Yearly Archives: 2013

Cocktail Corner: The Antagonist at The Marquee

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A spirited toast to all things alcoholic!  By Leslie Dinaberg

Bar at The Marquee (courtesy photo)

Bar at The Marquee (courtesy photo)

I’ve been really into sweet, hot and spicy cocktails recently and had a fabulously tasty one the other night at The Marquee. The Antagonist is made of chili-infused Absolut Vodka, white peach puree, mixed berry puree and pineapple juice.

Not only is it really pretty—served in a martini glass, although this drink is nothing like a traditional martini— The Antagonist has the perfect proportions of sweetness and spiciness for this cold-but-sunny weather we’ve been having lately. In fact, there’s nothing antagonistic about this drink—it’s simply delicious.

The Marquee (1212 State St.) is an elegant lounge next to The Granada that makes me think of the glamorous Manhattan found in old black and white movies.

The retro-fun vibe and great location combine to make it a perfect place to have a cocktail before—or after—a show.

The clever drink menu is theatrically themed, with signature libations like Dress Rehearsal (Ardbeg 10yr. Single Malt Scotch, Johnny Walker Red Blended Scotch, fresh lime juice and ginger puree with candied ginger and lime) and The Showstopper (Beefeater Gin, Cointreau Orange Liqueur and fresh lime juice with fresh mint, Serrano chili and raspberries), modern classics like Gone With the Wind (Old Overhold Rye Whiskey, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, blood orange bitters and simple syrup with pressed orange and brandied cherry) and a slew of fun martinis, like The Understudy (Pearl Vodka, Triple Sec, lychee juice and cranberry juice with a Prosecco float, garnished with a lychee nut) and 42nd Street (Makers Mark, Bourbon Manhattan, garnished with brandied cherry), to name just a few.

They also have a variety of nibbles. Try the blue cheese-stuffed figs, which are wrapped in prosciutto and served warm. It was a surprisingly good fit with The Antagonist cocktail, and I’m sure they both made our next stop—Dreamgirls at The Granada—even more enjoyable. Theater League just announced its 2013-14 Broadway series (Million Dollar Quartet, The Addams Family, Hello Dolly and West Side Story). I recommend you reserve seats for these great shows, along with a bar stool at The Marquee.

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Photo by Derek Johnson.

Photo by Derek Johnson.

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on February 1, 2013.

 

Cocktail Corner: Cajun Martini at the Palace Grill

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A spirited toast to all things alcoholic!  By Leslie Dinaberg

Cajun Martini at the Palace Grill in Santa Barbara

Cajun Martini at the Palace Grill in Santa Barbara

It’s always Mardi Gras at the Palace Grill (8 E. Cota St., 805/963-5000), the closest you can get to New Orleans while staying in Santa Barbara. With Mardi Gras coming up on Tuesday, I’ll be getting into the spirit of things here in town with one of my favorite cocktails: “The World Famous Palace Cajun Martini.”

The first thing you need to know is that this puppy is strong.

Seriously strong. This is not a cocktail for wimps.

There’s a good reason why the Palace limits guests to just one Cajun Martini. Trust me, one is more than enough!  The vodka is chilled and marinated in the freezer with fresh Jalapeños and a kiss of Vermouth. Spicy hot, ice cold and strong, it’s a perfect accompaniment for the Cajun Crawfish Popcorn, which is so delicious that just typing those words makes my mouth water.

It’s served in a Mason jar, over ice, with a Martini glass and cherry peppers, so you can pour your own and pace yourself.

The food at the Palace has been consistently fabulous since they opened back in 1985. I’ve never had a bad meal there, and since I discovered the Cajun Martini, I’ve also never failed to order it.

Louisiana Bread Pudding Soufflé at the Palace Grill (courtesy photo)

Louisiana Bread Pudding Soufflé at the Palace Grill (courtesy photo)

If Martinis are not your thing, I hear from reliable sources that the Palace Caribbean Rum Punch is also very tasty.

