An Exercise in Hospitality... Adventures with Cocktails & Food

A Convoluted Narrative; With Swizzles!

2010-06-19T13:48:00.003-04:00

As the summer season hits a stride, it occurs to me that we haven’t revisited one of my favorite types of hot weather libations in quite a while: Swizzles.

Well, quite frankly, we haven't revisited anything for altogether too-long, but that's neither here nor there. So while there are no shortage of formulas that might benefit from such a treatment, a truly brilliant one springs to mind (pretty easily considering I just enjoyed two of them in a row) and I thought I might jump back in to share it with you, good reader.

I was introduced to this delightful draught sometime last year at a Thursday Drink Night event: the Chartreuse Swizzle. As might be expected when discussing something which arose from the weekly cocktail symposia held there, from there on the tale grows even more sordid and convoluted…

Originated by Marco Dionysos, at last glance the head bartender at San Francisco’s Clock Bar, this outstanding beverage in its base form was originally introduced to the Mixoloseum crew through an article by Marleigh over at SLOSHED! It truly is a wonderful Swizzle (and appears in a fair number of places on the interweb already), with an intriguing blend of complex flavors. Much of this stems from the interplay of the Chartreuse (my love of which is well-documented), Pineapple (which absolutely must be fresh by-the-by) and spicy Falernum syrup (homemade of course). When the recipe came to light, following a bit of devious consideration Rick of KaiserPenguin suggested the addition of one-quarter ounce of J. Wray & Nephew's overproof Rum to the recipe; and from there it was all downhill.

Upon sampling this wonderful alteration, I was intrigued by the even-more fascinating interplay of flavors inside my well-frosted glass. The Vanilla notes present in the rum played off of the Falernum’s spices especially nicely and the additional alcohol – smoothly integrated by the dilution that a proper swizzling imparts – only served to magnify the remaining flavors.

As so often happens when I get thusly captivated, I began messing with the recipe. The results of my manipulations run in a slightly different direction from the original, yet remain equally delicious. Last year at 'Tales the collective palettes of the Mixoloseum House drank more than a few of these (and its progenitor, the original Green Chartreuse Swizzle) to beat the sweltering New Orleans heat back. And so, short and sweet, I give you the following summertime libation (©):

Golden Sands Swizzle
1 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
½ oz. Lemon Hart 151° Demerara Rum
1 oz. fresh Pineapple juice
¾ oz. fresh Lemon juice
½ oz. Falernum syrup
Combine ingredients in a tall Collins glass and fill ¾ with crushed ice; swizzle until the glass is frosted. Top with additional crushed ice; garnish with a sprig of Spearmint and a grate of fresh Nutmeg.

So on your next sweltering day, when the heat really has you down, ransack your liquor cabinet. Try the original, then another with a touch of J. Wray; then move along to mine. I promise you won’t be disappointed by any of the results. But after three Swizzles (working on my third right now), really, how could you be disappointed by anything..?

Cheers & Enjoy!

Food Français…

2009-11-23T22:53:00.009-05:00

…holds a great appeal to me for a variety of reasons. Say what you will of the French nation and its inhabitants, but one should first consider the debt which modern Western cooking most assuredly owes them - in matters of technique and codification, if nothing else.

Then again, it may be the composite flavors of the culinary tradition; the herbes fines, various ‘mother’ sauces or even the generous application of cheeses, shallots, charcuterie, wine and mushrooms that often characterizes the cuisine. Flavors subtle and bold (sometimes both), with almost any and all of them delightful in their own rights. But, to make no bones about it, any culinary tradition that flings offal, Cognac or duck fat around so willfully (and skillfully) certainly deserves a major vote of confidence!

And indeed, more often than not the very best examples of the French cuisine on which I wax so fondly are the oft-simple preparations; the “peasant fare” or regionally-diverse preparations which crop up all about the country. The oft-bewildering entirety of haute cuisine which one so rarely encounters these days (Escoffier anyone?) is, broadly-speaking, derived part & parcel from the “elevation” of such dishes.

While each section of France certainly has its own signature dishes, I think some of my favorite examples hail from disparate ends of the country. Normandy in the far north and Gascony to the south – both of these encompass culinary traditions which, particularly in the colder months, bring about immense gustatory pleasures.

Right about now you’re probably asking yourself where I’m going with this particular ramble – is it an altogether too-lengthy introduction to a discussion on some tidbit of cookery (admittedly something unseen here for quite a time). Sort of…

It just so happens that one of my favorite holidays has just gone by; an affair filled with delights both culinary and social in nature. Better than Thanksgiving, my longstanding tradition of hosting a dinner party for friends which eschews the classic ‘turkey with trimmings’ has finally come - and as of this posting, gone. Previous incarnations of this event (ironically-entitled “Turkey Day”) have seen every kind of fare from Turkish to English/Irish pub ‘grub.

But now - finally - we’ve made it round to French, which, from my musings above you may note I am rather fond of. To best honor the culinary traditions featured this year, the menu is composed of tasting portions, so that each might be conveyed in a few delightful bites to the guests. Hell, we even had a Green Hour...

So, without further ado, I should like to present the menu from this gloriously Armagnac-soaked event for your perusal good reader. If you should find yourself curious as to the exact composition of anything you see, drop me a line and I’ll be happy to pass along a recipe or three…once the gout dies down…

† HORS D'OEUVRES †

Canapés de Brie aux Damsons

Butter crackers mounted with Brie cheese & Damson Plum preserves

Fromages et Crutons

Gruyère & Brie cheeses; served with Garlic-toasted slices of homemade Baguette

Trois Oeufs a la Diable

Devilled Eggs served three ways - black Truffle-fried Leeks; Gruyère & Bacon; Paprika & Garlic-spiced

Rillettes de Canard

A coarse pâté of Duck confit, Armagnac and Prunes; served with toasted slices of homemade Baguette

† DÎNER †

- À TABLE -

Tranches de Pain avec Beurres Composé

Homemade Baguettes; served with Rosemary, confit Garlic-Marjoram & pink Sea Salt butters

Salade Verte de Mesclun

Romaine and Chicory Endive tossed with caramelized Pear, Bôucheron cheese & a Walnut-Cider vinaigrette

- I -

Saucisses de Lapin aux Pommes

Pan-seared sausages of Ginger-spiced Rabbit; flambéed at-table with caramelized Apples

“Raclettes”

Gold Potatoes poached in Duck stock; stuffed with melted Raclette cheese, black Truffle Butter, Garlic and Thyme

- II -

Brochettes de Pruneaux au Romarin

Bacon-wrapped Prunes; lightly-grilled on skewers of fresh Rosemary

Confit de Magret au Pommes de Terre à la Sarladaise

Confit of Duck breast with herbs; served over Yukon Gold Potatoes sautéed with Duck fat & fresh Sage

- ENTREMET -

“Vichyssoise” de Canard

A petite serving of creamy soup; Gold Potatoes and Leeks simmered in Duck stock; served chilled

- III -

Echalotes Caramélisées

Coarsely-chopped Shallots; caramelized with herbs and Côtes du Rhône then baked until crisp

Coq au Vin

A classic fricassee of free-range Chicken; simmered in Côtes du Rhône with Mushrooms & herbs until tender

Salade Tiède de Lègumes et Lapin Confit

Julienned Mushrooms, Celery, Apples and Almonds sautéed in dry Sherry & Dijon Mustard; tossed with pulled confit of Rabbit

- IV -

Sauce des Pommes au Pruneaux

A coarse purée of spiced Apples and Plums, spiked with Armagnac brandy; served warm

Galettes de Potiron

Crisp pancakes of spiced Winter squash; served warm with a Chervil & Vanilla-spiced Crème Fraiche

Rouelle de Veau au Cidre

Veal shanks & Mushrooms slowly braised in dry Cider; served over Pasta finished with black Truffle Butter

† DESSERT †

Sables de Caen

Buttery Shortbread cookies

Glace Crème au Miel de Lavande

Homemade ice cream; made with Lavender Honey from Provence

Café du Monde (au Lait)

Orleans-style dark-roasted Chicory Coffee; served hot with raw Sugar & warm sweet Cream alongside

† L'HEURE VERTE †

Absinthe

Served with Sugar cubes and ice Water for the traditional ‘drip’ preparation:

Kübler - a Swiss-style Absinthe blanche (white); extremely well-balanced

Vieux Carré - an American Absinthe verte (green); light with Spearmint notes

Pastis

Served straight, iced, with Soda or ‘en Momisette’ (Soda with Almond syrup):

Herbsaint - a spicier, herbal-flavored American pastis

Pernod Liqueur d’Anis - a sweeter-flavored French pastis

Manguin Pastis au Víolette - a rare, drier-flavored French pastis; flavored with Violets

† LES BOISSONS †

Ponche de Gascogne

XO Armagnac brandy, homemade Fig, Date & Honey liqueur, black Tea, fresh Lemon and Bitters

Vins

Hugel "Gentil", Gewürztraminer, 2007

Paul Jaboulet Aîné “Parallèle 45”, Côtes du Rhône, 2006

Cidre et Bier

Woodchuck #802 Cider

J.W. Dundee Honey Brown Ale

In closing I should like to extend a tremendous thanks to those who assisted with much of the prep for this event - it would not have been possible without you my vatos locos! Equal thanks to those who attended this year's event - I hope you had as much fun eating as I did cooking!

Cheers & Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

PS - Yes, I am well-aware that Vichysoisse is not, in fact, a French invention. It's no less delightful for the fact. Deal with it friends...

Highlighting Flavors…

2009-09-18T18:07:00.010-04:00

…in creations of the kitchen as well as the bar, is so often a question of paying close attention to ones’ ingredients. In the case of spirits, particularly well-crafted ones, this can alternately be quite straightforward or delicately-complicated; but it is always a joy, both in the compounding as well as the final result(s).

The goal of a well-made cocktail should, of course, always be a balance of its constituents; a poise achieved by manipulating the characteristics of the beverages’ ingredients according to their nature(s). Sometimes the desired outcome is as essential as highlighting flavors found within the ingredients. In other instances, a completely new flavor – one formed by the interaction of a drink’s various components – is aimed for.

The key to achieving either result is to know the ingredient(s) – particularly the really important stuff: how they taste and smell, with particular notice paid to the volume or intensity of such characteristics. In terms of such factors, what flavors stand out? What lurks subtly in the background? How assertive (or not) are they? Do these flavors, aromas, &c. draw to mind any other ingredients (whether experienced singly or in-tandem), alcoholic or not?

These remain questions one should always ask before beginning the delicate additions and subtractions of other ingredients which so often lead to quality recipes. On the topic of such questions, calculations and considerations of ingredients, some time ago a lovely bottle of Cachaça passed into my hands - an artisanal example of the spirit called Boca Loca.

A fairly-unique example of the distillate, Boca Loca's product seems to veer away from the flavor profile of most Cachaças. Within the category, even among the better examples, there seems a tendency towards bold and (sometimes agreeable) oily flavors of grassy sugarcane. In well-treated and carefully-distilled products, the complex, peppery ‘funkiness’ this can lend is often a pleasure, while in poorer (or “industrial”) distillates this character comes through as smoky and rough.

