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Tales of The Cocktails 2014 Top 4 Finalists

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CONGRATULATIONS TO  The top 4 Finalists for the 2014 Spirited Awards

American Bartender of the Year

Charles Joly The Aviary Chicago, Illinois
Eric Alperin The Varnish Los Angeles, California
Leo Robitschek The NoMad Hotel New York, New York
Sean Kenyon Williams & Graham Denver, Colorado

Best American Brand Ambassador

Elayne Duff Diageo Portfolio
Jamie Gordon Absolut Vodka
Neyah White Yamazaki
Todd Richman Sidney Frank Portfolio

Best American Cocktail Bar

Anvil Houston, Texas
Clover Club Brooklyn, New York
Cure New Orleans, Louisiana
The Hawthorne Boston, Massachusetts

Best Bar Mentor

Bridget Albert Chicago, Illinois
Dushan Zaric Los Angeles, California
Francesco Lafranconi Las Vegas, Nevada
Julie Reiner Brooklyn, New York

Best Cocktail Writing – Author

Gary Regan
Ian Cameron
Paul Clarke
Robert Simonson

Best Cocktail Writing – Publication

Australian Bartender Magazine
Bar Magazine Digital
DiffordsGuide.com
Imbibe Magazine

Best High Volume Cocktail Bar

Clover Club Brooklyn, New York
Harvard and Stone Los Angeles, California
Sable Kitchen and Bar Chicago, Illinois
Saxon + Parole Restaurant New York, New York

Best International Brand Ambassador

Claire Smith Belvedere Vodka
Giuseppe Gallo Martini
Ian Burrell Rum Ambassador
Jacob Briars Bacardi Portfolio

Best New Book (Cocktail/Bartending)

Drinks by Tony Conigliaro
The Tequila Ambassador by Tomas Estes
To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion by Philip Greene
Vodka Distilled by Tony Abou-Ganim

Best New Product

Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters
Dorothy Parker Gin
Fords Gin
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Best Restaurant Bar

Island Creek Oyster Bar Boston, Massachusetts, USA
No. 9 Park Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Saxon + Parole Restaurant New York, New York, USA
The NoMad Hotel New York, New York, USA

International Bartender of the Year

Hidetsugu Ueno Bar High Five Tokyo, Japan
Jack McGarry The Dead Rabbit New York, New York, USA
Simone Caporale Artesian Bar at the Langham London, England,UK
Zdenek Kastanek 28 Hong Kong Street Singapore

World’s Best Cocktail Bar

Callooh Callay London, United Kingdom
Candelaria Paris, France
Drink Boston, Massachusetts, USA
The Varnish Los Angeles, California, USA

World’s Best Cocktail Menu
American Bar at the Savoy London, United Kingdom
Pouring Ribbons New York, New York, USA
The Dead Rabbit New York, New York, USA
The Nightjar London, United Kingdom

World’s Best Drink Selection
canon: whiskey and bitters emporium Seattle, Washington, USA
Mayahuel New York, New York, USA
Saxon + Parole Restaurant New York, New York, USA
The Dead Rabbit New York, New York, USA

World’s Best Hotel Bar

Clyde Common Portland, Oregon, USA
Eastern Standard Kitchen and Drinks Boston, Massachusetts, USA
The NoMad Hotel New York, New York, USA
The Zetter Townhouse London, United Kingdom

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar

Experimental Cocktail Club New York, New York, USA
Pouring Ribbons New York, New York, USA
The Dead Rabbit New York, New York, USA
The NoMad Hotel New York, New York, USA

Tales of The Cocktails 2014 Top 10 Finalists

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The top 10 Finalists for the 2014 Spirited Awards have been Announced!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU!

