlike the typical Sixth Street crowd—people here are more laid back. Oh, and then there's the blonde bartender, who clearly got the angel's share of looks from the beauty barrel. As the band begins to play, she pours me a long, long shot of Jack Daniels. Outside, the pavement is steamy. Inside, it begins to heat up as well.

Anthony Head is Texas Editor for THE TASTING PANEL. Read more on his website: www.TheArmchairOenophile.com.

A $1,000 Mint Julep, For a Good Cause

New York Barfly — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:22:00 GMT

This year’s Kentucky Derby is May 1st, and you’re going to need something to put your mint julep in. Tiffany & Co. has created a special receptacle to commemorate the race. They’ve made 73 silver cups, which will sell for $1,000 each. Since they will be dispensed at the Derby, crushed ice and bourbon are included.

Do you think your Julep tastes better when sipped out of such finery? The jewelry maker think so, and they’ve partnered with Woodford Reserve, who will dispense the liquid portion of this luxury treat on Derby Day. All of this excess is for a good cause. The money raised by this promotion goes to the Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Center at the University of Kentucky.

Brown spirits have been doing a lot for charity these days. The Macallan also is raising money from the luxury market. They bottled a super rare 64 year old label, and are auctioning it off one dram at a time. A recent taste just sold for 5,000 Euro in Paris, with the proceeds going to clean water providers Charity:Water.

Keep in mind, if want one of these exclusive juleps on Derby Day, you have to be on site to see the ponies. All cups purchased must be picked up by the buyer or the buyer’s proxy on May 1, 2010, Kentucky Derby Day at historic Churchill Downs.
If you plan to hit the derby, and want to spring for one of these lucky cups, you can check out their website here: www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com.

James Mulcahy writes about spirits and New York dining at his blog, NYBarfly.com .

A real L.A. Bar

The Armchair Oenophile — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:09:00 GMT

It is not a club. It is not a lounge or a tavern. It's neither saloon nor nightclub. It's Frank 'n Hank, and it's a bar. Which is why, even though I had only 48 hours to spend in L.A., I made it a specific point in my itinerary to go there.

Despite its accepted reputation, Frank 'n Hank is also not a dive bar. That would suggest a lack of redeeming qualities, when in fact it has everything desirable in a place to drink. If any modifier is appropriate—if you simply must use one—then please call it a neighborhood bar.

Outside, on Western Avenue, there may be tumultuous change, but not inside. And glory be to any creator you partake of if it always remains that way, because in the years since I'd last sat at its wooden bar, under the Christmas lights, nothing inside Frank 'n Hank looked to be out of place.

Snow, the owner and bartender, has been there for about 18 years, having purchased the shoe-box-size treasure from Frank, the original publican. (Hank was his son; they owned it long before there ever was a Koreatown to spring to life around it.) Snow pours big, she charges small (cash only). The regulars kindly slide over to make room for someone new. Music plays at a volume that doesn't necessitate shouting, which is probably why during the many hours I've spent there I've never encountered an unruly patron, never felt suffocated with hipster-infiltrators, and never wanted to leave. Including this last time.

So let's just say, if you can spot the romance and art in Barbet Schroeder's Barfly (or better yet, if you can find it in the novels of Charles Bukowski) then this place will feel wonderfully familiar.

Anthony Head is Texas Editor for THE TASTING PANEL. Read more on his website, www.TheArmchairOenophile.com.

How to Make Tequila

The Liquid Muse — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:57:00 GMT

The Liquid Muse takes a trip to Jalisco to find out how tequila is made at Jose Cuervo.

Find more at TheLiquidMuse.com.

New York Gets a Cocktail Festival

New York Barfly — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:39:00 GMT

Everyone summer, cocktail lovers and industry professionals flock to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail. This year, New York is trying to create their own world-class libation festival. Spirits aficionados will have to plan for two trips in the coming months, because the Manhattan Cocktail Classic splashes down in May.

Like Tales, the Cocktail Classic combines a series of classes, talks, tastings, and cocktail parties. The city wide festival is centered around New York’s famed Astor Center. This spirits schoolhouse will play host to over two dozen seminars hosted by top bartenders and industry experts. Boozy classes include things like “The Agave Session: The Magical Elixirs of Mexico” with Steve Olson and “Glasses & Tools: How Do You Choose the Right Glass for a Drink” with Dale DeGroff. Astor also plays host to the official bar for the event, which is sure to be mobbed between study sessions.

Top city drink dens will also host a series called “Stories from Behind the Bar”. These events, which will happen on site at cocktail dens like PDT, Mayahuel, Flatiron Lounge, and Pegu Club, promise to unlock the secrets behind the success of popular drink operations. Hopefully, there will be a few samples involved as well.

