Cocktail creations by Umami Mart: shaken, stirred, and remixed.
Happy Hour
September 21, 2011
Happy Hour: Vermouth 101: The Martinez (The Grand Daddy of Cocktails)
PREFACE Vermouth 101: The Old Hickory +++ Well now that you have an appetite inducing “qualifying round†under the belt, time to move to the first course. When it comes to vermouth cocktails, the next logical step in expanding ones appreciation of what the spirit can do is to go back to the beginning. In […]
September 7, 2011
Happy Hour: Vermouth 101: The Old Hickory
A lounger pal of mine recently coined the term “qualifying round†to rationalize why going out for just one cocktail never happens. Who could just order one drink and leave their favorite cocktail bar? It is akin to ducking out mid conversation! To address this issue, his policy is to order one drink to set […]
July 20, 2011
Happy Hour Photography Show (NOLA)
Paystyle and Vanessa are in New Orleans this week for the annual cocktail fête of the year, Tales of the Cocktail–hands down the most important event in the world for cocktail heads, bar chefs, liquor companies, alcoholics, et al. I’m sure P + V have been trashed since they landed at Louis Armstrong airport yesterday […]
June 1, 2011
Happy Hour: MCC Recap (And Behind the Scenes)
Like a whirlwind, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic came and went in a flash, leaving a trail of devastation and destruction in its wake. Except in this case the damage wasn’t in the form of homes and property, but rather brain cells and livers. After many many jamba juices and wheatgrass shots, full recovery was finally […]
May 25, 2011
Happy Hour: Rainforest Cobbler
It feels good to return to normalcy (read proper hydration) now that the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (read Manhattan Hangover Classic) has concluded. For myself and the other Bar Fellows of this year’s cocktail classic, normalcy took a bit longer to reach, as we were in the Astor Center Kitchen 12 hours a day prepping and […]
May 4, 2011
Happy Hour: General Ignacio
Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, and many of you will be sloshing down the compulsory Margaritas and tequila shots, which in no way would I want to stand in the way of. But if you’re an adventurous drinker like I am and want to try something new (but no less fitting of the festivities), you […]
April 20, 2011
Happy Hour: Good Morning Heartache
Being out of the country for nearly a month has a tendency to adjust a person’s perspective of “home.” Home has had various meanings and geographical locations in various moments in my life. Conceptually, it means numerous–and sometimes conflicting–things at one time, and all this really came to light on my recent trip to Iran. […]
April 6, 2011
Happy Hour: The Desert Ain’t That Dry
The Prohibition Era figures prominently in the collective imagination of the cocktail world. The aura and mystique surrounding that era still wields great influence on popular culture. The popularity of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire is a perfect example of our still not fully reconciled fascination with that period, as is the proliferation of modern “speakeasies” in […]
March 30, 2011
Happy Hour: March Cocktails: Out Like a Lambs Club
“Floreant Agni†(May the Lambs Flourish) – Motto of the original Lambs theatre club The month of March is supposed to end like a Lamb but Mother Nature is not playing nice–it is still 30ËšF outside! Nevertheless, this week’s cocktail captures winter’s last stand and book ends the month quite nicely! The Lambs Club Cocktail […]