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April 27, 2012
I’ve surrounded myself with many talented mixologists and bartenders over the past year. In keeping with the desire of Wild Table to unlock the secrets behind the bar, I’ve decided to take a different path.
This article is written by a most interesting man. During our email conversations I discovered that this gentleman has lived a very exciting life!
It’s revealing to find out from bartenders, what things influence them- and let them have a forum for their thoughts.
Humberto Marques is one of these tireless denizens of the bar. He speaks carefully and I hope my editing of his writing gives you a sense of balance in his recipes. I did not translate the European measurements in keeping with my desire for authenticity.
If you need to translate shots into cl, may I please suggest writing him! I’m sure you would have a fine conversation. Humberto Marques <berto-sm@hotmail.com>
Please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom should you desire. It’s always nice to hear the thoughts of my readers.
I’d like to frame this piece with a quote from Humberto’s LinkedIn page:
Humberto Marques: Is capable of turning a mix of ingredients into magic elixirs ~Cocktails
Where Cocktail Creativity and Originality Meet Together
By: Humberto Marques (Edited by Warren Bobrow)
 Unfaithful
Cocktail recipe – Unfaithful
Ingredients:
5cl Hendricks gin
4slices of cucumber
1cl Cointreau
3cl fresh squeezed lemon juice
2cl Acacia honey
1 bar spoon of raw licorice powder
Methodology:
Muddle, shaken and fine strain into a vintage martini glass
Garnish: licorice root
Background & Comments: The idea of putting this cocktail together came from research on the effects of Licorice And Cucumber:
Every guy over time has wished for a miracle musk; a magical cologne that can ensnare the woman of his dreams. No such secret formula exists, of course, but the right scents can put a woman in the mood.
I create a cocktail based on this idea.
In the late ‘90s, Alan Hirsch, MD, of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, set out to discover which scents really push people’s buttons. He exposed subjects to several scents and measured their sexual arousal by monitoring the blood vessels in and around the erotic zones of the human body. The results? A licorice and cucumber concoction was the most effective in triggering a response in both women and men.
(Editor’s Note, I’m running down to get a couple of cucumbers right now. I already have Absinthe)
It’s an odd combination of aromas, but Hirsch found that they boosted sexual appetite in women more than any other smell. The explanation? “Odors are intricately associated with sexual arousal,” Hirsch says. Licorice and cucumber don’t seem sexy, but Hirsch theorizes that their smells may make women comfortable and lower their anxiety levels.
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Cocktail recipe:
Mimosa Daiquiri
 Mimosa
Ingredients:
6cl Angostura 1919 Rum
3cl Fresh squeezed lime-juice
3 cl Mimosa Syrup (home-made) or sourced from French Artisans.
Method: Shake all the ingredients over ice and strain into a martini glass
Garnish: Mimosa Flower
Comments: One of the best twists on the cocktail named a Daiquiri that I have ever tasted…
The Mimosa is known as the Silver Wattle tree (species name: Acacia Dealbata) is native to the southeastern Australian states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. They are also located in the south of Europe around the Mediterranean.
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Victorian Era
During the summer heat, Victorian women placed lemon verbena leaves in their handkerchiefs to inhale and refresh themselves, according to Possum Creek Herb Farm. They also used the leaves to scent the water in fingerbowls during elaborate, multi-course Victorian dinners. Lemon Verbena is mentioned as Scarlet O’Hara’s mother’s (Ellen Robillard O’Hara) in the movie “Gone with the Wind”-1939 as her favorite plant.
Cocktail recipe:
“Gone with the Wind”
 Gone with the Wind
6cl of Beefeater gin
3cl apricot puree
3 large Lemon Verbena leaf springs
3 lemon slices
(1 cl fresh squeezed lemon juice total)
2cl Acacia honey
Method: shake all the ingredients over ice and double strain into a Martini glass
Garnish : Lemon Verbena sprig
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Cocktail recipe: Lady Eucalyptus
(Previously know as Eucalyptus martini in “The Gin Compendium book by Gary Regan)
 Lady Eucalyptus Ingredients:
50 ml Tanqueray gin
30 ml Homemade Eucalyptus Syrup*
30 ml lime-juice
20ml Cointreau
1 dash egg white
Method: Shake over ice and double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish: eucalyptus leaf floating
Comments: The story of this drink dates back to 2004 in Uk -Edinburgh while I was working at the Oloroso cocktail bar & restaurant. The owner is the celebrity Scottish chef Tony Singh. The idea was to make a twist on a well-known, classic cocktail. I picked the cocktail named the White Lady. I wanted to make a really refreshing and balanced drink, so it came to my mind one day, in Portugal, near my home, we have lots of eucalyptus trees. I knew that when you break the leaf you get a fresh menthol aroma. I thought why not make a syrup from this young fresh leaf? I thought that could be a perfect compliment to the gin along with the other citrus. As it turned out it was. The cocktail become popular and it still is popular today. After that I created other twists such as the Mojito. I call it a Koala Mojito. It uses eucalyptus syrup mixed with mint, lime and rum. Today eucalyptus has inspired many other bartenders and chefs.
I found that in Australia they made vodka flavored with eucalyptus.
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Cocktail Name: La Primavera
 La Primavera
6cl Geranium Gin
2cl Lillet Blanc
3cl Korean Aloe Vera honey
3cl Fresh squeezed lime-juice
Method: shake all the ingredients over ice and strain into a lowball glass with fresh ice
Garnish: Grapes
My inspiration
Aloe Vera -also known as the true or medicinal aloe; is a species of succulent plant in the genus Aloe. This is believed to have originated in the Sudan. Aloe Vera is frequently cited as being used in medicinal purposes. Aloe Vera is also commercially available in yogurts, beverages and in some desserts. It can be used as a food substance. Some molecular gastronomists have begun to take advantage of the gelling properties. Perhaps the most notable among these is Chef Quique Dacosta’s “Oysters Guggenheim,” created at El Poblet in Spain.
Like always I look for something unusual ingredient. I am passionate about herbs, one day I found some aloe Vera plant in a shop and I decided do some research on it. I found that in Korea they do this amazing aloe Vera honey tea in a jar. It looks like a green honey jelly and the taste comes crossed a mix of kiwis, grapes and limes. It’s quite delicious.
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Cocktail Name: Luisa Julep
 Luisa Julep
6cl Bourbon whiskey (Makers Mark)
12-16 lemon verbena leafs
3cl apricot puree
1.5cl sugar syrup
Method: First put in the lemon verbena in a glass (a lot), then the sugar (just a little) muddle without damaging the leaves, add the apricot puree and pack the whole glass with very finely crushed ice — the key to keeping it cold. Then pour in the whiskey, stir, and sip — slowly.
Comments: The plant became popular throughout southern Spain as Yerba Luisa it was connected, even in print, with the more prominent personage Maria Luisa, Queen of Spain.
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Cocktail Name: Serendipity
 Serendipity
6cl Vanilla vodka
2cl Lillet Blanc
3cl Apricot & lemon verbena shrub (apricot puree with sugar blended together with infused lemon verbena, pineapple sage apple cider vinegar)
Top with ginger ale
Garnish: pineapple sage
Method: Shake over ice all the ingredients and strain into a highball glass
Comments: A great refreshing drink, inspired on the drinks called shrubs from 1800, the way of preserving fruits on vinegar and sugar, here you find a classic pairing flavor between lemon verbena and apricot along with pineapple sage and vanilla a match made in heaven for the summer.
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Cocktail name: Clover Shrub
 Clover Shrub
6cl Tanqueray 10 Gin
2cl Lillet Blanc
3cl Raspberry & Pomegranate Shrub (Home-made shrub of raspberries, pomegranates, lemon verbena, pineapple sage, chocolate mint infused vinegar)
Dash of Egg white
Method: Shake all the ingredients over ice and double strain into a vintage cocktail glass
Garnish: Pineapple cloverleaf
(The Tanqueray Gin crescent is the pineapple. This image represents hospitality and assurance of quality, my idea on the garnish is to reflect the same level of hospitality)
Comments: Looking back in time to reinvent a Classic cocktail –
The Clover Club cocktail has roots in the pre-prohibition social club of the same name. It started in the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia in the late 1880s, the Clover Club was a bawdy group of lawyers, bankers and various other captains of industry who, according to the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book, “…often dined and wined, and wined again.”
A Recipe from 1909 book; “Drinks – How to Mix and Serve”, by Paul E. Lowe, and courtesy of Dave Wondrich who says that the earliest recipe that he discovered had dry vermouth.
This slightly sweet, mostly sour cocktail gained popularity for a time before the First World War, only to fall swiftly and ungraciously out of fashion after the Prohibition era ended. In 1934, Esquire magazine called it a drink for “pansies” and listed it as one of the worst beverages of the previous decade. From then on it was relegated, rather unfairly, to the frilly and sugary “drinks for the ladies” sections of bartending books, until it was recently rediscovered with the revival of the classic cocktail.
Now, I decided to take this classic into another stage If we look back in time people would preserve fruits in vinegar and sugar. There was very poor refrigeration at that time. This method of preservation was named “Shrubs”.
