There’s something about the words “Wine-Finer Foods-Cigars” that, when rendered in billboard-sized proportions on the side of a big box retail building with freeway frontage, take on a certain irony that make me pause and think “ Postmodern America…” . And so on a sunshiny Memorial Day we ventured to Spec's, in the South Austin retail paradise known as Sunset Valley. Spec's is a Houston-based chain of liquor/specialty foods stores that has recently opened two locations in Austin, the first of which opened late last year near Highland Mall. With their south location they have really outdone themselves, converting the former Academy store into a booze and food megamart.

The scale of Spec’s is incomparable. It is a SPEC-tacle, you could say, though you probably shouldn’t.
Unfortunately, the selection at Spec’s is not directly proportionate to the square footage of the building. I would say that there is far too much floor space dedicated to crap like Plexiglas (!) wine buckets and those cheap-looking Italianesque ceramics. There are also the requisite over-the-top displays that define the big-box experience: a Jack Daniel’s Saloon, a Grey Goose golf cart, and some kind of scotch-themed sailboat. They don't appear to have done much in the way of de-Academizing the space, and the pseudo Tuscan murals lose their effect when stretched around fifty thousand square feet of retail floorspace.
Aesthetics aside, Spec's has a lot going for it. For one, the prices at Spec's are hard to beat. For a party-in-a-pinch, they have a huge selection of specialty foods and deli items. They also stock a handful of Fair Trade Certified coffees from Katz Coffee (I would avoid the under-roasted non-FTC coffees that comprise the bulk of their selection.)
The beer selection is impressive, though not quite overwhelming. As with the liqour aisles, I was hoping to see a bunch of labels that I had never seen before, but such was not the case. This is not to say that Spec’s is lacking in variety—or to say that I had any problem whatsoever finding something to purchase. On this first trip we spent $180. And fortunately if you come with cash in hand, you are rewarded with a 5% discount.

Nothing speaks of luxury like a cash discount...

If there is anything that we tipsy tipplers should take from the "localvore"/green living orgy that is going on around us right now, it is that we need to not just eat seasonally, but also drink seasonally. That whole "variety is the spice of life" thing is bigger than parents trying to get kids to eat nasty greens or a means of accomodating an outrageous character like Leslie. It's a way of enjoying what is available to us locally, the bikurim, the first fruits, at the peak of freshness, rather than inflexibly imposing our vision of what we want to eat on the food chain. Applying this concept to our cocktails is the obvious next step. In Texas right now we are coming out of peach season and into canteloupe (and cucumber and watermelon) season. As part of my academic committment to drinking seasonally, I procured a couple of prime canteloupes at the farmer's market recently, and let them sit on the counter til they were over-ripe, when the skins started to sink in and shrivel. (This was less of a plan than a general tendency to abandon produce once it enters the house.) I then peeled and deseeded them, and juiced the chunks in an old-style juice press (you can also blend the meat and strain through a china cap or mesh strainer.) The result is a refreshing, fabulousy uncommon, seasonally correct mixer.
First up I tried a
Canteloupe Margarita
2oz Tequila (I used a 100% agave silver)
1 1/2 oz. Paula's Texas Orange Liqueur (Cointreau is a substitute if you are outside of PTO's natural range)
1 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz fresh-squeezed Canteloupe juice
I serve it one of two ways: Shake and serve over rocks. Or, if you have juiced the canteloupe using the blender method, shake and strain the drink into a chilled cocktail glass, then top with some of the canteloupe froth from the blender
This is a tasty, well-balanced, subtle drink.

Canteloupe Wallbanger
1 1/2 Vodka (in this case the localvore is fortunate enough to have locally distilled Tito's Handmade Vodka, but any one will do)
4 oz Fresh-squeezed canteloupe juice
Galliano floater
I didn't like this as much as the margarita. It seems like it needs something, but I ran out of canteloupe juice so I will have to pick up the experiment another day...

