Speed Rack Aftermath

February 10. Speed Rack. The sun was shining high in the Seattle sky as I made my way down to the Century Ballroom. The day was promising to be beautiful, though much of it would be unknown to me. My day would be spent inside watching contenders shake and stir their way toward the illustrious title of Miss Speed Rack Seattle. What would begin with 19 talented bartenders, would end with one woman raising her hands in victory as the judges proclaimed her the winner.

As I arrived, the ladies were just preparing to enter the preliminaries. Some were local, but others had traveled from as far as Spokane and Portland. The Tin Tables’ wells served as the focal point. Each areas was dotted with shakers and long-handled spoons, Hawthorne strainers and julep strainers all marked with pink electric tape. As a contestant made her way behind the stick, she faced down the necessary glassware already lined up on the varnished wood. Four drinks would test them: whiskey sour, margarita, sidecar and a gin martini with orange bitters. Oh, and then there was the clock.

Meanwhile the activity continued as the Century Ballroom was reshaped to house the competitive bar event. Portable bars were set up on stage, as well as the judge's table. Numerous punches were batched by the volunteer barbacks, all talented bartenders in their own right. The punch stations were set up around the back of the room, all with excellent vantage points for the action that would engulf the room later that day. Nothing seemed to garner more attention in those hours of preparation than the arrival of the giant ice sculpture of a bottle of Green Chartreuse, from which ice luges would be poured all afternoon long.

As the day moved steadily along and the final 8 were chosen, the activity reached a frenetic pace. The host of volunteers entered and were assigned to various serving positions. Several LUPEC Seattle ladies took their post with punch ladles. With a half hour to go before the event officially opened, the line of attendees wrapped around the building. The excitement reached a fever pitch as the ladies of Tilted Thunder Roller Birds skated across the hardwood floors, raffles tickets in hand. The event was destined to be memorable.

When the doors finally opened, the thirsty public started to fill the room, checking out the various offerings. But all eyes were soon trained on stage. Shortly after the four judges, Kathy Casey, Anu Apte, Robert Hess and Audrey Saunders chose the cocktails, the action took off. The crowd cheered as their hands flew to the bottles in a mad dash to not only prepare but garnish the four beverages. In the end, the judges were tough but fair as they appraised cocktail after cocktail. Who knows how they were able to withstand the onslaught of wonderful drinks and not only remain objective but keep their palates in tune.

As the opening round came to completion, only four were left standing: Lacy Hawkins, Angel Teta, Missy Cross, and Beckaly Franks. In a surprising turn of events, the finals ended up being a rematch of last year's Speed Rack Portland--where last year's Miss Speed Rack Portland, Missy Cross, would face off against Lacy Hawkins. This year it was Lacy Hawkins who took home the title and was bathed in champagne. She will go on to compete in the Speed Rack Finals, held in New York City on May 16.

Regardless of the winners and losers, the day was incredible. From the shots to honor Anu Apte's birthday to the champagne cocktails to toast the winner, the event was filled with an air of camaraderie and celebration, and a bit of friendly but fierce competition. Of course, we should not forget that all of the proceeds were raised to support a very worthwhile cause--breast cancer research, education and prevention.

~Thanks to our woman on the street Courtney Randall for covering all the action and reporting back. Speed Rack is an amazing event put on by some really amazing women. It was great to see a lot of you at the event. Hopefully they will return to Seattle and we can all go again! Wendy

Cocktails and Boobs, Both Will Be Shaking!

December 4, 2011, the morning after Repeal Day. I walked through the frozen morning toward the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington, D.C., half-rolling and half-dragging my luggage across the frost-covered sidewalk. The morning was clear and brisk, and each step reverberated through my body. Why oh why was I up this early, squinting into the bright morning sun? Of course, there was good reason to propel myself from my comfortable hotel bed, pack up my suitcase many hours before my flight, and scurry around in the sub-freezing temperatures--it was Speed Rack.