For my shrub I chose an apple cider vinegar and infused it for a week with lemon verbena, pineapple sage and chocolate mint so that the herbs would flavor the vinegar. Next step was to filter the vinegar from the herbs and mix it with a fresh homemade raspberry & pomegranate fruit puree syrup. The raspberry shrub has a sweet and citrus aftertaste with hints of acidity. This makes a perfect pairing with the fresh citrus notes of the Tanqueray 10 gin. Having enough acidity already in the cocktail, I wouldn’t need to add lemon juice, so to complement the gin and the shrub I only added Lillet Blanc. Lillet Blanc is a blend of wines with a secret blend of fruit liqueurs, some of which are orange liqueurs. Lillet Blanc is the perfect match between the gin and the shrub. This unique ingredient gives a zest and enhances both flavors. The final ingredient, to top off the complete cocktail experience, are fresh egg whites.
Egg whites gives the drink the essential froth. You get an amazing mouth feel and a smooth sensation on the finish.
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Cocktail name: Knickerbocker’s Punch
 Knickerbocker's Punch
6cl Angostura 1919 Rum
3cl of raspberry& pomegranate Shrub (raspberry and pomegranate puree with sugar blended with pineapple sage, lemon verbena, chocolate mint apple cider vinegar)
1.5cl orange Curacao
Top with ginger beer
Method: shake over ice and strain into a highball glass
Garnish: with 3 raspberries and grind Sichuan pepper on top
Comments: A twist-take with more punch in the Knickerbocker cocktail from Jerry Thomas book ” The Bon Vivant’s ” 1862
Bartender Profile: Humberto Marques
I had my first contact with serving drinks when I was 15 years old. While in college I spent my summer holidays working in a Bar in a beach in Portugal. The cocktail drinking culture in Portugal wasn’t that much at the time. My boss had cocktail books in the bar and I spent many an afternoon reading them. Believe it or not the first cocktail recipe that I made from one of the books it was a Negroni.
Unfortunately I tried it but found it bitter to my young sense of taste.
Please don’t take me wrong, today I do enjoy a Negroni. The second classic cocktail that I learned was the Golden Cadillac. My brother was in the hospitality school studying bartending, cooking and waiting tables.
From 1995 to 1997 I continued to work in this bar during the summer holidays. In 1997 I decided to enter hospitality school and learn about bartending. In 1998 I found myself working in a 4 star hotel as bartender.
I become bar manager after a half year.
In 2002 I moved to a 5 star hotel as bar supervisor and in 2003 I decided to join a cruise ship line in south of France as bartender. In the same year I moved to Scotland and started work in the world famous Gleneagles Hotel as bartender.
I stayed for one year. After this valuable experience I was invited by celebrity Scottish chef Tony Singh to come to work at his cocktail bar & restaurant in Edinburgh. I stayed four years. The last two years I was their Bar Manager.
In 2006 I also was a part time Brand Ambassador for Ancon Whisky. While working for their brand I held several Whisky-tasting events and developed some cocktails.
In 2008 to 2009 I was Brand Ambassador for Global Brands. I took care of a portfolio of premium spirits in which I played a key role in training sales representation and distribution on all the company brands and spirits in bars, restaurants and shops. I actively developed new cocktails and drinks for the company.
In 2009 it was back to the bar. I missed the day to day grind of making drinks and interacting with my customers.
I joined another cocktail bar in Edinburgh as bar supervisor at the famed Hawke & Hunter.
In 2010 I moved to Copenhagen in looking for a new, fresh bar scene and now I found myself working in the best cocktail bar in Copenhagen named 1105 cocktail bar named for the postal code:
www.1105.dk
Education and Qualifications
BTEC: Certificate of Excellence in The Bar (2003) Qualification in Bar Management (2001)
Certificate on Food and Beverage Techniques (1997)
Professional Qualifications
Flow Hospitality certificate training (2010) on- Wine, The Bartender, Licensing, Health & Safety, and Food Hygiene
MCA Award in Basic Sea safety Training – STCW95 – Personal safety and Social responsibilities,
Personal surviving Techniques, Fire prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid, ENG 1 Medical Certificate. Certificate accredited by VT Flagship in partnering with Royal Navy Certificate on Leading the Way by the Human resources director of the Chiva- Som Hotel (Thailand) for Hotel do Caramulo****Portugal Certificate on Selling Skills by the Human resources of the Chiva -Som Hotel (Thailand) for Hotel do Caramulo****Portugal Certificate on Train The Trainer by the Human Resources director of the Chiva-Som Hotel (Thailand) for Hotel do Caramulo****Portugal Other – Eucalyptus Martini” Cocktail Diploma from Bartender Magazine (American Magazine), Grand Marnier Certificate on – The Grand Marnier Appreciation Course, Morrison Bowmore Distillers Limited Certificate on – The Scotch Whisky Programme, Diploma on Long Drinks National Competition – ABP (Portuguese Bartenders Association)
Award Awards and Achievements
Absolut Invite 2012 Final 10Nordic countries Cocktail competition - 2th Place
Absolut Invite 2012 Denmark cocktail competition - 1st Place
Winner of the springtime cocktail competition by About.com with the cocktail” La Primavera” (Gin, Aloe Vera honey, lime juice, Lillet Blanc)
Golden Award received for the Drinks International Cocktail competition 2006
2005 Hendricks Gin cocktail competition winning award in Scotland (Edinburgh)
Dram magazine awards 2005 nominated for the Morgan’s Spiced® Mixologist of the year
2005 Xante® Cocktail Competition Winning award in London
Finalist on the Smirnoff Penka competition in Scotland
Finalist on the Porfidio Cocktail Competition organized by Class Bar Magazine. (Only one entry from Scotland)
Finalist on the competition Grand Marnier® Best Bartender of the Year 2004 in London
Editor’s note:
Expect to see more interviews from working bartenders and mixologists on Wild Table! Cheers!
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail creator/author/contributor to Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
March 21, 2012
Editors note: I first published the writing of Jean Sexton back when Wild Table was just getting established several years ago.
Ever since then, I’ve asked Jean to submit some of her lovely writing- finally, a couple of days ago, Jean sent me this lovely piece… Without further delay, I bring you- my friend Jean Sexton. Cheers! wb
 - Photo: Warren Bobrow
“Staff Of Life”
cornsbread: often made without milk or eggs and baked or fried (Southern)
While I know they eat cornbread in other parts of the world—even in other parts of the South—they don’t eat my mama’s cornbread. Hers is surely set apart; scratched into the dry cave walls of Anasazi legend and rained down as manna on the children of Israel wandering lost outside the Promised Land.
A pinch, a scoop, a sprinkle; a splash, a dollop, a dusting; heaped-up or just the least little bit. About that much, but not much more than that—these are words for measuring cornbread. No recipe needed; my mother can tell by the way it looks and feels how it will turn out—literally—of the pan: will it slide or stick or crumble?
My mother prefers her corn meal coarse-ground, which gives more texture and allows the finished product to hold its own against the pressure of a knife smeared with cold butter. Fine-ground meal equals cakey cornbread and cakey cornbread smacks of eggs and sugar; it is crumbling and delicate and no match for soup beans or stew.
With a practiced motion, my mother draws a black iron skillet (always wiped out, never washed) from the maw of the oven where it’s been heating. She leaves a potholder draped atop its handle as a “don’t touch!” warning to the household at large. She edges the pale, grainy-gold batter toward the lip of the mixing bowl-that-used-to-be-green (permit a brief digression: my mother is still using a set of vintage Pyrex mixing bowls—the ubiquitous yellow, green, red and blue set—that her sister gave their mother in 1950-something, and each one is still known by the name of the color it used to be), controlling its flow into the well-oiled, black iron hoop-sided skillet. This is the moment of no return: the bottom layer is instantly welded to its destiny; it must be crust.
The edges bubble a little where a thin halo of molten oil rises atop the batter. The oven obediently opens its mouth to receive the offering, swallowing whole this inbound iron bound flux of gritty meal, buttermilk and oil. In 20 minutes, more or less (depending on my father’s covert attempts to eat it half-baked rather than waiting for it to cook), my mother will once again arm herself with a ragged shield of half-melted Dacron loops (potholders earn their keep in her kitchen) and remove this freshly minted gold coin of the Southern realm. She’ll flip it upside down onto the counter top where it slips from the pan with a steamy sigh of pleasure (which sounds more like a description of “porn-bread,” perhaps, but we are, after all, talking about an object of immense desire).
Four scores across the bottom (it must remain bottom-up to keep the crust from sogging) yield eight wedges of cornbread, with the biggest pieces cut again to preserve an illusion of excess. Someone—usually my father—dances attendance on the process, hoping to score a bit of crisped crust or a handful of damp crumbs in the fallout. Still nearly too hot to handle, the wedges are transferred into an elderly plastic basket lined with paper towels. (I wish I could tell you it was a vintage basket, like the mixing bowls, but it has no such cachet—like my mother’s potholders, the basket is merely old and slightly melted from one-too-many close encounters with hot burners.)
