Winter Sports

As Praias Desertas

2011-05-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

We're still on hiatus.. planning the last Winter Sports of the season and working on the new recipe and photo book. 50 original cocktail recipes from the last two seasons, and nearly 500 of Josh's beautiful photographs.. I'm looking forward to finishing it and getting it out there! Here are some photos from the last night. See you all soon.

Hiatus

2011-05-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Night

2011-03-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Episode Five.

Tomorrow night is 2011's fifth episode of Winter Sports. Hope everyone can make it out! As always, we've got a menu of four new drinks for the evening.. and in keeping with the weather we've been having, the menu this month reads like a rollercoaster ride up and down the liquor cabinet. I won't spoil the surprise too much, but here's a preview:

Natura & Futurisme. Cynar and Cointreau in crushed ice, not too much and not too little, topped with a little spring growth of mint.

..Also, if you see Seth tomorrow night, be sure to wish him bon voyage and an awesome next chapter. Brother is moving to New York City this week, and this is his last weekend in town! So let's do it up! See you tomorrow.

Souvenir

2011-02-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight.

Deep-Rooted Gilt.

2011-02-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

Episode IV, Tomorrow Night.

Please join us tomorrow night for the 4th installment of the 2010-2011 season of Winter Sports.. it will be good to see everyone! All of that cold and love in February needs to be balanced out by some warmth and dangerousness. To that end we've got some amazing new drinks.. here are two of them.

The Desperate Measure. Keeping warm while you sweet-talk your way in on a cold night. Courvoisier and some Italian Amaros served neat with an orange twist.

Blonde Redhead. Like a fetish for shoegazing. A glass of Champagne meets Maraschino and Port, served tall with a slice of blood orange.

See you tomorrow night!

Thank You for January

2011-02-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

Winter Sports, Season II, January. All Photos by Josh Umami. Thank You All!

January

2011-01-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

This
Saturday.

Your stylish presence in requested at my place on Saturday night, January 22nd, for third episode of Winter Sports this season.

For anyone new to this thing, Winter Sports is a seasonal bar that I started in my house to fight off the blues and greys of Seattle winter. As always, this month we have four new cocktail recipes and a selection of Winter Sports "classics" from last years' games. Great drinks, music, and beautiful people.. can't ask for anything more.

This month we'll also be trying something new that I'm really excited about: WE'RE GOING TO COUNT THE DRINKS WE MAKE. Yes! Periodically we may shout out how many Ted and the crew have mixed up.. and hope for a milestone. Like, 500 drinks! Or, since that may kill Ted, how about we start by aiming for 100?

As always, Ted will be manning the bar, with the help of Josh and Sara, and Josh will also continue taking those amazing photos of his. We continue to be able to operate on donations, so keep that in mind as you work your way down the menu! Suggested donation is like 20$, but hey, we don't discriminate, alright?

I'll send out more updates as we finalize the menu and finish up our prep. Hope to see you all Saturday night!

Winter Sports Thanks You

2010-12-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to everyone who came out last night! It was an amazing crowd, and we all had a great time. Soon soon soon Josh will post his (and Seth's) incredible pictures from last night, but until then, I at least wanted to put the full menu up. For all of your holiday liquor needs. (We all have those, right?? Or am I the only one?)

The Gilded Age. A generous shot of Lillet tempered by a bit of Chartreuse and balanced with Bubbles and some muddled mint, on the rocks.

The Savant. Cynar, Gin, Mint, and Tarragon shaken with ice, topped with Prosecco and an Orange twist. Served like champagne.

Missing Persons. This was easily the drink of the night, according to Ted and Josh. A deceptive mixture of Cointreau, Sake, Bubbles, and Soda, with a bit of Mint and Lime thrown in for good measure. Served on the rocks.

Conservatory. Ransom Gin, Cointreau, a dash of Cognac, Lemon, and a Cinnamon Stick. And hot, like a well-travelled tottie, you know?

Sara also somehow found the time to invent a new drink during the party.. those here for the second half may've gotten to taste the aptly named Fucking Fantastic. If you didn't, don't worry, I have a hunch it will fill the shoes left by last year's French Ginger, and return again and again as our off-menu drink of choice.

Many thanks to everyone who made it out last night! We'll see you in 2011. Twenty Eleven.

Tonight

2010-12-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight!

Your stylish presence is requested.

Tonight's menu aint quite done yet, but we have some amazing drinks that only lack... drinkers. No, they just lack names. So here are some unnamed descriptions to whet your palette.

