But things I’ve done lately:

• Cigar Advisor revamped as an online magazine. You’ll see something from me in their July issue. But they’re doing tasting competitions with a great deal on the cigars involved, and I did my first round last night. It was a J Fuego Origen Original versus a Schizo 60 versus a Trocadero Honore. The Original was good, though quite a tight draw, and unlabeled which made it hard to figure out which one it was at first. I liked the Honore at first, but it had an interesting spice taste that got a bit old after a while. The Schizo 60 was just a solid cigar, and so I voted for it.
• And it looks my “raccoon traps” – bowls with rags soaked in ammonia – are working to keep the bugger away from me!
• Plum Deluxe posted an article I wrote about upgrading your bar. Read it and comment about it on Facebook should you desire!
• If you know me, you know I like beer. That being said, I am now boycotting Rogue. It started with them suing some NOLA bartenders after they dared name their book “Rogue Cocktails” and now they’re suing a local restaurant, Rogue 24. That’s Not Cool, Rogue.
• Next Friday DC Toasts salutes African-American bartenders. You should go. I will be there. It will be fun.
• Just an FYI: Looks like neither Marshall nor I will be attending Tales this year. It’s sad, but it will be good for my wallet. I will probably write more at length on the biggest reason I’ve decided against going later, but if you’ve read my coverage from previous years (especially 2011) you can probably guess the gist of it.

Well, that’s about it for now. If you’re looking for a good brunch spot, go bug our fellow scofflaw Anthony at Beuchert’s Saloon. Order many Ramos Gin Fizzes and mimosas. Try the oxtail gravy and biscuits, because I haven’t yet but they look fantastic!

I’ll leave the political comments off of the blog, but I will say one thing: the next day is the election, so you can go to the Passenger, booze it up, go to work late the next day and tell your boss “I was voting”. I can’t do that, because I voted early, but if you also vote early, you’ll have the sticker to prove it!

I’m just saying.

(And a special hint: both Brown brothers are supposed to be behind the bar, along with JP Featherston and Alex Bookless, so really, get your butt in there and drink yo’ face off. IT’S FOR CHARITY!)

Second, in the spirit of giving, the Passenger hosted our five year anniversary party a couple of weeks ago. We raised a couple of hundred bucks for our charities (the Museum of the American Cocktail and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) and had an overall great time. Many thanks to our sponsors: The Passenger, Chartreuse and Edinburgh Gin, Whisked Bakery, Diep 9 genever, Catoctin Creek, and Chairman’s Reserve Rum.

Now my drink came in second to Marshall’s in voting, but since Hurricane Sandy is about to give our area a punch to the nose, it seems appropriately named and timed for me to give you my drink.

Dark Storms Travelling Slowly
2 ounces Chairman’s Reserve Rum (gold)
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce allspice dram
2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub
Shake ingredients together and pour into a highball glass unstrained. Top with two parts ginger beer, one part soda water. Garnish with a wheel of lime.

(Also see this news article for the origins of the acronym I used.)

Yes, it says “whiskey” here but they insist it’s “whisky”.

Third, also in the spirit of giving, thanks to Joe at Taylor Strategy I was sent a sample of George Dickel rye whisky. (No “e”! Except on the sample bottle. Oops!)

The aroma out of the bottle was nice. Kind of sweet. I poured some into a glass and tried it straight.

It’s … different than a lot of ryes I’ve had. My very first taste, I liked it at first, then the after taste I did not care for. However, my second and third tastes I liked a lot better, and got the impression it has a different over all “build” to the taste than a lot of ryes have. I haven’t played with it in a cocktail yet but I’ll probably make a Manhattan and/or a Sazerac at some point this weekend OH MY GOODNESS I FORGOT TO STOCK UP ON VERMOUTH BEFORE THE FRANKENSTORM I HOPE THERE IS STILL SOME TOMORROW AT THE STORE!

(Any rumors that I might have also done a “Gangnam Style” tasting, dancing around in my house with no pants on and listening to the song while drinking Dickel rye out of the sample bottle, may be completely and utterly true.)

So I’m off to finish preparing for Sandy’s vengeful wrath upon DC. Have a great weekend everyone! And hopefully see you November 5th!

From the Museum of the American Cocktail site:

Join award-winning mixologist, Dale DeGroff for an evening of stories, cocktails and songs from legendary watering holes and his forty years of working and carousing them! Accompanied by Washington’s own piano virtuoso Dan Ruskin, DeGroff takes us on a journey through bar life in America, from Colonial times to the present, revealing the colorful history of the cocktail and the antics that drove this amazing cultural phenomenon. Classic cocktails from The Passenger and tunes from the Great American Songbook?make for an?unforgettable evening!

$45.00 per person pre-register

The ‘at-the-door’ fee will be $50.00.

Thursday, April 12 2012, 6pm

Warehouse Theater (entry via The Passenger)
1021 7th Street Northwest

Click here for tickets.

First off: congrats to my co-blogger, Marshall! He got engaged to his lovely and fun girlfriend, Sylvie, earlier this week. I couldn’t be happier for them!