Speed Rack is the brainchild of Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix, also LUPEC NYC members. The women-only competition pits regional bartenders head-to-head in a test of accuracy and speed. Shaking, stiring and building drinks selected from a list of 50 industry standards, each drink is judged by a panel of industry experts. As a competitor moves from one round to the next, she becomes that much closer to winning her regional heat and a chance to compete at the Speed Rack Finals, held in New York City. On the line are a significant amount of bragging rights, the title of Miss Speed Rack, and a trip to France. But there is a serious side to all of the fun and games--all of the proceeds from the events go toward funding breast cancer research, education and prevention. In the initial year, almost $70,000 was raised across 11 events nationwide.

When I walked through the doors to the Jack Rose on that cold December morning, I found the entire place alive with excitement and activity. Contestants, many of whom had worked the Repeal Day Ball, milled around drinking coffee and chatting about the events of the night before. Though the atmostphere was full of camaraderie, but a certain amount of nervousness and competitiveness were active as well. Volunteer barbacks were busy setting up the area--clearing space and prepping ingredients. Other volunteers were creating signs and assembling the merchandise tables. Lynnette and Ivy were there, of course, assisting and overseeing the activity.

The preliminary rounds were held in the upstairs bar. As the ladies took to the bar to eek out their best times, to qualify for the opportunity to perform in front of a live roaring crowd. The environment was remarkably supportive as those not on the clock cheered on their fellow contestants. Unfortunately for me, just as the event started ramping up and the crowds started arriving, I had to leave to catch my flight back home. The round robin segment, followed by the finals, were sadly to take place after my plane was already in the air.

The second season of Speed Rack opened with a tchk-tchk-tchk of the shaker in Boston on October 3, and events are scheduled nationwide through the end of March. I am extremely excited that my city is hosting one of the regional competitions. I would finally be able to witness the action of the latter rounds live.

On Sunday, February 10, 2013, Speed Rack will come to Seattle. Don't miss the excitment as some of the Northwest's finest female bartenders go head-to-head at the Century Ballroom. And if you just can't wait to get a taste of what the event is like, check out the videos that show the highlights of past competitions.

Many thanks to guest blogger Courtney Randall who will be covering Speed Rack next month for our LUPEC blog. Good luck to all the contestants and we hope to see you all at the event, which promises to be a hell of a good time while raising money for the boobs we all love and adore! Find out more and get your tickets here!
~WM

MurrayAid with House Spirits & Bastille

LUPEC gathered in the near past at Bastille's back bar to drink some House Spirits cocktails and to raise money for Murray Stenson.

The evening started with a Swedish Finn  (Punch featuring House Spirits Distillery's  Krogstad aquavit. Additional ingredients in the punch were lemon, allspice dram, sparkling apple cider  and nutmeg. Bastille served it with the smoked salmon (Pacific Northwest's answer to pickled herring?), arugula and chanterelles. All the drinks that evening were enjoyable, but this was my favorite drink of the night. The punch gave a nod to the season, and the aquavit gave it a nice hint of anise without over powering the blend of flavors.

Next we moved on to a classic Gin Rickey which was made with House Spirits' Aviation Gin.  As a brief aside, you may not know that this gin is named with the Aviation cocktail in mind.  House Spirits' targets a gin with a clean, neutral profile and faintly spicy finish.  It's not a London Dry, it's a new American style.  Bastille served a bruchetta with shaved broccoli, cheese, tomato and house made frommage blanc.

Finally we had a barrel aged cocktail called the Four Saints Cocktail. This cocktail showcased House Spirits White Dog Whiskey. byrrh, cynar and orange bitters rounded out the ingredient list. This was paired with a pumpkin soup with a brioche bun.  Like all barrel aged cocktails the barrel aging rounds out some of the rough edges and was a good presentation for the white dog whiskey.

The drinks, food and comradery of LUPEC may be why we all come out, but for me the best part of this evening was raising money for Murray Stenson. Murray who has been a great ambassador to the cocktail community. Murray has made many of us the first vesion of a classisc cocktail. For me, The first time I had a Liberal, it was served to me by Murry. I am proud to say the we raised $1545 in cash, and Bastille kicked in another $1000 from our bills for a total of $2545! Much of this was due to the LUPEC Queen Bee's, (Wendy Miller)  'force of nature' personality as she asked patrons who came in during and after LUPEC for donations. We hope that Murray is well soon.

A big thank you to House Spirits and Bastille for hosting a lovely evening.

