Sauced

Bartender Jared Scarr Joins the Canon Crew

The Vito’s drink mixer is the newest member of the cocktail team at Jamie Boudreau’s bar.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Sep 29, 2011 at 11:14AM 2 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

Jared Scarr: Now mixing drinks at Canon

Sazerac sipper Jared Scarr is a favorite at First Hill throwback Vito’s. And while he’ll continue to work at that lowlit lounge, he has also begun to mix drinks at Canon alongside Nathan Weber and owner Jamie Boudreau.

For now, Scarr will be working Tuesdays and Saturdays at Vito’s. Thursdays and Fridays he’ll be at Canon. As is always the case with such shifts, they are subject to change. But if you want him to make you a drink tonight, for instance, you know where to go.

In less happy Canon news, Eater Seattle’s Allecia Vermillion reports that the bar recently lost 15 glasses thanks to an indelicate dishwasher. As anyone with an appreciation for vintage glassware knows well, this is a sad development indeed.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Behind the bar, Jamie Boudreau

Why Can’t Every Bar in Seattle Put Out a Proper Gin and Tonic?

Plus: the one, two, threes of a good G&T.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 04, 2011 at 10:10AM 8 Comments

These should be fresh.

Photo: publicbar.com

Speaking very generally—and with the understanding that exceptions are always the rule—there are three types of bars in Seattle, as far as cocktails are concerned:

1. Cocktail bars where you can get a good cocktail.

2. Restaurant bars and lounges where cocktails aren’t the focus, but where you can count on getting a decent drink, especially if three or fewer ingredients are involved. (Of course, some restaurants double as very good craft cocktail bars.)

3. Other bars.

Other bars make up the vast majority of bars in our town, and many offer, in addition to drinks, fun. But when it comes to mixed drinks at other bars, strange things sometimes happen. Drinks designed to taste like atomic fireballs happen. Curdled dairy products happen. And crimes of citrus are not uncommon—I recently opted for a gin and tonic at one Capitol Hill bar and was served three-quarters of a glass of Beefeater that had been contaminated with a single spray of tonic from a gunky soda gun, then garnished with the palest wedge of lime. This sad specimen featured a shaggy beard of wilting pith and a brown line of rot along the rind. The drink was undrinkable and, given the large quantity of gin involved, likely resulted in little profit for the bar.

It occurs to me that this is insane. Say what you will about the craft cocktail movement and its lamentable preciousness, there is no reason that every bar in Seattle shouldn’t turn out a drinkable gin and tonic. Drinks are what bars traffic in, after all. If the French fries aren’t perfect, fine. Bars here are compelled by law to serve food. But drinks are what they do. We don’t need every bartender to know how to shake up a Ramos Gin Fizz, but a G&T? Come on.

I asked Quentin Ertel, owner of The Saint and Havana on Capitol Hill—bars that serve simple, drinkable drinks—to shed light on the situation.

He offered up three explanations:

1. The every-profession-includes-people-that-suck-at-the-job explanation: “Some cabinet makers build wonderful cabinets, others build kindling.”

2. The too-many-bars explanation: "The recent proliferation of new bar openings in Seattle means there’s a diluted talent pool.”

3. The it’s-the-economy-stupid explanation: “In a recession, there’s been a rush to both own and work in bars and restaurants (this circles back to the first reason). As a result you’ve got very seasoned, incredibly knowledgeable professionals working alongside well-intentioned (though ill-trained) newcomers.”

Whatever the explanation, education is surely the solution. Here are Ertel’s tips on making a good G&T.

1. “Like good cooking, good drinking stars with the best ingredients. Aside from having a decent gin on hand, make sure your lime is fresh, your tonic has fizz to it, and that you’ve got a good supply of ice.”

2. “Pack the glass with ice—all the way to the top of the glass. This way, you won’t need to pour a triple shot for the customer to taste the gin. Instead, you can offer a nice pour of gin that cuts right through a splash of tonic, and the ample ice in the glass will keep the cocktail nice and cold.”

