MIXOLOGY MAYHEM - ORSON SALICETTI

Some people would argue that Orson Salicetti is one of the best mixologists in all of Manhattan. He began his career by working with his mother in the kitchen many years ago and brought his culinary background in to designing some of the most interesting cocktails that I have ever had the pleasure of downing!

While working at Apotheke in Chinatown, Orson was able to get tons of press and recognition. Orson then left Apotheke to open Covet with Nightlife King Pin, Eric Milon. Orson designed the entire cocktail list at Covet and trained “Hot Model Types” to mix his complex concoctions for the public. Many of Orson’s following thought that his cocktails fell off because these “models” had no clue what they were doing behind the bar. Some people thought that Orson might have lost his mojo, trading in his Apotheke lab coat for a shiny suit and not mixing enough cocktails. Some people even thought that his integrity had been thrown out of the window?

I was very curious as to why Orson decided to even leave downtown and go to midtown, so I of course asked him. Orson told me that Covet paid him a good amount of dough and that he had a vision of introducing mixology to the bigger nightclubs/masses. Milon had started so many successful nightclubs in the past and Orson saw this as a great opportunity to take his mixology to the top of the heap. Unfortunately, Covet never really “popped off” and things did not end well.

Orson’s company, The Art of Mixology has taken him all around the world. His next stop is St. Petersburg, Russia where he will be designing the cocktail list for a new hot spot. He also has a brand new party called Dante’s Inferno at Albert Trummer’s Theater Bar on Thursday nights. Orson designed a special cocktail list for the Dante’s Inferno party and the opening night on May 26 2011 was amazing! Tons of debauchery, dope house music spun by the oh-so-fantastic DJ Richie Berretta and fun performances that made this party right! Orson also just informed me that he just started working at Theater Bar on Fridays and Saturdays as well.

Let’s face it; Orson Salicetti is really a Bangin’ Bartender! He’s hilarious, charming, charismatic, quick behind the bar, has ladies throwing themselves at him and knows how to mix one amazing cocktail! I sent over my Bangin’ Bartender Questionnaire and this is what Orson Salicetti had to say…

 

10 Questions with a next level Bangin' Bartender who knows how to throw down!

 
1. For how long have you been mixing cocktails?

For around 10 years

2. In your opinion, what is the best single malt scotch?

One of my favorites is Laphroaig 1974, but there is not a definite answer to this. Highland Park 18, Glenfarclas 21 and Balvenie 15 are all some of my favorites as well. Many Single Malt Scotches are excellent and in general, there is a standard of producing this product, it is like asking about a space program, it is just about being precise.

3. Charlie Sheen is buying you a drink, what do you order?

I would prefer that he wouldn’t, but I wouldn’t mind offering him one, a good Manhattan with Solera Rum and Antica Formula.

4. How can I make a bangin' bloody Mary?

2oz. of vodka, fresh tomato juice, 1 oz. lemon juice, spiced with habanero pepper reduction, a bit of mixed peppercorn reduction, horseradish, pickle brine, Himalayan salt, touch of rice vinegar, and to preserve the original taste, a reduction of beef consommé and if you want to be creative and fun make a ring from smoked salt, touch of paprika and Thai chili. Do not forget celery and a pickle of your preference.

5. How do I get the mint perfect when I'm making a Mint Julip?

Add around 1 oz, of strong mint infusion in water and chopped mint in the bottom of the serving glass along with shaved ice this would ensure very well rounded mint flavor.

6. How can I make the best sour mix If I am hosting a party at home and want to impress my friends?

Impress or not my sour mix is fresh strained lime juice 55%, combined with simple syrup: 1 part hot water and 1 part sweeteners (40/40 white brown sugar and 20 of light agave nectar). However, you would need to taste it to make sure the balance is there, because the citricity of limes differs, so save a bit of juice and syrup to adjust as you make the mix.

7. Aside from yourself, of course, who kicks ass in the Mixology world? 

It is more of a contribution, not competition. I do not participate in religion or politics and this is a political question to me. There are definitely many…

8. I just got a bottle of Absinthe from France... What is the proper way in serving absinthe at a high end loft party?

The proper way is to follow the French ritual with an absinthe spoon and sugar cube to balance the bitter of the wormwood, or put the absinthe on fire in the wine glass, rotate the flambé glass for about 15 seconds, put it out and with the ice cube in a serving shot pour the Absinthe.

9. What is your favorite cocktail, why do you make it well and what is your relationship to this cocktail?

My favorite cocktail depends on what the occasion is... I enjoy the classics, as Negroni or Manhattan. My relationship is a very positive one!

