The USBGNY Mixer at Innoteca October 5th

The USBGNY Mixer at Innoteca on October 5th
with Charlotte Voisey

The USGBNY stands for the United States Bartender Guild of New York. This is a nonprofit group which brings together people of the Alcohol industry, particularly bartenders, mixologists, and molecular mixologists. Although people that are related in the industry, such as bar managers, servers, or any affiliate of any kind are more than welcome to join, the dues are ridiculously cheap, and every month is a mixer which educates you about a brand, you get to network with your colleagues, and you are given food, sometimes 3 course meals or appetizer's, which is based on the venue and what they see fit. Also, the USBGNY holds several events that you can volunteer to bartend in, and/or just participate by your attendance, such as conventions, tastings, competitions, fund raisers, and so on. I really do recommend joining any chapter that's available in your hometown, because it is worth every penny, if not more.

So, as the blood orange cocktails were given out, brought to us by Solerno, which is an Italian blood orange liqueur. We began to enjoy the 3 course meals that was given out and Charlotte started to speak more about the brand and how the bartenders can create lovely libations at their bar, such as blood orange cosmo's.

After the lovely lunch and the education of Solerno, I highly recommend this brand! As a possible substitute for any orange based liqueur that you might want to use in your cocktail creations.

After the mixer, USBGNY had three vans to escort us to Queens, for the L' Original Combier Portfolio tasting, at Dutch Kills. Combier is now launched in the US, and in their portfolio, they have the Combier, the Royal Combier, and the Roi Rene Rouge Sherry Liqueur. Combier was the first orange liqueur, known as the Triple Sec. It was created by Jean Baptiste Combier, and his wife, in 1834, from sweet and bitter orange peels in the West Indies, local spices from the South, alcohol from the north, and a family secret from the Loire Valley. And there, I present to you, the worlds first Triple Sec.

In my opinion, Combier is an excellent Triple Sec to have behind your bar, and at your home bar. I think it is another great orange based liqueor along with Solerno, you can make the most exotic and creative cocktails. A couple of cocktails that I will suggest with Combier: The Bijou, which is equal parts of 1 oz Gin, 1 oz Combier Liqueur, D' Orange, 1 oz of French Vermouth. Shake all ingredients with ice, pour into chilled martini glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry, or an orange zest; The Deshler Cocktail, which is 1 1/2 oz of Red Dubonnet, 1 1/2 oz of Rye whiskey 1/4 oz Combier Liquors D' orange, and a dash of Angostura bitters, then you will shake and strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange peel.

So after meeting (owner/master distiller) Franck Choisne and (president) Scott Goldman, and learning about this great brand, it was time for the USBGNY vans to drop us off at our next venue for the 2009 Ministry of Rum fest. At the festival, it was every rum you could think of! It was open to the public (with their purchased tickets), plus the industry of course. I was quite familiar with all the brands, and especially excited to see the Mamajuana table. I met Nelcy Feliz, from Mamajuana Hispaniola rum, which I will blog about in the near future. They informed me of the NY launch of the brand will be coming up in November, and of course, the lovely ladies invited me to the event. And then, I went on down, table after table! The great Zacapa table was there, had an awesome conversation with the representatives of the brand, and then I saw my friend, Dave Catania, which he endorses Castries Peanut Rum Cream.

Castries is creamy, seductive, sensual, and pure. With this rum cream, you can use several different types of liquors for this delicate product. I like the Lift Ticket, which is 2 1/2 oz of Castries, 1/2 oz of premium espresso vodka, or tequila. You shake it over ice, strain into cocktail glass, top it with chocolate covered espresso beans (or you can use regular espresso beans,) or chocolate stirrers, or substitute it with coffee liqueur. And that was the end of a great night from Solerno, to Combier, to the Ministry of Rum. I was exhausted, and learned so much that day.

Cheers !!