Cocktail aficionado Robert Hess, described by Gary and Mardee Regan of Ardent Spirits as “a computer geek with a huge passion for all things cocktailian,” is arguably one of the leading proponents of a classy, sophisticated (but not snobbish) cocktail culture in America today. His recipes are flawless, his knowledge is endless, and his lucid insights and charming demeanor pour over ice almost as well as expensive bourbon.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that a gentleman of Hess’s caliber also orchestrates the likes of “The Chanticleer Society“, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping instill (or in this case, perhaps distill) in people a sense of appreciation for mixology as a respected culinary art unto itself.

“There is a rapidly growing appreciation for the culinary art of the cocktail,” Hess says. “We are seeing an increased interest in bartenders across the country to socialize and exchange recipes, research, tips, and opinions about drinks from the past, as well as new classically inspired creations they may be making. Many of these bartenders are drawing together into local bartender guilds to provide a formalized structure and communication network that their members can benefit from. Such a guild is rightly designed by, and for, bartenders. This however makes it difficult for the growing number of non-bartender cocktail enthusiasts to feel that they can play an active role in the study and advancement of the cocktail.”

Thus, enter the Chanticleer Society.

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What do Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek and Eva Mendes all have in common… and more importantly, why ask this question next to a photo that depicts none of the above?

They’ve all been calendar girls for the ultra-classy Italian liqueur Campari; but look out, gals. A stirring new addition to the lineup is about to shake things up, as Campari has released new images of 29-year-old Olga Kurylenko, co-star of the most recent James Bond film Quantum of Solace, posing with a bottle of their ruby-colored aperitif. Shaken indeed; looks like you’d better shake this one with orange, rather than stirring with soda.

The Ukraine-born actress managed to stir up controversy after her appearance in Quantum of Solace, as one Russian extremist group publicly decried her role as the first Russian to play a “Bond girl,” stating that “James Bond is an enemy of the Russian people” (and an imaginary one, no less, but this seems to have little bearing on the intention behind the statement). Nonetheless, her role in the film seems to have been well-received by the media, attracting attention from enterprises such as Maxim Magazine and, yes, Campari.

To view more of the images of Olga Kurylenko posing seductively with Campari spirits, visit this link.

Nestled in a cozy corner of my liquor cabinet sits a tall bottle in an insulated black glove. Startling red letters adorn the glove, in an horror-inspired font: BLAVOD.

Black Vodka has become increasingly popular over the past couple years, and typically is only available in stores during the month of October, in order to allow people to prepare for Halloween. Many interesting looking concoctions can be created using this, such as the Halloween Screwdriver, in which you layer Black Vodka and orange juice, to give it the black and orange color scheme of Halloween.
As we all know, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of kinds of season beers, only available during certain parts of the year. Some of them are Wit Biers only available during the summer, special Pale Ales during the spring, Porters and Stouts during the winter, Pumpkin Ales, and most famous of all, Oktoberfest beers typically available during the autumn months.

However, spirits are usually year-round. Except for Black Vodka, the only mass-produced seasonal spirit that I am aware of. Granted, there’s nothing exceptionally special about it; It’s the same as regular vodka, but with black food coloring added to it. There’s a bit of a thrill though, this once a year bottled blend. For cocktail loving Halloween enthusiasts, it’s the perfect opportunity to start mixing unique looking beverages, without having to take a regular spirit and add your own food dye.

Right now, BLAVOD, the originator of  Black Vodka, has pretty much cornered the North American market. However, Absolut is trying to make a run at them, by producing their Absolut Black. However, the price difference is the breaking point for me, as they both taste pretty much the same. BLAVOD runs at about $20 for a 750ml bottle, while Absolut is a bit pricier at closer to $30. So, BLAVOD has the market cornered in my opinion, until someone else comes along and competes with them on the price. The one thing Absolut has going for them, is that they offer 100 proof Black Vodka. This could make even more interesting cocktails, such as Flaming Jack o’ Lantern-style shots.

Most of the brands claim that the color alteration doesn’t do anything to the taste, however, some experts dispute this, saying there are indeed minute changes in the otherwise flavorless spirit. There could be something to this, as BLAVOD uses an herb extract to achieve it’s color, and this herb, known as Catechu, is sometimes used in medicines.

Starting over the next several days, we at Culture of Spirits are going to be doing our best, putting hours upon hours of research into creating cocktails for the Halloween season. Stay tuned!

Something that is particularly enjoyable for me about the arrival of cool weather and the colorful change in seasons is getting to visit beer tastings here in USA’s Beer City (East) that feature one of my favorite seasonals: the pumpkin ale.

After a fairly slow rise in popularity, there are now a good variety of these available on the market, ranging from those offered by smaller crafters across the country, to more mainstream companies like Blue Moon, who offers their own Harvest Moon pumpkin ale for purveyors of the pulpy punkin pour.

Recently, Culture of Spirits writer Christopher McCollum joined my girlfriend, my younger brother, and I in attending a generous sampling of different pumpkin beers at our neighborhood brew supply shop Hops and Vines. Among the beers Alex, Chris, and the gang supplied us with, we tried an 8.0% ABV imperial pumpkin ale made by Weyerbacher, cited as “the mother of all pumpkin ales.” Indeed, Weyerbacher’s brew is spicier, more caramelly, and offers a bit more pronounced pumpkin flavor than many of the others. “We have added lots of pumpkin along with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and a touch of cardamom and clove giving this beer a spicy, full-bodied flavor,” the company’s website states. “This truly is an Imperial Pumpkin Ale.” Indeed, this was one of the most interesting pumpkin beers I’ve tried to-date, but there were a variety of others that presented spicier, more fruit-filled (or rather, vegetable-filled, since pumpkins are in the squash family) surprises.

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The Scottish Brewery BrewDog underwent major criticism from health advocates and alcohol awareness groups this past summer, as they unveiled their new beer, Tokyo*. Tokyo* is Britain’s highest alcohol content beer, at 18.2%, and they were slammed for being  irresponsible, by providing a beer with that high of an alcohol content, in a society that is already troubled by alcoholism.

In response to this criticism, BrewDog is launching their newest beer, naming it ‘Nanny State,’ with an ABV of 1.1%. They are very pleased with the production of the drink, which by British law, does not have a high enough alcohol content to even be called beer. They claim that it has more hops per barrel than any other British beer, and they are all hand picked by the brewers as their personal favorites. Richard McLelland, BrewDog’s sales director, had this to say: ”It is an extraordinary little ale, jammed full of all the brewer’s favourite hops, giving it as much body and mouth feel as possible, ensuring that low strength does not translate into reduced flavour.”

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