LUPEC Seattle Dismantling the Patriarchy…one drink at a time!

Ladies for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails, Seattle Edition!
We try to meet up once a month in the area's best cocktail bars to try tasty libations made of gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, etc.
Occasionally we throw a party and use our power to raise money for local charities.

Follow the fun!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

December Meeting- Novo Fogo & Naga Lounge

Wow! 2010 has flown by and 2011 is upon us! For our last meeting of the year we were invited to Naga Lounge by Evan Martin and Dragos Axinte of Novo Fogo. LUPEC lady Jackie Moffett wrote a great article about her for her blog DrinkGal and is nice enough to let me republish it here. Be sure to add Jackie's site to your list of reads (p.s. she's got some gift ideas on the site to help with your holiday shopping!)

Thank you Jackie and drinkgal.com!














What to do with a bottle of (delicious) Novo Fogo Brazilian Cachaca
by: DrinkGal

When most people think of cachaça, they think of Caipirinhas and very little else. As a bartender, for years we would have the same lonely bottle of cachaça sitting on the shelf for months, and when a patron would ask “what do you use that for?”  I would pull it down and mix up a Caipirinha, explaining its fame (the national alcoholic drink of Brazil) and that cachaça is a cousin of rum, made from sugar cane instead of molasses.

Most cachaça has a smoky, gasoline-like quality that would be considered charming to some in a caipirinha, but one would be hard pressed to find another drink where the spirit would add anything that a good rum couldn’t do better. For the life of me I didn’t have another recipe to offer anyone interested in the Brazilian rum cousin.

Enter Novo Fogo, a line of USDA certified organic, cachaça from Morretes, Brazil, now available stateside to thirsty American imbibers. Distilled in gorgeous setting on the edge of an idyllic rainforest in a zero waste distillery, and bottled in handmade bottles made of recycled glass, it has already put itself in a different class than most of its cohorts.

LUPEC Seattle (Ladies United in the Preservation of the Endangered Cocktail) teamed up with Novo Fogo for our December meeting, making this tasting possible. We got a chance to catch up with Dragos Axinte, one of the owners of the brand (the other is his lovely wife Emily), to learn why Novo Fogo is a cachaça of another breed.
Tasting Notes
Dragos started with explaining why indeed most cachaça tastes of gasoline. “Sugar cane often grows on the side of the highway,” he says. It is a product of its environment, and just like the sea air affects the flavor of an Islay Scotch, “the pollution permeates the sugar cane and leaves flavor behind.” Most sugar cane used for cachaça is harvested by burning the field, which also leaves a mark on the cane, explaining the intensely smoky qualities. “Throw a little engine oil flavor into the mix, brought forward by the tractors and machinery that pick up and process the cane, and you have the makings of a typical industrial cachaça.”

Novo Fogo has two types: Silver and Aged. We were lucky enough to try both, and here is how they tasted:

First of all, both were very smooth. Part of this, Dragos explains, is because Novo Fogo cuts instead of burns when they harvest the cane. Also missing? That gasoline flavor we were talking about earlier. The distillery is at the edge of the Floresta Atlântica rainforest (the other Brazilian rainforest, it seems), there is only one road in, and it is nowhere near the fields of cane.

The Silver ($28) is as you would expect, clear. It’s ‘rested’ for a year in stainless steel, so It is floral on the nose, with hints of banana and lime. It doesn’t linger on your palate, with a citrusy and slightly salty taste, caused by the sea breeze that moves up the mountain from the coast. It is, by far, the most pleasant of any cachaça we have ever tried, and while we didn’t try it in a caipirinha, we imagine it to be a lovely experience indeed.

The Aged ($35) is er, aged, in re-purposed bourbon casks for two years. Re-purposed is different than 'used' because it is pressure washed, sanded, and re-toasted. Because of that it has characteristics of a scotch or aged tequila, and yet its profile remains distinct in that it is more fruity and floral than either. As with scotch, the nose is saturated with vanilla and hints of toffee, and the dominating flavor we tasted was banana bread.
Recipes
Our tasting was held at Chantanee in Bellevue, and therefore we had the mixology skills of Evan Martin at our disposal. What lucky girls we were! He served up 3 delicious cocktails for our meeting: the Negroni Doce (a twist on a classic Negoni), Brazilian Grog (a twist on a rum punch), and a Quentao (perfect for the holidays!).

Happy mixing!

Negroni Doce


1 oz. Novo Fogo Silver
1 oz. Aperol
1 oz. Rose Vermouth
2 dashes Bittermen's Grapefruit bitters

Stir all ingredients over ice, strain into coupe glass. Garnish with grapefruit zest.

Brazilian Grog

2 oz. Novo Fogo Gold
0.66 oz. Grog Mix (equal parts Allspice Dram, Cointreau, and Honey Syrup)
0.5 oz lime
1 oz Orange
3 dashes coffee tincture

Shake briefly, strain over crushed ice in old fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

(This one was by far our favorite! Talk about a delicious dram...)

Quentao (hot Brazilian punch)


1.5 oz. Novo Fogo Gold
0.5 oz. Ginger Syrup
6 oz. Mulled Cider (hot)
cinnamon stick garnish

Stir together gently. Serve in glassware that won't burn your fingers!

Cheers! Or as they say in Brazil, Saude!

______

For more information on LUPEC Seattle: www.lupecseattle.blogspot.com/

For more information about Novo Fogo: www.novofogo.com

And finally, for more information about Chantanee, Bellevue: www.chantanee.com


Thanks again to Jackie for letting me republish this and thanks to all of you for supporting LUPEC Seattle. If you have a favorite meeting memory over the last year feel free to post it in the comments section. Additionally if there is a place or a subject you’d like to see in 2011 put that in there too.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!