3. “Be sure to deliver the drink ASAP. As it starts to melt, more ice in the glass means more water. This water dilutes the taste of the cocktail. Also, it’s not polite to keep your guests waiting.”

So there you have that.

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Tags: Behind the bar, Drinking Culture, Seattle Bars, Drinking How-Tos

Five Questions for the Bartender: Thomas Bondesson

“I’m pretty simple” says the Swede behind the stick at Little Water Cantina.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 01, 2011 at 11:35AM 1 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

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

Thomas Bondesson grew up in Sweden. When his parents transplanted the family to California he discovered the joy of being a bus boy, eventually moving behind the bar. “I have worked every style of bartending,” says Bondesson, “from flair bartending in San Francisco to craft-cocktail bartending in Seattle.”

Last year, word spread among the cocktail crowd that there was a talented bartender at an unlikely South Lake Union destination: the Little Red Bistro on Dexter Avenue. But Bondesson soon moved on to Spur in Belltown; he drew more buzz there by creating tasty barrel-aged cocktails. In May he moved again: to Eastlake’s Little Water Cantina, where he has been tasked with creating a craft-cocktail menu to accompany the Mexican eats on offer.

Here, five questions for Thomas Bondesson.

What is the most underrated spirit?

I would say aquavit. It doesn’t always cater to the American palate but used right it’s quite delicious. In Sweden aquavit is generally consumed before you eat a meal, you shoot it. But if you want to mix with it, use something with bitter fruits and berries. I do a cocktail with aquavit, blackberry shrub, ginger ale, and Creme De Cassis.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Little Water Cantina)?

Zig Zag hands down, the guys there have helped me out a lot when I came out to Seattle, I’ll often be sitting at the stick late Monday nights. Other favorite places are Rob Roy and The Dray.

What drink do you order at that bar?

Old Raj on the rocks or cheap beer and some kind of shot. I’m pretty simple.

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

Ugh, I don’t know where to start with this one. I’ve worked in some weird places. But I would say the worst thing is when a customer broke a glass and brushed the broken pieces in my ice well on a busy Saturday.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

Culture, weather, soccer.

At Little Water Cantina, Bondesson works Tuesday through Friday nights. Sundays, he joins his industry colleagues to play soccer in the Novo Fogo-sponsored league. You can email me if you’d like more information on that.

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Tags: Eastlake, Behind the bar, Five Questions for the Bartender, Creme de Cassis, Aquavit

Five Questions for the Bartender: Michael Kostin

“It is never a good idea to throw anything at a bartender,” cautions the man behind the stick at Naga Lounge.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 13, 2011 at 02:26PM 0 Comments

Michael Kostin on the job.

Photo: Ari Shapiro of Dauber Art Photography

Michael Kostin’s first restaurant job—which he secured at age 16—was as a dishwasher at a Bellevue restaurant. The next year he joined the navy and became a nuclear chemist on a submarine stationed out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

“Even while I was in the Navy, I worked part time in restaurants and bars,” says Kostin. " I got out in 1995, and decided to stay in Hawaii."

Kostin became a fulltime bartender in 2000; in ’06 he moved back to Washington to be closer to family. He now lives in Bellevue and splits his shifts between Naga Lounge and Taste in the Seattle Art Museum.

Here are five questions for him.

What is the most underrated spirit?

Cachaca is a very misunderstood and underutilized spirit in most bars, if they have it at all. Brandies—brandy, cognac, Armagnac, and pisco —are underrated as well.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Naga and Taste)?

At the risk of being cliche, I have to say Zig Zag. Zig Zag is the reason I made the crossover from being a high-volume bartender to becoming a craft bartender.

I spent many nights sitting in front of Murray’s well watching him work and asking him questions about the drinks he was making and the spirits he was using to make them. The staff at Zig Zag is a big part of the reason I was able to earn a bartending position at Naga.

