Sauced

Eastside Barman Mark Sexauer Wins “Most Inspired” Competition

Here’s the recipe for the winning cocktail.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 24, 2011 at 12:06PM 0 Comments

Mark Sexauer: The man behind The Forager.

Score one for the Eastside. Mark Sexauer, who manages the bars at Hector’s and Milagro Cantina, both in Kirkland, won last night’s Most Inspired Bartender competition with his original cocktail, The Forager. Sexauer will travel to Las Vegas in September to compete for the national Most Inspired title. He’ll go up against tenders from cities around the country in the contest, which is put on by GQ and the United States Bartenders Guild and sponsored by Bombay Sapphire.

The bartenders were tasked with making a creative but “approachable” drink, and I love that a cocktail that includes microplaned carrots and cumin seeds can be considered approachable. How far we’ve come with our drinking, no?

Without further ado, The Forager:

Ingredients
2 tbsp microplaned carrots
.5oz fresh lemon juice
.75oz Simple Syrup
2 tsp egg white
1 pinch (15-20 seeds) cumin seeds
2oz Bombay Sapphire Gin (Of course, you can sub in another gin. You’re under no obligation to the sponsor, after all.)
1oz Lillet Blanc

Garnish
1 flat sprig parsley
1 pinch orange zest

Instructions
Muddle whole cumin in mixing glass until all the seeds are broken. Combine
the rest of the ingredients and shake very hard to incorporate the carrot
flavor and emulsify the egg white. Double strain into a cocktail or coupe
glass of choice. Garnish with a large flat parsley sprig and a pinch of
orange zest.

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Tags: Kirkland, Seattle Bartenders, Cocktail Competitions

Upcoming Drinking Events: More Bastille Day, Murray Stenson Back Behind the Bar

Plus: Kirkland Uncorked, beers in Phinney Ridge, and a very cool herbal infusion class.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 11, 2011 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

Roadhouse and chicken wings come together tonight at King’s Hardware.

Happy Monday, Seattle drinkers. We’re in the ides of July and you know what that means—lots of drinking events for celebrating summertime.

Here’s what is on tap and tasty this week.

Monday, July 11 it’s movie night at King’s Hardware in Ballard. Drink specials, free popcorn, and 28 cent wings are among the attractions. Tonight’s movie is Roadhouse, the magic begins around 9pm.

Attention aspiring craft cocktailers and soda jerks: On Wednesday the 13th, Herban Wellness is offering a very cool class in herbal syrups, honeys, and infusions. The lesson includes how-tos on making your own ginger ale and root beer bases along with syrups and infusions to mix into mixed drinks. That’s $20, register on the website.

Thursday, July 14 is of course Bastille Day. Last week I rounded up promising parties but, as Allecia Vermillion over at Eater Seattle points out, I forgot the ever-important Corson Building fete. There will be live music and games and, most importantly, food—food not only from the Corson Building but also Nettletown and Walrus and the Carpenter.

Also wanted to follow up on that petanque (bocce ball) tournament at Bastille. The tourney is sponsored by Rhum JM and Rhum Clement and will happen on a swatch of lawn across the street from the restaurant. Registration is $10 per team and includes a t-shirt. Sign up starting at noon; games begin at 1pm.

Friday, July 15 through Sunday the 17th is Kirkland Uncorked: an outdoor wine tasting event along the lake’s edge in Kirkland. Very pretty. The website has the details.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Summer Beer Taste (or Beervana) happens on Saturday, July 16. Non-member admission is $30 and for that you get 10 local beer samples plus snacks. The PNA website has details and a list of participating breweries.

Looking forward to next week:

On Monday, July 18 the Bookstore Bar is hosting a Canadian whiskey tasting. It’s $30 and includes snacks plus a chance to try Rich and Rare Reserve, Royal Canadian Small Batch, Forty Creek, and Caribou Crossing. Reserve by emailing bookstorebarevents@alexishotel.com, or calling the bar.

Also, don’t forget that Monday, July 18 is the benefit auction for Kristal Lana at Bluwater Bistro. One night only: bartender of bartenders Murray Stenson will take a hiatus from his hiatus to support his friend. Don’t worry about Stenson’s hurt shoulder—the occasional stint behind the stick isn’t a problem, he told me. “Besides,” said Murray, “[Toulouse Petit bar manager] Joe Jeannot will be there to do all the hard work. I’m just the pretty face.”

