Big surprise: this weekend’s gonna be another scorcher. So forget the ball game and go straight for the air conditioning. Where to? Well, remember that new absinthe lounge we told you was coming to Lola a few weeks ago? It opens tonight, complete with plush couches, eye-popping décor and some truly tasty absinthe-based cocktails.

Here’s one we loved: The Hemingway. Head down to Lola this weekend, and let us know which drink you tried – but be careful, more than one of these particularly potent drinks and you may need to call a cab.

A Saucy congrats to two area bartenders who were chosen as finalists for the Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition.

TJ Vytlacil of Franco Restaurant and Chris Muether of Danno’s American Pub will be participating in the fourth annual GKCBC on Aug. 29 in Kansas City. The event is now the largest in the Midwest, since this year’s competition was opened to bartenders from outside the Kansas City area. The 12 finalists and their unique cocktails were chosen for the use of quality spirits, fresh ingredients, proper technique and creativity.

Vytlacil will be preparing “Silver & Sand,” which uses Lillet Rouge, lemon juice, the Danish liqueur Cherry Heering, two types of scotch, lemon bitters and egg white. Muether, one of the newest members of the St. Louis chapter of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild, will be shaking up a cocktail he calls “Gateway to the Zest.”

The finalists will compete against one another on the stage of the Uptown Theater in front of a live audience and be judged by a panel that includes St. Louis’ own Ted Kilgore of Taste by Niche.

Wanna cheer on the duo from our fair(er) city? Grab your $15 ticket, which also includes a drink and food by some of K.C.’s best restaurants at www.gkcbc.com.

Pull up a chair and get ready for a cold one, because a new microbrewery will soon be adding to the now booming local craft brewing scene in St. Louis. Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. will be an “unconventional-minded yet tradition-oriented brewer of craft beer,” co-founders Florian Kuplent and David Wolfe said today in a press release.

Kuplent and Wolfe are both former employees of Anheuser-Busch. Kuplent, who worked as a brewmaster for the beer giant and will serve in the same capacity for UCBC, most recently developed a line of award-winning craft-style beers for the Michelob brand. Wolfe was employed in A-B’s marketing department for 18 years, working his way up from wholesale operations to direct U.S. marketing efforts for various European and Belgian beers.

UCBC looks to differentiate itself from the growing number of area microbreweries through a New World-meets-Old World beer philosophy, a term the owners have deemed “beer divergency” and which UCBC imbibers will enjoy through two beer series: the Revolution, or modern American craft beers, and the Reverence series, which gives a nod to classically-crafted European beer.

“Most breweries do an English- or American-style ale. We want to focus on Germanic roots – more lager versus ale,” explained Kuplent of the Reverence series. As for the Revolution series, Kuplent said he “wants to play around with ingredients, combine flavors and play with malt varieties.”

Kuplent and Wolfe will be outfitting a renovated 1920s garage with a new state-of-the-art brewing system designed to produce enough beer for distribution – 1,000 to 2,000 barrels in the first year – to St. Louis area restaurants, bars, groceries, liquor stores and other retail outlets. About one-third of UCBC’s product will be sold in-house with 10 to 15 beers on tap at any one time. The owners hope to collaborate with the local craft beer community and offer their beers on tap as well.

When Urban Chestnut Brewing opens in late 2010, guests will be able to enjoy the beers on tap at the microbrewer’s biergarten, located at 3229 Washington Ave. in Midtown.

Have scoop on restaurants opening, closing or changing their menu in the St. Louis area? Email us at Scoop@saucemagazine.com.

Welcome to Fact or Fiction, a new online column in which we dive into the truth behind some well-accepted foodie wives’ tales – and reveal whether they’re fact or fiction.

Alcohol does not freeze.

Fiction: Actually, alcohol does freeze; its freezing point is simply far below that of water. For instance, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, while ethanol (or pure grain alcohol such as Everclear) freezes at -173.2 degrees Fahrenheit. So why can you put a bottle of your favorite liquor in the freezer without it ever solidifying? That’s because most home freezers don’t reach temperatures anywhere near -173.2 degrees and, therefore, a bottle of vodka or rum is usually just chilled in these conditions – not frozen. Not all alcohol is the same, however, and the freezing point will depend on the proof of the alcohol – the lower the proof, the warmer the freezing point; the higher the proof, the colder the freezing point. This is why lower-proof alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine coolers and even some liquors such as Malibu rum will freeze in a freezer. Mixing alcohol with other liquids such as sodas and fruit juices also raises the freezing temperature of the drink and could result in part of the drink turning into slush.

Got ya in the mood for a frothy cocktail? Check out this month’s St. Louis Scene, in which Sauce writer Matt Berkley reveals the chilly details behind downtown’s new ice-inspired vodka bar, Shiver.

A Saucy welcome to Ted Charak, Brasserie’s new bar manager. Charak has been tending bar since 1993, primarily in San Francisco and Portland, Ore., and has recently returned to his native St. Louis.