Other Seattle bars that I like: Little Red Bistro, Liberty, Rob Roy, Sambar, Moshi Moshi, Spur, Tavern Law/Needle and Thread, and Vessel (before it closed).

What drink do you order at that bar?

I tend to pick a base spirit and have the bartenders just make me something, or I go with a bartender’s choice.

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

The worst thing I have ever seen someone do in a bar is throw a beer bottle or a glass at a bartender “to get their attention”. It is never a good idea to throw anything at a bartender for any reason, and it is the quickest way to get cut off and thrown out of a bar.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

The cocktail and food scene. Although I loved living in Hawaii, I knew I had to leave to further my bartending career beyond the high-volume bartending I was doing. Seattle has a thriving and vibrant cocktail and food scene. Plus, being in Seattle puts me in close proximity to other great cocktail and food cities like Portland, Vancouver BC, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

I am a city person. I lived in Olympia for four years when I moved to Washington, it was too small of a town for me.

The sense of community among the craft bartenders of Seattle. I can’t put into words how great it feels to be accepted into the bartending community of Seattle. It is something I have not experienced before among bartenders.

Visit Michael Kostin all day Saturday and Monday at Naga Cocktail Lounge, and during occasional fill-in shifts on Wednesdays. He works brunch at Taste in the Seattle Art Museum on Sundays, and is also there Tuesday for lunch.

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Tags: Bellevue, Downtown, Behind the bar, Five Questions for the Bartender, Seattle Bartenders, Cachaca, Brandy

Is Keg Wine The New Normal?

Two Seattle spots are on the keg tip. It seems we might see more soon.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Oct 11, 2010 at 08:28AM 1 Comments

Kegs store wine longer, and make by-the-glass offerings cheaper for everyone.

Photo: raggedshirts.com

The new iteration of The Local Vine on Capitol Hill has been garnering attention for offering two keg wines by the glass, and as Sean Sullivan of Washington Wine Report, um, reports, Bottlehouse in Madrona has plans to start tapping its own very soon.

But how big is this trend going to get? In a New York piece last week, Paul Grieco of Terroir wine bar in New York City told the magazine: “I think every new restaurant that opens will dedicate at least one beer line to wine.”

Every one? Probably not. But the more wine kegs the better for we wine-drinking consumers. Keg wine allows restaurants and bars to offer by-the-glass offerings for a much-reduced price, and by much-reduced I mean, like, half of the normal cost. There’s also less waste—keg wine can stay fresh for months and the kegs themselves are reusable.

I’ll keep you posted as new vino kegs show up around town.

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Tags: Wine, Behind the bar, Wine Bars, Keg Wine

Tricky Booze Words

Some beverages have hard-to-pronounce names. Here’s help.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 01, 2010 at 10:40AM 2 Comments

A little while ago, I started collecting difficult-to-pronounce cocktail vocabulary—mostly words I myself mispronounced until some kind soul gently corrected me—with the intention of aggregating them into a blog post.

Kauffman has a series called “Don’t Sound Like a Tool” on the SFoodie blog—each post includes audio recordings of difficult-to-pronounce vocabulary from the culinary world. This June he did a two-parter featuring booze words.

Of course, part of mastering pronunciation is learning not to pronounce words too well. No one wants to hear you say “champahhhgne” like Christopher Walken in his SNL skit “The Continental.” That’s just creepy. And, although the SFoodie guy pronounces “genever” as “yenever,” I won’t be doing so. Too much.

A final note: The word orgeat is not on the list, but it is super-easy to butcher. Say “or-zha.”

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Tags: Booze 101, Behind the bar

Bitters Expert Bartends at Vessel Tonight

The renowned Stephan Berg starts serving at 4pm.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 15, 2010 at 02:12PM 0 Comments

German bitters guru Stephan Berg guest bartends at Vessel tonight.

