Charming Cocktails

Recently, I found myself the only person in the entire theater laughing outloud at the beeper scene in the hilarious film,  The Hangover. It seems like yesterday that I owned a beeper, but after calculating the years it’s been 14! Comparing that with owning an iPhone today has made me realize how fast technology has progressed. I love my iPhone and think it should be called something else because it’s my alarm, GPS, calculator,  weatherman, calendar, clock, photo album, flashlight, and so much more. One of the apps I play often is the AOL Radio app. They have every music genre and more but, they also have some cocktail and drinking related stations.  My favorite is The Strip that plays all those Vegas Rat Pack songs. Other ones to check out is the Martini Lounge, Irish Pub Songs, Drinking Songs, Party Hits, and Sinatra Style.

I also have a page on my site called Booze Songs if you’re interested in checking that out. And I also have my own drink trivia app called Miss Trivia!

Come follow me on Twitter below and if you are coming to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans next week come say hi to me! My events are listed here.

The Universal Record Database Beta (URDB) says that they are the definitive site for human achievement. Last month they posted Opus Moreschi (writer for The Colbert Report,  The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Tom Greene Show, etc.) making the  Fastest Time to Make a Shamwow Cocktail. Click on the image below to see it. (Don’t know what a Shamwow is? Scroll down and view the YouTube infomercial.)

My Thoughts:

1. Ick! he’s using his germ infested hands to squeeze out the Manhattan. Use some gloves, Opus.
2. At least he used bitters and a good Bourbon (Maker’s Mark), but a warm Manhattan? or rather…Shamhattan. Maybe he should have Shamwow’d it into a glass of ice to make a Manhattan on the rocks.
3. The band should’ve played a New York related song.
4. What is a Shamwow really made of and do I want my drink strained through it?

Here’s what a Shamwow is:

The Universal Record Database Beta (URDB) have several other offbeat collegiate-ish drink-related world records on the site like the Fastest Chug of a Can of Beer, The Most Wine Consumed with Left Hand over Right Shoulder, and The Fastest Time to Pull a Cork Out of a Wine Bottle With a Napkin.

Other “out there” drink related stuff going on is The Martini Workout where you set a Martini glass on your abs and do crunches.

Don’t forget about Tales of the Cocktail July 7th-12th! I posted the event I’ll be part of called Hollywood Cocktails over at Facebook.

Cocktail 1: Cheryl Charming will be presenting the…
Tom Collins

1-1/2oz Plymouth Gin
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
4 oz Club Soda
Orange Slice for Garnish
Cherry for Garnish

Shake Plymouth Gin with lemon juice and simple syrup and strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass. Top with club soda and garnish with an orange slice and cherry. A 6 minute DVD of the Tom Collins seen in film will accompany the cocktail.

Cocktail 2: Simon Ford will be serving the….
Vesper Martini
Casino Royale, Ian Flemming, 1937.
Invented by Gilberto Preti for the author and close fried Ivor Bryce, at Duke’s Hotel, London.

3 parts Plymouth Gin
1 Part Absolut Vodka
1/2 part Lillet Blanc
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Lemon Twist

Shake until ice cold and serve in a deep champagne goblet with a large thin slice of lemon peel.

Cocktail 3: Charlotte Voisey will be presenting the…
Romanoff’s of Beverly Hills
Adapted from Bottoms Up, by Ted Saucier (1951)
Combine in tall glass full of ice:
2 oz Hendricks Gin
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1 barspoon grenadine
1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
Top off with ginger beer and garnish with half of lime shell.

Cocktail 4: Marcos Tello will be serving the….
Brown Derby Cocktail
2 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1 oz Grapefruit
Shake & Strain
Cocktail Glass

History: This cocktail is from the Vendome Club, Hollywood, 1930, and is named after the famous hat-shaped restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard that opened in 1926.
The Brown Derby Cocktail from The Vendome Club in the early 1930’s and became Vendome Wine & Sprits in 1933 when it became legit.

Cocktail 5: Ted Haigh will be serving….
The Missionary’s Downfall
Adapted from Don the Beachcomber, Beachbum Berry, and myself.
1 oz Coruba Rum,
1/2 oz peach-flavored brandy
1-1/2 oz fresh lime juice,
1/2 oz honey syrup,
add 4 sprigs of fresh mint,
1/2 slice fresh pineapple.

