August 24
After finishing my drink at White Star I started walking up Essex. The weather was nice out and I wasn't really keen on trying to hop on an N or W train below Houston, so I figured a walk was in order. As Essex melted into Ave. A, I checked the time and saw that it was just turning into 11 pm. When I looked up from my phone I saw that I was now nearing 6th St. I paused for a quick second, looked back at my phone, shrugged and hung a left.
"Oh, you have to be kidding me," I thought as I pulled the door to Death and Company open. I only wanted one drink and the place was closing in an hour but it was still bursting at the seams. It's Sunday people. Don't any of you have jobs to get to in the morning?? Oh wait, that's why you are probably all here. Carry on then.
I got steered to the back bar to wait for a seat to open up. I waved hi to Damon Dyer who I hadn't seen since the reception party at Tales and had me mildly worried that New Orleans had devoured him whole.
As I sat down Alex Day came from behind the bar and jutted out his chin to show his week's progress for the Papa Doble Beard Off (thanks to everyone who commented and emailed with more info on this). I was impressed. And I say impressed, because if you have seen Alex in person you don't really think facial hair.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" he asked later. "Is it disturbing that I have a beard?"
"No, noooo...well, I mean, I wouldn't say disturbing...just, you know, it's more, like, 'Hey, wow, he, like, grows beards too,' kind of thing," I offered.
"That's from a week of growing a beard," Damon said. Then pointing to his own chin he said, "This is from just a day of not shaving."
Damon's not taking part in the beard off, but he wasn't going to let an opportunity of trash talking go to waste.
Up until that point in time, I was still pretty certain I was only there for a drink. A drink. So I settled in with my Faithful Scotsman and went over my notes from the past week to begin laying out the Chicago blog entries.
Alex held out a jar to me. I looked at the bottle then at him, puzzled. "What is it?"
"Just straw taste it. Don't worry, it's not booze," he said.
I pulled out the straw sticking out of the top and gave a taste. It was a bit of ginger and acacia honey syrup that he had made for a drink he was working on for Allen & Delancey.
I wanted to try whatever that was in(drink two, if we're keeping count).
Alex whipped it up for me, using the syrup, Amaro, lemon juice and bourbon.
I took a sip. Alex asked me what I thought. I said "it's like fireworks," and that I'd explain later in this space, so here goes.
The best analogy I have for it is that it was sort of like fireworks. Specifically the kind that goes "boom!" then snap, crackles and pops sparkling trails. The boom part was coming from the lemon and the sweet and the bourbon, but then as I swallowed the ginger and honey was the snap, crackle and pop that fizzled.
Soon it was last call. Alex asked if I wanted anything before they stopped taking orders. Really if you put it that way I'd be rude to refuse. I said I'd have whatever he thought I should have and he mixed up another drink he was working on made with rye with Averna, amontillado sherry and a little bit of Benedictine and St. Germain elderflower liqueur. Now if we are to stick with the fireworks analogy, this one was more like that variety of fireworks where they sort of fluffily disintegrate into a "PFOOM, fssssh." More than having a flavor, when it hit my tongue it instantly was all scents (that's now three).
So, basically, I went from saying I was just stopping by to have a single drink to having three in about an hour. I thought walking in close to closing would spare me, but apparently not. One of these days I'm going to have just one. I won't give into peer pressure. It's going to happen.
Showing posts with label new drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new drinks. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A happy coincidence for P.F. Chang's
You could find lots of cocktail menus that change seasonally. It's a nice little time frame to work with a nice solid anchor point that's easy to casually remember as well as motivate with subtle hints from the world around us. "Oh, hey," you might think to yourself bartender person. "It's getting a little warm. Wow, is it summer already? I guess I should start working on a new menu. And that spiked hot apple cider really isn't holding up all that well and I'm sweating buckets having to go warm that thing up."
Or something like that.
However, another way to go about it is take opportunities when you see it, as P.F. Chang's China Bistro did when it recently released a new cocktail menu celebrating 15 years. You can always make it a celebration.
Out of the twelve new cocktails developed by P.F. Chang's beverage director Mary Melton, the Chinese 88 was extra lucky that this year also happens to be the year China is hosting the Summer Olympic games. For those who haven't gotten it pounded into their heads already by Olympics coverage, the number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese culture. The games even began on Aug. 8 (08/08), with the opening ceremony starting at 8 pm.
And since the cocktail is a variation of a French 75 cocktail, et voila, we have the Chinese 88. As John "Hannibal" Smith would say, "I love it when a plan comes together."
