Mixology

Mint Julep is a summertime favorite.June brings the beginning of summer, and with summer comes hot weather. Hot weather and yard work make for thirsty people, so when cocktail hour rolls around Utah amateur mixologists should have plenty of takers for their cocktails. There are some quality cocktail ingredients on sale this month at the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores, so you can get what you need to make some tall coolers or shake up some great cocktails. The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) this month rose from around 300 for May to a more generous 357 in June. Here are some ideas on how to use this month’s sale items to improve your cocktail offerings.June 15 is World Gin Day, but there are only a few Gins marked down this month. If you love Gin and Tonics to cool down in the hot weather, you might want to stock up on New Amsterdam Gin (CS# 031475 down 20% to $12), an excellent Gin for the price. Try some Tanqueray ($22) in a Classic Martini. The usual mix of Tequilas is marked down in June, but you might want to try my favorite bargain Tequila: Familia Camarena Silver or Reposado, both of which are marked down this month 15% to $17. If you’ve never tried one, give the Tequila Mojito a try. There are not a lot of Rums on SPA this month, but you might want to try some Cruzan Light (8% to $22) in a Mojito or the classic Rum and Coke.There is a handful of blended Scotch Whiskies marked down this month, but only one 750ml bottle: Johnnie Walker 12 year old ($37). If you’re searching for a Scotch cocktail to try this month, consider trying the classic Bobby Burns. As for Bourbons, there are about a dozen on sale this month, including single barrel offerings from Blanton and Eagle Rare. If you like Mint Julep (I know I do), you might want to try one with Eagle Rare (down 10% to $28).As to any other sale or clearance items, if you see a great deal on anything at your local state store that other cocktailians might enjoy, post a response to this article. See the following list “Suggested by the author” for information on how to use the Utah DABC website. You can check out what else is on sale (e.g. the wines, etc.) by clicking through to the “SPA Product List” to open an online price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month.

Some dear friends of mine are trying to launch what I think will be an awesome progressive cocktail bar in New York City: Tarbell. I’m confident it’s going to be an excellent place to get a fine cocktail, as well as an important new home for muckraking journalists and progressive activists to meet and conspire. They have a RocketHub campaign live & it’d be great if A Jigger Of Blog readers checked it out. If you like what they’re planning, pledge a donation. Filed under: Bars, Video

The Campden Cocktail is a treat of Gin and Lillet.The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) at the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores this month held steady this month. There are, as always, some quality cocktail ingredients available this month, so you can get what you need to shake up some great cocktails. Here are some ideas on how to use this month’s sale items to improve your cocktail repertoire.The selection of Tequilas this month is not bad! This month Milagro Silver and Reposado are both marked down in the 13% range to $25 and $28 respectively. Combine them with Gran Gala Orange Liqueur (an excellent, low cost Triple Sec marked down 14% to $19) to make a dynamite Margarita. You will also find Sauza Hornitos Reposado (11% to $24) and Plata (12% to $22) on sale, as well as similar markdowns on 1800 Reposado and Silver.Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of Bourbons on sale for the derby this month; Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey is available for $23 ($3 off) and makes a great Mint Julep, or you might want to try a BLT, and that’s about it for quality Bourbons. There a couple of blended Scotch Whiskies marked down this month: liters of Chivas Regal are marked down around $3 to $37 and the large bottles of Dewars White Label are marked down to $46. If you’re searching for a Scotch cocktail to try this month, consider going outlaw with a Rob Roy.The picks of the Gins this month are Tanqueray Ten and Beefeater. The Tanqueray Ten (marked down 9% to $29) goes well in a Campden Cocktail; this little known cocktail is one you should try. The Beefeater is in the giant economy-sized bottle (1750ml) and is probably best enjoyed by hard-core Beefeater fans, although if you love Gin and Tonics in the summertime, this might be a good time to stock up.As to any other sale or clearance items, if you see a great deal on anything at your local state store that other cocktailians might enjoy, post a response to this article. See the following list “Suggested by the author” for information on how to use the Utah DABC website. You can check out what else is on sale (e.g. the wines, etc.) by clicking through to the “SPA Product List” to open an online price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month.

Mixology Monday!It is here. The 'Witches Garden' . . . .Marc you are correct: "fresh herbs have always been at the forefront of mixology. So lets take influence from the bartenders that once ruled the world of mixology, raid your herb garden that too often gets neglected, and start mixing."So I did. My new love affair is VALLET . . . It is Mexican Fernet and Amargo (the amargo is so delish, at 90 Proof-wow!). So to make my 'Sexy-Mexi' I took 2 part Mina Real Reposado, 1 Part Amargo VALLET, added the mint leaves (that I cut from my neighbors mint plant - fresh) trimmed a stalk and shook the booze and the mint with ice.I poured the 'Sexy-Mexi' into a chilled glass and put the 'slapped' mint rosette /crest on top as a garnish (basically the top that was left from the stalk. . . ).Unfortunately, I ate the mint before I took the picture (sorry, it smelled so yummy).

I only had a few ingredients left after a big night so i thought try mixing them. pour 1 Oz Sambuca then pour 4 Oz pineapple juice stir then add 1 Oz vodk

0.25oz Melon liqueur 0.25oz Sour Raspberry 1oz vodka 3oz lime sour mix 1oz soda water

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