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The Third Annual Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards

It's that time of year again, the time for the Tales of the Cocktail Swag Awards!

View the winners from 2007 here and the 2008 Swag Awards here.

This year instead of a gift bag there was a swag room at Tales, so you took a bag and walked around and filled it up with items of interest. My items of interest became clear during this exchange in the elevator of the hotel immediately afterward.

Stranger, looking at my sack o' swag: "You know San Francisco's in the house when you see somebody with a bag of Fernet."

He was mistaken- I only had about 10 minis of Fernet on top of the bag. I also filled with the bag with other minis, making up the majority of my swag.

And to add to what I am now calling a collection, a few more muddlers.

I also was given four different cocktail shakers and managed to give three of them away before I got on the plane.

Most of best swag came from the cocktail bloggers' conference held the two days before Tales though. I got a full set (minus the new Bittermen's Bitters) set of The Bitter Truth cocktail bitters,

as well as a nice set of Rosle garnish tools.

But the best was a tiki mug- in the shape of Magnum, P.I. from Tiki Farm!

However, as the Drink.Write 2009 conference was a private event, even the best mug cannot be declared the winner.

But what can? Find out after the jump...

Inconsiderate Cocktail Week

Following yesterday's New York Times announcement of New York's own cocktail week, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, many people out in San Francisco have said "WTF?" as it appears to be scheduled at the same time as (the fourth annual) San Francisco Cocktail Week, the week preceding World Cocktail Day.

Note: I love how many holidays we've invented as excuses to throw more parties.

I emailed Lesley Townsend, organizer of the NY event, to ask about the overlap. She wrote back:

We have indeed scheduled it for May 7 - 11, meaning there will be some overlap with SF Cocktail Week.  I spoke with H Joseph Ehrmann about it at length, and we both felt that it would be more positive overall to have both events land during World Cocktail Week (and thus elevate the global profile of the occasion) even though it will mean some people having to choose which one they attend.  Additionally, I, in my naivete, truly thought that the Manhattan Cocktail Classic was only going to draw a local audience...the fall-out from yesterday's New York Times article has since proven me wrong...!  Anyway - so yes, overlap, but in the most supportive of ways.  Hopefully in future years we'll be able to arrange some cool stuff like bartender exchange programs and whatnot between the two events.

I should hope so! We already had bartender exchange programs in the past and a lot of interest from New York bartenders in attending this year. Oh well, nevermind!

I think this is a really bad decision and another example of the New York myopia that has plagued the press, industry sponsorships, and this year at Tales. I'm just glad it no longer seems to plague the bartenders- over the past year tons of New York bartenders have been spending time on the West Coast and vice versa, and it's been terrific, I think, for all involved. The last thing anyone needs now is an event that makes people pick sides. Thanks for that inconsiderate and unnecessary decision, Manhattan Cocktail Classic!

Rant finished. Can we hug now?

SF Event: Brews on the Bay

I've still not been to this event, but I keep posting about it each year because it sounds cool.
Boat + female Led Zeppelin cover band + beer = WIN.

It's time to make your plans for the SF Brewers Guild's 6th annual Brews on the Bay! This year it's September 12th & 13th on the historic SS Jeremiah O'Brien, SF's World War II Liberty Ship docked at Pier 45. Try over 30 beers brewed in San Francisco and meet the folks who make them. The O'Brien is one of the most unique venues around for a beer festival and Brews on the Bay has become a local classic.

Saturday, September 12: noon-5pm (last call 4:30pm), $40 advance, $50 at the gate

Sunday, September 13, 1pm-5pm (last call 4:30pm), $35 advance, $45 at the gate

No one under 21

Food from Rib Shack by Oola (available for purchase)

Music by Zeparella (Sat) and Zoo Station (Sun)

Ticket info here.

Sommelier Smackdown in St. Helena

I don't often post about wine events but I do love pairing battles.

Sommelier Smackdown: The Rematch!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at The Martini House

Rob RENTERIA(Ravaging Rob)of Martini House vs. Chris BLANCHARD (Killer Chris) of Cuvee.

