We’ve just received word that Left Coast Libations has been nominated for Best Cocktail Book of the Year by Tales of the Cocktail. This is big news for us! Tales is probably the highest visibility spirits and cocktail industry event in the US…maybe on the planet. Thanks to all of you who sent in nominations a few months back when we asked!

The winner will be announced at a dinner in New Orleans in mid-July. Nothing is assured and competition is very stiff (including a book by perennial favorite author David Wondrich—we are in good company if nothing else).

Should LCL take home the big fish (actually I think it’s a glass plaque thingie), it will definitely be cause for celebration. Should we lose, we’ll be expecting you all to buy us condolence shots.

Keep those fingers crossed!

P.S. Here’s a copy of the announcement…

New Orleans, LA – June 1, 2011 — Nominees have been chosen by a group of esteemed members of the cocktail industry for the prestigious Spirited Awards™. The Ceremony will be held in New Orleans on Saturday, July 23, 2011 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater, as part of the international festival, Tales of the Cocktail® have been chosen.

This year, the judging committees left it was time to add three new categories, Best High Volume Cocktail Bar to be awarded to the top bar that consistently delivers top quality cocktails at bars with 100 seats or more. This award celebrates those bars that deliver cocktail culture to the masses efficiently. Cocktails, lists, bartending, and service are all considered, as well as, Best Restaurant Bar to be awarded to the top restaurant bar that is dedicated to creating a great cocktail experience for their dining guests. Considerations will go to the approach they have to Aperitif and Digestive drinks, how well they work with the kitchen to pair cocktails with food, as well as general bartending and mixing excellence. And finally, the award for Best Cocktail Writing has been divided into two subcategories, Non-Book Publication and Author. The Non-Book category celebrates publications as a whole for their excellence in overall writing. The Author category awards individual writers for their contributions to furthering information, knowledge and interest in cocktail culture.

Through its annual Spirited Awards™, Tales of the Cocktail® provides recognition to those individuals and establishments that have shown an outstanding talent for advancing the craft of the cocktail. To embody the ideals with which Tales of the Cocktail® was originally founded, these awards will recognize both national and international honorees who will receive exclusive Riedel Crystal awards.

Pernod Ricard USA is proud to be the sponsor of this year’s 5th Annual Spirited Awards™ for the company’s fourth year in a row- recognizing industry leaders and innovators. For the past 8 years, Tales of the Cocktail® has brought together an incredible group of suppliers, bartenders, writers and the most authoritative experts in the industry- all acting as partners in the celebration and appreciation of cocktail culture. In presenting the Spirited Awards™ and as the industry leader in bartender education, Pernod Ricard USA applauds each participant and nominee. Also, as part of the evening’s celebration, Beverage Media Group, Inc. will recognize 10 Up & Coming Mixologists, selected from participants of the Tales of the Cocktail Apprentice Program.

Awards to be announced at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards™ on Saturday, July 23, 2011 in New Orleans at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Tickets can now be purchased online at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com.

Please see below for a complete list of nominee according to category.

American Bartender of the Year
Eric Alperin, Los Angeles, California
Kenta Goto, New York City, New York
Misty Kalkofen, Boston, Massachusetts
Sam Ross, New York City, New York
Joaquin Simo, New York City, New York

Best American Brand Ambassador
Colin Asare-Appiah, U’luvka Vodka
Jacques Bezuidenhout, Partida Tequila
Jamie Gordon, Absolut Vodka
Jim Ryan, Hendrick’s Gin

Best American Cocktail Bar
Clover Club, New York City, New York
Drink, Boston, Massachusetts
Employees Only, New York City, New York
The Varnish, Los Angeles, California

Best Bar Mentor
Wayne Collins, London, England
Steve Olson, New York City, New York
Audrey Saunders, New York City, New York
Dushan Zaric, New York City, New York

Best High Volume Cocktail Bar
Eastern Standard, Boston, Massachusetts
Flatiron Lounge, New York City, New York
Florida Room, Miami, Florida
Rickhouse, San Francisco, California

Best Cocktail Writing – Non Book
BarlifeUK.com
Imbibe USA
Liquor.com
Tasting Panel Magazine

Best Cocktail Writing – Author
Toby Cecchini, New York City, New York
Camper English, San Francisco, Francisco
Darcy O’Neil, London, Ontario
Naren Young, New York City, New York

Best International Brand Ambassador
Ian Burrell
Claire Smith, Belvedere Vodka
Dan Warner, Beefeater Gin
Angus Winchester, Tanqueray Gin

Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
Fix the Pumps by Darcy O’Neill
Left Coast Libations by Ted Munat & Michael Lazar*
Punch by David Wondrich
Speakeasy by Dushan Zaric and Jay Kosmas

