Thirsty in LA » joe brooke

Table 20 Names Matt Biancaniello L.A.’s Best Bartender

thirstyinla — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:24:21 +0000

Matt Biancaniello serves his Queen of the Night punch.

A few months ago, Table 20 began a search to find L.A.’s Best Bartender by inviting the public to nominate and vote for their favorite bartenders. After the 30-day nomination and voting period, contest judges whittled the top 25 vote-getters down to five finalists and the People’s Choice winner, Matt Biancaniello.

Throughout most of September, the judges visited and evaluated the six finalists:

Matt Biancaniello (Library Bar)
Joe Brooke (The Edison)
Devon Espinosa (The Tasting Kitchen)
Dee Ann Quinones (The Parlour Room, Street)
Max Diaz (Cicada Club, Cole’s)
Alex Straus (Hemingway’s, Hotel Shangri-La)

I was invited to be on the panel of judges (along with Caroline on Crack, Food She Thought, kevinEats, and Vixen’s L.A. Happy Hours), but due to a scheduling conflict I wasn’t able to participate in the critical evaluation period and had to bow out. Fortunately, Chris Archibald (Liquor.com) was able to step up and take the baton (or is that the swizzle stick?).

When I saw the list of finalists, I wondered how the judges would be able to decide on one finalist over another, they are all such great bartenders. Table 20 offered its own suggestions on what to look for: “The best bartender can be defined by many aspects: best service, best drinks, broadest drink knowledge, the fastest, best under pressure, best personality, best stories, best listener, most consistent, whatever attribute makes you happy. We wanna hear about them.”

With the evaluation period over and the judges’ decision made, 100 guests were invited to a party last night at Elevate Lounge to find out who would be named L.A.’s Best Bartender. Thirsty guests were treated to Don Q rum punches made by the six finalists, who gave everyone a taste of what it takes to be one of L.A.’s best bartenders.

Michel Dozois had the party on Névé Ice.

After checking in, guests were directed to Michel Dozois and his Névé Ice station, where glasses with ice spears and rocks were ready to be filled with punch. The finalists were set up in pairs throughout Elevate.

Devon Espinosa

I made my way to the back for some Irie Punch, an appropriate name for a punch made by the always-smiling Devon Espinosa (irie is the rasta word for “happy”).

Don Q Añejo Rum
House-made Falernum
Fresh lime juice
Coconut Water

Joe Brooke was set up next to Devon, but since he was running late he wouldn’t be able to serve his punch until after the announcement.

Alex Straus

Despite getting off a plane an hour before the Table 20 party was scheduled to start, Alex Straus was the epitome of cool, much like his excellent 700 Rum Punch.

Don Q Cristal Rum
Don Q Añejo Rum
Smith and Cross Rum
Orgeat
Fresh lemon juice
Fresh lime juice
Demerara syrup
Ginger beer
Special bitters cinnamon sticks

Matt Biancaniello's Queen of the Night, topped with starfruit and husk cherries.

Not surprisingly, Matt Biancaniello’s Queen of the Night, with its starfruit and husk cherry toppings, had the most visual appeal.

Don Q Añejo Rum
Greek yogurt
Fresh lime juice
Agave
Mango
Roasted cumin seeds
Shaved pistachios

Max Diaz served a warm and comforting Red Sparrow Punch.

Max Diaz offered a nice change of pace with his Red Sparrow Punch, a warm and comforting beverage that was perfect for a cool and drizzly night.

Don Q Añejo Rum
Apple cider
Cabernet Sauvignon
Green Chartreuse
“Secret syrup”

Dee Ann Quinones

Dee Ann Quinones spiced things up with her Jamaica Agua Loca, a refreshing take on aguas frescas.

Don Q BlackBeard Spiced Rum
Hibiscus dried flowers
Orange fresno chili peppers
Fresh lime juice
Fresh lemon juice
Cucumbers

L to R: Joe Brooke, Devon Espinosa, Matt Biancaniello, Alex Straus, Max Diaz, Trevor Smith, Dee Ann Quinones

With everyone properly punchy, it was almost time for the big announcement. After Table 20 founder Trevor Smith and Elevate GM Michael Geist said a few words, Dan Port was picked as the winner of dinners at Lazy Ox Canteen and Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant. Dan, who nominated Robyn from the Daily Pint, was chosen in a random drawing.

And then at last, the Main Event. With the six finalists gathered around him, Smith invited a party guest to read the name of L.A.’s Best Bartender: Matt Biancaniello. He was gracious in his speech, remarking that he had learned so much throughout the contest as well as from his fellow finalists.

