An online speakeasy of potent potables and other pabulam.

I don’t always think all the way ahead. I know, that’s a shocking confession if you know me. Somehow, though, I managed to get out of Austin with only two pictures – one of a gift bow-wrapped roll of toilet paper, and the other a fuzzy picture of country fried beef tongue (more on that later). I ain’t gonna subject you to either of those. Still…

Every whiskey enthusiast has a collection. For the folks of Scofflaw?s Den, these collections can be large and even appear a little hoarder-ish.

So when one of us is looking to finish off a bottle you?re going to want to be around. Liquor, after all, is made to be drunken.

This week, our friend Sean Mike shared a bottle of Willett Single Barrel Rye Whiskey at The Passenger near Chinatown.

Ledroit Brands, Washington D.C.?s current Willett distributor, dubbed this share ?The Iron Fist.? How could you resist a name like that?

If you are unfamiliar about how this works, Kentucky Bourbon Distiller (KBD) brand makes entire barrels of their whiskey available for purchase. If you can afford that type of indulgence and really love whiskey this might be a great investment.

The Iron Fist was distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky and aged in oak for 23 years.

Each of these distinct Willett-labeled Ledroit whiskeys were given a unique and unconventional name. The Iron Fist?s presumed counterpart, for instance, is named ?The Velvet Glove.?

Others names include ?Orange Blossom Special,? No Chemists Allowed,? ?Cocoa Loco,? ?Suspension Bridge,? and more.

Cask strength is always a little difficult for me when trying to parse out flavors. But, one major takeaway about this particular bottle of hooch was how I felt the taste very much lived up to its name.

Caramel, vanilla, and spice are always the most obvious characteristics coming from any bottle of whiskey. Some express toffee. You could find these in this Willett.

For me, however, there was a tinge of brininess hidden at the very end which put the brakes on those sweet-associated flavors. I have mostly gotten this element from single malt scotches.

The burn on my mouth was an easy one. It never really muted the flavor and even handed them off to me in a much smoother way than many of the other cask strength whiskies I have tasted.

Most of those whiskies completely blow out my taste buds. It really gives you appreciation for dilution. This whiskey leaves quite an impression despite its strength.

Speaking of which, I really need to dilute my own collection of booze that has been collecting dust in my apartment. Maybe, it is time I shared a few bottles of my own?

On Sunday, I helped Beuchert?s Saloon with an afternoon media event at their East Oaks farm located in Poolesville, Maryland. Two punches supplied the cocktail element for guests at the farm. One in particular (which we will simply call the ?St. Lucian Brunch Punch? for now) utilized an ingredient I?d never heard of before: fish pepper.

Fish peppers have an interesting history. According to owner Brendan McMahon, these peppers were particularly popular among African-American farmers in the nineteenth century. They were used predominantly in seafood houses along the mid-atlantic coast. The flavor of the pepper lends itself nicely to fish and shellfish.

The ingredient is said to have lost its popularity. Lately, according McMahon, it has been making a comeback.

The McMahon family, which owns the farm, planted the peppers this past season. The crop grew enough for harvest just recently. Some peppers were planted from seed while others were transplants that were grown in another location and transferred to the farm. The transplants, it seems, have been growing with considerable success.

The look of the plant in the field, McMahon says, reminds him of Christmas trees due in part to the distinct white, green and reddish coloration in the leaves and peppers themselves.

The punch itself involved a balanced mixture of Chairman?s Reserve St. Lucian Rum, fish pepper syrup,?fresh lime juice, Angostura bitters, and sprigs of fresh mint. The syrup is simply a one-to-one blending of sugar and water which was then infused with the peppers. Many of the participants at East Oaks said the flavors were rounded and refreshing. Some even said they found hints of spices they would expect to find in Bloody Marys which seemed fitting for the restaurant’s off-site afternoon event.

What makes my job fun at Beuchert?s Saloon is the involvement of East Oaks farm in not only the food but also the cocktails. The numbers vary but generally sixty-to-seventy percent of the produce used in the saloon?s food comes from East Oaks. That means day-to-day availability and variation of ingredients can be head-spinning. Yet, the end result is particularly rewarding when all of these elements come together to produce a drink the guest truly enjoys.

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On my final full day in San Francisco, I again was on my own until later that evening. After eating some breakfast I wondered around for a while before heading to my first planned stop, somewhere many people said I had to visit if nothing else to walk around, but if possible to eat lunch. So with these voices in my mind I headed out to the San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace.

As I approached the Ferry Building, there were a bunch of tents set up in the park. I thought this was the Farmers Market, but instead it was for artists and artisans to sell their various crafts to those visiting the Ferry Building.

