6 Reasons Why Seattle Is Awesome

I recently spent three nights in Seattle with the lady and realized even more this time than my last trip that Seattle is awesome. We had the chance to hit up six bars, five restaurants, one tea service, two historical tours, two museums, a fair amount of shopping, and the Dita Von Teese show. So, all in all, a pretty fantastic vacation.

Now, there are a lot of reasons why Seattle is awesome, so the following list are just the reasons that stood out to us on this particular trip. Let this be a lesson to everyone that you should spend some time there if you can. It's similar to both Vancouver and San Francisco in a lot of ways, but also has its own vibe and some fun history as well. There is a ton of great food and drink, and a handful of exciting neighborhoods in which to spend a day. I found it interesting that it's only ten years older than Vancouver despite looking about a hundred years older, but that's because its northern sister has a penchant for destroying or rebuilding anything old which makes it very difficult to maintain any sense of history (I mean this both literally and figuratively). I don't want to digress, especially since I already shared my feelings on this on my last ShakeStir article.

On to the awesome. These are not in a strict order other than how they popped into my head.

1) Needle and Thread.
One of the coolest bars I've ever seen. While the speak-easy style of calling from the telephone at a steel door inside Tavern Law and giving your name to unlock said door so you can wind your way up a narrow staircase with walls covered in 1920's pornography may seem pretentious (like the bars of its ilk in New York), it's surprisingly friendly and warm up there. The staff were not only knowledgeable and really talented, they were very amiable and we had some great conversation along with the drinks. The decor is all Prohibition-era inspired (and I'm quite sure almost all of it is actually that old), leading to a discussion with my lady about how our entire apartment should look the same. There is no menu to speak of, so you just describe what you feel like and leave yourself in the hands of extremely skilled bartenders. The drinking highlight for me was probably my nightcap of sorts, an impromptu mini-concoction of Averna dressed in Green Chartreuse, absinthe, and lime zest oil.
Be sure to call in advance to get a seat!

2) Canon
I think my first thought when walking in was "is this for real?"
I don't think I've ever seen a spirit collection that large in my life. I tried to no avail to get a decent picture of even a portion of the sky-high walls filled with bottles, but to get an idea of the look, go watch Raising The Bar with Jamie Boudreau on the Small Screen Network (all his new episodes are filmed there).
I'd been looking forward to visiting Canon ever since it opened (sadly just after my last trip), and I was not in the slightest disappointed, nay, perhaps I was even surprised. The bartender team is an all-star lineup (featuring the aforementioned Jamie and legend Murray Stenson), the menu is crazy simple and includes a few carbonated and barrel-aged drinks, the food is affordable and seriously tasty, and the look of the place is again very antique, but very warm and covered in candles and wood. Stand-outs for me were the dessert brownie with a Fernet Branca Menta marshmellow (for real! it was so good!) and my final dealer's choice with Old Granddad 114, Bitter Truth Pimento Dram, apricot liqueur, Bitter Truth Creole bitters, and Campari.

3) Rob Roy

The last of my top three anticipated bar visits (again, in no order!) was again amazing. Anu put together a really great establishment that deserves all the praise it has been getting (and so does she). While you can get a more in-depth look at everything on my review for Fernet February, I feel I should also mention that the walls and bar include taxidermy (a favourite of ours) and analog stereo gear, and the men's bathroom walls are covered in drink recipes from the menu and the urinals have a fresh array of citrus slices rather than urinal cakes. Drinks were great, place is great, bartenders were super friendly, and Anu is a humble and awesome individual! Awesome all around.

4) Spinasse
The best restaurant we visited for sure. The food is very high-quality Italian, but neither the prices nor the feel of the place were both much more modest. (Don't take that the wrong way, the service was impeccable). Yet another winner in the Capitol Hill area (award-winner at that), we were left not only full but a little floored by how fantastic the food really was, and it was perfect for sharing a little bit of everything. Hand-made noodles were a highlight, but I dare say the dessert was the most memorable - sweet goat cheese mousse with rhubarb gelatina and ginger crumble.

5) The Belfry

Did I mention we love taxidermy? This is a very new little shop of oddities, much like one of our other favourite shops ever, Loved To Death in San Francisco, but the biggest difference is price. I have never seen such affordable stuffed animals. If that doesn't get you excited, I understand, but we couldn't help ourselves and now have a new pheasant named Marion at home (yes, after "Psycho"). They also have lots of fun little antique and vintage trinkets, bottles, teeth, and war paraphernalia. Oh, and a human skeleton.

