Out of commission..............

My apologies for the HUGE lack of blogging from the past 2 months. From massive deadlines, stacked up high paper work, and cleansing on a no alcohol detox, I was unable to get a blog posted!

I would like to say that I'll return to my duties with a slew of blogs within the next week.

Cheers,
Carmen

P.S. This will be a great night to write about...............

Photo credits: Lush Life Productions

LUPEC's Whisky and Women Celebration

BULLETIN: Please attend If possible and in the NYC area!

This second instillation of our fly-by-night bar features tippling and tweeting with the ladies of LUPEC, in celebration of International Women’s Day 2010. One part fundraiser ($5 of each ticket goes to a women’s charitable organization) and one part cocktail party (a tasting of boutique blender Compass Box’s whiskies and cocktails), this toast to women’s accomplishments and empowerment in New York and around the globe is also an opportunity to rub elbows with some of the fixtures of the NYC cocktail twitterati!

The cocktails will be shaken and slung by Lynette Marerro and friends, working as members of Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC). Their mission?

* To create a secular "coven-like" atmosphere in which Classy Broads of today can invoke and honor the spirits of their Forebroads
* To continue the 150 year American tradition of dangerous women calling themselves Ladies and getting together in groups, clubs, and societies to work undercover while they chipped away at the patriarchy.
* To protect the collective Joie de Vivre of LUPEC members by assuring them at least one good party a month
* To encourage the accumulation and use of vintage serving and barware.
* And most importantly, to let LUPEC ladies use our skills to support women-based charitable organizations.

Compass Box Brand Ambassador and whisky guru Robin Robinson will be on hand leading tastings of their sophisticated, expressive blended whiskies, including Asyla, Hedonism, Oak Cross, Peat Monster, Spice Tree and their infused whisky, Orangerie.

This event is co-hosted with @sweetblogomine, the mastermind behind the the cocktail tweetups that have been gaining momentum for 18 months.

Your ticket entitles you to two of the drinks created for the event. Additional tickets will be available on site ($10 a cocktail) should you want to taste the whole list (and you probably will.) Snacks will be served.

Tickets MUST be purchased in advance and are available online:
http://www.astorcenternyc.com/class-winter-warmer-cocktail-tweetup.ac

International Women’s Day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. It has been observed since the early 1900's and today thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate their incredible achievement. For more information on International Women’s Day 2010 including events taking place around the world, please visit http://www.internationalwomensday2010.com

Photo and event info credit: LUPEC NYC

The Breslin and the Summit Bar

Location #1: 133 Avenue C, The Summit Bar, NYC

Location #2: 16 west 29th street, The Breslin, NYC


Date: 1/12/10

After a long hard day of imbibing and learning at the Benedictine mixer and then attending the Macallan tasting, me and the cocktail posse walked around the corner to the Summit bar (top photo) for a few libations. I had the Estrella Damm Lager and the Black Bottle whisky to please my thirst. The Summit Bar is a beautiful addition to the East Village and offers a great atmosphere along with a dynamic cocktail menu. Between Louis 649 and The Summit, the E.V. is experiencing the return of the cocktail experience!

After we caught up with the rest of our friends, we made our way to the Breslin. I was very pleased when I walked inside this delightful bar and dining room. The atmosphere correlated with the antique oak designed bars, classic moldings, and tiled flooring.

What else is great about this place? The cask-conditioned ale's, the simple but delicious gin and tonic menu, and the super creative cocktail list designed by Aisha Sharpe from Contemporary Cocktails.

Aisha balanced out the spirits with house made syrups, fresh juices(made daily),bitters, and assorted liqueurs. I highly suggest that you make your way over to this beauteous Brittish bar and dining room.


Night Cap:

Needless to say that I was ready for some shut eye at this point. I went home happy with my little ole taste buds satisfied.

Slaandjivaa!


Photo Credits: The Summit Bar and The Breslin

Info about Aisha Sharpe and Contemporary Cocktails:

http://contemporarycocktailsinc.com/index.php?doc_id=32

Macallan's Cool Ice Ball

Location: Louis 649, 649 east 9th street, NYC

Date: 1/12/10

Event: Macallan Tasting

Me and my cocktail posse arrived to Louis and entered in a packed house! I know Louis is a great cocktail bar, but I've never seen it so full! They even had one of the owners maintaining the door and not letting people in, due to the full capacity. It was obvious that New Yorker's loves Macallan.

This Libation Girl knew her fair share of the brand and enjoyed the tastings from 12-18 years, but I was loving the copper ice ball maker! This maker creates ice balls for your whisky, which fits in most standard rock glasses. The spherical shape of the ice ball helps slows down the melting process, due to the body heat it receives from your hands.


There was only one thing that I was un-happy to learn about this clever copper creation. It won't be available for the public until a few years, but the people at the Japan Trend Shop has created a replica for $185 USD(see link below). I think this is well worth it for you master molecular mixologist.


Night Cap:

It was a great day/night. I met some new and exciting people. I had great libations, and experience a cool new device for the cocktail world.

Slaandjivaa!



Ice Ball Maker info:

http://www.japantrendshop.com/ice-ball-mold-for-perfect-ice-spheres-p-244.html

Photo Credits: Lush Life Productions

*minus the pix with the ice ball in the presenter hand*

Jill DeGroff's Art Opening

Who is Jill DeGroff? Well that may be a silly question for a certain group of people, but I am here to answer that for you If you've just landed on my planet Operetta!

