Sauced

Barrio Intros Cocktail and Spirits Classes

Beginning this month, barman Casey Robison schools Seattleites in the art of mixing drinks.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 11, 2011 at 10:10AM 0 Comments

Casey Robison and hat decorate a cover of Seattle Times insert “NW Ticket & Movietimes.”

Photo: Barrio via Facebook

Seattleites love to nerd out on the stuff they love. Why buy a jar of jam when you could spend the entire weekend chopping and boiling strawberries? Why just eat gnocchi at an Italian restaurant when you can attend a six-hour, $300 master class on how to make it? Shamanic journeying, Flirting 101, Inexpensive Global Volunteering, Intro to Fly Fishing, Herbs in Topical Skin Care: If it exists, Seattle has a class for it. That’s just how it goes around here.

Cocktails are no different. We don’t just want to drink them, tip the bartender, and be on our way. We want to explore the intricacies of their ingredients, fill notebooks with pro tips on how best to prepare them. We want to infuse, muddle, stir, and shake as if it was our job. That way, when we go back east for Thanksgiving, our sisters can make loud snoring noises as we explain what a Lewis bag is, or why this Islay scotch is smokier than that one from the Lowlands.

And now, finally, we arrive at the point of this post: Barrio bar manager Casey Robison sends word that beginning August 27, the bar will host a five-part series on cocktails and spirits. The classes cost $50 each (attend all five for $225), and each begins at 2pm and lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. Robison—great depth of knowledge, zero pretension, tattoos—teaches; if the series is a success there will be more in the future, he says.

Here’s what will be covered: 08/27: Latin Drinks; 09/10: Spirits I (gin, vodka, and brandy); 09/24: Spirits II (whiskey, tequila, rum); 10/8: Classic Cocktails (1805-1930); 10/22: Contemporary Cocktails (1950-present).

The classes are limited to about 16 people, call this number to reserve a space: 206-838-3853.

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Tags: Booze 101, Capitol Hill, Seattle Bartenders, Seattle Cocktail Classes

Details on Canon Seattle Emerge

And here they are.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 08, 2011 at 10:08PM 0 Comments

Canon opens later this summer at 928 12th Avenue E.

Photo: Canon Seattle via Facebook

So it was only last week I was pestering Nathan Weber for confirmation on his move to Mistralkitchen. And now it seems the intrepid barman is moving on to Canon, Jamie Boudreau’s new cocktail emporium that’s set to open later this summer in the former Licorous space on 12th Avenue East. No word from Weber yet on whether or not he plans to stay on at Mistral and Rob Roy, though working behind three bars seems like a rather challenging proposition.

Canon broke the news in a press release on Monday night, announcing also that one Melinda Bradley would be the chef at the new cocktail bar. Bradley’s LinkedIn page says she last worked as a cook and baker at Lisa Dupar Catering, and before that was in the employ of Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group in New York City. According to Canon press materials, she also worked at Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit, also in New York. None of this has yet been independently confirmed. (What? Some of us are still a little shell-shocked following the Daniel Jeffers fiasco. Also, update: I received confirmation from Aquavit, she definitely worked there. ) The press release says that the menu will be made up of shareable plates focused on local ingredients. Boudreau envisions guests combining the dishes to create “multi-course meals.”

Other things we’ve learned about Canon: Its “Angostura bitters-stained mahogany and birch bar,” built and designed by Boudreau, will seat 12, with 36 more seats scattered around the space. The drinks menu is huge, boasting “more than 100 cocktails.” Canon will be open every day from 5pm to 2am and will serve food until 1:30am.

I’ve got queries and confirmation requests in. I’ll update as soon as I know more things.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Seattle Bartenders, Jamie Boudreau, Bar Openings, Seattle Bar News, Canon Seattle

Changes Behind the Bar at Mistralkitchen

Tavern Law, Vessel alums now mixing drinks at the SLU restaurant and bar.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 05, 2011 at 11:25AM 0 Comments

The bar at Mistralkitchen

Photo: Andrew Waits

Update: Bertrand says he is behind the bar at Mistral Wednesday nights through Saturday. “Friday night is when Nathan Weber and I are there together.”