6) Can't Look Away - The Lure of Horror Film (at the EMP)
We actually saw this for the second time. If you're a horror fan at all, this is an absolute must (and do it quickly because the exhibit is leaving soon!), and if you're not it's still a must because it will hopefully give you a new-found respect for a very influential and often-misunderstood genre of film. Seeing Jack Torrence's actual prop axe in person is so much fun, as is listening to iconic film scores without any other sound, as is listening to some of the genre's biggest names comment on some of the biggest films. Unfortunately Eli Roth is a curator and you have to suffer through his mindless drivel and walk past his shrine to his (wait, let me count...one... right) two god-awful movies. The awesomeness of the rest of the exhibit handily outweighs anything stupid he has to say though, and the graphic design of the entire thing is amazing to the point of us wanting it on mugs, shirts, and notebooks.

Ok, so that's six already, but there were other great things on this trip alone, including Pretty Parlor vintage, Liberty Bar (which we didn't have much time at but obviously had talent and very decent sushi, if not the friendliest of service), Remedy Tea (a block from Liberty), and Arabica, which serves excellent breakfast, coffee, and even some refreshing aperitif cocktails. Capitol Hill alone is worth a day of hanging-out. Oh! And if you're also a history nerd, like we are, do the ghost and sin city tours at Pike Place Market - Seattle has some fun and bloody history worth hearing about!
Anyway, take a trip to Seattle. It's awesome.

Maraschino March: "Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau of Canon

We are nearing the end of Maraschino March now, and have only two more new, original cocktails to see before I move on to some historical ones. The first of the two takes us back to Canon in Seattle where Jamie Boudreau, whom we met for the Denny Triangle in Fernet February, will be cooking up - literally - something herbal and delicious.
Setting cocktail ingredients on fire is not just for show, it does actually change the flavours in sometimes dramatic ways, and Jamie puts this to use with the Rubicon by cooking a sprig of rosemary in flaming Green Chartreuse. By burning the Charteuse, in Jamie's words, "a lot of the alcohol edge is burned off, and the botanicals seem to blend and integrate more smoothly." He even suggests just trying a spoonful taste of it normally, then trying one that's been burned for about 6 seconds so you can see the difference. Cooking the rosemary will strengthen its presence in the cocktail as well.
Be warned that, obviously, fire is dangerous and you need to be careful when using it, but also be careful what you're cooking the ingredients IN. I made the mistake of burning the rosemary and Chartreuse in a poor quality glass that ended up cracking in half after a few seconds of flame. Also, don't leave the rosemary on fire too long or you'll burn and blacken it. Jamie uses an olive oil mister filled with Chartreuse to spray through the flame into the glass, but it is possible to just light the liquid inside the glass by hand (I would definitely suggest using one of those long candle lighters and not a typical cigarette lighter). This drink is still delicious without the fire, and is even delicious with a rosemary tincture instead of actual rosemary, but you should stay true to the original if you can. Also, the crushed ice added afterwards is key because the flavours are quite potent and need a little extra dilution to even out a bit.
Here is the video from Raising The Bar on the Small Screen Network where you can see Jamie making this cocktail himself.

As for the name, Jamie explains: "The rosemary curled in the glass reminded me of Caesar’s laurels and therefore I’ve named this libation after the famous river Caesar crossed in 49 BC after uttering the now famous words: ‘Let us go where the omens of the Gods and the crimes of our enemies summon us! THE DIE IS NOW CAST!’ It is with this action that the Roman Empire began, and western civilization as we know it."

Jamie's bar, Canon, simply must be at or near the top of your Seattle bar list, and when you stop by, have Jamie make you a proper Rubicon - unless he something even more exciting in mind.

Rubicon

1.5oz Plymouth Gin
0.5oz Green Chartreuse
0.5oz Maraschino
0.5oz Lemon Juice
2 full sprigs of rosemary

Arrange a small rosemary wreath in the bottom of a rocks glass and soak it in the Chartreuse.
Combine other ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake, and set aside.
Light Chartreuse on fire by misting Chartreuse through a flame into the glass and let burn for about 6 seconds. 
Put out the flame by pouring the shaken ingredients into the glass. 
Top with crushed ice and another sprig of rosemary.


[[ Photography by Jamie Boudreau ]]

[[ see "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law here ]]
[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]
[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis of Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "Cherry Bob-omb" from Veneto here ]]
[[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]

Maraschino March: "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law

The next cocktail for our month of Maraschino hails from a widely respected bar from Seattle by the name of Tavern Law. It's a winner of many honours, including being named one of the Top 25 Bars In America from GQ Magazine, and is often mentioned, even in the New York Times, in the same sentence as such infamous names as Milk & Honey in New York and Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco. The chef pairing of Brian McCracken and Dana Tough are multiple award-winners as well, even being named in the Top 5 New Chefs by Gayot. Needless to say, it's a pretty amazing establishment. 

Being somewhat easy to miss from the outside in Prohibition speakeasy fashion, but also having a secret second bar upstairs behind a black metal door called "Needle & Thread," really sets the perfect mood for imbibing, and the cocktail menu has a generally more traditional focus to match. To even get upstairs to the Needle, you need to call from the on-site telephone (similar to PDT in New York), and if one of the 25 seats are available, or more importantly, if you sound like you deserve a great drink, the bartender will buzz you up. There's no menu up there, so the incredibly skilled staff will create libations based on your mood and spirit preference. 

