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Cocktail Menu: Winter Drinks at 1886 in Los Angeles

There are so many great-looking winter cocktail menus coming out it's hard to keep up. 1886 is the bar at The Raymond restaurant in Pasadena has some wild and delicious concoctions for winter.

(Image courtesy of 1886)

I see: edible cigarette, house-made mulled vermouth, a beer flip, and pistachio orgeat. Yums.  

The menu is below

A Few Bars in Los Angeles

This week I was in LA for two days and hit some bars with like-minded boozers. Here's a recap. 

I started off at Seven Grand for a whisky event sponsored by the LA Times. There I was in charge of mingling and answering questions: tough work.

After a few glasses of scotch we headed to Bar/Kitchen in the O Hotel. That's a fairly casual restaurant with a small but excellent cocktail list. I had some risotto and a Chapter & Verse, made with rye whiskey, amontillado sherry, amaro, elderflower, and bénédictine. So good. 

Then it was off to The Varnish for a final drink or two. As it was Repeal Day they greeted us all with champage. Then we had some sort of dealer's choice cocktail and a shot of something that I don't remember. The Varnish is always good times.

The next day, we started off at Providence, a 2-star Michelin restaurant with Zahra Bates at the helm of the bar. I've written about Bates' drinks  before but this was my first time trying them. There were five or six of us there at the bar and we tried each others' drinks and they were all pretty spectacular.

I would say her style is 'sophisticated accessible,' drinks that aren't all bitter-smoky-bartenders'-drinks yet they have so much depth that any bartender would be pleased to try them. 

I really loved her Ellis Island cocktail, made with ZU bison grass vodka, Cocchi Americano, Gruner Vetliner wine, and celery bitters. I also loved that she gave us a sip of Tarragona Chartreuse! 

After that, we drove to Picca, a new Peruvian restaurant where the cocktails were developed by Julian Cox. There are nine cocktails on the menu, most of them made with pisco. Everything I tried was perfectly executed and the drinks contain interesting elements like rocoto infused mezcal, cucumber foam, and ascorbic acid. 

Picca is located upstairs from Sotto, but unfortunately that place was closed. Julian Cox also did the drinks there. Next time!

Next up was La Descarga, a Cuban-speakeasy themed bar. We were there on a slow night, which I hear is a good thing because on weekend nights it is supposedly packed. They have live Cuban music and a separate bar for cigar smoking. This one has been open for a while but it was my first visit. 

I also ended this night back at The Varnish for a final drink before heading home to the Los Angeles Athletic Club. I wasn't going for a workout, but to sleep. The LAAC houses a mutli-floor gym, a 77-room hotel, a few restaurants, and a bar in their ten-story building. It's a pretty swank place. Definitely consider it for your next trip to Downtown LA. 

Anyway, I am still short several bars to check out in LA.. Bars I haven't been to yet include:

• Black Market Liquor Bar
• Neat
• Next Door Lounge
• Oldfield's Liquor Room
• Eveleigh
• Tasting Kitchen 
• Comme Ca
• Copa d'Oro

Darn, that list is too long. I shall return! 

Cool Factor: Cocktail Coolers in the LA Times Magazine

For my latest feature in the LA Times Magazine, I asked bartenders from warm-weather cities to share their recipes for cool cocktails.

The bartenders are Larry Rice from Louisville, Bobby Heugel from Houston, Erik Simpkins from Atlanta, Todd Thrasher from Alexandria, Anthony Schmidt from San Diego, Rhiannon Enlil from New Orleans, and Michael Shearin from Los Angeles.

(Photography by Bartholomew Cooke for LA Times Magazine)

Cool Factor
The Dog Days Just Howl for Long, Tall, Cold Libations
By Camper English 

Different times of the day, changing atmospheric conditions and succeeding meal courses all call for a specific type of cocktail. But it’s the sweltering days and lasting sunlight of August that compel us to seek coolers replete with ice. We asked some of the America’s best bartenders based in warmer climes for a drink to chill us out, and their picks make use of a variety of methods and flavors to accomplish this task, from shaved ice and coconut milk to cucumbers and mint—even a splash of light beer. Cheers!

Go here for the recipes!

(Photography by Bartholomew Cooke for LA Times Magazine)

Cocktail Menu: 1886 Bar in Los Angeles Summer Drinks

Below is the new menu for 1886 Bar at The Raymond in Los Angeles (Pasadena, really). 

(Photo courtesy of 1886)

(If you see a link below, click it to read the menu.)

