Thirsty in LA » world cocktail day

Death and Pain on World Cocktail Day 2010

thirstyinla — Sat, 22 May 2010 22:34:39 +0000

Death and Company | photo: Grub Street

First in a series recapping the 2010 Manhattan Cocktail Classic.

Fear not, dear reader. Despite the grim title of this post, I had a great night out with friends old and new on the eve of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic. I had flown to New York a day early to celebrate World Cocktail Day as well as toast my First Blogiversary, a date I happened to share with Selena Ricks, author of The Dizzy Fizz. Tweets and texts were exchanged, and plans were made to convene at Death and Company, in the East Village. My first stop was the Waldorf=Astoria, where my friend Scot (The Red Bearded Hipster) was staying while he was in town for a few days on business. After I got settled in, we kicked off the festivities with Manhattans at Peacock Alley, the Waldorf’s lobby bar and restaurant. After a long flight (and what seemed like an even longer shuttle ride), it was exactly what I needed. Then we were off to Death & Co. Once we arrived in the East Village, we were met by Tom, a longtime friend of mine who had moved from LA to New York several years back. Tom was letting me crash at his East Village pad during the MCC, and his central location would prove to be a lifesaver more than once in the days ahead. There was a queue outside Death & Co. as we walked up, but fortunately our friends already had a booth and we were allowed entry through the bar’s trademark wooden door.

We sat down with quite the illustrious group: Lindsey Johnson and Ceci Norman from Lush Life Productions, Mindy Kucan (Anvil), and my blogger twin Selena. And behind the stick? None other than the CIC of the Drunken Army himself, Jason Littrell! My first time at Death & Co., and it already felt like home. The long and narrow space was appointed with sleek tables and a cherry wood ceiling, accented by kerosene lamps and custom chandeliers that added to the warm, intimate vibe.

A quick scan of the detailed menu, and my eye drifted to the Honshu Punch: Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, fresh lemon juice, fresh pineapple juice, sugar cane syrup, Deragon’s Bitters, Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters, and club soda. It’s a cocktail right up my alley, wonderfully balanced between the medium-bodied whisky, fruit juices and bitters.

Scot and Tom left it up to me to order our next round, so I went with Old Ironsides, made with Scarlet Ibis Rum, Cruzan Black Strap Rum, Dolin Sweet Vermouth, Lazzaroni Amaretto, and Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters. As many of you know, I like drinks that are bitter and funky, and this one is exactly that. The rums provide a wicked one-two punch, offset by the sweetness of the vermouth and the amaretto. Nice and funky, definitely bitter, very tasty. Or so I thought. Scot and Tom preferred to call Old Ironsides “syrupy.” They also preferred not to finish their drinks, as I recall. Ah, well. Can’t pick winners every time. And there were many, many cocktails yet to come…

Death and Company
433 East 6th Street
New York, NY 10009
(212) 388-0882
www.deathandcompany.com

Painkiller

After a short walk and a much-needed slice at Ray’s, we arrived at Painkiller, the newly-opened tiki bar from Dutch Kills partners Richard Boccato and Giuseppe Gonzalez. Stepping into the bar, it’s immediately apparent that this is not your father’s tiki. The decor reflects the team’s mantra, their belief that “Manhattan is the greatest island on Earth.” As such, Painkiller’s interior is a mash-up between Polynesian culture and 1970s Manhattan: bamboo covers the ceiling and lines the bar, walls, and shelves; in the back room, graffiti tags of “MAHALO” and “OHANA” cover one wall, while tiki masks line the other. The lighting cycles through colors periodically, occasionally lending a garish quality to the space. We noticed that this is not your modern New York cocktail den, either; as it got crowded later, people were actually allowed to stand at the bar.

Scorpion Bowl

Lindsey and Ceci had to call it a night, but Selena and Mindy were already sipping drinks at the bar by the time we arrived. We were joined by Tom’s friend Sang, who’s in the early stages of a spirits project that I hope to share with my readers in the near future. We bellied up to the bar and dove right into a Scorpion Bowl, made with orange juice, lemon juice, orgeat, light rum and pisco. After the “volcano” is filled with Demerara 151 and lit, the bowl is garnished with gardenias and served. Four long straws were handed out and we sipped; male bonding, tiki-style! We assumed there was a kick to it, but as expected it was hard to tell. A refreshing, communal introduction to the Painkiller concept of New York tiki culture.