Not so with Boca Loca, however. This Cachaça is light in texture, with very little of the oily character mentioned above, while remaining redolent in both flavor and aroma. It does possess the grassiness one would expect, but this is offset by a number of more (and less) ethereal flavors. Heavier notes of Apricot or Peach are immediately obvious, while ghosts of white Pepper, Honey and berries come through in a more subtle, if pleasantly-so, manner.

So what to do with this rather intriguing spirit? To be sure, it makes a perfectly-acceptable Caipirinha, but the heaviness of the Lime and Sugar has a tendency to bury the base spirit. So why not try and play up (or off of) some of those interesting flavors found within by bringing in some complimentary ingredients? For the first of these, I (shamelessly) stole a page from the inestimable (and generally-speaking, equally shameless) Jeffrey Morgenthaler – whom Boca Loca apparently employs to compound drinks for them…

Earlier in the year, Jeff wrote of a small concoction – the Caneflower - he had come up with, using St. Germain liqueur and Aperol to play up certain elements in the Cachaça. It’s a really fantastic drink already; one where the floral sweetness of Elderflower plays delightfully against the delicate sugarcane grassiness of the base. But what about coaxing that grassy note, or the peppery-honey flavor that lingers on the Cachaça’s finish, to the foreground? For that we’ll turn to a different floral ingredient (and bitter modifier); re-jiggering Jeff’s formula to run in a different direction…

Honeysuckle syrup
1 Cup: Water
1 Cup: superfine Sugar
2½ Tblspns. dried Honeysuckle
2 Tblspns. Clover Honey
⅛ Tsp. fresh Lemon zest
If you’ve purchased dried Honeysuckle rather than collect it locally, pick out only the flowers, discarding any leaf or stem you may find. Combine ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over low-medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer gently – do not boil – for two minutes before removing from heat. Cool to room temperature (~20 minutes), fine-strain by preferred method (cheesecloth, chinois, &c) and bottle.
Give it a try in the following cocktail; though make some extra, as it’s showing considerable promise with Rhum Agricole & certain Gins too (©):

Videira de Caña
1½ oz. Boca Loca Cachaça
¾ oz. RinQuinQuin
¾ oz. Honeysuckle syrup
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and shake well. Strain up into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with small twists of fresh Lemon & Tangerine.

Another idea stemmed from the aforementioned presence of various stonefruit(s) in the overall flavor profile of the spirit; one which proved well-worth highlighting through the use of the following ingredient:

Apricot-Tea syrup
1½ Cups: superfine Sugar
1 Cup: Water
1x Tazo Vanilla-Apricot teabag
1x slice: candied Ginger, julienned
1x dried Apricot, julienned
Combine prepared ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan & bring to a gentle simmer over low-medium heat, stirring to dissolve the Sugar. Simmer gently for one minute before removing from heat. Cool to room temperature (~20 minutes), fine-strain by preferred method (cheesecloth, chinois, &c) and bottle.
Try it out in the following twist (©) on the venerable Clover Club cocktail:

Capricious Club Cocktail
1½ oz. Boca Loca Cachaça
½ oz. dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
½ oz. Apricot-Tea syrup
½ oz. fresh Lemon juice
½ oz. fresh Egg white
Rinse ¼ oz. Apricot Brandy (a drier brand; Marie Brizard)
Combine ingredients and dry-shake to emulsify; add ice & shake well. Rinse a chilled coupe with the Apricot Brandy. Strain up into the prepared glass & garnish with a thin slice of dried Apricot.

I enjoyed the flavors which the stonefruit combination highlighted and wondered how the spirits’ characteristic would fair in a cleaner/simpler format. Quite well indeed if this variation on Tí Punch – a standby of (the similarly-grassy) Rhum Agricole - is any indication (©):

Loca Tí
1½ oz. Boca Loca Cachaça
½ oz Apricot-Tea syrup
1 d. Fee’s Peach bitters
1x dried Apricot, halved
1x small slice: Lemon peel
Combine prepared dry ingredients - Lemon peel should be cut from the side of the fruit and be no larger than a quarter - with syrup & bitters in a short glass (~6 oz) and muddle. Add Cachaça & fill with crushed ice. Swizzle briefly to chill and incorporate; top with crushed ice & savor.

Cheers & Enjoy!

***
In the interest of full disclosure, a sample of Boca Loca Cachaça was provided (some time ago) for my use.

Bitters Make it Better, part III

2009-09-09T20:38:00.006-04:00

As I’ve been wont to say on numerous occasions, delightful flavor combinations can often be found in the culinary cultures of one's neighbors - even if said neighbors tend to live several thousand miles away on a different continent. The flavors enjoyed in the farther reaches of the planet (or, depending on your locale, right down the street), which were so coveted by our ancestors, are often culinary delights to even the most jaded palette and in many instances can create truly unique experiences in the works of both the kitchen and bar...

Such is certainly the case with the spice blend(s) known as Ras el Hanout, which typically hail from the distant (to me at least) shores of Morocco in North Africa. Literally-translated as “head (sometimes “top”) of the shop”, the term is used to describe a combination of (the best) spices whose composition - in modern times as well in days long past - was the provenance of its compounder.

Much like Curry or Garam Masala, the actual ingredients of a given Ras el Hanout are many – some blends are purported to contain as many as eighty (!) ingredients – with no standard ratio of preparation and therefore can vary widely based on the recipe of the shop, business or individual who blended them. Typical additions include spices common to the region (and its cuisine) such as Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin, Coriander, Mace, Nutmeg and various types of Peppercorns; though more unusual flavorings also crop up regularly. Certain examples of the blends’ are formulated according to function. “Standardized” (by modern commercial spice companies) recipes sold under the name (often including the above ingredients alongside Paprika & Turmeric) are commonly used on poultry or meats.

Yet as the blend varies, so do its potential uses. There exists varieties for pastries or other confections, others utilized in flavoring couscous, rice or bulgur and dozens of others which accommodate culinary applications as widely-varied as the ingredients that make up a Ras el Hanout. It is to one of these blends – a mysteriously-complex and spicy combination of fourteen ingredients – that we turn our attention to today.

However, it is in the application of this mixture (which as a dried spice is ordinarily used for flavoring coffee) that I think you will find the most interest. For you see, good reader, today we’re going to make a new (and positively delightful) variety of bitters with it…

Ras el Hanout Kahwa bitters
8x green Cardamom pods, crushed
6x Cloves, whole
2x Allspice berries, cracked
1x Nutmeg, cracked
1” piece: Canella Cinnamon, crushed
1½ Tsp. Sesame seeds, whole
½ Tsp. Aniseed, whole
½ Tsp. Fennel seeds, whole
½ Tsp white Peppercorns, cracked
---
10 oz. 151° Demerara Rum (El Dorado)
4 oz. Bonded Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
4x Rosehips, whole
3x pieces: Galingale, thinly-sliced
1x piece: Ginger, thinly-sliced
2x blades: Mace
Prepare the ingredients as specified; Ginger & Galingale should be sliced to the approximate dimensions of a half-dollar. Combine the first nine ingredients in a non-reactive pan & toast over low heat until fragrant (~1 min). Place toasted ingredients in an airtight container; add the remaining six ingredients & shake very well. Infuse for eight days, shaking occasionally, before straining by preferred method (cheesecloth, chinois, &c). Reserve this infused liquid (setting ½ oz. aside) and ‘used’ spices in separate containers.
---
3½ oz. Water
½ oz. Infused liquid (↑)
6x Espresso beans, cracked
⅛ Tsp. Gum Arabic powder
⅛ Tsp. Quassia bark
Combine ingredients in a small non-reactive saucepan. Bring water to a light simmer – do not boil - over low-medium heat, stirring vigorously to dissolve the Gum. Continue to simmer for two minutes then remove from heat & pour over the reserved ‘used’ spices while hot. Infuse this mixture for three days before fine-straining by preferred method (cheesecloth, chinois, &c). Combine this infusion with the remaining reserved liquid, shake well and rest for a final three days. Fine-strain by preferred method, as necessary, until liquid remains clear & bottle.

The resulting bitters match up very well (obviously) with any beverage, hot or cold which contains coffee. As such, the addition of a few dashes to any of the classic hot coffee drinks (the Café Diablere, Nero, or Brûlot, for example) adds a mysterious bittersweet spiciness which is not to be missed.

In other applications, these bitters mix quite well with a number of ‘brown’ or aged spirits; most notably spicier Ryes and mellow Cognacs. A Manhattan with equal dashes of these and Angostura Orange is a delightfully-unique twist, as is a Rum Old-Fashioned treated in the same way. Likewise, they show serious promise when mixed with equally-complex modifiers such as Carpano Antica Formula, Benedictine and certain (sweeter) potable bitters like Amaro Nonino. Hell, after a little experimentation I found two dashes of them even improves upon a pair of cream drinks – specifically a Brandy Alexander and White Russian.

Even if you don’t want to compound this formula as a bitters, I might recommend adding the Gum Arabic to the other dry spices (nixing the liquids, Quassia & Esspresso beans from the blend) and running the whole mix through a spice or coffee grinder until finely-powdered. Once sieved, the resulting spice blend makes for a truly incredible cup of coffee – merely add a ¼ teaspoon to every ½ cup of your favorite ground beans prior to brewing it…

Cheers & Enjoy!

Flirting with Flora: Bubbles, pt. I

2009-08-27T12:00:00.006-04:00

If past articles here are any indication to you, good reader, I've got something of a fond place in my palette for exotic or unusual taste profiles. Not the least of these are floral or botanically-derived flavors; examples of which I am constantly seeking to incorporate into (or play off of already-existing elements in) my drinks. For inspiration (in all things, not just this particular flirtation), I often turn towards ideas hailing from culinary cultures outside of my own or from days long-forgotten. I reason that I couldn't possibly be the first half-clever (and that's a generous evaluation) git to realize that A plus B with a dash of C tastes great, and then acts upon this notion to mix it up...

Take my favorite floral ingredient – Hibiscus - for example. As I've discussed here in past articles, this lovely tropical flower (which apparently grows quite well in New Jersey, go figure) is often compounded into a tisane. The same beverage is made just about wherever Hibiscus grows - in the Middle East its called Karkade, North & West Africans refer to it as Bissap or Tsobo, while natives of Hawaii & the Caribbean islands know it as Red Sorrel. Sometimes the resulting infusions are spiced to add an additional character, sometimes not.

But note what our clever friends in Mexico have done with the traditional agua fresca: carbonate the already-refreshing brew into a soda. To be frank, all they've really done is integrate a floral ingredient into the ranks of the modern (sugar & soda-saturated) palette; to re-introduce to younger generations ingredients & flavors which their parents, grandparents (and earlier relations still) were wont to compound into something delicious with fair regularity.

In much the same vein, observe a centuries-old European floral ingredient which has only recently become widely-celebrated (again) for its considerable virtues: the Elderflower. Similarly, an uncommon (and uncommonly tasty) blossom hailing from the same regions: Meadowsweet - while still (occasionally) a botanical constituent in Gin, it was once also a component in tisane recipes of all stripes. And what of Honeysuckle - the delicately-sweet perfume of spring & summertime evenings? Finally, the bane of suburban gardeners and amateur winemakers alike: Dandelions, whose slight bitterness is often offset by coupling with yet another all-too common meadow weed: Burdock.