And a big thank you to guest blogger Jen Burch who has been in the group since the very first meeting. Also huge thanks to guest bartender and SF LUPEC lady Brooke Arthur, everyone at House Spirits and everyone at Bastille, these are a fine bunch of generous folks!

LUPEC Seattle really appreciates all the businesses, brands and bartenders who have hosted us over the past year and have helped us when we try to give back to the community. Happy holidays and cheers to a wonderful new year! ~Wendy

The Ladies Lunch

I love telling people:

1. that I belong to LUPEC and the inevitable
2. what LUPEC is all about.

I am immediately fancier in these people's eyes...and let's face it's true: belonging to LUPEC is a +10 fancy. Since I am not a fancy person by nature (you've met me, right?), I could use those 10 points. Our October 2012 meeting at Vessel, though? Yeah, we might have to bump that up to +50. Why?

Number One: Ice Program. I know Vessel isn't the only venue with an ice program about town, however, I think it's the only one with the capacity in-house to make 300 lb blocks of beautifully clear chunks of solid water, replete with two (two!) saws - chain and band, if you must know - on hand to carve said ice into manageable bricks, which are then parsed out to the bar for individual carving, crushing, ice picking, or what have you. The lucky ladies that attended got to see one of these blocks lifted from the magic water freezing machine (technical term) and, after its requisite rest, carved up. As you can imagine, it was a delight. Jim Romdall demonstrated and instructed us on the particulars of temperature and technique and the importance of timing.

Two: Lunch! I struggled with making this number one or two, but I didn't want to make the ladies who couldn't take the afternoon (or day) off of work too jealous. However, I must say, indulging in a weekday afternoon lunch with an adult beverage (or in my case three) is quite nice. Mental health day indeed. Full disclosure: I might have napped when I got home.

Three: Cameo McRoberts. One doesn't expect the aroma of lamb braising when entering a cocktail establishment, but that is exactly what happened. The delicious stylings of Ms. McRoberts, beloved fellow member and chef charmed us all. And yes, I believe we tried everything on the menu from the salads to the aforementioned deliciously smelling Braised Lamb French Dip. My favorite was the Muffulleta Sandwich, which fortunately for everyone involved, I ordered. All this tastiness was topped off with an unexpected surprise: a complimentary Old Fashioned ice cream concoction. YUM.

Four: Did I mention the drinks yet? Ah yes, the drinks. The lunch beverage menu has non-alcoholic beverages (did anyone order one of those?) and as befits our status of endangered cocktail saviors, four quite delicious alcoholic options:

• Bloody Mary - Mix made from scratch, including but not limited to fresh roasted tomatoes
• Red Snapper - As above, but with gin
• Pimm's Cup - Pimm's No. 1, lemon, cucumber, ginger, mint
• Corpse Reviver #CO2 - Gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, lemon, absinthe, carbonated (pictured below)

Of course one could order off menu, but I didn't find that necessary on this visit.

Overall, with its rotating bartenders and menus (both food and drink); fantastic back bar; and new airy space, Vessel 2.0 was a fantastic LUPEC host and is a delight any day of the week. Highly recommend! And if you see Jim, ask him about the ice!

Huge thanks to Jim, Cameo, and their wonderful teams.

And a big thanks to guest blogger Carolyn Roper for this excellent recap of October's meeting. October is also LUPEC Seattle's 3rd birthday. And I must echo her thank you's to Cameo, Jim, Clark and our fabulous bartender for the afternoon Bryn. ~Wendy

LUPEC Seattle teams up with Novo Fogo's Bars on Fire!

For September's gathering, LUPEC Seattle participated in a convivial, combined event at Poquitos with Novo Fogo's established Bars on Fire series.

If you haven't heard of Novo Fogo yet, it's time you learn about them! They produce an excellent line of cachaças, easily available in the Seattle area thanks to the tireless advocacy of one of the owners -- and LUPEC ally -- Dragos Axinte.

Dragos is a welcoming host, and we were all given a special cocktail menu, developed by our two bartenders for the evening: Erik Carlson (pictured left) and Evan Martin (pictured right).

Our cocktail menu:
Nelson's Passage
Evan Martin
Silver Cachaça, passion fruit syrup, cinnamon syrup, lime, mint, I.P.A.