We progress to the table (and I digress to the table, which is actually two tables bolted together in an attempt to provide seating for the original six members of my family, plus three spouses, two second-generation nephews and sundry friends and relatives that sometimes join us). (The dog doesn’t get a seat, but she’s always there, woven in between our ankles, hoping for her own surreptitious share of cornbread.) We “turn thanks”—a phrase which puzzles those who’ve had the misfortune to be born in places where South is not spoken fluently—it’s a shortened version of the classic admonishment to “return thanks” or ask a blessing for the food we are about to eat, to the nourishment of our bodies to Your service, Amen. Dig in!
My mother’s cornbread is the patron saint of the table; bestowing a blessing on soups and stews, beans and greens, this and that. It’s a martyr, drowning beneath black-eyed peas and homemade salsa; a warrior, standing firm under the onslaught of spicy chili; broken and buttered, it’s a peacekeeper, inviting all-comers (whether you prefer your butter straight from the cow or squeezed from some heart-healthy blend of vegetables) to take and eat.
The food is blessed; it’s passed the test. At last my mother sits, at rest.
Meet Jean Sexton
Asheville native Jean Sexton has been a writer with Biltmore for 10 years, most recently in her role as Editorial Manager for Biltmore and Biltmore Inspirations.
As Editorial Manager, Jean is responsible for blogging and crafting marketing communications for Biltmore Inspirations. In addition, she creates marketing collateral for Inn on Biltmore Estate, Biltmore Estate Wine Company, and is active in corporate and employee communications, Public Relations, and social media marketing, as well.
Prior to her position with Biltmore, Jean worked as the Non-English Speaking Services Coordinator for the Asheville-Mountain Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. She served as the Red Cross representative for seven western counties and was active as an International Services Instructor for the National Red Cross Chapter.
Jean received an undergraduate degree in Cultural Anthropology from UNC-Asheville and a masters degree in Management and Leadership from Montreat College. She is a published author whose work has appeared in a variety of outlets including Wild River Review, Appalachian Heritage, and the NC Journal of Medicine.
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail creator/author/contributor to Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
January 25, 2012
 Andrew Bell-Photo: American Sommelier By the kind efforts of Melissa Braverman, Wild River Review’s- Wild Table column has been able to secure the Five Questions from Andrew Bell, the Co-Founder and President of American Sommelier.
Recognized as one of the top wine educators in the country, Andrew has nearly 25 years of industry experience that also includes winemaking in France, working alongside Michelin three-starred restaurant Guy Savoy as second sommelier and founding American Sommelier. Known for his accessible, “never order a bad bottle again” approach to understanding wine, he has been quoted in such outlets as Reuters, Wine Enthusiast and Bloomberg and leads American Sommelier’s 26-week Viticulture & Vinification course. Popular with wine enthusiasts and industry professionals alike, the course covers wine from A to Z (food pairings, varieties, geography, winemaking, etc.) and has sparked the creation of a six-day immersion version.
Editor’s Note: I am a fan of wine that speaks of the place- of the soil or rock if you will. Biodynamic, organic? A big plus in my book. That’s not to say that I only drink organic or Biodynamic, far from.
My focus is on passionate winemaking. I believe that these wines do not have to be expensive to be delicious! Please take for example my local store- 56 Degree Wines in Bernardsville, NJ. Chris Cree, the owner is a Master of Wine, one of 29 in the United States. He is, to my knowledge one of the only MW’s with his own shop! They sell wines and other spirits- made by passionate individuals!
Does your store do this for you? If not, point your browser to his page- I think you’ll be quite pleased with what you see and taste!
Without further delay, may I present- Andrew Bell, American Sommelier and the Five Questions. Cheers! wb
 Andrew Bell-Photo: American Sommelier WRR: 1. Why wine? What led you to the wine world? Did you travel as a boy to Europe? I know you lived in France, where else have your travels taken you?
I grew up around wine, but not in any way that might lead me to this industry. I only first visited Europe when I was 24. After four and a half years of living in France, I moved back to New York to start my import and distribution company. I founded the New York chapter of American Sommelier in 1999 and took over as the organization’s U.S. president three years later.
Over the years, since returning to the U.S. from France, my travels have taken me to Chile, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece and now South Africa.
 Andrew Bell in the Cellar-Photo: American Sommelier WRR: 2. Do you cook? If so, who taught you?
I spent 15 years working in the restaurant business, and I made friends almost as much with the kitchen staff as I did with the front of the house team. I paid attention to how they prepared everything. So from the kitchen of Splendidos in San Francisco all the way to Guy Savoy’s two-starred restaurant in Paris, I learned from the best — and have tried to recreate many recipes from these amazingly talented people (albeit, in some case, with very limited success!).
WRR: 3. What is in your freezer right now?
Well, I have 3 children so…chicken nuggets, soy milk ice cream sandwiches and ice. And a pork roast for the grown-up paletes in our household!
 Andrew Bell- Photo: American Sommelier WRR: 4. Is there any wine that brings a tear to your eye when you taste it? Why? What led you to found American Sommelier and what is the biggest misconception people have about wine education?
I think any well made wine can make you teary because the level of emotion comes from who you’re with and why you’re enjoying a bottle and not necessarily what’s in the bottle. My big a-ha moment was with a 1988 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon. It had elements of bitter cocoa powder, dark cassis and light plums. In a word, wow! It was a great moment of discovery.
Anything is possible when a wine is well made, and you are open to experiencing it. That moment happened 20 years ago and opened up a new world for me. I had studied psychology in school and originally wanted to be a therapist and teach at a university, but wine became the subject — and American Sommelier my universe. American Sommelier was born out of the Sommelier Society of America in 1998, and I helped found it with the goal of increasing wine awareness through education – of helping people have their own a-ha moments with wine.
 Andrew Bell-Outside-Photo: American Sommelier WRR: 5. Is there any place in the world that you would love to be right now? Why?
Where I am right now! I’m visiting South African vineyards, meeting incredible people with a dream for themselves and their country. It is quite humbling when you see and hear the story of a country weighed down by its own past yet always looking forward the future. The stories I hear will become part of my story which I share whenever I teach or speak to people interested in the wine and food business. The people I am meeting here are without pretense and a wonderful example of how the enjoyment of wine is a truly universal experience.
Thank you Andrew!
AMERICAN SOMMELIER AND CHARLIE PALMER GROUP
PARTNER TO HOST WINE SEMINARS
Program to Kick Off at Renowned New York City Restaurant Aureole on February 6, 2012
NEW YORK, NY (January 19, 2012) – American Sommelier, the nation’s preeminent wine education organization, and the Charlie Palmer Group, Master Chef and Hospitality Entrepreneur Charlie Palmer’s collection of award-winning restaurants and hotels, announce a partnership to host a monthly series of experiential wine events. The 12-session series is scheduled to take place one Monday of each month at Palmer’s flagship location Aureole in New York City from February 6 to December 17, 2012. Each two-hour seminar is designed to help participants make informed and intelligent wine choices while exploring unique topics including Lock, Stock & Barrel; Unusual Grapes and Why We Love Them; and History in the Tasting .
Each session is lead by American Sommelier President and CEO Andrew Bell. Bell is recognized as one of the foremost wine educators in the country. Over the past 25 years, he has worked in all sectors of the wine industry while honing his passion for teaching.
“We are delighted to be working with the Charlie Palmer Group on this innovative series,” said Andrew Bell. “These seminars are designed to help both beginner and more advanced wine lovers explore different grape varieties, styles and regions while gaining the confidence to make educated wine selections on their own. Covering a wide range of material, we have planned a curriculum that is both informative and entertaining—these seminars are going to be a really enjoyable way to spend a Monday night.”
Aureole Beverage Director Justin Lorenz will also be on hand to lend his expertise. Responsible for developing Aureole’s robust list of more than 1,500 wine selections from around the world, Lorenz has studied with American Sommelier and brings more than a decade of wine knowledge to his role at the restaurant.
“Aureole’s wine program complements the menu’s progressive American cuisine. Nearly 15,000 bottles of wine are stored on premise and diners can experience an extensive collection with great depth in Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany and the Rhône Valley,” added Lorenz. “With their dedication to raising the overall level of wine knowledge and awareness, American Sommelier is the ideal partner to assist our customers in their search for the perfect bottle.”
During each seminar, attendees will taste 10 wines carefully selected to illustrate the evening’s theme, paired with light hors d‘oeuvres from Aureole’s Executive Chef Marcus Ware. On May 10, a limited-seating Spring Pairing Dinner will feature a specially prepared seasonal menu and wines artfully paired with each of the four courses.
The monthly seminars will take place Monday evenings between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM in Aureole’s private dining room, beginning February 6 with Sparkle & Shine featuring sparkling wines from around the world. The price for enrollment is $150 per event. Individuals wishing to attend any five events will receive a 5% discount, while those signing up for all 12 receive a
10% discount (not including the pairing dinner). The Spring Pairing Dinner is offered for $275 per guest.
For more information, please visit http://www.americansommelier.com/education/seminars/. To sign up, please contact Rachel Koblic, Director of Operations of American Sommelier, at 212.897.4129 or RachelKoblic@AmericanSommelier.com.
