John McCarthy - The Modern Gentleman: The Guide to the Best Food, Drinks, and Accessories

This work is dedicated to my Dad, who taught me far more important things about being a gentleman than fine food, wines, and spirits.

John McCarthy

CONTENTS

Tequila and Mezcal

Gin: The Ultimate Cocktailer

Rums the Word

Seven Cocktails Every Gentleman Should Know

Coffee Is for Closers

PART TWO: FOOD

How to Cook a Steak

Bring the Heat

The Joy of Cheese

The Art of Charcuterie

The World Is Your Oyster

PART THREE: CIGARS

Have a Cigar

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Illustrator

INTRODUCTION: The Gentlemans Guide to a Few of Lifes Finest Things

Fifteen years ago, I didnt have a clue about a lot of the stuff youll find inside this book. I couldnt tell you how cheese was made or how to order the tastiest oysters, and I didnt have any idea what the hell mezcal was. Not that it was all my fault. The 80s and 90s were not the best of times for craft and artisanal movements. Flavored vodka ruled the spirits world by significant margins (vodka is still the most popular spirit in America), and nobody I knew of was drinking fine rums or whiskey. Craft beer was in its infancy. My idea of quality tequila actually involved a worm. These were dark days. But then things changed in a big way. With the new millennium came an artisanal renaissance in how we raise, prepare, and think about our food and drinks. It was a movement I was privy to when I became the managing editor of Mens Health magazine in 2008. It was then that I noticed that while the brand was covering food and craft beer, nobody was talking about the whiskey revival or craft cocktail revolution that was in full swing. I saw the opportunity, claimed the category, and never looked back. For ten years now I have been immersed in studying the art of hospitality and the foods, spirits, and cocktails that make people happy. I travel the world visiting the sources of incredible agricultural products, and when Im not on the road I tend bar and study mixology in a quest to master the art of making cocktails. Im educating myself on the craft from both sides of the fence.

Much of what Ive learned is condensed in the pages that follow. This book is designed to enhance your life by imparting a deeper understanding of the things we already enjoy. Each chapter represents an entry point into a curated categorybeer, cocktails, and hot sauce are just a few. When you develop a knowledge of one of the worlds great products, be it cheese, wine, whiskey, or a nice cigar, the reward is a deeper appreciation of these things. From there, its only natural that you will start to enjoy them more. That is the pathway toward elevating your experiences to a higher plane and becoming a true modern gentleman.

For example, look at bourbon enthusiasts. Youve tasted your way through the good stuff, maybe read Fred Minnicks blog, got the lowdown on how its all made, and now you feel like you are part of the bourbon community. Now that you get it, youre ready to graduate to the next levelso where do you go? The answer is simple: you go to the source. A distillery trip to Kentucky allows you to learn the distillation process firsthand by seeing for yourself how all that delicious whiskey gets made. Go to a rackhouse and take in the powerful aroma of thousands of oak barrels aging. Every time you sniff the whiskey in your glass, you can go back there. It transcends you. Now youre enjoying your bourbon on a whole other level.

The same ethereal experiences apply to every chapter in this book, from wine (how about a trip to Napa, Tuscany, or the Loire Valley in southern France?) to charcuterie (discover what makes Iberico ham from Spain taste so special). One thing people ask me is how to tell if a product is the real deal or just commercial fare in fancy wrapping. Its a legitimate concern. The reality is that misleading marketing and misinformation are rampant in every category, so one of the goals of this book is to help you spot authenticity from its imposters. Heres a hint: it usually involves reading the label.

Being a modern gentleman boils down to procuring and enjoying the best efforts of skilled chefs, farmers, fishermen, craftsmen, and distillers, who are using the best ingredients and often preserving traditions to produce food for enjoyment, not economy. The celebration of these crafts is what this book is all about, and your reward for educating yourself more deeply is the opportunity to enjoy the things that taste good and that sometimes get you buzzed.

Speaking of getting buzzed, I talk about drinking quite a bit in this book, and I just want to remind you that while enjoying a damn fine whiskey is one of lifes most exquisite pleasures, its easy to get carried away. Alcohol helps create a fun-filled ride through life, but it also has the power to ruin it. Respect is key.

Foodies, bon vivants, aficionados, connoisseurs, gastronomists, gourmands, and influential types come from all walks of lifeand there will be no judgments or hipster bullshit here. This book is devoid of advice about how to dress, cut your hair, or curl your mustache. Who you are and how you present yourself is entirely up to you. Excellent grooming, working out, optimal nutrition, and dressing well all contribute to your efforts to live your best life, but advice on those is probably best left for another book. This ones all about the creature comforts, and you will find that I like to drive home one point above all when exploring the finest offerings in any category: try everything. Understand what you are eating or drinking. Then go with what tastes good to you. I hope you enjoy the book, but more importantly, I hope you can find new passions in which to indulge and make the effort to treat yourself well. You deserve it.

PART ONE: DRINKS

THE BEER EX PERTS STARTER KIT

Heres to alcohol. The cause of and solution to all of lifes problems.

Homer Simpson

Grain, hops, barley, and water. I have always loved beer. Even back in my early days of drinking, I understood that a tasty, cold brew on a hot summer day is one of lifes most profound yet straightforward pleasures. But I wasnt picky. I was on a quest to find the cheapest possible way to get hammered, and sadly I spent many years subjecting myself to crappy beer. Dont make the same mistake. Good beer is everywhere. Every state in America now has a local brewing scene, and the U.S. is the worlds largest producer of craft beer in the world. Ninety-two percent of Americans live within ten miles of a brewery that pumps out local versions of virtually every style. Theres no excuse not to explore, indulge, and take chances.

The industry-recognized method of measuring the flavor of beer is called an International Bitterness Unit (IBU). The higher the IBU, the more bitter the beer. Your everyday big box lagers, like Budweiser, run about a somewhat spineless seven, while Guinness Stout clocks in at 40. Hoppy IPAs have an entire 100+ IBU category, and the world's hoppiest beers, like Dogfish Head Hoo Lawd, clock in north of 1,000. I cannot drink these.