The Gilded Age. Unknown Pleasures. Lillet cut with Chartreuse and Boodles Gin. Served with a little bit of Mint.

???????? Like an Alchemist's Daughter. Cynar mixes with Champagne, Mint, Tarragon, and a twist of Orange for some black magic

??????? Refreshing but deceptively strong.. Champagne amended with cointreau and sake.

??????? It's a Hot House. Ransom Gin, Cointreau, and a dash of Cognac come together with lemon and a cinnamon stick, served hot!

Season II, Episode II

2010-12-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 11.

This season's second installment of Winter Sports commences this Saturday night at 9. Hope to see you all there!

I'll be posting the menu soon! This month we've got a return to Lillet, a little love letter to Cynar, a hot Ransom drink, and a timemachine to the summer with Cointreau, lime, and mint. Details soon!

Season II Opening Ceremonies

2010-11-14T22:03:00.000-08:00

Thank You Thank You Thank You Thank You.

Josh's photos from last night coming soon..

Season II Opening Ceremonies

2010-11-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Menu.

After much mixing and tasting, I'm pleased to announce the menu for tomorrow night's Opening Ceremonies. Hope everyone can make it out to try these. Keep your eye out, too, for off-menu drinks as well.. one of my favorite Winter Sports traditions.

As I said last post, we've been exploring recipes that point to our collective desire to dress the hell up and turn this thing we dread-- the oncoming of winter-- into something celebratory. Without further ado, then, here we go:

Gin Haircut.  A Mini-Martinez.. we took a little off the top and cleaned it up a bit for the big night out. Ransom Gin, Maraschino, Vermouth, and bitters, plus a little cherry. Served like a mini-martinez, in a sipping shot.
Rye Haircut. Business up front, party in the back. A sipping shot of Rye with a fresh muddled Pear and Ginger back.
The Mascara. Leaves traces on your cheeks. Caramelly Madeira and Cognac splashed with Champagne and Maraschino, and all brushed with fresh mint.

In addition, we'll be serving a few Winter Sports classics from last season. All of you considerate people will realize that a little additional suggested donation for these classics (five dollars per) will keep our bartenders stylish and healthy!

French Ginger. A Blonde Would. A sipping shot of St. Germain muddled with fresh ginger. (WSI)
Good Morning.  A New Years' Mimosa for the New Age.  Combine champagne and grapefruit juice with a sprig of fresh Rosemary, in a champagne flute. (WSIII)
Whiteout.  Glass and Glacier.  A splash of Draft Sake combined with Boodles Gin and finished off with a touch of St. Germain, cradling a rough-hewn chunk of ice in a sipping shot. (WSIII)
Kitchen Sink.  Nothing Wasted.  Bourbon, Courvoisier, and St. Germain mashup, topped with Sweet Vermouth and a shout of Soda.

Thanks all and looking forward to seeing you!

Season II

2010-11-10T16:57:00.000-08:00

This Saturday.

As we get even closer to the Opening Ceremonies for Season II, I'm happy to let slip a little about what going to be on our menu Saturday night. We'll also have some of the the all star season I drinks available on standby, including the Wartime Behavior, the Whiteout, Good Morning, and the Kitchen Sink.. and possibly others, tho we ask that all of you very considerate people donate a little more for those modern classics.

Of course the core of the Winter Sports spirit still lives on-- original drinks created for the event by Ted, with some help from Josh and myself. So as always, we'll have 4 new drinks-- a complete menu spanning all 4 corners of my liquor cabinet. This time, in celebration of Opening night, we're going with a few proper preparatory drink ideas, including a the clean and tidy Haircut, the Lipstick + Blush, and the Knockout. More details on those coming soon..

In the meantime, here's the full photo set from Winter Sports V, last may.

Can't wait for Saturday!

Winter Sports Season II!

2010-11-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

Opening Ceremonies are November 13th, 2010.
I'm always tempted to type "Season !!" instead of "II" because the night is guaranteed to have so much !!!!! going on.

Until we post the menu, I gotta catch up on photos from last year's festivities. Here's some of Josh's gorgeous work from Winter Sports IV, back in March. See you next weekend!

gracias everyone for an excellent Winter Sports that night.

Finale

2010-06-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight!

I can't believe that today-- just today-- it seems like the city finally woke up and decided to be Summery. Finally. And it couldn't be more perfect; what better way to say hello to summer than by saying goodbye to winter?

I'm really excited about tonight.
Here's the menu: 6 drinks from throughout the season, 2 brand new drinks, and 3 variations on our off-menu love affair from Winter Sports I, the French Ginger (muddled fresh ginger in St. Germain yum yum).
Enjoy and can't wait to see everyone!