10. I have $200. Where are we going for a drink?

Come to my house or any of the bars I am serving and save the money.

Below is a video of Orson Salicetti doing a crazy Absinthe fire show in Miami! Enoy!

 

LIQUOR.COM - TEQUILA GRAND TASTING

Photography by Jerry T. 
contributing www.liquor.com photographer
 

***Zengo*** www.richardsandoval.com
turned into a Tequila and Mezcal extravaganza in the middle of Saturday afternoon, thanks to Liquor.com. I had such a blast at the Rum Grand Tasting about a month ago so when I was invited to the Tequila Grand Tasting, how could I possibly refuse? The fifteen brands that we had the fortune of having our way with were; 1921, Alacran, Charbay, Don Julio, Karma, Illegal Mezcal, Luna Sueno, Mijes Mezcal, Oro de Oaxaca Mezcal, Pierde Almas Mezcal, Riazul, Scorpion Mezcal, Talero, Tanteo and Tierras.

I decided to try the tequila blancos first, Resposados second, Anejos third and all of the Mezcals last! I had a feeling that I would be twisted by the end of the event, but I was up for the challenge! I went to each station; smelling, tasting, schmoozing and listening as much as I could! I was on the hunt to see who had the best products on the market and was ready to get a little bent in the process!

I walked around with a couple of friends and some “hot blonde” with big boobs from the Alacran station stopped my guyfriend to chat. Next thing you know my guyfriend got all exited and the blonde vanished right before our eyes as my guyfriend was left talking to some bald dude about Tequila! A classic bait and switch but it always works! Alacran’s Blanco tequila was delicious and tasted a bit like saki. Another one of my favorite Blanco Tequilas, was Talero Tequila which was organic and very smooth. The president of Talero Tequila, Dylan Doherty said, “We don’t inject our agave plants with anything extra and don’t rip them out of the ground prematurely like all of these other brands.”

My favorite resposado belonged to Don Julio – which had a great cocktail station too! See below for cocktail list. Mixologist Brian Van Flandern designed the cocktail list and it was a pleasure to pick his brain for a few minutes as he mixed us some bangin’ shots! Luna Sueno had a delicious resposado as well as Riazul. Riazul’s Brand Ambassador, George Summer was a sweetheart and even told me that he would buy me a couple of rounds outside of the event. Wink, Wink.

 Anejo’s are my favorite type of Tequila. The complexity and similarity to scotch has me hooked! You don’t go around shooting Anejo Tequilas, you go around sipping them. It’s for the mature and evolved drinker. I may not be too old but I’ve been throwing them back for quite sometime now. My favorite Anejo Tequilas include; Tierras, Don Julio 1942 and Riazul. I didn’t get to try Don Juilo’s Real Tequila which retails for about four hundred dollars a bottle because they didn’t have a bottle at their station. I call shenanigans!

 By this point, I was feeling a little "nicey nice." It was finally time to visit the Mezcal stations. Scorpion Mezcal was very good. I didn’t love the Scorpion Mezcal bottle but then again, am I going to drink the bottle or the booze?  Barbara Sweetman was great to chat with and said, “Remember, Tequila is a type of Mezcal.” Hmm… I thought it was the other way around, interesting! Pierda Almas Mezcal gave me this beautiful book about agave plants and the making of Mezcal. Their mezcal was excellent and easy to drink. Illegal Mezcal was my favorite because of the smoothness, smokiness and ability to maintain its complexity. They gave me a bunch of stickers and gave my guyfriend a bottle with about two shots of mezcal in it left because my guyfriend was raving about it! 

The event was over and everyone was packing up to leave. My guyfriend and I walked out and decided we were going to search for a place where we could eat some Mexican food. We were walking in the street when a police car stopped my guyfriend. My guyfriend walked over to the police car and bent over to talk to the cops. I saw my guyfriend pull the almost empty bottle of mezcal out of his back pocket which was sticking out and why the cops even stopped him to begin with! 

 The officer in the driver’s seat grabbed it from my guysfriend’s hand and I saw my guyfriend say something but I couldn’t hear. I saw my guyfriend point towards the venue and I ran over there immediately to interrupt them by saying, “officer, don’t listen to him he’s a herb!” The officer replied, “Excuse me, I’m talking!” I said, "sorry officer." The other officer in the passenger's seat said, “chug it and throw the bottle away.”  My guyfriend responded, “You really want me to chug it, officer?” The officer in the driver's seat who is still looking at the bottle said, “This doesn’t have a stamp on it, this is a federal offense.” My guy friend and I both gave each other the holy shit are we going to jail face?! 

