Lawrence Moore & Associates Press Release Sample
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Warm Up With 1886 Bar’s New Winter Menu!
December 14th, 2011 (Los Angeles, CA): ‘Tis the season, or so they say… and judging from how crisp L.A. has been, we’re in for a bonafide winter experience. But fret not, thin-blooded Southern Californians — 1886 Bar is at the ready with a collection of libations created with the season in mind, designed to help warm the frozen cockles of your heart with palate-pleasing concoctions that Santa would most definitely prefer over his standard milk and cookies.
The fifth incarnation of 1886′s popular seasonal menu series marks a new turn for the 1886 bar team by focusing on a singular theme: smoke and beers. Each of the 11 drinks on the menu features some aspect of either smoke or beer — and in some cases, both — to help bring a unique, full-flavored approach to each cocktail. The end result is anything your order offers a memorable experience that starts from the moment you order it.
“Every drink is a multi-sensory experience,” says master consultant and mixologist Marcos Tellos. “The team really wanted to create a list of drinks that tasted delicious even before it hit your lips, firing on all cylandars, offering an incredible visual presentation in addition to the taste.”
And the menu doesn’t disappoint. Now that 1886′s bar team has been together for a year, they’ve created a collaborative environment unseen in the usual L.A. watering hole — one where each bar hand knows each other so well, they’re able to support one another in truly exploring their alcohol knowledge to develop interesting, delicious and genre-busting drinks. Separated into categories — Regional, Seasonal, Shaken and Stirred — the menu features a delightful mix of hearty beer cocktails, surprising taste twists, and vintage sips with modern flare.
Starting off with “Seasonal”, the Con Abuelita is a delectable version of grown-up Mexican hot chocolate with Ancho chile-infused Reposado Tequila, 1886 hot chocolate mix and an Ancho chile marshmallow. Inspired by barman Greg Gertmenian, the Grog Logged has traditional grog with ale, sugar and lime served piping hot with black rum. Then there’s the Chic(ory) Flip, made in honor of the original recipe from the 1700s, but with a twist — 1886′s version is caffeinated, with chicory coffee-infused Rye Whiskey, Yeti Stout, one whole egg and carmelized chicory coffee sugar, served cold.
“Regional” hosts a pair of old-time favorites — perfect for the nostalgic imbiber. Following the popular Pimm’s Cup No. 1 from the fall menu, the Pimm’s Cup No. 2 recalls another popular version of the Pimm’s Cup from the 1800s, this time crafted with scotch, citrus juices, ginger, mint, cucumber and soda water. Those in love with a traditional Manhattan will want to take on barman Danny Cymbal’s version. A native New Yorker himself, Cymbal’s Oak Knoll Manhattan puts a new, tasty spin on an old favorite using housemade mulled wine vermouth — crafted with locally grown spices and botanicals — and Bonded Bourbon with dry vermouth.
Next up is “Shaken”, featuring three bold beverages worthy of holiday gifting status. In keeping with tradition, the 1886 bar trust is paying homage to mixologist Kate Grutman from Sotto by borrowing her recipe for the Holland Daze, a tasty mixture of Bols Genever, housemade pistachio Orgeat, maraschino liqueur, lemon and housmade Sambuca bitters. Frostbitten Vines is a delicious mix of smoky and sweet, with house smoked champagne grapes, Americano Vermouth and nutmeg. The section closes out with the Per-Sin-Amen Cocktail, as imagined by head barman Garrett McKechnie. It unites mescal, fresh persimmons, housemade cinnamon bark syrup, lime and chocolate Creole bitters to make a sexy, spicy and smoky drink.
Lastly, “Stirred” brings up the rear with a selection of sultry sips that beg for a fireside setting. 1886′s Lacey Murillo created The Smoking Jacket, a deep, flavorful blend featuring Pot Still Irish Whiskey, 1886 tobacco bitters, maplewood smoke and orange vanilla ash. Brady Weisse — master of the fermented beverage — introduces Coffee & Cigarettes, with vodka, dark crème de cacao, Yeti Stout, hand-whipped cream and an edible vanilla paper rolled cigarette. And finally, after eight months of maturation, 1886 is ready to share the final frontier of their Vintage Caprice experience. Created by Cymbal, the Vintage Caprice is made with Beefeater Gin, dry vermouth, Benedictine and orange bitters, all of which were aged for eight months in a bourbon barrel.
And while it’s always hard to pick a favorite when there are so many mouthwatering options to choose from, Tellos has a couple that he finds himself falling for.
“The two I’m really big on are The Smoking Jacket, and Coffee and Cigarettes — there’s definitely a theatrical presentation for each,” he says. “Coffee and Cigarettes is basically a chocolate version of a White Russian, but it’s lengthened with stout, so it has this heavy chocolate coffee note and looks like coffee. So we thought about the cliché of coffee and cigarettes, and had the chef create a hand-rolled cigarette out of vanilla paper and stick it inside a little metal ashtray. So when you drink it, you get the chocolatey and coffee notes, and then you eat the cigarette, and the vanilla flavor comes in. From afar, it looks like someone drinking their coffee and eating their cigarette.
“With The Smoking Jacket, Lacey wanted to recreate this scene where you’re a small child and you’re peeking in on your grandfather having a cigar and drinking his whiskey,” Tellos continues. “So you’re transported back in time to when he puts his cigar out in his drink, and you sneak in to have a sip… but it’s nothing you thought it would be. So we thought, what if we take a step back to where it was everything you’d imagined because it came from grandpa? So we created bitters out of tobacco — the drink actually comes with a Surgeon General’s warning — and figured out how to trap Maplewood smoke in a snifter, then had the kitchen create edible ash with vanilla, orange and cream. When the drink is served, we remove the napkin holding the smoke in place, pour in the drink, and then ‘ash’ into the drink.”
So bundle up, brace the cold and head out to 1886 Bar for a seasonal sip to really get you in the holiday mood. Just a taste of one of their hot toddys or cool cocktails will have you singing “Hallelujah!”
Seeped in history and cloaked in secrecy, 1886 Bar makes its home adjacent to The Raymond. Guests enter through a hidden entrance through The Raymond parking lot, then settle in to enjoy a full artisan cocktail bar, extensive wine list and locally crafted beer. 1886′s focus on uniquely crafted libations and tasty bar nibbles has won them accolades from L.A. Weekly, Thrillist, Daily Candy, the L.A. Times and countless others. For more information on 1886 Bar, please contact:
Lawrence Moore
Lawrence Moore & Associates Inc
T: 213.952.6121
Lawrence@LawrenceMooreAssociates.com