Sauced

Rachel Marshall’s Signature Drink: The Suffering Bastard

A drink created in 1950s Cairo meets Seattle’s locally made ginger beer—and a blast of kegged carbonation.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 25, 2012 at 11:30AM 0 Comments

Rachel Marshall makes her eponymous ginger beer in a workshop next door to Montana. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Rachel Marshall makes her eponymous ginger beer in a workshop next door to Montana. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Mondays are prep days, when Marshall and her crew process giant amount of ginger and lemons. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Marshall founded Rachel’s Ginger Beer after returning from the U.K. and realizing how sad most U.S.-made ginger ales taste by comparison. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Marshall’s work area is adorned with her own bottles, though she plans to find a warehouse space for production so Montana can expand into this space. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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When Marshall first applied to sell her ginger beer at local farmers markets, overseers were wary that her drink uses products (like citrus) that aren’t grown locally. Now Rachel’s Ginger Beer is a mainstay of markets in the U District, Capitol Hill, and Queen Anne. That’s her boyfriend Adam Peters grabbing handfuls of lemons. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Citrus gets its own dedicated juicer as well. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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The finished product is now available in 32-ounce growlettes. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Cylindrical cornelius kegs get filled with large batches of cocktails, along with Co2 pressure. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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And finally, the Suffering Bastard, a 1950s tiki drink created in Cairo, and on tap at Montana intermittently. Photo: Lucas Anderson

Welcome to local writer-spirits guy Andrew Bohrer’s ongoing series charting the signature concoctions of esteemed local bartenders.

The Drink: The Suffering Bastard
Made By: Rachel Marshall

Clever engineering. Recycled materials. Innovation, efficiency, and balance: These are all words a slick voiceover actor uses to describe a luxury sedan, but they are also the adjectives for one of Seattle’s better bar programs. Montana looks like the type of bar that plays both kinds of music (country and western) and a place where you can throw peanut shells on the floor (sadly the place has no peanuts). But what is really special about Montana is the bar’s cocktail-on-tap system, curated by mastermind Kate Opatz and ginger beer baroness Rachel Marshall.

You may have seen Rachel and her Rachel’s Ginger Beer at farmers markets around town. She sells an amazing product, now available in mini growlers or “growlettes.” But at Montana the team prebatches cocktails and pours them on draft. How? “It doesn’t have a fancy name, I just use my homebrew equipment,” Rachel says modestly. But when, as a dude, I started grilling her about the logistics of regulating Co2 pressure, she had an answer for everything, like a seasoned technician.

Rachel fills 5-gallon, cylindrical cornelius kegs with various cocktails; the salt-rimmed Chihuahua (tequila and grapefruit) was a fan favorite this past winter. It featured fresh-squeezed grapefruits, hand-selected by Miles Thomas of Scrappy’s Bitters. After he removed both peel and pith as fuels for his bitters, Thomas passed the grapefruits along to Montana for their second tour of duty. After making large batches of cocktails, Marshall and Opatz then treat their creations to a Co2 charge that varies by recipe; some reach pressure levels of 90 pounds per square inch (as opposed to beer’s 20 PSI). The Chihuahua might be a perfect drink for enjoying wintertime citrus, but lacks the establishment’s signature ginger beer.

The Montana crew makes great use of Rachel’s Ginger Beer by reviving the Suffering Bastard, a 1950s tiki drink, created at the Shepheard Hotel in Cairo. The Suffering Bastard, conceived by globetrotting barman Joe Scialom, combines gin, bourbon, bitters, lime and ginger beer. Marshall says the drink sold out in two days at Montana because, “Cap Hill likes weird shit.” Classic shit too apparently.

All of this prebatching and planning also makes Montana the quickest draught (wordplay!) in town. A new batch of Suffering Bastard hits Montana’s taps today. It appears intermittently; if it doesn’t happy to be on tap when you stop in, you can have one bastardized right up for you by asking for Rachel’s on tap spiked up with gin, bourbon, Angostura and lime.

The Suffering Bastard

1 ounce Buffalo Trace
1 ounce Plymouth Gin
½ ounce freshest lime juice
2 dashes Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters
4 ounces Rachel’s Ginger Beer

In tumbler with ice, combine first four ingredients. Stir in RGB, and pour, unstrained, into Collins glass. Garnish with mint and an orange slice.

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Washington Gets Fifth Master Sommelier

Thomas Price passes Court of Master Sommelier master exam.

