At 35% ABV, Mekhong makes some fun and flavourful cocktails. Mekhong has a golden, dark amber and reddish copper appearance and its flavour and aroma is both spicy and sweet with hints of ginger, honey, toffee, vanilla, floral, herbs and citrus.

If you’re lucky enough to have a bottle of Mekhong on hand, try some of these holiday cocktails, created by several Manhattan mixologists.

Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

2 shots Mekhong
¾ shot fresh squeezed Lime Juice
½ shot Elderflower cordial
1 bar spoon of sugar
¼ fresh pear cut lengthwise
3 thumbnail sized slices of fresh ginger root
½ Kaffir lime leaf

Directions: In a mixing glass muddle the pear, ginger and sugar into a paste. Add Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a rock glass over ice. Garnish with torn Kaffir lime leaf.

Mekhong Mistletoe

2 shots Mekhong
1 shot fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ pomegranate fruit
¾ shot simple sugar syrup

Directions: In a mixing glass muddle pomegranate (leaving over a bar spoon of seeds to garnish) and sugar syrup. Add remaining ingredients, fill with ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds and strain into a Martini Glass. Garnish with remaining pomegranate seeds.

Mekhong Magi
2 shots Mekhong
1 shot Goldschläger (Swiss cinnamon schnapps – for the gold flecks)
Hot Spiced Apple Cider
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
touch of star anise

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a glass or ceramic mug. Mix in cloves and star anise and mix with spoon. Drop in cinnamon stick and serve hot.

Mekhong Frosty

2 shots Mekhong
1 ½ shots coconut puree
¾ shot white Crème de Cacao
Ground nutmeg

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini-cocktail glass. Ground some nutmeg on top.

Mekhong Rudolph

3 shots Mekhong
1 shot sweet (Italian) Vermouth
¾ shot Benedictine
Orange twist & a maraschino cherry

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 35-40 revolutions. Strain into a chilled martini-cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist and maraschino cherry.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Post from: EveryJoe

New Thai Spirit: Mekhong

Chris lists all of my usual haunts – farmer’s markets, ethnic grocery stores and alternative or whole foods markets. What Chris did list, that aren’t usual haunts for me, were several different sites around the wild wild interwebs that offer several different options that every good cocktail geek craves.

The ones that piqued my interest the most were:

• Tenzing Momo – A brick & mortar apothecary shop based out of the Pike Place market in Seattle, WA. This simple webpage conceals a great resource for some especially rare ingredients – one of the only vendors I know to carry Cinchona (for Tonic water) for example. Prices will appear especially low – be warned that this is due to quantities – as near as I can tell, each herb/spice item is sold in 1-ounce increments, so adjust an order accordingly. [I'm just up the road from Seattle - I will be checking this out the next time we're there!]
• Auntie Arwen’s – An apothecary & herbalist, Arwen’s carries a selection of herbs, roots, flora, spices & extracts. Their true specialty, however, lies in crafting specialized blends of these – often on a custom/to-order basis. Need a ‘Mango-white Pepper-Grains of Paradise’ blend? Arwen’s has you covered…[cool!]
• Forgotten Flavors – A German company (webpage is in German) who commercially produces a pair of hard-to-find cocktail ingredients – Falernum syrup & Swedish Punsch. Quality seems to be their main concern, so if you’d rather not make either ingredient yourself, give theirs a go. [ok, now I just need someone to read German for me]

The rest of Chris’s fine finds are here. Have you discovered a niche spot for some of your more random finds?

(image courtesy of Exfordy on Twitter under CC)

Post from: EveryJoe

The Hard to Find, and Otherwise Weird Ingredients

Brix26, a personalized wine recommendation service located in San Francisco at the crossroads of Napa and Sonoma. Created in 2005 by Peter Langenstein, Peter works
directly with many of California’s boutique wineries, obtaining the unique opportunity to taste hundreds of the finest varietals available. Brix26 clients are able to browse and purchase single wines or mixed cases on the website, and are encouraged to call or email Brix26 directly for one-on-one recommendations. Each bottle will be shipped directly to home or business, complete with customized tasting notes and the option for individual gift-wrapping.

Peter has put together some suggestions for wine lovers and wine givers this holiday season for some of his top picks.