My guy friend then said, “I don’t know why it does not have a stamp, officer.” The officer in the driver's seat looked at us for a moment then told my guyfriend to throw the bottle away immediately! My guyfriend threw the bottle away in the garbage can on the corner and the cops drove off. Thank goodness that no one got in trouble! Talk about living up to it’s name! Illegal Mezcal! 

FEATURED COCKTAILS

PINA PERFECTION                            

Don Julio Resposado Tequila  1.5 oz.          

Fresh Pineapple juice        1.5 oz.

Fresh lime juice             0.5 oz.

Agave Nectar                 0.25 oz.

Club soda                    0.25 oz.

Fresh rosemary               1 Sprig

Garnish: Rosemary Sprig

Glassware: Highball or Collins glass

Preparation:

In a shaker, muddle the rosemary. Add the tequila, juices and agave nectar, and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a highball or collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with club soda and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

AGAVE DROP

Don Julio Blanco Tequila  1.5 oz.

Agave nectar              0.5 oz.

Fresh lime juice           0.5 oz.

Garnish: Lime wedge

Glassware: Shot Glass

Preparation:

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a shot glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

LIQUOR.COM - DON JULIO TASTING

Photography by Jerry T. 

contributing www.liquor.com photographer

 I was running thirty minutes late to a Don Julio Tequila Tasting at Macao Trading Co. www.macaonyc.com.  Noted mixologist, owner of Macao Trading Co. and Employees Only, Dushan Zaric, was giving a tequila presentation. We shut the hell up very quickly, as he ran his mouth about Agave Plants and tried to make a smooth entrance.

I said “hello” as quietly as possible to more friends and we found a spot for us all to sit together. The cute waitress noticed us immediately and brought us shots of Don Julio Blanco accompanied by a shot of house made Sangrita right away. Sangrita, not to be confused with Sangria, is a spicy tomato based traditional Mexican chaser. The sangrita was delicious and made that shot possible for me to do since I had not had a shot of straight tequila in years! 

Dushan, cracked some funny jokes about him being much better looking when he started bartending in 2001. He was over all entertaining to watch especially after a couple of cocktails! He explained in detail Don Julio’s four types of Tequilas; Blanco, Resposado, Anejo and Extra Anejo. Dushan said, “Tequila is aged in barrels for a very short period of time. Oak is aggressive and Agave is delicate so if you age it for too long in a barrel, you will end up with a fine Cognac.”

 The next cocktail that we had was the crowd favorite called No Mames (literally means, "Don't Suck" in Mexican slang). It was well balanced and it may even be my new favorite tequila cocktail! After that, we had the Tequila Manhattan, which I didn’t like.  I enjoy drinking Manhattan’s with bourbon and don’t want tequila anywhere near my Manhattan!  The Tequila Manhattan was obviously more robust.

Elayne Duke, head mixologist at Diageo Wine and Spirits and owner of Duke on the Rocks claimed that “the only reason why people shoot tequila with salt is because a long time ago in Mexico, Doctors would prescribe Tequila with salt for everything since they couldn’t afford medicine.” Dushan said “It's just not even necessary to use salt in a Margarita because it over powers the tequila.”  Dushan handed Elayne a Jigger and she said in a comical way, “I can free pour.” No jiggers were used and many of us laughed as Dushan looked at her a little taken back as they mixed the Agave Drop Shot, “jiggerless.” She informed us that the proper way of taking a tequila shot is to softly bite into the lime, without swallowing the juice. Then, quickly shoot the tequila shot down hatch! We all screamed “Que Viva Don Julio!” as instructed by Elayne and downed the shot together! 

The presentation was over and the party finally began! We all mingled and most of us started to drink heavily as delicious appetizers from the Macao Trading Co. menu were fed to us. Thank goodness for those appetizer's because mixologist, Vincent Vitek's cocktails were a little too crackalicious for all of our own good! A burlesque show started where half naked chics danced in the middle of the room to old school tunes as some of us watched dancing along on couches. We all could barely see straight at this point, so we all decided to call it a night after the Burlesque show. 

I was super hung over the next day for obvious reasons, but it was totally worth it! My excuse to myself was that Cinco De Mayo came early this year! Would I do this all over again even though I have been in sweats all day? Helll yeeessssss! Until next time, xoxoxo.