On a recent trip to Homeslice Pizza on South Congress I was telling Nano, the manager-rocker-studmuffin guy, that I was starting a cocktail blog, and he said that I had to try The Liberace. Though I wasn’t planning to have a cocktail, I was certainly/am always open to the possibility of one when it presents itself, and so I ordered a Liberace.

I like this drink. It is much less flamboyant than its name would indicate (I was picturing rhinestones in the bottom of the glass, and maybe a glittery cocktail napkin), but pleasing nonetheless, and an exciting show of creativity for a restaurant that doesn't have a hard liquor permit. The Liberace consists of a generous pour of Prosecco topped with a splash of Izze blackberry and a lemon twist. I was stumped for a descriptor, but bartender Betty gave it to me: “It tastes like a Sweetart.”

Yesterday I got an email from Wiggy's announcing that they are serving complimentary Palomas to qualifying adults this Saturday July 14th, from 10am-9pm at their 1130 West 6th St. location.
Now, I love my little local liquor store, and the Lord knows I love a complimentary cocktail, or he wouldn't have sent me this email. I even love the Paloma. But I'm not feeling the love in this statement from the email:

"This is an easy to make alternative to the Margarita that I am sure you are tired of by now."

Fill a highball glass with ice. Squeeze lime half into it and drop in the shell. Add tequila and salt. Top off with grapefruit soda, stir lightly, and add a straw.
Recipe and backstory from Drinks magazine

I have just read about something that is so offensive that I think I need to create a new 3-digit acronym of surprise/disbelief—HFS, or Holy F---ing Sh*t. It is my hope that by invoking both a double expletive and the power of the Almighty, I can express how truly shocked I am to read about Right Gin.
From the June 19th, 2007 issue of Advertising Age magazine, an articled titled, "This Gin is for People Who Don't Like Gin"
From the Article:

Spirit brands launch with unusual brand propositions all the time, but superpremium Right Gin has a new one: disdain. "We hate gin, and so do most people," said Cory Isaacson, part owner of the $40-a-bottle brand... "People see you drinking gin, and they say, 'What? Gin sucks.'"

"We dialed down the spice and the oily aftertaste and dialed up the citrus to make it drinkable," Mr. Isaacson said. "People who are predisposed to hate gin will try this and be pleasantly surprised."

Bombay's Mr. Woodyer said he sees a limited opportunity for high-end gin because the spirit's "complex" taste -- derived from as many as 10 different botanical ingredients -- isn't for everyone. "The people who enjoy it tend to be people who have a really sophisticated palate..."

Note: As I have not been to the Palms, I have not tasted Right Gin. It is only fair that I make the following offer.
Dear Right Gin Doods,
I have not tasted your product but have made some hateful comments about it nonetheless. I will take back (almost) everything I said if would be so kind as to send me a bottle to sample, and assuming it doesn't suck.
Thanks, bra!

Very rarely do I find what I would call a tasty cocktail at those family-friendly restaurants, the kind with kids menus and crayons and blinky coaster-pagers. Sometimes, there is not even a palatable one among the pineappley rum shakes and cloyingly pre-yucky margaritas. But in Austin at Shady Grove, part of the Chuy's/Comida Deluxe group, there is a drink called the Shady Thang that I think deserves honorable mention. It is basically a frozen margarita, minus the ta'kill ya, sub Pisco brandy and Vodka. I don't know ratios as I haven't tried to recreate it at home. If there are any former or current Comida employees who would like to leak the secret recipe I would greatly appreciate it. Until then, I will enjoy drinking the experiments.

