Portland Cocktail Week 2013 opening shakes things up

The fourth annual Portland Cocktail Week (PDXCW) opened Saturday in Portland, Oregon, bringing together bartenders, cocktail luminaries, and cocktail enthusiasts for a celebration of craft cocktail culture.  Bartender education is one of the key components of PDXCW; this year over 1,000 bartenders applied for the 260 slots.  Each will take classes in one of four major course studies offered by the Portland Bartender Institute (Advanced Craft Cocktail Bartending, Beyond the Bar, Bar Ownership, and Product Development). Classes will be held in Portland’s Downtown and Pearl Districts and are intended to improve bartenders’ technical skills as well as help them prepare for long-term career aspirations.

“The Portland Bar Institute not only covers spirits training,” said Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Clyde Common. “It also provides bartenders the tools to focus on developing individual professional aspirations – whether they be behind the bar, developing products, or building a personal brand.”

This year the major opening event was the “Swig n Swine,” a charity pig roast sponsored by the Bon Vivants of San Francisco as part of their Pig and Punch on the road program that supports different charities.  This year’s PDXCW event benefits Self Enhancement Inc. Charter School, a local nonprofit organization supporting at-risk urban youth.

The bash, which took place at the Jupiter Hotel, had the usual selection of new cocktails to sample.  These were mixed in 50 gallon garbage cans (talk about scaling-up a recipe!), each accompanied by a recipe poster that listed the ingredients.

This year the major opening event was the “Swig n Swine,” a charity pig roast sponsored by the Bon Vivants of San Francisco as part of their Pig and Punch on the road program that supports different charities.  Party goers made their donation by purchasing a T-shirt.

Most PDXCW events are staffed by bartender-attendees who volunteer part of their time to support the program.  This pair is showing their support for a recipe poster...

Recipe posters or cards accompany most of the cocktails that may be sampled during cocktail week.  These usually promote the featured brands and provide a passable description of the recipe (without proportions).

Cocktails were mixed in 50 gallon garbage cans (talk about scaling-up a recipe!) accompanied by a recipe poster that listed the ingredients.  The tiny pumpkins specified in the recipe surround a big block of ice.  That's a large dipper if you're having trouble getting the scale.

The Sleeping Beauty is a hot, flavorful cocktail made from D'usse Cognac and Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth with a bunch of other ingredients, including Maple syrup, thrown in.  Note that while oranges are on the recipe card for this one, the walnuts definitely are not.

Cocktail ingredients Utah update – October 2013

The Rapture Cocktail will float you off to heaven...

Utah cocktailians can rejoice that it’s October, and the colder weather means it’s time for cocktails that are brown, bitter, and stirred. The count of items marked down by the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores  has revived! The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) this month (422) is quite an increase compared to the 333 in September, so now is a good time to get ready for cold weather cocktails by stocking your bar with October bargains. As the nights grow cooler and the early autumn days grow noticeably shorter, here are some cocktail ideas that, combined with these sale items, can reduce your monthly cocktail spend.

If you are into Bourbons, some good ones to try this month are Bulleit Frontier (down 11% to $24), Knob Creek (down 11% to $32), and Woodford Reserve (down 14% to $30). If you want to make a very mellow Manhattan, try one with some Woodford Reserve.  If you are tempted more by imported, brown liquors, there are a couple of good, blended Scotch Whiskies marked down, too; so if you’re looking for something to put into a really top-shelf Blood and Sand, you can get some Chivas Regal 12 Year (9% to $32) or a bottle of Dewars Special Reserve 12 Year (12% to $30). Feeling like some Barbados Rum? Mount Gay Eclipse is marked down 10% to $18 this month, try it in your next Rapture.  There is also a large selection of spiced Rums.

If even this late in the year, your taste runs to liquors of a lighter color, there are still some deals for you. There are about 17 Tequilas marked down in October, not counting the flavored ones.  Familia Camarena Tequilas, one of my favorite brands for mixing, have the Silver and Reposado both marked down 10% to $18. If you’ve never tried one, give the El Diablo a try. Deals on Vodka this month include liter bottles of Tito’s Handmade (CS# 038176 down 15% to $17). (Great in a White Russian.) You might also like to try Belvedere Intense (8% to $37) in a Vodka Martini.

Take flight with the Aviation cocktail

If you love Gin, you’ll want to take flight…

The last time I enjoyed an Aviation cocktail at BarX in Salt Lake City, I thought that this was something I had to try at home.  Dedicated cocktailians are always searching for an excuse to try a new cocktail, and that was enough for me.  This cocktail has been around for a while; there is a recipe for the Aviation in the Savoy Cocktail Book (1930).  The Savoy is usually a good source of cocktail inspiration when you’re looking for a classic cocktail to experiment with, but the recipe for the Aviation didn’t ring true.  I had always read that the Aviation’s name was due to the pale blue color delivered by the Crème de Violette, but the Savoy’s recipe didn’t have any Crème de Violette in it.

A little research on Wikipedia gave the reason: Crème de Violette was hard to find back in the late 1920’s, so the Savoy just left it out (follow the link for a more detailed history).  Luckily we don’t have that problem today.  The Aviation recipe was first published around 1916, so it’s probably older than your great grandmother and its centenary is rapidly approaching.  As you sip your first Aviation, remember that it was named when aviation was something new and exciting, not a routine fact of life.  So sip it, enjoy it, and never leave your wingman.

