Cocktails

Last Sunday, the sun was shining when the fourth annual L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade benefit for pediatric cancer research was held on the lawn of Culver Studios. Founded in 2000, Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004) was a four-year-old neuroblastoma patient who held a charity lemonade stand in front of her home to help raise money for cancer.  In one day, she raised $2,000 and by the time she passed away in 2004 at the age of 8, she had raised, with the help of others, more than $1 million. Almost 10 years later, more than $60 million has been raised to fund over 300 research projects with the goal of ending childhood cancer. Los Angeles Chef Suzanne Goin and her business partner Caroline Styne (AOC, Lucques, Tavern), along with Chef David Lentz (The Hungry Cat) created LA Loves Alex’s Lemonade Stand and each year an extraordinary group of chefs, vintners and mixologists donate their time for one of Los Angeles’ best and most worthy food and wine events. To date, the Los Angeles event has raised more than $1 million and this past week’s event raised more than $530,000.
04 October, 2013
When you think of your favorite cocktails, most of them are lead by familiar spirits like vodka, gin, tequila, rum, etc......but Sake?  TyKu Sake is paving the way for sake culture. Named by merging the words taekwondo and Haiku poems, TyKu represents the synergy of the two and highlights TyKu’s mission for respecting tradition and embracing tomorrow. While staying true to its origins and ingredients, TyKu offers premium sake that is great on its own or in a cocktail, as we learned recently when we joined TyKu at Sushi Roku for some cocktails and small plates. Sake is believed to have originated in Japan around 700 AD. Most surviving breweries were set up by landowners who grew rice crops and used the left over rice in their breweries to create what is known as Sake. Set out to create something authentic and true to its origins, American owners of TyKu lived in Japan for over four years and worked closely with the people of Japan to fully immerse themselves into the culture they have now brought to the public.  
01 October, 2013

What happens when you fill a train car with bartenders and representatives from four countries that produce whisk(e)y? The Great Whisk(e)y Debate….on a Train 2013! It started earlier...

26 September, 2013
Meet Pep Katcher, one of the owners of Cruz Tequila. We sat down in New Orleans where Pep told me the story of Cruz Tequila as we tasted through the soft, elegant tequilas. Cruz Tequila was created eight years ago when Pep, his brother Saulo, and friend Todd Nelson declared that they could make better tequila than the one they happened to be drinking.  With no knowledge of the manufacturing aspects of tequila, they were determined to build a brand from scratch that would represent a flavor profile that was soft, smooth and approachable.
19 September, 2013
It's taken more than two weeks of working out to recover from the 3rd Annual Los Angeles Food and Wine Event that took place August 22 - 25th. Four days of back to back events filled with amazing food and drinks was pretty indulgent and we enjoyed every single bite and sip! The weekend began with Giada's Festa Italiana on Thursday night. The weather was perfect as we walked down Grand Avenue, outside of Disney Concert Hall. There were over 200 wines to taste, and carb-filled Italian dishes to soak it all up.
16 September, 2013
All hands were on deck when The Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim, took to the helm to help celebrate National Rum Day (August 16th) by teaching us how to make simple, tasty cocktails with Shellback Rum from Barbados. Upon arriving at the event, we enjoyed a glass (or two) of Tony's Rum Punch to get in the mood. Made with Shellback Silver Rum, lemon juice, simple syrup, bitters and grated nutmeg, this was a tasty punch that gave a punch. So, it was a good thing we filled up on small bites as well.
12 September, 2013
Union Market of DC is an authentic market of culture and commerce. A true vision, this gathering place serves as an inviting melting pot of old world heritage and new world opportunities. This authentic district expands beyond its culinary origins to include music, retail, hotel and residential uses. Currently, more than 100 businesses employ 1,500 people in food production and distribution. It is a rare place in the city where a wide variety of ethnic groups and diverse social-economic groups come together. You can spend days wandering around from stand to stand trying different foods and products from local, artisanal producers. Here's a handy guide to help you:
30 August, 2013
San Francisco is filled with great cocktail bars and talented bartenders. As work takes me to San Francisco on a regular basis, I get to try new places, and re-visit others, all the time.  But, on one particular weekend, we went on a “bar tour” and here is what we managed to cover in 2 days! The Buena Vista 2765 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Located at the end of Fisherman’s Wharf, this bar has a menu that will please anyone looking for a refreshing cocktail or a boost of caffeine. With a number of specialty drinks ranging from Irish Coffee to Bull Shots, you are sure to get your fix of liquid courage. The Buena Vista also has a full beer menu, including their very own Buena Vista Café Pilsner. This bar has sought to recreate a classic Irish Coffee menu in addition to other spirited cocktail offerings.
27 August, 2013
The cocktail scene in Washington DC is one of the best in the country. With names like Derek Brown and Todd Thrasher who led the charge, there is so much talent in the city today. On a recent visit to DC, my cocktail guide, and local bartender, Rico Wisner led me from bar to bar as we drank our way through the city. Here are some of the highlights (although this is just a short list of some of the best bars): Barmini  855 E St NW (between N 9th St & N 8th St), Washington, DC 20004   Barmini is Chef José's Andres’ culinary cocktail lab in the space adjoining his restaurant Minibar. More than one hundred artisan cocktails are crafted and served with the same care and attention to detail as the dishes at minibar. Like all of Jose Andres’ creations, barmini is like nothing you’ve seen before and each cocktail is a work of art. Barmini has set the bar high for avant-garde cocktails.
24 August, 2013
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