A few words on the juice from our pal Forrest Cokely:

Angel’s Envy is the blossoming vision of a Whiskey Icon–Lincoln Henderson. Lincoln, after his long and illustrious tenure at the top of the Whiskey world, wanted to do something different, something new, something special enough for him to put his signature on the bottle.

Cue Angel’s Envy:

A huge THANK YOU to Lincoln Henderson and Danny Hagendorn for taking the time to share it with us!

Baklava syrup- pistachio orgeat with orange flower water and honey and salt. Figure it out.

Next month’s meeting is Monday, May 7th featuring Regional/Azunia Tequila.

To help maintain quality of service, presentation, space, food and drink we must insist on RSVP’s. This month’s meeting location is small so we are limiting the accepted RSVP’s to 30. Email info@bartenderscabinet.com if you ‘d like to attend. The meeting location will be emailed upon RSVP to the first 30 responders.

FARMERS MARKET PUNCH
3 Parts (3/4 oz) Rhum CLEMENT Creole Shrubb
3 Parts (3/4 oz) Rhum CLEMENT VSOP
2 Parts (3/4 oz) J Wittys Chamomile Liquor
3 Parts (3/4 oz) Oro Blanco Juice
2 Parts (3/4 oz) Blood Orange Juice
2 Parts (3/4 oz) Meyer Lemon Juice
To taste (2 Dashes) Orange Blossom Water
To taste (2 Dashes) Cocktail Kingdom Falernum Bitters
Stir ingredients serve over ice.

WHITE LILY
1 oz Rhum CLEMENT Premiere Canne
3/4 oz St. George Terroir Gin
3/4 oz Rhum CLEMENT Creole Shrubb
a hard dash of absinthe
Shake with ice, Serve up
Micro plane tangerine zest for garnish

The White Lily is a cocktail from the Savoy Cocktail Book. It was named after the white lily, which is used to say: Purity, modesty, virginity, majesty, “it’s heavenly to be with you”: and is linked to Juno, the queen of the gods in Roman mythology, by the story that says while nursing her son Hercules, some excess milk fell from the sky creating the group of stars we call the Milky Way, and lilies were created from what milk fell to the earth.

COOL HEAD COCKTAIL
Muddle together
7 tarragon leaves
4 coriander seeds
1/4 of a lime cut into pieces
1 inch tangerine peel and
A heaping bar spoon of Rhum CLEMENT Sirop de Canne
Add 1 1/2 oz CUCA Fresca Cachaca
Add ice and shake well
Double strain into a rocks glass with ice
Garnish with Tangerine peel cut into a disc and a sprig of tarragon.

CUCA Fresca translates into ‘Cool-Head’; if you have a ‘Cool Head’ this drink will help you keep it, and if you don’t this drink will help you get one.

CANDY
3/4 cup Rhum CLEMENT Creole Shrubb reduction
2 cups granulated sugar
1 scant tbsp baking soda
1/4 cup water
12 ounces semi sweet chocolate
1 tbsp shortening
Rhum CLEMENT Creole Shrubb & Rhum CLEMENT VSOP

Preparation:
-reduce creole shrubb on medium heat by at least half until syrup consistency is reached when cooled.
1. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine the sugar, shrubb reduction and ¼ cup water in a large saucepan. You want to use a saucepan large enough so that the mixture can triple in size and still be safely contained. Stir the ingredients together until the sugar is completely moistened.
3. Insert a candy thermometer and cook the mixture over medium-high heat, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 300 degrees.
4. Once the candy is at the proper temperature, remove it from the heat and add the baking soda all at once. Immediately whisk the candy to incorporate the baking soda. Take caution it may foam up.
5. As soon as the baking soda is incorporated, pour the candy carefully onto the prepared sheet.
6. Allow it to cool and harden completely, then break it into small pieces. Honeycomb can be eaten as-is, or you can dip it in chocolate:

CHOCOLATE COATING- in double boiler over med-low heat melt 12 oz semi sweet chocolate and a teaspoon of shortening. Mix well and add some creole shrubb and vieux to taste.
- dip candy pieces into chocolate and put in fridge to chill.

Overall, another superior meeting thanks to the SIDE Door, Rhum CLEMENT and CUCA Fresca Cachaca. We laughed, we learned, we drank and gnoshed like kings and most of all–we are better for it. Thanks for coming together OCBC!