Monday, December 13, 2010

November Meeting- Sauced!

I see that I never commented on November's outing, apologies! Us ladies went out on the town and attended "Sauced" a "cocktail theater" show of sorts. Chef Nordo teamed with Murray Stenson of Zig Zag to provide interesting cocktails and nibbles during this tale of love, intrigue and libations.

The first drink served was called The Slippage.  Blanquette de Limoux sparkling wine and St. Germaine. Next up came The Secret Kiss AKA The AlaskaYellow Chartreuse and Pacifique Distillery Gin from Woodinville. 3rd in line was A Box of Nails AKA The Crumb Bum: Evan Williams Bourbon, Triple Sec and dashes of Angostura. Stirred, never shaken. For dessert there was a sweet chocolaty concoction called Nordo's Ephemera.
It was a fun evening and a chance to see a little theater which held our beloved booze in the spotlight!

(Thank you Tracey Meeker for the photo!)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

10 Q's for a LUPEC Lady- Sonja Groset

1) what is your name, your LUPEC cocktail name & why did you pick that?
 
Vesper, because it sounds like either a fast Italian sports car or the name of a stripper. Plus, it was my gateway drink to Gin and it's delicious. Further proof that Lillet makes everything taste amazing.

2) what is your profession?
 
Web Producer to pay the bills; Food Writer to subsidize my passion for cooking and eating. I just started writing reviews of cookbooks and cocktail books for the Seattle Weekly online at http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/voracious/cooking_the_books/

3) What was your favorite cocktail before you new any better?
 
Rum and Coke: "Teaching teens to drink for decades."

4) What's the worst cocktail ever and where did you drink it?
 
The worst cocktails I've had are the ones I've made myself at home. I'm not great at improvisational cocktail making. For me, it's like baking - all about precision. Maybe someday I can riff a great cocktail...but I have many more years of training. It'll be hard work, I know. 

5) If you could ban 1 drink what would it be?
 
Anything in a souvenir glass.

6) If you could have a drink with anyone, living/dead, who would it be and why?
 
For me, the best drinking partners are ones that are hilarious, energetic and chatty. For those reasons, Amy Sedaris would be my drinking partner of choice. Plus, she's a great writer, baker and craftaholic. She has a book called "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence." That's my kind of gal!

7) What are your favorite non cocktail activities/hobbies/interests?
 
Cooking, baking and snowboarding. I'm obsessed with my three cats - and all animals to be honest. My husband and I are in the process of remodeling our Mid-Century Modern home, so MCM design and anything DIY. Also travel, beer and wine. Especially wine tasting while traveling, while drinking beer. I have a food blog at satisfythecraving.com where I generally write about it all. 

8) How did you first hear about LUPEC?
 
Twitter - where I seem to hear about all great things these days.

9) What is your go to drink or spirit?
 
Manhattan. Anything with Bourbon really. Or just Bourbon, neat.

10) What is your favorite cocktail bar and/or bartender right now?
 
We visited the Jimgerman Bar in Waitsburg (near Walla Walla) and can't stop talking about it. We had some great cocktails. Jim uses lots of fresh juices and herbs in his drinks. He made a Gin convert out of my husband which I had not yet been able to do (see question #4). Plus Waitsburg is an adorable town and is a great side trip from Walla Walla.
 
Do be sure to check out Sonja's blogs if you haven't already.  She is a great writer, dedicated drinker and a hell of a good time to be around! Thanks for being in our spotlight Ms. Vesper!

Monday, October 18, 2010

October Meeting- Mulleady's

October is the 1 year birthday of LUPEC Seattle! Our first meeting was at Naga Lounge in Bellevue, there were about 12 of us and Andrew Bohrer was our bartender.

How things have changed! Andrew is now at MistralKitchen, we've had 10 monthly meetings, 1 homework assignment, 1 class, 1 national meet up and there are generally 30-35 members participating regularly. Good job ladies! It's been a fun year and especially great to get to know you all better.


We celebrated our birthday with the exceptionally nice folks at Mulleady's. They went all out creating a menu of cocktails that had elements of orange (a traditional 1st anniversary food) like theZelda Gatsby (Ransom Gin, Gewurtztraminer syrup, orange bitters and a touch of fire) and the Orange Marmalade Sour (Cachca, Lemon, Lime, Sugar, Egg White & Marmalade) - even sending each of us home with a little jar of marmalade!


Complimentary snacks (you sure look nice!) were also served. Peat smoked nuts, martini marinated olives, savory pumpkin beignets, arancini with blue cheese and almond orange olive oil cake. The bar really went out of their way to make us feel welcome and I'd say it worked.
 
Mulleady's is a very cozy space complete with fireplace. Craft cocktails served in nice glassware and an extremely friendly staff. Big thanks to them for hosting and making us feel so welcome. Special shout out to Travis who made it all happen!

If you didn't get a chance to join us be sure to visit Magnolia & Mulleady's!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

10 Q's for a LUPEC Lady- Cameo McRoberts

I know we haven't had a "10 Q's" lately & I apologize- the summer totally got away from me!

1) What is your LUPEC cocktail name & why did you pick that?

My cocktail name- I waffled back and forth between apple pucker shot and this one, finally I decided to go with Alaska Cocktail.  Giving props to my heritage.

