La Maison Fontaine® Chocolat ‘Perfect Serve’

La Maison Fontaine Chocolat perfect serve is chilled over ice with a touch of Maldon sea salt.

The liquid is poured into a tumbler over ice & served with a pinch of salt over the top before being handed to the customer who takes the glass & swirls the contents to dissolve the salt.

 
La Maison Fontaine Chocolat served with a side of grilled orange & chilli salt

La Maison Fontaine Chocolat is served in a Pousse Café glass. The ritual itself is akin to salt, lime & tequila and is a familiar concept for most customers.

The customer firstly licks the back of the hand sprinkles on a pinch of chili salt. They then lick the salt, consume the liquid & eat a slice of the grilled orange.

 Optional: serve with a float of La Maison Fontaine Verte

The salt & chili compliment the sweet rich flavours of La Maison Fontaine Chocolat while also adding another layer of complexity to the drink. The orange, which has had its sugars caramelised during the grilling process, assists in removing any burn from the alcohol due to its natural sugars.

La Maison Fontaine® Verte ‘Perfect Serve’

The Pomtarlier

Refreshing, crisp & moreish, this drink is very quaff-able. The name is a twist on La Maison Fontaine’s hometown Pontarlier.

Ingredients:

35ml La Maison Fontaine Verte 

100ml pomegranate juice 

150ml soda water
-
Method:

Add all ingredients into a tall slender glass & filled with cubed ice. Squeeze lime garnish over drink & serve.
-
Garnish: 1⁄4 lime wedge

 

La Maison Fontaine and Sip Or Mix are excited to announce the introduction of two new Finest French Absinthe products.

Following the success of the unique multiple award-winning Fontaine Blanche Absinthe, La Maison Fontaine is continuing to forge a path into the realms of originality with the introduction of the unique:

La Maison Fontaine Chocolat (25% ABV, 70cl) – a chocolate absinthe liqueur. Inspired by a handwritten 1920'sCrème de Cacao recipe found in the recipe books of La Maison Fontaine's Pontarlier distillery, the Fontaine Chocolat has a sweet richness combined with apparent notes of absinthe and chocolate, which creates a unique soft liqueur.

The range is completed with the addition of a more traditionally recognisable green absinthe:

La Maison Fontaine Verte (55% ABV, 70cl) - that provides a classic complex floral Verte with rich herbal and peppery notes. A close relative to the World's most awarded blanche absinthe – Fontaine Blanche – characterised by the world famous Pontarlier–grown Grande Absinthe and the natural herbal coloration.

Mark Stringer a Founding Partner commented:

“Our aim has always been to drive a greater understanding of this exceptionally exciting, alluring yet often misunderstood category, but also to create products that offered a volume opportunity for the industry. La Maison Fontaine has established itself a class leader and launching a verte felt like a natural extension but we wanted to go further than that, and push the boundaries with a totally unique offering and opportunity for the industry".

Allan Gage, La Maison Fontaine's tastemaker and owner of Sweet & Chilli bar and Cocktail Consultancy said:

“outside of gin, absinthe is probably the most exciting category in the industry, and after playing around with these products it's unbelievable the versatility that both the Chocolat and Verte offer.

Tom Sodden and I have created signature cocktails and pours we expect to see adopted across the world, but Chocolat in particular has enabled us to develop drinks which are some of the most exciting drinks we have created in the last 5 years”.

  

Sip Or Mix Prize Draw

Happy New Year! 

We have yet to meet a bar tender, brand manager, human being etc. who has not shown a desire to own their very own absinthe fountain. We would love to furnish everyone with one but alas....

So, we've decided on a prize draw, with an Absinthe fountain and a bottle of  La Maison Fontaine as the prize. This fountain is not for your bar but for you to take home and enjoy!

The rules are simple:

1. Just show us you have La Maison Fontaine stocked in your bar.

 (All members of staff are welcome to enter)

If you do not have a bar - simply show that you ordered a La Maison Fontaine (LMF cocktails allowed) when out and about....

