Cocktails

How to Make Garnish for a Cocktail (video)

So how do bartenders manage to make perfect, spiral
lemon garnish for a cocktail? If you are How to make garnish for cocktails

planning on hosting a cocktail party anytime soon, be sure to watch this video from Jamie Boudreau, host of "Raising the Bar" at the Small Screen Network, and learn how to do it like the pros. Be sure to have a lemon, a zester and a swivel stick handy and follow his simple steps.

Be sure to check out the Luxist Awards' list of the best wine bars, best brew pubs and best cocktail lounges, according to our readers.

Tags: awards-main, cocktail garnish, cocktail recipes, cocktails, garnish, how to make a cocktil garnish, how to make a garnish, Jamie Boudreau, Luxist-Awards, Snamm Screen Network, spiral zest garnish, video

Academy Awards-Inspired Cocktails from Grey Goose

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events

Academy Awards-Inspired Cocktails from Grey Goose

Grey Goose, the super-premium vodka blended and bottled in the celebrated Cognac region of Western France, has come up with some entertaining cocktails inspired by this year's Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards (aka the Oscars). The drinks have been cleverly concocted to reflect the films for which they're named and the stars themselves – don't orchids remind you of Natalie Portman? Bottoms up and may the best man win....:

Tags: Academy Awards, Academy Awards 2011, Black Swan, cocktails, entertainment, Grey Goose, movies, Natalie Portman, Oscars, Oscars 2011, Social Network, The Kings Speech, vodka

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AGWA de Bolivia Coca Leaf Liqueur

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Looking for something interesting to serve or drink at a cocktail party? Look no further than AGWA de Bolivia, which is considered to be the world's first and only spirit derived from coca leaf. The translucent green liqueur is delicious and needs little else but some fresh lime juice and a couple of ice cubes, if you prefer it chilled (see the gallery below for cocktail recipes featuring AGWA de Bolivia).

AGWA contains guarana, an extract from the seeds of Paullina Cupana (which contains caffeine); ginseng (a stimulant); and approximately 40 grams of coca leaf in every bottle. The effect of drinking AGWA is different than that of other types of alcohol due to the coca leaf. The coca leaf alkaloids work by speeding up the rate of absorption of oxygen into the body's capillary system. It is a natural 'rush' that improves stamina and is similar to the "oxygen buzz" one gets when chewing coca leaves or drinking coca leaf tea at high altitudes in the Andes (as anyone who has visited Machu Picchu or Cusco, Peru can attest). Biting a lime after drinking AGWA activates the alkaloids in the coca.

Gallery: AGWA de Boliva Coca Leaf Liqueur Cocktails

Tags: Agwa, Agwa de Bolivia, Coca leaf, coca leaf liquor, cocktail, cocktail recipes, cocktails

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Hot Holiday Cocktails from Hornitos Tequila

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Video

You may not think of tequila as a traditional holiday tipple, but in fact more of it is consumed over the holidays than at any other time of the year. It certainly fits the bill when you're looking for a party crowd-pleaser, for one thing. Hornitos Premium Tequila, the 100% puro agave tequila from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, named after the small agave ovens which played a central part in the great Don Francisco Javier Sauza's revolution of the tequila industry 50 years ago, has created some unexpected holiday drinks designed to "instigate a night of endless celebratory possibilities" using their acclaimed Plata, Reposado and Anejo expressions. They've also come up with an extra-special concoction for New Year's Eve which will be served at the Official Times Square New Year's Eve Party at the Hard Rock Cafe, while debuting a cool new commercial (above) set to run from December 27th – January 2 tied to the occasion. Read on for recipes and bottoms up.

Hornitos Holiday Smash

1 ½ parts Hornitos™ Añejo Tequila
2 slices fresh pear
1 wedge of fresh lemon
1 half moon slice of orange
½ part simple syrup
3 whole cloves

In a sturdy double Old Fashioned glass muddle the cloves. Add to the glass the orange, lemon, and pear and muddle with simple syrup. Fill glass with ice, add Hornitos and stir. Serves One. [cont'd]

Tags: cocktail, cocktail recipe, cocktails, Holiday 2010, holidays, Hornitos, New Years Eve, Sauza, spirits, tequila

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Tips for Throwing a Perfect Holiday Cocktail Party

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Tips for throwing a perfect cocktail party.

