cocktails

Flatiron Lounge: A Culinary Approach to Cocktails

Filed under: Spirits

The Flatiron Lounge in Manhattan is nominated for a Luxist Award for best cocktail lounge.

A visit to the The Flatiron Lounge is like taking a step back in time with a modern twist. While it is designed to resemble a 1920's-ear speakeasy with art deco decor, the Manhattan-based cocktail lounge has a modern approach to cocktails that resembles the ideology followed by a three-star Michelin Restaurant. The Flatiron Lounge, which is like no other cocktail lounge in Manhattan, is nominated for a Luxist Awards Readers' Choice Award for Best Cocktail Lounge.

The Flatiron Lounge was founded back in 2003 by a team of partners, all of whom had extensive experience in managing and opening bars. Partners include Alex and Kristina Kossi (of the famed New York haunt Zinc Bar), Susan Fedroff, Kevin Kossi, Michelle Connolly (of The Red Room in San Francisco) and celebrated cocktail stylist, Julie Reiner. Together, this dream team created a true high-end and high style cocktail lounge. At the time of its opening, the Flatiron Lounge was one of the few bars in the country, if not the world, to offer high end cocktails.

Gallery: Flatiron Lounge

The Flatiron Lounge boasts a menu of original and unique cocktail concoctions created by Julie Reiner and the exceptional bar staff, as well as classic drinks from a bygone era. Reiner developed a menu of cocktails with precise measurements using such ingredients as fresh squeezed juices, fresh fruits and herbs and homemade syrups from raspberry to jalapeno. "We take a culinary approach to cocktails," says Reiner.

Tags: awards-main, best bars, best cocktail lounge, best cocktail lounges, cocktails, flatiron lounge, luxist-awards, manhattan, new york city, nightlife

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The Drawing Room: Culinary Cocktails

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The Drawing Room is nominated for a Luxist Award for Best Cocktail Lounge.

Adjoined to the well-lauded Chicago nightclub Le Passage is The Drawing Room, an exclusive dining and cocktail lounge and nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Cocktail Lounge.

Pull up a chair to a rustic wooden table in the exquisite venue inspired by designer Hugh N'Cho-Allepot and order a small plate of contemporary, seasonal cuisine -- you'll need food in your stomach as you embark on a journey through the handcrafted liqueurs and innovative imbibables of The Drawing Room.

Gallery: The Drawing Room in Chicago

Tales of the Cocktail winner Charles Joly is the Chief Mixologist presiding over the impressive team of Master Bartenders at The Drawing Room, and together they hone delicious recipes and hand-make ingredients for both pre-Prohibition cocktails and cocktails of the future. Ask for table-side service, and someone will wheel a cart to your table with all the in-house brandied cherries, hand-squeezed fruit juices and bitters from scratch they need to create your consummate cocktail. Your mixologist will walk you through the process and let you smell and/or taste each delectable ingredient. Even the ice is special: The Drawing Room uses a one-of-a-kind, upside-down, horizontal evaporating ice machine to make each cube clear and perfect.

Drinks at The Drawing Room are constantly changing, but they've been known to make their "culinary cocktails" with ingredients like rose water, honey water, lemon oil, egg white, Canton ginger liqueur, torched bitters and Malort, among other unusual elixirs. Metromix recommends the "Secret Cocktail (Plymouth gin, Laird's AppleJack, pomegranate grenadine and fresh lemon-sour, $16), and A Perfect Poire (Bacardi Apple, Marie Brizard Poire liqueur, pear puree, cinnamon-pear maple syrup and a caramelized pear slice garnish, $16)."

Some readers seem perfectly willing to lay down in the street to get their hands on a table, describing the cocktails as "unbelievably well-balanced" and "the best drink I've ever had." Similar comments surround the food -- we highly recommend going there and checking out whatever they're doing with bacon this week.

Vote for the cocktail lounge that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through April 30 and winners will be announced on May 1.

Tags: awards-main, bar, best bar, best cocktail lounge, chicago, cocktail lounge, cocktails, le passage, luxist-awards, the drawing room

Woodford Reserve & Tiffany Unveil World's Most Exclusive Mint Julep

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Charity

Woodford Reserve, the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, has created the world's most exclusive mint julep in collaboration with Tiffany & Co. Only 73 of the sterling silver cups will be available at $1,000 apiece; purchasers will be served a julep in the cup at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, May 1st. Not just any old julep either. The elite cocktails are crafted from raw-cane sugar made from 100 percent organic sugar cane grown in Brazil; Kentucky Colonel Mint from Louisville, KY which was grown in a used Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel; ice made of water from a 10,000-year-old glacier in the far northern region of the Pacific Ocean near the Gulf of Alaska; and a small batch of the Master Distiller's personal selection of Woodford Reserve super-premium bourbon.

