Food & Wine Cocktails 2011

The cocktail recipes are once again organized into chapters focused on a particular spirit. John Coltharp (The Tasting Kitchen) heads the Whiskey chapter, dipping into a few recipes from his Seven Grand repertoire as well as more recent creations. Standouts include the Scotch-based August Collins, the Presbyterian’s Aversion (with rye, Averna amaro and ginger syrup), and the Descanso Beach Smash, inspired by a 2008 trip to Catalina Island.

The book opens with a “Cocktail Clinic,” which includes how-to’s, a list of Essential Spirits, a glassware and bar tools guide, and new features like the Beginner’s Cocktail Guide and Cocktail Trends (in: salted cocktails, vinegar; out: housemade bitters and meaty drinks). Also new for 2011 is a collection of Chef’s Cocktails, a nod to the increasingly blurry line between chefs and bartenders in high end restaurants. David Lentz (The Hungry Cat Hollywood) and mixologist Jeremy Allen contribute the Four on the Floor, so named for its four equally-proportioned ingredients and the duo’s love of muscle cars.

As always, F&W features Party Food recipes to serve with the cocktails. Look for the Sichuan chile-fueled Numb Nuts by Lukshon chef Sang Yoon, and the Creamy Onion Dip from Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook of Animal.

In the book’s directory of the Top 100 American Bars, New York leads the way with seventeen bars, followed by Los Angeles and San Francisco with twelve bars each. Unlike some of the L.A. bars listed in Esquire magazine’s latest compilation of the Best Bars in America, I can recommend all of F&W’s picks:

• 1886
• Copa d’Oro
• The Edison
• La Descarga
• Las Perlas
• Musso & Frank Grill
• Rivera
• Roger Room
• Seven Grand
• The Tasting Kitchen
• Tiki-Ti
• The Varnish

To its credit, Cocktails 2011 travels down the 5 to include a few bars from San Diego: Craft & Commerce, El Dorado and Noble Experiment. On the downside, F&W (like Esquire) neglected to list Seal Beach’s beloved 320 Main. It’s time to start the campaign for 2012 right now, who’s with me?

Food & Wine Cocktails 2011

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Food & Wine
• Retail price: $14.95
• www.foodandwine.com

Cinco de Mayo is upon us, and of course that means it’s time for a margarita or three. In addition to tequila and freshly-squeezed lime juice, cocktail enthusiasts will likely be reaching for Cointreau to mix in their margaritas. But these days, people are trying to save money wherever they can. So is it possible to use less expensive ingredients and still make a great cocktail? The folks at Hiram Walker think so, and they sent a bottle of their triple sec and asked me to match it against Cointreau, the heavyweight champ of orange liqueurs, in a Triple Sec Challenge. For the taste test, Hiram Walker sent a bottle of Cointreau as well. To help me with the triple sec throwdown, I was joined by my good friend and fellow imbiber Scot (aka The Red Bearded Hipster).

The Margarita
For the Triple Sec Challenge, we mixed margaritas using a Jim Meehan recipe from the 2009 edition of Food & Wine Cocktails.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces blanco tequila
• 3/4 oz triple sec
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• 1 lime wedge
• Kosher salt
• Ice

Preparation:

• Moisten the outer rim of a rocks glass with the lime wedge, and coat lightly with salt.
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Add all of the remaining ingredients and shake well.
• Fill the rocks glass with ice and strain the drink into the glass.

Note: for the taste test, we omitted the salt on the glass rim.

The Triple Sec Challenge
We prepared two margaritas, one with Cointreau and one with the Hiram Walker. To identify which was which, we put a sticker at the bottom of each glass. Then came the taste test, and we took turns sipping from each margarita. Initially, there wasn’t an obvious difference between the two drinks. Then, after a couple more tastes, one of the margaritas emerged as our consensus pick. Checking the bottom of the glass, our choice was the margarita made with Cointreau.

