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Martini, with a meaty garnish

Morton's steakhouse in San Francisco announced they'll be giving out free filet mignon steak sandwiches weekdays from 5-7 PM to lure in the happy hour cocktail crowds. They seem to be promoting their cocktail program heavily lately so I may check out what they're doing one of these days. Free food would get me there sooner rather than later, if I weren't a vegetarian. Let's make a deal- you buy the drinks and I'll give you my sandwich.

Labels: restaurants, SanFrancisco

Speaking of pisco

The most significant (and embarrassing) fact I learned at Tales of the Cocktail is that pisco is not, in fact, made from whole grapes. According to Diego Loret de Mola of BarSol, it's made from the fermented juice of grapes, just like regular brandy/cognac/armagnac.

I don't remember where I read/heard that pisco was made from whole grapes, and I especially don't want to know how many times I repeated this information incorrectly. But that's what learning is all about- not just learning new stuff, but learning when you're wrong, wrong, wrong.

Labels: pisco

Pisco in 'Cisco

In the August issue of San Francisco Magazine, I have a story on the return of the Pisco Punch, a cocktail that was invented during the Gold Rush era at the Bank Exchange bar. The story highlights Pisco, the new lounge opening next to Destino any day now.

The story also mentions that you can get a Pisco Punch at Level III, Cantina, and the Presidio Social Club, but that's ain't everywhere. You can also find it at Orson, Farallon, and Beretta. It was briefly on the menu at Bourbon & Branch.

Beyond the punch, the Pisco Sour and other pisco drinks are showing up at places like McCormick & Kuleto’s, Zazil, the Alembic, Coco500, Range, Clock Bar, and NOPA, plus all the Peruvian restaurants that have been serving it all along. And there is another new pisco-focussed restaurant opening on the Embarcadero soon- La Mar Cevicheria Peruana.

For all of the other flavors and trends making their way into Bay Area cocktails, nothing is moving onto menus as fast as pisco.

Labels: camper_clips, pisco

A third post

Still testing. Yeah Yeah Yeah.

Test post number two

Here is another test.

DISCUS: Discuss

DISCUS, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, launched a new Repeal Day website that tells about the history of Prohibition. They also have excerpts from Gary and Mardee Regan's and David Wondrich's books, a long with a list of Prohibition-era recipes.

I've always thought that DISCUS was in a tough position. They report on facts and figures- every time you see sales numbers for spirits they're the ones who compiled them; they are the main voice of moderation campaigns in the United States, and they lobby to get pro-drinking legislation passed while being chummy with politicians. They promote the ability to drink more while suggesting people drink less and are anti-regulation while being part of the government system. It's got to be a weird niche to fit into.

Anyway, the Repeal Day website is another part of that. They're calling out states that still have blue laws on the books- no Sunday sales of alcohol, no election day alcohol sales, no sampling of liquor like you can do at wineries, and other laws dating back to Prohibition. So while it's an informative look at the lasting effects of Prohibition, it's also an advocacy campaign to repeal laws leftover since Repeal Day.

Labels: history

Mammals gone wild

1. New news to me: Elephants do not get drunk on marula fruit. 2. New news: Malaysian pen-tailed tree shrews do.

Labels: science

Watery whisky

Hate charity but love tax deductions? Like charity but hate thirst? Just like whisky? Then perhaps you'll want to check out the Water of Life whisky auction benefiting rainwater harvesting programs in Uganda. The items up for bid are rare whiskies like the Port Ellen portfolio and a set of 20+ year old Taliskers, though most of the brands are so rare I've never heard of them. There's less than two days of bidding left, so get on it.

Labels: whisky