In some way, all of these edible flowers (and many others too) were well-regarded in the kitchens of days gone by. A primary reason for this is that, in certain proportions, all five of them play off of or highlight the other ingredients with which they are mixed in a multitude of fascinating ways. Such blending, to say nothing for these ingredients' already marvelous flavors on their own, allows for the creation of wholly-unique flavor profiles. Such is certainly the case with the following three homemade sodas (& the delicious libations made with them), so dust off your soda siphons and meet me in the middle...

Strawberry Fields soda
2¾ Cups: Water
1¾ Cups: fresh Strawberries, hulled
½ Cup: superfine white Sugar
¼ Cup: dried Meadowsweet flowers
¼ Cup: dried Honeysuckle flowers
2 oz. Elderflower cordial
Scant ⅛ Tsp. Pectic Enzyme (optional)
Clean, hull & halve the Strawberries. Place in an airtight container & toss with Pectic Enzyme, if using. Freeze for several hours.
Bring Water, Meadowsweet & Sugar to a light simmer over low-medium heat in a non-reactive saucepan. Simmer very gently (the volatile oils in these flowers are a bit delicate) for approximately two minutes until sugar is dissolved; add frozen Strawberries. Simmer very gently (again, do not boil) for five more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature & add Elderflower cordial. Fine-strain several times by preferred method (cheesecloth, chinois, &c.) to remove any particulate; pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
Pour into a soda siphon (should fill a standard iSi exactly). Carbonate, shake & chill according to your model's instructions, then give the following libation a try (©):

Morango Campo
1½ oz. Boca Loca Cachaça
½ oz. Yellow Chartreuse
½ oz. fresh Lemon juice
5-6 oz. Strawberry Fields soda
Build ingredients in an ice-filled Collins glass. Stir gently; garnish with a slice of fresh Strawberry & an edible flower.
---
If you happen to be out camping (as in the picture at left; by Ken Cleary) a pair of brandied Cherries will probably do just fine for garnish.

When creating new recipes, or even fiddling with established ones, there is a concept which chefs & sommeliers often espouse. Having seen it spawn more than a few delightful combinations, I also tend to agree with said notion, wherein "things that grow together, are often best served together". Examining this thought a bit more broadly, flavors (or combinations thereof) which are popular in a given locale often blend beautifully with other ones enjoyed in the same general area.

Again, take the delightful agua fresca known as Jamaica; a refreshingly-tart, floral beverage well-suited to the climate of Mexico. Even better for our purposes (and in line with the aforementioned theory), it blends wonderfully with Tequila. Particularly a smooth, grassy - almost sweet - example of the category like Tequila Ocho's 2008 Plata. Better still, certain of this artisanal spirits' component spice notes - a pleasant blend of Cinnamon & Citrus-y flavors - are themselves a common addition to a glass of Jamaica; like so:

Jamaica soda
3½ Cups: Water
¾ Cup: dried Hibiscus flowers
¼ Cup: raw Sugar
2 oz. light Agave nectar
1½ oz. Cinnamon syrup
¾ Tsp. Citric Acid
¾ Tsp. fresh Lime zest
Bring the Water & dried Hibiscus to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan before stirring in the Sugar & Citric Acid. Reduce heat & simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in Syrups & Zest, cover & cool to room temperature (~3 hours). Fine-strain by preferred method (cheesecloth, chinois, &c), pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
Pour into a soda siphon (should fill a standard iSi exactly). Carbonate, shake & chill according to your model's instructions, then give the following libation a try (©):

Paloma de Flor
1¾ oz. Tequila Ocho Plata (2008)
¼ oz. fresh Lime juice
5-6 oz. Jamaica soda
Build ingredients in an ice-filled Collins glass. Stir gently; garnish with a twist of fresh Lime & an edible flower.
---
As an optional touch, two sprays via an atomizer of good-quality Mescal into the glass prior to building lends a further agave complexity.

For our final homemade soda we turn to the aforementioned bane of many an amateur winemaker (I’ve never seen an old home vintning guide that didn’t include one such recipe): Dandelions.

The moderate vegetal bitterness (think Mesclun) that the green portions (which won't be used below) of this ubiquitous weed impart is offset considerably by its roots and flowers, which provide a vaguely-honeyed sweetness. Furthermore, the addition of another common aromatic wildflower, the dull purple Burdock, rounds out the bitterness with a complex (almost like a fruity take on star Anise) herbal flavor. This combination has been a popular flavor in British sodas for many years, and quite rightfully so. When blended with a bit of rich sugar and offset by a touch of citric acidity, the resulting ‘fizz is delightful - particularly with a measure of flavorful Gin tossed in. But don’t just take my word for it:

Dandified soda
3¼ Cups: Water
1 packed Cup: dried Dandelion (½ root, ½ flowers), cleaned
½ Cup: dried Burdock (½ root, ½ flowers), cleaned
½ Cup: light brown Sugar
2 Tblspns. white Sugar
2 Tblspns. golden Raisins
1½ Tblspns. fresh Ginger, minced
2 Tsp. Cream of Tartar
¾ oz. fresh Lemon juice, finely-strained
Peel of 1 Lemon, pith removed & julienned
Bring the flowers, roots, Raisins, Ginger & Lemon peel to a boil over medium-high heat in a non-reactive saucepan. Slowly stir in the Sugars & continue to simmer for about fifteen minutes. Remove from heat & cool slightly (10 minutes or so). Strain once by preferred method (cheesecloth, chinois, &c.), pressing gently on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in the Lemon juice and Tartar, then set aside & cool to room temperature. Strain again if necessary.
Pour into a soda siphon (should fill a standard iSi exactly). Carbonate, shake & chill according to your model's instructions, then give the following libation a try (©):

Posh Dandy Cooler
1½ oz. Hendrick’s Gin
¼ oz. blended Scotch (Yamazaki 12yr)
¼ oz. Honey syrup
1d Fee’s Cherry bitters
1d Peychaud's bitters
5-6 oz. Dandified soda
Build ingredients in an ice-filled Collins glass. Roll once to mix; garnish with a Lemon twist & brandied Cherry.

Something Completely Different
As I indicated in my last post, the past month or so has been full of experiments and the fine-tuning of a great many new recipes, ideas, etc. One group of these, inspired by conversations at ‘Tales and carried out primarily at my portable bar, has involved the use of a soda siphon. Good thing you dusted it off, no?

The conversations in question pertained to carbonation, both in long drinks as well as some speculation about a new gadget which is appearing in certain circles – the Perlage/PERLINI system. Seems some clever folks cobbled together a device which (in addition to preserving Champagne) is capable of efficiently-carbonating spirits; causing, as Robert Hess put it, “[Tequila] to drink just like Champagne.”

An interesting if very scary proposition, I think. As for the long drinks, certain aspects of the (hazy – this was ‘Tales after all) discussions in question centered around the problem of incorporating a carbonated mixer into the remaining non-carbonated ingredients, say a Tom Collins, without losing an undue amount of the ‘bubbly…

Stirring gently, rolling, allowing the roiling carbonation to blend everything (as in a French 75). Even the old Fizz-maker’s trick of adding a spoonful of sugar at the last moment; all of these work reasonably well. But I couldn’t help but feel that sometimes a given drink would benefit from having its ingredient combined and well-incorporated, then carbonated together; especially when a homemade soda (in particular those made with heavier syrups) gets involved. The presence of an additional siphon (lent by a friend; in which I could keep Seltzer while carrying out my trials) at the bar only helped to facilitate these experiments.

In short – it works brilliantly. Every single sip positively pops with the fat, roiling bubbles a good siphon creates. The components blend seamlessly with no separation of flavor and the introduction of carbonation into ordinarily-still ingredients such as juices and spirits makes for a delightfully-smooth, fascinating textural component that I daresay even improves upon old standbys.

After compounding five beverages - Singapore Sling, (Morgenthaler's) Dark & Stormy and the three already listed above in this fashion, the results were positively fantastic. The Singapore Sling in particular – a drink which I make with more than passing regularity – was one of the best I think I’ve ever had.

As for how this is done – in short, very simply – merely total up the volume of your recipe, determine how many ounces your siphon will hold and do the math. The only point on which one should be cautious is in fine-straining your mixture, particularly if citrus or other juices are included, as you wouldn’t want to clog your siphon up with particulate. For instance, the drinks I’ve already discussed thus far are prepared in my siphon (which comfortably holds about 32 oz.) like so:

Morango Campo (via Siphon)
6 oz. Boca Loca Cachaça
2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
2 oz. fresh Lemon juice, fine-strained
22 oz. Strawberry Fields soda
Combine ingredients in a pitcher and stir well to incorporate (or just combine in the siphon & shake well). Pour into siphon, carbonate according to manufacturer’s instructions & chill. Serve & garnish as above.

Paloma de Flor (via Siphon)
7 oz. Tequila Ocho Plata (2008)
1 oz. fresh Lime juice, fine-strained
23 oz. Jamaica soda
Combine ingredients in a pitcher and stir well to incorporate (or just combine in the siphon & shake well). Pour into siphon, carbonate according to manufacturer’s instructions & chill. Serve & garnish as above.

Posh Dandy Cooler (via Siphon)
6 oz. Hendrick’s Gin
1 oz. blended Scotch (Yamazaki 12yr)
1 oz. Honey syrup
4d Fee’s Cherry bitters
4d Peychaud's bitters
23 oz. Dandified soda
Combine ingredients in a pitcher and stir well to incorporate (or just combine in the siphon & shake it well). Pour into siphon, carbonate according to manufacturer’s instructions & chill. Serve & garnish as above.

Cheers & Enjoy!

***
In the spirit of full disclosure, samples of both Boca Loca Cachaça and Tequila Ocho Plata (2008 bottling) were generously provided for my use. And bloody fine acquisitions both of them were...

Long Journeys & an Unexpected Absence...

2009-08-12T14:50:00.007-04:00

...but not without cause, or rather a variety of them. By my feeble calculations, in the not-insignificant period of time since my last posting, I've traveled some 3500 miles! Between work, all this 'legging about the country and the requisite prep/cleanup prior to or following such travels, my (deplorable) absence from writing here might be understandable, however unfortunate it may be.

Yet, by way of apology, rather than wax poetic on every tiny detail accross a handful of posts, I reasoned a collection of highlights might serve best to catch you, my good reader, up on my spirits-doused activities of the past month or so.

'Tales 2009
First up in early July, my trip down to (all-too sunny) NOLA for this year's Tales of the Cocktail - an incredible and educational exerience to be sure. While at this spirited event of the year I attended seminars on all manner of fascinating cocktailian topics, sampled spirits from all over the world, wiled away the evenings in the friendly company of my fellow bloggers over at the Mixoloseum house and, in the end, nearly gave myself a hernia hauling home the mountain of 'schwag that was foisted upon the attendees at every turn.

