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Drinking Boston by Stephanie Schorow: Book Review

I've mentioned the book Drinking Boston by Stephanie Schorow here on Alcademics twice already, so clearly I've found it useful:

• Once when I was researching When did Grenadine Become an Artificial Ingredient? 
• Once when I was looking at the Ward Eight cocktail. 

But I haven't given the book a proper write-up yet, so here's this. 

The book is a history of drinking in Boston, from the earliest days of the tavern culture in th 1600s right up through today's cocktail renaissance. The first 70 or so pages take us through the taverns of Boston and their crucial role in the American politics and revolution.

Then we take a step back and look at Prohibition, from early movements through to national Prohibition of 1920-1933 and the thriving speakeasy culture. Prohibition takes us another 50 pages. We then look at a history of Boston's beer brewing, its neighborhood bars, and modern cocktail history. 

Because the chapters are thematic and not all a linear narrative history, there tends to be some repeated information in different chapters. That's nothing I'll mind on subsequent reads when researching a particular topic, but it was a little annoying when I read the book from beginning to end. No biggie. 

The early history of the tavern culture in Boston is done well, but for a more thorough look at this (and of American bar history in general), pick up the wonderful America Walks Into a Bar by Christine Sismondo. 

Because of my familiarity with the earlier information, I was most excited for the brewing history, the era of the big nightclubs in the 1940s, the Great Molasses Flood,  some of the modern bartenders' history, and the new characters and events of which I was previously unaware. After I put the book down, my Amazon Wish List grew by about 8 books on subjects inspired by this reading. 

I think that no matter your interest level in different historical eras or aspects of bars, bartenders, or drinks, you'll find new information in Drinking Boston to add to it and to inspire further reading.

 

Twelve More New Cocktail Bars Opening in 2013

In my recent story for Details.com, I listed a bunch of new bars opening in 2013. 

But there were a lot more I couldn't include for one reason or another. So here are more bars we're looking forward to this year:

• The Regent Cocktail Club in South Beach, Miami  - With John Lermayer heading up the cocktail program.
• The Alder by Wylie Dufresne in New York - Some info here.
• South on Main in Little Rock, Arkansas - Chef Matt Bell and mixlogist Dave Burnette, in partnership with the Oxford American.
• Handle Bar in Berkeley - from the owner of ACME bar.
• Milk & Honey in New York - relocated, bigger, no reservations required
• Hi Lo in San Francisco - barbecue restaurant with session beers and big, refreshing cocktails by locavore mixologist Scott Beattie and Left Coast Libations co-author Michael Lazar.
• Rogue & Canon in New York - an "approachable bar and kitchen" serving a truncated menu representing the modern American “canon” and the “rogue” stylings of mixologist Johnny Swet.
• Tavern Road in Boston -  Mixologist Ryan McGrale, formerly of No. 9 Park and Boston’s New York's Flatiron Lounge, will team up with Chef Louis DiBiccari to open Tavern Road in the Fort Point neighborhood in early 2013. The bar program will place a heavy emphasis on craft cocktails that utilize small batch spirits and pay homage to the classics.
• Unnamed in Dallas - by Michael Martensen. More info here.
• Planter's House in St. Louis - Ted Kilgore says "Planter's House will also have a more intimate handcrafted cocktail bar within the space called the Bullock Room, where I can geek out on cocktails."
• Hinoki & the Bird in Los Angeles - with cocktails by Sam Ross of Attaboy
• Unnamed in Austin - A forthcoming bar from Chris Bostick, Eric Alperin, Cedd Moses, and Sasha Petraske. Late spring/early summer opening. More info here.

 

Regent Cocktail Club,taken from the website

 

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Glossy Booze: Late July Edition

Glossy Booze is a regular Alcademics feature in which I talk about the alcohol coverage in magazines.

Gourmet (July) has a ton of liquor content this month: an essay on cocktail parties, a Negroni recipe, a brief mention of big ice, a recipe for Fresh Tomato Bloody Marys in a brunch story, Fresh Mint Juleps in an American party story, a Black and Tan recipe in an afternoon meal story, and several recipes for cocktail-flavored ice pops. (More ice pop recipes here.)

Saveur (July) has six drink recipes on one page: Book Club Sangria, Kentucky Club Margarita, Michelada, Longhorn Bull Shot, Cucumber Cooler, and the Chico.

Food & Wine (August) lists light wines for hot days and big balanced reds.

Chilled Magazine, which is more of a drinking magazine for nightclub types, has several stories on vodka and stories on the Thirsty Traveler, Sam Adams, molecular mixology, and flair bartending.

GQ (August) has a quick note on lower alcohol wines for summer. In the July issue, they list recipes for the Ramos Gin Fizz, Rum Fizz, and Gin Fizz.

Entrepreneur (July) has an entirely lackluster cover story interview with John DeJoria of Patron.

 Bon Appetit (August) has a great profile of Boston bartender Misty Kalkofen, a quick recommendation of swizzle sticks, a story on fizzy drinks, and perhaps the spookiest picture of a Bellini ever taken.

Current Events

I love cocktails based on current events. This one is hilarious: The A-Roid Cocktail. Boston.com has the details.

Borscht: The New Vinegar?

What will take vinegar's place as the freaky new cocktail ingredient to sweep the nation?

It could be beets. A couple of years ago I had my first beet drink, at Mint and 820, the Portland, OR bars where Lucy Brennan rules the roost. Soon thereafter, Brennan's book Hip Sips came out with the recipe. The drink is merely beet-infused vodka with lemon-lime fresh sour mix. It's delicious.

That was the only beet drink I'd seen until a few months ago. In October, Double Cross Vodka was promoting a set of drinks including the Borscht Martini. It is merely muddled beets, vodka, and horseradish. (picture to the right, recipe on the website) I haven't tried it yet but I'm tempted because I also love horseradish. (And maybe I love horseradish because I love vinegar.)

Now I see Boston's Eastern Standard promoting a beet drink. The Russian Tea Room is described as "evocative of borscht," which isn't a slogan I'd have thought up. It contains vodka infused with beets (roasted this time), orange juice, tarragon, and spicy Greek yogurt. Freaky.

Or... is yogurt the new vinegar? It's served both at the Eastern Standard and in the Laughing Lassi at Dosa on Fillmore in San Francisco.

Future study is needed.

Busting out in Boston

Boston.com reports on Barbara Lynch of No. 9 Park's new venue Drink. The story has a few details that don't seem to align- classic drinks, 1950's food, molecular gastronomy, cocktail party vibe, vintage glassware, Funyuns- but all of the elements sound fun. Except I think she's saying there will be no cocktail menus. That could incite panic and inspire poor choices.

I lived in Boston for 7 years (ending 12 years ago) and don't get back there very often, but the number of great venues and great bartenders I keep hearing about is likely to inspire a longer visit next time I do.