Posted by: Julie H. Case on May 23, 2012 at 03:45PM 0 Comments

Photo by Courtney Perry

The Metropolitan Grill’s Thomas Price got some fancy new bling today when it was announced he had passed the exceptionally rigorous Court of Master Sommeliers master’s exam. The gold pin he’s now sporting signifies he’s among fewer than 200 other men and women around the world to earn the title of Master Sommelier. Nearly 600 have tried.

Before today only four other Washingtonians—Gramercy’s Greg Harrington (who also serves as chairman of the Court), Canlis and Washington Wine Commission alum Shayn Bjornholm, the Fairmont’s Joseph Linder, and Pasco’s Angelo Taverno —held the distinction of Master Sommelier.

In order to even sit for the master sommelier diploma exam, candidates must have first completed an introductory course and passed the certified and advanced sommelier exams. The master’s exam consists of three parts: an theory examination, a practical wine service examination, and a blind tasting of six wines. During the tasting, the candidate has 25 minutes to identify the vintage, grape variety(s), country, region and appellation of the wine. From 2003 to 2011, the pass rate for the exam has been as low as 3.5 percent and as high as 16 percent. Averaged out, fewer than 12 percent of candidates pass the exam.

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Tags: Wine, Behind the bar, Sommelier stuff, News You Can Drink, Awards and Accolades, Wine Wednesday, Metropolitan Grill, Thomas Price,

Crush and Blush

Everything’s rosé when Washington puts the squeeze on some typically Italian varietals.

Posted by: Julie H. Case on May 23, 2012 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

So pink…

On the heels of last week’s massive tasting of grenaches, cabernet francs and malbec rosés come some versions made with locally grown grapes traditional to Italy—namely one barbera and a handful of sangiovese—as our monthlong celebration of rosé continues.

And if I said that I doubted a sommelier in town could identify multiple different varietals in a blind tasting of rosés, I may have proven myself wrong this week. First off, with the exception of a renegade or two, the wines were primarily all the same color—some shade of 1980s pink. Also, these wines tended to be a bit leaner, a bit less fruity but much more floral.

2011 Barbera Rosé, Alder Ridge Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills)
Cavu Cellars (Walla Walla)
Some wines are like little crushes that you don’t want to inspect too carefully for fear you’ll find a wart, some inconsequential little tic, a bad habit, perhaps, that will force you to abandon the flicker of hope playing itself out at the corner of your mind and face reality, warts and all. That’s how I feel about the Cavu that ends up in my glass on a rather dreary May day.
In the Glass: It’s girly pink—hedging toward cotton candy.
On the Nose: There’s a slight stony minerality and note of flower petals, as well as a hint of white flowers that conjures baby’s breath, although likely baby’s breath doesn’t smell like anything at all. Plus, there’s a hint of light raspberry and a little cherry.
On the Palate: Hold it in your mouth and you can absorb the light yet vaguely (very, very vague, like a wink you aren’t sure really happened) creamy mouthfeel that gives this wine a touch of weight. There are herbs here, too, and more flower petals. The wine has minerality and even a hint of graphite that all leads to tart cherries and a hint of melon, as well as violets.
Drink: In the sun, when you’re trying to impress a stubborn friend.
Price: $20

Sangiovese Rosé (Columbia Valley)
Waterbrook
In the Glass: Bright pink.
On the Nose: Slight matchstick, herbs, very light strawberry and watermelon.
On the Palate: Crisp, with a slight stewed fruit note as well as bright red fruits and a hint of tart cherry. Nimble.
Drink: Happily chilled.
Price: $12

2010 Rosé (Yakima Valley)
Skylite Cellars (Walla Walla)
In the Glass: Bright pink.
On the Nose: Herbs, lots of violets, slight orange zest, cherry, raspberry, slight lemon curd.
On the Palate: There comes raspberry, melon, violets, a little cherry, dried herbs and some minerality.
Drink: Chilled.
Price: $18

Terroir 2011 Sangiovese Rosato (Horse Heaven Hills)
The Hogue Cellars
In the Glass: Bright pink.
On the Nose: The violets here stand out, as do some lighter fruits—think pear—and hints of red fruit as well as dried herb, and a bit of licorice.
On the Palate: Again, lots of violets, as well as some dried herb, light cherry, and ripe pear.
Drink: At your leisure.
Price: $18