Pictures can be posted to:

https://twitter.com/SipOrMix

https://www.facebook.com/SipOrMixLtd

https://www.facebook.com/SipOrMix

or email:

hello@sipormix.com 

There will be additional "Sip Or Mix" prizes for the best photos.

We will also run a draw for Jade with some 20cls as prizes...

Time to get snapping, sipping and mixing....

Draw closes Friday 15th Febuary 2013

Sip Or Mix takes on Key Combier Products

Sip Or Mix is an independent Importing, Distribution and Brand Management company based in central London. The company focus is on Small Batch, Hand-Crafted, Artisanal and Authentic Spirits and Liqueurs. The current portfolio consists of; St Nicholas Abbey Rum, SW4 London Dry Gin, La Maison Fontaine Absinthe and Jade Liqueurs.

Sip Or Mix is very pleased to announce they are now adding some key Combier products to their portfolio.

The Combier Distillery in 2012 - designed by Gustave Eiffel

COMBIER is the oldest distillery of the Loire Valley which is still active today and dates back to 1834. Jean Baptiste COMBIER and his wife were confectioners who wanted to add a little something 'extra' to their sweets in the way of a new flavoured liqueur. They consequently developed the worlds first Triple Sec which became so popular they gave up the confectionery side of the business to distill full-time.

“TRIPLE SEC” (an orange liqueur) nowadays named l’Original Combier

Dried bitter orange peels from Haiti and dried sweet orange peels from Valencia are still used today just as they were back in the 1830's. They are soaked in water overnight and are stripped by hand of the very bitter pith. These peels are then macerated in alcohol and run through the 130 year old alembic copper pot stills pictured above. Only the "heart" of the distillation is used which is then run through the alembics a second time. (Originally they would have produced the base spirit at the distillery as well, hence the name "Triple Sec" or "triple distilled") Sugar crystals are added and the distillate is finally reduced to 40% when bottled. In these modern times it's tempting to streamline production, buy cheaper ingredients and seek to cut costs through better technology. While we must admit that this is necessary for some producers in the 21st Century, it's always rewarding to come across a producer who retains an attention to detail and historical accuracy such as at Combier. The very first "Triple Sec" is consequently as close as possible to its' original recipe today, as it was back in the 1830's.

 “ELIXIR COMBIER” (a plants liqueur)

Another Combier product true to its historical roots is the newly re-released Élixir Combier dating from 1852.

"Jean Baptiste Combier’s acclaimed 19th century Élixir Combier is an exotic blend of herbs, plants and other botanicals from France’s Loire Valley, Africa, India and Southeast of Asia. It is unearthed anew from Combier’s 177 year old distillery’s very own private archives after having been discontinued for decades since its creation in 1852."

It's clear from the reproduced label that this indeed was very popular back in its heyday, it's festooned with medals; Angers 1852, Laval 1852 & 1857, Lemans 1857, Bordeaux 1859 & 1863 plus many more. Élixir Combier even seems to have played a role at the famous "Exhibition Philadelphie" of 1876 - the United States first World's Fair celebrating 100 years of Independence.

Élixir Combier is labelled as a "Liqueur Hygienique De Dessert"

Liqueur and Dessert suggest sweetness and after dinner.  'Hygienic' in this sense is simply a generic term for promoting and preserving health. Unlike some other 19th century 'preparations' wild health giving claims Élixir Combier was simply used as a pleasant tasting, after dinner digestif.  

The botanical mix is both exotic and eclectic with things like saffron, fennel and even myrrh - all of which were known for their respective healing properties in the 19th Century.

Royal Combier

"Royal Combier was created in 1910 by James Combier. Much appreciated by connoisseur drinkers in Europe it is blended from Combier’s old Elixir Combier, a type of « cure-all » medicinal plant drink very fashionable in the 19th century, and distilled sweet-orange spirits and Cognac. Its primary elixir base is strictly prepared following Jean-Baptiste Combier’s Elixir Combier recipe, a bitter tasting plant-based recipe typical of 19th century elixirs. Following Jame’s Combier 1910 changes to his father’s original recipe, several spices including Angelica, Saffron, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Cloves are added to the elixir base. In keeping with James Combier’s 1910 indications, a separate distillation of sweet-orange spirits is also combined to soften the original plant-based infusion and create a sweeter, subtler liqueur where final character is bestowed by a touch of Cognac."

