My new blog

After a long absence from blogging I have returned on another site. I like the functionality over MySpace, so come check it out. I'll still be checking in, but I'm writting over there...http://elixirsf.blogspot.com/

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"Amateur Night"
Current mood: worried

Brace yourselves. This is the night most bar people fear. All hell breaks loose in a frenzy of too many shots on stomachs with not enough food. There's usually too much mixing of things that should not be mixed, statements better left in your head and signs of affection released from the dungeons of pent up frustration. Let the games begin and when it's all over, come in for a Bloody Maria, a shot of Fernet and a glass of soda water with bitters.

Read my latest piece of press about Hangover Cures, here: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/29/WIGM1N66MU1.DTL (written by Camper English)

We're open all night, with no cover (as usual), a free toast at midnight and all the usual characters...including an unusal one: my Mom. We're also open tomorrow at 1:30 for the football games and we'll have the Bloody Mary bar going.

See you soon (though you probably won't remember...)

Currently listening : Live at Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve 1995 By Phish Release date: 20 December, 2005

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My Christmas Present: A Barrel of Bourbon
Current mood: giddy
Category: Parties and Nightlife

I bought my first barrel of bourbon this week. It's something I've always wanted to do and I think Elixir finally has enough real whiskey drinkers to merit it.

So, this is how it works: Whiskey is aged in storehouses and on multiple levels, not only on racks, but sometimes on different floors as well. Due to temperature differences in those locations, the spirit inside a barrel will age differently depending on its location in the storehouse. This applies to any barrel-aged spirit. Because of geographic effects on climate differences, the amount of time a spirit is aged can vary. For example, in Kentucky there is a 100 degree temperature swing throughout the year; in Scotland, the swing is more subtle; in Mexico, there's not much of a swing. When the temperature changes, the wood expands and contracts, forcing the spirit in and out of the wood at different rates and for different durations. All of this has varying effects on the eventual flavor of the end product (as does the make-up of the barrrel...but that's another story).

So, when a whiskey maker makes a single malt (the same whiskey from the same distillery, as opposed to a blend of different whiskeys), they will generally take the whiskey from multiple selected barrels and blend them to make one large batch of whiskey with the same flavor profile. When the distiller decides that a particular barrel from a set is not up to par with the rest, it is usually utilized for a lower grade or commodity bottling (like a "well" breand).

In this case, I was given the opportunity to taste and select amongst 6 different individual barrels of Eagle Rare 10 Year old bourbon. My friends Thomas Waugh, from Range, and Josh Duford from Elixir, sat in on the tasting and gave me their feedback as well. We took our time and eventually I came to the decision that Barrel No.129 was the one I liked best. It had a beautiful nose, was very well balanced on the palate and maintained a long finish that was sweet and spicy. It was excellent neat, with a few drops of water and in some cocktail trials. I will post my tasting notes here at a later date, but my thanks to Thomas and Josh for their insight and to Bill Hart for bringing the samples.

The first bottles will arrive in early March and we'll have a party to celebrate. In the meantime, please be sure to come by on Thursdays in January and February to meet some amazing whiskey personalities and learn a lot about Whiskey. All the info is right here: www.elixirsf.com/cocktailclub.htm See you then!

Currently listening : Streams of Whiskey: Live in Leysin, Switzerland By The Pogues Release date: 13 August, 2002

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US Bartenders Guild
Current mood: hung over
Category: hung over Food and Restaurants

Last night was the annual holiday party for the USBG San Francisco Chapter. If you do not know about the USBG and are a bartender that is dedicated to the craft, check it out here: http://www.usbg.org/

It is admittedly not the most organized group in the world, but we're working on that here in San Francisco and our local membership is growing regularly with some great bartenders from some of the most well equipped bars and restaurants. If you've been behind a poorly equipped, you know that it's hard to make the drinks you want. So, my point about the bars themselves is that they have the right management and mentality to provide superior cocktails. That combined with these skilled craftsmen (and women) is what makes San Francisco such a focal point for the global cocktail world. Our cocktail culture here really is quite amazing.

So last night was an "industry night" unlike any other. We had a lot of fun and went to some great bars. Thanks to all of our sponsors and hosts.

If you'd like to join the local chapter of the USBG, please contact me and I'll get you started. You won't regret it.

Currently listening : Carnavas By Silversun Pickups Release date: 25 July, 2006

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Elixir del Dia: The Irish Coffee
Current mood: caffinated
Category: caffinated Food and Restaurants

Ok, so I haven't blogged in a long time. I've had some home office issues and some computer issues, but I think they are resolved.  So here's the second (se La Bella Margarita below) of a series I plan to do looking at cocktail recipes, new and old. I call it Elixir del Dia, and it's cold outside...so the second one is the Irish Coffee.

My article was requested for publication by Marcia at Tablehopper.com and was released in her Dec 19th newsletter, so check out her site and sign up for her newsletter. You can read it here: http://www.tablehopper.com/2006/12/wino-h-joseph-ehrmann-on-irish-coffee.html

Currently listening : Trying to Never Catch Up By What Made Milwaukee Famous Release date: 22 August, 2006

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Elixir del Dia: La Bella Margarita

If you've been to Elixir, you know that we have a ton of tequila. And what else would you want on Cinco de Mayo weekend? I thought that since I'll be doing a Margarita class this evening that maybe I'd practice a bit by writing a quick entry on the Margarita.