Last time we checked in with Mistralkitchen, Andrew Bohrer was leaving the bar and Ashley Pugh was taking over the role as manager.

Since then, Pugh has moved to New Zealand—nice place—and Mistral has hired Michael Betrand, once of Vessel (now shuttered), and Nathan Weber, who recently left Tavern Law. Weber, who happens to be one of the all-time great Five Questions interviewees, has also been seen behind the bar at Rob Roy alongside several other highly skilled Seattle bartenders (including Bohrer).

No official word yet on which of these guys is managing the situation at Mistral, but I will share that with you when I can. There’s also some schedule shifting going on, I expect to have updates on that as well.

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Tags: South Lake Union, Seattle Bartenders

Five Questions for the Bartender: Jared Scarr of Vito’s

Take the candle out before you eat the cake, says the barman at First Hill’s absurdly atmospheric cocktail lounge.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 27, 2011 at 01:53PM 0 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

Here, Jared Scarr is about to make a sazerac variation called the Tom Handy: Rittenhouse Rye, Remy, and creole bitters in an absinthe-rinsed glass.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

Here, Jared Scarr is about to make a sazerac variation called the Tom Handy: Rittenhouse Rye, Remy, and creole bitters in an absinthe-rinsed glass.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

The allotting of spirits.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

The straining.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

The garneshing.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

The end.

Vito’s bartender Jared Scarr (this is his blog) got into mixing drinks by way of bussing. At 18, he started clearing tables at Anthony’s in Edmonds, moving up to bartending at the ripe of age of 21. He saved up his tips to travel the world—France, Italy, Thailand, South America—returning each summer to cash in during the strong season.

“I count myself very lucky that I stumbled upon this trade. It suits me,” says Scarr.

Here, five questions with the man behind the bar at Vito’s.

What is the most underrated spirit?

Rum. Rum has more variety within its category than any other spirit. You can find something for everyone.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Vito’s)?

Sun Liquor on Summit.

What drink do you order at that bar?

Depends on my mood but eventually a sazerac* makes it into my hands.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

I was in a swank lounge in Seattle when one of my regulars spotted me and sauntered over to the table where I was sitting with my girlfriend. I should mention that we were on a date—an anniversary date, to be specific. This anniversary also landed on the anniversary of the opening of this particular restaurant, and they were giving out little treats with candles in them. My regular had obviously been enjoying his time at the bar because when the treats came, my girlfriend and I blew out the candles, but he stuffed the entire thing—candle and all—into his mouth. This was in front of a lounge full of people.

“Mmmmm……waxy” was all he could say.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

I grew up here and I have a wonderful network of family and friends that I would have a hard time leaving. Plus, I’m not afraid of the rain and am more productive when the sun isn’t out to distract me.

Find Jared Scarr behind the bar at Vito’s on Saturday nights and Tuesdays in the early evening.

*Click on the slideshow to see Scarr make a variation on the classic NOLA cocktail.

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Tags: Five Questions for the Bartender, Seattle Bartenders, First Hill

Evan Martin Takes Over as Bar Manager at Ba Bar

No more Daniel Jeffers at Ba; Jason Saura now managing Naga.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 18, 2011 at 06:41AM 0 Comments

Evan Martin (pictured here at Naga) leaves Bellevue for Ba Bar.

Photo: Facebook

Some Monday morning bartender news for you: Evan Martin worked his last shifts as bar manager at Bellevue’s Naga Cocktail Lounge this weekend. Beginning in August, he’ll be taking over fulltime as bar manager at Ba Bar, the Vietnamese noodle bar from Eric Banh (Monsoon, Monsoon East, Baguette Box) that opened earlier this month at 550 12th Avenue.