WS Season 1 All-Stars
French Ginger.  A Blonde Would.  Muddled Ginger in St. Germain, served as a sipping shot. (WSI)
Wartime Behavior.  A Bite from Beautiful Lips.  A shot of Courvo and a splash of St. Germain in a Ginger-rubbed glass, served to sip. And Bite..  (WSI, II)
Good Morning. A New Years' Mimosa for the New Age.  Combine champagne and grapefruit juice with a sprig of fresh Rosemary, in a champagne flute. (WSIII)
Whiteout.  Glass and Glacier.  A splash of Draft Sake combined with Boodles Gin and finished off with a touch of St. Germain, cradling a rough-hewn chunk of ice in a sipping shot. (WSIII)
Golden Lion.  Guns and Roses.  A sipping shot of Courvoisier and Averna, topped off with a touch of Sweet Vermouth and served chilled. Its pair, the Lamb, available by special request. (WSIV)
Manhattan Fakes.  Reproduction is Flattery.  We reproduce a classic, afterhours.  Ransom Gin, shaken with Bitters, Vermouth, and Maraschino.(WSIV)
Summer Salad. Surprise! Sake and Vodka, tossed with Cucumber, Savory, and Arugula. (WSV)

And if you like the French Ginger
French Mexican.  A Helluva Margarita. Ginger muddled St. Germain with Tequila and Lime. Ay ay ay ay
Russo Franco. Like All I Hear About St. Petersburg.. Ginger muddled St. Germain, Vodka, and Lime.

Tonight's Originals are Amazing

Kitchen Sink. Nothing Wasted. Bourbon, Courvoisier, and St. Germain mashup, topped with Sweet Vermouth and a shout of Soda. Served up!

Yes Yes. Yes Yes Yes Yes. Bubbles, Lillet, and Lime can do no wrong..

The Last of Sheila. (Will be Off-Menu but I have to put it online, its too good not to) Sparkling Lemonade, Rye, Averna, and Lime.

A special shout out to our two guest bartenders tonight, Sara Lawrence and Andrea Lindemann. The Yes Yes and The Last of Sheila are theirs. Yes, Yes!

All-Star Finale

2010-06-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

June 12.

Ok. It is agreed, and the gods have sanctioned the day.
Saturday, June 12 will be our Winter Sports All-Star Finale!
Apologies to everyone for the confusion. Thanks for sticking by us while we finagled with the higher powers.

SO.
We've got a list of a dozen drinks here, the best-of, All-Stars of the Season, all of which will be on the menu next Saturday. We've also got a few pages to preview from our upcoming photo and cocktail book-- a manifest-destiny-big record album-sized photo collection of all of everyone who's come to Winter Sports, and the recipe of every single drink we've created. More on that later!

For now, and for the final time this season,

Winter Sports VI!
Your stylish presence is requested on June 12, my place, for cocktails, music, good vibes, and hopefully, at long last, some sumsumsummeryness. Bring your best friends, donations always welcome, and sunglasses optional.

See you next weekend!

Not Tonight :(((((((

2010-05-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Not
Tonight!

..Unfortunately. We've moved Winter Sports finale out!! Sorry about the date confusion, but hope to see you all soon at the real real finale.

Sorry..

And just so i don't tell any more fibs.. check back soon for the REAL DATE. Cuz it ain't tonight :(
We're working it out as I type..

(Rachel and Matt back at WS II in Decemeber. By Josh Umami)

Finale, Soon!

Correction

2010-05-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

All-Star Finale

Saturday, June 5th.
We've got an all-star cocktail list with a dozen drinks on it, and a few new ones to usher in the sum-sum -summer..

I'll be sending out invitations soon.. stay tuned and pencil us in for next Saturday night. Its gonna be like the season finale! You know, like Lost! You really can't miss it, even if its your first one.

(A few more photos from Winter Sports II. Ryan, and Philip, top, and Sara, Seth, and Sylvia, above. All by Josh Umami.)

All-Stars

2010-05-25T00:22:00.000-07:00

Closing.
Ceremonies.

This Saturday night marks the end of the first season of Winter Sports. We've had an AWESOME time with everything, and hope that everyone who has found us has enjoyed themselves as well. So once again, Ted will be rockin the kitchen, serving up the best drinks to be had between Sun Liquor and Tavern Law, Josh will be out with his camera, looking for just the right moment of pure pure love to snap up for all time, and your stylish presence will be, once again, invited to spend a few hours with us as we toast the slow evolution of Seattle's wintry grays into fast blues, whispy white clouds, and a bazillion shades of green on the trees.