Cocktail Menu: CBH Lounge and Bar at the Crescent Beverly Hills

The new cocktail menu at the CBH Lounge and Bar at the Crescent Hotel in Beverly Hills will roll out on June 2. The bar at the Crescent Hotel in Beverly Hills was called Boe from 2003 up until this year, when they renamed and retooled the bar and terrace and brought in a new food and beverage team. 

The Beverage Director for the bar and lounge is Joe Harworth. His bio:

Joe is Crescent Hotel’s Beverage Director and Head Bartender. He has crafted The Crescent’s  signature cocktail list as a collaboration with mentor Kevin Diedrich [of the Crescent San Francisco's Burritt Room].  They have elected to use influences and flavors from around the world while keeping things high flavor and fresh for sunny So Cal.

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Joe began his career in food and beverage as a means to put himself through school.  He soon realized he had a true passion for mixology.   Since moving to Los Angeles, Joe has honed his talents at local hot spots such as Bar 210 at the Beverly Hills and at LA Live’s new Ritz Carlton & J.W. Marriott where he studied mixology under the close tutelage of Mr. David Nepove.In 2011 Joe joined the team at the Crescent Hotel as part of their renovation with a focus on delivering consistently excellent libations, a wry sense of humor and an inspirational happy hour.  Along with his extensive experience, he brings enthusiasm and a passion for artisanal hand crafted cocktails.  

And now the menu. 

COCKTAILS

Dark & Stormy
Black Rum, Lime Juice, Sugar & Ginger Beer

Treu Heat
Rum, Chartreuse, Lime Juice, Jalapeno Pepper, Agave Nectar & Blood Orange

Gin Lotus
Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Lemon Juice & Cucumber Infused Syrup

The Numbered Gin
Gin, Pimms no.1, Lemon Juice, Honey & Ginger Beer

Passion no. 9
Vodka, Campari, Passion Fruit, Lime & Vanilla

Market Cocktail
New & Inspired Each and Every Week

Vanilla Velvet
Vanilla Vodka, Velvet Falernum, Lime Juice, Orgeat, Egg White & Bitters 

Strawberry Sin
Vodka, Cointreau, Fresh Strawberry, Lime, Maple & Basil

Ohranj Thyme
Orange Vodka, Aperol, Lemon Lime Soda & Thyme

The Sazerac
Rye Whiskey, Absinthe, Lemon, Juice, Sugar & Orange Bitters

Ginger Julep
Bourbon, Apricot, Mint, Ginger, Bitters & Ginger Ale

5 Spiced Margarita
Silver Tequila, Lemon liqueor, Lime Juice, 5 Spices & Star Anise

Each specialty cocktail is made just for you and is $12
Seasonal Punchbowls Serve 4-6 and are $45

Zen and the Art of Bartending

This week I flew down to LA to attend the Pioneers of Mixology, a day-long seminar put on by Pernod-Ricard. We were given talks by Dushan Zaric (Employees Only, NY), Aisha Sharpe (Contemporary Cocktails), Gaz Regan (writer), Tony Conigliaro (69 Colebrooke Row, London), and Nick Strangeway (Hix, London).

Below are some of the take-home messages that I took home.

Gaz, Aisha, and Dushan kicked off the day speaking about Mindful Bartending. I'd describe the concept as happiness in your job as a bartender, reaching "the zone" feeling when you're in the weeds yet the drinks seem to mix themselves and you're smiling your way through it all- even when you're not slammed. 

Beyond feeling better about your work, you're a nicer person to your customers. So rather than specific mixological skills or particular elements of service, mindful bartending is about a positive attitude. Aisha said, "If the spiritual aspect of this is not important to you, think numbers." Basically, you'll make more money when you're nice to your customers.

Some of the ways to achieve this include:

• Doing a bit of meditation or breathing or some getting-psyched/calm ritual before the start of a shift.
• Healthy living- exercise and proper sleep.
• Thinking about someone you love or other positive thoughts when working. Infusing your drinks with good thoughts.
• Breaking patterns that build bad moods throughout the day.

I couldn't help but think about how I can use some of this philosophy in my own work, trying to find "the zone" when sending 6 hours worth of email and not writing anything. I think it's doable. 

