It wasn’t that long ago that we were floating the idea of Amada as a great beer bar. Now Phoodie is extolling Amada’s bartenders and the results of their collective potable inspiration.

While you can never go wrong wth dinner at Amada, the next time you need a night out to tie one on, we suggest you give the bar at Amada a chance to satiate your liquor needs. They’ve got the tools. They’ve got the talent.

It Takes A Village To Design A Potable [Phoodie.info]
Amada [Official Site]

High profile bartenders and their fancy cocktails have mixologists stepping into the limelight.

Raising the bar [Metro Philadelphia]

The Oyster House’s Katie Loeb came away the winner at last night’s ROOT Cocktail Contest at Silk City. The ingredient rich winning concoction included:

.5 oz. Demerara simple syrup
6 large mint leaves
1.25 oz. Lairds Bonded (100 proof) Applejack
1.0 oz. Root Liqueur
.5 oz. B & B
.5 oz. fresh lime juice
2 dashes Fee Brother’s Aztec Chocolate bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Muddle mint in simple syrup. Add ice and other ingredients. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with a spanked mint sprig.

Update: recipe adjusted

ROOT [Official Site]

Oyster House [Official Site]

Foobooz Editor Arthur Etchells may as well get a powdered wig with all the judging he’s doing. Tuesday night he’ll be at the Silk City Garden Bar (inside if the weather is nasty) where he’ll be judging a ROOT Cocktail Competition presented by Art in the Age.

The competition which looks like a who’s who of Philadelphia bartending runs from 7 to 9pm and is free if you RSVP to info@artintheage.com. Root cocktails will be available for reduced prices ($5) and there will be complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

Check out the list of bartenders after the jump.

ROOT Cocktail Competition at Silk City [Art in the Age]
Sipping Savant: Introducing… ROOT [Philadelphia Magazine]
The Story of ROOT [Art in the Age]

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Adam Erace has a moment at Noble American Cookery as the foie gras melts on tongue and the setting sun shines through the front windows. Unfortuantely the moment is killed when he gets his hefty bill. But Erace finds other things along the way worthy of praise, especially the drink program.

[T]he curl of citrus unleashes its essential oils in the Vesper, a martini coined by Sir Ian Fleming in 1953’s Casino Royale . Smooth and subtly floral, the lemon-accented blend of Bluecoat gin, Penn 1681 vodka, Lillet Blonde and orange bitters was as beguiling as its namesake, Bond babe Vesper Lynd, and among the most beautifully balanced cocktails ever to pass these lips.


Noble American Cookery [Philadelphia Weekly]
Noble American Cookery [Official Site]

London Grill added a list of beer cocktails last month and suddenly beer cocktails seem to getting positive press from the most unlikely of sources. The Beer Lass, yes the BEER Lass enjoys the Curious Georgia, a $3 Happy Hour cocktail at Smokin Betty’s. It’s Allagash White, peach schnapps, garnished with a peach that’s been soaking in ginger infused simple syrup!

Noted beer scribe Lew Bryson admits he’s sold out to beer cocktails and says “they don’t taste bad, either.”

And just when you’re thinking what’s going on here you find out it goes much deeper. Self-proclaimed “beer purist” and Brooklyn Brewery brewer Garrett Oliver says some of them “are really delicious.”

Well it’s not like we didn’t see this coming. Xochitl’s michelada has been delicious since day one, the Sidecar’s beer mimosa goes down oh so well at Sunday brunch. So it’s time to embrace the beer cocktail. Full speed ahead!

Smokin Betty’s: Of beer AND beer cocktails [Beer Lass]
Beer Becomes a Cocktail [ Fine Cooking via Seen Through a Glass]
Q & A: Garrett Oliver [Delights & Prejudices]

Chick’s Cafe has a new head bartender, Phoebe Esmon and Monday they’re formally introducing her with a fun event.

The $45 event will feature five of Esmon’s hand-crafted cocktails paired with four courses of Mediterranean inspired food. Among the highlights:

• Plymouth gin, cucumber and green Chartreuse elixir paired with a market fresh Italian crudo
• Spicy rye whiskey, orange pekoe tea and muddled mint cooler paired with Spanish influenced barbecue plate

Chick’s Cafe [Official Site]

Last night during a late evening stroll (trying to forget about that Phillies game) we noticed that the paper was down from the windows at Village Whiskey.

And low and behold, what did we see?

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Felicia D’Ambrosio profiles unique “bar bon vivant” Christian Gaal of  APO Bar + Lounge and Noble: An American Cookery.

Drink Dapper [City Paper]
APO Bar+Lounge [Official Site]
Noble: An American Cookery [Official Site]

We know about wheat beer mimosas, summer shandys and spicy micheladas. But we still cannot help but be a bit incredulous about these new “beer drinks” being offered by London Grill.

Among the special drinks:

• London Shandy, Fuller’s ESB, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur and lemon
• Sierra Red Eye, Sierra Nevada pale ale with a shot of spicy house-made Bloody Mary mix
• Flower Bud, Budweiser, crème de violette and St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• Bank Robber, Stoudt’s Willie Sutton lager, house-infused green tea vodka and Irish Mist
• Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, Victory Prima Pils with mescal, chipotle vodka, lime and a salt rim
• How Now Brown Cow, Brooklyn brown ale with Nocello and espresso vodka

All told there will be 14 rotating options and prices will range from $5 to $8.

Yes, incredulous, but also intrigued.

London Grill [Official Site]