A Mountain Of Crushed Ice

Music on Frenchmen st.

So much to to in New Orleans, so little time to blog…and i think i`m not the only one who found it difficult to find time to write. Its the people, the sessions, the parties, the music, the food, the sights..but now i`m back home so i`ll try to recap what i didn´t write for a while. First i wanna say - i do recommend that you go to New Orleans and the Tales next year if possible. And before i start to write about the Tales sessions i went to i have a little bit more to say about the city of New Orleans.

There´s so much to see and do there that its incredible and there´s an atmosphere in the city that is truly unique. All i need to do to get loads of inspiration is actually to just take a stroll around the neighbourhood (the Marigny this time).

LET THE MUSIC PLAY!

Shamarr Allen - Paul Sanchez

When you are here whether you like it or not you`ll be surrounded by music and that this city is the birthplace of jazz  is something you sure`ll be reminded of wherever you go because there`s music in every street corner.

There`s many music venues to go to if you wanna hear good music and I have seen John Boutté, Paul Sanchez, Rebirth brassband, Kermit Ruffins, Glen David Andrews, Cowboymouth, Panorama jazzband and more and it has all been very very good. Its like the food in this city - its outstanding.

Rebirth Brassband a New Orlean institution

If you wanna hear some great music while you`re here you should definetily head over to Frenchmen and all the music venues that lines the street - among them the one i like the most and where i have almost lived - which is d.b.a You find d.b.a on 618 Frenchmen st. They have a very good beer selection as well.

Another place worth visiting is the Maple Leaf bar where Rebith plays on tuesdays. Also next door you have the Jacques-Imos cafe where you REALLY will find good Nola food, i can´t enough recommend this place. You find Maple Leaf and Jacques-Imos on 8316  and 8324 Oak Street in the Carrollton neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans.

John Boutte - voice like honey

My favorite singer - John Boutté is a man with a BIG voice..not to be missed!  - that man  could sing me to sleep with some of his songs and he gets everybody to dance when he sings the Tremè song which also is the intro song to the HBO TV series Treme which is the best TV show ever made about New Orleans. Do yourself  a favor folks and go out and hear the music whenever you visit Nola. There`s much much more than what i have written about here. Sadly Chuck wasn`t here this time but he wrote a music guide - here`s a link.

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD…we live to eat

Charbroiled gulf oysters at Acme

Fried crab claws, redfish, trout, catfish, shrimp, alligator and roast beef poboys, seafood gumbo, jambalaya, fried sweet potato, charbroiled oysters, gator on a stick, hush puppies, muffalettas, seafood platter, softshell crab, shrimp and alligator cheesecake, andouille, boudin, corn, red beans and rice, Louisiana watermelons, beignets and chickory coffee..just a few of the wondrous things i had to eat - the food in Nola is the best i´ve had anywhere - i said that before and i say it again.

There so many restaurants - apart from Jacques-Imos and Coop`s that i already have mentioned - and i can`t talk about them all - but there are two others i went to and which i can recommend -  Antoines and Acme. These are located in the french quarter. At Acme i actually got charbroiled gulf oysters..my favorite dish of all dishes you can have in this world. I consider myself lucky as most oysters are gone due to BP`s oil disaster. Another little delicacy i had was fried crab claws..OMG!

At Antoines i went on a dinner sponsored by Bulleit where we were treated to a first class dinner and cocktail experience including an impeccable combination of a fantastic cake and cafe brulot finished with a history tour of the restaurant.

But don´t forget the streetfood, there`s a lot of tasty things to try that also aren´t expensive. Gator on a stick for example. Gator on a stick is simply a spicy sausage made with alligator meat wrapped in foil and thread on a wooden stick.

We also were very lucky to live right beside Gene’s Po’boys - and believe me, their Hot Sausage Poboy is VERY GOOD. You find Gene`s on the corner of  St. Claude and Elysian Fields.

And if its in season - try boiled crawfish. In july the season is almost over but we found some and even though small they were tasty.

COCKTAILS AND SPIRITS

During the Tales chances are that you`ll even have cocktails for breakfast or brunch. In the pressroom i had a bruch containing a plate with sausages, red beans, scrambled eggs, vanilla cake and whipped cream - all on the same plate washed down with 2 gin cocktails, fresh pressed orange juice and coffee..not a bad start of the day if you ask me.

