World Cocktail Dinner will become annual event!
Premier Mixologists Present World Cocktail Dinner
To Benefit Cocktail Museum in New Orleans

On Monday, May 14th, 2007, in honor of the 201st Anniversary of the cocktail, the Museum of the American Cocktail hosted a World Cocktail Dinner with several of the premier mixologists in the world presenting cocktails matched to a five-course dinner at Tribeca’s popular Devin Tavern. Noted mixologists Tony Abou-Ganim, Dale DeGroff, Sasha Petraske, Gary Regan, Will Shine, Aisha Sharpe, Charlotte Voisey, Michael Waterhouse, David Wondrich, Leo DeGroff, Adam Deguidice, and Devin Tavern’s own Ben Rameike presented extraordinary cocktails matched to Chef Derrick Styczek’s creations.

“We had planned on doing a celebration similar to last year’s Cocktail 200 event with a drink competition but when Michael Waterhouse offered to host a benefit cocktail dinner at his new property, Devin Tavern, New York’s hot new dining location in Tribeca, we realized this would be most beneficial to the museum and a wonderful way to celebrate World Cocktail Day.” said Dale DeGroff, President of the Museum.

Within a couple of weeks the event was completely sold out with many people on the waiting list.

Tickets were priced at $250 per person; half the proceeds will go towards building a new home-place for the Museum in New Orleans. The guest list included representatives from many of the Museum's sponsoring brands, public relations firms, distributors, mixologists, and several journalists from Foxnews.com, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, NBC, Adams Beverage Group, and others. There were 140 guests who were seated at small tables allowing for lively conversation and lots of mixing about during the course of the evening. The food and the cocktails came at a swift pace delighting the palate with an array of tastes to savor, matched to each course.

Chef Derrick Styczek won them over with a delicious menu that included Porcini Mushroom Soup, Grilled King Crab, Pan Roasted Black Sea Bass, Short Rib Ragout, Roasted Rack of Colorado Lamb, and a Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake dessert.

We will be back to do another World Cocktail Day next year, a new tradition has begun!

Special Thanks To Our Sponsors!

BarSol Pisco • Belvedere Vodka • BOLS • Cointreau Liqueur • Contemporary Cocktails • Café Adelaide • Depaz Rhum • Finlandia Vodka • Gran Centenario Tequila • Hendricks Gin • Kahlua • Knob Creek • Laphroaig • Makers Mark • Partida Tequila • Pernod Ricard • Plymouth Gin • Perfect Puree of Napa Valley • Skyy Vodka • Sagatiba Cachaca

Recipes after this brief photo-intermission

 

(photos by Blake DeGroff)

The Recipes

Tony Abou-Ganim –from Las Vegas and one of the most recognized bartenders in the country featured the following two drinks:

Bamboozle
By Tony Abou Ganim

• 1 1/2 ounce Gran Centenario Plata Tequila
• 1/2 ounce Aperol
• 1 ounce fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2 ounce Clover Honey Syrup
• 2 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6
• 1 tsp Egg White

In a mixing glass add all ingredients and ice, Shake well and strain into classic sour glass.

Clermont Smash
By Tony Abou Ganim

• 1 1/2 ounce Knob Creek Bourbon Whiskey
• 3/4 ounce Velvet Falernum
• 10-12 spearmint leaves
• 3 dashes Fee Brother's Peach bitters
• 1 1/2 ounce fresh lemon sour
• Pineapple spear for garnish.

Muddle spearmint with Velvet Falernum, add remaining ingredients and shake well with ice. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass filled with crushed ice and stir until the outside of glass begins to frost. Garnish with pineapple and mint.

 

Leo DeGroff and Adam Delguidice’s Ladykiller was one of the most talked about cocktails all night.

Ladykiller

• 1 1/2 ounces Sagatiba Cachaça
• 3 Lime Pieces
• 1/2 ounce Velvet Falernum
• 1/2 ounce St Germain Elderflower Cordial
• 1/8 ounce float Damiana Belvedere Vodka Tincture

Muddle limes with syrup, add remaining ingredients, shake well. Pour into rocks glass and serve

Beso Ultimo
Contemporary Cocktails Inc.