Proceeds from the cups will benefit The Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes & Obesity Center. Each individually numbered cup is presented with a sterling silver sipping straw and features the Woodford Reserve logo along with a unique horse racing design. The handmade silver cups come with a sterling silver sipping straw. Each cup will be presented in a unique Tiffany & Co. "blue box" and will be set in a Woodford Reserve casing made from the same oak as Woodford Reserve barrels. Consumers age 21 years and older can log on to www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com through April 28 to purchase one of the 73 cups (first come first serve basis).

Tags: Bourbon, cocktails, horse racing, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, mint julep, mint julep cup, silver, sterling silver, Tiffany, Tiffany Co., Woodford Reserve

5 Top Tequila Cocktails for Summer

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Despite the common misnomer, margaritas aren't really consumed much in Mexico, except for by tourists and by locals at beach resorts. Although it remains one of my favorite cocktails, on a recent visit to the Cazadores Distillery bar in Arandes, I was fortunate enough to receive a few bar lessons from the master herself, Cazadores Brand Ambassador Tania Osequera, who revealed some delicious alternatives to the standard lime drink. Gear up for summer and practice these five easy recipes in preparation for the hot months ahead. And for all you margarita enthusiasts, find one authentic recipe below.

Mayahuel
When in Arandas, it's a must to drink the local specialty, the Mayahuel, named after the goddess of agave herself. Arandes is known for its fresh-squeezed pink grapefruit juice, naturally sweet beyond anything you'd find in the States. The Mayahuel cocktail is enjoyed by jimadores after the harvest of the piñas, or agave plant cores. Oddly enough, New York's own club for tequila devotees, Mayahuel, fails to include the namesake cocktail on their menu.

To make a similar version:
Pour 4 oz. Pink grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed is ideal)
1.5 oz. Silver Cazadores over ice.
Sweeten to taste with organic agave nectar and stir.

Infused Tequila
For a large dinner party, nothing beats a pitcher of distilled spirits. For an alternative on the tired vodka blends, try this infused tequila recipe. It's just the thing for a hot summer night.
Pour a 750ml bottle of Cazadores silver into a glass pitcher, and fill with strips of cucumber and seedless watermelon. Store in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, mix in a shaker with ice and a few drops of agave nectar. Serve over ice and garnish with mint.

Tags: cocktail recipes, cocktails, entertainment-pedia, luxist-awards, main-pedia, outdoor-entertainment-pedia, Tequila, tequila recipes

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How to Stock a Home Bar

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Those who enjoy having friends over and entertaining guests know that having a well stocked home bar is essential. There are no hard and fast rules for what to have in a home bar and most people simply build a collection based on what drinks they and their guests most often enjoy. But if you're starting from scratch and are looking to create a well-rounded bar ready for any occasion here's what you'll need to get started.

Equipment
Bottle opener
Wine Key
Cocktail/Martini Shaker
Ice Bucket
Jigger
Blender
Cutting board
Paring knife
Coasters
Napkins
Drink straws/stirrers
Dishtowels
Toothpicks

Glassware - How many to stock of each depends on usage and personal preference, but the list is generally ordered from most frequently used at the top to least frequently used at the bottom.
Highball glasses
Pint glasses
Rocks glasses
Wine glasses
Martini glasses
Brandy snifters
Shot glasses

Mixers - Most mixers are best stocked in small or single-serve sizes so they stay fresh for long periods and limit waste when you open one for a single drink.
Club soda
Tonic water
Cola
Diet Cola
Lemon/Lime soda
Orange juice
Tomato juice
Cranberry juice
Margarita mix
Bloody Mary mix

Tags: alcohol, bar, cocktails, drinks, entertaining, entertainment-pedia, home bar, main-pedia, mixing drinks, stocking a home bar

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How to Make a Classic Manhattan

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

At the newly renovated Plaza Hotel, which recently underwent a $450 million renovation, Luxist visited the famous Oak Room Bar where Head Bartender Orlando Rivera shared with us some of his secrets, including how to make one of the most classic cocktails---the Manhattan.

Orlando Rivera, who has worked at the Plaza Hotel for 21 years, presides over The Oak Bar. During his time there, he has served classic cocktails to the great and near-great, including princes, presidents, powerbrokers, politicians, Hollywood stars, musicians and professional athletes.

