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Mezcal Takeover – Spicy Dead Lady

I knew I’d love this one when I came across it on Imbibe. I fell madly in love with Aperol in Italy a few years ago and simply do not use it enough. I bought Velvet Falernum for The Keelhauler and haven’t used it since, so I was eager to dust off those two bottles. Plus, I’m a sucker for an all equal-parts cocktail. Thanks to Grant Wheeler of The Garret in NYC for creating it!

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Shake all ingredients together with ice.
Strain into a chilled coupe.
Garnish with a lime wheel if you so desire.

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Thank you to Drizly for sponsoring this post by providing a portion of the ingredients! 

Mezcal Takeover – Dia de Los Valientes

It’s our first Mini Takeover! Three days, three cocktails. This one is exciting. First, we’re focusing on mezcal, an ingredient we’ve yet to experiment with or feature. Second, we had the awesome chance to partner with Drizly to make it happen! Drizly is the leading on-demand alcohol delivery service in the U.S. and Canada. You simply place your order to have beer, wine, or liquor delivered to your doorstep within an hour. They combine the best selection and price, content-rich and personalized shopping experiences, and the speed and convenience of on-demand delivery to Drizly deliver “The Joy of Drinking™” to legal-age drinkers across the United States, including a handful of Southern cities!

You’ve likely heard mezcal described as the “cousin of tequila.” The at once sweet, savory and smoky cousin. In my opinion, it tastes like what would happen if tequila and scotch got together and drank a little too much tequila and scotch and, well, you know…

I’ve got to thank Imbibe for one of the more simple (and much more accurate than my own) explanations of the mezcal process I found: “Unlike tequila, where the hearts of the agave plants are oven-steamed, Mezcal production involves slow-roasting the hearts in covered, underground firepits. The pulp from the smoked agave is then fermented and distilled, resulting in a spirit redolant of the smoke that permeated it early on.” That’s enough learning for now, let’s move on to the drinking, shall we?

First up, Día de los Valientes! This is adapted from the Día Del Muerto cocktail from Atlanta’s Pura Vida, one of our favorite spots that is now closed. The main difference is the use of Mexican Fernet instead of Fernet-Branca. The former is smoother and doesn’t have the explosion of peppermint oil, though it’s just as bitter. You’ve gotta be brave (valiente) for this one. It is dark and it is boozy!

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube – we use a Neat Ice Kit for clear ice.
No garnish.

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Thank you to Drizly for sponsoring this post by providing a portion of the ingredients! 

Phil Sanders – Citizen Supply

full_philsandersPhotographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
All over. Grew up in Kenya but landed in Forsyth in 2001.

Lives in:
Atlata, Georgia

How Citizen Supply came to be:
What started as a pop-up marketplace in our co-working space Foster ATL turned into a full on reality last November. My goal has always been to help bridge the gap between where artists, makers, and entrepreneurs are currently and where they’d like to be. We curate an incredible line-up of brands from local and abroad and brings them to one storefront. We currently have over 75 companies represented in the shop and are growing almost every other week. My favorite project we’re working on now is building out the in-store makers space!

Maker(s) in the shop you’re digging most right now:
Bradley Mountain, Billiam Jeans and Mick Bailey Boards.

Spot(s) you most frequent in PCM:
Biltong Bar is my spot. GREAT cocktails (I’m a whiskey man) and their staff is killer. Botiwalla and Ton Ton are pretty much a daily tradition for me. Spiller Park is also the reason I’m not mad all the time. Need that caffeine.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Phil Sanders, Founder of Citizen Supply in Ponce City Market.

Dale Donchey – Spiller Park

Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
The mean sidewalks of Richmond, Virginia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia (13 years and running)

Y’all say “Coffee So Good We Drink It Ourselves” so gotta ask, what’s your go-to order:
I crush black coffee everyday. Complex, sweet, and bright all day. Which could be me in general in days that end with “y.”

Spot(s) you most frequent at PCM:
I love a lot of the spots in PCM. I’m a lucky guy to have all the delicious things. I’d say that I spend most of my times at Biltong, The Mercury, Minero and King of Pops. And for about a 2 months solid I had pizza at Brezza for lunch.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Dale Donchey, Owner and Partner at Spiller Park in Ponce City Market. “I think that my title is something like Managing Partner, but I like ‘Coach.'” Spend 15 seconds with this guy and he’s your friend, though you’ll likely wish he was your best friend.

