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Knocking Back Moonshine with Max Watman

Melissa — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:40 +0000

Max Watman, journalist and the author of Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw’s Adventures in Moonshine, is coming to Seattle to provide a “Drinking Lesson,” to 12 lucky guests at the Sorrento Hotel, this Sunday, February 28th. We asked Watman a few questions about his new book, his obsession with moonshine, and his thoughts on the current micro-distillery movement.

I love how you have written about the significance of moonshine as a
part of American culture. Do you wonder if there would be as much
drama involved, had it always been legal? What benefits, if any, do
you think there would have been?

If making spirits had never been criminalized, the nation would be
entirely different. The first tax levied on American citizens was a
tax on whiskey, and moonshine is nothing more than untaxed spirit made
on an unregistered still. If we’d never levied that tax, perhaps the
implication would be that Thomas Jefferson’s vision of the yeoman
farmer might have prevailed, rather than the corporatized economy that
Alexander Hamilton argued for. That would have changed every moment of
American history. But lets not go that far — we can assume that
Hamilton would have thought of something else to tax. Same thing for
the IRS — very high on the list of things the IRS was created to tax
was whiskey, but we can assume that they would have taxed cotton and
corn and income and so forth to repay the debt of the civil war. Legal
moonshine might have meant no organized crime, or much less of it,
because Prohibition was the real turning point. For Meyer Lansky, and
all the other recognizable founding fathers of American Organized
Crime, prohibition turned them into a full-time gangsters.
To understand the benefits and costs today, you’ve got to divide the
world of illicit spirits into two camps — if making your own spirits
were legal, there’d be a whole lot of hobbyists enjoying themselves
more openly. On the other hand, there continues to be a vast black
market for illegal hooch of the lowest quality. That stuff shouldn’t
be legal, because it shouldn’t be legal to sell people poison.

What tied you to this subject? Why this fascination with “America’s
vice?”What preconceived notions were dispelled once you started doing
your research on moonshine?

Key to my interest in this topic was how surprised I was once I
started learning the truth about things. The spark for me came when I
found an article about a still that had exploded — or been blown up —
in Philadelphia in 2002. There were 6 stills in a brick warehouse,
each of which had a 500 gallon capacity. That’s enough to capacity to
put 4,200 gallons of moonshine on the street every week. Preconceived
notions about moonshine involve overalls, crooked shotguns, and
hillbillies sleeping by a stream. 4,200 gallons of moonshine in
Philadelphia in 2002? That’s a surprise, and the surprises just kept
coming, it was a very exciting book to research and write.

You have been writing your whole life about a wide range of topics
from Nascar to horse racing and now moonshine. It’s super uncanny
timing to release a book during our current cocktail revolution – was
this planned or purely serendipitous?

Pure luck. Then again, this speaks to the surprises I mentioned just
above. A lot of what I did for this book involved legitimate
distilleries, micro-distilleries, and cocktails, and and everywhere I
went there were people taking spirits very seriously. It’s been an
incredible decade for drinking. It’s no longer enough to have a bottle
opener and some sugar water. I remain amazed that I can walk into a
bar and order something as perfect as an Aviation cocktail with
Aviation Gin. That’s more than a drink, it’s a little piece of
collaborative art.

The dedication of the book to your mom reads “For my mom, who
undoubtedly had something better in mind.” What did she have in mind?

My mom would say she just wants me to be happy, I’m sure, because
that’s what moms say. But a lot of this book took place on the fringes
of society. Moms don’t want their boys chasing down illegal liquor in
rural Virginia. She doesn’t want to hear that I’m trying to infiltrate
a federal trial. She doesn’t want me to call her up and say that I’m
drinking beer in a barn with a guy who is looking at a stretch in the
federal penitentiary. She’s my mom, she doesn’t care how fast a race
car goes.

With the surge in new distilleries and new licensing, what
unexpected benefits do you think will emerge? What global affect do
you think it might have?

The benefits are many: there’s natural, immediate benefits on the
shelves of the liquor stores — we get to drink better, more
interesting stuff. What’s more, we have small, honest companies making
products carefully, tied to their local agricultural communities, and
tied to their customers. In Upstate New York, Harvest Spirits made a
whole batch of pear brandy out of their neighbor’s crop, which had
been damaged by hail. That farmer was looking at a very bad year, and
they helped turn it around. Pigs in Palisade eat the spent bourbon
mash from the Peach Street Distillery, which in turn buys fruit from
the local farmers. House Spirits has teamed with an Oregon farmer to
grow barley.

