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Art of Absinthe

May 16, 2012 in cocktail, Cocktails, events, Food by traveleatlove | 12 comments

Have you ever tried absinthe? Prior to Monday’s Art of Absinthe event with La Clandestine Swiss Absinthe at ArtBar in Cambridge, I may have had it a few times in cocktails, definitely when we were in Prague, but never sipped it on its own. Like many people, when I heard absinthe, I thought of The Green Fairy and the supposed hallucinogenic properties of the spirit. I instantly equated that to absinthe’s illegal status but soon learned that some of the mystique around absinthe is pure misinformation.

Over the course of a couple of hours, I got to see some of my favorite Boston bloggers, learned a ton about absinthe, and enjoyed some tasty bites from ArtBar’s new menu. (Speaking of the menu, I really just want to eat the macaroni and cheese eggs rolls all day, every day. Extra truffle fondue, please.)

First up, I had to get a cocktail to see what La Clandestine was all about.

ArtBar’s head bartender, Elizabeth Powell, whipped up a Clandestino for me. Based on the Caipirinha, the Clandestino contains La Clandestine absinthe instead of cachacha. The absinthe is mixed with demerara sugar, lime, and lots of crushed ice.

I won’t lie. On my first sip, I made a face. The wormwood in absinthe gives it an herbal, licorice flavor that was at first a little surprising. A couple of sips later, I got into the refreshing qualities of the drink, and the licorice flavor definitely mellowed. Overall, I ended up enjoying the cocktail.

In addition to the Clandestino, Elizabeth had made a punch containing absinthe and was also making a drink called East Meets West. Of course, the absinthe drip, which we learned about later, was also available.

Before presenting to the group, Alan Moss, Global Brand Ambassador for La Clandestine, greeted our little blogger group. We soon learned he is a blogger himself and writes The Real Absinthe Blog.

Alan started with 10 Things you didn’t know about absinthe, and pretty much all of the items on the list were news to me! Absinthe originated in Switzerland (For some reason I thought it was from Eastern Europe as it is popular in Prague.) Over the history of absinthe production, women have been key players, preserving the tradition and passing recipes down from mother to daughter.

Absinthe experienced bans and booms over the years, but the Swiss ignored the bans which has resulted in absinthe being continuously produced in Switzerland for 220 years. Funny enough, one of the bans was not due to hallucination but to the alcohol binge of a Swiss laborer who then killed his family. Absinthe made for two of the drinks he had that night, two of the 17 drinks, that is!

And what about The Green Fairy, you ask? Here’s what Alan’s blog/presentation has to say:

Absinthe will not help you see green fairies, and is no more likely to cause any effects
than any other strong spirit. While there is a naturally occurring substance in absinthe called thujone and while this can have “effects,” you’d have to drink so many bottles of absinthe to get them, you’d die of alcohol poisoning long beforehand.

Once the presentation was finished, Alan demonstrated a traditional way of drinking absinthe. Absinthe starts clear, and water slowly drips through the metal fountain, mixing with the essential oils and making it cloudy. One of the highlights of the evening was trying Butterfly Absinthe which originated in Boston in the early 1900’s. It’s made in Switzerland now and not yet available in the US. I loved how smooth and refreshing this absinthe was due to the use of mint and citrus in this recipe. It also had a creaminess to it making it easy to sip with just a bit of water.

As always, ArtBar kept us well fed. Sliders, tacos, and of course those mac and cheese egg rolls filled us up as we drank and mingled.

I had a great time and learned a lot at the Art of Absinthe event. ArtBar and the Royal Sonesta is doing a really great job with their food and beverage, and they have some great events. I can’t wait to return to celebrate some of my favorite blogger bachelorettes over Memorial Day weekend!

If you’ve tried absinthe, what did you think? How did you drink it?

Technorati Tags: absinthe, ArtBar, cambridge, cocktails, events, Royal Sonesta

Tags: absinthe, ArtBar, cambridge, cocktails, events, Royal Sonesta

ArtBar Spring Menu Tasting

April 19, 2012 in Cocktails, events, Food, Restaurants by traveleatlove | 9 comments

This is not your parents’ hotel restaurant. When I was younger and we traveled, we always avoided the hotel restaurant. It was pretty much a given that you didn’t eat in the hotel . Times have definitely changed, with hotel restaurants doing all sorts of creative, community-focused, delicious things for not just their guests, but for locals.

Last Thursday I had the great opportunity to join a few other bloggers and some of the team at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge for a tasting of the new ArtBar menu. I had been to ArtBar before for drinks with colleagues, a cocktail class, and late night bites, but since I had never eaten dinner there before, I was excited for the full experience.