Here are a few tips on how to shop for groceries:
1) Make sure that total food purchases do not exceed more than 25% of the total weight or 30% of the total cost of your shopping trip.
2) When shopping in Austin where Real Ale's Fireman's 4 is flying off the shelves, do not satisfy yourself with only one 6-pack when there is a whole case to be had. Even if Fireman's 4 is not your favorite Real Ale, get a case so that you can impress your friends and other people who were not able to buy any because you were so selfish

3) Always buy plenty of something cheap for your cheap/unappreciative friends when they come over. For example, the Session is on sale for $10/12pack. The Allagash is for yourself

If your friends invite you to a B.Y.O.B. party it is because they are cheap bastards. However, if they invite you to a B.Y.O.B. restaurant, it might be because they are brilliant!
I would like to shine a spotlight on one of my favorite and most versatile haunts, Torchy's Tacos. Situated on a former car lot between bustling S. 1st St and tranquil (read: usually dry) Bouldin Creek, Torchy's is the most gourmet taco trailer in town. Staffed by former Comida Deluxe chef/ Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival winner Mike Rypka and his crew, Torcy's offers unique chef-quality tacos in the convenience of a walk-up taco cart. Fresh roasted Katz Coffee is perfect with breakfast, and for lunch he offers a variety of Jarritos sodas and Mexican cokes.
And then for dinner...that's where the tipsy texan comes in. Six-pack of Bohemia with those fajitas, anyone? (Better get your own 'cuz this one is for me.) How about washing down that green chile queso with a pitcher of margaritas in a Rubbermaid cereal container? Since Mike's trailer doesn't have a liquor license, you are your own bartender.

Mike's business partner is a landscape architecht who is in the process of finishing up a major beautification project that this bootleg photograph does not show. Once the project is finished, Torchy's Tacos will feature the best Tex-Mex in the sexiest former used car lot in town.

Today I met a woman who is part of the genius behind Square One Organic Vodka. We started a conversaion about cocktail blogs, which she calls clogs, I suppose because that is a more appropriate-sounding term than cocklogs. She is hosting a market-fresh beverage contest in San FranDisco at one of their Farmer’s Markets, and her business partner is leading a seminar on Friday called Farm to Glass. I have a particular interest in this, as you can read in my post on Drinking Seasonally.
Every Saturday after we close down our booth at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market my helpers and I assemble at my house for After Market Cocktails. I don’t want to over-emphasize the role of produce and Slow Food drinking ethics here—after-market cocktails started not as a celebration of local agriculture but as a way of takin’ a proverbial load off after a hard day’s work. Indeed, sometimes after-market cocktails consist of only a beer or two. It was only recently that I started to recognize the activist quality in our post-market ritual. People who eat locally should drink locally and seasonally, and blah blah and so forth, if for no other reason than to avoid the palate fatigue that comes with ordering a Gin & Tonic (or, godforbid, a Vodka Soda) every time you go out for years and decades.

After Market Cocktail #1--The Blueberry Bruise
¼ cup fresh Blueberries
4 slices fresh Cucumber
2 ounces Hendricks gin
2 dashes green Chartreuse
In a cocktail shaker muddle blueberries and cucumber with a teaspoon of caster sugar. Reserve 3 blueberries and 1 cucumber slice for garnish. Coat inside of chilled cocktail glass with Chartreuse. Shake and strain, garnish with bluebabies and cukes. Come to think of it, this drink might be well served in a sugared rim, if you're inclined towards things like that, which I'm usually not

After Lunch today we assembled with the other conventioneers at the rooftop ballroom of the hotel for the official toast to Tales of the Cocktail. This was a double unveiling, as it happens. First there was the first group tasting of the Starfish Cooler, which is the official cocktail of this year’s conference. 70 + bartenders entered recipes, and Stacy Smith of G.W. Finn’s won. Entrants had adhere to certain parameters, which is mainly a way of ensuring that the Sponsors’ products end up in the drink.

Starfish Cooler
Glass Used: Collins
Ingredient:
1 oz. Moët and Chandon White Star
1 oz. Lemoncello
1 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
1 oz. Un-sweet Iced Tea
½ oz. Simple Syrup
Directions:
Muddle orange slice and mint leaf in Collins glass.
Combine all ingredients.
Garnish:
1 mint leaf
1 orange slice

This afternoon we attended a special ceremony for an announcement from the CEO of Absolut spirits. They are launching a series of special release vodkas inspired by American cities. Absolut New Orleans has a mango/melony flavor with a hint of black pepper. I didn’t get to try the stuff neat but in a cocktail called the Big Breezy, which I will get to in a minute. The product is cool because Absolut is donating 100% of their profit to five charities based in this area. I know this press conference might not have quite the same news-breaking quality as, say, a Lewis-Libby-gets-out-of-jail-free announcement, and it was certainly not as exciting or as culturally significant as any news about Parasite Hilton. However, it was cool to hear about the product while looking out at a view of the city and the Mississippi River, among a group of cocktail enthusiasts that included a few legends and personal heroes, as well as a bunch of people I can’t wait to get to know.