2010 Rosé of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley)
Maryhill Winery
In the Glass: Bright pink, headed toward orange.
On the Nose: Lime leaf, pink grapefruit, tart cherry, dried herbs, hint of raspberry, licorice.
On the Palate: This wine is well balanced. It’s accessible but not flat, but also not overwhelmed with fruit. There are herbs, here, lots of violets, tart cherry, melon, young raspberry and a bit of grapefruit.
Drink: While listening to a concert overlooking the Columbia River, or in your backyard with the music on, while imagining yourself at a concert with a view.
Price: $14

2011 Estate Sangiovese Rosé
Zerba Cellars (Walla Walla)
In the Glass: The wine hovered at Malibu, somewhere between pink and orange.
On the Nose: Strawberry, cantaloupe, violets. There’s a lot of herbaciousness here, as well as a slight bit of honey.
On the Palate: The wine was honeyed with melon, raspberry, white flowers, violets, herbs and dried grass as well as a hint of Rainier cherry and matchstick.
Drink: To convince the sun to come out.
Price: $20

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Tags: Wine, Washington Wines, Wine Wednesday, Rosé

Blind Pig Bistro’s Atelier Happy Hour Starts June 5

There’s no menu, just $5 plates, devised on the fly. And cheap booze.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 22, 2012 at 12:00PM 0 Comments

The restaurant’s new atelier sets aside the chalkboard menu for an hour of spontaneous cookery.

One of my favorite new restaurants is getting into the (creatively named) happy hour game. However chef Charles Walpole of Blind Pig Bistro says his forthcoming hour of happiness is more of a culinary workshop for the kitchen. Hence they’re calling it “atelier.”

Walpole promises “more experimental, more spontaneous cooking.” From 5 to 6pm on Sunday through Thursday, stop in to the Eastlake restaurant (former home to Nettletown and Sitka and Spruce) and the kitchen will turn out some $5 chef’s choice plates for you. There’s no menu for atelier. No plan either. Just tell the staff if you have any allergies, or foods that you really hate. Walpole and his kitchen will then go to town, devising dishes on the fly. It’s a way to challenge themselves, plus bring in people earlier in the evening. “We treat it like a little open house for the restaurant,” says Walpole.

Blind Pig’s atelier begins June 5. The hour also involves $5 wines and, says Walpole “some cheap beers.” He’s not kidding, either—right now it’s cans of Tecate.

Granted, dining here usually feels like eating in a chef’s workshop. The chalkboard menu of small, share-perfect plates is all about combinations like Manila clams with bacon and barley, or pork belly with braised cabbage, that feel like they might have been conceived on the fly…by someone with a ridiculously good palate.

Right now Walpole is sharing Blind Pig’s tiny kitchen with Manu Alfau, who was his sous chef back when Anchovies and Olives opened, as well as Jeremiah del Sol and Kylen McCarthy, both formerly of Marjorie and Harvest Vine.

If stuffing your face is more your thing, a table of diners can also order the entire menu to share at a discounted price. The total changes daily with the ingredients, though recently such a feat ran you $125.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Blind Pig Bistro, Charles Walpole, Kylen McCarthy, Jeremiah del Sol, Manuel Alfau

Outlander Brewery: a ‘Victorian-Style Pub’ Coming to North 36th Street

The nanobrewery and drinking spot aims to open in June.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on May 22, 2012 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

Outlander Brewery and Pub: coming soon to 225 North 36th Street in Fremont.

Dragan Radulovic and Nigel Lassiter, the guys Seattle Beer News reported on last month, have secured a location for their new brewpub. Outlander Brewery will open at 225 North 36th Street in Fremont, ideally in time for the neighborhood’s fabled Solstice Parade.

At first glance the address seems an unlikely locale for a watering hole, let alone a beer making operation. The navy blue house (yes, house) dates from the early 1900s; previously it was a soup-and-sandwich spot. But Radulovic and Lassiter have a clear vision and are embracing the atmosphere.

They’ve populated two sitting rooms with various salvaged chairs and tables that, like the interior, conjure images of decades past. A phonograph from the 1940s resides in one corner—people will be able to bring in records and play what they want, says Radulovic. The goal, he added, is to create a “Victorian-style pub.” They use words like “mellow” and “chill” to describe the vibe they’re going for, a purposeful contrast to some of the rowdier drinking establishments nearby.

In the basement brewmaster Lassiter will prep 30 gallon batches of “unusual beers.” A homebrewer for five years, Lassiter talks of ingredients like chilies, strawberries, and mangos, and varieties like peanut butter stout, baltic porters, and saisons. The upstairs bar (what is now the kitchen) will offer five rotating taps, three of them Outlander, plus 15-20 bottles, mostly imports. A few stools will line the counter, which is getting built this weekend.