Doppelt Combier Kummel Extra

Kummel has been around since the late 1500's and is interchanged with meaning either Caraway or Cumin. Combier first made Kummel back in the 1850's and have again re-released an historically authentic product from their recipe archives of the 19th Century.

Doppelt Combier Kummel Extra is a blend of Caraway, Cumin and Fennel. 'Doppelt' translates as 'double' and simply means double the standard botanical bill is used which adds intensity and concentration of flavour. I would suggest that 'extra' simply means the sugar content and therefore the Kummel qualifies as a liqueur, even if it does weigh in at 38% abv. 

Come visit us at Imbibe Live 2012 on Stand G112.

We will have all of the Sip Or Mix portfolio on tasting including the new additions!

St Nicholas Abbey's New Unaged, White Rum.

Also New is Dale DeGroff's Pimento Bitters, made by Ted Breaux of Jade Liqueurs who will also be present throughout the show!

New to us are some liqueurs from the Combier Distillery and we are lucky to have a small sample of Combier's New Elixir from a recipe dating back to 1852.

We will of course have all our favourite Absinthes available; La Maison Fontaine and all four Jades as well as St Nicholas Abbey 10 year old, Ted Breaux's Jade Perique Tobacco Liquer and SW4 London Dry Gin.

Cannot wait to see you there!

Cocktails at Wax Jambu - La Maison Fontaine "Bloody Fairy" and Jade Perique Tobacco Liqueur "Coffee and Cigarette"

The Bloody Fairy

This is pure genius! The glass is wrapped in a banana leaf. The Bloody mix is a combination of Wax Jambu's homemade Sangrita and Tomato Juice. Horseradish and Worcestershire Sauce to personal taste.

The syringe is filled with 50/50 Vodka and La Maison Fontaine Absinthe. The idea is the Bloody Mary has oft been cited as a great hangover cure and Absinthe was traditionally a medicine. Put those two ideas together and we get a Bloody Fairy where one self-medicates one's own 'dose' with the syringe on the side.

I'm a big fan of the Bloody Fairy (and Mary) but this is the best I've tried yet. Perhaps it's the syringe action or the complex flavour profile added by the depth of La Maison Fontaine and Wax Jambu's homemade Sangrita - either way, I suggest you hot tail it down there and give it a whirl! Whether you have a hangover or not!

Coffee and Cigarette by Pietro Rizzo

50ml Eldorado 5 year old

20ml Jade Perique Tobacco Liqueur

15ml Santa Teresa Araku Coffee Liqueur

Bar spoon Laphroaig

Smoke the glass by lighting a cinnamon stick under it. Add all the ingredients apart from the Perique and stir over ice slowly for dilution. Add the Perique right at the end. Smoke the glass again just before loading and serve on the rocks. The garnish is some cinnamon sticks, broken cigar and three coffee beans.

The drink is rich and lucious with great coffee and smokey notes. It does exactly what it says on the tin - oh, apart from the caffeine and nicotine I guess... :-)

Absinthe Masterclass Roadshow with Ted Breaux - U.K. March 2012

We at Sip Or Mix are delighted to have Ted Breaux coming to the U.K. in March 2012. Sip Or Mix has been managing and distributing Jade Liqueurs since Sip Or Mix formed in the summer of 2011. We have been working very hard with both Jade and La Maison Fontaine to educate and re-educate the industry and the general public at large as to the true nature of Absinthe.

During the last year we have noticed a real upsurge of interest in the category and consequently cannot think of a better time to bring you several comprehensive Absinthe Masterclasses.

Ted Breaux lives in the United States so this is a rare opportunity indeed to be presented with the Jade Liqueurs portfolio by the world renowned Master Distiller and Absinthe Historian himself.

