March 7th, 2011
Drink This! With Brother Cleve at Think Tank
Hey, cats and kittens, something very cool launches TONIGHT at Think Tank in Kendall Square: Drink This! With Brother Cleve, the godfather of the Boston cocktail world. Join drinkboston, Classic Mixology and the Boston Shaker at 8:00 p.m. for Lundi Gras cocktails as we kick off “a new event series that will put me back behind the bar for the first time since 2001,” says Cleve. Here’s his write-up about the series:
“I’ll be featuring a different set of classic cocktails and new libations of my own creation every Monday, plus selecting the musical soundtrack to pair it with. We’ll be featuring appetizer specials and drink/food pairings from the kitchen, and I’ll hold a little seminar to explain the history of the drinks and assorted cocktail lore. As many of you know, I’ve been studying this stuff for a long time, and we now live in amazing times for spirits drinkers, with so many formerly “lost” liquors, bitters, syrups etc available again for the first time in decades. When Combustible Edison first hit the road in ’94, in search of the “Cocktail Nation,” you were lucky if you could get a decent Martini anywhere. Now, great cocktails are ubiquitous around the globe!
“Our launch date, March 7, coincides with Carnival — Lundi Gras is the Monday before Mardi Gras in New Orleans, so in honor of the occasion we’ll hold a pre-Lenten bash with Cleve’s Ninth Ward cocktail (a “best of show” libation at Tales Of the Cocktail in 2008, now served in select bars around the country), the Ward Eight, Boston’s best known drink and the inspiration for the Ninth Ward, as well as the Sazerac, the venerable favorite that has been designated the Official Cocktail of the City of New Orleans. There will be a soundtrack of classic New Orleans R&B, funk and jazz for your imbibing pleasure.
Cleve brings his knowledge and passion for mixology to these weekly seminars, in which he’ll share classic as well as “lost” recipes from his vast bartending library (collected over the past 25 years) along with new concoctions of his own creation. Each week will showcase a different theme or spirit, and will also feature music and videos culled from Cleve’s personal collection. Special menu items from the kitchen will also be available, and certain evenings will highlight food/cocktail pairings.”
No cover, no reservations, just show up. See you there!
Permalink | Filed under Cocktails, Events, New Orleans | Tags: Brother Cleve, cocktail history, Monday, seminar, Think Tank
March 7th, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Ah, wish we could be there – looks like a good time!
March 13th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
offered my assistance anytime (any monday in need)…. one only gets to play with the “Beatles” once or twice in a lifetime
March 16th, 2011 at 2:23 am
This is the best shit ever. It’s my life goal to make it to every single one of these. As long as I don’t get the auto cutoff!!!
March 17th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Here’s the link to the Globe’s write up: http://bo.st/igfXV7
April 9th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
I know Cleve is a fan of the wonderful cult Indian Rum Old Monk and mixes a fantastic cocktail called the Maharajah’s Revenge with it. It is a one of a kind,smokey, vanilla heavy rum that is unique and as of right now is no longer being imported into or distributed in North America. Look around all the local liquor spots and there is absolutely no trace of it anywhere. Check online and its availability is almost non existent. Emmit at Liquor Land got a heads up on this a while back and bought a ton of Old Monk. As of today he has exactly ONE bottle left on the shelf. Who knows when or if this fantastic rum will be back on US shelves so take action fast!
April 10th, 2011 at 11:41 am
Bill: well Cleve must have a stash, because he will be pouring Old Monk in a Maharaja’s Revenge at Think Tank tomorrow (Mon) night.
April 12th, 2011 at 10:31 pm
I bought that last bottle at Liquor Land!
I heard that someone went to Marty’s (in Newton, I think) recently and bought all 14 bottles on the shelf.
I don’t know the full story about what happened to the importing of this, but I heard a rumor it may be back sooner than later. Just a few years ago, the Monk was distributed by 2 Indian guys who kept it in the trunk of their car and sold it exclusively to liquor stores owned by South Asians.
If we’re really lucky, we’ll get both the 12 year old variety and the bottles that are shaped like actual old monks….you unscrew the monks head to pour the booze. Both of those items are only sold in the subcontinent. The 12 year old is worth the 20 hour flight to get…..smooth!! And yes, there’s also Old Monk lager beer.
Jai Hind!