JUST ADD KOLD-DRAFT ICE FOR THE PERFECT SHAKE
Kold-Draft (the ice company that produces a pure, solid ice which cools faster, melts slower and doesn’t distort a drink’s flavor) shook things up in Las Vegas last month at the 2009 Nightclub & Bar Show by introducing show attendees to cocktail legends, The Modern Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim, The King of Cocktails Dale DeGroff, Aviation Gin Co-Founder Ryan Magarian and Hendrick’s Gin Brand Champion Charlotte Voisey.
These pros mixed cocktails with conversation as they shared their extensive knowledge of the cocktail craft; including their shared philosophy that mixing cocktails using Kold-Draft is imperative to creating the perfect cocktail.
FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS IS MANDATED BOSTON AND NEW YORK
The Food Allergy Initiative (FAI), a national non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for life-threatening food allergies, will collaborate with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to create an educational poster designed to raise awareness within the restaurant community about food allergies. On March 18th Mayor Bloomberg signed off on a bill initiated by City Council Member Jessica Lappin which mandated that these posters, which will be translated into Chinese, English, Korean, Russian, and Spanish, be prominently displayed in the back of the house. Lappin notes, “This poster will be a simple, cost-effective resource that will help servers and prepares detect hidden ingredients and prevent cross-contamination – the number one cause of food-allergic reactions in restaurants.”
This effort in New York comes after the passing of a similar bill in Boston that was championed by Chef Ming Tsai. Boston area restaurateurs will also see educational posters going up in their back of the house and required educational videos will be available for viewing. Additionally, so that the burden doesn’t fall solely on the chefs and servers, menu language will be added to instruct diners to notify their servers of any food allergies.
CAIPIRINHAS TAKE NEW ORLEANS
Leblon Cachaça proudly announces the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) Caipirinha Competition to be held on July 10th at Tales of the Cocktail, the premier cocktail and culinary festival that celebrates the history and culture of dining and drinking in New Orleans July 8 – 12th. This year’s Tales of the Cocktail cocktail competition will have USBG chapter members from across the country muddling their way to victory as nine teams compete against each other with two cocktails representing each chapter.
Hosted by Tony Abou-Ganim, the fun begins at Pat O's on the River at 8:30p.m. Industry judges include: Junior Merino- The Liquid Chef; Naren Young- of the restaurant bobo in New York City; Tony Abou-Ganim- The Modern Mixologist; and Francine Cohen-Editor in Chief of Food & Beverage Magazine. And fans will get to weigh in with their favorites as well.
This year's finalists, representing their respective USBG chapters are:
Austin, TX
Minday Kucan and Bill Norris
Chicago, IL
Christina DeLucca and Tim Lacey
Las Vegas, NV
Tobin Ellis and Andrew Pollard
Los Angeles, CA
Pablo Moix and Matthew Eggleston
Milwaukee, WI
Nate Newbrough and Matt Simonis
New Orleans, LA
Danny Valdez and Maksym Pazuniak
New York, NY
Tad Carducci and Christopher Stanley
Phoenix, AZ
Trudy Thomas and Corey Jansen
San Francisco, CA
Gabrielle Barnes and Chase Williamson
Tickets can be purchased at www.talesofthecocktail.com.
AND, IN OTHER TALES OF THE COCKTAIL NEWS…
THE 3RD ANNUAL SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN NOW THROUGH APRIL 30TH
Through its annual Spirit Awards, Tales of the Cocktail provides recognition to those individuals and establishments that have shown an outstanding talent for advancing the craft of the cocktail. To embody the ideals with which Tales of the Cocktail was originally founded, these awards will provide recognition to both national and international guests, as well as to local New Orleanians. Winners will receive exclusive Riedel Crystal awards. Pernod Ricard is proud to be the sponsor of this year’s 3rd Annual Cocktail Spirit Awards - recognizing industry leaders and innovators. Log onto www.talesofthecocktail.com for more information.