 EVENT COCKTAILS & SHOTS

NO MAMES

Don Julio Resposado Tequila shaken with Barenjager Honey Liquer, Gresh Lime Juice & Grapefruit Juices, finished with St. Elizabeth All Spice Dram

TEQUILA MANHATTAN

Don Julio Anejo, Doulin Rouge sweet vermouth, Mandarin Napoleon & Angostura bitters & Bitter truth Xocolat Mole Bitters

LA PALOMA

Don Julio Blanco Tequila with Lime Juice, Pink Grapefruit Juice, Grapefruit bitters served tall with Soda

EL DIABLO

Don Julio Tequila Resposado with Crème de Cassis de Dijion, Lime Juice served tall with Ginger Beer

HONG KONG

Don Julio Blanco Tequila shaken with Lemon, Dow’s Fine Ruby Port & Pandan Leaf Syrup.

AGAVE DROP

Don Julio Blanco with Lime Juice & Agave Nectar

SPANISH RAINDROP

Don Julio Anejo with Oloroso Sherry, Lime Juice

SANGRITA RECIPE

1/4 cup Pureed Jalepeno                                                            
3/4 Tablespoon white pepper-more or less to taste
2-1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
5 oz Fresh Orange Juice
46 oz Tomato Juice
3/4 Tablespoon salt-more or less to taste
3/4 Tablespoon white pepper-more or less to taste
Tabasco to taste
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Mix well. Chill. Taste to test seasoning. To serve: Pour into shot glasses alongside ice cold tequila shots.

XIAO LONG BAO, NOW!

XIAO LONG BAO a.k.a. "soup dumplings," pronounced Shou (rhymes with “how”) Long, Baow, literally means, small steaming basket bun, but is often seen on menus as soup dumplings. Make no mistake, this is a BUN (bao) actually called a baozi, not a dumpling, even though; they resemble a jiaozi, or a classic dumpling. They come from Eastern China, especially Shanghai and Wuxi.

 Xiao long bao, is a steamed bun usually filled with pork.  It can be made with any number of fillings such as crab, shrimp, chicken and sometimes even vegetables.  In addition to the filling, it also contains a rich soup derived from a pork-based aspic. When you steam the bao, the aspic liquefies and creates the internal soup. My favorite kind of xiao long bao, which is probably the most popular type, is crab and pork mixed!  If you just want pork xiao long bao, it will be cheaper.

When making xiao long bao, one needs a great recipe for the dough and for the filling.  You must make sure the skin of the bun is delicate enough to not over power the filling/broth and sturdy enough so that the filing/broth doesn't cause the bun to fall apart. I am a strong believer that your cooking is only as good as the ingredients that you use, hence the filling should be made with top of the line meat, seasoned to perfection.

For the rookies, there is a very unique process in eating xiao long bao but don't let this turn you off! It won't take you long to get the hang of it and once you do, you will become a Xiao Long Bao eating Ninja, like me! Xiao long bao is extremely delicate so the trick is too enjoy them without having them fall apart. They are served in the small round basket that they are steamed in, and usually come with metal tongs, a spoon, a small plate of thinly sliced ginger in soy sauce and of course chop sticks.

Gently, pick up the bao with tongs by the top aka "nipple" of the bao, place onto your spoon which is on your plate.  Put two small pieces of thinly sliced ginger on the bao using your chopsticks, then pick up the bao in the spoon with your left hand and take the chop sticks in your right hand.  Lift the bao from the top using your chopsticks in your right hand, holding the spoon in your left for support under the bao. Take a small bite  while holding the bao with chopsticks, pour some of the broth on to the spoon and drink this deliciousness! Continue eating the bao and enjoying this unique experience. It usually takes 2-4 bites per bao, depending on the size of the xiao long bao.

When prepared properly with good ingredients, xiao long bao is one of my favorite appetizers in the world! It's such a wonderful experience and just having the chance to teach someone the proper way of eating this unique dish, brings me so much joy! Here are my Top 5 Most Ballin' & Bangin' Xiao Long Bao Spots in N.Y. and if you ever need a partner to eat them with, I am down!

5 MOST BALLIN' & BANGIN' XIAO LONG BAO SPOTS IN N.Y.

5. Joe's Shanghai - 9 Pell Street, NYC (212) 233-8888   
www.joeshanghairestaurants.com
Crab & Pork Xiao Long Bao $7.25
* Super casual, very busy, tasty buns, 15% grat. automatically added on to your check, packed with tourists.

4.  Shanghai Cafe - 100 Mott Street, NYC  (212)966.3988
Crab & Pork Xiao Long Bao $6.95
*Very casual, clean, the price is amazing, staff is rude but very delicious!

