So, on the topic of mixing drinks, many people are realizing that big cubes work exceptionally well (harkening back to the bartender’s tools of old…you know, the icepick and whatnot). I’ve already mentioned the Tovolo trays in the past, but you may notice in the photograph above that one cube is infinitely more pleasing to the eye than the other. The way to get your cubes to look like the one on the left is to…ready for it? Boil them. So, if you can afford a Kold Draft machine, you really don’t need to read this post, but if you tend bar at home, grab youse some Tovolo trays (just so y’all know, the blue trays are straight walled and the purple ones are textured) and boil up some water. Another point of note is that I use (and recommend that you do as well) distilled water. More on that later.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

On the other end of the spectrum, Abita has hit us with a one-two punch of hops in their latest brew: Jockamo IPA.

Much more robust than their amber, Jockamo has a nose of cherry and birch with a silky mouthfeel. This one is excellent a bit warm, not super frigid like most beers are served. The bitterness it presents is quite pleasant, not overwhelming like some IPA’s and barleywines can be.

For those of y’all that are uninformed, it takes its name from the song Iko Iko. Something that’s also fun about the name is that you can replace “fin année” with IPA and the rhyme still fits.

Be sure to enjoy this one sittin’ by da fay-o. It’s truly delicious.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

We’ll start off with Sisyphus from Real Ale Brewing Company. The label is actually quite plain, although it is metallic blue and silver. I’m not quite sure why they chose a name for a person forced to move/be trampled by a boulder day after day, but the ale is delicious nonetheless. It comes off creamy and syrupy. The nose/mouth of it is grassy with apple notes. It’s quite bitter, but the alpha acids are balanced really well with sweetness. It has a medium acidity to it and I suggest serving it slightly chilled, nowhere near what a store’s beer cooler will keep it at.

The next in line is Chicken Killer from Santa Fe Brewing Company. In contrast to Sisyphus, this one needs to be served cold. It has a thin, more carbonated mouthfeel and is dark redhead in color. The hop body isn’t all that complex, but it does have a nice grassy nose. The amount of carbonation detracts from mouthfeel/taste. The taste comes off with maple syrup and apple tones, but the bitterness isn’t quite balanced with the malt. This is definitely a beer that pairs well with salty food. It would also be much better if you opened it and left it sit in the fridge for about 20 or so minutes prior to pouring.

Last up is Old Ruffian from Great Divide Brewing Company. This one has a medium rare carbonation, slightly syrupy mouthfeel, and a wonderfully fresh, almost pinching nose. There are distinct coffee tones in the malt and it’s a bit more bitter than sweet (not quite balanced, but great for hopheads). I only prefer it chilled, because it gets far too bitter when it warms up. It weirdly had an aroma of apple in the back of my throat as I drank it.

Overall, I preferred the Sisyphus. It was just thick enough, just bitter enough, and just a baby bit of carbonation to tie all things together.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

Bacchae
1 1/2 oz of Barsol Acholado Pisco
1/4 oz of Vya Sweet Vermouth
1/8 oz of Suze
1/4 tsp of Marie Brizard Parfait Amour
1/4 tsp of Grenadine

Stir for a very long time (45 seconds or more for me). Strain into pre-chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

This beauty is what followed:

Natural Harmonic
2 oz of Damrak Gin
1/8 oz of I.P.A. Syrup (see below for instructions)
1/4 oz of fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz of Maraska Maraschino Liqueur

Shake and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel over, rim glass with peel, then drop in.

Fantastic with a baked potato.

Make the I.P.A. syrup by taking two 12 oz bottles of I.P.A. (I used my organic homebrew) and reduce it to a syrupy consistency in a saucepan. Let cool and put in refrigerator.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

Baby Blanket
1 oz of Gilbey’s Gin
3 spearmint leaves
1 oz of Barsol Acholado Pisco
1 egg
1/2 oz of orange curacao
1/4 oz of simple syrup
1 oz of seltzer

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

2 oz of Angelique Tequila

1/2 oz of fresh lime juice

1/4 oz of grenadine

1/4 oz of Suze

2 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters

Build in a highball glass filled with large ice cubes, then add seltzer and Peychaud’s. Stir gently, garnish with a slice of pineapple.

Excellent paired with a fresh green salad tossed with cranberries.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

Ok, so I got really sick of having the choice of paying out the wazoo for true maraschino cherries or needlessly suffering through the lye-soaked mess that they pass off as “cherries,” so I made my own. I made a mishmash of brandied cherries and maraschino cherries, and they turned out fantastically.

Cherries A La Kincke

1.5 pounds of fresh cherries
1/8 cup of sugar
7/8 cup of water
1/2 oz of lemon juice
7/8 cup of brandy
1/2 cup of maraschino liqueur

Fill half-pint mason jars with fresh cherries (I left stems and pits in). Put water, sugar, and lemon juice in a container that you can easily pour from, stir to dissolve sugar, then add brandy and maraschino liqueur. Pour liquid into cherry filled jars, then place jars into a water filled pot (like you’re making jelly). Boil for approximately 20 or more minutes. Let cool and get ready for yumminess.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

If you didn’t have the foresight to attend Tales this year, you missed out on a whole mess of great stuff. Great people, great food, and most of all, great spirits. A number of companies are producing organic or all natural products which make for great beverages all around. One spirit, which I refer to as gin without the juniper, was mixed up nightly by The Fabulous Shaker Boys, and its name is VodkaHerb. It is a product that hails from the Netherlands and is crafted by Fedde Sonnema. It is a very light blend of herbs that comes off mildly grassy on the nose, but honestly, should not be called vodka. Even though the flavor isn’t overpowering, it still brings a lot to the table.

Being that its about 10 billion degrees outside, I felt that a long drink was in order:

Dew of the Sea

2 oz of VodkaHerb
1/2 oz of fresh lime juice
1/4 oz of Jim Beam Rye Whiskey
1 spearmint leaf
1/4 tsp of amber (dark) agave nectar
1-1/2 oz of tonic water (I used Whole Foods brand)

Add all but the tonic water to mixing glass/tin, shake and strain into a collins glass filled with cracked ice. Top with 1 1/2 oz of tonic water, stir gently. Finally, garnish with the top of a rosemary sprig.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

Alright childrens, gather ’round, cause its story time. Once upon a time people went to this mystical land called New Orleans…….and I forgot the rest, because I DRANK IT. Man, Tales was amazing.

When we arrived, I noted one thing: its like a D&D convention for drunks. So many wonderful nerds all in one place at one time. The most challenging part about the whole ordeal though, was, have you ever gone to school drunk? Remember how hard it was to maintain throughout the day, just wishing that lunch was coming sooner?

Well, Tales was no different. We were served delicious drinks all throughout the day and night, but we actually had to maintain a high level of intellectualism at the same time. I mean EXHAUSTING. I do have to say though, it was hands down, the best time I’ve ever had in my life. For those of you playing the home game, the picture I’ve included is one of many, this one being from a party at Loa at the International House Hotel. A really neat thing occurred to all of us that evening, two thirds of the attendees were bartenders. Unreal. There are plenty of other photos in the gallery. Have a look-see and catch up on what you may have missed or just reminisce.

I do have to say, the only thing that could have made Tales even better was if O’Flaherty’s was open again….a man can dream.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.