Second: We’ll be updating our DNS records soon. Thanks to GoDaddy’s support for SOPA, and general embarrassment I’ve had with them as a hosting company in general (especially every time one of their ads come on) we’ll be moving registrars. If you have any problems reaching the site, try using an alternate name – put a dash between “scofflaws” and “den” (i.e. scofflaws-den.com) or use .org as well. I’ll be moving the domains over in batches.

Third: If you missed Drink.Write 2011, you really missed out. We had a fantastic meal at PS7 on Thursday night, a fun tasting group at Jack Rose on Friday, multiple trips to The Passenger, a heck of a great time at the Repeal Day Ball, and then ended it hanging out at the Speed Rack competition at Jack Rose on Sunday after brunch at Bourbon. It was FANTASTIC.

Fourth: Some events coming up. PS7 is doing a Feast of the Seven Fishes tomorrow (Christmas Eve) if you’re into that kind of thing, and a “Gangster to Gangsta” event (check LivingSocial) for New Year’s Eve. And on January 17th, the Museum of the American Cocktail is doing a seminar about George Washington’s whiskey. You can register here.

That’s it for now – after the new year we’ll have more stuff for you! HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON!

Oh, what the heck:

On Thursday, September 16, the Museum of the American Cocktail will present the next of its monthly seminars, featuring the world-renowned Tiki and cocktail historian, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Please register here:

http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org/Events/Default.aspx#Seminar55

Details:

The Suffering Bastard: Joe Scialom, International Barman of Mystery
Presented By: Jeff “Beachbum” Berry
$45.00 per person pre-register
The ‘at-the-door’ fee will be $50.00.
Thursday, September 16 2010, 7:00 – 8:30
Occidental Grill & Seafood
1475 Pennsylvania Avenue , N.W.
Washington, DC 20004-1076
Washington DC, Cairo, Havana, London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, New York — from the 1930s through the 1960s, legendary mixologist ?Joe The Bartender? was everywhere and nowhere, always one step ahead of governments who suspected him of espionage because he served so many heads of state, generals, and journalists. This seminar reveals the untold story of the trained chemist who spoke eight languages and survived two revolutions, imprisonment, and exile to create such infamous exotic drinks as the Suffering Bastard. Presented by Jeff ?Beachbum? Berry, who spent two years tracking down his elusive subject. Enjoy delicious sample cocktails and wonderful cuisine from the Occidental’s acclaimed chef.

Thanks! Hope to see you there,

Phil

Philip J. Greene

Treasurer and Legal Counsel
www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org

We’re having a cocktail seminar on June 10, titled “When It’s Cocktail Time in Cuba.”? For more information and to register, click here ? http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org/Events/#Seminar59

When It’s Cocktail Time in Cuba

Presented By: Charlotte Voisey and Phil Greene

$45.00 per person pre-register

The ‘at-the-door’ fee will be $50.00.

Thursday, June 10 2010, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Mie N Yu Restaurant
3125 M Street, NW
Washington , DC 20007

Internationally renowned mixologist Charlotte Voisey will provide an overview of the rum category and specifically rum?s lighter style – brought to fame in Cuba – and its use in cocktails and punches – perfect for summertime entertaining. Plus, Phil Greene will offer stories from the days when Cuba was America ‘s favorite playground,?especially during Prohibition, when it was said?that ” Havana became the unofficial United States saloon.”? Enjoy delicious appetizers and, of course, sample cocktails from Cuba , y much mas!

Cheers, ? Phil Greene Museum of the American Cocktail

Don’t get me wrong, I love beer!? I’m drinking a Rogue right now (the First Growth Dirtoir Black Lager) but like ingredients such as, say, wine (thus, vermouth, natch) while delicious on its own, it can also work as an ingredient in cocktails quite easily.? Cheese is delicious on its own, and you cook with it too, right?

Right.

Another friend of ours, Phil Greene of the Museum of the American Cocktail, let us know about a seminar featuring Tad Carducci talking about spice in cocktails.? I’ve snipped Tad’s bio out of the link, but if you haven’t heard of him – just Google search him.? He’s done a lot.

Spice: The Fennel Frontier

Presented By: Tad Carducci

$45.00 per person pre-register

The ‘at-the-door’ fee will be $50.00.

Thursday, April 22 2010, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Darlington House
1610 20th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20009

From 2500 B.C. to 2010, a look at the importance of spices and herbs; as medicine, as currency, as foodstuffs, and, most notably, as flavoring agents for spirits, liqueurs and cocktails.? Join us on a whirlwind journey back in time and around the globe to shed light onto an exotic and illuminating topic that most of us take very much for granted, while, of course, we “spice it up” with cocktails.

(It’s not that we don’t love you Tad, but hey, we pay by the character here.? What?? We don’t?? Oh well too late, I already cut it.)

Tonight, if you’re not already there, is Thursday Drink Night in the Mixoloseum bar, and we’re doing spiced rum.? Jump in if it’s not too late!

