- So, was having a convo on twitter about bartenders not knowing their stuff. My girl @AKingEvents and @MrMixologist believe that bartenders should know the basics. I said, "School us!!" She did! Her tweets on the subject are as follows...
- Ok. Bitters. Now...these are a cocktail additive, not an ingredient or chaser/mixer. What's the diff, u ask?
- Regardless of the ingredients in ur bitters, its purpose should be to complement or even highlight another flavor in the drink's profile.
- I should never ever taste a cocktail and go hmm...tastes like @AngosturaUSA @NapaBittersCo etc. same way food shouldn't be primarily salty
- Josh Davis @MrMixologist -- @AKingEvents bitters is always a good subject.. I've been playing around with some Dandelion bitters @fliemyxes sent me
- W/food, u should taste the ingredients first. U shouldn't even sense the saltiness, bc it's not the star. It's there to help along the rest
- Same deal w/cocktails & bitters. The ingredients in the bitters are varied + complex & serve to enhance the profile created by other stuff
- So when selecting what bitters to add in ur drink, 1st realize that it's flavor will not be predominant. & if it is, you've added too much
- Josh Davis - To go on @AKingEvents last tweet.. It's all about balance. You should be able to taste everything in the cocktail as well as the complexity that bitters adds to it
- Instead, think...how will this dandelion/lavender/blood orange bitters affect the fruits, spirits and liqueurs that are already IN the drink
- A person with a trained palate like, @girlmeetsglass for example might could notice the bitters & ID it's ingredients...
- But that's not what I'm talking abt here. I'm talking balance. Think of ur mom's fave dish. Obv. It has salt. But what role does it play?
- I consider them essential when kept in their proper place. That's y theyre measured in drops. no such thing as a tbsp of bitters 4 a reason
- Ok. Now. I really gotta do some diplomacy! Interesting my portfolio for today: "cachaca avoids import tariffs by NOT classifying as a rum"
- lol. Bitters are like the thread in a hair weave. Absolutely necessary, but if you notice it, something's definitely wrong.
15th February 2013
I’m not sure how many of you plan to camp out or stand in line at 4 in the morning or even midnight after Thanksgiving, but I know there are a couple of you LOL! No judgement, I have definitely done it before. Stood in line at Wal-Mart, Target, it used to be a tradition to head to Williamsburg outlet mall as soon as they opened so I could burn up my pennies at the Coach, Banana Republic, etc etc outlets.
I’m a little more laid back now, and online shopping is so comfortable…and warm!! But for those of you that are braving the lines, you may need a drink afterwards to calm your nerves. Here are a few of the popular malls and a suggestion for a restaurant with a decent bar that will whip you up a decent cocktail. Maybe then you’ll have the energy to go back out there and tear the stores up some more!
Pentagon City - VA
Not too much at the actual mall but Champps Americana and Sine Irish Pub are just across the parking lot.
Tysons Corner Center — VA
Between Tysons and Tysons II, you have tons of options. But if you’re trying to save money on drinks to buy more ‘stuff’, I’d suggest Gordon Biersch or TGI Friday’s.
Potomac Mills — VA
If you’re shopping an outlet mall, you will surely, surely need to stop for nourishment of the liquid kind. You would’ve probably already hit up the Starbucks but now you need to sit down and eat. Famous Dave’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, or On the Border will suit your needs.
Annapolis Mall — MD
With the addition of the new ‘wing’ at this mall, it is really quite large. And on Friday it will be very crowded. Rest your feet and map out the rest of your afternoon at Stoney River or McCormick & Schmicks. Nando Peri Peri doesn’t have a bar, but they do have bottles of Portuguese wine for super cheap. Get a table and pop that bottle.
Prince Georges Plaza — MD
Not sure how much shopping you’ll complete at the mall, but they do have a Target, Best Buy and other shops in the vicinity. Get your drink and eat on at Carolina Kitchen (try the Mediterranean Sangria) or Busboys and Poets.
