June 24, 2013
As I’ve mentioned somewhere on here before (if you haven’t read every single post, now is a good time to do it), I here and there get random items in the mail. Sometimes, they’re dumb. Sometimes they’re okay. Rarely are they mind-blowingly cool. However, that recently happened, thanks to Caorunn Gin. See, one day, I came home from the zombie mines and found a package on my doorstep. In that package, was a bottle of gin, and this box:
The gin looked good, but the box was intriguingly shaped, so I opened it, and inside there were two little shelves, each with some smallish glass jars on it. The first shelf had jars with samples of the 5 dried Celtic botanicals used in the gin (I forgot to mention, Caorunn is handcrafted small-batch Scottish gin. So, the Celtic connection isn’t coming out of left field). The second shelf had identical jars with the essences of the botanicals – little cotton balls with the oils of the botanicals. It looks like this:
Neato, right? At first, I thought it was merely curiosity (and fantastic packaging, for sure), like a sideshow of sorts. But then as I started opening the jars one by one, and realizing how well they focused the aromas, it made more sense – especially when trying the gin alongside the smelling. The five botanicals are: rowan berry, bog myrtle, heather, dandelion, and coul blush apple (which sounds somewhat like they could also be mixed when you wanted to turn someone into a, oh, frog I suppose), and they really give the gin an intense and individual, flavor, aroma, and tail. But don’t think that it isn’t still like a gin. The juniper-ness of a London dry gin is still intact, just bolstered and backed by a hints of herbs and spice and a touch of sweet. Nice stuff. I haven’t tried mixing much with it yet, but am looking forward to it. Here’s the gin in bottle (interesting bottle shape as well) so you know to watch out for it:
Now, if only everything in the mail was as interesting.
June 11, 2013
Hello drink hounds! Just in case you’ve missed my monthly Seattle magazine Bar Hop column lately, here are some handy links to the bars I’ve profiled after much research (it’s all for you, I hope you understand):
• Bait Shop (Capitol Hill)
• Ground Control/Brass Tacks (Georgetown)
• Mutiny Hall (Roosevelt)
May 14, 2013
I recently was lucky enough to spend a short two days (not lucky cause it was short, but lucky in that I was able to go at all) in San Francisco, checking out a few snazzy bars and seeing some snazzy people. And having some Mexican food with my pals Mike and Meredith. But here, cause in theory this is a blog about booze and drinks, I’m gonna focus mostly on pictures of the drinks I had, starting with ones had at Blackbird. From what I’ve gathered, Blackbird is sort-a new, though it had a very comfortable neighborhood bar feel and a bunch of stuffed blackbirds above the wooden and glass shelves behind the bar. I don’t want the term “neighborhood” to confuse you though, into thinking the drinks weren’t crafted with care. Cause they were, and then some, by a bartender named Matt Grippo (and a couple other nice fellas whose names I missed). The menu was scripted on a long big scroll-of-sorts behind the bar (in two spots), and I picked a Knee Slapper off of it:
The Knee Slapper (well-named, as most drinks there) was a combination of Four Roses, Old Overholt rye, Averna, Gran Classico, and, interestingly, crème de cacao. It’s rare to see a doubling of the base spirits, and rarer still to see the crème de cacao thrown into a mix of brown boozes, but the end result was very tasty, rich, and layered with flavor and herbal notes. Dreamy stuff. By the time I ended up with a second drink, the Blackbird was hoppin’. It was a Saturday night, so expected, but I haven’t been in a spot that busy for a few, oh, years probably (hey, I’m old). It was four deep across the whole bar at one point. And here’s what was amazing: Matt kept his easy-going and affable demeanor the whole time, even when people asked incredibly silly things (one order: “can I get four beers, a Martini, and some whiskey?” With no specifics at all). And, during the madness, the drinks were still put together perfectly, and including an off-menu drink he made for me (maybe it was going to be on the next menu) with no name – or no name I remember. It was a wildly intriguing mixture as well: Enchanto pisco, Calpico (an uncarbonated Japanese milky soft drink), cucumber, lemon, orgeat, and a rose water rinse. That is out there friends. But you know what? It all came together into a refreshing, tangy, vegetal, smooth hit:
All-in-all, a fantastic spot, Blackbird. I’d definitely return in a heartbeat. It’s the kind of place where you could get the fancy cocktails made in the modern masterful manner, but also order a High Life if you wanted – as long as you paid cash:
May 7, 2013
If you live in Seattle, near Seattle, or are ever coming to visit Seattle, or just like to hear me go on about bars I love, then listen up: Drink Seattle: A Spirited Journey Through Seattle Bars and Cocktails with A.J. Rathbun is the app for you. It basically means you won’t miss a lounge, bar, distillery, or dive that’s worth sitting down and sipping within. It gives you a great drink in nearly every neighborhood, specific cocktail picks for each place, and a host of insights on individual bar personalities. Each recommended establishment features a detailed review, notes on what to order, and great photos and tips for having the best experience you can. And the app has all those features you expect –GPS, one-touch dialing, and turn-by-turn directions – and vital info like business hours, websites, etc. And, awesomely, the app is updated frequently so you stay abreast of all the top cocktail bars, worthy whistle-wetters, divetasticos, unmissable distilleries, cocktail supply shops, and believe-it-or-not beer shops. All of that. Here are some pictures, too, to tempt you:
So, wait no longer, get the Drink Seattle app today: http://bit.ly/DrinkSeattleApp.