Absolut Big Breezy
Glass Used: Martini
Ingredients:
2 oz. Absolut New Orleans
1/2 Simple Syrup
1 Squeeze of lemon
4-5 Chunks of watermelon
Pinch black pepper
Directions: Shake and strain ingredients into a martini glass and garnish with a melon ball and lemon slice.
Garnish:
1 melon ball
1 slice lemon
I thought the drink was drinkable (as in I drank it) but I thought it had a kind of fake/jollyrancher-ish melony flavor. A couple days later, however, I tried a fabulous milk punch that was made with Absolut New Orleans, and got no such flavor. I will post that recipe if I can get somebody to send it to me.

After having made it through the first day of Tales of the Cocktail, I can say for sure that this is the ultimate tipsy field trip, without peer, I don’t care how special you think you are. I shouldn’t be surprised by the quantity of cocktails available at a conference devoted to booze, but even for an accomplished imbiber like myself this is truly amazing. Unless you have a galvanized liver, you can’t really drink every cocktail or sample that is handed to you. That said, you really want to drink every one because you are a committed cocktailian and these drinks are coming from some of the best minds in the business.

As we were registering this morning (it’s like signing up for college classes, except with course names like "On the Rocks: The Importance of Ice", and the “handouts” are cocktails and liquor company swag), a rep from Bulleit Bourbon invited us to the Tasting Room for a seminar on that product, led by Tom Bulleit. Considering that so many of the tastings I have experienced recently have been in the form of a booze babe handing out samples at the liquor store, or of over-confident but under-knowledgeable brand reps dishing out shlock at the trade show, this was quite a luxurious experience. First there was the jazz combo that played while the distinguished guests took their seats. And the hors d’ouvres plate of mini crab cakes, sautéed scrimps and mini muffaletta. Then there was the introductory cocktail—a delicious Fig Mint Julep, which startled Joe at first because he did not hear about the fig, which through the translucence of the whisky looked something like a grub taking a bath in the bottom of the glass. I myself was worried that someone dropped a piece of bread in my glass, though not worried enough to exchange it for another. As Mr. Bulleit educated us about his product they passed around samples of neat Bulleit in a sexy shot glass inspired by the bottle, and we learned how to taste bourbon neat and how to cut in half with water, which he says they do when tasting at the distillery, because it takes away the alcoholic “heat” and allows you to taste the development of the bourbon. According to Mr. Bulleit, "water is to whisky what oxygen is to wine."
This was followed by a cocktail of a more fruity nature, which was made by their bartender who was flown in from New York for the event. We were not able to linger to meet the bartender or find out more about his recipes, as we had a lunch date with two nice ladies from San FranDisco, whom we had met the night before at the Carousel Lounge here at the hotel.

