tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85438212008-04-22T11:30:14.901-07:00jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-19975402990530861042008-04-22T10:44:00.001-07:002008-04-22T11:30:14.942-07:00

The new Food & Wine Cocktails 2008 is available now. I look forward to getting this book every year, so I was excited to pick up my copy. I love this book because it represents the latest trends in cocktail culture. The recipes are all hand selected by Editors Kate Krader and Jim Meehan (Can you say PDT and Pegu Club?). These are the hot, new, recipes that grace the best cocktail lists from

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-76957693111451506662008-04-18T13:53:00.000-07:002008-04-18T15:01:55.988-07:00

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a Mixology 101 class offered by H. Joseph Ehrmann's Cocktail Ambassadors. Cocktail Ambassadors offers a range of courses that explore basic bartending, mixology, fresh market cocktails and even seasonal, holiday cocktails. They can also develop specific courses to address specific needs for corporate meetings or promotional events.

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-36004404265540629802008-04-15T11:43:00.000-07:002008-04-15T12:15:14.168-07:00

When I invented this drink I didn't know there was a movie called Golden Compass. See, the drink is golden, and it's served at the Lion & Compass. Golden Compass. Get it? Anyway, the theme for this Mixology Monday is Fruit Liqueurs and our generous host is Anna at Morsels & Musings. The Golden Compass was one of my entries for this years' Grand Marnier Mixology Summit. Entries for the summit

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-22950973601006139852008-04-04T14:41:00.000-07:002008-04-04T17:25:58.149-07:00

I've just returned from the Grand Marnier Mixology Summit in Vail, Colorado. The event was organized by Grand Marnier, who selected 100 creative bartenders from across North America to get together and spend some time talking about bartending, cocktails, and Grand Marnier. There was also time for socializing, bartending, dining, and enjoying 15 inches of fresh Vail powder. If you want all the

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-19073569533391623342008-03-17T22:20:00.001-07:002008-03-17T22:45:46.782-07:00

I have a regular who likes the Mai Tai. He used to come in and have a few. After a while he decided he'd like it if he could have his entire nights supply of Mai Tai in one glass. A traditional Mai Tai is a potent drink, but Bobby's Mai Tai is definitely "one per customer." Bobby's Mai Tai. 2 oz Bacardi Superior Light Rum 2 oz Appleton Extra Jamaica Rum 1 oz Grand Marnier 1 oz

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-1191555880854556072008-02-20T23:02:00.000-08:002008-02-21T10:28:08.989-08:00

Just a quick reminder to get your tickets now for the premier whisky show in San Francisco. The 9th annual Whiskies of the World Expo is coming back to San Francisco March 28th and 29th. This year's show promises to be excellent once again. Riannon has divided the event over two days in order to give you a chance to see all the workshops and trainings, and enjoy the tasting halls to the fullest.

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-27267979672689856102008-02-11T15:26:00.001-08:002008-02-12T14:37:30.858-08:00

Thanks to everyone for participating in this month's Mixology Monday. My inbox was absolutely flooded with links to all the great posts. One guy in Oregon really knows how to bring his name to the top of the list. He spends a few paragraphs just talking about how great I am. What a guy! Before I get to him though, I wanted to mention a few of the first-timers. Esquire magazine has re-tooled

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-68144451761285757812008-02-11T11:42:00.000-08:002008-02-11T23:12:36.289-08:00

Paul Harrington wrote that "few drinks boast as many variations as the sidecar." I think this is true. I decided to look through a few old books and see if I could nail down a good formula for this classic concoction. David Embury is often recognized for preferring very dry cocktails. In his classic "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" he list this Sidecar: David Embury Sidecar 8 parts Cognac or

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-71031778791524603112008-02-04T22:14:00.000-08:002008-02-07T09:53:06.888-08:00

