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To be honest, I was kind of a long time coming around to Anchor Brewing’s beers. I’d drunk Anchor Steam on and off over the years, of course. However, it always seemed a bit expensive for being what amounts to a perfectly fine beer. I’d always skip over it for beers with stronger character. Ales and IPAs. Things like that. However, some friends always mentioned what a good beer they thought it was, and kept it in their fridge, so I continued to try it. As I learned more about Fritz Maytag’s contributions to craft brewing, (and craft distilling,) in America, I also came to appreciate Anchor Steam’s qualities. I think, especially, taking the brewery tour one day a few years ago, made me understand how close what is in the bottle is to the process. Just walking around the brewery taking in the smells. Of the hop room and the fermenting tanks. It is all there. It is a very honest beer. They do flash pasteurize and filter before bottling, but what you get is very much a craft beer, albeit on a slightly larger scale. Another thing I appreciate is that it isn’t an extreme beer. It’s a nice malty California Common. Not so strong that you can’t drink a few, but not so weak as to be, “@#$%ing near water,” as the Australians in the Monty Python skit say of the often valid comparison between many American beers and making love in a canoe. Anyway, it’s my favorite beer to drink when we’ve got guests coming over, and I need to keep it together enough to play bar tender and cook. Of course, at the end of the evening, after all the guests have gone home, it’s always nice to reward myself with a tasty Manhattan Cocktail. So, I'm not sure exactly which is the guilty pleasure!

Some bad news on the Plymouth front. I was talking Friday to the owner of a local liquor store and he said that due to a recent increase in the price he will be forced to raise the price of Plymouth Gin, if he hasn't already, about $10 a bottle. In SF, that means going from around $27 to $37. He said something about Brown-Forman having sold Plymouth as a loss leader to promote other brands. Plymouth's new owner, Pernod-Ricard apparently, doesn't look at it that way and will now begin selling it in the luxury category of gins. Though, googling, I do see some industry sites that were saying, in the spring, that Pernod-Ricard was hoping sell of the Plymouth Brand to another firm within 6 months or so. Maybe a shallow attempt to increase the price they are getting for the brand? I like Plymouth a lot, but I just don't see myself spending nearly $40 a bottle to keep it in the house.

Huh, wouldn't have thought of it, but only one way to find out! Had an interesting experimental drink last night at NOPA with the Bols Genever and a stone fruit shrub. Quite tasty and nicely refreshing.

Maurice Cocktail 1 Dash Absinthe. (Verte de Fougerolles) The Juice of 1/4 Orange. (1/4 smallish valencia orange squeezed into tin) 1/4 Italian Vermouth. (1/2 oz Carpano Antica) 1/4 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Martini & Rossi Bianco) 1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz Aviation Gin) Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass. An interesting relative of the Monkey Gland and Bronx. I'd finished off the last of my current bottle of Dry Vermouth and had an open bottle of the M&R Bianco. Thought it might lend some interest to this cocktail. Indeed, it does! Also thought the Aviation Gin, with it's lavender, might mix well with the sort of culinary herb flavors I get from the M&R Bianco. Not traditional, but tasty with nice clean flavors.

Mary Pickford Cocktail 1/2 Bacardi Rum. (1 oz Montecristo White Rum) 1/2 Pineapple Juice. (1 oz Knudsen Pineapple) 1 Teaspoonful Grenadine. (1 barspoon Homemade Grenadine) 6 Drops Maraschino. (6 drops Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur) Oddly another Savoy Cocktail which lacks direction. I'm gonna say shake, because it is so much more fun to get that nice little head you get with shaking pineapple juice. Way back when we talked about the Fairbanks cocktail we talked about the tension in the Fairbanks/Pickford house. Mary Pickford, "America's Sweetheart", enjoyed the odd drink. Douglas Fairbanks did not and did not approve of her drinking. I don't know who could argue with a fine, light, and enjoyable drink like this. I doubt even Fairbanks would notice it was alcoholic!

I pretty much agree with Andy. I think Beefeater is an all around very good, high proof, reasonably priced gin. It does especially shine in cocktails with dry vermouth and absinthe. If I had to choose 4 dry gins to have around, I'd probably pick Junipero, Tanqueray, Beefeater, and Plymouth. Well, plus an Oude-style Genever.

Oh, wacky! I just looked through my notes from the copy of Harry McElhone's "Barflies and Cocktails" that I got at Tales this year. I'm not the only one on crack! Still too much Mint and Maraschino, but really bizarre that he used Hollands Gin for his version of this cocktail.

I'm so tired of Bobby Flay's food, I usually just delete those challenges where his name shows up. More tamales and cowboy breakfast? No thanks! So was excited to see Symon would be taking on a challenger this time. Curtas seemed pretty hard on both competitors. Nice to see someone other than Steingarten playing the curmudgeon. I was a bit surprised by the verdict after hearing the judges' opinions. But looking at the food as it was prepared, I thought it would be pretty close. The challengers food did seem to be more creatively conceived, prepared, and plated and I could see Symon's being more appealing on a sort of comfort food type taste level.

