Posted by TraderTiki on April 12th, 2008 — Posted in Bilge, Places, Rum
Tuesday evening found me home away from home, tucked into the corner of the bar at Forbidden Island. As Martin said, I wasted no time, arriving just as he was opening the door. I brought a bottle of Shrub and Primitiva to play around with, and Martin ended up making a very lovely Pusser’s and Primitiva daiquiri (4:1:1). I started off with a few of the new concoctions for the spring menu, as made by the staff at FI. The Xtabay was a tangy and spicy drink with Canton, Honey and Rum. The Fugu del Blanco took a different turn, with Gin, Gomme and
Thai Basil as garnish. The Basil acted as a sort of a mint doppelganger, adding a lot to the nose.
Martin also showed off the E.Nos, from the Savoy cocktail book, as made with a rinse of St. George Absinthe Verte, which is a damned fantastic product, of which I’m happy to now own a bottle. The drink was at once everything and nothing at all, smooth at first and then expanding in complexity.
Apparently some folks knew I would be in town (damn those little birdies!) and Hanford Lemoore of Tiki Central and Mig showed up, as well as my own mother-in-law! Yes, there’s nothing like drinking with your spouse’s family. I traded Martin a bit of drunken computer work to get him to make my Wisdom of Pele, which turned out fantastic, and I was pleased to be able to share it with friends and family.
With that out of my system, I felt the need for something with plenty of allspice to it. Martin whipped up an ephemeral pimento drink, some unnamed cocktail that may never be made again. It was an interesting union of pineapple and pimento, and I will have to try recreating it once back at the home bar.
Once the last call gong was rung, it was time for something to really cap off the night, which came to me in the form of a 151 swizzle. The garnish used was a ball of ice, with powdered cinnamon on top, and a little jacket made out of a cocktail napkin, which made for a gorgeous presentation.
With the bar closed, goodbyes were said, and I stumbled the two block distance to my mother-in-law’s apartment to sleep off the evening and the previous day’s events. And so still, I sit at SFO, waiting for my flight to board, wishing I had brought my camera hook-up so I could setup this post now.
I am settled back home now, with all the things I like (except Alembic and Forbidden Island) surrounding me. I will be back to California, certainly, but only for friends, family, and the drink.
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Posted by TraderTiki on April 10th, 2008 — Posted in Bilge, Places, rye
And so I find myself, writing on a half-dead business laptop at SFO. There are now 2 days of some of the best and worst things to ever happen standing behind me now. You don’t care to hear the bad parts though, and I don’t care to focus on them. So let’s get onto the best parts of all, the booze!
A trip to California just isn’t complete without checking out John Walker spirits on Sutter in San Francisco. Within moments of entering, the mind boggles at the selection of just about everything obscure you can think of. Not one flavored Absolut on the shelf, but plenty of unheard of (and often under-appreciated) liquors from around the world. I couldn’t resist a bottle of St. George Absinthe Verte, a few rums, a dutch Genever, and the Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that they make it unharmed on the way home.
Being in the bay area, I was finally (after three tries) got a chance to meet up with Erik of Under-hill Lounge, eGullet, now renowned for his quest of “Stomping through the Savoy“, as seen in the Wall Street Journal. We met at Alembic, which I would have to say is definitely in the top five of my favorite bars now. The bartenders, Josey and Thomas, were knowledgeable, inquisitive, and just all around fun. The atmosphere was comfortable enough to pop in after work without feeling the need to dress up, and yet the drinks practically felt like they required a tux. I had to start the evening with a “Vow of Silence“, seeing as there’s also one on the Teardrop menu. The drink was light and sweet, as only a combo of Rye and Benedictine can do. It really focused on the crisper edges of the Rye. At that point, in walked HumuHumu of… well, of just about everything Tiki on the internet. My Sister-in-law, her husband, his brother all rolled in, it was quite a night for friends and family. Feeling the need for some familiarity, I ordered a Last Word with the Chartreuse VEP. On ordering this, Erik noted that Flora used the VEP as their well chartreuse, and that the pour cost wasn’t that much of a difference. I’m still fuzzy about the math on that, but seeing as it comes in a liter bottle, it’s totally possible.
Alembic sports a menu with both their own creations, and plenty of classics, particularly a hearty selection of New Orleans cocktails. The Vieux Carre was delicious and spicy, and the Sazerac was ruby red, and quite fantastic. When Thomas asked if I would prefer the peel in or out, I knew I was in the right place.