Even though the Manhattan Cocktail Classic is only in its first year, it might be the most ambitious cocktail party in the city’s history. The party goes from May 14th – 18th, and kicks off with a gigantic bash at the New York Public Library. You can take a look at their schedule and plan your tipples here: www.manhattancocktailclassic.com

James Mulcahy writes about spirits and New York dining at his blog, NYBarfly.com .

At SXSW, a pioneer is remembered

The Armchair Oenophile — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT

It was, sadly, not the news I expected to hear at my first of many South By Southwest events in Austin last week: the news of Fess Parker's passing. For a number of us in the wine industry, Fess was a pioneer in modern day wine and hospitality in Southern California. Generous with his time, devoted to his wife, and a firm believer in Santa Barbara's claim to be the American Riviera. Anyone with a few more years behind them also had the good fortune to have enjoyed growing up with Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone (both television roles played so memorably and warmly by Fess) as a TV dad.

Cork & Co., Austin. PHOTO: ANTHONY HEAD

So, as the sun streamed over Austin, Winemaker Karl Wente and I toasted Fess' memory and his legacy at Cork & Co. with glasses of Wente's 08 Pinot Grigio. Outside, on Congress Avenue, the city of Austin—known as the Live Music Capital of the World—was living up to that moniker. While always a lively place, Austin had tripled or probably quadrupled its musical output with bands from all over the world filling every venue imaginable for SXSW. 200,000 people poured into the city, and spilled out onto the streets, hearing tomorrow's music today.

Music and wine, and the sharing of both with a good friend—that's the stuff of life. And because Fess embraced all that, he will be sorely missed.

Anthony Head is Texas Editor for THE TASTING PANEL magazine. Read more on his website: www.TheArmchairOenophile.com.

The Magic of Agave Nectar

New York Barfly — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:55:00 GMT

In the span of a few months, a new ingredient has found its place behind many of New York’s top notch bars. Agave Nectar, made from the heart of the tequila producing plant, is replacing simple syrup as the cocktail sweetener of choice. The flavor isn’t as sugary as standard sweeteners. More like honey, it avoids the wallop of saccharine that can accompany a hefty squeeze of simple syrup. It also lacks honey’s viscosity, so it dissolves easily into any mix.

Mexican restaurants were the first adopters. The city’s growing fascination with tequila and demand for top-notch cocktails led to experimentation with the classic margarita. Creative combinations of fresh lime juice, lavender infused tequila and Serrano chilies were added to the recipe. To balance it out, bartenders reached for this smooth sweetener. Now, the nectar is ubiquitous at cocktail lounges like the East Village’s mezcal bar Mayahuel.

The ingredient caught on and quickly expanded to other spots, even those with a focus on classic cocktails. A visit to the newly opened Ace Hotel confirmed that their house cocktails are sweetened with the nectar. Most of the trendy patrons probably don’t realize that their drinks contain this new twist, but judging by their pleased expressions, the change is a popular one.

For those who want to experiment, Herradura Tequila makes a squeezable agave nectar that retails for around $7.99 a bottle. You can check it out here, and start contemplating your take on a better margarita.

James Mulcahy writes about spirits and New York nightlife at his blog, NYBarfly.com.

NX35, Denton, Texas

The Armchair Enophile — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:25:00 GMT

While Austin boasts what the country recognizes as the premiere music conferences, South By Southwest (SXSW), Denton has one of its own: North By 35 (NX35).

Named after the interstate that links the two Texas cities, NX35 is in its infancy (2010 was its second year) and still has that wonderful rough-at-the-seams charm that comes at the beginning. Last week, Denton (just north of Fort Worth) performed very well, even scoring The Flaming Lips for a free outdoor concert on Saturday night.

Dan’s Silver Leaf performed just fine, too. This laid-back bar and performance venue was crowded throughout most of the four-day “conferette” as it welcomed local and national acts to its intimate stage, many bands getting that first great introduction to a wider audience.

Dan's Silver Leaf in Denton, TX, home of NX35.

Owner Dan Mojica introduced me to Trumer Pils, a crisp and clean pilsner from Berkeley (via Salzburg, Austria) with a brilliant chardonnay gold color. Very balanced with honey and dried fruits, subtle hoppiness, and a quick finish of citrus and earth.

NX35 is going to get bigger. It’s going to get better. So fans of live music ought to start making plans for next March’s shows (before this whole thing gets too overwhelming). And, if otherwise in the Fort Worth area, take the hour-drive north on the 35 to check out Denton and to hang out under the neon green longhorns with Dan and company.

www.nx35.com

Anthony Head is Texas Editor for THE TASTING PANEL magazine. Read more on his website: www.TheArmchairOenophile.com.