Alcademics

Tag: cocktails

  • Purple Food Colorings: Anthocyanin

    Purple cornAnthocyanins are pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue or black. Food plants rich in anthocyanins include the blueberry, raspberry, black rice, and black soybean, among many others that are red, blue, purple, or black. [wikipedia]

    That purple color-changing butterfly pea flower tea? [tea bags] [flowers] [powder form] Anthocyanin. The purple cabbage science experiment you did in middle school? Anthocyanin. 

    Wikipedia offers a list of food sources with high anthocyanin levels. I put them in descending order below. You might choose to use them to color your cocktails. 

    • Purple corn leaves
    • Purple corn [buy]
    • Dried red cabbage
    • Norton Grape
    • Eggplant
    • Blueberry
    • Black Raspberry
    • Raspberry
    • Concord grape
    • Acai
    • Plum
    • Ube

    In my next post, I have links to many different natural food/drink colorings. 

    IMG_5491

     

  • Black Cocktail Alternatives to Activated Charcoal

    In my latest story for SevenFifty Daily I wrote about how to turn cocktails black without using activated charcoal. 

    Screen Shot 2018-03-23 at 9.59.37 AM

    While black cocktails may be extremely Instagram-worthy, the activated charcoal often used to give the drinks their inky hue could have serious health consequences. Activated charcoal can adsorb oral medications (and poisons, in the case of drug overdoses, for which it’s commonly used by emergency room doctors) so that the drugs never reach the bloodstream. It’s an uncomfortable fact that the sexy obsidian-colored old-fashioned you serve to a customer may affect the medication that person has taken shortly before, or after, imbibing.

    While one could add a medication-interaction warning about activated charcoal, like an allergen label on a drink menu, there are other ways to color a drink black that don’t require a scary-sounding note. SevenFifty Daily asked bartenders around the country for cocktail-darkening alternatives and learned that black sesame seeds, cuttlefish ink, and black food coloring are among the ingredients being used.

    The full story is here. 

     

     

  • The Future of San Francisco Cocktails (Predicted By Me) in San Francisco Magazine

    SF Mag cover Feb 2018It has been many years since I have contributed to San Francisco Magazine, but now I'm back! In the new February Bars & Nightlife issue, I have ten stories loosely themed around "Future proofing the cocktail: How Bay Area drink makers are reinventing our favorite alcoholic beverages."

    Below is the intro with links to all ten stories and brief intros from me. 

     

    Two decades into the Bay Area’s cocktail awakening, you’d think that bars would have settled into a comfortable middle age—the imbibing equivalent of staying home to Netflix and chill. But you’d be wrong.

    Creativity stirs all over the region, and drink makers and bar owners continue to spin out new ways to stay relevant and keep us guessing: with secret menus, popup concepts, and menu launch parties; with vibrant drinks, exotic ingredients, and bar-specific spirits; with quality concoctions served at double the speed, thanks to newfangled juices and outsourced ice. And to meet the expanding demand for quality, novelty, and expediency in booze consumption, new clusters of great bars have sprung up not just in the East Bay but also to the north and south. These changes are often nuanced but pervasive, taking place across many bars in many precincts throughout the ever-thirsty Bay Area.

    Scanning the cocktail horizon, you can spot the big ideas and the small revisions that are changing the way we drink in 2018 and beyond. Here are 10 of them.

    Bartenders Are Going Straight to the Source 

    How bartenders are directing spirits creation from distillers. 

    Forget The Simple Description: These Are Very Complicated Cocktails

    A look into the mind of Adam Chapman from The Gibson.

    Wine Country Has An Unofficial Cocktail AVA

    Drinks at the fantastic Duke's and other Healdsburg cocktail bars. 

    The Future (and Present, Actually) Is Female

    Who runs the bars? Girls. A sampling of ten women running things in Bay Area Bars. 

    Asian Restaurants Are the Center of Cocktail Innovation

    Once the home of sake bombs and soju immitations of real drinks, now Asian restaurants are some of the most forward-looking. 

    Viking Drinks Are So Hot Right Now

    Aquivit will be everywhere in 2018.

    You'll Be Spending the Night in San Jose

    Paper Plane and other great bars in San Jose.

    Your Highball Intake Is About to Increase Dramatically

    Whiskey and other highballs are happening. 

    Outsourcing Is In

    Blind Tiger Ice and Super Jugoso are going to have a major impact on prep work in SF bars. 

    The Mission Has Only Just Begun 

    So, so many new bars are opening in the Mission District. 

     

    I've already got my next assignment for San Francisco Magazine, so hopefully this will be a regular thing. 

     

     

     

  • Allergy Labelling Approaches on Cocktail Bar Menus in the US and Abroad

    AllergyIn an era when customers are more and more attuned to their allergies, aversions, and dietary restrictions, and as bartenders are using evermore exotic ingredients in their drinks, it may be time to consider adding warning labels to the cocktail menu.