“We will have a new menu [of] classics with summer in mind and another menu out shortly that will be a better taste of what to expect at Ba Bar,” says Martin. “Even though sticking to one particular theme has been the biggest trend over the last couple years, that won’t be us.”

Instead, the menu will be a mix of classics, tiki drinks, and original cocktails, some of which will incorporate ingredients common to Vietnamese cuisine because: “there are some flavors that are too good and interesting to avoid.”

Martin says Daniel Jeffers, who moved from San Francisco to open Ba Bar, is no longer with the company. This news follows some confusion surrounding Jeffers’ employment history in San Francisco.

Naga ’tender Jason Saura is now managing that bar.

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Tags: Seattle Bartenders, Evan Martin

Five Questions for the Bartender: Ricardo Hoffman at Zig Zag

A rising star behind the bar who likes mezcal, Old Fashioneds, and customers who don’t dismantle toilets.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 14, 2011 at 09:13AM 2 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

Ricardo Hoffman at the Zig Zag Cafe. Click on the slideshow to watch him make a Dry Bitter Tequila: Reposado tequila, Cynar, chocolate bitters, and dry vermouth.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

Ricardo Hoffman at the Zig Zag Cafe. Click on the slideshow to watch him make a Dry Bitter Tequila: Reposado tequila, Cynar, chocolate bitters, and dry vermouth.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson
View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson
View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson
View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

And, voila: the Dry Bitter Tequila.

Ricardo Hoffman worked his way up. He was a busboy at Purple Cafe and Wine Bar when the restaurant’s parent company, Heavy Restaurant Group, opened Barrio, the cocktail-driven Mexican restaurant on Capitol Hill. He started there as a barback.

“After six months of hard work and relentless harassment of the bar staff and managers, they gave me the opportunity to prove myself as a bartender,” says Hoffman. He quickly became a known entity in the neighborhood, then moved on to Sun Liquor (the first one, on Summit Avenue) about a year ago. There, he became an even better-known entity.

A particularly prescient person once described an experience with Hoffman at Sun this way: “He could be the next Murray.” Prescient, because in May Hoffman was hired on at Zig Zag—he came aboard after Murray Stenson left. Hoffman currently works the service well at our city’s most storied cocktail bar.

Here, five questions for Ricardo Hoffman.

What is the most underrated spirit?

Mezcal, for mixing or just sipping on its own. It’s much more refined than most people give it credit for.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Zig Zag)?

Hands down, my favorite bar is Sun Liquor. Any drink you order—a beer, a shot, a fancy cocktail—is well made and served with genuine service. It’s a quintessential neighborhood bar.

What drink do you order at the bar?

I usually order the bartender’s choice variation on an Old Fashioned. It’s interesting to see how it varies in style with each bartender.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

The weirdest thing I’ve experienced was dealing with an adult who had a temper-tantrum and dismantled the toilet and tore apart the bathroom.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

It’s clean and beautiful, there is great hiking all the way around, and it’s a foodie city with exceptional restaurants and fantastic bars.

Find Ricardo Hoffman at Zig Zag Tuesday through Thursday and again on Saturdays. If I were you, I’d ask for something with tequila in it.

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Tags: Five Questions for the Bartender, Seattle Bartenders, Tequila, Mezcal, Zig Zag Cafe

Five Questions for the Bartender: Veronika Groth

The popular lady behind the bar at Poppy says sip your tequila, and never underestimate the pairing potential of whiskey and sushi.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 30, 2011 at 11:08AM 2 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

This is Veronika Groth, who is making herself an Artifizz, a sweet and sour drink with Cynar artichoke liqueur, blackberry liqueur from Clear Creek, lime, and soda.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

This is Veronika Groth, who is making herself an Artifizz, a sweet and sour drink with Cynar artichoke liqueur, blackberry liqueur from Clear Creek, lime, and soda.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

Damn Veronika, that looks pretty good.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

We’ll leave her now to enjoy her cocktail.