"We wish we were that clever," P.F. Chang's beverage director Mary Melton said before breaking into peals of laughter with director of public relations Laura Cherry. I had scheduled a phone interview a couple of weeks ago to get a bit more information on the new menu as well as the Chinese 88 for our Featured Cocktail section.
"It was fun way to tie it in," Mary continued. "It just worked out for us...could you write that we'd planned it for years?"
The cocktail is made with Plymouth Gin, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, shaken and topped with Mumm Napa Brut. The drink is served in a champagne flute with half of the rim sugared.
"It gives it a texture and bubbles," Mary said of the Brut. "And its Brut so it’s dry, so it has more of a heavy presence. It’s not sweet or fruity. It marries well with the lemon and the Plymouth gin, which is a softer gin and not so herbaceous as other gins."
"The wine and beverage program have always been a big component. [P.F. Chang's] was one of the first chains nationally to have every wine available by the glass," Laura Cherry explained. "We've always have a strong bar presence...We're very well known for our specialty cocktails."
P.F. Chang's cocktails are mostly updated flavors and styles of classic cocktails using different ingredients and premium modern spirits.
"We’re seeing that people enjoy the premium spirits," Mary said. "And the new trendy things like the plum vodka or organic tequila, they’re being very well received. As far as classics, we see people going back more and more."
The Plum Collins came about because Melton wanted to use a plum vodka because she had fallen in love with the flavor and thought it was a flavor that would work well on an Asian menu and it was something new.
"We started playing with that and it did matched well with the citrus from a Collins."
With some plum vodka and fresh lemon juice, the Plum Collins also has a splash of Plum Wine, an item already on P.F. Chang's menu that already does well.
But not every new flavor gets an automatic OK.
"It’s tricky now with so many different flavors," Melton said. "We do try to see what’s happening. For example, we really wanted to use watermelon. We had a hard time keeping it consistent. So we work with our produce partners a lot to find out what’s going on."
Which is how a the Pink Bellini, a Bellini with pear puree, made it onto the new menu.
Coming up with new cocktails at P.F. Chang's is a very hands-on process.
According to Mary, there's no real team that she works with. Usually it's herself and Laura first trying out flavors then basically walking around P.F. Chang's HQ in Scottsdale, Ariz., and having people try things out.
"It could be the president one day, it could be the mailroom guy the next."
Drinks are tested out in locations four to six week prior to rolling out, and with eight stores in the Arizona area, Mary said "we can test it in our own backyard, so to speak." It's during this time where some drinks won't make the cut. A lot of times its operations; whether it takes to long or holds up service. Some things might change, such as swapping out squeeze bottles for a smaller size to help the flow of service better.
Basing cocktails on the classics play a dual role of creating a familiar base for people who are ordering as well as being something new for those who aren't well-versed in cocktails.
"There’s also a generation of people who aren’t familiar with cocktails," Laura chimed in. "It’s a nice way of reintroduce them to those who are not familiar with them and showcase the flavors out there."
"The menu at P.F. Chang’s is very varied, with sweet and sour spicy, savory and mild Cantonese type dishes. There's also the new grill flavors; a lot of clean savory flavors," Laura continued. "The cocktails Mary created have crisp clean flavors...the cocktails go really well food, and are a little more refreshing than something like a big red wine."
Not all of the new drinks are available at all P.F. Chang's locations, but click here to download and see what all the drinks are.
Or something like that.
However, another way to go about it is take opportunities when you see it, as P.F. Chang's China Bistro did when it recently released a new cocktail menu celebrating 15 years. You can always make it a celebration.
Out of the twelve new cocktails developed by P.F. Chang's beverage director Mary Melton, the Chinese 88 was extra lucky that this year also happens to be the year China is hosting the Summer Olympic games. For those who haven't gotten it pounded into their heads already by Olympics coverage, the number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese culture. The games even began on Aug. 8 (08/08), with the opening ceremony starting at 8 pm.
And since the cocktail is a variation of a French 75 cocktail, et voila, we have the Chinese 88. As John "Hannibal" Smith would say, "I love it when a plan comes together."
"We wish we were that clever," P.F. Chang's beverage director Mary Melton said before breaking into peals of laughter with director of public relations Laura Cherry. I had scheduled a phone interview a couple of weeks ago to get a bit more information on the new menu as well as the Chinese 88 for our Featured Cocktail section.
"It was fun way to tie it in," Mary continued. "It just worked out for us...could you write that we'd planned it for years?"
The cocktail is made with Plymouth Gin, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, shaken and topped with Mumm Napa Brut. The drink is served in a champagne flute with half of the rim sugared.
"It gives it a texture and bubbles," Mary said of the Brut. "And its Brut so it’s dry, so it has more of a heavy presence. It’s not sweet or fruity. It marries well with the lemon and the Plymouth gin, which is a softer gin and not so herbaceous as other gins."
