Portland’s “new generation of bartenders” from Vignola, 51 Wharf, Styxx, Bull Feeney’s, DiMillo’s, Novare Res, Local 188, The Salt Exchange, and Ri Ra are featured in the new issue of Portland magazine.
Category: Distilling & Cocktails
Vodka Infusions
Today’s Portland Daily Sun takes a look at vodka infusions. Columnist Natalie Ladd met with bartender John Meyers to understand the background and logic behind flavored vodkas.
My Take … When done with style and thoughtfulness, vodka infusions are a win-win for all. Flavored vodkas are now found in the well, and while trendy infusions (lima bean and ham hock) have seen better days, they have made their lasting mark on cocktail menus and drink order decision making. Take it from a Cosmopolitan drinker who’s switched from The Classic to Absolute Citron. The subtle lemon-orange infused flavor makes all the difference in the world.
Red Tide & Bartender Bash Reports
Today’s Press Herald has a report about scientific research on predicting the severity of red tide in the Gulf of Maine this summer.
Sea-floor sampling for the seed-like cysts of Alexandrium fundyense, the organism that causes red tide, shows a 60 percent increase compared with the substantial bloom of 2005, researchers with the Gulf of Maine toxicity project reported Wednesday.
Thursday’s paper also has an article about next week’s Bartender’s Bash, a cocktail competition that’s part of Maine Restaurant Week.
The rules are simple. Each participating mixologist was given two instructions: Use Cold River Vodka and adhere to the theme of ”Celebrating the Spirit of Maine.” Beyond that, the bartenders’ imagination is the only limit.
Red Tide & Bartender Bash Reports
Today’s Press Herald has a report about scientific research on predicting the severity of red tide in the Gulf of Maine this summer.
Sea-floor sampling for the seed-like cysts of Alexandrium fundyense, the organism that causes red tide, shows a 60 percent increase compared with the substantial bloom of 2005, researchers with the Gulf of Maine toxicity project reported Wednesday.
Thursday’s paper also has an article about next week’s Bartender’s Bash, a cocktail competition that’s part of Maine Restaurant Week.
The rules are simple. Each participating mixologist was given two instructions: Use Cold River Vodka and adhere to the theme of ”Celebrating the Spirit of Maine.” Beyond that, the bartenders’ imagination is the only limit.
February Bollard
The February edition of The Bollard includes an installment of the Land of the Forgotten Cocktails series on alcohol infused winter warm-ups,
The Hot Toddy is a study in pure efficacy — it does something, and does it exceedingly well, at that — but we love this cocktail for its flexibility. Simply put, a Hot Toddy is a heated single serving of an old 18th century–style punch, and should be treated with as free and inventive a hand as the mixer can muster.
and a survey of the offerings at three ethnic markets serving immigrants from Latin America and others in the city: La Bodega Latina, Los Amigos International Market and Victory’s Grocery.
“We’re a small store, but we got stuff that Hannaford doesn’t have,” said Juan [Gonzalez]’s daughter, Jasmine. La Bodega Latina carries banana leaves, empanada skins, Jamaica flower drink concentrate, several varieties of chorizo, tamarind soda, and 21 varieties of beans (many of which you won’t find on the shelves at Hannaford or Shaw’s).
January Bollard
The January issue of The Bollard includes reminiscences of Portland Coffee Roasters by Elizabeth Peavey, a new installment in The Land of Forgotten Cocktails series and a breakfast review of Siano’s Pizzeria.
Hangover Cures
The Press Herald’s Meredith Goad has pulled together some hangover cures suggested by local restaurants.
Arlin Smith, the general manager at Hugo’s, discovered that if he added a perfectly poached egg, the Duckfat poutine makes an excellent hangover cure. The cure caught on, and now the whole staff swears by it.
“It fills your belly,” Smith said. “It’s got the grease that coats the lining of your stomach. It’s got the starches going. It’s perfect.”
November Bollard
The November issue of The Bollard is now out. It includes a breakfast review of Bibo’s Madd Apple Cafe, an essay by Elizabeth Peavey on the passing of restaurateur James Ledue, and another installment of bartender John Myers Land of the Forgotten Cocktail series.
Bartenders and more
The new issue of The Maine Switch includes a feature article on Portland’s favorite bartenders.
Here in booze-loving Portland, we’re lucky to have an abundance of excellent bartenders. Which explains why when Switch reached out to readers, friends, bar flies and the Twitterverse asking for the names of the city’s favorite drink mixers, we were flooded with responses. We took the top suggestions, stirred them with our own bar experiences and these nine individuals rose to the top. Here they share outlandish bar stories and hangover cures, plus pepper us with drinks both beloved and loathed.
As well as a restaurant review of The Frog and Turtle, a guide to Maine beer and an interesting piece on the Maine Local 20 Project. Maine Local 20 is an effort by MOFGA to determine how well matched Maine’s food production and consumption are.
In contrast, we don’t grow nearly enough carrots to supply our local needs, which explains why the vast majority of carrots on grocery store shelves are trucked in from California. Right now, carrots are grown on roughly 30 acres of Maine farmland, but this would need to jump to about 700 to 800 acres to support Maine’s carrot habit. Even though Maine has a short growing season, carrots are a root crop that stores well and could be stockpiled for the winter.
June Bollard
The June issue of The Bollard includes another installment of the Land of Forgotten Cocktails series by bartender John Myers, and a breakfast review of The Farmer’s Table.
We left The Farmer’s Table full and in good spirits. There are still a few kinks Chef Landry’s team needs to work out, but I’m confident they’ll get there. I’m also hopeful he’ll change up the menu as the seasons change, and maybe include something for those of us with a penchant for maple syrup.