I also took part in a cocktail competition of fairly epic proportions - a joint effort between the various chapter cities of the USBG and the wonderful folks at Leblon Cachaça. The theme of said competition was to craft a riff on the venerable Caipirinha, and the collection of immensely-talented individuals (two for each USBG chapter city) chosen to compete certainly brought some of their best tricks to bear, much to the delight of the ~400 person guest list!

Such was assuredly the case with my teammate (& fellow New Jerseyian), Tad Carducci of Tippling Bros. & USBGNY fame, who took the People's Choice Award for the event. Likewise with Tobin Ellis and Andrew Pollard of the Las Vegas chapter, who took the Judge's Choice Award. For a glimpse at the incredible show that Leblon, the USBG & all eighteen of us put on (as well as the various recipes concocted for the evening) check out the video stream below (the idiot in red with Pelé socks on his arms would be yours truly):

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Pennsic 38
Of Portable Bars...
For those of you who have been tuning in here for a while (and who haven't been terribly put off by my recent absence), you may recall that this is the time of year when the Pennsic War takes place in the wilds of upstate Pennsylvania. Although this year's trip out was considerably shorter than previous years' (in span, the journey was just as mind-numbingly long), I could hardly miss it, as this was our local group's 30th Anniversary - which corresponded exactly with the date of our annual party. But more on that in a moment...

Along for the ride, as always, was my very own portable bar (which some of you may recall I promised pictures of last year). Finally having gotten around to actually getting photos taken of the thing, I reasoned that this is the perfect opportunity to present my hand-built creation in all it's devious detail, including its spirited contents. This handy tool & workspace is a direct solution to the many frustrations I often encountered at my first bartending gig; a catering outfit.

The overall design is fairly straightforward - three moulded countertops of treated mahogany, poplar & oak which bolt together discretely to form a back-bar with plenty of work & storage space. Straight and rear-facing angled legs of spun oak screw onto plates on the bottom. A number of "speed rail" boxes which fit into several positions on the bar surfaces (dependant on my needs at a given event) via fitted wooden pegs. Space for additional spirits runs along these boxes (which are watertight, so that ice may be placed inside of them in especially hot conditions) with a large drawer & watertight hinged box providing additional storage space for tools or miscellaneous items.

Other features include folding hooks on the bottom of each segment from which small baskets can be hung, a wall-mounted bottle-opener on one of the legs, an angled marble cutting board (complete with a removable trough for catching juice & seeds) and a pair of inset stainless steel foodservice bins for holding my bar tools. Bottles of Simple and Demerara syrups are mounted on a speed pouring rack (which dispenses 1 oz. pours), a butane-powered burner provides heat for warm drinks or making syrups when necessary. A combination of magnetic lights and lanterns provide me with light in the evenings and a sterile space is alotted for drying & storing my glassware. And yes, good reader, I bring glassware out camping...

A pair of double-walled coolers accomadates my mixers (Vermouths, Champagne, soda, juices, additional fruit &c.) and Ice, respectively. As ice can be a devilish thing to maintain without refrigeration in hot weather, I do the best I can by procuring several 10lb. blocks of ice, then pack cubed ice around these. For stirred drinks (or others requiring careful control of dilution) I utilize a brass hammer and ice pick to secure suitable chunks from the blocks, while shaken drinks get a combination of cubed & block ice (with careful attention paid to shaking times & temperatures). And as for what I actually stocked for all this mixing; my selections are listed from left to right more or less as they appear on the bar itself (pictures courtesy of the incomparable Ken Cleary):

Gin
Plymouth, Bols Oude Genever, Bols Genever, Boodles, Bluecoat, Tanqueray, Right, Beefeater, Beefeater 24, Martin Miller's, Distillery 209, Citadelle Reserve, Magellan.

Syrups
Gomme, Pineapple Gomme, Ginger, Falernum, Cinnamon, Orgeat, Horchata de Melon, Raspberry, Passionfruit, Elderflower, Berry-Apple Shrub, Hibiscus Grenadine.

Brandy
Salignac Cognac, Lautrec VS Cognac, Cardinal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva, Fundador Solera Reserva, BarSol Quebranta Pisco, Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy, Metaxa 5-star.

Whiskey
Sazerac 3yr & Old Overholt Rye(s), Hudson, Bulleit, Old Graddad & Evan Williams 7yr Bourbon(s), Yamazaki 12yr, Pig's Nose Scotch.

Rum & Cachaça
Brugal white, ONO white, Cavalier Antigua white, Ron Zacapa 23, Mount Gay XO, Appleton's V/X, Rhum Barbancourt 3-star, El Dorado 5yr Demerara, Neisson Rhum Agricole Blanc, Sailor Jerry spiced, Lemon Hart 151° Demerara; Boca Loca, Leblon & Inacca 5yr Cachaças.

Bitters & Tinctures
Angostura, Peychaud's, Regan's Orange, Angostura Orange, Fee's Peach & WBA, Spiced Lemon #1, Honey-Tangerine, Boker's, Improved Bitters mix; Orange Flower Water, Rosewater, Jasmine, Tahitian & Bourbon Vanilla(s), Candied Ginger; Atomizers of Del Maguey SV Mescal & Bitters Mist.

Tequila & Mescal
Inocente Plata, Tequila Ocho Plata 2008 & 2009, El Jimador Reposado, Del Maguey SV Mescal.

Amaro, Pastis & Absinthe
Pimm's No. 1 Cup, Torani Amer (Picon), Zucca Rabarbaro Amaro, Amaro Nonino, Fernet Branca, Campari, Aperol; Pastis au Violette, Herbsaint, Pernod; Vieux Carre, Obsello, Kübler Absinthes.

Speed Spirits
Benedictine, Grand Marnier, Luxardo Maraschino, Amaro Abano & Amaretto, Yellow Chartreuse, Carpano Punt e Mes, Morello Cherry-infused Carpano Antica Formula, house dry Vermouth, house sweet Vermouth.

Wines & Liqueurs
Dry Sack & Lustau PX Sherry(s), Cockburn's Ruby Port; Cointreau, Tuaca, Marie Brizard Apry, Tia Maria, Hiram Walker Crème de Cassis & Crème de Cacao, Chateau Trimbach Pear, Domaine de Canton Ginger.

Vodka
Oval, Van Gogh Espresso, Zubrowska.
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...And (Quite) Successful Parties
As I mentioned previously, our local group reached its thirtieth year of existence this year, fortuitously on the precise date of our annual Pennsic party. And despite the intense chill of the evening (heralded by a poor, if ultimately inaccurate, weather forecast) after our best estimates, somewhere in the vicinity of one thousand people passed through our camp over the course of the evening!!

I daresay our reputation for hospitality and entertainment won us this more than steady influx of guests, and in that regard we surely did not disappoint. As we were perhaps the only camp group at this years' event to procure the proper licensing (admittedly something never before needed at Pennsic) for fire-spinners (i.e. Poi), we were visited by large a number of this art's master practioners (as pictured at left & below).

Similarly, and much like last year's festivities, we provided kegs and cases of beer & hard cider (Guinness, Smithwicks & Woodchuck); all were tapped before the night's end. As my own contribution to the event, I prepared and served up a large volume (15 Gallons in-total) of batched libations for our guests' pleasure. One of these was a slight variation on a warm beverage (at ~55°F it was quite chilly after all) compunded in moderate batches all evening long to help our guests (and me) fend off the evening's chill. These libations (including an unplanned, yet thoroughly delicious addition prepared a la minute) went something like this:

Swamp Sunshine
200 oz. Peach-infused Vodka, house-made 60 oz. Saffron-infused Bianco Vermouth, house-made
20 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur
200 oz. Peach Nectar
60 oz. Ginger syrup
20 oz. fresh Lemon juice
1½ oz. Fee’s Peach bitters
½ oz. Sunshine bitters (modified to include Quassia bark)
4x fresh Peaches, julienned
Combine ingredients in a 5-Gal cooler & stir very well to incorporate. Prior to serving, add a 7lb. block of ice and stir well to chill. Serve over ice & top with 1 oz. of Seltzer (fresh from an iSi siphon).

East's Interdiction
300 oz. Sandeman's Ruby Port & Lustau PX Sherry (house-aged blend, 3:1)
4 oz. Lemon Hart 151° Demerara Rum
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80 oz. → 64 oz. distilled Water, mulled & reduced in advance with:
* 15x Allspice berries, bruised
* 15x blades Mace
* 10x Canela Cinnamon sticks, bruised
* 10x Green Cardamom pods, bruised
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36 oz. superfine white Sugar
24 oz. candied Ginger
30x fresh Oranges
10x fresh Lemons
80x whole Cloves
Bitters mist, for brûlée
Nutmeg, for garnish
Quarter the Oranges & Lemons and stick each segment with 2 whole Cloves. Reserve over ice. Prepare mulled Water by bringing specified spices & 80 oz. of distilled Water to a boil. Simmer until reduced to 64 oz. then fine-strain solids from water & reserve.

To compound each batch (prepared here in 8 batches to ensure warmth):
Combine the following in a large pan:
15x Orange segments
5x Lemon segments
8 oz. mulled Water
---
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat & add:
4½ oz. superfine Sugar
3 oz. candied Ginger
---
Carefully brûlée the pan's contents with the Bitters Mist (for approximately ten to fifteen seconds), then add 37½ oz. Port-Sherry blend and continue to warm over medium-high heat until steaming. Add ½ oz. 151° Demerara Rum and carefully ignite. Flame for approximately thirty to forty seconds before extinguishing with the pan's lid. Remove from heat and pour the entire mixture in a heatproof 5-Gal cooler. Serve in 3-4 oz. portions with a grate of fresh Nutmeg over the top.

The next beverage had great sentimental value for many of the older members of our group, though I'll admit, I varied the ingredients towards the fresher side. Nevertheless (or perhaps because of my alterations) it vanished alarmingly quickly:

Lynchburg Lemonade
20 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
20 oz. Old Granddad Bourbon
20 oz. Old Overholt Rye
30 oz. Cointreau
40 oz. fresh Lemon juice
10 oz. fresh Orange juice
20 oz. Simple syrup
10 oz. candied Citron syrup
64 oz. Seltzer
Combine all ingredients except Seltzer in a 2½-Gal Cooler & stir well to incorporate. Prior to serving, add a 3lb. block of ice & gently stir in Seltzer (2x full iSi siphons).

As the 'Lynchburg (& its accompanying libations) was relatively short-lived, as the crowd waned (briefly) I made my way to the portable bar at the rear of camp, to quickly prepare a new batch of beverages. I struck upon the bottle of Pineapple Gomme syrup (originally intended for Pisco Punch) & immediately recalled a drink of a different variety:

Developed by the inestimable Eryn Reece of NYC's Louis 649, the recipe (which I tripled; substituting in a bottle of ordinary Beefeater and 2 oz. of green Tea) for Desmond Punch was apparently crafted to honor Beefeater's master distiller (and creator of Beefeater 24) Demond Payne. Quite a tribute, I must say!

Despite the presence of Gin (sadly, a touchy subject for many), this wonderful punch lasted for even less time than its' predecessors and recieved many compliments from our guests. Check out the step-by-step recipe in the video stream at below (with Ms. Reece herself; courtesy of Embury Cocktails) - I promise you'll be delighted with the results...