It seems that many bartenders across America are taking their jobs
very seriously these days. Their attention to detail, the quality of
ingredients and what they wear behind the bar seems to play apart in
bartending today. Would you agree with that?

People often long for the golden age of drinking, whenever they think
it might have been, but I think we’re in it.

What could the American beer or wine industry learn from your
research about the micro distillery?

Inside everything they make there is booze.

You are going to be making an appearance next week at Michael Hebb’s
Nightschool series, “Drinking Lessons,” what cocktail creations will
you be making for everyone? Do you have a favorite liquor, or a spirit
that you are into at the moment?

I’ll be there with Christian Krogstad from House Spirits and we’re
going to make some great white whiskey drinks. We’re making a John
Collins, a predecessor to the Tom Collins. A fantastic White
Manhattan. We’re going to make a side by side comparison of a drink I
created called the Coffee Lace — I named it that because that’s what
coal miners would call their moonshine spiked coffee — we’ll make one
with white dog and we’ll make one with vodka. I think people will be
amazed at how different they are. We’re going to taste some white
liquor next to some age whiskey, and talk about which flavors are
inherent to the distillate and which come from the barrel. It’s going
to be a lot of fun.

Besides moonshine, I hear you are really into food as well. I’m
thrilled you are thinking of writing a book on Jewish cooking in the
South. Can you tell me more about that?

A very large part of the immigrant experience has to do with food. For
Jews, it’s more than the flavors of home, it’s a system of rules —
it’s very interesting to me the way those rules are abided by or
eschewed, and the way those decisions affect assimilation. When I
moved out to the country, there were no Jews there. I was the only
Jewish kid in my school, and for many of the kids there I was the
first Jew they’d ever met. It wasn’t easy.
We did a great job with food — we sourced the Shenandoah valley for
well raised meats and sold them in the city. We made goat cheese. I
did not do all that well at assimilating. I want to explore the Jewish
population centers, surprising pockets of Judaism throughout the
South, and I want to cook my way through that adventure.

Lastly, what trends in cocktails, spirits and/or bars do you see for 2010?

I think that we’ve made our point: cocktails should be carefully
constructed, artful things. Now, I think, we’re going to see a return
to fun. I think we’ll see a blending of attitudes. It’s important to
be able to get a shot and a beer.

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10 Great Cocktails for New Year’s

Sheri Wetherell — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:25:30 +0000

What better to way to the year than with a cocktail bang! We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite classic and not-so-classic (but darn good!) cocktails for you to whip up on the 31st. 2009 celebrates the 100 anniversary of the Classic Daquiri, so we’ve started the list with this sadly misunderstood and misinterpreted libation:

The Classic Daiquiri
This is not the fru fru blended concoction we’ve all had at tropical beach resorts. Somehow, things got lost along the way and we unapologetically got used to drinking icy Kool-Aid versions of this classic cocktail, which I’m sure has made Hemingway toss and turn in his grave. The original is an effortless blend of white rum, fresh lime juice, simple syrup and garnished with a lime.
Sazerac (Erik Hakkinen’s version)
Well-known Seattle bartender Erik Hakkinen created this version of the classic New Orleans cocktail with rye.
Hot Charlotte
The Hot Charlotte is a curious blend of muddled cucumber, Tobasco, Hendrick’s gin and St. Germain (a French elderflower liqueur).
The Jasmine Cocktail
Famous bartender Paul Harrington based this beverage on the classic Pegu Club cocktail. Paul decided to mix it up a bit when a customer, Matt Jasmine, had asked for something a little different. He added a decanter-style bitters called Campari, thus creating the Jasmine.
Cin Cin
Beautiful in its simplicity, this cocktail is an unexpectedly pleasant combination of both dry and sweet vermouth.
The French 75
An intoxicating champagne cocktail named after a French 75-millimeter gun used in World War I. Debates abound as to whether it is a French creation or American. Supposedly, the champagne version was introduced at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in 1925.
The Pepper Smash
This delicious cocktail is a combination of gin, mint, bell pepper honey and lemon juice all muddled together and then strained over fresh ice. Our friend described it as “what the mad hatter drinks for breakfast – whimsical and savory sweet.”
Douglas Fir Sparkletini
Our friend, master mixologist Kathy Casey, whipped up this fabulous foresty concoction for us at Night School’s Drinking Lessons one evening. A beautiful blend of Douglas fur-infused gin, champagne and cranberry juice. Yum!
Kir Royale
All you need is Creme de Cassis and champagne to make this wonderful classic!
Sparkling Pomegranate Ginger Cocktail
A combination of pomegranate liquor, ginger syrup, candied ginger pieces and champagne make a flavorful and tasty concoction!