3. Philippe Chow - 29 East 61st street, NYC 212.644.8885     
www.philippechow.com
Pork & Crab Soup Dumplings $19.00
* Great service, fine dining, expensive and small xiao long bao but they are delicious! If you ask for the wine room downstairs, you can discreetly blaze at your table and plug in your own I-Pod.

2. Nan Xiang Dumpling House -  38-12 Prince Street, Flushing, N.Y. 718.321-3838
Crab & Pork Xiao Long Bao $6.50
*Small place, packed, very casual, tasty and fresh, authentic experience.

1. Chinatown Brasserie - 380 Lafayette street, NYC (212) 533-7000    
www.chinatownbrasserie.com
Shanghai Soup Dumplings $15.00
*Best Chinese restaurant in all of NYC, nice but still casual, friendly staff, clean.

LIQUOR.COM - RUM GRAND TASTING

Lani Kai, www.lanikainy.com, was a Rum Afficiando's  naughty fantasy for a couple of hours Tuesday evening, thanks to Liquor.com, www.liquor.com and their Rum Grand Tasting Event.  Some of the fifteen best Rum brands from all over the world were present, waiting to be sipped on by potential suitors.  The brands featured were 10 Cane, Appleton, Bacardi, BlackBeard Spiced, Brugal, Charbay, Cockspur, Denizen, Don Q, Mount Gay, Plantation, Rhum Clement, Rhum J.M, Santa Theresa and Zacapa. There were also five specialty cocktails for your libationist pleasure - created by Julie Reiner - owner of Lani Kani. 


 I noticed a trend of aged rums amongst most of the featured brands, catering to the more complex palate and cunning connoisseur. The vocabulary and adjectives used regarding the aged rums made me feel as if I was at a scotch event, which made this rum soiree pretty official.  


Some of my favorite featured aged rums that I was able to try were Santa Teresa 1796, Rhum Clement XO, Rhum J.M VSOP, Mount Gay Extra Old, Bacardi 8 and Cockspur 12 year. I also really enjoyed the Rhum Clement Creole Shrubb, a Rum based orange infused liqueur, because the orange infusion actually tasted real. I find a lot of the flavored spirits/liqueurs disgusting, but happend to enjoy this one! 


On another note, I was excited to see the Brugal station, since I grew up always having Brugal in the family liquor cabinet.  I was able to try Brugal Reserva Anejo for the first time at the event and thought it was delicious.  It tasted very good neat but then the person at the Brugal Station mixed it with pineapple juice and sprite which was probably the worse thing that he could have done.  Who in their right mind would drink dark rum, pineapple juice and sprite?  He should have just offered rum daiquiris like the guy at the Appleton station if he wanted to impress folks with his "mixing" skills. It also would have been nice if they had taught us how to make proper rum daiquiris at home.


I spent most of the event downstairs sipping on the Bridgetown Stomp cocktail,  meeting new people, getting reacquainted with old industry friends and of course flirting with a new cute guy since the single life can be such a drag sometimes. 


The featured cocktails were, The Bearded Lady (blackBeard Spiced Rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, falernum, demerara syrup), Bridgetown Stomp (Cockspur 12 Rum, Cinzano Rosso, Campari, Amaro Cio Ciaro, demerara syrup, Regans' Orange Bitters No. 6), Double Barrel (Plantation Grande Reserve 5- year old, Plantation Jamaica Rum, Benedictine, Grand Marnier, lime juice, orange juice, cane syrup, Angostura Bitters), Trinidad Express (10 Cane Rum, eldeflower cordial, lime juice, grapefruit juice, sauvignon blanc) and Zacapa Daiquiri (Zacapa Rum, lime juice, simple syrup). 


The presentation of all of these cocktails was very nice, but I definitely had my favorites. The Bridgetown Stomp, was a variation of the Negroni, supstituting the gin for Rum and other delicious ingredients were added, to take this cocktail to the next level.  The cocktail was to die for and a noted mixologist friend of mine thought so as well!   My least favorite cocktail was the Trinidad Express because I found it to be a little too sweet and the balance of the cocktail was just a tad off.  The Bearded Lady was sweet as well but very much to my liking since the balance was on point. Out of a scale of 1-5, I would give The Bearded Lady: 4.5; Bridgetown Stomp: 5; Double Barrel: 3; Trinidad Express: 2.5; and the Zacapa Daiquiri: 4. 


Overall, I thought that Liquor.com did a very good job curating the Rum Grand Tasting Event. I would have loved to see a couple of other amazing Rum brands, i.e. Pyrat XO Reserve and Neisson Rhum but it was a wonderful experience!  I had a blast and so did a couple of friends that I brought with me. The people that I spoke to at the event seemed to be interesting, intelligent and some of them were very easy on the eyes as well.  I look forward to trying the food at Lani Kai in the near future and frequenting more Liquor.com events! Until next time, xoxoxoxo.

