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Inventory for May 17th, 2015

News, like always! This week starts off with some sad news as the distiller who got hurt in the Silver Trail Distillery explosion dies. The Artesian opens up a branch in Hong Kong, Disaronno’s Dutch Mixing Star finalists are announced, Wes Anderson opens a bar in Milan, and Greg Seider finally gets to speak his mind about the modern mixologist. Enjoy!

 

American readers might have seen the Jon Favreau movie ‘Chef’ already, but things tend to happen a bit slower on the continent. This Wednesday Markthalle Neun will host a screening the film, alongside a presentation of the newly published book on Street Food Culture (yes – that’s all caps) and a discussion around all things food truck.

1) One Dead in Distiller Explosion

Last month  a “massive equipment failure” caused an explosion at the Silver Trail Distillery in Hardin County, Kentucky. The Spirits Business reports that the assistant to the second distiller Kyle Rogers was critically injured and that he was taken off life support just a few days ago. No official cause has yet been announced for the accident. Silver Trailer’s founder and master distiller Spencer Balentine wrote on the distillery’s Facebook page: “Kyle carved his name on our hearts and left a legacy etched in our minds and then like all moonshine legends before him, he was gone”.

2) The Artesian goes to Hong Kong

Named one as the world’s top bar three years in a row, The Artesian just opened up a second location in Hong Kong. The local bar manager is Nepal-born Rajendra (Rush) Limbu, who’s gained experience in many of HK’s finest bars. Liquor.com reports that Limbu will strive to “capture the city, blending Chinese historical and cultural references with a modern viewpoint”.

He’s already stirred up some controversy with his Golden Phoenix cocktail, which is made of the expensive remains of dried and hardened bird saliva. Mixed with Bourbon, egg white, and gold foil it’s said to add “a sweet element to the cocktail”. The Artesian boasts with a wide menu, the bar is home to Hong Kong’s most extensive bourbon list.

3) Disaronno Mixing Star 2015

The 10 finalists for the Disaronno Mixing Star 2015 have just been announced. The list includes Timo Janse and Kevin Kroon of Amsterdam’s Door 74, Marcel van der Ben and Daniel Lansbergen of Utrecht’s Behind Bars, and Michael John Straatman of The Hague’s Spark. The Dutch finals will take place on June 1st at The Grand in Amsterdam, finalists must present themselves to the jury in two rounds and the winner wins an all-expenses trip to the Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

4) Wes Anderson Walks into A Bar

… and decides to design one himself. Inside the newly opened Fondazione Prada, in Milan, Wes Anderson’s imagination was allowed to run wild and he created a real, live counterpart to his movie sets. The Bar Luce was inspired by old-school Milanese cafés. Guests will find many classic Andersonian eye catchers – from arched ceilings, to the perfectly retro schoolhouse clock, and pinball machines. Wired doesn’t give much information on the bar menu, but seeing as it just opened on May 9th we’re sure there will be more reports.

5) Greg Seider Modern Mixologists

Last week Greg Seider spoke to Travel + Leisure and gave his honest opinion on pretty much everything. Written in first person he denounces this generation of bartenders and laments the fact that no one knows how to make a pitch-perfect old-fashioned anymore. He says that “Art is mastering your craft and then communicating it to the world. What “mixology” is missing the most is that original creative energy” and that that creative can’t exist when using someone else’s recipes and adding bitters and liqueurs.

When ordering a bourbon-based drink, he wants to taste the bourbon! In his opinion, bartenders have lost the art of balance and the fascination with adding ingredients or how the menu looks has superseded the most important and obvious element of a great cocktail—taste. All this grumbling gives way to no tips on how to improve. Though any good bartender worth his shaker should pick up on what’s written between the lines.

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Foto: Men via Shutterstock

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