• 1 1/4 ounce Partida Añejo Tequila
• 1/4 ounce fresh lemon
• 1/4 ounce agave nectar
• 1 ounce Lillet
• Mionetto Prosecco
• Garnish lemon twist

Build all ingredients, shake and strain into a flute, top with Prosecco and garnish with twist

 

Sasha Petraske owner of Milk and Honey and Little Branch in NYC did his Archangel:

Archangle
by Sasha Petraske

• 3 parts Plymouth Gin
• 1 Part aperol
• And lemon zest

 

Willy Shine of Contemporary Cocktails, Inc created the:

Depaz Pink Lemonade

• several Pink Peppercorns
• 4 pieces Grapefruit
• 1/2 ounce Cane Syrup
• 1/2 ounce Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 ounces Depaz Rhum

Muddle peppercorns and grapefruit. Add remaining ingredients, shake well, and serve over ice in a rocks glass.

 

Charlotte Voisey- Hendrick's Gin Brand Champion and Company Mixologist with William Grant & Sons USA created a:

Rosie Lee

• 1 1/2 oz Hendrick's Gin
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 oz Lychee puree
• Half an egg white
• 1/4 oz Monin Rose
• Dash Angostura bitters

Shake well, strain into chilled cocktail glass, garnish with slice of cucumber.

 

David Wondrich well known authority on cocktail history and author of Killer Cocktails presented Pisco Punch
using his specially prepared Barsol Pisco Italia -pineapple syrup mix

 

Ben Rameaka, bartender at Devin gave us his Man-O-War

Man-O-War

• 2 ounces Maker’s Mark Bourbon
• 1 ounce Bols Orange Curacao
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• Two sprigs of mint

Muddle mint and lime with the Curacao. Add sweet vermouth, Maker’s Mark, and ice and shake well. Strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

 

Gary Regan –a most unusual The Reluctant Tabby Cat matched to the short rib ragout:

The Reluctant Tabby Cat

• 1 1/4 ounces Dubonnet Rouge
• 1/2 ounce Pallini Limoncello
• 1/4 ounce Laphroaig 10-year-old
• single malt Scotch
• 1 lemon twist, for garnish

Shake and strain into a chilled wine goblet. Add the garnish.

Intermezzo 1
By Ben Rameaka

• Skyy Vodka, Tangerine, Rosemary Herb-Cello

Intermezzo 2
By Michael Waterhouse

• Belvedere Blood Orange, Dill, Herb-Cello, with Orange Zest and Perfect Puree of Napa Valley

 

[Edited to add another cocktail that was served...]

Adonis
presented by Contemporary Cocktails Inc.

• 1 ounce fino sherry
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Gary Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice

Chill and serve up in a port glass.

[...and another...]

Lime in de Coconut
by Dale DeGroff

• 1 1/2 ounces Finlandia Lime Vodka
• 2 ounces home-made ginger syrup
• 2 ounces coconut water
• 1 ounce lime juice

Shake with ice. Strain into a tall ice filled glass and stir.
Garnish with sprig of mint, lime wheel, and long slice of English cucumber.

The Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle is home to Oliver’s Lounge. They’ve been there since 1976, and have the distinction of being the first cocktail lounge in Washington State to be built after the “blue law” was repealed that prevented bars from having windows through which passersby could see in (or customers could see out). Oliver’s made marvelous use of their legal freedoms, surrounding the back-bar with grand windows so that customers sitting at the bar could look out on the hustle and bustle of downtown Seattle.

Last year was Oliver’s 30th Anniversary, and with it also being the 200th Anniversary of the cocktail, it was destined that Oliver’s and The Museum of the American Cocktail plan some events around this. Through the year, Oliver’s was host to several well-attended cocktail seminars, and so this year as World Cocktail Day approached, they were anxious to be part of the celebration.

At last night’s event, they started off by showcasing their “Paradigm Shift” cocktail. Using Belvedere Vodka and Plymouth Gin. After first demoing the proper construction of the cocktail to attendees, they gave everybody a chance to make their own. Patrick, the head bartender, carefully took everybody through the steps necessary to properly combine the ingredients, shake, strain, and then garnish the drink with a flourish. After this brief exercise, it was clear to all that bartending isn’t quite as simple as it might seem at first.

