Bonus Sazerac!
I challenged myself to post 28 Sazeracs in 28 days for the month of February, but I’m not quite done. We’ve got a few bonus Sazeracs coming up that didn’t fit into the month of February.
I’ll try some different spirits, try some out at bars, and have some friends make them for me.
Sazerac Cocktail.
1 Lump of Sugar.
1 Dash Angostura or Peychana Bitters.
1 Glass Rye or Canadian Club Whisky. (Pikesville Rye)
Stir well and strain into another glass that has been cooled and rinsed with 1 dash Absinthe (Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe) and squeeze lemon peel on top.
I’ve known Mr. Tim Stookey for a few years now and he has always impressed me as a gracious host and stylish dresser. A couple months ago we both worked a cocktail catering event and shared a bar. Tim worked the early shift, and I closed down the night. When he was leaving, he left his nice cast aluminum ice scoop, not wanting me to be left with a pressed stainless number. I thanked him, and promised I would get it back to him as soon as I could.
Unfortunately, the bar he works at, Presidio Social Club, is a bit out of the way for us unless we are attending a concert at the Palace of Fine Arts, so “as soon as possible” stretched into a couple months. Fortunately, in recent months we’ve been to the Palace of Fine Arts to see a couple concerts, Tinariwen and Dodos, enabling us to stop by, enjoy some dinner, drinks, chat with Mr. Stookey and finally return his ice scoop.
Clearly a Sazerac or two was in order at the Presidio Social Club’s gorgeous long marble bar!
And a fine, delicious Sazerac it was, classic proportions with an unusual Rye Choice, Pikesville, and a great absinthe!
Mrs. Flannestad enjoying a non-Sazerac favorite of hers, The Last Word Cocktail. Tim actually introduced her to the Last Word several years ago, and it has become her go to choice for just about any occasion.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Sazerac Cocktail 25 out of 28.
I have challenged myself to post 28 Sazeracs in 28 days for the month of February.
I’ll try some different spirits, try some out at bars, and have some friends make them for me. Hopefully, if I can get my act together we’ll have some video.
Sazerac Cocktail.
1 Lump of Sugar. (Florida Crystals Organic Sugar Syrup)
1 Dash Angostura or Peychana Bitters. (Organic Blood Orange and Hibiscus “tincture”)
1 Glass Rye or Canadian Club Whisky. (Espirito Organic California Brandy)
Stir well and strain into another glass that has been cooled, add 1 dash Absinthe (Anise, fennel, and wormwood tincture) and squeeze lemon peel on top.
I first heard read the words of Mr. Alex Smith on the forum pages of the Chanticleer Society. At the time he was working at the Thirsty Bear and it sounded like he was doing some interesting things. I sent him a, “Hey there!” note and suggested that it would be fun to stop by. Some time went by. Of course I didn’t make it to Thirsty Bear before he had departed that venue.
Alex’s BIO: i was born into a rich family, given up for adoption and eventually adopted into a poor family. this unfortunate turn of events pretty much set the tone for the rest of my life. for someone who sees suffering and disappointment as much an everyday part of life as air or water, i seem to manage just fine. i usually wake up happy and go to sleep happy; it’s just the time in between that tends to get to me.
i was diagnosed as an idiot savant at an early age, managed to complete high school despite my extracurricular interests and fell in love with alcohol soon thereafter. i started to use cocktails as an outlet for my artistic creation a few years ago, channeling my frustrations through the sieve of my mental affliction.
currently, i find myself managing Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco and tending bar at Gather in Berkeley. my dog has cancer, my mother is insane & i am deeply in love with a talented & beautiful young woman who pretty much doesn’t want me in her life. some people sing the blues… i make cocktails.
then i drink ‘em.
my contribution to Erik’s great Sazerac project of 2010 is an all-organic/biodynamic version. 2 oz of Espirito biodynamic brandy, few dashes of blood orange tincture, . 25 oz organic simple syrup (1:1) and a rinse of “absinthe” tincture. finished with a squeeze of lemon zest which was then tossed away.