Its very nice to have that room  to get away from the crowd, go and relax, eat, drink and work (they have free wifi)  and finally i learnt which one of the elevators to use to go all the way up..had forgotten that since last year and its very easy to be trapped in Monteleone`s labyrinth of corridors.

I`ve had great cocktails here both in Nola bars, in the Mixoloseum house, at Tales sessions and in private home bars. My first drink at all in Nola this time was a refreshing Abita strawberry or Strawbita Beer in a friends kitchen, ice cold..very refreshing after a long trip.  Next place to have a drink was the Olde Absinthe House where i had a Sazerac and after that i had a very nice Martinez at the Bombay Club.

I really like Abita beer and we bought bunches of them, i will really miss them when those i brought home are finished. Their Amber, Purple Haze and Strawberry are my favorites.

We also went to the Cure and i had a few cocktails with Smith&Cross rum which is a very good Jamaican rum, my new (old) favorite. The Cure is located at 4905 Freret Street. Well worth a visit.

There`s also another bar i would like to recommend, not only because a friend works there but because its really a little pearl. Bar Tonique is located at 820 N Rampart street just a few doors away from our old Mixohouse right across the Armstrong Park.

Their Witchdoctor is a very tasty and potent cocktail - (invented by Jeffrey and Nathan actually) - its Smith & Cross, Batavia arrak, basil syrup, lime juice and soda Try it the next time!

I went there on the hot lazy sunday afternoon and my witchdoctor must have been very strong…and in a potent mood i later stumbled into the mezcal tasting at Monteleone starting with the Ilegal mezcal`s (very good mezcal) ending up with all the wonderful Del Magueys. They have released a new one called Vida, made for mixing. Will review it later.

After that we had a last round in the Carousel bar before heading out to stay by friends outside of the city. That was the last of Tales for me this time.

Witchdoctor

There´s a lot of bars in Nola and i haven´t yet visited them all - there´s simply not enough time and besides - there must be some left for my next visit right? I have quite a few more to go to.

Three of the best cocktails i had in Nola was made by a friend and blogger, Meade Kincke living in Nola. He made the best Sazerac i ever had with Thomas H Handy rye (don`t remember which bottling it was) and then an outstanding Mai Tai with a 60s vintage Lemon Hart 151. And then cold tasty Herbsaint.

Oh all these great cocktails..and rums! been trying out both the new Black Tot rum at the Full Sail session and i was lucky enough to get to try out a range of very old vintage rums, among them a pre WW2 , pre Castro Cuban at a private tasting. Actually anything can happen at the Tales! just get yourself over next time and magic will follow..

And that`s the point - come down to New Orleans and the Tales and anything can happen!

LH151 Mai Tai

Sazerac

Herbsaint

ARCHITECTURE

I would recommend anyone to take some time off from Tales and go and look at the architecture here. The houses are totally awesome and there`s so many different styles - from the charming little shotguns  and creole townhouses to the garden district mansions and more. Many of these old houses also has a very interesting history.

Take the St Charles streetcar through the beautiful garden district, walk around in the quarter, the marigny and bywater or move beyond if you have the time. I never get bored of looking at these houses, they`re amazing.

The wrought or cast iron balconies - galleries really, are not french but spanish. I think they are lovely and the reason why the french qarter is so beautiful.

My favorite house type though is the charming little shotguns with all the various and colorful painted details. These houses are so Nola. Originally i believe the basic style of shotgun type of houses actually came from west Africa or so i´ve read somewhere.

Lovely balconies on Royal st.

Small shotgun

Next post - The Mixoloseum House and Tales sessions Thanks to Tony for some of the pictures.

Its nice to be here in the crescent city a week before Tales kicks off and all the cocktail folks fly in, it gives me time to meet my friends here and to just go around and absorb this wonderful place - so full of beautiful and interesting things to see, great music, fantastic food and so much creativity!

