The Dram Awards and My Ideal Cocktail List

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here with some more well thought out, and super awesome filler content. So I was up for Young Bartender of the Year recently -employ me for lots of money...- unfortunately lost out to another fantastic bartender, but being there in the first place was a fantastic experience, here's some awesome pictures of the event with some description of what on Earth is going on!

The theme was Mardi Gras so we had our own crazy band

The Awards Hall was amazing, and we were right on table 2 at the front of it.

Drunken times!

Further, my experience with these other great bartenders got me thinking about their bars -all of which I've been to and are fantastic- their cocktail lists, their influences, their style and their tastes. Drawing on all of this and the experience of the incomparable Andy Gemmel I took a couple of days to invent what is my ideal house list to work with. This list showcases what I think I've learned in the couple of months I've been working with these other bartenders in the run up to the Dram Awards and proves to myself and others (mostly myself) that I've still got what it takes! So enjoy guys, comments are welcome in this post.

"Vivant" The C.S.N.S Cocktail List

Also if you wish to use any of these cocktails, please send me an email and let me know, it would be much appreciated considering the work I've put in.

Love, Dave

Cocktail: Banilla Frappe

First cocktail in a while folks, so let's dive right in;

Banilla Frappe

25.0 ml (1oz) Cariel Vanilla Vodka
25.0ml (1oz) Creme de Banane
25.0ml (1oz) Squeezed Lemon Juice
12.5ml (.5oz) Sugar Syrup
1 Whole Egg

Method

Add all ingredients to a shaker over ice -making sure to not get any egg shell in the drink- and shake well for 10 seconds. Fine strain into a chilled coupe/martini glass and garnish with a slice of banana. The end result is a very dry and creamy cocktail that has a heavy taste of banana ice cream and is awesome. Now people may be put off by the addition of a whole egg, I would stress that it is a binding agent and only the yolk really changes the taste, but on a frappe it is quite a pleasing taste. Also the citric acid in the lemon juice will kill any form of bug or salmonella present in the egg, so there is no health risk whatsoever from that perspective.

Happy shaking!

Love Dave

Finally after 2 long months....Cocktails and Knights and cool shizz

Fear not friends...the Great One returns...

Ahoyhoy internets! I know what you're thinking -"Jesus Dave, where have you been, we were so worried about you, we missed your face! Why Dave, why leave us, please never do it again. I think we should see a movie sometime, maybe go for dinner...a few drinks...some dancing...- It's ok, I won't be doing it again.

COCKTAIL: Molecular Mixology Session

So, Thursday night Dave McJ and myself set about making some interesting creations with his Molecular Mixology kit that Santa had brought him. For those of you unfamiliar, molecular mixology is the application of scientific analysis and techniques to mixology, similarly to the trend of molecular gastronomy being popularised by many high profile chefs around the world. At the basic level, this uses principals such as maceration, gelling, calcifying and foaming to create interesting drinks and edible tipples to shock and surprise. We are absolute beginners at this, so let's see how the pair of us got on:

Cocktail: The Elliots Feature #3: Christmas Crackers

Ahoyhoy internets and a Ho ho ho to you all! I must first apologise for the inactivity this week, but as you can imagine, this is the craziest week of the year at work, which isn't really conducive to blogging. However, over the past week we've accumulated a lot of material that will be coming out over the coming week or so, including a Drinking a Man's drink feature and some major Deathwatch progress, watch this space! So with the festive period well and truely upon us, we at Elliots thought it would be nice to make you a couple of winter warmers to brighten your day and give you that Christmas spirit (or spirits in this case). Today's Elliots feature is showcasing a couple of cocktails by perhaps our most talented bartenders, our esteemed master of ceremonies and bar manager, Mark and the guru of all things liquid, David McJ.

3++ Week Day 7 - And Finally...

The ultimate cocktail to celebrate with, some sweet tasty action, hits like a freight train and is unashamedly a man's drink. I've had a lot of fun with these cocktails this week for you Kirby and the gang, I hope you've enjoyed them too!

If anyone has any requests from me and the gang, give me an email with the contents of your liquer cabinet and we'll see what we can shake up.

Sweet Manhattan #3++

Sweet Vemouth  2 Measures
Bourbon             2 Measures
Cointreau          1/2 Measure

Method:

In a boston/mixing glass filled with ice, pour the sweet vemouth and stir in ice for 20 seconds. Drain liquid, keeping the ice. Into the glass pour the bourbon and the Cointreau and stir again for another 20 seconds. Fine strain into a Old Fashioned glass over ice or into a chilled martini glass neat. Garnish with a cocktail cherry and an orange peel, squeezing the oils of the peel over the drink.

