On a recent trip to Vancouver, I had the privilege to climb the stairs high above Save-On-Meats and witness the makeshift Boxing-Gym for the service industry known affectionately as “The Meat Locker.” Inside, skipping rope and sweating up a storm was a veritable “Who’s-Who” of the Vancouver Service industry training for “Aprons for Gloves” a program created to benefit and support youth boxing programs at the Astoria Boxing Gym that are in desperate need. It was so inspiring to see Arthur Wynne of The Union Bar, side by side with Chef Dale Mackay of Ensemble, Julia Cumo of The Keefer Bar and many others being put through the paces by Brian “Main St.” Grant of Pourhouse to support this worthy cause. So to all involved in Aprons For Gloves, I cheers to you with the “Mickey Rourke” a cocktail named after the boxer-turned-actor-turned-boxer-turned-actor again. This program is by far the most inspiring thing I’ve ever witnessed in the service industry, where members are grinding it out to better themselves and the programs for youth in need. Please support “Aprons for Gloves by sponsoring your favorite industry member: click here

“Mickey Rourke”

• 2oz Jameson Irish Whisky
• 2oz Crannog Backhand of God Reduction
• 1oz Lemon Juice
• 1oz egg white
• 4 Dashes Pourhouse Boker’s Bitters
• Dry shake ingredients, then add Ice, Shake again and double strain into glass

Backhand of God Reduction: Combine equal parts of flattened Backhand of God with Sugar and Reduce over heat until syrup.

~ Gerry Jobe

(Photos courtesy of Spatulamedia)

In Feburary, we hosted a “Trader”Vic Bergeron VS. Donn “The Beachcomber” Beach “Tiki Title Bout” as part of our Liquid Sundays program at RauDZ. While Trader Vic emerged victorious by a landslide, the consensus among our guests was that this cocktail was the best of the night. Created by Donn “The Beachcomber” Beach in 1948, this Tiki Cocktail is one of the only blended drinks I have absolutely no reservations in making. Since Peach Brandy is a bit of a rarity, I have substituted the original recipes call for simple syrup, with fresh peach nectar. With an ominous name, and a rich complexity, be warned, it may be your downfall as well…

• 4 Mint Sprigs
• 1 Slice fresh Pineapple
• 1.5 oz Lime Juice
• 0.5 oz Peach Nectar
• 0.5 oz St. Remy Napoleon (or suitable Brandy)
• 1oz Bacardi Original

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice and blend until creamy and smooth. Garnish with fresh mint.

~ Gerry Jobe

If the Negroni, for bartenders, is the “Breakfast of Champions,” then the “Lucien Gaudin” is what’s for dinner. This cocktail was named for the French fencing champion who won four gold, and two silver medals in the Olympics between 1920-1928. By substituting white vermouth and Cointreau for the Negroni’s sweet vermouth, the cocktail gains a light sophistication, matched by its clean presentation and delicate rose hue. It is a great offering for those who enjoy stirred cocktails, but are not in the mood for darker spirits. Tragically, Lucien Gaudin ended his life by his own hand in 1934, but the legacy of his Olympic triumphs lives on through this classic.

• 1oz Gin

• 0.5oz White Vermouth

• 0.5oz Campari

• 0.5oz Cointreau

Stir over ice, Strain into Coupe glass, Garnish with an Orange Zest.

~ Gerry Jobe

(Photos courtesy of Spatulamedia)

This variation on The Old Fashioned came to be from a conversation with fellow barman Micah Jensen. While creating drinks for our cocktail list we pondered what Mickey, Rocky’s Trainer would drink. We asked “What would Mickey’s cocktail be? What if Mickey and Quint from Jaws sat down at an old Sailor pub…what would they drink?” Our answer was The Old Kraken.

The Black Strap Molasses matched with spice and lifted by house made Bleeding Heart Plum Bitters and citrus, makes this twist on a classic a great long sip to be enjoyed on days when you feel like an eighty year old sailor who’s survived a few battles and still has the gumption to go to war. Garnished with a dehydrated cherry from Lake country Harvest, reconstituted in The Kraken Rum and pierced by the tentacle of the beast itself, this is easily one of our most popular drinks of both staff and our regular customers.

• 1 sugar cube soaked in 5 dashes Bleeding Heart Bitters (you can substitute Fee Bros. Plum)

• 2 dashes Angostura

• ½ bar spoon of soda

• 2oz The Kraken Black Spiced Rum

• 1 Orange Zest, 1 Lemon Zest

Build like an Old Fashioned and garnish with Rum soaked Cherry.

~ Gerry Jobe

(Image courtesy of Lauren Mote)
What a whirlwind week we are just finishing. Tales of the Cocktail, an institution in New Orleans for the past 9 years has once again returned to Vancouver for its second ever trip away from home. I wrote a play by play of last year’s events back in March, you can find it here.

I won’t waste your time by gushing, but I will say this: these folks throw one heck of an event.

The past months have been spent doing the various logistics and conference calls back and forth to offer Vancouver the best snapshot of what the mother-event has to offer. Ann Tuennerman, founder of Tales of the Cocktail, and her team of Cocktail Angels arrive a few days early to get situated and finalize the last minute details. The Vancouver liaison was again none other than Vancouver bartending legend Jay Jones. I was fortunate enough to again have a front row seat, taking the coveted role of the Cocktail Apprentice or CAP.

Myself and eight other bartenders from all over Canada and the US were responsible for all the juicing, prepping, batching, pouring and serving for the four-day event. Some may think this is a vacation (I might agree), but it is a lot of work and it requires a team effort from start to finish to execute.

As a CAP, our week started on Saturday afternoon, as we checked into the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel to live for the duration. We had a quick meet and greet in a suite upstairs and began getting to know each other. Bartenders like Maggie Meskey of Salt of the Ear in Pittsburg, Mike Ryan from Chicago’s Sable, and Adam Robinson of Portland’s The Bent Brick were all present, as well as a selection of Canadian bartenders from Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver. Other notables were John Deragon and Don Lee, of New York’s PDT

Once we had all told our stories and discovered what had brought us all to this event, we adjourned to the infamous Waldorf for a dinner and cocktail session sponsored by Mount Gay rum. Not a bad start. The boys at Waldorf were kind enough to let us make a mess of their establishment as we experimented with the different rums and fruit behind the bar.

Post dinner, cabs were hailed and we all migrated over to UVA wine bar to experience the mystery of the Marrow Luge. Rocky Yeh from Seattle had made his way up to Vancouver to host this little gem. It is a fairly simple concept, eat the marrow and use the remaining bone as a chute for sherry to be poured strait down the gullet. Wayne Curtis was in attendance that night documenting the evening. You can read his take on the phenomenon here.

What Saturday night would be complete without a trip to Gastown? Lamplighter was the next destination for this crew of hooligans, and though a few tapped out along the way, the majority of us found our way to Clough Club, Lamplighter or both. DJ Antonia put on a great show for my new friends and a few cocktails and Mirror Ponds later we were back in the hotel. I’m not going to say what time it was, but it was either late or early… depending on your perspective.

9am comes pretty early after a session like that, but there wasn’t a tardy CAP the first morning of real work. Our mission: move everything. All the welcome packages needed to be transferred downstairs, the equipment had to be organized and the registration desk set up. I’m getting ahead of myself through, because a morning at Tales of the Cocktail wouldn’t be complete without a cocktail to sip on. Today’s libation was a Pink Gin, both undiluted and un-chilled. The breakfast of champions.

Registration went off without a hitch and we were free to imbibe in the welcome cocktails provided by St. Germain made by some celebrity bartenders. Just after 3pm I had to get going to my next event. The CPBA welcome reception, sponsored by PMA, and featuring the Official Punch of TOTC Vancouver 2012, created by Jacob Sweetapple of Chambar. Other punches were served by Jon Smolenski of Hawksworth, Jay Jones of Market & Shang Ri La, Katie Mcdonald of Veneto Lounge (Victoria) and myself. The event was exclusive to select media and members of the CPBA. While attendees discussed their favorite of the five cocktails, we listened to the first official welcome by Ann to the guests, and a CPBA presentation to Ann of very first Vancouver Canucks jersey featuring the name on the back Mrs. Cocktail.

^ Jay Jones presents Tales of the Cocktail founder Ann Tuennerman with her own "Mrs. Cocktail" Canucks jersey (Photo by Tim Pawsey)

Downstairs to the Hollywood North party to walk the red carpet and be photographed by the paparazzi. An elegant 1930’s themed party, stocked with character actors, red velvet drapes and the true glitz and glam of the era. There were, of course, more cocktails, including a butter-washed rum and coke (with popcorn garnish) Sazerac and reverse Rob Roy.

Monday was all about the tasting rooms. The slight difference between Vancouver and New Orleans is that the tasting rooms run every day in NOLA, while Vancouver was only the one day. We made up for it in consumption. For the rest of the week attendees told stories about the ‘Meet the Maker’ tasting, with craft distillers from all over North America tasting their wares. The ‘Whiskies from Around the World,’ sampling the complete line of William Grant’s and Sons whiskies. The Bacardi historical tour was a big hit. And of course, what TOTC would be complete without a little Hendrick’s gin. The gin room stuck out to me as a favorite (and not just because of the free umbrella). If you found your way to the rear of the tasting room you found yourself under the tutelage of Hendrick’s brand ambassador Jim Ryan, who was hosting a deconstructed tasting of the gin. Here we were able to taste the distillates from each of the different stills, the two together, the essences that make Hendrick’s unique, and finally, the product we know so well. A very eye-opening educational tidbit.