"The wine and beverage program have always been a big component. [P.F. Chang's] was one of the first chains nationally to have every wine available by the glass," Laura Cherry explained. "We've always have a strong bar presence...We're very well known for our specialty cocktails."
P.F. Chang's cocktails are mostly updated flavors and styles of classic cocktails using different ingredients and premium modern spirits.
"We’re seeing that people enjoy the premium spirits," Mary said. "And the new trendy things like the plum vodka or organic tequila, they’re being very well received. As far as classics, we see people going back more and more."
The Plum Collins came about because Melton wanted to use a plum vodka because she had fallen in love with the flavor and thought it was a flavor that would work well on an Asian menu and it was something new.
"We started playing with that and it did matched well with the citrus from a Collins."
With some plum vodka and fresh lemon juice, the Plum Collins also has a splash of Plum Wine, an item already on P.F. Chang's menu that already does well.
But not every new flavor gets an automatic OK.
"It’s tricky now with so many different flavors," Melton said. "We do try to see what’s happening. For example, we really wanted to use watermelon. We had a hard time keeping it consistent. So we work with our produce partners a lot to find out what’s going on."
Which is how a the Pink Bellini, a Bellini with pear puree, made it onto the new menu.
Coming up with new cocktails at P.F. Chang's is a very hands-on process.
According to Mary, there's no real team that she works with. Usually it's herself and Laura first trying out flavors then basically walking around P.F. Chang's HQ in Scottsdale, Ariz., and having people try things out.
"It could be the president one day, it could be the mailroom guy the next."
Drinks are tested out in locations four to six week prior to rolling out, and with eight stores in the Arizona area, Mary said "we can test it in our own backyard, so to speak." It's during this time where some drinks won't make the cut. A lot of times its operations; whether it takes to long or holds up service. Some things might change, such as swapping out squeeze bottles for a smaller size to help the flow of service better.
Basing cocktails on the classics play a dual role of creating a familiar base for people who are ordering as well as being something new for those who aren't well-versed in cocktails.
"There’s also a generation of people who aren’t familiar with cocktails," Laura chimed in. "It’s a nice way of reintroduce them to those who are not familiar with them and showcase the flavors out there."
"The menu at P.F. Chang’s is very varied, with sweet and sour spicy, savory and mild Cantonese type dishes. There's also the new grill flavors; a lot of clean savory flavors," Laura continued. "The cocktails Mary created have crisp clean flavors...the cocktails go really well food, and are a little more refreshing than something like a big red wine."
Not all of the new drinks are available at all P.F. Chang's locations, but click here to download and see what all the drinks are.
Monday, June 30, 2008
New menu at Death & Company
June 29
After four months of gestation, the staff over at Death and Co. debuted their new baby on Friday.
Seventy-four drinks. 74. More like 64 brand spankin' new ones if you don't count some drinks that are from the old menu (like the Oaxacan Old Fashioned). I saw that Joaquin Simo's Carroll Gardens (rye whiskey, Amaro, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur) was one of the newcomers, though I wasn't unfamiliar with it. I had given it a try back when Charles Vexenat was in town.
So where to even begin? Damon Dyer and Alex Day both had looks in their eyes that practically glinted with the excitement at the prospect of showing off the new drinks as I kept flipping back and forth through the menu.
The first thing you notice about the new menu is that it's a whole lot less unwieldy compared to the long and narrow predecessor. More like a neat little square photo album, the menu doesn't take up too much space on the bar. The pages are easy to remove and replace so menu updates are no longer cumbersome.
"Muddled Mission," I finally stated, picking a drink from the gin category (gin, elderflower liqueur, muddled strawberry, yellow chartreuse, fresh lemon juice).
"Come on, that's like the first thing on the menu," Alex protested.
"I know, I know! I'm just trying to get a start here," I answered defensively.
The drinks are organized into neat sections organized by drink type or spirit type.
"Did you notice the images?" Alex asked.
"I saw them, yes...why, is there something else going on? There's not a test in the back is there?"
Not really, but kind of. More on that later.
The art accompanying the menu do more than just look pretty, they help guide customers through what they might want to drink. Once you decide what spirit you want, if you need anymore help, the drawings indicate which drinks are stirred and which are shaken.
So to make a long story short the menu is there to help customers navigate the menu and determine what kind of drink one might like to enjoy.