Recently, I heard he was working at a new organic and sustainable restaurant in Berkeley called “Gather” and also Smuggler’s Cove here in San Francisco. The schedule worked out better for us to meet at Gather this time around.
What the? All organic? How? Where? Let’s take a look at some of the “about” information from Gather:
Transparency. Got a question about where something came from or why it’s in a dish? Ask the host for a copy of “The Source Book”— an index that traces the lifecycle of every ingredient served at Gather. From spices and oils to animals and vegetables, we’ve researched how it got to us and where it went along the way. Same goes for the materials used in our restaurant. Every ingredient, material, and action we put forth has been thoughtfully considered.
Wow! How do you start a bar program at a place like this? I have almost no idea where most of the ingredients in 90% of the spirits I work with come from. Talking to Alex, they have chosen to use exclusively organic spirits and liqueurs for the bar. But wait, is there an organic vermouth? Nope. Orange Liqueur? Nope. Green Chartreuse? Nope. Whiskey? Nope. Ack! The basic staples of drink mixing, which we all take for granted, and they have access to none of them. Ouch! What they don’t have, they are trying to come up with. Hardcore. Kind of reminds me of all the old bar manuals I have read, where they include instructions for making just about anything, including the “Spirits”.
Well, fortunately, there are organic sugar, organic California Brandy, and organic flavoring tinctures. So it was sort of an Orangey Sazerac. Ballpark, anyway, and quite tasty.
And, uh, damn it! I didn’t take a picture of the Sazerac! Exactly another reason I need Mrs. Flannestad’s help in these endeavors. Get caught up in chatting and/or drinking and forget to document the drink I am there to try.
I did, however, remember to take a picture of the “Pegu Club” Tina made for me using Cap Rock Gin, Organic Orange Liqueur, organic Lime juice, and flavoring “tinctures”. Nicely refreshing and tasty! I also tried the vegan “charcuterie” which I quite enjoyed. Looking forward to getting back to Gather again, to see more of what they are up to with the other things on the menu.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Sazerac Cocktail 22 out of 28.
I have challenged myself to post 28 Sazeracs in 28 days for the month of February.
I’ll try some different spirits, try some out at bars, and have some friends make them for me. Hopefully, if I can get my act together we’ll have some video.
Sazerac Cocktail.
1 Lump of Sugar.
1 Dash Angostura or Peychana Bitters.
1 Glass Rye or Canadian Club Whisky. (Sazerac 18 Rye Whiskey)
Stir well and strain into another glass that has been cooled, add l dash Absinthe and squeeze lemon peel on top.
It used to make me really nervous when I would have to serve other bartenders. Feeling like, you know, they were judging me, or I would fail horribly and let them down.
Then one Savoy Night at Alembic, Brooke Arthur hijacked the bar for her birthday party. Wall to wall bartenders. Strangely, no one made fun of me.
At that point, I kind of realized that bartenders are good to serve because they know what you are going through. They are usually sympathetic and supportive.
Anyway, Brooke is an awesome bartender, who has been super supportive of my little adventures in bartending. You can usually find her at the Mission District restaurant range. After Absinthe Bar and Brasserie opened, there was a bit of a delay before other restaurants began to realize the value of spending some effort on a cocktail program. Range was among the second wave of restaurants to learn from Absinthe’s example and put some “ooomph” into their cocktail program. Also, the food is very tasty.
Stopping by range for a Sazerac, Brooke chose to make it with the Sazerac 18 Rye Whiskey (2006, I believe). Like Brian at Jardiniere, she went through the whole old fashioned sugar muddling procedure. It’s interesting, I guess what I find with the muddled sugar Sazeracs, is that really very little of the sugar dissolves, making them very lightly sweetened versions of the drink. This actually works quite well when you want to feature a high end Whiskey, like the Sazerac 18.
Anyway, here’s a good Black and White Photo of Brooke. Wish I’d taken it, but sadly, I did not. When I asked what classic or original cocktail she is currently obsessing over, she said The Brooklyn, which is usually made as follows:
Brooklyn Cocktail
1 Dash Amer Picon (1/2 barspoon Torani Amer)
1 Dash Maraschino (1/2 barspoon Luxardo Maraschino)
2/3 Canadian Club Whisky (1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey)
1/3 French Vermouth (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth)
Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass.