Joe Brooke's State Fair Punch was served with a spoonful of lavender honey butter and a pinch of salt.

With the ceremony over, Joe Brooke went to work and served his State Fair Punch, another warm drink that provided a nice nightcap to an enjoyable evening.

Don Q Añejo Rum
Apple cider
Lavender honey butter
Fresh lime juice
Salt

Congratulations to Matt Biancaniello and all the finalists, and props to Trevor Smith for a fun contest that put a well-deserved spotlight on some of our city’s most talented bartenders.

More coverage of the Table 20 event:

All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – February 2010

thirstyinla — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:25:55 +0000

An occasional roundup of L.A. cocktail culture in various media.

Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, LA Times Magazine featured recipes for four classic tiki cocktails, “reimagined for a new generation.” Love the retro-style artwork, too.

On February 11, an LA Times Food article included a profile of Modern Spirits (TRU Vodka, found at some of LA’s best cocktail bars) and the ups and downs of being an artisan distillery.

Two articles in the much-discussed Los Angeles issue of Saveur (#127, Feb) focused on LA’s cocktail culture:

Drink City is a solid list of cocktail destinations that includes The Edison, Seven Grand, Rivera, Roger Room, and Copa d’Oro. The Varnish wasn’t listed, but was instead mentioned in a sidebar on the Cole’s-Philippe’s French Dip rivalry.

In Spirits of Polynesia, Jeff Berry takes a look at the wonderful Tiki-Ti, affectionately calling the owners “textbook examples of how not to succeed in the bar business.”

Also in the Saveur issue are cocktail recipes for Rivera’s Barbacoa and Tiki-Ti’s Cuba Kola and Puka Punch.

On Fat Tuesday, The Edison announced that Joe Brooke (named America’s Best Bartender and formerly at Copa d’Oro) would assume the role of Director of Spirits, a position formerly held by Aidan Demerest, now consulting for the cocktail program at the upcoming First & Hope.

The very next day, cocktail enthusiasts were a-Twitter over a Daily Dish post that said that Audrey Saunders had ended her Tar Pit partnership with Mark Peel. According to the LA Times, Peel said that Saunders “did all the training and designing for the original menu, and I think she did a great job. We just came to a parting of the ways.” It was announced that Marcos Tello would head the Tar Pit bar, until word came later that day that he was also leaving. Squid Ink followed up with a confirmation that Marcos had indeed resigned from the Tar Pit to return to The Varnish as well as consult on the aforementioned First & Hope.

Speaking of Squid Ink and First & Hope, Caroline on Crack posted a sneak preview of the forthcoming supper club, scheduled to open in mid-March. The preview also includes a recipe for the Champagne Julep, an upscale take on the classic mint julep.

A week after the dust had settled at the Tar Pit, the LA Times published a review by S. Irene Virbila. Tar Pit got two stars from Miss Irene, who gave it props for the cocktails but thought the kitchen was inconsistent.

On Thursday, February 25th, Alex Day worked his last shift at New York’s renowned Death & Company. What does this have to do with L.A. cocktail culture you ask? Well, according to his interview with the Village Voice, Alex is heading to Los Angeles to open a bar with Death & Co. owner David Kaplan. New York’s loss is L.A.’s gain; stay tuned, friends.

Last week, the LA Weekly published Jonathan Gold’s 99 Things to Eat in L.A. Before You Die, a list that covers everything from “fugu to foie gras, pizza to panuchos.” Best of all, you can also have a great cocktail when you check off a few of these must-eat dishes:

Rivera’s tortillas
Musso & Frank’s Welsh rarebit
Cole’s French Dip
Akasha’s quinoa with edamame
Comme Ca’s cheeseburger
Michael Cimarusti’s squid with piquillo peppers and pig’s ear
Hungry Cat’s lobster roll

Mezcal and tequila fans have been eagerly anticipating the debut of 213 Downtown’s Las Perlas, and according to blogdowntown, the opening could happen as early as today. The post describes the interior in detail, noting that Ricki Kline is especially happy with how his latest design for 213 turned out.

February 23: Radio Room at the Edison

thirstyinla — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:27:41 +0000

Since its relaunch last February, the Radio Room at the Edison has hosted guest mixologists from top bars such as Bourbon & Branch, Death & Co., Milk & Honey, Drink, Heaven’s Dog, and Clyde Common. In November, the Radio Room brought in guests Kirk Estopinal, Richard Gomez, and Danny Valdez from Cure (New Orleans), along with Plymouth Gin brand ambassador Simon Ford.