The other thing I never fail to order at the Palace is the Louisiana Bread Pudding Soufflé. I don’t normally bother with desserts that aren’t chocolate, but this tasty blend of soufflé and bread pudding, laced with Grand Marnier and raisins, and served piping hot with whiskey cream sauce is amazing.  Trust me, this is one dessert that’s well worth the calories.

Don’t fret if you can’t make it to the Mardi Gras celebration this Tuesday. The Palace celebrates Fat Tuesday every Tuesday night with the lively accordion sounds of Michael Guttin and Mardi Gras beads for all (ask anyone who’s ever visited New Orleans what you usually have to do to get those).

P.S: If you do end up overindulging in Cajun Martinis, we’ve got four Cajun Kitchens in town with homemade biscuits and delicious country breakfasts to soak up that well-earned hangover. Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on February 8, 2013.

 

 

Cocktail Corner: How to Make a Sidecar with Rachel Maddow and Dita Von Teese

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A spirited toast to all things alcoholic!  By Leslie Dinaberg

I love pretending I’m Rosalind Russell and ordering old-fashioned cocktails. Must be the journalist’s fascination with His Girl Friday.

Phrases like, “How ’bout a Sidecar, doll face?” and “Gimme an Old Fashioned, the old-fashioned way,” just trill off the tongue, don’t they?

Anyway, when I stumbled across this video of one of my favorite journalists—MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow—demonstrating how to make a Sidecar, I just had to share it.


If Rachel’s not your cuppa tea, here’s a cute boy bartender demonstrating how to make a Sidecar.

And finally, the history of the Sidecar with Dita Von Teese and some guy with a really fake moustache.

If you don’t feel like making your own, Sly’s in Carpinteria has a wonderful menu of vintage cocktails to choose from, including a Sidecar circa 1917. Cheers!

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Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on February 15, 2013.

Cocktail Corner: Red Carpet Cocktails

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A spirited toast to all things alcoholic!  By Leslie Dinaberg

The Academy Awards are on Sunday. My money’s on Argo to take home the biggest prize of the night—and firmly cement the Santa Barbara International Film Festival as the must-stop red carpet event to strut your stuff on the way to the Oscars. I’m still marveling at how many Oscar-bound stars made it to the festival this year.

Meanwhile, for those of us who won’t be at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre this weekend, the competition for Oscar-inspired libations is every bit as fierce as the race for Best Picture. Here are some red carpet cocktails to make your home viewing party a hit!

Do your favorite films and your favorite cocktails match up? You’ll have to watch—and try—them all to make an educated decision.

Amour

While beautifully shot and acted, to say this movie is a downer is the understatement of the year. However, CookInDineOut.com’s version of The Amour cocktail is a sparkling champagne cocktail designed to invoke the earlier romance of the movie’s couple. Plus, a few sips of this might help you brace yourself for the intensity of the movie.

Argo

Bacardi USA mixologist Manny Hinojosa (how’s that for a cool-sounding job title?) has come up with a delicious-sounding Argo-inspired Scotch-Campari cocktail with elderflower liqueur, basil and ginger ale, The Diplomatic Escape.  Certainly one of the most purely entertaining movies in the bunch, a little Scotch can only help this film go down even smoother.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Cajun Lemonade is a great treat to celebrate this bayou-themed beast. This spiked version from Food & Wine includes a generous splash of Vodka (or Rum), but nine-year-old star (and nominee) Quvenzhané Wallis—who gives an amazing performance in this haunting film—should probably stick to good old lemonade.

Django Unchained

Grey Goose Vodka did a whole series of Oscar-inspired cocktails, but this Coco Django is a standout—it even alludes to a quirky coconut drink that one of the characters has in a pivotal scene.

Les Misérables

The Les Misérables Cocktail from Cocktail.com, featuring French brandy, is worth taking your time to absorb, just like this sprawling, epic movie set in 19th-century France.

Life of Pi

The Citrus Seas, from Dallas’s SideDish Magazine,  is sublime and sea-worth salute to Ang Li’s beautiful film. They recommend Shellback Silver Rum, but like the Cajun Lemonade, this one would be equally tasty with Vodka.