I have to admit, I find the Brooklyn a bit odd. I can’t think of many other Dry, Aromatic Cocktails made with Brown Spirits. It seems profoundly out of sync with the usual tendency towards sweet, rich, aromatic brown drinks, but in a good way.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
As I mentioned before, Anchor Distilling recently reprinted the 1891 edition of “Cocktail Boothby’s American Bar-Tender“.
As someone who is somewhat involved in the bartender trade, I always enjoy going through old books and reading the advice that appears. Usually, I am amazed at how little has changed. How valid pieces of advice contained in a book from 1891 can be 118 years later.
So I thought I would go through Boothby’s “Ten Commandments” for bartenders one by one and see which ones still make sense for the 21st Century.
VIII. Keep the floor behind the bar as dry as possible. It not only looks better, but you will find your health greatly improved by following this rule. Many bartenders contract rheumatism, neuralgia and many other serious complaints through carelessness in this report.
I don’t know if it is recent world disasters, or the topic, but I’ve been having a very hard time getting inspired to write about bar floors.
Keeping the floor dry is certainly a sensible thing to do, above all for safety reasons.
Most bars I’ve worked in either use a wood slat lattice over the floor or the kitchen mats pictured above.
Both help, to a certain extent, to prevent slips and help with fatigue. They also allow one to be less concerned about the inevitable spills.
I can’t speak to whether these cushions help prevent “rheumatism,” “neuralgia,” or “other serious complaints”. I really haven’t been bartending long, or serious, enough to develop any “serious complaints” as a result. I mean, I do have my shares of aches and pains, but most are related to back, shoulders, elbow, and wrists. Back from a lifting injury in High School. Shoulders from 10 years as a line cook. Elbow from a bike accident a few years ago. Wrists from 15 years in Information Technology.
Personally, I find a daily regimen of stretching and exercise does the most to keep these “complaints” from becoming more “serious”.
And Michele says donating to Partners in Health is a good way to help.
Boothby’s Ten Commandments: VI. Sell all the liquor you can, but use as little as possible yourself.
As I mentioned before, Anchor Distilling recently reprinted the 1891 edition of “Cocktail Boothby’s American Bar-Tender“.
As someone who is somewhat involved in the bartender trade, I always enjoy going through old books and reading the advice that appears. Usually, I am amazed at how little has changed. How valid pieces of advice contained in a book from 1891 can be 118 years later.
So I thought I would go through Boothby’s “Ten Commandments” for bartenders one by one and see which ones still make sense for the 21st Century.
VI. Sell all the liquor you can, but use as little as possible yourself.
Boy, this is a complicated one.
First, a few points.
As dealers in delicious alcoholic beverages, most bartenders, as a sort of career responsibility, do have a fine appreciation for booze.
From a management, loss prevention, perspective, the Boothby quote is entirely intuitive.
The more booze you sell, and the less your staff drinks, the better your bottom line.
On the other hand, there is a certain psychic toll to bartending.
Most people cannot maintain the appearance of liking everyone they talk to without a cost.
It isn’t possible. Different people handle it differently, but for many, a little alcoholic lubrication isn’t a bad idea.
Not to mention, as a manager, if you are too much of a stickler about booze consumption, your staff will just sneak and steal.
On the other hand, a drunk or surly bartender is never appealing to the guest.
Maybe there are some semi-psychic individuals who can appear perfectly sober, manage money, and the patrons in their venues while three sheets to the wind. I’m not one of them, or, more accurately, not comfortable with going down that path.
Then there are the other personal issues.
Sadly, or happily, I am a light weight in several senses. First, I’m pretty darn skinny with almost no appreciable body fat, giving me a pathetic tolerance to almost any volume of alcoholic beverage. Second, my body is not particularly fantastic at processing alcoholic beverages back into non-intoxicating substances.
What does all that mean?