The afternoon treat was downstairs in the lobby lounge, where Beefeater 24 had taken over the patio area to pour G&T’s and punch. Brand ambassador Tim Stones was on-hand to explain the history of Beefeater and what makes 24 different. A delight.

Monday evening was reserved for a variety of Spirited Dinners around the city. There were eight that happened simultaneously and from what I understand all were amazing. There’s no way to hindsight this as, even from what I’ve been told I still wouldn’t be able to pick a favorite. Monday was also when most folks hit the town to try and fill their BC Bar Crawl cocktail passport. A full passport of 23 stamps (one from each participating bar) got you entered to win a Founder’s Day pass at TOTC’s 10th anniversary this July in New Orleans. I tried my best, but with such a full schedule, my passport remained at 8 stamps. Congratulations to Shea Hogan who stormed Vancouver’s cocktail scene and won the prize hands-down.

Seminars days are my favorites for Tales of the Cocktail. This is when the CAP program kicks into high gear. We spend the day mixing up massive buckets of cocktail, pouring them in 5oz cups and serving to a room full of knowledge-hungry cocktail enthusiasts. It is not out of the ordinary to see a hung-over person or two. If you can’t spot the most hung-over attendee, then its probably you. It very easily could have been me that day.

My first working seminar was Paul Pacult’s ‘Rum for All’ Faceoff. It was a great introduction of rum and distillation, but also a seven-rum tasting, comparing aged rums to the finest cognacs or whiskies. Setting up multi-spirit tastings is one of the more complex jobs of a CAP team. Seven rums, each very close in color and aroma. Multiplied by 140 attendees, add two presenters and you are left with almost one thousand ISO glasses of rum to be placed in the perfect order. Nailed it.

The mid-day seminars were probably the most difficult for most attendees to choose between. Charlotte Voisey teaching the wonders of Mezcal, or Audrey Saunders of NYC’s Pegu club sitting beside food genius Harold Mcgee while discussing dilution in cocktails. Both had great value for the casual enthusiast and cocktail professional.

The late seminars were extremely well attended. Jacob Brier packed the room in his show and tell on bitters, where a variety of bitters both rare and common were passed around the room for everyone to smell and taste. Cocktails consisting almost entirely of bitters were mixed and consumed. There’s a reason Mr. Brier has won presenter of the year at Tales of the Cocktail on more than one occasion. In the other ballroom the crowd enjoyed an amazing journey through colonial cocktails led by rum and cocktail historian Wayne Curtis. Authentic loggerhead in tow, he spoke of the original flip and syllabub cocktails and of course some of the very first punches.

On the way out of the final seminars, the crowd was reminded to go the Valentine’s Day Bitter Bash, sponsored by Campari by the angels handing out invites. Who could resist?

Taking over a gallery space in the Olympic village and catered by the talented Kale & Nori the night was magical. There was a sweetheart photo booth, bitter cocktails, burlesque dancers and even an appearance by food personality Bob Bloomer. Most of the crowd stayed until the end of the night, and those that left early were simply off to get more passport stamps.

The final day was a quiet one for most. There was very little activity at the hotel as we cleaned and packed all the equipment that needed to be shipped back to home base. Thank goodness for the DIY Caesar cocktail bar & brunch. A plethora of spices, juices and garnishes made for the mixing of the most over-the-top versions of Caesars. I was very impressed with the creativity, given the activities of the past four days.

Finally, for the last official Tales event, the 2nd annual Chambar pig roast and luncheon. A chance for everyone to meet, greet and tell stories of the week. The CAPs came out in full force and took over the front of the room, being sure to welcome everyone as they came and left. Over the din of the crowd you could easily pick out the details of the week. There wasn’t a story that didn’t start with “Did you see the…” or “Remember the tasting room…” Many excited people getting all the details sorted out so they could proceed to relive the event over and over again to their friends and family.

We CAPs had different ways of celebrating a successful week of Tales of the Cocktail: Fireball laybacks, Caramel Buffalo Trace waffle luges and bottomless punch. None of us wanted this week to be over, yet, sadly it had come to an end. This being my third stint as a CAP, I understood what was to happen next, the Facebook messages and group texts would blow up with pictures and one-liners reminding us all of this great week. Separation anxiety would set in quickly, starting with the first CAP to leave town and growing as each caught their flight back home.

As I write this, it has been just one week since TOTC Vancouver 2012 ended. Luckily, I didn’t go straight back to work, as I flew out to France to tour Paris and attend the Cointreau Academy. If I take one thing away from Tales of the Cocktail it will be how it has made the cocktail world a smaller one for me. To show you just how small, I have just flown halfway around the world to a foreign country and a city of two million people. Last night, as I am finishing up my evening of more than a few cocktails and polishing off the last slice of pizza at our hotel restaurant, I look up to see Chicago’s Mike Ryan walk into the bar. We had been playing a small game of hide-and-seek, just barely missing each other at the bars we were visiting all night. Though I had been awake for the better part of 36 hours, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have last call with a friend. Although it was only a week behind us, we were already swapping stories like it was a ten-year reunion.

If you have even a slightest interest in cocktails or spirits, you will benefit from Tales of the Cocktail. You don’t need to work in the industry to learn from the seminars or enjoy the tasting rooms. For all the bartenders out there, I highly recommend the CAP program, it costs nothing to apply, and the rewards are endless.

~ Trevor Kallies

(Photos courtesy of Spatulamedia)

The Mai Tai cocktail originally appeared on Don the Beachcomber’s menu in 1933. It was one of his least popular cocktails and it soon disappeared off of his list. 11 years later, his arch rival, Trader Vic Bergeron concocted a drink that he hoped would rival the Old Fashioned in its simplicity of ingredients and complexity of profile. After his Tahitian friend Carrie Guild tried his creation she remarked “Mai Tai Roe Ae!” meaning “Out of this world, the best!” and the modern Mai Tai was born. At RauDZ we build on the original Trader Vic recipe, adding Blackberry Reduction for a deeper profile, and substitute Orange Blossom in the Orgeat for locally grown Lavender (as well as the obligatory Star Wars geek reference in the name).

• 1oz Appleton VX

• 1oz Bacardi White

• .5 oz Cointreau

• 1 oz Blackberry Reduction

• 1 oz Lavender Orgeat

• 1 Fresh Squeezed Lime

Shaken and Strained over crushed ice, garnished with Blackberries from Second Wind Farms.

~ Gerry Jobe

SOCIETY set to host “Pink Shirt Day” anti-bullying luncheon; Haywire: Will the home team take the gold medal?; Blue Water Cafe’s 8th Annual Unsung Heroes Festival; Get to know Quails’ Gate Winery at CRU dinner; Hawksworth Restaurant celebrates the return of Tales of the Cocktail; Kale and Nori present: La Belle Epoque Dinner at Legacy Liquor Store; Bittered Sling Bistro – February 2012 Zubrowka; Mission Hill Family Estate crowned ‘Canadian Wine Producer of the Year’ at the 2011 IWS competition; Special events for February at Legacy Liquor Store; Invite Big Lou to your Superbowl Party this year; Peckinpah Superbowl Solutions; Red Card Sports Bar is the only place to be on Super Bowl Sunday; Dine Out 2012 and Superbowl party at The Oakwood Canadian Bistro; Pink Elephant extends $18 Dine Out Vancouver menu until February 29; Celebrate Valentine’s at YEW; Invest in LFNG Portfolio 2010; Burrowing Owl Estate Winery raises over $400,000 for feathered friends & The Land Conservancy

SOCIETY SET TO HOST “PINK SHIRT DAY” ANTI-BULLYING LUNCHEON, FEBRUARY 24

Vancouver, BC (February, 2012): On Friday, February 24, join CKNW Orphans’ Fund to acknowledge ‘Pink Shirt Day’ at an anti-bullying luncheon for ladies at SOCIETY Dining Lounge. Under the restaurant’s bright pink Murano glass chandeliers, the pink-themed luncheon will feature a delicious menu, SOCIETY’s cotton candy cocktails, door prizes, a silent auction and a lovely little take-away signature ‘Pink Shirt Day’ cupcake.

The afternoon will be emceed by local media personality, Fiona Forbes from Shaw TV’s Urban Rush. Join Karen Khunkhun from CFOX Radio, Jen Schaeffers from CKNW Orphans’ Fund, Shannon Bosa Yacoub from The GLOWBAL COLLECTION and other notable Vancouver women for a wonderful afternoon in support of a very worthy cause. Proceeds raised from the luncheon will benefit the CKNW Orphans’ Fund in support of the Boys & Girls Club anti-bullying programs.

For more information about the CKNW Orphans’ Fund, visit: cknworphansfund.com/

Tickets for the luncheon are available for $25 per person and must be purchased in advance.
To secure a ticket online, visit: eventbrite.com/

Details:
“Pink Shirt Day” Anti-Bullying Luncheon at SOCIETY

Friday, February 24
12:00-2:00pm

SOCIETY
1257 Hamilton Street
Yaletown, Vancouver

————————————————————————————————-

WILL THE HOME TEAM TAKE THE GOLD MEDAL?

At November’s Gold Medal Plates competition in Vancouver, Chef Feenie, food concept architect for Cactus Restaurants, won Gold with his rabbit leg confit paired to Haywire Clone 52 Switchback Pinot Gris. Now, Chef Feenie is preparing for the national competition. As the only competing chef from BC paired with a BC winery, Feenie is hoping for a win for the home crowd.

L-R: Vancouver Bronze Medallist Joël Watanabe of Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, Vancouver Gold Medallist Rob Feenie of Cactus Club Restaurants, and Vancouver Silver Medallist Dale McKay of Ensemble Restaurant. Photo credit Gold Medal Plates.