One of the original cocktails that was sampled was the Southern Exposure, a mixture containing celery juice, gin, gomme, and mint. The celery juice was a really rich flavor, and gave it a delightful green color. I may have to make a bottle or two at home to play with.
Alembic also sports a robust selection of Belgian and Trappist ales, of which I was eager to try a nice Trippel. The ale was fantastic, but I’m not sure that I’ll do that again… tiny bubbles and plenty of Rye don’t tend to mix well in the bloodstream, and I got a pretty righteous headache a few hours into the night. Other than that, it was a great place and though I won’t be able to visit often, it’ll certainly be a regular stop when I’m in the Bay Area.
I’m back home now, but had plenty of time to write while stuck at SFO for 6 hours. Stay tuned for part the second, where I once again visit my favorite island.
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Posted by TraderTiki on December 20th, 2007 — Posted in Places, Rum
and by the time I was out the door, I was missing it already.
I gush, I do, but it’s well worth the praise. If you haven’t yet been to Forbidden Island, go now. Especially now that hot drinks are on the menu.
I was greeted at the door by bartender Jessica, who had expected me to arrive and had a special treat she had made for the house, a Bacon-infused Bourbon! Yes, at first it was a bit confusing even to a bacon aficionado like me (bacon=good), but the flavor was wonderfully savory. The Maple Leaf she would later serve proved to be well met by the Bacon bourbon, and I would advise its potential as part of a fully balanced breakfast.
Then, the man, the master, the minister came out, and much drinking was to be had.
The night started off with a Nui Nui. Seeing as I had made Martin a few when he had come up, I figured I’d see how his house’s chops were faring, and they were fantastic indeed. Complex, spicy, multi-layered and fantastic, it acts as a great introduction to the crowd that expects anything Tiki to involve pineapple juice and an Orchid garnish. This was one of the first I had to make out of Sippin’ Safari, and is now part of the regular menu at the Galley.
Following the Nui Nui was the equally great Dead Reckoning, as developed by Martin. It’s a really strange list of ingredients that don’t seem like they would work well, but make some unexpected flavors, with the tart shining through what seems like should be a bucket of sweetness. Maple Syrup and Tawny port, who would have thunk it?
I had to take a bit of a breather to sample some of the other wares behind the bar, have some conversation, and welcome some of the Ohana from Tiki Central. Some of the items sampled included Creme de Violette, an aged Genever (mind-blowing), some Batavia Arrack, Martin’s own Falernum, Hibiscus Liqueur, and a few other odds and ends.
Seeing as ’tis the season, the warm drinks menu was just printed and fresh up. Having read Wayne Curtis’ …and a bottle of Rum, I’ve been dying to try a nice flip, and answering that call was the recently introduced Flippin’ Flip, a heated concoction of beer, ginger syrup, lemon and rum. This was a nice winter warmer, and helped soothe a stomach that was starting to hit the motions after a few days of boozing it up. The beer was not a bitter point at all, but the hops were nice and aromatic. The fizz once the glass hit bottom was a different texture than I was expecting, but the drink was very well made, and I plan on throwing together some of my own using the local Bridgeport Ebenezer Ale.
After this, being quite deep in my cups and horribly indecisive, I went with Martin’s suggestion, which was a 151 Swizzle. Three drinks and then some into the night, and I’m being served 1 and 1/2 ounces of 151 Demerara! The man likes me, but obviously hates my liver. The nutmeg on top provided a rather clever nose, and the scent lasted as a flavor throughout the drink. It just looks great contrasted with the green lime and mint too. The Pernod acts as a nice carrier, but gets surprisingly overwhelmed by the spicy smokiness of the Demerara. I’m so used to Pernod dominating, so this was very nice. Continuing to gush on the garnish, however, the wrapped napkin is one of the most interesting bits I’ve yet seen, and added a nice touch that didn’t make it, appearance-wise, the next brownish thing in a chimney glass.
As we approached last call, I was soon surprised with the last drink of the night, the “Stutz”. Stutz, stutz…
now where have I seen that name before. Well, anyway, the drink was well made, with a lot of tartness and sweetness balancing each other out, and letting the spice from some cinnamon syrup come out and play.
Last call came up, and what did I order? A big ol’ glass of ice water, with a dash of lemon of course. You have to know your limits, and I’ve found that drinking a nice big glass of water next to my cocktails helps with cleansing my mouth for the next sip, and cleansing my bloodstream for the next morning.
Just past midnight, the doors were closed and we parted ways once more, and I returned the next morning to Portland. The Missus, however, just left to California to visit with family for the holidays, and for her own visit to Forbidden Island.