About American Sommelier
American Sommelier is revolutionizing the way the world thinks about wine. Committed to empowering both the consumer and professional to make informed and intelligent choices, the organization serves as a forum where all wine lovers may gather to speak as equals. American Sommelier offers a comprehensive curriculum of wine education and provides a wide range of additional benefits to its members. The organization hosts seminars, tastings, and networking opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills and to promote a vibrant wine community. Since 1998, American Sommelier has hosted the biennial “Best Sommelier in America” competition that recognizes excellence in the wine service industry. The organization creates custom experiential and advisory services for individuals, groups, and corporations both in and out of the hospitality industry. From cellar consultation and wine list development to job placement and insider wine journeys, American Sommelier’s mission remains the same: to cultivate awareness, understanding, and appreciation for wine.
About Aureole:
Renowned Chef Charlie Palmer’s unabashed, energetic signature Progressive American cuisine first took root in the original townhouse location of Aureole, where the chef made an early commitment to farm over factory food. Today, Michelin-starred Aureole shines at the spectacular Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, the most environmentally advanced skyscraper in the world. Overseen by wine director Justin Lorenz, Aureole’s wine program complements the menu’s progressive American cuisine. Wine lovers have always found an extensive collection of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and California Cabernet. But Aureole also offers more than 1,700 selections with over 15,000 bottles stored on premise from around the world with great depth in Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, and the Rhône Valley, and two dozen by-the-glass pairings, matched to our seasonal tasting menus. www.CharliePalmer.com; 212-319-1660.
Thanks should also go to Melissa Braverman who has treated me so very kindly during our conversations via email.
Her contact information is just below.
Thank you Melissa for your editing skills and kindness! wb
Melissa Braverman
Senior Media Specialist
evins communications, ltd. 635 madison avenue new york, ny 10022
phone:
ph: 212.688.8200 fax: 212.935.6730 www.evins.com
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail creator/author/contributor to Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
January 18, 2012
My friend Katie DeVito sent me an email the other day. She’s in the public relations business here in NJ and Lincoln Henderson’s name with his new product Angel’s Envy crossed her desk. Since she knows my desire to cover issues regarding the spirits industry- it was my great pleasure to receive an email from her introducing me to the new brand. Thanks Katie! (I’ve included her contact information at the bottom)
I’m passionate about the liquor known as Bourbon Whiskey. I think it’s in my blood. It wasn’t until after my grandfather passed away that I realized that I had Bourbon deeply entrenched in my soul. But how?
How does Bourbon become a part of a person- even before they enjoy a sip? Is it in my genes?
My grandfather had a liquid collection of Old Forester, Old Grand Dad, Jim Beam and Ancient Age Bourbon. Some of these mid-century modern styled bottles date back to the late 1940’s and others to the late 1950’s.
This priceless collection, (albeit a bit less in the bottle now) still graces my bar and occasionally my glass. (Without ice or water, I might add.)
I used to say that these spirits were made by men- long gone. That was until I became more knowledgeable about Bourbon and the men who craft this truly American spirit. Maybe there is something in the spirit itself that contributes to long life.
I’m not sure about the fountain of youth in a bottle, but my grandmother turns 100 on February 14th this year. She still takes a nip of the brown spirit at bed-time. Perhaps Bourbon is the key to her longevity?
It just might be true about drinking Bourbon and old age. As I said, I have Bourbon in my blood!
Tasting notes: Angel’s Envy
Soft in the mouth- not rough in any way. This is part of the new style of Bourbon. The older style was rougher- rough and tumble- speaking of fire and burn. This “Expression” as Mr. Henderson describes his brand, is elegant and pure. The barrels were sourced in Portugal, used Port Casks – again, this Expression is a signature mark on the palate. Port casks give a unique and subtle sweetness to the finish- a long one at that!
Flavors of vanilla, charred Hoe Cakes (made from toasted corn) and caramelized fruits reveal themselves along with the brooding heat- but not too much heat! I did the tasting in a highly unscientific fashion- under less than ideal conditions. I just opened the 200ml bottle, poured myself a little tasting glass, inhaled and sipped. That was it! Yes! I like it.
 Lincoln Henderson Without further delay- may I present, Lincoln Henderson- Master Distiller.
1. WRR: Where are you from? When did you realize you had a passion for Brown liquor?
a. Born at Ft. Sill, OK. While on a college Christmas break in OK we took a trip to Texas (OK was dry) to buy spirits and came back with a case of Ancient Age Bourbon. Was hooked thereafter.
2. WRR: Do you cook? If so, is there anything you prepare that has a history to it? Who taught you about food? Mother? Father? Grandparents?
a. Cooked a great deal in past years. Loved to make ravioli from scratch. Also croissants (which took 2 days to make). Now the only thing I manage to cook is corn, rye and barley. However my mother taught us 3 boys to fend for ourselves including cooking.
 Lincoln Standing 3. WRR: What is in your refrigerator right now? Any cocktail ingredients you’d like to tell us about?
a. Leftovers. Cocktail ingredients are ice and water. Although the young creative bartenders and mixologists are starting to change my feelings on how bourbon can be used.
4. WRR: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would that be? When you sourced your barrels from Portugal, did you hand select them?
a. Kentucky.
We did hand source the ex-Port barrels. One cannot take chances on where your barrels come from and what was in the barrel.
(Editor’s note: Angel’s Envy Bourbon uses hand-selected wood barrels from Portugal that formerly held Port Wine)
5. WRR: Is there anything that you drink or eat that brings a tear to your eye when you (eat/drink) it? Why?
a. Coffee is definitely my first choice of drink after bourbon and mussels and more mussels are my first love in foods.
 Lincoln- his son Wes and grandson Kyle Master Distiller – Lincoln Henderson
Described by Wine and Spirits magazine as a “Living Legend” in the distilled spirits industry, Mr. Henderson is one of the world’s leading spirits experts, and an inaugural member of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. As the master distiller of Brown-Forman Corporation for 40 years, he developed or assisted with the development and supervision of products such as: Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniel’s “Gentleman Jack,” Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Don Eduardo Tequila, Old Forester, in addition to several other brands. He was also directly responsible for the quality of all new and maturing whiskeys, in addition to technical distillery supervision, sensory evaluation, and exploratory product development. Other honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Malt Advocate, and a judge position for the International Wine and Spirit Competition in the UK. Lincoln is a graduate of the University of Louisville with a bachelor’s degree in biology and holds a master’s degree from Webster University. A resident of Lexington Kentucky, he is married with two children and ten grandchildren.
LIVING LEGEND SET TO LAUNCH
ANGEL’S ENVY IN NEW JERSEY
Garden State Among the First Markets to Experience
World’s Premier Super-Premium Bourbon
Louisville, Kentucky (January, 2012) – Louisville Distilling Company announced that it has chosen New Jersey among the first launch markets for Angel’s Envy, a super-premium bourbon of uncompromising character and quality.
The highly anticipated small batch artisan bourbon is the culmination of Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson’s storied career. One of the original pioneers of the premium bourbon and whiskey categories in the U.S., Lincoln came out of retirement to create the world’s finest bourbon on his own terms – with a simple desire to enjoy the art of making whiskey. The Master Distiller, which many have called a living legend, brings with him more than 40 years of experience, having worked on world-class brands, such as Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels.
The Louisville Distilling Company gave Lincoln complete creative freedom to create his bourbon, his own way. He chose to return to the original way of producing whiskey – making decisions based on the specific taste profile he wants to achieve. He will use locally sourced, non-GMO grains, Kentucky limestone water and hand-chosen port barrels shipped directly from Portugal.
Each batch—or Expression, as Lincoln calls it—will be guided by his hand and allowed to develop naturally, creating nuances in the bourbon from year to year. This year’s release is Expression 10/10, which possesses a warm spirit, lacking any hint of edginess with ephemeral hints of port wine and a rich amber hue.
The Expression is distilled for an unparalleled smoothness, aged for 4-6 years in new charred white oak barrels and finished in port barrels for an incremental 5-7 months. The final result is exceptionally smooth, nuanced and refined bourbon.
“Angel’s Envy is a lot of things,” says Lincoln Henderson, Master Distiller, Angel’s Envy. “It’s my life’s work. It’s a whiskey of incomparable smoothness. It takes into account over 200 years of bourbon heritage and mingles it with over 400 years of port wine heritage. And it’s something I’m going to let develop each year so every batch will be a natural expression of the distiller’s craft.”
The bottle will be as iconic as the bourbon inside. Made from perfume-grade glass in Italy and ceramic stamped with our iconic wings, the bottle is hand-filled, corked and crated in Louisville, Kentucky.
As far as the name, it’s well accepted in bourbon circles that each distillery owes a percentage of the bourbon in their barrels to the angels – known as the Angel’s Share. But, Lincoln sat the angels down and got them to agree that they could take a larger share if they agreed to leave behind something even better. The result is Angel’s Envy.
In addition to New Jersey, Angel’s Envy will be available in the following markets: Louisville, New York, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Portland, Washington, DC, and Boulder/Denver.