Lincoln

Basil Hayden’s Bourbon pays tribute to Lincoln with this take on a traditional cocktail, Lincoln’s Manhattan, mixing Bourbon, both sweet and dry vermouth, and maple syrup. They had me at Daniel Day-Lewis.

Silver Linings Playbook

Word on the street is that Robert De Niro loved this Purity Silver Linings Playbook Martini at the Weinstein Company’s Silver Linings Playbook event. Another one of my favorite movies of the year … and there’s certainly not much to dislike about a pure Vodka and spring water cocktail!

Zero Dark Thirty

The Drake Hotel in Chicago has come up with Zero Dark Worthy, a “heavy martini made from Vodka, Cherry Brandy and Dark Crème de Cacao to commemorate the very heavy substance of the film. The title of the Zero Dark Thirty is, as director Kathryn Bigelow explains, “a military term for 30 minutes after midnight, and it refers also to the darkness and secrecy that cloaked the entire decade-long mission (to capture Osama Bin Ladin).”

Pass the popcorn! Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on February 22, 2013.

 

Cocktail Corner: Chuck’s Famous Mai Tai

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Chuck's Famous Mai Tai (courtesy photo)

Chuck’s Famous Mai Tai (courtesy photo)

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic!  By Leslie Dinaberg

A lot of places slap the label “famous” onto a cocktail, but Chuck’s Famous Mai Tai is one “famous” libation that’s ready for a “legendary” label.

It’s not quite as good as a trip to Maui, but it’s pretty darn close.

Chuck’s of Hawaii (3888 State St., 805/687-4417) makes its own super special secret saucy Mai Tai mix—I don’t know what the proportions of orange, pineapple and limes are in there, but I do know that when mixed with three different rums (and always a red Maraschino cherry, lemon, green Maraschino cheery, orange skewer) this marvelous Mai Tai is guaranteed to put you in an island state of mind.

And it’s good for you too. Continue reading →

Cocktail Corner: A Bouquet of Orchid Cocktails

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Black Orchid (courtesy Grey Goose Vodka)

Black Orchid (courtesy Grey Goose Vodka)

With the  68th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show coming up this weekend (March 8–10, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at Earl Warren Showgrounds), I think a bouquet of orchid cocktails is certainly in order to celebrate this event.

Grey Goose Vodka (which I just happen to have a bottle of in the pantry) has a delicious version of the Black Orchid, made with Grey Goose L’Orange, fresh lemon, crème de violette, simple syrup and peach bitters.

Absolut has a similarly violet-hued Orchid Cocktail, using gin rather than vodka, along with violet liqueur and an egg white. Not only is it pretty, but it’s got some protein in there for good measure.

The Parisian Orchid Cocktail from She Knows Food & Recipes features vodka, St. Germain Elderberry Liqueur, fresh lemon juice and pineapple juice. Sounds delicious!

The Golden Orchid, from Cocktail Times, is made with cognac, orange liqueur and orange juice to create a yummy citrus-colored libation. So pretty!

Orchids seem to go with just about every kind of liquor, including rum. This Black Orchid Shooter recipe from DrinkSecret.com features Bacardi Black Rum, along with grenadine, blue curacao, and cranberry juice.

Though the orchids are primarily used as garnish and for beautiful color inspiration in these cocktails, many orchids are edible. Just keep in mind, I said “edible” and not “palatable.” Unless you’re dying to eat them, I recommend you stick with the liquid part of the cocktail and keep the garnish to adorn your outfit with!

P.S: Writing a column about cocktails is not just about drinking, it’s also educational. In the course of  my research, I came across this interesting orchid tidbit: The class of orchids known as bifolate cattleya are sometimes referred to as “Cocktail orchids” because of their smaller size as compared to the standard unifoliate cattleya.

Cheers!
Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on March 8, 2013.

Cocktail Corner: A Bit of the Blarney About Dargan’s

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Dargans (courtesy photo)

Dargans (courtesy photo)

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic!  By Leslie Dinaberg

Irish eyes are always smiling at Dargan’s, one of my favorite downtown pubs (18 E. Ortega St., 805/568-0702). Of course the place will be rocking this weekend in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s a great place to tipple any time of the year. Try a specialty pint, like the Black & Tan (3/4 Ale topped with a 1/4 “hat” of Guinness) or the Snakebite (1/2 Cider and 1/2 Harp); or choose from an impressive list of Irish Whiskeys, including Clontarf, Knappogue Single Malt and Tullamore Dew, along with all of the usual suspects.

