Tonic Cocktail Classes Are Here!

Now you, too, can be a craft bartender. Well, sort of. You can definitely learn the ins and outs while enjoying the ambience of my favorite bar.

They’re calling it the Tonic On Fourth Cocktails and Spirits Club, but basically it’s a set of classes. (You can sign up for each class individually.) It includes a hands‐on class curriculum, all taught by my favorite mixologist (ok, excluding Molly) Josh Durr. The first class, Bartending 101, looks to be similar to the excellent class I took from Josh back in December. The classes will prove to be both educational and fun, and will be geared for both the novice and advanced.

Why are they offering these? Basically they want everyone to enjoy a classic cocktail – whether at their bar or in your own home. The way I see it, the more people who understand a good cocktail, the more bartenders will have to start making an excellent Manhattan.

Photo by Bob 5chw4rtz

The Tonic on Fourth Cocktails and Spirits Club will offer courses twice a month beginning February 25, 2010 from 5:30‐8:00pm. The first class of each month will be part of the Bartending Series, rotating series levels each month. The second class of the month will focus on more specific topics, drilling down into things like those homemade tinctures and bitters with which I’m so taken.

Photo by Bob 5chw4rtz

The upcoming classes, all of which run from 5:30 – 8:30 pm, include

• Bartending 101, 102, & 103 (Master Class Series)
  • 101: Successful Home Bartending & Foundations of Bartending - 2/25 and 5/13, $35
  • 102: A Crash Course in the Foundations of the Professional Bartender - 3/10, $55
  • 103: How to Mix Drinks in the 21st Century - 4/8, $75
• Distillation – Discover how your favorite spirits are made.
  • 3/31, $45
• Bourbon : A History & Tasting of our Nations Authentic Spirit
  • 4/22, $45
• Spring Cocktails: Market Fresh Libations
  • 5/27, $45

You can purchase your spot through TicketDerby.com under the heading “Tonic Cocktail School.”

Thanks to Bob for some of the photos!

Review: Tonic on 4th

I really didn’t want to like Tonic on 4th. In fact, I loved Twist so much, and was so mad that it was gone, that I was determined to never go to Tonic. Period. Then I met Josh Durr, the cocktail consultant for Tonic. His skill with a cocktail shaker swayed me, and later the same week I popped into Tonic. I sort of feel like I haven’t left since.

Josh trained all the bartenders (Benjamin, Maggie, Erin, and Mike), and every one of them has that vintage, craft cocktail thing down to the art that it is. Even better, they’ll explain anything to you, from how and why they make their own bitters, tinctures, and ice to the history of the cocktail on which you’re sipping.

Photo by Bob 5chw4r7z

For me, the test of any bar is the Manhattan. If you read my post earlier this week, you know that Josh made me a flawless Manhattan. I expect nothing less from the folks at Tonic, and they deliver. My request of “stirred and up” might as well be laughed at – how else would they serve it? And I love that.

The cocktail menu is large and eclectic, and the menu is divided up into several sections: Classical (e.g., Moscow Mule, Aviation), Classic Punches (e.g., Bourbon Milk Punch), Neo Classical Originals (e.g., The Liberal Liberal and the absinthe-included Lumberjack Frappe), and New Punches (e.g., Teachers Punch). The menu not only lists what is in each drink, but provides you with a history of each cocktail.

Photo by Bob 5chw4r7z

My first night there, Benjamin made me a Bluegrass Flip. It was a drink I’d never heard of, but really enjoyed. Honestly, I’m not overly sure what was in it besides some liquor mixed with a Bourbon Barrel Stout and some egg; maybe some bourbon? Trust me, it’s a lot better than it sounds, and it lives on their Specials menu.

My friends all have a range of favorites. One girlfriend swears by the Liberal Liberal, which is a slight twist on a Manhattan. The recipe calls for Wild Turkey 101, sweet vermouth, Amaro, and the house-made orange bitters. I know that a couple of the bartenders actually prefer the drink with different bourbon. I tried it with the Wild Turkey, but it wasn’t up my alley. I suspect I might enjoy it more with Four Roses. Another girlfriend is very attached to the classic Moscow Mule, which is simply Smirnoff Lime Juice and Goslings Ginger Beer. Finally, a friend of mine will always order an Old Old-Fashioned. I had to ask – what’s a New Old-Fashioned? Apparently newer Old Fashioneds have some fruit muddled in the bottom, but the older style focuses more on the bourbon.