The Most Bang for Your Buck (Under $25)

Ever tried to figure out how much should you spend on a wine gift? One of the biggest misconceptions the wine industry has foisted on consumers is the more expensive the wine, the better—or even more misguided, the longer it will age.  It’s just not true – there are great wines, even wines that can age, at all price points.

Peter Recommends:  The Twenty Rows 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($19.99)—a rare 100% Napa Valley Cabernet. Tasting as though it could be a $50 Cabernet, it’s a second label from one of the Valley’s top wineries.

Got the Urge to Splurge?

If you’re dishing out the dough, you should be assured you are receiving something spectacular. Unfortunately there is a sea of overpriced Napa Valley cabs, all hoping to be the next $100 cult wine. The good news is that there are wines that are able to back their lofty price tag.

Peter Recommends: The Robert Foley 2005 Claret Napa Valley ($159 – 94 points). You won’t go wrong with this bottle, which is made by the previous winemaker at Pride Vineyards. Foley’s Claret (a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc) is consistently one of our favorites every year.

For the Ultimate Wine Snob

How do you impress the wine lover who claims to have seen (and tasted) it all? For this type of person, a highly rated, difficult to obtain Cult Cabernet will get their blood racing every time!
Peter Recommends: The Blankiet 2005 Paradise Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (95 Points – $299)

Party Picks

Let’s face it. There will be plenty of soirees this season and you won’t want to show up empty handed. Parties are the perfect opportunity to spice up your selection with something to please all palates.

For a great Chardonnay that’s not too steely, Peter recommends The Patz & Hall 2007 Chardonnay Napa Valley ($34.95)

As for a red, don’t be afraid to be adventurous! Unless steak is on the menu, there’s no need to serve Cabernet at a party. Try something a bit lighter such as a California Zinfandel.  A great option—a rare single vineyard treat from a venerable Napa Cab producer, is The Nickel & Nickel 2006 Bonfire Vineyard Zinfandel ($48).

The Icebreaker

Looking for a bottle to spark conversation and keep the gang talking long after the last sip?

Peter Recommends: *Orin Swift’s 2007 “The Prisoner” Napa Valley ($35). It’s guaranteed to garner attention and probably become the new crowd favorite.

The bottle is equipped with a visually striking label (from artist Francisco Goya) and is an intriguing blend of several red varieties including Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petite Syrah and several others,

Shhh…It’s our Secret!

For the bottle that you’re dying to share, but don’t want to anyone to discover, we’ve found some phenomenal small production wines that are truly hidden gems.

Peter Recommends:

The Atrea 2004 Old Soul Red, Mendocino ($26.99). As one of my favorites this year, it’s an interesting blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Malbec and Petite Syrah from Mendocino—an area often overlooked. This choice is sure to impress any fan of big, rich reds.

The Palazzo 2005 Proprietary Red Napa Valley ($55). For Bordeaux fans, this has been one of our best discoveries as there are only 1,000 cases of this Merlot/Cabernet/Cabernet Franc blend. This particular bottle was modeled after France’s Right Bank wines but unabashedly ‘made in California’. It’s a beautifully balanced blend produced by Scott Palazzo and will pair well with meat-based dishes.

Cheers!

Setting the tone for the New Year can be done right with the perfect bottle of champagne.

While New Year’s Eve usually means either low-priced domestic fizz (think Cook’s) or high end fancy French Champagnes, I’d like to suggest a taste of something both domestic and high-end.
Peter Recommends:

Schramsberg 2000 J. Schram ($89) – Possibly the finest sparkling wine produced in California, this Champagne rivals the finest bottles available, and frequently tops them in blind tastings.

All of these wines can be purchased at Brix26. They can be reached by email at info@brix26.com, or by phone at 1-866-4Brix26 (427-4926)

(images provided by Brix26)

Post from: EveryJoe

Brix26: An Exclusive Wine Service

In starting to build a list of actual tanglible gifts that someone can feel like they actually gave something comes the Fee Brother’s 6 pack of  hand selected cocktail bitters – West Indies Orange, Peach, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mint and Old Fashioned. These are unique and hard-to-find cocktail mixers.