2 dashes orange bitters
1 1/2 oz gin
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse®
1 twist lemon peel
ice

2) what is your profession?
chef, and other stuff

3) What was your favorite cocktail before you new any better?
whiskey and ginger 'whiskey press'

4) What's the worst cocktail you ever had and where did you drink it? 
I had a Death in the Afternoon made with 'home made' absinthe.. it was awful, but what made it the worst was I was then chastised for not appreciating absinthe! I won't say where because I am not a spitful person. 

5) If you could ban 1 drink what would it be?
red bull and anything!!!!

6) If you could have a drink with anyone, living/dead, who would it be and why?
Going the I miss them and would just love to see them route: My Grandpa and Grandma collectively
and the famous route : Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Janis Joplin, Neil Young, the cast of 'how I met your mother'... Tina Fey.... Tim Robbins (though I hear he's a jerk) Anthony Bourdain

7) What are your favorite non cocktail activities/hobbies/interests?
I sing and play guitar. I also am big on crafty stuff... you know I like to glue stuff to other stuff

8) How did you first hear about LUPEC?
Erin Williams from Cointreau told me about it at Tales, and I vaguely recall being there when the first meeting was being planned but I couldn't make it. I love that it has caught on and continues to provide a night out a month to put on something a little fancy, hang out with such a diverse set of killer ladies and support the ever amazing talent in this town.  and the rest is HERstory...

9) What is your go to drink or spirit?
Depending on mood and climate it was bourbon but I am becoming more of a Rye girl and I love me a Negroni almost all the time.

10) What is your favorite cocktail bar and/or bartender right now?
I love Sambar cause it is in walking distance from my house and I think Eric at Moshi Moshi is a rock-star, but I am just constantly in awe of the whole community and am grateful that the list of great bars is so long and so diverse and that often I am not only getting a great cocktail but it's being made by a friend. Bonus

Thank you Cameo, great answers you crafty drinker! If you haven't had a chance to meet Cameo be sure to introduce yourself to her at the next LUPEC meeting.

Monday, September 13, 2010

pür Spirits, MistralKitchen & LUPEC

It was another great meeting in September, this time with Kiki Braverman and her line of pür Spirits taking center stage at MistralKitchen. Kiki's company distills interesting liqueurs and vodkas in Germany. The business is in the process of moving from Seattle to San Francisco so it was a great opportunity for the ladies to hear all about it before she left.

MistralKitchen's bar manager Andrew Bohrer came up with 5 specialty cocktails each using the pür Spirits products.

-Roman Holiday: pür Blood Orange, Earl Grey tea, orange juice, Cabernet, Tuaca

-Pear Caipirinha: pür Pear Liqueur, muddled lime and Cachaca

-Stonewall Cocktail: pür Beirbrand, pür Elderflower Liqueur, dash of biters (in the style of a Manhatten)

-Sloe Collins: pür Sloe Vodka, lemon, Cassis & soda

-Framboise Sour: pür Framboise Vodka, lemon, sugar, egg white and Absinthe

Andrew, Amber and the team did a fantastic job keeping up with the drink orders and even resorting to alternative glassware when the dishwasher wasn't as fast as they needed. And the space at MistralKitchen was great! One private room with lots of cubes to sit on and another semi private space perfect for mingling and chatting. I kept noticing patrons of the restaurant looking at our group, wondering why we were having such a good time & they weren't invited (especially the men! ha!)

Chef and owner William Belickis and his kitchen sent out amazing pork belly sliders, cheese plates and pizzas. Pastry Chef Neil Robertson sent out delicious chocolate brownie bites right at the end of the evening.

Big thanks to everyone who made the night so much fun! And all the best to Kiki in her new home of San Francisco!

MistralKitchen
2020 Westlake Ave  
Seattle Wa 98121
206-623-1922
http://mistral-kitchen.com

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Rum, Rhum, Ron!

    
 

August 16th was National Rum Day but us LUPEC ladies, having little patience, celebrated all things rum on Saturday Aug. 7th with a class given by LUPEC member, Eastcoast transplant and all around kick ass bartender Marley Tomic Beard.

   
  


This was LUPEC Seattle's first ticketed event and it was a big success (I hope those of you who attended would agree). Held at Spur and limited to just 30 seats the event was a sell out. Chef and owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough set out nice platters of nibbles to help soak up the booze. Marley and Michael, her assistant for the day, set out lots and lots of glasses. Notes on the discussion were passed around and we were ready for our education to begin!

   
 


Class started with an overview of the various types of rums, how they are made and what their characteristics are. We sampled Bacardi Light, Mont Gay, Bacardi 8, Meyers, Aniversario, Zaya, El Dorado 15, Sailor Jerry, Lemonhart and Matusalem. Many of the ladies had not had a chance to taste a lot of these so there was lots of discussion and even some voting of favorites!

   
   


And there were cocktails! After the overview Marley discussed tiki drinks with us. We were treated to a Planter's Punch, dueling Mai Tai's using Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber's recipes (Trader Vic's winning that if I remember correctly) and a Zombie.

   
  
 
A big shout out of thanks to Anne Magoon who couldn't attend but helped to make this happen! Marley for all the amazing work you did on the class, the notes and the recipes! Michael for dealing with all of the estrogen in the room and working your ass off! Dana & Brian for having us in during your normal time off! And of course to all you ladies who made the event fun and successful! THANKS!

   
  


If you attended the class I'd love to hear your thoughts and also your ideas on additional classes you'd like to see offered. Feel free to write in the comment section or send me a note directly on Facebook.