While some of my compatriots may be able to imbibe while retaining their composure, I cannot. If I am to appear a professional of any sort, I cannot drink (much) while working. Important to recognize your limitations, I think.
Wow! Who would have thunk it? A year of Savoy Nights at Alembic Bar have come and gone.
Not to mention, a year of bartending on a semi-regular basis.
As Danny Louie put it a few Sundays ago, “I bet you’ve learned a lot!”
Gah! Sometimes I think I’ve learned so much I don’t remember a thing. Recipes, service standards, names, drink preferences, POS operation, etc. have claimed a big section of my brain.
The major things that have defined this year have been bartending and Michele and I adopting our dog.
Beyond that, much has been business as usual.
Since my birthday, in October, I have been struggling a bit, cough, as a “man of a certain age”, wondering where this is all going, and what I was hoping to accomplish. Getting myself in a bit of a lather, thinking about what I’m actually getting out of any of this cocktail junk and what I “deserve”. I need to let go of that way of thinking, as it is nothing but destructive.
I think I’ve gotten past that in the last few days, and am back to my typically midwestern way of looking at life, “things could be worse.”
I’m pleased with the direction the photos have taken on the blog and want to get more involved with photography in general. It was something I had put on a back burner in my life a while ago. Put a bookmark in that part of my life. I’m enjoying re-examining the photos I take with a more critical eye, instead of just taking snap shots of cocktails.
Maybe I’ll even bring the camera to the next Savoy Night at Alembic!
Oh, speaking of, the next Savoy Night at Alembic will be December 20th. We’re still ironing out exact details on what cool things we’re going to make, but hopefully we’ll have a couple punches and maybe some hot drinks.
Stop by, say hi, and order some cocktails from guys in goofy suits.
As I mentioned before, Anchor Distilling recently reprinted the 1891 edition of “Cocktail Boothby’s American Bar-Tender“.
As someone who is somewhat involved in the bartender trade, I always enjoy going through old books and reading the advice that appears. Usually, I am amazed at how little has changed. How valid pieces of advice contained in a book from 1891 can be 118 years later.
So I thought I would go through Boothby’s “Ten Commandments” for bartenders one by one and see which ones still make sense for the 21st Century.
IV. Avoid conversations of a religious or political nature.
OK, Bars aren’t Libraries and a lively bar is much much more fun than a quiet, sober one.
However, as people who have been drinking are seldom more sensible or measured than when they are sober, it is a pretty good idea to avoid conversations whose subjects have resulted in pogroms, massacres, and genocides. I mean, even if you know the person in front of you is on the same page, you never know about the person to the right or to the left.
Customers can get up to enough mischief on their own, without you stirring the pot.
But when folks are shooting each other over dog sniffs, what is a safe topic?
Even apparently safe conversational gambits like Vodka slagging and the comparative merits of various Absinthes can get some people in a lather, cough, especially if they have a vested interest in same.
I mean, that I’m aware of, most brand reps or shills don’t seem to be carrying handguns, but I do sometimes wonder how that Australian Eucalyptus liqueur got on the back bar. “Yo, Bruce, you Bloody Seppo, I better see this in your bar or you’ll be nothing but a smudge on my roo bar!”
Best to be on the safe side.
As I mentioned before, Anchor Distilling recently reprinted the 1891 edition of “Cocktail Boothby’s American Bar-Tender“.
As someone who is somewhat involved in the bartender trade, I always enjoy going through old books and reading the advice that appears. Usually, I am amazed at how little has changed. How valid pieces of advice contained in a book from 1891 can be 118 years later.
So I thought I would go through Boothby’s “Ten Commandments” for bartenders one by one and see which ones still make sense for the 21st Century.
I. Always be on time to relieve the other watch. It is a good plan to make a practice of arriving a few minutes early so as to arrange your toilet and step to your station on time.
First, and probably most importantly, if you are late, you’re at the very least inconveniencing your coworkers. If you’re not on time they will likely have to stay late or do some of your work for you. Not a great way to win friends and influence people.