Um.. or not. Last I checked its still dangerously cold out there and as wet as a duck's contact lens solution.
So...

Saturday Night!

Your Stylish Presence is Requested!
We start at nine.. but you know by now, no one really shows up until ten.. just be there at ten. Yeah!

Featuring a few new drinks... and an All-Star Menu:

Drinks from Heat I:
Will it be the Wartime Behavior-- Courvo and Ginger?
The Debutante's Regret-- Champagne, Cognac, and Whipped Cream?

From Heat II?
The Cabin Fever-- Hot Cider, Rum, Cinnamon, and Courvo?

January, and Winter Sports III..
The Whiteout? Gin, Sake, St. Germain?
The Well Considered.. Rye, Lillet, Averna, and Orange Zest?

From March, and Heat IV..
Lions and Lambs? On one hand, Averna, Courvo, and Sweet Vermouth, and on the other, Sake, Rosewater, and a fresh Rose Petal?

From April, Heat V and all of those plants..
The Boarding Pass-- Champagne, Lillet, Vermouth, and a Fennel cutting in the glass?
Or the Would You Believe-- Sake, Cointreau, Gin, Mint and Bitters?
or the off-menu Oh Snap!, of Tequila, a sprig of Rosemary, and Ginger?

Blast From the Past

2010-05-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I found a few more photos from Winter Sports 3, back in January!

We have one more party this season, and we're planning on serving an all-star menu of cocktails from the other Winter Sports. One of my favorite drinks was from this party: the Whiteout. Gin, St. Germain, Sake, and a Big Chunk of Ice. I think I've had one, illegitimately, at each party since..

See you all this weekend?

New Growth

2010-04-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight!

I wanted to be sure and get something up about tonights menu before the starting gun goes off. Tonight, we're continuing the Winter Sports technique of looking for inspiration in the nature of change around us, and this time of year, those changes are perhaps more plentiful that at any other time.

Tonights cocktails are all based on growth, and the sudden way that everything in the northwest seems to come to life this time of year. We're gonna double down on herbed cocktails-- and, regardless of what types of herbs you think I'm talking about-- we're going to do our best to look for fresh ways to mix it up. So enjoy!

Here are some combinations you may see on the menu tonight:

Champagne, mixed with a bit of Gin, some Ginger, and a cutting of Lavender. Served in a Champagne Flute.

A cutting of Arugula, mixed with Cucumber, Sake, and Soda, on the rocks.

Gin and Averna, with a dash of St. Germain and a touch of cilantro.

I'll see you all tonight!

Force Majeure

2010-03-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday.

A giant wave Hello to everyone. Its been a long time, but halftime's over and Winter Sports is on!

Your stylish presence is requested at my place thos Saturday night for some new cocktails, good music, people, and a little much-needed respite from Seattle's wintery hibernation.

Here's a preview of a few of the drinks:
Lion #1 (name tbd). The Lions Downtown. A sipping shot of Courvoisier and Averna, topped off with a touch of Sweet Vermouth and served chilled. Alternate sips with the next drink..
Lamb#1 (name tbd). Fresh Air. A chilled mix of dry sake and rose, floated with a single rose petal. Pair this and sip alongside the Lion, to clear the palette and bring out the finish in each.

9 pm! Hope to see you there.

Almost Time Again

2010-03-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

A few more photos from Winter Sports 3.
(Top, Andrea and Sara. Above, Parila and Maria. Below this, Aron, Karen, and Tobias, and Nick and Lindsey Rae, at bottom.)

Winter Sports IV is coming up! Mark your calendars for March 20th.

During the OTHER Winter Sports

2010-02-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

Halftime.

The Winter Sports crew are taking a halftime break for February! During this time we're going to woodshed our craft a little, refining little things and taking the opportunity to kick out some new drink ideas for the second half of the season, which will start up again in March.

So Thank You all for an excellent first half! We expect not to go dormant during this little break-- we have a lot of picture posting to catch up on, and we're also planning on starting work on The Book. More details will come, but for now lets call it a very visual cookbook.. and we're going to cover everything from big smiles to black outs. All in about 2 dozen recipes. I'll leave it to you to fill in the blanks.. and in the meantime I may try posting a few actual recipes here on the blog. I'll keep you posted!

And see you all at Trust this weekend!