    In a story I wrote for SevenFifty Daily, I took a look at some bars’ philosophies on the matter and the labeling schemes they’re employing to warn customers about potential dangers in their drinks.

    We looked at labelling for nuts, seafood, soy, gluten, vegan/vegetarian, how these are listed on various menus or handled only in person, and look at a few unusual things that need to be labelled in UK bars. 

    Bars I spoke to include Trick Dog, the Proper Hotel, and the Tonga Room in San Francisco, Bar Clacson in LA, Bresca in DC, Saint Ellie in Denver, Bar Fiori in NYC, The Aviary in Chicago and New York, and The Hide Bar in London. 

     I hope you get a lot out of the story, I had a great time researching it. Read it here. 

    SFD_Allergies_CR_Courtesy_Rhymes_with_Trick_Dog_2520x14203-768x433

  • Almost All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Published in 2017 for Reading or Gifting

    Behold! Here is my round-up of all the cocktails and spirits books (plus a few others) that were released in 2017. This year, beyond the annual deluge of whisky books, there are books aping the bartender lifestyle (Drink Like a Bartender, Straight Up), more narrative books (I Hear She's a Real Bitch, By the Smoke and the Smell), and recipe books seeking to simplify the process (3 Ingredient Cocktails, The Imbible, Road Soda) rather than reveal the secrets of complex drinks from top bars.

    All in all, another great year for reading about drinking. 

    The links below are to Amazon.com and if you order from there I get a little percentage from the affiliate program. However if you want to be even more awesome, you can buy my book on the Gin & Tonic too!  

     

    Best Cocktail Books 2017

     

     

    Cocktail/Bartender Lifestyle Books 

    6a00e553b3da20883401bb09d333e2970d.jpgThe Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the Wide World of Booze by Jeff Cioletti 

    Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World's Most Spirited Mousers by Brad Thomas Parsons

    The Art of the Bar Cart: Styling & Recipes by Vanessa Dina, Ashley Rose Conway

    The Bar Cart Bible: Everything You Need to Stock Your Home Bar and Make Delicious Classic Cocktails

    Drink Like a Bartender  by Thea Engst and Lauren Vigdor 

    The Cocktail Competition Handbook by Andy Ives

    Straight Up: Where to drink & what to drink on every continent  by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley

    Meehan's Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan 

     

    History Books

    6a00e553b3da20883401b8d2afccb8970c.jpgMuskets and Applejack: Spirits, Soldiers, and the Civil War by Mark Will-Weber 

    B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S.: Bars And Saloons, Taverns And Random Drink Stories (Volume 1)  by Brian F. Rea 

    Bay Area Cocktails: A History of Culture, Community and Craft  by Shanna Farrell

    Bumbershoots: Abridged by Dominic C Pennock

     

     

     

    Single Cocktail Books

    The Bloody Mary Book: Reinventing a Classic Cocktail by Ellen Brown 

    The Bloody Mary: The Lore and Legend of a Cocktail Classic, with Recipes for Brunch and Beyond  by Brian Bartels 

    Gin Tonica: 40 recipes for Spanish-style gin and tonic cocktails by David T Smith 

     

    Whiskey and Whisky Books

    6a00e553b3da20883401b7c925786b970b.jpgMoonshine Mixology: 60 Recipes for Flavoring Spirits & Making Cocktails by Cory Straub 

    The Way of Whisky: A Journey Around Japanese Whisky by Dave Broom 

    The Bourbon Bartender: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the American Spirit by Jane Danger and Alla Lapushchik

    Canadian Whisky, Second Edition: The New Portable Expert by Davin de Kergommeaux 

     

    Rum Books

    The Curious Bartender's Rum Revolution by Tristan Stephenson 

    Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World's Spirit by Fred Minnick 

    Spirit of the Cane by Jared McDaniel Brown and Anistatia Renard Miller 

     

    Other Spirits

    6a00e553b3da20883401b8d2ba6be7970c.jpgMezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit by Emma Janzen 

    AKVAVIT - Rediscovering a Nordic Spirit  by Sune Risum-Urth and Rasmus Poulsgaard  

    Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Book of Bitters: The bitter and twisted history of one of the cocktail world’s most fascinating ingredients by Adam Elmegirab 

     

    Brand Books

    Hennessy: A Toast to the World's Preeminent Spirit by Glenn O'Brien 

     Fever Tree: The Art of Mixing: Recipes from the world's leading bars  by Fever Tree 

    Brewdog: Craft Beer for the People  by Richard Taylor with James Watt and Martin Dickie

     

    Recipe-Focussed Books

    6a00e553b3da20883401b7c92577e6970b.jpgThe Imbible: A Cocktail Guide for Beginning and Home Bartenders by Micah LeMon 