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Tags: Kirkland, Wine, Beer, Drinking Events, Ballard, Murray Stenson, Outdoor Drinking, Bastille Day

Upcoming Drinking Events: Tiki at Liberty, Suite 410’s $5 Cocktails, and Four Roses Bourbon Night at Brouwer’s

Bibulous happenings for the week of July 4.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 05, 2011 at 09:30AM 1 Comments

Sunbreak: Suite 410 has $5 cocktails through August.

Photo: Facebook

When it’s all spectacular outside, you spend less time inside the bar. To lure you back, Suite 410 manager Craig DeBolt is shaving $3 off the price of cocktails during the months of July and August. All the drinks on the bar’s summer menu—including a caipirinha and a mint julep—are $5 this month and next.

Also Eastsiders: Did you know that Barrio’s Mark Sexauer is now working at Milagro Cantina in Kirkland? I didn’t—but a press release just told me that was the case. Will have to look into that. Sexauer’s El Zacatecano cava cocktail will be featured at a wine dinner on Tuesday, July 12 at the restaurant. The meal is $50 and includes, along with the drink, a three course meal. Each course is paired with a wine from Woodinville’s Pomum Cellars. Call Milagro to reserve.

Let’s have a look at where we’ll be drinking this week:

This Wednesday, July 6 Liberty is going tiki, serving up signature cocktails from PKNY (nee Painkiller) in New York City. Truth be told, the tiki gods have not been smiling upon the owners of PKNY—they were forced to change their name over a trademark squabble and have been navigating choppy waters with NYC’s health department. No fun. Know what is fun? Tasty tiki drinks. Liberty promises a super special secret guest as well.

Also on Thursday, Brouwer’s Cafe hosts a Four Roses Bourbon night. From 6pm the bar will be pouring Yellow Label, Single Barrel, Small Batch, Brouwer’s Single Barrel and flights of all four. The bar will also be making custom cocktails with each of the bourbons.

And finally, the West Seattle Summer Fest comes to West Seattle this weekend, July 8-10. Junction wine shop Bin 41 is offering special tastings for the occasion. Tastings will be held on Friday from 6 to 7:30, Saturday from 2:30-4 pm, and Sunday from 12:30-2pm. There’s a bunch of bands playing at the fest too, check out the website for more information.

Next week: Prepare your foies for Bastille Day. I’ll return shortly with the best and booziest Seattle events for celebrating the violent and bloody manner in which France overturned its monarchy.

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Tags: Kirkland, Eastside, Wine Tastings, Drinking Events, Tiki

Drinking Events This Week: Cinco de Mayo and Derby Day

Boozy things to do around Seattle.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on May 03, 2011 at 01:44PM 0 Comments

Your royal wedding hat could win you a prize on Derby Day—Tavern Law and Bottleneck are doing costume contests.

The Sauce has been a little thin lately, you may have noticed. This is due to the fact that I was having a little Illinois adventure last week. But I’m back and there’s a lot going on.

Let’s get to it.

Wednesday, May 4 Lupec Seattle will hold its monthly meeting. This time the ladies will be heading out to Woodinville Whiskey for a tasting class. The suggested donation—which will go to relief efforts in Japan—is $20. See the Lupec Seattle’s site for more details.

Thursday, May 5 is of course Cinco de Mayo, so we’ll be wanting to drink some margaritas. You could hit up La Carta de Oaxaca but let’s face it, that place is likely to be a total cluster on Cinco. Maybe try one of these parties instead: Milagro Cantina in Kirkland is rolling out the $5 food menu and a $5–7 specialty cocktail menu. Bottleneck is offering a special taco menu that night. Bandolero in Greenlake is having a Cinco de Mayo party too and margaritas there are always $5 during happy hour (4–6 and 10–midnight).

Also on Thursday: good beer! West Seattle’s Beveridge Place Pub hosts the Three Matts brewers night with, you guessed it, three brewers named Matt. The Matts in question are Matt McClung from Schooner Exact, Matt Stromberg from Scuttlebutt, and Matt Lincoln of Fremont Brewing. This starts at 7pm.

One more thing on Thursday: Theo Chocolate’s Abby Culin is heading over to Wine World Warehouse to conduct a wine and chocolate pairing class with WWW’s owner, sommelier David LeClaire. That’s from 7pm to 9pm and costs $20.

