Coming down from our New Orleans high. Lisa’s googling “rent-a-father.” Complete Tales summary page. Tales tally. “If it’s Hotmail, I don’t trust you.” Check out our vermouth page. We taste 3 types of La Quintinye Vermouth Royal. “Last night I made you a gin Martini.”
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Over half a century ago on Mexican Independence Day (September 16), Don Francisco Javier Sauza (yeah that same Sauza), created Hornitos tequila, an aromatic 100% blue agave experience that’s sweet and calming with a little bit of bite.
Hornitos Plata. This is Hornitos’ unaged tequila (“plata” is Spanish for silver). Plata has never made contact with wood barrels, so it’s a clear tequila. Because of its young age, Plata is more of an herbal and floral experience in the smell and taste. This is agave at its purest: very sweet, crisp and clean.
Hornitos Reposado. This “rested” tequila has an aromatic rush of blue agave, unexpected and exciting. The sting in the air that is immediately present in the nose of other tequilas is non-existent here. Instead, a sweet, calming waft of blue agave gets your attention. The flavor is mellow and very smooth, with a bit of welcome spice. Not a tequila I would associate with taking shots, Hornitos Reposado is smooth enough to sip, and enjoy the warmth in your chest of a nice, aged tequila.
Hornitos Reposado will run you $25 and Hornitos Plata, $20. The flavors of both are subtle, and though they’d be fine cocktail tequilas, I will likely enjoy Hornitos Reposado more often as a sipping tequila. The Plata is a little more floral and herbal than I’d prefer.
The driver picked us up from the airport and asked us where we all were from, I could tell Greg was a bit hesitant to tell him “Albuquerque.” Once he did, the conversation went from remarks of how long the distance was to what I can only think was confusion in the driver’s geography. He skipped around from saying he loved “Cancun, New Mexico” and all those beautiful beaches to talking about his quick trip through Deming (which actually is in NM). After telling him this was in fact our first visit he turned to me and said: “Baby girl I’m sorry to say this but your gonna gain some weight on this visit……here in New Orleans, we like are girls to look like bell peppers.” I figured that was the most accurate thing he has said so far.
My Tales of the Cocktail trip was not 100% full of excitement or eagerness, but more like self consciousness and anxiety (despite taking cbd gummies to try for anxiety). Let’s face it, I was more then a little bit out of my element. If you’ve listened to our podcast you’ll realize my place: I’m your average at-home cocktail party host who’s not too bad at salting that mug and poring the refreshing Corona ever so smoothly. The one who up until recently would order a more-dirty-than-vodka martini. I’m the timid bar guest who thinks that cocktails can taste like bitter dish water….. but I’m probably just not drinking it right (or fast enough). Continue reading
For the first time ever, Lisa and I went to Tales of the Cocktail! Tales is the world’s premiere cocktail event – about 20,000 people head to New Orleans for the week-long annual show in July. Attendees are usually bartenders, writers, liquor brand reps, craft cocktail enthusiasts, public relations folks, marketing people, “founders” of the craft cocktail movement – even restaurateurs or hospitality folks.
Though we had a good idea of what to expect from the event from the schedule we’d received, it’s hard to summarize the vibe of Tales until you’re in the midst of it. For 5 days, we learned, partied, ate, and drank our way through the conference, and here’s what I thought of the experience:
My Favorite Parts
My Biggest Surprises
Continue reading
In our fourth and final podcast episode from Tales of the Cocktail 2015, we interview Sean Kenyon (owner of the Best American Cocktail Bar 2015), Alex Stein of Monkey 47 Gin, Natalie from Beautiful Booze, Brian Weber from Bartender Journey, Darren Geraghty, and Neal from Cure.
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Greg and Lisa podcast from Tales of the Cocktail 2015! In this episode, we interview Camper English, Tanya Cohn, Ivy Mix, Dale Degroff, Prairie Rose, and Philip Dobard. WHAT A DAY!
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Greg and Lisa podcast from Tales of the Cocktail 2015! Interviews include Ted Breaux, Derrick Schommer, and Andrew Marin, plus we do a little bit of the “usual” New Orleans stuff!
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If you enjoyed the show, please tell us so by writing an iTunes review. Thank you!
Greg and Lisa podcast from Tales of the Cocktail 2015! Interviews include Erick Castro, Chris McMillian, David Wondrich, Warren Bobrow, Konrad Kantor, and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson.
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If you enjoyed the show, please tell us so by writing an iTunes review. Thank you!
“Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.” -St. Francis de Sales
This is one of many quotes that begins each chapter of Jennifer Crilley’s 2014 book The Seeker’s Guide to Bartending. The Seeker’s Guide is similar to the “For Dummies” series, acknowledging that readers have basic bartending skills and are working towards their goal of being a bartender.
An easy read, The Seeker’s Guide incorporates Crilley’s personal stories of challenges, joys, and spiritual growth as a bartender. It’s helpful to know that the book was written by someone who has spent twelve years tending bar.
The book is very relatable, and each short chapter is filled with personal insights, fun facts, illustrations, simple tips, scientific facts, and perspective shifts. To top it all off, a related activity is placed at the end of each chapter for the readers application. You’ll find everything from insight into how to be a better bartender to overcoming fear, controlling emotions and interacting with customers, to managing tip expectations and money management.
The Seeker’s Guide to Bartending could really be called New Age Bartending based on the content – Crilley writes from personal experience with the clear intention of sharing this knowledge with hopeful bartenders. This is a great read for the up-and-coming bartender. Buy The Seeker’s Guide to Bartending here.
Editor’s note: this is the first post by our new team member Andrew Moore. Welcome to Simple Cocktails, Andrew!
Grey Goose fights a tough fight on a regular basis. For something legally defined as tasteless and odorless, there is a wide variety that you find in vodkas. Most people can tell the difference between a “cheap” gas-station vodka and a “premium” vodka, and the manufacturers of both work hard to make their clear substance stand out from the competition.
At $35-40 a bottle, Grey Goose is arguably the most recognizable premium vodka brand. It’s certainly got a great flavor, and with Lisa being my best vodka taster (since she has a better palate for it), Grey Goose is one of her favorites. There’s a natural, subtle sweetness in Grey Goose that comes from the French wheat that’s used in it’s distillate, like a touch of vanilla and almond. You’ll also find it still retains some of the familiar “burn” that you’ve experienced with other vodkas, too.
Le Melon is the newest of the Grey Goose flavors, made from French Cavaillon melons. By the flavor, a cavaillon is a close relative to the cantaloupe, though we found the flavor to be something like a cantaloupe and watermelon mix. Grey Goose’s flavors is something that the company does best – sticking with traditional vodka flavors like citrus and vanilla, and as far as I can tell, taking care not to sweeten these flavors (they remain at 40% abv). They’re quality enough and are perfectly pleasant to sip neat or on the rocks.
Vodka is a polarizing substance in the world of craft cocktails. Heck, Death & Co. released a cocktail book without a single vodka cocktail in it. Regardless of that, there is certainly a place for premium vodkas in the market, and Grey Goose continues to solidify their role with quality products at a reasonable – though premium – price.
We also tasted Grey Goose and Le Melon on the Simple Cocktails Podcast. Click here to listen.