As I write this, the city’s best bartenders are about one third of the way through a three-hour “masters seminar” on bitters at Liberty bar.

Their teacher is Stephan Borg, one of the founders of The Bitter Truth, a line of bitters based in Germany. Berg is a career bartender and a leading bitters expert who travels the world spreading the bitter gospel.

What’s it to you? Well today (March 15) beginning at 4pm, Berg will be serving up drinks behind the bar at Vessel downtown. And it’s not like you want to miss the chance to drink cocktails created by one of the world’s leading bitters experts. That’s silly.

Photo Source

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Tags: Downtown, Cocktails, Behind the bar, Bitters, Vessel

Five Questions for the (Visiting) Bartender: Neyah White

Legendary San Francisco bartender Neyah White will be in town next week to teach Drinking Lessons at the Sorrento. Get to know him now.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 15, 2010 at 10:21AM 0 Comments

Neyah White comes to Seattle February 21 and 22 for Drinking Lessons.

It’s a Five Questions first, everybody. We’re talking to a bartender from San Francisco.

Specifically, we’re talking to Neyah White. He’s the bar manager at San Fran’s Nopa where his housemade bitters, tinctures, and liqueurs have earned him love, fame, and all the perks that come with being a rock-star bartender in a city so obsessed with food and drink it puts Seattle’s own food and drink fetishism to…let’s just say it gives us something to which to aspire.

Together with fellow SFer Duggan McDonnell, Neyah White comes to Seattle on February 21 and 22 to host Drinking Lessons at the Hunt Club. Don’t miss it.

Here, five questions for Neyah White.

What is the most underrated spirit?

I am actually going to go with a wine rather than spirit and say vermouth. The 50s and 60s were not very kind to vermouth and it is really a shame. We abuse it by storing it wrong, pouring it wrong, and just plain not understanding it. I challenge everyone reading this to open a fresh bottle of any vermouth (well, almost any) and pour a little over ice with an orange slice. It’s delicious.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar?

I haven’t been to Seattle a whole lot in recent years, but there sure are some great folks working in your town. I get teary-eyed when I think about Murray Stetson [ Zig Zag], jealous when I think about Jamie Boudreau [ Knee High], nostalgic when I think about Eric Carlson [ Moshi Moshi] and Nate Weber [ Tavern Law, I think], and just plain happy when I think about Anu Apte and Zane Harris [ Rob Roy].

What drink do you order at that bar?

I am a big proponent of being a good guest by enjoying what is being offered. I like to drink whatever is most appropriate: Beer in beer halls, wine in wine bars, Scotch every chance I get.

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

I work very hard at forgetting stuff like that. Alcohol brings out the best and worst in people, getting $100 tip and getting stiffed on a $200 tab come pretty much from the same place.

Name three reasons you like to visit in Seattle.

1. The sun is evil and must be avoided at all costs. 2. They say the human body is made up of about 60 percent water. In me, 50 percent of that water is coffee, and Seattle is fine place to refuel. 3. I look good in a scarf.

GET TICKETS TO DRINKING LESSONS WITH NEYAH WHITE HERE.

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Tags: Cocktails, Booze 101, Wine, Behind the bar, Five Questions for the Bartender, Drinking Events, Scotch

The Haiti Cocktail at Liberty: What Is It?

Here’s what you are drinking when you order a “Haiti.”

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 22, 2010 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

I was wondering what was in the Haiti, that drink at Liberty that owner Andrew Friedman created to benefit relief efforts in Haiti—100 percent of income generated from the cocktail is donated to Mercy Corps or the Clinton Foundation. It costs $6.

Here’s the deal. It’s:

2oz Barbancourt 8yr Rum—from Haiti
.5oz Cynar (an artichoke-flavored Italian liqueur)
.25oz Cointreau
.5oz fresh lime juice
a lime twist
simple syrup to taste

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Tags: Cocktails, Haiti, Cocktail Recipes, Behind the bar