As an avid cocktail lover, to say I was excited when Blurb invited me to an evening of cocktail making and food pairing at the Pennyroyal is an understatement. This gorgeous Kimpton establishment is right in downtown Seattle and inspired by old-world European style bars. The dark wood, exposed brick, and moody lighting had me feeling heady and even tuned out my normal shutter-bug impulses that usually crop up with every course. It was the perfect setting to connect with fellow creatives and learn about Blurb’s self-publishing and marketing platform.
We started the night with a beautifully prepared gin martini and round of hello’s. Blurb invited Seattle-based hobby cook, Aarum Hurse, to come and share about her experience using their site to publish her first cook book Culinary Cool Everyday Food. It was an awesome cookbook that she said was easy to create and share as an e-book as well. Aarum was so nice, full of insights and appreciation of each dish throughout the night.
The first pairing was a classic Negroni served with beef tartar, fermented chili rhubarb sauce, black garlic, and a quail egg. Our bartender for the evening was incredibly knowledgable and, as he prepared the Negroni, he explained that it’s often adulterated, watered down or, even worse, shaken. Did you know if your cocktail is made with only liquor you should stir it? It was one of those I’ve-been-doing-this-wrong-forever moments. That being said… stir yourself up a round of this classic drink:
Negroni
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz campari
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
The tequila daisy is another drink that’s been butchered throughout time. Do you know what ‘daisy’ means in Spanish? (Don’t worry, I didn’t either.) It’s margarita! The Tequila Daisy is the delicate predecessor to today’s frozen, salted, and diluted Margarita. This is a drink you can definitely shake up at home and share with your fellow foodies for extra credit.
Tequila Daisy
- 2 oz tequila
- 1/2 oz orange liqueur
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- club soda
Then of course there’s the Old Fashioned. That magic muddled mix of booze, bitters, and sugar that fueled the pioneers across the west and still delights spirit enthusiasts today. We clinked our tumblers of bourbon and flipped through stacks of magazines and books created on Blurb for the rest of the night — each created much like our Old Fashioned’s journey across the country, with dedication and passion.
Old Fashioned Rum
- 2 1/4 oz spirit
- 1 sugar cube
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
- 1/4 oz water
Cheers!
Photography by Gwen McKenzie for Jojotastic.
This post is sponsored by Blurb. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.
