Nobler Bitters Giveaway!

It was just over two months ago that I promised the very first batch of Nobler Experiment Bitters. And if you had happened to do any research on the matter, you probably know that it doesn’t take two months to produce…I hate when I make blog promises before I actually start the process!

So to make up for the delay, I’m upping the ante. For this Nobler giveaway, I’m making it extra easy on you. All you have to do is leave a comment or like this post through the Facebook tag below and you are in the running for not one, not two, not three…uh oh, I’m starting to sound like Lebron now. Okay, let’s make it three bottles of bitters that I’m giving away! So get in on the action and when this batch gets bottled early next week, be one of the only people with a bottle of Nobler Bitters in your collection. Plus I promise it won’t have that lame, rushed label for those aesthetically appalled…

A Shot and a Beer with Statler and Waldorf

While there are a myriad of moments where ordering a shot and a beer are appropriate, there is nothing like the solo stop off at the bar. It may sound weird to some, but one of the things I was most excited about when I hit the working world years ago, was dining alone on travel. I used to work at a French Restaurant connected to a boutique hotel in Wayne, PA and was always so intrigued by the solo guests, sitting at the bar, digging into a martini and a rib-eye. I’m not much of a martini drinker, but I certainly don’t mind a good rib-eye.

But as a replacement for the vodka or gin, a shot and a beer has always been my go-to. The back and forth, sip by sip, experience that the shot and a beer provides is like no other. Plus, when you are dining or drinking alone, there is something kind of inviting about the combination. Some of the most interesting (sure, and also some of the most bizarre) conversations can occur when you are the bar by yourself. So whether with the bartender, or with some other patrons, you’ll want to give off a vibe of normalcy. I’ve always found that the shot and the beer provides this.

This past Friday, for example, I hit up Tracks in Penn Station, before heading out to Long Island to prepare for our Derby party. Tracks is one of my favorite NY spots because it is always filled with characters. The extremely long bar is packed with folks waiting for their trains, and I’ve starting making a point to arrive about 25 minutes early for my take-off to make just enough time for one round. After my Guinness and Jameson arrived, almost immediately on cue, the two old ladies next to me got me engaged. While I’m sure my ridiculous good looks had something to do with it, they were more interested in chatting about their day visiting the big city. It may have only been 15 minutes or so but they were pretty hysterical. Like Statler and Waldorf, they had a great back and forth rapport that I couldn’t help but get a kick out of. As I sipped my drinks, timing my departure perfectly with six minutes to spare, I hoped that there was another shot and a beer waiting for me on that train. There wouldn’t be. So with one final slug of the Jameson and one final crack by Statler (or maybe it was Waldorf), I made a point to appreciate yet another great solo experience with a shot and a beer. It was a good train ride.

I’ll Have Another…Losing Bet

I’d like to formally apologize to the owning group of Daddy Long Legs for publicly endorsing their wonderful horse at this year’s Kentucky Derby. Considering I haven’t won anything since a ten-dollar scratch off at age 12, full blame falls on me for Daddy Long Leg’s last place finish. Actually, it’s probably my fault that the ten of us at our Derby party, who had money on 11/20 horses didn’t win a dime. The only reason these people invite me places is because I make them drinks and feed them…

Speaking of that, I once again dare you to not like the basil julep. I made an extra batch of the basil syrup this time around to have in my fridge at all times, but I had another million of these on Derby day. So refreshing that even the so-called bourbon haters enjoyed a glass. But we didn’t stop there; a big jug of Bobby’s ridiculous margaritas (seriously my favorite of all time), a blackberry and tea concoction for mixing with vodka, and a few Cow Thieves in the mix, and it was pretty easy to forget about our terrible luck.

Unfortunately I forgot to snap a few photos of the amazing food but we were too busy devouring the sticky ribs, the tequila shrimp, the southern slaw and potato salad, and the chocolate bread pudding for me to grab my phone. Another successful Derby in the books! On to the Preakness!

