Colleen's Cocktails Blog

There are a lot of cocktail shakers out there in the world and a lot of people who collect them. One of the highlights of Tales of the Cocktail this year was a seminar with the man who probably knows the most about vintage bar ware, Steve Visakay. I am bummed that I missed The First International Symoposium of Cocktail Shaker Collectors because Steve's collection is said to be amazing and he's a wealth of information.

If you want to tap into Steve's knowledge just a little bit Robert Hess interviewed him on The Cocktail Spirit yesterday and you can check out his book Vintage Bar Ware, which is an amazing resource for avid collectors.

The Sazerac didn't quite make it as Louisiana's official cocktail, but it does have that distinction in New Orleans. Yes, the Sazerac is the official cocktail of the city of New Orleans and it's being talked about a lot at this week's Tales of the Cocktail.

On SmallScreenNetwork.com there are two video interviews with Kevin Richards of the Sazerac Company about the history of the drink. At the Molecular Mixology seminar Sazerac gummy bears were passed out. And everyone's talking about where to get the best Sazerac in town.

Cocktails and food are a great combination and the right cocktail can compliment a meal the same way wine does. Many restaurants are now offering suggestions for pairing options, some have a bar chef instead of a sommelier and some are offering special events that allow you to explore a full spirited menu. That is what will happen at 24 New Orleans restaurants Thursday night during Tales of the Cocktail's "Spirited Dinners." Each establishment has designed a signature meal and paired each course with a signature cocktail.

I was browsing through the menus and they all sound so delicious that it would be hard to decide where to go.

Do you go to the Bourbon House for scallops and a Trailer Trash Mary (Catdady Carolina Moonshine and "naughty BM mix) and stuffed shrimp with Rockin' Right Cocktail (homemade Rock and Rye, Dubonnet and dry vermouth, and orange glazed duck with a Ginger Julep)?

Or does the Pelican Club with their shrimp remoulade and a Napoleon Street Car (Sazerac 6yr Rye, Absolut NOLA, Mango water, agave nectar and Peychauds), an entree of grilled CAB filet mignon with crabmeat and crawfish cakes and a Grilled and Chilled (carmelized Grand Marnier & Milagro Margarita, Malbe Sangria and sweet citrus foam) and, for dessert, a white chocolate bread pudding with a Cafe du St. Croix (cayenne and chicory coffee, Cruzan Single Barrel Rum and honey) sound better?

I think I'd have to go with Iris. They're serving wood grilled quail with 21st Century Dixieland (Plymouth Gin, Carpano Antica Foruma, Bing Cherry Syrup and Absinthe bitters) and wild salmon or blue crab with Mississippi Improv (4 Copas tequila, grapefruit water and Meyer lemon molasses). The entree is a leg of lamb or monkfish with a Crescent City Samba (Rittenhouse Rye 100, chicory liqueur, Dubonnet and orgeat syrup) and dessert is a bing cherry compote, bittersweet chocolate torte or nectarine crisp with a Zydeco Do-Do (Cruzan Single Barrel rum, "H" Cognac, Domaine de Canton and Chartreuse).

The excitement is already building for "The Most Spirited Event of the Summer," Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. This event is probably going to be the only thing many cocktail bloggers will be talking about for the next week and it looks like it will be another great time for all who attend.

The event runs from Wednesday through Sunday and there are too many seminars, competitions, dinners and parties scheduled that it's hard to keep track of all of them. Here are just a few that peaked my interest...

• "The Green Hour" Absinthe Ritual Revived
• Save the Daiquiri Party
• Molecular Mixology
• Juniperlooza
• Latino Libations
• Jerry's Kids: The Life, Drinks and Legacy of Professor Jerry Thomas
• Rum, Ron, Rhum
• Rye Nation
• The Three Amigo's: The Three Most Important Drinks You Need to Know
• Sensory Perception in Mixology
• Bar Chef Challenge
• The Ultimate Bloody Mary Championship
• Spice and Ice: The Art of Spicy Cocktails
• Cracking the Egg
• Cocktail Cinema
• Spirit Awards
• New Orleans on Fire
• The History of the Margarita

Like I said, those are only a few things going on at the Hotel Monteleone this week, for a full schedule you can visit Tales of the Cocktail website.

Here is some pretty exciting news for enthusiasts interested in the "Golden Age of Cocktails." CocktailKingdom.com launched a couple weeks ago and have the rights to republish many of the first bartending guides put into print. At this point the selection is limited but all of the books available now (or in the near future) include some exciting titles, many of which have been out of print for years, are hard to find and cost a small fortune.

Mud Puddle Books is the publisher behind the project to create authentic reproductions of bartending guides from the 1800's and early 1900's at an affordable price (around $30). Each title has an introduction from one of the masters of modern mixology (Robert Hess, Dale DeGroff, David Wondrich, Audrey Saunders, etc.) to give a little insight into the books and draw parallels between yesterday and today.

Which books am I most excited about seeing? Really, all of them but these are at the top of the list...

• The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David A. Embury - first published in 1948
• The Mixicologist by C.F. Lawlor - first published in 1895
• How to Mix Drinks; A Bon Vivant's Companion by Jerry Thomas - 1862 edition
• Barflies and Cocktail by Harry McElhone - 1927 edition
• Bartender's Manual by Harry Johnson - 1900 edition

Vodka's vodka, right? Not at all! There are so many brands of vodka on the market and there are more appearing all the time that it is hard to keep track of all of them. There are the grain vodkas, the potato vodkas and those distilled from other bases. Then there are the cheap brands, the premium brands and the luxury, or super (ultra), premium brands. All of these are just in the clear vodka market and the infusions are a completely different story.