The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle, which may vary by market, is $44.99. Angel’s Envy is 86.6 proof and 43.3% alcohol by volume. Please visit us at www.angelsenvy.com or on Facebook.
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail creator/author/contributor to Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
 Two historic bottles from my collection Contact information from Katie DeVito
Owner, Katie DeVito, LLC
www.katiedevito.com
Founder, NJ Unemployed
www.njunemployed.com
January 9, 2012
One of my first wine drinking memories- of California wine that is- surrounds a bottle of Foppiano. I remember being in private school- at Morristown-Beard in New Jersey. There were many kids like myself- their parents had incredible wine cellars and we were all encouraged to taste wine with dinner or by itself.
This was the 1970’s, things were a bit freer then.
I was raised around fine wine and artisan food, for those who don’t know me, I grew up on a gentleman’s farm that belonged to my grandparents and partially my parents. Today, this farm is certified Organic and Biodynamic.
At that time in the 1960’s and 70’s most European food that we came across on our journey was artisan in nature. Travel for Americans was always popular, sure- yet regional cuisine flourished unhindered until the explosion of fast food and faster tastes that came with Americans visiting Europe.
I traveled through most of Europe, the Ivory Coast of Africa and some of Brazil with my parents in the 60’s and 70’s. I was never was denied the fruit of the grape, nor beer, nor the local spirits. Was this good? Bad? Who knows. Sure makes for a good story.
As memory serves me the first California wine that I remember drinking with my friends, at a party was a Foppiano Petite Sirah. This wine, in my palate’s memory will always be with me. It was just different than the French wines that graced our dinner table.
The Foppiano wine was explosive in the glass and it woke up my young sensibilities. The only wines I knew at this point were from Europe- and they were pretty good in my memory…
With all the brands of interesting wines available to my young palate- most were French, so when I tasted something so unfamiliar to me- I had to take notice!
Fast forward to present day.
I go back to California for wine on Twitter. Some of my friends are in the wine biz. Still others would like to read more of my “serious” wine writing.
I used to only write about travel, then food, then wine… Now, cocktails but who knows? One thing is for certain- I love the wines of Foppiano. They taste authentic. Not manipulated or forced. There is passion in the depth of the flavors in the offerings.
Is there a difference in style between their wines? I leave that for you to decide. I know enough about wine not to assign a score (other than my personal opinion) to anything. Your palate should be your guide, not someone who is not you!
 Natalie West Until then, may I present Natalie West, Foppiano Wines.
WRR: 1. Where are you from? Who taught you to cook? Mother? Father? Grandparents? What are your earliest memories of food?
I am from Healdsburg, I have been here since I was four years old.
My mother taught me to cook.
My earliest memory of food goes back to when I was a kid. For as long as I can remember we were always very active with the grape harvest, we’d pick the grapes and would bring them to the winery. After a long hard day in the field, night fall would come and we’d have a massive feast that had been prepared lovingly by my mom and aunts. Of course it was my dad who was in charge of barbecuing the chicken and steak. But what I remember most are the desserts, the most I’ve seen in my life. And, my favorite was the blueberry cheese cake that my mom would make. I am a total sugar person!
 Natalie celebrating harvest
WRR: 2. What do you have in your freezer right now? Any cocktail ingredients in your fridge? Do you cure your own cherries?
What a great question. In my freezer right now I have frozen strawberries, tomato sauce, frozen green beans picked from my garden, Ben & Jerry’s Willie Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler and Häagen-Dazs Vanilla ice cream. Plus I always keep puff pastry around for an apple or a cherry tart or for something savory like a goat cheese, thyme and caramelized onion tart.
As for cocktail ingredients, I have a fairly well-stocked bar including Bombay Sapphire Gin, Bulleit Bourbon, a few brandies from Germain-Robain from the Redwood Valley, vermouth, dark rum and tequila—with which I am just getting reacquainted. I always keep on hand simple syrup, citrus, bitters, and olives. I store the alcohol in decanters because it looks pretty. Like serving wine in the proper glass, I am a big believer in doing the same with cocktails. For instance I have collection of mint julep cups that I absolutely adore. I can’t imagine drinking one in anything else.
No, I do not cure my own cherries but I always have a stash of Amarena Italian wild cherries, which are absolutely perfect in an old fashioned or a Manhattan.
WRR: 3. Is there anything that you prepare (or eat) that brings a tear to your eye when you eat (or smell) it? Why? Who does this remind you of?
Aside from onions, Cioppino brings a tear to my eye, my mother makes it every year for my birthday.
 Natalie in Cellar
WRR: 4. If you could be anywhere in the world at this very moment, where would that be and why?
Italy because of the great food, wine and beautiful landscape. It’s reminiscent of home but also different. And the people are so friendly. It is just a good all-around lovely place to be.
WRR: 5. Social media brought us together… (thank you!!!!) Do you use a Smart Phone? Twitter? (will need link) Facebook? (will need link) LinkedIN? Anything you want to say about the Real Time Internet and how it’s helped your career?
I have an iPhone, I do not Tweet and I am on Facebook and Linked-In. What I love about social media is the fact that you can reach more people, more palates, and get more opinions. I think it has really helped the wine industry. I know for me, I have gotten to know more colleagues throughout Napa and Sonoma and beyond.
WRR: 5.5. Tell us a little bit about your role at Foppiano
A lot of the reason I came to Foppiano is because I have total freedom to do what I think is best—no set recipe. I have been encouraged to continue to add to the wine program and try fun things like port, rose, and smaller bottles of petite sirah. I try to let the wine speak for itself, respect the fruit, and not intervene too much—I think this makes the best wine. During my tenure here, I have gotten close to my colleagues who really take pride in their work.
We have a good time.
Some days after work, we sit down and share a bottle of J Sparkling wine together.
Thank you Natalie for participating in the Five Questions! wb
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail blogger for Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
Warren Bobrow’s interview with Food Business International 12/2011
Today’s fun!! click!
January 4, 2012
 Olli and Cardboard Ron Jeremy Here is a short video that I created using the new rum with a long, smooth taste. Yes, I actually said that. With a straight face too. It is for the Cocktail Whisperer. My friend Brett Wilshe shot it. It certainly got my foot in the door.
I’d love to interview Ron Jeremy for the Five Questions- and I suppose if I asked nicely, it could be arranged. I saw Ron at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans- it was about 3 in the morning. Where I first saw him is better left from polite conversation.
The scene was the crowded lobby at the Hotel Monteleone. Over by the Carousel Bar.
He was surrounded by fans. Not the best time for a cold call- meet/greet.
I did instead meet the owner and president of One-Eyed Spirits soon after Tales via Social Media.
I asked him to sit for the Five Questions.
How do I meet interesting people?
I suppose Social Media has much to do with this. It’s amazing to me how the playing field is leveled through the use of Facebook and Twitter. Sure, LinkedIn plays a role, but in the world of Spirits- LinkedIn is sometimes just too serious!
And cocktails are all about having FUN! (musical interlude)
If you have 3 minutes, please enjoy this video. *click*
 Olli in Helsinki I love this week’s Five Questions. Why? I think it is the passion of Olli Hietalahti, the owner of the company that makes this section of my Five Questions project so interesting.
So, how did I meet Olli?
I just went into the Ron de Jeremy Twitter page and introduced myself. The rest, my friends is this week’s version of – The Five Questions!
WRR: 1. Where are you from? How did you get into the liquor business? Are you an entrepreneur?
I’m from Finland. My path to liquor business was long and winding. My first career was in advertising. For the past 15 year I was copywriter in top ad agencies in Helsinki. In 2004 few others and myself founded King Helsinki. I’ve done my fair share of consuming alcohol and one of my largest clients was Finnish brewery and beverage company called Hartwall, nowadays owned by Heineken but basically I was in totally different business.
Until one day a joke came along.
About 7 years ago I was sitting in a bar in Amsterdam with my colleague and good friend Jouko Laune. It had been a very long day of shooting commercials. At some point between the second and third beer we happened to gaze on the wall. There was a rum poster, bottle and the name of the rum; Ron de something. Collectively we started laughing and pointing the poster. Ron de Jeremy!
We thought it was pretty funny and got excited. Jouko drew a sketch of the bottle on the bar receipt and we kept throwing ideas. Eventually we got pretty drunk, also on alcohol.
The next day, hung over, we went home and got busy with real work and our lives. But the idea kept coming back, like good ones tend to do. Finally two years ago Jouko did a real layout of the bottle. He spent all night honing it and came exhausted to the work next morning and threw me the picture. My immediate reaction: “Holy shit! This really is a good idea! We got to make it happen.”
Not too long after that I was sitting on my couch, totally nervous. I dialed the number for Mr. Jeremy. Talk about a cold call! He agreed to meet, we flew to LA, gave him little presentation and he loved the idea. Phew!
From there on we had to figure how to make great rum. Fortunately the concept is so much fun that a lot of people wanted to help. First we found rum expert, author judge and over all great guy called Luis Ayala from Texas. One fine day we were sitting in his living room surrounded by 600 different rum bottles and discussing life and great rums. Luis found us another legend: Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez.
He crafted Ron de Jeremy Rum.
