Ariel of Magpie attends ~Tales of the Cocktail~ in The Big Easy
Exploring Sacramento’s Terroir through Magpie’s Farm-First Cocktail List, by Ariel
In June this year I was awarded an Educational Scholarship through Slow Food International, Imbibe Magazine, Campari and the Negroni Week Fund to join a team of twelve scholarship recipients at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans…. And on July 19th I flew to Louisiana to do just that.
As many of you know I have been working as a server for Magpie for over a decade. Three years ago I was promoted to lead bartender. I’ve been working these past few years to develop a beverage program at Magpie that mirrors the same values and standards of excellence shown in our cuisine. And what a wonderful task! With our central location in the Central Valley, it only makes sense to utilize the bounty of the farmland that surrounds us and the vast network of relationships with local growers that owners Ed and Janel have been building for decades.
The evening before the conference began, Slow Food International’s Bilal Sarwari hosted a welcome dinner for all of the scholarship recipients at N7 in NOLA, named Best New Restaurant in America by Bon Appetit in 2016. We were joined by Danny Childs, author of Slow Drinks and Paul Clarke, editor in chief of Imbibe Magazine for a delicious dinner & scrumptious conversation. Our team bonded immediately. Twelve strangers from around the world with one common thread; we’re all working in our own communities to develop and promote Slow Food values within our beverage programs. And what a wonderfully inspiring group of people! So much passion and drive for change; such excitement for the future of hospitality. And for me; such an incredible gift to spend time with peers exchanging ideas, recipes, and successes within our own programs. It was sure to be an incredible week together!
On day one I attended a seminar on Synesthesia. The speaker, Mike Groener, spoke on experiencing flavor as a multi sensory experience. Can we taste in color? Can we smell a memory? Can we learn to produce flavor profiles like we produce music; bringing ingredients together with special attention paid to “volume” and “pitch” to create beverages that conjure a multi-sensory experience. It’s nerdy, I know. And SO MUCH FUN!!!
The next morning before the seminars started our group drove out to visit the Crescent City Farmer’s Market. I absolutely love visiting markets in other cities because of how regional ingredients always are. And what better souvenir than something you can eat?! I bought salsa made with chilies I had never tried, peanut butter made by the growers themselves, and butterfly pea flowers from a Vietnamese woman’s cooperative. I also had the pleasure of meeting Ben Burkett, a farmer and activist in Mississippi who was recognized with a leadership award from the James Beard Foundation in 2014 for his work in helping farmers in rural areas gain access to federal and state funding and technical assistance. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Slow Food USA. Ben told us that some of the farmers at Crescent City Market travel up to 300 miles to sell there. Wishing I had a kitchenette in my hotel room, I snacked on peaches while browsing and then bought as many non-perishable things as I could travel home with!
Later that afternoon I attended a seminar on Minerality in Cocktails, taught by Hardeep Rehal of Flavour Think Tank. We spent an hour discussing the component of minerality; a common term in the world of wine but rarely utilized in cocktails. Prized for both structure and mouthfeel, ingredients such as shell, stone, clay, and raw minerals can be used as tools for expanding and taming flavor and the acid/alkaline balance. More nerdy stuff. I was in heaven.
I also attended two very inspiring panel discussions. The first was led by Tiffany Nurrenbern of Slow Food USA on the topic of The Future of Taste and the importance of soil regeneration & financial support for domestic farmers to implement these practices. She encouraged us to think about our current farming climate and the impact it has on the quality of our food. Together we imagined a future where all farms focus on regenerative farming and sustainable practices. We discussed the importance of giving back to the soil which feeds us all.
The second panel discussion was led by Jim Meehan of The Bartender’s Pantry, Danny Childs of Slow Drinks, Leslie Merinoff Kwasnieski of Matchbook Distilling, and Bilal Sarwari of Slow Food International. They showcased the importance of utilizing fresh ingredients, specifically heirloom varieties and those found on the Ark of Taste; a catalogue of endangered heritage foods. We listened as they inspired us with contagious excitement for the unparalleled quality of flavor that can be found when using such ingredients and the importance of slowing down beverage production and creating with intention.
The following days were spent in seminars focusing on a variety of topics including Rare Spirits of Mexico, Flavor Extraction, and one of my favorite topics… DILUTION!! We spent almost two solid hours discussing the role of ice and its importance in manipulation of temperature and flavor. We also analyzed the alcohol, sugar, acid ratios of cocktails with the use of charts, spreadsheets, and advanced algebra. I'll spare you the details.
Yes, I was able to balance out my seminar days with fun filled NOLA nights. Lots of walking around the French Quarter with my cohorts, exploring jazz clubs and absinthe bars. Peeking into the windows of Art Galleries and museums and talking for hours about “back-home” and the things in life that make us light up. And those of you who know me will not be surprised to hear that I snuck in some antique-ing in the Garden District, ate more oysters than I can count and even got caught in the torrential downpour of a surprise thunderstorm. Check, check, check.
What does Sacramento Taste Like?
After a week of Seminars, Panel Discussions and parties, I flew home with a head full of conversations and ideas to bring back to Magpie. My task is a fun one; to build on the network of alliances with local farmers already set in place by Magpie and to identify/express the terroir of the Sacramento Valley through our beverage program. This is all just a long winded way to say we’re doing really cool things over here at Magpie Cafe and check out the Cocktail List! Please stop in, say hi, sip & snack on our seasonal offerings. We can even talk “dilution & flavor building” if your heart desires. Looking forward to seeing you!
-Ariel of Magpie