Julian Goglia – The Mercury

fullres_mercury-001Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Favorite cocktail on the menu right now:
The original project name for what became The Mercury was actually The Viceroy. We ended up having to change it pretty late in the game, and tweak a few minor aspects of the concept. A lot of our inspiration was pulled from the 50’s & 60’s and really made Brooks, Mike, and I excited about tiki drinks, Scotch, prime rib, and east coast hot spots like Toots Shor. If you’ve never seen pictures of their giant circular bar, it was a behemoth center piece just like ours.

The Ode to Viceroy is honestly one of our favorite drinks on our menu, and will always be a staple cocktail at The Mercury. The zing of fresh ginger and spice of falernum are balanced out by fresh lime juice. The very mild peat from Compass Box’s Great King St. Blend not only mixes amazing well in the drink, but adds a touch of smokiness that pairs well with the period of time that inspired us.

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Go-to cocktail to order elsewhere:
I generally stick with whiskey & water when we’re out and about. At a cocktail bar, I might opt for a Mai Tai or three.

Spot(s) you most frequent at PCM:
I really enjoy hanging at Spiller Park. I’d highly recommend starting your day off with a Piccolo + Toast w/ Jam ‘n Ricotta. Brezza is usually our top choice when the three of us want to step away and relax for a second.

Now would ya look at that:
Julian Goglia, Partner and Beverage Director of The Mercury and The Pinewood. I had a great time a few years ago photographing him at the later while enjoying four of his cocktails. Rest assured that what he’s up to at The Mercury in Ponce City Market is worth a visit. I recommend getting there early, grabbing one of the 35 seats at the bar and trusting any of the folks making your cocktail to whip up anything of their choice. I’ve done this every time I’ve been there and have not been disappointed. Case and point: The Ode to Viceroy. This is not something I’d choose on a list, and when Julian slid it over to me I was still a tad uncertain. But in my experience drinking his creations, it surprises you, goes down real quick and leaves a big smile on your face as you order another.

Carl Caballes – Flordeliza Brand

carl-004Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
Cumming, Georgia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Tell everyone about Flordeliza Brand:
We are a leather accessory design studio seeking to push the lines between minimal and functional with the continual mindset of generosity. It all started in 2014 after someone saw a the first wallet I had made from scrap leather and gave me $500 to invest in some quality leather and tools. I’ve poured hours and hours into my craft and it’s paying off!

What you want people to know most about your products:
They are made by real, genuinely relationally-centered people. Someone told me when I started making waves with the company that they love what I do and to remember that a “wise” person can often be seen as “well-crafted.” That really resonated with me and I made the conscious decision to invest in a few pairs of hands rather than a ton of machinery. You can see this happen at our in-store studio at Citizen Supply at Ponce City Market!

What’s inspiring you right now:
I’ve had the distinct privilege to have some really talented and insightful friends. One such friend is Josh Stewart, an Atlanta composer who just came out with a record called 1850, which he recorded with his friend Dan Snyder in a cabin in North Georgia. Every track on it just feeds into the soul!

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Carl Caballes, Founder and Lead Artisan of Flordeliza Brand. This meeting and photo happened randomly while I was shopping in Citizen Supply. As he mentioned above, you can watch him create beautiful leather works in studio there, and I had to stop by and see what he was working on. He’s such a nice guy with a killer look and products. Go check out what he’s up to!

Mark Made Beer!

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My New Years Resolution was to be a better gift giver. As Mark has taught me over the years, this essentially means to just be a better listener. Over the few months before Mark’s birthday in March, I started to notice how much he was mentioning wanting to learn to brew his own beer. Tada! I listened, and Mark’s birthday present was decided.

Getting into beer brewing is no task for the lazy. As I did research I realized how much equipment that I’d need to purchase just for him to “give it a try,” and potentially not like it or brew a terrible bucket of beer. I had stumbled across Craft a Brew a while back on Huckberry, and it came to mind as I scrolled and skimmed site after site, post after post, about “Beer Brewing for Beginners.” A Brew Your Own Beer box seemed to be the best route to have Mark try his first few batches.

Based in Orlando, Craft a Brew strives to turn “beer lovers into beer brewers and to have customers make the best possible beer in their own kitchen on their first attempt.” If Mark could read (which, by the way, he totally can!), then he could create a drinkable beer.

Mark is now going to take over with his experience! Spoiler alert: the beer is really, really good.