From there on we’ve worked very hard to bring Ron de Jeremy to different markets. 2012 is going to be very exciting for us. We’re expanding to new states in the US and opening new markets at least in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Yes, I am an entrepreneur. Our company, One Eyed Spirits, is very small. Which is nice, we get to do everything from business negotiations to tweeting to representing the brand to making the coffee.
WRR: 2. Do you like cocktails? What is your favorite one? Mixed by whom? Where?
I’m going to be completely subjective here. I love good rums, especially ours! Guys at great Helsinki cocktail bar A21 recently did great version of El Presidente called El Ron. I also like Old Fashioned with Ron de Jeremy. Matin Cate and Wayne Curtis created wonderful rum punch out of Ron de Jeremy at the Tales of the Cocktail. Most often I enjoy my Ron neat, naked with nothing on.
 Loved ones at Rock Festival WRR: 3. Do you cook? Who taught you? Mother? Father? Grandparents? Television Cooking shows? Why Rum?
I’m a decent cook. Not great but my family tends to eat when I cook, sometimes they even smile. My parents are both good at cooking. They live in countryside and use lot of homegrown ingredients, forest mushrooms and wild berries. My dad also hunts and does fishing, also ice fishing during the winter.
The rum comes from the idea. I’m glad Ron happens to mean rum instead of cherry liquor.
 Olli in a little powder snow WRR: 4. Is there anything you eat or drink that brings a tear to your eye when you imbibe it? Why?
Must be something my mom made out of moose hunted by my dad. Also last spring when I was at Macao Trading Company in New York and had the first chance to order Ron de Jeremy at a bar was little emotional. Seeing your own brand behind the bar was a dream come true.
 Olli celebrating little goalie
WRR: 5. Social media brought us together. Do you use Twitter? Facebook? LinkedIN? Do you have a SmartPhone?
One of the strengths of Ron de Jeremy brand compared to other new spirits brands is the buzz created by Ron Jeremy. Ron de Jeremy is perfect for social media. The brand is fun and the rum seriously good. People love to spread that kind of message and we do our best to help them do that. We try to be very active in social media. I personally answer all inquiries and try to have as much dialogue as possible with people interested in Ron de Jeremy Rum. I’m slightly addicted on Twitter and follow it way too much! We also run Ron de Jeremy FB and have the admin right to Ron Jeremy official FB. I’m quite active in LinkedIn and being new to this business found it useful to expand my personal spirits network.
What I’ve noticed is that people really like it when our tone is informal, funny, sometimes even self-mocking. Lot of brands take themselves too seriously, in social or traditional media. We are very personal and try to stay as far away from corporate bullshit jargon as possible.
 Olli's information Thank you Ollie for sitting for the Five Questions! Happy New Year to you my friend! wb
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail blogger for Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
Warren Bobrow’s interview with Food Business International 12/2011
Today’s fun!! 1/4/2012 click!
 Photo: Warren Bobrow (Leica M8, 50mm-Summicron F2)
December 31, 2011
 Photo: Warren Bobrow (Leica M8) Gatherin’ Mesquite
Once, I was fishing for crappies (pronounced “croppy”) with my father and grandfather in Texas. We were sitting in a rowboat, on the shady side of some mesquites that grew on a crumbling chunk of masonry in the middle of a tank. A tank, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Texas, is a man-made pond used for waterin’ cattle. Texans bein’ — for the most part — serious about fishin’, always stock these ponds with bass an’ croppy.
This particular tank had grown some, over the years, which explains that spot of shade out in the middle. In the water, all around us, dark swimming heads — some as large as my child-sized fist — made their way towards the island.
Were they were turtles?
Grandad explained that they were water moccasins. Concerned, but trying to appear nonchalant, I asked what he would do if one of the snakes decided to come into the boat. He answered, just as nonchalantly, that “he’d gittout an’ lettim’ HAVE the damn boat.”
A practical man, my grandfather — ‘though, in retrospect, it seems to me that there were a lot more snakes in the water than in the boat.
Did I ever tell y’all my mesquite story?
I have no recollection of having told the story — but that’s never stopped me from retelling a story before. If you’ve heard this before, feel free to wander off, an’ don’t go whinin’ about it afterwards.
Mesquite is best known as the classic Southwestern fuel for smoky-flavored barbecue. When I was a child, visiting the Texas side of the family, long before I knew there were such creatures as gourmets — and certainly before gourmets knew about mesquite — I knew ALL about mesquite. It was just common knowledge that mesquite provided the hottest, best smelling, and tastiest firewood for outdoor, Texas-sized, feasts.
Everbody knew it.
The morning of a big barbecue would begin with lots of kids jumping in the back of my grandfather’s cream-colored pick-up. We all wore sneakers and blue jeans, rolled at the bottom, and clean white tee shirts.
We were always cautioned about rattlesnakes. Grandad’s hands and arms bore a network of X-shaped scars, so we knew that there really were rattlers out there.
Some years, there would be black and white Texas farm plates on the back of the truck, some years there wouldn’t be any plates at all — it didn’t much matter. After all, Grandad’s brother drove his entire life without once suffering the indignity of a road test. Driving, like ‘most everything else, was entirely natural — especially driving out to someplace in the middle of nowhere (Texas, fortunately, being well-endowed with such places) to collect mesquite.
As I recall, the preferred method was to put a chain around the stump of a dead mesquite, dragging it out with the pick-up. The stumps, toughened by the hardship of Texan summers, were reluctant to give up their rocky homes. The frame of the pick-up groaned from the effort. The tall, old-fashioned tires spun, raising a very satisfying cloud of rocks and yellow dust. We screamed with delight as the twisted trees broke free of the crusty dry soil — all the time imagining volleys of rattlesnakes blasted into the air, guided as by some irresistible fate, directly at us.
It was a thoroughly festive occasion.
Sometimes, since the truck was filled with children, there would be no room for the firewood. That meant that all the mesquite, lashed together with chain, would be dragged in a great jingling clatter behind us, all the way back to the house. There it was used to cook, or cajole the essence of Texas from, the kind of meats that the cholesterol-conscious can only dream on.
Those barbecues always ended with hand-cranked ice cream, made with glowing fruit from Grandad’s peach trees. It was the only fitting conclusion to a gustatory event that mixed, without contradiction, innocence and unabashed hedonism, the purest kind of lust and unselfconscious communion.
Mere cookin’ an’ eatin’ is a poor substitute for such an experience.
 Peaches: Photo-Gary Allen
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail blogger for Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
Warren Bobrow’s interview with Food Business International 12/2011
December 7, 2011
 Schiller's Restaurant: Photograph by Warren Bobrow I met Andrew Scrivani through our mutual friends Gail Schoenberg and her husband/partner Rich Eldert. Gail has a marvelous way connecting interesting people to people. Part of the art of Public Relations is that genuine talent in recognizing this art.
Also at the table was Pichet Ong who is a world- renowned pastry chef.
We dined at the restaurant named the Orange Squirrel in New Jersey.
Andrew and I hit it off immediately and we discussed photography, light and food throughout our meal. We kept in touch after our repast- something that is often difficult with highly divergent schedules and work demands. It was almost a year until I saw Andrew again after trading some emails back and forth.
Andrew is also a freelance photographer for the New York Times.
My writing has progressed through the kindness of Joy E. Stocke, my editor at Wild River Review. Then, a fortuitous meeting took place a couple weeks ago. Andrew and I bumped into each other at a retail store out here in NJ. I asked him if he would entertain a conversation about the Times, my writing and the project that will follow (just below) named the Five Questions.
 Schiller's Restaurant: Photograph by Warren Bobrow Andrew is a kind and generous, gentleman. He took me out to lunch in NYC to hash out some ideas, get to know each other- and share a meal at Schiller’s on the Lower East Side.
It was here that I asked him to participate in my project for Wild River Review/Wild Table. Without further delay, may I present Andrew Scrivani!
 Andrew Scrivani: Photo Credit: Soo-Jeong Kang WRR: Where are you from?
I am a life long New Yorker. I grew up on the North Shore of Staten Island and have lived most of my adult life in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Some of my family goes back 3 generations on Staten Island, proudly before the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was built and the population increased five fold. The not-so-politically- correct moniker the bridge wore as I was growing up was “The Guinea Gang Plank”. The only place where there are more people of Italian descent per capita in the world is Italy.
 Erselia "Sadie" Milo my great-grandmother courtesy of Andrew Scrivani WRR: Who taught you to cook? Mother? Father? Grandparents?
My main influence in the kitchen was my maternal great-grandmother. She was from Cefalu, Sicily and is the person I dedicated my blog to. In smaller roles were my maternal grandmother who taught me how to bake and my mother who I learned all of the basics from. A bit later on, when I ate vegetarian, my father’s younger brother taught me a bit about eating and cooking that way.
WRR: What are your earliest memories of food?
My first kitchen memory was a traumatic one. My grandmother was baking cookies for me because I was upset that my parents had left me and went on vacation when I was about 3. I climbed up to the counter and put my entire hand on a searing hot cookie sheet. I learned a few valuable lessons there, one, that hot cookie sheets are very, very dangerous…and two, that sympathy cookies had a very powerful effect on my recovery. It was then that I started to realize how food could affect mood and memory.