In 2006, Charak and a business partner opened craft cocktail bar Teardrop Lounge, which remains a popular bar in Portland. The concept for Teardrop, said Charak, was “to bring the kitchen to the bar,” and included making numerous products in-house such as tonic water, ginger beer, grenadine, bitters, liqueurs, vermouth and Falernum. Charak is also a founding member of the Oregon Bartender’s Guild.

Among his many duties behind the bar, Charak will be responsible for writing Brasserie’s cocktail menu. When the new menu goes up in September, look for interesting French spins on vintage cocktails, playful homemade ingredients like Mexican pineapple soda and the use of a few new-to-the-market liquors.

Charak replaces Michelle Bildner, who is leaving the CWE bistro to attend graduate school. Bildner has been tending bar for the last 10 years. She worked at Monarch prior to coming on board at Brassiere when the restaurant opened last year.

Sure, the thought of sweet summer tomatoes plucked fresh from a local farm should be enough to get you out of bed on a Saturday. But just in case you need that little extra push shaking off the covers, this homegrown tomato contest will also feature the first-ever Good, Big and Ugly tomato cocktail showdown. Got your shoes on yet?

For the contest, three local mixologists will be paired with three area farmers to create cocktails that showcase the day’s star ingredient: tomatoes, of course. Matt Seiter of Sanctuaria will be paired with YellowTree Farm’s Justin Leszcz, Monarch’s Nate Selsor will work with Gabriel Walbridge of Ozark Harvest Farms and Ted Kilgore of Taste by Niche fame will spend the day working with Karrie Johnson of Red House Farm.

Each mixologist has already started working with his assigned farmer to concoct a drink that uses tomatoes of all shapes and sizes, as well as any other herbs, veggies and fruits they can find on their partner’s farm. The weirder, the better for this seasonal battle, Seiter said, as the teams are looking to steer clear of the traditional reds and reaching for more obscure varieties including Zebras, Purple Cherokees and Italian Ices. The mixologists will also have to make a second cocktail, this one on-the-spot using whatever ingredients are set out on the table. Something tells me this won’t be your mom’s bloody mary.

Each cocktail will be judged on appearance, flavor and overall impression and the judges (including Sauce Elixir columnist Ligaya Figueras) will award first place “good”, second place “big” and third place “ugly” awards in accordance with the festival’s theme.

The Homegrown Tomato Contest and Tasting put on by Slow Food St. Louis will be held at Orlando Gardens near the Sappington Farmer’s Market on July 31 from noon to 4 p.m.; the cocktail contest starts at 2 p.m. For more info, click here.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Campari, the world’s top-selling aperitif. We’re always happy to use milestones as an excuse for a bit of tippling and figured we’d give Saucy sippers a quick rundown on ways to commemorate the birthday of this oh-so-bitter red spirit.

“Gin and Campari pair so beautifully,” said Eclipse Restaurant’s Lucas Ramsey. A Negroni, made from equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, is a classic Campari-centric cocktail; pairing seltzer with Campari is another standard combo.

Looking to get a bit more lively? Pull out your bar implements, and shake up these bright cocktails: For something light but still puckeringly tart, mix up the Campari Cucumber Cocktail. For something sweet, Ramsey’s own New Buddy (as opposed to the Old Pal, a Campari cocktail of ages past) weighs on the fruity side, particularly with the addition of Cocci Americano, a white aperitif wine that is available at Lukas Liquor and The Wine and Cheese Place.

Campari Cucumber Cocktail
Created by Eric Alperin

0.5 oz. fresh lime juice
0.5 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. gin
Seltzer
2 bruised/cracked slices of English cucumber
1 cucumber wheel

• Build all ingredients into a shaker.
• Crack or lightly bruise the two slices of cucumber into the shaker.
• Lightly mix the ingredients with a piece of ice.
• Strain the ingredients into a Collins glass with ice.
• Top with seltzer, garnish with a cucumber wheel and add a straw.

New Buddy
Created by Lucas Ramsey

¼ fresh orange (including peel)
6 fresh blueberries
1.5 oz. London dry gin
1 oz. Campari
0.5 oz. Cocci American Aperitivo
0.5 oz. simple syrup
1 egg white

• Muddle orange and blueberries.
• Add muddled fruit and the rest of the ingredients into a shaker.
• Dry shake for 10 seconds.
• Add ice.
• Hard shake for 20 seconds.
• Double strain into a cocktail glass.
• Garnish with a circular-shaped orange peel and a fresh blueberry threaded on a cocktail pick, inserted in the glass to resemble an umbrella.

Some restaurants take years before they expand. In other cases, as with neighborhood noshery Lola, it’s just a matter of months.

Lola opened in January in the old Crepes in the City spot at the corner of 14th Street and St. Charles. When owners Chris Hansen and Cijo Matthews had the opportunity to take over the I Am Sneaky shoe space that sits directly behind Lola on Washington, they didn’t hesitate. The expansion will enable Lola to “connect to Washington Avenue, break up the food audience from the late night audience and secure rooftop rights for spring,” Hansen said. “We’ll be the only single-story rooftop deck space on Washington.