We both thought the margarita with the Hiram Walker had a noticeable aftertaste. It certainly wasn’t detrimental to enjoying the cocktail, but the Hiram Walker margarita was definitely not as smooth as the one with Cointreau. That said, it took some concentration to pick out a favorite. And in a more relaxed setting, I doubt if anyone would take a sip and say, “Hey, this isn’t Cointreau!”

To put the results in a different perspective, BevMo prices its 750ML bottle of Cointreau at $33.99, while a 750ML bottle of Hiram Walker is just $7.99. If you’re mixing pitchers of margaritas for a party, or if it’s margarita o’clock every night (like it is for some people I know), Hiram Walker may very well become your go-to triple sec. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.

Hiram Walker Triple Sec

• 30% ABV
• BevMo price: $7.99

TASTING NOTES

• Color – Clear.
• Nose – Strong, pungent orange; slightly bitter orange peel.
• Taste – Sweet orange, citrus.
• Finish – Orange, tart and sweet.

For more information, visit www.hiramwalker.com.

Before recapping a busy January 2010 (see below) let’s take one last look at December 2009 and the decade that was.

In its Dec. 29th edition, the NY Times published A Decade of Invention and Reinvention, its look at mixology trends of the decade. Topping the list is the Gin-Gin Mule, the gin-based take on the Moscow Mule created by Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club). It’s now on cocktail menus across the country, and here in L.A. you can get the definitive version at Saunders’ Tar Pit. Another new classic is PDT’s Benton Old-Fashioned, created in 2007 by Don Lee. New York Magazine posted the PDT recipe in its April 14, 2008 issue. LAist recently posted the recipe for a local version, Little Dom’s Bacon Old Fashioned. Finally, The Varnish is name-checked in the “Bartender’s Choice” trend, a cocktail menu option that’s resulted from bartenders raising “their level of skill and scholarship” and customers having “an increased sense of adventure” and a willingness to put their drink choices in bartenders’ hands.

Trident - The Tar Pit

In his Best Dishes of 2009, Jonathan Gold says an Aviation is always his first drink of the evening at The Varnish, “a civilized temple of spirits where bliss is measured out by the dram.” Mr. Gold also lists the beer float at Golden State, a “mind-blowing way to complete a meal, all cold creaminess and explosive fizz, innocent sweetness and a blast of pungent, hoppy bitterness.”

Just in time for New Year’s Eve, the LA Times published an article on sherry cocktails, including recipes for the Montresor & Fortunato (the Roger Room), the Golden Boy (the Bazaar), and the Trident (the Tar Pit).

Speaking of December 31st, if you want to relive some of the downtown festivities (or just need help remembering), the LA Weekly posted a NYE Downtown Crawl slideshow that includes images from The Varnish, Cole’s, and Seven Grand.

~

And, now…on to 2010!

The January 2010 issue of LA Times Magazine features several versions of sangrita to pair with high-end tequila, including recipes from Julian Cox and Jennifer Stockley.

“I travel the whole U.S. right now with what I’m doing, and probably the most exciting (cocktail) scene at the moment is in Los Angeles.” ~ Charlotte Voisey

Mutineer #9

The preceding quote can be found in the current issue of Mutineer Magazine (#9, Jan-Feb), in an interview with Portfolio Ambassador Charlotte Voisey (William Grant & Sons). She also says Los Angeles is “just on fire” and notes the city’s “great history during Prohibition.” Also in the issue, blogger Marvin Gapultos (Burnt Lumpia) offers an in-depth look at at The Pharmacie, the roving underground cocktail party. The article is accompanied by original paintings from Brent Estabrook.

Musso & Frank recently celebrated its 90th birthday, and to mark the occasion NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday aired this story on January 3rd. Later that week, the LA Times published an interview with Musso & Frank owner Jordan Jones, who discusses some of the changes coming to the venerable Hollywood restaurant now that his family has sole control of the business. Not to be missed is a related article that profiles Musso’s bartender Ruben Rueda.