Kara Newman, author of Spice & Ice: 60 tongue-tingling cocktails (Chronicle Books, 2009) and Spirits Reviewer for Wine Enthusiast Magazine has offered us some of her best tips for throwing the perfect holiday cocktail party.

First and foremost, it is important to prepare in advance, says Newman, whose articles have also appeared in The New York Times, Imbibe, The San Francisco Chronicle, Gourmet, and Saveur, and many other publications.

Here's what Kara suggests:

The pros pull together their mise-en-place before an event, and so should you. Before guests arrive, make sure you have everything you need to make drinks close at hand. That means glassware, spirits, garnishes, etc. Cut fruit into wedges; wash and dry herbs; squeeze fresh juice and decant into squeeze bottles.
If space permits, put glasses in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before guests arrive. Pull them out as you're making drinks, and they'll be perfectly chilled and have a professional-looking frosty sheen.
Alternatively, set out a "do it yourself" station with a theme, such as a Bloody Mary station with various spirits, mixers, and garnishes. Print up a basic recipe or two, and stand it in a picture frame. Guests can use the recipe as a guideline, or create their own drink riffs.
If you're serving alcohol, always be sure that you're serving food, too.
Good rule of thumb: You can never have too much ice!
If you don't want to tend bar, consider making a party punch and serving in a show stopping, decorative bowl.

Check out our related story on holiday-themed cocktails along with recipes including one created by Kara, herself.

Tags: awards-main, cocktail recipes, cocktails, food-pedia, Kara Newman, luxist-awards, main-pedia, recipes, spirits

The Hurricane Club's Innovative Cocktail Menu

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

The Hurricane Club, New York's recently opened Polynesian-inspired supper club, offers one of the most inventive, festive cocktail menus to be found anywhere. In fact New York hasn't seen anything like it since Trader Vic's was shuttered more than twenty years ago.

The cavernous, yet sophisticated and beautifully decorated 13,000-square foot space is complete with fresh-cut palm fronds, orchids and an assortment of island flora. In the center of the main room, aptly called The Hurricane Room, is an enormous 40-seat tiki bar perched under a resplendent crystal chandelier, enveloped by a multi-tiered, cascading, gold-chained fixture.

Luxist had the opportunity to discuss the extensive cocktail menu with its creator, Richard Leach, The Hurricane Club's executive pastry chef. Leach, who won the James Beard Foundation Award for Pastry Chef of the Year (1997), also serves as the director of the restaurant's cocktail department.

The celebrated pastry chef's first foray into the cocktail world resulted in an impressive menu. He created 35 tiki-inspired cocktails, each with its own element of surprise, from how the libations are served to the interesting array of ingredients that are used to create them. Numbered and categorized rather than named, the drinks are large, frozen and occasionally afire. The restaurant makes many of its own ingredients including the bitters, which aged for at least a week. Hurricane Club cocktails are extremely visual and served in interesting and often edible vessels, from a hollowed out melon to a red bell pepper and a coconut.

Gallery: The Hurricane Club's Innovative Cocktails

#450 on The Hurricane Club cocktail menu

#77 on The Hurricane Club's cocktail menu

A shared tiki-style cocktail at The Hurricane Club serves 5 to 8 people

Richard Leach, pastry chef at The Hurricane Club

Tags: awards-main, cocktail recipes, cocktails, luxist-awards, Richard Leach, The Hurricane Club, trader vics

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Mario Batali's Del Posto Launches New Cocktail Menu

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Mario Batali's Del Posto restaurant in New York launches new cocktail menu.

Yesterday, Del Posto, launched a new bar menu that is bound to please every lover of classic and cutting edge cocktails. The restaurant is owned by celebrity chef Mario Batali, along with best-selling cookbook author and restaurateur Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, and her son Joe Bastianich, winner of the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Restaurateur" Award in 2008 (along with Batali).

So while Del Posto was recently awarded a coveted four star rating from the New York Times, it won't just be foodies who will be flocking to the Chelsea restaurant. Its cocktails are so delicious, that the bar at Del Posto is bound to be a destination of its own.