Time flies here, its only gone 4 days and i`ve been all over the city and met good friends, seen Paul Sanchez, Kermit Ruffins and John Bouttè. I`ve had boiled crawfish, gator and shrimp cheesecake, fried softshell crab, fried oysters, red beans, white beans, fried calamari, boiled gulf shrimp, blackened redfish, shrimp roll, heirloom tomatos, figs, corn and fried chicken, gator on a stick, beignets, Abita beers, Dixie, Sazeracs, Mai Tai, Daiquiris, Martinez and more.

This is the city of food, drink and music but also of soul and creativity.

TWISTED STEEL

I have a friend  and his name is John and he twist steel into the most wonderful fleur-de-lis and hurricane sculptures and pendants. (I wear mine all the time) you can see his work here.

Now there`s a shop on Decatur st just opposite the Central Grocery (where you get the best muffalettas) called Crabnet and today we went in there to take a look at John`s big sculptures which i yet had to see.

These pieces are part of the Hurricane Katrina collection. After the Mississippi area was badly devastated by Katrina and he started to make these sculptures for the vicitms of the storm and the proceeds were donated to the Slidell Alumni Hurricane Relief Fund.

And to put things straight - Katrina was a natural disaster that devastated the Mississippi area but it wasn`t Katrina that caused the levee failure which caused 80% of New Orleans to be flooded. The levee failure was caused by the Army Corps of Engineers - who were found responsable for New Orleans flooding by a federal judge in 2008. Still 5 years later there hasn`t yet been any investigation done. So you know.

The Crabnet is at 925 Decatur Street in the Quarter, if you pass by, go in there and take a look at these wonderful pieces of twisted steel, hammered by hand. If you can´t go there, you can always get them from the website.

FLEURTYGIRL

Another amazingly creative person here is Lauren, aka Fleurtygirl. She makes the most awesome Nola style T-shirts. Among them is the Sazerac Tee made for the Tales. Recently due to the oil disaster (i refuse to call it “spill”) she made a “Rescue me” Tee in a collaborative effort with Audubon Institute’s Louisiana Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Rescue Program (LMMSTRP) and 100% of the net proceeds goes straight to LMMSTRP.

The famous WhoDat tee.

I got mine earlier this spring and its the most soft and wonderful tee i´ve had (along with Fleurtygirls “I BeXLIeVed” ( I believed) Saints superbowl win tee..and i added the Treme and Sazerac Tees to my collection. The Sazerac shirt she made for the Tales of the Cocktail and can also be found in the Tales gift shop in Monteleone. The Treme Tee is made to help the rebuilding of a home in treme.

I was lucky enough to happen to be there when she opened her 2nd shop on 3029 Magazine st (the other shop is on 8611 Oak st). If you are around go and check it out, or visit her website.

NOLA FOOD..

There`s a resataurant i want to recommend - Jacques-Imos. Its located uptown on 8324 Oak Street and only 3 doors away is the Maple Leaf bar where the Rebirth brass band plays on tuesdays. The food at Jacques-Imos is probably the best i`ve had here so far. The menu is very ecclectic with everything from an outstanding gator and shrimp  cheesecake appetizer to venison and a fantastic redfish. Their grilled shrimp is out of this world. The restaurant has tons of charm and character.

DRINKS..

One of the best bars here is the Cure which is located on 4905 Freret Street The cocktails are outstanding. One of the very nice cocktails we had was the Start and Finish containing Lillet blanc, absinthe, pernod, vermouth, averna, orange bitters and orange peel.

Who dat - two dat!

Its Tales time again people and for those who aren´t attending i`m going to try to keep what`s happening up to date as some of you have requested, at least as much as i can do as its impossible to be everywhere at the same time, and no less - finding time to blog..

And here`s a link to what happened last year and now - the story soon continues.

Most everyone that attend the Tales for the first time - will realize that nothing could have prepared you for the whirlwind that Tales is - it is intense. Ok…as intense as you make it - but there`s really a lot of things to do - more than you think - and before you know it you`re sucked up in a whirlwind of activities that never stops - until Tales is over - and then you need a week to “recover”.

And there`s work to do! listening, taking notes, tasting, comparing, writing, photographing.. and then keep the Mixobar going..and the cooking too..keep Rick and Gabe on the right track..

But i`m gonna avoid too much of the action this year (can you do that?) and attend those seminars i`m really interested in and not as many as possible, get a bit more organized even though i`m not a very organized person..

