I got to know Mike Harney when I co-authored his book, The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea. He's fun company, as well as refreshingly unpretentious when it comes to talking about tea, so I'm looking forward to the tea-tasting class he'll be teaching on July 25 at the International Culinary Center of the French Culinary Institute in NYC. During the first part of the class, Deconstructing Earl Grey, he'll serve samples of the different Chinese and Indian black teas that go into the classic blend, along with its signature bergamot citrus. If all goes according to plan, he'll end the evening with tea cocktails from FCI's own mad scientist, Dave Arnold.

Bored with plain water and in need of nonalcoholic liquids to help me get over the post-Aspen cold that's knocked out several F&W editors this week (possibly from late-night parties at 212 House), I stopped by Green Canteen, the first restaurant to become LEED certified in New York. After a fragrant house-made ginger soda and a peanut butter-banana milk shake, I'm on the mend and ready for more drinks. Here are a few I'll make this summer, whether I'm sick or just hot:

Gingery Fuji Apple Soda (above)
Rhubarb Soda
Green Tea Soda
Almond-Tea Milk Shakes
Prune Whip Shakes

At last weekend’s F&W Classic in Aspen, superstar sommelier Bobby Stuckey of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado, said that this economy means there’s never been a better time to be a wine drinker. So funny, because I was thinking there’s never been a better time to be cocktail obsessed in New York City. While it’s still easy to find very pricey drinks (especially if you choose to socialize on hotel rooftops), there are some remarkable cocktails for under $10 all over town. Specifically, the $6 Hudson Sour (bourbon, apple liqueur and lemon) at Damon Wise's Frugal Friday in Manhattan, the $9 Steinway Punch (rye, lemon, Curacao and soda) at Dutch Kills in Long Island City and the $9 Applejack Sazarack (applejack, absinthe and bitters) at Prime Meats in Brooklyn (PM’s $5 daily changing punch can also be terrific, depending on what they're ladling out of the punch bowl that evening).

With one of my coworkers planning a wedding, a hot topic in the Test Kitchen has been catering companies and all the add-ons they offer. There's the ubiquitous chocolate fountain (which has grossed me out since I learned that it takes gallons of oil to keep it flowing properly) and the late-night coffee bar. My colleague Kate Heddings has not stopped talking about the mashed-potato bar she encountered at one wedding, with toppings ranging from chili to caviar. The latest add-on in Austin? Snow cones. But instead of flavoring the shaved ice Snoopy-style, with artificially colored, faux-fruit-flavored syrups, local event-planning company Caplan Miller uses liqueurs like Kahlúa and Baileys Irish Cream.

When I told F&W spirits correspondent Jim Meehan that I was going to Belfast, he told me the city is home to one of the world’s best cocktail bars, at the Merchant Hotel. Sean Muldoon is the bar manager and brains behind “The Bar,” and his ambitious cocktail list reads like a guide to the art of mixology, with definitions, a glassware chart, historic illustrations and even some recipes. But the item on the list that immediately drew my attention was the Platinum Level Mai Tai, surely one of the world's most expensive drinks at 750 pounds (about $1,200). Muldoon makes it with 17-year-old Wray and Nephew rum—one of the key ingredients in the original Trader Vic’s Mai Tai. The bottle is one of just 12 and dates back to the 1940s; only one measure of rum is left in it. I decided to leave it for a true cocktail connoisseur (and someone with deeper pockets), and settled for the 10 pound ($16) Silver Level Mai Tai, mixed with Inner Circle Green Dot rum. It was great—and a welcome break from all the Guinness I’d been drinking.

Rocker and gentleman farmer-vintner Dave Matthews and his band have just released their first album in four years, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, a tribute to late saxophonist LeRoi Moore, a.k.a. the GrooGrux King. And Big Whiskey? That's a nod to a harmonica-playing peddler in New Orleans's French Quarter who wanted to buy some "big whiskey." Here, whiskey cocktails to toast the band, plus Matthews's two-cheese moussaka with sautéed mushrooms and zucchini (left) and other recipes by his favorite chefs near his farm and winery in Charlottesville, Virginia.