Owned by third generation pub-meister Paul Dargan, who has mastered the art of keeping the atmosphere upbeat, casual and friendly, Dargan’s is a kid-friendly place to boot. Continue reading →

Cocktail Corner: Cheers to Spring at the Ty Lounge

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Four Seasons Biltmore's barrel-aged Negroni (courtesy photo)

Four Seasons Biltmore’s barrel-aged Negroni (courtesy photo)

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

A great spot for cocktails just got even better. The Ty Lounge (at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara) has always been a beautiful place to drink in the priceless view of the Pacific, but now mixology pro and manager Chris Nordella has introduced a lively selection of spring cocktails.

Premiering for the first time is a barrel-aged Negroni, blended and barreled in-house by Nordella. The classic cocktail combines Plymouth gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, with all ingredients aged together in French Oak for six weeks. Other new handcrafted cocktails also take us on exotic journeys of taste, like the Sencha Caipirinha, Sencha green tea-infused Sagatiba Cachaca with lemongrass syrup and lime.

Ty Lounge at Four Seasons Biltmore (courtesy photo)

Ty Lounge at Four Seasons Biltmore (courtesy photo)

Then there’s the Macchu Pisco, with Barsol Pisco, Aperol, lemon juice, grapefruit juice and Kirschwasser, and the Rhubarbarita, mixing Patron blanco tequila with rhubarb puree, house-made grenadine, lemon and Grand Marnier. No one can seem to agree whether rhubarb is a fruit or a vegetable, but I’m guessing you won’t care much when you taste this delicious twist on a favorite Margarita.

Along with these fresh seasonal libations, executive chef Alessandro Cartumini has created a tasty new tapas menu for Ty Lounge. Selections favor the savory, including saffron paellacroquetas, patatas bravas, black mussels steamed in white wine with chorizo, and some heartier choices such as merguez sausage with piquillo pepper stew and marcona almonds.

Ty Lounge's black mussels steamed in white wine with chorizo (courtesy photo)

Ty Lounge’s black mussels steamed in white wine with chorizo (courtesy photo)

There are also a handful of delicious new sweets, like the tarta Alicante, which features layers of almond sponge cake and lemon curd topped with meringue, and the borracho, which is “drunken” rum cake served with a milk chocolate cream and coffee sauce. Yum!

Playing off the Spanish influence of the Biltmore’s beautiful architecture, the revamped cocktail list also features two types of sangria (“it’s just a given when you think of tapas and sun,” says Nordella), as well as classic Spanish cocktails, cava and quality wines representing key Spanish varietals and growing regions.

Happy hour is every Monday – Thursday from 4–6 pm. Enjoy $5 off all menu cocktails, $2 off beers on tap, $7 appetizers and $8 featured wines by the glass. With Chris Fossek playing Spanish Guitar on Wednesdays, Lois Mahalia playing jazz on Fridays and a DJ on Saturdays, there are lots of great reasons to toast spring at the Ty Lounge these days. Maybe we’ll see you there. Cheers!

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Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on March 22, 2013.

Cocktail Corner: Potions With Pisco Popping Up

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KAPPA Rico (courtesy of KAPPA Pisco)

KAPPA Rico (courtesy of KAPPA Pisco)

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

I wasn’t too familiar with Pisco (defined by Wikipedia as a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile) last fall, when someone gave me a bottle of KAPPA Pisco, a new Chilean Pisco from the House of Marnier-Lapostolle, producers of Grand Marnier. But since then, this exotic beverage has been showing up more and more.  Especially in Montecito, where it’s behind the bar at Cava Restaurant and Bar and the Biltmore’s Ty Lounge and on the shelves at The Bottle Shop, among others.