This is a reminder to all the bloggers that next week's Mixology Monday will be hosted right here at Jimmy's Cocktail Hour. The theme this time around is "Variations." You can present your variation of a classic recipe, or compare several variations of the same recipe, or anything really. I'm keeping the theme open to anything so get creative. Post your variations next Monday, February 11th,

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-92041683617528165742008-01-14T17:13:00.000-08:002008-01-14T17:32:36.991-08:00

This was an original recipe I submitted for a recent Campari competition. I've posted it here before, but I'm revisiting it for Mixology Monday::Brandy Compass Rose 1.5 oz Cognac .75 oz Campari .25 oz Maraschino Liqueur 1 Dash of Fee's whiskey barrel aged bitters Try out this one if you get a chance. Let me know what you think, and tell me your favorite Campari recipes in the

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-67602487623026443832007-12-04T10:45:00.000-08:002007-12-05T18:41:11.756-08:00

Jeffrey Morgenthaler is off promoting Repeal Day in Manhattan this week and couldn't finish up the Mixology Monday Recap. Since he asked me to finish it up for him, I provide the following: Mixology Monday Wrap-up Part II Matt, also known as Dood, gives us the background on Prohibition and rum runners, with a couple of excellent rum runner recipes thrown in. Nice one, Dood!. Jamie Boudreau

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-51413514943597926912007-12-03T22:03:00.000-08:002007-12-03T22:53:35.653-08:00

Jeffrey forgot to read the instructions for hosting Mixology Monday. It's only 10 pm where I am, and he posted the wrap-up hours ago. The idea is to collect all the posts, and then post the wrap-up. That boy is not quite right, but I admit he is doing a lot to turn Repeal Day into a national holiday. For my Repeal Day inspiration, I turned to Eric Felten's "How's Your Drink?" This book

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-20532950270329960082007-11-12T22:25:00.000-08:002007-11-12T22:25:34.891-08:00

This month's Mixology Monday is being hosted by Jay over at Oh, Gosh! The topic this time around is "gin." Since gin is the no-holds-barred, most mixable spirit out there, I am anxious to see all the posts. Gin is so mixable in fact, I'm going to look at it in a rum drink! I know what you're thinking. "You'd have to be some kinda Jeffrey Morgenthaler to try something like that, right?" Wrong.

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-4281159890073863182007-11-09T10:02:00.000-08:002007-11-09T13:04:18.925-08:00

I was looking for some recipes in the DrinkBoy forums when I came across this in a post that was made back in January of 2002: "There's so much useful stuff here in this forum, at your site, Robert, and at Martin's site, on 19th-century ingredients, techniques, lore, etc, that one could put it all together and start systematically exploring all the old families of drinks--scaffas, flips,

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-21649557620658233352007-11-01T23:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T23:38:51.405-07:00

Recently my wife and I celebrated our anniversary by taking a break in Monterey. For people in the San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey makes a great weekend escape. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Monterey. This hotel is undergoing a $45 million renovation. The hotel exterior maintains it's classic, rustic charm, but the guest rooms are being renovated to the highest standards. My wife and I were

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-19450703799689919652007-10-29T11:10:00.001-07:002007-11-05T17:47:45.403-08:00

This is a drink made popular in London by Townhouse and Lab Bar. The vanilla liqueur required for this drink has been hard to find in California. Recently, San Francisco bartender and man-about-town Dominic Venegas gave me a sample of the re-re-introduced Navan Vanilla Liqueur. Navan is cognac-based, and maintains a sturdy 40% by volume. The Navan has a natural vanilla aroma, and a

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-63124760512344801362007-10-19T12:16:00.001-07:002007-10-19T15:55:43.369-07:00

While you're planning what whiskies to try at WhiskyFest remember to put a gold star next to Lorne Mackillop's name. Lorne's independent bottlings are available under the Mackillop's Choice brand name. These bottlings represent some of the finest single casks available anywhere. Lorne personally selects each cask based on their individual characteristics and merits. As a Master of Wine, Lorne