Winter Sports 3

2010-02-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Twenty Ten. The Age of Aquarius. A Shift in Consciousness. The end of time as we know it? Its hard to get away from the sense that something big-- like cosmic big-- will be going down in the next few years. As we finally shifted into a new decade, I was struck by my rediscovery of the feeling that New Things might once again be possible.
Does this mean that, from 2000-2009, we were in lock-down? Hmm.. maybe more like Probation, I thought. The first decade of our new century, and the first of our new Millennium-- it makes sense that from 2000 through 2009 we were in a transition mode. Time will tell if the prophets and starreaders will feel justified in the way that the twenty-tens turned out.
But I can say with confidence that our hearts were in the right place: we wanted to step up our game, polish our skills, and do this new age right when we threw Winter Sports 3 last month. We wanted to jump into TwentyTen with our Aquarian bells on.

To that end.. some of the photos and cocktails from TwentyTen's first Winter Sports: number Three, on January 16th, 2010.

Specialty Cocktails
Whiteout. Glass and Glacier. A splash of Draft Sake combined with Boodles Gin and finished off with a touch of St. Germain, cradling a rough-hewn chunk of ice in a sipping shot.
Good Morning. A New Years' Mimosa for the New Age. Combine champagne and grapefruit juice with a sprig of fresh Rosemary, in a champagne flute.

(Top, Nick and Ikuyo. Above, Daniel, Janko, Kitsy, and Kitsy's hat. Below, Josh and Sylvia, and below that, Ted. All photos by Josh Umami.. err.. um, except probly the picture of Josh and Sylvia. Anyone know who took that one?)

(Below, Tyson and Jan. Below that, Sarah and Karen. Bottom, Jameson, with a shadowed Aron behind the bar. I need more photos of Aron!)

So this is roughly half of the photos Josh took at Winter Sports 3.. I'll post the other half, and the remaining two drink descriptions, very soon. I love how Jameson looks completely timeless in the above photo, and when combined with the Winter Sports foliage and my kitchen, is almost impossible to locate in Time. Timeless, or outside of the constraints of time. Out-of-time?

(Top, Daniel and Janko. Above, Amy Lee and Farazana, in front of photos from the evening. Below, John, Ted, and Jameson, Ted is mixing a Sons and Daughters with Aron's lemongrass simple syrup. Also below, Sylvia and Valerie)

(Below, Andrea, Seth, Tobias, and Karen on the sofa. Below that, the crowd; Tobias, Ryan, Valerie, Nick , and Remy, and at the bottom, Kitsy, Shanti, Remy, and Nick. Like always, photos by Josh Umami. http://www.flickr.com/photos/umamichan/) RocknRoll!

Whiteouts

2010-01-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

Thank You.

That was awesome you guys. Seriously.

Josh's photos and the full menu coming soon.

Like a Lightning Razor Sky

2010-01-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight!

Your Stylish Presence in Requested at tonight's Winter Sports.

Tonight at 9 pacific we do Winter Sports III (or !!! if you want to), the first of the new decade, and to kick it off in the right vein of the new emerging consciousness, we decided to try our hands at something pure and aquarian. The result is a does of a new, as-of-yet nameless, but nonetheless elemental mixture of cosmology and pure glacial primacy. We're thinking of calling it the Glacial Melt, or the Alpine Race. Bring your suggestions with you tonight!

The (???)
Like a Iceberg adrift offshore along the Grey Gardens. A sipping shot of Boodles Gin and Draft Sake tempered by a splash of St. Germain and held together by a rough-hewn chunk of ice.

See you tonight!

Only, It Wasn't Snowing

2009-12-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

(Above, everyone at the end of the night, vaguely left to right, Ted, Sara, Rachael, Matt, Seth, Bert, Cori, John, Cathy, Kenny, Kailin, Tobias, Aron, Sylvia, Nick, with the menu, Brook, Karen, and Steph. All Photos by Josh! Below, Rachael and Cori. Below that, Sara, Seth, and Sylvia. )

(Below, James and Mo, and Josh and Amanda. I think Helen took the picture of Josh and Amanda, but Josh took the other one.)

Below, Philip and Sylvia. Bottom, Sue, Roberto, Taylor, Aleks and Alvin. Thanks Josh for the beautiful photos! Many more coming soon!)

Revolutions

2009-12-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

Huge Thank Yous to Everyone Who Came Out Saturday for the Second Night of Winter Sports.

It was an awesome and lively crowd on Saturday-- thanks to everyone who came out before heading up to TRUST, thank you to everyone who came later and brought the second and third waves, and thanks to all who hung with us for the whole evening. (...and a very big and quite special swooping Thank You to our lovely guest from Los Angeles.)