My many thanks to Martin and Rebecca for their hospitality and conversation, to Jessica for her dedication and talent behind the bar, and Hanford, Mai Tai and Coco Loco from Tiki Central for chit chat and a sharing of drinks. I may call Portland home now, but never feel too far away when sitting at the bar.
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Posted by TraderTiki on December 19th, 2007 — Posted in Gin, Places, rye
I’m back home from my trip to California. That was far, far too little time to spend with so many places I didn’t get to visit. But don’t worry, I tried to bring back as much booze in my bloodstream and baggage as I possibly could.
Tuesday night was spent at Bourbon and Branch with some family who live in town. The decor is gorgeous, the drinks are fantastic, and really any place that starts off with an appetizer drink gets a thumbs up from me. We kicked off the evening with the starter, which was something with Sparkling Wine, Benedictine, and a touch of Kirschwasser. But I already knew the first two things I would be ordering. First up was the Black Manhattan, with Vya Vermouth and house-made coffee bitters. It was smooth and calmly sweet, like a good Manhattan should be. I’m going to have to start off a batch of Coffee Bitters myself, as they were quite nice. Alongside that concoction, I had a bit of the Rittenhouse 21 yr Rye, which was absolutely astonishing. I can honestly say my palate just isn’t experienced enough yet to fully appreciate it, but the aging was just right, and the characteristics of the Rye really stood out.
I was soon convinced, after some excited discussion about their own barrel of Buffalo Trace, to try their Harvest Manhattan, which used their own Bourbon infused with Apples and spices, and a raisin and spice infused Vya Sweet Vermouth. This drink was, as I had to drunkenly describe, eminently quaffable. So smooth and delicious, with the apple, bourbon and raisin all coming out so nicely, I could’ve filled a Collins glass and downed it, it was just so satisfying. The night ended, as we were redirected to the Library, with a Last Word. Can’t go wrong with that one, and they made mine just right. The place was class to the nines, and I can’t wait to go back and sit at the bar.
Another exciting stop while in CA, and outside of the confines of a liquor controlled state, was at John Walker and Co. I was recommended the place by Martin, and I was not disappointed… well, there was no Creme de Violette, but I can forgive. Great thanks to Lance for letting my know that the TSA has a limit on alcohol you can bring back (5 Liters, nothing over 140 proof… so about 6 bottles). So, knowing I could only bring back so much I had to choose wisely. I think I did well, but I can’t stop thinking about what I had to leave behind.
That’s BlueCoat Gin, Genevieve, Laird’s Bonded Straight Apple Brandy, Vya Sweet Vermouth, and two bottles of Batavia Arrack. I will be one poor but happy mixing fool this holiday!
I still haven’t told of my adventures to the Island of Alameda, but I think that deserves its own time and place.
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Posted by TraderTiki on November 6th, 2007 — Posted in Beer, Bilge, Places
And so we continue from the previous post.
Thursday night found us warbling at The Alibi, a long-standing tiki bar, now featuring Karaoke. If you want authentic Tiki Bar, and can look past the sloppy drinks, Karaoke, and lottery machines, this is the place. How bad are the drinks? Try a Sailor’s Tattoo, which is Rockstar and Captain Morgan Tattoo. Yeah, and that’s one of the better ones.
Of course, what better way to soak up the booze then a nice trip to Voodoo Doughnut. Okay, I’ll admit it, we went TWICE. A few Tex-Ass donuts were consumed. It’s fried dough and sugar bliss.
New Old Lompoc is a brewery and pub with some great brews. If you’re into hops, their beers are very nice, with a lot of variety in the hop selection.
Meriwether’s, named for half of the Lewis and Clark expedition, makes their own produce at their farm, and their own ginger beer. I’m not sure if I was there on bad day, but the ginger beer in my Dark and Stormy was a bit flat and yeasty, with low carbonation and none of the sharpness and zest I look for in a ginger beer. The Fig Old Fashioned though, with a muddled fig at the bottom, was pure bliss.
We took a tour of Clear Creek Distillery, and I’d strongly recommend visiting any local distilleries you’ve got in your neck of the woods. Their products are outstanding. The Framboise truly captured the essence of Raspberry, the Doug Fir Eau de Vie was even better this time, with lots of perfume and sharpness. What really surprised me, however, was the Cassis Liqueuer. It’s pricier, but Kir Royales with this stuff and a bit of Veuve Clicquot will be on the menu for this year’s New Years party.