Now mark your calendars: Next months meeting is Monday, April 2nd and will feature Angels Envy Bourbon and be presented by industry legend and all around great guy Lincoln Henderson. This will be a very exhilarating meeting—definitely not to be missed!

To help maintain quality of service, presentation, space, food and drink we must insist on RSVP’s and we are limiting the accepted RSVP’s to 60. So get your RSVP in early and send it to info@bartenderscabinet.com if you’re planning on attending, let us know if something comes up so we can make your spot available to someone else if you can’t make it. See you then! The meeting location will be emailed upon RSVP to the first 60 responders.

Cocktail-centric Paintings by Matt Talbert

Check out OCBC member Matt Talbert’s Art Show this Thursday, March 1st at 5:30pm at Neat!

114 North Pacific Avenue, Glendale, CA

This bar is amazing and worth the drive, plus our friend Marcos Tello will be there with Bols Genever!

KCRW Good Food-OC Weekly Happy Hour

Come cheer on your fellow OCBC members and support great cocktails in Orange County!

Tuesday, March 13th at 7pm

Memphis, 201 North Broadway, Santa Ana

Check out updates from OC Weekly here: Stick a Fork in It

The venue and food were handled by 320 Main and Beverages were provided by Anchor Distilling in the form of 5 varied punches and a myriad of beautiful products to try..

The Welcome Punch:
Serge Gainsbourg Punch—by Maurice Chevalier IV

2 Parts (750ml) Chateau du Breuil FINE Calvados
2 Parts (750ml) Christian Drouin Coeur de Lion Pommeau de Normandie
1 Part (375ml) Christian Drouin Calvados Coeur de Lion Selection
1 Part (375ml) King’s Ginger
2 Parts (750ml) Shrub ***
5 Dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
***Make an Oleo Saccharum with the Zest of 7 Myer Lemons & 14 oz. Muscovado Sugar (Philippines)
Then Incorporate the juice form all the Myer lemons back into the Oleo Saccharum ( peels removed.) to make the Shrub.

Punch #1
‘Umm Punch’—by Ricky Yarnell
6 Parts (1.5 oz) coconut and cactus infused Chinaco Anejo***
6 Parts (1.5 oz) Chamomile tea (room temperature)
1 Part (.25 oz) Amontillado Sherry
1 Part (.25 oz) Batavia Arrack
1 Part (.25 oz) agave nectar
2 Part (.5 oz) coconut water
Serve over ice
Lime peel and frozen coconut chunk garnish
*** Infused Chinaco Anejo ***
Grill the flesh of one whole coconut, and one cactus paddle (thorns removed) until there is a fair amount of char on all sides
Allow to cool, and place into a vacuum seal bag with one 750ml bottle of Chinaco Anejo
Seal the bag, and place in a hot water bath at 83.5c for 30 mins
Remove from hot water bath and allow to cool again before cutting open the sealed bag
Strain out the solids

Punch #2
Celebration Punch—by Forrest Cokely
2 Parts Pink Pigeon Rum
2 Parts Miniola Juice
1 Part Sathenay Creme de Cassis
1 Part No 3 Gin
2 Parts Soda Water
Bar Code Lavender Bitters to taste.
Block Ice . . .and enjoy
Based on the Celebration Cocktail: 2 Parts Rum, 1 Part Gin, 2 Parts Grapefruit Juice, 1 Part Groseille syrup

Punch #3
Modified Gin Punch—by Gabrielle Dion
35 oz Junipero Gin
4 oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
Oleo-saccharum:***
56 ounces of warm jasmine green tea (will dissolve any solid sugar)
Mix together and Chill in fridge add small block of ice 10-20 minutes before service for dilution.
Express Meyer lemon peels a top before service
***Take peels of 3 Meyer lemons muddled with 6 oz(by weight) of sugar. Let sit overnight

Punch #4
Manna-Hatta Punch—by Jason Schiffer
2 parts Lemon
3/4 parts Crab Apple Shrub
3/4 parts Hibiscus Grenadine
3 parts Hirsh Bourbon
2 parts Hard Apple Cider
2 parts “dilution”
The oleo-saccharum:
Peel 3 lemons
2 cups granulated sugar
1 lb California crimson gold “crab apples”
Muddle and let sit for 2 days (or more!)

