For some time, I'd been hearing stories from Adam about a high-end cocktail bar named "The Violet Hour"--just down the street from his house in Chicago.
It would seem that Adam had grown a real taste for these high-priced but artisanally-crafted drinks. And his research had told him that a great mixologist could be found in New Orleans.
As for me, I never gave much thought to it. To me, mixed drinks were simply a method to find a barely palatable way to get enough alcohol into your system that you didn't care that you were drinking them. Sure, I like my scotch, but I don't think I'd ever had a drink with gin that I'd want a second time.
So, on our second night in New Orleans, at Adam's lead we headed to the Ritz-Carlton in search of this mixologist.
The night didn't start out well. We were told that our guy didn't work there anymore--he had moved down the street. And since our task for the night was to find this guy (and you know how task-oriented I am), I was ready to leave. Adam insisted that we stay and have at least one drink. I'm glad he did.
We spent that evening learning from another great mixologist--Daniel Victory.
I was stunned. For the first time, I actually enjoyed a cocktail. And the care and precision that he put into making them stunned me. I was accustomed to seeing bartenders sling out a drink as fast as possible. Daniel put as much attention into making his drinks as a good chef does when preparing a fine meal.
And because we had started the night early, the bar was empty for most of our visit. Daniel spent almost all of that time teaching us about his art. By the end of the night (which included a handmade eculayptus infusion--which was excellent) I was starting to see what Adam had been raving about.
The next night I was ready for some more. After just a bit of searching, we tracked down who we meant to the first night--Chris McMillian.
Chris Making His Signature Mint Julep
Again, we had the bar to ourselves the entire night so Chris spent the next couple of hours giving us a nonstop history of all things alcohol. This guy was an encyclopedia. And, of course, I don't want to downplay his ability to make one seriously mean drink.
That night finished exactly like the video above--with some good poetry and a great Mint Julep. (and a recommendation on a great bar here in Houston)
I could keep going on--that weekend had some great drinking experiences. The Cure was a very cool bar, but for me it wasn't near the experience that these other two were. And having a Sazerac at the Roosevelt Hotel was great.
But the end result is that I was lead to something cool. Since then, I've been very slowly building a bar here at the house and teaching myself how to make a decent drink. I'm really enjoying it.
Just today I stopped by my favorite restaurant supply store to buy a little more hardware. (bottle pourers, a good bar spoon, squeeze bottles, etc) The great thing is that they sell all of the stuff that real bars use without all the gimmicky gadgets and packaging. That means that I walked out with a handful of gear for literally a third to a quarter of the price that a regular store would charge.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll make me another Ramos Gin Fizz.