Bartender, Fabio Raffaelli, who hails from Milan, Italy, and Bar Manager, Matthew Silverstein, created the recipes that took the cocktail menu from seven to 27 different libations. The cocktails are not just delicious, but are also gorgeous to look at. Many of the cocktails are made with ultra premium rum, exotic liquers, fresh fruit juices and unique ingredients such as fresh rose water and Bitters that are imported from Germany.

Gallery: Mario Batali's Del Posto

A view of the interior of Del Posto from the lounge

Tags: champagne cocktail, cocktails, Del Posto, joe bastianich, Lidia Bastianich, luxist-awards, Mario Batali

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Disney Creates New Mixology-Centered Cocktail Menu

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The Disney parks continue to find ways to delight both adults and children. They've rolled out a new cocktail menu that brings the mixology trend to the happiest place on earth. The new beverage menu looks like an explorer's journal and features cocktails with fresh fruits, herbs and organic spirits. Options include the Raspberry Rain Cocktail made with Rain Organics Red Grape Hibiscus Vodka, Chambord, freshly muddled raspberries, lychee and fresh lemon juice and the Superfruit Martini with Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry Vodka, pomegranate liqueur, cranberry juice, organic agave nectar and fresh lemon juice. The menu also includes non-alcoholic options. Many of the park restaurants already feature a wide variety of specialty cocktails including the always popular Glowtini, a bright blue mix of Skyy Citrus Vodka, Blue Curacao, peach schnapps, sour mix, and pineapple juice garnished with a souvenir glow cube.

Tags: cocktail menu, cocktails, disney, disney restaurants, disneyland, DisneyWorld

Moonshine Tasting at the Standard Hotel

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

This week at The Standard Hotel in NYC's Meatpacking District, Moonshine, an eight-week-old brand of clear corn whiskey from a new company called Stillhouse, hosted a tasting for a select group of spirits journalists, led by CEO and co-founder of Stillhouse Brad Beckerman.

Moonshine is an interesting liquor. It's made in small batches in Virginia in a Prohibition-era copper pot still from 100% corn, the traditional ingredient used by both the Native Americans and by bootleggers during Prohibition, and unlike most whiskeys, it isn't aged. Frankly, to the Moonshine folks, the shorter the time between the still and the shelf, the better.

The flavor is highly unusual. Far from the eye-watering "moonshines" you may have tasted in the past (or that vodka your college friend made in the bathtub), the flavor is smooth and well-rounded, and you can definitely taste the corn. The closest thing I can compare it to is the flavor of fresh rum right out of the still -- perhaps because corn has natural sugar -- but it's far, far more palatable. In fact, for an 80 proof unaged liquor, I would say it's an exceptionally well-developed spirit.

Gallery: Moonshine Tasting at the Standard Hotel, NYC

Tags: absinthe, bootleg, cocktails, moonshine, new spirits, spirits, whiskey

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Classic Cocktail Recipes from the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (with video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Classic cocktail recpioes from the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has reinterpreted authentic cocktail culture for a new generation with a new Classic Cocktail Menu highlighting time-honored libations that are perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

For over 100 years, bartenders in many of the heritage brand's bars and lounges, from The Plaza hotel's Oak Bar (winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers Choice Award for Best Hotel Bar) to The Savoy in London, have helped invent, design, refine and serve drinks that can only be described as classic.

This fall's new menu will be whipped up by the best mixologists in the business, who have been extensively trained in the art of the cocktail. Taking inspiration from many classic cocktail eras, Fairmont's most famous recipes for delicious cocktails across the brand are available online. Expert bartenders have posted photos, tips and tricks for making lip-smacking libations that date from colonial times right up to the present. See the slideshow below for recipes for making your own classic cocktails at home and be sure to check out the video below in which Orlando Rivera, head bartender at The Plaza's Oak Bar talks to Luxist about how classic cocktails have made a comeback.