AMERICAN CATEGORIES:
 
American Bartender of the Year
Jeff Bell (New York)
Erick Castro (San Diego)
Marcovaldo Dionysos (San Francisco)
Bobby Heugel (Houston)
Sean Kenyon (Denver)
John Lermayer (Miami)
Ryan Maybee (Kansas City)
Ivy Mix (New York)
Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Portland)
Pamela Wiznitzer (New York)
 
Best American Brand Ambassador
Brooke Arthur (House of Spirits)
Colin Asare-Appiah (Bacardi)
Elayne Duff (Diageo Reserve)
Jamie Evans (Oxley gin)
Bernie Lubbers (Heaven Hill Distilleries)
Freddy May (Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky)
Chris Patino (Pernod Ricard USA Portfolio)
Nick van Tiel (Plymouth Gin / Beefeater)
Neyah White (Suntory Japanese Whiskies)
Angus Winchester (Tanqueray Gin)
 
Best American Cocktail Bar
Anvil Bar & Refuge (Houston)
The Aviary (Chicago)
canon:  whiskey and bitters emporium (Seattle)
Cure (New Orleans)
The Dead Rabbit (New York)
Noble Experiment (San Diego)
Prizefighter (Emeryville)
Smuggler’s Cove (San Francisco)
Trick Dog (San Francisco)
Williams & Graham (Denver)
 
Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar
Employees Only (New York)
Flatiron Lounge (New York)
Harvard & Stone (Los Angeles)
Honeycut (Los Angeles)
The NoMad (New York)
Polite Provisions (San Diego)
Sable Kitchen & Bar (Chicago)
Saxon + Parole Restaurant (New York)
Three Dots and a Dash (Chicago)
Trick Dog (San Francisco)
 
Best American Restaurant Bar
320 Main (Orange County)
Bestia (Los Angeles)
Clyde Common (Portland)
Gramercy Tavern (New York)
No. 9 Park (Boston)
The NoMad (New York)
nopa (San Francisco)
OAK at fourteenth (Boulder)
The Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange (Kansas City)
The Silver Dollar (Louisville)
 
Best American Hotel Bar
Bellocq (New Orleans)
Bemelmans Bar (New York)
The Broken Shaker (Miami)
Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone (New Orleans)
Clyde Common (Portland)
The Hawthorne (Boston)
The Regent Cocktail Club (Miami)
Sable Kitchen & Bar (Chicago)
The Spare Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (Los Angeles)
Vesper Bar (Las Vegas)
 
Best New American Cocktail Bar
Attaboy (New York)
Cane & Table (New Orleans)
Celeste (Chicago)
Golden Cadillac (New York)
Half Step (Austin)
Kimball House (Atlanta)
Mockingbird Hill (Washington, D.C.)
Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library (Portland)
Three Dots and a Dash (Chicago)
ZZ’s Clam Bar (New York)
 
Best American Bar Team – New Category
Attaboy (New York)
Clyde Common (Portland)
The Dead Rabbit (New York)
Drink (Boston)
Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks (Boston)
Employees Only (New York)
The NoMad (New York)
The Regent Cocktail Club (Miami)
Trick Dog (San Francisco)
Williams & Graham (Denver)
 
 
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
 
International Bartender of the Year
Marian Beke (London)
Monica Berg (London)
Simone Caporale (London)
Ryan Chetiyawardana (London)
Mario Kappes (Hamburg)
Zdenek Kastanek (Singapore)
Tim Phillips (Sydney)
Hidetsugu Ueno (Tokyo)
Tom Walker (London)
Jason Williams (Sydney)
 
Best International Brand Ambassador 
Ian “Rum Ambassador” Burrell
David Cordoba (Bacardi)
Giuseppe Gallo (Martini & Rossi)
Tim Etherington Judge (Diageo Reserve)
George Nemec (Becherovka)
David Piper (Hendrick’s Gin)
Claire Smith (Belvedere Vodka)
Manuel Terron (Midori Melon Liqueur)
Camille Vidal (St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur)
Maximilian Warner (Chivas)
 
