The Drinkist

I'd argue that M has the additional virtue of being nearly impossible to slur after three or four said cocktails. All those soft sounds like S, SH, F, etc. are bound to lose out. Also have to agree that a good Mai Tai deserves its place in the Pantheon of Classics.

I went by for Sunday brunch and was told the same thing -- and definitely not a move toward a "diner" genre. I'll probably go back in a few weeks to check things out.

I made the Fish House Punch this summer for a group of guys from my college days who are now scattered around the country. One of them has a cabin on a bluff above the Mississippi River so we went there and another brought fresh salmon as he flew in from Seattle. Perfect setting for some Fish House Punch (assuming you're not actually in Pennsylvania), and it was a huge hit. I'd think it would be ideal for serving at a party like this, especially if you can get someone else to do the juicing. I roughly inverted the proportion of rum and cognac, i.e. more rum than cognac, and that seemed to suit us well. I wouldn't go entirely without cognac, though. It adds a depth to the flavor. One word of advice: go easy on the peach brandy and add to taste. I was surprised at how much the peach came through in the punch and was glad I had lowballed and worked my way up.

Just wanted to report that Darcy at Art of Drink has made a little headway on this topic. (Kudos to Darcy! I bow to your mighty research skills.) He has turned up some old advertising material that gives a bit more information. Based on the labeling in the ad, he puts forward an ingredient: He also gives a reference to the use of Montana Cordial in a drink created by John Mahon who worked at the famous St. Charles Hotel right here in New Orleans. Apparently, the Montana helps produce a remarkable visual effect. As always, a great post by Mr. O'Neil. I hearily recommend checking it out. Of course, now my curiousity is tantalized even more than before. Since nobody has commented on this so far, I'm assuming there's not a lot of information floating around out there. If you know anything, though (or have a few bottles stocked away somewhere...), I'd love to hear more. Could this be the next great ingredient?

I was thinking along the ham line myself, though more in the prosciutto neighborhood. The right balance depends a bit on how you fix your martinis (forceful gin like Beefeater or something softer like Plymouth, olive brine or no, etc.). With a softer gin, reasonable amount of vermouth and little to no brine, I would think you might have some luck wrapping the prosciutto around figs. Anything more powerful, though, and I'd think you might want to move toward the savory camp -- maybe a little prosciutto with fresh mozzarella, olive oil and salt (and sliced tomato and basil if you want to go all the way with this)? Possibly even a "sandwich platter" with various components scaled to cocktail size and let guests assemble their own? If you choose, instead of martinis, a cocktail with a bit of fresh citrus, then a whole realm of additional fruit pairings opens up. The Spirits and Cocktails group has a few discussions that are relevant. As a start, you might look here for inspiration.

Commander's has a fixed-price option: http://www.commanderspalace.com/new_orlean...ail.php?menu=12 The entry at the bottom for the Traditional Jazz Brunch Cafe Degas does not, however. Are you, perhaps, looking for not just fixed price but also buffet style? There used to be several of those around town, but several have been phased out. Court of Two Sisters remains and I believe they do a jazz champagne brunch buffet on Sundays at Harrah's, but I haven't tried it myself. And, of course, Begue's as already mentioned.

The Court of Two Sisters is a lovely location -- really one of the nicest for courtyard sitting. Unfortunately, I have found that the food for brunch doesn't quite live up to the surroundings. You'll do well at the places above and I'll throw in a couple of others: Commander's Palace (which is kind of an institution) and Cafe Degas on Esplanade Avenue. You won't get any music at Cafe Degas, but the food is good and the atmosphere very relaxed. Just my two cents.

I think that may be correct. I went ahead and got the app after posting earlier and the latest update changes, among other things, the name from iDrink to Drinks. That would make most sense if the app isn't connected with the iDrink website. That being said, I'll concur that the Cocktails app is a better reference but the (now) Drinks app is useful for storing your own notes, etc. I'm happy to have both on the phone.

Actually, I think the impression that you're not particular high on the priority list at Galatoire's if you're not a regular is pretty common. After my first visit there years ago, I was definitely underwhelmed by the service I received -- especially from my waiter -- and I am really a very undemanding patron. One junior staff member did go out of his way to help us and I made a point of tipping him individually on our way out (without drawing any attention to said fact). It was years before I went back. That being said, though I am clearly not a regular, my recent experiences both in terms of food quality (which I think has gotten much better) and service have been quite pleasant. I'm sorry to hear others are not having the same luck. I wonder if there's something about how you interact with the waiters that gives a clue to service. The regular crowd doesn't spook easily, so maybe a little confidence helps?

