The 137th running of the Kentucky Derby takes place this Saturday, and Angelenos can watch “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” enjoy tasty cocktails and BBQ, and raise money for Japan disaster relief at the same great event. On Saturday, May 7th, Seven Grand, Bulleit Distilling and X-Zero Protective, in association with the USBGLA and the Nippon Bartenders Association, present a special Kentucky Derby Viewing Party. The event is a fundraiser for the American Red Cross and its ongoing efforts in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

The emcee for this Derby Day bash is the fabulous Hollis Bulleit, the World Ambassador for her family’s Bulleit Bourbon and the recently released Bulleit Rye Whiskey. Bulleit will be handing out prizes in a raffle, with proceeds (along with all donations at the door) going to the Red Cross for Japan relief. As of April 28, 2011, the American Red Cross had raised more than $197 million for its Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami response, including more than $4.5 million in text donations.

Seven Grand is opening its doors early for this special event, which has a suggested donation of $10 at the door for entry. To get everyone in the mood for The Run for the Roses, the bar will be serving Bulleit Bourbon punch, Bulleit Rye Old Fashioneds, and of course, the “very dream of drinks,” Mint Juleps. And to go with the cocktails, Spring Street Smoke House is serving its classic American BBQ.

Bulleit cocktails, BBQ, and Japan relief: now THAT is a winning trifecta!

NOTE: In order to attend this event, you must RSVP to Jason Schiffer: jason@usbgla.com.

Kentucky Derby Viewing Party
Saturday, May 7, 2011
12pm-4pm
RSVP required
$10 suggested donation at the door
Featuring:

• Emceed by Hollis Bulleit
• Mint Juleps, Bulleit Bourbon Punch and Bulleit Rye Old Fashioneds
• BBQ from Spring Street Smoke House
• Raffle

All donations at the door and raffle proceeds go to the Red Cross for Japan relief.

Seven Grand
515 W. 7th St. (2nd Floor)
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 614-0737
www.sevengrand.la

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Photo: Buffalo Trace Distillery

This just in: 1933 Group (Bobby Green, Dimitri Komarov and Dmitry Liberman) has acquired an exclusive barrel of bourbon from Buffalo Trace, hand-selected during a visit to the famed distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

The selection process begins when Warehouse Supervisor Ronnie Eddins pulls several barrels that make up the Buffalo Trace taste profile. According to the Buffalo Trace website, barrel selection takes place in the legendary Warehouse H, which houses all of the Blanton’s Bourbon. Samples are taken directly from the barrel for tasting; first at barrel-strength, then again after cutting the bourbon to 60 proof. After sampling, the pulled barrels are narrowed down to just one.

Precious bottles of the private barrel bourbon will be allocated to both locations of Bigfoot Lodge (Los Feliz and West) and The Thirsty Crow. The bars will feature the barrel-select Buffalo Trace in classic and signature cocktails: the Old Fashioned, Sasquatch, and the Bourberry.

Needless to say, supplies of the private barrel Buffalo Trace are extremely limited; get your sips soon before it’s all gone.

The Bigfoot Lodge
3172 Los Feliz Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 662-9227

Bigfoot Lodge West
10939 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 287-2200
www.bigfootlodge.com

The Thirsty Crow
2939 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 661-6007
www.thirstycrowbar.com

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2. September 29: K&L Presents Buffalo Trace Distillery Tasting at Wood & Vine
3. I’ll Buy That for a Dollar: Bigfoot West Introduces Two New Cocktails

Wild Turkey Associate Distiller Eddie Russell, newly inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.

This weekend has been an especially memorable one for Wild Turkey, thanks to Friday’s induction of Associate Distiller Eddie Russell into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. The prestigious honor is part of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which concludes its six-day celebration of America’s Native Spirit today.