Aviation Cocktail

• 2 oz Gin (I used Plymouth)
• 1/2 oz Lemon juice
• 1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur
• 1/4 oz Crème de Violette

Combine ingredients in a shaker half full of cracked ice.  Shake well for about a minute.  Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cocktail cherry and get ready to contemplate the wild, blue yonder.

Cocktail ingredients Utah update – September 2013

A Mai Tai will put that bottle of Rum
you have to good use. Yo ho ho.

Utah cocktailians can thank heaven that the August slump is officially over and the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores have finally loosened the SPA purse strings.  The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) this month increased from only 250 in August to 333 in September. That means it’s time to get ready for cold weather cocktails by stocking your bar with September bargains.  So as the nights grow cooler and the late summer days grow noticeably shorter, here are some cocktail ideas that, combined with some sale items, can save you money.

Vodka lovers will be pleased that there is a good selection of Vodkas in bottles large and small on sale this month, including Ketel One and Tito’s.  All Vodka brands have their fans and detractors; many say that potato vodkas are the best, and my favorite potato Vodka, Teton Glacier, is going on clearance.  This is the first month on clearance, so the mark-down is around 30%.  If your local store has plenty in stock, you might want to wait for next month when the price will drop even more before stocking up. 

In case you’re looking for liquors to accompany the key ingredient of your cocktail, or even be the main ingredient, you might want to try one of the following.  If Tiki-style cocktails are your thing, why not try a Tanqueray Taj?  Midori Melon Liqueur is marked down 14% to $18 and is used as a flavoring in many other cocktails.  A favorite Triple-Sec substitute (if you’re still using that $10 Triple Sec, why not treat yourself? If you do, you may never go back...) is Gran Gala Orange Liqueur, marked down 14% to $19.  It’s cheaper than Grand Marnier, but almost as good.  E&J VSOP is a decent Brandy for mixing; it’s marked down 21% to $11, can do good duty in a Sidecar (or any other cocktail), and will hurt your wallet far less than mixing with your favorite Cognac. 

There are some nice Plata Tequilas on sale this month.  A couple you might like to try are Milagro Silver (14% to $25) or 1800 Silver (7% to $27).  Either of these will make a dynamite Margarita.  Why not mix them with Gran Gala Orange Liqueur (see above)?  There is also a nice selection of Reposados marked down this month, check them out at your local store.

There are only a couple of Bourbons on price adjustment this month; Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon, great for sipping, is available for $28 (10% off) and can also make a great BLT.  Another single-barrel Bourbon on sale is Blanton for $50 (6% off).

If you enjoy Rum, the state has limited markdowns this month.  There’s a trio of Bacardis with sale prices in the low to mid-teens.  If you’re a fan of Appleton Estates, VX is marked down 14% to $17.  Finally, Martini lovers will be pleased to know that they don’t have to go thirsty this month.  Hendricks Gin (9% to $32 makes an excellent Classic Martinis. There are a handful of other Gins on sale, so this may be the time to stock up on your favorite.

Cocktail ingredients Utah update – August 2013

Utahans should be grateful to the UDABC this year.  In a normal August, the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores enter the summer doldrums by dropping the number of sale items into the depths of the Sargasso Sea.  This year’s doldrums are not so bad: where in August, 2012, there were only 156 items on SPA, this year there is a more respectable, but not very generous, 250.  That is, as my brother used to say, better than a finger in the eye.  August usually marks the beginning of a cooling trend as the days grow noticeably shorter.  This year has been warmer than normal, so when cocktail hour rolls around, Utah’s amateur mixologists should have plenty of takers for their cocktails.  Here are some cocktail ideas that will save you money by taking advantage of the marked down items.

One Rum deal this month is Coruba Spiced Jamaica Rum (CS# 042093), on clearance for $6.52.  If you’re into spiced Jamaica Rum, this bargain might be just what you’re looking for.  While we’re talking inexpensive Rums, you might want to try Cruzan Dark (044486) down 15% to $10.  Try it in one or two of my favorite Rum coolers: the Mojito and the classic Rum and Coke (with lime, of course).

Lovers of Brandy cocktails will be pleased to find that E&J XO Brandy is on SPA for $13 (a 19% reduction); try it in a Sidecar (or any other cocktail calling for Brandy), where it will hurt your wallet far less than using your favorite Cognac.  Deals on Vodka this month include liter bottles of Ketel One (CS# 034457 down 10% to $28) and 750ml bottles of Absolut (CS# 034006 down 15% to $17).  Try these in a White Russian or a Vodka Martini.

A classic Gin cocktail from The Savoy Cocktail Book is the Corpse Reviver No. 2.  This month you might want to try one using Bombay Sapphire Gin (CS# 028236 down 11% to $27).  If you’re looking for something to go into a summer cooler like a Tom Collins, try some New Amsterdam Gin (CS# 031475 down 20% to $12), an excellent economy Gin.  You can check all of the prices for yourself by clicking through to the “SPA Product List” to open a price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month; then search on “gin” or the product of your choice.