    Let's Get Monster Smashed: Horror Movie Drinks for a Killer Time by Jon Chaiet and Marc Chaiet 

    Code Name: Cocktail by Vicky Sweat & Karen McBurnie

    The Modern Cocktail: Innovation + Flavour by Matt Whiley

    Road Soda: Recipes and techniques for making great cocktails, anywhere by Kara Newman 

    The Poptail Manual: Over 90 Delicious Frozen Cocktails by Kathy Kordalis

    The Cocktail Guide to the Galaxy: A Universe of Unique Cocktails from the Celebrated Doctor Who Bar by Andy Heidel 

    Cooking with Cocktails: 100 Spirited Recipes by Kristy Gardner 

    The Classic & Craft Cocktail Recipe Book: The Definitive Guide to Mixing Perfect Cocktails from Aviation to Zombie  by Clair McLafferty 

    Boston Cocktails: Drunk & Told by Frederic Yarm

    Beach Cocktails: Favorite Surfside Sips and Bar Snacks

    A Spot at the Bar: Welcome to the Everleigh: The Art of Good Drinking in Three Hundred Recipes by Michael Madrusan and Zara Young

    The Wildcrafted Cocktail: Make Your Own Foraged Syrups, Bitters, Infusions, and Garnishes; Includes Recipes for 45 One-of-a-Kind Mixed Drinks by Ellen Zachos 

    The Cocktail Hour (L’Heure du Cocktail): 224 recipes  Collected by Marcel Requien Presented by Lucien Farnoux-Reynaud 

    3 Ingredient Cocktails: An Opinionated Guide to the Most Enduring Drinks in the Cocktail Canon by Robert Simonson

    Cocktail Chameleon by Mark Addison 

    Prosecco Cocktails: 40 tantalizing recipes for everyone's favourite sparkler by Laura Gladwin

    New York Cocktails by Amanda Schuster 

    Good Together: Drink & Feast with Mr Lyan & Friends by Ryan Chetiyawardana 

     

    Narrative Booze Books

    DownloadThe Angels' Share by James Markert 

    Breakfast Tea & Bourbon by Pete Bissonette

    Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey by Troylyn Ball and Bret Witter

    I Hear She's a Real Bitch by Jen Agg 

    By the Smoke and the Smell: My Search for the Rare and Sublime on the Spirits Trail by Thad Vogler

     

     

    Wine Books

    Note: I don't really cover wine books and  these are just a few of them that came out this year. These are merely the ones that showed up in my mailbox. 

    The Complete Bordeaux  by Stephen Brook 

    Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker

    The Dirty Guide to Wine: Following Flavor from Ground to Glass by Alice Feiring 

    6a00e553b3da20883401b8d2c11b96970c.jpgThe New Wine Rules: A Genuinely Helpful Guide to Everything You Need to Know by Jon Bonne

    Champagne: The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region  by Peter Liem 

    Larousse Wine

     

    Beer and Cider Books 

    Note: Same as wine, this isn't my primary focus but here are a few books. 

    Best Beers: the indispensable guide to the world’s beers by Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont

    Modern Cider: Simple Recipes to Make Your Own Ciders, Perries, Cysers, Shrubs, Fruit Wines, Vinegars, and More by Emma Christensen

     

     

    Food, and Miscellaneous Related Books 

    6a00e553b3da20883401bb09a29c97970d.jpgGastrophysics: The New Science of Eating  by Charles Spence 

    Miracle Cure: The Creation of Antibiotics and the Birth of Modern Medicine by William Rosen

    Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World  by Mitch Prinstein

    What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories by Laura Shapiro 

    The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St Clair 

     

     

     

    Not Enough Books For Ya?

    Here are all the books published in the last three years as well. 

    More Than 40 Drink Books Published in 2014 for Reading or Gifting

    All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting

    All the Cocktails and Spirits Books Published in 2016 for Reading or Gifting

     

  • New Business Models for Large Format Cocktail Ice Providers

    Large format cocktail ice providers have been around for a while, but now big cube/sphere/spear providers are branching out into new shapes, sizes, making machines, and pushing into retail. 

    In a story for SevenFifty Daily, based in part on my talk at Tales of the Cocktail, I wrote about what several companies are doing to bring more larger clear ice to more people. 

     

    Big ice copy

  • Copyright, Trademark, and Patents for Bars, Brands, and Booze Recipes

    CopyrightMy second story for the new industry-facing site Daily.SevenFifty.com is up! 

    For this one, I covered a Tales of the Cocktail seminar called Intellectual Property Law Issues in Cocktail Land. It was lead by Trademark Attorney and Hemingway enthusiast Philip Greene, along with John Mason, a lawyer with Copyright Counselors,  Steffin Oghene of Absolut Elyx, and Andrew Friedman of Liberty in Seattle. 