3 courses by Chef Todd HUMPRHRIES

RECEPTION 6:30  DINNER 7PM on the lawn. $65 / pp all inclusive of tax and tip

Guests will vote after each course, Sommelier selections and winner will be announced following.  Overall winner will be determined by highest number of total votes. 

Call for reservations and more information: 707.963.2233 ext. 1

Drinks to Match the Dress

San Francisco bartender pairs cocktail with cocktail dress

Camper English, Special to The Chronicle

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Many cocktail contests now require bartenders to pair drinks with meals or invent them on the spot with a secret ingredient, but a recent competition challenged mixologists around the world with a new pairing: cocktails with cocktail dresses.

Jacqueline Patterson, a bartender at Heaven's Dog in San Francisco, was the winning bartender from the United States. Accessorize 2009 was sponsored by Cherry Heering, a liqueur that the brand owners call an "accessory" in cocktails such as the Singapore Sling.

Read the rest of my latest story in the San Francisco Chronicle here.

SF Event: Guest Bartenders All Week at Clock Bar

In celebration of the one-year anniversary of Clock Bar, they're bringing in guest bartenders from other bars around town.

BARTENDER SCHEDULE

Monday, July 13 - Consulting mixologists Scott Beattie and Jacques
Bezuidenhout.  Spirit Sponsor: Partida Tequila

Tuesday, July 14 (Bastille Day) - Mixologists Brooke Arthur and Neyah White.
Spirit Sponsor: Domain Canton and Chartreuse

Wednesday, July 15 (Happy Anniversary CLOCK BAR!) - Mixologist Steven Liles.
Spirit Sponsor: Plymouth and Beefeater 24 gins.

Thursday, July 16 - Mixologist Erik Adkins.  Spirit Sponsor: Bols Genever.

Friday, July 17 - Mixologist Dave Nepove.  Spirit Sponsor: Flor de Cana.

Cocktail Service

Along with most mixologists, cocktail dorks, and booze writers in the US, Canada, and much of Europe, I'll be at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans all week.

This year I'm not going with many story assignments and have to pay for more things than last year, so it will be a bit of a financial burden on me. It occurred to me that I should find a way to make money not writing about Tales afterward, but while I'm actually there.

Services Offered:

• Bar spoon engraving
• Hat check
• Your drink recipe on a grain of rice
• Lewis bag tie-dyeing
• Elevator line-holding
• Vertigo-relief massage (Carousel Bar only)
• Regan heckler (free)
• Pool boy
• Mustache waxer
• Wife distracting
• Muddler bronzing

Two Cool New Contests

Exciting things in my inbox to share with y'all.

Malibu Reef Check

Malibu kicks off the ultimate beach internship to enlist 10 interns to monitor coral reef health in Thailand, the Maldives or the Philippines. Malibu is giving 10 budding environmentalists a chance to do just that through the first-ever Malibu Beach Internship.  Beginning today, eligible individuals who are of legal drinking age (21 and over) and passionate about ecosystem preservation may apply. 

Applications will be accepted from July 1, 2009, through August 31, 2009, and are available online at www.malibu-rum.com/reefcheck.  The applicants who convey the most creativity, enthusiasm and character will be selected as finalists, and will be sent on a 10-day assignment to a Malibu-sponsored eco-adventure with Reef Check to an exotic location, such as Thailand, the Philippines or the Maldives. 

Also, cool new bottle!

Enter here.

Partida Party Kit:

Each week until Mexican Independence Day (September 16^th), a name will be chosen from a random drawing.  One weekly winner will receive the Partida Margarita Fiesta kit valued at $150, which includes the following:

• 1 Handsome Partida Tote Bag
• 1 Stylish T-Shirt
• 2 Old Fashion Glasses
• 1 Cocktail Shaker & Strainer
• 1 Bottle of 100% Organic Agave Nectar
• 1 Lime Squeezer
• 1 Cocktail Recipe Booklet
• 5 Partida Margarita Buttons

    (Contest valid only in California, Florida, New York, and Texas)

Enter here.