Alcademics.com

Chartreuse + Chocolate = Delicious

The week before Paul Clarke wrote about the same topic to make it look like I ripped him off, I wrote my next blog entry for FineCooking.com, about the magical mystery combination of Chartreuse liqueur and chocolate. 

While Paul was creative and found four drinks that combine the two ingredients, I went to Jamie Boudreau and asked if I could borrow a single recipe he blogged about in 2007. I'd like to think that this just makes me efficient.  

(Verte Chaud by Jamie Bodreau. Photo also by Jamie Boudreau.)

Read the story on FineCooking.com here.

And remember, your comments at Fine Cooking make me love you more. 

San Francisco's Cocktail Bill Boothy Center Continues Build-Out

Say this three times fast: The Barbary Coast Conservancy of the American Cocktail presents a Repeal Day party at the Cocktail Bill Boothby Center for the Beverage Arts.

Party info is here. The party is on December 5.

The Cocktail Bill Boothby Center for the Beverage Arts is a space in SoMa (across from Heaven's Dog) that is being built to house offices, event, and classroom space for cocktail-related activities. I'm hoping that eventually there will eventually be enough office space that I can relocate Alcademics HQ.

It's still being built out, but it looks like they're close to finishing at least the event space where tomorrow's party is being held. 

One of the founders of the BCCAC sent me pictures of the CBBCBA (I feel like I am writing DNA codes) as the construction is underway. 

 

Tequila Distillery Visit: Casa Pedro Domecq

In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to Casa Pedro Domecq in the town of Arandas.

(Agave being loaded into ovens. They use the same agave for treatment with rollermill as with tahona.)

This distillery makes Tezon tequila, Olmeca Altos, and a mixto tequila for the Mexican market. I believe Tezon is all tahona tequila. This was distributed by Pernod Ricard in the US, but it appears they've abandoned it and are pursuing sales of Olmeca Altos, which is about half the price, instead. This tequila, also 100% agave, is made by blending agave that has been processed with a roller mill with tahona agave. 

(In the rollermill process, after the agave is baked to break up the complex into simpler, fermentable sugars, the agave is shredded using a rollermill.)

(The tahona method. After baking the agave, the chunks of agave are placed in this pit. The large volcanic stone wheel rotates around in it, crushing the agave to expose the sugars before distillation. In olden times, the tahona would have been pulled by a mule.)

(This is the post-tahona agave. Gross. The fibers actually reabsorb the liquids here. All of it is thrown into the fermentation tanks.)

(Fermenting agave juice.)

(These stills are for the tahona agave- the big opening is so they can put in the fibers.)

(In the warehouse, they cover the lids of some barrels with plastic to reduce evaporation.)

• Agave for Olmeca Altos is 7-8 years old before harvest. 
• They cut out the cogollo (the interior of the plant where it would sprout to reproduce if it could) in the field. 
• They heat the agave in ovens, though they own an autoclave that is sometimes used for the mixto. 
• They use larger pot stills for the mixto. 
• They ferment and distill the tahona agave with the agave fibers, not the rollermill agave.
• The reposado tequila is aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 6-8 months.
• They replace the barrels after 9-10 years. They tried recharring the barrels but didn't like the results.
• The last agave shortage was in 2000 and 2001. Some people predict another shortage in a year or two. 
• Lowland soils are sandier, darker, and more volcanic
• 60-70% of agave for tequila is grown in the highlands

Tequila Production Videos

I went to a bunch of tequila distilleries a couple of weeks ago. Here are some videos of tequila production. 

Harvesting an agave plant at Sauza.

 

Cutting up the agave at the Don Julio distillery to prepare it for baking.

 

At the Olmeca Altos distillery, crushing the baked agave using the stone tahona. 

 

At the Patron distillery, crushing agave in the rollermill, the more modern way to do this. Both Patron and Olmeca Altos use a blend of tahona and rollermill- crushed agave.

 

Then the agave ferments,

 

And is distilled to make tequila. 

Winter Drinking Guide in 7x7 Magazine

Oh hello, giant sexy four-page spread in the December issue of 7x7 Magazine written by Camper English!

Run screaming to your local newsstand to pick up the latest issue with a guide to winter drinking. In it you'll learn:

• Where to get your fancy on in a hotel bar
• The best hot drinks in SF
• Bars with rooms for rent
• The bar with 1200 Santa Claus dolls on display
• How I worked the phrase "plaid-slathered" into a bar review
• Gift ideas from local liquor stores
• The best bar for hungover bartender spotting