Gallery: Classic Cocktail Recipes from the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Tags: awards-main, classic cocktails, cocktail recipes, cocktails, entertainment-pedia, luxist-awards, main-pedia, Manhattan, Orlando Rivera, Plaza Hotel, recipes, sidecar, The Savoy

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Remy Martin Unveils VSOP Hot Holiday Bottle

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The famed French cognac house of Rémy Martin, founded back in 1724, has been part of countless holiday celebrations over the centuries. This season the venerable fine champagne cognac's VSOP expression, the best-selling VSOP cognac in the United States, is getting a glowing makeover for the holidays. The new limited edition Rémy Martin VSOP Hot Holiday bottle (above) is appropriately dressed in red for the festivities. The colorful cladding also recalls the fact that Rémy Martin VSOP has been a symbol of style and sophistication since its introduction in the exuberant Paris cabaret scene in 1927. The cognac itself is amber in color with rich flavor and a refined aroma. Smooth and easy-to-drink with appealing notes of vanilla, violet, apricot, peach and licorice, it's silky and warm on the palate with a well-balanced taste and long finish. Perfect on its own or over ice, we also enjoy it with soda and lemon or in a Sidecar.

Tags: brandy, cocktails, cognac, France, holiday 2010, holidays, Remy Martin, spirits

The Royalton Launches New Bar & Lounge with The Cocktail Collective

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

New York's chic Royalton, which started the boutique hotel craze when it first opened back in 1988, has just launched Forty Four (above), a stylish new bar / lounge curated by a team of all-star mixologists known as The Cocktail Collective. Occupying the hotel's former Brasserie 44 space with the addition of a square bar at what used to be the entrance to the restaurant, Forty Four's decor is a mixture of rich dark woods, leather upholstery, metal accents and innovative lighting. Selected from the best cocktail bars in the country, the founding members of The Cocktail Collective have created a menu of classics paying homage to the finest hotel bars for the new space. Meanwhile Royalton's Executive Chef Scott Ekstrom, formerly of Daniel and Oceana, has created a modern menu of small plates to compliment the cocktails including Black Lime Shrimp Cocktail, Parmesan Risotto Poppers, White Miso Tuna and Nueske Bacon Crisps.

The drinks list includes the Maiden's Prayer (gin, calvados, Cocchi Americano, and apricot liqueur served up with a twist); The Pharaoh Cooler (a tequila highball featuring fresh organic watermelon and lime juices, house-made grenadine, a hint of cane syrup and a few dashes of rosewater), and a Champagne Cobbler (champagne poured tall over crushed ice with muddled citrus zest, sugar, Peychaud's bitters and a crown of fresh fruits in season). In addition they've come up with a "punch" menu for large groups designed to replace "passé" bottle service. The founding members of The Cocktail Collective include Richard Boccato from Pain Killer in New York City; John Lermayer from The Florida Room in South Beach and Woodward in Boston; Simon Ford, a global cocktail ambassador based in New York City; Willy Shine from Contemporary Cocktails, Inc. in New York City; Misty Kalkofen from Drink in Boston; and Eric Alperin from The Varnish in Los Angeles.

Gallery: Fourty Four and The Cocktail Collective

Tags: bar, Chef, cocktails, Fourty Four, hotel, Morgans, morgans hotel group, New York, Royalton, spirits

The Classicist: London's Famed Savoy Hotel Back After $350 Million Revamp

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Architecture & Design

London's renowned Savoy hotel has just reopened following a massive $350 million revamp encompassing one of the most ambitious restorations in British history. The world famous landmark, built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, originally opened in August 1889. Originally managed by Swiss hotelier César Ritz and Maitre Chef Auguste Escoffier, the hotel quickly became known for impeccable service and cuisine as well as glittering parties and famous patrons. Over the decades George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Noel Coward entertained there, while famous guests included King Edward VII, Harry Truman, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, Coco Chanel, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and numerous others. The property, now managed by Fairmont, has been closed for nearly three years while the impressive restoration project took shape.

120 years later the hotel's two main design aesthetics, Edwardian and Art Deco, have been carefully revitalized under the direction of world-renowned designer Pierre Yves Rochon. More than 1000 craftspeople, artists and artisans worked tirelessly to create interiors that are in keeping with the hotel's original and much-loved spirit. 38 new River Suites and guestrooms have been added, offering the same stunning views over the River Thames that inspired Whistler and Monet. Nine Personality Suites pay tribute to a few of the artists and well known figures who made the legendary hotel their London home away from home including Sinatra, Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich. The suites contain art, literature, photographs and artifacts that evoke the time and spirit of the stars including the 12 pink roses in the Marlene Dietrich Suite that the actress always requested upon arrival.

