I know I’ve been away for a while—more than a while, in blogging time—but that’s the joy of having a hobby. Unlike a job, when you feel overwhelmed or burnt out, you can go on an indefinite hiatus. I’m afraid that I don’t have a thrilling story or profound reason for being MIA. No big drama or nervous breakdowns—it was just time to take a breather and recharge. My thanks to those of you who emailed or otherwise reached out to check on me and the site. It’s always good to be missed.

And now I am back…with a gift! Next week the CSOWG will be hosting its usual Thursday Drink Night in the chatroom, hosted by Zaya Rum and featuring special guest Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. In honor of that event, I am hosting a giveaway.

One lucky reader will win a brand-spankin’-new copy of Jeff’s latest book Beachbum Berry Remixed, a revised, expanded, absolutely glorious reworking of his first two incomparable tiki classics, Grog Log and Intoxica!, signed by the Bum himself.

I’m sure I have mentioned this before, but Jeff is one of my favorite cocktail authors. His books are full of life and color and rich history, compounded by the awesome drink recipes that he works tirelessly to find. He only publishes the most authentic, most historically accurate and most delicious tiki concoctions, which has made him one of the big Kahunas of Polynesian Pop. And on top of that, he’s one of the nicest people you’re ever likely to meet. He has revised and updated recipes from the first two books based on new research culled since the books were published and added 107 new drinks he found in his travels, including new creations by such modern bar masters as Martin Cate, Lu Brow, Chris Hannah, Jamie Boudreau, Joaquin Simo, Philip Duff, Jim Meehan, Audrey Saunders and Stanislav Vadrna. Are you thirsty yet?

To be entered to win this astounding compendium of exotic tipples, you simply have to leave an answer to the question below in the comments section. The competition closes Wednesday, August 11 at 12pm. All correct answers will be placed in a random drawing to select the lucky winner. Pomaika’i, a hui hou kakou!

What is the verbiage of the announcement made every Wednesday night at the Tiki-Ti by Mike Sr. in honor of his father, bar founder and tiki legend Ray Buhen?

I like to think that I’m a fairly easy person to get along with, if you can ignore the fact that I’m a stickler about some things: there is only one Texas Chainsaw Massacre, directed by Tobe Hooper in 1974; zombies are infinitely superior to vampires and no, I really will not read Twilight or those Sookie Stackhouse books; there are no Martinis made with vodka nor Manhattans made with bourbon, and Old Fashioneds should not have a fruit cup muddled in the bottom (cherry garnish optional). I’m sure some people will disagree with me, but in the World According to Marleigh that is just how we roll.

There is an exception to my obsessive (and probably annoying) pedantic enthusiasm for classic cocktails, and that is the Margarita. Make no mistake—I have very specific requirements for what I call a Margarita, and they entail fresh lime juice, tequila and Cointreau, shaken, on the rocks, with salt. The Margarita is such a simple, straightforward and frankly awesome drink all on its own, though, that it’s hard not to want to toss in some other flavors just to gild the lily a little bit. Such was my reaction when I found a recipe for watermelon margaritas that was just itching to be batched up for a party. Watermelon and tequila are two great tastes that go great together, so why not dare a little in front of company? Continue →

It’s been a strange winter here in Southern California, by which I mean that we’ve actually had a season which could loosely be termed “winter.” May has been blustery and cool instead of 80° and dry, so this year—like most places in the country—Memorial Day weekend has brought us the first waft of summer. Those of you who visit the site regularly know that the arrival of summer means that we open the floodgates on agave spirits, and so today brings the first of what is sure to be many cocktails based on tequila and mezcal.

This recipe comes from Imbibe online, whenceforth it magically appeared on my Facebook feed and piqued my interest with mezcal and amaro right off the top. This recipe comes from Mike Ryan of Sable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago and features one of my favorite combinations: mezcal and strawberries. Tequila and mezcal both work very well with fruit flavors, but strawberry is an especially great foil for their spice, smoke and earthiness. I’ve already put up our first batch of Tequila por mi amante for the year, which I highly recommend to anyone who finds this cocktail to their liking. Strawberry-infused tequila is pretty much the most perfect summer spirit I can think of, but since it takes at least three weeks to make these should tide you over until it’s done. Continue →

It’s Cinco de Mayo, which means that it is an especially popular day to drink here in Southern California—unsurprising given our proximity and strong cultural ties to Mexico. The fifth of May is not, as is commonly thought, Mexican Independence Day; that holiday is observed on September 16. Cinco de Mayo is a largely regional holiday observed primarily in the Mexican state of Puebla that celebrates the success of a small Mexican force in defeating a much larger French army in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla. It is immensely popular in the US as a day to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage—much as St. Patrick’s Day is to Irish-Americans. As I type there are gallons of margaritas being consumed, and though I love a good margarita it seems only fitting to put the best-known liquor of Mexico to a more novel use on a day of cultural celebration.

This recipe comes from Food & Wine Cocktails ’09. Created by Joaquin Simo of the venerable NYC cocktail bar Death & Co., it has the same light, crisp qualities as a margarita with a brighter, slightly more brash flavor. The little twist here comes from using marmalade and agave nectar in place of triple sec, which also imparts a stronger bitter orange flavor and a bit more texture. Continue →

In my experience, there are two types of people: people who love New Orleans, and people who don’t love New Orleans. Being a part of the former group, I have a hard time focusing on the negative attributes others quote to me for why they don’t like NOLA—the humidity, the crowds, Bourbon Street, crime—when it is such an extraordinary and unique city. Where else is like New Orleans? The music, the architecture, the food, the history, the people—it’s a special and spectacular place, especially because of how hard it has been for everyone there in the wake of Katrina.

But New Orleans is still fighting its way back from that disaster, and the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic has been a big part of that. One of the most well-known parts of New Orleans is the incredible musical history, and it’s one of the few places in this country where there is such a great love and support for live, local music. You hear it everywhere in NOLA—jazz, rock, R&B, blues, soul, Dixieland, ragtime—spilling out of doors and windows, from brass bands on street corners, buskers in Jackson Square and family bands singing on the riverfront. It flows through the place like its lifeblood, and since 1998 NOMC has been doing the hard work of helping the marginally paid working musicians of New Orleans to get affordable preventative healthcare, for themselves and their families. Continue →