Radulovic, a longtime restaurant industry vet, will helm a full food menu (smart idea) infused with brews: stout cheese pate, salads with sudsy dressing, beer sausages he’ll grill on the patio, which will seat another 20 people and play host to various events. Also expect beer and food pairings. “We’re trying to be somewhat sophisticated,” grins Lassiter.

The duo is planning a happy hour, and will serve both lunch and dinner (but, says Radulovic, no fried food). Check out the Outlander website for updates.

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Tags: Coming Soon, Nanobreweries, Outlander Brewery, Dragan Radulovic, Nigel Lassiter

LloydMartin Launches Social Hour

Chef Sam Crannell’s version of a happy hour emphasizes high quality over low prices (but it’s still pretty cheap).

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 21, 2012 at 12:45PM 0 Comments

It’s hard to be social when there are plates of asparagus, ham, fried egg, and croutons to be eaten. Photo by Rachell Taylor/No Mark at All.

UPDATE: The restaurant has created a short cocktail menu, though bartenders are still all about personalizing a drink for you.

Since LloydMartin opened in October, the restaurant has quietly been doing its thing on top of Queen Anne, and letting the favorable reviews roll in.

Now chef Sam Crannell has launched a “social hour” every Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 6pm. The emphasis, he says, isn’t on knocking back cheap food and booze, but rather encouraging the neighborhood to come in and socialize over a few good drinks and ingredient-driven plates.

But yes, there are discounts. And since we know you’re going to ask, here’s the deal: Socializing happens over $5-or-less small plates, craft drafts are $3, and wine by the glass is $6. LloydMartin doesn’t have a cocktail menu, but you can name your drink, or just your spirit, and have the bartender take it from there. Prices very by drink, but hover around $8, a few bucks off regular prices.

Crannell wants his social hour offerings to be a few steps above traditional happy hour fare; so far a croque madame, lamb meatballs with ramps, foie gras, and fresh mozzarella have appeared on the $5 plate list. The lineup is often different than what’s on the dinner menu each night, but reflects the chef’s love of both constant change and exotic meats. Social hour happens at the bar only.

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Tags: Happy Hour, LloydMartin, Sam Crannell

Where to Find Liquid Sunshine on Memorial Day

Revelry hits Red Mountain on May 26.

Posted by: Julie H. Case on May 18, 2012 at 01:00PM 1 Comments

Revelry on Red Mountain. (Courtesy Auction of Washington Wines)

When Red Mountain winery Col Solare, a collaboration between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori, opens up the doors to local restaurant Bin No. 20 and 21 Washington winemakers next Saturday it might just be worth booking that hotel in Kennewick.

Sure, there’s the sunset, the chance to get convivial with a bunch of other oenephiles and foodies, and the fact that the event raises oak barrels of money for uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital, but for those of us who somehow aged out of Sasquatch, it’s also another excuse to chase the sunshine across the passes next weekend. Getting a chance to hang out at Col Solare won’t hurt, either.

Revelry is just the first of the summer’s Auction of Washington Wines events, which culminate in the 25th annual gala at Chateau Ste. Michelle on August 18.

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Tags: Wine, Drink booze, do good, Wine Tastings, Washington Wines, Red Mountain, Auction of Washington Wines

Seattle Beer Week Picks: What to Drink May 18-20

Days nine, 10, and 11 are for Belgians, barrels, beer cocktails, and a major discount on beer purchases at Whole Foods.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 18, 2012 at 11:00AM 0 Comments

The mighty beers of Sound Brewery in Poulsbo are headed to Capitol Hill tonight. Photo via Sound Facebook.

Each day during Seattle Beer Week, Sauced will recommend a few picks from the vast calendar.

Seattle Beer Week chugs to its boozy conclusion on Sunday, meaning you have three more days to partake of great offerings like Beer O’Clock, Squirreled Away, and assorted kegs and eggs. Meanwhile, here are a few notable events to help you close out the week.

FRIDAY

Fremont Brewing Company
Barrel Night
4–8

One of the coolest breweries in town has been busy laying in a stock of barrels and building up a major program of barrel-aged beers. Some of them aren’t quiiiiite ready for prime time, but the brewery is inviting the public in to sample a few that are just about ready (including the B-Bomb, the already-powerful Abominable made even more potent by a stint in the barrel). Not only do you get to taste some good beers, but it’s a fascinating lesson in how barrel aging changes and deepens a beer over time.

