My Bar, Your Bar: A Crazy Idea For Amateur Mixology

An Open Letter to the Cocktail Community:

Dear fellow home-mixologists,

For several years we've shared recipes, advice, and secrets that have helped all of us in our search for the perfect cocktail. I'm personally grateful to many of you for your insights that have helped me develop this hobby, and I hope that my thoughts have been valuable to you as well.

But if there is a time for talk, there is also a time for action, and that time is now. I suggest a revolutionary, perhaps even insane, idea: that we mix for each other. What I am suggesting is a rotating booze-potluck hosted by a different forum regular each time. Guests would either bring cash or a bottle for the cause. (I'm thinking hosts might even create registries of bottles they're missing.)

Of course, before this happens we'd need to meet up in person to make sure that we're all cool with each other, but given the personalities on this board I don't think it'd be too much of an issue (you know, with self-selection and all that.)

I have no idea if any of you are down with this idea at all, at least in theory. If you are, and have you own suggestions as to how this would work, I'm totally open to them. In the meantime, I attach my own menu that I have been serving to my friends, and hope that it piques your interest.

Let me know what you think!

--Jared


Summer 2010

GIN
Anthurium – gin, Aperol, lime, blackberry, agave nectar, basil
Richmond Gimlet – gin, lime, mint

RUM
Caipirinha -- cachaça, lime, demerara syrup
Cat's Pyjamas – aged gold rum, lemon, honey syrup
Daisy de Santiago – aged gold rum, lime, yellow Chartreuse, seltzer
Jamaican Julep – Jamaican rum, demerara syrup, pineapple juice, mint
Queens Park Swizzle – demerara rum, lime, mint, Angostura bitters
Ranglum – dark rum, lime, falernum
Stormy Weather – aged gold rum, sweet vermouth, ginger liqueur, seltzer

BRANDY
Prescription Julep – cognac, rye, mint
Vieux Carré – cognac, rye, sweet vermouth, Bénedictine, Peychaud’s & Angostura bitter
Widow’s Kiss – apple brandy, yellow chartreuse, Bénedictine, Angostura bitters

TEQUILA & MEZCAL
Agony and Ecstasy – mezcal, grapefruit, St. Germain, chipotle, ginger beer
Dos Flores – silver tequila, lavender syrup, lemon, rose water, orange bitters
Maximillian Affair – reposado tequila, St. Germain, Punt y Mes, lemon juice
Paloma, mi Amante – strawberry-infused reposado tequila, lime, grapefruit soda
Pearl of Puebla – mezcal, yellow chartreuse, lime, agave nectar, absinthe, basil
Speaking in Tongues – mezcal, strawberry, amaro, lemon, Angostura and Peychaud’s

WHISKEY
Ascot – bourbon, Amaretto, peach bitters, star anise
Garrett County Old-Fashioned – bacon-infused bourbon, maple syrup, Angostura
Modern Modern – scotch, Jamaican rum, lemon juice, absinthe, orange bitters
Most Fashionable – PVW 12yr bourbon, demerara syrup, orange twist, Fee’s barrel aged
Percy – rye, rosemary syrup, Peychaud's bitters, Cointreau

jsagoff wrote:An Open Letter to the Cocktail Community:
...

But if there is a time for talk, there is also a time for action, and that time is now. I suggest a revolutionary, perhaps even insane, idea: that we mix for each other.

FWIW, I think this is an exciting though not quite revolutionary idea. What you suggest has lots of precedents in one-time and recurring LTH events, off the top of my head: the tequila tasting hosted by the FIGS a few years ago, to ronnie_suburban et al cocktail-making at the annual picnic, to the homebrew conference organized by David Hammond more recently, to the regular food exchanges. It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of the type of event you'd like to see. My recommendation would be to pick a date and post it on the Events board. You're also probably more likely to get feedback on the event structure there. I hope it takes off!

Personally I think it is an interesting idea, it would probably get me to start playing around with mixing again. I would be happy to bring a bottle/mixer/cash to anyone willing to host, my one issue would be that my own space is not really suited to this type of event (or really any other entertaining.)

SSDD

Did I miss Hammond's homebrew event?

nr706 wrote:Did I miss Hammond's homebrew event?

Shoot. Did I make that up? I have a vague recollection of an event that I did not attend--maybe it was organized by JimTheBeerGuy and not DH?--where a small group of homebrewers got together and sampled each other's work. Signs of aging...dreaming up LTH events.

happy_stomach wrote:

nr706 wrote:Did I miss Hammond's homebrew event?

Shoot. Did I make that up? I have a vague recollection of an event that I did not attend--maybe it was organized by JimTheBeerGuy and not DH?--where a small group of homebrewers got together and sampled each other's work. Signs of aging...dreaming up LTH events.

I know Jim talked about something like that a while back...

SSDD

headcase wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:

nr706 wrote:Did I miss Hammond's homebrew event?

Shoot. Did I make that up? I have a vague recollection of an event that I did not attend--maybe it was organized by JimTheBeerGuy and not DH?--where a small group of homebrewers got together and sampled each other's work. Signs of aging...dreaming up LTH events.

I know Jim talked about something like that a while back...

I could have sworn I saw something on the events board... Anyway, my point was just that it's not entirely unheard of for LTHers to get together to swap/make food/drink.

Well, hyperbole or no, I hope to get some people who might be interested. Who'd like to participate, at least in theory? You are not obliged to host, but I hope that we will get people who are interested in hosting.

