Went to the Varnish in Downtown Los Angeles yesterday and had an incredible tasting of Grand Marnier with Steve Olsen. Steve is an incredible guy with a tremendous amount of passion that could ignite any bartender to do great things. He is the owner of AKA Wine Geek and this guy just knows his stuff. For the first time ever we tasted the Cognac right from the barrell that goes into making Grand Marnier. First of all, I didn't even know that Grand Marnier was made from Cognac. They made so many incredible cocktails but The Bourbon Smash was my favorite. It consists of muddling lemon, mint and Grand Marnier. Add the bourbon, shake and pour over ice. This drink is like lemonade. Because white nectarines are in season and are absolutely incredible right now, I am going to start adding those to my smashes. Another drink I am inspired to do is Grand Marnier with fresh grapefruit juice and lemon juice with an Absinthe spray on top. Can't wait to get to the bar tonight!