Love, Dave

3++ Week: Day 6 - VT2

Prepare yourselves internets...it's time...for Him. On a serious note, I love VT2's work. He is frank, cuts right to the core and doth-takith no $%"£. Plus he's a gem to be on chat with. Particular favourite articles of mine? Any Formuitis article, I think they are all a hoot; his "coverage" (well...verbal decimation) of the ETC was a riot and his review of C:SM actually helped me to pick Vanilla over Space Wolves for the Deathwatch.

Kirb, think you made a good choice with this one. VT2, we salute you!

The Black and Blue VT2

Blue Curacao  1/2 Measure
Tia Maria        1/2 Measure
Baileys            Float

Method:

We have our first shot of the series! In fact I think it may be the first one on the site, I'll have to double check.(Edit: It totally is!!!) Dead simple, half fill your shot glass with blue curacao then layer the Tia Maria on top (our black and blue). Then gently float a thin layer of Baileys Irish Cream on top of the shot and shoot for what should taste something like an orange coffee. What can we do to change it up you ask? Replace the Tia Maria for Creme de Cacao for something akin to a chocolate orange. Oddly festive I think.

Love, Dave

3++ Day 5: Koop/Koopa/MKoop/Mat *error!! error!!*

Ahh we come to a relatively new 3++ author who has more names on that site than I have had hot dinners - we're gonna run with Koop though for the purposes not causing a fatal system crash coherency. In that time though Koop has come out with a few good articles, I'm loving his continued progress on his Hybrid BA and found his article on paint thinning to be very helpful.

Koop, we at CSNS salute you! POST MORE!!!

Koopa Libre

Gold Rum     1 Measure
Amaretto      1 Measure
Pepsi/Coke   Top

Method:

Pour everything into a highball over ice and squeeze in the juice of two lime segments. Thrown them in and add an orange peel to garnish. Dead simple, variation on a Cuba Libre that we all know and love -well...I know Brother Loring REALLY knows and loves it- just with that added amaretto twist. You can use any gold rum, but I found that Havana Especial or El Dorado 8 complemented the sweetness of the amaretto the best and gave the smoothest outcome.

Tomorrow (Edit: in a couple of hours) we will enter the wicked mind of VT2...be prepared for your face to explode with disbelief.

Love, Dave

3++ Week: Day 4 AbusePuppy

AbusePuppy produces some really interesting articles on 3++, really making you think about how to use certain rules well -eg his latest post about the Stealth rule- and talking frankly about the game and staying into it. I like that, because these articles really make you think about the little nuances of this game we all love.

Time to commit some animal cruelty and get a puppy drunky!

3++ Week: Day 3 Fester

Fester (with a little f...but for the purposes or accurate english has a capitol at the beginning of a sentence) is one of my favourite writers on 3++. He's frank but fun and one hell of a guy to be on chat with. His enthusiasm for the hobby is inspiring and he should be treated as a fine 40k writing talent.

We salute you fester 40k!

3++ festering 6ft Down Under

Black Grouse                 2 Measures
Sugar Syrup                1/2 Measure
Bitters                            1 dash
Pressed apple juice        1 measure

Method:

Pour all ingredients into an Old Fashioned glass and fill with ice. Stir for 20 seconds. Garbish with a slice of apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve. Dead simple cocktail here, we have a peaty blended whisky stirred with sugar and apple to give it a bit of sweetness that makes it a bit more palatable for those unused to the taste of a straight whisky. The small amount of bitters serves those who do like their drink strong though, as it brings a sharpness that brings out the taste of the isla malts in the blend. Leaves an almost spicey aftertaste. Tastey as sin and will definately take you to an early grave if consumed too much...which it's easy to do with this bad boy because it's damn drinkable.
 
Tomorrow, expect AbusePuppy to get some loving  for a change.

Love, Dave

3++ Week: Day 2 BroLo

Ahoyhoy internets, here we find ourselves on day 2 of the 3++ birthday week marathon, today celebrating with our favourite all round awesome dude, Brother (Doctor Love) Loring.

Here's one for you, you rum mad monster!

