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I've got something to say! Apparently.
Eater.com did a big interview with me about the SF cocktail scene and now it has gone live.
I blab about everything from the lack of molecular mixology in San Francisco to the death of muddling to the rise of carbonated cocktails. It goes on and on.
You'll have to let me know, but I think I didn't make too much of an ass out of myself. Read the story here.
The new book Let's Bring Back: The Cocktail Edition: A Compendium of Impish, Romantic, Amusing, and Occasionally Appalling Potations from Bygone Eras by Lesley M. M. Blume is a humorous, illustrated book that lists recipes for lesser-known vintage drinks like the Laughing Soup, Gloom Lifter, and Battery Charger.
I wrote about it here on FineCooking.com and included the recipe for the Leave-It-To-Me Cocktail.
A lot of the recipes in the book call for apricot brandy, a combination of sweet/dry vermouth and bitters, orange juice, eggs, absinthe, and grenadine. Not all together. So in some ways you can see why they're lesser-known vintage cocktails compared to the Manhattan and Negroni.
So one wouldn't neccesarily want to make all the recipes in it- many are a bit close to each other in formulation- but it's a really cute book with nice illustrations and a good sense of humor all the way around. It should make a good gift book this year.
During Portland Cocktail Week, I was a panelist in a seminar called "PR and Writers: Can't We All Just Get Along?"
We talked about things that PR folks do that aggravate cocktail bloggers and writers, and things that writers do to annoy PR people.
In yesterday's post, we talked about what PR folks do that bugs writers. Today here's a list of:
Top Things Drink Bloggers and Writers Do that Annoy PR Folks
Not Showing Up to Events after RSVPing
Some events are very small and very expensive to produce, and for writers to not show up makes PR people look bad in front of their client, can cost them money, and might rob that opportunity another writer may have been able to take advantage of.
Trying to Bring Guests to Intimate Events
Big parties are one thing, but intimate events/dinners/trips are another. Writers should be aware that these are work functions, not social events, and it's not appropriate to show up spouses/friends without asking. PR folks also say they get pressure from writers ("I'll only show up if my wife can come") and that this is not appropriate in many cases either.
Not RSVPing to Events
I thought it was only useful to RSVP to events if the answer is 'yes' but some PR pros say that a 'no' answer also helps because they may be holding spaces until you respond.
Getting Information Wrong
In this world where fact-checking is a rare occurrence even at top newspapers, mistakes happen. Sometimes they happen out of laziness on the writer's part. PR folks would really like it if you spelled their clients' name right, at least.
Pay to Play
Increasingly, PR people say that bloggers are asking for money in exchange for (favorable) coverage of clients.
Lack of Feedback
In this seminar PR pros said they really hate it when writers request product samples and that's the last they hear from the writers. They need to report to their clients something, so they say it's really helpful for writers to tell them even if they don't like the product.
PR to Writer Wish List
Here are a few things PR folks said they'd love to see from writers. I think we covered the rest in the complains above.
So, what did we miss? Any other peeves/wishes you have from writers?
During Portland Cocktail Week, I was a panelist in a seminar called "PR and Writers: Can't We All Just Get Along?"
We talked about things that PR folks do that aggravate bloggers and writers, and things that writers do that annoy PR people. Tomorrow I'll post about what writers do.
I should add that these are not all my top peeves, but a consensus based on the opinions of a number of booze writers.
Top Things PR People Do that Annoy Bloggers and Writers
(in no particular order)
"When will the story run?"
It sounds like an innocuous question, and we don't blame you for wanting to know. Please feel free to ask when we're first communicating and we'll give you an estimate.
But we often get follow-ups to this question a dozen times every week and you just need to stop. In the first place, unless the story is on our own blog, we don't have control over when a story will run- and even if we think we know, the answer often changes (and then you'll harass us again when it doesn't show up).
In the second place, you have a Google news alert on your client brand and that will let you know when the story runs. It will probably know before we do.
"Dear XXX"
I'm sure you need to send the same email out to a lot of people, but if you can't even get our names right (or you send "Dear Writer Name Here" to everyone), then we've got problems.
Follow-Up Emails
Some writers don't mind follow-up emails, which are usually nothing more than repeats of the first email. (I hate them and will let you know that.) But the pet peeve comes in when PR folks follow up automatically without checking to see if the writer has, in fact, already written about the topic.
"I'm writing to introduce you to my client"
Just because this is a new client to you doesn't mean it is to us, so when you write us to "introduce" us to a brand that we've written about ten times already, it makes you seem very lazy. The very minimum you must do is google our name and your client's name together.