The Shortest Vacation

By this time of the year, most people are staring at their calendars dreaming of their next vacation. However if your job is like a summer camp as it is for Nobler supporters Sarah Gordon and Joe Fisher, this is not a problem. Because at any given time, you are probably on vacation. I swear I’m not jealous…

Okay, fine. I am. Cause when I started seeing pictures of their most recent trip to Manuel Antonio, CR I was tempted to jump on the next flight and meet them. But I was already on my couch watching playoff sports so clearly, I didn’t have the time to pack. Instead I opted for the next best thing. This vacation inspired cocktail just might get you through to memorial day. Simply stir a few of these guys up, close your eyes and let your imagination do the rest. Worst comes to worst, drink a few more of these until you pass out. Maybe you’ll even dream you are at the beach!

The Shortest Vacation

2 oz bourbon

3 oz coconut water

Juice of half a lime

1 tsp honey

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

In a cocktail shaker, mix the coconut water, lime juice and honey. In a rocks glass, add the bourbon, cinnamon and nutmeg and let rest for 1 minute. Add the coconut water mixture and ice and garnish with vacation envy!

 

Free Pour!

After three days in the scorching heat, we all came to one completely unexpected conclusion. One of the smartest things about Coachella is their limits on drinking. No, no, I’m not suggesting they are running sobriety tests (trust me, they are not), but rather, there are designated drinking areas throughout the polo fields and only in those locations can you purchase and enjoy your booze. Originally, I was somewhat annoyed. How was I going to enjoy a show without an ice-cold beer in my hand? But pretty quickly, the reality set in. For three days, we spent our time shoulder to shoulder, cramming in to see some of our favorite bands perform, and with the exception of one idiot with a rat-tail, there wasn’t a single asshole confrontation to report. Now imagine if all of us had drinks in our hands during the shows. Drunk muscles and spillage isn’t exactly conducive to a peaceful experience. Nice work Coachella folks…

So does that mean we didn’t drink? Of course not! But no matter how much I wanted to, it was not bourbon I was ordering; turns out my love for a good bourbon dwindles as the mercury rises. Instead I found myself on a steady pace of Heineken (pretty much the only beer you can order there) and greyhounds. A greyhound, or less ridiculously called a “vodka grapefruit” is one of the most refreshing drinks out there and was perfect for those long hot days. Especially the ones from the “cold bar”.

We dubbed this liquor stop-off the “cold bar” because it was one of the few spots that had some serious air conditioning pumping. Of course I used this to my advantage as a means to convince the others we should stop in. “You guys look hot, we should stop at the cold bar…”. But more importantly to me was the free-pouring bartender serving up those delicious greyhounds. You see, at the other bar we often frequented, every bottle of booze was topped with a “exact pour” spout. These spouts, while an interesting idea, really tick me off. Here’s the thing: the exact pour could be viewed as a win/win for both the bar and the consumer. Exact measurements guarantee proper usage from a flavor and efficiency stand point and on the drinker’s side, there’s no questioning the “strength” of your drink. You know you aren’t getting jipped. But this effectively removes any and all interaction with the bartender as a person, and creates a  robot like relationship I’m not down with.

To elaborate further, think about it this way. One of my favorite parts (and I know I’m not the only one) of heading up to the bar for the first of many drinks is to make an impression on the bartender. Sometimes its subtle, sometimes its simple but when this relationship builds appropriately, this is where the real win/win comes into place. And I’m not talking about dropping unnecessarily large tips in the meatpacking district. I’m talking about a mutual respect for what makes us all tick. At the “cold bar”, my drinks got stronger as the days went on. At the others, they stayed exactly the same. Sure it could have gone the other way, but that’s part of the fun.

So if you are using exact pour spouts out there, unlock the booze and free pour!