I feel the mission statement on their website says more than I could about this place:

"In 1832 the Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law legalized drinking in public bars and saloons. The Golden Age of cocktails thrived for nearly a century until the 1919 Volstead Act almost destroyed the craft of the American bartender by outlawing the production and pleasure of alcoholic beverages. However, in hidden rooms and dark basements, thirsty patrons still sought spirits. And so the Speakeasy was born, booming until the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Neatly another century after Prohibitions repeal, left with only the fond memories and old bar manuals, the art of mixing drinks is alive today thanks to the efforts of dedicated bartenders, historians and drinkers alike. It's because of their diligence and passion that the pleasures of artfully crafted cocktails, fine wine, and masterfully prepared food has kept the spirits of the night dancing on our tongues and in our hearts. Welcome to the celebration of our history."

Sounds like the kind of place I'd want to get a drink. You?

It's an honour to have a contribution this month from Tavern Law, courtesy of event coordinator / bartender, Monica Buntha. To continue a sub-theme here, she uses Aquavit (like "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel), but this time going for a stirred drink, using the fantastic (and impossible to get in Canada) Dolin dry vermouth, along with Cynar amaro and Fee Brother's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters. Cynar is an amaro (Italian bitter liqueur) made with artichokes, and is one of the more bitter of its ilk, opposed to Averna or Ramazzotti. You can very rarely find it in the government liquor stores, but Legacy will have it for just under $40. The bitters are the Fee Brothers Old-Fashioned Bitters (which have a heavy cinnamon flavour) that have literally been aged in whiskey barrels for a period of time to add a subtle layer of complexity, and to smooth the flavours out. These you can pick up at Gourmet Warehouse, but not all the time, as they're aged and therefore supply is somewhat limited. 

Thank you so much to Monica and Tavern Law for contributing, and I implore all of you to head there for a drink if you're in Seattle, and hope that you're lucky enough to make it up to Needle & Thread as well. 

Cheers!

Oden's Muse

1.5 oz Linie Aquavit
0.75 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
0.5 oz Cynar
0.25 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash of Fee Brother's Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir, strain into a coupe. 

[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]

[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis of Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "Cherry Bob-omb" from Veneto here ]]
[[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]

[[ photography courtesy of Seattle Weekly (sign), and Bob Peterson (roulette/bar) ]]

Maraschino March: "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel

To kick off Maraschino March we're heading to a city filled with cocktail culture - Seattle. One of the biggest bar names in the city's scene, and actually in North America altogether as it was named by Esquire as one of the "Best Bars in America," is Vessel. According to David Wondrich, world-reknowned cocktail writer/historian, "the cocktails are as modern as the design; a benchmark 21st century mix of tweaked, often molecularized classics and clever new creations - style never tasted so good." 5 years ago when Vessel opened, the bar was definitely raised for cocktail culture in the Pacific Northwest, and it happened at such a time when interest was really beginning to boom.
After a change in some high level personnel (including Jamie Boudreau, who was formerly the bar manager there), and a closure of its location next to the history 5th Avenue Theatre in downtown Seattle in December 2010, Vessel is finally planning to reopen in late April 2012 a few blocks away. The new location was previously a speakeasy of sorts in the 1950's called "El Gaucho," and is twice the size of the previous building. While the decor and design it was so famous for is gone, it's a guarantee to be one of the best places in the city to get a great cocktail.

One of Vessel's specialties is cocktail carbonation, which may sound a little crazy - and it is. Co-owner and bar manager Jim Romdall is one of the first bartenders to make use of the "Perlini Cocktail Carbonation System," (actually invented in Seattle as well by Evan Wallace) which you can see put to use here on the Small Screen Network. It's a CO2 injection system that will carbonate a cocktail without diluting it with club soda. Imagine drinking a Martini that tastes the same, but is bubbling. It's a little unimaginable, so I suggest you just head down to Vessel when they reopen and try it out yourself.

The recipe today is courtesy of Mr. Jim Romdall himself, and uses a spirit you don't often see in mixology - aquavit (or Akvavit). This is a Scandanavian grain or potato spirit that is infused with herbs, spices, or fruit oils, and often aged in oak casks. The main flavour is usually caraway, or dill, and adding that to thyme, mint, and Maraschino will give a complex collection of herbal flavours in the cocktail. If you want to try this at home, you can get some akvavit in the B.C. government liquor stores and bigger independents like Legacy, but I encourage you to put your name on the Vessel mailing list at www.vesselseattle.com so you can get down there as soon as they reopen and have Jim make you one himself!