Jill DeGroff is a top saloon artist and co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail. She creates realistic caricature's. She has published books and calendars that exemplifies the true essence of people in the spirits, music, and the writing industry.

I have had the pleasure to know a few of the persons involved in her projects and I'll have to say that she captures every detail of their personality and energy. Jill is talented and gifted!

I have had the opportunity to view her masterpieces in person at the recent art opening in Red Hook, Brooklyn on 1/15/10 at Sunny's bar. Upon arrival, I was greeted first by her lovely son, Leo and then her and her husband, Dale. We had some lovely libations and chatted a little as they was completing the set -up for the opening.

I had to arrive early, because I had a prior engagement and had to leave early unfortunately. With this small time frame, I was quick to step up and look at the creations and study them. The art work was amazing and so realistic!

All of a sudden, everyone started coming in the lounge. I had talked to a few people as I waited on my car to arrive and took a few photo's. As the time came for me to leave, I said my good bye's and congratulated Jill on her great work!


A little info on Dale DeGroff:

He is a world renowned master mixologist/author, who resuscitated the life of the cocktail industry! When Dale started working at the Rainbow Room in the late 80's in NYC, libations wasn't going to be the same again! He created excellent cocktail menu's and executed the best cocktails using fresh ingredients and showing his fellow colleagues the beauty of returning to the classic style of tending bar!

A brief note on caricature art:

Caricature art began back in history when Leonardo Da Vinci drew caricatures along with Monet, and Daumier. The Webster Dictionary said's it comes from the Italian caricare: to load, and that it means exaggeration by means of often ludicrous distortion of parts or characteristics.

Back to Jill:

If you fancy the jazz age/prohibition era life style, then Jill's artwork will intrigue, educate, and please your optical organs.

Caricature info and background credit:

aboutfaceentertainers.com

webster-dictionary.com

More info on Jill DeGroff's artwork:

http://www.kingcocktail.com/caricatura.htm
Jill DeGroff's calendar and book info:

http://www.kingcocktail.com/LushLife.htm
Jill DeGroff's Museum info:

http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org/

Photo Credit for top left pix:

Ed Leder

The Macchu Pisco Review

Pisco, hum...when this spirit comes to mind or If you see it on a cocktail list, what do think and what do you know about this natural spirit?

Well, I'm here to give some insight and tell you about a brand that I've come across during my session at Junior Merino's Liquid Lab a few months ago.

In this photo, is the founder and CEO of the Macchu Pisco brand, Melanie Asher. She educated and helped me develope a great appreciation for this fine product.

Let me give you some basic background information on the Peruvian version, because their are two countries who produces pisco. It is a great debate and an issue about who invented it, due to the fact that Chile grows the Quebranta grape in the northern region of the Elqui Valley, which is the main grape to produce the pisco.

Also, I have to say that the first vineyards to produce the grapes, especially the Quebranta was in the vice royalty of Peru, which is the south west Inca region.

A Few facts:

• Pure Peruvian pisco is never blended with water or anything else that could declare it not to be true to the appellation.
• Pisco is a categorized in the brandy family.
  
• It is distilled naturally.
• Bottled in cask that are lined with paraffin to keep the liquor clear and the complex flavor pure.
• Pisco softens with aging a little, but doesn't need to, unlike whisky.
• Pisco is about 400-500 years old in production.
• Peruvian pisco grades includes the acholado, which translate to the "Half Breed".
• Pisco means "Little Bird".

Back to Macchu Pisco

I wanted to discuss this brand in the hopes that people can appreciate a well produced spirit that is similar, but different at the same time to the brandy and grappa that you may drink. If you would like to create a cocktail at home for entertaining, I'll suggest Artemio Vasquez's Pisco Sour cocktail from the Yerba Buena cafe located on 23 Avenue A, NYC.

Serves 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
2 oz Macchu Pisco
3/4 oz lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
1 organic egg white
Bitters

Dry shake all the ingredients except for the bitters until it's foamy, then add ice and shake again, served up and garnished with dashes of bitters.

Macchu Pisco has 3 versions that could possibly satisfy your taste buds. 1. The classic and premium pisco 2. La Diablada, which is great for pisco punches or neat as a digestif 3. Nusta, which is the reserved and rare version.

Nusta is bottled in a limited production of handmade ceramic bottle's, which is displayed in the above photo with Melanie in the brown earthy color with the orange circled label.

In conclusion, I hope you find this review informative and you'll go out and try something new!

Photo Credit:

Melanie Asher's photo: http://expressnightout.com/content/photos/2006-09-29-pisco.jpg

Re-Post for a Few Changes in the Bacardi Competition!

Here are the two last minute changes:

· CASH PRIZE!: Winners of the “Love Potion” BACARDI® Cocktail Challenge will receive a $250 cash prize (along with their cocktail featured on Havana Central menus for the month of February in all 3 locations) – Deadline for submission is Feb 5^th (See below for details)

· Location Change: The Cocktail Challenge will now be taking place at Havana Central Times Square (151 West 46^th Street)

Photo Credits: media.photobucket.com

http://media.photobucket.com/image/bacardi/vaness099/bacardi.jpg