Of special note to cocktail fans is the “Cupid’s Not Stupid” cocktail competition on Friday featuring Rachel Sergi, Gina Chersevani, Ben Wiley, Youssef, and Dennis Burns, along with Dan Searing signing his new book (which I recommend!) The Punch Bowl.

Check out a hint of what Rachel will be doing in this video clip:

International Wine and Food Festival Comes to DC: MyFoxDC.com

First off: congrats to my co-blogger, Marshall! He got engaged to his lovely and fun girlfriend, Sylvie, earlier this week. I couldn’t be happier for them!

Second: We’ll be updating our DNS records soon. Thanks to GoDaddy’s support for SOPA, and general embarrassment I’ve had with them as a hosting company in general (especially every time one of their ads come on) we’ll be moving registrars. If you have any problems reaching the site, try using an alternate name – put a dash between “scofflaws” and “den” (i.e. scofflaws-den.com) or use .org as well. I’ll be moving the domains over in batches.

Third: If you missed Drink.Write 2011, you really missed out. We had a fantastic meal at PS7 on Thursday night, a fun tasting group at Jack Rose on Friday, multiple trips to The Passenger, a heck of a great time at the Repeal Day Ball, and then ended it hanging out at the Speed Rack competition at Jack Rose on Sunday after brunch at Bourbon. It was FANTASTIC.

Fourth: Some events coming up. PS7 is doing a Feast of the Seven Fishes tomorrow (Christmas Eve) if you’re into that kind of thing, and a “Gangster to Gangsta” event (check LivingSocial) for New Year’s Eve. And on January 17th, the Museum of the American Cocktail is doing a seminar about George Washington’s whiskey. You can register here.

That’s it for now – after the new year we’ll have more stuff for you! HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON!

Johnny Walker was hinting that they had something new and asked for my address. I supplied it, and last night got a notification of a new package. Woohoo! I picked it up after work today (since last night I was in bed when I got the message).

That box is 2.5 Mutineers in size!

Well, I was surprised how big the box was! Clearly I wasn’t just getting a bottle of Double Black and being told “have at it, son.” No, there was something going on here.

And oh look! A letter addressed to me!

That was a lot of bubblewrap.

I fought my way through the bubblewrap. It was a noble effort, as there was a lot of it, and tape too!

People don’t understand how much WORK and EFFORT and BLOOD and TEARS go into opening these boxes. I ALMOST WORKED AND PUT OUT EFFORT. Tape made me ALMOST CRY. I had BLOOD almost spill from stabbing myself with a knife.

I’m just kidding, of course. I’m not allowed to use knives. I used a ballpoint pen, because I was too lazy to find my keys.

But man that’s a shiny case! Let’s open it!

Hey look, a fifth of Johnny Black!

Ooooo, a bottle of Johnny Black!

But that’s odd, because they’re advertising something new. I wonder, just wonder, what might be on the other side of that box. DARE I LIFT THE CARDBOARD AND CHECK?

I dare!

Another fifth! And coasters and a USB key and glasses!

There’s a fifth of the Double Black, and it’s in a dark tinted bottle. There’s also two highball glasses, because lord knows I need more of those, coasters because I care about my table (note: I do not), and a USB key I will probably insert into something that’s not a computer while drunk.

BUT SEANMIKE! WHAT…OF THE WHISKEY?!

Oh yeah that, heh heh.

Well, I can’t taste inside, I need a beer, and I need a cigar, and I need to chat with folks. So I carried everything outside, poured a finger or so of each into a glass – the Black into my UVA glass (on the left) and the Double Black in a work glass (on the right). I sniffed each. The Double Black has a more distinct aroma, but for some reason it smells like someone is dumping out their perfume into the night, so it’s hard to tell.