O Melhor
Evan Martin
Barrel-Aged Cachaça, Amontillado sherry, orgeat, Combier Pamplemousse Rose, lime, lavender bitters.

Gaby's Punch #2
Erik Carlson
Silver Cachaça, pistachio orgeat, lime, absinthe, Angostura bitters.

Cane Chopper
Erik Carlson
Barrel-Aged Cachaça, orange curaçao, cane syrup, mole bitters, coffee bitters.

As with any LUPEC event, there was lots of sampling and sharing, and this time with Poquitos' delicious Mexican food available to accompany our cocktails. Our fearless leader stated the O Melhor was her favorite, and another member chimed in that its sherry, orgeat, Pamplemousse Rose and lavender were perfectly-balanced. The Cane Chopper was a light, yet dynamic drink, and Gaby's Punch was punctuated by an unconventional pistachio orgeat. Another at our gathering declared that the Nelson's Passage encapsulated Summer for her --"Summer's either a mint julep or this drink!"

Finally, there was the classic, the caipirinha. These were served in mason jars for drinkers to shake before imbibing. This fun rendition of the definitive cachaça cocktail became a popular choice by night's end.

While many folks associate cachaça exclusively with caipirinhas, thanks to Dragos, Erik, and Evan, we learned again at this month's meeting that it can also be an integral ingredient in other delightful cocktails, too. Thanks to them, all those who participated for another successful LUPEC Seattle night out!

Thanks to this month's guest blogger Rachel Thibodeaux who if off to live in jolly ole London for a bit. Maybe if we are all real nice to her she'll bring us back some special gin in about 6 months! And of course HUGE thanks to Novo Fogo and Poquitos for having us! ~Wendy

No Worms Were Harmed

Many thanks to LUPEC Seattle's first member Stevi Deter for tackling the strange and wonderful world of Mezcal and chronicling our journey to Mezcaleria. If you aren't already following her blog, Two at the Most, you really should! And of course thanks to everyone at Mezcaleria for hosting us! ~WM 

A beautiful early August evening found a steady stream of women pouring into Queen Anne, headed for Mezcaleria Oaxaca to learn about agave.

Mezcal is a much maligned, misunderstood liquor. Many mistake it for that awful bottle of vacation rotgut with a worm in it.

But as we learned, mezcal is so much more. Mezcal is any liquor made from a species of the agave plant, so technically all Tequila is mezcal. The agave plant is trimmed, resulting in a heart called the piña, which is roasted for several days, often over a smoky fire which leaves a distinctive flavor in the final distillate.

After roasting, the piñas are crushed, traditionally by large rolling stones pulled by donkeys. The extruded juice is then introduced to yeast and the result is distilled.

Mezcal purists prefer to drink their liquor unaged, believing that aging can hide the aspects of the drink they most enjoy. We tried the Del Maguey Vida, twice distilled from espadin. Like many mezcals, Vida is distilled to proof, meaning it's bottled at the proof it comes off the still, instead of being diluted with water. This means more of the original taste of the source product remains.

The best mezcals are earthy, still hinting of the sweetness of the agave, and smoky from the roasting process. The Vida was soft, sweet, and had a nice astringency at the end.

We also tried the Pierde Almas Dobadaan, which is made from a rarer form of agave. It had lots of pepper and earthy spice to it I quite enjoyed.

While some may disapprove, aging mezcal can add a smoothness and sophistication that's very enjoyable. We tried Ilegal Reposado, also made from espadin, which had a lovely buttery flavor.

The Mezcaleria Oaxaca happily serves its mezcal in traditional copas, made of either ceramic or out of a gourd and beautifully carved. It took a lot of willpower to prevent one of those works of art from finding its way into my purse.

Speaking of works of art, the Mezcaleria features the photography of Spike Mafford, who was on hand to extoll the virtues of his favorite liquor and celebrate his birthday. As a treat, he "raffled" off a print of the airplane photograph that dominates the restaurant's bar. As he gave us all the same raffle number, he solved the problem by tearing the photo into smaller pieces and autographing each one. As a group, LUPEC Seattle now shares in a beautiful photograph.