Thanks to Hurricane Gustav, I had a few days to catch up on my reading (and to get a bit ahead on my drinking -- trying to sleep in New Orleans with no air conditioning in early September definitely calls for a couple of extra helpings of gin). In particular, I finally got to crack open the copy of C.F. Lawlor's The Mixicologist that I picked up at Tales this year (yay Mudpuddle Books!). In it, Lawlor gives a 3-page discussion of cordials. For the most part, it covers the heavy hitters I would expect to see: kirschwasser, Benedictine, Chartreuse, maraschino, curacao, anisette, and absinthe. There's one other item, though, right in the middle of the list, that caught me by suprise and set my head to spinning -- Montana. Okay, the head-spinning might have had something to do with the extra helpings of gin, but I was surprised; I don't recall encountering any references to this stuff anywhere else. That doesn't mean I haven't, of course (again, the gin), but I'm not hearing any ringing bells. Here's what we are told on the subject of the Montana Cordial: My initial, admittedly cursory, web-based search hasn't turned up anything more illuminating. (Curiously, Darcy O'Neil over at Art of Drink made a passing reference to it as a defunct ingredient the day before I was able to start poking about.) So, I'm curious. If Lawlor put it in a list with the aforementioned heavy-hitters, somebody must have been drinking it (at least in late 19th century Cincinnati). What do we know about it? Where was it manufactured and by whom? Any information on the ingredients and/or flavor profile? Any notion of use in cocktails? Inquiring minds want to know. I'm sure others have blazed this territory and I'm hoping to benefit from their hard work without doing too much of it myself. Thanks!

I attended the dinner hosted at the Bourbon House featuring Tom Bulleit and Bulleit Bourbon last week -- would have written something sooner, but there's been something of a distraction here these last few days. In any event, it was a very well-done event (and I had the good fortune to find myself at the same table as Mr. Bulleit and Ann Tuennerman of Tales of the Cocktail fame). The food was the best I've had at the Bourbon House. We started with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, featuring a bourbon-spiked sangria that was just the thing on a hot day. After everyone was seated we moved on to a sweet potato and bourbon soup (probably the best dish I had all month), followed by a pecan smoked duck salad, a bourbon and brown sugar glazed pork confit, and, finally, a caramelized Bananas Foster. Every thing served was spot on. Cocktail pairings were delicious as well -- a drink called the "Gun Slinger" based on the Singapore Sling, a straight up Bulleit, a tea-blend and with desert a bourbon milk punch. It looks like I may have to spend a little more time at their bar. In any event, I know they're planning an event for later this month and more events like this down the road. Just wanted to let everyone know what a good experience I had and suggest that you be on the lookout for these upcoming events.

Not sure what might actually be available in Moldova, so I don't know what might be a duplicate to what they already have. The first thing that sprang to mind was Maker's Mark. (Strangely, Maker's Mark is often the first thing that springs to my mind. "What should we have for dinner?" she says. "Makers' Mark," I say.) The red wax catches peoples attention and it's a nice thing to sip as well. Another possibility, it seems to me, is Buffalo Trace. Picture of a Buffalo right there on the bottle. Very American (and, again, a good drink). Both of those will say Kentucky right on the bottle. One other option that I'll throw out is Sazerac Rye. It's also a Kentucky product (made at the Buffalo Trace distillery). It has, I believe, a smaller distribution and may be a bit harder to find. Again a nice drink. I'm sure your friend will appreciate the gesture.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head: 1) What about Dr. Siegert and the development of Angostura bitters? Not necessarily amusing, but given that bitters were the defining ingredient of a cocktail for about 100 years (and are tasty good to boot), some nod to them seems natural. People would likely know Angostura, but perhaps an older bitters would be appropriate instead? 2) As a hotbed of cocktail culture back in the day, with plenty of amusing anecdotes to go along, how about the Waldorf-Astoria bar? 3) I have very little knowledge of the invention of the cocktail glass. It's iconic, of course, and I think an entry discussing its creation/evolution/etc. would be well-received.

I've been giving some thought on how best to reply to this question (and hoping Todd would step in and take the pressure off, but I trust he'll throw his thoughts in on anything I've overlooked or gotten just plain wrong). Let me start by saying that he's absolutely right -- there is a clear difference in drinking styles at play here. Further, the comfort with alcohol spans the social spectrum, as he says. There are people in town who take a dim view of inebriation but they are comparatively rare and don't seem to wind up at any particular stratum. Grand old mansions, suburban cottages and rundown shotgun houses in the city all host their share of blowouts. I think that in the end the most important difference may be a familiarity level. The "tourist style" Todd alludes to seems to stem from an attitude of "Hey, look at me! I'm drunk and I'm in public! Wheee!" The "native style" doesn't see any particular novelty in drinking. It's more along the lines of "It's a party (or a random Tuesday night) so, of course, I'm going to have a drink or two or seven. Pleasant things happen when I drink especially when others drink too." They may get equally bombed, they're just less likely to make too much of a fuss. I'm tempted to draw a parallel to the new money/old money divide, New Orleans being (natch) the old money in this little analogy -- except with booze instead of cash. Alcohol has always been around and is always around and it's just part of the air (maybe literally). There's no real worry about not being able to get more and no real need to draw overly much attention to it. Someone coming from a relatively alcohol-poor background suddenly thrust in the free-flowing abundance of Bourbon Street may have the natural desire of the nouveau riche to live it up with the new-found plenty. I think this dichotomy underlies many of the other differences we see (such as the fact that hurricanes are rarely consumed outside the French Quarter itself). It also leads to Orleanians becoming rather more focused on alcohol when they leave our little paradise -- suddenly they have to worry about the booze not being there anymore. Of course, I may be completely full of it. I'd be interested to hear what others who have experienced this difference (or who don't think there is one) have to say.

Hmmm... Still is in plenty of upper middle class circles here in New Orleans.