Photo by Bob 5chw4r7z

Twice now I’ve ordered snacks. Tonic shares a kitchen with Local 127, but don’t expect to order off the Local 127 menu. Tonic offers light bites, but they’re quite tasty. Thus far I’ve tried a rather yummy plate of Stuffed Baked Potato Skins (so cute and tiny!), Ohio Kennebec Fries with Cheddar Sauce, and an order of Sliders. I’ve seen the Grass Fed Fox Hollow Burger with Cheese. It’s huge and according to a friend of mine, quite tasty. Because they share the kitchen with Local 127, Tonic adheres to the same policy of local foods from local growers and markets.

Oh the wine list? I haven’t paid much attention. Because Tonic is so focused on craft cocktails, I don’t expect them to have the world’s largest wine list. However, since they are a part of Local 127, I do expect what they offer to be top-notch. I was happy to see they still offer the Gruet sparkling wine from New Mexico, which is the bottle I always ordered at Twist ($8 a glass at Tonic). They also offer a nice Montfort Chenin Blanc ($5) and a rather eclectic red selection including Chile and South Africa. It’s a short list, all by the glass. I should probably ask for a wine list next time I visit, just to see what all of the options are on the off chance I order a bottle.

As for beer, they have a nice selection of bottles, including Lindemann’s Framboise and Bells Seasonal. Their tap includes Unibroue’s Maudite, La Chouffe, Delirium, several ciders, and the Left Hand Polestar Pilsner, among many others.

The prices at Tonic aren’t cheap. On a good night, it’s easy for two people to run up a bill of around $100. At the same time, you’re not drinking well drinks either. I’ve been to Tonic three times now, although I want to go more. Of course, I’m in Las Vegas now, trying to find a decent Manhattan in Sin City. But I’m actually home the entire month of February. Do you know what that means? It means you can find me at Tonic.

My review:

My thanks to Bob 5chw4r7z for use of the photos!

Cocktails: The Aviation and a True Whiskey Sour

Here are some more drinks from our session with Josh Durr.

The Aviation

• 2 oz dry London or Plymouth gin
• 1/2 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur
• 1/4 oz crème de violette or Parfait Amour
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

Add ingredients to a shaker filled halfway with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

I had recently sat through a session on gin presented by Tanqueray, so I was surprised when Josh grabbed the Beefeater for this drink. He told me it’s bcause the big bold London gin flavor holds up to the rest of the ingredients. So there you go – it really does matter what type of liquor you choose per drink.

The Whiskey Sour

Are you used to whiskey sours with a mix? Now that I’ve tried a “real” whiskey sour, I am shocked at both how good it is and just how simple it is to make. Why buy a mix?

• 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
• 1/2 ouz fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup

Add all ingredients into a shaker with cracked ic. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Yeah, I know. Pretty simple, yes?

Editor’s Note: The above image is a random cocktail, not an Aviation, of which I have no photo.

Cocktails: Bourbon Milk Punch

Another cocktail from our session with Josh, and oh how good it is. It certainly didn’t sound good (milk, really?), but I was really wrong.

Bourbon Milk Punch

• 4 oz of a quality wheated bourbon
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 oz of a 1:1 simple syrup
• 2 vanilla beans (split, seeds scraped) or vanilla paste
• freshly grated nutmeg

Add all the liquids to a punch bowl. Add the vanilla next. Add several large chunks of ice and stir gently but well.

Folks, you can have this with breakfast or brunch or just about any time you want.

Cocktails: The Perfect Manhattan

In the class we took from Josh Durr, he made us each a Manhattan. Now, the Manhattan is my favorite cocktail, but I’ve had a lot of horrible versions, both locally and when we travel. In Vancouver, I ordered a Manhattan and had the worst drink of my life – and I’m still not sure what all he put in it. At several local bars, the bourbon and vermouth are often low-end, the drink is filled with floating ice chips, and bitters aren’t even added. Sigh.

So Josh’s Manhattan was a breath of fresh air for me – it was something out of the stylized Mad Men. Because of this class, I’m now very specific with my Manhattan order: “Four Roses or Woodford Manhattan, up, and stirred please.”

• 1 1/2 oz Four Roses Bourbon
• 1/2 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth
• Dashes of Angostura bitters (or home made)

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Sounds easy, right? Josh commented that you should always use high-quality bourbon, vermouth, and bitters. He goes so far as to make his own tinctures, including bitters, but we aren’t all so dedicated. An interesting tip is that you can replace the vermouth with Elderflower liqueur for a twist on the classic Manhattan.

