Drinking The World

Where do you want to be on Friday October 14th? At the Ultimate Blast!

The Ultimate Beverage Challenge's second annual Ultimate Blast, a consumer, media and trade tasting event returns to New York City. Friday, October 14, 2011 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, 1535 Broadway @ 45th St., NYC.

Ever dream you could go to an amazing tasting where you would learn about the world’s best spirits, cocktails and wines? Where the host encourages you to try a little something from the rarest bottles on his bar – whether wine or spirits – AND he has trays of the most delectable specialty cocktails for you to sip and savor? That dream becomes reality when the second annual ULTIMATE BLAST consumer, media and trade tasting event returns this fall to New York City.

Hosted by Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC), the country’s foremost spirits and wine evaluation company founded by beverage expert and author F. Paul Pacult, this gala tasting event featuring spirits, cocktails and wines will take place on Friday, October 14, 2011 from 5:30pm - 9:30pm at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, New York City. Tickets to this can’t-be-missed event are available now at www.ultimate-beverage.com/blast-info. Through September 15, a 30% Advance Purchase Discount applies to all tickets.

This year at ULTIMATE BLAST, guests can once again look forward to not only being educated about the finest products the beverage alcohol world offers, but also a high-spirited party in a nightclub-like atmosphere. The famed Broadway Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis hotel will feature tables brimming with the best libations as well as branded lounges hosted by major spirits and wine companies that will be decorated to create special and unique ambiances – like a party within a party! Many of the beverages at Ultimate Blast are UBC Chairman's Trophy winners and finalists from the trio of Ultimate Beverage Challenges held earlier this year. All guests will enjoy:

o SPIRITS – hundreds of world-class whiskies, brandies, vodkas, tequilas, rums, gins and more, produced by the world’s finest mainstream and craft producers
o COCKTAILS – scores of thrilling cocktails, created by an array of the world’s best bartenders
o WINES – a bevy of the world’s most acclaimed Champagnes, wines and sparkling wines
o BOOK SIGNINGS – by some of the world’s pre-eminent spirits and cocktail authors
o LIVE MUSIC and FOOD

Says UBC founder F. Paul Pacult: “If you want to have fun this fall, you’ll come to Ultimate Blast and learn about world-class beverages. Period.”

Well, it's been a year since I updated this blog. Since then Dutch's Spirits, and our new distillery, have been separated into two separate businesses until the construction on the distillery is completed. I have been making some products at friends distilleries, getting them in the barrel to age, and to start releasing this fall.

But the first product that we are releasing is our new Dutch's Colonial Cocktail Bitters, the first in a line of bitters representing era's of American History. For more details, and to purchase retail or wholesale, please visit our site at Dutch's Spirits.

For those of you who don't know, USBG stands for the US Bartenders Guild, the NY means the NY chapter, of which I have been a avid participant of for the past 18 months. Even when I was living up in Maine I attended as many of the NYC events as possible, and almost every one since I moved back here last September. I haven't written about any of them, but I think I will have to start.

Around 20 bartenders, mixologists, and one distiller, me, were treated to a day trip to visit Long Island Spirits, the distillers of LIV Vodka, and several fruit liqueurs. We were taken by luxury bus from NYC out to the east end of Long Island and treated to a day of food, beverages, a tour, a cocktail competition, and more. LIV Vodka is a very good product. I'm not a vodka fan, but this is an artisanal vodka crafted with care, from potatoes grown right outside the distillery. They also treated us very well, and gave a very instructive tour of the distillery, for many it was there first time and they learned a lot.

A new bartender friend of mine who I met yesterday posted on Facebook while we were on a bus ride to visit the distillery the following, "Long Island Distillery Tour with some crazy mixologists ohhh its gonna be a rough Monday..."

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It's been awhile since I last wrote anything here. I got a new laptop from DELL before going to Tales of the Cocktail, and it was a lemon. First the touchpad was broken and kept making the cursor arrow jump all over the place and click on things and close programs. Then the tech breaks the motherboard when trying to fix it, then comes back with a new motherboard and breaks the top of the case, but it's the evening before my early morning flight to tales and I need the laptop, so I take it with me.

On the plane I rough out several articles about seminars I plan to attend, thinking I'll get a jump on them, but the laptop starts acting up. The new touchpad is closing programs and deleting what I am writing. I finally get everything saved and close up the damn demon possessed machine.

My seminars that I a planned to write about were in the first day or so of tales, and I write up the stories. I go to post them here and can't get an internet connection in the hotel. I finally do and just as I am about to post them the laptop has a fatal, catastrophic failure. I try to get it back up an dafter two days I manage it, but everything is gone. At that point I gave up and just dived into the crazy days of Tales. Ouch.