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And so, after returning (dead tired) from Pennsic, the last of my travels is complete. Consequently, my long absence from authoring long-winded articles here is now over and regularly-scheduled (!?) posts will begin apearing soon.

Throughout my time away I have been far from idle, learning of and experimenting with all manner of new (or at least new to me) ingredients, tricks, ideas & recipes. Many of these & more will be appearing here over the next few weeks - as a teaser, next up is a bit of fun to have with your pet soda siphon - so be sure to tune back in soon...

Cheers!

***
An enormous thanks to everyone from both 'Tales & Pennsic (and anyone in between) who has made these last few weeks an absolute pleasure; especially to those of you who were kind enough to share your excellent photography (Ken, Anna, Dani, Susan - you guys rock)!

A Warm Drink...

2009-06-21T10:00:00.003-04:00

...sort of. Perhaps in response to the recent country-wide (by all reports) absence of summery weather, I recently found myself craving the warm flavor of a delightful (and very old) drink which I often compound in the wintertime; a concoction called a Bishop...

The first written reference to the Bishop - which is really just a variation on the concept of a flavored or spiced (i.e. mulled) wine - of which I am aware is from 1827 in the first edition of Richard 'Cicero' Cook's Oxford Night Caps. However, in its' description of the beverage, this text claims the drink was known to appear in the records of the oldest established Colleges (which would eventually become Oxford); referenced as early as 1447!

Now, the recipe as put to paper in 1827 is a truly fantastic drink for the depths of winter - involving the roasting of a Clove-studded Lemon, the mulling of Cinnamon, Mace, Nutmeg and Allspice in water and a fiery reduction of heated Port or Claret wine. Said reciept also includes an addendum, stating that, "Oranges, though not used in Bishop at Oxford, are [...] sometimes introduced into that beverage." Let it be known gentle reader, that though I am decidedly not an Oxford man, I still use their recipe (with Oranges mind you) for preparing this wintertime cup (and frankly, so should you).

But we are not, despite the unseasonably-chill & moist weather, in the grips of winter, so what use is bringing up a hot cocktail now? The answer (or part of it) lies, as it often does, in the works of Jerry Thomas, who lists two Bishops in his venerable books. The first is a simplified "English Bishop", prepared and served hot as the 'wags at Oxford would have scoffed at (using Oranges), whereas the second is compounded differently, using that glorious invention - ice. As you will note at left, in his recipe for the cold "Protestant" Bishop, Thomas also calls for a small quantity of flavorful Santa Cruz or Jamaican rum to impart some of the spice character which would otherwise be absent from the drink.

Now, while the "Protestant" Bishop makes for a great drink as written, it lacks much of the toasty, caramelized spice flavors which lend the English variety its considerable appeal; so what's a cocktailian to do? Blend the most favorable qualities & techniques of all the recipes, with a few borrowed modern twists, like so:

Bishop Brûlée

3 oz. Ruby Port

Bitters Mist (see below)

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1½ wheels: fresh Orange

1 wheel: fresh Lemon

1 Tsp. superfine white Sugar

3x whole Cloves

1 slice: candied Ginger

Combine the fruit & dry ingredients in a mixing glass. Using a Misto sprayer (or another pump-atomizer), spray a little of the Bitters mist [a 1:1 mixture of Angostura bitters & Lemon Hart 151° Demerara Rum] over the ingredients. Carefully brûlée the ingredients by spraying short bursts of the mist into the glass, rotating it slowly to ensure an even distribution of the flame. Once the sugar has caramelized, add the Port with ice & shake well. Fine-strain into a chilled Sour glass & garnish with a grate of fresh Nutmeg.

The resulting libation gifts the Port with a pleasant, not-too sweet melange of the roasted citrus, toasty spice & carmelized sugar flavors of the original varieties; all in-conjunction with the chilled, easily (sort of) compounded nature of the "Protestant" version. It also has the advantage of an impressive spot of presentation. In fine-tuning the recipe over the past (all-too wet & chilly) weekend at 'Clover, many of our guests were well-pleased at the warming characteristics of this otherwise cold libation (as well as the show), and I hope you will be too...just be careful with the fire please...

Cheers & Enjoy!

Foggy Origins...

2009-06-01T15:39:00.001-04:00

The world of classic cocktails and venerable mixed drinks is often a decidedly-murky one. As past articles here and elsewhere have shown, the specifics or provenance of a given recipe may not always be clear - a characteristic of most any historical researches; much less one so liberally soaked in 'the sauce...

For example, a drink published at one point in history might hail from a recipe that is, in fact, far older. Many old bar guides (and lots of new ones too) - including those written by individuals who are widely-considered masters - often dredge up vast collections of recipes pillaged verbatim from still-older sources. To further complicate matters, in many cases a formula presented in one source will profit (or suffer) from modifications foisted upon it by a clever fellow (who then further compounds the record by printing their personalized version elsewhere). This is often even further complicated by changes to (or the sheer unavailibility of) a beverage's component ingredients: take, for instance, Erik Ellestead's longstanding search for Hercules.

Finally, the art of mixing drinks has often been an intensely-secretive one; particularly those recipes hailing from the Tiki era of mixology, wherein rival establishments (Trader Vic & Don Beach, for example) jealously guarded their formulations. Sometimes the very bartenders mixing the drinks didn't even know precisely what the components were!

Under such circumstances, envision a further complication: a patron at one establishment might have enjoyed one such drink so much that, upon visiting a different bar, they would ask for the concoction by name. The bartender at this second spot, wanting to accomodate their customer, but lacking almost any idea as to the composition of the drink being asked after, would come up with something. This drink, perhaps a great one, but likely having nothing to do with its called-for predecessor, would then be disseminated as an X, Y, or Z cocktail, and the original would become even murkier. Hence, for example, the dozens of "Mai-Tai" recipes served accross the globe (and the "necessity" for a recent online Mai-Tai showdown)!

Frankly, in the end I suppose it all comes down to mixing up something balanced that tastes good, and historical conventions be damned (or at least given a cordial nod from behind the mixing glass). Key words there - "balanced" and "good". Such is certainly the case with the following drink:

The Fog Cutter
is widely-attributed (on record) to Trader Vic; he certainly published it as such several times from 1946 on. However, according to Ted Haigh in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails the beverage was known to an original Don the Beachcomber's bartender by the name of Tony Ramos, who claims the drink was originated prior to 'Vic & Don's rivalry at an establishment called Edna Earle's Fogcutters in Hollywood, CA. Take a look at this (somewhat) foggy progression:

Fog Cutter (Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink, 1946)
"This is delicious, but a triple-threat. You can get pretty stinking on these, no fooling."
2 oz. [light] Puerto Rican Rum (Ron Merito, Boca Chica, or Brugal)
1 oz. Brandy
½ oz. Gin
1 oz. [fresh] Orange juice
2 oz. [fresh] Lemon juice
½ oz. Orgeat syrup
Sherry wine float
Shake with cracked ice [everything but the Sherry], pour into a tall glass [14 oz. Chimney] with ice, and add Sherry wine float [½ oz. of sweet Sherry]. Serve with straws.

Fog Cutter (Don the Beachcomber, date unknown)
½ oz. Orgeat syrup
2 oz. Gold Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi is specified)
1 oz. Pisco brandy
½ oz. Plymouth Gin
½ oz. Gozalez Sucis Sherry
1 oz. [fresh] Orange juice
2 oz. [fresh] Lemon juice
Shake with ice [everything but the Sherry], pour into a Chimney glass and add more ice to fill. Float Sherry.

Fog Cutter (Tony Ramos via Ted Haigh)
1 oz. white Rum
½ oz. Gin
½ oz. Brandy
½ oz. Sweet & Sour mix
2 dashes Simple syrup
[Cherry Brandy float]
Combine [all but the Cherry Brandy] with ice and blend. Pour into a goblet. Add a float [~¾ oz.] of cherry-flavored Brandy [Cherry Heering] on-top, and serve.

In the first two cases, the recipes are fairly similar - slightly different in their porportion of light to dark spirits (or young & aged if you prefer), but each is a well-balanced take on the same flavor profile. And yet, the third, somehow - almost impossibly considering it's barebones list of ingredients (containing sour mix of all things!) - tastes strikingly similar to the first two. Not that the three are identical - each has its own subtle differences, but in a fit of pure conjecture, I'm willing to venture that the three could certainly be linked by a succession of bartenders working to prepare a drink (or their own variation on it) either on the fly or in imitation. In the end, all are well-made, tasty and balanced libations and that is really the point. So I won't go any further speculating about which drink came first or what variation constitutes the "real" recipe...

I'll just contribute a fourth variation, quite literally inspired as I sat at a recent symposium on Gin (sponsored by Beefeater), and makes delicious use of two ingredients with which I have only recently become acquainted. The smooth, mellow botanicals flavors of Beefeater 24 Gin and the sinfully-sweet & fruity Lustau Capataz Andres Cream Sherry both bring interesting elements to the final flavor profile. Together in-proportion to the other ingredients, I think this one achieves a lovely melange of the flavors of all three of its predecessors (even Mr. Ramos'); alongside some new & interesting floral and botanical notes, but don't take my word for it (©):

London Fog
2 oz. Beefeater 24 Gin
¾ oz. El Dorado 5yr Demerara Rum
¾ oz. Salignac Cognac
¾ oz. Lustau Capataz Andres Sherry float (sub a quality Cream Sherry)
2 oz. fresh Lemon juice
1 oz. fresh Orange juice
½ oz. Orgeat syrup
Combine ingredients, except Sherry, in a mixing glass with cracked ice. Shake well & strain into a 14 oz. Chimney glass mostly-filled with cracked ice. Float Sherry & serve with a straw.

Cheers, Enjoy & never take this cocktail stuff too seriously...

*In the interest of full disclosure, samples of Beefeater 24 were provided for my use.

Q&A: Obsello Absenta

2009-04-12T10:00:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week I was fortunate to be able to ‘sit down’ for an interview via telephone with B. Alex, the distiller of Obsello, a delightful Spanish-style Absinthe verte (or Absenta). Mr. Alex took some time out of his busy day at the Esmeralda distillery (he was measuring Wormwood – an unenviable task to be sure - before taking the phone) to discuss twenty-hour workdays, artisanal distillation, ingredients & Absinthe…

‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

Q: How did you get involved with distillation and/or the spirits industry?
A: My family was involved for many years in the California winemaking industry, so I was exposed to alcohol and its production from an early age, without any of the negative stigmas often attributed to it. My interest in distillation came to a head around sixteen when, after a few AltaVista searches, I decided to try my hand at producing rum in my closet – I reasoned how hard could it be? Cane sugar and molasses from the supermarket, a packet of brewer’s yeast from the internet; in hindsight, not such a great plan…

Q: And Absinthe? How did you get involved with that spirit specifically?
A: My hobbyist level of interest was put on hold when I went off to college, but around age nineteen I had been doing a great deal of reading – lots of classical writing. The presence and influence of Absinthe in and on so many examples of art and literature provided a definite appeal to me at the time, so I continued to research it.

