Welcome to Drinking the World; my thoughts on fine libations, special spirits, and fabulous cocktails. My name is Jonathan M. Forester and I'm a food & beverage writer / consultant, and formerly partner in a winery and brewery in Maine. Now, my new partner and I are currently in the process of starting an artisanal, farm distillery located on 370 acres in New York State called Dutch's Spirits. We will be specializing in premium, hand-made spirits. These will include bourbon, rye, and malt whiskey, peach and apple brandy, a variety of aged rum, gin, liqueurs, and cocktail bitters.
If the post is dated prior to December 13, 2008, it was previously published at Slashfood.com / AOL.com.
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Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Diinner at Bayona, with Junior Merino, The Liquid Chef
By Jonathan M. Forester on Jul 10, 2009 | In Uncategorized, Cocktail Revolution, Tales of the Cocktail 2009, Food
On Thursday I dined at Bayona Restaurant as Junior Merino, The Liquid Chef, worked his liquid magic upon us all. The meal itself was fine, but the star of the evening wasn't the food at Bayona or chef Susan Spicer, who wasn't to be seen or even heard of all night, but Junior and his cocktails. I was lucky enough to sit at the table with Junior and his lovely wife Heidi. Also with us was David Suro-Pinera, restaurateur, tequila aficionado, and creator of Siembra Azul - a small batch, artisanally crafted tequila of the highest quality. I met David briefly at the airport as we got off the plane on our way to Tales, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him again at the dinner. It was the perfect time to have a nice conversation and enjoy his charming company. Interestingly enough half of the conversation at the table was in Spanish because one of David's friends didn't speak any English. This didn't bother me much because while I can only speak a few words of Spanish, after growing up in NYC I can get the gist of a conversation, especially when the topic is food and drinks. Also at the table was Andrew Toplack, a psychotherapist from Toronto, Canada. This made the conversation around the table even more interesting since I used to be a psychotherapist myself, before switching to the Spirit World.
Dinner started off with a small appetizer of Ashley's Pickled Shrimp with Deviled Eggs, the finest rendition of potted shrimp I have had, with a so, so, sweet and briny flavor, fresh from the sea; with just a hint of mild herbs. I thought that out of the hundreds of shrimp dishes I have had in my life, all over the world, that this was one of the nicest. The excellent deviled egg and lemon basil aioli complemented the shrimp perfectly. I enjoyed it so much that I actually slowed down, cut the shrimp into small bites, and savored every morsel, saving the tasty heads and tails for last.
Paired with the potted shrimp was the La Condesa cocktail, which was sweet and sour, and perfectly matched the dish.
Tales of the Cocktail: Thursday July 9, 2009
By Jonathan M. Forester on Jul 10, 2009 | In Cocktail Revolution, Tales of the Cocktail 2009
Tales has been hard on me this year, but that's nothing new. This year I blame it on superstition. I'm staying in a hotel that tries unsuccessfully not to have an unlucky floor. To avoid bad luck they went from floor 12, skipped over 13, and straight to 14. The thing is, the 14th is in fact the 13th, and I bet you can guess which one I am on. Yup, you're right, the "14th" floor. Of course they also skip room 13, want to guess which room I am in?
Thursday I realized I had over-scheduled myself. Four sessions, several events, and a Spirited Dinner. I started the day with a session that actually bored me and I left. This meant I had enough time to stop by the Cointreau relaxation room. Beautifully set up for media and presenters to de-stress, this room was tantalizingly scented with the dozens and dozens of oranges artfully displayed with candles, their flames warming them and releasing the citrus oils. Soft and relaxing music, so quiet as to be barely noticeable, and two massage therapists giving free back-rubs. I took full advantage of this and had my first massage in months, Aaaaah.