The second talk was by Tony Conigliaro about scientific mixology. Some of the things he's been concentrating on lately include:

• In order to get the albumin egg smell out of egg whites, he rests eggs in a sealed container with some essential oils. As the egg shell is a permeable membrane, they end up taking on these scents.
• He has been studying the way scents work, with the lightest molecules reaching your nose first and heaviest later, clinging to the carrier. This is why in perfume you smell things like lemon and Bergamont, followed by rose, jasmin, and iris, with lingering notes of sandalwood or oakwood.
• He continues to experiment with his Buchi  roto-vap, low-temperature still. In England apparently it is legal to redistill something (he starts with neutral spirit and a flavor) but in the US it is not. Lately he has distilled flint stone and a barrel, and will soon write a food and drink manual to accompany the machine.
• He also distilled wood notes out of a Manhattan cocktail and then barrel aged it. His aged cocktail program is mostly bottle, rather than barrel, aging. He had his bottle-aged cocktails analyzed by gas chromatograph and you could see chemical differences between the aged and unaged Manhattan.
• He has been using the website www.FoodPairing.be, which lists which foods and drinks fit together chemically. The claim is that foods that have similar chemical structures work well together. So you might use this website to see some unusual pairings. Apparently fino sherry and peas go well together...

Last but not least was Nick Strangeway, who had the arduous task of trying to educate Californians about using local ingredients.

He made the excellent point that not only is going local ecologically good, it helps a bar center more on its local area, and hopefully restore some of the sense of the village pub as a local meeting house; the center of the community.

He talked a bit about foraging, "guerilla gardening" (spreading seeds in free space that's not your own), "yard sharing," community gardening, and made several suggestions for plants that grow well in California weather- many of them I've never heard of or seen used in a bar program.

But he also talked about preserving seasonal produce through several methods:

• Infusions and Liqueurs
• Jams and marmalade
• Shrub syrups
• Aged milk punch
• Sherbet aka oleo saccharum
• Freezing

There are tons of great books on preserving. Now I just need to plant some things that I can preserve after they grow.

All told, this was a great day of education.

Cocktail Menu: Winter Drinks at Cana in Los Angeles

The new winter menu at Cana Rum Bar in LA looks amazing. One of everything!

DAGGERS

Royal Oil |12

Without naming names, we’ve devised a new cocktail to replace a very old one
that’s recently found favor with Polynesiacs and cocktail nerds enthusiasts. The
result isn’t just tasty, it’s difficult to say after you’ve had a few of them.
St. James Royal Ambre, Black Strap, lime, falernum

Misti Dawn Swizzle |12

Keeping with naming gin swizzles after actresses, Mr. Goodyear was conscripted
to provide you a cocktail that “tastes like it’s been places.” With ingredients
from Africa to Austria this is one well-traveled inebriant.
Roiboos-infused Plymouth Gin, passionfruit, lime, Zirbenz,
Angostura & ‘Elemakule bitters

Camelot |12

The Kennedys were synonymous with good taste. So was the JKO.
Here is the JKO in fashionably wintry attire.
Añejo rum, Amaro Montenegro, lime, poached pear, & white pepper

Texas Early |12

Named for a species of blackberry, not the tiny Texan town (pop. 2558), this
swizzle takes the southern spice of rye and tells it to act like a beach bum.
Kind of like Kenny Chesney, but enjoyable for extended periods of time.

Old Overholt, Don’s Mix, blackberries, lemon

P ISTOLS

Palmetto |12

In honor of our Rum Society’s fearless leader, Mr. Matt “Rumdood” Robold, we
offer our favorite variant of this classic as it appears in the Savoy Cocktail Book.
El Dorado 12 yr Demerara & Carpano Antica Vermouth, orange bitters

Twist on a Twist |12

Like a red button you just can’t resist pushing, Allan had to have his own Last
Word variation. Chartreuse is exchanged for Amaro, maraschino for darker
cherry liqueur, and gin for Smith & Cross. A dash of bitters blesses this beast.
Overproof Rum, Amaro Cio Ciaro, Sangue Morlacco, lime, Angostura

Crimean Collins |12

Originally made by Jerry Thomas himself to serve over thirty whilst toasting an
Italian war hero, this adaptation was worth the arithmetic it took to scale it down.
Cognac, two kinds of Jamaican rum, lemon, orgeat, champagne

The Good Word |12

By way of good fortune and bad decisions we sometimes find ourselves with
more than we bargained for. When that happens, just say something nice.
Reposado Mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, maraschino, lime

C ANNONS

Putnam’s Point |12

The world looks different from great heights. It also looks different when you’ve
enjoyed a few of Rhachel’s drinks. Skip the climbing and go straight to the top.
Rye, Dos Maderas, Amaro Lucano, ginger, lemon, J.T. recipe bitters

Red Eye to Rio |12

Take a Trader Vic classic like the Night Flight. Trade rums, and add the evilest
thing from Klagenfurt, Austria since Pungent Stench: Stroh. It’s one hundred
and sixty proof. Prepare for take off.
Cachaça, lime, maple syrup, a lil’ bit of the aforementioned evil rum

The London Cut |12

The first time we adulterated the Gordon’s Cup all were happy with the results.
But like a Japanese carmaker, we’re relentlessly pursuing unattainable things.