I suppose I should have noted that Jerry Thomas' Martinez, like his Manhattan, is a "reverse" cocktail. Here it is from Darcy O'Neil's Art of Drink archive of the book:

The Marvel Cocktail 3/4 Jamaica Rum. (1 1/2 oz Coruba Rum) 1/8 Sirop-de-citron. (1/4 oz Monin Lemon Syrup) 1/8 Grenadine. (1/4 oz Homemade Grenadine) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Previously I have made these sorts of Grenadine and Rum drinks with Appleton V/X. I have to admit, trying the Marvel with the Coruba Rum it makes a lot more sense. It's just a lot more funky and flavorful rum for this application than the Appleton. I'm gonna have to go back and try the Chinese again.

Thanks for the corrections. I did remember that they were distilling to very low proof at all stages and thought of adding it to the post, but couldn't figure out a way to do it. I didn't mean to imply that there was some sort of vodka-like multiple distillation thing going on. This is about as far from vodka as you can get. There is a lot of delicious round malt wine character in the Bols, and some interesting smoky stuff that seemed to show up, especially when it was drunk with food (I'm remembering that this was the herring!) Nor did I mean to address the gins comparative historical accuracy, if such a thing is even worth quantifying. I was just trying to point out some of the reasons for the gins' contrasting characters. One of the areas where Bols is really succeeding, it seems to me, is getting the word out and playing up the recipes where this gin is mixable. Not to mention all the education they are doing. It is really admirable. Anchor did not do this at all and it resulted in a lot of people trying to make regular dry gin recipes and having bad experiences. A lot of people I know were swearing that Genevieve was an unmixable gin.

In some ways both companies are making modern interpretations of classic gins. The area where Anchor departs most from a traditional Genever (probably pre-1800) is in their bill of botanicals. Most Genevers are far more subtly spiced than the Genevieve. Few depart much from juniper and a couple adjuncts. With the Junipero and Genevieve I always seem to get some other interesting dark anise type flavors. The reason I like mixing with both gins is that they combine so interestingly with things like Absinthe and bitters. The gin recipe for the Bols Genver is based on one of the company's recipes from around 1820 with few departures. It is a very traditional Dutch gin. They did mention using a couple botanicals that were not available to distillers in the early 19th Century.

Couple notes on the differences between the Bols Genever and Genevieve. The Malt Wine spirit of the Bols Genever is distilled twice in a continuous still and then twice in a pot still. It is then rested and blended (Bols Genever is 51% Malt Wine Spirit) with flavored Grain Neutral Spirits before being diluted to 42% ABV and bottled. This is how Anchor describes its gin: It sounds like the fermented mash for the Genevieve is distilled once in a pot still with the same spices as they use to flavor their Junipero Gin. To me this doesn't quite make sense. I would think you would be more likely to distill the mash once to get the low wines. Then steep with spices and distill again. I will try to confirm this with them. In any case, to the best of my knowledge the distillate for Anchor's Genevieve is not blended with Grain Neutral Spirits. It is 100% grain distillate. Also, instead of using flavor essences, the spices go, "in the soup," to quote Fritz Maytag. It is bottled at around 47% ABV, a bit higher than the Bols Genever. While the Bols Genever is certainly more pleasant to drink straight, I have to admit I'm partial to the intensity of the Anchor Genevieve when mixing certain cocktails, especially the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail.

Martini (Special) Cocktail (6 People) 4 Glasses of Gin. (2 oz Gin) 1 1/2 Glasses Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Italian Vermouth) 1/3 Glass Orange-flower water. (1/6 oz Orange-Flower Water) Before shaking, add a dash of Absinthe and one or two dashes Angostura Bitters. Another of those annoying recipes that includes ingredients in the instructions. For one person, I made it so: Martini (Special) Cocktail, revised 1 1/2 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin 3/4 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth 2 drops Orange Flower Water Bare Dash Verte de Fougerolles Absinthe Verte Dash Angostura Bitters Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass. Twist Lemon Peel over glass and discard. First, the Orange Flower Water made me think of the botanical intensity of the Old Tom. However, the amount of Orange Flower Water seemed awfully generous. Working out in the single serving drink math to 1/6 of an ounce for the single cocktail. 2 drops really was plenty, lending a dry perfumey finish to the drink. All in all, a pretty interesting Martini/Martinez variation.