Go to Foodista for more great cocktail recipes!

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!!

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Infused Vodka

helen — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:04:41 +0000

There’s nothing quite like popping the cork from bottle of fine champagne at midnight on New Year’s Eve, but cocktails are the name of the game for most of the evening. Flavored (infused) liquor is an excellent way to add extra pizazz to cocktails without really trying.

Almost any spirit can be infused, though vodka seems to be the most popular. Substituting infused vodka for plain vodka in standard cocktails adds an entirely new dimension to the drink, while recipes created with that particular flavor in mind fully highlight the vodka’s intricacies.

The popular flavored vodkas on the US market tend to be sweet or fruity, but spicy, savory flavors add unexpected punch to drinks. One of my favorites is pepper vodka, or pertsovka; the heat of the peppers masks the burn of the alcohol and adds an entirely new character to any vodka-containing beverage.

Flavored vodka is also incredibly simple to make at home and allows for unusual and unique flavor combinations, like anise or coriander, that aren’t available at the liquor store. And, if you’re a little late with holiday presents, a prettily-packaged bottle of homemade good cheer makes an excellent gift.

The process is essentially marinating fruits, vegetables, herbs or spices in alcohol for a period of time so that the alcohol absorbs the food’s character. Keep in mind that some infusions can take weeks for the flavors to fully merge, though stronger flavors, such as vanilla, citrus, garlic, and most herbs, will be palatable after a few days– just in time for New Year’s Eve.

I recently made a batch of ginger-infused vodka. To make your own, put a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger into a 750-mL bottle and let it sit for a few days, shaking periodically. After extensive quality control, I’ve determined that the fresh yet classic flavor of ginger is perfect for a New Year’s Eve Martini or a hair-of-the-dog New Year’s morning Bloody Mary.

Cheers!

Inspiration:

Build/Craft/Make/Bake: DIY Infused Vodka
Stereotropical: Blackberry-Vanilla Infused Vodka
Infusions of Grandeur: Garlic Vodka
Vodka Recipes Blog: Recipes with Lemon Vodka
Bigos Bar: Vodka Recipes
Vegan Cocktails: Spicy Monkey Beer
Brownie Points Blog: Homemade Bacon Vodka

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National Eggnog Month

Carrie — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:57:57 +0000

Nobody knows why December is National Eggnog Month. It makes sense that it is, but there is no association that declared it as such and no presidential proclamation. But all the same I think we are all willing to celebrate this holiday! At least those of us who love the drink, it’s one of those things where you like it or you hate it. If you have never tried it homemade, I ask you to try it. Just once.

And for the record, December 24 is National Eggnog Day, but really, it needs more than one day.

For those of you that aren’t aware of what makes up this delicious drink, it is made of milk, cream, sugar, eggs (which make it frothy), topped with cinnamon and nutmeg. It is also commonly served with alcohol such as cognac, whisky, brandy, and rum.

George Washington, our first president, was actually a big fan of eggnog way back in the day. He had his own recipe that incorporated brandy, rum, whisky, and sherry. From what we hear, it’s a very strong drink. Try one of the recipes below. Nothing would be more relaxing than reclining with an eggnog cocktail on a chilly winter’s night.

Eggnog Recipes:

Perfect Eggnog from Confessions of a Tart

Traditional Eggnog, Sans Salmonella from ireallylikefood

Eggnog Fudge from The Recipe Girl

Eggnog Latte from Savory Sweet Life

Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Photo by izik.

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Holiday Drinking Lessons

Barnaby Dorfman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:29:17 +0000

We’re live blogging from the Sorrento Hotel here in Seattle tonight in a holiday sesion of Night School’s Drinking Lessons. Anu and Zane are the guest instructor/bartenders tonight and they are focusing on cocktails made with Spanish Sherry. We’ll be live-blogging and posting cocktail recipes to Foodista as the evening develops. Follow along here.

This amazing image greeted us when we arrived at the Sorrento tonight:

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Thanksgiving Cocktails

Melissa — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:55:21 +0000

So you are going to have a house full of guests and you know that everyone is going to arrive starving and looking for a something to drink. What better way to keep Uncle Ned’s fingers out of the kitchen then with a drink in his hand? While the turkey is finishing in the oven, welcome your guests this holiday with some festive pre-dinner cocktails. Here some Thanksgiving cocktails to warm up your guests before the feast!

