Tony Abou-Ganim turned 50 this month, and to mark that milestone, the Modern Mixologist requests his friends support the Bartender Relief Fund, created in honor of his beloved cousin, Helen David, through the United States Bartenders’ Guild. For more information and to make a donation, please read the blog here.
Tuesday night in Las Vegas means it’s time for Tobin Ellis’ Social Mixology, a weekly “traveling speakeasy” for the cocktail community. On Tuesday, March 30, Sailor Jerry Rum ambassador Lisa Victoria Hare and Vegas bartender Gaston Martinez appeared at the Social Mixology event at Herbs & Rye with a Sailor Jerry menu featuring the Aztec Manhattan (Sailor Jerry and espresso distillate, Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Anejo, homemade agave nectar, Aztec chocolate bitters and dark chocolate serrano pepper), the Hotel Street (Sailor Jerry, ripe pineapple, jalapeno, agave, lime juice and egg whites) and the Frig n’ Bacon (Fig-infused Sailor Jerry, lemon sour, Angostura Bitters and a bacon-sugar rim.) Check out the phenomenon at www.socialmixologyvegas.com/cocktails/home.cfm.
Drew Levinson of Wirtz Beverage Nevada, Tobin Ellis and mixologist Gaston Martinez, with Sailor Jerry representatives.
Tequila Ocho, the ultra-premium single estate vintage tequila, is releasing its 2010 vintage in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The Plata variety, from Los Corrales, is available now. The 2010 reposado and añejo from Los Corrales will be released in August 2010 and early 2011, respectively. 
Also new is Artá tequila, a small batch, single-estate agave tequila that is grown by an 11th-generation rancher and handcrafted by a third-generation master distiller using traditional methods. Other new brands on their way shortly: Redemption Rye will be released in May, and Whistle Pig Straight Rye Whiskey, aged for a minimum of 10 years and selected by former Maker’s Mark distiller Dave Pickerell, also will launch soon.
Could Cherry Marnier be headed back to the U.S.? The morello cherry and brandy concoction from the house of Marnier-Lapostolle is mainly sold in France and a couple of other European countries, but I’m told there are discussions about sending the cherry liqueur back to the U.S. after a many-year absence.