The revolution marches on with generals like Ted Haigh, Robert Hess, Eric Seed, Robert Cooper, Gwydion Stone, Paul Clarke and Chuck Taggert. These gentlemen are not sitting idly by and allowing ingredients of the past to slip into distant memory, but are working to help others be aware of these rare treasures and to find the means to bring them to the U.S. market once again. In the case of Paul Clarke, Chuck Taggert and Gwydion Stone, they’ve taken it upon themselves to produce their own liqueurs and spirits: Clarke (Falernum), Taggert (Pimento Dram), Stone (Absinthe). There are beautiful old spirits being imported or produced again, like Batavia Arrack, Créme de Violette, Créme d’Yvette, St. Germaine. Robert Cooper, of Cooper Spirits International, and his team worked for 2 years to match the flavor profile of the original Créme d’Yvette. At the Tales of the Cocktail conference, he brought along his current production and a bottle of 1944 original to sample – one could scarcely notice a difference. Robert also brings us St. Germain and is working on the forbidden fruit liqueur; by Ted Haigh’s account, Robert has so closely matched the profile of the 1930’s original that you can’t tell any difference. All of these are people with passion for the art, craft and pleasure of the cocktail. They are the voices calling out to a society reared on soda gun margarita mixes and bartenders whose repertoires extend not much further than rum and coke; the ones who stare at you dumfounded if you were to order a Manhattan or a Sidecar. Keep pushing gentlemen, because there are many of us out here that are listening and taking your charge to heart.

On Sunday we attended the inaugural Spirit Awards ceremony (I refuse to say "first annual", even though that is how they billed it. I hate first annual) in the theatre at the Harrah's Casino. I actually thought it was pretty fabulous, considering that you could grab a plate of food from the brunch buffet and of course a cocktail on the way to your table. Needless to say I have never attended a "real" awards show before.

It was also the type of awards show where you want to steal the centerpieces (bottles of liqour provided by the sponsors.) Ted Allen of Queer Eye fame was the host of the ceremony, which as you will see was a rather brief one (Since it was the last day of a five-day cocktail festival, it is probably wise that they kept it brief.)

The Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Award Categories are:

Best Drinks Selection
Winner: Zig Zag Cafe, Seattle

Best Classic Cocktail Bar
Criteria: Classic bars continue to uphold best bartending practices and serve
drinks in relaxed lounge-like environments. The judges are looking for bars which
uphold this tradition (but are not necessarily old) and offer superb service and
consistently well made drinks. (Hotel bars are eligible)
Winner: Zig Zag Cafe, Seattle
Sight unseen, I have to say that my instinct tells me that these guys deserve all the props that they got. The fact that they rolled up on stage in shorts to accept their awards especially endears them to me, who is chronically casual. We had the opportunity to sit with Casey and Murray at the Absinthe House later that evening and they were so down-to-earth it was infectious. First of all they were drinking beer. Second they were the only people I talked to all week who seemed to emphasize service as much as technique. Murray was also up for mixologist of the year, but that award went to the honorable Audrey Saunders.

World’s Best Cocktail Bar
Criteria: This award recognizes the international influence on cocktail trends and
seeks to award the world’s best cocktail bar. (US bars are not excluded.)
Winner: Pegu Club, NY NY

Best New Cocktail Bar
Criteria: Only bars which have opened in the 12 months preceding the awards
may be nominated. This award aims to reward new creativity and ideas as well
as well executed drinks.
Winner: Bourbon & Branch, San Francisco

Mixologist/Bartender of the Year
Criteria: The absolute best drinks mixer. The winner should be proficient at making
all recognized classic drinks and also have created contemporary cocktails
which have been copied by his/her peers.
Winner: Audrery Saunders, Pegu Club, NYC

Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
Criteria: The best book published in 2006 regarding cocktails, liquor, bars, bar
design or bartending in general. New editions of existing works published in 2006
may also be nominated.
Winner: "The Art of the Bar: Cocktails Inspired by the Classics," by Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz of Absinthe
This was one of the awards that we missed because we got there late, but I can attest to the book being a great one

Best New Product
Criteria: This is awarded to what the judges consider to be the best new cocktail
ingredient (spirit, liqueur, syrup or juice) or piece of cocktail equipment (muddler,
shaker etc.). To qualify products must be on general retail sale in at least three
US states.
Winner: St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
God this stuff is good. It seemed to be one of the big buzzes of the conference. And of course it is unavailable in Texas, and I depleted the stash of airplane minis that I managed to get from the seminar as soon as we got home. The consensus among many with whom I talked about this product is that it is capable of becoming a classic.