Manhattan 101

Even if you didn’t make it to Bardstown this year, there’s still time to celebrate National Bourbon Heritage Month, which was first observed in September 2007. To help enthusiasts get into the spirit of the month, Wild Turkey has offered recipes for variations on a trio of iconic whiskey cocktails: the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned and the Whiskey Sour.

The three classics can be made with any type of whiskey, though ideally one that can stand up to the robust ingredients called for in their respective recipes. Rye, with its dry and spicy flavor profile, has once again become the preferred choice of bartenders, but its popularity has made it increasingly difficult to obtain in parts of the country.

At 101 proof, Wild Turkey Bourbon delivers a deeper, richer flavor than typical bourbons, which tend to be on the sweeter side. With Wild Turkey as the featured bourbon, each of the three cocktails offers the balanced profile that made them classics in the first place, with just enough tweaks to pleasantly surprise even the most seasoned cocktail enthusiast.

For more information, visit wildturkeybourbon.com.

MANHATTAN 101
Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon
• 1/3 oz dry vermouth
• 1/3 oz sweet vermouth
• 1 thin slice fresh ginger
• 3 mint leaves
• 1/2  tsp powdered sugar
• Dash aromatic bitters

Preparation:

• Muddle ginger, mint, powdered sugar and bitters in a cocktail shaker.
• Add Wild Turkey Bourbon, vermouth and ice.
• Shake and strain into a chilled glass.

Old Fashioned 101

OLD FASHIONED 101
Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon
• 1/2 oz apple cider
• 3 sage leaves
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 orange twists
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 fresh cherry
• 1 oz Amaretto

Preparation:

• Slice cherry from top to bottom five times around pit, and soak in a cup of Amaretto.
• Muddle cider, sage, saffron, brown sugar, orange twists and zest together in glass.
• Add Wild Turkey Bourbon and stir.
• Strain and serve over ice, garnish with Amaretto-soaked cherry.

Whiskey Sour 101

WHISKEY SOUR 101
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon
• 1/2 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 oz honey
• 1 fresh cherry
• 1 oz Wild Turkey American Honey
• Dollop of egg white

Preparation:

• Slice cherry from top to bottom five times around pit, and soak in a cup of Wild Turkey American Honey.
• Combine Wild Turkey Bourbon, grapefruit juice, lime juice and honey in a cocktail shaker.
• Froth egg white and add a dollop to the mixture.
• Shake and serve over ice. Garnish with Wild Turkey American Honey-soaked cherry.

Recipes and images courtesy of Wild Turkey.

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It’s always great to play host to friends visiting from out of town, especially if those friends happen to be Lindsey Johnson and Dave Harrison of Lush Life Productions, on a West Coast swing to promote Happy Houred, their recently-launched iPhone app. With busy work days and stops at Copa d’Oro, Roger Room, and the Edison on their L.A. agenda, I figured a quiet Sunday night in Culver City would be a good way for them to start the week. “Quiet” being a relative term, of course…

Bigfoot's ceiling was recycled from a movie set. | Photo: Lena Watanabe

This one's for you, Don.

After a stop at Rush Street and a stroll past the Culver Hotel (which was hosting two rocking parties), we headed over to Bigfoot Lodge West. The well-made cocktails, unpretentious attitude, and funky decor have made Bigfoot somewhat of a go-to spot for my Westside friends. Ever since our first visit, we’ve eyed the huge jar on display, a vessel that contains a dark, mysterious liquor known affectionately as “Horny Goat Hooch.”

According to the LA Times, the Hooch was created by a Chinese herbalist, who infused vodka with “bark, ants, an actual deer hoof, and more.” The resulting potion is supposedly akin to liquid Viagra. We came close a few times, but the L.A. crew never pulled the trigger on ordering the Hooch. Of course, as soon as I mentioned it to Lindsey and Dave, there was no question that we were going to try it.

