A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

Guests gathered on Tuesday night at Black Falcon Terminal for Boston Magazine’s first annual, The Cue. Readers of Boston Magazine voted to pick the top 10 mixed drinks in the city. Those top 10 mixologists came to The Cue to mix their drinks live and guests of the event were asked to pick their favorite.

The event started at 6pm for VIP’s and at 7pm for the general public. Those that were lucky enough to be VIP’s were treated to a private lounge, early access to the drinks and exclusive vendors.

Alex and Ani set up shop in the private lounge, showcasing their bangle bar.

The first thing you saw when you walked in the door was Stay Sweet Macs, a coconut macaroon company that is just about a year old. They are sold only through their website at this time, check them out here. They have amazing flavors (orange zest, pink salted dark chocolate, toffee almond, jackfruit, and strawberry white chocolate) and who doesn’t love a macaroon covered in chocolate!

First Trade Union Bank was sponsoring a ice cream bar featuring ice cream from Rancatore’s. Rancatore’s is located in Belmont and Lexington. You may be more familiar with Toscanini’s, owned by Gus Rancatore.  Gus and Joe Rancatore are brothers.

Pangea Shellfish company was there shucking oysters for VIP’s.

Above are their Standish Shore Oysters that are grown just over in Duxbury.

Celebrity Cruises was their mixing up dry ice cocktails.

The event was sponsored by Absolut, so all drinks this evening showcased their many different flavors of vodka.

Guests were treated to some great live music for the evening and the MC for the evening was Amy Brooks from radio 92.9.

How fun are their outfits? Abby Lane brought their A game, with their “pineapple express” cocktail.

1 oz Absolut Vodka
.75 oz 888 Pineapple Jalapeño spirit
.5 oz Hum Botanical spirit
.5 oz Orgeat
8-10 oven roasted pineapple chunks

Roast sliced pineapple chunks in an oven on 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Muddle roasted pineapple in a Boston Shaker. Fill with ice. Add all remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously and strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass.

It’s always fun to see the guys from Dillon’s. They were serving up Mexican street corn with honey lime butter and strawberry basil.

A little dance break.

Dillon’s also served up a basil and lavender mint infused lemonade.

Some of the Absolut flavors being showcased this evening.

Richer Pour wine was also in the VIP lounge, pouring glasses of wine on tap.

Andy Husbands was blowing up social media before the event. He was the only one who brought his own smoker!

Tremont 647 was serving up the best ribs you’ll ever have.

Check out how delicious they look!

Got to love Andy’s outfit!

Regal Beagle featured pulled pork and jalapeno cornbread sliders: pulled pork, watermelon bbq sauce, jalapeno cheddar cornbread.

Fairsted Kitchen was smokin’ up some lamb ribs, dusted with cumin and fish sauce.

Sweet Cheeks was go big or go home – they brought a whole smoked pig!

Champions was mixing up their signature cocktail the “Boston Strong”.

1.5 oz Absolut Vodka
.5 oz blueberry syrup
.5 oz ginger simple syrup
.75 oz lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp lemon zest

Prep martini glass- coat half of glass rim with lemon juice and dip in mix of sugar, ginger powder, and lemon zest. To make rim sugar: mix equal parts sugar, ginger powder, and lemon zest.
In an ice filled cocktail shaker add Absolut Vodka, ginger simple syrup, and lemon juice. Shake vigorously. Strain into rimmed, chilled martini glass. Finish by adding blueberry syrup into the martini glass along the side so that it sinks to the bottom. Ahead of time, coat peaches in brown sugar and grill until tender.

Earls Kitchen and Bar featured Slow Braised BBQ Back Ribs with sweet + spicy bbq sauce, warm potato salad and coleslaw.