Best Cocktail Menu
Criteria: The judges seek to reward innovative and thirst inducing cocktail
menus. Both the design and content will be considered. Four copies of
nominated menu must be mailed with completed entry form.
Winner: Papparazzi, Bratislava, Slovakia
This rocked-out Euro guy Stanislav gave the shortest sweetest acceptance speech ever: "Thank you...thank you."

Best Drinks Brand Representative/Brand Ambassador
Criteria: An award which recognizes the importance of personality in the
promotion of drinks brands.
Winner: Simon Ford, Plymouth Gin

Well it seems we have survived Tales of the Cocktail 2007, livers slightly intact, though the same cannot be said for budget.
After seven days, 1200 miles, three rolls of Tums, way too much $$ and more cocktails than we can possibly count, we are finally back home. Our first trip to Tales of the Cocktail far exceeded our expectations. We met so many cool people, even though I have forgotten most of them by now.

For those of you who did not have the pleasure of attending we decided to summarize some of the main themes of the conference. According to our alcohol-soaked recollections, here is what the giants (geeks) of the industry have said we can loook forward to:
1) Fresh ingredients in general, and local/organic ingredients specifically, will begin to (about damn time!) displace mixes and powders behind bars. This is part of an:
2) Increased overall emphasis on quality. From the wholesomeness of the mixers, to the purity of the ice, to top shelf and artisanal spirits, creativity of the bar chefsand their menus, and even measuring ingredients. Ryan Magarian said he hasn’t poured a drink without measuring spirits in several years; Dale DeGroff said in his tequila seminar that it had been 20 years since he’d used sour mix.
3) Latin American spirits like Pisco and Cachaca will become more popular and widespread, and there will be a continued expansion in higher-end Tequilas and Rums.
4) Emphasis on the Classic cocktail canon. Bringing about another “golden age of the cocktail” by allowing the classic cocktails to inform our creation of modern classics. Reclaiming lost ingredients, recipes, passion about cocktails.
5) “Bringing the kitchen behind the bar.” With mixologists taking a more culinary approach to their craft, cocktails will take on a more imaginative range of flavors, including savory herbs and spices, and an increasingly global influence. In the restaurant context, chefs should not be viewed as professionally more important, since a proper cocktail is a culinary experience, not just an alcohol delivery vehicle.
6) For cocktails to really get their due will take a lot of evangelizing by believers. Stop settling for shitty drinks. Just as you would send back a shitty dish, send back a shitty drink. Tell the managers of the establishments you frequent how shitty their drinks are, though obviously not by saying "Hey you! Shitty drink pusher! Your cocktails SUCK!." Bring them on board, let them into your world by showing them the magic of fresh lemon juice. As enthusiasts we have to find people who will get enthusiastic too. Can I get a WITNESS?
7) Finally...Don’t get too excited—the cocktail revolution will not be an everybody, everywhere thing. Americans will still demand their Rum & Diet and their Vodka Red Bull. Gin will not be the next vodka, no matter how much the cocktailians wish it would be so.

I forgot to mention the other New Orleans, the part that may be most familiar to those who have traveled there, but the part that was NOT represented at Tales of the Cocktail...

Neon Icicles! Half Gallon Miller Lite bottles with straws!

Truth in Advertising: Size Matters

A family outing, Bourbon style: Mom, Dad, the baby, and four Hand Grenades between them.

Here is the link to the market-fresh cocktail competition hosted by Square One Organic Vodka. It will be a competition of amateurs against professionals, making drinks based on Square One and featuring organic ingredients from the local farmer's market. The competition will consist of two parts. First, contestants will submit the recipes for their signature creations online at Chow.com, to be judged by a panel of industry experts. Then the winners of the professional and amateur contests will face off in San Francisco making a drink Iron Chef-style, with a secret ingredient from the farmer's market. The competition takes place On September 25th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Yesterday evening we went on a river cruise hosted by Paula of Paula's Texas Spirits and Janelle of the Femmetastics. Since we don't know Andy Roddick (a real tragedy), Lance Armstrong, or Sandra Whats-her-name, these groovy ladies will have to serve as Austin celebrities for us.