Saturday, May 7 is Derby Day, so if you’re one of those royal wedding hat people, here’s a chance to give that kooky headwear a second life. Bottleneck hosts a costume contest with prizes during its annual derby party, and Skillet will show up from 2 to 4 to dole out burgers and poutine and so forth. Just a little way’s away on Capitol Hill, Tavern Law will be doing its annual Derby Day party. That’s from 1 to 7pm and it, too, features a costume contest.

Looking forward to next week: Bartender Miles Thomas will work his last shift at the Hideout on Friday, May 13. Should be a party….

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Tags: Kirkland, West Seattle, Drinking Events, Ballard, Cinco de Mayo, Seattle Margaritas

Seattle Happy Hour News

Cheap karaoke at Rock Box, Luc suspends late-night HH, and more.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 18, 2011 at 12:10PM 0 Comments

Cheap and raw: Octo does HH every day except Sunday (when it’s closed).

Rock Box, the new private karaoke concept near the corner of Broadway and East Pine, has a daily happy hour from 4 to 8pm and all day Sunday. Sake sangria is $5, well drinks are $3 (doubles are $5), draft beers are $3.50, and karaoke is just $4 an hour.

Nearby at Octo Sushi, a Monday through Saturday happy hour (5 to 7pm) includes $6 apps—I like the agadashi tofu—and $2.50 servings of sashimi (2 pieces per order). Most intriguing? A frozen banana with ice cream for $3.

Take note too: Octo delivers to the neighborhood, and quickly. HH is dine-in only though, and the restaurant is closed on Sundays.

I was reminded this weekend that Bin on the Lake, which is a very nice restaurant in Kirkland’s Woodmark Hotel, has a huge, sweeping bar where, from 4 to 6 and 9pm to close, you can get half price on the bar menu.

In a bit of sad happy hour news, Luc has suspended its late night HH with plans to bring it back this summer.

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Tags: Kirkland, Capitol Hill, Madison Valley, Sushi, Seattle Happy Hours

Kirkland Uncorked is Upon Us!

The annual outdoor festival at Marina Park begins in just seven days.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 09, 2010 at 02:49PM 0 Comments

Marina Park, pretty summer setting for Kirkland Uncorked

Summer marches forward at an alarming pace. It’s already time for Kirkland Uncorked, the annual wine, food, and music festival that goes on at Kirkland’s Marina Park. Very, very pretty.

Entry to the tasting garden is $20 in advance, $25 at the event, and includes 10 tokens that you can exchange for samples. The tasting garden hours are from 5-10pm on July 16 and 17, and 1 to 6pm on the 18th.

Here is the list of participating wineries—don’t miss Airfield, Dusted Valley, or Maison Bleue—Airfield Estates, Dusted Valley / Boomtown, Five Star Cellars, Four Lakes Chelan Winery, Hollywood Hill Vineyards, Irlandés Limited Reserve Winery, Knipprath Cellars / La Bodega del Norte, Maison Bleue Winery, Naches Heights Vineyard, Northwest Cellars, Northwest Totem Cellars, O.S. Winery, Patterson Cellars, Plaza Winery, Vin du Lac, Whidbey Island Winery, Zerba Cellars.

See website for details on events (among them—no kidding—a dog modeling contest hosted by CityDog magazine) musical lineup, and chef demo schedule.

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Tags: Kirkland, Wine, Wine Tastings, Washington Wines, Wine and Food Pairings

It’s Wednesday, It’s Half-Price Wine Night at Emmer and Rye

Here are some other Wednesday Wine Deals Around Town.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 24, 2010 at 09:19AM 4 Comments

If you haven’t yet checked out Emmer and Rye, chef Seth Caswell’s Queen Anne restaurant, tonight’s the night to do it. Through March, Caswell is offering a 50 percent discount on all of his wines every Wednesday night.

In other Wednesday wine-related specials, Smash Wine Bar in Wallingford has a year-round Wednesday deal: buy one entree, get 50 percent off the second. (They’ve got some other good weekly specials: all-night happy hour on Sundays (5 to 10pm), and 20 percent off wines every Tuesday.)

And in Kirkland tonight, The Grape Choice wine shop, which offers free tastings every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30pm, will be sampling wines from Alexandria Nicole Cellars.

Speaking of wine, I hear there are still tickets available for Taste Washington’s Grand Tasting this weekend. Hope to see you there. h4.

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Tags: Kirkland, Wine, Queen Anne, Wine Tastings, Wallingford