The Hooch awaits. | Photo: Lena Watanabe

I pointed out the Hooch jar as soon as we walked into Bigfoot, and then we bellied up to the bar. In honor of the Mad Men Season Finale airing that night, I ordered an Old Fashioned that Don Draper himself would have been happy to drink. Dave went with a Sasquatch (Wild Turkey, ginger brandy, ginger ale, and a dash of bitters), while Lindsey’s order escapes me. I’ll hazard a guess that it was brown, bitter, and stirred. That, or something neat.

"My horn runneth over."

When we ordered our drinks, we asked for the Horny Goat Hooch as well. The incredulous bartender made sure that we understood it was $35 a shot, and when we reassured her that we did, the shot was poured. Actually, “the horn was filled” would be a more accurate description. This being Horny Goat Hooch, a mere shot glass wouldn’t do; we would sip the elixir from an actual horn, complete with mounting base. I have to give credit to the bartender, and not just because she nearly topped off the horn for us. Imagine trying to fill a glass with water from a full Sparkletts bottle with a top-mounted spout, and you’ll get an idea of what our bartender had to deal with.

We took turns drinking from the horn and were pleasantly surprised to find the vodka-based Hooch was actually pretty smooth, and not the crazy moonshine we were expecting. I won’t pretend that I could discern everything that went into the Hooch (“mmm…you can really taste the ant”), but it was aromatic and sweet, with hints of licorice and citrus. If anything, the Hooch reminded us somewhat of bitters.

Another satisfied customer.

As for the Hooch’s “restorative” powers? Well friends, that’s something you’ll have to find out for yourselves.

Bigfoot Lodge West
10939 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 287-2200
www.bigfootlodge.com

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To drink like Don, you order an Old Fashioned. | Photo: AMC

With that drink order, the world was introduced to Don Draper and Mad Men, the acclaimed show that returns for its third season on AMC this Sunday, August 16. From Times Square to Hollywood, “Maddicts” across the country will be gathering to watch the further adventures of the men and women of Sterling Cooper. In anticipation of the season premiere, media coverage has focused on everything from the brilliant acting and storytelling to Mad Men’s influence on fashion and interior design, a tribute to the incredible attention to detail that creator Matthew Weiner and his team give to every episode.

From the beginning, cocktail culture has been as integral to the show’s DNA as cigarettes and extramarital affairs. The New York Times recently published an article called “Sixties Accuracy in Every Sip,” an interesting overview of Mad Men’s use of cocktails, including comments from renowned experts such as Dale DeGroff and David Wondrich. The Times also talks to Mad Men prop master and “cocktail wrangler” Gay Perello, who says she can now make an Old Fashioned in her sleep. There’s even a recipe for a Vodka Gimlet, the drink that Betty Draper ordered before her tryst in the Season Two finale.

AMC offers its own Mad Men 1960s Cocktail Guide, featuring favorites such as the Bloody Mary, the Tom Collins, and of course the Old Fashioned. Keep in mind this guide is sponsored by Stolichnaya, so you’ll notice the Classic Martini calls for Stoli vodka, rather than gin. Oddly enough, Stoli wasn’t even available in the States in the 60s, though according to the N.Y. Times Roger Sterling gets his hands on some.

Over at Drink of the Week you’ll find great suggestions on how to throw your own Mad Men Cocktail Party. Not only do you get the drink recipe, but the Mad Men character who ordered it, too. Take that, Blu-ray!

Like so many other fans, I can’t wait to tune in on Sunday night and raise a glass to the best series on TV. Welcome back, Mad Men!

Mad Men
Sundays on AMC
10pm / 9pm C
Mad Men Official Site

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Not an actual Roger Room monkey.

After a solid cocktail session at 8oz Burger Bar, we were ready for more and headed over to the Roger Room. Located next to Largo in the space formerly occupied by the Coronet Pub, the Roger Room is the latest from the Bar Lubitsch team of Jared Meisler and partner Sean MacPherson. When it opened last month, much ado was made about the Roger Room’s “media embargo” and strict no photography policy. Blogs, Twitter, and Yelp have since posted freely about the Roger Room, though taking photos still isn’t permitted as far as I know.