TASTING AND JUDGMENT

Scotch Scotch Scotch, yum yum yum

I don’t feel like I need to talk too much about the taste of Johnny Walker Black. If you haven’t tried it – well, why not? It’s practically ubiquitous and not that expensive. Seriously. Do I need to hold your hand? Do you need mommy to tell you it’ll be okay? Just give it a shot next time you’re at a bar. Or buy a mini of it. It’s practically un-American if you haven’t had it.

But I sipped it anyways, warm and neat, and enjoyed the kind of spicy honey taste that turned hot right at the end. Yummy. Needs an ice cube.

Now, the Double Black. First taste I slip and gulp – just a wave of peaty and smokey, not bad though. Let’s try again.

There, I get a bit more of the honey taste I pick up from Black, but with more spice and smoke and a hint of peat – mostly getting overwhelmed by the stench of perfume OR WHATEVER THE HECK IT IS (seriously yo this is really making me mad). Therefore, we shall do our next tastings – UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CIGAR! A La Gloria Cubana Serie R #5, to be precise.

(I’m kind of wondering if the smell is my unlit Citronella candle, but man, it ain’t that strong smelling when it IS lit!)

A drink of water later, sipped the Black, and oh yeah – there’s that smoothness. Really, it’s not a bad whiskey! It’s not the most immediately recognizable in flavor, perhaps, but I’m cool with it.

The Double Black is a much more aggressive whiskey in that same taste (though they are both the same proof – 80). To me, it honestly tastes more like what a lot of people would think of single malts.

So – if you had your choice, which should you try?

Honestly, if you’re just getting into scotch, I’d say the Black – but then after trying it, give the Double Black a shot. You might be surprised at what you like!

In the meantime, check out our CafePress store – The Scofflaw’s Den Shed, featuring the Ambush Market! The place to get “Ambush Marketer” t-shirts and other goodies.

If you don’t see a design you want, or if you want multiples, send me an e-mail – I can get a better rate locally.

Cheers y’all!

Ya know, so you can criticize me for what I missed or maybe check out some place you haven’t been to before. Whatevah!

(In chronological order!)

Marigny Brassiere: Went here to watch the World Cup and had a very fine po’ boy. Also some good beer on tap.

d.b.a. New Orleans: No food – just good beers and a large whiskey selection. Also, great music. Also, don’t order Campari and Red Bull or you will get hit by your companions.

CURE: Fantastic cocktail bar. Great bartenders. Good food. A must-visit.

12 Mile Limit: I want a bar like this near my house. An amazingly fantastic dive bar with a very interesting (and cheap) menu, including pulled beef brisket from a Weber out back and $6 cocktails. And a pool table. Yay.

Bar Tonique: Finally made it there, and one of my drinks was made by a bartender from CURE. Que sera sera. Had tons of fun, though I never did get my copy of the book I saw there…

Antoine’s: A classic New Orleans joint. $.25 martinis at lunch are worth every penny (take that as you will). Fantastic food.

Napoleon House: Look, I went here a lot. Muffalata is fine – not the best in New Orleans, but not bad by any means. Solid Pimm’s Cups.

Sylvain: Amazing food, great cocktail program, friendly staff.

Adolfo’s: Order the local fish, from what I understand.

Cochon Butcher: HOLY CRAP that was good. Boudin, head cheese, pork belly sandwiches, mac & cheese, hot dogs…not to mention the cocktails.

The Carousel Bar: It is what it is. For Tales, it’s a must visit almost every day. If not Tales – you should go once, at least.

The Rib Room: Overpriced. Not bad, not good.

Coop’s Place: FANTASTIC. Smoked duck quesadillas, fried chicken, jambalaya, crabmeat stuffed jalapenos, just … damn good eatin’.

Cafe Beignet: Not as good as Cafe Du Monde and nowhere near as crowded. Worth it, IMHO, to fix that beignet craving without fighting the hordes.

Felix’s: I like this place. Not hard to get into most of the time, blackened alligator, oysters…

Original Pierre Maspero’s: Tourist trap, but wasn’t awful.

NOLA: An Emeril restaurant. Wasn’t bad, but – eh.

Curious for more details? Let me know.