David and Joe on the boat with the REAL PAULA of Paula's Texas Orange

Paula has been producing Paula's Texas Orange (think Cointreau but fresher, brighter, and less expensive) for several years now and last year came out with her Texas Lemon (think Limoncello Lite, with a bright lemony flavor but not the syrupy viscosity--better for mixing). Since we are inspired more by stars of the bottle than of the court, Tour, or screen, Paula is our choice for local hero and friend.

After arriving at the wrong boat dock and delaying the departure of the party cruise, we finally boarded, imbibed, and began shmoozing. The first drink that we ordered from Paul, the other half of Paul and Paula, was called Hot Summer Night. It consisted of vodka, Paula's Texas Lemon, lemon juice and honey muddled with thyme, topped with Sprite. On this particular hot summer night, the drink hit the spot. Created by Mirjana “Mindy” Kucan of Austin, the drink won first prize at a recent cocktail competition in New Orleans (the week before we were there for Tales of the Cocktail), sponsored by Hilton-Doubletree and judged by Tony Abou-Ganim. As the party cruise was ending last night, we had the pleasure of meeting Mindy. My less-than-graceful and perhaps slightly sycophantic introduction sounded something like, "Um, hi, can I meet you?" It turns out we had already met her other half and we all had a great conversation about the not-so-great state of the cocktail in Austin, and what we can do to fix it. Thanks to Paula and Janelle for a great time, and a big shout-out to Mindy and Paula for working to put Austin on the mixology map.

Joe with Mixmaster Mindy at the boat dock

Over the years, I have had to learn to appreciate a number of different cocktail ingredients that had taken on a negative association in my mind after earlier unfortunate incidences from the High School/College I period. As young drinkers we generally learn to drink from people who don't know what they're doing (the first drink I learned how to make was a Purple Fuzzy F*cker); we consume products of dubious provenance and quality, in unrecommended amounts, until we eventually learn (it is hoped) the beauty of quality and moderation. For example, I began a years-long dislike for Tequila after an unfortunate night in Nuevo Laredo that involved me stumbling to a men's room and, upon not finding a light switch or it not working, vomitting into the dark void of the room. Eventually as an adult I learned to appreciate Tequila, and as any Texan worth his salt would, I partake of it regularly.
My mal-association with Gin and Tonic involved a night of highschool hijnx that ended with me waking up at a friend's house, after having been found somehow straddled diagonally between the front and back seats of my 1989 Ford Taurus station wagon with my head resting comfortably in a styrofoam box of Taco Cabana chips & queso. Although my relationship with queso was, inexplicably, not damaged by this incident, I never did regain a taste for Gin and Tonic--that is, not until recently.
A few weeks ago I was talking with Dorsey Barger, the proprietor of Eastside Cafe, about the drinks we like to make with locally-produced Paula's Texas Lemon. She explained how she makes a Gin and Tonic with a PTL floater, in a glass rimmed with Orange Saltburst, from a local company called Spiceburst. (It is sea salt seasoned with orange zest, dried rosemary, paprika.) Dorsey's drink was good, but I couldn't get past the tonic.
Then I met Jordan Silbert, creator of Q Tonic, at the Tales of the Cocktail conference in New Orleans. It was there that I learned that I didn't hate tonic, per se, just that I hated the commercially available crappy tonic. Jordan makes his product from real quinine and agave nectar, not fake quinine and high fructose corn syrup like (just about) everybody else. It is crisp and clean, not gross and ass-nasty; it is truly "super-premium", if such a term can be applied to a non-alcohol component. Back at home, I revisited and revised Dorsey's drink:

Gin and Texas
In a collins glass rimmed with Orange Saltburst, add big rocks and the following:
1 1/2 oz Plymouth or Aviation Gin
Juice 1/2 lime and drop shell
Top with Q Tonic or commercial tonic if you're not in the one state (NY) where Q is available thus far...
Top with floater each of Paula's Texas Lemon and Paula's Texas Orange