Then instead of insulting us by telling us about something we clearly already know, you can write, "I see you've written about my client before and I just want to let you know I'm the new contact in case you have any questions or need additional information." Now you have shown you've done your homework and are awesome.
Multiple Emails
Sometimes I get invited to one event by the national brand PR team, the PR for the restaurant in which the event is being held, the PR for the hotel in which the restaurant is located, and the guest performers/bartenders. It's great to feel so wanted, but ugh.
However, that's less annoying than getting the same email from multiple people at a single PR agency. Coordinate your lists, folks.
Some PR agencies divide up their email lists not by their clients, but by the writers. So each writer has only one contact at the PR agency. That's not always practical but as I writer I love it: I always know who to contact.
Phone Calls
Never, unless you have been specifically invited to do so.
Staff Changes
Some brands seem to change PR agencies every six months. Many PR workers seem to change jobs every six months. This makes it very hard to keep track of who is repping what brand.
Might I suggest that PR agencies in particular hire skilled workers and do your best to keep them? Or have a training program at your agency?
Irrelevant Pitches
One would think it is obvious that PR people should pitch writers who cover relevant topics. But apparently not. Add to this follow-ups and phone calls on irrelevant pitches.
Not Having Materials Ready
When you tempt us with your sexy story topics, we might need to jump on them right away. So when you send out a pitch you should have available brand logos, relevant photography (high and low resolution), fact sheets, etc. If you don't have those ready to send out, you're not ready to send out the pitch.
Invites to Events in Cities Where We Don't Live
From speaking with other writers, this is one of the largest pet peeves we have. It makes you seem lazy (like you didn't bother to find out where people lived before sending out an invite) or arrogant (assuming everyone is in New York).
And if you don't know, it's perfectly fine to write an email to ask before sending an invite.
A Few Wishes For Working Together Better
In the seminar we also talked about a few things we'd love to see from each other. Here are a few things writers would like to see from PR folks.
What do you think? What did we miss?
Next post: PR pet peeves about bloggers and writers.
For this week's edition of CLASS Magazine on DiffordsGuide.com, I reviewed 12 bars in San Diego.
From the introduction:
San Diego's mixology movement got a much later start than those in San Francisco and Los Angeles, but it seems it has reached that critical mass of good (and very stylish) bars that drives a scene forward. The southern Californian home of Ron Burgundy, Gao Gao the giant panda and the largest naval fleet in the world, this picturesque city is already well known for its great local beers and breweries, but now its cocktails are catching up, and in some unusual ways.
Just over the border from Mexico we'd expect to find tequila as a common cocktail ingredient, but they've already embraced mezcal and use it in cocktails. They also use a surprising amount of Fernet-Branca in drinks, despite the fact that bitter cocktails aren't common at all here. More popular are fresh-ingredient drinks, variations of the Michelada and Paloma, and it seems every menu in town has one or more drinks with ginger beer.
I should mention that I enjoy San Diego's non-bitter, fresh-ingredient cocktails because all the bigger cocktail cities have all but banished the muddler and are overdosing on amari.
The bars I reviewed are:
Below are some photos I took of bars. Click the thumbnails to go through the gallery.
Also by Camper English on DiffordsGuide.com:
Bobby Heugel of Anvil in Houston has updated his list of 100 classic drinks he thinks everyone should try.
For a higher-resolution shot, click the image below or view the PDF on the Avil website.
What do you think? What did he miss?
In 2010 I created the Double Rainbow Cocktail, a simple drink I named after the YouTube video. It contains vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, grapefruit bitters, and soda water, and has a lemon peel garnish.
Anyway, now it's in a mini cocktail book called The Cocktail Hour: Vodka.
It's a 3"x5" book of about 30 recipes plus a few infusions, with black and white illustrations. It's part of a series - there is a rum and a gin book too.
Just thought I'd let you know.
Last year around this time, Tempus Fugit spirits released some of their Creme de Menthe Glaciale for the holidays. It was delicious; bold and minty and icy and you can drink it on its own as a digestif a la Fernet-Branca.
After that first batch sold out, it dissappeared as they were preparing a larger batch of it, and then a change in distribution delayed it again. It finally arrived on store shelves only a couple of months ago.
I waited until it was available to write it up for FineCooking.com, where I offer the recipe for a Stinger and the Grasshopper.
So you can go read that over there.
If you haven't had a chance to try it yet, seek it out. It's good stuff. Bring some to grandma's house this holiday season and you'll be the star of the family.
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