We definitely received VIP treatment, starting with a private room just for our dinner with Director of Food and Beverage Troy Clarke already mixing up specialty cocktails when I arrived.

Although it was a rainy day, the views across the river from ArtBar were lovely, one of my favorites of Boston. Of course, you can’t quite tell that from this photo. I just thought it was an artsy shot, and well, I was at ArtBar. . .

Pimm’s Cups, either made with homemade bitter lemon or ginger beer, were our welcome drinks. Always a lover of ginger beer, I went with that option, and thoroughly enjoyed the spicy and refreshing drink as I mingled with other dinner guests.

Once we sat down, Troy shared information about ArtBar’s food and beverage with us. The restaurant sources as much as possible from local and sustainable sources including about 25 farms and other suppliers. They are continually striving to be more green and are working on 100% sustainability for their seafood. None of this is easy, especially for a restaurant in a hotel that serves several meals a day and has to appeal to a large and diverse audience, but you could see the obvious passion and excitement behind these initiatives as well as behind the creative and inventive cocktail and food menu.

We kicked dinner off with a spring pea soup with Marcona almonds which gave it both a smooth and crunchy texture and a nice richness to go with the sweet green peas.

Next up, we tried some of the new appetizers on ArtBar’s menu. We were first brought out full servings of each, plated how they would be for diners in those portions, and then we each received our own tasting plate which was really fun. The dining portions were quite substantial!

From left to right we have the pork cheek tacos, grilled calamari bruschetta, and the holy amazing deep fried macaroni and cheese with truffle fondue. Of the three, the mac and cheese definitely wowed me the most. It was fried and crunchy but not greasy in the slightest. Dare I say it was kind of light? It would be the perfect dish for sharing. Dipped in warm, gooey truffle fondue, this was a comfort food I would crave again and again. I enjoyed the other appetizers as well. The bruschetta was an interesting combination plated on top of a Marcona almond puree that I could have licked off my plate. I don’t usually go for bruschetta, not being a huge bread person, but the calamari added another element that changed up the classic dish. The pork cheek tacos were tender and flavorful; I could see these being a nice small entrée.

Our next cocktail was a vodka punch, a French Standard, created by ArtBar’s bartender. ArtBar is delving into old fashioned punch service in a beautiful and fun way using these glass absinthe containers with spouts on either side. The French Standard is a dangerously delicious ix of Ciroc Vodka, Lillet, St. Germain, Lemon, and Grapefruit Bitters. The light citrus flavors went so well with our appetizers, and having the containers served to us definitely made for fun sharing of drinks.

Our next course featured two entrees from the spring menu, game hen stuffed with spring vegetables with a potato cake and pan butter and artic char with beluga lentils and sautéed leeks.

The chicken was good, moist and served with a delicious potato cake. It was a choice that would appeal to many people, including those with less adventurous palates but still done in a way that stands out a bit.

The char was amazing. It was quickly cooked at high heat to crisp the skin to perfection. Soft lentils provided a nice contrast, and the leeks melted in my mouth.

Dinner was served with a Smoked Cherry Fizz: Lepanto Brandy, Amere Nouvelle, Smoked Cherry Phosphate. Troy burnt cherry bark in front of us with a little torch, showing again his creativity and use of all sorts of different ingredients in the restaurant’s cocktails. If you ever get the chance to take one of his classes, definitely do; he is fun to watch!

ArtBar’s Executive Chef Brian Dandro came in to meet with us, despite it being his day off, and he had Chef de Cuisine, Stephen Hamilton and the team in the kitchen serve us up a little extra, scallops they had gotten from the boat the day before. This was one of the most perfect scallops I have ever had. It was seared and caramelized on top and so buttery and tender all the way through, with that sweet fresh scallop flavor. Amazing.

The night ended with a dessert course accompanied by an alcohol-free cocktail, Pressure. ArtBar has a whole menu of non-alcoholic drinks for people who can’t or don’t want to drink alcohol but would like a little something special. The Pressure contained Ginger, Grapefruit Shrub, Agave, Lime, Honeycomb, and CO2. Honeycomb reminds me of my nana, who often had a jar at home. I loved ending the meal with a refreshing drink and not having to worry about a headache the next day.

Two different desserts provided plenty to satisfy our sweet cravings; almond streusel cake with caramel poached pears and “Turtle” panna cotta. I ate every bite of the almond cake which was light and lovely. I found the panna cotta to be a little too sweet for me, but I think it would be a true chocolate-lover’s dream.

ArtBar did a really nice job on their new menu. It really reflects their desire to create an experience that is comforting and sophisticated, and it’s clear that a lot of thought and staff input goes into it. ArtBar’s location makes it perfect for warm weather and evenings with lots of light, and its cocktails, wine, and food make it a great place for all sorts of palates.