Imbibe U.S. 2011

We will take this opportunity to also present to you the other Absinthe in the Sip Or Mix Portfolio - The multi-award-winning, Blanche from Pontarlier, La Maison Fontaine®; two time winner of the much coveted "Golden Spoon" Award of the Absinthiades, IWSC Gold and Best In Class and recent Double Gold Medal winner of The Absinthe Masters.

Ted Breaux is also the man behind Jade Perique

Tobacco Liqueur and we will have some available at each of the events organised with Ted on hand to answer any questions.

If you are interested in attending any of the events below please email the contacts or the venue directly (other than pop by retail events) for further information on the Brands please email:

hello@sipormix.com

Absinthe Masterclass Roadshow with Ted Breaux - U.K. March 2012

5th - Oxford Alcademic's - Raoul's, Oxford - Open Evening Masterclass, info at:

oxford-alcademics and please register with Tim: tim@raoulsbar.com

9th - The Whisky Exchange, Vinopolis - Afternoon Bottle Signing. Just pop by.

12th - The UKBG - Afternoon Masterclass at Paramount, please email Vincenzo at calenzovincenzo@gmail.com

14th - Amathus, Wardour Street, Soho 
Afternoon Masterclass - Trade
Evening Masterclass - Consumer
Please register with tastings@amathusdrinks.com

16th - Gerry's Wines and Spirits - Afternoon Bottle Signing.

Just pop by.

18th - Zetter Townhouse - FBI (Food and Beverage Industry) From 6pm, contact venue to book a table or just turn up.

19th - Zetter Townhouse - Afternoon Bartender Masterclass. Please Register with Kamil at kfoltan@yahoo.co.uk or contact the venue on 020 7324 4567

20th - London Cocktail Society - Evening Masterclass. Please register with info@londoncocktailsociety.co.uk

21st - Reunion Bar @ The Grosvenor Hotel - Open Masterclass - 7pm - 9pm please register with info@reunionlondon.com

24th - Gerry's Wines and Spirits - Afternoon Bottle Signing.

Just pop by.

26th The Whisky Exchange - Consumer Evening. Please register with: tastings@thewhiskyexchange.com

Websites of interest:

Sip Or Mix

Jade Liqueurs

La Maison Fontaine

UKBG

London Cocktail Society

Reunion Bar @ The Grosvenor Hotel

The Zetter Townhouse

Raoul's Bar

The Whisky Exchange

Gerry's Wines and Spirits

Amathus 

Something Hot to Drink for Valentines?

 Chocolat Chaud Chaud
(Hot Hot Chocolate)

20ml La Maison Fontaine Absinthe

15ml Creme de Chataigne  (Chestnut Liqueur)

Milky Hot Chocolate

Whipped Cream

Tiny Marshmallows and Cocoa Powder

The combination of these ingredients will surely melt anyone's heart! 

Add milky hot chocolate to the La Maison Fontaine and chestnut liqueur (or any nut liqueur) top with squirty whipped cream, marshmallows and dust with cocoa powder.

 The above Hot Hot Chocolate was the genius of Merlin of The Priory Tavern in Kilburn. 

The Priory Tavern

The Priory is a wonderful local pub and it was lovely to bump into so many familiar faces when I visited, even though I don't live local! The cocktail selection is not only comprehensive but they will also mix something up for you on the spot, which is surprising for a pub - but not when we realise it's Merlin Griffiths' bar - and talk about reasonable! only £4.50 Mon - Fri, 4 - 7 pm! Tuesday is Stewsday with homemade stew and chunky bread for a mere £6.50 and I cannot wait to try out their Bloody Mary and Sunday Roast!

The other stroke of genius made by Merlin was this pretty in pink drink that would also look the part for Valentines Day.

Blanche et Noire
(White and Black)

50ml La Maison Fontaine Absinthe
25ml Schweppes Blackcurrant Cordial
100ml Water
Squeeze Fresh Lime

Pile all the ingredients over chunky ice and make sure that it is a healthy squeeze of lime.  We discussed the relative merits of Schweppes Blackcurrant Cordial and agreed that it was probably the best cordial to use because it has just the right sugar content and is usually found in every pub/bar. There is of course nothing new about this wonderfully retro style of drink, it had just never occurred to me to try it with La Maison Fontaine! What a revelation.

