Blueprint Cocktail

Recently I participated in a amazing cocktail competition set-up in the style of the NCAA Mens Basketball tournament sponsored by the venerable and much loved Chartreuse.  The field consisted of sixteen LA bartenders going head to head bracket style, whittling the opposition down to the elite eight, the final four, and ultimately the championship.  The Doheny in downtown LA provided a perfect backdrop for this cocktail throwdown.  Here are a couple links to check out for some photos and more coverage.

LA Weekly
The Examiner

What I loved about this competition in relation to most other cocktail competitions was indeed the format.  All we had to bring in preparation was ourselves and a few ideas regarding the best way to use Chartreuse in cocktails.  After we had all arrived and were treated to shots of green Chartreuse for breakfast, we were then informed as to what would be available for us to use for our cocktails.  The fine folks at Doheny opened up their resources and allowed us to use (within reason) a wide array of mise en place and booze. Marcos Tello, who helped put the competition together along with Carbino Cattani of Cattani imports, even brought a cornucopia of fresh market goods, with everything from fresh thyme to multi-colored peppers.  For the Top Chef fans out there, the competition took the form of multiple quickfire challenges, only with this competition the judging was blind.

Continue reading ‘Chartreuse Sweet Sixteen Cocktail Competition’

Well, it’s time to get serious again.  All excuses aside, I’ve really been slacking on keeping Blueprint Cocktail updated and fresh.  I’ll be honest, writing a blog is relatively hard work, especially when bartending full time.  When I started this blog I really had no idea what I was doing and just figured that I would learn as much as I could along the way.  While that has been true and I feel that I have learned much, I’ve also learned that throughout the early stages of a blog there are many hurdles and obstacles standing in your way on the path to consistent posting.  It’s these obstacles that I plan on taking head on and moving past.  While I won’t promise to be an everyday poster, I will do my best to post on a more regular basis.

Maybe It’s best if I redefine what exactly it is that I’m trying to accomplish with my blog.  My original intent was to join the wonderful and well connected online cocktail writers scene and while that hasn’t changed, a few of my approaches to what I would like to write have.  I am most certainly not the biggest online cocktail geek out there nor do I try to be.  If you want to see me in full geek mode then please, by all means come and see me behind the bar at the Varnish here in Los Angeles.  I do enjoy learning from others online and seeing what the community at large has up their sleeves.  It’s this nationwide if not worldly connectedness that in my mind is where the true progression of the spririts industry lies.  That being said, I would like to continue to take a bartender’s approach to what I write and chronicle some of the more interesting things happening in my world.  I hope that you will continue to join me.

-Bostick

Summer is in full swing and the farmer’s markets are chock full with seasonal bounty. Recently I was given a sample bottle of Gran Centenario Rosangel, a hibiscus infused reposado tequila, and decided to bring the two together into a couple of wonderful and refreshing summer cocktails.  By clicking here, you can read my coverage of the LA Rosangel launch party and my review of the spirit.

A few nights ago my girlfriend Kristin and I had a couple of friends over for a little post 4th of July bbq.  It was a small, low key affair in which to decompress from the rest of the weekends festivities.  I know what you are probably saying, “my lans, more bbq?”  Well to prevent withdrawal we had to taper down consumption.  ;-)  With them, my friends Robbie and Alexis brought some fresh cherries and peaches and asked if there was anything I could do with them.  Always up for a challenge, I knew exactly what to do and after taking inventory of what I had on hand I took to the task of quenching some thirsts.

The first cocktail I devised was a Cherry Lime Smash.  Having fresh mint on hand as well as some incredible limes off the tree in the yard prompted me to head in this direction.  Talk about refreshing, the hibiscus in the tequila complemented the mint and the cherry so well I could have knocked these back until I knocked myself out.           Continue reading ‘Summer with Centenario Rosangel’

Wow has this month flown right by.  I feel as if it were just a couple nights ago that I posted about my Amaro cocktails. Time flies right by when your’e settling in to a new job, and bartending at The Varnish in downtown LA has kept me pretty busy.  The work is hard but man is it satisfying.  If you find yourself in the LA area by all means stop in and pay us a visit.  We would love to craft a fine beverage for your enjoyment.  I digress.  Now for the task at hand.

This month’s Mixology Monday is being hosted by Matt at RumDood.com.  For our June exercise, ‘ol RumDood has chosen ginger for us to play around with. Here’s what Matt has to say, 

Continue reading ‘Mixology Monday XL: Ginger’

Ah yes, here we are again, staring down the loaded barrel of our favorite cocktail shaker.  What shall it be loaded with this time?  As host of this month’s Mixology Monday, local Los Angeles fellow and bon vivant Chuck Taggart (of the weblog Looka! found within his website The Gumbo Pages) has chosen Amaro to be stirred, shaken, whipped and consumed.  