All awesome photos are courtesy of LUPEC lady Valentina Vitols. If you haven't had a chance to meet her be sure to do so at our next event and be sure to check out her work here ->   http://valentinavitols.com/

Monday, August 2, 2010

July Meeting- Copper Gate

I think I speak for all of us when I say July's meeting was one of our most fun to date. Thanks to Jon and his kind offer from the Copper Gate in Ballard who invited us to have our meeting in the very private "Pussy Room". It was a full house with about 35 ladies joining in on the fun. The Copper Gate staff plied us with aquavit cocktails like the Stor Agurk (The Big Cucumber) and delicious appetizers throughout the evening.

Jon took a few minutes to tell us all the history of the bar as well as some of the interesting entertainment they have in the private room on week days. Can you say trapeze?



And everyone got to see all the old porn photos that decorate every wall. Some of us even saw the "good stuff" in the boys room! Such trouble makers we are!


Again many thanks to Jon, Joann and the crew for making our July meeting a hell of a good time! If you weren't able to join us I encourage you to get to Copper Gate and if you did and you liked it I encourage you to put it in your regular rotation! Skoal!

Copper Gate
6301 24th Avenue Nw
(between 63rd St & 64th St)
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 706-3292

Monday, July 19, 2010

LUPEC Member Cameo Roberts in the Press

In case you missed it one of our members was just featured in Seattlemet.com. Check out the great article on Cameo Roberts here:

http://www.seattlemet.com/blogs/sauced/five-questions-bartender-cameo-mcroberts-070710/

Thursday, July 15, 2010

10 Q's For a LUPEC Lady- Jennifer Burch

1) what is your your LUPEC cocktail name & why did you pick that?

The Liberal, because the main ingredient is bourbon which is my favorite spirit and the name describes me politically.  It was also the first drink Murray made for me at ZigZag.

2) what is your profession?
Software Developer.

3) What was your favorite cocktail before you new any better?
I remember going through a brief Amaretto Sour phase, fortunately that didn’t last long because they never tasted like they contained actual booze.

4) What's the worst cocktail ever and where did you drink it?
Not exactly a cocktail but we were up skiing once with friends and one of them had this Romanian moonshine in a flask.  It was horrible, but I kept drinking it.

5) If you could ban 1 drink what would it be?
I can only ban 1?  Mixing coke with really good bourbon gives me pause.  I have no problems with bourbon and coke, just don’t use your top shelf stuff.

6) If you could have a drink with anyone, living/dead, who would it be and why?
I’d love to have a drink with Julia Child.  She changed everything.  I’d wager she could put it away too.

7) What are your favorite non cocktail activities/hobbies/interests?
Cooking, gardening, cycling, poker, pottery.  There are some backpacking trips in my near future.

8) How did you first hear about LUPEC?
Through Wendy Miller of course!

9) What is your go to drink or spirit?
Despite bourbon being my first true love, I can always drink a Martini.  Hendrix gin, with a healthy dose of vermouth. 

10) What is your favorite cocktail bar and/or bartender right now?
Does the sports book at the Mirage Las Vegas count?  I really like the crew at Naga bar.

If you haven't met Jen yet be sure to seek her out at the next LUPEC meeting, she's sure to be there as she has only missed one! I did take a really funny picture of Jen in the bathroom at Copper Gate to use for this post but she didn't have a drink in her hand and we have reputations to uphold! Jen thanks for taking the time to answer these hard hitting questions. cheers!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

June Meeting- Sambar

Seattle has so many great cocktail bars as the ladies of LUPEC are finding out. Many of them are small, intimate places best enjoyed with a few friends- Sambar is such a place. Situated next to Le Gourmand, the fantastic French restaurant owned by chefs Bruce and Sara Naftaly, Sambar seats just a handful inside and if the weather is nice another handful outside in their charming garden.

June's meeting was a homework assignment to check out Sambar and report back. Here's what you said!

Cameo McRobertsI had the pleasure of going to Sambar twice this month. The Lucky Luke is the only drink I have had on the new menu, it's so good I can't bring myself to order anything else! luckily I have friends who like to share sips. Last week I had the pleasure of snacking on tons of delicious frites with @lindsey Johnson @heather Jones @Kathy Casey. (Wendy: edited to remove BOYS names! LOL!!!)

Erin Boudreau: So Daynah Burnett and I went to Sambar for the June "homework" meeting. I was supposed to give you notes. But I can't for the life of me remember what the hell went down. See you Wednesday! (W: I'm assuming Erin & Daynah had a great time based on these detailed notes!)

Kiki Braverman of pür spirits: Michael at Sambar made us great pür drinks on Thursday. We went back for more last night!



on the right: pear+ vermouth on the left: framboise+ gin...and secret ingredients. (W: thanks for this great picture Kiki!)


Lorraine Goldberg: My cocktails: Celestine-  Cachaa, Aquavit, Rhubarb, Lime and some candied fennel.- On the lighter side, a bit sweet but not too fruity. A refreshing complexity of flavors, this is a drink I could certainly drink several on a warm summer evening.

Arabesque- Anejo rum, east india sherry, Seville orange and sage.- Absolutely loved this drink- beautiful rum flavor, the sherry added a nice sweetness combined with the Seville orange.

Both cocktails were well crafted, each highlighting specific flavors in the drink.  SamBar is one of my favorite bars in the Seattle area. Small space, with one of the best outdoor spaces in the city. I love the modern look of the space.
Tucked away in the Ballard neighborhood, it reminds me of what an old fashion speakeasy would be like. Stylish and masterful mixology, you really can’t go wrong with any of the cocktails on the menu. Oh and the French fries are amazing!