The Shrub:
Strain the mixture (a “simple syrup” will have formed) Scoop remaining sugar into simple syrup, mix and double strain. For every 6 parts of simple syrup extracted, add 1/2 part of apple cider vinegar. (ex- I yielded 1 1/2 cups so I added 1/8 cup of vinegar)

Hibiscus Grenadine:
fill a 24 oz container with Dried Hibiscus flowers, add 2 cups POM pomegranate juice. Infuse for 4 hours. Some juice will be absorbed by the flowers, strain & add additional POM to reach 2 cups. Combine with 2 cups white cane sugar, shake until dissolved.

This Punch is based on the:
PLANTER’S PUNCH
This recipe I give to thee,
Dear brother in the heat.
Take two of sour (lime let it be)
To one and a half of sweet,
Of Old Jamaica pour three strong,
And add four parts of weak.
Then mix and drink. I do no wrong —
I know whereof I speak.

Another sensational meeting thanks to 320 Main, Anchor Distilling Company and Maurice. As Bartenders, our tool box grew, our knowledge expanded and as a group our bond has grown. Thanks for coming together OCBC!

Now mark your calendars: Next months meeting is Monday, March 5th and will feature Cuca Fresca Cachaca and Clement Rhums, presented by our buddy Mark Berge. Our host has some very exciting plans for the meeting!

To help maintain quality of service, presentation, space, food and drink we must insist on RSVP’s and we are limiting the accepted RSVP’s to 50. So get your RSVP in early and send it to info@bartenderscabinet.com if you’re planning on attending, let us know if something comes up so we can make your spot available to someone else if you can’t make it. See you then! The meeting location will be emailed upon RSVP to the first 50 responders.

This an awfully big installment, but let’s start the new way home for OCBC with a bang!

To wrap up our grand Scotch 3 Part Intensive, we offer a recap:

In November we welcomed the inimitable Johnnie Mundell who freely shared his rattling insights into life, love and of course two of the marvelous Scotches that he represents: Bowmore and GlenGrant. I’ll tell you true; fantastic Whisky was poured that night, along with great drinks, good food, excellent information and the camaraderie of the OCBC. Thank you Johnnie for bringing the Bowmore, the GlenGrant and the Noise and the funk.

The venue, food and drinks were handled by the outstanding 320 Main.

To start out they brought down the house with a Hot Milk Scotch Punch. Here is the recipe, scaled to a single serving:

Hot Milk Scotch Punch
2 oz Bowmore 12 year
1/2 oz Whole milk
1/2 oz Heavy cream
1/2 oz Orgeat (adjust to taste)
Bring to simmer over low heat
Grate fresh nutmeg to garnish

For larger format that is:

4 Parts Bowmore 12
1 Part Orgeat,
1 Part Heavy Cream
1 Part Whole Milk
Bring to simmer over low heat
Grate fresh nutmeg to garnish

To shine the light of possibility on Scotch and ‘Craft Cocktails’ Jason offered us a Bagpipe Mariachi:

Bagpipe Mariachi
1 oz Jalapeño infused GlenGrant 10 year
1 oz Bowmore Legend
2 oz Fresh Orange Juice
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 whole Egg
Dry Shake
Shake with Ice
Double Strain (no ice)
Collins

Then to represent the Old School they offered a howling Scotch Old Fashioned:

Scotch Old Fashioned
2oz Bowmore Legend
1 tsp Petite Cane Syrup
2 dash Celery Bitters
2 dash Angostura
Stir/Strain over clean ice
Old Fashioned Glass
Garnish Lime Twist

Of course fun was had by all, learning was absorbed and as Bartenders our arsenal was expanded. Thanks again to 320 Main, Johnnie Mundell and Bowmore & GlenGrant!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moving to December we welcomed the reigning Miss Southern California Nicole Dona and the delectable Highland Park. We were in Holiday form for sure. It was a Repeal Day / Holiday / Highland Park good time shared by all. What better way to celebrate repeal day than with great Spirits, Orange County’s finest, tiptop drinks AND Prime Rib. Thanks Nicole and Highland Park for making this happen!

The venue, food and drinks were handled by the spectacular 320 Main.

Trow Punch 1 & 2

Oleo Saccharum-
Zest of 9 Oranges
Muddle into 16 Oz Orgeat and 1 Cup of raw sugar…

Spice tisane is made with:
9 Cinnamon Sticks
12 Whole Cloves
Cardamom pods
–muddle and add 24 Oz of water, bring to boil let it simmer strain onto Oleo Saccharum..