Thank you too to everyone for rocking such winter finery as you were. We've got some beautiful photos by Josh to post.. they are undergoing the transition from analog to digital and should be ready to put up soon. Hope you got a preview from Josh at the party-- they are truly gorgeous and I can't wait to post them and show them off.

Before we get to the photos, though, I want to post the menu up for posterity..
Ted's cocktails Saturday night were focused on being holiday-ish without going overboard-- with just enough sweetness to be appropriate and just enough dirtyness to be inappropriate.

Specialty Cocktails
Cabin Fever.  A Reason to Stay Indoors.  Hot Cider served in a glass mug with couvoisier, white rum, and a cinnamon stick.
Forget About It.  When You Want it to Linger A Little.  Cold Sparkling Cider with Tequila and a dash of Chartreuse, served in a champagne flute.
Wartime Behavior.  A Bite from Beautiful Lips.  A shot of Courvo and a splash of St. Germain in a Ginger-rubbed glass, served to sip. And Bite.
Debutante's Regret.  The Hidden Crazy Eye behind Big Sunglasses.  Champagne and Courvoisier with Cool Whip if you're dirty. Served like Bubbles.. but the Cool Whip will give you away.

Thank You Ted and Thank You Josh for your magics!
Cheers and I'll be back soon with some photos!

Danse Au Hasard

2009-12-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

(Top, Charlie and Ted. Above, Cori! By Josh Umami.)

(Top, Devon, Ryan, Brain, and Mo. Middle, Christina, Megan, Alison and Nick, and above, Megan, Christina, and Alison. Beautifully polaroided by Josh!)

(Two above, Ted and Sara. Immediately above, Belan and Brain. Woo! Below, Nick and Andrea. Bottom, Erik.) Thank you everyone for coming to hang out with Ted, Josh, and I! Can't wait to see everyone this Saturday for the second night of Winter Sports. See you then :)

Countdown

2009-12-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

This
Saturday.

Hello Everyone. Join us this Saturday for Winter Sports Heat II!

Just as the first round of Holiday Parties reaches a close, I think we all feel the need to kick back with some non-holiday themed-- but nonetheless sartorial-- merrymaking. Think of it as a warmup for 2010! We're putting the finishing touches on our menu this week, and working out the kinks, but details are as follows:

Your Stylish Attendance Requested at the Winter Sports Heat II

on Saturday, December 12th.

From 9 pm on and on and onandonandonandonandon..

Beautiful Beasts of the Present

2009-12-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

(Top, Helen, Mark, and Paula! Middle, Seth, Sara, Emily, Ikuyo, and Allie... Above, Sara, Emily, Ikuyo, and Allie.

Below, Nick, Christina, Alison, and Megan. Also below, Brandy and Jameson. All by Josh of course!)

(Below, Sylvia, Kenny, Erik, and Cori. Bottom, Steven and Kailin. Photos by Josh)

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

(Top, Cori, with hidden Kenny, Steven, and Kailin. Above, Daniel and Charlie. Below, Chika, Jared, and Chris hydrates. Photos by Josh Umami!)

(Above, Ted and Seth, who invented something really gross when he put whipped cream on a PBR. Below, Sylvia and Christy. Btw Happy Birthday Sylvia! All by Josh)

(Above, Karen catches Josh in the act. Below, Nick, Bilan, and Brian. Thanks Josh for the rad photos. More coming next week!)

High Cream

2009-11-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Thank You.

Massive Thank Yous to everyone who came out for the first Winter Sports! Especially to the people who I hadn't met before! You guys brought the party to a whole new place. We had a TOTAL blast!

(Above, Ikuyo, Gerald, Nick, Em, and Allie. Emily was carrying around that whipped cream canister all night. Below, Ted, Cori, Andrea, and Nick, finishing a drink. Polaroided by Josh Umami!)

A few more things I'm thankful for (its only a few days until Thanksgiving, u know) before I wear it out-- Thanks to EVERYONE for trying our cocktails. After everyone warmed up with a Wartime Behavior or two, we added a new drink to the menu: Halfway thru the party, to compensate for a sudden shortage of St. Germain (blame Ted's ridiculously good French Gingers) we coined the French Mexican, our own cinematic aggrandized version of what it know in less cinematic times as Tequila with Sparkling (French) Lemonade.