In addition to an extensive and ever growing list of mezcals to taste, several cocktails were also on offer. I quite enjoyed the Primer Beso, which features pineapple infused mezcal, triple sec, orange juice, and a gusano salt rim. It was well balanced and still let the mezcal sing through.

Plenty of delicious bites from the kitchen, sister to La Carta de Oaxaca in Ballard, were also on offer. I can't wait to go back and have a full dinner.

A huge thanks to the owners of Mezcaleria Oaxaca for hosting us and providing us with an education on this wonderful spirit.

LUPEC Takes on the World!

Kudos to last month's guest blogger Lynne Becker. Lynn writes the fabulous blog Libation Laboratory that you really should be reading, if you aren't already! And of course many thanks to Rocky Yeh, Wine World, Pierre Ferrand and Dante's Dogs for making our July meeting so great! ~WM

Until June 1^st of this year, the LUPEC ladies would likely not have met at Wine World and Spirits for our monthly event.  However, passage of Washington State Initiative 1183 changed that.  For the first time in 78 years, liquor sales are no longer exclusive to Washington State liquor stores.  Until May 31, Wine World was just that; a giant world of wine.  However, starting on the first day of June, spirits were added to their shelves and they became Wine World and Spirits (WW&S).  And if you haven’t seen their inventory, you should; it’s impressive.  So, July finds LUPEC in the event space at WW&S.  Our special guests for the evening were the esteemed Rocky Yeh, Portfolio Ambassador for the Proof Collection and Mr. Guillaume Lamy, Vice President of Cognac Ferrand. 

Rocky was preparing the bar as the LUPEC members arrived.  More than several bottles of diverse spirits lined the bar.  Clearly, there were going to be many opportunities for tastings.  Dante’s Dogs had set up shop outside to provide the evening’s nourishment.  While LUPEC members found a seat and visited Dante’s for their dog of choice, Rocky mixed our first drink of the evening; the Seattle Southside¹.  This was a cocktail consisting of Citadelle Gin, Mathilde Poire, lemon, and garnished with pear.  It was served on ice with soda water to finish and was a refreshing start to the evening. 

Drinks and dogs acquired, Rocky provided the group with information on the recent liquor privatization initiative.  Washington State has some of the highest liquor taxes in the country and even greater now with passage of I-1183.  However, the upside of I-1183 is a better selection of liquor.  I know the first time I walked into WW&S and observed the diversely stocked liquor section; I thought “this is why I-1183 passed.”  Rocky suggested that our goal as liquor aficionados should be maximum selection at our local liquor stores.  As we’ve all noticed, prices are higher, though this is not completely reflected on the sticker price.  At the checkout, you’ll notice liter tax as well as an additional 27% fee over the sticker price.  The 27% represents a 10% distributor fee and a 17% retail fee.  However, in 2 years the distributor fee will reduce to 5%, saving us some money on our liquid hobby. 

Special guest Mr. Guillaume Lamy from Cognac Ferrand spoke of their impressive portfolio of spirits, including Pierre Ferrand 1840 (which just won at TOTC - Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award winners, Best New Product²) and Pierre Ferrand Ambre, Citadelle Gin, Mathilde Poire Liqueur, Plantation Grand Reserve Rum and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, all of which were represented at the LUPEC event.

Mr. Lamy eloquently equated the art of distilling cognac to cooking or baking.  In the process he invited us all to Cognac to tour the distillery.  I’m quite sure more than one LUPEC member put Cognac on their travel destination wish list after listening to Mr. Lamy speak of the distillery and the region.  Personally, I’m ready to leave to be an apprentice at the distillery.  Cognac Ferrand is a relatively small operation with 25 people total, 15 of which support the distilling.  The Cognac region of France is essentially a huge vineyard with over 5000 grape producers and 300 distilleries.  Cognac is not made from Champagne, but originates from wine.  Though Pierre Ferrand cognac is called Grand Champagne Cognac, the ‘Champagne’ refers to the region of Cognac and type of soil in which the grapes are grown.  Because cognac starts with wine, with a great diversity of age and taste, blending is required to produce cognac, making it a subjective art form.  Good cognac should taste like wine; much like espresso is to good coffee. 