Juice the 9 Oranges and fine strain (12 Oz) add:
3 Oz Allspice Dram
3 Oz X’Tabentum
3 Oz Pama
3 Oz Sugarcane Syrup
2 Oz Angostura Bitters

Blend all of this together—strain as you go—this is the shrub
Divide shrub into 2 Liters and chill (there will left over for test run).

To assemble Trow Punch 1 & 2

Pour 1 Liter of Chilled Shrub
into Chilled Punch bowl over w/ Big Ice
Add 2 750′s of Blended Scotch and
Add 2 750′s of Sparkling Cranberry Juice
and 1.5 ~ 2 750′s Sparkling Water

The ONLY difference between Trow Punch 1 & 2 is that 1 Was made with Cutty Sark and 2 was made with Famous Grouse. For more detailed directions e-mail forrest.

We tasted through the 12, 15 and 18 year Highland Park—yum and for the first cocktail Jason offered an amazing variation on Sam Ross’s Penicillin (http://www.shakeandstrainblog.com/?p=3080)

Penicillin
2 oz Highland Park 12
3/4 oz Honey Syrup 3:1
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Ginger Juice
Shake/Strain over clean ice
Old Fashioned Glass

Then as the hilarious jocularity ensued Jason presented this masterpiece…

Red Robert
2 oz Highland Park 12
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Nonino Amaro
1 dash Celery Bitters
Stir/Strain
Coupe Glass

An impressive meeting, a great Repeal Day Celebration, an superb OCBC Holiday and fun was had by all, learning was absorbed and as Bartenders, our arsenal was expanded. Thanks again to 320 Main, Nicole Dona, Highland Park and The Edrington Group!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here in the New Year, the 3rd Meeting of the Scotch Intensive we welcomed the affable and learned Mitch Bechard who freely shared his tremendous, perspicacious understanding of Scotch Whisky and a top-flight amount of history about and generous tastes of Glenfiddich (along with a boss virtual tour—cool!). Our January meeting was a smash success. Great Whisky from Glennfiddich, good learning from Mitch Bechard, exquisite drinks, great food from Ricky & the crew at Memphis and the OCBC board shared some practical technique explanation / demonstration on stirring.

That is a nice way to wrap up the 3 Part Scotch intensive!!!.

The venue, food and drinks were handled by the first-rate Memphis [Santa Ana Location].

Here is the recipe for the delicious Punch:

Scotch Bank Punch
1 part Lemon Juice
2 parts Grenadine
3 parts Earl Grey Infused Glenfiddich
4 parts soda water
2 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters

To reveal effortless beauty with Scotch in a ‘Craft Cocktails’ Ricky stitched together – Heather’s Dress:

Heather’s Dress
2 oz Chamomile infused scotch
1 bar spoon of Grade B Maple
1 bar spoon of Clear Creek Pear Brandy
2 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters

Stir all ingredients over ice.
Strain into a double old fashioned glass with fresh ice.
Garnish with expressed oils from a lemon and an orange peel (discard the peels)

Then to represent the Old School out came an Artist’s Special, straight from Savoy Cocktail Book:

Artist’s Special
1.5 oz Glenfiddich
1 oz Amontillado Sherry
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.25 oz Grenadine
Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
No garnish

For the practical in stirring there were lessons and demonstrations. Here are some key points:
Stirring Points:

• Any cocktails that do not have any juice, egg, or cream are stirred.
• Always stir in a mixing glass or pint glass.
• Build your drink in the glass and add the ice after to ensure complete control over dilution.
• The bar spoon is moving the ice. The ice is doing the work.
• Stirring does not introduce air into cocktails, therefore the final product is not cloudy.
• Keep the back of the bowl of the spoon against the glass and move the ice around the drink.
• Don’t try to move the drink around the ice. This results in sloshing.
• STIR DON’T SLOSH!
• Always be tasting your drink to make sure it’s just done, and not too watery.
• We’re stirring away the raw alcohol burn.
• Taste for temperature and texture.
• If it’s cold, silky, and doesn’t taste like raw alcohol then it’s done!

Overall, another sensational meeting, a capital start to the new year and terrific conclusion to our OCBC Scotch Intensive as fun was had by all, learning was absorbed and as Bartenders, our arsenal was expanded. Thanks again to Memphis, Mitch Bechard and Glenfiddich!

