Show 519, April 1, 2023: Knox & Dobson Bottled Cocktails with Founder Rob Levy and Creative Director Peter Lloyd Jones

Rob Levy of Knox and Dobson

Knox & Dobson crafts premium, ready-to-drink cocktails expertly designed to be shared and enjoyed anywhere. Their multi-award-winning bottled cocktails are made with an uncompromising commitment to excellence in quality, craftsmanship, and taste, featuring the highest quality ingredients including premium barrel-aged whiskies, Maraska Maraschino Liqueur, and authentic Angostura Bitters. Whether you’re a classic Martini drinker, Old Fashioned aficionado, Rye Manhattan enthusiast, or searching for the perfect Improved Whiskey Cocktail, serve Knox & Dobson’s bottled cocktails chilled or over ice and discover the pleasure of true premium craft cocktails created to simply open, pour, and enjoy.”

“Knox & Dobson’s newest bottled cocktail collection was meticulously curated with an uncompromising commitment to excellence in quality, craftsmanship, and taste by Knox & Dobson President Rob Levy and Creative Director Peter Lloyd Jones (The Raymond 1886, Everson Royce Bar) who heads Knox & Dobson’s formulation and product development. Featuring a gin Martini, classic Old Fashioned, Improved Whiskey Cocktail with Maraska Maraschino Liqueur, and Rye Manhattan, Knox & Dobson uses the highest quality ingredients including hand-selected barrel aged whiskey, distilled gin, natural cane sugar, and authentic Angostura Bitters. From the award-winning design of the bottle, these superior bottled cocktails were solely created so expertly handcrafted cocktails could be shared and effortlessly enjoyed anywhere.”

Peter Lloyd Jones of Knox & Dobson Cocktails

“Our mission was to create a collection of cocktails that were equal in taste and quality to those freshly crafted by a skilled bartender. Peter Lloyd Jones was the best choice, and I can’t imagine working with anyone better, “says Levy. “Pete was Head Barman at 1886 Bar at The Raymond and he was also behind the stick at Everson Royce Bar for several years, so his experience is invaluable, and his passion and creativity make him the perfect partner at Knox & Dobson.”

Principals Rob Levy and Peter Lloyd Jones join us with a Rye Manhattan in hand.

Show 509, January 28, 2023: Kathy Sidell, Founder, Saltie Girl Seafood Bar, West Hollywood Part Two

Kathy Sidell of Saltie Girl

“Late last December Saltie Girl, the beloved Boston destination for pristine and sustainable seafood, opened a Los Angeles location on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of West Hollywood. Inspired by founder Kathy Sidell’s East Coast upbringing and a serendipitous meal at a wine bar in Barcelona, Saltie Girl reimagines the experience of classic seafood restaurants with a modern approach that reveals influences and ingredients from revered coastal regions around the world. Saltie Girl represents an intersection of those inspirations while showcasing the team’s meticulous sourcing and long-cultivated relationships with fishmongers and purveyors. An expansive raw bar selection and one of the country’s largest collections of tinned fish further emphasizes Saltie Girl’s celebration of every iteration of seafood.”

“With the opening, culinary director Kyle McClelland’s menu showcases Saltie Girl favorites alongside new dishes that reveal California influences and highlight local fishers and purveyors. McClelland’s broad menu features seafood towers, daily oyster and raw bar selections, farmer’s market salads and bright, seasonal crudos. Signature offerings include Fried Lobster & Waffles with sweet corn butter and spicy maple syrup; Clam Chowder; and Lump Crab Toast with pistachios, avocado and stracciatella. Contemporary preparations of seafood classics will also be available such as Moules Frites, French Dover Sole and Saltie Girl Lobster Roll. Saltie Girl also boasts a separate caviar menu and a collection of over 130 varieties of tinned fish which can be ordered alongside fresh bread and accoutrements.”

“A full bar program complements the culinary experience with a well-balanced wine list showcasing international and biodynamic producers, Saltie Girl’s proprietary Rosé, and a champagne by-the-glass program. Cocktails showcasing seasonal ingredients and classic preparations include the Saltie Martini with vodka or gin, castelvetrano olive, pickled onion and caviar.”

Ben Sidell, founder of SweetBoy bakery and Kathy’s son, helms the pastry program, bringing his popular pop-up to life within Saltie Girl. His menu showcasing playful twists on classic desserts expands in the restaurant setting with plated desserts such as a Yuzu Persimmon Tart and Apple Tarte Tatin, with Ben lending his talents to savory pastries, as well, including buns to accompany the caviar service.