We’ve got some other events and some drinks coming up for y’all, so for now, go out and find yourselves something to drink.

Let’s talk about the two products that helped push this along for the weekend:

Combier

I have a bottle of Combier (which was sent to me by them) and honestly, I should’ve written about it a long time ago.? I didn’t though, because I kept forgetting, and then they came to town along with Kevin Diedrich, a great bartender who is from DC area, moved to SF, back to DC, and is currently in NYC.? They gave us the history of Combier (it predates Cointreau, evidently), tastes of it against Cointreau and in a number of drinks, and even gave us a chance to check out the dried Haitian orange peels they use.? Cool stuff.

Two of the things that we got a chance to try is the Combier cherry liqueur and the Royal Combier.? The latter is, to use Kevin’s words, a combination of Benedictine and Chartreuse in taste, and I absolutely LOVED it.? I managed to snag a bottle of it, and Marshall snagged a bottle of the cherry liqueur which is much drier than you might think if you’re used to Cherry Heering.? I’m looking forward to experimenting with the Royal Combier, and comparing (and experimenting) with the cherry as compared to Heering and with Leopold’s Tart Cherry liqueur.

The event was hosted at The Passenger and was a lot of fun.

Fidencio Mezcal

This was the next day over at Oyamel – and by this point I was dragging, but Clyde Davis asked me to go, and I can’t say no to Clyde, nor to his delicious, delicious imports (such as Castries and Chairman’s Reserve rum).

I have to admit that this mezcal really surprised me.? I lost my press kit after the event (while drinking more and eating delicious meats at Againn) but they roast the agave by itself which gives it a much cleaner taste than a lot of mezcals.? I noticed that it seemed to go down extremely easily, both in cocktails (such as the delicious Oaxacan Fizz being made there) and straight.

Oyamel, by the way, is doing tequila and mezcal tastings every Tuesday – Thursday until the 14th of March.? Go forth, and enjoy.

Speaking of events, let me quote you some Phil Greene from the Museum of the American Cocktail:

The Museum of the American Cocktail Presents:

Introduction to Cocktails ? Mastering the Classics

$45.00 per person pre-register

The ‘at-the-door’ fee will be $50.00.

Monday, March 22 2010, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Occidental Grill & Seafood
1475 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20004

At this fun and informative seminar, you’ll learn the general history of cocktails by looking at four classics, the Old Fashioned (which is simply a variation on the original “cocktail”), the Manhattan, the Martini, and the Daiquiri. From these?four classics we’ll look at variations on each one, how each drink and category evolved, historical anecdotes, pop-culture references, etc. Looking especially at the Daiquiri, we’ll see how this drink is one of the many “sours,” and to master one is to master a concept that allows you not only to make other classics (Sidecar, Margarita, Whiskey Sour, Aviation, White Lady, Pisco Sour, Jack Rose, and many others), but to invent your own variations, as well. You’ll also learn many basic cocktail making tips throughout this event.? All the while, you’ll enjoy tasty appetizers created especially by the Occidental’s acclaimed chef.? Please register at:

http://museumoftheamericancocktail.org/Events/Default.aspx#Seminar52

Anyways, more later, and I promise you on that.? For me, I’m having fun in Thursday Drink Night, as we’re doing +1 drinks (take a classic and add one ingredient to it) so hope to see you soon!

(And YES I PROMISE I WILL POST MORE!? SORRY MOM!)

Also, Public Bar is donating space for a Red Cross fundraiser at the same time (5-8 PM).? Suggested donation is $40 and Bud Lights are $3 a piece with donation.

I know what you’re thinking – “what the hell, SeanMike just posted!”? I know, I know.? I’m going to have a bigger post later – but I wanted to remind people of this first.

Help out people who have suffered a horrible tragedy.? Hope to see y’all there (I’ll be at the Passenger, assuming I finish my work first!)

Hey folks, I’ve been meaning post this and unfortunately real life kept getting in the way, but on December 14th, the Museum of the American Cocktail will be offering another cocktail seminar focused on holiday drinks.

These seminars are a great way to learn about cocktail history, learn how to make cocktails and get advice from some of the best in the business.? Here is the announcement from Phil Greene:

Join us at Bourbon in Adams Morgan for a reprise of last year’s great Holiday Cocktail Seminar! This year we’ll have two of D.C.’s top mixologists, Gina Chersevani (PS7′s) and Owen Thomson (Bourbon), and as a special guest, Jerry Lenoir, from Mr-Booze.com, the?popular home bartending/entertaining site. Learn how to make (while you sample) some?delicious Holiday cocktails, plus get?excellent advice on the home bar, d?cor, Holiday music, and the whole Yuletide “vibe.” Plus you’ll enjoy some tasty appetizers while you sample some?great seasonal libations.

$45.00 $35.00 per person pre-register
The ‘at-the-door’ fee will be $50.00 $40.00.
Monday, December 14 2009, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Bourbon Adams Morgan
2321 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC? 20009

Buy your tickets here.