3++ BroLong Daquiri

Rum          2 Measures
Cointreau  1 Measure
Lime Juice 1.5 Measures
Sugar Syrup 1 Measure
Lemonade Top

Method:

Another mega simple 3++ cocktail that can easily be made in any bar. Pour all ingredients except the lemonade into a cocktail shaker over ice and shake vigourously for  10 seconds.  Pour into a highball glass over ice and top with lemonade. Strong like a mofo and tastey as sin, a must for anyone who likes their classic rum cocktails and wants a little bit of a contemporary twist. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Love, Dave

P.S. Tomorrow our favourite friend with the little "f" - fester!

Happy Birthday 3++

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here with some great and wonderful news! In my mind the ultimate 40k advice site has turned 1 today; 3++ is the new black. Our awesome Aussie, Kirby and his gang of epic authors have skyrocketed to stardom on the 40k and gaming blogsphere over the past year and rightly so. As stated on the blog, it's like YTTH without the emo bitching; you'll only ever see helpful gaming advice from a dedicated group of talented authors who teach rather than mock -well...we don't talk about VT2...-

I love the style, and the interwebs do too. So 3++ we give you the CSNS salute the only way we know how.

Let's get drunk with a week of cocktails for all you author types!!

Today Kirby, tomorrow our favourite bro, Brother Loring! Expect some rum madness.

Day 1:- 3++ Kirbtini
Vodka              1 Measure
Pineapple Juice 1 Meaure
Raspberries       3
Rose Champagne Top

Method:

Add the vodka, pineapple and raspberries to a cocktail shaker, over ice and shake vigourously for 10 seconds. Fine strain into a champagne flute and top with rose champagne. Garnish with candy of your choice. A variation of the Flirtini with an unashamedly pink twist, keeping with the theme of our beloved Kirby himself. Sweet, sweet cocktail, perfect for a celebration. It even comes with some sweets! Who can say no to that! add a cupcake on the side with a sparkler to really celebrate.

Love, Dave

P.S. Long live King Kirby.

COCKTAIL: The Elliots Feature #2

"Holy crap...I'm on the internets?!"

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here and still on a mission to get you all into something a little bit different in the bar! This week The Elliots Feature is showcasing a young up and coming talent in the bar, Mr Andrew Crook.

Andrew is a fine young talent who hasn't really been given his shot...yet, but he's been coming up with some interesting concepts. His style differs vastly from my own; where I try to exploit the sour and the bitter part of the balance -as was taught by my masters Andy, Dave and other Dave- he will go for something a bit sweeter. Very savvy of him, it takes note of the collective taste of the area in which we are situated and will appeal to a wide audience.

Knowing what the American/London/Edinburgh cocktail style is perhaps Andrew's creations wouldn't fly out of the bar as well as they would here, but that does nothing to take away from the fact that in his short time in the industry he has shown himself off as an intelectual bartender who can give the people what they want and experiment with flavours that have perhaps fallen out of favour with his peers. One to watch in the future if you're ever in a high class bar in Scotland ;)

COCKTAIL: BoLS Time: Bigred and Darkwynn

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here celebrating a great day for the blog. Bigred decided in his wisdom to put CSNS on the BoLS blogroll and induct the blog into the Bell of Lost Souls Alliance. Suffice to say, I'm chuffed.

I want to steal this logo, or the glass...f&^% you guys!

-and not just "oh let's have a cup of tea chuffed, chuffed like let's have a sexy party chuffed-

Booya. So in a similar move to when Lauby and Dethtron decided to let me into their collective insanity of HoP -long may it shine as a beacon of hugs and gropings- here are some awesome BoLS themed cocktails.

The guys requested a couple so I've been working on the all day and I think these should fit his specifications perfectly. Try them out guys, who knows maybe a future competition could have you winning some ;)

COCKTAIL: BroLo LoCo

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here with a little something for your Friday night  (though not mine because I am VERY hungover...thank you work friends....) dedicated to the man who inspired last week's Drinking a Man's Drink article, Brother Loring of 3++ is the new black fame. The man likes his rum, and I am more than happy to oblige in that respect -as long as I'm not drinking it...bleeeehhhh not feeling it today-

BroLo LoCo Tiki Punch

Pampero Ron Anejo Especial     2 Measures
Blue Curacao                             1 Measure
Mango Juice                               3 Measures                                      
Passionfruit Juice                        3 Measures
Grenadine                                  1/2 Measure
Juice of half a squeezed lime

Method:

Super simple, just build in a tall glass or some kind of cool ceramic tiki mug over cubed ice and stir. Garnish with a big old chunk of mango. A real simple fun drink and tastes like liquid Bahamas, just the thing to make you forget the cold winter night...or if you are in the land of Aus, the perfect thing to sit on the beach with and wait for Santa.