The “Saltie Girl” herself, Kathy Sidell, is our guest with lobster cracker in hand.

Show 501, November 26, 2022: Paul Feig, Filmmaker, author of Cocktail Time! and Creator of Artingstall’s Gin Part One

Paul Feig shot by Frank Micelotta

“Elegant man-about-town Paul Feig, the director of “Bridesmaids”, “Spy”, and “A Simple Favor”  serves up a beautifully designed cocktail and lifestyle guide, Cocktail Time! – The Ultimate Guide to Grown-Up Fun, with hilarious stories from his life.” Paul is also the co-creator of Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin, a truly versatile gin fit for a starring role behind any bar and the ideal gin for Paul’s beloved martini.

“Famed TV and film writer, director, and producer Paul Feig is obsessed with cocktails and cocktail culture. It’s about having great conversations with friends. It’s about putting on your best clothes and throwing a smart gathering or heading to your favorite bar and having an interesting chat with the bartender. And it’s about staying home, mixing a drink and sipping it in a beautiful glass as you watch a great old movie by yourself.”

“Paul has made an art and a science out of creating these elegant and festive environments and living his best life, whether at home in LA or New York or London or on location around the world, and it’s all here in Cocktail Time! — how to make the drinks, how to throw the parties, what music to play, what glassware you need and more, along with 125 cocktail recipes, each served along with funny insider stories about Paul’s Hollywood life and famous friends.”

Cocktail Time! covers everything, from classics (and variations on them) like martinis, negronis, and hot toddies to original concoctions such as “The Feigtini” and holiday cocktails, as well as recipes from film and TV industry friends, such as the Charlize Theron Gibson, the Very Cherry Kerry (Washington), the (Angela) Kinsey Gin Fizz, Henry (Golding)’s Honey Plum G&T, and The Five (Michelle) Yeoh-Larm Fire.

“Cocktail Time! is a love letter to the aesthetics and culture around cocktails. It’s guaranteed to make you want to up your party-giving game—or at least your home bar situation. And it’s an immensely charming and readable window into one man’s friendly obsession.”

Cocktail Time! also includes helpful hints for setting up a home bar, the basic equipment needed, and a short list of mixers and spirits on the menu for the initial stocking of the proper home bar.

Paul joins us with a proper gin Martini in hand (stirred and not shaken.)

Show 501, November 26, 2022: Paul Feig, Filmmaker, author of Cocktail Time! and Creator of Artingstall’s Gin Part Two

Paul Feig shot by Frank Micelotta

“Elegant man-about-town Paul Feig, the director of “Bridesmaids”, “Spy”, and “A Simple Favor”  serves up a beautifully designed cocktail and lifestyle guide, Cocktail Time! – The Ultimate Guide to Grown-Up Fun, with hilarious stories from his life.” Paul is also the co-creator of Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin, a truly versatile gin fit for a starring role behind any bar and the ideal gin for Paul’s beloved martini.

“Famed TV and film writer, director, and producer Paul Feig is obsessed with cocktails and cocktail culture. It’s about having great conversations with friends. It’s about putting on your best clothes and throwing a smart gathering or heading to your favorite bar and having an interesting chat with the bartender. And it’s about staying home, mixing a drink and sipping it in a beautiful glass as you watch a great old movie by yourself.”

“Paul has made an art and a science out of creating these elegant and festive environments and living his best life, whether at home in LA or New York or London or on location around the world, and it’s all here in Cocktail Time! — how to make the drinks, how to throw the parties, what music to play, what glassware you need and more, along with 125 cocktail recipes, each served along with funny insider stories about Paul’s Hollywood life and famous friends.”

Cocktail Time! covers everything, from classics (and variations on them) like martinis, negronis, and hot toddies to original concoctions such as “The Feigtini” and holiday cocktails, as well as recipes from film and TV industry friends, such as the Charlize Theron Gibson, the Very Cherry Kerry (Washington), the (Angela) Kinsey Gin Fizz, Henry (Golding)’s Honey Plum G&T, and The Five (Michelle) Yeoh-Larm Fire.

For the Quarantine Cocktail Time! Instagram shows Paul created “The Squeaky Door” (Show 40) gin-based cocktail with several liqueurs including Cherry Heering. It resulted in an inspired collaboration with Redbird in Downtown Los Angeles where “The Squeaky Door” was the featured cocktail and even available in a limited-edition bottled version to take home.