Anne Magoon: Fond memories with you and Anu. I believe I told Michael that if his Van der Valk Cocktail was a man I would throw him on the bar and do him!! So balanced and delish. Perfect for clean cocktail for summer. (W: great time with you and Anu also!! I think we kept Michael on his toes)
Wendy Miller: My drinks that evening were the Lucky Luke which I loved with it's balance of Old Tom Gin, Amaro Nonino, Sassafras & Sarsaparilla and the Gitane du Nord, I'm a big fan of the aquavit! 

 
Eden Rain: We stopped in at Sambar last night & while I may have failed in that none of my drinks were “endangered” they were of course excellent.
I started with the Corcovada which is comprised of cachaca, spiced coconut water, lime & orange peel.  Just lovely and very light handed for something that sounds very tiki inspired.
Next I let Jay “make me something” which turned out to be a schizandra berry daiquiri.  Fruity and peppery and girly pink!
Last up was the Pincoya: Pisco, lavender, red velvet apricot and lemon.  This was a perfectly balanced cocktail -  all the ingredients blended to create a new flavor rather than it tasting of any individual ingredient. 
As always Jay rocked it, and of course the frites & croque monsieur to soak up the alcohol were a tasty addition. (W: thanks Eden, great notes!)

Jennifer Burch: Lucky Luke (old tom gin, amaro Nonio, sassafras, sarsaparilla, lemon) - it was OK
Gitane du Norde ( Aquavit, melon, sherry, mint) - this drink I liked a LOT but the aquavit was really subtle. If I hadn't seen the ingredients, I might not have guessed aquavit was in there.
Old Fashioned - this was one of the best old fashioned I have ever had. Thoroughly enjoyed it. BUT it was also my third drink, so, grain of salt.
Toronto - Elisabeth got a Toronto and I think he entirely omitted the simple syrup which is surprising because Jay's drinks seem to run to the sweet side.
Also of mention, Nicole ordered the Basil Julep which I will be attempting to replicate at home.
Food wise we had pommes frites and the cheese plate. I would have picked up that cheese plate and licked the cheese residue if I had been at home. Yum!
Another bonus, weather was decent and we got to sit out in the courtyard, lovely. (edited by W for content and BOYS! :p)

Courtney Randall & Tracy Meeker: For our first round I had the Baie des Anges and Tracy had the Lantana. The Baie des Anges is made with reposado sotol (Hacienda de Chihuahua), fino sherry, angelica syrup, and yellow chartreuse, and it is served over ice with a beautiful garnish of lemon peel surrounding a sprig of angelica leaves. The most rich agave sweetness of the sotol was tempered with the dry nuttiness of the sherry, and the herbal notes of the angelica and chartreuse came through more on the swallow. The Lantana was made of rhum agricole, eucalyptus syrup, sour cherry (puree, I think) and Averna. A tiny eucalyptus leaf dotted the top of this reddish drink. You could smell the combination of the eucalyptus and the grassy agricole before each taste. The cocktail was perfectly balanced between the sweet/funky flavors of the agricole and the dry/tartness the sour cherry. These two flavors carried the drink along, though each sip ended with the menthol flavors of the eucalyptus and the herbalness of the amaro. 

To accompany our drinks we chose the frites, and they were very tasty.
For our second round, I had the Van der Valk and Tracy chose the Recoleta. The Van der Valk combines genever gin (Boomsma, I later found out), apricot eau de vie, blanco vermouth, and peach bitters. The garnish was a slice of apricot sitting in the clear liquid. The aroma was full of peaches and apricots, which almost overwhelmed the malty genever notes. To me this is what told me that the drink contained Boomsma genever, instead of the Bols, which has a much stronger scent and flavor profile. The genever was ever-present, but in a subtle manner. Some sips seemed dry and fruity, with the apricot and peach bitters. Others sips were a bit sweeter and maltier, ending with an herbal taste. The drink was simply wonderful.
Tracy was bold in her decision as the Recoleta's base spirit is Fernet Branca. The other ingredients are maté honey, grapefruit juice, grapefruit bitters, and a champagne top. The aroma is full of Fernet, which is understandable. The taste was surprising as the herbal bitter superpower was balanced by the combination of citrus and honey. A hint of grapefruit dotted each sip, but its presence was so important to create the complex flavors. The champagne kept everything sparkly, light and dry. We both agreed that this was an astoundingly good cocktail.


We also had dinner at Sambar. I had the broccoli soufflé with a lemon-thyme béchamel. Tracy had the homemade linguini tossed with morels and snow peas, and topped with a poached egg. There may have been more elements in the linguini dish but I can't remember them. Sorry. Both dishes were wonderful and expertly done.
After dinner, we were given a little cocktail that the Jay Kuehner made on the fly. It seems that my note-taking caught his attention and he referred to this after-dinner cocktail as our quiz. It has no name but was made of mezcal with some strawberry puree, a splash of Campari, a dash of syrup, and a dash of salt. The garnish was a tiny ripe strawberry. The mezcal was the del Maguey Minero, and it was so smoky it reminded me of some of the smokier Islay scotches. The dryness of the Campari kept the strawberry in check and the salt made the entire drink sing. (W- Welcome ladies, great to have you in the group!)


Looks like the Lucky Luke and the Van Der Valk were the popular drinks last month. Thanks to all of you for checking out Sambar and taking such detailed notes (ah hem Erin! LOL!) and photos and getting them back to me. Thanks to Michael and Jay for being such great hosts! Discussing cocktails and ingredients while (re)introducing  ladies to great drinks and bars around Seattle is exactly what I'd like our chapter to continue to be about. Bravo!!

