Alcademics.com

Poppers

It's so hot in my apartment in San Francisco right now that a cork stopper just spontaneously popped off a bottle of vodka in my living room.

Or perhaps it was a divine sign that I need a refreshing cocktail right about now...

Labels: funny, writing_life

Itemizing

I just learned that my 2,000 word story on scotch due next Monday was actually due yesterday, so posting may be a bit light for the rest of the week. Here are some things that caught my eye.

- San Francisco Brewcraft solves the lack-of-hops problem by introducing a Burningman Hopless Absinthe Ale brewing kit complete with wormwood, lavender, and anise. (What, no fennel?)

- Though they're advertising it as a beer pong ice rack, there is no need to limit its use to the "sport." Fill it with water and freeze it to keep ten plastic cups cold on the tray.

- Jay from Oh Gosh! tasted 23 orange liqueurs and has now summarized his findings into awards. I think he deserves an award for the effort.

- Seamus of Bunnyhugs lists some old-school genever cocktails to try out with the new genevers on the market.

- Imbibe Magazine (sorry I'm late with that scotch story!) lists some cocktailian uses for home-grown herbs.

Labels: absinthe, beer, recipes

Level III opening + a cucumber recipe

Friday night I attended the opening party for Level III in the JW Marriott, which, it turns out, was also the 7X7 Magazine Best of SF issue party.

It's hard to say what the place will look like when the party lights are off and the space returns to its normal hotel lobby look, but they did a terrific job of fixing it up for the event.

They served three drinks from the menu: The Shanghaied, Portman Cosmafornian, and Cable Car No. 2. They were all batch-made drinks for the big party, so they weren't a good indication of how the drinks might taste when made on the spot- we'll just have to see about that going forward.

The Portman Cosmafornian is basically a Cosmo with a sweet lime foam on top- without the foam the drink is nothing special but the sweet lime foam really works. The Cable Car No. 2 is full of tequila with a chili powder and cocoa rim. I really liked where it was headed, though I think I would swap chili powder with wasabi. (Mmm, wasabi.) I wasn't sold on the chocolate but I like chocolate less than the average person.

The Shangaied with Square One cucumber vodka, Canton ginger liqueur, and lemongrass syrup had great flavors (though it came out too sweet in the batching) and the lemongrass bits kind of get stuck to your lips, but it's worth it. This could be a great drink for summer. It contains just three ingredients, and if you batch the lemongrass syrup (or buy it from Monin), would make a great party drink.

And the Square One folks just gave me permission to print the recipe. At Level III we had this drink served on the rocks instead of in a cocktail glass as directed below.

Shanghaied
Created by H. Joseph Ehrmann, Mixologist and Brand Ambassador for Square One

2 ounces Square One Cucumber Vodka
1/2 ounce Canton Ginger Liqueur
1 ounce lemongrass syrup*
3 - 4 inch piece of lemongrass stalk for garnish

Combine in a mixing glass with ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass.

*Lemongrass Syrup: Trim the stalk at the bottom and just past the heart of the stalk (4-5 inches). Save top half for garnish. Cut the heart lengthwise down the middle and with a mallet pound the lemongrass to break it up. Boil lemongrass in one cup of water for 2-3 minutes then add one cup of sugar slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve. Bring to a boil then simmer for 3-5 minutes until syrupy. Remove from heat and cool completely. Pour through a strainer and into a storage bottle. Refrigerate.

Labels: events, recipes, SanFrancisco, vodka

Green drinking

As I was picking the fallen houseplant leaf off the shag carpet, I wondered what it would taste like in a drink. (Who wouldn't?) I bit into it to find it reminded me of snap peas shells. Undeterred, I proceeded to experiment with a cocktail.

Intervention Inspiration
4 leaves of houseplant, with center veins removed
2 ounces cucumber vodka
1/2 ounce honey syrup
1/4 ounce lemon juice
pinch black pepper

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

The drink is disgusting, of course. And now I can't get the taste of houseplant out of my mouth.

Labels: funny, recipes

V2O

Graham Holter of Wine and Spirit Magazine (it's the UK one, not the US one with an "s") asks, "What's the difference between vodka and water?"

What's the difference between luxury vodka and premium mineral water? One is a flavourless, colourless liquid that relies on clever marketing to sustain an inflated price point, and the other is - oh. Right.

Really it's a story about the similarities in marketing between the two, with some funny notes at the end.

Labels: marketing, vodka

Modern cocktailing casualty

In bars without cocktail menus, do you freeze up when thinking of what to order?

I drink all the time, but when I get to a regular bar without a menu suddenly I can only think of three drinks and I don't want any of them at that moment. Then I'll just order a beer.

This never used to happen.

A bad use for good vodka

I just passed this sign at Andalu restaurant. Oh dear.

One more stop on the downtown cocktail circuit

The JW Marriott on Post Street relaunched their restaurant/lounge, now called Level III, with cocktails created by H. Ehrmann of Elixir. The drinks, which I've posted below (as the website has it as a PDF), look really light, floral, and likely to go down easy.

Also, importantly, this is a new bar on the downtown drinking circuit. You can hit Level III on your way to Bourbon & Branch, Cantina, Rye, and other spots off Union Square. For someone who doesn't work or shop downtown, I sure spend a lot of time there.

emperor norton’s mistress
(seasonal – summer)
we’re sure this seasonal fruit refreshment would have been one of the emperor’s “decrees.”
knob creek bourbon, muddled strawberries, navan, and cointreau are combined and served tall, over ice with a luscious strawberry.

harvey milk punch (3 levels)
san francisco’s version of the big easy classic.
select your grand marnier
• level 1 – cordon rouge
• level 2 – cuvee de centenaire
• level 3- cuvee du cent-cinquantenaire
navan, organic milk; rolled and served over ice with a dusting of fresh nutmeg and fresh cinnamon.

the bank exchange punch
duncan nicol, an early san francisco mixologist, only allowed patrons two of his famous cocktail…
and for good reason.
barsol pisco quebranta, st. elizabeth allspice dram, pineapple gomme, distilled water, and fresh lemon juice are shaken and served up with a pineapple chunk.

shanghaied
we bet you’ll go willingly on this chinese journey.
square one cucumber, canton ginger, and organic lemongrass syrup, shaken and served up with an english cucumber slice on the rim.

the portman cosmafornian
leave it to san francisco to re-imagine and elevate the traditional berry flavor found in the wildly
popular cocktail.
level vodka, plymouth sloe gin, lime foam.

sunset on dunnigan
citrus and floral notes characterize this nod to the wine country.
damrak gin, sauvignon blanc, and st. germain are combined, shaken and served up with a grapefruit twist.

the summer of love
wait for the memories of 1967 to come rushing back with just one sip.
hangar one mandarin blossom vodka, rose water syrup, lillet blanc and chambord are combined and served up with a lemon zest rose.

golden gate fog
get lost in the flavors, not the “fog” that envelops this drink.
white peach puree, muddled mint, rhum clement creole schrubb, and lime juice are stirred, poured over ice, and topped with “fog” - a louche of kubler absinthe - and a mint sprig.

dirty harry
luck’s got nothing to do with this cherry-flavored concoction.
rittenhouse 100 rye, carpano antica, luxardo maraschino and a la fee absinthe rinse is stirred and served up with a house-made maraschino cherry.

cable car no.2
unique, latin flavor pairings differentiate this version from the classic.
4 copas organic añejo tequila, rhum clement creole schrubb, and lemon juice are shaken and served up with a ghirardelli cocoa and ancho chili powder rim.

Labels: bars, menus, SanFrancisco