It all started with a cocktail. I was at SALT while guiding one of my downtown dining tours, and my guests got to “mix + match = make merry” with The Cocktail Element. As the esteemed libation experts at SALT know, I really enjoy my cocktails. And not just any ole’ cocktails. Real, thoughtfully prepared, unique cocktails. Sometimes I’m presented with a cocktail that’s not on the menu, or one that is a twist on a classic. That day, out came beverage director Evan Faber with a martini glass.
I, also sometimes known as Megan Maple Bourbon, immediately thought I had been served a bourbon or scotch cocktail, martini style. I took a sip and couldn’t quite place any flavors, but I knew it was a whiskey cocktail.
I couldn’t have been more wrong! I can only explain it like the moment the record player needles slides off the record and music comes to a screeching halt. It was a gin cocktail. A GIN cocktail! And not just any ole’ gin. This was made with Roundhouse Imperial Barrel Aged Gin. It was so golden honey brown, I was fooled. But, this barrel aged gin, disguised as scotch or bourbon to anyone ignoring the label, surprises and delights the palate.
Roundhouse Spirits, “Handcrafted Spirits of Uncommon Character,” is located right here in Boulder, and you can visit the distillery Thursdays-Saturdays from 3-7 pm. I did just that.
These barrels house the next batch of Imperial Barrel Aged Gin. Ted Palmer, el presidente, chief distiller, and tour guide, told me that the first batch had just gotten out to select restaurants and is available in limited quantities in liquor stores. Looks like the Imperial Cocktail at SALT is one of the first official barrel aged gin cocktails in town for Roundhouse Spirits.
Here’s Evan’s recipe:
2 oz Roundhouse Imperial Gin
1 oz Boissiere Sweet Vermouth
Dash of Orange Bitters
Garnish with a cherry
Stir well over ice and strain into a martini glass.
But, back to the place where the magic happens… Ted gave us a great tour of the distillery.
Turns out he has some custom made stills, handmade in Spain.
Ted is very enthusiastic about gin. He said he knew he wanted to make gin from the moment he had his first delicious sip. I was please at the end of our tour to enjoy some delicious sips of his libations. There’s a complementary tasting at the end of each tour, by the way.
Roundhouse Spirits currently makes gin, the newly released barrel aged gin, as well as Coretto, a fantastic coffee liqueur, which features a special roast from Boulder’s Unseen Bean. And, stay tuned for the new spirit… coming soon!
At the tasting bar, we learned about Ted’s theory of artfully producing a “Melting Pot Gin” with flavor profiles from the best parts of all world styles of gin. Come to a tasting and smell all of his choice ingredients and learn which ones are traditional in Dutch, English, and American styles of gin.
I bought a bottle of the first batch of Imperial Aged Gin. I have plans for this bottle…
You can try the Imperial Cocktail at SALT, but supplies are limited. Cocktail possibilities, on the other hand, seem endless.
When grapefruits are juicy and abundant in the store, I tend to buy a lot of them to make some “healthy” cocktails. For years I had been hooked on Greyhounds, (or my version, the
Greyhound Spritzer). But all of the time I spend bringing food tours to SALT in Boulder has changed my perception of creating cocktails, especially because of the
Cocktail Element. I mixed it up this time and made a Tequila Grapefruit Collins.
I mixed:
1 shot of Reposado Tequila
1 shot of Gran Gala
Juice of 1/2 grapefruit
Juice of 1/2 lime
a little club soda
Serve in a tall glass over ice. Enjoy.
One thing is certain- when
Art in the Age comes to town, there’s going to be a fantastic party! I had the honor and pleasure to attend the first ROOT cocktail competition in Colorado at
The Squeaky Bean in Denver and had such a good time, all I can say is, “man… you should have been there!”
I went with Courtney, my friend and newest tour guide for
Local Table Tours. We braved a snow storm and walked into a packed house for Art in the Age’s private event at
The Squeaky Bean. When I say packed house, I mean P.A.C.K.E.D. No snow storm was going to keep the Denver crowd from a ROOT cocktail competition.
