Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Tales of the Cocktail - Days 3 and 4

On Thursday night, after the spirited dinners, most of the Chicago contingent got together for a toast outside the Old Absinthe House. Like last year, it was one of my favorite nights - we had a great time, just hanging out and talking with everyone.



Some Highlights from Days 3 and 4 Sessions

  • Low Country Libations - I had the opportunity to taste some really interesting aged genevers from the Low Country, namely Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland, and learn more about the spirit. We also tried some whiskey, and some wine, made in the region.
  • Sugar: The Science of Sweet - we tried a variety of types of sweeteners, talked about a few more, and got a scientific explanation of them as well. It was fascinating. I hope to play around with some additional options in the near future.
  • Hollywood Cocktails - in the most entertaining session I attended, we learned about some famous cocktails from the golden age of Hollywood - who drank them, how they became popular, etc.
I'll likely be writing more about all of these topics in future posts.

Other Highlights
  • Our friends Tim Lacey and Cristi DeLucca from the Drawing Room competed in the Leblon Caipirinha competition on Friday night. Unfortunately they didn't win, but they put on a good show and represented Chicago well.
  • The Bartender's Breakfast on Saturday night followed the funeral procession for a bad drink (this year, the Red Headed Slut was buried), and it was a blast - good drinks, music, and a great crowd - it was must better orchestrated than last year (when we gave up on getting in, despite being on the list). For those who haven't attended, this one starts at midnight and goes as long as you do. I got home around 4 am.

2 comments:

Nijma said...

Off topic, but I'm looking for Stone's Green Ginger Wine in the Chicago area, and I saw a comment you made about seeing it at a local liquor store. Can you tell me where I might find this? Thanks.

~Sonja~ said...

The last time I saw it (a couple of months ago, at most), I was at Sam's Wine & Spirits in Chicago (Lincoln Park) store - it was on the gin aisle, next to the vermouth. Unfortunately, when I was there last, it wasn't there. I didn't have a chance to ask if it was moved, or if it was gone. I haven't seen it since then, but am planning to ask the next time I'm there. Haven't seen it otherwise recently. I'll post an update here if I come across it, I'll be at some older stores this week.