The Hemingway Solution

1.5oz Krogstad aquavit
0.5oz Luxardo Maraschino
0.75oz fresh lime juice
0.25oz simple syrup
1 sprig thyme
2 mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, then shake and fine/double strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

[[ see "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]
[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis of Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "Cherry Bob-omb" from Veneto here ]]
[[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]

Fernet February: "The Dark And Fernet-y" From Rob Roy

So this is the final Fernet February cocktail recipe from a local bar. I will be doing a small piece on 1940's New York where we will discover the Toronto Cocktail to finish off the month, but this is the final recipe submission.
Tonight we head south again to Seattle to visit one of the more fun, interesting, and renowned bars in the city. As more and more bars start to attempt to jump on the (slowly growing) bandwagon of classic cocktails, it becomes harder in good food and drink cities to find reliable and skilled bars. That sounds strange to say, because so much of the last 20-30 years has been a treasure hunt for anyone who gives a crap at all about cocktails, let alone good-quality spirits. Up until recently it's seemed impossible to find somewhere to get a good drink, and now it's becoming even more confusing because there are bad bars misleading you by offering classic cocktails then making them poorly. San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Seattle, and yes, Vancouver, are all great destinations for food and drink, but it's always good to make sure you check the reviews, menus, and word-of-mouth to make sure you know where to go. Seattle has a great selection, from Canon and Zig Zag, to Tavern Law and Bathtub Gin & Co., to Hideout and Vessel, and of course, Rob Roy.
Tonight's bar was recently named one of the top 50 bars in the U.S. for 2011 by Food and Drink Magazine, and it's a pleasure to get a recipe from owner and bartender Anu Apte - even if it's the simplest of their selection. First of all let's take a look at Rob Roy's aesthetic, which is awesome. There is a 1970's vibe, with padded leather walls, stacks of books, washrooms dressed in graffiti, interesting art, and vintage tape recorders. Easily the coolest thing about Rob Roy is Tuesday "analog nights," during which all music is played either on vinyl or cassette and you are encouraged to bring your own selections in. If they approve, you even get a cocktail on the house. Awesome idea.
You can check out a short interview on the Small Screen Network on "Hanging With Harris" here, and see Anu talk a little about the place and make their namesake cocktail. (My favourite quote here is definitely "we do have a small selection of vodka, even though we're a cocktail bar - we still have the weekend crowd," after showing off the impressive amount of rye, bourbon, mezcal, and Cognac).
P.S. is it me, or does Harris sound just like Patton Oswalt? (one who interrupts way too much)...

Other Fernet originals at Rob Roy include the "Owl's Clover," using Cocchi Americano, Fernet Branca, lemon juice, honey, and lavender bitters, and the "Ginslinger," using Old Tom gin, Fernet Branca, cane sugar, and Regan's orange bitters. There's definitely some interesting modern mixology at play here, but you can also tell that there's a genuine appreciation for classic cocktails too. Their "classic cocktails" menu alone shows a vast knowledge, as none of the drinks are easily recognizable, such as the "Duke of Norfolk Punch," "The Ancient Mariner," "Delores," and "Warday's Cocktail." I know, I haven't heard of these either.

It being a super busy month for cocktailia, Anu couldn't get me a new original, but was kind enough to pass on a popular choice at Rob Roy - a simple and well-matched drink (we've seen this month that Fernet pairs well with ginger beer and almost any fruit juice). It's just a "Dark and Stormy" with Fernet in place of rum, and is a great way to enjoy the amaro.

Dark and Fernet-y

1.5oz Fernet Branca
4-5 Lime Wedges
Ginger beer
Muddle wedges in collins glass, add ice, Fernet, and ginger beer, and stir lightly.



If you're in Seattle, Rob Roy should definitely be on your list of top cocktail destinations, and I'm sure you'll be excited by both their creative originals and obscure classics on the menu. Thanks to Anu for contributing!

[[ see the "Gastown Swizzle" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see the "Chinatown Sour" from The Keefer here ]]
[[ see "Pandemonium" from Veneto Tapa Lounge here ]]
[[ see "The Bittercup" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ see "The Vested Bartender" from Boneta here ]]
[[ see "The Parliament" from The Diamond here ]]
[[ see "Parliament Hill" from The Hideout here ]]
[[ see "The Lucky Lady" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Denny Triangle" from Jamie Boudreau / Canon here ]]

Fernet February: "The Denny Triangle" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon

Today's drinks come from one of the bigger names in bartending and "mixology," Mr. Jamie Boudreau. Who is Jamie? Well, I'll let him do the talking himself here on his blog.
His online show Raising The Bar is a great resource for creative cocktails and learning some new and fancy things outside of the norm, his blog has been filling up my journal with delicious new libations to test out, and he's dedicated a newer blog only to cocktails involving St. Germain. These are all great resources for experimenting at home, but also good resources for trying and learning new things on the job if you're a professional.

One thing that is obvious from reading his blogs and recipes is how much he loves his bitters (he even makes and sells his own cherry bitters), and this includes amari. Some of his wild and crazy creations include the Zim Zala Bim, which uses a 1/4oz of orange bitters, and the Aromatic Collins, which uses a full ounce of aromatic bitters. Lots of others use amari, and his site even has a recipe for creating your own amaro at home in an attempt to recreate the taste of the ever-elusive Amer Picon.

