File Under: Label Porn

 

I don't plan on writing too much about wine on here (although I do love it), but I'm a whore for good design, and bottle labels are a great outlet for creativity. One design site I've stumbled across (and you should too) is TheDieline.com, which has a special category for wine and spirits packaging. After fawning over all of the lovely pictures, I thought I would share these amusing wine designs for some graphic art inspiration: R Wines' Luchador Shiraz by Brooklyn-based design duo Morning Breath, Hesperian's Anatomy Cabernet Sauvignon by CF Napa in (duh) Napa, Calif., and the Mollydooker wine series by MASH design in Adelaide, Australia. Art on!

Ingredient of the Day: Zipang Sparkling Sake

At last night's World Cocktail Day party at Pranna, this light and sweet sparkling sake was used to top many of the cocktails in lieu of soda water or champagne. Imported by sake producer Gekkeikan, the naturally carbonated sake is infused with tropical fruits to give it an extra zip, if you will. It comes in single-serving sized bottles (250 ml priced at $6), and should be served cold.

Try it in: 

The Blueberry Collins by Plymouth Gin Ambassador Simon Ford

2 oz. gin (Plymouth)

1 oz. ginger liqueur (Domaine de Canton)

1 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. simple syrup

handful of blueberries

Zipang Sparkling Sake

Muddle blueberries in a tall glass. Add other ingredients and ice, top with sparkling sake. Gently stir.

Dizzy Recap: Hendrick's Croquet Tourney

Props must be given to Metromix for their thorough coverage of Tuesday's 2nd Annual Hendrick's Gin Croquet Tournament, which invited top bartenders to compete on a pristine lawn in the Financial District while donning whimsical vintage sportswear. I wasn't there, but Ben and Gardner were, although they were pretty tired from celebrating Ben's birthday the night before. Even so, gin cocktails were had (all in a hard day's work), as were cucumber sandwiches. Congrats to the team from Macao for coming in first place. It's great to see a mainstream site like Metromix digging into the cocktail niche, and they also had a photographer at last night's World Cocktail Day fundraiser, which I will be recapping here as well, as soon as my headache clears and the photos are ready. 

File Under: Sipping & Swinging

If you're looking for an alternative to a sweaty, packed happy hour where you spend more time trying to get the bartender's attention than actually enjoying your drink, mix up your routine with the Night Time jazz and cocktail event at The Night Hotel every Thursday from 6-9 p.m. through June 2. Crooner Marcus Goldhaber and the Jon Davis Trio, featuring: Jon Davis (piano), Pat O'Leary (bass), and Willard Dyson (drums) perform syncopated standards along the lines of Frank Sinatra that will transport you a world away from the bustle of the Theater District. I was there with a friend last week, and we both agreed that the hotel lounge's black-and-white setting paired with the jazz would make for a great date. The cocktail menu is more of the sweet, clubby variety (Sparkling White Grape Cosmo, Chocolate Truffletini), but I had the Citrus-Berry Mojito (Barcardi Limon, fresh raspberries, mint) and was happily sipping away. The performance was stirring and nostalgic, and it was refreshing to see musicians so comfortable in their element.

Ingredient of the Day: Orange Bitters

Orange Bittters are an essential ingredient for many classic cocktails. Made from the dried peel of unripe sour or bitter oranges steeped in gin or grain alcohol, the orange character and supporting spices add depth and a subtle flavor with just a few dashes. Bitters became hard to find after 1906 following the Food and Drug Act because their medicinal properties could no longer be proven. Thanks to the cocktail renaissance, this ingredient is back in production, and at the same time, many bartenders are choosing to make their own. Popular brands include Regan's Orange Bitters #6, Fee Brothers, The Bitter Truth, and Angostura Orange Bitters.

Try it in:

The Martinez adapted by Jamie Boudreau

2 oz. gin (try Plymouth)

1 oz. sweet vermouth (try Cinzano)

1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur

1 dash Regan's orange bitters

1 dash Fee's orange bitters

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until the glass starts to frost. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with a citrus twist.

Hello World, and Happy Cocktail Day!

It's World Cocktail Day! What better day to get this blog on NYC cocktails and culture up and running? Today is the 203rd Anniversary of the Great American Cocktail. On this day in 1806, the cocktail was defined in a Hudson, N.Y., newspaper as a "stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters it is vulgarly called a bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said also, to be of great use to a democratic candidate: because, a person having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow anything else." Fuddle away!

Tonight I will be attending the World Cocktail Day Fundraiser at Pranna, and I'll get you all of the dizzying post-event details. Nineteen of the top mixologists (in the country, let alone NYC) will be slinging all sorts of libations to help raise money for the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans. I'm expecting to see Dale DeGroff, David Wondrich, Gary Regan, Audrey Saunders, Julie Reiner, Allen Katz, Charlotte Voisey, and Aisha Sharpe, among others (including my very own roommate, Gardner Dunn!) This event wraps up World Cocktail Week, although for many in the cocktail world, that doesn't mean much--this is one of the busiest months as bars and brands get ready for a spirited summer.

This is just the beginning for The Dizzy Fizz (call it the beta stage, if you will). Be sure to check back often as I add more features, bells, and whistles. For now, click on my page listing the best NYC Cocktail Bars and let me know if there are any bars missing that you think deserve to be there. Although there are plenty of establishments in this city serving tantalizing drinks, I wanted to recommend those with serious cocktail programs. At the bottom of the page you'll see my email address; feel free to say hello.

File Under: Recipe Smackdown

 

Everyone who's anyone in the world of cocktails will be in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail July 8th-12th (um, except me, unless a recession fairy sprinkles some gold under my pillow). But wait! Coming to the rescue of one lucky mixologist (or amateur!) is the Hotel Monteleone, a historic hotel in the French Quarter. To mark the 60th anniversary of the hotel's Carousel Bar, the hotel is holding a cocktail contest, and the deadline is fast approaching. The story is, from the time the bar opened in 1949 until the '60s or '70s, there was a drink on the menu called the Monteleone. Sadly, no one can remember or find the recipe, so herein lies your chance to come up with a concoction worthy to be the namesake. The recipes will be judged by VIPs who will be at the Carousel's anniversary celebration on May 21. There are no requirements on types of liquor or style of drink, just make sure you email the recipe (along with your name, address, and phone number) to athornton@hotelmonteleone.com by May 18. The winning entry will become the new official Monteleone Cocktail, and the winner will receive four free nights at the Hotel Monteleone during Tales of the Cocktail 2009. I'll have to see if I can come up with something exceptional. Best of luck to all!

Ingredient of the Day: Beefeater 24

If you haven't tried Beefeater's new edition yet, Beefeater 24, get thee to a decent cocktail bar or liquor store. Named after its 24-hour steeping process prior to distillation, this variety of the London dry gin has toned down the juniper and includes a mix of 12 botanicals. A blend of rare Japanese sencha and Chinese green teas, grapefruit and Seville orange peels, bitter almond, and orris root are some of the more prominent flavor notes, and the overall taste is smooth and subtly aromatic. Created by Master Distiller Desmond Payne with the cocktail enthusiast in mind, Beefeater 24 is inspired by the fact that Beefeater's founder, James Burrough, was the son of a tea merchant. Stateside, it's only available in New York and San Francisco for now, so consider yourself lucky to get a taste from this crafty new bottle.

Try it in:

The 24 Martini by Beefeater Brand Ambassador Dan Warner

2 oz. Beefeater 24

1/3 oz. Lillet

3 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a citrus peel.