Montgomery Mall —MD
Shop til you drop at this mall, then take a load off at California Pizza Kitchen. Once you tire of Montgomery, drive down to White Flint and have drinks at The Cheesecake Factory or Dave & Busters. That’ll work off some of the calories you put on at Thanksgiving.
For my birthday, my amazing parents got me a SodaStream. So this weekend, I’ve been carbonating everything! (See, I don’t just blog about/drink alcohol) I’m loving it so far, and it’s super easy to use. Will be coming up with some flavored carbonated concoctions soon to put in cocktails so stay tuned…you know I’m gonna blog about it!!
With Labor Day clearly in the rear view mirror, the days are getting shorter, and a chill is in the air. The fresh strawberries and raspberries of the summer are being replaced by apples and pumpkins at the farmers market. Let’s face it people, fall is upon us.
But don’t fret! Fall brings with it so many amazing things. Replace that strawberry lemonade with a crisp apple cider. Order a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. Swap out some of those crisp white wines for a big bold red like an Argentine Malbec or South African Pinotage.
Pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers are on the shelves, but you have to act quickly on those…they may not make it to October! Southern Tier’s Pumking and Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin are a couple of my faves.
So, now that the sun sets a little sooner, just think of that as more time to sit back and pour yourself a dram of bourbon. Goodbye summer. Hello fall, great to see you!
Notes: 1
Just a couple of cocktails to take you through the weekend. Enjoy!!
Garrick Club Punch by David Wondrich
- 4 Lemons
- .5 cup Superfine sugar
- 1 cup Fresh lemon juice, strained
- 1 (750-mL) bottle Gin*
- 4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur or Grand Marnier
- 24 oz Seltzer water or club soda, chilled
Glass: Punch or highball
Preparation
Peel the lemons with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the white pith. Muddle the peels with the sugar in a 3-quart pitcher or punch bowl and let stand for 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the gin and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur or Grand Marnier, and stir. Fill the pitcher or bowl halfway with ice and add the seltzer or club soda. Stir again and serve in individual punch or highball glasses.
Lennart by Mr. Mixologist
- 1.5 oz Xante
- 0.5 oz Fresh squeezed lime juice
- Sprite or 7 Up
Glass: Highball
Preparation
Pour the Xante and lime juice into the highball glass filled with ice. Top with Sprite and garnish with a lime wedge.
Drink Math
OK, so we know that 2+2=4. We can count up the number of meals we’ve eaten in a day, or how many children one has. But when it comes to a night of drinking…numbers, counting, math goes out the door real quick!! If I were to count as the drinking occurs, my nights would probably go very different.
Take for instance last nite. I go out with colleagues from a previous job for dinner and have a cocktail at the bar (1). Once at the dinner table, we order a bottle of Italian Rose. (It was delish by the way!) There were 2 of us drinking(1+3). With dessert, they brought us shots of -cello…think limoncello just in a strawberry flavor (1+3+1). Total = 5
Later that evening I hang out with the girls. We stop at one restaurant for food. I’m not hungry so I just order a beer (5+1). Who wants to just watch her eat?! Total = 6 We then go next door to a bar/lounge. I order a Scotch & Soda (6+1). A guy walks in with some dude and his wife, looks at us, buys us all shots of Patron (6+1+1). We sit awhile longer, so I order another Scotch & Soda (6+1+1+1). I guess the guy wants some conversation to go with the previous shot, so he walks back over to talk to the group. Someone gives him the side-eye so he gets another round of Patron shots sent to the table (6+1+1+1+1). After looking at the empty glasses on the table, I order a glass of water.
Grand Total Drinks = 10
A slight twist on the classic Negroni
The weather has cooled off quite a bit this week. Here’s a cocktail recipe to keep you warm. But be careful, this ain’t your Grandma’s cider!
Gintender’s Carmel Cider
1.5 oz of Caramel Vodka
0.5 oz of Becherovka liqueur
5.0 oz of cider or pressed apple juice
Dash of ground cloves
Heat and stir with cinnamon stick.
From thegintender.com