Best New Product
Bank’s Rum
Cocchi Americano**
Smith & Cross Rum
Tequila Calle 23

Best Restaurant Bar
The Drawing Room, Chicago, Illinois
Eleven Madison Park, New York City, New York
Hawksmoor Seven Dials, London, England
Hix, London, England

International Bartender of the Year
Erik Lorincz, London, England
Dre Masso, London, England
Sam Ross, New York City, New York
Dushan Zaric, New York City, New York

World’s Best Cocktail Bar
69 Colebrooke Row, London, England
Dry Martini, Barcelona, Spain
Employees Only, New York City, New York
High Five, Tokyo, Japan

World’s Best Cocktail Menu
Artesian at The Langham, London, England
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Mayahuel, New York City, New York
Sanctuaria, St. Louis, Missouri

World’s Best Drinks Selection
Artesian at The Langham, London, England
Cure, New Orleans, Louisiana
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Employees Only, New York City, New York

World’s Best Hotel Bar
Artesian at The Langham, London, England
Clive’s Classic Lounge at Chateau Victoria Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia
Clyde Common at The Ace Hotel, Portland, Oregon
The Savoy, London, England

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar
1534, New York City, New York
Dram, New York City, New York
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Painkiller, New York City, New York

*Left Coast Libations is the hard back version

Category is “Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book”
Nominees are “Ted Munat and Michael Lazar”
Contact Person: Michael Lazar
City, State, Country is Oakland, CA, USA
email address: michael@leftcoastlibations.com
Phone #: 650 483 4143

Everyone who votes needs to include a supportive statement as well. (e.g. “Best bartending book ever!”)

Two minutes of the presentation were filmed and made available for viewing online. Make sure to watch at least the first minute to see the controversy erupt!

-Scott

Here’s what to expect:

Duggan McDonnell of Cantina in San Francisco and Campo de Encanto Pisco will be on hand, and so will his pisco. We’re infusing a bunch of it with dried apricots as we speak to make Ryan Fitzgerald’s “Il Terzo,” one of our favorite cocktails from the book.

Anu Apte of Rob Roy… in Seattle will be behind the bar mixing up some of her original creations, including the Saffron Sandalwood Sour and the Smallflower, both from Left Coast Libations.

Also behind the bar will be The Varnish’s own Devon Tarby, who with Anu will surely create the most Unstoppable Drink Duo of Full Feminine Force the world has yet known.

Many of LCL’s Los Angeles contributors, including Varnish co-owner Eric Alperin will be present as well, regaling guests with tales of “what it was really like” to be part of Left Coast Libations.

Ted Munat, Michael Lazar, and Scott Bodarky – creators of Left Coast Libations – will be signing books and being general nuisances. Books will be available for sale.

Ta Ta For Now…

Coming up on Saturday, Sept 18 will be our San Francisco launch party, starting at 9pm and going ’til late. It will be at Heaven’s Dog, which is at 1148 Mission St., between 7th and 8th in San Francisco. Please feel free to spread the word about this event to your cocktail aficionado friends!

Following the SF event will be the Seattle event on Sept 27, the Portland event on Oct 3, and the LA event on Oct 17. More information about these events will be forthcoming!

Finally, please also check out our Left Coast Libations group on Face Book and our twitter feed: @leftcoastlib.

Cheers and thanks for your continued support!

-Scott

During the week you can also follow our exploits via twitter:

Ted & Scott will be tweeting @leftcoastlib
Michael will be tweeting @manhattan_up

Michael will also be blogging during the week, as best he can. Check out his site:
Stirred, Not Shaken

See you all there!

We smoked air, we smoked ice, we made froth, we made foam, we made whey.

Left Coast Libations (LCL) is a new book featuring original profiles of fifty of the Left Coast’s most brilliant bartenders, from Los Angeles to Vancouver. Like any good cocktail book, LCL presents the reader with original cocktail recipes, described with enough clarity and detail to be re-created at home. But in addition to this, LCL aims to promote the efforts and talents of the bartenders who give their lives to the service of these drinks. LCL illuminates the notion that the creation of cocktails is a never ending creative process, and that any recipe book is merely the tip of the iceberg. It encourages the reader to seek out these bartenders who have taken the craft to another level, appreciate both their creativity and their dedication, and allow inspiration to wash over them. In doing so, LCL offers the reader not only a book of recipes, but a portal into a community.

LCL is a labor of love, created by the seat of our collective pants, developed through hard work and love, and with the aid of generous help from many good people along the way. Without much of a budget to speak of, without benefactors in lofty places, the book was put together step by step, piece by piece, with our own loving hands. So you see, Left Coast Libation is more than a cocktail book, it’s a grassroots movement, populated by bartenders and the nerds who love them. Join us, if you will.