The Manhattan is believed to have been invented at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the 1870's. The cocktail has not diminished in its popularity over the ensuing 140 years and is referred to as the "king of cocktails." We couldn't think of a better place to learn (or a better person to learn from) how to make this classic cocktail than at this landmark location. Built in 1907 as a bar for men only, the Oak Room Bar is now an iconic meeting spot for New Yorkers and visitors to the city alike.

Tags: awards-main, classic cocktails, classic manhattan, ClassicCocktails, ClassicManhattan, cocktails, entertainment-pedia, luxist-awards, main-pedia, manhattan club, ManhattanClub, oak room, oak room bar, OakRoom, OakRoomBar, orlando rivera, OrlandoRivera, outdoor-entertainment, outdoor-entertainment-pedia, plaza hotel, PlazaHotel

SKYY Infusions Introduces All Natural Ginger

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

SKYY Vodka, the super-premium purity-minded spirit in the distinctive cobalt blue bottle, has introduced the first nationally available all natural ginger infused vodka as part of the Infusions line we wrote about earlier. Thanks to its signature infusion process, fresh spiced and juiced ginger flavors abound, along with notes of roasted oranges and cinnamon and intricate aromas. It joins the entire line of All Natural SKYY Infusions: Citrus, Pineapple, Cherry, Grape, Raspberry and Passion Fruit. an assortment of all natural infusions made from real fruit that has been ranked #1 in taste by the prestigious Beverage Tasting Institute. Below are some cocktail recipes featuring the new elixir created by some of the country's leading mixologists:

Fruit and Gingerly
Created by Adam Wilson of Beretta San Francisco

2 oz. SKYY Infusions Ginger
0.5 oz. Orange Juice
0.5 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice
0.5 oz. Lime Juice
1.5 Tbsp Fresh Cranberries
3 Chunks Pineapple
Club Soda

Muddle cranberries and pineapple in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and rest of ingredients except soda and shake vigorously. Pour into a Collins glass with fresh ice and top with soda. Garnish with chunk of pineapple and/or three cranberries on a toothpick laid horizontally over rim of the glass.

Tags: cocktails, flavored vodka, FlavoredVodka, ginger, infused vodka, InfusedVodka, SKYY, SKYY vodka, SkyyVodka, vodka

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It's National Margarita Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

I'm not entirely sure why National Margarita Day falls in February. I'd much prefer it in a warmer more margarita friendly month. But there's never really a wrong time to enjoy a margarita. The traditonal margarita has tequila, triple sec and lime juice although you can get a good bartender argument going about the exact ratios of the ingredients. You could also start quite a spirited discussion about the origin of the margarita. The consensus seems to be that it emerged in Mexico sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s but there's no definitive story. Personally I like the one that has it named after Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Cansino).

Margaritas and guacamole are a perfect combination but have you ever thought about putting the two together? The Guacarita has tequila, agave nectar, lime juice and cilantro. It's never going to replace the margarita in popularity but it's definitely different. Other unique margarita add-ins include pineapple, cucumbers, a cilantro simple syrup and chiles. Chile peppers seem to be a big story in margaritas lately. Just as chile and chocolate have made it into the mainstream, so too jalapeno and tequila have suddenly become more popular together. And a jalapeno margarita has the added bonus of warming you up. There are a couple of ways to make a jalapeno margarita. You can buy a pepper-infused tequila (Tanteo makes a great one), you can infuse your own tequila by allowing chiles to set in tequila for several days and then remove them or you can try a recipe like this one that uses a pureed chile.

Should your margarita leanings take you in a less adventurous direction, try the recipe from Don Julio tequila after the jump.

Tags: cocktails, margarita, national margarita day, NationalMargaritaDay

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Grand Hyatt Kauai Room Renovation Beginning

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Grand Hyatt Kauai is one of my favorite places to hang out on the island -- a perfect afternoon would begin with a Lomi Lomi massage at the hotel's Anara Spa, followed by an outdoor shower. Then a stroll along the resort's pretty stretch of beach at sunset, and then cocktails in the wood-paneled Stevenson's Library lounge that's like a good ol' boy's club, but not in an obnoxious sexist way.

So I was pleased to learn that all the guest rooms are getting a face lift, starting in April 2010-- from the renderings I've seen, the rooms look to be getting a sleek and simple décor, with local touches, including plantation-style wood shutters and hand carved headboards of sapele wood (similar to mahogeny), imprinted with the native hapu'u fern. The renovation will be done wing-by-wing, so you shouldn't be next door to drilling and hammering if you visit over the next few months. All the guest rooms are expected to be renovated by 2011.