Next up, Tom and I ordered the Painkiller Mai Tai, an interpretation of the Trader Vic’s classic: house-made orgeat, house-made curaçao, lime juice, Appleton V/X Jamaican rum, Rhum Agricole, and Lemon Hart Demerara rum (overproof). Served in a glass tiki mug and garnished with mint, a lime wedge and an orchid, it certainly has the look of another winner. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. We couldn’t tell where it went wrong, but even my preference for the funk couldn’t get my palate around this one.

Dark 'n' Frosty

Meanwhile Scot went with a Dark ‘n’ Frosty, a blended Dark ‘n’ Stormy variation made with Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, lime juice, ginger beer, and demerara syrup. By special request it was served in a pineapple. I missed the upfront ginger you get from a Dark ‘n’ Stormy, but after the Mai Tai a sip from that pineapple was heaven in a straw.

Painkiller's back room

As Selena took her leave, she warned us about how strong the drinks were. Needless to say, we didn’t pay attention and ordered a final round: an excellent Singapore Sling made with gin, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, Cointreau, Bénédictine, Cherry Heering, and Angostura bitters. It’s served in a Collins glass, garnished with an orange slice and a cherry. This was the essence of tiki, a superb cocktail balanced between numerous flavors. And as we’d realize in the morning, as potent as it is enjoyable.

In the wee hours, it hadn’t dawned on me that the Manhattan Cocktail Classic had yet to officially begin. All I knew was that I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend World Cocktail Day and my First Blogiversary.

Painkiller
49 Essex Street
New York NY 10002
(212) 777-TIKI
www.painkillernyc.com

NEXT: THE MCC GALA

Thirsty in LA First Blogiversary & World Cocktail Day 2010

thirstyinla — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:30:01 +0000

World Cocktail Day 2010: in a Manhattan state of mind

Today is May 13th, which means Thirsty in LA is celebrating its One-Year Blogiversary! It seems like so much has happened with the L.A. cocktail scene since I launched this blog, it’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year. Just look at some of the bars and restaurants that have opened in that time span: Bigfoot Lodge West, Caña Rum Bar, First & Hope, Roger Room, La Descarga, Las Perlas, The Tar Pit, The Thirsty Crow, and Tony’s Saloon. Can’t wait to see what the next twelve months have in store for us!

Besides all the great cocktails, there were also some standout nights among many great experiences: a fantastic meal and one-of-a-kind keepsake at The Balvenie Deconstruction Dinner; sipping the fabled Horny Goat Hooch at Bigfoot Lodge West; food from some of L.A.’s finest chefs and cocktails by Eric Alperin and Julian Cox at the StarChefs Rising Stars Revue.

I’ve also been able to meet and hang out with some amazing bloggers, serious cocktailians and just all-around awesome people: Caroline on Crack, Eat Drink & Be Merry, e*starLA, FoodGPS, ShopEatSleep, and The Liquid Muse to name just a few.

Best of all, it’s been great to meet my readers, who have been so gracious and supportive in the comments and emails. It’s always a pleasant surprise when I get introduced to someone and they’ve read or heard of Thirsty in LA. Many thanks to all of you for stopping by and checking out my little corner of the blogosphere.

Now some of you may be wondering, how am I going to celebrate? Funny you should ask…

May 13th is also World Cocktail Day, the culmination of World Cocktail Week and its celebration of the American Cocktail. The date coincides with the earliest uses of the term “Cocktail” in the May 1806 editions of “The Balance and Columbian Repository.” You can download Imbibe magazine’s scans of these historic documents, as well as read notes by Ted Haigh, aka Dr. Cocktail.

In one of those happy instances of Great Minds Drink Alike, Selena Ricks also chose World Cocktail Day 2009 as the day to launch her wonderful blog, The Dizzy Fizz. Now, I may cover the cocktail scene here in L.A., but The Dizzy Fizz is part of the scene in New York. Just check out the info for The Dizzy Fizz Tastemaker’s Punch, an event taking place next Monday during the inaugural Manhattan Cocktail Classic, and you’ll see what I mean.