Holograms and 106 Degrees

We are home from a ridiculous weekend at Coachella and I’m gonna need a day or two to get back into the swing of things. I’ve got some festival related posts coming up this week along with a new cocktail because I know it’s been a while but for now I have to get back to work on my bourbon hologram. And you thought Tupac’s hologram was cool…

Birthday Tasting at Idle Hands

If you’ll remember back a few weeks, I posted about celebrating World Whiskey Day at Idle Hands in the east village. At that time, I was enamored by their unbelievable bourbon list and their straightforward approach summarized nicely by their motto: Bourbon. Beer. Rock. But it was the conversation I had with the owner that night, that made me sure this was the place I wanted to spend my birthday.

Every Wednesday night these guys are offering up one of the most ridiculous and worthwhile tasting experiences I’ve found in New York. Every week a brewery (last night was Sierra Nevada) and a whiskey (last night was McKenzie) send a representative to walk you through a tasting. Three 8 oz beer tastes (although I think we ended up with more like  five 5 oz pours) and two full pours from the brewery (although I think we ended up with one strong ass torpedo) and one solid tasting of the whiskey goes along just perfectly with an order of tater tots. But here comes the ridiculous part. It costs $10! Yes, I said $10!

Even more in line with my notion of a proper night out, these tastings occur in a truly informal manner. We had a fairly large crowd and managed to stake out a bit of a claim. Sitting back as the beer and whiskey came to us makes for an extended experience. It was almost like they read my last blog post!

As for the specifics, the Sierra tasting was pretty delicious. By the time we got to the 10% torpedo, I was heading upstairs to re-fuel with some extra food. Those tots were amazing but needed some company to help absorb all that 10% was offering. Even more interesting however was our McKenzie tasting. The rep Steven, walked us through the uniqueness of this Finger Lakes distillery sourcing their ingredients from NY state. Next week Steven’s coming back with their Rye which has me intrigued but at this point, I think it’s safe to say, you know where to find me on Wednesdays!

Thanks to everyone who made it out making for one of the more memorable birthdays I’ve ever had. And thanks to the folks at Idle Hands for being brilliant!

Drink Often But Slowly

Look, I try my best not to be a New York snob. In fact, for full disclosure, my biggest concern when moving here now about five years ago was being the guy that solely referred to New York as “THE CITY”. So much for that…

But seriously, there is no better place to witness the emergence of spring than in the city. Dammit, I mean New York. The energy is electric, the clothes seem to disappear, and everyone seems to be drinking outside. Which is my favorite part for sure. But it all seems to fly by so fast. With weekends packed with activities and non-stop weekday happy hours, all of a sudden it’s October and were bitching it’s cold again. But this year, I’ve got a slogan to live by.

Drink often but slowly. (Things sound more intelligent when they are in italics, right?)

There is no better way to share an experience or to get to know someone than over your favorite glass of bourbon, or by sharing a great bottle of wine; these details are the catalysts to great memories. And the more you savor them as they occur, the more memorable they truly are.  Oh, and of course, don’t forget to instagram the shit out of those memories as well. Otherwise they never really happened.

It’s been a crazy few weeks and it mostly feels like a whirlwind but it’s time to take a step back and slow down. I’m kicking off my Spring/Summer motto with an awesome whiskey and beer tasting at Idle Hands with some close friends for my Birthday and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s already been a great Birthday week with a night out at Talde in the BK and a cauliflower crust pizza “cake” on Sunday (thanks Nancy!). And I can tell you one thing…

Tonight the first part of that motto will not be an issue!

 

When Worlds Collide

Over at Canigetasample, I used to chat quite a bit about my disdain for “fusion” cuisine. Specifically, the crappy neon lit, house music pumping “asian fusion” spots opening up all over the east side of the city. They are the worst. Their business model seems to be anchored in delivering less than stellar versions of many different cuisines so that instead of doing one thing particularly well, they offer pad thai and miso soup. Thanks but no thanks. But these types of places are just one subset of what “fusion” cuisine can really be. Some of the smartest and most talented chefs around the world are developing eye-opening blends of regional techniques, flavors, and ingredients to produce food that is both unique and familiar. So shouldn’t we be able to do the same with booze?