MIXOLOGY MAYHEM - ALEX VALENCIA

Alex Valencia was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico and has been living in New York for about ten years.  He currently works at Yerba Buena Perry Street www.ybnyc.com,  (fantastic cocktails and the best fish tacos in the city!) I decided to feature Alex as an up and coming Bangin' Bartender because I strongly believe that he is someone to look out for in the cocktail kingdom of Mixology. Alex is well-versed in spirits and passionate about mixing the perfect cocktail.  He is also very humble and has a charming personality to go with it all! 


I asked Alex who his Mixology Sensei's were when he started mixing "cocks", he then told me that Artemio Vasquez and Miguel Aranda had taught him most of what he knows about being behind the bar.  Alex informed me that Artemio Vasquez was taught by Audrey Sanders, www.peguclub.com who was taught by Dale DeGroff, www.kingcocktail.com.  Miguel Aranda, www.miguelarandanyc.com  known for his deliciously balanced cocktails and entertaining showmanship was taught by Albert Trummer, www.trummerbars.com the O.G. Showman!  Alex also attended numerous Mixology seminars instructed by Dale DeGroff and Junior Merino, www.theliquidchefinc.com.  I had the good fortune to talk, cocktails and spirits with Alex, which was a ball! Then, I decided to give him my Mixology Mahem Bangin' Bartender Questionnaire!  I designed this random Questionnaire to stump bartenders in the industry! Mwahahaha! Just kidding! Basically, I designed these questions to get to know more about the bartenders that I respect in the city and to share information with people that are interested in  impressing their friends by executing good cocktails.  Enjoy!


BANGIN' BARTENDER QUESTIONNAIRE


10 Questions With An Up and Coming  Bangin' Bartender Who Knows How to Throw Down!


1. For how long have you been mixing cocktails? I began working behind the bar in 2006.


2. In your opinion, what is the best single malt scotch?  I know this sounds crazy but I honestly don't have a favorite scotch or bourbon or any other spirit.  It just depends on the mood I am in at the moment.


3. Charlie Sheen is buying you a drink, what do you order? It depends where we happen to be. If we are in a disco, I will get  champagne. If we are in a local bar, I will have a beer. If we are in a mixology bar, a cocktail!


4. How can I make a bangin' bloody Mary?  This specific recipe is meant to be used in a 10 oz. high ball glass. Take a 10 oz. high ball glass and put 2 bar spoons of steak sauce in it. Then put a teaspoon of worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of horseradish sauce.  Now, throw in 2 dashes of hotsauce,  1/2 oz of fresh lemon juice,  7 oz. of fresh tomato juice and 2 oz. of vodka.  Add ice to the glass and "roll" (transfer) into another glass. "Roll" from glass to glass 4-6 times.  Finally, garnish with a stick of fresh celery and a cherry tomato.


5. How do I get the mint perfect when I'm making a Mint Julip?  Just put the mint in water for 2 hrs. The mint will then be perfect and fresh, ready for use.


6. How can I make the best sour mix If I am hosting a party at home and want to impress my friends? Orange juice, lime juice and touch of triple sec.


7. Aside from yourself, of course, who kicks ass in the Mixology world? Kenta Goto, Pegu Club and Takaaki Hashimoto, B Flat.


8. I just got a wormwood tree. I need to know the best fashion in which to prepare Absinthe.
Complicated but try this...


You Need


750ml bottle of Bacardi 151 rum, everclear (grain alcohol) or vodka
1oz Wormwood (leaves) (Artemisia absinthium)
1/3oz Hyssop (whole plant)
10g Star Anise (fruit/flower)
30g Anise seed (seed)
20g Fennel seed (seed)
6g Lemon balm (whole plant)(Melissa Officinalis)
3.2g Coriander (seed)
1.8g Calamus (Root)
Veronica
Cardomom
Thyme
Lavender
Sage
Mint
Angelica root
Roman or petite wormwood (Artemisia pontica [optional]) 