This move led to a little bit of debate on the floor about what was the most popular drink of the night. The first half of the night had a great spread; the Wartime Behavior and No Sadnesses (thank you linguist Erik) putting up solid competition for the French Ginger and the Debutante's Regret, both of which seemed to capture everyone's need to warm up and ease into the evening. By the middle of the night, No Sadnesses were storming the place. But even with the introduction of tequila to level the playing field after the departure of French Gingers from the menu, I think the Debutante's Regret solidly took the second half of the night.

(Above, Ryan, Brian, and Mo. Below, Sara and Seth, who holds a Debutante's Regret. Photo by Josh)

So is this what puts the Sports in Winter Sports? A room full of rad, creative people plus a freshly-minted menu of new cocktails on the wall, and each cocktail vying for drinkage throughout the course of an amazing evening? Could be, given how we didn't drink nearly ANYTHING besides the five drinks on the menu all night... Its a good story.

But is that the answer? It does make a good story, but here's the thing: I'm not sure we need to know what puts the Sports in Winter Sports! We don't need an excuse to get together and have a blast. We just need a venue.

(Below, Em and Ikuyo! Photo by Josh)

One other sporting-type idea comes to mind. Let's make ourselves a game to shake up winter hibernation in the Northwest. A season of friendly tussle between our energetic selves and the rainy quiet. One night a month! To get together, rock all night, bring more friends together, and punctuate the grey until next summer! Next Winter Sports is coming up in a few weeks. Hope to see you all there!

Thanks to Seth and Sara for this post's title. They kept saying things like High Cream while drinking Debutante's Regrets.. Funny

Tomorrow

2009-11-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

Good News.

Tomorrow we open the doors on Winter Sports.

And last night Ted and I toasted to the opening as we put the final touches on tomorrow's menu.
I'm excited to say the menu feels pretty good. I'm anxious to share it with everybody and get your thoughts!
So come out tomorrow and try a few of these things. Or have a Gin & Tonic. Or just dance. Plenty of time in the evening for all three. And now the menu:

Heat I Specialty Cocktails
Wartime Behavior. A Bite from Beautiful Lips. A shot of Courvo and a splash of St. Germain in a Ginger-rubbed glass, served to sip. And Bite.
No Sadness. Dry, Ephemeral, In Search of Lost Time. Port and Soda with a touch of Chartreuse and one lonely Bitters Ice Cube. Served in a Champagne Flute.
Debutante's Regret. The Hidden Crazy Eye behind Big Sunglasses. Champagne and Courvoisier with Cool Whip if you're dirty. Served like Bubbles.. but the Cool Whip will give you away.
???? Nameless but its So Good it Must Make the Menu. Muddled Ginger in St. Germain, served as a sipping shot.

Heat II Mixed Drinks
Boodles Gin
Some Strong Vodka
Sodas and Tonics and Lemons and Limes and Oranges
Tequilas

Opening Ceremonies, 11.14.2009
9 PM on and on andonandonand
Contact nfkamuda@gmail.com for address and details.

polaroid Preview 10/10

2009-11-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is my bar. Nick, polaroided by Josh Umami.

Mucho Gusto

2009-11-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

Opening Ceremonies

Your Stylish Attendance Requested at the Winter Sports Opening Ceremonies, on Saturday, November 14th.
From 9 pm on and on and onandonandonandonandon

What it is:
Winter Sports is a monthly bar/ party that I'm holding in my house to fight the winter blues with good friends, good drinks, and good style! We'll provide the music, alcohol, and respite from the elements, and you provide your good vibes and stylish presence. Come whenever you want and bring a small donation if you can spare it. Fight hibernation and deal with the winter blues with swagger...

Wartime Behavior

2009-11-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

Its almost time for the Opening Ceremonies!

The facebook invite went out this morning, and the sms invite will go out this evening. I apologize to any readers who didn't get an invite, it means I either don't know you or maybe you're out of town and so I didn't pass it along?

So. I have an exciting announcement to make.

First off, we are getting closer to having our menu dialed in. For anyone that doesn't know Ted or myself, for off-the-street generally pretty devil-may-care types, but when we go in to make something, if we don't think we're hitting the mark, we'll stay up for days until we can get it right. The Winter Sports menu should reflect that: half the drinks will be straight up good gin and strong vodka in tonics and sodas, complemented by some rocking wine selections by Chirsty and Jameson, our resident industry experts. The other half will be house cocktail specialties-- provided we can NAIL the recipes before hand.

