What You Should Know About Robert Hess and his Cocktails of the Seven Seas Seminar

Posted on June 23, 2009
Filed Under Keith Waldbauer | Leave a Comment

Keith Waldbauer is a bartender at Barrio in Seattle. He chronicles his interest in bartending and cocktails at Moving at the Speed of Life.

On Friday, July 10th from 2:30-4:30, Robert Hess will be holding court at the Queen Anne Ballroom of the Hotel Monteleone.  The following is what you should know:

*  The Seven Seas, in medieval times, referred to these set of seas:  The Black Sea, The Caspian Sea, The Red Sea, The Mediterranean Sea, The Adriatic Sea, The Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf.  I’m not sure which cocktails sprung from these waters, and you probably don’t either.  If anyone does, it’d be Robert Hess.  That’s reason enough to go.

*  Medieval times was a long time ago.  Like, really long.  Perhaps the seminar hews more closely to colonial times, in which case we’d be referring to The Banda Sea, The Java Sea, The Celebes Sea, The Flores Sea, The South China Sea, The Sulu Sea and The Timor Sea.  Or maybe not.  You should probably come find out.

*  ”Some of the world’s most enduring mixed drinks had their origins at sea: invented by naval seamen, pirates, explorers, and adventurers. This session will explore the love affair those who went to sea had with rum, cachaça, and gin, and the births of the mojito, punch, gimlet, and pink gin.”  That’s the descriptive lifted straight from the Tales site.  Presumably, these seamen, pirates, explorers and adventures did not have Kold Draft equipment or utilize double straining techniques, or even proper glassware.  We’re all kind of snotty about our cocktails here, but I’m banking we’re all going to be thoroughly impressed by this seminar, regardless.

* Robert Hess has a lot of friends on Facebook

*  A bartending friend of mine once had a guest challenge her on whether she knew how to make a Pink Gin.  And when she said something to the effect of, “Well…. yeah” he was absolutely giddy and beside himself.  We’ve come a long way in promoting our little cocktail world, haven’t we?

*  Robert Hess has done a lot to promote this little world we’re all intrigued by.  He is the founder of the Chanticleer Society, DrinkBoy, The Cocktail Spirit on the Small Screen Network and a founding member of The Museum of the American Cocktail.  He’s also written a great book, The Essential Bartender’s Guide: How to Make Truly Great Cocktails.  Go buy it if you don’t already own it.  Now.  Seriously.  I’ll wait….

*  Robert Hess has his own Wikipedia page, and you don’t.

*  By way of disclaimer, it should be pointed out Robert is a founding member of the Washington State Bartender’s Guild, of which I am the Vice President.  We’ve spent a fair amount of Sundays together in the past year, and I count him as a friend of mine.  Whether that sentiment is shared, who knows….I know I’d be smart enough to distance myself, and Robert is an extremely intelligent fellow.

*  Both the cocktail world and the technology world consider Robert to be an evangelist.  So, odds are, Robert is going to convert you to something!  Maybe it’ll be Pink Gin….

Cocktails Born From the Seven Seas takes place Friday, July 10,  in the Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone. Tickets may be purchased here.