The Steps


Step 1: Decide what kind of absinthe you want to make. Absinthe is always made with what is referred to as "The Holy Trinity" which consists of wormwood, Anise, and Fennel, but authentic wormwood can be chosen that does not contain thujone. Absinthe that does not contain thujone should be much safer than absinthe that contains thujone. Choose a final absinthe color. Color is imbued to the abisnthe during the herbal maceration. Green absinthe is made using green herbs such as mint and petite wormwood. The chlorophyll from these herbs is extracted into the absinthe. Red absinthe can be made by excluding the green herbs and using red herbs such as paprika which gives it a more spiced flavor as well. The oils from the anise and fennel seeds will contribute to the louche effect (the cloudiness produced when water is added to absinthe).  Step 2: Prepare your ingredients and the place where you'll be preparing the absinthe. Use about 1/3 cup or less of herbal ingredients per 750ml alcohol base. Wash your hands, the surface you'll be working on and your herbs. Chop, crumble, or grind the herbal ingredients. The wormwood can be chopped or crumbled (if not ground). A mortar and pestle can be used for grinding herbs such as anise seeds. The herbal constituents will be more efficiently extracted from herbs that have been ground up or finely chopped.  Step 3: Add the ingredients and the alcohol to mason jars or similar glass vessels that can be sealed.  Step 4: Store the bottle in a dark warm room for 2 weeks to 2 months to let the Artemisia absinthium and other herbs infuse adequately into the alcohol. This process is called Maceration, and the duration will directly influence the flavor. Too long, and the flavors will be muddy and bitter; too short, and there won't be enough flavor.  Step 5: Take your mixture and strain all of the herbs from it with a cheesecloth, coffee filter, or similar material. The resulting liquid will most likely be brown and bitter. In order to make 'real' absinthe, a distillation process is necessary to boil away the bitterness. The distillate will be clear and have much less flavor. Once you have this "absinthe blanche", you can make it your own with a second maceration process. This second maceration will give the absinthe its true flavor and color.  Step 6: Use much less wormwood, preferable petite (to minimize bitterness). Since this will not be distilled, it will add strong flavors and natural color. Be creative, add flavors you enjoy. Macerate to taste, not two months. Too much maceration will bitter your batch. 
Step 7: It's easier to make a separate batch of "flavor absinthe" instead of putting the herbs directly into the distilled absinthe. This way, you can even make an "anise" alcohol, "fennel" alcohol, and "mint" alcohol, and mix them independently to personal preference. This way, you can alter the recipe in 'real time' as you taste it. Otherwise, you have to wait another week or so for the maceration.  Step 8: The mixing process is of utmost importance. You will mix your distillate with your flavoring, at the same time diluting the mixture with either vodka or water. Mix it up, taste a little, and then mix whatever is necessary. Too much alcohol (distillate) and the concoction will burn like a strong liquor. Too much flavor (macerate) and the drink will be too bitter as the flavor sticks to the tongue. You can also sweeten the absinthe at this time, with anything from sugar to sweet-n-low to corn syrup. Step 9: Bottle, and, since you probably don't know how to age it, enjoy.  Step 10: Enjoy using your preferable absinthe ritual. 


9. What is your favorite cocktail, why do you make it well and what is your relaionship to this cocktail? I love my pisco punch!  My interpretation of the Pisco Punch is a pineapple infused Pisco with grapefruit bitters, lemon juice, a mix of home made elder flower syrup and chartreusse.


10.  I've got $200. Where are we going for a drink? Lets go to Casa Mezcal!  Nice food, nice music and of course cocktails!

    .

CHARACTER CONCLAVE - ANDRESS

10 Questions With A 

Mover & Shaker

Inspired by the
Proust Questionnaire

ANDRESS, MANHATTAN, N.Y.

1. What do you do for a living?  I'm an Investment Banker in Public Finance.

2.  What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  I've always had an interdisciplinary career.  As a result, I didn't take the traditional route to Wall Street.  For example, I used to run Economic Development programs in West Africa.  So, I'll probably be doing something completely different in 5 years.  What?  Well, I have a degree in International Relations and Drama, so I have always wanted to try out being a Political Pundit--opining on foreign policy, particularly in the Caribbean. But if that doesn't happen, I'd like to consult the governments of under-developed countries about better ways to alternatives to financing their national infrastructure projects.

3. What is your favorite restaurant?  That's a tough one.  I am an animal of HABIT if you've ever met one!  I order the same food, from the same restaurant EVERYDAY for lunch!  It's a little embarrassing!  But my "go to" these days for dinner is Sapphire in Columbus Circle for Indian.  All the waiters know me!  (again, embarrassing!)

4. If you were stranded on an Island and could only have 5 c.d.’s to listen to for the rest of your life, what would they be? The Best of Tupac; The Best of Angie Stone; The Best of Dirty South Hits; Michel Martelly's "Aloufa" (Haitian Kompa); a medley of Trinidad Carnival Soca Hits ... If I'm stuck on an island for the rest of my life I need to be able pour one out for the homies, two step to some R&B, roll dem bowz, whine my hips, and catch a jump up!  These 5 CDs will get me there. 

