Live Blogging: The Three Amigos

Posted on July 18, 2008
Filed Under Matt Robold | 1 Comment

Matt Robold is an Orange County, California-based blogger with a passion for rum, an interest he indulges on his blog Rum Dood.

Yes, I’m completely stealing this format from Rick at KP.  He can sue me*.

2:39pm – We get started with Simon Ford remarking that it’s very different doing a seminar in the afternoon rather than the mornings because no one looks like they’re near death.   Simon is joined by Wayne Collins, Jason Crawley, Phil Ward, and “Special Guest”.  Phil, of course will make it 4 amigos instead of 3, but then again this is about 3 drinks, not the people on the panel.  Synergy be damned.

2:46pm – Wayne has designated Simon as “Sweet”, himself as “Sour”, and Jason as “Bitter” for the 3 amigos of flavor.  I’m guessing that means that each of them is going to focus on that particular flavor profile within the cocktail universe.  This eventually leads into “The Magnificent Seven”, the seven families of the drink mafia (punch, milk punch, sling, cocktail, sour, cobbler, highball).  Of course we’re going to narrow this down even further to just the punch, the sling, and the cocktail (The Three Amigos!).

2:55pm – I had been liveblogging this in WordPress, but it decided I wasn’t going to be doing that anymore and I’ve switched to a word processor.  Wayne is running us through the entire history of the punch, followed by the milk punch.  Someone’s cell phone rings up and Jason offers a bottle of sherry to the person with the most interesting ringtone.  I don’t know if “irreverent” really covers this group.  I don’t think it does them justice.

3:01pm – We dive in to our first punch – the Fish House Punch, and then Wayne goes in to a demonstration of how to make it.  Lemons are zested, sliced, and juiced.  Wayne adds the dash of sugar, and progresses into a discussion of the right way to make a sweet & sour mix.  His pouring technique while adding the cognac and rum is the kind of stuff that you want to see in movies.  Showmanship is not an issue with this group.

3:10pm – Microphone is handed over to Simon to talk about the sour (Sling).  Drinks are handed out to us whilst Simon ribs Wayne about a recent article printed in the Times Picayune.  Are all coctails slings?  Simon explains that, technically, the cocktail is a bittered sling.  Simon then begins to explain the Singapore Sling whilst Wayne actually mixes the drink.

3:16pm – I just learned that the Raffles Hotel in Singapore serves almost 2500 Singapore Slings per day.  That seems like an aweful lot.  The sling is mixed, shaken, and poured – topped off with the Fever Tree ginger ale, although the samples the rest of use are drinking are topped with an ginger beer from another producer (no one seems to remember which).

3:20pm – Hand off to Jason for the cocktail, who launches into a complaint about American dry-cleaning, pressing of his trousers, and is then corrected by Phil Ward from Death & Co. that they are actually “pants” here.  Jason then produces the bar bill for an early cocktail party for the Jeffersonian party in the early 19th Century, which is staggering.  To sum up, several THOUSAND drinks were served.

3:26pm – Jason begins mixing an Old Chestnut while (sorry about the “whilsts” earlier…I don’t know where those came from) Wayne spins a yarn regarding the reason that an olive is placed in a martini.  If you believe Wayne (questionable decision there), the olive was originally added in California during the gold rush as a token of good luck for the 49ers (the miners, not the football team).  The Chestnut is done, and it’s fantastic.

3:30pm – Back to Wayne to discuss the “Art of the Bartender”.  Wayne is recounting some horror stories regarding conceited bartenders.  He discusses bad bartenders and customers and the problems they both present before going back to Jason for some of his stories.

3:36pm – Jason is discussing an episode with the Danish royal family, and I just have to say, these drinks (the punch, the sling, and the cocktail) are fantastic.  All of them.  And Jason’s story ends with one of his colleagues grabbing the prince of Denmark by the throat during a party.  Classic.  Simon starts to explain why Phil is on the panel (he hasn’t spoken thus far).

3:39pm – Phil begins to explain which drinks he thought were the most important (cocktails specifically).  He cites the Manhattan as the drink that kept the cocktail alive during the 1980’s, as well as the margarita, which kept people tippling during the latter half of the 20th Century.  Thirdly, he thinks the two-ingredient highball is as important because it keeps people drinking, but at the same time the bartenders today seem (by in-large) have become lazy because they don’t ever have to make anything other than a 2-ingredient highball.  Quote of the day, “Flavored spirits are so stupid.”  Something tells me that Phil would frown upon my infusions.

3:42pm – A fistfight just broke out between Wayne and Phil.  It’s getting ugly.  There’s hair-pulling and biting…  Ok not really.  But there is a disagreement about where the Manhattan fits in to the Magnificent Seven.  Phil insists that it’s its own category, while Wayne and Jason insist that it’s a cocktail.   Chief Justice Ford abstains.

3:45pm – This session has gotten a bit strange.  Phil and Wayne are having what would normally be a great argument at a bar, but in front of everyone.  They haven’t reached the shouting level, but it’s very stream-of-conciousness.  Phil is making us a Silver Monk, which is an adaptation based on the margarita (sort of).  Something important if you’re ever in Death & Co. in New York, DO NOT order this as “a margarita”.  It’s delicious, with a strong cucumber and sour flavor, as well as sweet.

3:48pm – Time for questions.  A Jaegerbomb would apparently be categorized as a Sling.  A Rusty Nail is a bit more fuzzy.  Pink Gin (gin and bitters), is even harder.  It’s not a punch (no lemon, sugar, or water).  It’s not a sling (no sugar or water).  A cocktail also requireswater and sugar, and Pink Gin is just gin and bitters.  Wayne basically just classifies the drink as a cocktail.

3:53pm – The classic “What’s your favorite drink?” question – Phil answers “Blueberry Stoli and Red Bull” which gets the crowd roaring laughing.  Simon makes a great point about having only one drink or favorite drink makes your life boring.  Drink a variety.

*Rick, it was a joke, please do not sue me.  Trust me, there’s nothing left for you to take.