PS: Available for iPhone and iPad!
PPS: Thanks!
Tags: A.J. Rathbun app, Drink app, Drink Seattle app, if you need a drink in Seattle this is the app for you, iPad app, iPhone app, Seattle app, Seattle bar app, Seattle bars app, Travel app
Posted in: Bars, Cocktail News, Drink Seattle app
February 26, 2013
It’s that time again bar lovers, where I point you to recent (or, fairly recent) Bar Hop columns. In case you don’t know, the Bar Hop columns come out every month in Seattle Magazine, and in each I do a short profile on a different Seattle bar. Usually, they’re new-ish bars, but not always. So, if you’re planning on having a drink in Seattle anytime soon, then I suggest checking out the following to find which drinking haven is for you.
• Essex (in Upper Ballard)
• Clever Bottle (in Belltown)
• Rumba (in Capitol Hill)
• Golden Beetle (in downtown Ballard)
Or, see all Bar Hops.
Tags: Bar Hop, Bars, Clever Bottle, Essex, Golden Beetle, Rumba, Seattle Bars, Seattle Magazine
Posted in: Bar Hop, Bars, Cocktail News, Seattle Magazine
December 4, 2012
Hello hello. I’ve been lucky enough to do some fantastic blogs and articles for Seattle Magazine recently (like I’ve mentioned in past Seattle Magazine blog posts here on Spiked Punch), and in case you somehow missed them, now’s your chance to catch up on your reading. Cause you can’t get enough of me, right? Right? Here is a selection of the goods, in bulleted fashion:
• Holiday Spirit: Strega Italian Liqueur
• Holiday Gift Guide: Cocktail Equipment
• Cocktails to Brighten a Winter’s Eve
• Glass Distillery: Best New Distillery in Seattle 2012
• Canon: Best New Bar in Seattle 2012
• 5 Cocktails to Help You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
• 20 Things Local Bartenders Want You to Know
• Now Available Locally: Five Spirits and Liqueurs You Must Try
PS: Want to see every single Seattle Magazine piece I’ve done? Check out the Seattle Magazine A.J. Rathbun page.
Tags: a drink for every occasion, Bars, Canon, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, cocktails, Glass Distillery, Seattle Magazine, Strega
Posted in: Bars, Cocktail News, Distillery, Recipes, Seattle Magazine
November 6, 2012
Well, wouldn’t you know it—even James Bond gets older. It seems his first film came out about 50 years ago. What does this have to do with anything outside of giving me a chance to make the point that Sean Connery is the finest James Bond and anyone who disagrees is a ninny? Well, it also leads to the fact that the lovely French aperitif wine-thing Lillet figures into the Bond mythos. Which also then leads to a little Lillet article I have in the most recent Good Life Report, which also has an article about Bond. And now it’s all tied up in a mystery even Timothy Dalton could solve (I kid, I kid. Dalton is aces with me).
Hello friends and neighbors near and far – it’s that time again, where I point you towards the posts I’ve written for the rad 