Sambar:
425 N.W. Market Street | Seattle, WA 98107 | 206.781.4883
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - 5:30 p.m. to Midnight
Friday Saturday - 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

10 Q's For a LUPEC Lady- Anu Apte

LUPEC Seattle- What is your name, your LUPEC cocktail name & why did you pick that?
Anu Apte- My LUPEC name is 20th Century.  I chose this name for many reasons, here are two: The ingredients are unique and so different, but once mixed they balance each other out in such a lovely manner and obviously I was born in the 20th century.
LS- What is your profession? 
AA- I am a bartender/owner at Rob Roy.  
LS- What was your favorite cocktail before you knew any better?
AA- I turned 21 in the early 2000's so of course I was all about Cosmo's, Lemon drops, and Kamikazes.  Apparently, I was really into citrus.  
LS-  What's the worst cocktail you ever drank and where did you drink it?
AA- A lady never tells.
LS-  If you could ban 1 drink what would it be?
AA- None.  I think people should be able to drink what they want even if I don't like it or like making it.
LS- If you could have a drink with anyone, living/dead, who would it be and why?
AA- Gandhi, because after one drink he would be wasted!  It would be fun to hang out with drunk Gandhi and pick his brain.
LS- What are your favorite non cocktail activities/hobbies/interests?
AA- I'm really looking forward to pulling my long board out of storage for the summer.  I just got into yoga in a major way.
LS-  How did you first hear about LUPEC? 
AA- I first heard about LUPEC while searching blogs online then I met some wonderful LUPEC ladies in New Orleans 2009 and fell in love with the idea of Seattle having one.
LS- What is your go to drink or spirit?
AA- Don't really have a go to.  Is that weird?  I guess since I bartender and literally have hundreds of bottles to choose from it is easy for me to switch it up on a nightly basis.
LS- What is your favorite cocktail bar and/or bartender right now? 
AA- Rob Roy, of course!  I'm biased obviously, but I love the vibe, the guests, the music, the location, and of course the wonderful staff.
Zane, Philip, and Bryn really know how to create phenomenal cocktails, and fast too!


As Anu mentioned you can find her at Rob Roy in Belltown. We had a fantastic meeting there in March and if you haven't been you really should go! Additionally Anu has been written up for her cocktail creations on other sites-  Seattle Met, -Metblogs, - SFGate 
Bonus points for wanting to get Gandhi drunk!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

May Meeting - Teardrop Lounge, Portland Oregon

You want to know how awesome the Seattle chapter of LUPEC is? We are so awesome that we spread our drinking dollars all the way down to our smaller but possibly more charming neighbor to the south, Portland!

13 of us met at the Teardrop Lounge last Saturday night for a hell of a good time and some crazy awesome cocktails! Bartenders Ricky and Brian were working off the new menu which features 10 House Cocktails, 10 Classics and 10 'Friends' Cocktails (from bartenders around the states). For those of you light on the maths skills that is a menu with 30 freaking cocktails on it, all with about 4 ingredients each. Serious kudos Teardrop! SERIOUS!!!

 
No slouches themselves, Mary and Émilee took care of us like the pros that they are. Keeping track of everyone's orders for "Bidú Cocktails", "Thief in the Nights", "Apple of Discords" and the like.  And what about the 2 rounds of "Dementia Pugilistica Punch" and all the pretty punch cups? (Thanks to Jamie Boudreau for the 2nd one!)  And don't even get me started on that Piña Colada! I'm spoiled forever now!



Another awesome shout out for Portland gal Allison who came by and showed us her handcrafted Lewis Bags. I can't wait to order one!!

After our "official meeting" some of us headed to Thatch where Trader Tiki himself was working. Unfortunately I don't think Blair realized how many of us might be stopping by and was possibly a little overwhelmed by our Team Seattle Awesomeness. There was something flaming sent out and a little mix it yourself cocktail passed around in pitchers. I didn't catch the names of either but no worries.

Thank you to both the ladies who made the trek from Seattle (Lauren, Eden, Rachel, Jen, Elisabeth, Elise, Stevi, Marcie, Gisla, Erin) and also the great women from Portland who joined us (Karie, Michelle, Allison, Mary and Émilee)! I hope you'll get that PDX LUPEC thing in full swing!

What was your favorite cocktail of the night? I think I have to go with the Piña Colada, I mean I've had them a million times but that one is off the charts!

I'll have the rest of the pictures posted on the Facebook Event page soon, you should do the same!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Rails & Cocktails

I rolled into Portland last night on the 5:30 pm train with Dayne, fellow LUPEC lady Lauren & her hubby Paul. I've taken trains all over Europe but this was my first Amtrak ride to Portland & it was fun, fun, fun!

Granted I had packed a picnic of sorts with baguette, olives, 2 kinds of cheeses & some salami. Paul had brought along a Tupperware of pre-batched martinis, ice, shaker, cocktail glasses & lemon twists. There was enough for 3 1/2 rounds! Let me just say that martinis make the time pass quickly.

So although your not technically allowed to bring booze onboard in the coach section we kept it on the down low and no one said boo. Now if we had started hand carving ice balls a la Rob Roy it may have not gone as well :)

Looking forward to tonights meet up, some of the Portland LUPEC girls are joining us also!

Cheers!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, May 21, 2010

Taking This Show on the Road!

Just to mix things up a bit (pun intended) this month the LUPEC ladies are headed down to Portland, Oregon and the well know, well loved Teardrop Lounge. Owners Daniel Shoemaker and Ted Charak opened their bar about 3 years ago and have been impressing customers ever since. Fanatical about quality products you'll find syrups, bitters, tonic, infusions and the like all made in house. They have an impressive cocktail menu of interesting original drinks as well as the classics.