Recently I was introduced to two vodkas that are some of the best I've had in a long time and rival my love for Charbay. One is Emperor, a grain-based French vodka with a light, airy palate and hints of citrus. The other is Zyr, a winter wheat and rye based Russian with a pleasantly grainy palate. Both vodkas represent their grains perfectly and are some of the smoothest vodkas I've had in a long time. They're simply impressive and would make a great addition to any liquor cabinet, especially if you are a vodka connoisseur. Straight, rocks, chilled, cocktails: both are great for any drink venue you want to go with.

Part of the problem with these two brands is finding them. There markets are still limited but you can find them online at a few retailers - the problem with that is that not all states allow liquor to be shipped in. If you can find either of these, grab them and give them a shot. They're out there and they won't let you down.

Moods and tastes change along with the seasons. In the winter we're usually talking about warm drinks or those with a warming touch like whiskey cocktails or heavy, cream-laden drinks and when summer hits our thoughts tend to go toward the tropical and the refreshing drinks to cool down. What I'm curious about is whether or not the same change happens to your taste for straight spirits. Do you tend to drink Scotch on the rocks in the winter and a chilled vodka in the summer? Or do you gravitate to the same liquor year round? And what is your favorite summertime sipper?

"America's Native Spirit" is good-old bourbon whiskey, which has roots back to the days shortly after the American Revolution, but it was rum that "fed" the colonists for years before that. So, while we're celebrating the Fourth of July this weekend it seems most appropriate that if you want to drink like those patriots who founded the country, rum is the spirit of choice.

Rum was once the liquor of the colonies because it could survive the long import trips across the seas better than beer or wine. Drinks like Navy Grog (rum, lime, sugar and water) and Eggnog were influenced by the British and over the years others like the Planter's Punch, Black Stripe and Hot Buttered Rum became popular among the new Americans. Rum was cheap and for the most part still is and the colonies even took to importing molasses for their own New England distilleries. In a nutshell, rum fueled the revolution so to speak and if you want to get an in depth look at the spirit the best source is Wayne Curtis' book And a Bottle of Rum.

And on to some Independence Day rum cocktail suggestions... These selections are slightly more interesting and tasty than the Grog of old and many are true classic cocktails which have stood the test of time while a few others have captured our tastes recently and can be called the "new classics."

• Anejo Highball
• Bacardi Cocktail
• Bahama Mama
• Between the Sheets
• Blue Hawaiian
• Cable Car
• Daiquiri
• Hurricane
• Long Island Iced Tea
• Mai Tai
• Mary Pickford Cocktail
• Mojito

You have to love the freedom of a holiday like the Fourth of July when it falls on the weekend. You don't have to worry about going to work the next day or working two days, off for one then returning to dredge through a couple more days. No, this year the parties will start on Friday with a bang (literally) and have the entire weekend to wind up and slow back down.

I know a lot of people like to take it slow over the Fourth with a leisurely backyard barbecue, maybe some time on the beach, a little camping trip and, of course, gazing at the sky during a fireworks show. I'll get to some drinks for those people tomorrow. Today we're talking about the real party crowd, those who enjoy a shot every now and then. For these people I have three great shooters to show off your patriotism.

First off is the Firecracker (pictured). This golden shooter of tequila, Goldschlager and Rumple Minze has gold flakes floating around like tiny sparks and the bang of a 100-proof, minty liqueur with a southern background. It's powerful, bold and looks good in the glass - exactly what many regular shot drinkers are looking for.

Then I have two very similar shooters for you. Both are layered with the colors of the American flag, contain a fruity mix as they're going down and relatively gentle in comparison to the more explosive shooters. For the Fourth of July you'll be floating grenadine, vodka and blue curacao on each other in that order and with the Red, White and Blue you'll go with grenadine, peach schnapps and blue curacao. Notice the only difference is vodka versus peach schnapps for the "white" layer. The choice is a matter of whether or not you want to go a little peachy and what you have in the liquor cabinet at the time.

As on any day of the year, shots and shooters are fun but please keep in mind that you will get drunk. If you're going to have fun with this think ahead and designate a driver, call a cab or stay where you are. Summer holiday weekends see some of the highest rates of drunk driving and it's better to be safe than sorry.

I've had quite a few Mojitos lately. Partly because it's summer and the heat calls for a refreshing fruity and minty drink and partly because I have been comparing Mojito mixes to the traditional, handmade cocktail. My initial thoughts were that the pre-mixed Mojitos were going to be insufficient, which they are (you cannot beat fresh mint and lime), but I have to say they are pretty good and better than most ready to drinks.

My rum was 10 Cane, which I used to make a "real" Mojito and I have to say it's one of the best I've had yet and recommend the rum for this cocktail to everyone. In this drink you get the sweetness of rum, a hint of lime and the flavor of mint throughout.

With that same rum I also made a Mojito with Stirrings non-alcoholic mix. This drink was sweet with a nice, luscious lime and a bit of mint in the finish but is very thick and syrupy.

The other contestant was Bacardi Mojito, a new ready to drink bottling that puts the rum into the Mojito mix. I found I liked this as much as the stirrings but the two have distinct differences. The Bacardi is lighter with a heavier bitter-sweet lime, yet not as syrupy. The mint was too late and faint for me here though.

Conclusion: Cocktails are always a matter of taste and I can see many people enjoying the ease and flavor of the bottled mixes, however the real Mojito is the best. Don't forget some club soda, it lightens up some of that sweetness of the mixes.