Taking place in Kelowna, BC on February 10 and 11, the Gold Medal Plates national competition will reach new heights. After nine competitions across the country, the winning chef from each of the nine cities will head to the finale. While the dishes will only be revealed at the competition, Okanagan Crush Pad’s Haywire Pinot Noir is Feenie’s wine pairing choice. The final competition includes a mystery wine pairing, a black box competition with a secret ingredient, and the finale cook off where the chefs will create their piece de resistance in the battle for culinary glory.

Haywire winery’s owner has her fingers crossed: “We are just thrilled to be selected for this journey with Rob,” says Christine Coletta. “We wish Chef Feenie and his team the best from all of us at the winery, and we will be there rooting for him!”

————————————————————————————————-

BLUE WATER CAFE’S 8TH ANNUAL UNSUNG HEROES FESTIVAL

February 1 – 29, 2012

Vancouver, B.C. (February, 2012) – Executive Chef Frank Pabst’s eighth annual Unsung Heroes Festival takes pride of place at Vancouver’s multiple award-winning Blue Water Cafe throughout the month of February.

Chef Pabst, who has won many culinary distinctions, has long been a champion of the sustainable fisheries movement. He created the Unsung Heroes Festival specifically to draw attention to the diversity of formerly under-utilized species. His concept is simple: Avoid species that are over-fished, or fished in ways that damage ocean beds or cause unnecessary by-catch, by introducing diners to new experiences and flavours using species found in abundance.

Since then, the Festival has become ‘wildly popular’ at Blue Water Cafe, as avid diners seek out new dishes, as well as returning favourites from Unsung Heroes past.

“Eight years ago, this was quite a radical concept,” Pabst says. “But now our guests are well-informed as to just how delicious and nutritional some of these lesser-known seafoods can be. I’m delighted that we’ve been able to introduce them into the mainstream.”

Again this year, 10% of proceeds will be donated to the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise sustainable seafood program, of which Blue Water Cafe is a founding member.

Unsung Heroes Menu

recommended as sharing plates for the table

Jellyfish
stir fried with pork jowl, lotus root, chili and green onions
hoisin sauce and pea shoot salad  10.50

Periwinkles
sea snails poached in a kombu seaweed broth
served chilled in their shells, nori shoyu vinaigrette  9.50

Herring
celery salad with preserved watermelon, walnuts, fuji apples, watercress  9.50

Herring Roe
taramasalata with herring roe, grilled flat bread, citrus marinated olives  10.50

Seaweed
kaiso sunomono, mixed seaweed salad with tosa-zu sauce and ginger  7.50

Anchovy
marinated white anchovies, pearl barley, cilantro chimichurri
parmesan, romaine lettuce  9.50

Geoduck
mirugai sashimi with karashi sumiso  15.50

Sea Cucumber
smoked potato and shiitake mushroom chowder
with sautéed sea cucumber and grilled scallions  10.50

Mackerel
broiled with sesame seeds, pickled sunchokes
kabayaki sauce with orange and long pepper  9.50

Octopus
charred octopus, swiss chard, chorizo, white bean purée, romesco sauce  11.50

Sardine
pan fried in a blanket
stuffed with pine nut gremolata, broccolini, harissa sauce  9.50

Red Sea Urchin
red sea urchin trifle, avocado cream, nori seaweed nest, yuzu sake purée
peruvian gooseberries, ponzu jelly  12.50

For more info, visit: bluewatercafe.net

————————————————————————————————-

GET TO KNOW QUAILS’ GATE WINERY AT CRU DINNER

February, 2011 (Vancouver, BC) – On Sunday February 26, 2012 CRU Restaurant will host a special dinner featuring the wines of Quails’ Gate Winery.

The event will allow guests to taste wines from one of BC’s hottest wineries with a four-course menu designed by one of Vancouver’s culinary stars, Executive Chef Alana Peckham. Winemaker Grant Stanley will attend the event at CRU to share his personal insights into what makes the winery so special.

The four-course dinner plus wines is only $98 per person, including tax and gratuity. Tickets are available at www.cru.ca or by phone at 604-677-4111.

————————————————————————————————-

HAWKSWORTH RESTAURANT CELEBRATES THE RETURN OF TALES OF THE COCKTAIL

A Spirited Dinner – Monday, February 13th at 7pm

Vancouver, B.C., (January 30, 2012) – Hawksworth Restaurant is proud to announce A Spirited Dinner in honor of the Tales of the Cocktail’s highly anticipated return to Vancouver, for a second consecutive year. Chef David Hawksworth and his talented culinary team will prepare a southern-themed dinner to be paired cocktails featuring the Sazerac portfolio of rye and bourbon whiskeys.

Bar & Lounge Manager Brad Stanton has designed five creative cocktails to be paired with Chef David Hawksworth’s delicious canapé reception and a Creole-inspired, four course menu – a showcase of flavours from Cajun and barbeque to classic southern comfort cuisine, paired perfectly with Sazerac’s legendary sippers.

“The Sazerac Company boasts an incredible line of fine spirits allowing our team to explore the breadth and diversity with some unique cocktail creations, blended specifically for A Spirited Dinner,” states Brad Stanton. From the four course menu, guests can expect: Cajun fluke sashimi, creole ash, watermelon rind and smoked tomato, also 48hr cola & bourbon braised shortrib, grits, liquorice and puffed sorghum. The whiskeys chosen for the cocktail pairings include: Buffalo Trace, Ridgemont 1792, Eagle Rare 10 year, Blanton’s Gold Label, Sazerac 6 year rye and the legendary Sazerac 18 year rye.

A night for southern belles and esteemed gentlemen alike to mingle, dine, sip and toast to a celebration of the New Orleans cocktail culture, A Spirited Dinner takes place on Monday, February 13th within Hawksworth Restaurant’s heritage and exquisitely restored York Room at 7pm.

Tickets are $125 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuities. To book your place, email sueyen@hawksworthrestaurant.com or call 604-603-3325.

Bios, menu and wine selections available upon request.

For more information on Tales of the Cocktail, visit www.talesofthecocktail.com.

————————————————————————————————-

LA BELLE EPOQUE DINNER

A treat perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Kale & Nori is proud to offer an exclusive opportunity to The Tales of the Cocktail on Tour in Vancouver “Spirited Dinner”.

This amazing cocktail conference is celebrating their second year “on tour” in Vancouver, away from their 10 year home based in New Orleans, LA. For more information visit this site www.talesofthecocktail.com

Kale & Nori is hosting this 5 course, 5 cocktail dinner on February 13 2012 at Legacy Liquor Store. The exciting part about this event is that it will be a blend of writers, bartenders and other cocktail enthusiasts. There are only 15 tickets remaining.

Menu by Chef Jonathan Chovancek and cocktails developed and presented by award-winning Mixologist Lauren Mote, sponsored by Okanagan Spirits and Tales of the Cocktail on Tour in Vancouver.

The “Belle Époque” or “Golden Age” celebrates accomplishments in Western Europe and the United States, profiling technology, medicine, music, fashion and the arts. On this day, we bring back the “Belle Époque”, as it was experienced by the fashionable, the bon vivants and the world, through the Victorian and Edwardian era(s). Era specific innovations are translated through this event, like the “Interpretation of Dreams” by Sigmund Freud (1899), the “Theory of Relativity” by Albert Einstein (1902), primary Aviation interpreted through the Wright Brothers (1903), and “Vaudeville Entertainment” (1880s-1930s) which celebrates American show business in every way – from dance to music to circus to playwright.

An opening reception with passed canapes and welcome cocktail, followed by a seated dinner, each course inspired by the “Golden Age”. There will be a bartender and chef presentation for each course. All servers and bartenders will be in “costume” and character. We will offer a “paybill” like a program for the guests as well. Cocktails inspired by late 19th century and pre-Prohibition, and beautiful foods inspired by the time, the place and the season to compliment. This event will be entertaining, exciting and a little piece of history.’

A little bit about our sponsor, Okanagan Spirits: Exquisite Gin, Whiskey, Fruit Spirits, Grappa, Eau de Vie, Brandies, Absinthe and Aquavit. Made in the Okanagan with 100% natural sources.
- “Interpretation of Dreams” by Sigmund Freud (1899)
*Surrealism
- “Theory of Relativity” by Albert Einstein (1905)
*Mathematical and scientific
- Primary aviation interpreted through the Wright Brothers (1903)
*Innovative, ground breaking
- “Vaudeville Entertainment” (1880s-1930s) which celebrates American show business
*Entertaining, naughty, unexpected, surprising, fun

Passed hors d’oeuvres & opening cocktail presented in the Okanagan Spirits Lounge.

Course 1:
“Dreams” (Sigmund Freud, 1899)
Quince mostarda glazed albacore tuna, spot prawn remoulade, spicy greens, beluga lentil-red laver vinaigrette

Paired with
“Dreams” (Sigmund Freud, 1899)
Inspired by one’s consciousness, and the symbolism of “roses” in one’s dream.

Cocktail – “Rose Nose” – inspired by the Rose cocktail of 1920, Chatham Hotel, Paris. TWG White House Tea infused Dry Vermouth, Poire Williams, Rich Floral Syrup, Rose Dust, Taboo Absinthe

Course 2:
“Aviation” (The Wright Brothers, 1903)
Flying salmon, watch them as they vigorously fly upstream… a uniquely Canadian experience.
Canados and Vancouver Island sea salt cured coho salmon, white soy and wild celery kim chi emulsion

Paired with
“Aviation” (The Wright Brothers, 1903)

The “vieux” or “view” from above – a distinctly Canadian cocktail, using distinctly Canadian ingredients”.
Cocktail- “Vieux Canadien” – inspired by the “Vieux Carre”, 1937, New Orleans.