Coming back to the test aspect. If anything, I suppose I'm young enough that the new menu layout uncomfortably reminded me of the verbal section on the SATs. If you want to relive the nail-biting days of yore, just flip to the back and there's a multiple choice section...except, surprise! It's about booze. It was like one of those dreams you had when you were in school where it starts out all freaky. Like, you have a final you didn't study for, but then a wave of relief washes over you because you realize the final is something you could totally ace because it's an opinion essay asking you to defend your choice of favorite pizza topping or something.
The last page is not really a test so much as it was a Choose Your Own Adventure drink page. Different drinks were listed with a list of a final spirit element you could choose.
I also tried a Spicy Paloma (jalapeño-infused tequila, fresh grapefruit and lime juice and salted rim), a lips and throat-tingling version of a Paloma. A Paloma usually registers as refreshing with a bright bite to it and a little I don't know what savory side from the bit of salt, but the jalapeño seemed to pull it down into the savory region even more. It's not something you'd want to pound back.
I couldn't stay for more drinks because I got wind of the new menu just a couple of hours prior and had already made plans to be in Queens so I had to end with a third. The Doc Daneeka Royale (Champagne, gin, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice and grapefruit twist).
As I was leaving I told Damon, "You guys can't sneak up a new menu on me like this."
"I'm the one who has to memorize 74 new drinks," he answered.
I asked him how he even went about beginning to do that. "Do you just go through making each drink on the list or something?"
Damon answered that he makes flashcards with the drink names on one side and recipes on the other.
I was less distressed this time and more amused at yet another reminder of my SAT studying days.
After four months of gestation, the staff over at Death and Co. debuted their new baby on Friday.
Seventy-four drinks. 74. More like 64 brand spankin' new ones if you don't count some drinks that are from the old menu (like the Oaxacan Old Fashioned). I saw that Joaquin Simo's Carroll Gardens (rye whiskey, Amaro, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur) was one of the newcomers, though I wasn't unfamiliar with it. I had given it a try back when Charles Vexenat was in town.
So where to even begin? Damon Dyer and Alex Day both had looks in their eyes that practically glinted with the excitement at the prospect of showing off the new drinks as I kept flipping back and forth through the menu.
The first thing you notice about the new menu is that it's a whole lot less unwieldy compared to the long and narrow predecessor. More like a neat little square photo album, the menu doesn't take up too much space on the bar. The pages are easy to remove and replace so menu updates are no longer cumbersome.
"Muddled Mission," I finally stated, picking a drink from the gin category (gin, elderflower liqueur, muddled strawberry, yellow chartreuse, fresh lemon juice).
"Come on, that's like the first thing on the menu," Alex protested.
"I know, I know! I'm just trying to get a start here," I answered defensively.
The drinks are organized into neat sections organized by drink type or spirit type.
"Did you notice the images?" Alex asked.
"I saw them, yes...why, is there something else going on? There's not a test in the back is there?"
Not really, but kind of. More on that later.
The art accompanying the menu do more than just look pretty, they help guide customers through what they might want to drink. Once you decide what spirit you want, if you need anymore help, the drawings indicate which drinks are stirred and which are shaken.
So to make a long story short the menu is there to help customers navigate the menu and determine what kind of drink one might like to enjoy.
Coming back to the test aspect. If anything, I suppose I'm young enough that the new menu layout uncomfortably reminded me of the verbal section on the SATs. If you want to relive the nail-biting days of yore, just flip to the back and there's a multiple choice section...except, surprise! It's about booze. It was like one of those dreams you had when you were in school where it starts out all freaky. Like, you have a final you didn't study for, but then a wave of relief washes over you because you realize the final is something you could totally ace because it's an opinion essay asking you to defend your choice of favorite pizza topping or something.
The last page is not really a test so much as it was a Choose Your Own Adventure drink page. Different drinks were listed with a list of a final spirit element you could choose.
I also tried a Spicy Paloma (jalapeño-infused tequila, fresh grapefruit and lime juice and salted rim), a lips and throat-tingling version of a Paloma. A Paloma usually registers as refreshing with a bright bite to it and a little I don't know what savory side from the bit of salt, but the jalapeño seemed to pull it down into the savory region even more. It's not something you'd want to pound back.
I couldn't stay for more drinks because I got wind of the new menu just a couple of hours prior and had already made plans to be in Queens so I had to end with a third. The Doc Daneeka Royale (Champagne, gin, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice and grapefruit twist).
As I was leaving I told Damon, "You guys can't sneak up a new menu on me like this."
"I'm the one who has to memorize 74 new drinks," he answered.
I asked him how he even went about beginning to do that. "Do you just go through making each drink on the list or something?"
Damon answered that he makes flashcards with the drink names on one side and recipes on the other.
I was less distressed this time and more amused at yet another reminder of my SAT studying days.
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