Our meeting (just like the date and the location) will be a bit different this time in that it will start at 8:00pm on Saturday May 29 and we will have a reserved section until 9:30pm. Very nice of Teardrop to host us on a busy Saturday night! Cocktails range in price from $9-$12 and the bar offers some very nice food also. As in the past please RSVP if you are planning on attending so we can give the guys a head count and bring cash for easier settling of tabs.

Additionally Blair Reynolds aka Trader Tiki will be behind the stick at Thatch that same night. Blair has told me that there may or may not be pineapples and awesome tiki drinks awaiting if anyone chooses to head over after our meeting! Guaranteed you'll find me with a tiki drink in hand sometime after 10pm. If you haven't met Blair or had a tiki drink crafted by him you are missing out!

And now that we are talking about Portland, aren't we lucky to live so close to another great food and drink city? I'm sure we'll get around and get to trying other places as well. I'd love for you all to report back after our meeting on other places you sussed out quality cocktails (or were expecting to but were disappointed). So where else are you planning to go? Clyde Common? Beaker and Flask? Others?

See you next Saturday night!! Cheers!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

10 Q's for a LUPEC Lady- Stevi Deter

CORRECTION!! Please see below for the real answer to Stevi's first question. What can I say? I had been imbibing during this interview ;)

This month's installment of 10 questions goes to Stevi:

1) what is your name, your LUPEC cocktail name & why did you pick that?

Stevi Deter, Mayflower. The Mayflower is very tasty & effervescent. Not like me at all :)

( Mayflower Cocktail
   2 dashes.  orange bitters
   1 1/2 oz.  sweet vermouth
   1/2 oz.  brandy
   1/2 oz.  dry vermouth
   1 tsp.  Cointreau orange liqueur
   1 tsp.  Pernod licorice liqueur

Procedure/Directions:
   Pour the vermouth, brandy, Pernod, Cointreau and bitters into a mixing glass half-filled with ice cubes. Stir well, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.)

The real answer is the May Blossom (which makes much more sense considering the effervescence that was mentioned) And the May Blossom Fizz is indeed on Stevi's blog. But the Mayflower still sounds good too!

http://www.twoatthemost.com/may-blossom-fizz/ 

Sorry about that Stevi! 

2) what is your profession?

I write code

3) What was your favorite cocktail before you new any better?

Midori Sour 

4) What's the worst cocktail ever and where did you drink it?
A Gin & Tonic which was undrinkable. The bar gave me a glass of gin with just enough tonic to make it glow in their black-light

5) If you could ban 1 drink what would it be?
Vodka Soda. It says "I just want to get drunk", it doesn't taste like anything!

6) If you could have a drink with anyone, living/dead, who would it be and why?
Vladimir Nabokov (Lolita) because he is someone who oozes intelligence.

7) What are your favorite non cocktail activities/hobbies/interests?
I ride Peruvian horses, blog about spirits and cocktails and read a lot of foreign literature

8) How did you first hear about LUPEC?
I started following the LUPEC Boston blog about 2 years ago.

9) What is your go to drink or spirit?
Gin & Tonic. Voyager gin at home, Beefeater out.

10) What is your favorite cocktail bar and/or bartender right now?
Andrew Bohrer at Mistral Kitchen


Be sure to check out Stevi's blog (which strangely doesn't have the Mayflower in it!)  You can also follow her on Twitter @smd

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Danielle Fague on BarSmarts

 LUPEC Seattle member Danielle Fague is participating in the BarSmarts program. I asked her if she would send me a short write up about it for our blog and she was nice enough to do just that. Read on!

                                                                             


Bar Smarts part 1


A couple months ago I was at one of the bars I love to frequent Liberty.  Andrew Friedman the owner and a buddy of mine was there and had these cards for an event called Bar Smarts.  Looked pretty cool.  A class dedicated to the art of bartending and classic cocktails.  Sounded like fun but I figured this is an event folks in the industry, not for me. 
Andrew said no way that I should totally sign up so I did.  I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Bar Smarts kit last month and one day when the UPS man buzzed my unit I knew that’s what it was.  When I got home that night I was like a little kid on Christmas.  I couldn’t wait to open it up and see what was inside.  It had lots of great stuff:  A whole basic bar kit including a muddler, a nice backpack and our training DVDs and book. 
I went and found a highlighter and started reading!  Unfortunately it was around 1:30 and probably past my bed time so low and behold after a few pages of reading and highlighting I fell asleep with my highlighter in hand and glasses still on.  Woke up to a beautiful yellow spot on my duvet cover L
Since then I’ve been reading my workbook and making note cards for the classic cocktails we need to know.  Seeing as how I know very little about bartending and classic drinks I have some catching up to do.  Part of the Bar Smarts final test is making some of these drinks for the Bar Smart Folks!
Last weekend I completed 2 of the 4 sections and took and passed my quizzes.  Everything I’m learning is really neat.  Like the advantages of using a continuous still as opposed to a pot still.  Or that Mezcal is much smokier than Tequila because the Agave (which is not the same type used in Tequila) is baked in pits in the ground often times for several weeks giving it its very smoky flavor.  I’ve learned that Rhum (the French way of spelling it) is made with cane sugar while Rum is made from molasses and that Calvados has both apples and pear in it. 
So far I’ve enjoyed all the learning I’ve done and am excited to finish the final two modules and practice making some drinks!
                                                                           - Danielle


Thanks Danielle for sharing your experience with us and good luck on your exam later this month! Who else is taking the BarSmarts exam?