Happy Valentines Day!

"Hurricane Bawbag" Cocktail by Adam Smithson of Graphic Bar

On December 8th 2011 Scotland was battered by the worst gale force winds in over 10 years. As winds got up to 180 miles per hour and electric pylons fell to the ground - Twitter started trending with Hurricane Bawbag. Having lived in Scotland I instantly got the reference and spent the next few hours constantly chuckling at some of the hilarious #bawbag tweets. This particular favourite was retweeted well over 100 times:

#Scotstorm Hurricane Bawbag Update: A plant pot has fallen over in Airdrie. An eye witness retold the horror "it pure went sideways"

Even Wikipedia - the information resource for the 21st Century - has an entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Bawbag

On December 8th I happened to be out and about in London and popped into Graphic Bar in Golden Square in search of a cocktail...
It was Adam from Graphic who first introduced me to the "Monkey Gland" a cocktail using Gin, Absinthe, orange juice and grenadine which was so named after the rather gross and quite bizarre practice of grafting monkey testicle tissue onto human male testicles. Bizarre indeed, although the cocktail, admittedly, is rather tasty.... It became clear that Hurricane Bawbag deserved a cocktail of its' own and of course a 'twisted' Monkey Gland would fit the bill perfectly!

Hurricane Bawbag
by Adam Smithson
8th December 2011

50ml SW4 London Dry Gin
20ml Grenadine
20ml Blue Curacao
Several dashes La Maison Fontaine Absinthe

Shake all the ingredients hard over ice and pour into a coupette. Garnish with a small tuft of hair stuck to the side of the glass. (NB non-edible)

The Hurricane Bawbag understandably has a pinky, bluey hue, but is essentially purple in colour. The overall flavour profile is well rounded with a soft mouthfeel and good length. I would suggest however if you were going to make the Hurricane Bawbag at home or in your bar to use an edible garnish.. perhaps candy floss....

La Maison Fontaine Wins Gold at the 11th Absinthiades

La Maison Fontaine Absinthe Wins Gold

11^th Annual Absinthiades in Pontarlier, France

The multi-award-winning Absinthe, La Maison Fontaine®, has added to its burgeoning trophy cabinet, winning the much coveted ‘Golden Spoon’ for the 2^nd year in succession in the Blanche category, at the annual Absinthe festival in France.

Taking place in Pontarlier, the birthplace of French Absinthe, the festival, known as the “Absinthiades”, brings together the Worlds leading Absinthes to be tasted and is attended by visitors worldwide. The Absinthes are then judged by leading international spirits experts, VIP’s, and the public, across the 3 day Festival, to select the winner of the prestigious award recognizing the world’s finest.

Launched in 2010 La Maison Fontaine has now won 7 Medal’s including, ISC Gold, Gold in the Absinthe Masters, IWSC Gold and Best in Class, and is helping this much loved, revered and misunderstood “enfant terrible” take-off again.

Mark Stringer, La Maison Fontaine®, co-founder commented;

“We’re exceptionally proud to have won gold, in such a hotly contested category for the 2nd year in a row. We believe that there’s a gap in the market between the evocative, traditional Absinthe and the contemporary, a gap which we’re happy to bridge. One that Traditional absinthe drinkers, bar tenders and customers seem to be excited about”.

La Maison Fontaine® provides a refreshing and modern take on a 200-year-old classic. With its natural ingredients it provides an exciting alternative to the more recognised bar spirits. Distilled in the oldest absinthe stills in the world, using locally grown natural herbs including world renowned Pontarlier Grande absinthe, La Maison Fontaine® gives a refined and unique taste.

Working alongside leading mixologists, Founders Sven Olsen and Mark Stringer have created a range of stunning cocktails to shake up the London bar scene. From the Louche Bloom – a mixture of fresh lime, aged rum and homemade vanilla syrup – to the Fontaine Flower with champagne and Elderflower liqueur, the range provides a selection of surprising taste infusions to rival the existing modern classics such as The Pontarlier Mule.