Hot Buttered Cranberry Cider

Lola Cocktail

The Carte Blanche from Embury Cocktails

The Gobble-tini from Campus Talk

Grown Up Apple Cider from The Kitchn

And for dessert, pair your pumpkin pie with an Afternoon Cocktail or a Holiday Eggnog.

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Tonight Chef and Mixologist Kathy Casey at Nightschool

Melissa — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:42:01 +0000

Nightschool’s Drinking Lessons continues with celebrity chef and mixologist, Kathy Casey tonight at 6 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. at the Sorrento Hotel’s Hunt Club bar. Considered a pioneer of the bar-chef movement, Kathy will educate and entertain 24 lucky attendees while serving up what’s hot in cocktail culture. Kathy is the owner of Kathy Casey Food Studios® and Liquid Kitchen™. She is the author of nine cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-nominated Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table.

Nothing could coincide more perfectly for the cocktail revolution happening today than her most recent release, Sips and Apps, a sexy cocktail and appetizer cookbook.

Follow along on Foodista and Nightschool Twitter and on the Nightschool Blog for real time reporting of Kathy’s creations. All the cocktail recipes Kathy shakes up tonight will be available on Foodista.com.

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Halloween Cocktails

Melissa — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:34:32 +0000

Recently, I posted a blog about non-alcoholic Halloween drinks for kids but as we all know, Halloween is just as much a holiday for adults as it is for kids. Instead of bringing spooky cupcakes or Halloween truffles to your Halloween gathering this weekend, mix up some creepy cocktail concoctions to share with your adult guests.

Dressing up? Bring a special potion that goes with the theme of your costume. For example, if you are going as Don Draper, you should probably bring the ingredients to make an Old Fashioned. Going as a vampire? A Bloody Mary is more than fitting. Want to bring enough for a crew? Here is a list of Halloween cocktails that are to die for!

More Cocktail Inspiration
Cocktail Culture- Absithe Cocktail
Sloshed!- Hard Pumpkin Cider
Nightschool-Professional bartenders share their secrets
Vintage Cocktails on Facebook

Above photo by TangoPango

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Time to Belly Up to the Bar with Erik Hakkinen

Melissa — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:52:09 +0000

Once again, the Foodista team will belly up to the bar for another Drinking Lesson, this time the teacher is Erik Hakkinen, a bartender at Seattle’s infamous Zig Zag Cafe , the same bar you will also find legendary Murray Stenson shaking things up. Hakkinen will be stirring, muddling and mixing to a sold-out crowd tonight at the Sorrento Hotel’s Hunt Club bar. He may be young, but he has already made quite the name for himself. Check out why bar nerds are taking notice of Hakkinen.

Follow us tonight on twitter, the hash tag #drinkinglessons and we’ll also be posting on the Night School blog: http://www.foodista.com/nightschool/

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Next Up for Drinking Lessons Robert Hess

Melissa — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:34:10 +0000

Drinking Lessons, a Night School event continues this Sunday, September 20th with Robert Hess behind the bar at the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle. At 6 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Hess will mix, muddle and stir for 24 lucky attendees sitting around the smooth mahogany bar at the Hunt Club that is inside the swanky Sorrento Hotel.

Seattlite Robert Hess is founder of the Chanticleer Society, author of The Essential Bartender’s Guide: How to Make Truly Great Cocktails and operator of Drink Boy.com.

Want to go? Email nightschool@hotelsorrento.com for reservations.

Can’t go but want to follow via the virtual bar? Go to http://www.foodista.com/nightschool/ on Sunday night!

Cheers!

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Fresh Peach Bellini

Sheri Wetherell — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:00:20 +0000

What do you get when you puree a delicious, succulent peach and marry it with a lovely dry Prosecco? A glorious tasting Fresh Peach Bellini, the perfect complement to a warm summer evening. We kept our puree a bit thick (not unlike the consistency of baby food – in fact, the puree itself would make great baby food!) as we wanted to retain all the sweet and juicy flavors of the fruit. The result was an almost smoothie-like beverage (for an adult, that is!). Frothy and refreshing! Just another great way to use all those scrumptious peaches that are now in season.