Mark your calenders: Next months meeting is Monday February 6th and Will be Featuring Anchor Distilling Company and Maurice has exciting plans for the meeting, so send your RSVP’s. To help maintain quality of service, presentation, food and drink we are going to insist on RSVP’s and we are going to limit the accepted RSVP’s to 50 –unless we happen to be at a venue that can reasonably handle more than 50– we’ll let you know– for now the limit is 50 so get the RSVP’s in early!!

The February 6th Location is still TBA, but you can still RSVP to info@bartenderscabinet.com if you’re planning on attending. See you then!~

Our first meeting of 2012 and will be Monday, January 9th, at 7pm at Memphis in Santa Ana (201 North Broadway). We will be rounding out our Scotch Intensive with the fantastic Glenfiddich Scotch. Everyone remembers how great our last meeting at Memphis was!

We welcome the the affable and learned Mitch Bechard who will freely share his tremendous understanding of Scotch Whisky emphasizing on the history and flavors of Glenfiddich.

There will be exquisite drinks and great food from Ricky & the crew at Memphis and here is a glance at the recipes to tempt you.
Scotch Bank Punch
1 part Lemon Juice
2 parts Grenadine
3 parts Earl Grey Infused Glenfiddich
4 parts soda water
2 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters

Heather’s Dress
2 oz Chamomile infused Glenfiddich
barspoon Grade B Maple syrup
2 dash Bitter Truth Old Fashion Aromatic bitters
Stir with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass with fresh ice.
Express oils from a lemon and an orange peel over the glass and discard the peels.

Artist’s Special (straight from Savoy Cocktail Book)
1.5 oz Glenfiddich
1 oz Amontillado Sherry
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.25 oz Grenadine
Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
No garnish

We need an accurate headcount for food & drink planning so please RSVP to info@bartenderscabinet.com.

See you on Monday!

Cheers!

Fall is in the air and the ghosts and goblins have come and gone, but OC Bartender’s Cabinet
carries on into the holiday season.

Our November meeting will be Monday, November 7, at 7pm at 320 Main. We will be
hosting Bowmore and GlenGrant Scotch for our first of three scotch intensive meetings!
Brand Ambassador Johnnie Mundell will be leading us on a spectacular and educational
tasting through the Bowmore and GlenGrant line-ups. Food will be provided and Jason is
planning some great Scotch cocktails including a Hot Scotch Milk Punch!

About:
Bartender’s Cabinet is dedicated to educating bartenders and enthusiasts about great spirits
and quality ingredients in cocktails. We also focus on having a good time through interacting
with those who share our enthusiasm for tasty beverages that come from those fine spirits and
fresh ingredients.

Logistical Information:
Bartender’s Cabinet meets monthly at various cocktail bars in Orange County.
Contact info@bartenderscabinet.com regarding membership.

Previous Meeting:
In October our members gathered at the Nolet North American Headquarters in Aliso Viejo.
During the meeting, we were treated to drinks made with Nolet Gin, as well as a presentation
on the history of Nolet, and samples of the entire lineup of Nolet gin products available.
The Nolet distillation dynasty that brought us Ketel One Vodka here are two excellent,
interesting and very unique gins.

NOLET’S DRY GIN SILVER
Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin is directed toward the cocktail cognoscenti. Leading with aromas of rose
geranium, blackberries in cream, raspberries and peaches; the scents are beatific and inviting.
The flavors evolve with soft creamy juniper, orris, angelica, cubeb berry and grains of paradise
that all seem to imply a comforting walk in a flower/ herb garden buttressed by pine, spruce
and cedar trees. The finish is elegant, lengthy and demonstrative with a crisp restatement of
the aromas and flavors in a delicate fade. Try this on the rocks, with a twist or in a sexy
reinvention of your favorite Gin drink.

NOLETS RESERVE DRY GIN
Nolet’s Reserve Dry is for the GIN Lover. It is the Gin that the Nolet’s spent 40 Years to perfect.
With a limited release of less than 500 bottles this is a rare treat of outstanding quality. It
begins with the nose of hundreds of flowers. It is daedal, soft and supple showing white
chocolate, verbena, saffron, mallow, conifers, egg creams and clean juniper– like the forest in
the spring after a morning rain. The finish is dimensional, spicy and awake with a lingering
demonstration of the residual flavors. The botanical components are separately distilled or
macerated then blended and laid to rest to achieve a perfect balance between the aromas, body,
flavors and finish—enjoy this neat or chilled.