McLoughlin & Steele Canadian Whiskey, Canados, Canadian “hard spice” Maple “Dram”, Coronation Grape Vermouth, “Bittered Sling” Crabapple Bitters

Course 3:
“Surrealism” (various players, 1920s)
Inspired by the sense of colour, texture, taste, and composition, as interpreted through surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, and non sequitur.

Caramelized squash gnocchi, wild mushrooms, seabuckthorn molten onion cream, fresh horseradish sage brown butter gremolata

Paired with
“Surrealism” (various players, 1920s)
Inspired by the sense of colour, texture, taste, and composition, as interpreted through surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, and non sequitur.

Cocktail – “Cherry Coke” – inspired by the Americano Highball, 1932, Italy.Compromised Cherry Sweet Vermouth, hyper-ludicrous Campari, Champagne-yeast fermented “cola” – based on an “original interpretation”.

Course 4:
“Vaudeville” (various players, 1880s-1930s)
Inspired by tradition, transported to location – a decidedly Vancouver dish, inspired by dynamic French and Creole applications.
Gin-mash marinated wild elk short rib, black garlic bordelaise, Chilliwack corn-blue cheese dumpling

Paired with
“Vaudeville” (various players, 1880s-1930s)
Inspired by tradition, transported to a time and location.
Cocktail – “British Raj” – inspired by the “East India Cocktail”, 1882.Gin, Singapore Breakfast Tea Syrup, “Bittered Sling” Triple-Rainbow Bitters, Blueberry Liqueur, Eucalyptus cordial – barrel aged, New French Oak 30 days.

Course 5:
“Theory of a General Relativity” (Albert Einstein, 1911)
Inspired by a bartender-friendly equation – 1 of sour, 2 of sweet, 3 of strong and 4 of weak.
Taboo Absinthe chocolate, cocoa nibs, puffed quinoa, goats milk caramel, grapefruit meringue and cranberry curd parfait

Paired with
“Theory of a General Relativity” (Albert Einstein, 1911)
Inspired by a bartender-friendly equation – 1 of sour, 2 of sweet, 3 of strong and 4 of weak.

Cocktail – “Mrs. Betty’s Chambermaid” – inspired by the Ladies Punch Club, 1707, St. James, England.
Lemon, Pimento Oleo-Saccharum, Old Italian Prune Eau-de-Vie, Local Aquavit, Lemon Bush Tea – bottle aged, 30 days.

*A modified menu for vegetarian and/or celiac allergy will be available upon request, and must be requested at the time of ticket purchase.

Tickets are $100/person, this includes tax and gratuity.
Reservation Phone Number – 604-331-7900
Online Reservation Booking – CLICK HERE
Monday February 13 2012 7:00pm-10:00pm

For more information on how to purchase tickets for Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver, please visit this link: www.talesofthecocktail.com

————————————————————————————————-

BITTERED SLING BISTRO – FEBRUARY 2012 ZUBROWKA

*Please note the date of this competition has moved to Wednesdays.

The concept of cocktail and food pairings has become extremely popular, and since 2010, Lauren Mote’s original “Cocktail Kitchen” competition at The Refinery produced energetic statistics: 168 original cocktails produced, 56 bartenders invited, 224 bottles of spirits poured, 14 different sponsors. This city’s brightest bartenders – a collaboration of seasoned veterans and young apprentices – took their place behind the wood and produced magic for 1680 total guests in 14 months. We are proud to re-introduce you to “Bittered Sling Bistro” – a bi-weekly food and cocktail pairing competition using a special featured spirit(s) that is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of cocktail craft presented at the beautiful Legacy Liquor Store in Olympic Village.

The evening starts in the gorgeous foyer of Legacy Liquor Store with a cocktail and paired hors d’oeuvres reception hosted by Kale & Nori’s Lauren Mote and Chef Jonathan Chovancek. The vaulted ceilings, spirit displays and living wall create a dynamic setting for this delicious affair. Guests are guided though an interactive tasting, led by the guest bartender, right at the harvest table. The rest of the evening is rather indulgent. Chovancek plates a seasonal three course menu that has been inspired by the feature spirit’s wide range of notes and character. Each course is accompanied by an expertly paired cocktail by the guest bartender. Following the dinner, guests will be invited to rate the bartender’s presentation and pairing skills. The two top scoring bartenders at the end of the program will compete for a grand prize. This six month program offers 6 veteran and 6 apprentice bartenders their chance to promote their style and character in an superbly interactive way.

This is all about spirit – in both the bartender and the bottle.

February: ZUBROWKA “BISON GRASS” VODKA
February’s Competitors:
Wed February 08 – Jon Richard, The Vancouver Club (apprentice)
Wed February 29 – Gerry Jobe, Raudz Regional Table, Kelowna BC

About Bittered Sling Bistro
Location – Legacy Liquor Store
Time – 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Date – Wednesdays, bi-weekly
Tickets – available online through Legacy Liquor Store for $60/person (this includes HST and Gratuity); tickets available here listed under “Bittered Sling Bistro”

Menu
Hors d’oeuvres, appetizer, principal, dessert, 4 cocktails + seminar tasting**.

Hors d’Oeuvres
Smoked black pepper Pacific oyster confit, rye crostini and dill
Raw Pacific oyster* and beluga lentil caviar, wild elderberry capers and rosemary

First
Celery and parsnip puree with red lentil fried lamb Khlii, pears and hazelnuts

Principal
Albacore tuna with harissa and pistachio, whole roasted cauliflower, cannellini beans lemon pickle and dandilion greens

Dessert
Chocolate spice ruby beet torte, sheep’s milk panna cotta, salted raw boreal honey, sweet herbs and golden beet-preserved peach sauce

*The Vancouver Coastal Health advisory: “The consumption of RAW oysters poses an increased risk of food borne illness. A cooking step is needed to eliminate potential bacterial or viral contamination”.

**Vegan option available, but must be booked at the time of ticket purchase

Schedule – Spirit and host bartender schedule will be online through Kale & Nori and the Legacy Liquor Store events page. This program runs from November – April 2012 twice monthly on Wednesdays

Prizes – each host bartender receives a prize to participate; each host bartender is eligible to win one of two spots in the finals (one night), May 2012. Grand prize for winning host bartender will be announced in April 2012.

————————————————————————————————-

MISSION HILL FAMILY ESTATE CROWNED ‘CANADIAN WINE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR’ AT THE 2011 INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRIT COMPETITION IN LONDON, UK BY PROPRIETOR OF CHATEAU HAUT-BRION

Prestigious International Award Recognizes Outstanding Quality and Excellence Across Mission Hill’s Portfolio of Fine Wines

West Kelowna, British Columbia (January 24, 2012): Mission Hill Family Estate is the 2011 recipient of the coveted IWSC Trophy as the ‘Canadian Wine Producer of the Year’ at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London, United Kingdom. The award came as a complete surprise to Mission Hill Proprietor Anthony von Mandl who was presented the award in front of 600 international wine luminaries at the historic Guild Hall in London by this year’s IWSC President, Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Proprietor of Château Haut-Brion in Bordeaux, France.

The award was particularly gratifying to von Mandl who in 2006 was the first Canadian appointed as President of the IWSC. Past Presidents include: Wolf Blass, Robert Mondavi, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Marchese Piero Antinori, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing and Sir Anthony Greener.

“Having started back in 1981 with a vision of producing wine that could stand alongside the best in the world, it is almost overwhelming to see this dream has become reality. This award represents a profound achievement for everything our winemaking and vineyard team has accomplished at Mission Hill Family Estate,” said Anthony von Mandl.

The IWSC was founded in 1969 and is the most prestigious competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs and it is the only international competition to use a rigorous two stage judging process of professional blind tasting followed by an extensive chemical and microbiological analysis.

In addition to the 2011 IWSC Trophy for ‘Canadian Wine Producer of the Year’, Mission Hill Family Estate won 19 individual medals at the IWSC competition, including: Gold Medals for the 2009 Reserve Riesling Icewine, 2005 Select Lot Collection Riesling Icewine and 2009 Reserve Vidal Icewine. A complete listing of awards is available at www.iwsc.net

The IWSC award comes on top of Mission Hill’s recent ‘Winery of the Year’ award at the 2011 InterVin International Wine Awards Competition. Mission Hill was also featured in Wine Spectator magazine with three of the winery’s red wines – 2007 Compendium, 2007 Quatrain and 2007 SLC Syrah – earning scores of 90 points; while its signature Bordeaux-inspired wine, 2007 Oculus, scored 91 points. This is the first time a Canadian winery has ever received 90+ scores for its red wines from this publication.

In 1994, Mission Hill Family Estate won the IWSC Avery Trophy for ‘Best Chardonnay in the World’ for its Grand Reserve Barrel Select Chardonnay. At the time this was the first major international award for Mission Hill and the accolade helped place British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley on the international wine producing map.

About Mission Hill Family Estate
Mission Hill Family Estate is world renowned for its award winning wines, stunning setting and Terrace Restaurant. Honoured as one of the ‘Top Five Winery Restaurants in the World’ by Travel + Leisure magazine, the restaurant and epicurean program is led by our Executive Winery Chef Matthew Batey. Majestic mountains, scenic lakes and lush orchards encase the winery’s dramatic architecture and culminate in a setting that celebrates wine, food and the arts. With sustainable practices that ensure care for the environment, and a timelessness that respects the von Mandl family’s European heritage, guests experience the height of winemaking in an incomparable lakeside mountaintop winery. For more information visit missionhillwinery.com; Twitter @MissionHillWine and Facebook

————————————————————————————————-

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY AT LEGACY LIQUOR STORE

ZUBROWKA BISON GRASS VODKA & KALE & NORI PRESENT: BITTERED SLING BISTRO
Wednesday, 7:00pm – 9:30pm Feb 8, 2012
Feb 8th Guest Bartender: TBD
$60/ticket which includes gratuity and HST – 30 tickets available

We are proud to introduce you to “Bittered Sling Bistro” – a bi-monthly food and cocktail pairing competition dedicated to pushing the boundaries of cocktail craft.