Martini (Sweet) Cocktail 1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica) 2/3 London Gin. (1 1/2 oz Junipero Gin) (Dash Angostura Orange Bitters) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Lemon Twist.) It's funny, when you get to cocktails as iconic as the Martini, it really is kind of hard to think of anything new to say. David Wondrich has tackled it exhaustively in "Imbibe!" (PS. Hardcover currently on sale at Powell's Books!). There are numerous whole books on the subject from Authors as diverse as Gary Regan and Barnaby Conrad, III. What else is there to say about drinks this which are this ubiquitous? We'll probably never know who created it and where. The first version was likely one with Sweet Vermouth and Old-Tom Gin. Personally, I don't think the bitters are optional in a Martini. Without them, it is, apparently, a Lone Tree. Maybe you've been putting off a Martinez or Martini with Sweet Vermouth? You know, it was funny, when I was on the Manhattan, I told my Mom about it and her comment was, "Oh, I don't like cocktails which are that sweet." This from a woman who drinks Peppermint Patties! Really, this isn't that sweet a drink, despite the fact that it contains "Sweet" vermouth. Buy yourself a fresh bottle of Sweet Vermouth, a decent gin, don't skip the bitters, and give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Attended the press event for the West Coast launch of Bols' new Genever yesterday. My, it is a very nice gin! I'll post a more detailed writeup in the future, but it will be really interesting to compare the Bols Genever with the Anchor Genevieve. My initial response is that the Bols is much less botanically intense than the Genevieve and on the whole smoother. Can't wait to compare Improved Holland Gin Cocktails made with the two.

Martini (Medium) Cocktail 1/4 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 1/4 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth) 1/2 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Broker's Gin) (Dash Angostura Orange Bitters) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Lemon Peel.) I have to admit I've kind of fallen out of love with Broker's Gin. Initially, it seemed like an OK London Dry Style Gin, but going from the, "do I think to grab the bottle or not," criteria, lately, I have not been grabbing it. Plus, I miss having Tanqueray around for this sort of fifty-fifty Martini. Also, it seems to be pretty heavily sweetened for a London Dry Gin.

I was talking to the manager of a restaurant bar yesterday and interested to get his input. He said while they have had a few special events cancel or fail negotiations, they've seen no slowdown in drinking at the bar. If anything, he said, for the last few weeks the bar has been more crowded than usual on week nights.

Martini (Dry) Cocktail 1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth) 2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin) Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. I certainly wouldn't ever think, no, not at all, of rinsing the glass with orange bitters and twisting a lemon peel over the glass. That would just be wrong.

Looking at the press from afar, I have to admit I am kind of puzzled by what I've read of Apotheke. From Trummer's assertions in the press that Absinthe can be made by steeping herbs in alcohol to the pseudo science implied by the menu there isn't a lot that doesn't put up big warning signs for me. In fact, most of what I read reminds me of certain establishments in Northern California where the character of spirits don't seem to be trusted. They seem to think spirits must be infused with this and that or disguised with esoteric herbs to be made palatable to the modern drinker. I mean, I'm all for innovation and esoteric herbs, but is this place the real deal? Or just a gimmick?

Just as a point of order, I think the Little Italy is Audrey's, but believe the Slope came from Julie Reiner at Flatiron Lounge, the Red Hook from Enzo Errico at Milk and Honey, and the Greenpoint from Michael Mcilroy.

Relevant previous topic: The March of Booze Through Time, or What Were They Drinking?

So funny, just two years ago, Andrew Fenton's Weeniecello was a joke. This year, an old-fashioned made from bacon infused bourbon is the drink of the decade. What is the criteria? Popularity? How many bar menus the drink is on? Press coverage?

If any of you read (or write) blogs which cover cocktails, you might know that Paul over at Cocktail Chronicles has been organizing a monthly online cocktail event he calls Mixology Mondays. This month's event is being hosted by Stevi over on her blog Two At The Most The theme is Guilty Pleasures. To quote Stevi from her explanation of the topic: If you would like to participate, please write up a cocktail in this topic before Monday, October 13th at midnight. I will compile a list of cocktails posted and email them to the organizer. With apologies to Emma Lazarus... Give me your sweet, your disgusting, Your Island Ice Teas yearning to be suck'd down, The wretched refuse of your teeming bar. Send these, the shameless, temperance-tossed, to me: I lift my glass beside the golden bar.

Called my local liquor store a couple weeks ago and asked them if they were going to carry the Hayman's Old Tom Gin. Usually, they're on top of this sort of thing, so I was a bit surprised when the response was, "Hayman's? I haven't heard of that." Fortunately, a quick call to the distributor revealed that the gin was already in Southern California and would be shipped North soon. Stopped by yesterday to pick up a bottle. Martinez Cocktail (6 People) Pour into the shaker 3 glasses of Gin, 3 of French Vermouth, add a dessertspoonful of Orange Bitters and 2 of Curacao or Maraschino. Shake and serve with a cherry and a piece of lemon rind. I suspect Craddock gets the idiotic idea of using French Vermouth in a Martinez from Robert Vermeire, who espouses this formulation in his book, "Cocktails: How to Mix Them". And I suppose it is perfectly fine drink, though Martinez, it is not. Martinez Cocktail (current Ellestad formulation) 1 1/2 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin 3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth Scant teaspoon Luxardo Maraschino Dash Angostura Orange Bitters Dash Angostura Bitters Stir with ice to chill and strain into a cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel over glass. Add a (preferably luxardo to toschi) cherry if you so desire. If you're using a higher proof gin, you might want to up the amount of vermouth, but I find with Plymouth, or now Hayman's, 2-1 is a good ratio. I also like to add a dash of angostura, as I find it tames some of the tropical marshmallow candy notes that show up when Carpano Antica is in close proximity to Luxardo Maraschino. As they say, your mileage may vary.