    It clarified the basic definitions of copyright, trademark, and patents, and there were tons of interesting examples – including the Curious Case of the Copper Pineapple!

     

    Check it out here. 

     

    The seminar description was:

    If I make a Dark ‘n’ Stormy, do I have to use Gosling’s Black Seal Rum? What about the Painkiller, will Pusser’s Rum sue me if I use another brand? What about those iconic (and sometimes poorly made) New Orleans classics, the Sazerac, Hurricane and the Hand Grenade, will I get a cease and desist letter from anyone if I make them at my bar claiming trademark infringement? I keep hearing about Havana Club becoming available again from Cuba, but didn’t I also hear that Bacardi is planning to market their own Havana Club? What’s up with that? And speaking of Bacardi, didn’t they sue bars and restaurants back in the 1930s because those establishments failed to use Bacardi Rum in the drink? Is that true, and how did that turn out? Did I hear correctly that Peychaud's Bitters was the center of a trademark dispute way back in the 1890s, with the same family that founded Commander's Palace? And if I create a great drink and give it an awesome name, can I patent or copyright the recipe, and trademark the name? What if I get hired by a bar or restaurant to develop their beverage program, will they own the rights to the drinks that I invented or can I retain ownership rights in the recipes and names? Join the one veteran Tales presenter who is uniquely qualified to moderate this topic, Philip Greene, intellectual property and Internet attorney by day Trademark Counsel for the U.S. Marine Corps) and cocktail historian on the side (co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail and author of two cocktail books, To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion and The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail, in an in-depth, informative and fun seminar, and learn how to make (and enjoy samples of) some of these contentious classics while discussing this highly intellectual topic!

     

     

  • Cool Factor: Cocktail Coolers in the LA Times Magazine

    For my latest feature in the LA Times Magazine, I asked bartenders from warm-weather cities to share their recipes for cool cocktails.

    The bartenders are Larry Rice from Louisville, Bobby Heugel from Houston, Erik Simpkins from Atlanta, Todd Thrasher from Alexandria, Anthony Schmidt from San Diego, Rhiannon Enlil from New Orleans, and Michael Shearin from Los Angeles.

    Latm coolerss1(Photography by Bartholomew Cooke for LA Times Magazine)

    Cool Factor
    The Dog Days Just Howl for Long, Tall, Cold Libations
    By Camper English 

    Different times of the day, changing atmospheric conditions and succeeding meal courses all call for a specific type of cocktail. But it’s the sweltering days and lasting sunlight of August that compel us to seek coolers replete with ice. We asked some of the America’s best bartenders based in warmer climes for a drink to chill us out, and their picks make use of a variety of methods and flavors to accomplish this task, from shaved ice and coconut milk to cucumbers and mint—even a splash of light beer. Cheers!

    Go here for the recipes!

    Latm coolers2
    (Photography by Bartholomew Cooke for LA Times Magazine)

  • Alcademics Wins a Best of the Bay Award

    This is turning into a pretty good month. Alcademics was just given a Best of the Bay Award in the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

     

    Best of the bay 2011 cover

    BEST LIQUOR LOWDOWN

    Why is it that we like to read about food and drink so much on the Web? In no other Internet area, except maybe porn, is the meeting of the weightlessly virtual and the essentially physical so addictively fruitful. And while crackerjack local liquor expert Camper English's Alcademics site doesn't tear off your panties with glossy cocktail shots, his entertainingly detailed descriptions of the latest drool-worthy liquors will have you practically licking your screen. Over the past four years — besides visiting more than 70 distilleries, blending houses, and bodegas in 14 countries — Alcademics has helped refine the Bay Area's cocktail-blogging niche with some much-needed worldliness and a willingness to look deeper at what's in our highball. (English's degree in physics helps here.) Now you can drink to feel smarter!

    www.alcademics.com

     Thanks SFBG! All the awards are here.

  • The Wide World of Pisco

    For years, the only piscos available were the single-grape quebranta and the blended acholado, often with quebranta at its core.

    Now we can find all eight approved Peruvian pisco varietals and several different acholado blends. In my latest story for the San Francisco Chronicle I talk about the wide range of piscos now available and a few cocktails in which to try them. 

    Fd-spirits24_pis_0503805957

    Pisco – so much to know, there's more to tell
    Camper English, Special to The Chronicle
    Sunday, July 24, 2011 

    Cocktail recipes that call for pisco almost never specify details on the spirit the way that whiskey might require. But as a slew of new piscos appear, with widely divergent flavors, bartenders and their customers are going to need to be more specific.

    "In Peru there are five different pisco growing regions, there are 42 valleys, there are eight approved (grape) varietals and there are 500 producers. So with that you can see the gamut of what you're going to get," says James Schenk, owner of Pisco Latin Lounge in San Francisco.

    Go here to read the rest of the story.