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-75738765628724637632007-10-18T08:35:00.000-07:002007-10-18T19:29:03.817-07:00

On Tuesday, October 23, WhiskyFest comes to San Francisco for the first time. Attendees will have the chance to sample some of over 200 of the worlds finest whiskies. The whisky list includes Springbank Rum Cask, Aberfeldy, Bruichladdich, The Dalmore, Sazerac Rye, Ardbeg and many many more. If this wasn't reason enough to attend, a host of educational seminars are planned. All the seminars look

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-37523550083929235472007-10-04T17:30:00.000-07:002007-10-04T17:26:43.220-07:00

The cocktail bloggers are a small and tight-knit community. I exchange e-mail and phone calls with bloggers I've never met in person. Virtual gatherings and events are what keep most of us posting. Mixology Monday is fun because everyone gets involved to share ideas and explore new concepts. Kaiser Penguin's recent community Tiki Cocktail Photo Contest was really fun for everyone. The Spirit

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-76490132690129056902007-10-03T18:10:00.000-07:002007-10-10T12:27:49.312-07:00

Manny Hinojosa from the Walnut Creek Yacht Club, was the winner of Monday's Campari Mix-off. (Photo copyright 2007, Camper English. Used here without Permission) Monday was the San Francisco Campari Cocktail Competition and Mix-off. Somehow my entry wasn't a finalist. Mine doesn't look as tasty as some of these anyway! Here are the winners and a list of all the competitors (the finalists

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-83699467652882897112007-09-26T17:46:00.001-07:002007-09-26T18:03:56.867-07:00

This was an original recipe I submitted for a recent Campari competition. The rules were simple: 1) feature Campari and use at least 3/4 oz; 2) no more than 6 ingredients; 3) be able to make five identical cocktails in seven minutes; 4) all ingredients should be available at any local grocery and liquor store. The cocktail should also be created as an introduction to to drinkers

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-13837369562126979102007-09-17T14:05:00.001-07:002007-09-17T16:30:01.214-07:00

I've been working on a bitters recipe lately, for the upcoming Bitters Exchange (more details to come). My underground lab has been full of strange herbs and spices including Bitter Orange, gentian, cinchona and even tonka bean. I've even been combing the local forests for some artemisia californica for someone else's bitters recipe. This Month's Mixology Monday is hosted by Gabriel over at

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-89813480159729197142007-08-13T16:35:00.001-07:002007-08-13T22:58:52.841-07:00

The Cable Car is a modern classic. The brilliant orange-copper color and a rich, complex flavor have made the Cable Car a favorite of many bartenders. This Sidecar variation has appeared on cocktail lists everywhere. The deceptively simple recipe was created in San Francisco by Tony Abou-Ganim. Cable Car 2 oz. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum 1 oz. Orange Curacao 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice Stir

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-69898922664225926272007-08-03T10:59:00.000-07:002007-08-03T14:33:01.480-07:00

He gave the terrorists a good kickin'. He's met Big Yin and Gordon Brown. He's become an internet superhero. He's been featured in the Wall Street Journal and every newspaper in Britain. John Smeaton is the toast of Glasgow and the world. Now he has his own cocktail. Home bar in Glasgow’s Albion Street is serving the Smeaton Cocktail. It contains Bells whisky, Angostura bitters, lime juice

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543821.post-77910358329277972582007-07-31T12:46:00.000-07:002007-07-31T14:46:10.044-07:00

Time is running out on the Kaiser Penguin Photo Competition. Get out your camera, whip up a tiki drink and take your best shot. The Penguin has some photo tips and fabulous prizes are at stake. The deadline is August 6th. The deadline has been extended to August 20th. This is the final deadline folks. Get your photos in soon! Photo of the Astro Aku Aku courtesy and copyright Kaiser Penguin

jimmyphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08190815263440129453noreply@blogger.com