Eventually I was able to rather clandestinely order a bottle from the UK – a brand called Hill’s. It arrived and I set about trying some – did the whole drip preparation in my kitchen with a fork and everything – and it was just awful. Having some experience with wine, I reasoned there was just no way the French could have ever preferred something like this over say, a good Bordeaux – they’d have to be crazy! My knowledge of the distillation process had increased by then and I set about attempting to recreate a drinkable product – what I wanted Absinthe to be. A great deal of research, several hundred basic distillation attempts (with all manner of formulations) later and I had something like what I had been searching for…

Q: Why Spain, and thereby Spanish Absenta? Particularly the Catalan region where the Esmeralda distillery is located?
A: By this point I had gotten good reactions to the type of Absinthe I was making (sadly, still clandestinely) and was considering starting up a ‘mom & pop’ kind of business with my partner Joanne. We had considered several European locations, Tarragona was one choice, but we settled on the Pyrenees town of Lleida in Catalonia. We were very impressed by the ingredients here – particularly the quality of the local water and the high level of agriculture that takes place in the area. We had just gotten set up here when the US ban on Absinthe was lifted, so it was a something of a lucky, if crazy, time to be producing and exporting it.

Q: On that note, Obsello utilizes eight herbs in its production – are these sourced locally or from a variety of places? Do you find a difference in this choice of ingredients?
A: All of our ingredients are sourced from local (or regionally-nearby) sources – the only real exceptions are green Anise, which we get from Alicante; and Hyssop flowers, which comes from just across the border in southern France.

As for ingredients - absolutely. The climate and terrior of every region makes for huge differences in the end product - take Anise for example. The green Anise you get in the US, especially California, comes almost exclusively from Turkey and tends to be much less sweet. In Spain it comes from Alicante and has a much more intense, Clove-like sweetness. When we got out here [Spain] I tried out a batch of my original formula using ingredients we had picked up locally and it was terrible. It took almost seven months to rework the formula, but now we’re able to give Obsello a “just-in-the nick-of-time” approach – as they come in we can make Absinthe with entirely fresh ingredients, each expressing their own particular character.

Q: As I understand it, the neutral grape spirit you use as a base for Obsello comes from the Penedès region of Spain - an area that is very similar in climate and terroir to certain parts of the French Cognac region. Any relationship there?
A: It’s true – the Penedès region is pretty famous - the Spanish equivalent to Napa in California and is known for producing both Cava and a funky, near-Champagne style of sparkling wine made from Chardonnay grapes. The grape distillate we use as a base comes from a blend of three grapes - Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo; which are generally used in making Cava. Really, the whole area has a longstanding tradition of winemaking, but yes, the dry, thin style of white wine you tend to get from areas with that sort of climate is perfect for making a spirit like Absinthe or Cognac.

In almost all high-quality Absinthe, the base is from distillates of white wine - Chardonnay grapes are used alot in other brands. The main idea being that you don’t want a base with too much character or dominant flavors of its own – you get those from the herbs you’re macerating in the base.

Q: Speaking of herbs, Obsello has a definite herbal-citrus flavor in the profile and a less-dominant Anise flavor than most Absinthe. It’s also a good bit sweeter than other varieties I’ve tried. Is this a characteristic of the Absenta style, or a more personal formulation?
A: There are a number of factors there. First, my recipe for Obsello is very personal – it’s the type of Absinthe I wanted to make. A key characteristic of say, most French Absinthe is the emphasis on Anise - and though it is present in Obsello I did not want it to be overly dominant. With Obsello, in the Spanish style, we use Melissa [Lemon Balm] and Coriander to achieve the citrus element that you’re tasting. I wanted a product that had personality, with plenty of secondary flavors rather than an “Anise-bomb”, so many aspects of this style - and my interpretation on it - is ideal for me.

As for the sweetness, that’s mostly the green Anise we use – again, from Alicante. It is much sweeter, with a less heavy “black licorice” flavor than the varieties you’ll find coming from elsewhere – so this is definitely a characteristic of the Spanish style. However, there are numerous plant sugars present in our botanicals and the process of distillation breaks down many of them into the final product. To give you some idea, in a roughly four foot-high alembic still, we’ve got almost three and-a-half feet filled up with Wormwood, roots, herbs and flowers, so some of the sweetness also derives from the latter three.

Finally, almost any good Absinthe should have some amount of sweetness, or at least an absence of extreme bitterness. Even though Wormwood contains Absenthium – one of the most bitter substances known to man - in a carefully-controlled distillation, that compound should be left behind in the still. I think that excessive bitterness in Absinthe is not a desirable quality and shows signs of mistakes being made in the distillation of the product, but on the same turn, deliberate sweeteners should never be added to an Absinthe, so it all comes down to a carefully-controlled process.

Q: I’ve worked with Lemon Balm a bit in tinctures and bitters before and now that you mention it, am wondering – is this where the paler, almost yellow, color of Obsello comes from?
A: Exactly; much of the coloration there derives from the chlorophyll in Melissa, as opposed to that in Pontica [Petite Absinthe or Roman Wormwood] used to color proper French Absinthe, or worse, the artificial colorants used in inferior styles or brands.

Q: Without delving too deeply into the specifics or recipe, what ingredients or steps in producing Obsello make it so different? For instance, I’ve found that at a certain point in the taste-profile a curious Vanilla character emerges (and is faintly-present in the aroma of the spirit). What can you tell me about that?
A: Well, first, Grand Wormwood naturally contains trace amounts of Vanillin. Having said that, it bears mentioning that nearly everyone producing Absinthe these days uses a 19th century distillation reference – The Manufacture & Distillation Alcoholic Liquors by P. Duplais – which contains a large number of very good recipes for Absinthe. However, there is an error that arises when following this guide – it doesn’t always take into account certain delicate variables in the overall process.

Now, this resource hasn’t always been widely-available, but largely due to all the trial and error work I had done in the past (before I had come into contact with the work myself), I started to observe how small changes to a variety of factors can greatly affect the end result. Again, it all comes down to a very careful process, maintaining control is the biggest factor in determining the end product – especially one as sensitive as an herbal spirit like Absinthe.

Q: It seems that Obsello is bottled at a fairly low proof as compared to other Absinthes I’ve seen or tried – why is this?
A: It has a lot to do with international beverage and duty-free (on our warehouse) laws – we export Obsello all over so this proof keeps us good everywhere. Also, different people enjoy Absinthe in many different ways – some of them like it straight or even in shots. I don’t really agree with the latter method but if that’s how they want it... A higher-proof Absinthe can be difficult to enjoy in this way, that is, without the addition of water, so we try to produce a product everyone can enjoy.

Q: On this note, I see that you recommend Obsello in a drip at a 3:1 Water:Absinthe ratio, but in my own tastings have found a 2:1 ratio much more enjoyable. I’ve also tried it with varying amounts of sugar – everything from none to about 1½ teaspoons (which was too much). How do you take your Absinthe?
A: This is very much up to the individual and what kinds of drinks they tend to like. I like Obsello at a 2:1 ratio and have found that about ¾ of a teaspoon of sugar is a good quantity for a drip preparation.

Q: Much as I enjoy Absinthe in a drip or frappe preparation, I like cocktails. Some of my colleagues have found it good for certain drinks, like Hemmingway’s Death in the Afternoon. I liked it alot in a Corpse Reviver #2 myself. Are there any particular libations which you’ve found Obsello works particularly well in – especially those which might highlight its’ herbal-citrus component?
A: We’re currently putting together a book of recipes from quality mixologists and bartenders. Here are a few of the drinks we’ll be including:

Night Porter
By: Jeff Hollinger @ Absinthe Brasserie, SF
1 oz. Bianco Vermouth (Dolin Blanc)
¾ oz. Obsello Absenta
¾ oz. Ruby Port
½ oz. Mescal (a light style)
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice & stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass & garnish with a twist of fresh Lemon.

Sea Fizz
By: Joseph Schwartz @ Little Branch, NYC
1½ oz. Obsello Absenta
¾ oz. fresh Lemon juice
1½-¾ oz. Simple syrup
1 Barspoon: superfine Sugar
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass & dry-shake (without ice) well. Add ice & shake, strain into a highball glass. Top with chilled Soda & garnish with a wedge of fresh Lemon.

‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

My sincerest thanks to B. Alex, Joanne & Olivia Loy for allowing me to speak with them (particularly at such length) about their Absinthe. Mr. Alex demonstrated a true passion for his craft & product throughout the conversation – from his insistence on getting every minute detail of production down, demand for quality ingredients, right down to his job – he works with every small-batch distillation himself rather than outsource the formula to another operation! The commitment to making a quality product really shows in the end result & all I can say is,

Cheers!

This article has been cross-posted at the Mixoloseum - those responsible for this have undoubtedly been sacked. For even more on Absinthe, check out fellow CSOWG member Paul Clarke's in-depth discussion with Gwydion Stone & Brian Robinson later this week...

Over the Border to Find a Fix...

2009-04-04T13:49:00.007-04:00

...and through a bramble patch along the way.

First off, no, not that kind of fix, but rather a curious classic libation closely intertwined with the venerable Sour family of drinks. Second, with regards to the border - ¿qué pasa con eso? Well, it's springtime folks, and this transitional season always brings me around to the various styles of Tequila at one point or another. As for the bramble patch...ráipido wey, and we'll get to that too.

The Fix
or "Fix-Up" (I'm really not doing anything for the name here, am I?) appeared first on a cocktail list for Mart Ackermann's Saloon in Toronto, Canada. According to Dave Wondrich in Imbibe!, this was in 1856 (you didn't really think my bar "library" included a cocktail list from then, did you?) and there were eight of them on the hand-dated document.

Certainly an old drink then and, according to sources I do possess, quite the enduring one, considering its' formula (or a derivative thereof) was considered vital knowledge well past the turn of the century. The reasoning for this is simple - a Fix, as prepared with a number of spirits, was nothing more than a Sour dressed-up fancy with "fruits in season" - Berries, Pineapple, Orange and Lemon are often recommended. It appears thusly in the 1862 edition of Jerry Thomas's How to Mix Drinks and is seen in service under the same formula in Leo Engel's American and Other Drinks as late as 1878. Yet, sometime around the early 1880's the recipes begin to change - first individually, then as a unified category.

The Gin Fix is the first of these - first getting a dose of Pineapple syrup added to it in Harry Johnson's 1882 Bartender's Manual, where it is the only one recorded. But come 1884 we observe O.H. Byron has instituted a more categorical change in the drink - utilizing Pineapple syrup for all five of the Fixes listed in his Modern Bartender's Guide. By the time we reach 1887, and with it Jerry Thomas' posthumously-edited edition, we find several variations - each dependant on the spirit used in the four given Fixes. One called for Raspberry syrup, two included a little Curaçao and the Whiskey variety remained untouched. These alterations look to have been cemented by the turn of the century - we still see them in 1895 & 1900 (as well as later on) in editions of George Kappeler's Modern American Drinks. But why the sudden additions, changes & revisions to the recipe? Do we detect a touch of the same crazy variance that dogged the (equally old) formula for Roman Punch?