On January 10, the NY Times posted a review of the Roger Room, describing it as “a place of reverse snobbery, where you go to avoid running into celebrities and their ear-pierced bodyguards.” The article then notes that Cameron Diaz and Fiona Apple are regulars, which is not only contradictory but, frankly, somewhat disappointing.

Each year, the online magazine StarChefs names its Rising Stars, up-and-coming chefs and culinary professionals who “represent the vanguard of the contemporary American dining scene.” On January 11, StarChefs announced its 2010 Los Angeles-San Diego Rising Stars, including mixologists Eric Alperin (The Varnish) and Julian Cox (Rivera).

Also this month, StarChefs posted its overview of the Los Angeles mixology scene, with cocktail recipes:

• Gin Fix by Eric Alperin (The Varnish)
• Fields of Gold by Joel Black (The Doheny)
• Whisky Smash by Tristan Price (Café Pierre)
• Four Aces by Damian Windsor (The Roger Room)

Given the amount of praise he’s received in the last several months, Matthew Biancaniello (the Roosevelt Hotel) might have to start preparing his own Rising Star speech. On January 15, the Daily Dish posted a feature on his latest creations for the Library Bar: cocktails served in eggshells. To go with the article, the Times includes his Indian Summer cocktail recipe.

Last week, LA Times Magazine posted a preview of La Descarga, the rum-centric bar set to open on Western this Tuesday, February 2nd. Shortly thereafter, Eater LA and Thrillist had sneak peeks of their own online. The drink menu is overseen by Pablo Moix (Portfolio Mixologist for Bacardi USA) and Steve Livigni (the Doheny), featuring cocktails such as Papa’s Daiquiri, Tapping the Admiral, and the Bad Spaniard. The “secret entrance” and reservations-only policy (made via e-mail) are reminiscent of San Francisco’s Bourbon & Branch; here’s hoping the cocktails justify the comparisons.

Food & Wine Feb. 2010

The January 29th issue of LA Weekly features Steve Julian’s profile of Julian Cox. You can listen to interview excerpts at Offramp on KPCC.

The latest issue of Food & Wine (Feb. 2010) features a “Invent Your Own Cocktail” party, with cocktails by Eric Alperin and food by Jason Travi (Fraiche). Elsewhere in the issue, “The New Cocktail Boutique” rounds up the new breed of cocktail shop, including L.A.’s own Bar Keeper. And don’t miss the Belgian beers paired with Asian dishes from the upcoming Lukshon, courtesy of Sang Yoon (Father’s Office).

The L.A. section is solid, with no questionable entries. It’s a mix of new and old, bars and restaurants. Personally I would’ve included Rivera as well, but I don’t know if it was open at the time F&W was going to print.

The list of ten bars follows; for more info see my Bars guide.

• Bar Centro
• Comme Ca
• Copa d’Oro
• The Doheny
• The Edison
• The Hungry Cat
• Musso & Frank Grill
• The Penthouse
• Seven Grand
• The Varnish

Another section of the book features 18 cocktail recipes created by the country’s top mixologists. Three cocktails are from L.A.:

• Apricino Sour – Eric Alperin, the Varnish. Utilizing techniques he perfected while creating Italian-inspired drinks at Osteria Mozza, Alperin creates a cocktail that substitutes grappa for pisco.
• Blackberry-Pineapple Sidecar – Ryan Magarian, the Penthouse. The Portland-based cocktail consultant starts with the flavors, then matches the classic cocktail.
• Mt. Stair – Vincenzo Marianella, Copa d’Oro. A “savory pear sour” named after an English schoolmaster who discovered the Williams pear (aka the Bartlett pear).

There are also a couple of L.A. entries in the Party Food section: the “Uncle Louie Burgers” (Carolynn Spence, Bar Marmont) and tagliata of porcini-rubbed rib eye (Matt Molina, Osteria Mozza).

All in all it’s a great book to have around, a concise and useful snapshot of the national cocktail culture from coast to coast. I know my copy is going to get pretty dogeared by the time next year’s edition comes out.