A Pisco Sour is the Peruvian national cocktail, prepared with egg white, lime juice, simple syrup, and bitters. (Do we have one of those? How can I get on the national cocktail committee?) The Chilean version of a Pisco Sour sometimes has no bitters. And keep in mind, as Epicurious bartender Ryan McGrale writes, “Chilean and Peruvian Piscos are not interchangeable. Chilean Pisco is sweeter and has a slightly lower proof. So if you use the Peruvian stuff, adjust the amount of lemon juice and simple syrup accordingly. Both kinds are available at many good liquor stores.

KAPPA Krush (courtesy of KAPPA Pisco)

KAPPA Krush (courtesy of KAPPA Pisco)

Chilean Amargo bitters are virtually impossible to buy in the U.S., but easy-to-find Angostura Bitters make an acceptable substitute. They are “sharper and spicier, go a little lighter on the bitters if you’re using Angostura.”

KAPPA Pisco offers a recipe for a variation called the KAPPA Rico:

1 ½ oz KAPPA Pisco

1 oz Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge

¾ oz fresh lemon juice or fresh lime juice

¼ oz simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.  Garnish with a lime wheel.

 

Terrific for a sunny afternoon, as is their KAPPA Krush:

2 oz KAPPA Pisco

4 grapes

4 lemon chunks (quartered half lemon)

2 tsp raw sugar

In a shaker, muddle lemons and grapes with sugar.  Then add KAPPA Pisco and fill mixing glass with partially cracked ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice.  Garnish with halved grapes.

Another variation is this Pisco Smash from Food & Wine chef Nick Fauchald, also quite delicious and refreshing.

Bar None Drinks offers a total of eight recipes using Pisco, including one called Cotton Candy #3. Let us know if you try it.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on March 29, 2013.

Cocktail Corner: Cheers to Prosecco

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A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

As Don Ho sings:

Tiny bubbles (tiny bubbles)
In the wine (in the wine)
Make me happy (make me happy)
Make me feel fine (make me feel fine)

OGIO prosecco (courtesy photo)

OGIO Prosecco (courtesy photo)

Just thinking about bubbles makes me smile: bubble baths, Wonder Bubbles, Bubble Up, Champagne and more recently, Prosecco.

I had my first taste of Prosecco just a few years ago, when a friend brought a bottle of Mionetto IL Prosecco to accompany our sushi at one of the summer concerts at El Capitan Canyon.  It was delicious, bubbly and tasted good with potato chips too.

Prosecco—which is an Italian sparkling white wine—is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds these days, particularly with the trendsetting 21-something crowd. According to the beverage industry research website, just-drinks.com, “Growth in sparkling wine of the non-Champagne variety has been a somewhat unheralded success story of the global wines and spirits market during the past ten years, and the product which typifies the sector’s progress—and the star performer to boot—is the northern Italian fizz, Prosecco.”

Unlike many wines, Prosecco is designed to be consumed when it’s young, and the majority of Prosecco is meant to be light and fresh on the palate. Most of it is produced using the less time-consuming Charmat method (refermentation of the base wine in pressurized tanks, as opposed to bottles) and the taste just keeps getting better.

I recently tried a bottle of OGIO Prosecco DOC, which was delicious, light and not overwhelmingly sweet, with fruity notes of peach and green apple. As the company describes it, “an approachable, friendly and easy-to-drink wine for those who want to have a conversation over a glass of wine, not about a glass of wine!” That pretty much fits the bill for me.

In addition to the traditional Bellini, there are loads of other great mixed drinks you can create with Prosecco. Here are a few that would be perfect for a warm spring weekend:

Sgroppino, an Italian cocktail from Giada De Laurentiis, with Prosecco, vodka and lemon sorbet. Fruit Fizz, from Nigella Lawson, combines Prosecco with lemon, mango, raspberry and blackcurrant sorbet (are you sensing a theme here?)

Martha Stewart’s Prosecco Cocktail has Angostura bitters, a liqueur infused with herbs, roots, and bark, and Ruffino Prosecco has an interesting recipe for The Fresco, using Prosecco, cucumbers, lime, hot sauce and sea salt.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on April 19, 2013.