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Glossy Booze: November Edition

Glossy Booze is a round-up of cocktails and spirits stories in magazines.

Men's Journal has this story on the increasing popularity and price of bourbon, along with some recommendations by Wayne Curtis, a few recommended brands of merlot, and a review of The Wettest County in the World.

The December issue of Men's Journal is also out, and has a recipe for the Midnight Manhattan,  a mention of Palo Santo Marron as a good winter brew, an endorsement of Three Thieves Bandit wine in the box as "adventure-ready wine," and a list of "Top Shelf Hooch" including Bluecoat Gin, Vodka 14, Nouvelle-Orleans Absinthe, and Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey.

In San Francisco's 7x7 Magazine, Jordan Mackay lists some steak-pairing red wines, and feature's Jennifer Colliau's Small Hand Foods, her vintage syrup business.

In Details, Rob Willey has a story on eggnog, with some recommended products to put in it- Remy Martin CROP cognac, Old Forrester Signature 100-proof bourbon, Brugal Anejo rum, and El Dorado 15-year-old rum.

Esquire is also on the rum kick, with David Wondrich telling us about how rum ages faster in the hot environments, and recommends a few to try: Clement Cuvee Homere, Angostura 1824, and English Harbour 10-year-old Reserve.

And finally, Bon Appetit has a slew of stories: A recipe for the Algonquin Bar Punch, some suggested champagnes, a fun list on what drinks cost around the world, a recipe for Christmas Caipirinhas (with ginger, ginger beer, and mint added to the usual mix), and a whole vintage cocktail party feature with food and old-style drinks.

Also from the Bon Appetit website, check out these pictures of bartenders in New York making the Blue Blazer.

A new cocktail menu concept

Because I'm a nerd, I enjoy tracking the various ways cocktail menus are organized. Some throw a bunch of different drinks together, some organize them into drink categories, and others stick to one theme throughout.

A venue in New York, Allen & Delancey, is doing something really new. For each drink concept, there are two executions:

No. 1 is light and festive, with citrus and fruit meant to refresh the mind and whet the appetite, while No. 2 showcases a base spirit, a stirred cocktail best drank with thought, time, and good conversation.

Some examples from the menu include:

TINKER’S STAND
(Grain, Oak, and Revolution)
1 Bourbon, amaro, lemon, honeyed ginger syrup
2 Rye, amaro, sherry, elderflower, Bénédictine, aromatic bitters

JALISCO TRAIL
(Agave, Pacific Winds, and the Jimadors)
1 Blanco tequila, Acacia honey, lime, Angostura bitters, rinse Luxardo bitter
2 Reposado tequila, antica, green chartreuse, orange bitters, rinse Campari, orange twist

And the drinks look pretty darn delicious as well! Read more examples on New York Magazine's website.

Floral, $28 cocktails at Apotheke in NYC

Flaming absinthe, hand-pressed sugar cane juice, lavender bitters, and no barstools: it all sounds a bit much to me, but it's impossible to say without going there if it all comes together effectively or not. (It sure looks pretty though.) Read about this new bar here .