As I mentioned before, I’ve been working on a few recipes to get ready for this year’s Kentucky Derby party and there’s no question my basil julep has made the cut. But we just recently realized something pretty exciting. This year’s derby happens to fall on May 5th, which for all you non-Spanish translators out there, also happens to be Cinco de Mayo. Finkel is Einhorn. Einhorn is Finkel! And this is when my brain went crazy!

But blending regional flavors into cocktails isn’t as easy as some bars would like you to think. I would argue that this type of cocktail creation is in some ways even less forgiving than cooking fusion cuisine. Too often ingredients are added simply for their name alone as their subtlety is lost during consumption. A good example of that was this Empellon Manhattan (seen above). Don’t get me wrong. This drink tasted damn good and paired perfectly with the amazing Empellon Tacos. But the mole bitters and shaved chocolate didn’t resonate so much for me. Background flavors at best, these “Mexican” additions to the classic American cocktail couldn’t stand up the bourbon and sweet vermouth.

The cool thing is, when it comes to cocktail making, so much can be tweaked with those same four ingredients. Maybe it’s a simple shift in quantities, or maybe its something more complex like extracting the chocolate flavor directly into the bourbon. Looks like I better get back to work with the Derby just a few weeks away!

The Noblers Know Cocktails

The art of the cocktail had for years lost its way. A cocktail list read more like a candy aisle with pomegranate this and chocolate espresso that. But even with the sudden resurgence of simple and elegant concoctions, it’s still possible to be overwhelmed and disappointed. So before you go off grabbing rare bitters, elderflower liqueur, and ice cubes from the arctic, I’d say start with my Basil Julep.

Which is exactly what the Noblers and I did this past Friday when we gathered…

We’ve all taken quite a liking to the Old Fashioned. Particularly with Rye as the base, it is hard to beat this guy. But part of the reason its close to unbeatable is it’s simplicity. Sugar, bitters, water, and Rye makes for a quick fix while most other interpretations of “cocktails” end up muddling your enthusiasm after you see all the steps involved. Which is why, when I’m working on new blends, the simpler the better. Take the Bertha Palmer for example. By making a big batch of this in advance (and this time adding some fresh mint to the steeping tea), all we needed was a steady pour (easier in the beginning of the night), and a solid splash of Woodford Reserve. Like I said when I originally posted the Bertha, I will most likely drink a million of these this summer.

But I was even more pumped about this Basil Julep. With the Kentucky Derby in our sights, I’ve been working on a menu for our soon to be annual party. The Mint Julep, while synonymous with the Derby, has never done it for me. In fact, I don’t think anyone likes the Mint Julep. I think no one wants to be the first to speak up so I’m doing it for you! Mint, while delicious, carries the sweetness of the drink a little too strong for me. Which is why I thought basil would be the perfect fix. Turns out, it is and once you’ve made this basil simple syrup (which is absurdly easy) the drink comes together even quicker than an Old Fashioned. Now you see why I’m so excited.

Even the newest member of the Nobler Experiment, Hoagie, was overwhelmed by how good this drink was!

Disclaimer: No pug puppies were actually drinking during the Nobler Experiment. What do think we are? Neanderthals!

The Basil Julep:

4 tsp basil syrup

1 lemon wedge

3 oz Bourbon (we used Buffalo Trace)

Mix all ingredients in a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a fresh basil leaf! Pair this sucker with some homemade pimento cheese!

Basil Syrup

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups of sugar

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 large bunch of basil

In a sauce pan, bring the water, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat and add the basil. Let the syrup come to room temperature and store in the fridge. At this point you can remove the basil but the longer it stays in, the more intense the flavor. My recommendation is to remove the basil after 12 hours for better keeping.