I'm not going to go on and on about the history of the drink or anything too fancy. If you want to know that stuff, it is easy enough to do the research on the web. There are lots of sites out there with great information. I'll be posting a list of those sites soon on the Elixir website.

All I wanted to do was discuss how to make a good margarita. So let's begin with the basics: fresh Lime, good tequila and a sweetner. That's it. That's all you need. Whether or not you believe different stories about hoiw it begin or where or by who, a good margarita only needs those three things (and ice, of course).

To make one glass:

Start with a 10-12 ounce glass full of fresh ice. Use whatever glass you like. Don't let anyone tell what glass to use. It's your drink, damnit.

Take a nice, green lime and roll it against the table top with the ball of your hand until you feel the lime get a bit softer. This will help your juicing effort. It also helps to use a lime at room temperature, as the juice will flow more freely. Cut the very ends off of the lime (about the size of a nickle). This will also make your juicing easier. Then cut the lime in half across the center, leaving the two ends that you cut off at the tips of your two halves. Place one half in a lime squeezer with the exposed pulp toward the holes in the juicer (you can buy these squeezers at Bed, Bath and Beyond or other house-oriented stores) and squeeze the juice into your glass. Repeat with the other half. If you like pulp in your drink, take each squeezed half and pinf the sides together in your hand so that the excess pulp comes out of the top. Scrape that along the edge of your glass and you can put that pulp in your drink. I like this because it gives texture. It's the "Country Style" version, just like the orange juice you can buy in the store.

Now that you have your lime juice, add a shot of a good blanco/silver/plata (three names for the same thing) tequila. I like blanco tequilas because they are sharper and mix really well, creating a more refreshing drink. When you use a Reposado or Añejo, you get a mellower flavor, which works well with the right recipe. In this classic, simple version, I recommend a blanco (but make sure it is 100% blue agave!) The size of the shot is up to you, but I recommend 1.5-2 ounces in this size glass.

For a sweetner, you can use a classic like Cointreau or Patron Citronge. These are high quality Orange Curacao products (low alcohol spirits with orange peel and spices in them) that make nice Margaritas.  You could also use Organic Agave nectar, a biproduct of tequila production that is about 1.5 times sweeter than regular sugar but has a lower glycemic index (great for diabetics). It also has a wonderful flavor. Lastly, you could use simple syrup, a 50/50 mix of water and sugar (simply boil a set amount of water, say 1 cup, and add the same amount of sugar - remove from the heat and dissolve). My personal favorite: Agave nectar (try the sweetener section of Whole Foods or other quality food markets).

Now, pour the whole mixture into a cocktail shaker and refill your glass with new, fresh ice. Shake the hell out of it and strain it into your glass. Fresh ice is important, don't overlook it. You'll notice the difference.

Then, as my father use to say, "Drink the heck out of it."

Some people have asked me to provide a pitcher version. I say, make them individually and make everyone make their own. It's fun and gets everyone involved. Everyone should know how to make a good margarita!

And by all means, don't let salt get anywhere near your Margarita.

Cheers...

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Historic Cocktail Party
Category: Parties and Nightlife

Ok, so this is not really a blog entry per se, but it is something I'm excited about and wanted others to know about. In this historic "Quake Week" we've got a pretty cool party...

For more info on this historic event and party, check out the Elixir Events page now! http://www.elixirsf.com/events.htm

We'll also be launching Anchor Distillery's new Hoatling's Whiskey. Come try this new product bottled just this week (after almost 11 years of barrel aging) to commerate the survival of Hoatling's Distilery through the 1906 Quake and Fire. More information on Hoatling's Whiskey, can be found on our website.

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WOW

Whiskies Of The World (WOW) was this past Friday and Saturday. It's supposedly the largest Whiskey Expo and certainly one of the boozier events I've been to. Thanks to all of my great whiskey friends for attending with me and to all of my friends in the whiskey distilleries who shared such great products and stories. There are a lot of characters in the depths of the world's great distilleries. One of the coolest things about this branch of the booze world is that so much of the product is made by super small companies, by families that stretch generations into the craft and their webs of dedicated friends. These products are so good because the people that make them are so into it. You don't have much employee turnover and the only thing comparable to it, as far as family business goes, is the wine industry.

Speaking of wine, a spirits tasting is not like a wine tasting. You can't go glass to glass and expect to come out alive. It's a much more refined, well-paced affair. There's a lot of nosing, looking and talking. Not much spitting, but slower tasting. Remember that next time someone invites you to a spirits tasting.

So here are some of my finds:

UNIQUE : Compass Box - I had only heard of this label until I met the Founder and Whisky Maker, John Glaser. He used to be with Johnnie Walker and went out on his own to create this distillery and these fine blends. His marketing is unique using names like Asyla and Eleuthera and his product lineup spans the Scotch palate. My favorite: Hedonism, a wonderfully rare 100% Sctoch grain whisky and Orangerie, a spicy and orangy Scotch whisky infusion; more like a dessert drink, but not as sweet as Macallan's new Amber product. More subtle and Scotch focused. I loved it as the most unique product at the event.