COCKTAIL: Skavenblight Sour for Archnomad

Ahoyhoy internets, here we have a little something I've bashed up for all round douchebag legendary Fantasy blogger Archnomad! Little bit of Strawberry & Melon Sour action, give it a bash this weekend.

Skavenblight Sour

Midori                           1 Measure
Aivy White Vodka         1 Measure
Lime Juice                      1 Measure
Sugar Syrup                   1/2 Measure
4 Mint Leaves
White of half an egg

Method:

Mega simple for this one, throw your 4 mint leaves and the Sugar Syrup into the bottom of your shaker set and muddle the leaves. -or for those of you who don't know, that means hit them till they BREAK!!!! YEAH!!- Then pour all other ingredients into your shaken. Shake vigourously for 10 seconds and strain into a rock/old fashioned glass, garnishing with a spirg of mint. The end result; a sweet and fruity cocktail perfect for those nights when the party just doesn't want to stop. The melon notes come through quite strongly, but are complemented by the sweetness of the Aivy very well, and comes as a real surprise when drinking due to the very heavy nose of mint. Finally that half egg white ensures the sour is not as dry as perhaps a Whisky or Amaretto sour but still gives that great thick texture.

Plus, it's green...so its a bit Skaven -yeah...-

Please drink responsibly this weekend guys!

Love, Dave

COCKTAIL: The Pablo Martinez

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here making a triumphant return to the interweb after a metric ton of...well...stuff that I've been doing away from the blog, but that'll all be explained in another post, for now, here's something for your weekend...and trust me, it's not for the faint of heart. Let's get a little hot under the collar with this winter warmer:

Pablo Martinez

Patrón Anejo     2 measures
Chilli Bitters       2-4 dashes
Agave Nectar    2 Bar/Teaspoons


Made exactly like  an Old Fashioned or a Treacle: pour 2 barspoons full of Agave Nectar Honey into the bottom of an Old Fashioned or rock glass and add bitters. Half fill the glass with ice and add one measure of tequila and stir thoroughly. Fill the glass with ice, add the next measure of tequila, rinse and repeat. Finally garnish with a fairly hot chili and a wedge of lime for awesome results. Done. We add so little agave nectar because it is about twice as sweet as normal sugar (as I found out the first time I made this...looking like a right silly boy in front of a room full of fellow bartenders at Andy Gemmel's new Tiki Bar in Glasgow...bad times) and the chill works very well with the aged Patron, giving it the proverbial boot up the arse. What can we do to mix things up a bit? Perhaps a splash of fresh pressed apple juice over the top to add a little bit more freshness to the drink? Or maybe, if your wallet feels a bit heavy you could splash out and replace the Patron with Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia. Hellz yeah.

Love, Dave

COCKTAIL: The Elliots Feature #1

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here once again with useless filler an awesome cocktail feature! Ok so you all know how I feel about my work...

-Yeah I know...I'm cool like that...-

I'm not the only barman with some cocktails to pimp on the internets you know! So, faithful internets, fill your boots with the best that Elliots, Prestwick has to offer. As usual, give them a try at your local bar this weekend for an awesome surprise and give us your feedback! Just remember who sent you; The Elliots Bar Team mofo!

COCKTAIL: Dethtron and Kirby Requests

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here once again and hot off the heels of yesterday's super popular cocktail feature lets run with another one! First off, big, big thanks to Dethtron, one of our evil IHoP overlords over at Dick Move who found the time (after posting himself in a suit, which is unashamedly awesome, go Dethtron getting into the CSNS way of life already) in his busy schedule to do a little feature on gaming cocktails a-la me. So to say thank you...big guy, this is for you.

COCKTAIL: IHoP Selection

Ahoyhoy internets, DaveHowitzer here once again, taking it down a few gears after a heavy, heavy weekend at the bar. I'll tell you, I'm going to spend today finishing an Avenger unit, playing some Reach and drinking copious amounts of Lilt. -which will be awesome-

So I spent this morning catching up with my podcasts and the blogsphere when what do I find but the name of my little drunken corner of the internet right on the IHoP Top X post!