After tasting and learning, our membership stepped behind the bar for a Mix-Off. When the dust and ice chips settled, Matt Robold of 320 Main and RumDood.com had been voted the winner, with Gabriel Dion of Broadway and Charlie Palmer taking second place.

As Summer draws to a close and we head into Fall, the OC Bartender’s Cabinet continues on!
Our October meeting will be Monday, October 3rd, at 7pm with Nolet’s Gin at the Nolet
North American Headquarters/Carl Nolet Sr. Hospitality Center, (30 Journey, Aliso Viejo
92656). In addition to tasting and learning about this fantastic spirit, we will be having another
friendly MIX-OFF!! Please RSVP at info@bartenderscabinet.com and note if you would like
to either compete or judge. We will have about 12 spots open for competitors & 5 spots open
for judging and you will be notified in advance by e-mail if you get either position.

About:
Bartender’s Cabinet is dedicated to educating bartenders and enthusiasts about great spirits
and quality ingredients. We also focus on having a good time through interacting with those
who share an enthusiasm for tasty beverages that come from fine spirits and fresh ingredients.

Logistical Information:
Bartender’s Cabinet meets monthly at various cocktail bars in Orange County.
Contact info@bartenderscabinet.com regarding membership.

Previous Meeting:
In September we had a fantastic meeting – our best-attended yet – at Charlie Palmer in
Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza. Our illustrious sponsor, Pernod Ricard, provided us with a
very well-done presentation on the origin, evolution, and history of Absinthe and how the
Pernod brand played its role in all of that.

Absinthe, of course, is best known for being made from wormwood and being made illegal due
to its hallucinogenic properties. Granted, only the wormwood part is true.

The spirit, absinthe, is a high-proof alcohol that is created by distilling neutral spirits to a very
high proof and then macerating various herbs into the spirit. These herbs are generally a
collection of anise, wormwood, and sweet fennel.

Pernod first began distilling absinthe in 1797 as the joint venture of Major Dubied and his son,
Marcellin, and his son-in-law, Henry-Louis Pernod in the Swiss town of Couvet. The company,
Maison Pernod Fils, was created in 1805 when the group opened its second distillery in
Pontarlier, France.

Of course, what absinthe is best-known for is its reputation as a dangerous and addictive
psychoactive drug used by artists and philosophers in the late 19th Century. This reputation is
unfair as absinthe – beyond its high alcohol content – has none of these properties (as Pernod
pointed out, perhaps the opium being used in conjunction with the absinthe at the time may
have had a smidge to do with the hallucinating).The actual reasons behind the eventual outlawing of absinthe in almost all of the West had more to do with wine than it did with the thujone (the chemical blamed for absinthe’s
supposed hallucinogenic qualities).

During the mid-1800′s the French wine industry was set upon by the Great French Wine Blight
– a catastrophic loss of entire vineyards due to phylloxera (a species of aphid native to North
America). Due to the sudden shortage of wine (and the tastiness of the new spirit), absinthe
was able to fill the new gap for alcohol consumption.

When the wine industry in France was finally able to recover, however, it was unable to resume
what it felt was its rightful place as the daily tipple of French people. This led to heavy
marketing and political campaigns from French wine producers about the supposed dangers of
absinthe. Add in a touch of Jean Lanfray – an alcoholic who spent an entire day drinking
absinthe, brandy, wine, and probably anything else with an ABV above 0% – killing his family,
and the French government had all it needed to outlaw the obviously dangerous spirit. Soon
other countries in the West followed suit.

In the US absinthe remained illegal until the 1970′s when the FDA amended its regulations
forbidding the importation and sale of alcoholic beverages containing wormwood. Of course,
most people didn’t realize that this modification to the rules allowed the importation and sale
of absinthe in the US until 2007!

For our evening with Pernod Ricard, Gabrielle Dion from Charlie Palmer (and OCBC board
member) made a delicious absinthe punch based on The Green Beast, an amazing cocktail
featuring absinthe and beet juice as well as Charles Vexenat’s Absinthe Coffee Flip.