Cognac Ferrand has a new cognac on the market, the Pierre Ferrand 1840.  The LUPEC group was fortunate to have the opportunity to taste this delicious product.  At the time of the event, there were very few bottles available in Seattle and only 3 on the shelf at WW&S.  Some might have thought a girl-fight would ensue, but the LUPEC ladies are much more civilized than that, especially when Rocky assured us that he had a container landing in Seattle in the next couple of weeks.  Even more exciting is the fact that the 1840 was just awarded ‘Best New Product’ at the 2012 Tales of the Cocktail Convention.   Cognac Ferrand paired with historian David Wondrich to develop the 1840.  Historically, at least a third of all cocktails were made with cognac as a base spirit.  In an effort to recreate historically accurate Cognac, many old bottles of cognac were tasted.  Unlike wine, Cognac’s high alcohol content prevents further aging upon bottling.  Once bottled, Cognac is considered a ‘dead bottle’ and, provided that the bottle was stored correctly, the flavor profile when bottle, even in 1840, is how it will taste today.  After working their way through a number of old bottles of Cognac, the tasting team finally tried a bottle from 1840 that was exceptionally good.  Two centuries ago, vegetal infusions were often used in the making of cognac.  The Ferrand distillers added the old cognac to new distillate to replicate the vegetal infusions and thus creating the award-winning ‘1840’.  The LUPEC group had the opportunity to taste both the 1840 cognac as well as the Ambre cognac. 

Continuing the collaboration with David Wondrich, Cognac Ferrand decided to rectify the dearth of quality curacaos on the market.  Curacao is the original orange liqueur, and is sometimes also referred to as Triple Sec, which is a descriptive of the distillation process.  However, that ‘Triple Sec’ you see on the bottom shelf of many liquor stores, is not really a French orange liqueur, but rather a neutral grain spirit with flavorings made in Red Creek, WV (ok, I made up the geography part).  Don’t buy it.  Cognac Ferrand resurrected a 19^th century recipe for their curacao.  The method includes “three separate distillations of spices and the ‘sec’ or bitter peels of Curacao oranges blended with brandy and Ferrand Cognac³.”  This is a dry curacao with mild sweetness.  Rocky used the curacao very successfully in his version of the El Presidente cocktail consisting of Plantation Grand Reserve Rum, Dry Curacao, Dolin Blanc vermouth and grenadine (Rocky used his very own special recipe grenadine; a lingonberry/honey variety).  As Rocky pointed out, this cocktail contains no citrus and would be an excellent candidate for aging. 

The folks of Cognac Ferrand are a resourceful group, and their portfolio of spirits is representative of this character attribute.  The French AOC (appellation d'origine controlee⁴) strictly controls the wine and other agricultural products in the French Cognac region.  One of the regulations allows that cognac distillation can only occur between the months of November and March, leaving the pot stills inactive for the remainder of the year.  Cognac Ferrand took advantage of this inactivity by using their copper pot stills to make Citadelle Gin, a London dry-style gin.  Continuing the theme of efficiency, the distillery uses their cognac casks to age rum, producing Plantation Grand Reserve Rum. 

Our last educational opportunity of the evening was to learn about Cognac Ferrand’s line of fruit liqueurs.  [I’ll be honest with you, the quality of my note-taking is inversely proportional to my number of cocktails and taste testing opportunities.  And by this time in the evening, our table-top was filled with glasses.]  Specifically, Mr. Lamy discussed the Mathilde Poire.  This is a relatively sweet (at least 100g sugar per liter as directed by European law), low alcohol content (18%) liqueur with heavy pear notes.  Rocky successfully used the Mathilde Poire in the Seattle Southside with which we started the evening. 

July found us with a unique opportunity to learn more about I-1183, a huge portfolio of interesting and tasty spirits from Cognac Ferrand and try some great cocktails made by the infamous Rocky Yeh; all in a really lovely event space.  And Ladies, Air France will be running big sale this fall, so book your tickets to Cognac.  We’ll be needed at Cognac Ferrand starting in November to kick off the distilling season. 

¹Created by Allen Katz

²http://www.alcademics.com/2011/07/tales-of-the-cocktail-award-winners-the-official-list.html

³http://pierreferrandcuracao.com/en/section/view/210

⁴http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appellation_d'origine_contr%C3%B4l%C3%A9e