Amari (plural of amaro) are generally considered bitter drinking liqueurs from Italy consisting of a multitude of herbs, spices, and sugars.  Medicinal in character, amari have long been considered to be wonderful digestivos, primed and ready to help you tackle the task of breaking down that 5 course meal you just jovially consumed.  Think Fernet Branca, Averna, Cynar (made with artichokes.  Artichokes!) and the like.  Those seem somewhat common to me at this point, but the more I gaze into the looking glass of amari, the longer the list becomes of handcrafted, secret family recipe liqueurs from all over the world.  This wonderful spirit is by no means locked down to Italy.  Europeans seem to love their bitter potables in many forms.  Whether it be Amaro, Amer, or Amergo, many cultures have long since known that quaffing the bitter stuff has numerous health benefits as well as providing a wonderful, warming buzz.  I like to think of a delicious Amaro as the thinking man’s Jagermeister 

Continue reading ‘Mixology Monday XXXIX: Amaro’

What happens when you gather 100 of the country’s most talented bartenders for a weekend in Vail?  A party of epic proportions.  Having that much talent together in one place threatened to melt all of the snow in Vail Pass.  This is part one in a series of posts describing what really went down. 

Continue reading ‘2009 Grand Marnier & Navan Mixology Summit pt. 1′

One of the many reasons for starting this blog was to connect to fellow bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts from around the world. Mixology Monday is an online cocktail party that does just that.  It connects people from around the world and provides a way to endlessly riff on a particular theme.   Having such a valuable resource and knowledgeable community to be a part of is truly an honor.  I’d like to personally thank all involved and can’t wait to share my ideas and findings.  Click the Mixology Monday link above to get a full rundown of exactly what it’s all about.  

For my first foray into the MxMo scene, the theme this month is Superior Twists hosted by The Wild Drink Blog.   Tristan Stephenson blogs out of the UK and has brought up a great, simple idea.  Put your twist on a classic. Easy enough right?  As a professional working in the industry I feel that is a quintessential component to our everyday job, riffing on the classics.  Like a good jazz musician knows his standards, so too must a bartender be familiar with the classics.  Once you have the basics nailed down, improvisation comes easy.

Another element to the theme, Tristan asks, “What is your favorite song to twist to?”  That’s an easy one for me.  Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” is such a great swingin number it’s no wonder Quentin Tarantino opted to use it in Jack Rabbit Slim’s Twist contest.  

The cocktail I chose to twist is the Pisco Sour.  Pisco is one of the lesser known spirits used in the States these days, but I feel more and more bartenders are starting to understand it and use it more often.  Pisco is a grape brandy with a character all its own.  It’s traditionally made from the muscat grape in both Peru and Chile.  For a very in depth view of Pisco click here.  Here’s the recipe for the original.

Continue reading ‘Mixology Monday – Superior Twists’

Bar Keeper, Silverlake’s little bartending Mecca, celebrated its third year this past Friday.  Known for vintage glassware, esoteric barware, absinthe paraphernalia, and a heady collection of cocktail books, Bar Keeper has been supporting a growing Los Angeles cocktail renaissance.  With a keen eye and a penchant for detail, Joe Keeper (proprietor) has built a solid collection of things you want. 

Airline Style Bar by AL.Carts

Like this item to the left.  I mean, who doesn’t want an airline style beverage cart bar that rolls and even has a brake like the original?  I certainly do.  Could you imagine that thing at one of your parties?  You could roll it down the hall and make someone an Old Fashioned right there on the spot.  Talk about service.  Or how about rolling it into the bedroom to wake your significant other up with a delicious Bellini in bed, fresh white peach puree and all?  The possibilities truly are endless. 

 To commemorate the anniversary, Joe Keeper threw a fantastic little soiree at his store.  On hand were bartender Rhachel Shaw of Malo and hired gun Scott Campbell (former San Fran bartender now retired) to mix a couple of cocktails specially selected by Joe. 

Scott Campbell

 Scott manned his bar shaking up a wonderful concoction called the Mujer Verde.  A feature drink of the famed San Francisco bar Absinthe, the Mujer Verde was at once a bracing and refreshing combination of Hendricks Gin, yellow and green Chartreuse, lime juice and simple syrup.  It was a fantastic marriage of the soft botanicals within Hendricks and the alpine spices of Chartreuse. 

The Mujer Verde

 “Mujer Verde”

1oz.     Hendricks Gin
1/2oz.  Green Chartreuse
1/4oz.  Yellow Chartreuse
1/4oz.  Fresh Lime Juice
1/4oz.  Simple Syrup

 Combine all ingredients into shaker with ice.  Shake well for 10 seconds.  Strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Enjoy.

Continue reading ‘Bar Keeper Celebrates 3rd Anniversary’

Glorious days are these when a brand’s own infused spirits are actually quite delicious. Centenario’s new Rosangel, an hibiscus infused, port wood aged reposado tequila is just that, delicious.  At first the tequila is slightly floral on the nose with the hibiscus shining through, as well as traditional vegetal and almost peppery notes found in 100% blue agave reposados.  Except this one is a bit different once it hits the lips. The time seen in oak barrels that had once housed port, helps soften the spirit and make it very accesible to the tequila uninitiated.  Without being sweet, the hibiscus and port wood aging play very well together striking a sultry and delicate balance.  I would be just fine to sip this one on its own in a snifter.

To commemorate the event Malo hosted the Rosangel Gran Centenario Cocktail Competition in their newly renovated upstairs area.  The evening was also meant to showcase some of LA’s top female mixologists. A noble cause indeed because who doesn’t think well crafted cocktails by our female counterparts are sexy.  I certainly respect the notion.

Continue reading ‘Rosangel Gran Centenario Los Angeles Launch Party’