Tags: cocktails, hawaii, hyatt, kauai, spa

The Luxist Awards' Guide to Holiday Entertaining: Best of 2009

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

In 2009, the Luxist Awards has featured several articles in the Cadillac-ipedia that have offered tips ranging from how to serve, pair, store and enjoy a variety of festive dishes and libations, from truffles and foie gras to cheese, sustaiable caviar and of course, Champagne.

Here a few of our favorite tips with links to all of the relevant articles, to help you plan your holiday festivities.

Serving cheese
Remove from refrigerator one hour before serving to guests. Cheese is best consumed at room temperature. Don't slice the cheese until after it reaches room temperature.

Serving fondue
Fondue can be served as an appetizer, dessert, or even a full three-course meal. Traditionally, fondues are created with melted cheese, which is usually a blend of two different varieties of cheese. The fondue is often served with bread, vegetables and fruit. If served as a main course, broth or seasoned cooking oil is heated in the fondue pot, while chicken, beef, seafood and vegetables can be cooked at the table. A variety of dipping sauces can provide more flavor. Fondues consisting of molten chocolate is a delicious dessert, with bananas, strawberries and marshmallows great options for dipping.

Serving foie gras
Foie gras, which is the French word for "fat liver" is a delicacy in French cuisine. Its flavor is described as rich, buttery and delicate. It is served as a mousse, parfait or pâté.

Caviar options beyond Beluga
The finest caviar often comes from the sturgeon, a fish that has become endangered in many areas, including the Caspian Sean. There are a variety of other options available to avoid further depleting the ocean's resources. One Readers' Choice nominee, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, raises its fish sustainably in Northern California. It's online operation offers caviar, roe, smoked delicacies and an array of caviar accessories.

Serving Champagne
The pouring temperature of Champagne will vary depending on the kind you will be serving. Young non-vintage champagne, with no year on the label, should be poured around 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit). Mature wines, on the other hand, such as vintage Champagne, should be poured between 12 to 14 degrees Celsius (54 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit). Champagne goes well with pasta salads, sea food, oysters, shrimps, light fishes and antipasti. It also goes well with a cheese course as well as with many desserts.

Tags: caviar, cheese, cocktails, entertainment-pedia, fondue, food-pedia, luxist-awards, main-pedia, truffles

The World's Coolest New Bar

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

The world's coolest new bar has just opened at the ultra-luxe Ayana Resort & Spa in Bali. To get to the Rock Bar, towering 46 feet above the crashing waves, you have to take a special lift that traverses the face of a dramatic craggy seaside cliff. There are uninterrupted, 360-degree views on all sides in a setting any Bond villain would love. Designed by Yasuhiro Koichi of Japan's Design Studio SPIN, it's an enviable feat of engineering, architecture and mixology. Designed to ensure maximum seclusion for every guest, the Ayana's 78 free-standing, cliff-top luxury villas are set in traditional Balinese compounds with private pools surrounded by tropical gardens.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Tags: architecture, Ayana Resort Spa, AyanaResortSpa, Bali, bar, cocktails, Japan, ocean, resort

The World's Most Expensive Cocktail Shaker

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The World's Most Expensive Cocktail Shaker

While I was running around Amsterdam on Museumnacht (an annual event where museums across the city stay open into the wee hours), I found something for which I didn't know I was looking: the world's most expensive cocktail shaker.

The Boston Shaker, as it's called, is located in the gift shop of the House of Bols, a flavored liqueur company whose on-site museum/training facility is worth visiting -- they won the the Dutch Design Award for Best Exhibition & Experience in 2007 and you get to play "guess what flavor you're smelling." It's just across the street from the Van Gogh museum.

The Boston Shaker was created as a collaboration between The House of Bols and their neighbor, Coster Diamonds. It comes packaged as above, in a unique leather case designed and made by French family business Établissements Bernard RDB. The shaker itself is silver, 18 karat gold, and is encrusted with 480 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 19.05 carats.

The price tag on this one-of-a-kind blinged-up barware is €35,000.00 or approximately $52,164.00.

This trip was paid for by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.