Jamie currently runs the bar at Canon in Seattle, a new but renowned establishment with a ridiculous selection of booze and bitters (check this out), which is also apparently the new home to Murray "The Blur" Stenson.
Anyway, on to the drinking...

The one I wanted to share today I found on Raising The Bar, and it's one I often enjoy at home when I'm thirsty and have grapefruits around (and hopefully it's after noon). Gin holds a solid base underneath a lot of juice, and a lot of sweetness from the Benedictine, so Fernet comes out as subtle as I feel it should be in a drink.
When I emailed Jamie and asked for his permission to share this cocktail on this blog, he sent me another recipe for something that looks ridiculous at a glance. I actually mixed one as soon as I was finished the email because I was so curious. Look at the recipe below, you'll see what I mean...

First, here is
Denny Triangle Cocktail

2oz Beefeater gin
3/4oz Benedictine
1/4oz Fernet Branca
2oz grapefruit juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

You can see Jamie make the drink himself here on Raising The Bar.

And here is the the little present he gave me... a seriously interesting and complex bunch of flavours, and while the Fernet is super forward here, it's actually not as overpowering as I thought it would be...


Miseria Cocktail

1 part Carpano Antica
1 part Fernet Branca
3 dashes orange bitters
Stir with ice, serve into a chilled rocks glass, garnish with flamed orange zest

Thanks for the recipes, Jamie!

[[ see the Fernet February introduction here ]]
[[ see the "Gastown Swizzle" from L'Abattoir here ]]

[[ see the "Chinatown Sour" from The Keefer here ]]
[[ see "Pandemonium" from Veneto Tapa Lounge here ]]
[[ see "The Bittercup" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ see "The Vested Bartender" from Boneta here ]]
[[ see "The Parliament" from The Diamond here ]]
[[ see "Parliament Hill" from The Hideout here ]]
[[ see "The Lucky Lady" from The Refinery here ]]


Jamie's photo by Antoinette Bruno, ICC Food Porn Gallery

Fernet February: "Profanity Hill" from The Hideout

Tonight's cocktail hails from The Hideout in Seattle, a dark and delightful little bar filled with independent art and stocked with well-crafted cocktails.
You can see my review here.

This drink, along with The Bittercup from Pourhouse, is essentially what inspired me to do this whole series. I love the flavour of Fernet - I often drink it at home with some club soda - but when used in cocktails it consistently overpowers the other ingredients and rarely gives a balanced drink. The Toronto was the first one I tried that I felt was balanced when made by a professional, but I failed time after time to achieve that balance at home. I then found The Bittercup, which is an incredibly creative drink, but I felt like there was more to be achieved and in a simpler manner. Then on my last trip to Seattle, I stumbled across The Hideout and tried the Profanity Hill cocktail from bar manager Kristen Naranjo and was first of all impressed by the very different style, but also realized how well Fernet worked with fruit - in this case, blackberry. Add in some sour, a dark rum base, and top with ginger beer (the last being absolutely key) and suddenly a very different and wonderful thing is accomplished with Fernet.

Profanity Hill took me on an adventure at home experimenting with different kinds of fruit and different bases and I ended up having a lot of fun and finding a new appreciation for the amaro. I also feel like I've learned a lot more about balancing a cocktail in general. 
As I've mentioned in previous posts, I feel like the cocktails that make Fernet work the best are ones that treat it as a bitters rather than a liqueur. L'Abattoir uses it as a bitter float, Diamond and Keefer use it in replace of Angostura bitters in Trinidad Sour-style drinks, Boneta uses little more than a dash, and so on, and these drinks all really work. I've been to numerous bars that use a full half ounce in place of a typical liqueur in a basic drink and all you end up with is a big, high-proof glass of Fernet. I'm excited this month to share all these delicious, balanced, and exciting drinks using Fernet from all these wonderful places, and hope that it inspires some of you reading to start experimenting more at home - whether it's with Fernet or not.

On to the drink, and if you end up in Seattle any time soon there are a lot of amazing bars to visit, but please put The Hideout on your list - and if you do, make sure you try The Profanity Hill.

Profanity Hill


1.5 oz Blackstrap Rum (preferably Cruzan)
0.25 to 0.5 oz Fernet Branca (to taste)
.25 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
Blackberry preserves
Goslings Ginger Beer

Shake first three ingredients, strain over ice and add barspoon of preserves on top (bramble style).
Top with Goslings Ginger Beer.

[[ see the Fernet February introduction here ]]
[[ see the "Gastown Swizzle" from L'Abattoir here ]]

[[ see the "Chinatown Sour" from The Keefer here ]]
[[ see "Pandemonium" from Veneto Tapa Lounge here ]]
[[ see "The Bittercup" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ see "The Vested Bartender" from Boneta here ]]
[[ see "The Parliament" from The Diamond here ]]
[[ see "The Lucky Lady" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Denny Triangle" from Jamie Boudreau / Canon here ]]


Photography by The Last Bite.

