He had Gary at Booze and Vinyl!! This is probably unlike any other episode you’ve ever heard. André Darlington has written two books where he pairs great music with a craft cocktail recipe! And he’s really done his research on the music so he pairs just the right drink.
In this episode:
- How to “slut up” a boring beer
- How to make a GREAT martini
- Staples you should have in your at-home bar
- “Naked & Famous”
- Liquors you probably didn’t know about from around the world
- The place you probably didn’t think about getting liquor from, but should be
- The drink that “devastated” Gary
- Finding dead animals in moonshine
- The “unicorn beer”
- The research behind the book
Quotations:
“Make sure your ice is fresh. If your ice has been sitting next to a bag of shrimp, the chances are, it’s going to have taken on some of the flavors, and you don’t want that.” ~André Darlington
“The other thing, specifically with martinis, is that vermouth is low proof. So you want to have that stored in the refrigerator.” ~André Darlington
“You don’t want the bottom of the shelf–just good level, you know, middle-shelf kind of liquor is what you’re looking for.” ~André Darlington
“Nowadays it could be Paper Planes; it could be Naked and Famous.” ~André Darlington
“What’s interesting is all cocktails come from India in a way. When the British were stationed there, they started making what they called “punch,” which the word for “punch” was originally a Hindu word, meaning “five things.” ~André Darlington
“India is really a fascinating place for cocktails.” ~André Darlington
“You’d be surprised at how many bartenders sneak away and Google it.” ~André Darlington
“You can kind of take a can of beer, especially a not great kind of commercial beer, and just slut it up with all kinds of stuff.” ~André Darlington
Bio:
André Darlington is the author of Booze Cruise: A Tour of the World’s Essential Mixed Drinks and Gotham City Cocktails: Official Handcrafted Food & Drinks From the World of Batman, as well as The Official John Wayne Cocktail Book (Sept 20, “22) and Bar Menu (Oct 18, ‘22). He is co-author of Booze & Vinyl, Booze & Vinyl Vol. 2, The New Cocktail Hour, and TCM’s Movie Night Menus.
In addition to food and beverage writing, André has published two books of poetry. The Prettiest Star was a finalist for INDIES Book of the Year in 2018. Kirkus Reviews called the debut work “breathtaking.” China Bus was an IndieNext Recommended book of 2018 and a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award in 2019.
André has been a columnist for Organic Life magazine, a contributor to Mandarin Quarterly, as well as the alt-weekly, Isthmus, where he was an award-winning food critic and wine columnist. In 2016 he opened the lauded farm-to-table restaurant and natural wine bar, Field Table, designed by JBF award-winning architects, Heliotrope.
André has been a Napa Valley Vintners’ Association Fellow and a judge for the international wine competition, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, as well as for the American Craft Distillers Association. He is a frequent guest speaker for companies, non-profits, and clubs such as Google, The Smithsonian, ThinkCompany, and Park House Dallas.