Tags: amsterdam, cocktail shaker, cocktails, CocktailShaker, diamonds, house of bols, HouseOfBols

Party Like the Victoria's Secret Angels November 19th

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Your Victoria's Secret hostess, Heidi Klum

This Thursday, November 19, is the date of the annual sexiest night of the year: The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. It's taking place at the Lexington Avenue Armory in NYC, hosted by mama Heidi Klum (right), and do you know what cocktail they'll be serving at the after-party at M2? You're about to.

The Stoli Angel Elixir has been specially crafted for the event and will be available at M2's official Victoria's Secret Fashion Show After Party. This is a must-have for any viewing soiree (the show will be aired on CBS December 1), and we've got the recipe:

Stoli Angel Elixir
1 oz Stoli Gala Applik
3 strawberries
Sprinkles of vanilla sugar
Rosé Sparkling Dessert Wine

Muddle strawberries and vanilla sugar. Add Stoli Gala Applik, shake well and strain into a flute. Top with rose sparking dessert wine. Garnish with edible gold dust & pink aphrodisiac rose petal.

If you're baffled by the gold dust, don't worry, it's perfectly safe. You can grab a jar at PastryChef.com for $107.99.

Tags: cocktails, edible gold, EdibleGold, Lexington Avenue Armory, LexingtonAvenueArmory, M2, stoli angel elixir, StoliAngelElixir, victorias secret, victorias secret angels, victorias secret fashion show, VictoriasSecret, VictoriasSecretAngels, VictoriasSecretFashionShow

Barking Mad for BULLDOG Gin

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Among the innovative new spirits we're finally finding time to catch up with is BULLDOG Gin, an ultra-premium gin handcrafted in London housed in a broad-shouldered charcoal gray bottle with deep purple hues and an iconic spiked collar.

BULLDOG is quadruple distilled, triple filtered, and infused with the taste and aromas of its twelve distinctive botanicals, including poppy, lavender, and dragon eye - a cousin of the lychee fruit often heralded as an ancient Chinese aphrodisiac.

Made from traditional copper pot stills and a painstaking distillation process, BULLDOG exudes a smooth and harmonious texture with a distinctive flavor, with notes of fruit and citrus lending a refreshingly crisp character and balanced finish.

BULLDOG has enlisted renowned mixologists Somer Perez, John Freeman, and Michael Waterhouse to create some signature cocktails using the bold spirit:

"Plumdog Millionaire" – created by John Freeman

2 oz. BULLDOG Gin
1 oz. Japanese Plum Wine
1 oz. Lavender Soda
Black Plum Half Wheel Garnish
Lavender Sugar Rim

Directions: Stir over ice, strain. Serve in a martini glass with lavender sugared rim and garnish. (Cont'd after the jump)

Tags: bulldog gin, BulldogGin, cocktail recipes, CocktailRecipes, cocktails, gin, spirits

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The History of Girly Drinks at Raffles Hotels

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Plenty of hotels serve up unusual cocktails, but Raffles hotels have a unique claim on cocktail history: sometime in the 1900s, in its Singapore Hotel, bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created a gin-based cocktail named Singapore Sling, in a hue of proper pink designed to appeal to the hotel's female British clientele.

Or so the story goes, there's debate about whether it was originally called a "Singapore Sling" -- in browsing around today, I found reference to a "Straits Sling" and also a "Gin Sling", neither of which have the same ring. There's also question about whether the original recipe is the one in use today -- for more on this, check out "Dr. Cocktail" Ted Haigh's treatise on the subject in Mixologist: The Journal of the American Cocktail, which goes into depth on the subject. Either way, the Singapore Sling served by thousands at Raffles Singapore today is worth trying at home, see the recipe below.

Also in the East, at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the signature drink is a "Femme Fatale". This drink is named after Jacqueline Kennedy, who apparently left a lipstick- stained cocktail glass at the Elephant Bar during her 1967 visit, which was only discovered during the hotel's restoration. (Questions arise: how did they know that it was her glass? And of all the descriptions of Jackie O, is "femme fatale" the first that leaps to mind?) Either way, this is another drink designed to appeal to the ladies.

Raffles "Femme Fatale"
7.5 ml Crème de Fraise
Dash of cognac
Top with Champagne

Serve in a champagne flute with a garnish of rose.

Raffles Singapore Sling

30 ml Gin
15 ml Heering Cherry Brandy
120 ml Pineapple Juice
15 ml Lime Juice
7.5 ml Cointreau
7.5 ml Dom Benedictine
10 ml Grenadine
A Dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish with a slice of Pineapple and Cherry

Tags: cambodia, cocktail recipes, CocktailRecipes, cocktails, raffles, singapore

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