Absinthe is doing more than simply adding to the existing drinks market, it’s a spirit that is helping introduce a new category for contemporary cocktail lists, with leading London bars, such as Zetter Townhouse, Paramount, Mandarin Oriental, Nobu, Purl, China Tang Dorchester, The London Cocktail Club, to name but a few, now stocking absinthe and La Maison Fontaine®. It's also doing the rounds at celebrity events with La Maison Fontaine most recently making its appearance with an exclusive bar at Bob Geldof's star-studded 60th Birthday Party which included guests Bono, Jerry Hall, Anna Friel and Rolling Stones rocker Bill Wyman to name but a few.

After nearly a century of myth surrounding Absinthe, La Maison Fontaine® is carefully crafted to challenge perceptions, and if its reception so far is anything to go by The White Fairy is certainly sprinkling its gold dust around London.

La Maison Fontaine Absinthe at The Salusbury Wine Store - Queens Park, NW6

I don't venture up to NW6 very often - or rather hadn't until now. Now that I've discovered The Salusbury Wine Store in Salusbury Road, I think I might be in NW6 a lot more often! In previous incarnations I've run both Wine Stores and Delicatessens so I felt right at home amongst the wine and cheese.

We had arranged to do the La Maison Fontaine Absinthe tasting some weeks back and were hoping to do it outside in the, what now seemed to be normal, UK sunshine. Of course these plans were scuppered by the first bit of rain London had seen in months - and when I say rain... I mean rain!

We made up the absinthe fountain with the Fontaine of Youth - an infusion of cucumber, lemon and mint and we were off. I love talking to people about absinthe and dispelling all those myths,
"oh absinthe, it makes you mad, right?" is very common when offered a taste. "Will it make me cut my ear off?" is another classic or perhaps worse still is the "you set it on fire, right?".

Wrong! the idea that Absinthe makes you mad was largely fuelled and funded by the French wine industry trying to get back on their feet after the devastation on the phylloxera crisis of the 1860's. Phylloxera is a bug that attacks the roots of grape vines and within 25 years of its introduction the French wine industry had lost about 25 million acres of vines. Absinthe producers moved away from, the now scarce and very expensive, grape brandy to using neutral sugar beet spirit. Absinthe consequently rocketed in popularity with everyone across all sectors of French society now drinking it, simply because it was available. And, as for setting Absinthe on fire? A total invention of the 1990's, I imagine that had any one set their Absinthe alight in the 1800's, they may well have been declared mad!

Still, you don't have to take my word for it - there are some really well researched and in depth Absinthe histories out there - on the internet I'd actually recommend Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe

If you only ever buy one book on Absinthe make sure it is Barnaby Conrad III's "Absinthe, History in a Bottle" - written in 1988 - before the internet, it's an extremely well researched and original work (unlike a lot on the internet). The only flaw is the last section on the science of thujone which has since been updated - if interested, take a look here:

http://www.thujone.info/science.html

Recently released is the film "Absinthe" - a documentary by Chris Buddy, again, exceptionally well researched and well crafted - it delivers a comprehensive account of Absinthe's history from the beginning to the present day in a mere 70 mins! You can see the trailer on their website:

http://absinthefilm.com/

We're going to have a public showing of the film in June, do get in touch if interested.

So, after introducing The Salusbury Wine Store customers to a taste of La Maison Fontaine and a quick, myth exploding, potted history of Absinthe, we made quite a few new friends!

Here's Jez and Adam, now huge fans of La Maison Fontaine!

We are planning to go back to the Salusbury Wine Store to introduce some more of their customers to the delights of La Maison Fontaine (and so I can buy some more of their amazing cheese and wine) we will let you know when. Meanwhile, if you're in the area do pop in and get some great wine recommendations from Chris or Mattieu, there is only one Absinthe you would want to buy of course!

The Salusbury Wine Store

50 Salusbury Road

Queens Park

NW6

Telephone - 020 7372 6664

info@thesalusburywinestore.co.uk

If you would like a La Maison Fontaine tasting in your Shop, Bar or at an Event or any further information please email me at:

jenny@sipormix.com

www.sipormix.com