LA BELLE EPOQUE SPIRITED DINNER
Monday, 7:30 to 10:00 pm Feb 13, 2012
Kale & Nori Present: La Belle Epoque – A Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Dinner

Celebrating the “Golden Age” of innovation, entertainment, education and technological advancement – 5 pillars of history, as interpreted by a Vancouver Chef and Bartender.
$100/ticket – Click Here for Menu and to Purchase Tickets – Vegetarian Option Available

TALES OF THE COCKTAIL
Various Times Feb 12, 2012 – Feb 14, 2012
Venue: Fairmont Pacific Rim, 1038 Canada Place
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Tales of the Cocktail® is taking its show on the road once again this February as they return to Vancouver for four days of seminars, tastings, special events and more, each featuring some of the biggest names in mixology from around the world. Join us as we dive deep into the cocktail culture of Vancouver. Taste everything at Legacy as we bring in the exclusive product line up being poured at Tales of the Cocktail.

TASTE OF AFRICA DINNER – PART TWO!
Thursday, 4 to 7 pm Feb 16, 2012

Our Taste of Africa Dinner last year was so popular and sold out so quickly that we had to do it again! Back by demand is Isaac and his wife Becky with their amazing food from Taste of Africa. Paired alongside South African wines, enjoy Sliced yams, Spinach stew
Rice & Beans, and Jollof Rice.
$45/ticket, 36 tickets available

For more info, visit: legacyliquorstore.com

————————————————————————————————-

INVITE BIG LOU TO YOUR SUPERBOWL PARTY THIS YEAR

Superbowl Sunday is one of our favourite days of the year and this year our team has gone all-out  year to offer a great new way for you to enjoy the big day with us.

Our Superbowl Feast is a convenient and value-packed way to bring all the great Big Lou’s taste home to your house party. This all-in party pack includes our delicious home made and locally-sourced treats like our burgers, hot dogs, chilli and wings. All this well-rounded party requires is a little heating to be ready to serve to your houseful of football fans.

The Superbowl Feast includes:

• 2 litre Meat hook chilli
• 12 Big Lou’s Hot dogs
• 5 lbs Wings
• 6 Pemberton Meadows Burgers

The cost of for the standard feast is $120 and we’re also offering a Feast and a Half with a whole bunch more of everything for $185. We’ll be accepting orders up until Saturday February 4th for pickup by 1pm on Superbowl Sunday, February 5th.  Call the store at 604-566-9229 or email info@biglousbutchershop.com to order.

————————————————————————————————-

PECKINPAH SUPERBOWL SOLUTIONS

————————————————————————————————-

RED CARD SPORTS BAR IS THE ONLY PLACE TO BE ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

Vancouver, BC (February, 2012) — Named by those in the know as the absolute best place to watch a sports event, Red Card is undoubtedly the ‘go to place’ for the Super Bowl this Sunday. With 18 hi-def TV’s, two of which are 106” projectors, you will not miss a single moment of the action, including Madonna’s half time show. And what’s Super Bowl without amazing beer and food specials? All day at Red Card you can enjoy pints of Stanley Park Amber and Pilsner for just $5.00. Lovers of coveted Westcoast IPA Green Flash will be excited to know its back in stock and on tap this weekend at Red Card (one of the few bars in town to have it). And, of course, we will be pouring our very own Red Card Lager specially brewed for us by Sleemans.

In addition to our regular great menu, the Red Card chefs are featuring three Super Bowl specials. Chow down on Red Card Super Bowl chili – 24 hour braised Angus beef with fresh mozzarella for just $13.00. Or get a load of our special Red Card Poutine with Super Bowl Chili Fries consisting of 24 hour braised Angus beef Chili on house cut fries and fresh mozzarella for $10.00 Our specially imported wood burning oven from Italy will be turning out a Super Bowl ‘Touchdown’ Pizza with unique ingredients in honour of the day for $14.00.

Come dressed in your favourite team jersey or shirt and enter to win a $120 gift certificate for the ladies and a football jersey for the guys.

Doors open at 10 a.m. and get ready to party. First come – first served. For large group inquiries or reservations of more than 10 people, please email info@redcardsportsbar.ca. A credit card will be required and restrictions may apply.

For more info, visit: redcardsportsbar.ca

————————————————————————————————-

DINE OUT 2012 AT THE OAKWOOD CANADIAN BISTRO

Only two days remain of Tourism Vancouver’s 2012 Dine Out, coming to a close this Sunday February 5th. Take your Dine Out adventures to Kitsilano’s latest room The Oakwood Canadian Bistro this week, and try their tasty $28, 3-course menu while sipping premiere BC craft beers and hand crafted cocktails.

Appetizer
Roasted potato, pepper and leek soup with garlic foam
Poplar Grove Pinot Gris / Kronenbourg
or
Radiccio salad with honey vinaigrette, goat cheese, candied pecans and bacon lardons
Taltalus Reisling / Monster Merlot
~
Entrée
Braised lamb stew with carrots, brussel sprouts garnished with potato ravioli
Laughing Stock Blind Trust / Monster Merlot
or
Butter poached albacore tuna with tuna confit and herb risotto
Poplar Grove Pinot Gris / Kronenbourg
~
Dessert
Nanaimo bar brulée
Poplar Grove Dessert Wine
or
Beet and carrot cake with blue cheese cream
Poplar Grove Dessert Wine

Book your reservations and view the Oakwood’s special $28 Dine Out menu through the Tourism Vancouver website at www.tourismvancouver.com.

The Oakwood Canadian Bistro serves fresh, honest food in a casual neighbourhood environment. This modest Kitsilano room encourages diners to gather around the central communal table with old and new friends, sip BC craft beers and linger over one of Chef Michael Robbins’ seasonally driven dishes. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm to late (1am on weekdays, 2am on weekends) and open for brunch on Saturday/Sunday from 10am to 3pm.
www.oakwood.ca

—–

SUPERBOWL PARTY AT THE OAKWOOD CANADIAN BISTRO

What :: On Sunday February 5th join Kitsilano’s premiere food and cocktail joint, The Oakwood Canadian Bistro for Super Bowl XLVI. Enjoy pre-game brunch from 10am-3pm amongst old and new friends, and then catch all the Super Bowl action on a big screen HD projector and 5 HD TVs.

When :: Sunday February 5th 2012, 10am to late

Where :: The Oakwood Canadian Bistro, 2741 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver BC

Why :: Guests will enjoy pre-game brunch featuring the famous AAA Burger and fries (or salad) with a BC craft beer for only $15. Draft beer, mimosas and caesar’s on special all day and full menu available from 5pm until late.

How :: For reservations please call 604.558.1965 or visit www.theoakwood.ca.

The Oakwood Canadian Bistro serves fresh, honest food in a casual neighbourhood environment. This modest Kitsilano room encourages diners to gather around the central communal table with old and new friends, sip BC craft beers and linger over one of Chef Michael Robbins’ seasonally driven dishes. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm to late (1am on weekdays, 2am on weekends) and open for brunch on Saturday/Sunday from 10am to 3pm.

————————————————————————————————-

PINK ELEPHANT EXTENDS $18 DINE OUT VANCOUVER MENU UNTIL FEBRUARY 29

(Vancouver, BC) February, 2012 – Can’t get enough Dine Out? Neither can Pink. Desmond Chen, president of Thai House Restaurant Group, is pleased to announce that his newest restaurant, Pink Elephant Thai, is extending its popular $18 Dine Out Vancouver menu until February 29.

Pink Elephant Thai’s three-course $18 Dine Menu offers incredible value and several favorite Thai dishes. Guests may select from three appetizers: Alberni Mango Roll, fresh salad roll with mango and tiger prawn; Fish Cakes; or Floating Market, deep-fried spinach with tiger prawn, served with spicy green apple sauce. For entrees, choose from Matsaman Curry, a creamy coconut chicken curry with cashew nuts; or Grilled Free Range Duck Breast with spicy garlic and chili sauce; or traditional Pad Thai. Enjoy Three Princesses for dessert: sweet sticky rice with egg custard, fresh mango and sweet coconut strips.

To complement the menu Jackson Triggs wines are available for $6.50 per glass, and Pink Elephant Thai’s Lychee-tini and Pink Margarita are on special for $5.00.

Pink Elephant Thai is located at 1152 Alberni Street open seven days a week, from 11:30am daily, serving lunch, dinner, cocktails, plus everything in between. For reservations phone 604.646.8899. or for more information please visit PinkElephantThai.com, follow @pinkethai on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook.com/pinkelephantthai.

————————————————————————————————-

CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S AT YEW

Heed the cry of lovers everywhere and immerse yourself in romance and delicious dining for a Valentine’s long weekend love fest – February 11 to 14.

Executive Chef Ned Bell has created five inspired Valentine’s menus that build from “First Date Saturday” and “Second Date Sunday,” to “No Pressure Weekend Brunch,” “Going Steady Monday” and “True Romance Tuesday.” Each menu offers a little something different and range from a three-course brunch menu for $45, a four-course dinner menu for $59, to a five-course dinner menu for $79.