Poppy bartender Veronika Groth has a fan club, a very vocal fan club. Like those of Kevin Lilley at the Bottleneck Lounge, Groth’s regulars have been quite adamant that she be recognized among our city’s finest drink mixers. It is my distinct honor to oblige them.

Born in Chula Vista, California to German immigrant parents, Veronika Groth says the thing she loves most about bartending is the chance to hear other people’s stories. “I grew up in a family of storytellers and vivid imaginations,” says Groth. “I like to think of myself as an aspiring writer, I am certainly an avid reader.”

Her family moved to Seattle when she was 13; at 17 she moved up to Capitol Hill and has lived there since. But the convenient commute (not to mention the chance to pluck samples of chef Jerry Traunfeld’s incredible food) isn’t the only reason she works at Poppy. To Groth, toiling in the restaurant’s edible garden is like going home. “I grew up gardening with my Mother and it’s one of the things that calms me most. I love taking flavors from the garden and incorporating them in drinks.”

Here, five questions with Veronika Groth.

What is the most underrated spirit?

Really, tequila is the most underrated spirit as it is most often consumed as a shooter—tipped back, quickly. (I do that myself from time to time…ahem). But tequila, depending on the region where it is grown, can have a large sweet aroma and a soft, herbaceous flavor and fragrance. I suggest taking the time to sip it, smell it, see how it looks on the glass. Tequila makes for really delicious savory cocktails.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar?

Hmmm… So many places for so many moods. If I have the night off I like the short walk up to Liberty. I love brown liquors, and this place is teeming with them. What more can I ask for than a good bourbon, scotch, or other whiskey poured over a fat chunk of ice and accompanied by sushi?

And the place for character-watching is The Baranof. You can’t beat playing pool with a one-armed man and getting your ass kicked.

What drink do you order at that bar?

An old fashioned. I like to experience all the different interpretations, whether good or bad. Really liking old fashioneds made with genever these days.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

Working at the back bar of a smoke-filled Chinese restaurant, I watched as a beautiful girl applied her lipstick before falling face first into her fried rice.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.
My family lives here, I like to know they’re close.

You can’t beat the view from where I live: I can see Downtown, the Space Needle, Puget Sound and Cascade views. (I sound like I’m bragging, don’t I?)

It’s kind of la la land as far as personal beliefs are concerned. I feel pretty lucky.

Find Veronika Groth behind the bar at Poppy Friday through Monday.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Five Questions for the Bartender, Seattle Bartenders, Tequila, Jerry Traunfeld

Jamie Boudreau Says New Bar, Canon, Should be Open by Late Summer

Here’s what we know about it.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 21, 2011 at 07:46AM 9 Comments

Jamie Boudreau hopes to open Canon by late summer.

Photo Courtesy: canonseattle.wordpress.com

Update 2: Boudreau confirms that Canon will move into the current home of Licorous at 928 12th Avenue.

Update: A liquor license app indicates that Canon is taking over the Licorous space on Capitol Hill. I will now try to confirm.

Bartender Jamie Boudreau’s goal of opening a bar in Seattle, years in the planning, may be reached by late summer. Boudreau first came to Seattle from Vancouver to open Vessel; he left the now-shuttered cocktail lounge and spent time behind the stick at local bars Tini Bigs and the Knee High Stocking Club Co. Currently he bartends at Rob Roy in Belltown and travels as a brand ambassador.

But Boudreau has been working to raise funds for his own place for some time now, and he sent word Monday evening that he is very close to finalizing a lease on a space, though he did not reveal the location.

He confirmed only that the bar would be called Canon, but “whiskey and bitters emporium,” indicates a focus on brown, bitter, and stirred. Clearly, more questions than answers at this point, but you can follow Boudreau’s progress on Twitter and Canon Seattle’s website. And check back here too—I’ll be digging for details, you can believe that.