Pour in blender with 14 oz of crushed ice,
blend until smooth.
Pour into double rock glass,
garnish with a mint sprig and serve

This recipe directly relates to TWO movies, but more on that at Tales!

I don’t watch much TV, but late night I like to listen/watch Letterman while working. Well, a Bacardi commercial got my ears then eyes attention tonight. The commercial shows a guy walking through a timeline of bar-rooms and ends up at a bar from 1862. The word Bacardi and the number 1862 is what they are wanting you to get out of the commercial. Well, as a cocktail geek, I instantly knew–like all other cocktail geeks know–that 1862 was the year the first known bartender book came out. Here’s the YouTube commercial below.

First, I want to say that I love love love that a spirit company has captured the public/masses/social consciousness’s attention with historical education to give perspective, but am confused why they would also give misinformation.
My Thoughts
1. Women in bars. From what I know, women were not hanging out or even allowed in bars until the 1920s in America (unless they were working women if you know what I mean). So in a 1862 bar there wouldn’t be women. There is a 1938 Bette Davis film called Jezebel that is set in 1852 and there is talk about women not being in the bar. Now, at the house party women were allowed to socialize and drink.

2. Styles. The 1862 styles are a little off I believe. Women would not have worn sleeveless dresses.

3. Mojito. I haven’t looked at Jerry Thomas’ 1862 bartender book (it’s in storage) to see if it is in there, but I thought the Mojito wasn’t mentioned until around the 1930s from a Cuban bar associated with Sloppy Joe’s. And I think Hemingway is part of the story. But the Mojito also has another history of being first invented in in the 16th century and called El Draque. Point being that none of these dates are close to 1862. (And for the twenty-somethings…no, James Bond did not invent the Mojito in 2002 he only rivived it.)

4. Glassware. From what I understand the original Cuban Mojito was made in a short glass not tall. The commercial shows tall.

5. Bacardi. Okay, the Bacardi site says that Bacardi founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó founded the company in 1862. Now we’re getting somewhere. I see where why commercial is using the year 1862. But, that does not mean that the Mojito was invented that same year. There is not any documented proof as of yet.

Here’s another Bacardi commercial tieing together the present with the past. I think these styles are probably closer to the real thing.

My New Book is out!

Well, it’s not the first bartender book ever published, but it’s my 9th published book and my first color book  called, Knack Bartending Basics: More than 400 Classic and Contemporary Cocktails for any Occasion. It hit the shelves today. The best price I’ve found for you is on amazon.

In case you didn’t know, between May 11th & 18th is World Cocktail Week and you can view related events worldwide at  The Museum of the American Cocktail.

The largest celebration of all is the annual San Francisco Cocktail Week, which is a week in honor of San Francisco’s vibrant cocktail culture.  You can view the schedule here.

If you happen to be in Las Vegas then you must check out a Social Mixology - Late Night Cocktail Culture in Vegas event. It’s headed up by my longtime barmagic.com friend, Tobin Ellis (ya know the bartender that competed against Bobby Flay on TV), so you can’t go wrong. Plus, anyone with stunning graphics is is number one in my book!

Also this month, The Ritz-Carlton is launching a new “Bar Experience” globally that features a Bar Edible menu with a fresh twist on solid and traditional cocktails. Just check out the images of the Chipolte Mango Margarita, Sake Cucumber Smash,  Pom’Bom with gold flake, Elderflower “Pink Gin” Smash, Melon Citrus Twist, Mojito, and Lemon Ginger Fizz.
If you’d like the PDF file of the Bar Edible menu recipes then email me at cheryl@misscharming.com and I’ll send it to you.

Every Saturday morning in New Orleans, Paul & Ann Tuennerman aka Mr. & Mrs. Cocktail host The Straight Pour Radio Show from 10 AM - 11 AM on WIST-AM 690. Two weeks ago on 4.11.09 I was on the show. You can listen to the show by clicking here then scrolling down to The Straight Pour.

It was the most fun I’ve had after sleeping for only a few hours. Christina (one of the Tales of the Cocktail Angels) brought the ingredients to make Prosecco Mimosas, we played the Miss Trivia iPhone App, challenged listeners to call in with the answers, and Dean Serneels called in. Also in the studio was Tony Leggio, the Grand Marshall of the Easter Gay Parade, Liz Edwards, National Director of the Las Vegas Bartenders Guild Special Events, and Rebecca “Kid Cocktail” (Paul’s daughter).