When I am over the agony of the demon machine I will try to re-write about Tales. Or maybe just a few of my adventures. But don't hold your breath.

Tales of the Cocktail is just days away. I'm trying to get ready, new seersucker suit, vintage 1920's boater hat, bottling up a few cases of prototype products to hand out, and putting together my schedule for the seven days I'll be in New Orleans. Like usual, my schedule is way overbooked; and some really great events, dinners, etc. aren't even scheduled yet. But here is my schedule to date. It looks like over 50 items are on the list so far, just for one week. I hope I survive. Schedule after the jump.

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It's just 14 days until Tales of the Cocktail 2010. For the past few weeks I thought that I might not be able to make it due to business conflicts, but I'm back on track and raring to go. I even have a new collection of Tiki shirts and Panama hats, a seersucker suit, and a vintage Boater hat from the 1920's, so I can look my best while I handle the summer heat.

Check out the line-up of seminars and events. As well as the spirited lunches and dinners, competitions, and tasting events. Make sure you get your tickets before they are all sold out. I recommend one of the packages to get the best deal.

I'm signed up for some interesting seminars like: From Convicts to Cocktailsians, A Shot of the Black Stuff- Amazing Amaros and Brilliant Bitters, Science of Stirring, Techniques and Problems of Historical Cocktails, and The Julep Story from 1488 to Present. And I'll also be attending some great VIP events like: The Drambuie @ The Rusty Nail, Grey Goose Behind the Bar, Beefeater Gin's Welcome Reception (guaranteed to be an amazing event), William Grant and Sons - Promenade of Jubilation, Diageo's cocktail Hour, Ricard's Midnight Petanque (I have to brush up on my game), Grand Marnier's Bar Room Brawl, Plymouth Gin's Bartender Breakfast, and of course the Award Ceremony (If I can get a seat at a table from someone, since the tables are all sold out.)

See you in NOLA!

Well, it's July and that means Tales of the Cocktail. Besides all the seminars and events, I'm looking forward to attending the Spirited Awards ceremony, where many of my friends and acquaintances are nominated for awards.

The following is from the Tales of the Cocktail site: "This summer the international community will converge on the city where spirits live 24/7. Shaken from their slumber within the bottle, the spirits will take on a life of their own in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail 2010.

At Tales of the Cocktail, The Roosevelt will welcome the stars of the cocktail industry for the 2010 Spirit Awards, a red carpet affair hosted by Pernod Ricard USA. Dress the part of a 1960’s “mad” man or woman with real life Mad Man, Bryan Batt as we recognize individuals and establishments for their work in pushing the craft of making cocktails forward.

What would a celebration in New Orleans be without great music and food. Reserve your table for the Spirits Awards and enjoy the cool jazz sounds of Tom Fischer and Friends as you sample some of the best cuisine New Orleans has to offer from Domenica Restaurant, Creole Cuisine, Fleur de Lis Catering, Damn Good Sweets and, of course, The Roosevelt."

Tales of the Cocktail® Announces 2010 Spirited Award® Nominees after the jump

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I spent the past week at the American Distilling Institute (ADI) annual conference, held this year in Louisville, KY and Borden, IN. ADI is the trade organization for artisanal distillers, of which there are approximately 210 right now in the USA. I was one of the judges for the 2010 artisnal whiskey competition and would like to announce the results.

See the results after the jump

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It's just 75 days until Tales of the Cocktail 2010, which will be held in New Orleans, LA from July 21-25. This will be my third year as a contributing writer. I'm looking forward to covering the largest cocktail event in the world. This year there is an even better line-up of seminars than before. Also there are a ton of fantastic spirited lunches and dinners, competitions, and tasting events. Make sure you get your tickets before they are all sold out. I recommend one of the packages to get the best deal.

Hi Folks, I know I haven't been writing much lately. For the past several months I have been planning our new distillery. I've been meeting with my partner, drawing up the business plan (over 60 pages so far), meeting with consultants, and a million other things. (I've also been consulting to a great beer company making bourbon barrel aged Scottish ale, called Innis & Gunn)

Soon I'll write about the project, it will be a very large artisanal distillery called Dutch's Spirits, making bourbon, rye, unaged/white whiskey, gin, genever, rum, brandy, liqueurs, and bitters. It is to be located on a 370 acre farm where we will have local farmers grow our own grains.

Check back soon to learn all the details.