Find out more about BarSmarts here

Friday, April 9, 2010

April Meeting- Zig Zag

This month our destination was the Zig Zag Cafe, known by cocktail geeks around the world and one of my favorite places. I'd go as far to say that it was this Seattle bar that put classic cocktails on the local map.

But before heading to Zig Zag Union Restaurant tweeted that they would be offering happy hour specials to LUPEC members so off I went with a few others to have a little pre drinking nosh. Chef and owner Ethan Stowell brought out plates of salami, carpaccio, frisee salads (one with a poached duck egg and one with a poached goose egg!), and house made pastas for us all to share. It was delicious! Thank you!!
(follow them on Twitter- @ESRseattle)

 Ladies enjoying libations

Off to Zig Zag where Jakob and Kacy had reserved 5 big booths, Liz made sure everyone got their order in and Ben mixed and mixed and mixed for about 30 of us.
 Ben taking a much needed break & chatting with us.

And if you happened to stop by the bar on your way out you saw Murray Stenson, arguably one of the world's best bartenders.

It was a great time and I can't say thank you enough to all the folks there!

What was your favorite cocktail that you had at Zig Zag? I loved my Champs Elysees

Monday, April 5, 2010

10 Q's for a LUPEC Lady- Wendy Miller

Thanks to all of you who gave me suggestions for our 10 Q "series", I've compiled and edited the questions and will start randomly picking a member so that we can all get to know each other better.

For the first installment I'll turn the questions to myself.


1) what is your name, your LUPEC cocktail name & why did you pick that?
     Wendy Miller, Last Word. I picked it because it's one of my favorite drinks and most people who  know me know I am a talker and generally get in the last word! :)


2) what is your profession?
Normally I am a sales executive, that has ranged from technical/internet sales to corporate events and marketing but currently I'm unemployed (feel free to send me any job leads!)

3) what was your favorite cocktail before you new any better?
I've had so many- Cape Cod with Roses, Grape Kneehigh, Green Apple Martini! But the last one before my real cocktail education was a Grey Goose dirty martini (I know, I know!)

4) what's the worst cocktail ever and where did you drink it?
ugh! Czech absinthe rinsed in a glass, lit on fire and the glass then turned upside down with a straw sticking out of it that you sucked the absinthe smoke out of, then they turned it into some kind of crazy blue drink. In St. Petersburg Russia. I don't want to think about it anymore!

5) if you could ban 1 drink what would it be?
Chocolate martinis. 1) either you are messing with good chocolate or your using crap liquor 2) it's not a freakin martini just cuz it's in that glass 3) it's disgusting!

6) If you could have a drink with anyone, living/dead, who would it be and why?
These questions are always tough for me but I'd probably pick Ernest Hemingway because he really loved his cocktails, loved to travel and seemed to live a very interesting life!

7) what are your favorite non cocktail activities/hobbies/interests?
travel, travel, travel- my husband Dayne and I fly away as often as possible! We write about it on our blog- Luggage Tag. I also collect wine, am active with WA Wine Council, love to cook and have dinner parties. I love entertaining!!

8) how did you first hear about LUPEC?
While at Tales of the Cocktail last year I met the gals from LUPEC Boston and thought it was a great idea. Anu Apte, Stevi Deter and I met after that to discuss putting together a Seattle chapter. viola!

9) what is your go to drink or spirit?
Nothing fits any occasion like a well made martini; gin, vermouth, orange bitters with a twist

10) what is your favorite cocktail bar and/or bartender right now?
We have so many great cocktail bars in Seattle it's hard to pick just one but I have had really great cocktails upstairs at Tavern Law and I love the atmosphere! As far as bartenders go I have followed Jamie Boudreau from bar to bar and am happy he's at KneeHigh Stocking now!

See you all soon, stay tuned for our next member quiz down! 

Thursday, April 1, 2010

10 Q's for a LUPEC lady

Hello ladies! I need your help. I'd like to start "featuring" a person each month or there abouts so that we can all get to know each other better. This is how it is for me: I look forward to our 1st Wednesday outings each month and can't wait to meet new peeps. Then I arrive, chat with the bar and get a drink. Introduce myself to a few ladies who I don't think I've met before. Get another drink. Start talking with peeps I know. Bamn! 9pm and it's winding down. Damn!

One of the reasons I wanted to start our Seattle chapter was to meet new and interesting people who have or are acquiring an interest in cocktails. To further that I'd like to have 10 set questions and interview a person each month or so. Help me put together a list of questions- what do you want to know about your fellow LUPEC members? I've got a few in mind but want your input! Jot a few down in the comments section please!

cheers!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

LUPEC Member Denise Sakaki

LUPEC Seattle member Denise Sakaki has a delicious blog entitled Wasabi Prime where she writes about food and drink. My apologies for the blurry photo but hey, there were some cocktails you know? I'm always lucky to remember to take any photos! :)

Among other things Denise (pictured here at Olivers Twist) has been writing about our LUPEC meetings.

Check out her posts about our December meeting at SPUR, February meeting at Olivers Twist (where we texted to help raise money for Haiti Relief), and most recently our March event at Rob Roy.

I love Denise's blog and think you will too, even when she's not talking about our cocktail adventures!

Friday, March 26, 2010

New Blog home

ok I know that as good as we have been about getting together each month the blog has been lame. sorry about that! this is the new address and I'm going to try to add something of interest from time to time. if you would like to write something for the blog, please do!! you can email me your content and I'll post it.