Each menu features the best of sustainable and mostly local seafood including appearances from oysters, scallops, lobster, Dungeness crab and the best of the daily catch.

Pastry Chef Bruno Feldeisen has created a number of delicious desserts such as his signature Melt My Heart sweet treat featuring white chocolate and almond mousse cake, raspberry champagne cream and candied rose petals.

Make a romantic night of it and book the Hotel’s Celebration Package and be sure to share your Vancouver Love Story on the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver Facebook page for a chance to win a five-course Valentine’s menu, including wine, and a Celebration Package overnight stay in an Executive Suite for the evening of Tuesday, February 14. Champagne, strawberries, breakfast in bed, valet parking – the works!

If Cupid has fallen down on the job and you’re spending the holiday alone or with friends – pull up a seat at the bar and order some Romance – the cocktail. Justin Taylor’s festival refreshing pink cocktail is sure take restore your spirits.

For more info, visit: yewrestaurant.com

————————————————————————————————-

INVEST IN LAUGHING STOCK PORTFOLIO 2010

Laughing Stock Vineyards has opened the Futures Offering of Portfolio 2010, our signature Bordeaux-style blend. Only available for a limited time, the Futures Offering provides early subscribers with the option to secure orders of Portfolio at a reduced price before it is released to the public later this fall. Portfolio continues to be recognized as one of BC’s big reds and as noted by John Schreiner, reputed wine writer, “Portfolio is one of those reds that should be collected by anyone serious about building a cellar of British Columbia Wines”.

This year’s vintage continues to showcase the best reds we grow with a blend of the classic Bordeaux varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The 2010 vintage was a cooler vintage and thus early blending trials are showing a very elegant and classic expression of fruit.

The futures price is $35 per bottle (unchanged since we launched the winery in 2003), thus the program offers discounts from the release price of $42 in Fall 2012. A great arbitrage opportunity!

If you purchase Portfolio annually, you may be interested in becoming a Preferred Shareholder to gain specific benefits such as free shipping as a wine club member. Details are noted below.

February is officially Futures month and this offer is only open until FEBRUARY 29, 2012. You may place your Futures order here.

For more info, visit: laughingstock.ca

————————————————————————————————-

BURROWING OWL ESTATE WINERY RAISES OVER $400K FOR FEATHERED FRIENDS & THE LAND CONSERVANCY

January 30, 2012 (Vancouver, BC) – The Okanagan’s Burrowing Owl Estate Winery is pleased to announce that as of December 31, 2011 it has donated over $400,000 to support of the work of the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of British Columbia, SORCO (the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls), and The Land Conservancy of BC.

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery supports these organizations with funds raised at its winery tasting room. Visitors are encouraged to make a suggested minimum $2 donation when they visit the winery to taste its world-class wines. The winery’s donations now provide the majority of the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society’s annual funding.

Burrowing Owl invites everyone to drop by and sample our award-winning wines in our tasting room. After all, it’s for the birds!

For more info, visit: bovwine.ca

Tales of the Cocktail on Tour Vancouver is right around the corner, taking place February 12-15.  At this second annual installment of the satellite event of New Orleans’ own Tales of the Cocktail, tequila and mezcal will figure prominently.  Charlotte Voisey, Iván Saldaña, and your very own agave correspondent will be presenting an entertaining and educating seminar entitled Tequila Evolved on Tuesday February 14.

Tequila Evolved: How Tequila Evolved, How Tequila Cocktails have Evolved and How Tequila will Continue to Evolve

Agave genius Iván Saldaña Oyarzábal is flying in from Mexico to join Charlotte Voisey and Eric Lorenz for an invigorating discussion on the past, the cocktails and the future of tequila.

^ The traditional way of extracting juice from the Agave as seen here at Fidencio Mezcal’s distillery

Ever wondered if the Mesoamericans discovered, fermented and even distilled agave beverages before the Spanish arrived in 1519?  If so, how long ago? And how has fermentation been intricately interwoven with the rise of civilization itself?  These questions will be explored in fascinating dialogue with Eric Lorenz citing provocative new research by archaeologists from the University of British Columbia.

Charlotte will be on hand for cocktail relief with silver, reposado and añejo tequilas.

^ Early distillation in Mexico: Spanish colonial-era copper alembic still in the foreground, early clay pot still used by indigenous Zapotec peoples at present (distillate from this type of still is known as "mezcal de olla") at left. Credit: Eric Lorenz.

For anyone who attended Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this past summer and who saw and heard Iván speak at the Before Man, the Plant seminar, you’ll recall that his knowledge of agave botany and plant physiology is unmatched.  Charlotte’s strengths (two of many actually…) are in telling the (his)story of a classic cocktail while tantalizing the tastebuds – she’ll be doing that with the margarita and more – thanks to Milagro Tequila.  And your correspondent?  Well, if you read any of my Ancient Origins of Agave Spirits series over at Examiner.com, you’ll have some idea where (and when) we’ll be going.  But you’ll have to turn up in person to hear about our new and future research – in which we’ll literally dig up the smoking guns showing early origins of agave beverage fermentation and ritual use of these beverages and analyze them using state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques.

^ Charlotte Voisey

What if I didn’t sign up in time and the Tequila Evolved seminar is full, you ask?  Well, you can still come on out to the BC Bar Crawl any time between February 12-15 and enjoy agave spirits featured at these fine establishments:

• Boneta
  12 Water Street Courtyard
  “Callejón de la Sangre” with Scorpion Mezcal created by Ben De Champlain

• The Keefer Bar
  135 Keefer Street
  “Ma Mong O” with Don Julio Tequila created by Danielle Tatarin

• West Restaurant
  2881 Granville Street
  “Geishagave” with T1 Tequila Uno created by David Wolowidnyk

And your correspondent has also learned, by leaving no stone unturned and through plenty of late-night “research” of course, that imbibers may also get a taste of mezcal if they head over to Blue Water Café or Revel Room for their cocktails featuring Cointreau and Licor 43, respectively.  But you didn’t hear that from me.

Finally, master distillers German Gonzalez of T1 Tequila Uno and Douglas French of Scorpion Mezcal are threatening that they may even be on hand for the week.  Either way, cocktail lovers and agave lovers alike will have plenty to rejoice about at Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver.

Not enough for you because you’re such an extreme agave enthusiast, you say?  Well, you’re in luck – you can enroll in the first-time-in-Canada Mezcalier Level 1 course taking place on February 16 at Latitude on Main.  This is the one and only Mexican government-certified course that you can take to be able to call yourself a “mezcalier” – and it’s only the beginning (1 of 4).  See www.mezcalier.com for costs and details.  Of course, the most important detail is that you’ll be tasting at least 20 mezcals you’ve never tasted before.

And speaking of mezcal – did I mention that British Columbia’s mezcal selection just increased by about 900%?  More on that later.

~ Eric Lorenz

From 1903 through to 1926, Ada Coleman, or as her regulars called her, “Coley”, worked the bar at the Savoy Hotel’s American Bar in London. She was a very talented bartender who proceeded the great, Harry Craddock, who in 1924 would come over the pond from America to manage the Savoy. Six years later he would publish the Savoy cocktail book, where the first recipe for the Hanky Panky was found.

Ada had regulars such as Charlie Chaplin, WC Fields, and Mark Twain. One particular regular, Charles Hawtrey, an English actor preferred a drink, “with a bit of punch to it.” One evening Ada came up with a new recipe involving London dry gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Fernet Branca. Upon tasting it Mr. Hawtrey said, “By Jove! That is the real hanky panky!” It has been called the, Hanky Panky ever since.

The great thing about the Hanky Panky cocktail is that a drink with only three ingredients is so delicious. The secret is nailing the dilution and the temperature. I like to use Beefeater as the gin component because the heavier juniper presence really stands up well to the complexity of the Fernet Branca. I use Cinzano Rosso for the vermouth. I find certain other vermouths like Carpano Antica formula a little too complex for this cocktail. Finally, the orange twist also helps pull everything together by delivering an elegant citrus nose. As you taste, the spice notes from the gin will be first, then the fruit from the vermouth, finished with the lovely bitter characteristics of the Fernet Branca.

Here’s the recipe:

• 45 ml Beefeater gin

• 45 ml Cinzano Rosso vermouth

• 10 ml Fernet Branca

- Add all ingredients to a chilled mixing glass.
- Add ice and stir for 20-30 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Squeeze an orange peel over the cocktail and drop in the glass. Enjoy.

My favorite pre-dinner cocktail, but really can be enjoyed anytime!

~ Shaun Layton

As part of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association’s August Summer Love promotion, MARKET by Jean-Georges has been featuring a weekly cocktail tasting every Thursday at 9:00pm. For $25, guests received an appetizer and five tasting-size cocktails created by lead bartender, Jay Jones.

I learned that for MARKET’s last Summer Love Cocktail Tasting, Jones was showcasing tequila. Given my recent agave spirits education, I thought this offered a good opportunity to explore some of its capabilities in mixed drinks. Here is what he came up with…

El Mariachi
Cazadores Blanco | Campari | Mirabelle plum | fresh lime juice| sparkling wine

Carolina
Cazadores Reposado | Maraschino liqueur | Liquore Strega | fresh lemon juice | peach bitters

Jalisco Sour
Herradura Reposado | red bell pepper | Taboo absinthe | agave syrup | fresh lemon juice | egg white

Machete
Cazadores Anejo | green chartreuse | chili pepper | fresh lemon juice | lemon zest

Anticuado
Aha Toro Anejo | Vanille de Madagascar | brown sugar | Aztec chocolate bitters | lemon & orange zest

I really like seeing this concept being applied to cocktails in Vancouver. Curious by nature, I’m an avid explorer, be it travel, food, or drink. Tapas, thali, izakaya, wine flights, beer samplers – all offer the individual a better opportunity to survey a beverage or cuisine than normally possible with full-size servings.