Best International Cocktail Bar
28 Hong Kong Street (Singapore)
69 Colebrooke Row (London)
Bramble Bar (Edinburgh)
Buck and Breck (Berlin)
Bulletin Place (Sydney)
Candelaria (Paris)
Chainaya.  Tea & Cocktails (Moscow)
Door 74 (Amsterdam)
Eau De Vie Melbourne (Melbourne)
Happiness Forgets (London)
 
Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar
Big Easy Covent Garden (London)
Black Angel’s Bar (Prague)
The Attic at the Black Pearl (Melbourne)
The Cufflink Club (Singapore)
Dvars (Amsterdam)
Eau De Vie Melbourne (Melbourne)
Frank’s (Buenos Aires)
The Lobo Plantation (Sydney)
London Cocktail Club (London)
Schumann’s American Bar (Munich)
 
Best International Restaurant Bar
The Red Bar at Bam-Bous (London)
The Bon Vivants (Edinburgh)
Delicatessen (Moscow)
The Gilbert Scott (London)
Spitalfields Bar at Hawksmoor (London)
Hix Soho (London)
The Lui Bar at Vue De Monde (Melbourne)
Oblix Restaurant (London)
Porteno Restaurant (Sydney)
Blind Pig at Social Eating House (London)
 
Best International Hotel Bar
Artesian at the Langham (London)
Bar at Home Hotel (Buenos Aires)
Beaufort Bar at The Savoy Hotel (London)
Black Angel’s Bar (Prague)
Clive’s Classic Lounge (Victoria)
Connaught Bar at the Connaught (London)
Ohla Boutique Bar at Ohla Hotel (Barcelona)
Punch Room at The London Edition (London)
Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London (London)
Widder Bar at the Widder Hotel (Zurich)
 
Best New International Cocktail Bar
The Barber Shop (Sydney)
Blind Pig at Social Eating House (London)
Hello Sailor (Sydney)
Holmens Kanal (Copenhagen)
Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar (Tel Aviv)
The Liquor Rooms (Dublin)
Little Jumbo (Victoria)
NOLA (London)
Punch Room at The London Edition (London)
White Lyan (London)
 
Best International Bar Team – New Category
28 Hong Kong Street (Singapore)
The American Bar at The Savoy (London)
Artesian at the Langham (London)
The Baxter Inn (Sydney)
The Black Pearl (Melbourne)
Blind Pig at Social Eating House (London)
Connaught Bar at the Connaught (London)
Le Lion – Bar de Paris (Hamburg)
The Nightjar (London)
Ruby Cocktail Chronicles (Copenhagen)
 
 
WRITING CATEGORIES:
 
Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer
Jenny Adams (United States)
Sam Bygrave (Australia)
Toby Cecchini (United States)
Paul Clarke (United States)
Camper English (United States)
Jeffrey Morgenthaler (United States)
Darcy O’Neil (Canada)
Daniel Priseman (United Kingdom)
Jane Ryan (United Kingdom)
Robert Simonson (United Kingdom)
 
Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication
Alcademics.com (United States)
Australian Bartender magazine (Australia)
BarLifeUK (United Kingdom)
DRINK (China)
Ginger Magazine (France)
Imbibe Magazine (United States)
Liquor.com (United States)
PUNCH (punchdrink.com) (United States)
The Cocktail Lovers magazine (United Kingdom)
The Spirits Business (United Kingdom)
 
Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book (Top 9)
The Art of the Shim by Dinah Sanders
Apothecary Cocktails:  Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today by Warren Bobrow
Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean by Jeff Berry
Cocktail for a Crowd by Kara Newman
The Curious Bartender by Tristan Stephenson
The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart
Home Bar Basics (and Not-So-Basics) Cocktail Guidebook, 2nd Edition by Dave Stolte
Wine Cocktails (Planet of the Grapes) by Jason Wilson
Whiskey Women:  The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch and Irish Whiskey by Fred Minnick
 
 
OVERALL CATEGORIES:
 