When you stir the Manhattan, consistently and quietly stir to chill down the drink. Josh recommended making the drink in a pint glass and pouring it out through a double-strainer.

It was good folks. Really really good.

Photo from Flickr user ginsnob
via Creative Commons

Molecular Bartending Class with Josh Durr

It’s Cocktail Week here at My Wine Education. I know, we love wine. And next week you’ll be getting a slew of wine reviews. But this week, in honor of my second trip to Las Vegas in a month, it’s all cocktails. Enjoy!

Back in December, Kevin and I were lucky enough to take a class at The Party Source from Josh Durr. Josh is the cocktail consultant who helped put together Tonic on 4th, including creating the drink menu and ice program. Josh is from Louisville, where he is a partner in Molecular Bartending, LLC. He has created cocktails for Brown-Forman, Southern Wine & Spirits, Republic National Beverage, and, of course, Tonic.

The class was geared toward the professional, although everyone present was a consumer, with the exception of everyone’s favorite local bartender, Molly Wellman. And really, I think Molly was just there to have fun – she already rocks at all of this stuff. The rest of us? We eagerly asked all manner of questions and drank some rather flawless cocktails.

A few key notes I scribbled down:

• Buy Carpano vermouth; it’s the original vermouth. If your vermouth smells musty, it’s bad. Keep it refrigerated when not in use. Keep in mind that vermouth is 75% wine, so it will oxidize.
• Cold draft ice is perfectly square and dense. Yep, Tonic makes their own ice – check out your cubes next time you’re there. Josh even brought his own ice to The Party Source. He recommends using filtered or distilled water, double-boiled, and frozen in stainless or non-absorbent containers, not silicone. To top that off, he suggests you have an ice-only freezer and when storing your ice behind the bar, don’t stack the cubes on top of each other. Separate them in layers instead. I know it seems like a lot of trouble for your home, but it works great in a bar.
• When muddling mint, get the oils out by squishing, not tenderizing. That’s right; if you pulverize your mint with the muddler, you’ll just bring out the bitterness.
• Some basic bartending tools include a Boston shaker (tin to tin chills faster), an OXO measuring cup, and a double strainer.
• A Punch will always include 5 ingredients: strong, weak, sour, sweet, and spice to make it nice.
• Don’t shake your Manhattans – stir them.

Overall, I left the class very excited about Tonic. I love classic cocktails and really, I’ve had some horrible Manhattans. I’ll be reviewing Tonic later this week. My thanks to Josh for an amazing class! I’ll be publishing some of his cocktail recipes over the next few days, starting with the Manhattan.

What are you doing New Year’s Eve?

So tonite is New Year’s Eve, ushering out the old year and decade and welcoming in the new. Tonite, we’re just having a low-key evening including dinner out with friends and maybe back to their place. At the moment, I’m just leaning towards Dick Clark / Ryan Seacrest and some tea at midnight. It’s been a crazy busy year, full of travel and change. I’m hoping if I usher in the new year calmly, then 2010 might reflect some of that calm.

What are you doing? There are a lot of options, and I’ll point you in the right direction to find lists of parties. Don’t forget, the new Mynt Martini is now open on Fountain Square. I expect the place to give Tonic a run for its money, although I’ll take vintage cocktails over creative martinis any day. Amazing location though! If anyone goes, I’d love for you to write me up a review!

On to festivities:

• MetroMix has compiled a pretty good listing of the larger New Year’s Eve celebrations.
• ZipScene is listing over 130 New Year’s events. You have no excuse for not finding something to do. Bootsy’s and Red are included on that list.
• The Wise Owl Wine Bar in West Chester (sorry, no web site yet) has a fairly low-key New Year’s Eve event. You can RSVP online or call them at 513.889.2500.
• CityBeat has everything listed, from parties, to hosting your own dinner party, to a worst-case scenario survival guide.

And in case you overindulge – hey, it happens! – you can count on a free taxi ride home. Mothers Against Drunk Driving is sponsoring free taxi rides home as long as you’re within the 275 loop. The number to call (write this down) is 513-768-FREE.

Image by Flickr User Waldo Jaquith
via Creative Commons

Mad Men Mondays: A Little Cocoa for Comfort

Last night’s Mad Men was amazingly depressing. Not only did it bring back memories, for me, of how I reacted to 9/11, it was just plain sad. And could someone please explain to me why, despite the fact that he is a jerk and, at most, an anti-hero, I still want everything to turn out all right for Don Draper?