Other tasty peach recipes to tickle the tongue:

Dana McCauley’s Food Blog: Peach and Tomato Salad
Julie Jam’s Delicious Summer Peach Crisp
Whisk’s Honey-Peach Ice Cream
Cafe Fernando’s Peach Tart With Almonds and Maple Syrup
Patty’s Pantry Peach Salsa

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Mad About Mad Men

Sheri Wetherell — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:43:38 +0000

I am addicted to Mad Men. The first few episodes though I found myself yelling at the men’s chauvinist behavior and encouraging the women to stop biting their tongues (”Tell him to kiss off!”). If I had been an adult during that era I’d like to think I’d have been a bra burner, or maybe just have had the courage to deliver a proper tongue lashing to a sexist fool. I’d love to travel back in time and tell a handful of them where they can stick their 11 a.m. Scotch.

But I am mad about Mad Men. I love the show. Now my yells are at the end of each episode – “More! More!” It’s brilliantly written, the costumes and coiffed hair are fabulous, and the cocktails (swilled with reckless abandon) I believe are creating a stir (pardon the bartending pun) amongst the vintage beverage-loving set. I include myself in that category.

To celebrate another episode (yes, it indeed is worth celebrating) we mixed up some Don and Betty favorites. For him, an Old Fashioned, for her a Gimlet. Did you know the Old Fashioned was the first drink to be called a cocktail? And the Gimlet was named after a naval surgeon, Gimlette, who encouraged his sailors to drink the concoction to prevent scurvy. Tough medicine! Both are counted amongst the six basic cocktails.

Here’s to the Drapers, and here are the recipes:

Photo: thebittenword.com

Others as mad as I about Mad Men:

The Food Librarian: Mad Med Dutch Cinnamon Apple Cake from 1963 New York Times
Ezra Pound Cake: Mad Men Premiere Party Menu
Brokelyn: Scary food from the Mad Men era

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Night School Begins

Melissa — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:16:32 +0000

It’s not surprising that a food renaissance should naturally bring with it a drink renaissance. For several years now, a bar or restaurant’s signature cocktail has become more than an over-priced martini with a fancy name at the top of the drink list, a bar’s signature cocktail is now as important as the day’s menu specials and just as creative. Today’s liquid infusions are methodical recipes crafted by professionals. Just like chefs experimenting with reductions, bartenders/mixologists are creating just as much of a stir when it comes to developing flavors.

At 5:50 and again at 8:00 p.m. tonight at the Sorrento Hotel, Ryan Magarian, one of America’s top mixologists will be measuring, mixing and shaking things up for a very lucky audience of 12 for an ongoing cocktail class series aptly called Drinking Lessons, a Night School event inspired by Seattle artist Michael Hebb. If you can’t fly or drive into Seattle to sit at Sorrento’s 100-year old bar and watch and learn from the nation’s best cocktail creators, you can follow each Night School bartender at www.foodista.com/nightschool and see photos, interviews and get recipes in real-time via Foodista.

If you are planning to be in the Seattle area and want to get your hands onto some Night School tickets, email the Sorrento at nightschool@hotelsorrento.com

Above Photo: Mixologist Ryan Margarian

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Lemon Lavender Martini

Sheri Wetherell — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:00:22 +0000

It’s Friday and you know what that means. It means we get to kick back, put our feet up, and pat ourselves on the back for doing such a fine job all week. What better way to celebrate your goodness (and take a well-deserved load off) than to sip a lovely cocktail in your sunny backyard. I’ve got the drink for you (the yard is up to you). It’s a delicious Lemon Lavender Martini.

What inspired me was the beautiful lavender bushes in our yard. I looked longingly at them one evening, knowing that soon I would have to cut them back, and commented on how they looked pretty enough to eat (or drink!) So we cut off a bunch of stems and made a lavender infused simple syrup. With our simple syrup we mixed in vodka, a splash of fresh lemon juice, and gave it a shake with ice. Adjust the syrup citrus ratio according to taste.

Now there’s some lemon lavender love for you.

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Cantaloupe Cucumber Mint Cocktail

Melissa — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:55:07 +0000

Instead of a cool berry daiquiri for a hot summer night, Mark and I tried a new combination of flavors; cool cucumber, cantaloupe and fresh mint blended with ice, lime and rum. I think this little cocktail might be that much better with vodka or gin.

Here’s the recipe:

Pulse it in the blender until smooth. Then strain the juice into a martini glass and garnish with a cucumber and cantaloupe slice. Cheers to summer!

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