Which brings us to my blogiversary. When the dates for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic were announced, I knew I had to be in New York to celebrate The Dizzy Fizz -- Thirsty in LA Blogiversary, World Cocktail Day, and the Manhattan Cocktail Classic. It all seems to have worked out, and with any luck I’ll be sipping a Manhattan in Manhattan not long after I land.

So here’s to World Cocktail Day, blogiversaries, and another year of great cocktails and spirited adventures. Cheers!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k2_HHrk8Y8

2010: So Far, So Good

thirstyinla — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:14:37 +0000

So far, 2010 is off to a great start: got up early this morning, made brunch with my brother, had a nice Chinese seafood dinner with the family, then topped off the evening with a Manhattan at home on a quiet Friday night.

Day One may be winding down, but a look at the calendar says there’s a lot going on in the next several months:

Mystery Bar
January 2010
Just before the end of the year, LA Weekly posted a tease about a mysterious new bar set to open at the end of this month. Not much in the way of detail, although there’s this intriguing bit: “the bar has the best entrance, hands down, of any heretofore seen. That includes, hot dog stands, phone booths, and hidden bookcases.” Can’t wait to hear more about this place!

Update Jan. 4: In its look at 2010 nightlife trends, the LA Times notes that the Houston twins (owners of Hollywood’s Piano Bar) are opening a Cuban rum bar in the former Blacklight (2nd St. and Vermont) on January 10. The bar will feature live salsa bands and “a sophisticated cocktail program, care of a superstar (and still off-the-record) bartender.”

Las Perlas
Q1 2010
Located across the street from Cole’s, the newest addition to Cedd Moses’ 213 portfolio aims to do for tequila and mezcal what Seven Grand did for whiskey. For pics of the colorful space, as well as a rundown on the list of mezcals and tequilas, check out Eater LA.

JW Marriott at L.A. Live | Image: Marriott

The Mixing Room, JW Marriott at L.A. Live
February 15, 2010
Back in November, Paul Rossi (Food and Beverage Director for the JW Marriott) said in a blogdowntown interview that the new hotel will feature a classic cocktail lounge called The Mixing Room. The 200-seat bar will also offer a small plates menu. Elsewhere in the property: Glance (a lobby lounge and wine bar) and ION, a poolside bar.

Glendon Kitchen & Cocktails
February 15, 2010
Also opening in mid-February is Glendon Kitchen & Cocktails, taking over the Moustache Cafe space in Westwood Village. According to LA Weekly, Glendon Kitchen “will cater to UCLA students and old-time Westsiders.” While I used to be the former, I am most definitely the latter. A welcome addition to a neighborhood that can use more cocktail destinations.

Radio Room at the Edison
February 23, 2010
After a couple of months off, the Radio Room returns to the Edison. The popular monthly event will feature guest mixologists and music by Portland’s Vagabond Opera.

Thirsty in LA…in New York!
May 2010
After far too long an absence, I’ll be visiting the Big Apple to celebrate World Cocktail Day and my Blogiversary (May 13), as well as attend the first annual Manhattan Cocktail Classic (May 14-18). If I’m not back by June, send a search party.

Bar Keeper

Bar Keeper
June 2010
In his December newsletter, Joe Keeper wrote that his wonderful Bar Keeper store is in the process of acquiring a liquor license for small batch spirits and liquors. If all goes well, he’ll have the license by early summer. In the meantime, you can stop by and show support by signing the petition.

Whew, that’s quite a first half of the year already! I’d better start doing liver stretches, especially with Burning Man only eight months away…

World Cocktail Day

thirstyinla — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:03:44 +0000

Today is World Cocktail Day, the culmination of World Cocktail Week and its celebration of the American Cocktail. The date coincides with the earliest uses of the term “Cocktail” in the May 1806 editions of “The Balance and Columbian Repository.” Imbibe recently uploaded a scan of these historic documents, which you can read on the magazine’s website. World Cocktail Week is organized by the Museum of the American Cocktail and its sponsors, with celebrations being held across the country and around the world. Last week, USA Today covered the event in this article, asking top mixologists to share cocktail trends from their areas.

Here in Los Angeles, the Edison will be celebrating World Cocktail Day by serving Moscow Mules in a copper mug for $5 all night long. Why a Moscow Mule, and why a copper mug you might ask? You can read all about the Mule on the Museum’s dedicated page.

The Edison
108 West 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 613-0000
www.EdisonDowntown.com