Of course, there are greater logistics involved with cocktails since it requires much more than opening three, or so, bottles and pouring the contents into separate glasses. You can’t help but be impressed with The Refinery’s Cocktail Kitchen Series when, on top of that, they were changing the bartender weekly and the three-course menu monthly. Unsurprisingly, MARKET’s August tasting series has proven to be popular. Jones said they intend to have similar offerings in the future, perhaps putting more emphasis on the food.

After sampling all five tequila cocktails, guests were asked to vote for their favourite via twitter. The recipe of the most popular drink will be published in Vancity Buzz on August 29. Oh, and if you want to win a dream date valued up to $1,500, you have until August 31 to enter the DVBIA’s Summer Love Contest; date not included.

~ RG

At the height of summer when the branches weigh heavy with fruit and the wafting sweetness saturates the air, the wild yeasts have already begun to feed. These ubiquitous fungi found on the skins ferment the fruit sugars to provide them with the energy needed for their growth and reproduction, and in so doing, just happen to produce alcohol. Since these yeasts are everywhere we all eat some amount of alcohol in our food, and thus consuming alcohol is as natural as eating. But while our hunter-gatherer ancestors no doubt ate wild fermented fruit, and maybe on occasion enough to get mildly inebriated, it wasn’t until about 9000 years ago that we learned how to make wine. It perhaps has its origins in ancient China, but very early evidence of wine production has also been found in places such as modern-day Iran, a country that now forbids alcohol consumption. Not even considering the ancient Zorastrian culture of Iran, Islamic Persian literature is replete with references to wine, in the poems of Hafez and Sadi who speak of wine as a representation of divine bliss. From the drinking songs of college fraternities and sports fans, to intimate moments with family and friends, alcohol is a beverage of transcendence, as a way to leave behind our petty inhibitions and boundaries to share in the delight and ecstasy of everything melting away.

Wine has long been a part of Indian culture as well. In a 6th century Ayurvedic text called the Ashtanga Hrdaya, two entire chapters are devoted to the subject of wine. It outlines the properties of wine and its effects on the body, the dangers of overconsumption, intoxication and addiction, and how to prevent and treat these problems. Its author Vagbhata says that wine is a means to happiness, an elixir that brings about relief from the day to day monotony of everyday life. As the Ashtanga Hrdaya says, “if he does not drink wine at least once, what else can he enjoy in this troublesome life of a householder?”

According to Ayurveda, all alcohol has hot and dry quality that quickly penetrates the tissues of the body, overcoming both the physical and mental qualities of inertia. In stimulating the body however alcohol acts like a poison, catalyzing the innate vitality (ojas) towards forcible expression. With alcohol we become happy and joyful as this energy is released, but this loss also leads to mental instability, disordered thinking and impaired actions. The Ashtanga Hrdaya says that the improper consumption of wine is chief among the innumerable paths to self-destruction, leading to the loss of dharma (virtue), artha (prosperity) and kama (happiness).

Alcohol molecule

Science supports the idea in Ayurveda that alcohol is a poison. There is clear evidence that consuming as little as two shots of distilled liquor, two glasses of wine or a pint of beer can produce liver injury when consumed on a daily basis. After consumption blood alcohol levels increase dramatically and alcohol diffuses into the brain, producing the tipsy euphoria or buzz we get when we’re a little drunk. The alcohol then passes through the liver where it is metabolized into acetylaldehyde, which is highly toxic to both the liver and other organs, until it is acted upon by cellular antioxidants and reduced to acetic acid. Detoxifying acetylaldehyde places great stress on the liver and interferes with normal functions, inhibiting gluconeogenesis and protein synthesis. It increases fatty acid synthesis leading to fatty liver (steatosis), in which the liver becomes enlarged and yellowed from the accumulation of peroxidized fat. This ‘stagnation’ of the liver is one of the major underlying factors of hangover, and is best treated with supportive measures such as antioxidant-rich foods, and especially bitter-tasting herbs, vegetables and fruit. While fatty liver is completely reversible, with chronic alcohol consumption the liver cells become inflamed (hepatitis) and eventually irreversible scarring (cirrhosis) begins to take place. Chronic alcohol consumption also induces a hypermetabolic state, increasing the activity of detoxifying enzymes, increasing tolerance to both alcohol and drugs, often leading to multiple substance abuse patterns.

To avoid these problems the Ashtanga Hrdaya prescribes a regimen for drinking alcohol (madyapanavidhi):

1. Make sure you are in good health. Alcohol is a kind poison that taxes the body, and if the body is weak alcohol consumption leads to further weakness and decline. In general, this rule refers to all intoxicating substances, but among them alcohol is prominent due to its particularly toxic effects.

2. Make sure you are in a good mood. Alcohol may make you happy for a while; but if you were unhappy before drinking, that state of mind returns before the negative effects of alcohol have worn off, leading to further unhappiness. In Ayurveda happiness is related to ojas – more vitality means more happiness. If you are using alcohol to change your mood, look for other things that give you pleasure and enjoyment first.

3. Make sure that you will be safe. Ayurveda recommends drinking at home or a specific location, where you can’t get hurt or hurt others, with sober people (“physicians”) watching over you. Travel is not recommended while drinking.

4. Make sure you are celebrating! Drinking alcohol is a celebration, a sudden release of energy that is to be shared and enjoyed with good company and good food. Alcohol is particularly celebrated in the Ashtanga Hrdaya as an aphrodisiac, and some of the suggestive passages of Ayurveda are found in its description of wine, and how we can enjoy it with our beloved.

5. Make sure to drink in moderation. Have no more than two servings per event. That’s enough to get pleasantly drunk for more people, and still not lose the ability to function. For more intimate settings the Ashtanga Hrdaya allows up to three drinks just to “please the wife”…

6. Make sure to take rasayanas after drinking. Before retiring for the evening, take herbs that support the liver and build ojas. Examples include amla, peony, shatavari, punarnava, barberry, kudzu, turmeric, licorice and ginger, taken with honey and ghee, or with boiled milk.

Alcohol can be fermented or distilled. Common fermented beverages include wine, beer and mead. Wine is considered best for health, and because Ayurveda considers grapes to be among the best fruits, grape wine is the best among the different types of wine. At about 10-14% alcohol, wine (madya) has a sour taste and a hot, dry quality that stimulates the appetite, promotes circulation, benefits the heart and reduces vata and kapha. Red wine is richer in tannins, and has a drier and hotter quality than white wine that can aggravate pitta. Red wine is less likely to promote congestion and is best consumed in the winter and cold weather. White wine is more congesting and cooling in nature, better for pitta, and is reserved for warmer weather and warm climates. Wine can also be prepared with other fruits besides grapes, as well as with different herbs and flowers. In Ayurveda medicinal wines called arishta are used extensively in the treatment in a number of diseases and condition, as they are also used in both Chinese and Western herbal medicine.

Beer (sura) has lower amounts of alcohol than wine, averaging from about 4-9% depending on the preparation. Unlike wine, beer is not good for digestion and tends to create congestion and weight gain. Rice beer (salisura) is considered to be the best among beers, whereas barley beer (yavasura) is considered inferior. In general beer is useful for nourishment and for promoting breastmilk production. Its properties also depend on the kind herbs the beer is fermented with. In India beer was often fermented with a number of herbs such as punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa) and bibhitaki (Terminalia belerica), both of which are rejuvenating plants that are good for health. Today most beer is made with hops (Humulus lupulus), a bitter-tasting herb with sedative properties that contains the estrogen 8-prenylnaringenin that alters sexual function. In the Middle Ages men refused to pick hops because it made their testes shrink, and hence hop-picking and beer-making became a woman’s job. Each tavern produced its own unique blend of herbs to flavor the beer, some recipes using psychoactive plants such as henbane (Hyocyamus niger) and belladonna (Atropa belladonna) – hence the myth of the witch and the devilish effects of her cauldron’s brew.

Mead (madhasava) is a kind of wine prepared by diluting honey with water and then either relying upon wild or added yeasts to ferment it. Unlike wine mead is often flavored with different herbs, spices, fruits and flowers. Prepared simply, mead is light and easier to digest than wine, and is stated to be good for skin problems and urinary disorders. Like the medicinal wines called arishta in Ayurveda, a separate class of medicinal meads called asava are used in a similar manner.

Distilled liquor is prepared by boiling off the alcohol from a fermented mash of fruits, grains and just about any carbohydrate-rich food or alcohol. Examples include brandy (wine), gin (wine and herbs), vodka (corn or potatoes), whiskey (barley, wheat, rye, corn), tequila (agave) and rum (sugar). Distillation as a technique has been used in Ayurveda for thousands of years, and has long been used throughout the Middle East. Walk into any Persian grocery store and more than one aisle will be filled with different types of hydrosols, a distillate made from boiled herbs. Although distillation was known to the ancients it was the Arab physician Ibn Sina that developed the refrigerated coil. This allows the distillate to condense quickly, dramatically speeding up the process of extraction. By about the 12th century the first evidence of alcohol distillation is found in Europe, and liquor soon begins to rival other traditional beverages. Often times the variety of distilled liquor was marketed as a kind of medicinal tonic, such as gin made with juniper, a herb traditionally used to detoxify the body and enhance digestion. In the 19th century the continuous still was invented and distilled liquor production literally flooded the marketplace, giving rise to a host of social issues that sparked the rise of the Temperance movement and prohibiton in North America.

