Author Archive
October 17th, 2008
The boozin’ broads of the Boston chapter of Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) are at it again. This Tuesday, October 21, they’re going to mix up a coupla big bowls of strong punch and throw a relaunch party for the Little Black Book of Cocktails, which just had its second printing. The event will take place at Somerville’s cool-stuff store, Grand, in Union Square from 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Girls and boys alike are invited to hang out with the Ladies, grab a cup of punch, have a bite to eat, purchase a copy or two of the Little Black Book (filled with the Ladies’ favorite cocktail — and punch — recipes) and shop for everything from bubble calendars to Glow-in-the-Dark Nooka watches to pillows with kitschy embroidered ships.
The Little Black Book costs $15, and all proceeds go to local women’s charities. There is no admission charge for the party, but please RSVP if you plan to attend by emailing jono at grandthestore dot com. See you there!
Tags: Grand store, LUPEC Boston
Posted in Events, Punch | No Comments »
October 17th, 2008
I’m heading to the Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival this weekend to host a new session for the event called Bringing Back the Cocktail Hour. As the MVFWF website puts it, I’ll “lead a discussion on the lost art of making and enjoying classic cocktails.” Got my homemade grenadine, a bottle of Peychaud’s and a copy of Embury, so that’s a good start. Oh, I also had to bring my own Old Overholt Rye, as the festival organizers informed me that there was no rye to be found on the island (!). Well, if that isn’t a sure sign that the MVFWF needs a cocktail session, I don’t what is.
I’ll be mixing up two vintage cocktails, as well as two vintage-inspired cocktails created by Boston mixologists. For the former, a classic Martini (3:1 gin to dry vermouth, dash of orange bitters, lemon twist) and a Ward Eight (hey, there’s an election upon us). For the latter, a Can-Can (by LUPEC Boston) and a Ninth Ward (by Brother Cleve). Damn, I’m making myself thirsty. If any drinkbostonians happen to be at Bringing Back the Cocktail Hour, say hello!
And check out the Vineyard Gazette’s preview of my session and the rest of the Festival.
Tags: Martha's Vineyard Food & Wine Festival
Posted in Cocktails, drinkboston in the news, Events | 3 Comments »
October 13th, 2008
There are a bunch of old cocktails with Boston in their name — Boston Cooler, Boston Sour, Boston Special — but, as I mentioned in a previous post about this matter, I have no intel on what makes a cocktail a Boston cocktail. I mean, it’s weird; there are other drinks named after cities, most notably the Manhattan, but also the Frisco, the Saratoga and the Toronto. These are singular cocktails, whereas Boston cocktails are numerous and without apparent rhyme or reason.
In a comment on that previous post, a reader named Mike said, “The ‘Boston’ refers to the use of rum and limes. Boston had a huge trade in molasses and rum with the Caribbean back in the day.” Sure, I know about the historic molasses/rum industry (largely concentrated in Medford), but I don’t see how rum and limes connote a Boston cocktail. I mean, a) tons of cocktails use rum and limes, and b) many Boston-named cocktails call for neither.
When it comes to questions about rum drinks, my go-to source is Old Mr. Medford (aka Brother Cleve), so I passed Mike’s comment by him. He scoured his old cocktail books and came up with a list of Boston-named cocktails, which I have included on the Boston cocktails – old page. This list confirms that drinks named after ol’ Beantown are all over the map.
“There are no stories attached to these recipes,” says Cleve. “The Sour and Sidecar are from a very early Old Mr. Boston book [1946], but Boothby’s [World Drinks And How To Mix Them (1934)] predates that. The Boston Cooler is listed in a number of books. I assume these were served at some popular restaurant or hotel here. Possibly S.S. Pierce had something to do with this?”
Hmmm. Anybody?
Tags: Boston cocktails, historic cocktails
Posted in Books & resources, Cocktails, Rum | 3 Comments »
October 7th, 2008
Stuff@night’s 2008 Dining Awards are online, and I am tickled to report that the magazine has named drinkboston.com Best Local Food or Drinks Blog. S@N calls this space “required reading for discriminating dipsos.” *Sniff.* That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.
Also on the list are the B-Side (Biggest Loss), Drink (Most-Anticipated Opening) and J.J. Foley’s (Neighborhood Bar Most Needed by Its Neighborhood). Congrats to all!
Posted in drinkboston in the news | 5 Comments »
October 7th, 2008
It’s true — my home state has a bar worthy of cocktail geeks. You won’t believe your eyes when you check out the White Mountain Cider Co.’s drink menu. This cozy, fine eatery in Glen (just a few minutes up Rte. 16 from North Conway) has the sort of small, rustic but well-stocked bar that you could imagine James Bond ducking into after an Alpine ski chase. Sazerac 6-Yr Rye? Fee Bros. Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters? Luxardo Maraschino? In NH? I had to pinch myself.
The Cider Co.’s chief bartender-mixologist is Jeff Grdinich, whom you may have seen around town lately. He was a finalist in the Hendricks Gin Beantown Bartender Battle in August, and he pops down here pretty regularly to hang out with his bartender colleagues and even sit in with them from time to time — he has done guest stints at No. 9 Park and Eastern Standard. And he was part of the Yankee contingent that made a strong showing at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this year.
Jeff is equally comfortable with classic and molecular mixology; he can put out a faithful rendition of the 1937 Avenue Cocktail (bourbon, calvados, passion fruit juice, real pomegranate grenadine and orange flower water), as well as concoct a boozy homage to Duck L’Orange, complete with duck fat-infused spirits and Grand Marnier. His recipes have been published in the Wine Enthusiast and Nation’s Restaurant News, and his Gin-esaisquoi — a mixture of Hendrick’s, Lillet Blanc, falernum, egg white, orange bitters and cardamom dust that appears on the Cider Co.’s current menu — was chosen for Food & Wine Cocktails 2008.
My favorite cocktail during a recent visit was Jeff’s own The Root of All Evil, which is inspired by Chuck Taggart’s Hoskins. It’s a mixture of Bulleit Bourbon, Grand Marnier, Luxardo Maraschino and Fernet Branca chilled well over ice and served straight up. It’s as beautiful and soul-stirring as autumn leaves. Take a drive north, admire the foliage, then stop in at the Cider Co. and end the day with an exquisite cocktail. You’ll feel like you’ve gotten away with something.
Tags: New Hampshire bars
Posted in Cocktails | 10 Comments »