There´s sessions all day long and plenty of parties every night and if you wanna see the city - and you should! - well then there´s no shortage of things to do either. In Nola - by far - you`ll find the best food and music in the world - and a living culture that is truly unique and different from anything else on this planet.

And then what Tales really is all about - to me at least  - is meeting all the people - both my friends in the city and friends among the cocktail folks that fly in from around the world - and among them the csowg - my feckin`crazy cocktail blogger pals…who i`m gonna live with in the Mixohouse. Let`s see now how the Mixohouse will do this year…

Last year when we lived in that beautiful little house on Rampart st it worked out just fine apart from minor incidents like being awoken by jackass bartenders with bat-like muddlers in the middle of the night. Oh well…i just hope someone doesn`t bring in a vuvuzela…but i heard some rumours…enough said.  Its gonna be a great time, i know it. And with a snow ball place right outside the house and Frenchmen a block away it cannot fail.

Now unto something more serious..

The horrible oil disaster puts things into another perspective that i wasn`t prepared for - and who was? PLEASE do what you can do to help the Gulf. This may or may not also be the last time we get to eat those wonderful gulf oysters which now are fast disappearing due to the closing of the oyster banks - which tragically has forced businesses to close and restaurants to take oysters off their menu. i`m going to eat as much as i can, hopefully there are still some gulf oysters to find..

Charbroiled gulf oysters is the single best thing i ever have eaten in my entire life, i can tell you that much.

I`m also positive that the rest of the tasty seafood served in the city`s restaurants is fine to eat and nothing to be afraid of. Enjoy it while you`re there and by eating it you also support business in need.

There`s also gonna be bar-towels on sale by the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural preservation Society at the TOTC site (in Monteleone`s gift shop) and 100% of the sales goes directly to the oyster chuckers who have been laid off . If you gonna be there this year, buy one.

I can`t deny that the oil disaster puts a shadow on my party mood but i ain`t gonna let BP kill it, they have done more than enough damage to the people, animals and environment in the Gulf area (and soon beyond).  If i keep writing about BP i`m just gonna get really upset so i stop.

Anyhow, we are “little people” but we have big mouths and so keep protesting is the only thing to do!

I`m very anxious to leave and go down because i have missed Nola for too long…and i wanna meet y`all again! and those of you who i met last year who will not be there ll miss every single one of you!

Tales is just around the corner - july 21-25. But i`m leaving soon - so next time you hear from me i blog from New Orleans.

Just the right food… to pair with all those cocktails. Here`s fried softshell crab, french fries and Gin Bloody Mary.

Here`s a Tales of the Cocktail seminar for everyone interested in Tiki!

“An investigation and analysis from the death of the Tiki Bar to the resurgence to the new trends emerging. ”

Do you wanna know what happened? and where Tiki stands today? have a few Tiki libations? then come over to this session and find out..there´s gonna be some exciting things happening for sure! i`ve also heard some rumours about smoked banana peels..

Moderated by our very own Trader Tiki aka Blair Reynolds..the man with the best syrups on the planet - will chronicle the growth of the Tiki resurgence and tell us how come non -Tiki bars like Death & Co and Naga Lounge has Tiki as a major menu component and other bars have Tiki nights.

Refreshing Tiki libations will be served and the ambiance as relaxed as should be.

The sessions is sponsored by Rhum J.M and Don Q.

Where and when?

Sat july 24. From 12.30pm to 2 pm.

The Queen Anne Ballroom, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans

Read more here.

See you there!

Sip and Dream..

One of the seminars that interest me very much at this years Tales of the Cocktail is the Julep Story from 1488 to Present.

This seminar is held by spirits historians Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown who have traced the julep all the way back to the 15th century and also they are going to show us Julep recipes from London, Edinburgh, and Dublin that feature some amazing so called “lost” ingredients and we will be shown how the recipe was simplified to become the recipe we know today. That is something i didn`t know - that the recipe was simplified, so i`m looking forward to find out how.

The Mint Julep is such a quintessential southern cocktail with a very interesting history which I´m sure we will learn more about than we already know at this seminar.

Of course we will also drink Mint Juleps!

This session is moderated by Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown and Charles Vexenat.

To be held : Sat, 24 July 2010
Grand Ballroom North, The Royal Sonesta Hotel - for more info click here.