It hasn’t even been a year since Seattle’s Brian McCracken and Dana Tough opened Spur Gastropub, but they are already neck-deep into their next project. Piggybacking onto the speakeasy trend that has been sweeping from East to West, they will debut Tavern Law in late June, a joint project with bartender David Nelson. The trio visited many New York City haunts, such as PDT, Pegu Club and Milk & Honey, to get inspired for their next spot, which will be in the city's new Trace Lofts. When Tavern Law opens, expect to see a chalkboard menu with bar-friendly dishes like their take on the Monte Cristo, with slow-cooked pork shoulder on a brioche bun with huckleberry compote. Nelson, who made the tinctures and bitters for Spur, will offer a new lineup of drinks as well, including his interpretation of a Bourbon Swizzle with lemon juice, falernum and chartreuse.

John T. Edge's fascinating New York Times piece on the Sriracha chile sauce brand Tuong Ot Sriracha details its humble roots—founder David Tran used to grind the peppers from his brother's farm in Vietnam himself—to its now seemingly ubiquitous appeal. (It's sold at Wal-Mart and can be found in all types of restaurant kitchens, from those of superstar chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and current Best New Chef Bryan Caswell to those of national chains like Applebee's.) Clearly, the article resonates with the F&W online team: Several of us have the bright red bottles at our desks (our web designer Jinny Kim even gave online executive editor Rebecca Bauer a 28-ounce bottle as a gift recently). Here, three great recipes that call for the fiery, garlicky, slightly sweet sauce:

Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings “We always have a couple of extra bottles at home, because my stepson blows right through the stuff,” says F&W Best New Chef 1998 Michael Symon of the chile paste.

Soy-Glazed Chicken Yakitori Chef Dean Fearing's take on the delicious skewered meats he ate in a yakitori bar in Tokyo has a hint of heat from Sriracha.

Zee Spotted Pig Bloody Mary Anna Vanderzee's Bloody Mary for New York City's Spotted Pig gets extra heat from the chile puree.

Plus, more dishes prepared with Sriracha can be found here.

 

 

 

It’s debatable who among the F&W staff is the ultimate foodie. F&W’s supertalented senior designer, Mike Patti, is definitely in contention for the title. His recent trip to San Francisco revolved entirely around food. Here, he shares highlights from his aggressive eating itinerary:

Perfect picnic: Sentinel's smoked salmon and fennel sandwich and spicy pork sandwich stuffed with sweet peppers and celery root made for a great, affordable lunch in Golden Gate Park.
 
Artisanal snacks: Tartine's oversize black pepper-cheddar gougère was the standout of my morning. I finished the day with two scoops of brown sugar ice cream with ginger caramel swirl from Bi-Rite Creamery.

Ferry Plaza food marathon: A basket of perfect strawberries from a vendor at the Ferry Plaza market and a cup of Blue Bottle coffee (each cup is individually dripped) was the ultimate breakfast. Dinner at the Slanted Door included a superlight, unexpectedly crispy Vietnamese pancake with shrimp and extraordinarily flavorful wood-roasted clams with pork belly, chiles and Thai basil.

Incredible pizza: At A16, Nate Appleman, one of our 2009 Best New Chefs, prepared fantastic grilled fava beans with chiles and an awesome pizza topped with lemon, asparagus, ricotta and prosciutto. We loved the little honey pot filled with chile oil that came with our meal.

Cocktail revelation. I decided to try Alembic, a cocktail lounge in Haight-Ashbury featured in our new F&W Cocktails 2009 book. My friend is still thinking about the surprising shot of celery juice in her gin-based Southern Exposure.

 

There is fierce debate in Los Angeles over whether Cole’s invented the French dip sandwich, but there is no doubt that an unmarked door in the back of the restaurant is ground zero for the city’s cocktail revival.

Behind that door you will find the Varnish, a dimly lit, slightly underground bar run by Sasha Petraske and Eric Alperin, of New York’s famed Milk & Honey. Two months ago, they brought their brand of civilized, artisanal cocktails to the city of the Rat Pack.

“We’re here to fight the vodka–Red Bulls of the world,” says Alperin, with handcrafted drinks like the Palma Fizz, with vodka, lime, ginger juice and a spray of rosewater. True to their credo, Good Drinks Take Time, all cocktails are made to order, often with a specific patron's preferences in mind, so the bar can only accommodate 50 people at a time. But if you get hungry while waiting for your drink, you don’t have to skip the restaurant’s famed sandwich.

“You can bring in your French dip,” Alperin says. “But you have to get it in a bag to go.”