As we were guests of ArtBar our dinner was complimentary, but I was truly excited to write about the experience, and I am equally excited to return. Trying ALL of the cocktails on their menu is a challenge I could live up to.

Technorati Tags: blogger events, cambridge, chicken, cocktails, dessert, events, Food, menu, pairings, scallops, tasting events

Tags: blogger events, cambridge, chicken, cocktails, dessert, events, Food, menu, pairings, scallops, tasting events

American Whiskey Cocktail Class at ArtBar

February 17, 2012 in cocktail, Food, Restaurants by traveleatlove | 13 comments

A Thursday night after a very long and trying week calls for a good cocktail. ArtBar at the Royal Sonesta is making Thursday’s once- a-month even better with a chance to taste, mix, and learn from an expert in their new cocktail classes. Director of Food and Beverage Troy Clarke is sharing his love for cocktails, his expertise, and the innovation happening at ArtBar, and last night we participated in a class on American whiskey. Classes fill up, but luckily Jon made sure we had a space. We joined Jon, Lindsey, and Adam to become whiskey experts. . . well we learned a lot! And had some delicious cocktails.

The scene was set with whiskey: Bully Boy White Whiskey, which is made right here in Boston, Prichard’s Rye Whiskey, and Woodford Bourbon Whiskey.

And the night kicked off with, what else, but a cocktail! We sampled house-aged Bully Boy White Whiskey in this Manhattan. Yum.

Troy walked us through tasting spirits (Hint: It’s different than wine. Stick your nose in the glass, and breathe deep, you might just ruin your sense of smell for the night.) and he gave us a good amount of background information on the whiskeys we were tasting before we launched into making out own cocktails.

Tasted on their own, I liked the Prichard’s Rye Whiskey the best for its vanilla caramel notes. The color and the different notes in the whiskeys come from the barrels in which they age. The white whiskey skips the barrel and heads straight into the bottle.

Tables were set with all of the ingredients we needed to make two cocktails, an Old Fashioned and a Sazerac.

We each had a recipe card at our place, along with a bunch of glasses, and we got right to mixing. I may not have been paying 100% attention during the instruction part, so things were a little silly during the cocktail-making. The end result, my “Old Fashioned Old Fashioned” (called that because like the original Old Fashioned, it’s missing fruit), was quite good. And we have all of the ingredients, whiskey, sugar, bitters, soda water, and lemon peel at home so I can practice a bit more.

The second cocktail we made was a Sazerac. Featuring Peychaud’s Bitters, Rye Whiskey, and Herbsaint, the Sazerac was a little bitter for me, and since we strained out the ice, a little strong, but I still enjoyed it and had fun making it.

The class ended with lots of questions for Troy about all sorts of things like stirring cocktails vs. shaking them, complete with a demonstration.

Next up is a Brandy class. We get back from Sonoma (!!!!!!!) just a few days before, so I may have to give it a miss, but if you love cocktails, check it out.

Of course, there was also food involved throughout the evening. When we arrived, my husband and I took advantage of the happy hour food menu and shared some delicious pulled pork tacos.

During the class, we were treated to some bites to keep us fueled as we mixed up our cocktails. I’m not sure what was in the spoons, but it was very good.

And, as I tend to do, I ended the night with fries. ArtBar’s menu features baskets of fries and sweet potato tots with spicy banana ketchup, pesto crème fraiche, and roasted garlic parmesan. These fries and tots and sauces, and in particular the garlic parmesan, were amazing. Add this to my post-long run cravings list.

We closed out the night with one of the best Irish coffees I have ever had on either side of the Atlantic. Troy makes a very good Irish coffee that integrates the flavors of the coffee, whiskey, and sugar perfectly without any one overwhelming the others. With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, you should get yourself to ArtBar for one of these.

All in all, it was a really fun night. The cocktail classes at ArtBar are well worth the $20 cover. You end up with several cocktails, some great cocktail and spirit education, and a taste of ArtBar’s creative menu, quite the deal!

And if you dine at ArtBar before or after the class, you get 10% off your food. The Royal Sonesta’s Web Media Manager did also treat us to cocktails and a warm welcome. It was great to chat with her to hear about upcoming events at ArtBar. They have pretty much one of the best views in Boston, and are really doing a lot of cool, quality things food and drink wise.

I stayed out way too late, am exhausted and pretty much still have a whole week of work to do. I have not been able to catch up this week, my training runs have felt awful, and other than an enjoyable time at ArtBar, I am completely cranky this week.

I might go to bed at 7:00 tonight.

What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Technorati Tags: bloggers, bourbon, cambridge, cocktails, events, Food, Restaurants, whiskey