On the show I tell Tony that he can make a special cake for his gay parade (like Mardi Gras and their famous King Cake). Below is a photo of the Rainbow Cake I talk about. It’s easy to make! Just split your cake batter up into how ever many colors you want to make into separate small bowls and color them with food coloring. Then pour each color on top of each other in the baking pan and it will bake like the photo below.

Prosecco Mimosas

To make Prosecco Mimosas simply pour an ounce of orange juice into 5 ounces of Prosecco Italian sparkling wine.

Also, if you haven’t checked out Miss Trivia, my drink trivia app, here is a YouTube video of what it looks like below.

So, I set up my first craft booth over the weekend selling my Cocktail Jewelry and it was a hit. I met lots of people with loads of great advice and one bit of repeat advice was that I should create an account at Etsy.com (a place to buy & sell all things handmade). So I did and also clicked around and found a girl that makes  purses from books and one of the book purses she has for sale is a bartender book! Look at the Boston Bartender’s Book above! Here is her store at Esty. I contacted her and she said I could send her a cocktail book and she would create a purse for me. If you’re interested then she can do the same for you.

Back in the 1970s I had a clutch in high school that looked like a folded magazine. Does anyone remember those? Well, now I’m on a search of how to create your own clutch so that I can put an imbibe magazine cover on it.

To wrap up this bar & cocktail printed media post, I found some food and drink book safes that you may be interested in at SecretStorageBooks.com.

Many of you know that I’ve been dabbling in making cocktail-related jewelry on the side for a couple years. If you’ve attended Tales of the Cocktail in July (which by the way, tickets for this year just went on sale) and met me then I probably gave you an ice cube ring, Martini earrings, or some cuff links. Well, the fun jewelry has been pretty successful lately, so I’ve taken it a step further by Inc-ing myself (Miss Charming, Inc.) and created a craft booth. I plan on hitting the Florida art & craft festival circuit starting this Saturday the 18th. You can find my schedule by clicking on the Miss Charming™ Events tab above. My booth looks a little different from the raggedy white booths you normally see at these fairs because I set it up like a bar. Yes! Those are granite tiles I set on top! Pretty classy, huh? Oh, and check out the Absinthe Sugar Cube Ring and Green Fairy Earrings because they are adorable!

To see everything I offer right now, my Cocktail Jewelry page is here. And guys, don’t worry, I have plans to add some jewelry for you too!

Just a little reminder about the 2nd Annual Cocktail Film Fest. I would love to see you there!

What is it?
Tales of the Cocktail and W New Orleans invite movie buffs and libation lovers to indulge in celebrating the cocktail in three films. Cheryl Charming aka Miss Charming™, cocktail author and founder of MissCharming.com, plays hostess for the silver screenings.

Movie tickets are $25 in advance per movie or $30 at the door. The price of admittance includes cocktails and movie snacks. W New Orleans is offering a special rate of $109 per night to film festival patrons to take the lift home after the movie. This rate reflects a savings of 20 percent of regular rates during April 10 – 12. Please use promotion code LIF. For event guests, a rate of $12 per car will be available. For questions, please call 1-877-WHOTELS for assistance. Book a room online at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com

Yay! The full version of Miss Trivia came out today! Filled to the brim with 5000 drink related questions, difficulty levels, categories, single or multi-player options, and fun faux prizes. There are a few kinks to work out that bother me, but it will be updated by next week. Simply tap the App Store icon on your iPhone/iTouch and  “search” Miss Trivia or Cheryl Charming to find it. Then download. You can also download from iTunes on your computer. If you like it then leave a review! More questions will be added as time goes by.

I also wanted everyone to know that Tales of the Cocktail just put their tickets up for sale. I will post more on Tales, but first, if you plan to attend, I wanted you to start thinking about reserving a spot for a Spirited Dinner because they fill up very fast (only a limited amount of spaces are available to keep the dinners intimate). It’s Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM.

What is it?
Each Spirited Dinner will have a distinctive menu with a range of cuisine from appetizers to desserts, served along with extraordinary cocktails of all variations and flavors. At each spirited dinner, a team of authors, mixologists, and bar-chefs have worked alongside New Orleans’ most prestigious restaurants to bring you a unique and exciting menu.