Review: The Hideout

My lady and I made a trip to Seattle in November for the horror exhibit at the EMP (which was amazing), some vintage clothes shopping, some good food and theater, cheap booze (notably Martin Miller's gin, American rye, Carpano Antica, and a beautiful liqueur de violettes), and of course, some cocktails. I knew I had to visit the Zig Zag Cafe because of Murray Stenson's legacy there and the award-winning cocktail menu, but our other night was a wildcard. So, I used Yelp to find the best reviewed bars anywhere near our location in Seattle, as well as Jamie Boudreau's list of Seattle watering holes, and came up with a short list. We checked out websites, cocktail menus where applicable, and of course, pictures. We ultimately decided on The Hideout based mostly on the look and the general description on their website.

Walking into the Hideout we were immediately excited to see a bar with a very different look than what you usually see. The ceilings were sky-high, the lighting was dark, the mood very casual, and the walls were completely covered in local artwork. According to their site, there are over 70 paintings on the walls, staying for weeks to years, and most of the pieces are for sale.
This art continued in some really interesting ways: there is a vending machine near the washroom that sells only small, quirky art pieces, and there is a book on the bar filled with impromptu drawings and writings done by patrons. (I say vending machine, but it's actually a self-proclaimed robot - the Robotic Art Dispenser named Earl 3.0).
While all of this could impart an heir of pretension and hipster-ism, we didn't get that feeling once we sat down for our drinks. The bartenders were very friendly and skilled, and flipping through the art journal we got a good couple hours of entertainment before reaching our unfortunate alcoholic limit.

While the food menu is very limited, the cocktail menu is excellent. The selection of spirits is large and diverse, and the cocktails are modern but not over-complicated with some really interesting ideas. It includes a new classic, the Trident, and an obscure classic from the Savoy Cocktail Book, the Champs Elysees. On top of this they have the following selections that I feel really show how great this bar is:

The Andy Warhol
A Cosmopolitan and a polaroid picture of yourself
(and there was a collection of these pictures for viewing at the bar)

The Hemmingway
A shot of Hornitos, bottle of Carta Blanca, and a Nat Sherman cigarette

Every drink on the menu looked great, and the last drink we tried seemed like a combination you'd only come up with by being really creative, or really crazy (probably both): The Profanity Hill with Blackstrap rum, Fernet Branca, blackberry preserves, and Gosling's ginger beer. This is one of a very small handful of Fernet cocktails that I don't feel are overpowered by the extremely potent Fernet flavours.
We had the pleasure of being served by the lovely and talented bar manager, Kristen, who actually came up with the Profanity Hill cocktail, as well as one I'm going to share below, the Swan. She was very friendly, made some excellent drinks, and was happy to give me the below recipe, which has become a regular addition to my home menu.

All in all, we didn't really have anything negative to say about our experience at the Hideout, other than our disappointment we couldn't drink more (after drinking too much the night before). Great menu, great bartenders, unique decor, and interesting art in all directions. I highly recommend you stop by if you find yourself in Seattle - but for drinks, not for food, as that's just not their thing.
(Their website doesn't seem to have their cocktail menu for you to peruse yourself, but I'm hoping they'll change that soon! If I was deciding on where to go for drinks, their menu would definitely keep them at the top of my list)

The Swan Cocktail
(not to be confused with another couple cocktails online with the same name that feature either very different proportions with Abbott's bitters, or *shudder* stawberry vodka, stawberry liqueur, and creme liqueur. Did I say *shudder* already?)
1&1/2 oz gin
1&1/2 oz dry vermouth
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes absinthe
Combine all ingredients, add ice and shake, strain into a cocktail glass. 

This is a very well balanced cocktail that very interestingly uses a whole 1 and 1/2 oz of dry vermouth - but don't let that scare you if you don't like vermouth. It doesn't taste vermouth heavy at all, but the herbal notes are still present and play well with the gin and absinthe. This is definitely one you must make for anyone who says "I hate vermouth!"
For gin, Kristen used Gordon's. This confused me because Gordon's in my opinion is really not a good gin at all, but perhaps this is a Seattle thing as the bartenders at Zig Zag were using it as well, even on more delicate cocktails. I suggest using something with more interesting herbal character, like Tanqueray, or Hendrick's or Martin Miller's if you have them.

Enjoy! Thanks to Kristen for her skill and hospitality, and thanks to the Hideout for being a great bar.