Distilled liquor can range in alcohol content anywhere from 30% (60 proof) up to 95% (180 proof), with most commercial distillates below 50% (100 proof). The higher alcohol content means that distilled liquor has a very pungent flavor, and a very hot and dry quality. It has a strong stimulatory effect upon circulation and digestion, and is an effective medicine to treat coldness and reduce kapha. Distilled liquor is a suitable alternative for people with yeast problems (candidiasis), consumed dry, straight or with ice, as an alternative to fermented alcohol and sweetened beverages. Distilled alcohol however aggravates both pitta and vata, and should be avoided in warm weather and climates.

~ Todd Caldecott

ToddCaldecott.com

(Images courtesy of Rick Green)
The second installment of The Refinery’s Cocktail Kitchen season 2 brought Granville Island’s Masa Shiroki and his Osake brand sake to the bar. His unfiltered small-batch produced premium sake and imports were the main ingredients in competition cocktails that were paired with an all-Japanese menu created by Ben de Champlain featured during the month of April.

THE BARTENDERS:

^ Week 1 - Danielle Tatarin, The Keefer Bar

^ Week 2 - Jay Jones, Market by Jean-Georges at the Shangri-La Hotel

^ Week 3 - Jason Browne, Calabash Bistro

^ Week 4 - Shawn Soole & Nate Caudle, Clive's Classic Lounge, Victoria

The 3 course menu, created by chef and bartender Ben de Champlain, was an homage to his favourite Japanese comfort foods that he discovered exploring the country during an extended stay in his younger and wilder days.

^ Course 1 - "Sunomono" salad with compressed cucumber "noodles", prawn, pickled ginger, and citrus soup bowl

The first dish, a cold “Sunomono” salad (su means vinegar in Japanese) of compressed cucumber ‘noodles’, pickled ginger and citrus dressing, was topped with a peeled prawn. It was a refreshing starter course and the cocktails reflected it, with many playing to the tartness of the vinegar with citrus fruit. Danielle Tatarin’s “Ichi” cocktail was served in a hollowed out lime.

Ichi
• 1oz Sake (cold)
• Dash of each lime & apple bitters
• 1 lime cored out to be used as serving glass, freeze.
• 1 round orange zest placed at the bottom of the inside of the orange.
• Add the bitters over the orange zest into the lime cup then pour the sake over top. Keep the top part of the lime to be used to close up the lime.

^ Course 2 - "Okonomiyaki" cabbage pancake with bonito and Japanese "BBQ" sauce

de Champlain’s Okonomiyaki, which is basically a battered cabbage pancake pan-fried to a nice crispy texture and decorated with various savoury accoutrements, was done Osaka-style, as opposed to Hiroshima-style that adds yakiudon to the mix, and was absolutely delicious. This dish was so simple and satisfying, I could have easily eaten another and another.

Jason Browne’s Suika no kaika – “Blooming Watermelon” was a highlight cocktail pairing with the okonomiyaki. His refreshing cocktail made with Shochu, plum wine, cherry liqueur and fresh watermelon artfully integrated the many traditional Japanese flavours together. The subtle green tea and nutty Shochu combined with sweet mayo, bonito and fried cabbage was a sublime match.

Suika no Kaika-Blooming Watermelon
• 1oz Sochu
• 3/4oz Plum wine
• 1/4oz Maracshino Cherry liqueur
• 1/2oz ginger syrup
• 3 lemon zests
• 1 1/2oz Chrysanthamem Green Tea
• 1oz fresh pressed watermelon juice

Shake and fine strain, pour into DOF with cubed ice. Garnish with a strip of watermelon peel, cherry blossom and grated dried plum

^ Course 3 - Kasu and miso marinated sablefish with mushroom dashi and vegetables

The final course of miso and kasu marinated sablefish in a shitake mushroom-filled dashi broth brought earthy flavours to a delicate piece of fish, which were accented nicely by fresh-cut spring onions. By far the most challenging cocktail pairing because the bartenders were instructed to also include “kasu” in their drinks. Kasu is the remnants of the rice fermentation in the production of sake, which gave the cocktails an imposing milky body. Jay Jones cocktail was called “The Master” and embraced the full body head on, combining rich spiced flavours of brandy, fernet, root beer bitters, orgeat and lemon zest in one of the more complex cocktails of the competition.

^ Ben de Champlain, Masa Shiroki, and Danielle Tatarin

After all the guests’ scores were tallied at the end of the month, Danielle Tatarin of The Keefer Bar was given the nod as April’s overall winner.

Stay tuned, next month is THAILAND vs. DRIFTWOOD BEER

• May 4 2011: Bartender Derek Vanderheide
• May 11 2011: Bartender Lauren Mote
(*during Vancouver Craft Beer Week)
• May 18 2011: Bartender David Wolowidnyk
• May 25 2011: Bartender Tanya Roussy

More more information and to buy tickets to the next event, call 604.687.8001 or visit: therefineryvancouver.com.

~ PK

For anyone interested in attending the Tales of the Cocktail, there are 20 tickets still available for purchase. This three-day festival will feature six seminars, held at the beautiful Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel, from some of the world’s top mixologists, as well as opening and closing events.

The inaugural seminars at Tales of the Cocktail on Tour Vancouver include the following:

• Famous New Orleans Cocktails led By Chris McMillan and Philip Greene
• Who’s Your Daddy? A Mai Tai Paternity Test led by Jeff Berry
• For the Love of Gin led by Desmond Payne and Dan Warner
• The Science of Cocktails: New Techniques Behind the Bar led by Dave Arnold and Eben Klemm
• The History and Importance of Ice in Cocktails led by Charlotte Voisey and Jon Santer
• The Birth, Death and Rebirth of Canadian Whisky led by Allen Katz and Drew Mayville with Neal McLennan and David Wolowidnyk

Ticket package cost is $155 and can be purchased at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel (1038 Canada Place) on Sunday, March 13th at 12 noon.

Today, we are excited to welcome The Keefer Bar in Chinatown to the Urban Diner community.

Check out their new listing here.

Ten years ago we began to see attention turn to bar culture in our local hospitality scene; creative cocktail recipes and the imaginative personalities behind them became identified and embraced. We have our bar patrons to thank for the incredible growth in the quality of bartending, as your curiosity and thirst have helped raise our standards as an industry. We now enjoy a thriving community, where the relationship between the cocktail and it’s bartender matches that of food and it’s chef. The honour of having Tales of the Cocktail® land in Vancouver is proud evidence of where we’ve come.

Media interest in what we do has been of paramount importance – helping us share our creations and ambitions with a greater audience. We are grateful for the opportunities media provides for us to showcase our affections for the Drink. Bartending and drinking should always be fun, but we take certain things very seriously; case-in-point, the Sazerac. This cocktail is the very foundation of what we do behind the bar. It is the very definition of a cocktail – a classic recipe whose design and history stand as foundation for our ideals, creativity and pure love of what we do. You don’t mess with the Sazerac.

Recently, a popular and highly distributed newspaper published an article on classic cocktails, citing specific recipes, individuals and historical information. The on-line article also featured two video cocktail demonstrations, showcasing construction of two of the most important cocktails in history: The aforementioned Sazerac and the Manhattan.

This could have been a remarkable article, as it seemed intended to share the substance and very heart of classic cocktails and bartending. Instead, it was a mockery of our industry and that which we hold dear. The article itself is a celebration of misinformation, while the video cocktail demonstrations employ incorrect ingredients, misleading descriptions and unhygienic techniques. I’m not one for writing letters of complaint, but this was just too personal an affront that flew in the face of everything our community has worked to achieve. As a bartender, a founding Director of the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association and an Event Partner with Tales of the Cocktail® on Tour – Vancouver, I felt compelled to respond:

To whom it may concern,

Re: “Which classic tipples are making a return to the bar scene?” ~  Michele Sponagle Feb 18, 2011, Globe and Mail

Thank you for drawing attention to the classic cocktail enthusiasm in our local Bar scene and for mentioning individuals and locations in particular, however it would preferable if your facts and performances were accurate. There are information errors regarding the Pisco Sour, but I would like to make you aware specifically of the deficiencies in your report regarding the Sazerac and the faults in video preparations made by Beppi Crosariol.

1. There is no such thing as Herbchaud. There is Herbsaint and there is Peychaud’s Bitters – both are essential ingredients to the New Orleans Sazerac.

2. Sazerac is specifically a Rye Whisky-based cocktail – Tennessee Whisky should never be used

3. An Absinthe or Herbsaint wash is required for a Sazerac – Pernod is not prescribed

4. Peychaud’s is the essential bitters in a Sazerac. Angostura Bitters should never be used in a Sazerac

5. I do not wish to discredit the word “Bartender” in favour of “Mixologist” or any other term – just like the Sazerac, the word “Bartender” is embraced by our community; a proud title to represent a skilled professional that is passionate about the craft of Bartending

6. I did not provide this quote: “Cocktails were originally mixed for medicinal purposes, they were not meant to be consumed recreationally.”

7. The technical performances making the Sazerac and Manhattan are grossly inaccurate and unhygienic

8. There are no variations of the Sazerac which suggest ice or soda be added

9. The Sazerac is referred to in the video as being “Bourbon and Licorice” – Gentleman Jack is not Bourbon and Pernod is flavoured with anise, not licorice

10. The Manhattan video is labeled “How to make the perfect Manhattan”. “Perfect Manhattan” is misleading as it denotes a very particular recipe variation, as opposed to the classic Manhattan recipe which is attempted in your video

Your exposure for our beloved Cocktail culture is appreciated, though we would be happy to provide accurate information and professional consultation upon request so as not to dilute our efforts or discredit the authenticity of classic recipes.

>Thank you,

~ Jay Jones