Anaheim and Serrano pepper-infused Bols Genever and El Dorado rum,
cucumber, lime, smoked salt ‘n’ pepper

Deer Hunter|12

Our friends at The Tar Pit recently found themselves with more Serrano-infused
heering than they knew what to do with. Allan suggested it play russian roulette
with tequila and rye. The resulting cocktail was so good he stole the heering.
Añejo tequila, Old Overholt, Mr. Winters’ Heering

WEAPONS OF CHOICE

When you just can’t let go of a drink, neither can we.


Mai Tai |13

The Elvis of tropicalia knows just one thing: It’s the king, and it’ll never die.
Neisson Eleve Sous Bois, Appleton 12, lime, orgeat, and curaçao

Rum & Coconut Water |14

Available in tropical paradises like Tobago, New York City, and now L.A.
Cruzan Black Strap rum served in a freshly cut young Thai coconut

Nilsson Sling |12

Recently fortified with vintage rum for the winter.
Plantation 1999 Bajan Rum, Dolin Blanc, Benedictine, citrus,
strawberry, Mexican Coke

Natural Daiquiri |12

Now and forever, nature’s perfect alcohol delivery system.
Don Q Cristal, lime, just enough raw sugar

PUNCH S ERVICE

HERE we’ve taken some of our house favorites and given them the “more is
more” treatment. Each punch is lovingly prepared just like any one of our
cocktails… Except the preparation involves large measuring cups and small
power tools.

The Woodmoor

As Victorian as sexual repression and Charles Dickens using clerical names as
Code for his favored tipples, Katie’s very classically styled punch celebrates the
timeless pursuit of questionable behavior in the company of undeniably good spirits.

Zaya, ruby port, chamomile-infused Batavia Arrak, lime, turbinado sugar

Captain Rio

Rhachel came up with this terrifically complex and quaffable bowl of joy in honor of its
namesake, a bundle of joy lucky enough to already have a drink named after him.

Cucumber-infused Plymouth Gin, fresh citrus, orchard pear, and amaretto


Blue-Foot Mambo

Remember those family functions when half the liquor cabinet went into a bowl topped
up with some mixture of soda and Riunite? This isn’t one of them. But it is a calculated
effort to get you to do a dance known only by sailors, fools, & Kurt Vonnegut.

Trinidad 2000, lime, kiwi, pineapple, Champagne, Boylan’s lemon soda


Fog-Killer Punch

If a Fog Cutter and a Painkiller were in a horrible bus accident and their survival meant
that they had to be sewn together and cauterized with a liberal dose of bitters… They’d
make an awesome punch. Not to dilute its power, this one’s large-format only.

Overproof Spiced Rum, Plymouth Gin, St. Vivant Armagnac, plenty of
Angostura bitters, pineapple, citrus, house-made coconut cream, orgeat

The Martini Does Not Exist

The word 'Martini' has very little meaning.

Two versions of the cocktail may have completely different ingredients and be served in different formats: A bone-dry-and-dirty Grey Goose Martini on the rocks with extra olives has nothing in common with a Fifty-Fifty gin Martini with orange bitters and a twist. They're not even close to the same drink - in ingredients, in format, or in purpose.

More than that, the Martini no longer exists even as a drink concept. It means different things to different people: strength, dryness, elegance, simplicity, an aperitif, glassware, crispness, an era in time, an intellectual challenge, etc.. Some of its concepts are mutually exclusive.

This conundrum surfaced when in New Zealand last year for the 42Below Vodka Cocktail World Cup, in which they had a Modern Martini challenge. The problem was that nobody agreed on what the Martini was, so everyone updated it in a different way.  Most of those ways differed from the judges' concept of the drink.

The Martini is as amorphous a concept as morality.

In this Sunday's Los Angeles Times Magazine, I wrote a story about how the Martini Does Not Exist, except in the mind of the individual.

I'm pretty happy with how it came out. After going through the issues involved with the concept of the drink (and revealing how that cocktail contest turned out), the story lists the Martini recipe as a moving target throughout the years.

Please give it a read.