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On the Shelves at Total Wine!

6/28/2023

Pop a cork!

It's taken months, but it's finally done: Batch 22 is on the shelves at Total Wine.

Last week we received initial orders from all 32 stores in California (we don't yet have retail distribution in other states) and Batch 22 is being stocked right now at all locations.

Currently, Total Wine has 4 locations in San Diego County, plus 1 in Temecula. There are more than 6 locations in the greater Los Angeles area, 9 in the Bay Area, and a dozen more from Tustin to Folsom to Sacramento. Nationwide, there are more than 240 stores in 27 states.

Getting on the shelves was the hard part, but our work is not over. Now that we're officially available, we'll be spending many hours visiting each location for staff trainings and customer tastings. In fact, a road trip from San Diego to the Bay Area is currently in the planning stages. We'll keep you updated on the details as soon as they are firmed up, and we'll be sure to document our travels as we go.

If you have a Total Wine near you, please pay them a visit and ask the staff where you can find a bottle of Batch 22. And, if you're so inclined, be sure to mention it to all your friends so they can do the same!

You can get all the store information you need at totalwine.com.

The image of 750ml bottle has not yet been uploaded by the corporate office—that's in the works.

Gaining this level of statewide availability and exposure is a huge thing for us and we're so happy to have all of you to tell about it.

Cheers!

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World's Most Iconic Bars: Harry's New York Bar

6/18/2023

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What do you feel like drinking tonight? How about a Monkey Gland?

The Monkey Gland is just one of dozens of iconic cocktails created by the legendary barman Harry MacElhone at Harry's New York Bar in Paris (you can find the recipe at the end of this article).

Few bars rise to the level of true legends in the industry, so we thought it would be fun to start a series of profiles about the greatest of the great.

The original Harry's New York Bar, located in Paris, France, at 5 Rue Daunou, has been around for more than a century. Former American star jockey Tod Sloan bought the place in 1911 and converted it from a bistro to a bar. Its initial name, "New York Bar," was a literal description; Sloan actually dismantled a bar from Manhattan and shipped to Paris. He then hired a talented and ambitious Scottish barman named Harry MacElhone to run the bar.

Early on in the 20th century, Paris became exceedingly popular with American artists, writers, and tourists. As visitors and ex-pat populations increased, Sloan wanted to capitalize on his fame in America. He also wanted to make his bar a spot where expatriates would feel at home. His bar did become widely popular, but Sloan's financial incompetence, coupled with overspending on a lavish personal lifestyle, forced him to sell the place.

In 1923, barman MacElhone bought the bar from his former employer and added his name to it. Harry would be the talent and force that made Harry's American Bar a legendary Parisian landmark. Harry's is widely credited with being the birthplace of classic cocktails like the French 75, the Sidecar, The Monkey Gland and the world-famous Bloody Mary.

By the late 1920s, Harry's had become famous as the "go to" place for the world's chic jet set. Sitting at the bar, one could regularly spot royals, Hollywood stars, sports legends, business titans, and renowned writers enjoying Harry's offerings. Sinclair Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth, and the Duke of Windsor were all regulars. George Gershwin supposedly composed "An American in Paris" at Harry's "Ivories" piano bar.

When Harry died in 1958, his son Andrew took over and ran the bar until 1989. His son, Duncan, inherited the bar and ran it until his death in 1998, when his widow, Isabelle MacElhone took charge of the operation. The MacElhone family still runs the establishment to this day.

Monkey Gland

Harry MacElhone created this cocktail at Harry's in the 1920s. It supposedly got its name from a pseudo-scientific theory that became popular in the 1920s, which theorized that grafting tissue from a monkey testicle into humans would boost longevity.

In a shaker with ice combine:

1.5 oz. gin
1.5 oz. fresh orange juice
1 tsp. grenadine
1 tsp. absinthe

Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with orange wheel.

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More Great Honors for Batch 22

6/13/2023

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We are happy to announce (flaunt?) two more very nice awards we recently received for Batch 22. These two are especially gratifying because they come from a collection of judges we haven't previously heard from: One competition was judged by spirits consumers in a completely blind tasting and the other competition was judged by pro bartenders from successful and influential bars around the country.

Innovation Award from SIP Awards

Last week, we learned that Batch 22 won a prestigious Innovation Award in the 2023 World Spirits Competition, which is organized by SIP. The SIP Awards are the only internationally recognized consumer judging spirits competition. A unique event that highlights the opinions and palates of the discerning public, the SIP Awards present a judging venue that is unaffected by industry bias and where top brands go head-to-head with small and medium-sized brands in a completely blind tasting.

The competition organizers explain that, "the Innovation Award applauds spirits with an interesting and unique taste profile or design. Consumer judges deem these spirits as innovative and groundbreaking by highlighting them with this exclusive recognition."

According to the organization, the SIP Awards were created with a simple question in mind, “What about the consumer’s opinion?" The goal was to fill this void, bringing the people who regularly consume spirits together to decide which brands deserve this prestigious award. "We set out to create a fair competition by strategically choosing consumers from all demographics, conceiving an event that cuts to the core of public opinion as a starting point, rather than an afterthought, in branding and product development."