“Cocktail Time! is a love letter to the aesthetics and culture around cocktails. It’s guaranteed to make you want to up your party-giving game—or at least your home bar situation. And it’s an immensely charming and readable window into one man’s friendly obsession.”

Paul continues with us with a proper gin Martini in hand (stirred and not shaken.)

Show 426, May 22, 2021: Kurt Cyr, Palm Springs Mod Squad Tours

Kurt Cyr of Plam Springs Mod Squad Tours

“Palm Springs is the perfect destination for those seeking a hip, architecturally cool city to explore. For over 100 years, artists, designers, architects and Hollywood stars have been drawn to this corner of the Southern California desert making the city a hot bed of creativity.”

The well-informed and personable Kurt Cyr is the official guide for Palm Springs Mod Squad which provides in-person, one-of-a-kind architecture and design tours of Palm Springs. Both of Kurt’s signature tours have been carefully modified to accommodate all COVID 19 safety measures.

The current offerings (by reservation only) are the Socially Distanced Tour and the Interior Socially Distanced Tour. Guests follow the Mod Squad van in their own vehicle while Kurt provides engaging commentary via cell phone. The Martini and Mid-Century Architecture Tour will return as soon as allowable.

“The Interior Socially Distanced Tour takes guests into three mid- century Palm Springs houses, including The Desert Star. Guests learn how Desert Modern design is as appropriate today as it was 60-70 years ago.”

Show 397, October 31, 2020: Filmmaker Paul Feig introducing Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin

“Designed by Hollywood luminary Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids,”) ARTINGSTALL’S Brilliant London Dry Gin is a perfectly-balanced gin for aficionados and casual consumers alike. Its eleven carefully chosen botanicals all synchronize to make ARTINGSTALL’S Brilliant London Dry Gin as unique, refined and entertaining as its creator.”

“I’ve never met a gin I didn’t like – but I never met one that I truly loved … Until I made my own.” – Paul Feig

Paul is a dedicated cocktail aficionado and the camaraderie it generates. A proper martini (in Paul’s bartender lexicon) is only made with gin and should be stirred and not shaken and served ice-cold. Feig notes that vigorous shaking tends to dilute (as the ice melts) the strength of the martini.

During the initial “stay safely at home” period of Covid 19 Paul created and hosted a spirited cocktail show on his Instagram, Quarantine Cocktail Time. In each episode he demonstrated (with a dash of humor) the preparation of a new cocktail and spotlighted a worthy charity impacted by the health crisis. Initially Paul created one episode a day for 100 straight days. The library of shows is available on Paul’s Instagram.

Paul gently pulls the artfully designed stopper on the Artingstall’s Gin for us.

Show 149, December 5, 2015: MOTAC’s “Oh James! Imbibing 007”

Linda CivitelloThe Museum of the America Cocktail is shaking it up once again with their provocative December 15th evening at Faith & Flower in Downtown Los Angeles. The program is “Oh, James! Imbibing 007.”

From aphrodisiacs to villain concoctions, alcohol abounds in the James Bond books and movies. Dive into bitter, sweet, rocks, and neat with food historian Linda Civitello, author of Cuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People. Whether you like your martinis shaken, stirred, or dirty, come get your Bond on with The Museum of the American Cocktail and the evening’s Drinkmaster, Edwin Osegueda of Faith & Flower.

Admission includes four Bond-inspired cocktails, gourmet appetizers and dessert.

Ms. Civitello has been on the faculty of culinary schools throughout Southern California, appeared on TV and radio, and cooks professionally. You can hear her audio tour about food and art at The Getty Museum.

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Show 68, April 5, 2014: Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, author of Gin: A Global History

Lesley Jacobs SolmonsonThe Museum of the American Cocktail (based in New Orleans) is kicking off their “Touring the Cocktail Series” in Los Angeles with Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, the author of Gin: A Global History. She also is the food and cocktail columnist at LA Weekly. The provocative program is “A History of Gin in Five Cocktails.”

Gin is the undisputed king of cocktail spirits. Built upon a neutral spirit base, great gin is a symphony of juniper, spices, botanicals, and citrus.

Five signature gin cocktails will be available for sampling that evening. It’s set for Monday, April 7th at Dominick’s Restaurant in West Hollywood.