This is such a lovely and refreshing drink and i just love Aperol! in a rocks glass add ice, Prosecco, dash of soda and top with Aperol, then throw in a slice of orange..mmm

Aperol originated in 1919 in Padua Italy by the Barbieri brothers and originally produced by the Barbieri company. The recipe is an infusion of more than 30 aromatic herbs and spices including bitter and sweet orange and the original recipe remains unchanged to this day.

The spritz cocktail is believed to have been born during the 19th century Austrian occupation of Italy. Originally the spritz was drunk by the german soldiers and was made with Venetian wines dilluted with water. The spritz aperitivo spread from northern Italy to the south and many variations were made , and the most popular is the one using Prosecco. And no wonder, its a incredibly fresh and tasty drink.

The flavor of Aperol is very much orangey and has but a hint of bitterness, like a whisper in the background compared to Camparis more straight forward bitterness that hits you with a force if you aren`t used to it or is sensitive for bitter flavors. Aperol is more gentle and would be a good first time bitter aperitif. I love both Campari and Aperol.

For the summer heat..here`s two refreshing summer drinks with Aperol to enjoy.

APEROL SRITZ

2 oz Aperol
2 oz prosecco
2 oz Soda
Orange wedge

Add to a rocks glass with ice and stir. Garnish with the orange wedge. I really like this drink and the spritz is always a tasty classic. So fresh! so tasty! best of all the drinks in this post. There`s a reason why the classics are the classics.

IL PEPE ROSA

2 oz Gin
1 oz Aperol
1/4 oz simple syrup
Sprinkle of fresh lime
20 rosè or pink peppercorns
Ting to top
Crushed ice and mint

Muddle the peppercorns with simple syrup in the glass. Add Gin, Aperol and crushed ice to fill half the glass and stir. Top with Ting. Add more crushed ice to fill if needed and garnish with peppercorns and mint.

Nothing made with Ting can go wrong right?…Ting is the universal cocktail redeemer. Spiked up with the pink peppercorns, the clean tasting gin and the slightly bitter and fruity Aperol  makes this drink is fresh and tasty. Of course the flavor will vary depending on which gin you use, so why not experiment? To enjoy this one fully, place a short straw near the fresh mint.

The nose of the mezcal reaches me, its earhty…and smoky…but not overwelmingly so – in a pleasant way it invites you to take a sip.

I have written about mezcal before but i feel its time again, its such a nice and interesting spirit. Too good to not mention over and over again!

The first time i tasted mezcal i knew it would have a smoky taste almost like a scotch, i also knew it was made form the agave plant - maguey and that it differs from how tequila is made in that the hearts of the agave plants are roasted in a underground owen and it´s that which gives the mezcal its smoky flavour. I wasn´t prepared though for the whole array of complex delisciousness that smooth like silk found its way to every part of my palate.

The whole process in making mezcal is very old, about 400 years and every step is time consuming as its made by hand and mezcal is a real slow-food product – this is how flavour is made. Its every step in the process from harvesting the heavy agave plants to roasting, fermenting and distilling.

There are many factors that affects the the final product -  altitude, water, air-microbes and finally the most important thing - time - that creates these amazing flavours - and the hand of the maker who adds their personal touch to their mezcal. An experienced mezcal taster can by the flavour of a mezcal tell in which single village it was made and by whom.

Mezcal (mes-kal) generally refers to all agave-based distilled liquors that are not tequila.Tequila is made only from the blue agave plant.Mezcals are made from 100% agave while tequilas must be produced from a minimum of 51% agave and there are several different varietes of agave used each producing a different flavor of mezcal. Espadín agave is used in the making of about 90% of the mezcal.

The word mezcal means “cooked maguey” and the word maguey is synonymous with agave which contrary to many beliefs isn´t a cactus but a relative to the Lily and Amaryllis.

There are several types of mezcal, and there is a broad range of quality in terms of smoothness, flavor nuances and smokiness. I have tried both good and bad mezcals but of course i haven´t tried them all - far from it - too far if you ask me…but of those i`ve had the pleasure to enjoy i would recommend Del Maguey and Ilegal, their products are smooth and very tasty. Ilegal makes outstanding small batch handcrafted mezcal and Del Maguey makes equally outstanding mezcals from different tiny remote villages in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Each Del Maguey mezcal carries the name of the village where its produced.

