Rock & Rye

The Manhattan. Probably one of my favorite cocktails and one that is open to almost endless tweaks and variations, while still remaining distinguishable as a Manhattan. This particular variation is one of our house cocktails at the Oyster Bar, and really shows the versatility of this classic cocktail.

While at first glance chai and bourbon may not seem like a likely pairing, the flavors of chai and vermouth pair extremely well, and a nice high proof bourbon ties the sweetness together perfectly. Cheers!

Park Avenue Manhattan
1 oz Chai-Infused Vermouth
2 oz Bourbon (90 proof or higher preferred)
3 dashes Orange Bitters

Chai-Infused Vermouth
750ml Dolin Blanc Vermouth
3oz (by volume) loose Chai
Steep in covered container for 24 hrs. Strain through coffee filter and bottle. Refridgerate infused vermouth for up to one month.

Originally posted by Darcy O’Neil, of the famed Art of Drink website, this is the top 100 liquid items you should consume before kicking the bucket. I say items, because some of these cannot really be classified as beverages in the traditional sense of the word. If you want to give it a shot and try all one hundred, please do. It’s great fun.

Since originally posting this in November of 2008, I have jumped to 83 of 100 items consumed or tasted in my lifetime. Here’s to an exploratory next couple of years.  Cheers!

List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
15. Chateau d’Yquem
16. Budwieser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
21. Mai Tai (original)
22. Ice Wine (Canadian)
23. Red Bull
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
26. Tokaji
27. Chicory
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup (unfortunately I have had the pleasure of this unique Canadian product)
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Ice Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate
64. German Riesling
65. Pina Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guiness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)

And by town I mean Vancouver, BC. In just over 6 weeks time, bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts from around the US and Canada will once again be gathering together at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.

“Vancouver is such a rich, vibrant cocktail city. We couldn’t help but come back for a second year”, said Ann Tuennerman, Founder of Tales of the Cocktail®. “With all the friends we’ve made north of the border, it’s really become our home away from home.”

This year the festivities have grown, and will include five tasting rooms, Meet the Maker, a specialty coffee bar and the Mott’s Clamato Caesar Bar. In addition there are 6 fantastic seminars that are sure to provide excellent information. In the evenings, guests will attend parties, and take part in a pub crawl that highlights some of Vancouver’s best restaurants and bartenders. In short, this is an event that you will not want to miss.

This year I am extremely happy to be covering this event as media. I will be attending everything I can, taking pictures as well as frantically scribbling notes, making sure that I can soak in as much as I can. If you are a cocktail enthusiast, or bartender in the Pacific Northwest, I would highly encourage you to check out this event. It is a great way to get involved in the fantastic community that surrounds our area! If you do come, drop me a note so I can make sure we meet up. Cheers!

This last Friday, Beam Inc, purchased the Cooley Distillery, the last remaining Irish owned distillery, for about $95 million. Cooley owns and produces the Kilbeggan, Connemar, Tyrconnell and Greenore brands, and operates two distilleries, Kilbeggan in County Westmeath and Cooley in County Louth.

Beam said Cooley’s status as one of only three sources for Irish whiskey, and the only independent company, makes the acquisition a compelling chance to get into one of the industry’s highest growth categories. Beam shares rose 35 cents to $50 in morning trading Friday. Its shares are up from a 52-week low of $42.30 in early October.

In the last year, Irish whiskey sales have grown 11.5%. Beam’s acquisition of Cooley will allow them to bring those products to a much wider audience, as well as hopefully to inject some cash in to an Irish economy that has been struggling for the past couple of years. This purchase, coupled with Pernod-Ricard’s €100 Million expansion of the Middleton distillery will hopefully boost Irish Whiskey back into the prominence it deserves.

While it’s sad to think that there are no remaining Irish distillers out there, it takes cash to produce a product, and global spirits companies are able to bring products to a wide variety of people who otherwise would know nothing about them. And hey, you never know, but just maybe we will see a resurgence of smaller craft distillers popping up in Ireland.