And so here's the exciting part: We've got one in the bag. Named The Wartime Behavior, the idea is that the drink should taste like the same kind of free spirited questionable judgement that people invoke during surreal times of desperate measure. Classic passionate abandon. In addition, the size and flavor should be evocative of wartime classics: small and served in a shot glass to represent frugality; smooth, but with a bite, a bit like going into a trance to escape from current affairs. What we came up with captures the abandon of Henry Miller and Anais Nin in the altered state of mid-century Paris: A shot of Courvoisier mized with a bit of St. Germain, in a glass rubbed with fresh ginger... topped off by letting a thin slice of ginger float on the surface... and sink to the bottom.

Polaroid Preview 9/10

2009-11-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

My Winter Sports partner, Ted, and our friend Jameson.
Photo by Josh Umami.

Polaroid Preview 8/10

2009-10-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

John W, III. Photo by Josh Umami.

Polaroid Preview 7/10

2009-10-27T14:33:00.001-07:00

Bernice! Photo By Josh Umami

Polaroid Preview 6/10

2009-10-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Sylvia, by Josh Umami.

Polaroid Preview 5/10

2009-10-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Karen, Bernice, and Sally. Photo taken by J.U., Artist-in-Residence.

Polaroid Preview 4/10

2009-10-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sally, Christy, and Jameson. Photo by our Artist-in-Residence Josh Umami.

The Ranks

2009-10-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Yes!
Josh Umami has just agreed to a Winter Sports residency.

I thought for a second about likening this to Robert Capa and how he hung with the militia in the Spanish Civil War, but comparing Winter Sports to the Spanish Civil War seems like a no-win situation.

What I can say is this: Josh will be our official photographer-in-residence, documenting each night with his magical Polaroid. I'm looking to him to produce some beautiful artifacts of Winter Sports, and of course asking him to make sure his documentation is completely subjective and his photos make the party look fully and unnaturally awesome.

In exchange for his artsyness, I agreed to try and get a job at an internationally renowned arts foundation so that Umami can leverage this experience to some serious art world coin. Anyone have any chair positions open? I'm a hard worker (between the hours of 2 pm and 5 pm) and have strong skills in magazine reading, I'm a polite and unquestioning listener, and I can make a stiff drink. I'm also really good with dogs. What kind of Chairmanship does that qualify me for?

...Thanks, Josh! Looking forward to it!

Polaroid Preview 3/10

2009-10-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

Karen, Tobias, and Sara. Photo by Josh Umami, of course.

Polaroid Preview 2/10

2009-09-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

Seth and Sara.

Photo by Josh Umami, my favorite Polaroidist.

The ODB (and the other ODB)

2009-09-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

I've got two things to say:

1. Our first menu item: the chow. Nicknamed the ODB, it is late-night perfection in sandwich form. Take one Pillsbury Butter-Tastin' Flaky Layers Biscuit (yes thats really what they're called), add peppered bacon, and stand back and let the magic happen. Of course, there are some details of the ODB that have to be kept under wraps until we debut it at our Opening Ceremonies on November 14th, but I will try to sneak a picture of one to you before then if I can. Yum!

2. Speaking of ODBs, I just got a big-ass book by tastemaker extraordinaire circa 1940ish-2004, the Helmut Newton. The book is SUMO, and was originally published ten years ago in a earth-shattering 20" x 27" size. I just picked up the re-issue (og copies run $15,000) and I have to say that it is stunning. It'll definitely be available for browsing during Winter Sports nights. Can't wait!

Winter Sports Preview 1/10

2009-09-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

Christy, Ted, John, Taylor, and Emily.
Photo by Josh Umami, my favorite Polaroidist

Preview of the Games

2009-09-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hello,

We're excited that you've come to check out the new blog for the 2009 Season of Winter Sports. Keep your eyes peeled for information regarding our upcoming Opening Ceremonies, currently scheduled to kick off on Saturday, November 14th. We realize that may seem like a long time away, but I promise you, it will arrive in no time at all.

To keep things moving until then, I wanted to post a few events that we at Winter Sports are looking forward to in the meantime:

Tonight, Sept 20. Beach House is playing at Neumos.

Friday, Sept 25, Fame the movie opens nationwide.

Sunday, October 4th, go to Corson Building for Sunday Brunch.

Saturday, October 10, School of Seven Bells is playing at Neumos.

Friday, October 16, Where the Wild Things Are opens nationwide.

Thursday, October 22, Yo La Tengo is playing at the Showbox Sodo.

Friday, October 23, Ong Bak 2 opens nationwide.

We'll be back soon with pictures from this summer's qualifying matches!

Huzzah until the 200009 Winter Sports Season officially opens!