[[ Check out "Profanity Hill" cocktail here ]]

The Petruchio Cocktail

So here's a great modern cocktail utilizing two interesting ingredients that maybe you haven't tried yet - egg white and Aperol. This is courtesy of Jamie Boudreau, one of the great modern mixologists - or as he puts it, molecular mixologists. He is an award-winning bartender with his own line of bitters, a great blog here, an ambassador of the most delicious liqueur known to man - St. Germain - here, and has an inspiring and very informative show on the Small Screen Network called Raising the Bar. He currently runs the bar at Canon in Seattle, and has definitely come up with some of the more interesting new cocktails I've ever tasted.
(Let it also be noted that I am pasting his photography of his own cocktail here because it's better than any shot I could take).

Egg white is a very old and classic cocktail ingredient, and one that sadly became forgotten or shunned by both bartenders and drinkers over the years. There are some very tasty and old cocktails, such as the Clover Club, that call for it, and even some very well-known ones such as the Whiskey Sour, which in modern times has left the ingredient out. The use of eggs in general actually predates the cocktail age in some cases, and were used for texture. Fizzes, sours, nogs, and flips are just a few examples of the diverse cocktail styles that use eggs.
No, you won't get sick from having an egg white in your cocktail. The chances nowadays of getting sick from a raw egg are about 1 in 10,000, and keep in mind you're mixing it with alcohol (which kills microorganisms) and in a lot of cases with citric acid (from lemon or lime juice). Be sure to get your eggs from good sources, which is something you should always be doing anyway.
If you're still feeling adverse to the idea, I can tell you plainly that you will be missing out on some fabulous drinks. Also, I bet you could be served some drinks that you will truly enjoy without even realizing they contain eggs at all. Just try it!

Aperol is an Italian amaro, or bitter liqueur, with a bright orange colour and mostly orange flavour, but also with rhubard, gentian, and cinchona notes as well. It was originally created in 1919, but didn't see much popularity until years later, and nowadays in a new age of mixology is seeing a real resurgence. Often nicknamed "Campari's younger brother," it has a similar taste and purpose, but is much sweeter and less bitter.

So, for the drink...
First of all, you can see Jamie make it himself on his show here.
Secondly, I should mention that the type of gin will really change the flavour profile here. Making it with Beefeater 24 as Jamie intends (at least according to the Small Screen Network presentation, which could be sponsored by the product) really brings out the citrus, and makes a soft, smooth cocktail.
I had the lovely pleasure of making this with Martin Miller's gin last week with my own personal bottle I acquired for half the Canadian price in Seattle. It made a very different drink, with vegetal and herbal flavours coming to the fore and ultimately making what I feel is a much more interesting drink.

The Petruchio
(aptly named after a character in Taming of the Shrew, by the way, which is based in Padua - the birthplace of Aperol)
1 oz gin (Martin Miller's recommended)
1 oz Aperol
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water, or use 1/2 oz of 1:1 simple syrup)
1 dash orange bitters (Fee's preferred)
1 egg white

Shake all ingredients in a shaker withOUT ice first to emulsify the egg white, then add ice and shake all ingredients again. Strain into a cocktail glass. 
Another way to emulsify the egg, courtesy of Jamie again, is to use a battery operated frappe device, like the ones you use to make a latte at home without a steamer. This is very modern, and I like sticking with the old-fashioned, classic ideas in general, so I prefer shaking.

A final note is about purchasing ingredients.
Aperol is available in the BC government liquor stores for $22 (I went through mine in about 6 months, so that's cheap), orange bitters can be picked up at the Gourmet Warehouse on Hastings St., and the only place I've seen Martin Miller's in Vancouver so far is at the Brewery Creek liquor store on Main St. It runs about $50, so is a real treat, but as I've mentioned in previous posts you can get it in Seattle for $28, or maybe even in the duty free shop.

Salute!

Buying Alcohol in the U.S.

So I just took a trip to Seattle for a few days, and of course took the time to visit the highest rated and reputable bars I could find, as well as take a couple trips to the liquor store.
I was a little surprised, both in a good way and a bad way, by the selection and prices of the latter. It's probably because I put the American liquor store on a giant pedestal in my mind due to my frustration with B.C. liquor prices and selection, and therefore created this dream of endless hallways filled with rye and amari and bitters and everything I could ever need and everything is always in stock and everything only costs a nickel.
This wasn't the case, obviously, and while I did spend a considerable amount of money on things I would never be able to get in Vancouver, I was a little surprised some differences I didn't expect.
I'll relay this for those of you who, like me, have had a U.S. liquor store pedestal, and I will also relay -the- place to go if you end up in Seattle.
(Keep in mind this is just Seattle, so I'm only comparing B.C. to Washington and not to the U.S. as a whole).