Not quite, I think. As previously-mentioned, the Fix is just a Sour built on crushed ice with a suitably-fancy garnish; quite tasty, but a little plain - particularly when the standard Sour category was also available for order. But tweak the formula by adding a flavored syrup, particularly ones flavored with the very ingredients often used to garnish the beverage, and you have a delightful drink. That the popularization of such syrups (which solved the problems of obtaining fairly-exotic fruits like Pineapple rather-handily) coincidentally (or not) occured around the same time as the changes to the recipe began appearing is an equally-strong argument for the changes made to the old formula. With the history of the Fix (& its' derivatives) established, what's up with this border..? Well, I happen to feel that one of the esencial liquores para la primavera is a bit of...

Tequila
in this case a Plata variety called Inocente. Produced on the other side of the much-mentioned border from a kiln-roasted aguamiel, or the fermentable juices from 100% Blue Agave. This ferment, or pulque, is distilled three times before being subjected to a wine-making method called micro-oxygenation, which is meant to soften the final products' character in a similar way to the chemical processes which take place during barrel-aging.

The producers may have a good idea there (at least for a spirit which is meant to be unaged, as opposed to a Reposado or Añejo), for while Inocente - like many Plata Tequilas, is a thin white spirit with some heat to it (meant more for mixing than drinking straight), the aggressive character of the distilled agave is subdued to a very pleasant spice & pepper flavor, with soft floral or vegetal notes lingering in the background.

Now, while the Fix-Up was typically compounded with any of the available spirits of the day, one would be hard-pressed to order one made with a little-known (at the time) spirit like Tequila. However, the combination of Pineapple and Tequila is an excellent one & was among the first of such flavor pairings to spring to mind when I first tasted Inocente. Reasoning that the peppery notes of the spirit would balance very nicely against the rich sweeteness of la piña, I gave it a try in conjunction with Gomme (or Gum) syrup, which added a very pleasant texture to the drink:

Tequila Fix
2 oz. Tequila (Inocente)
¾ oz. fresh Lime juice
½ oz. Pineapple Gomme syrup
1 Tsp. Raw sugar
½ oz. Seltzer
Combine Sugar & Seltzer in an Old-Fashioned glass and stir to dissolve. Fill the glass with crushed ice & build remaining ingredients. Stir gently to mix, top with a little more crushed ice & garnish with fresh fruit in-season (whole Berries & slices of Lime or Pineapple are muy deseable).

Pineapple Gomme syrup
1 Cup: white Sugar
½ Cup: Water
Gomme Solution
1 Cup: fresh Pineapple, cubed
Prepare the Gomme solution by dissolving 2 oz. Gum Arabic crystals in 2 oz. of boiling Water - be prepared to stir for a long while. In a small saucepan prepare Simple syrup by dissolving the Sugar in the Water over medium heat. Once the mixture reaches a gentle boil, add the viscous Gomme Solution, stirring well to incorporate it. Allow to boil for a few minutes, skimming off any foam or scum that rises to the surface & remove from heat. When cool, pour over Pineapple in an airtight container & allow to steep in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Strain by preferred method & bottle.

But what has become of the Fix in modern times? We still have the Sour of course (though that too has been subjected to all manner of undesirable change), so what of its' well-dressed cousin? The Fix, sadly, never really made it through the years leading up to Prohibition - it appears here and there, particularly in books printed overseas - but try ordering any of the varieties now. However, it would seem that the notion of a flavored Sour (i.e. what the Fix became) lives on in the form of:

The Bramble
is a more modern reworking of certain incarnations of the (long defunct) Gin Fix - the 1887+ ones what call for a touch of Raspberry syrup. It was adapted in the mid-1980's by UK barman Dick Bradsell, who, in such dimly-lit (for the cocktail) times undoubtedly had no easy access to a Raspberry syrup behind his bar. His solution? A float of Crème de Mûre (hence the "bramble" - a nickname for Rasp/Blackberry bushes) atop a lightly-sweetened Gin Sour. In the years following its' creation, in true Fix tradition, other bartenders swapped out the Gin and/or liqueur & substituted in all kinds of other spirits. While the Gin version is quite lovely, especially in the coming months, today we're on Tequila; so it's to the following drink that we call our attention:

Tequila Bramble
1½ oz. Tequila (Inocente)
¾ oz. fresh Lime juice
½ oz. Simple syrup
¾ oz. Crème de Cassis
Build the first three ingredients in an Old-Fashioned glass mostly-filled with crushed ice. Stir, top with fresh crushed ice & float the Crème de Cassis on the top. Garnish with a slice of Lime & several fresh Blackberries.

The combination of Cassis and Tequila is yet another strong (& historically-sound) pairing - the heavy, complex sweetness of the liqueur plays nicely in this instance against the thin, spicy heat of the Tequila and the Lime's bitter/sourness rounds the whole thing out. However, as with many other examples of Tequila, Inocente has a subtle floral or vegetal character, which in this instance the liqueur seems to drown out completely. To better highlight those notes while keeping the balance of the drink intact, I turned to another beverage that's common across the border (& in my refrigerator) - the aguas fresca called Jamaica (©):

Flowering Bramble
1½ oz. Tequila (Inocente)
¼ oz. fresh Lime juice
½ oz. Simple syrup
½ oz. Jamaica
¼ oz. Crème de Cassis
Build the first three ingredients in an Old-Fashioned glass mostly-filled with crushed ice and stir briefly. In a seperate measuring glass, combine the Jamaica & Crème de Cassis. Top the built drink with fresh crushed ice & float the Jamaica-Cassis mixture on top. Garnish with a slice of Lime & several fresh Blackberries.

Cheers & Enjoy!

*In the interest of full disclosure, samples of Inocente were generously provided for use. Great quantities of said sample have been consumed since...

Seasonal Produce: A Springtime Infusion, Now with Cookery!

2009-03-27T22:45:00.010-04:00

In a previous post, I discussed the virtues, however regionally-influenced, of Blood Oranges. I likewise promised to include a recipe for an infused Cachaça utilizing these delightful late winter/springtime citrus. Furthermore, it occurs to me that I haven't had any culinary examples up here in a long while. This is not to say I haven't been cooking (quite the opposite actually), but rather I'm usually so busy when doing so as to lack the wherewithall to photograph my little kitchen adventures...

So, as promised, here's the infusion: short, sweet & clarified slightly from its initial appearance at the Ministry of Rum many moons ago. As an aside, in this particular infusion, though the overall proof of the spirit (from 80 to about 75, in case you were wondering) drops somewhat due to the inclusion of certain of the ingredients, this infusion nevertheless makes a marvelous addition to spring & summertime cocktails well after Blood Oranges are out of season – an example of which I’ve included just after the recipe. You can even enjoy it (like a certain friend of mine does - on the beach for Labor Day) straight over an ice cube or two...

Blood Orange Cachaça
750ml: Cachaça (Pitu works well here)
5x fresh Blood Oranges, washed
3 Tblspns. Raw Sugar
1 Tblspn. white Sugar
1 Tblspn. Lemongrass, minced
½ Tsp. Cardamom, removed from pods (optional)
1½ Tblspns. Water
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
1. Carefully peel Blood Oranges, being sure to remove & discard all bitter pith from the skin.
2. Likewise remove & discard all pith and seeds from the flesh of two of the Oranges. Seperate into segments.
3. Clean & mince Lemongrass & shell Cardamom. Toast Cardamom seeds in a small pan.
4. Combine ingredients in a clean container & add Cachaça.
5. Seal container & swirl/shake vigorously.
6. Place in a cool, dark location for approximately 7-10 days, swirling vigorously several times.
7. Strain 2-3 times by preferred method (coffee filter, cheesecloth &c), pressing on solids to remove all liquid.

8. Clean container with hot water and replace liquid within. Allow to stand for one more week.
9. Strain or rack again as necessary & bottle.

Enjoy in any cocktail (as appropriate, flavor-wise) which calls for Cachaça - a Caipirinha w/ half lime & half blood orange muddled works nicely. Or you could try it in the following libation (or come up with your own uses – and pass them along to me in the comments section if you’re so inclined):

Sangriento Rabo de Galo
2 oz. Blood Orange Cachaça
¾ oz. Carpano Antica Formula
¼ oz. Aperol
1 dash Angostura bitters
Stir with ice & strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of fresh Blood Orange.

But now that you've labored (not for all that long really) at preparing the above infusion, why not stick around the kitchen a bit longer - perhaps for a lovely spot of dinner that will make handy use of some of the extra (Lemongrass, Blood Oranges &c.) ingredients from your infusion...?

Roast Quail stuffed w/ Savory Veal Couscous

6x Quail, cleaned & marinated
Savory Veal-Couscous Stuffing (see below)
Grande Duchess Potatoes (see below), to plate
Manchego Cheese, shaved thin for garnish

Marinade:
1 Cup Lillet Blanc
2 Tblspns. Honey
Zest of ½ Blood Orange
2 Tsp. fresh Tarragon, chiffonade
1 Tsp. Herbes de Provence blend
¾ Tsp. Coriander, coarsely-crushed
½ Tsp. white Pepper

Savory Veal-Couscous Stuffing:
½ lb. Veal, ground
1 Cup medium Couscous
½ Cup fresh Blood Orange juice
½ Cup Veal stock (or sub. ½ Beef & ½ Chicken stocks)
6 Tblspns. Butter, unsalted
1 Tblspn. Honey
2x cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tblspns. green Onions, chiffonade
2 Tblspns. Lemongrass, chiffonade
1½ Tsp. fresh Tarragon, chiffonade
Fluer de Sel & black Pepper, to taste
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
1. Prepare the marinade by combining listed ingredients in a plastic bag, agitating to mix, and adding cleaned Quail. Marinate the birds for approximately two hours in the refrigerator.
2. Prepare the Couscous stuffing as follows:
3. In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, melt Butter and saute Garlic, Lemongrass & Onions until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
4. Brown the ground Veal in the same pan.
5. Add remaining ingredients, stir well & bring to a simmer over low-medium heat.
6. Place the Couscous in a bowl & when liquid mixture is simmering, add to the container. Stir well & cover with plastic wrap to steam for approximately ten minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove Quail from marinade & drain before generously stuffing with Couscous mixture. Reserve ½ Cup of marinade.
7. Arrange stuffed Quail in a 9x13 dish or braising pan & deposit reserved marinade in bottom.
8. Place prepared Quail in preheated oven & cook for 25-30 minutes, or until well-bronzed. Remove, allow to rest for about 2 minutes & plate with:

Grande Duchess Potatoes
2½ lbs. Potatoes, peeled
2x cloves Garlic, minced
¾ Cup: Heavy Cream
8 Tblspns. Butter, unsalted & divided
½ Cup: Manchego cheese, shredded & packed
3x Egg yolks, divided & beaten
Generous pinch of Nutmeg, freshly-grated
Fluer de Sel & black Pepper, to taste
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
1. Clean & boil Potatoes in salted water as per ordinary mashed potatoes.
2. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, melt the Butter & allow to brown slightly (not quite beurre noisette) before adding Garlic.
3. Saute Garlic over low heat until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes) then slowly stir in Heavy Cream & Cheese.
4. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often & remove from heat.
5. Drain Potatoes & allow to stand, uncovered, for about 5 minutes (so that some amount of moisture may evaporate).
6. In a small bowl, temper two of the beaten Egg yolks by slowly adding the Butter-Cream mixture & whisking aggresively.
7. Whip Potatoes smooth by preferred method, slowly adding Butter-Cream mixture & seasoning with Nutmeg, Fluer de Sel & black Pepper.
8. On a silicon-lined baking sheet divide mashed potatoes into six equal portions; the ambitious may wish to pipe the warm potatoes into a whimsical arrangement.
9. Gently brush the formed potatoes with the remaining beaten Egg yolk & place in the oven at 375° for approximately ten minutes (this may be placed in the oven with the Quail if you wish), or until crisp on top. The ambitious may then further crisp the top with a culinary torch, but this step is not really necessary.