I started off with a Gooch, which was one of the featured cocktails of the evening, made with ROOT, apple jack, rye, and a hint of orange. I just love rye… love ROOT… what a great combination.
Sean Kenyon manned the bar all night at The Squeaky Bean and kept the packed house happy. Courtney and I got right up to the front for the cocktail competition. The only person closer was illustrious photographer
Ryan Olsen. If you’d like to see REAL photos, and not iphone photos, definitely check out
Ryan’s images. I am not embarrassed to admit that they are better than mine. But, I was right behind him, tripping him up all night… getting in his way, perhaps, just to capture some blurry images for this post.
Some of the best mixologists in the Denver area created some deliciously interesting cocktails throughout the evening. I am not sure of everyone’s name in my photos, so if you know them, or it happens to be you, please let me know so I can edit my post.
I know this guy here is Tyler French from
TAG in Denver. His cocktail was called the Dark and Rooted, and had:
1.5 parts ROOT
.5 part Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
2 scoops homemade cinnamon ginger ice cream.
The judges enjoyed themselves! Boulder’s very own Matthew Jansen, chef/owner of
Mateo can barely be seen on the very right of the judges table. He was so nice to Courtney and me and shared every one of the competitors’ drinks with us, so we got a really good taste of what was going on that night.
The judges had the cocktail menu to peruse, so I snapped a quick photo.
And the night just went on and on with cocktail after cocktail. So much fun!
We are lucky to live in a culinary metro area where the art of the cocktail has resurged.
Along with the cocktail comes the unique mixologist image. Check out
Steuben’s Bar Manager, Randy Layman, in his plaid shirt with those suspenders and that fabulous mustache. You can tell he takes his drinks seriously. His cocktail, named Young Americans, was:
1 oz ROOT
1 oz El Tesoro Platinum
.5 oz Lillet Blanc
.25 oz Campari
Stir and strain into chilled glass…
And the winner of the night’s competition was The Squeaky Bean’s own Sean Kenyon with his creation: The General, made of:
1 part ROOT
1 part Four Roses Bourbon
.5 part Cherry Heering
.5 partt Dimi Liquore di Milano
2 dashes Bitter Truth Orange Bitters
If you are like me, you not only DO NOT have those ingredients in your home, you’ve never heard of half of them. But, that’s OK. Sean’s at
The Squeaky Bean and I’m sure he’d be delighted to make you a cocktail.
So, the first time
Art in the Age came to town was a blast at
The Bitter Bar. The second time was Colorado’s First Root Cocktail Competition at The Squeaky Bean. I am eagerly awaiting their next arrival! As long as there are cocktails, I will be there.
On our quest for original cocktails in New Orleans, we were pleased to discover
Bar UnCommon with the illustrious mixologist Chris McMillian (one of the founders of
The Museum of the American Cocktail) and his friendly (and foodie) wife Laura. We walked up to the incredibly modern illuminated glass bar and were greeted by Chris. He asked what types of spirits we like and went to work making the best Old Fashioned I’d ever had the pleasure of tasting.
I am currently interested in Rye whisky and it was an interesting coincidence that while sitting there sipping an Old Fashioned, a small group at the other side of the bar had inquired about the differences between bourbon, scotch, and rye. It became clear that Chris McMillian has tomes worth of knowledge on spirits and cocktails and we it felt as if we were attending one of his
Tales of the Cocktail classes.
We also got our first taste of a Pimm’s Cup. We have a new summer time party drink here and I’m going to watch Chris on
You Tube give his mixology lessons for these drinks.
So, if you’re not in New Orleans for the frozen carnival-like smoothies on Bourbon Street, but prefer to discover some history behind the cocktail and the intricate flavor combinations and sensations that a master mixologist can create, head over to Bar UnCommon, say hi to Chris and Lauren, sit back, relax, and enjoy their creations.
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