Jul18

Tales of the Cocktail – Wednesday – Update 1

The Opening Dinner and Meeting Everyone!

9:54pm – After countless emails and blog conversations with so many cocktail experts, I have never met even one of them in person. The opening ceremonies at Riche in Harrah’s Hotel changed all that. I met, in no particular order: Paul Clarke, Darcy O’Neil, Chuck Taggert, Jamie Boudreau, Paul Harrington, Wayne Curtis, and Jeff Berry. I admit, I had to stop myself from giving the Beachbum an enormous hug.

Everyone was brimming with class and kindness, and introductions were being thrown left and right. It was awesome to see the cocktail community that is so alive on the web so true to form in person.

palmiers in a purple Chinese takeout box

The featured drink of the evening was the Starfish Cooler by Stacy Smith. It was sweet, balanced, and quite refreshing for the intense humidity of New Orleans. The food was wonderful; I especially enjoyed the charcuterie plate, raw oysters, and the fun desserts. The palmiers, pictured above, came in a fun, purple Chinese takeout box. They were delicious.

Starfish Cooler

  • 1oz Moët and Chandon White Star (or other extra dry champagne)
  • 1oz Limoncello
  • 1oz PAMA pomegranate liqueur
  • 1oz un-sweetened iced tea
  • 1/2oz simple syrup
  • orange slice and mint leaf

Muddle orange slice and mint leaf and add remaining ingredients.

Stacy Smith

As If You Needed Another Reason to Buy Sippin’ Safari

12:28am – Cruising above puffs of white with a sea of blue overhead, this is our virgin first class experience. U.S. Airways deemed us patient as they looked up our reservation and upgraded us for no other apparent reason. The extra space is quite nice – I hope to finalize my Tales schedule during the flight.

I had the opportunity to read through the Zombie chapter in Sippin’ Safari last night, and even alone, it’s worth the price of the book. Berry’s quest could be described as a pirate hunting for treasure, his path riddled with clues and armed with angry natives. In the end, however, he finds himself with two treasure chests full of loot and even a safe filled with “Spices #4.”

Though tempted to post all four recipes, I’ve pretty much published an entire volume of Berry’s finds online as it is. So to add to the mystery, I’ll post one of the new recipes in code.

Zombie Punch

  • 3/4oz lime juice
  • 1/2oz Don’s mix
  • 1/2oz Paul’s mix
  • 1 1/2oz gold Jamaican rum
  • 1 1/2oz gold Puerto Rican rum
  • 1oz 151 Demerara rum
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • 6 drops of the Green Muse
  • 1t grenadine
  • 6oz crushed ice

Add everything to a blender, ice last and spin it up on high speed for no more than 5 seconds. Pour into a tiki mug and add ice cubes to fill. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Sippin’ Safari, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry

Berry came across this Zombie recipe just two years ago, and his quest to break the code is nothing short of fascinating.

pretty blue sky with clouds

KP Likes Flying

11:34am – We’re sitting on the runway at Philadelphia International Airport. Kaiser Penguin has his beak pressed up against the window looking out. Gretchen is looking through the safety guidelines, hoping we’ll get a real-life presentation. They are always amusing. We’ll be taking off soon … more from the air.

Kaiser Penguin goes to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans - a map in the background shows the city


2 Responses to “Tales of the Cocktail – Wednesday – Update 1”

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2 Comments to “ Tales of the Cocktail – Wednesday – Update 1”
  1. jimmyNo Gravatar says:

    Keep up the good work. I’m counting on you and Camper to keep me up-to-date on what I’m missing out on…

  2. RickNo Gravatar says:

    Thanks Jimmy! It looks like Robert Simonson over at Off the Presses is posting up a frenzy on Tales as well.

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About

Kaiser Penguin is a cocktail blog featuring original recipes, homemade ingredients, classic cocktails, and tiki drinks.

Why on Earth did you name your blog “Kaiser Penguin?”

It is a well-known fact that penguins are members of high society and enjoy fine cocktails. Our very own kaiser penguin would like me to mention that he also enjoys various treats from the sea.

Contact: rick@kaiserpenguin.com