We next moved from modern to historic, by showing the guests how to make a cocktail that embodies the form the original cocktails would have taken, the Old Fashioned, Made with Maker's Mark bourbon whiskey. We prepared this drink a few different ways, showing how the recipe has been altered (both for good and bad) throughout the years, and allowed the guests to choose which one they thought was the better version.

Paradigm Shift (The Signature Cocktail for the evening)

• 1/8 oz. Campari
• 1 oz. squeezed Texas Ruby Red grapefruit juice
• 1 oz. fresh in house made raspberry lemon lime sour
• 2 oz. Belvedere vodka
• 3/4 oz. Plymouth gin.

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a raspberry.

Old Fashioned (the winning variation)

• 1/4 ounce simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon whiskey

Add simple syrup and bitters to an Old Fashioned glass. Half fill glass with ice, and stir briefly to combine. Add whiskey, and stir briefly to chill. Flame a small slice of orange peel over the ice, and drop in as a garnish. Stir briefly to combine. Add a maraschino cherry as garnish. Serve with sip straws.

Oliver’s at the Mayflower Park Hotel
405 Olive Way
Seattle, WA 98101
206.623.8700
800.426.5100

Across the world, a variety of celebrations are taking place to celebrate the officially recognized birthday of the cocktail. It was on May 13th, 1806 that we find the earliest known definition of the cocktail, and so it is on this day that we decide to celebrate the cocktail, and its noble history.

As reports come in from the various venues which participated in the celebrations we will provide details and hopefully photographs here, and it looks like I get to be first with providing you with details about the first event that I was involved in.

Lisa Dupar has long been known across Seattle as one of its premier caterers, and together with her husband Jonathan Zimmer, has built a strong reputation for providing exquisite and fresh creations to events of all sizes. They recently opened up Pomegranate Bistro, which has quickly become a favorite of the neighborhood.

They invited me to host a special cocktail seminar at Pomegranate to celebrate World Cocktail Day, as well as expose their customers to the delights and potentials of a classic cocktail. Along with a full complement of products (as shown in the photograph above) to discuss with the attendees, I also brought along my “mini-museum” (as seen in the photograph below), a set of panels based on part of our regular exhibit which has been seen in New Orleans and Las Vegas.

The evenings event was a full-house, with 26 guests signing up to be part of the celebration. As the attendees started coming in, the evening started out with a “Welcome Drink” of the “Pom Drop” a signature drink of the Pomegranate Bistro made from Pomegranate vodka, Lemoncello, Pomegranate puree, and lemon juice. We then quickly got down to business, and I launched into the history and evolution of the cocktail from its earliest beginnings on through to American prohibition and slightly beyond. Attendees were provided hands-on experience by actually mixing up for themselves each of the three drinks which I used to demonstrate the qualities and craftsmanship of a classic cocktail. We started with the Old Fashioned made with Maker's Mark bourbon whiskey, to illustrate the core concepts of the cocktail, as well as to show how what was once such a fine cocktail has fallen upon hard times due to bartenders and customers loosing site of how this drink is properly prepared. We then discussed a variety of early cocktail concepts and creations, leading up to the next major step in cocktails which was when cocktails such as the Manhattan and Martini came onto the scene. We mixed up a Martini using the classic proportions which was popular just prior to prohibition (3 parts Plymouth gin, 1 part dry vermouth, dash of orange bitters), illustrating how such a balanced approach to the cocktail really embraces the culinary potential, and presents a far better drink than the “glass of cold gin” which is so commonly served today. In closing we switched to the earlier version of the Martini, which was made with equal parts Plymouth gin and sweet vermouth, along with a dash or orange bitters. The realization that this was the original Martini, and that the “dry” in a dry Martini referred to simply the substitution of dry vermouth for sweet was an epiphany for the attendees which further helped them to see the value of restoring a historical perspective of the cocktail, and treating it as a cuisine instead of simply an alcoholic libation.

Throughout the evening, Chef Jonathan Zimmer rolled out an exquisite set of dishes designed to specifically compliment the cocktails which were being served. These included baskets of house potato & root chips, mini Ruben’s on Jim’s rye, mini lamb sliders with basil mint aioli, cups of parsnip squash bisque, hot and sour scallop ceviche with won ton chips and platters of sweet treats chocolates & nibbles.

Pomegranate Bistro
18005 NE 68th Street
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 556-5972