After touring the distillery, a visit to Daniel at TearDrop Lounge was in order. The drinks were just fantastic. My choice was the Winter Morn, made with egg, Vya vermouth, and a bit of the in-house grenadine. Amongst all the shared sips though, I must say there was no clear winner, just great stuff all around. I also got a nice Sazerac, shared a Last Word, TDL Toddy, and a drink with some smoked pear in it that was just a socks knocking interesting flavor. If you get a chance to visit, ask to sample some of the bitters.
Saucebox was visited actually as a sidenote, after knocking back a few PBRs at Mary’s. Bad strip club, but some fantastic wall murals. Saucebox was definitely the spot to be that evening, with the vibe a bit too trendy… not Portland trendy, but more Los Angeles trendy. The drinks were decent, but not spectacular. I had a very nice Alaskan, with Gin, Green Chartreuse and Bitters. There were a few Mai Tai variations on the menu, but I didn’t even want to dare it. I may have to sneak back in for a Mai Tai tour of Portland.
Apizza Scholl’s, well, if you’re anywhere in a 100 mile radius, you need to go, and go early. This is the place that was on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations that hand-mixes their dough, and only makes enough for the night. When they’re out of dough, they close. The pizza is like nothing you’ve ever had before, well, if you’ve never been to New York, and even then, it would fit into the top spots in the pizza for that city. They also have a damned decent beer menu, from which I had a nice Orval. Damn those monks and their magic with the brewing arts.
The Horse Brass Pub is one of those places you can sit on your butt, watch some darts, choose from an enormous beer and scotch collection, and just slowly sink in and turn English. Smoking is allowed, for now (johnny law’s changing that), and the food is pub grub. Had a Scotch Egg, which is a hard-boiled egg packed in sausage, breaded and fried. That’s a pretty unbelievable, but damned tasty item.
The Doug Fir was looked at, but briefly. There’s a chromed moose head, and the bathrooms are all done in marbled mirror. The drinks are nice, but the place is often so packed with hipsters and douchebags that your chances of getting a well measured one is about slim to none. Besides, why stay there when there’s a perfectly fantastic strip club the next block over.
Union Jack’s is, well, certainly one of my favorite strip clubs. I won’t go into any details, but I will say I found a new love that night. Amidst the smoke and the stripping, on the top shelf was a bottle of Ron Zacapa Centenario 23, which is some wonderfully smooth and sweet rum. I’d go into tasting notes, but that’s Scottes’ domain.
The next day, we (okay, I) had a few Brandy Milk Punches, and sent the kids up to Seattle to visit Murray and Jamie. The butterflies, whips and jingles were hitting a bit hard for me and the ms, so we were homeward bound.
Even outside of the places mentioned here, there was further drinking, and breakfast, and drinking, and mid-century modern thrifting, and drinking, and haircuts, and drinking. It was a good time! If you’re ever in the city and need a decent tour, now you might have a better idea of where to go.
And just a note to press, drinking at home is great, but don’t forget to get out there and support your local bars. Not the ones that’ll slug your liver with crap gin and fruitfly liqueur, but support those places that’ll make your Manhattan just how you like it, offer up some conversation about booze, whatever works for you, just get outside and drink in some life.
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Tuesday evening found me home away from home, tucked into the corner of the bar at Forbidden Island. As Martin said, I wasted no time, arriving just as he was opening the door. I brought a bottle of Shrub and Primitiva to play around with, and Martin ended up making a very lovely Pusser’s and Primitiva daiquiri (4:1:1). I started off with a few of the new concoctions for the spring menu, as made by the staff at FI. The Xtabay was a tangy and spicy drink with Canton, Honey and Rum. The Fugu del Blanco took a different turn, with Gin, Gomme and
Thai Basil as garnish. The Basil acted as a sort of a mint doppelganger, adding a lot to the nose.
Apparently some folks knew I would be in town (damn those little birdies!) and Hanford Lemoore of Tiki Central and Mig showed up, as well as my own mother-in-law! Yes, there’s nothing like drinking with your spouse’s family. I traded Martin a bit of drunken computer work to get him to make my Wisdom of Pele, which turned out fantastic, and I was pleased to be able to share it with friends and family.
With that out of my system, I felt the need for something with plenty of allspice to it. Martin whipped up an ephemeral pimento drink, some unnamed cocktail that may never be made again. It was an interesting union of pineapple and pimento, and I will have to try recreating it once back at the home bar.
Once the last call gong was rung, it was time for something to really cap off the night, which came to me in the form of a 151 swizzle. The garnish used was a ball of ice, with powdered cinnamon on top, and a little jacket made out of a cocktail napkin, which made for a gorgeous presentation.