So here’s the other thing. When I go to my job at the University, I pretty much know what to expect ahead of time. Usually, most technology changes and meetings are scheduled weeks in advance. Aside from hardware or HVAC failures there really aren’t many surprises. Unless you have an early morning meeting, the consequences for being 15 minutes late are relatively minor. Maybe you try to make it up by staying 15 mins late or coming in early another day.
With food service, you almost never know what is going to happen until you get to work and start your day.
You could get there and have 50 people walk in the door as soon as it is unlocked. A full bar for all 8 hours of your shift. Or you could have a good hour before business picks up.
If you’re not prepared to handle the worst the evening will throw at you the moment the door opens, you are just asking for a world of pain and grumpiness.
This is a 19th Century “Commandment” that still makes sense in the 21st Century.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
(Cocktail) Boothby’s Ten Commandments.
I. Always be on time to relieve the other watch. It is a good plan to make a practice of arriving a few minutes early so as to arrange your toilet and step to your station on time.
II. See that your finger nails are always clean and your person presents a tidy appearance.
III. Always appear pleasant and obliging under all circumstances.
IV. Avoid conversations of a religious or political nature.
V. When going off watch always dry and polish all the glassware and tools which you have used on your watch, and see that everything is in its proper place, so that your relief can work to advantage as soon as he arrives at his post.
VI. Sell all the liquor you can, but use as little as possible yourself.
VII. If you are troubled with sore feet, bathe them regularly. Avoid patched or ragged hosiery, and wear a comfortable shoe with a heavy sole. Light soles, low cut shoes or slippers should never be worn behind a bar.
VIII. Keep the floor behind the bar as dry as possible. It not only looks better, but you will find your health greatly improved by following this rule. Many bartenders contract rheumatism, neuralgia and many other serious complaints through carelessness in this report.
IX. After using a bottle or tool always replace it before doing anything else. Make this a rule that should never be broken; and, when you are rushed with business, you will never be compelled to hunt for this or that, but you will always know just where it is.
X. After a party has finished drinking, remove the glassware from the bar as soon as possible, and dry and polish the bar top immediately, never allowing a particle of moisture to remain. This is a very important rule.
From “Cocktail Boothby’s American Bar-Tender“, recently reprinted by Anchor Distilling from a first edition, 1891 edition, at the California Historical Society.
From dictionary.reference.com:
in-tan-gi-ble [in-tan-juh-buhl]
–adjective
1. not tangible; incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch, as incorporeal or immaterial things; impalpable.
2. not definite or clear to the mind: intangible arguments.
3. (of an asset) existing only in connection with something else, as the goodwill of a business.
–noun
4. something intangible, esp. an intangible asset: Intangibles are hard to value.
The other week I was out with Robby Virus, who plays in the band Project Pimento. We were at the Rite Spot and he asked me what I found satisfying about bartending.
Since he is a musician, I tried to think about what would be similar between being a musician and tending bar.
The more I talked, and thought, about the job, the more I realized that it seemed like there were similarities.
There’s an “oevre” you have to master. Songs for musicians and drink recipes for bartenders.
There’s a craft you learn. Playing your instrument for musicians and making drinks for bartenders.
In both jobs, you are in the public eye, performing in some fashion. Appearance, style, and looking like you know what you are doing, (even if you don’t,) are important for both jobs.
In both jobs, you do your best to prepare. Then you just put yourself out there, without knowing what the evening will have in store. An empty bar or a zoo. A crowd that appreciates your craft or hecklers.
But what is it that makes bartending satisfying? The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was the interactions with your customers. It’s about the spark, the feelings, the interaction with the room. A night that is going well has an energy all its own. I coughed, and kind of half embarrassed that I would think something so “new agey”, said to Rob, “I think it is all about the Intangibles. The relationships you have the people you are serving and the feelings you get from doing it. It has to be similar for musicians, doesn’t it?”
Before Rob could answer, our waiter, who I hadn’t even known was listening to our conversation, said, “No, you’re right. I’ve done both jobs. I’ve been a musician and a bartender. That is what makes both jobs worth doing.”
