RumXP Awards AnnouncedLast month (April), I did as I do every year around this time . . . I head to Miami for the festivities know as Miami Rum Renaissance! And as usual . . . IT WAS FANTASTIC!If you doubt me, click this link to veiw "safe to share photos" from previous years . . ..If that isn't enough . . .click this link to see "safe to share photos" FROM THIS YEAR! Or if your on facebook you can look here too! (While you are there you might as well like them, because, well, I know you will--'like' them.)It is an amazing time! Next years date is already picked too so you can start planning. April 20-27 2014 Now those dates are not set in stone and they do not include all of the VIP madness, but it is a great starting point.What reminded me to mention all of this fun you ask? RumXP Awards AnnouncedSo go check out all the winners and I hope to see you all there next year!

On April 14th the ladies of LUPEC and several of their spouses participated in Eat Run Hope. This event supports fetal health and is presented by Ethan Stowell Restaurants and Eastside Maternal Fetal Medicine. Team LUPEC raised over 500 dollars for the cause. In addition to the usual suspects we had Ben Perri of Zig Zag fame on team LUPEC. The majority of Team LUPEC participated in the 5k with Ben Perri crushing it and winning the whole entire run! Way to go Ben Perri he finished his 5k in 19minutes and 53 seconds! Several of the LUPECers before the 5k!We made sure to imbibe plenty too. Rocky Yeh was making delicious Bloody Marys. Mimosas, champagne and beer were available as well. In addition to our imbibing, a very important aspect to any LUPEC event we also noshed on awesome food. One of the LUPEC favorites was Tom Douglas’ grilled adobo pork belly super nachos! Some other highlights were roasted pig with salsa verde from Dots Delicatessen, Fideos from Il Corvo and ice cream from Poppy Basil Cinnamon

Mint Juleps were a hot weather favorite in the days before central air.The May 10 opening of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby guarantees that some of us will either be hosting or attending Jazz Age themed cocktail parties. The Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties coexist (along with Prohibition) during the 1920’s, a riotous, hard-partying, post-war era that began to fizzle with the onset of the Great Depression. Scott Fitzgerald is credited with coining the term “Jazz Age” in 1922. Three characteristics of the Jazz Age are hot cocktails, hot music, and hot women (not necessarily in that order). Think of your great-grandmother (or don’t). According to the New York Times of the period, "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession." Pre-release reviews of the film lead one to believe that Luhrmann has not underplayed the famous parties that Gatsby threw nightly at his mansion in West Egg as he tried to attract the attention of Daisy Buchanan.While you may not be as rich as Jay Gatsby, you should

Tequila Mole Manhattan CocktailRegular readers have seen many mentions of the Manhattan in these posts. That classic cocktail, and all of its variations, are perennial favorites. While the classic Manhattan is made with Rye or Bourbon, Manhattans are co

Savoy Cocktail Book Night will be returning to Alembic Bar this Sunday, April 28th, 2013. If you’ve ever had a classic cocktail that has puzzled you so much, you didn’t dare even make it, stop by and spin the bottle with us. We’ll be tak

A friend recently came back with some pictures from Pouring Ribbons in New York. Apparently, the talented bartenders there have been doing interesting things with ice. In one case, they make puck shaped ice circles which nearly perfectly fit in an old fas

An Old FashionedAs Mad Men fans plan their cocktail menus for their Sunday evening Mad Men premiere parties, they are probably experiencing a sense of nostalgia… as the final season of AMC’s hit series begins, the end is coming into view. Cocktailians wi

Back in the US, as I started to contemplate writing this fantastic and amazing day up, I really found I had a hard time dealing with the enormity of the experience. Frankly, I’m from the Midwest. We just don’t deal with emotion particularly we

March is not always an altogether beautiful weather month in Seattle, so LUPEC took their mouths on a rum-soaked mental journey to the sunshine and good times of pre-Castro Cuba.With the guidance of Rumba's bar manager, Connor O'Brien, we were transported

The Martini poses a problem for the Modern Mixologist. It is composed of a required three parts: Gin, Dry Vermouth, and Orange Bitters, with a lot variation on execution and garnish. However, the main thing we struggle with, in these modern times, is how