The Spirited Dinner restaurants include; Antoine’, Bacco, Bayona, Bombay Club, Bourbon House, Broussard’s, Café Adelaide, Calcasieu, CURE, Emeril’s Delmonico, GW Fins, Iris, La Cote Brasserie, Maximo’s, MILA, Morton’s, Muriel’s, Palace Café, Pelican Club, Redfish Grill, Restaurant August, Rio Mar, Wolfe’s in the Warehouse, Wolfe’s of New Orleans, and Zoë.

I chose The Pelican Club, so if you want to eat with me then call the restaurant at 504-523-1504 during the day to make a reservation. It’s $100 and includes tax and gratuity.

The Chef is Richard Hughes and the Bar Chefs are the incredible BarMagic team headed up up Tobin Ellis. Tobin is most recently recognized for being chosen the bartender (in all of America) to challenge celebrity Chef, Bobby Flay on his Food Network TV show,  Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Just check out this Cocktail & Food menu that will be served below! I love it!

Pelican Club
2009 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Dinner
Bar Chefs: John Hogan, Kristen Schaefer, Tobin Ellis
- First Course -
Samba Swizzle
Zaya Rum, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, Coconut, Fresh Lime,
Cane Syrup, Homemade Falernum, Orange Bitters

Hendrickʼs & Outlaw
Hendrickʼs Gin & Outlaw Brown Brazilian Tonic, Old-Fashioned NY-Style Seltzer, Fresh Lime

curried crab profiteroles/jamaican jerk chicken wings/conch fritters w sauce chien
———————————–
- Second Course -
Smoked Riviera
Plymouth Gin, Campari, Maraschino Liqueur infused w/ Smoked Pineapple,
Fresh Lemon, Egg White, Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters

shrimp and scallop ceviche
———————————–
- Third Course -
Bianco Fresca
Macchu Pisco La Diablada Pisco, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur,
Fresh Lime Sour, Old-Fashioned NY-Style Seltzer

crayfish and white bean chili
———————————–
Intermezzo: Lemon Ice w/ Habanero Peppers and frozen Partida Reposado Tequila
———————————–
- Fourth Course -
Ham & Cheese Caipirinha (don’t be scared, it’s yummy the BarMagic Team says)

Tasso cured Cuca Fresca Cachaca, Fresh Lime, Cane Sugar, Grana Padano Cheese garnish

Argentinean style hangar steak  w/ chimichurra sauce and shrimp and tasso stuffed mirliton
———————————–
- Fifth Course -
(Guest’s Choice on Cocktail)
Sazerac
Martell Cognac, Sugar Cube, Peychaud Bitters, Kubler Absinthe Rinse, Lemon Twist
or
Monkey Fingers
Pampero Rum, Castries Peanut Creme, Coconut, Cream, Angostura Bitters

tres leches cake wilt bruleed banana’s and 20 yr rum whipped cream

Yeah, I know it’s really called Miss Trivia “Lite” in the Apple world, but I’m a Coke Zero fan and figured it was clever to use “Zero”since the app  is Free & Lite. This is the official announcement that Miss Trivia Lite is available for download. However, from clicking around on it, it appears I have a couple hiccups to work out. No worries, just know that I will be making the questions more readable, adding a sound “off” option, inserting a cash register chime for the correct answer (since the goal is to ring up the highest bar tab), shorten the wrong  answer buzz to one second, and allow a 6 second head start to read the question before the timer begins. The full version should be available in a matter of days, but if you see anything in the free lite version that I overlooked don’t hesitate to let me know.

How to Download an App
(First, make sure you’ve created an account with iTunes on your computer.)
Downloading applications to iPhone is easy. Just tap the App Store icon, browse whatever categories you’re interested in or search for a specific App then download your purchases wirelessly.
Once you own an application, the App Store automatically notifies you when there’s an update. Updates are free. You can even shop for applications on iTunes, then sync them to your iPhone/iTouch.

Another drink related app that became available this week is Gary Regan’s Flip ‘n Drink. Gary is one of the world’s renowned cocktail authors with “The Joy of Mixology” being his most prized publication so far. The photo of us above was taken minutes after finally meeting for the first time in 2007. I remember hoping that there wasn’t any black pepper in my teeth because the watermelon cocktail they passed around had black pepper flakes floating in it. Below is a YouTube demo of Flip ‘n Drink. One thing to know about the app is that it’s over 10mb, so you’ll have to download on your computer first (10mb is too big to download from the iPhone).