This year, there were a total of 304 consumer judges evaluating a wide variety of spirits categories from a record-setting 1,382 entrants.

Gold Medal from Bartender Spirits Awards

Last week also brought news of a Gold Medal win for Batch 22 at the 4th Annual 2022 Bartender Spirits Awards, which took place in San Francisco in May.

According to the BSA, "the Bartender Spirits Awards looks to identify spirits that should become additions to bar inventories. The aim of the spirits competition is to provide independent and honest reviews for brands looking to enter the U.S. on-premise industry."

The Beverage Trade Network, a leading online platform dedicated to connecting the global beverage industry, is the organizer of the competition, which aims to help beverage professionals connect with peers and understand the global business landscape. The BTN also hosts nearly 20 other major competitions around the world.

"This competition recognizes that bartenders are the true influencers," the official statement from the BSA reads, "Their passions and tastes provide direction for the consumer, especially via their guidance with wine, beer or spirit recommendations. The creation of new drinks is often driven by bartender tastes and perceptions of current trends."

Medal recognition from the BSA is a highly sought after accolade; it's the ultimate seal of approval in the global spirits on-premise industry. Spirits were judged in five major categories: Mixability, Balance and Versatility, Taste, Mouthfeel and Finish, Package & Price. Batch 22's overall score was 93 points out of 100, which included a 98-point score for Taste, Mouthfeel and Finish, and a score of 97 for Balance and Versatility. Only five aquavits won medals, and Batch 22 had the highest score in that group. The high score also qualifies Batch 22 to be listed in BTN's "Top 100 Spirits Guide."

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Great Homage Cocktails, Part 1

6/6/2023

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Great bartenders and mixologists are often inspired to create cocktails that honor the specific tastes and drinking habits of their regulars, especially when they are famous people. Some Hollywood legends—Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, for example—didn't have habits that were well suited to creating cocktails; Sinatra loved Jack Daniels on the rocks, and that's it. Elvis was a big peanut butter and banana fan; tough ingredients to work with if you want something other than a silly umbrella drink.

In the recent past, bars have created signature cocktails to honor everyone from Taylor Swift to David Bowie to Tom Cruise to Pink Floyd, and the list goes on. Those are fun, but none of them have been around long enough to be considered established "classics." A few, however, like the three that follow, have definitely stood the test of time. They may not be common orders at your local watering hole, but they're worth trying when you're in the mood to sip a little something special from the past.

Charlie Chaplin
In the early years of the 20th century, Charlie Chaplin was the world's most famous funny man. By 1915, he was an international cultural phenomenon and was earning an unprecedented salary of $10,000 per week. By 1919, he had co-founded his own film distribution company—United Artists—and controlled the creation, production, and marketing of all the films he made.
This cocktail was first created in 1920, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. This legendary hotel has actually been the home of many great cocktail innovations since it was founded in 1893.

The Charlie Chaplin
In a shaker with ice, combine:

1 part Sloe gin
1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
1 part apricot brandy
*Optional: 1/4 part simple syrup, if you prefer cocktails on the sweeter side

Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe

Winston Churchill
Britain's most famous Prime Minister was a well-known gourmand—he had a voracious appetite for the finer things in life, loved cigars and raw oysters, but he was not a huge fan of cocktails. He did, however, love his wine, whisky, and his brandy. He often watered his whisky down, which he drank throughout the day (from breakfast—which regularly featured a bottle of Pol Roger champagne—onward) but he never watered down his brandy.
Legendary Savoy Hotel Barman, Joe Gilmore, created this whisky-lover's cocktail in Churchill's honor. The Savoy today remains London's oldest surviving cocktail bar.

The Winston Churchill
In a shaker with ice, combine:

1 1/2 oz. blended scotch whisky
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (preferably Dolin rouge)
1/2 oz. lime juice, freshly squeezed

Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with orange peel.

Marilyn Monroe
Like Chaplin, Elvis, and James Dean, images of Marilyn Monroe still evoke the grandeur and glamour of old Hollywood. Though she struggled all her life to be taken seriously as an actress, she eventually became a universal sex symbol and the embodiment of the idealized "good life."
This martini variation, created at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, is a cocktail homage to the world-famous actress, who had a special penchant for martinis and was also a legendary lover of champagne.

The Marilyn Monroe

3/4 oz. apple brandy
1 teaspoon grenadine
3/4 cup champagne or sparkling wine
2 maraschino cherries

Shake the brandy and grenadine over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with chilled champagne and garnish with cherries.

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On the Shelves at Total Wine!

World's Most Iconic Bars: Harry's New York Bar

More Great Honors for Batch 22

Great Homage Cocktails, Part 1

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On the Shelves at Total Wine!

World's Most Iconic Bars: Harry's New York Bar

More Great Honors for Batch 22

Great Homage Cocktails, Part 1

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Visit Our Website​

Contact Us

Subscribe toOur Newsletter​

Archives

Visit Our Store

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