 Pistachio Linzer Cookies: NYT CREDIT: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times WRR: What do you have in your freezer right now?
Most notably, I have a large roll of pigskin that I plan to make a bresaola with and put in a big pot of my grandmother’s Sunday Sauce. I also have 3 bottles of 8 year-old Haitian Rhum Barbancourt Reserve Speciale that my friend David brings home for me whenever he visits his in-laws there.
 Maraschino Cherries Photo: Andrew Scrivani WRR: Any cocktail ingredients in your fridge? Do you cure your own cherries?
I have do have some simple syrup and a jar of maraschino cherries that I cured for a photo shoot a little while ago.
 Family shot of Soo-Jeong Kang, Niece Daniela Sabel, Daughter Julia Scrivani in Nice, France by Andrew Scrivani WRR: Is there anything that you prepare (or eat) that brings a tear to your eye when you eat (or smell) it? Why? Who does this remind you of?
When I was a kid my great-grandmother would grow fresh basil on the side of my grandfather’s house. In the spring, I would play in the yard with my brother and the air was warm and filled with the vibrant scent of the basil. It reminds me of my grandfather, who I was named after and was extremely close to. He died when I was 13 and I think about him a lot. That smell brings me right back to that house every time.
WRR: If you could be anywhere in the world at this very moment, where would that be and why?
In the South of France. I go there in my mind so often. I have such beautiful memories of Nice and Aix en Provence with my family. The light, the smells and the sea all got into my soul. I’ve been to so many enchanting places but it’s there that I wish I could snap my fingers and be there anytime I wanted.
WRR: Social media brought us together… (thank you!!!!) Do you use a Smart Phone? Twitter? (will need link) Facebook? (will need link) LinkedIN? Anything you want to say about the Real Time Internet and how it’s helped your career?
I am a tech junkie. I use a smartphone, a tablet, my laptop and anything else wired or unwired to communicate with people. I blog (makingsundaysauce.com), I am on Twitter (@andrewscrivani), on Facebook (Facebook.com/andrewscrivani), Instagram and to a smaller degree Linked In. I would have to say that social media has been a definitive game changer for photographers. Gone are the days where the only way you could get an editor’s attention was to send a post card or request a meeting. Now, through all of these outlets you can not only showcase your work but also make personal connections with the people who may want to hire you. They can see more than the work, they can see a bit more of your personality. I think it has helped me greatly because I am essentially a social person and like to get to know people. Social media has provided a gateway for more actual personal interaction. It has been a great icebreaker for me.
Thank you Andrew for your enlightening comments and powerful imagery. Cheers! wb
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail blogger for Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
Warren Bobrow’s interview with Food Business International 12/2011
 wb Photo: Andrew Scrivani
November 22, 2011
 a burnt cornbread The Basics Series: A Cast Iron Pan: full of memories
Cast Iron is THE pan for making cornbread!
The Basics Series: The Cast Iron Pan
Fall is time to bring in a new member of the family to your kitchen. I say family not in the sense of the word as a blood relative-but moreover a family member that will be with you for the rest of your life and perhaps for that of your offspring. This new family member will be as trusted as your grandparents and as giving to your inner self as a glass of fine Kentucky Bourbon. Take this new family member in your hands-admire its heft-the dark glow of the material-the sticky coating covering the surface that will cook a thick slice of sugar cured bacon, a ham steak or a few fried local eggs. Touch this living history and hold it in your hands. Feel the weight. What is this history? Simply put, your new family member is a Cast Iron Pan. If you take the time to season it properly, it will become part of your family. Shrimp n’ Grits will be stirred and greens cooked low and slow until they release their inner liquids- their pot likker’. No chemicals or electronically bonded non-stick stirring devices will ever touch it. Only my old hand crafted wooden spoons will touch the inside of my new cast iron pan, and if used correctly, this pan will last a lifetime and then some. Right now it is dull gray, but given a bath of pork belly or some slowly caramelized onions, the pan will take on an inner glow of contentment. The time taken now to seek the darkest seasoning will follow this pan throughout its memory. Years from now- when the pan is used to craft a BLT, it will know- deep inside- the first time bacon touched its cold iron alloy and gave the bacon a warm welcome as if to greet an old friend.
My old cast iron pan came from near Savannah, Georgia out in the real Low Country. Yemassee to be exact. I received it as a gift from a former client who was giving away her kitchen mementos. She said that this cast iron pan had been to “Montana and back, mostly on foot” Her family’s family cooked in it she said. It was used to make many a meal over the years. It is not a fancy pan, but it does have a non-stick finish that shines! I cooked for her a few times- she asked me if I liked cast iron since I always wanted to cook out of that one pan. I remember replying that it was all I used at home in Charleston. Then it became mine…This kind of history places my cast iron pan in the annals of early culinary history. Many an egg slipped into this pan not knowing that someday another fried egg would slip out… a century or so in the future. To think of a perfect little chicken, frying gently in my cast iron pan, brined in salt water, then battered in seasoned buttermilk and panko Japanese bread crumbs, or the bacon that cooks low and slow until crispy for my late season heirloom tomato BLT sandwich, or even the perfect cornbread that was made in it almost 150 years prior-gives me pause…
The standards of Southern Cooking in this pan, has always mesmerized me with its inner energy and the flavors contained deeply within. Some of these memories are passed on in the form of stories. Others are passed on to future generations in the form of passing a cherished cast iron pan on to another generation. The non-stick coating only comes from years and years of cooking low and slow. Blackening a piece of freshly caught Brook Trout will not make you a better fisherman, but it will make you a better cook. It is as if this pan has a memory all its own. The pan is not a fancy “space age technology” non-stick pan, nor is it made of fine French Copper. It’s not made of stainless steel either. But lift it into your hand and connect with the campfire, the washing of that pan (once it has completely cooled) in an ice-cold stream, or just being re-seasoned with memory after memory-in the form of flavor over the years. Yes, this pan has a memory. Many a fine dinner has cooked within its walls for good times and not so good times-the flavors contained within tell a different story each time it is used. This story connects us with a simpler time, before the old cast iron pan in your cupboard was thrown out to make room for non-stick. Little did they know that this pan and all that came before it, was non-stick due to its own inner sense of duty-to cook foods made with love and the care of cooking, not just to feed, but to fulfill a greater cause as well. George Washington it is said, cooked in cast iron. His soldiers who inhabited the woods behind my home during the winter of 1778 used cast iron to cook what little they ate. Soldiers were “boiling their boots for soup.” It must have been a fragrant pot of broth! I honor them by cooking my own meals in this new cast iron pan that I hold in my hand.
A New Cast Iron Pan/New Pan Seasoning.
I noticed that my new pan is covered in heavy gunk, is it ready to use? The answer is no. You must season it before you use it. The sticky gunk is food safe, but would you want to eat that in your food? I don’t recommend it. First you must remove the packing grease that has been sprayed on the pan. To do this you first should heat the oven to 500 degrees. Put something like another baking dish on the bottom rack of your oven, the top rack will hold your new cast iron pan upsides down. Wipe your new family member inside and out carefully with a kitchen towel with the fat of your choice, make sure that kitchen towel is absolutely dry or you will burn your hands. The pan will immediately smoke heavily. Open your windows, pour yourself a tall glass of sweet tea, for you have many hours of seasoning ahead of you today. Turn oven down to 250 and leave it be for a while. How long? How about a few years… it takes that long to set the seasoning.
The next day caramelize a bunch of onions in that pan.. The next day cook some butternut squash in it. Chose your dinners carefully and when you cook in the pan, do so with love. Always smile when you use this new pan- but do not be afraid to show emotion around it.
The pan will appreciate it and so will I. This process of seasoning will take many years- do not hurry or rush. Never, ever use soap on your cast iron pan. Soap will stick to the pan and make everything you cook taste of soap. If you burn something in the pan, take some sea salt and rub it into a paste with a bit of water and scrub away the burn, then re-season as described above. A pan takes time to become an heirloom, a trusted friend in your pantry. There is much for the pan to remember before it becomes your best friend. Trust your instincts and cook with passion. The results will sing of the energy contained deep in your new cast iron pan and it will reward you with perfect bacon and a slippery non-stick coating for years to come.
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
Warren is a cocktail blogger for Williams-Sonoma and also for Foodista.
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
wb
November 11, 2011
 Photo: Warren Bobrow Some musings by warren bobrow cocktail whisperer and author/Williams-Sonoma Cocktail writer
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m plenty passionate about oily, aged Rum. So much so that during the power failure a few short weeks ago- I warmed up the sailor’s way- drinking hot buttered rum. Not for the buzz- it was there- but to heat my bones from the inside out. Water heated on top of a Jotul woodstove just tastes better. Why? I don’t know- but it was 40 degrees in our kitchen and I didn’t feel like boiling water on the stove. The art studio- where we sleep has a woodstove that does a pretty darned good job heating that side of the house upstairs. It was about 73 degrees in there. Rather nice actually, but hard work keeping the stove going 24/7 for 6 days straight in sub-freezing weather. I loved toasting bread on top of the cooking plate. Crunchy goodness over a 600 degree stove!