The Tasty Beverages:

The Green Beast (Modified)
By: Charles Vexenat/Gabrielle Dion
1 part Pernod Absinthe
1 part Pineapple Syrup
1 part Lime Juice
4 parts Cucumber Water

Heart Skips a Beet (Gabrielle Dion)
1 oz Pernod Absinthe
0.5 oz Water
0.25 oz Fresh Beet Juice
0.5 oz Lime Juice
.025 oz Simple Syrup
2 Cucumber Wheels

Good Pinch Tarragon
Muddle Cucumber and Tarragon, add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake and double strain
over fresh ice. Garnish with smacked sprig of tarragon.
Absinthe Coffee Flip (Charles Vexenat)
1 oz Pernod Absinthe
1 oz Simple syrup
1 oz Milk
1 oz Espresso
1 Egg yolk
Grated nutmeg
Combine ingredients, add ice, shake vigorously. Double strain into a cordial glass and garnish
with nutmeg.

Happy September! Even though the weather certainly feels summery, the back to school
advertising reminds us that summer is over. As if to celebrate the end of summer, our last
meeting was all about Irish Whiskey! I can’t wait for a cold, dark evening by a fire with a
delicious libation in my hand.

About:
Bartender’s Cabinet is dedicated to educating bartenders and enthusiasts about great spirits
and quality ingredients. We also focus on having a good time through interacting with those
who share an enthusiasm for tasty beverages that come from fine spirits and fresh ingredients.

Logistical Information:
Bartender’s Cabinet meets monthly at various cocktail bars in Orange County.
Contact info@bartenderscabinet.com regarding membership.

Previous Meeting:
We traveled to Memphis in Santa Ana for a fabulous romp through Irish Whiskey. Here is a
little information about Connemara and their product.

Connemara Cask Strength
The Connemara Cask Strength claims the heart and soul of peated Irish Single Malt with
astonishing polish. Nosing exposes peat smoke, cedar, fennel, dried flowers, light anise, and
pipe tobacco. The mouth feel is full and rich, leading off on a huge burst of peat smoke and
quickly evolving with soft oak, orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon, caramelized honey, cedar,
cocoa, dried fruits, and a hint of basil. The finish is pleasantly oily with salt, peat, and soft fruits
lingering and clinging. This is complex, unique, and superior whiskey. Enjoy it neat or with a
splash of water whenever you find a chance to sit back and contemplate all this whiskey offers
– revelations in each taste and an after taste that dawdles endlessly.

Connemara 12
Connemara is a very unusual Irish Whiskey. Where most Irish is un-peated, triple distilled
blends– Connemara is fully peated, double distilled, Single Malt Whiskey. Leave it to those
innovative Irish Pioneers at the Cooley Distillery (Malt Advocates Distillery of the Year!) they
are always up to something crazy and it is always delicious!

The Tasty Beverages:

BarSmarts Punch (modified)

By: Jeremy Stark
Prepare the oleo-saccharum with the peel of three lemons and 6 ounces white sugar. Add 6
ounces strained lemon juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add to this 12 ounces of
Justino’s Rainwater Madeira, stir and pour the Maderia shrub into a clean 750 milliliter bottle.
Add enough water to the bottle to fill it, seal and refrigerate. Fill another clean 750 milliliter
bottle with filtered water and refrigerate that, too.
To serve, pour the bottle of shrub, the bottle of water and one 750 milliliter bottle of Kilbeggan
Irish Whiskey into a gallon punch bowl, add 1 1/2 quart block of ice and grate nutmeg over the
top.

Lord Chancellor (Ricky at Memphis)
2 oz Connemara
0.5 oz Carpano
0.5 oz Tawny Port
1 dash angostura bitters (I tried one with Regan’s orange instead of Angostura per Forrest’s
suggestion and it was pretty tasty too!)
Stir over ice – strain into chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with an orange peel

Tyrconnell Buck (Ricky at Memphis)
2oz Tyrconnell
0.5 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz ginger syrup*
Whip all ingredients with a few pieces of shell ice (shake until the ice is completely dissolved
and isn’t making any more sound in the tin)
Pour into a collins glass with ice and top with soda water
Garnish with a dash of Angostura Bitters

**Ginger Syrup**
Peel and chop A LOT OF GINGER.
Pulverize in a blender or food processor until it becomes a paste.
Push the paste through a fine strainer and reserve the juice.
In a pot over medium heat add one part ginger juice and two parts sugar and stir until the
sugar is dissolved and the surface of the liquid has a glossy sheen.
DO NOT BOIL!