Best Bar Mentor
Erik Adkins
Bridget Albert
Jacob Briars
Jackson Cannon
Wayne Collins
Doug Frost
Francesco LaFranconi
Jim Meehan
Andy Seymour
Dushan Zaric
 
Best New Product
Ancho Reyes
Beefeater Burrough’s Reserve gin
Crawley’s Imperial Shaker Machine
Del Maguey Ibérico mezcal
iSpoon by Monkey Shoulder
Martini Gran Lusso Vermouth
Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky
Plantation Original Dark Rum
Sipsmith VJOP Gin
Small Hand Foods Tonic Syrup
 
World’s Best Cocktail Menu
69 Colebrooke Row (London)
The Aviary (Chicago)
canon:  whiskey and bitters emporium (Seattle)
Eau De Vie (Sydney)
The Nightjar (London)
The NoMad (New York)
Polite Provisions (San Diego)
Pouring Ribbons (New York)
Three Dots and a Dash (Chicago)
Trick Dog (San Francisco)
 
World’s Best Drinks Selection
Baba Au Rum (Athens)
Connaught Bar at the Connaught (London)
The Dead Rabbit (New York)
Eau De Vie Melbourne (Melbourne)
Hard Water (San Francisco)
Liberty Bar (Seattle)
Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library (Portland)
Old Crow (Zurich)
Scopa Italian Roots (Los Angeles)
Tommy’s (San Francisco

Breakfast, Lunch and..HUGS

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“Restaurant owner with down syndrome runs the friendliest eatery ever!”

Travelling the world nearly every week and having the chance to interact with amazing Bartenders, sometimes I get the feeling that something is missing in the approach with their guest and this is something as “easy” as really having FUN in what we do , without taking ourselves TOO seriously!!

I know that what we do is very serious stuff, like handling money, dealing with people, sometimes also arrogant people, so we need a looot of patience, but everything will be so much easier and run much smoother if we manage to have a bit of FUN on the way, in my opinion, so..

..dont’ forget to have FUN this stuff is too important to be taken seriously!!

To enforce the point of what I’m talking about , I want to share with you this video and story that really drew my attention, increasing my awareness that all of us seriously are

“A GIFT TO THE WORLD” – I hope you’ll enjoy this story too and you’ll bring FUN as a serious concept in your day-by-day work behind the Bar!!!

Max La Rocca

 

Source: Amazingoasis.org (read the comments below the source Page)

and if you’re interested, Read more about Tim.

 

Max La Rocca @ VENUEZ Barshow Benelux

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VENUEZ HEADER

VENUEZ14 is the most inspiring Benelux trade event in the field of design, concepts, drinks & experience. It is the meeting place for hospitality entrepreneurs, brand managers, suppliers, consultants, designers, architects, concept developers, bartenders, chefs, and trend spotters.

Click here you can find more information about VENUEZ14

max stage venuez

I’m giving a great WORKSHOP called

“THE ART OF THE START:

HOW TO BECOME ONE OF THE 50 GREATEST BARS ON EARTH IN 365 DAYS”

on Tuesday 18th March at 5.30 pm, can’t wait to meet you all there!

Max La Rocca

The (KETEL ONE) “Dutch Moustache Companion” Cocktail

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(Photo Courtesy of KETEL ONE VODKA)max dutch companion small

That’s what happens when World Class Bartenders meet with the Ketel One Vodka FAMILY in a Photo Shoot Session in Amsterdam..pure MAGIC!But the FAMILY doesn’t stop there. Enjoy this video where Bob Nolet goes on a bar tour of Amsterdam with his..”Extended Family”