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Tags: Seattle Bartenders, Jamie Boudreau, Bar Openings, Canon Seattle

Upcoming Drinking Events: Murray at Oliver’s, Syncline tasting, Two Beers in a Can

Lots of boozy options over the next seven days.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 16, 2011 at 02:09PM 0 Comments

Taste Bulleit Rye this Monday at the Bookstore Bar.

Photo Courtesy: Bulleit

This Friday, June 17 through Sunday, June 19 is when the Washington Brewers Festival at Saint Edward State Park in Kenmore happens. More than 200 types of beer will be poured and there will be plenty of cider this year too. Take your dad! That guy loves beer.

On Monday, June 20, the Bookstore Bar hosts a tasting of Bulleit bourbon and rye whiskies, the latter debuted in March. Master of Whiskey Breck Taylor hosts, it is from 7 to 9pm and costs $30. That includes a whiskey flight and food pairings.

Wednesday, June 22 is the night that Barrio Bellevue is hosting the third in a series of events called Brazilian Nights, sponsored by Novofogo Cachaca. This time it’s a four-course dinner for $50, call Barrio to reserve: 206-838-3853.

Over the years, Oliver’s Lounge has employed many a Seattle bartender, including legends Murray Stenson and Steve Burney. They, along with several colleagues (Mike Rule, Steve Vlah, and Patrick Donnelly), will be mixing drinks at the hotel bar’s 35th anniversary party next Thursday, June 23 from 4 to 8pm. (I confirmed with the bar that yes, Murray is still slated to tend bar that night despite the shoulder injury). Oh and hey, free food! Oliver’s is serving complimentary happy hour apps for the occasion. To RSVP, call 206-382-6991.

Also on Thursday, the winery responsible for my very favorite by-the-glass rose, Syncline Cellars, is representing at Poco Wine Room. It’s from 6 to 9pm. A $10 tasting fee buys you a taste of five wines; assistant winemaker Poppie Montane will be pouring. If you can’t make the party but want to test the veracity of my statement about the rose, it’s on offer at these two happy hours: Lecosho’s and Seatown Seabar’s.

Finally on Thursday, Two Beers has just begun offering beer by the can, and it will give visitors a chance to try how that tastes from 5 to 8pm.

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Tags: Tastings and Classes, Seattle Bartenders, Parties, Murray Stenson

Meet the New Guy Behind the Bar at Zig Zag Cafe

Or maybe you already know him?

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 15, 2011 at 11:58AM 0 Comments

Zig Zag’s newest ’tender: Ricardo Hoffman

Photo: Christopher Collins (via Facebook)

Fans of Sun Liquor (the original Summit Ave Sun Liquor, not the new one) already know Ricardo Hoffman, who bartended there for a year and a half before moving into the job that became available when Murray Stenson left Zig Zag. Before Sun, Hoffman worked at the Capitol Hill branch of Barrio.

Hoffman says Sun Liquor and Zig Zag have always been two of his favorite bars, and he felt pretty honored to be working at the former. “It was a hard job to leave,” he says. But when the opportunity arose to work at Zig Zag, he couldn’t turn it down.

And since starting his new gig, where he’s working the service well, he has noticed two advantages to employment at Seattle’s most famous bar: 1. You have help. If there’s a line out the door on a Saturday night, there are four or five coworkers there to keep you out of the weeds. 2. People come for the drinks. If you’ve been to Sun Liquor on a Saturday night, you know what Hoffman means by that. The bar may be all about craft cocktails; the Capitol Hill weekend crowd doesn’t necessarily know that. Or want that.

But while Zig Zag’s crowd may be more in the know, they don’t know everything. “Everyone stills asks for Murray,” says Hoffman.

Ricardo Hoffman is currently on vacation returning late this week. His shifts at Zig Zag have yet to be set but he expects to be there Wednesday through Sunday.