Hopvine
Sound Brewing Night
7–11

I am a sucker for Belgian-style beers, hence I am a sucker for Sound Brewery in Poulsbo. These guys make some brilliant heavy hitters, but even their more sessionable creations pack lots of flavor. And on a completely unsessionable note: Friday night will reportedly involve a keg of WW3, Sound’s Triple Entendre, aged in a barrel that previously housed wheat whiskey from Bainbridge Organic Distillers. Be still my liver.

Liberty
Beer Cocktails
8–midnight

Eugene craft powerhouse Ninkasi + Oola Distillery = a night of beer-based cocktails courtesy of Liberty’s talented barkeeps. Ninkasi founder Jamie Floyd and Oola’s Brandon Gillespie will be on hand to accept your rapturous compliments.

SATURDAY

Maritime Pacific Brewing Company
Jolly Roger Parking Lot Party
1–11

The Ballard taproom’s ample parking lot will be blocked off for the day and devoted to food, beer, and live music.

The Noble Fir
Hawaiian Night Featuring Maui Brewing
4–8

SUNDAY

Malt and Vine
First Annual Eastside Brewers Hangover Brunch
1–8

This debut event gathers up the best brewers east of Lake Washington, at one of the best beer shops around. Black Raven, Snoqualmie, Foggy Noggin, Redhook, Mac & Jack’s, Issaquah, Dirty Bucket, and 12 Bars will be in the house for a low-key potluck, and plenty of beermosas. If you’re too hung over to bring food, neighboring Stone Korean Restaurant is supplying Korean chicken wings for $0.60 apiece, and the nearby gyro spot has discounts as well.

Whole Foods
Beer Lovers Appreciation Day
All Day

Hold the phone. All beer purchase are 20 percent off at all Puget Sound–area Whole Foods Markets? Drat—if only I hadn’t just spent all my money on Beer Week events.

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Tags: Seattle Beer Week, Seattle Beer Week 2012

One to Watch For: Juice Peddler

Juicing meets biking, Seattleites predictably freak.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on May 18, 2012 at 08:40AM 0 Comments

Pedal power! Photo via Facebook.

Kelli Akre and Arin Smith made a lot of apple juice while traveling in New Zealand and Thailand. So much juice, in fact, Akre’s body started to ache. “My arms got tired,” she recalls of the labor-intensive process. If only there was a way to use my legs instead, Akre remembers thinking.

Back in the States, the two took that idea and ran (pedaled?) with it. Smith started tinkering with the bike blender concept—something found in other parts of the world, but “not to the same level,” he claims—et voila: Juice Peddler was born. Here’s how it works: Ingredients go in a mixer positioned on a wooden slab above the front tire. The bike and bar are jiggered together so that pedaling powers the blending of smoothies, shakes, and juices.

You’ve maybe spotted the Bellingham-based duo at the Ballard Sunday bazaar, where they’ve been operating on a week-to-week basis. Not surprisingly the bike bar is a hit—this is Seattle after all, where cycling and juicing are ways of life. Combine the two—even better. They’ve made cameos locally in years past, but 2012 appears to be a biggie. Especially popular this spring are the rhubarb and “green” varieties. As you’d expect from a vendor, local and sustainable ingredients are priority number one, with flavors evolving along with the markets.

Once farmers market season hits fever pitch in the coming weeks, Akre and Smith expect to join the stalls in Phinney Ridge, Queen Anne, Wallingford, and Madrona. Eventually they hope to sell their apparatus to sports gyms and for home use.

An average juicing experience takes 30 seconds at the most; prices range between $5 and $8. And should you be doubtful of your pedal power, know tikes and older aunties can handily do it.

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Tags: Farmers Markets, Juice, Juice Peddler

Jamie Boudreau Up for Spirited Awards’ Bartender of the Year

Canon (and Seattle) represents in the cocktail industry’s most significant form of recognition.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 17, 2012 at 04:15PM 0 Comments

Clearly this man knows what he’s doing.

Major congratulations are in order for barman and Canon proprietor Jamie Boudreau, who is nominated for the American Bartender of the Year at the Tales of the Cocktail’s annual Spirited Awards. The James Beard Foundation may have (finally) added a cocktail category to its restaurantcentric awards extravaganza, but for people who serve, sell, or mix spirits for a living, this is the big time.

Boudreau is one of ten final nominees, along with major names like Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Clyde Common in Portland. Most of the list of nominees reads like a love letter to New York and Los Angeles, so cheers to some Seattle representation. Local spirits writer Paul Clarke, whose grasp of all things booze is both fearsome and inspiring, is nominated in the Best Cocktail Writing – Author category, and former Seattleite Brad Parsons is getting more kudos for his book Bitters: The Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All.