Although there’s no Roger Room signage (shh…it’s a speakeasy), the Largo’s “THEATRE” sign next door is easy to spot, as are the storefront fortune teller neon signs. You’ll also notice the friendly neighborhood bouncer monitoring the Roger Room’s entrance. A black curtain separates the front door from the main room, and upon entering you actually feel like you’ve stumbled upon a secret watering hole, frozen in time. Throughout the dimly-lit room, circus-themed painted panels, stained glass windows, antique fixtures and yellowed photographs set a playful yet vintage mood. The colorful menus, decorated with whimsical polka dots, also stick with the theme. Thankfully the music breaks out of the circus, opting instead for a nice old school funk/soul vibe.

While Scot ordered our drinks, I snagged one of the small booths lining the wall opposite the bar. Other tables on the far end of the room were continuously occupied. A couple of water tumblers magically appeared, a nice touch and very much appreciated on this night.

Reversing our 8oz plan of attack, I ordered Roger Room signature cocktails (created by Meisler and the ubiquitous Damian Windsor) while Scot mostly stuck to classics. First up for me was the Thug: Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur, lemon juice and spicy habanero bitters. It’s aptly named; I was knocked for a loop by the Thug’s wicked mix of smoky, spicy and sweet flavors. While not overpowering, the Thug certainly packs a punch.

Meanwhile, Scot left his cocktail choice in the expert hands of Tai, our knowledgeable and amiable bartender. Tai’s refreshing take on a Bourbon Smash was very close to a Mint Julep (which is technically a Smash, after all), omitting the berries seen in more traditional Bourbon Smashes. For both of us, a great first round.

By now the noise level had risen considerably, to the point where we were shouting across a very small table. After our 8oz experience, we were starting to sense a theme. Considering the Roger Room’s “speakeasy” pretensions, you’d almost expect a “quiet, please” policy, but even if there was one I doubt any of the bartenders could be bothered to enforce it. Not to mention the hipster crowd would probably revolt if there was such a rule.

On to Round Two, and for me that meant an Old Sport: CapRock Organic Dry Gin, black tea-infused SOHO lychee liqueur, cucumber juice, and lime juice, served up. Another great cocktail, with a flavor mix that started with the bitterness of the black tea and moved onto the clean, fruit/floral notes of the CapRock,  balanced with the lychee and juices. Returning to the circus theme, a cucumber slice was playfully hooked onto the glass by a plastic monkey.

Speaking of monkeys, one of the busboys could have been Brad Pitt’s younger brother. Or Pitt himself, circa “12 Monkeys.” These are the things that come to mind after a Thug and an Old Sport. But I digress…

Scot opted for an Old Fashioned, his go-to classic cocktail, for his second round. This time he specified Buffalo Trace, a mutual favorite of ours. Once again, perfectly executed by Tai; we were feeling good and two for two.

For Round Three, I had a Spiced Mule (Saylor Jerry Spiced Rum, ginger juice, lime juice, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, club soda, rocks), an outstanding drink that offers a flavor grab bag of spice and ginger, with a tart finish. This was the consensus drink of the night, and that includes our previous cocktails at 8oz.

Scot finished with a Scarlet Aperol Fizz (Scarlet Ibis Rum, Aperol, lemon juice, egg white, crushed ice), a frothy creation with nuanced floral and caramel flavors, offset by hints of bitter and tart notes. Both Round Three drinks were top notch, a fantastic way to end an excellent session.

The cocktails at the Roger Room are up there with the city’s best, placing it in the top tier of bars alongside The Varnish and Copa d’Oro. Cocktail enthusiasts have already made the Roger Room the worst kept secret in town, but if you plan ahead crowds shouldn’t be an issue. As with the best things in life, it’s worth the effort.

The Roger Room
370 N La Cienega Blvd. (@ Oakwood Ave.)
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 854-1300

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