PS: Credit where it’s due. I learned of the Hoffman hire from the Seattle Times’ Tan Vinh.

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Tags: Seattle Bartenders, Zig Zag Cafe

Final* (I Hope) Update on Murray Stenson’s Employment Status

Here’s the reason he’s not tending bar at RN74…at least for now.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 10, 2011 at 10:48AM 1 Comments

The bar at RN74 Seattle

All right, this whole story has definitely veered into leave-the-guy-alone territory, and after this post I hope to do just that.

However, I know Murray Stenson is a beloved person and I know that people have been worried about him following the news that he was going to take some time off from bartending, and no longer planned to be behind the bar at RN74 next week when the restaurant opens.

The break turns out to be due to a shoulder injury, Stenson told me in an email this morning. He will need several months off to recuperate. “It’ll give me time to catch up with the Golden Girls reruns,” he wrote.

Not much drama there, folks.

In sorta related news, Tan Vinh reported on Twitter this week that Zig Zag has hired Ricardo Hoffman from Sun Liquor. Going to follow up on that news right now.

*By final I mean final for now, of course.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Seattle Bartenders, Bar Openings, Murray Stenson

Seattle Bartenders Boycott Pusser’s Rum Following Painkiller Legal Action

The legal pursuit is “like Ragu trying to copyright ‘Bolognese,’” says one Seattle bartender.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 09, 2011 at 11:45AM 0 Comments

This is PKNY. Not Painkiller.

Photo: Eater National

A number of Seattle bartenders have joined a national Facebook group calling for a boycott on Pusser’s, a rum from the British Virgin Islands.

The company holds two U.S. trademarks on the name Painkiller. The first is for “alcoholic fruit drinks with fruit juices and cream of coconut and coconut juice,” the second for “non-alcoholic mixed fruit juices.”

The latter is marketed as Pusser’s Painkiller Cocktail Mix, according to a recent article on the website The Lo-Down.

Giuseppe Gonzalez and Richard Boccato opened the cocktail spot Painkiller on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in May 2010. From the moment the tiki bar opened, Pusser’s began threatening legal action, according to this Atlantic.Com article from August 2010. (The same article prompted me to call a local copyright lawyer and try to sort through the legality of such things.) Painkiller also featured a Painkiller cocktail on the menu, and it did not list Pusser’s rum as an ingredient, calling instead for a “blend of Virgin Island rum.”

Lo-Down says that in April, Pusser’s “demanded that the bar stop calling itself and any of its drinks by the name Painkiller.” And in mid-May both parties signed a consent agreement stipulating that Painkiller would change its name to PKNY and that it would stop using the word on its menu.

The bar will also have to turn over its website—if you type the URL www.painkillernyc.com into your browser bar, you will now be directed to www.pk-ny.com.

Jim Romdall of Rob Roy is one of the local bartenders boycotting Pusser’s in response to the distillery’s action. He says many of his colleagues are anti-trademarking. “None of us feel like you should be able to copyright the recipe of a cocktail nor the name of a cocktail. That’s like Ragu trying to copyright ‘Bolognese.’”

“What seems wrong to me is for them to force a cease and desist on a bar that doesn’t directly infringe on those two products,” says Mike McSorley of Tini Bigs, who is also boycotting Pusser’s. “It sets a bad precedent.”

So what effect can a boycott have?

“Pusser’s isn’t exactly a huge brand, they’re not Bacardi,” says Romdall. “Our nerdy cocktail community is not large, and a big brand that offends us isn’t going to be harmed too much. But Pusser’s appeals to a small community, and I think this will have a very large impact on their sales, at least in the U.S. I feel like over the past year that Painkiller has been open, a huge new audience for their rum and that drink has been created. Flexing their muscle and forcing a place to change their name is a pretty big insult. I feel like we’re about to see what social media and the bartender community can do.”

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Tags: Cocktails, Seattle Bartenders, Booze News