Hey Bartender

The Craft Cocktail is back, and I'm obviously very happy about it. This documentary (currently on Showtime) is an amazing love letter to bartenders and their craft.  It's a bit long for a movie about cocktails, but I was never bored watching it for the first time.

It opens on a quote: "The culture of drink endures because it offers so many rewards...above all the elusive promise of friendship and love." -Pete Hamill

One opening comment is "There should be a drinks column in every newspaper in America.  There should be shows on TV." I couldn't agree more.

They go through prep in a bar, and honestly I have a huge appreciation for everything they set up.  I often admired the set up in different bars (such as Z Bar), but I never really thought that someone had to set that up every night.  It's a lot to set up, and if you are high quality like 1864, you have to sculpt ice as well as set up everything for the night.

Employees Only in NYC is featured in the documentary has an amazing cast of characters.  They go into the background of a few people that work there that is fascinating. You really find yourself rooting for all the people involved in everything they want to do, and you are not disappointed.

However I have to say my favorite quote, maybe of all time, is from Frank of Rao's.  He says "The object is to bring your job, whatever it is, to the level of art."  He goes on to say "There is an art to being a waiter, there is an art to being a chef.  There is an art to being a bartender.  Be the best bartender anyone has ever dealt with."  This is around 45 minutes into the documentary (a little less than halfway through), and when I heard that it really changed how I felt about not only bartenders, but jobs in general.  It is a profound statement; you should always give it your all and take it to another level, a level of art.

Thank goodness for Dale DeGroff, and this documentary for really expanding my view of this profession, and of the craft cocktail.  Check it out soon!

Hot Toddy at Red Rock Bar

Although Bourbon is usually used, Red Rock gave me a Whiskey Hot Toddy a few months ago.  The snow was just over Mt. Rose and headed our way, and that bite was in the air.  We were at the bar and I just couldn't bring myself to have a cold drink and go back out there.

I'd never had a hot toddy before, but my friend insisted that I'd like it, and that it was made with local honey, which would be in one of my rules for the official state drink!  I was excited for my prospects before I took my first sip.

I'm not gonna lie, this is not my kind of drink.  It just tasted like hot Whiskey.  I didn't taste the lemon I clearly saw in there, I didn't taste any honey, and I had to constantly sir it so I didn't get a mouthful of....spice?  Nutmeg?  Something floating in it.

As I continued to muscle my way through it, I found the hot was really warming me up, and the whiskey was rather nice.  By the time I finished, it made me warm and drunk enough that I liked it.  Once I sobered up though, I knew it was a drink I'd never order again, unless I moved to Alaska.

Red Rock Bar
241 S Sierra St, Reno, NV 89501
(775) 324-2468

Monday	4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Tuesday	4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Wednesday	4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Thursday	4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Friday	4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Saturday	4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Sunday	4:00 pm – 2:00 am

A Wine of a Tale

During the holidays I got a panicked call from a friend.  Apparently an important gentleman in the community had decided to come to the party last minute, and he only drank a certain type of wine.  The caterers were nearly there, and she asked me to stop by a Liqour store and pick some up.  I asked her to text me the exact type of wine so that I didn't screw it up.  When I got the text I was flabbergasted.  This guy's only request is that he only drank what amounted to just above a 2 Buck Chuck?  I was embarrassed for him, then for me for having to pick it up.

The Neon Beast and I were in a snarky mood, so the entire trip turned out to be one quip after another.  It took forever to find it because was literally in the "Others" section of the store.  NB said "Maybe we can try to find an earlier year than 2014."  I said "I'm sure it's all vinegar by now, the 2013 is on a salad somewhere."  NB retorted "You can use it for just cooking now, as long as you are cooking for your enemies."

We picked up the bottle and NB remarked "Oh, a screw cap; so you know it's quality!"  I'm sure we got the same kind of looks that Frasier got when he talked about wine, because as we walked to the front we shot back and forth lines like "When wine in a box is too big of an investment!"  "The brand is good for cars, but clearly they put this wine in the gas tank!"

Once we were out of the store we texted our friend, "We had to buy it with a Hustler so we'd feel less dirty."

Napa has really turned us into some horrible wine snobs.  But hey, they can't all be a de La Tour.

Of course, after all that fuss and comedy-inspired wine jokes, the guy didn't even show up.  "Maybe they can use the wine for fondue?" NB said.  I retorted "Yeah, fondue with your enemies."

Original New York Seltzer is Back!

My mom is from NYC, the Bronx.  Even though I've never been there I always feel like being a New Yorker is in my blood.  That being said, when I was a child and mom had stacks and stacks of New York Seltzer all over the house, I wasn't a fan.  It was too bubbly, and didn't have any flavor to my 6 year old palate.  I did always like the label though.

Which is why when it started popping up in stores again last year it immediately caught my eye.  I put off actually getting one for awhile, mostly due to price.  $2-5 for that new tiny bottle?  Nuh-uh.  You aren't gonna get me like that.  Unless someone else is paying...which is honestly what happened.

Because I never tried it before, I can't say what it was like before, but it's pretty good now!  Actually worth the price, since it is so rich I don't know that I'd want more.  Of course, a New York anything isn't going to be the state drink of Nevada.  However I'm still going to enjoy that cute message under the bottle cap.