The reopening also includes the addition of a stately $16,000-per-night, 325-square meter Royal Suite featuring two bedrooms, a study, sitting room, dining room, master bathroom, dressing room (with a specially ventilated shoe closet) and a master bedroom with a bespoke Savoir bed. The suite has been specially designed so that all the rooms enjoy one of the finest views of London. The legendary River Restaurant meanwhile gets a contemporary interpretation of Art Deco décor, and the famed cocktail mecca the American Bar is back in business while Savoy Grill returns under the operation of Gordon Ramsay Holdings with Chef Patron, Stuart Gillies and Head Chef, Andy Cook. [continued]

Gallery: The Savoy Reborn

Tags: Art Deco, bar, cocktails, Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, Fairmont, Fairmont hotels, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Gilbert and Sullivan, Gordon Ramsay, hotel, hotel suites, London, luxury hotels, Maria Callas, Marilyn Monroe, Monet, Ritz, Savoy, Savoy hotel, tea, Thames, The Beatles, UK

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The New Black Grouse Whisky from Famous Grouse

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Just in time for the fall season, The Famous Grouse is coming out with a great new blended Scotch whisky with plenty of peat smoke in it, a welcome antidote to those weedy, watery blends we're usually beset with.

Deriving its name from the rare bird, Black Grouse is meant to be "the darker side of The Famous Grouse," the well-loved whisky that holds a Royal Warrant from the Queen of England.

The new bottling is a blend of Famous Grouse, which contains Macallan and Highland Park, married with some peaty, smoky Islay malts in oak casks, making for a rich, smooth spirit with plenty of character.

To celebrate the launch, Tinika Green and Andrew Duncan of New York's gourmet barbecue joint Blue Smoke have created a special cocktail dubbed the Black and Blue, which has been added to the eatery's drink menu for the season.

"The Black Grouse's flavor profile pairs well with the hints of sweetness in different barbecue rubs and sauces," notes Jason Krantz, Blue Smoke's Chef de Cuisine. "As we head into the fall, the smoky flavor combination of The Black Grouse and succulent barbecue will really warm the soul."

Check out the drink recipe and image after the jump, but be sure to try the whisky, which is priced at $28.99 for a 750ml bottle, with just a little ice or water as well for the full effect.

Tags: Blue Smoke, cocktails, Famous Grouse, Highland Park, Macallan, Queen of England, Royal Warrant, Scotch, whisky

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Knob Creek Warms Up for the Holidays

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Knob Creek, the super premium small batch bourbon that's aged for nine years in charred American white oak barrels and bottled at a robust 100 proof, is gearing up for the cooler weather with some recipes for giving both food and drink a Kentucky-style kick in the pants this holiday season. Knob Creek, with its smooth, sweet and rich flavor and signature maple sugar aroma, makes a great accompaniment to many festivities on its own but also works well as an ingredient in everything from hors d'oeuvres to Thanksgiving turkey. Read on for some key recipes:

Knob Creek Bourbon Egg Nog

½ cup Knob Creek Bourbon
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
2 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Beat egg yolks and sugar in medium saucepan. Slowly beat in 2 cups of milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring
frequently, until thermometer registers 150°F or mixture coats the back of the metal spoon. Remove from heat.
Strain into pitcher. Stir in remaining milk, Knob Creek Bourbon, vanilla and nutmeg. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
Sprinkle with additional nutmeg.
Makes 6-8 servings.

Knob Creek Holiday Punch

3 parts Knob Creek Bourbon
3 parts cranberry juice
4 parts lemon-lime soda
1 part fresh lemon or lime juice
dash bitters
6 parts champagne
ice block
orange and lemon slices

Pre-chill ingredients. Pour into a punch bowl over a large piece of ice, adding champagne last.
Decorate with slices of lemon and orange. [continued]

Tags: bourbon, cocktail recipes, cocktails, holiday 2010, holidays, Kentucky, Knob Creek, mixology, spirits, Thanksgiving, whiskey, whisky