Hansen and Matthews aren’t wasting any time in priming the new space either. A mere 10 days or so from now, the additional 1,800 interior square feet will have been converted into an absinthe lounge, plus a separate dining area with seating for 35.

The late night lounge, according to Hansen, will be driven by a “bohemian philosophy”: take high-end and make it approachable and affordable. To achieve this, they will be offering house-infused absinthe, trendy boxed wines, canned beers, organic martinis, and a special selection of whiskeys. Items such as these, explained bar manager Matt McMullin, will also differentiate the “down-tempo lounge” with loaf-about couch seating from Lola’s existing high-end, hand-crafted cocktail bar.

Hansen hopes the renovation will be ready in time for a private function scheduled for July 17. As far as that rooftop goes, look to see a 1,200- to 1,500-sq. foot deck built in time for the 2011 patio season.

- Ligaya Figueras

Have scoop on restaurants opening, closing or changing their menu in the St. Louis area? Email us at Scoop@saucemagazine.com.

We can only imagine the raging Cinco bash that Sammy Hagar, founder of Cabo Wabo Tequila, will throw at his tequila bar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to celebrate the cantina’s 20th anniversary. Want in on the act? Get rockin’ with these modern tequila cocktails, and leave the classic Marg thing to Buffett’s Parrotheads.

Tequila Sunset (pictured)
Adapted by Eclipse’s Lucas Ramsey from a recipe by Alex Straus
1 Serving

2 oz. Cabo Wabo Blanco
½ oz. pomegranate juice
¾ oz. framboise liqueur
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. agave syrup

Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake vigorously for 20 seconds and strain over fresh ice into a chilled Collins glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

In Fashion
Courtesy of Terrene’s Sunny McElwain
1 Serving

2 thin, fresh orange slices
1 Kirsch-brandied cherry plus 1 tsp. juice from the bottle of Kirsch-soaked cherries
2 dashes Fee Brothers Aztec chocolate bitters
2 oz. Cabo Wabo Añejo

In an old-fashioned glass, put the orange slices, cherry, juice and bitters and muddle well. Add the tequila and stir. Add ice cubes.

– Ligaya Figueras

“It’s been ridiculous in here.”

So spoke Tanner (just Tanner, by the way – we did ask), the bearded, baseball-capped bartender on duty during a recon of DD’s Irish Pub & Karaoke this past Saturday afternoon. Two Mondays ago, that lounge observed a “soft” opening at 1740 Brentwood Blvd., opposite Brentwood Square.

Tanner estimated the lounge’s capacity at 180, but remarked of the response to DD’s, “It is far, far beyond our expectations.” Apparently, midcounty residents have chosen the lounge as ground zero to toast (knock wood) the recession’s end.

At the moment, DD’s offers 20 varieties of bottled beer and 10 brews on tap, a standard array of liquors and an unabashedly perfunctory selection of wines. A second bar, in the back, will open soon, Tanner told us, with 10 different taps (among them Guinness, an unfortunate exclusion from the front in a self-styled Irish pub). In addition to karaoke – whose allure, frankly, still eludes us – DD’s also sports industry-standard plasma TVs, as well as video games, a pool table and an Internet jukebox. Its hours run from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. daily except Sunday, with happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. during the workweek.

Almost perforce, DD’s boasts a handsome hardwood front bar, and Tanner spared no praise for manager Jim Wideman, who “headed up all the construction and busted his butt to get it ready.” Despite the fatigue of opening a fairly high-profile midcounty lounge, though, Wideman himself chatted with us volubly, with the nasality of a longtime smoker. (In passing, he noted that the recent enactment of the Indoor Clean Air Code smoking ban – scheduled to take effect in St. Louis County on Jan. 2 – won’t cover DD’s because of its menu, limited to hot dogs, pre-prepared pizza and so forth.)

“At one point,” Wideman told us, “we had probably 30 to 40 people in a line, ’cause we had to shut ’em down. We couldn’t let any more people in – we were full.” Perhaps thanks to the unseasonably “Is it really November?” weather, even the presence outside the lounge of eight round faux mosaic tile–topped tables hasn’t alleviated the press of potential patrons.

Moreover, that embarrassment of riches may only grow when DD’s celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, Nov. 14. “We’re gonna barbecue,” Wideman told us. “We’re gonna have food put out for people.” Tanner added, “A band is coming. Also the Jäger Girls, the Bud Light Girls …” (For specifics, obviously, potential attendees should phone the lounge at 314.961.5646.)

The opening of DD’s, by the way, technically represents a reopening. The establishment formerly operated as the Double D Lounge (which reportedly opened just after World War II) at 2219 S. Brentwood Blvd. When current owners Rick and Donna Wideman decided to relocate, though, a more uptown handle seemed needed. “The name ‘Double D Lounge’ sounds like a strip joint,” Jim Wideman explained wryly. “So they wanted something a little different.” Hence the name change. Capiche? Groovy. Sláinte!