My first task was to walk through the Farmer’s Market outside of the Ferry Building. The first thing that caught my eye was the various fruits available. It’s amazing to see what different things are available on the west coast versus the east coast. The second that that caught my eye was that it wasn’t that big. If you’re familiar with the U St. farmers market in DC or the Courthouse farmers market in Arlington, VA they are both the same size or slightly larger than what was at the Ferry Building the day I was there. The one thing here that you don’t see too often in DC markets is the food vendors set up. Certainly a feature I’d love to see imported over here!

I then ventured inside the marketplace. Wow! There are restaurants, wine shops, fresh meat purveyors, cheese mongers, tea shops, candy and bakery stores and kitchen stores just to name a few categories. I could spend a few hundred bucks and several hours handpicking things to bring home with me. I would also need several additional suitcases!

With all these choices, how is one to decide what to eat for lunch? Luckily, I had a secret weapon in my pocket! I pulled out my handy-dandy phone and texted friend, local San Franciscan and impeccable food and beverage maven Anita from Married . . . with Dinner. My text was straight-forward; “Help! At Ferry Building, overwhelmed by choices! Best lunch option?” Anita replied almost right away and suggested I check to see if Hapa Ramen was set up out front. She said that they were delicious and her favorite vender at the Ferry Building. With a recommendation like that I had to check them out.

Sure enough the Hapa Ramen team were set up and slinging fresh noodles and locally sourced meats and veggies in a miso spiked broth. Their special for the day was a “Big Daddy Ramen Bowl” which had sliced slow-cooked pork, fried chicken, vegetables and a slow-cooked egg. I got a little container of spicy chili oil to add to the ramen and I’m happy to say that it was delicious!

After my lunch, I went back into the Marketplace and got a New Orleans iced coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee and went behind the Ferry Building to set on a bench on the water and take in the view. It was glorious!

After a casual walk back to our hotel, a shower and nap it was time to get ready for my next trip out. This was going to be one of the highlights of my trip because I have wanted to visit this place since it first opened. My fellow Scofflaw SeanMike has visited this bar and I’ve known the proprietor for several years and have the highest regard for him, his knowledge and hospitality. It was time to head to Smuggler’s Cove!

Of course, I’m too excited to take a photo of the signage when I get there! But once I get in, I see proprietor Martin Cate and give him my regards. I belly up to the bar and my first drink is a Dead Reckoning. This tasty libation was made with rum, pineapple, lime, vanilla liqueur, maple, tawny port and angostura bitters. It was both familiar and new at the same time. A perfect drink to get started with.

As I looked through my pictures when I got home from my trip I noticed that I really didn’t take that many photos while at Smuggler’s Cove. One reason I wasn’t as focused on pictures was that I finally got to meet Dinah Sanders. I’ve followed Dinah on Twitter and in the cocktail blog-o-sphere where she writes Bibulo.us. I love meeting folks I’m friends with online and getting to know that they are just as wonderful in real life as they are online. I knew Dinah was working on a second book, this one on cocktails, but I didn’t know too many details. I learned that it was a book on low-proof cocktails and titled “The Art of the Shim: Low-Alcohol Cocktails To Keep You Level.” I was incredibly lucky that she brought an electronic copy of her book and let me look at the fantastic photographs and recipes. I’m happy to say that her book is being released September 2013 in both hardcopy and ebook format. You can find out more information and where to purchase here.

If you’ve never been to Smuggler’s Cove, let me tell you about the decor. It is decked out, literally floor to ceiling, in Tiki kitsch, nautical baubles and island decor. Check out a few photos below to get a sense of the place.

This is the ceiling!

Thankfully, my lovely wife met me at Smuggler’s Cove. We were able to share a round of drinks and I could introduce her to Martin Cate. I love introducing my wife to my friends in the industry. It lets her put a face to a name of all the people I talk about constantly.

One thing about Smuggler’s Cove that you should be aware of if you go. They don’t have a kitchen and don’t serve any food. Eat a good base before going because you will be drinking lots of rum. If you wait until after drinking there are several good restaurants in the neighborhood and the bartenders are more than happy to make some suggestions.

After Sylvie and I had dinner we jumped in a cab to take us back to the hotel. Throughout this trip Sylvie had been stuck in her conference and unable to see much of the city. The one thing she really wanted to see was the Golden Gate bridge so we asked our cab driver to make a detour on the way to the hotel. Well, it may not have really been on the way to the hotel but she got to see the Golden Gate Bridge light up at night and we got this great picture.

Thanks to everyone I met in San Francisco for making it a memorable trip! I can’t wait to come back for more!