…cocktail snobs versus geeks, micro and macro trends in cocktails, what drinks win cocktail contests, why I'm not sick of speakeasies, and much, much more.
Read this interview with me on Mix Pour Sip.
Month: May 2011
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A Thousand Year Old Drunken Regret Letter
For my book club I read the book Foreign Devils on the Silk Road
by Peter Hopkirk. It's about European explorers finding and raiding the artwork of abandonded and sand-buried cities along the silk road.
In a chapter on finding a hidden library of ancient scrolls at Tun-huang, the author notes (page 175) that they found "a thousand-year-old 'model' letter of apology in Chinese designed for inebriated guests to send to their hosts."
I think you'll find it's still useful today.
Here's the translation:
'Yesterday, having drunk too much, I was so intoxicated as to pass all bounds; but none of the rude and coarse language I used was uttered in a conscious state. The next morning, after hearing others speak on the subject, I realized what had happened, whereupon I was overwhelmed with confusion and ready to sink into the ground with shame…'
The letter adds that the writer will soon come to apologize in person for his transgression. A suitable reply for the outraged hosted is suggested, which Giles translates thus:
'Yesterday, Sir, while in your cups, you so far overstepped the observances of polite society as to forfeit the name of gentleman, and made me wish to have nothing more to do with you. But since you now express your shame and regret for what has occured, I would suggest that we meet again for a friendly talk…'
Sounds like something I've heard from a bartender or two in this millennium.
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The SF Chronicle’s 2011 Bar Stars
The SF Chronicle has announced the 2011 Bar Stars, bartenders who deserve special recognition. The introduction by Wine Editor Jon Bonne is here.
The Bar Stars are:
- Morgan Young (I did this write-up)
- Carlo Splendorini
- Jason "Buffalo" LoGrasso
- Alex Smith
- Kevin Diedrich
Click the links for the write-ups on each bartender.
(Photo by Russell Yip/SF Chronicle.) -
Good on Toast, Great in Drinks
(Photo courtesy of That's My Jamm)David Ruiz of Mr. Smith's makes jams and preserves just for cocktails. I wrote about it with a quick note about jam in cocktails historically, and in which bar you can find a mezcal drink with strawberry-raspberry-jabanero jam. Yumz.
Read about That's My Jamm on Tasting Table. The story is here.
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Stovetop Ice Balls: A First Attempt
Now that we know one way to make crystal clear ice, what are we gonna do with it?
One thing I've wanted to attempt is to make ice balls. These can be carved by hand, but that's a lot of work. The big copper ice ball makers make lovely ice balls, but these cost a ton of money. I've been trying to think of a new solution.
When they send bars the copper ice ball makers, they send an ice cube tray that makes a big enough cube to use in it. Unfortunately that tray produces cubes that are cloudy in the center, for reasons described earlier on this site.
I am a big enough nerd that I have brought my own clear ice to a bar that had the ice ball maker to produce a clear ball. It was lovely.
So I made a first attempt at another way of creating ice balls with conventional equipment: The Stovetop Ice Ball Method.
Don't get too excited: So far it doesn't work.
The theory is that I'll start with a clear block of ice and melt it into a heated metal bowl, creating a half-sphere. Then I'll turn it over and make another half sphere joining that one to form a complete sphere.
I bought a bowl at Ikea that's probably four inches in diameter – too big for a glass but fine for an experiment. I sat the block of ice on it, and set the bowl on the stove burner.
Click the link below (if you see one) to keep reading.