Also, I'm going to keep it confined to the "StD" forum, not Events, since I feel like I've gotten to "know" the regulars in this forum more so than the site at large. Plus, I'm figuring that I'm hoping for a group of around 4-8 people, since any more and you get an unwieldy size.

Hammond's homebrew get-together did not happen but perhaps Tom and I can organize something again, last time was fun. David can come too if he wants

Jared,

This sounds like a great idea and I'd definitely like to participate.

Thanks, for taking the initiative.

=R=

I've been leading a mixology co-op in Chicago, with each meeting focusing on a theme. For example, we've done bourbon versus rye, Green Chartreuse, comparison of vermouths in Campari cocktails, etc. We get together once a month. I think yours is a great idea, and I'd love to participate!

I would definitely be interested in participating, even though I'm not a "regular" on the Something to Drink subforum. I think your current menu sounds amazing. This should inspire me to get back into creative cocktail mode.

I'd be interested...there's a chance I could host down the line, as well. But, that said, I'm wondering if there are any public places where this sort of thing could happen legally? Logan Square Kitchen? (I'm sure cost would end up being their undoing...)

I have some menus for parties I've thrown in the past, largely classic riffs and Violet Hour inspired, but also quite a few personal creations. I'm happy to share.

So glad to have gotten such a good response! Right now I have the following interested:

me
Ronnie
pamiam
chinkyeeboy
kl1191
headcase (?)

(sorry I don't know your real names yet)

Maybe we should arrange a meeting at the Violet Hour or In Fine Spirits or somewhere to work out the details in person. I'll send out DMs to see if there's a good evening for us all to make each other's acquaintance.

jsagoff wrote:So glad to have gotten such a good response! Right now I have the following interested:

me
Ronnie
pamiam
chinkyeeboy
kl1191
headcase (Yes -- Jeff)

(sorry I don't know your real names yet)

Maybe we should arrange a meeting at the Violet Hour or In Fine Spirits or somewhere to work out the details in person. I'll send out DMs to see if there's a good evening for us all to make each other's acquaintance.

This sounds awesome! Is there room for one more? I have plenty of friends who are happy to let me mix them drinks, but not really any who are into mixology themselves. It would be great to be able to have a group to help hone the craft.

Sure, Eli! That's seven. I think we should cap at 10 because that will likely give us a quorum for any particular night, but not get out of hand.

I'm definitely interested, but I have to admit, your menu is pretty intimidating. I know I don't have the time or resources to put together anything that extensive, I'd be lucky if I could come up with 2 or 3 original creations. If we were to do something along the lines of an exchange, though, I'd be all for it.

-Dan

geno55 wrote:I'm definitely interested, but I have to admit, your menu is pretty intimidating. I know I don't have the time or resources to put together anything that extensive, I'd be lucky if I could come up with 2 or 3 original creations. If we were to do something along the lines of an exchange, though, I'd be all for it.

-Dan

About 1/2 of the list above is either classics, modern published recipes or minor tweaks on the same (and that's just counting what I recognize), so I wouldn't be too concerned about producing a mammoth volume of original work. Personally, the cocktail lists for parties I've done tend to be in the 8-9 drink range, with maybe 3 well-made classics, 3 modern creations of excellent provenance that are probably not familiar to everyone and 2 or 3 personal specialties.

I suppose it really matters what you want to do; I wasn't actually thinking that one person would present and entire menu, but a couple of people could present one or two, and then as a group feedback could be gained, and tweaking could occur. Or perhaps pick a base spirit or ingredient once a month, or quarterly or whatever, and everyone could come up with a recipe.... whether from research or experimentation.

Of course doing it that way, it really becomes an in person version of "Mixology Monday"....

SSDD

Yeah, very little of what I've done has been original. Most of the drinks that I have on my list come from my research online. (Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Paul Clarke, and Marilyn at Sloshed! have been instrumental in introducing me to simply awesome drinks).

On the menu I shared, the only drinks that are truly my own creation are the Dos Flores (which is basically just a tweaked tequila sour a.k.a. margarita) and the Percy (which is basically a tweaked sazerac.) The Cat's Pyjamas is a riff on a Bee's Knees and otherwise the drinks come from The Violet Hour (Jamaican Julep), Sable (Speaking in Tongues), The Drawing Room (Anthurium), Drink in Boston (Agony and Ecstasy, Maximillian Affair), PDT in New York (bacon old-fashioned) and online.

I guess that's just a long way of saying that with an hour or two of browsing recipes online and a few nights at the bar you can quickly and easily decide on a ten or a dozen drinks that you think are awesome, even if you don't have the patience, finances, or technique to truly invent from scratch. Don't be intimidated by the fact I've listed close to two dozen cocktails; most of it is pure (but delicious) plagiarism.

I think I worded my argument a little awkwardly. I recognize that a lot of those on the menu are classics and not originals, my issue rests with the size of the menu that the host would be presenting and the format of the event. It just doesn't seem fun to have one person slaving away each time while everyone else gets to enjoy themselves. If I wanted to be put in that position, I'd quit my job and become a bartender (believe me, I've thought about it ). I'm inclined to favor something like headcase's suggestions, where the work is spread out among several people per event. Either that, or the host could make drinks ahead of time and pour out of pitchers, but some drinks don't lend themselves well to that. This discussion might be more suitable at the preliminary meetup.