IMG_3773 a little movie off my iPhone.
I wrote this piece about two weeks ago- We’ve lost electricity again. This time, instead of the mid-summer with broiling heat and extreme humidity, it’s about thirty degrees outside. I have two wood stoves singing along, yet the rest of the house is quite cold- I hope the pipes don’t freeze tonight. That would really make my week complete. The electricity is out because of a freak snowstorm that dumped in some places near here nearly nineteen inches of heavy, wet snow. We were fortunate that only about a foot fell. The trees made sounds like they were crying out, before they shattered with a sound not unlike gunfire and fell.. In mid- winter there would be a few limbs down more than usual after a storm like this. However this time the leaves have not fallen off the trees yet. Weighed down by hundreds of pounds of snow, the crowns of many of the oldest and most glorious trees have given in to the power of weight and fallen. A section of deer fencing sat pressed down by a rather large specimen tree and the omnipresent deer were curiously approaching the garden. I was able to nip this situation at the bud with the expeditious use of the chain saw and my scent that will keep them at bay for at least a couple of minutes. On our barn there used to be a flying pig weather vane. I just heard a massive crunch as another snow-laden branch has separated itself from the rest of the tree, smashing into the barn roof. Bye-bye pig.
Our radio weatherman is calling for sixty degrees by Thursday; this hint of warm weather cannot come any faster!
The Shoemaker’s Rickey. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Ed.,1 reads that the Rickey cocktail originated in a bar named Shoemaker’s. The first person to make this drink in the early part of the 20th Century enjoyed a recent import, the citrus fruit called a lime- in his cocktails. Either the pulp or the juice would do. The introduction of sparkling water and sugar or sugar syrup would be a festive way of enjoying Vermouth, Rum, and a host of other liquors. Soda fountains sported Rickey’s as a non-alcoholic version with lime- juice and seltzer water. Coconut cream and rum and lime made its debut served in a half of a coconut shell with a nod of the head towards the Tiki Bar craze that swept the nation in the forties, fifties and early sixties.
I propose a cocktail that speaks of the upcoming holiday named Thanksgiving in a citrus tinged, celebratory Rickey woven with the spirit of the holiday in mind.
The Shoemaker’s Rickey Redux (This cocktail serves two or more very comfortable drinks.)
Ingredients:
4 shots over-proof white rum (Think 151 or at least 100 proof)
Fee Brothers Mint Bitters or Angostura Bitters with chopped FRESH mint added
Mint simple syrup- prepare a batch of simple syrup- ¼ – ½ white sugar to ¾ water boil, cool, add 2 tablespoons of chopped mint, add more water if syrup is too granulated and refrigerate overnight, strain into a clear glass jar and use within two weeks. Must be kept refrigerated when not in use.
Freshly drawn Seltzer water
Juice and pulp from three limes
In a cocktail shaker fill ¼ with ice, add 4 shots of white rum, juice and pulp of 3 limes, and about 1½ shots or more of the mint simple syrup. Add the Mint Bitters or Angostura Bitters. Shake and strain into small coupe’ glasses and top with a cheery squirt of freshly drawn seltzer water.
Garnish with a few leaves of slapped mint. *How do you slap mint? Put a nice piece of freshly washed mint into your hand and slap the other hand into it. That motion releases the oils in a most effective manner. Editor’s note: My friend Adam Seger (HUM Liquor) taught me this.
This drink makes a fabulous and celebratory welcome to a cocktail party and can be served in a punch bowl, just count 2 shots of punch per person on volume. Place some old-fashioned Seltzer bottles on the side for ease of service!
I’m writing a piece for Foodista right now- on Scotch Whiskey. Here is the rub. I never did enjoy it. Not sure I do now and it’s causing me all kinds of problems. I am forced to be absolutely objective with a spirit that tastes differently from what I usually drink. That drink is rum. Sometimes Bourbon. Absolutely Botanical Gin. Quite possibly Absinthe and sometimes Calvados. So I return to Scotch. After leaving her as a teenager. The drinking age at that time was still 18- but I may have been younger. The occasion was one of those prep school parties. I was going to Morristown-Beard but had many friends from Gill St. Bernard’s where I attended school for ten years. One of my peers was quite a bit younger, but her family parties were legendary. Not because they were wild, far from. Sure, everyone got smashed- some didn’t make it home at all- but the ones who did- will never forget the liquor imbibed at this particular home. The owner of the home was a former secretary of the treasury. Life and business had been very kind to him. He invested well and amongst his investments were vast wine cellars and Scotch aging cellars. This man was fond of investments as well. He invested in Scotch Whisky futures.
Not as a monetary investment. He wanted the thirty year old Scotch to drink with his friends!
This gracious old man would sit in his garage wearing a tweed coat- in front of a blackened 55 gallon wood cask in front of him. A hole was cut out of the top. He had this ladle and he was pouring cups of his liquid fired investment into mugs for the crowd that had gathered. He was an extremely generous man with his priceless Whisky. But it was wasted on me. I just didn’t care for it.
I never tasted it again until I was in college. My roommate was very fond of Johnny Walker Black Label. I found it too smoky. I didn’t enjoy it any longer. The end.
Last night I did an informal tasting of Whisky and captured my thoughts for OKRA Magazine.
Pure lust is the first thing I taste when I drink Macallan Sherry Cask Scotch Whiskey. The nose is smoke, peat and wet wool shorn from sheep accustomed to living outdoors. There is a fire burning in the fireplace in the cottage and it is a slow burning peat fire- smoldering and giving off little bursts of wet soil, charred wood, more wet wool, sweet toffee and a lingering, charming -dried fruit finish. The Sherry nose is immediately apparent through the attack of sweet/spicy and the sophisticated elegance is long lasting in your glass. There is no doubt that this is Scotch Whisky (spelled without an e)
So I didn’t forget you Scotch. I just wasn’t ready to drink you again. Now, at fifty years of age- I can say hello Whisky. In small metered amounts of course.
************************
Leslie Carothers is one of my friends. She is a creative, design driven internet personality who types with a smile. Her enthusiasm brims with positive energy and the use of the media (Twitter) for her craft. She engaged my cocktail writing services and continues to test my creative sensibilities. Plus, it’s fun to be creative for her! I like what I do for her- and her guidance and creativity is refreshing.
To toast the debut today of http://spiritofsports.com, a site dedicated to selling the work of artists and artisans producing fine art, sculpture and luxury gifts searchable by your favorite sports activities, like tennis, sailing, golf, fishing, etc. I’ve mixed up this delicious cocktail! Please join me in toasting the success of Spirit of Sports!
Also, please notice the beautiful design work of Lisa Ferguson, Jennifer Brouwer, Michelle Jennings Wiebe and Jacqueline Corea on their homepage! All of these designers can be found giving you great design tips for your living rooms and family rooms on http://decormentor.com as you prepare your homes for entertaining for the upcoming Super Bowl and London 2012 Olympic season!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are their social media channel URLS:
http://twitter.com/SpiritofSports
http://facebook,com/SpiritofSports
I created a cocktail called the Finish Line Cocktail for Leslie and Spirit of Sports. Cheers and enjoy!
The Finish Line Cocktail
This drink speaks to our desire for flavor with that special spark. Crisp and tangy citrus with cool mint and aromatic rum. A WIN WIN!
2 shots White Rum
1 tangerine segmented
1/4 grapefruit (for muddling)
1 lemon juiced
1/4 lemon (for muddling)
1/4 lime (for muddling)
Spearmint for muddling and garnish
Simple Syrup or Agave Syrup
Aromatic cocktail bitters (available most everyplace)
In a mixing glass, muddle fruit segments to a nice pulp.. Add a few leaves of mint and continue to muddle. Add a few splashes of Simple Syrup
Add White Rum, Add a few shakes of Angostura Bitters
Ice to a mixing glass (about 1/2 full)
Add muddled citrus/rum/mint mixture to ice
Shake until shaker is nice and frosty, then strain into a small coupe’ glass
Garnish with fresh mint and sip your way to an early finish!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My small request is to visit the web-page of my friend Veronika Miller. Veronika allows me the honor of publishing a Friday Cocktail on her gorgeous site. Please leave me a comment if you have the time. Cheers! wb
To support our mission and passion for good storytelling, please help support my work and make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: Wild River Donation.
Wild River Review/Wild Table editor, Warren Bobrow grew up on a Biodynamic farm in Morristown, NJ. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston- with a degree in Film, he spent his senior year of college as a research assistant in visual thinking. (Center for Advanced Visual Studies @ MIT)
To learn more about Warren, click here: Wild River Review.
Please follow me on Twitter @WarrenBobrow1
Blue Hill/Stone Barns: Time Exists in Harmony with Nature
WILD TABLE – Billy Reid: Bourbon, Branch and a Splash of Southern Lore
Who owns the rights to work published in Wild River Review?
All work published in the pages of Wild River Review belongs to the magazine.
For print publication, please contact: info@wildriverreview.com
We welcome online links, but you must be fully credited with a link back to the Wild River Review website.
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
 wb
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