5. What is your favorite curse word? Flying Fuck!  But I have always enjoyed a strategically placed "Listen honey" which is my corporate version of "Listen BITCH" ... so poignant! :)

6. If you had to pick one favorite movie, what would it be? A Lion in Winter ... Peter O'Toole, Katherine Hepburn and Anthony Hopkins ... amazing!

7. What do you think of Anal? Exit only.

8. What turns you on? A strong Sense of Self that results in just enough Confidence & generous dose of Swagger.  Passion & Determination.  I don't care what you do for a living as long as your ABOUT IT.  Love that.

9. What Turns you off? Phony ass insecure men who try to sell me on their Paycheck and Resume.  Awful!  NEXT!!!   Also, can't stand people who SMACK their mouths when they eat!!!  Are you a cow?  Awful!!!

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear from God, when you arrive to the pearly gates?  That I fulfilled my purpose on this earth for the short time I was here ... that I was successful in making myself USEFUL to others.

PURPLE EYED PLAYETTE DIES AT 79

ELIZABETH TAYLOR - One of the most, if not THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN to walk the earth, died today! Liz was the total package.  Talent, brains, killer looks and a pushing the envelope attitude that could never be over looked, even if you tried!  Even though she was old and had been looking terrible for quite sometime, I was shocked when I read that she had passed away this afternoon.  I know, I knoooow, we are all gonna'  bite the dust one day, but that is the kinda' news that I will never get used to hearing.


So, I reached out to  my friend via BBM, "Liz Taylor died today! : ( "  he responds by typing, "I didn't know that she was still alive." Uhhhhggg, how could he say such a thing, I thought? So, my thumbs start going a mile a minute on my crackberry and I reply, "Are you kidding me?  Liz f*cking Taylor died!  The Purple Eyed Playette who was married eight times! She was gangster!"  Quickly, he responds by typing "Ummm, last time I checked, getting married eight times is totally UNGANSTER."  Oh brother, He just doesn't get it, I thought.  Let me not even bother but the truth is...  I agree, getting married eight times is completely insane but she did it in a time where getting divorced and remarried was taboo.  She didn't get married eight times because she was a slut, she married eight times because she believed in tradition and just didn't know the right recipe to make a marriage last.   She paved the way for a woman to stand on her own two feet and kick men to the curb if things were not poppin' and how can you not respect that? I mean, one must give props where props is due. Last time I checked, Boys don't like when a woman is too independent, unless he's a gigolo! Hence, I could totally see why my friend was hating on her. Even though, now that I think about it, he would be a great gigolo.  He must've been jealous! Yeah, that's it! Don't hate the playa' hate the game, kiddo!


All jokes aside, She was a fantastic actress as well. A little over the top at times since that was the style back then before "Method Acting" took over but she really was incredible  to watch!  My favorite movies that she acted in are, "Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.  Thank you Liz Taylor for being a woman ahead of your time and for opening the eyes of the world to a Genuine O.G. Classy Bitch! May you rest in peace and never be forgotten. Below is a tribute video as well as scenes from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf.  Liz Taylor, A Legend. 1932-2011

EGG HEAD - WHAT'S CRACKIN'?

Eggs - An excellent source of protein. Yummy! Ever since I was a little girl, I loved eggs!  Fried, poached, sunny-side up, hard-boiled, scrambled, shirred (baked), just not soft-boiled. Soft-boiled eggs always reminded me of yellow runny snot. Actually, they still do, and they make my tummy hurt too. 


Anyway, my love of eggs started when I was just a wee child, Mini Moxie, so sweet, sensitive, innocent, and shy. What happened?! Could you believe, that I could barely stand to eat meat?! Glad I was able to welcome meat back into my life when I was ten. Phhwweee! I loved a poached Egg in my soup, a fried egg with some salt/pepper over white rice, a hard boiled egg in my salad, scrambled eggs in my fried rice and the list goes on... Sh!t, I still do! Now that I think about it, I wonder why I wasn't always farting. Thank goodness for that... So, In honor and tribute to the unfertilized chicken egg that I have always adored, below is a link to a Shirred Egg recipe that looks bangin' from Saveur!  Saveur is usually on point and the pics attached to this recipe, make this dish seem so easy to make!


 http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Baked-Eggs


**Also, check out this funny video of talking eggs! Who ever worked on this, did a fine job!**