Author Archive
December 3rd, 2008
If you’re looking for mixology tools, exotic bitters and newly reissued cocktail books of yore, head to Grand in Union Square, Somerville (374 Somerville Ave.). The Boston Shaker, a fledgling local enterprise headed by Adam Lantheaume, recently helped Grand set up a section for these items amidst the store’s merchandise for devotées of design.
The photo above gives you an idea of the sort of cocktail accoutrements you’ll find at Grand: Fee Bros. bitters (orange, mint, whiskey-barrel aged, etc.), syrups (orgeat, cassis, etc.), bar spoons, shakers, ice crushers, jiggers, cocktail books. No spirits, however — Grand is not a liquor store. (Bitters contain alcohol, but, like extracts used in cooking, they are not consumed in great enough quantity to warrant regulation.)
You can also contact the Boston Shaker directly to order these goods, as well as to get info on procuring hard-to-find spirits. And, note to industry folks: the Boston Shaker would love to talk to you about supplying your bar with specialty cocktail tools and ingredients. So, if you’re in the market for, say, an absinthe fountain or cherry bitters, give Adam a shout.
Tags: cocktail ingredients, cocktail tools, shops
Posted in Bitters, Books & resources, Drinking supplies | 3 Comments »
November 28th, 2008
This December 5 marks 75 years since Prohibition was repealed, and Eastern Standard is celebrating this historic day with a blowout befitting the most extravagant speakeasies of the Roaring Twenties. (They’ve been celebrating all year, actually, with Prohibition-era cocktail specials.) The party starts on Thursday evening, December 4, and ends appropriately with a wee-hours-of-the-morning breakfast on December 5. If you’re up for a splurge, or ready to demand an early Christmas present, I strongly encourage you to get tickets for this thing.
In fact, the ticket price of $120 per person is a pretty great deal. The evening starts at 6:30 with a “juice joint” reception featuring bathtub gin, hors d’oeuvres and live of-the-era music by Miss Tess. This is followed by a six-course dinner with cocktails (see below). At 10:00 p.m., the dancing starts, courtesy of Jazz Age tunes by DJ Brother Cleve. But wait, there’s more: a 1:00 a.m. breakfast to fortify you after all that dancing and drinking. So, pull out those vintage threads you wore to the LUPEC Boston Tea Party last year and call 617-532-9100 or email for reservations. If you’re strictly a late-night owl, arrive at 10:00 for only $40 per person.
Eastern Standard Repeal Day Six-Course Dinner
First Course: Ampersand Cocktail
Buttermilk Fried Oysters with Standard Caesar Salad and Pernod Remoulade
Second Course: Waldorf-Astoria’s Perfect Martini
3 eggs, 3 styles
1) Thin, Toasted Rye Wheel, Smear of Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese, Caviar
2) White Truffle Scrambled (with shaved white truffle)
3) Deviled Egg
Third Course: Maiden’s Prayer
Maine Lobster in Pastry with a Sherry Cream Sauce, Peas and Carrots
Fourth Course: The Scofflaw
Philadelphia Pepper Pot Stew
Lamb Neck, Sweetbread, and Cockscomb, Root Vegetables
Fifth Course: The Charles Lindbergh
Roasted Karabuta Pork Chop
Scalloped Potatoes, Housemade Sauerkraut
Dessert: Corpse Reviver #3
Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Cardamom Tapioca
Hope to see you there!
Tags: 1920s speakeasy party, December 5, Prohibition, Repeal Day
Posted in Cocktails, Events, Gin | No Comments »
November 28th, 2008
Calling all Boston imbibers: This Monday, December 1, a group of Boston bartenders will compete in the semi-finals of the Domaine de Canton 2009 Bartender of the Year contest. The competition will, of course, involve mixing an original cocktail using the exquisite new French cognac-based, real ginger-infused liqueur.
The event takes place upstairs at the Beehive in the South End from 5:00-7:00 (after the judges have made their selection) and features complimentary appetizers and Domaine de Canton cocktails. It’s open to the public, but you gotta RSVP by emailing paul@tipplingbros.com.
The contestants are:
Jennifer Harvey – 33 Restaurant & Lounge
Mike Paquette – Scampo Restaurant
Bob McCoy – Eastern Standard
Josh Caron – Five Fifty-Five
Steven Shur – Boston College Club
Jeff Grdinich – White Mountain cider Co.
Clif Travers – The Beehive
Chris Whitney – Alibi Bar & Lounge
The judges (with their titles quoted verbatim from the invite) include:
John Gertsen. Cocktail Guru – No.9 Park & Drink
Liza Weisstuch. Sprits & Lifestyle Writer – Imbibe Magazine, Whisky Magazine, Massachusetts Beverage Business
Misty Kalkofen. Mixologist Extraordinaire – Drink, Founder LUPEC Boston
See you there!
Tags: bartender, contest, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, mixology
Posted in Cocktails, Events, Liqueur | 4 Comments »
November 28th, 2008
An article that will appear in this Sunday’s Boston Globe Magazine, “Find. Join. Learn. Go. The World Wide Hub: Sixty-four websites on Boston life that you should know,” includes drinkboston in its food/restaurant category.
There are a bunch of good sites mentioned here in categories ranging from politics to sports to commuting. A couple of these sites participated in a recent confab of bloggers: Povo (the host of the gathering), which “seeks to be an encyclopedia [of Boston] by neighborhood,” and Universal Hub, which “provides a broader slice of the city than you’ll see anywhere else” (this from the newspaper that runs Boston.com!).
Thanks for the thumbs-up, Globe Mag.
Tags: best Boston blogs, Boston Globe Magazine
Posted in drinkboston in the news | 2 Comments »
November 25th, 2008
Ah, yes, the famous World War II novel and movie, evoked in my mind by the estimated 200 people who showed up at the LUPEC Boston USO Show Friday night dressed in 1940s costume. It’s also an apt description of the line at the bar that night!
I and the rest of the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails are exceedingly grateful to all the generous, fun-lovin’ folk who came to the party with bells (and sailor hats and swingy skirts and two-tone pumps) on, and who were patient beyond the call of duty while waiting to order cocktails. We thank you, and so do the women at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, the recipients of the evening’s ample proceeds (still being reckoned).
These pics are just a few of the many taken that evening. See C. Fernsebner’s post on the Bostonist for additional photos, and check in with the LUPEC Boston blog this week for more possible links to photos.
Boston imbibers, we salute you!
Tags: 1940s, cocktail events, LUPEC Boston USO Show
Posted in Events | 6 Comments »