What did they have to drink last night? Well, there was “red wine,” which isn’t helpful. There was a return to champagne coupes for the wedding toast. There were nameless mixed drinks, made by a cast that is extremely skillful at hiding the bottle label from me.

But I’m settling on the hot cocoa, because it’s comforting. In the beginning of the episode, Pete’s assistant wakes him up and offers him a hot cocoa. It’s instant, made with water and not milk, but the thought is nice.

Personally, I’m not a coffee drinker (unless it’s an Irish Coffee). All year long I live on hot tea and/or chai, usually with milk for that latte kick. Around this time of year, I start breaking out the hot chocolate. Now, I agree with Pete – the best hot chocolate is made with milk. I even have a Hot Chocolate Maker that perfectly mixes and heats the milk and cocoa powder (it also works with Oregon Chai and milk).

But in the evenings, sometimes I want to add a kick. I thought I’d list my three favorite additives for hot cocoa. I’d love to hear yours in the comments;

• Bailey’s Irish Cream: Baileys is this great winter mixer for me. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s an Irish whiskey and cream liqueur. It seems to go well with just about everything and a shot of this in hot chocolate can be just perfect.
• Amarula: I’ve written about amarula before, and it remains one of my favorite liqueurs. This South African liqueur is a blend of cream and fruit from the Marula tree. I love to drink it over ice in the summer. However, it adds just a hint of fruit and caramel when added to hot chocolate.
• Peppermint Schnapps: This is an old standby I first started drinking in college. Around the holidays, it’s like sticking a slightly alcoholic candy cane in your cup of chocolate, and it works beautifully.

What are your favorite mixers in warm drinks? You can’t go wrong with bourbon and honey in hot tea or Irish Whiskey and cream in coffee. Any other ideas?

Mad Men Mondays: Old Fashioned & Mint Julep

Last night on Mad Men, there were classic martinis served at Joan's house (gin, 3 olives) and our copywriters were working on a Bacardi campaign, leading to multiple mentions of rum and coke. But two other drinks took precedence for me: the Old Fashioned that Don whipped up at the bar and the Mint Julep everyone was sipping at the party.

 

Once again, I'm consulting my Grandpa's books, The Bartender's Friend (1946) and Old Mr. Boston's Complete Bartenders Guide (1935).

The Old Fashioned
Since I love bourbon (and rye in particular), I'll often order an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan when I'm in a bar where I know the bartender will create an excellent one (such as McCormick & Schmick's or a Ruby's restaurant.)

1 lump sugar
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1/2 oz Ginger Ale
1 jigger Rye

Muddle together the sugar, bitters, and ginger ale.
Add to mixing glass or shaker, along with 2 lumps of ice and rye.
Stir.
Pour into highball glass and garnish with orange slice and a cherry.

The Mint Julep
There are definitely more complex mint julep recipes out there, many involving your stove and a simple syrup. This version of the mint julep is the easy-to-make-behind-a-bar version

4 sprigs mint
crushed ice
1 tsp powdered sugar
1 tsp water
2 oz rye or bourbon
12 oz highball glass

Muddle 4 sprigs mint with powdered sugar and water and add to glass.
Fill glass quarter-full of shaved ice and stir.
Add 2 oz rye or bourbon
Top off with crushed ice and mint garnish

Mad Men Mondays: The Stinger and The Gibson

I'm all but obsessed with the AMC show Mad Men. Last night, I heard two different cocktails mentioned on the show and I had to find out a little more about them: the Stinger and the Gibson.This has inspired me to launch a new recurring series: Mad Men Mondays. If they mention a cocktail on the Sunday night show, I'll hunt it down and give you the recipe on Monday. So, on to the cocktails …

Where did I go for the recipes? A pocket-sized 1946 book that belonged to my grandpa, called The Bartender's Friend.

The Stinger
1/3 oz white creme de menthe
1/3 oz brandy

Shake with ice and strain into 3 oz cocktail glass.

The Gibson
1/2 oz dry gin
1/2 oz Seagram's
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1 dash orange bitters

Shake with ice. Strain into 3 oz cocktail glass.

Last night, the character Roger ordered a Gibson "up."  I often order a Manhattan "up" as well, although I might say straight up instead. Here's a quick cocktail terminology glossary:

• Neat: no ice, not mixed
• Rocks (on the rocks): Poured over ice
• Shaken: Shaken over ice and mixed, as required in both the Stinger and Gibson, and preferred by James Bond.
• Stirred: The ingredients are, well, stirred instead of shaken.
• Up / Straight Up: Mixed but not poured over ice