What makes mezcal so special is that is so unique.There´s no other spirit that tastes anything like it and its also very regional. A well made mezcal doesn´t have a straight forward or offensive smokiness - rather its a light smokiness that lingers in the background and gently makes itself known backed up by a very complex orchestra of distinct earthy-spicy fruity and herbal flavours.

And then there´s something mysterious in the feel about mezcal, something ancient… which transports you.

Its traditionally enjoyed neat but it also mixes very well -  especially in fresh fruit and spicy drinks. Mezcal has been suffering from the myth of the worm for a long time, but in the top shelf brands i`ve tried there´s no need for any worm in the bottle and you`ll not find any.

With this i have here four cocktails you can try:

Here`s first two new takes on two of my favorite mezcal cocktails  - well worth mixing up! The first i call “Fire and Brimstone” and is based on a cocktail that is called Matatlan Oax. The second cocktail is based on the cocktail Mayahuel and i call it Cocoa Raw as it has the oh so lovely pure cocoa spirit in it - Mozart Dry.

The first cocktail is peppery and fresh and the second is like its name - raw cocoa - and on the sweeter side but not too sweet. Both carries the lingering smokiness of the mezcal, and the first also contains tequila reposado.

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE

1 oz mezcal

1 oz tequila reposado

0.25 oz homemade hibiscus grenadine

0.25 oz orgeat, homemade too - by Trader Tiki!

0.5 oz fresh lime

0.5 small red chili pepper to muddle, cut in 4 pieces

Gently muddle the chili pepper with lime juice and orgeat and then add everything else except grenadine to a shaker and shake over ice, strain and pour into a tumbler filled with fresh crushed ice. Add grenadine and garnish with pieces of red chili pepper on top of the crushed ice and fresh mint.

MATATLAN OAX

1 oz mezcal

1 oz passionfruit juice

1/4 oz grenadine

1/4 oz orgeat

sprinkle of fresh lime

Garnish with a sugar rim

Rim the glass, then add everything except grenadine to a shaker and shake over ice, strain and pour into tumbler filled with fresh crushed ice and a few lime quarters. Add a splash of grenadine.

COCOA RAW

1.5 oz mezcal

0.75 oz pineapple juice

0.5 oz Mozart Dry cocoa spirit or if you can`t find it, use coffee liqueur

1/4 oz orgeat

Shake and strain into a tumbler with crushed ice. Garnish with lime and mint.

Oh how the Mozart Dry makes this one taste special! Its the taste of pure cocoa without being cloingly sweet and it pairs really well with the mezcal.

MAYAHUEL

1 oz mezcal

0.75 oz pineapple juice

1 barspoon coffee liqueur

1/4 oz orgeat

Shake and strain into a tumbler with crushed ice. For garnish i used a pineapple spear, zest of limequat and brandied cherry.

Btw did i mention that mezcal cocktails and spicy deep fried shrimps is a perfect match?

An interesting fragrant spice and an old favorite tiki drink

The fragrance of nutmeg is very special, i cannot even really describe it - its spicy-woody and fresh, nutty and very satisfying.

Most often i connect nutmeg with either christmas drinks or libations from the caribbean both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Nutmeg and carrot juice  is a common combo for instance among the non-alcoholic drinks. Nutmeg pairs well with drinks containing milk and cream, maybe that´s the reason its so common around christmas. Its also often use to top various punches.

The nutmeg spice itself is often ground - its a brown nut encased first by the red mace which is sweeter and then by a yellowish shell.

Nutmeg is one of the oldest spices known. It comes from an evergreen tree (myristica fragrans) native to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, near Indonesia. This tree is bearing a nut with two separate flavors. Nutmeg is one flavor and the mace another, achieved by grinding the lacy outer covering surrounding the nutmeg.

It has a warm spicy flavor and as heat greatly diminishes its flavor its best added towards the end of cooking and should be grated fresh. Mace is often preferred in light-coloured dishes as it gives a saffron-like bright orange colour.