After a brief hiatus, the Radio Room returns on Tuesday, February 23rd. The first Radio Room of 2010 features Joe Brooke, the Edison’s newly-appointed Director of Spirits, and winner of America’s Best Bartender competition. Joining him are San Francisco’s Erick Castro (Rickhouse) and New York’s Brian Miller (Death & Co.). They’ll each bring a selection of their signature cocktails to the Radio Room menu, a great way to sample drinks from around the country in one night.

In addition to imbibing cocktails from the Edison’s ace bartending team, guests will be entertained by Vagabond Opera, a six-piece “Bohemian cabaret ensemble” based in Portland, Oregon. Limited online presale tickets are available now. Tickets will also be sold at the door on Tuesday night. You can also sign up for the Edison e-mail list for a two-for-one discount. Better yet, enter Caroline on Crack’s contest for a chance to win a VIP package, which includes admission for two, drink tickets, and a table reservation!

Radio Room at the Edison
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
108 W. 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-0000
www.edisondowntown.com

Guest Mixologists: Joe Brooke, Erick Castro, Brian Miller

Featuring: Vagabond Opera & DJ Jonny

Doors at 8pm
21 and over
Presale tickets available online
$10.00 tickets at the door on event night

All the Booze That’s Fit to Print – Fall 2009

thirstyinla — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:21:28 +0000

An occasional roundup of L.A. cocktail culture in various media.

LA Times Magazine
The monthly Los Angeles Times insert continues its excellent series of articles on the L.A. cocktail scene. Mezcal was the focus in the November issue, which featured an in-depth look at Ron Cooper, the man behind Del Maguey. There are also several mezcal cocktail recipes by Raul Yrastorza (Cole’s Red Car Bar), to be featured at Las Perlas, the upcoming “shrine to mezcal” from Cedd Moses and Mark Verge.

Just in time for the holidays, the December issue featured artisinal punch recipes from Vincenzo Marianella, Eric Alperin, Ted Haigh, and Marcos Tello.

LA Times
During Thanksgiving Week, the LA Times featured a “Culinary SOS” gallery of 47 recipes from readers’ favorite restaurant dishes. One of them was the Chilling with the Coolidge Cocktail, created by Danielle Motor at The Hungry Cat for actress Jennifer Coolidge. It’s no longer on the menu, but here’s the recipe.

Also in the gallery: the “Gin”-ger Basiltini (the Girl & the Fig, Sonoma) and the Stella! Sazerac (Stella!, New Orleans).

America’s Top Bartender
The weekend before Thanksgiving, Copa d’Oro’s Joe Brooke was named America’s Top Bartender and won $100,000. Congrats and way to represent, Joe! You can watch Joe win the Final Challenge at LXTV’s On the Rocks site.

After his victory, Joe made an appearance on the Today Show, mixing a couple of holiday cocktails: The Linus and Single Serve Eggnog.

NY Times Winter Drinks
On December 1st, the NY Times published its Winter Drinks issue, which went heavy with the rum. One article featured an aged rum taste test, while another made the case for rum being the new gin. Featured prominently in the latter article was the Night Watcher, an insane-looking tiki drink (ball gag anyone?) from The Tar Pit, opening December 18th. Photos and recipes included the Night Watcher and the Top Notch Volcano, from San Francisco’s Smuggler’s Cove.

Also in the Winter Drinks issue, an article focused on day drinks, including the Ramos Gin Fizz at The Hungry Cat.

The Tar Pit
With opening night (hopefully) just days away, anticipation for The Tar Pit has reached a fever pitch. Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club) and Chad Solomon and Christy Pope (Cuff & Buttons) are collaborating on the cocktail menu, so it’s no wonder that the New York Times has led the way in coverage, beginning with an article that broke the news that Saunders was part of the Tar Pit team. Subsequently, the LA Times, Los Angeles Magazine, LA Weekly, and Eater LA provided additional info and images. Then came the Night Watcher mention in the NY Times, the first cocktail to emerge from the project. Thrillist has just posted a few more Tar Pit cocktails, including:

The Old Cuban – aged rum mojito, Angostura bitters, topped with champagne
Flame of Love (invented by Chasen’s Pepe Ruiz for Dean Martin) – bay leaf-infused vodka w/ fino sherry, and a flaming corkscrew orange peel
Fiddy-Fiddy – gin-vermouth (50/50, natch), orange bitters, and a lemon-twist

A press preview night has been announced for Monday the 14th, so expect a flurry of posts and pics on Tuesday. As for me, I’ll be spending the weekend trying to blag a +1 for Monday. Cheers!