Five Favorite Drinks At Tales Of The Cocktail That You Should Enjoy Soon

By Amy Cavanaugh in Food on Aug 3, 2012 6:00PM

The Alchemist Punch, photo courtesy Nike Communications

When I decided to write this post, I obviously wasn’t thinking clearly—how could I distill the hundreds of liquors and cocktails I drank during Tales of the Cocktail down to my five favorites? And my consumption barely scratched the surface of what one could imbibe at Tales. There were many more tasting rooms, parties, seminars, and events than one woman could possibly attend.

But after sorting through my notes, photos, business cards, and other materials I picked up, I selected five drinks I hadn’t ever had before. I already knew that I loved Vieux Carré cocktails, I’ve had plenty of Palomas, and I can’t lie—that High Life I had at 5 a.m. tasted pretty darn amazing after an all-night party filled with cocktails. Here are five tipples (some new, some new-to-me) that I hope to drink again.

• Larceny Bourbon

Last Saturday, Heaven Hill launched Larceny Bourbon, a wheated whiskey that will be available in Illinois and 11 other states in September. It's a 92-proof, small-batch bourbon, made with 6-12 year old whiskies. There's a fairly subtle sweetness and the amber liquid tastes like caramel, fruits, and spices.

• Montelobos Mezcal

The debaucherous opening party at the New Orleans Museum of Art on Wednesday night included the launch of Montelobos, a new mezcal. It's available in Dallas, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, and Chicago will be added in the next round. Montelobos is made with organic agave that has a lot of botanicals and picks up smokiness when it's fermented. I also tasted citrus, chile, and chocolate flavors.

• Byrrh Grand Quinquina

I stopped by the Haus Alpenz table at the Indie Spirits Expo on Thursday and found Byrrh, a French aperitif newly available in the U.S. It dates to 19th century France and is made with red wine, quinine, and mistelle (partially fermented grape juice). At once bitter and sweet, this is one drink I'm hoping to see more of.

• Solerno

I hadn't had Solerno, a blood orange liqueur until Tales, but now I've had it in gelato, sorbet, and a play on an Orange Julius. With cream, orange juice, and Licor 43, it makes a killer breakfast. I even brought home a Solerno lip balm. But now I'm going to look for a bottle for my home bar, since I think it would work well in whiskey cocktails.

• Kummel

Kummel is a liqueur is made with cumin, caraway, and fennel, and was popular in France in the 19th century. It launched in the United States a few weeks ago, and is lightly sweet and delicious served neat. I also had it in a cocktail combined with tequila, lemon, agave nectar, and pineapple sage.

• Bonus

You can't get all the liquors mentioned here yet, so here's a bonus recipe for a fantastic punch that I had at the Benedictine spirited dinner at the Museum of the American Cocktail last Thursday.

The Alchemist Punch
Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

1 bottle Benedictine D.O.M.
16.5 oz. mandarin puree/nectar
11.5 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 slices lemon
3 tangerines, wedged
1.5 oz. honey
10 oz. hot water
Fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Dilute the honey with hot water in a punch bowl.
2. Add the other ingredients, stir to harmonize all the flavors, adding fresh fruits last.
3. Macerate and refrigerate for at least four hours.
4. Serve in ice-filled punch cups and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.