When i experimented with a drink for the Tiki TDN - the weekly thursday drink night by the Mixoloseum -  i wanted to play with my - oh so beloved - Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum. I found that this rum pairs well with aged agricole as well. I have kept talking about how well it pairs with demerara, especially El Dorado 12 yo and there is El Dorado rum in this drink too, the 15 yo.

For that drink i used one of my favorite agricoles which is Clèment VSOP - a smooth rum with good flavour.

The drink Po`aha Punch ( in Hawaiian Po`aha means Thursday) was dusted with nutmeg powder on top of crushed ice – a common way to crown many tiki (and other) drinks.

To my delight the Po`aha Punch also delighted the palate our beloved Bum! may it delight you too?

PO´AHA PUNCH

1oz Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum
1oz El Dorado 15yo
1 oz Clemènt VSOP, 0.5 oz fresh lime
¼ oz simple syrup
0.5 oz coffee liqueur
1t cream of coconut,
Fresh pineapple juice to top.

Run in blender until smooth with crushed ice. Pour in tall glass, top with fresh pineapple juice and more crushed ice to fill,dust nutmeg on top and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

John Boutttè and Paul Sanchez - from the Threadhead party 2007. This is one of my favorite songs.

Yep, there`s no cocktails in this post, instead its full of music - and a very important message.

Tales of the Cocktail is around the corner and soon many of us go down there to enjoy everything that Nola has to offer including some of the best music in the world. But there´s something that we need to do something about - if we care about New Orleans and its unique musicians that we love, so read on:

What the NOMC are doing is helping the marginally paid working musicians of New Orleans to get affordable preventative healthcare, for themselves and their families. Now in just about three or so months 90% - yes you read it - 90% of the funding for the NOMC will be withdrawn by the federal governement in the name of “saving money”.

That is cutting the feet off the musicians.

The clinic needs help to keep operating for the good of the musicians and culture of New Orleans and you can help the NOMC by donating or by sharing the message that the Clinic needs help.

Do you care about New Orleans musicians? You can make a difference and you can help. And fortunately it’s easy.

Just tell your friends who love music and believe in justice about SaveTheClinic.org

If you’re able, donations are welcome of course, but simply helping spread the word is a huge help. The donations cannot be too small, every dollar counts - so please - do help!

This video is from the TV show Tréme, “Shame, Shame, Shame,” a song by Smiley Lewis, here sung in its own version by the unforgettable character Davies, played by Steve Zahn and backed up a bunch of talented folks - among them Tyrus Chapman, Kermit Ruffins and the Pfister Sisters.

Here are answers to the questions asked from the NOMC:

In 2005, engineering failures in the city’s levee system caused tens of billions of dollars worth of damage to New Orleans homes, businesses, and infrastructure.

Real dollar damage. Not Wall Street paper profits.

Contrary to news media reports, only a fraction of the money pledged by government and other sources has actually made it to the city.

In spite of this and against all odds, New Orleans is recovering and recovering strongly.

By all accounts, the city’s musicians have been and continue to be leaders in the recovery.

They were among the very first to come back and demonstrate their faith in New Orleans.

When times were darkest provided the bright light others needed to rekindle their hope.

Now, the federal government, which provided modest grants locally to institutions that focused on helping the uninsured, is pulling their support from these programs and the New Orleans Musicians Clinic is one of the groups effected.

In the Clinic’s case, this represents 90% of their funding.

=== Questions and Answers

Q: Why is the government doing this?

A: Why does this government do anything it does?

No doubt they believe they are “saving money.” It sure seems like a strange way to “save money” to me. Maybe to you too.

===

Q: Who should we write a letter to in the government to express our concern?

A: It probably wouldn’t hurt to write a letter to the President, but realistically – and the point of this campaign – is to help the Clinic become as independent as possible from the whims of government officials.

The key is for people like us who care to get together and do something about it.

===

Q: Is the New Orleans Musicians Clinic well run? Will the money I donate be spent prudently?

A: Yes and yes .The Clinic’s program uses its resources so wisely that it’s able to provide over $3 of medical care for every $1 it spends.

Musicians, tradition bearers and other artists in the city who use the Clinic are not only enthusiastic about the services it provides, they also comment over and over on the caring they experience as clients.

Perhaps most important, in addition to the normal range of medical services it offers, the Clinic has an orientation towards prevention that makes it unique in the nation.