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My buddy Tyler has also been wanting to brew beer, so I thought it’d be a fun thing to tackle together. With only one brew kit but two recipes, we had to wait a while in between the brew processes. We made the Sixpoint Resin IIPA first, followed by the American Pale Ale.
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The Craft a Brew instructions were clear and concise. After following the steps once, it was easier the second time and cut the overall brew time by 15-20 minutes.
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At one point in the brewing process, you’re watching a pot for about an hour which gives you time to talk while enjoying someone else’s beer while you wait. The process from start to finish is truly a waiting game, so it was fun to have someone to check in with throughout the entire process and be excited about the result together. CraftABrew 005CraftABrew 008

Tip: Make sure you have plenty of cheese cloth to speed the process of straining the wort to decrease the amount of sediment that makes it into the bottles.CraftABrew 009CraftABrew 010

More waiting. The beer sits in a cool, dark place for two weeks. Then, you bottle it and it sits in the same place for two more weeks. We chose to save previously used bottles from our recycling can, sanitize and use their Beer Bottle Capping Kit. After that, 24 hours in the fridge before you can crack it open.
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The IIPA on the left and Pale Ale on the right.pharr002CraftABrew 017

Overall, my first brewing process went better than I expected. The steps were clear and the Craft a Brew recipes produced beer very similar to beer I’d buy. Surprisingly, we all preferred the Pale Ale over the Double IPA. Both had a “Belgium-y” taste but it worked with the hops. We’ve already finished ’em all…

If there was one thing I would change about the experience, it would be making beer in larger quantities. It’s a lot of time for a little quantity. We were able to get 8-9 beers out of the one gallon recipe and for the two hours it took, we’d wished we had five gallons to enjoy. I would absolutely do it again in five gallon or larger quantities, but would still recommend this route as a great way to introduce yourself to the process!

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Thanks to Craft a Brew for recommending and hooking us up with the American Pale Ale recipe. Below is what I got for Mark to get him started, and a few other things we recommend if you don’t have them.

Garrett Hilgendorf – Elk Head

garerett002Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
Davison, Michigan

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

How Elk Head came to be:
Elk Head was inspired by the outdoors, but refined in the South, and was the product of my passion for quality menswear.

Describe your designs in 5 words or less:
Minimal, Textured, Earth-toned, Modern, Timeless.

Spot you most frequent in PCM:
Spiller Park.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Garrett Hilgendorf, Founder of Elk Head in Ponce City Market.

Steven Carse – King of Pops

stevencarsePhotographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
Snellville, Georgia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

How King of Pops got it’s start:
King of Pops was started on a whim to do something a little different after getting laid off from a corporate job during the recession in 2009. I was in love with the paleta from Latin America and thought it seemed like something that would make for a very fun summer job. With no real business plan things took off, and we’ve grown with an intention to support local good agriculture and provide a fun product at the same time.

All time favorite flavor:
Banana Puddin’

What sets the Ponce City Market location apart:
Alcohol! We pair pops with cocktails and make special pops that enhance the drinks as they melt. In addition, we have some boozie slushies which is a great way to cool off on the weekend (or any day).Spot you most frequent at PCM:
I love The Mercury. I’m able to momentarily forget where I am, or what I have to do for the rest of the week.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Steven Carse, CEO, Co-Founder and visionary of King of Pops. You’re likely no stranger to their delicious creations but if you are, find one near you in Athens, Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Greenville, Nashville, Richmond and Savannah.

Sonora

mii_6196Photographed in British Columbia, Sonora Island

On our last trip out West this summer, we ventured North to British Columbia for Mark’s cousin’s wedding at Sonora Resort. This was our first visit to B.C. and the resort is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and impressive ones we’ve ever stayed. It can only be accessed by boat or sea plane making you feel a little bit like a movie star. We’re missing the fun, the food, the foggy, cool weather and the seals. Mark snapped this photo on our last afternoon; I was laughing to keep from crying about our trip coming to an end.

  • Helly Hansen W Lyness Coat (c/o). A modernized version of the Fisherman’s raincoat. It was the only jacket that I packed for a 60-70 degree forecast with a chance of rain everyday. Waterproof and windproof but still breathable, it’s the perfect weight and style.
  • Negroni. The Sonora Resort bartenders were my buddies by the end of our four days of all-inclusive cocktails. They take the classic Negroni to the next level by simply adding an ice cube made of coffee. As you sip, it slowly turns into an easy variation of Cold-Brew Negroni.
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