Opened in 1863, Fee Brothers of Rochester, New York, is in its fourth generation of manufacturing top quality cocktail mixes, bitters, flavoring syrups and other beverage ingredients.

(image source, courtesy of Fee Brothers)

Post from: EveryJoe

My Wish List for Christmas

The reason for this? Bordeaux completely embraces the concept of terroir: the idea that wines taste of their place. You can taste history in every single bottle of Bordeaux.

The weather is vital in Bordeaux, because these wines taste like their place and it’s that soil and weather that makes the ultimate grape. Each year, the Bordeaux region prays for serious sunshine, a little bit of rain, no hail whatsoever, and a dry harvest. In the fall, grapes are picked, sorted and fermented, vinifying grape varieties and plots separately and then blending carefully, so that the result is a whole greater than the sum of it’s parts. (image source: Suntory)

2008 is the year to buy the better estates’ “second wines” – made from fruit not selected for the chateau’s reserve wines, because all the fruit was just so good. It’s hard to make bad wine with good grapes, so go out and get a Bordeaux from the less prestigious properties as well.

Post from: EveryJoe

Beautiful Bordeaux

We were at LAX, which is one of the Luxor’s hot spots, (see my review of LAX coming soon), and were getting buffeted by the crowds. The manager pulled us aside and said “come with me…”

Leading us to a private elevator, we went swiftly and quietly up to another floor. To this day, despite the fact that I’ve been there, I’m still unsure exactly where we were within the hotel.

The doors opened up to a non-descript lobby of sorts. We were lead through a warren of hallways, past a dark-suited bouncer and into a gorgeous, very private room. We had found Noir Bar.

With no menu, and a ton of super-fresh ingredients, the bartenders at Noir Bar will ask you what you like to drink, and then make you something that will make your toes curl.

The bar is amazingly well stocked, the bartenders among the most knowledgeable in the city. And the drinks. Wow, the drinks. I don’t even know if I can tell you what he made me, but I do know that I can’t wait to go back in September.

Finding the entrance is tricky, as it’s unmarked, and most of their patrons are “brought here by their drivers.” Yes, you’re likely to spot a celebrity or 12, but know that if you make any sort of scene, or try to take a picture, you’re out. (Noir Bar does not allow photography of any kind.) This is not a place for the uninitiated. If you’re looking to celeb-spot, or star-anything-else, go elsewhere.

You might be able to find the place by calling the reservation line (702.262.5257) and you might be able to get your cab driver to take you to the entrance, but beforewarned: this is a small place, and there is always someone in line in front of you.

Post from: EveryJoe

Review: Noir Bar – the “secret club” inside the Luxor

Yep, that’s exactly what it looks like. A snake in a bottle of alcohol. Snake Whiskey.

What is snake whiskey? Well, it’s madness, a bottle of whiskey with a dead cobra inside,pieces of snake skin floating around in it, nasty! [source]

I, personally, didn’t find it nasty. I experienced it in a very weird way.

The Tall Ships came to Vancouver in the summer of 2005. I was working for one of the major sponsors of the festival and as such, got to go on all sorts of cool events pertaining to the festival.

One of these was a party that the Russian Tall Ship, the Pallada, threw. We had copious amounts of Russian vodka, (mixed with orange juice, kinda – you know, in the “would you like some orange juice with your vodka?” sorta way), and had had enough to agree to go with a crew member to his cabin. There were two of us, so I knew we’d be safe, but it was still weird in that “I want to show you something” sort of way. And, add to that, the crew member taking us below-decks didn’t have what could be considered good English. He was a lovely man, but, well… yeah. It was complicated. (image source: Telstar Logistics)

He lead us down a complicated warren of staircases and sat us down in his cabin. He brought out a bottle of snake… what I thought was vodka, but I think now, was actually whiskey. Either way, it was a bottle of something, with a small cobra in it. (image source: John Brown) It didn’t look like this one – it was the size and shape of a 26 oz bottle, and had a red label, mostly in an Asian language I couldn’t read.

He had a cantaloupe. He handed us pieces. At first, I had no idea why, and I was confused. He poured all three of us shots and made sure we had the cantaloupe in hand. We did the shot, which was stinging, astringent, and … wow. It was very much alcohol.  He gestured that we should eat the cantaloupe, you know, like you do with a bad shot of tequila – you suck on the lime afterwards to cut the flavour of the low-quality tequila.