Here I am with my brand new Cocktail called
“The (KETEL ONE) Dutch Moustache Companion”
-25 ml KETEL ONE VODKA
-25 ml lemongrass infused Dry Vermouth
-10 ml Benedictine
-5 to 10 ml Grand Marnier (suiting your Country taste)
-3 Dashes Orange bitter
-Flamed Rosemary on the rim of the glass for another level of experience
METHOD:
Throwing technique
GLASS:
Vintage Coupette
Suggested Pairing:
Granny Smith Apple ball rolled with a smoked salmon slice and cracked black pepper.
Key points of the drink are:
– it is easy and fast to prepare,
– using an elegant performance that will get people’s attention and curiosity
– can be drunk at any time of the day
– it is an old style drink with a (contemporary) Vodka soul
– it includes ingredients easy to find in any bar
– it integrates perfectly with nearly any Bar Menu’s style
ENJOY

Max La Rocca

BALANCE YOUR LIFE! – by Gary Regan

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BAR MANTRAS striscia2 GARY HEADER

Here I am with the first “BAR MANTRAS” post with GARY REGAN, renowned author, Bartender Legend, Mixology Guru and much more..

ENJOY THE ARTICLE!

Max La Rocca, my host here, asked me to write something about how bartenders can learn to balance their lives so that none of us keels over dead after living short lives full of complete debauchery and drunkenness.  And since I’ve already lived for over 62 years, and just (today) got a remarkably positive check-up from my doctor, I guess I must be doing something right.  That hasn’t always been the case, though.

I never saw the inside of a gym since I left high-school when I was 16 years old, until 2004 when I started exercising regularly.  What made me do such a rash thing?  Well, after undergoing nearly 18 hours on the operating table having my stage-2 tongue cancer taken care of, I figured it was time to reevaluate the way in which I was living my life.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Please think about taking good care of your body, and your mind, and I promise you’ll end up being much happier.

If you decide to heed my advice, it’s probably best that you do so your own way, but I can give you a few tips on certain aspects of taking care of yourself, so let me list them here.  Please remember, though, that these are merely suggestions for you to consider.  Nobody hates rules more than I.  Promise.

  1. If you can afford membership at a gym, choose one that’s as close as possible so you have no excuse not to go.
  2. Many gyms offer a workout coach for at least one hour—take advantage of that, and be prepared to tell the trainer your goal.  My goal, for instance, was (and still is) to workout in less than 60 minutes per session, simply because I know that, if I stay longer than that, I’ll end up never going at all.  Ten years later I’m still a regular at my gym.
  3. If you find that working out is boring, think about listening to music, or better still, audiobooks on your iPod.

The next part of my fitness regimen can be hard to talk about, and it’s very personal, too.  It concerns meditation and yoga, and there are people who shy away from these practices because they think of them as being tied to spirituality, and spirituality turns them off.  Let me say, then, that although many people, myself included, tie their spirituality to these practices, it’s absolutely not necessary.

Meditation can be hard to get into, but there are lots of books that can lead the way, and the rewards are massive.  Spending some time alone, or with a group, in silence, and trying to clear your mind and center yourself for five, fifteen, or 30 minutes, on a regular basis, will result in a clearer head, and a better ability to cope with the stresses of everyday life.  And we bartenders have pretty stressful lives, right?

Yoga happens to be another practice I follow to keep both my mind and my body in good shape, and I highly recommend this, but there are lots of other practices you could take up for similar results.  Eastern practices such as Tai Chi, and to an extent, any of the martial arts will probably lead to the same peace of mind, and flexibility of limbs, as yoga, but if none of these appeal to you, then JUT SAY NO!  Then look around for some sort of sport—tennis, swimming, or whatever takes your fancy—so that you have some sort of sport that you can practice on the days when you don’t go to the gym.

And finally, I advise you not to overdo any of the things I’ve suggested here.  If you’re anything like me, as soon as I start forcing myself to go to a class, or have a workout at the gym, I start to rebel against going at all.  This sort of thing requires discipline, that’s for sure, but in my experience, if you push yourself to a point where you hate what you’re doing, you’re on the road to quitting altogether.

Now you can go out and party with the best of them, and balance your life by adopting some new endevours that can help you lead a happier, healthier life.  And in all likelihood, after just a few weeks, you’ll start getting laid more often, too . . .

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Thank you Gary for being my Guest!