It’s a health care model that works for people, something the whole country can learn from.

===

Q: Won’t health care reform in the US solve the problem?

A: Absolutely not.

First, the new health care program does not take effect until 2014.

Second, health care reform will not cover the kind of comprehensive and preventative programs the New Orleans Musicians Clinic offers musicians, tradition bearers, and their families now.

==

Q: What will happen if the New Orleans Musicians Clinic does not get the funding it needs to continue?

A: Sadly, you can see what will happen by taking a look at the cuts the Clinic has already been forced to make:

* Psychological counseling services – so important after a catastrophe like the levee failures – have been eliminated entirely:
* The mobile health clinic and Wednesday night walk-in clinic service has been cut to the bone
* Dental care allocations have been cut 50%
* Lab work is no longer provided
* Outreach and office hours have been reduced
* The “Gig Fund” which pays musicians to perform at local nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and community events has already been radically cut.

And this is just the beginning…if we do not succeed in getting the word out. If you can, give and give as generously as you can. If it’s not possible for you at this time, please spread the word.

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave.performing ‘Backatown’ at Louisiana Music Factory - april 2010.

These videos are only a few examples of the living spirit of  New Orleans Music - so help to save the music clinic!

When a classic cocktail is made right, it’s a marvel of balance of good flavours and it’s the same with tiki drinks. Everybody who has held a tall tiki mug or glass with a well crafted drink in it knows what I mean.

If there’s one thing I would want to repeat over and again whether its classic or tiki or other drinks it’s the use of fresh and good quality ingredients, it cannot be said enough many times. It starts right there.

Another aspect i like with the tikidrink mixing is that they allow such bountyful garnish - and here you really can play - and sometimes i like to make crazy garnishes too and with these drinks its perfect. Not that every tikidrink must or should be crowned with endless amounts of tropical garnish but the point is – with these drinks you can.

Also to serve the drink in a fruit or coconut thus making the vessel a garnish in itself is such a nice way to enjoy them. As they are tropical and everything tropical is colourful it just comes so natural with lush garnish too.

I`m going to serve this Boo Loo in a pineapple.

BOO LOO

A few small chunks of fresh pineapple

2.5 oz unsweetened pineapple juice

1.5 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz honey

1.5 oz club soda

1.5 oz gold Puerto Rican Rum

0.75 oz dark Jamaican Rum

0.75 oz 151 demerara rum

Heat honey until liquid and mix with juices and fruit in a blender. Stir in rums and soda. Pour into 36 ounce snifter filled with crushed ice, or serve in a hollowed out pineapple.

To prepare the pineapple you may use a pineapple corer which is a plastic device, quite handy. Or you cut off the top and hollow out the pineapple center with a knife. Then fill up with crushed ice and pour in the drink.

The top can be replaced if you wish, just put a long straw in and sip slowly.

Now as for these rums, i don`t have any gold PR rum and instead i use other golden rum such as Appleton VX. Demerara 151 is hard to find unless you have either an old bottle of Lemon Hart 151 left or can buy demeraras sold from Europe which are very expensive but also very good.

LH 151 is really hard to replace..and its a shame its not marketed anymore, really, its tragic. If you can`t get any of the fullproof demeraras from Europe i guess your best bet is to mix El Dorado 15 with El Dorado highproof or something similar.

If anyone has any good ideas here, please you are welcome to comment.

Now Boo Looo needs a twist and i love turtles so this one is called Honu Honu - the word Honu is Hawaiian for “turtle” and is most often applied to the green sea turtle.

HONU HONU

A few small chunks of fresh pineapple, muddled so it gets juicy too

1 oz fresh lime juice

0.5 oz honey

0.5 oz vanilla orgeat (mix equal parts vanilla syrup and orgeat or make orgeat with vanilla from scratch or add vailla beans to orgeat and heat and steep)

1  oz rhum agricole vieux

1 oz rhum agricole blanc

Top with Club Soda

Float JWray

Heat honey until liquid and mix with orgeat, juices and fruit in a blender. Stir in rums  except JWray and top with soda. Pour into a tall glass filled with crushed ice, or serve in a hollowed out pineapple and a decent float JWray.

The JWray float is what gives this drink its “kick”.