Please The Palate |

Meet Pep Katcher, Owner of Cruz Tequila

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

All Hands On Deck with Shellback Rum

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

Cocktail Tour: Washington DC

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