But, GET THIS! It worked!! the cantaloupe totally cut the astringent flavour. I was stunned.

I’m planning to go to Thailand when the olympics are in Vancouver (2010…..winter. sounds like the best time to go away to me!), and despite the fact that the snake vodka/whiskey is apparently only for tourists, I’m trying it again. I am IN, if only because I can get some good pictures. Anyone want to come with me?

(PS – if you’re looking to buy some without travelling to Asia, try here.)

Post from: EveryJoe

Snake Whiskey

He told the story that these two young bartenders opened this place so that their friend, this older, rockstar bartender would have a place to shine. He told me that the ZigZag Cafe had, hands down, the most well stocked bar in the city.

I stopped in to check them out, and wow. I was stunned. Seriously stunned, and that’s not an easy feat.

Murray, the bartender, really is a rockstar. He moves so very fast that trying to capture a picture of him is nearly impossible.

I sat down at the bar, and Murray stopped moving, briefly, to ask me what kind spirits I liked. Clear or dark?

I told him that one of my favourite spirits was a good bourbon, and that I favoured Gentleman Jack over regular Jack Daniel’s. He nodded once, held up one finger and off he went.

He created a drink for me that I’ve never even heard of before – one that he knew from an out of print book called “The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks” by David A. Embury. He even showed me his copy of the book, that I didn’t want to handle too much for fear of it falling apart.

The Toronto, not on the ZigZag Cafe menu, is a classic 1950’s cocktail, and one that the girl beside me called “not a girly drink”. (To which I replied, I’m not a girly girl. She grinned and agreed.)

A Toronto is a sipping cocktail for sure… it’s not a quick drink by any means. The next one he made me, which was another Murray creation, was the same. Another sipping cocktail, designed to be savoured.

He called it “Maria’s Manhattan” (Maria being the not a girly girl beside me), and brought out three shot glasses, poured about 1/2 an ounce of each ingredient into each glass and then proceeded to mix the drink.

It was fascinating to me to taste the separate flavours come together in the drink. I’d never had someone sit me down and show me the kind of thing Murray was showing me.

Murray is a true mixologist, one who understands the flavours he’s putting into your glass, and truly wants to offer you something you won’t forget,or get anywhere else. I’ve already told pretty much everyone I know that the next time they go to Seattle, they have GOT to make time to stop at the ZigZag Cafe. I’m trying to figure out exactly when I’ll be able to go back down, just so I can visit Murray. A trip to Seattle used to be for the outlet malls or Nordstroms. Yeah, not anymore. Now, a trip to Seattle won’t be the same without hitting the ZigZag Cafe for a snack and a Toronto, which may just have become my new favourite drink.

Toronto

1 3/4 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Fernet
1/4 oz simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass

Maria’s Manhattan

2 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1/2 oz Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Fee’s Whiskey Bitters

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass

(image credit: me!)

Post from: EveryJoe

Review: Seattle’s best cocktails

Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne

This cognac comes in a crystal bottle dipped in more than four kilograms (almost 9 lbs) of 24K yellow gold and sterling platinum and encrusted with 6,500 certified brilliant-cut diamonds. The Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne that has been aged in barrels for more than one hundred years.

Think I’m kidding? Check out the list of the most expensive bottles in the world over at Divine Caroline.

(image source: most-expensive-cognac.com)

Post from: EveryJoe

The most expensive spirits in the world

Alice Wang has created a line of products that “explore how people treat their pets as human surrogates”. This includes a set of wine glasses for the happy couple. Creepy? Yeah, kind of. Humorous? Absolutely.

But wait…there’s more.

Hop on over to Dog Lovers Gift Baskets and you’ll find wine varietals like Pinot Lesheo and Meowlot. While I can’t comment on the taste and don’t think I’ll be running out to purchase a bottle for my furry friends, the concept remains intriguing. Personally I think I’ll stick to my Pinot Grigio and Merlot while my pup nibbles on a more species appropriate dogbone.

Post from: EveryJoe

Pet Plus Stemware and Dog & Cat Friendly “Wine”