The winners will be announced July 28, at Tales of the Cocktail. This is the tenth year for this epic industry event, which blends seminars and brand education with lots of good old-fashioned New Orleans hijinx.

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Tags: Awards and Accolades, Jamie Boudreau, Tales of the Cocktail, Canon Seattle

Seattle Beer Week Picks: Where to Drink May 17

Day eight is for vegetarians—and an epic celebration of sour beer.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 17, 2012 at 01:40PM 0 Comments

Each day during Seattle Beer Week, Sauced will recommend a few picks from the vast calendar.

Have you been drinking enough water? Seattle Beer Week soldiers on for another round of cant-miss events.

Brouwer’s Cafe
Sour Fest
All Day

Sometimes sweet, sometimes tart, and usually funky, sour beers are a favorite of many brewers and beer geeks, and currently inching their way into the mainstream. Brouwer’s festival of pucker and funk is one of Beer Week’s major gatherings, wherein the bar turns over most of its taps to top-flight sour beers from the U.S. and Belgium. If you love sours, it’s not to be missed. If you think sour beer sounds nasty, this gathering of styles hopefully includes at least one brew that will change your mind.

Carmelita
Pike-Carmelita Dinner
6pm
$65

True, beer is often served in conjunction with pork belly, pork rinds, bacon, and other meaty companions. Which is why tonight’s five-course pairing dinner at lovely vegetarian restaurant Carmelita is such an unusual opportunity. Chef Carlos Caula and Pike Brewing founders Charles and Rose Anne Finkel will preside over a communal table of beer, snacks, and courses, with nary a pig part in sight. Cross your fingers that the weather holds, in which case dinner is served in Carmelita’s garden.

Taylor Shellfish Farms
Beer and Oysters
4–5

It’s always nice to see atypical establishments get in on the Beer Week action. Taylor Shellfish Farms’ Melrose Market shop always has a few oyster-friendly beers in the cooler, but tonight Widmer Brothers is invited over to comingle with freshly shucked oysters. The Portland brewery is bringing a hefeweizen and its seldom-seen oyster stout. If you’ve ever wondered what the deal is with oyster stout, and whether this dark, creamy beer can really complement crisp, briny oysters, tonight’s the night to find out.

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Tags: Seattle Beer Week, Seattle Beer Week 2012

Lillet Rosé Is on the Way

The makers of venerable aperitif Lillet are releasing their first new product in 50 years. And everybody has it but us.

Posted by: Brandon L. Bye on May 17, 2012 at 09:00AM 3 Comments

Today marks a new faux holiday: National Aperitif Day. Maison Lillet, the much-hailed aperitif vintner from France’s Bordeaux region, has declared it so, and not a moment too late. The company’s first new product in 50 years, the highly anticipated Lillet Rosé, is a field day of summer-berry-wildflower-melon-stone-fruit delight sure to jump-start any appetite. It’s currently hitting liquor stores and wine shops everywhere in the U.S.—everywhere but Washington.

Consider it yet another wrinkle in the process of privatization.

While specialty stores in San Francisco and New York can’t keep Lillet’s latest on the shelves, we Washingtonians won’t get a sniff for at least a month.

“It’s on the water,” says a saleswoman at Esquin Wine Merchants, “but we probably won’t get any in until the end of June.”

When I asked the barman at Canon about the new spirit recently, he got so excited about summery drink possibilities he sent an empty beer glass off the bar in accidental gesticulation. Although some rep will inevitably bestow a few sample bottles on places like Canon, they’re waiting, too.

As state-run liquor stores prepare to cease existence on June 1 30, bottle shops like Esquin may be the best bet for procuring a bottle. But, at the moment, even some of the top bottle shops in town are dubious; some places haven’t heard of the stuff, while others have word from their distributor that it’s still a couple months out.

Maison Lillet gave bartenders and their ilk a peek at its new rosé at last summer’s Tales of the Cocktail, prompting one spirits industry website to proclaim it “another great tool in the vermouth arsenal that should unlock a whole new class of cocktails.”

For traditionalists, however, the new Lillet will be enjoyed chilled and on its own before a meal.

Any way you pour it, it’s sure to be class. But for now, we’ll have to twiddle our thumbs in anticipation.

For you at-home bartenders: What other spirits are you thumb twiddling over in this liquor store limbo state?

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Tags: Lillet Rose