First I went to the nearest small state-run liquor store I could find. The selection of whiskey and liqueurs was surprisingly weak, and the selection of gin and rum were very good. The rum that was there I didn't even recognize for the most part, and yet there were a lot of rums that are readily available in Vancouver that were nowhere to be seen. Also surprising was the amount of Canadian whiskey. They had a HUGE amount of stock, not a lot of brands though, and actually had more wall-space devoted to Canadian than American whiskey. In both stores I went, there was a hilariously large selection of those tiny, airline-sized sampler bottles of spirits and liqueurs. And bitters! Oh my gosh bitters. They had a whole pile of Peychaud's just sitting there for $4 each, so naturally I bought 2 bottles. In Vancouver, Angostura is in every Safeway, never in a liquor store, and the only other bitters I've heard you can find here is orange at a independent store.

Where to shop in Seattle
So, the above was disappointing, but then I did a little research and found out where cocktail-addicts shop in Seattle. The first answer that I found was "The best liquor store in Washington state is... in Las Vegas. Or California." So my whole comparison discussion here I imagine would look very different if I took a different trip.
It does turn out that there's a huge warehouse which doubles as a state-liquor store in Sodo (which I assume means "south-of-downtown") about a 10-15 minute drive out of downtown Seattle. This is apparently where bars and restaurants will order their booze in huge quantities, leaving the leftovers at this warehouse. This means they have a crazy selection and occasionally some items are on sale.
I basically crapped my pants when I walked in. I'd never seen so many kinds of gin or absinthe in one place, I'd never heard of a bunch of brands and strange-looking liqueurs, I'd never seen that many kinds of bitters for sale, etc. It was pretty amazing.

Price, though, is the real discussion here. Here's the very interesting part: some things are cheaper in Canada. And no, I'm not talking about Canadian products. Canadian whiskey was priced basically the same as here, and some other items, such as Taboo absinthe, which is made in the Okanagan in B.C., went for HALF the price we pay here - where it was made!
Most 'regular' gins (ie the ones you can find easily) were a couple dollars cheaper, that's it. Again, the rum selection was very different, so it was hard to compare, but I did notice a couple, such as Kraken rum, that were $15 cheaper. Mount Gay rum and Appleton Estate rum were nowhere to be seen, or they only had the cheaper kinds, which is too bad because they're my favourite (so far), and 2 of the highest rated.
Bourbon was much cheaper (Buffalo Trace went for $26 when in Vancouver it's $42) and they did have a much larger selection, but rye was very limited. Even at the big store I was only able to find about 5 different kinds of rye whiskey, and none of them looked very good. However, a bottle of Old Overholdt is way more interesting than the majority of Canadian whiskeys, and it was only $20.
Scotch actually seemed somewhat the same in terms of selection and a little cheaper.
Tequila was completely incomparable. Even the biggest stores in Vancouver have maybe 5 brands available, and they're all really expensive. Tequila selection in the U.S. is vast and on average about half price. I'm not much of a Tequila drinker, so this didn't break my heart as much as it would some, but if you are an enthusiast, you need to take a trip to the states.
Liqueurs were fairly comparable, though the selection was way larger at this second store. The typical ones were the same price, but we found some very cool ones (like a violet liqueur that is 'natural' and isn't in the creme style, meaning there is less sugar, no artificial colouring, and not as perfume-y) for under $30.
The gin, oh my gosh the gin. The selection was about 4x what I normally see, and everything was affordable. I bought a bottle of Martin Miller for $31, which you can only find at an independent store here for at LEAST $50. They had brands I'd never heard of, and some I'd only tried recently but never seen available, like G'vine.
They had Bitter Truth bitters (lemon, chocolate, celery, Creole), and Peychaud's. The Bitter Truth went for $15-17 each, but in Canada you'd have to order it online from Germany and pay shipping, which would probably end up at double that price.

And here's the exciting part for us here in B.C.: amari are cheaper here! Even this giant warehouse full of rare products had a selection that wasn't that much better than somewhere like Viti downtown, and all of them were more expensive than our government liquor store or the same as the independent. I grabbed Averna, which I haven't seen around, and there was St. Maria as well, which I've seen in bars but not in stores, but the usual Aperol, Campari, Fernet, and less usual Ramazzotti were all more expensive. In fact, Campari is $11 cheaper in Vancouver.

The last thing I will relay, to end on a note that's negative towards B.C. in hopes that one day our prices will start to balance out, but a positive note for me... is the Carpano Antica. This is the oldest and most delicious kind of Italian vermouth. I found it in only one place in Vancouver (Viti) and they asked for over $90 for it.
I bought it from this Seattle liquor store, where they had numerous bottles... for... $26. Holy crap is right.

Verdict
Not -everything- is bad in Vancouver. Some of our prices are the same if not comparable, some things are cheaper, and we apparently have a very different selection of rum, which is neat.
The downside is that more than half of the items are a couple bucks cheaper to half the price, they have endlessly more tequila than we do, more gin, cheap ryes, more than just Angostura bitters, and more absinthes.
So don't be too disheartened, there's still a lot we get here, and not all of it costs your soul in comparison. Even just one trip across the border for some bitters and maybe a rye will help you out, but our situation here is not as awful as I thought. We still pay way too much, but our selection is not pathetic.
Yay!