ASCB '10

Couple of quick opportunities for artists, curators, mixologists, and those of you who self-identify as all of the above:

Art Star is accepting applications for their 7th annual Art Star Craft Bazaar. The rules say that up to two artists may share a booth, but collectives are allowed to apply as a group. It would be awesome to see some collectives and more art-orientated artists showing works at the popular event which always gets lots of press and foot traffic. To apply, go here.

Pterodactyl

Have a fabulous idea for a show but no place to exhibit it? Pterodactyl has an open call to curators right now. Information on their website. You need to have a solid concept, an idea of what artists might go in the show, as well as images of artists work. They also accept ongoing artists submissions.

In booze news, Art in the Age is looking for ROOT recipes yet again. Got a nummy one? Make a quick video of yourself and post it to their blog. Press release here. As always with ROOT, you could win more ROOT.

A shot of ROOT

ArtinBars devotees may remember my disappointing ROOT trip to National Mechanics over the summer. You know, when I went there to try one of the Art in the Ages flagship bar’s signature ROOT cocktails. Except they didn’t have one. OK, fine. I went again and they still don’t have anything, months later. So my friend and I simply had ROOT on the rocks, in lieu of topping it off with soda, which was our other option. So, I’ve thought about this second trip and I have 3 very important points to make, so I have broken them down:

1.) Consistency and creativity of the product: Why does Art in the Age promote places to drink ROOT in bars when the bars have no idea what to do with it? I have been to several places that have promoted ROOT, and either the place doesn’t have it, or doesn’t know how to make a drink with it. As a consumer it doesn’t make me trust the producers or the product.

2.) Price: Don’t get me wrong, I love a good, cheap drink. Happy hours, midnight specials, dive bars, I’ve done them all. But I am also willing to pay a pretty penny for a well-crafted cocktail. Creations with rare ingredients or house made liqueurs. Something I can’t get anywhere else in this whole metropolis. My point? National Mechanics charges $10 for ROOT plus ice. And when an entire bottle of ROOT is $32.99 at any liquor store in Philly it seems a little silly to pay $10 for 4oz.

3.) As of this article I am done discussing ROOT. I still think it is good, and will continue to buy it by the bottle, but I will not longer search for ROOT events or drinks around town. I sort of feel like I’ve wasted 5 months doing so. If no one else cares about this product’s potential then neither will I. I don’t work for Art in the Age; I am only a consumer that believed that this one of a kind, specialty spirit could change the local palette?

I’ve had some really good times at National Mechanics, and it is by far one of the most tolerable places in Old City and I’ve only been disappointed on ROOT specific excursions.

Stay bubbly Philadelphia!

Some ingredients

Earlier this week I met up with mixologist Jenn to discuss the Art in the Age / Brat Productions Poe Cocktail contest. Jenn is very pleased with the ROOT product, and has been experimenting since the spirit’s inception with her own concoctions. We’ve sipped and surmised on several occasions before. The general conciseness is that because there’s so many flavor compounds in root, any cocktail made from it needs to pick a few of those flavors to play up. At the cocktail competition, it appeared as though many of the bartenders/trixes were doing the opposite – adding even more flavors to the party.

Jenn is also a fan of,  shall we say, strong drinks. It was her personal goal to make a cocktail with ROOT as the star, with very little watering-down mixers. She whipped up 6 (?) different sample cocktails before I had to go to work, all incorporating ROOT. Some were coffee and cream based, one played to the vanilla notes, another to the citrus and licorice. Ginger, lemon, and cinnamon were experimented with.

"The Sleeper"

Jenn also infuses her own spirits, so she was able to craft beverages that the judges would not be able to duplicate. These included a blueberry-ginger infusion that was interesting, and although delicious, we decided to stick with ingredients available at the local liquor store.