Empire was mixing up a “Bom Dia”

1.5 oz Absolut Citron
.5 oz St. Germain
.5 oz lime juice
muddled guava and grilled peach
dash guava simple syrup
prosecco
sliced peach
brown sugar
sugar cane

In a shaker, muddle guava and peach with a dash of guava simple syrup add ice and all ingredients except prosecco. Shake and pour into a highball glass and top with prosecco. Garnish with fresh sugar cane.

The Living Room was mixing up “The Cucumber Haze” which earned them the title of first runner up at the event.

1.5 oz Absolut Vodka
.5 oz blueberry-thyme simple syrup
1.5 oz fresh lemon juice
2 slices of cucumber
sprig of thyme
lemon twist
2 blueberries

Muddle two slices of Cucumber. Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Serve over ice in Collins glass. Top with Soda water. Garnish with sprig of thyme two blueberries and lemon twist.

Bronwyn had a delicious Hungarian smoked brisket with paprika and honey glaze

Stop by Larry J’s in Southie and say hello to Larry Jimerson.

Larry J’s brought pulled pork (Texas and North Carolina) that was from slow smoked pork butts (12.5 hours!!)

Brian Moy of Shojo (right).

Shojo had a dish inspired by a Hawaiian luau. Coconut water glazed suckling pig; Hawaiian salad of pineapple, ham, tomato, carrot, broccoli, shrimp; tahitian POI: banana, mango, coco creame, taro pudding and  coconut sticky rice.

BT’s Smokehouse did a brisket rueben: smoked beef brisket, sexy slaw, pickled rye sauce, on honey brown bread.

Leah Famularo of Burton’s Grill was mixing up an “Absolut Sizzle”

1.5 oz Absolut Vodka
.5 oz Cointreau
.75 oz cayenne simple syrup
2 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit Juice
chunk of lime
cayenne simple syrup
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In shaker pour Absolut and Cointreau over ice, finish with cayenne simple syrup and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Shake vigorously and strain over fresh ice in snifter glass. Squeeze one fresh lime chunk into glass.

Robert’s Maine was at the event as well sampling some of their delicious bites.

Michael’s Deli served up a BBQ meatloaf knish: housemade BBQ meatloaf wrapped in knish dough and baked.

Glenn LeMaitre of Bricco mixed up his Bricco Espresso Martini and came out on top as champion at the event.

2 oz Absolut Vanilia
1 oz Kahlua
.25 oz Amaretto
.25 oz Baileys
.25 oz Frangelico
Double shot of espresso

Place all ingredients into martini shaker and shaken vigorously. Stain into a martini glass rimmed with cocoa and sugar. Garnish with three espresso beans.

A closer look at those winning cocktails!

East Coast Grill and Raw Bar served up baby back ribs – house smoked with a blackberry peach bourbon sauce.

Look at those ribs!

Kings was serving up some delicious mac and cheese!

Bond was serving up their signature cocktail “Bankrupt” that earned them the title of 2nd runner up for the evening.

3 oz Absolut Vodka
3 oz strawberry rhubarb puree
rhubarb
strawberries
.5 cup sugar

For the puree juice equal portions rhubarb and strawberry in a juicer. Then, bring juice to boil and immediately remove from heat stirring in fine sugar to sweeten and thicken (for 1 cup juice add ½ cup sugar). Combine vodka and puree in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

A closer look at those delicious cocktails!

Bokx 109 was mixing up their “Absolutely American” cocktail:

1 oz Absolut Mandarin
1 oz sweet and sour mix
.5 oz grenadine
1 oz Blue Curacao
Cherry garnish

Add 1 oz Absolut Mandarin, 1.5 oz sweet and sour to shaker over ice. Stir with bar stirrer. Pour in Collins glass, add .5 oz of grenadine allow to settle to bottom. Add ice to fill, float with Blue Curacao. Garnish with cherry. Drink should layer red, “white,” blue.

A great event over all, already looking forward to next year’s event.

Boston Magazine’s The Cue

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/cookout/cue/

 

Tags: bbq, boston magazine events, events, seaport