PAIRING: Laphroaig 15 year and Scharfenberger Dark Chocolate - Wow. I was introduced to this at the Friday Laphroaig (la-froyg)seminar; not that I haven't paired whiskey and chocolate, but this particular pairing is great. Definitely making it to my menu. I'll be placing an order for small Scharfenbergers this week and look forward to pairing them with my other whiskies.

ENTERTAINING: The Great Whiskey Debate on Friday at the seminars. To remarkably entertaining characters from starkly different culures, defending their style of whiskey and their product line-ups: Bourbon vs. Scotch. Fred Noe, great-grandson of Jim Beam, vs. a kilt-laden Simon Brookings of The Dalmore. Fred's no-holds-barred, Southern-style story-telling was strewn with frank profanity and ribald anecdotes from his life growing up in the Jim Beam dynasty, while Simon's physical comedy reminded me of a Steve Martin SNL skit from the late 70s. The two are obvious friends pooking fun at each other the whole time. A great show. I didn't learn much about the whiskeys, but I was greatly entertained.

NEW PRODUCT: Anchor's Hoatling's Whiskey. A new version of their Rye recipe, this time aged 11 years in USED bourbon barrels, ala Scotch master style. A unique approach from a unique company. This product isn't even out yet. Evertime I see Fritz Maytag at an event I think "This guy needs a drink". What a character. But he makes great beer, wine and whiskey. A total original.

That's all for now. Drink up and I hope to see some of you at our Mission Industry Night every Monday (starting tonnght)! Cheers.

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Tequilme

So it's St. Patty's Day, my bar has been open since 9am and I'm rollin' outta the house at 3pm. That's what I call a good night.

Last night I took part in a Tequila function for the Museum of the American Cocktail, Dale Degroff's non-profit venture bringing some cool history of our trade to the public. It was at Tres Agaves and there were a number of fun people and great bartenders there, many of which I just saw in Vegas. Julio walked us through a selection of Gran Centenario, Partida and El Tesoro (long one of my favorites) and Dale made a selection of classic tequila cocktails along with some originals. It was a great little event but boy did it set the night on fire.

Nothing like multiple rounds of tequila tasting, including cocktails to ensure a hungover St.Patty's Day! Time to go to work and focus on the crowds about to be released from their offices. Should be a long and fun night!

Please check out: www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org and join up!

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The Booze Show

Early last week I went to the Nightclub and Bar Show in Las Vegas. Next to the Porn Show, this has to be the most deboucerous excuse for a professional event I can think of. The only thing that could top it would be the Cocaine Show.

You walk in the door and are greated by strippers (excuse me, models) carrying trays of booze samples, saying (essentially) "try this booze, it's better than that booze". It's like walking into a super hot sauna. BAM! You're hit with a wave of sensory overload that makes you think "Man, this is gonna hurt tomorrow."

Strolling the aisles this year, I really had no particular business objective other than to network in the industry and seek out cost savings ideas, marketing ideas and maybe some new products. In the end, I met tons of cool people and found all three, which I guess makes it a successful business trip.

The annual competition for who has the most visited booth had to go to Red Bull. They essentially build a small club, complete with a central DJ both and go-go girls and they have possibly the most central piece of real estate in the show. I'm neither a club guy or a Red Bull guy, so I didn't spend anytime there, but I passed it a dozen times and it was always packed, as if it were a beach bar on two Saturday and Sunday bluebird afternoons. I didn't see this at Comdex when I was a Silicon Valley jerk.

The most fun booth was certainly Fernet. Antoinette, Becky et al were going off like it was Friday night...and that was at 11am on Tuesday...the SECOND day. Apparently some uptight suit douchbags near their booth complained about their rock and roll approach to building a huge brand and cried to the powers that be. Again, douchbags. Rock on girls. See you at Elixir on the 27th for the launch of our Mission Industry Night.  

The most watched booth was once again the Taser booth. If I wanted to ensure that my booth got a lot of exposure, I'd find out where these guys are and set up shop across from them. You'd have a hard time pulling people away, but if you wait until after they "tase" a couple of foolhearty volunteers, they move on and that's when you pounce (unless they were the "tesee").

The funniest mishap rumour I heard was that the Girls Gone Wild bus had a small plumbing problem. They had this massive tour bus inside the show and guys were lined up to go inside. I can only imagine that there must of been lap dances or the sort going on, but I didn't investigate. The line looked like a bunch of guys who owned sports bars in Ohio. Anyway, apparently someone (I'm sure it wasn't one of those lovely, highly-educated college girls) pulled the wrong plug and allowed the on-board septic tank to drain all over the floor, unleashing a flood of poop. Funny, the bus wasn't there on the second day...

The night parties, dinners, official events and freeflowing booze make this a long 48 hours. I recovered by Friday, in time for my weekend shifts. All in all it wasa fun and worthwhile trip. I'm looking forward to next year!

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