So what is my choice for the cocktail she should submit? Ah, if I told you you might steal the concept. These are very serious things, cocktail competitions. I will say that this is a picture of it at right, and I propose Jenn call it “The Sleeper” after the Poe poem of the same name, particularly from this line “An opiate vapor, dewy, dim, / Exhales from out her golden rim”

There’s still time to enter. Submit your POE inspired ROOT cocktail by October 1st to nam@artintheage.com. The winning cocktail will be featured at Poe‚Äôs Ghosts, a program hosted by Art in the Age featuring Brat Productions. October 13, 2009 from 6pm-8pm

Happy mixing.

Root

We never ended up doing a formal rundown of the ROOT event (I had fun, other contributors hated it, we all agree it was too hard to get a drink) but it surely inspired us to plunk down the cash to invest in ROOT for our homes and get our mixologist on. The partner & I even brought a bottle out to Portland to show the West Coast what Philly’s doing. While out there I invented a drink called the Maiden Aunt. (Root, seltzer, spritz of lemon. Not the most innovative, but your spinster relatives will love getting trashed off it.) Back in Philly town, I met up with resident spirit infuser and cocktail concocter Jenn. We had some ROOT and discussed possible ingredients to play up some flavors and mellow others, because there’s so much going on.¬† We stirred it with a cinnamon stick, considered citrus verses creams. Well, it’s time to put all that armchair bartendering to the test.

Art in the Age and Bratt productions are hosting a challenge to the non-professional drink markers of this city. Themed to the¬† work of Edgar Allan Poe, the challenge is use ROOT to create a Poe-inspired cocktail. It could be based on a poem or story, or just a nice line. The Pit and the Pendulum.¬†The Nevermore. Or, perhaps, The Rue Morgue Murderer (spoiler alert: it’s an orangutan owned by a sailor.¬† Cointreau and Sailor Jerry, maybe?)¬† I’m not sure how you get a drink out of “the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain” but sounds like a nice challenge. Submissions must be received by October 1st to nam@artintheage.com. More info can be found at the AitA website. Also on the site, information on where in the city you can find ROOT, and what bars and restaurants are making what mixed drinks with it. You know, for research.

Where I'll be tonight.

You’ve heard the buzz about town about Root. You know it’s¬† developing a local following. You know it’s Jenn’s new favorite spirit. But have you experienced it?

I, honestly, have not. I am very intrigued, but also a little hesitant. I have a dubious history with non alcoholic root beer, a very boring story about my little sister always ordering it, not drinking it, and then my parents commanding me to finish hers against my will. This sort of¬† negative association¬† has conditioned me to be not very fond of root beer. But, I love herbaceous spirits and infusions, and word about town is Root avoids being sweet or cloying. Rather than plunk down the cash for a whole bottle of experimentation, tonight I’ll be attending the¬† Root cocktail competition at Silk City.

The most exciting aspect about this event is to see (or rather, taste) all sorts of clever applications of this unique and versatile booze.  So not only do I get to taste Root, I get to taste what the finest mixologists of the city have developed with it. I think I may get tore up. Something like a dozen barkeeps will be on hand presenting their best cocktail, which I understand will then be judged by a fine panel of experts, such as Arthur Etchells of foobooz, Victor Fiorillo of Philadelphia Magazine, George Costa manger of Southwark (renown among lad mags throughout the country as the best place to get a Manhattan in Philadelphia,) and sommelier Marnie Old, which are names that should spark somewhere in your head if you spend enough time exploring the local blogulous. Like, sigh, I do.

Woodward's skull made of pidgeons

The best beverage of the evening earns its creator a gift certificate to AiA and the recipe will be featured on the website. Local glory, story to tell the grandkids, and subsequent use of cocktail for pr purposes are assumed, if not stated. The MC of the evening will be MR. 10 Fingers (hmm, I’m awful about local pseudonyms, but I think that is that Space 1026er / now head of Art in the Age artist Ben Woodward – I love his work.) The event will feature complimentary hors d‚Äôoeuvres and reduced price ($5) ROOT cocktails. See you there, kids.

The ROOT Cocktail Competition
Silk City Garden
435 Spring Garden St.
7-9