What kind of cocktails?  What kind of gigs? What are you talking about?  So, a bit about us.  We are a married, sort of retired couple in our mid 50’s.  We live in Los Angeles and we travel…a lot.  But, our travel is a bit different.  Through a weird series of events over the past 15 years we’ve become really good friends with a number of touring punk rock bands.  So we structure our travel around these tours in order to hang out with our friends in the bands and people we’ve met over the years as well as visit places around the world.  We’ve been to hundreds of shows over the years and visited most of the US , Europe and Australia. 

But this blog isn’t really about that.  A few years ago, we were in Spokane, Washington after a show by Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls.  We went to a local bar with a couple of the guys in the band.  The bar was called the Volstead Act and it was a craft cocktail bar.  It was the first time either of us had been in a true craft bar.  I don’t even remember what I had.  My wife had some variation of a Rusty Nail.  But watching the bartender make the drinks with precision and flair and reading the menu with exotic ingredients and unusual names really struck a chord in me. 

We returned home and I did what I often do when something new comes to my attention…I went completely over the top.  In no time, I had acquired a nearly 100 bottle collection of spirits and liqueurs along with all the bar equipment needed to pretend to be a bartender.  I had a number of books and was soon shaking and stirring out classic old cocktails and even trying to invent a few of my own.  I found that I had a bit of a flair for it.  Living in Los Angeles, of course, offers a lot of chances to visit some fantastic bars and we started checking out some of the more well know local places and developing an appreciation for the art of crafting cocktails.  And obviously, we began to seek out well regarded bars during our travels.  We have found that in the most unlikely cities, there are great bars.  In fact, I believe that in every mid sized city and larger there’s at least one bar where great cocktails are made…you just have to find it.  And in cities like New York and San Francisco, there are more bars than you can visit and stay healthy.

Recently, I was recounting some of our travel to a filmmaker friend and he urged me to start writing about the travel.  I’ve thought about that before, but a lot of what we do is fly from city to city and stay in a hotel and go to a show.  Sometimes interesting stuff happens with the bands, but those aren’t my stories to tell.   But we discussed it further and the idea of writing about craft cocktails and travel and drinks sounded like something that could be interesting…so here we are.

First off, what is a craft cocktail bar?  In my mind I have a very clear picture of what that means and whether a bar fits the bill.  There are all kinds of bars in the world…sports bars, dive bars, pubs, wine bars and on and on.  But I think a craft cocktail bar is a special niche characterized by most or all of the following traits:

1.  Its generally a smaller place with a quiet vibe.  Often times the bar is a hidden speakeasy or has very low key signage…you generally have to be looking for it to find it.

2.  Each drink is hand made by the bartender who takes the time to precisely measure and prepare the drink.  You won’t see many drinks made with free hand pours and there is definitely not a beverage gun.

3.  The bar will generally have a menu of their own creations and perhaps a few favored classics.  But there are extensive off menu options.  The bartenders should have command of a wide selection of classics and often new drinks they are working on.  The bar will stock a wide selection of liquor and other ingredients to facilitate a wide choice.  Many of the ingredients such as syrups, shrubs and bitters will be house made.

4.  Most importantly, the bartenders will engage in trying to find the best possible cocktail for you, whether a classic, a menu item or something they develop on the spot.  That’s the true essence of craft cocktailing and what I enjoy the most about it.  The bars tend to limit the number of customers to allow for that interaction.  And prices are higher and you might have to wait for your drink.  But, there’s great enjoyment in asking for a bartenders choice with only a base spirit named and perhaps one other descriptor such as “boozy” added and getting a previously unknown cocktail that is perfectly made, served in a elegant glass and well garnished.

So, what are some bars that I’ve found that I consider great.  I currently consider Union Lodge No. 1, in Denver to be my favorite American craft cocktail bar.  They focus on pre-prohibition era cocktails and Colin, the lead mixologist has an encyclopedic knowledge of spirits and how they pair together,  Its got all the elements I listed above, but mostly when you sit down, you just know that some world class cocktails and conversation are about to happen.

But, in all the world…the bar that I’ve found that approaches and achieves perfection is L’Fleur in Prague.  Vitezslav, the manager/head bartender is a God among men.  Every drink is perfectly prepared with a beautiful presentation down to the use of aroma as part of the drink experience.  I’ve been there 3 times and each time was a religious experience.  I’m not sure what more they could do to improve unless it was to open a second location within a mile of my home.

That’s enough for a first entry,  I’ll have a post up soon about a recent trip that hit a number of great American bars.  I think that I will also have one on some of my favorite classic cocktails.