Serve with the prepared Quail (taking care to not forget adding the shaved Manchego on top) on a warmed plate & enjoy!

Cheers & Enjoy!

A Bit of Bitter, From...Jersey?

2009-03-15T22:00:00.004-04:00

Well, not exactly - bear with me a moment. Though the drinks listed in this article were originated some time ago during a sponsored Thursday Drink Night at the Mixoloseum, the ingredient in question doesn't really have anything to do with New Jersey, but more (or less) on that in a few breaths...

Said TDN was graciously sponsored by a cocktailian favorite; an ingredient which can be a bit intimidating to those unfamiliar (hell, even to those initiated) with its particular charms: the mavelously-complex amaro called Fernet Branca. At once medicinal, sharply herbal, tangy and bittersweet, Fernet can be a difficult ingredient to work with - only a handful of cocktails utilize it in any sizeable quantity and it is most often taken straight, typically applied (quite successfully) as a digestivo.

Yet the complexity and breadth of flavors present in this Italian spirit can be quite appealing, in a bewitching sort of way, despite its propensity to bull through more delicate flavors. As with similarly-rambunctious ingredients, the challenge to working with Fernet successfully lies in finding equally strong flavors, or combinations of flavors which play along with, hightlight, or merely ones which refuse to be pushed aside, to combine it with. Ginger, for example, has long been an accompaniment to Fernet, such as in the San Francisco tradition of chasing a shot of the spirit with strong Ginger Ale. Therefore, in my (winning!) TDN entry I thought to give such a well-proven combination - with a few small twists - a shot.

Give this libation (or any of the equally-excellent concoctions my colleagues produced that evening) a try & experience Fernet Branca's intriguing flavor profile for yourself. And if a full half-ounce of Fernet has you a little suspicious, feel free to read on for a more subtle (& Jersey-related; or not) application of the spirit - and hopefully you'll come around eventually (©):

Bully Boy
1 oz. Bourbon (Bulleit)
½ oz. Fernet Branca
½ oz. Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueur
½ oz. fresh Lemon juice
2 Tsp. Raw Simple syrup
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass & garnish with a twist of fresh Lemon.

One of the most noted (and frankly, the simplest) applications of Fernet is its use as a substitution for an aromatic (or other non-potable) bitters such as Angostura, rather than as a primary ingredient - as above - of a cocktail. For example, when used thusly a few liberal dashes of Fernet in a Bourbon Manhattan makes for a lovely drink called a Franciulli Cocktail. With such a role well-established, I reasoned to try out Fernet in a simple, yet classic, libation of which I am inordinately fond - the Jersey Cocktail. Told you I'd get there, if eventually...

In it's original form, this little-known beverage hails from the earliest days of the cocktail - when producers and purveyors of alcohol (& just about everything else) conducted their business unhindered by such trifles as safe food & drug laws, or even ingredient or labeling legislation. Champagne was, naturally, imported from France and the demand for it was quite prolific throughout the United States. The American thirst for the stuff was so strong, that quantities of the sparkling wine imbibed outstripped the quantities which were imported to these shores by a great deal...

So what ingenious forgeries were foisted upon the tippling populace when a Champagne Cocktail was called for? To quote David Wondrich's Imbibe!, the unlucky were served, "processed beet juice" and the 'lucky' would generally receive, "Garden State hard cider, pressurized with CO₂ (preferably without too much residual carbonic acid) [...] in a Frenchy-looking bottle." As such counterfeiting was not necessarily advertised to the clientele, this libation seldom appears in any source other than bartender's guides. Yet it is in the first of these - Jerry Thomas' 1862 How to Mix Drinks - that the drink is addressed with a measure of honesty towards its components. To further quote Mr. Wondrich, "let that be its recommendation" and it is indeed, a very good one.

Ironically, the hard Cider I tend to use most in this application actually hails from France (Normandy) and possesses a very Champagne-like dryness which is quite agreeable here - but if your only option is a sweeter style, merely reduce the sugar by a touch. When prepared (almost exactly as a Champagne Cocktail) with Angostura bitters, it is quite nice; with homemade Boker's, even better; but with Fernet in place of these, it shines brighter than a counterfeiter's smile:

(New) Jersey Cocktail
1x Sugar cube (or 1 generous Tsp. of Sugar)
3-4 dashes: Fernet Branca
Brut hard Apple Cider
Douse the sugar cube with the Fernet Branca. Fill a champagne flute with well-chilled hard Cider & gently drop the sugar cube into the glass. Gently stir, garnish with a twist of fresh Orange & enjoy.

Cheers & Enjoy!

**In the interest of full disclosure, samples of Fernet Branca were provided for this event. They were, in fact, provided so far in advance of said event, that I blew through my sample & had to purchase a new bottle in order to participate...

Seasonal Produce & A Last Stab at Winter

2009-03-03T20:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's foul weather, hopefully the last incidence of heavy snow this season, coupled with a weekend trip to one of my favorite farmer's markets, reminded me of a drink I haven't enjoyed in quite a while. This is not entirely unusual - many of my drinks go with what's good at the time - I'll often pick up ingredients & whip up new or variant drinks a la minute.

Unfortunately many of these fall victim to my less-than-stellar memory, suffer from the vagaries of seasonal ingredients (often considered a lightly-stocked 'specialty' or 'novelty' product by the local grocers), or are merely set aside for later use in the wake of something new (or something old which happens to be new to me). In any case, while out stocking up on provisions, I happened upon a selection of ripe Blood Oranges - my second-favorite (only nominally behind Tangerines) winter produce, and happily snapped up a bunch of them.

A natural mutation of sweet and bitter Oranges cultivated for many years throughout the Mediterranean, Blood Oranges are a delightful dichotomy of flavors. They are somewhat sweet at first, particularly at the height of their season, with a discernibly tart, almost berry-like, finish. Depending on variety, season and regional climate/light conditions where they are grown, Blood Oranges vary greatly in appearance both inside and out. Some varieties/crops are more blood-colored inside, while the flesh of others are more similar to pink/reddish-tinted oranges in appearance. Likewise, while the skin of many varieties/crops are mottled in texture and often feature darker patches of color, others are smooth & bright in outward appearance.

No matter their look, Blood Oranges generally make a fantastic addition to cocktails, as many of my fellow cocktailians will attest. Substituting them into any number of libations what call for fresh Oranges makes for a wonderful depth of flavor and an attractive, darker coloration. Depending on where they hail from, Blood Oranges have a fair breadth of season too. While they are cultivated heavily in the Mediterranean, the best (in flavor and coloration) U.S. varieties tend to, in my humble opinion, hail from Texas and California. The ones I purchased were brought in, late season, from Texas; soon I suspect, the California varieties will (if they show up at all) soon be on the shelves.

So, with Blood Oranges in hand, I pondered a drink to use some of them in - as they are quite a treat for me I utilize them as often as possible in cocktails when given even half a chance to do so. After a thusly-enhanced Bronx Cocktail, I finally settled on the following lovely little take on the California or Stone Sour, which plays up the fruity tartness of the Oranges & adds a few sharp, bittersweet notes through the use of the delightfully-bitter Italian liquor Aperol. Go on out and snag some Blood Oranges if you can, give them a whirl in anything that tickles your fancy; or give the wintery weather a good-riddance and take a stab at this little beauty (©):

Jacknife Sour
1½ oz. Laird's Applejack
½ oz. Aperol
1 oz. fresh Blood Orange juice
¼ oz. fresh Lemon juice
1 oz. Simple syrup
1x fresh Egg white
1 dash: Honey Tangerine bitters (substitute Regan's or The Bitter Truth Orange bitters)
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass & dry-shake. Add ice and shake well; strain into a chilled cocktail or sour glass and granish with a flamed twist of Blood Orange.

Check back soon for another (likewise neglected for reasons unknown) use for this delightful winter citrus - a fantastic Blood Orange-infused Cachaça...

Cheers & Enjoy!

(Bols +) Bitters Makes it Better, part III

2009-02-23T22:00:00.001-05:00

...they really do (and frankly, always have) from the birth of the spirited drink called "cocktail" onward into the present day. This was the essential theme of a recent seminar; one of four being organized by the fantastic folks of Lucas Bols Genever in conjunction with Stephan Berg of The Bitter Truth. In its' pre-opening hours, Julie Reiner's beautiful Clover Club played host to several dozen of the NY/Metro area's finest spirits and cocktail professionals (so why they let me in I will never guess).

To give you some rough idea, cocktail authorities like Dale DeGroff & David Wondrich, Mud Puddle Book's Greg Boehm (with charming assistant Christina in-tow), USBG-NY President Jonathan Pogash and quality bartenders like Giuseppe Gonzalez, Jim Meehan, Joaquin Simo, Thomas Waugh, Alex Day & Don Lee rubbed shoulders and pressed palms with all manner of industry folks; including bloggers like fellow CSOWG member Erik Ellestad, Paul Zablocki, Chantal Martineau and little old me. They even invited the media!

Upon arrival, the attendees were met with a lovely spread of nibbles paired with a classic Brandy Cocktail, expertly-prepared by Brian Miller (whose presence rounded out the appearance of nearly all of Death & Co.'s barstaff) and the Clover Club staff. Throughout the event, both were hard at work; operating at an efficient, if understandably-frantic, pace from the establishment's rear bar. Bols representatives Debbie Rizzo and Tal Nadari were great sports, working the room with ease, welcoming each attendee (even me) with enthusiastic smiles and performing (in my case, much-appreciated) introductions all-around. After a bit of mingling and conversation, the presentation began, with Mr. Nadari taking the stage to introduce the topic: the influence of bitters in classic cocktails, and the eminently-qualified speaker, Stephan Berg...

The topic covered a great deal of fascinating history, beginning with a brief explanation of just what bitters are before delving into their early development and almost-universal use as cure-all's, medicines & tonics in the days where medical care was less than reliable. It turns out, thousands of regional types of bitters - often produced, as Mr. Berg stated, by 'local grannies' - abounded, with the better examples becoming gradually-popularized by apothecary shops. Amusingly, many of these establishments often purchased bitters unlabeled & then applied their own descriptors to. Such commercialized efforts, in conjunction with the 19th century spread of saloons, gave rise to proprietary brands. Names like Siegert's (what would become, following protracted litigation, Angostura), Hostetter's & Drake's Plantation bitters (among dozens, if not hundreds, of others) started becoming quite popular as a result.

As the presentation continued, it covered the growth (and eventual decline) of the saloon, and with it the advent of the cocktail - which relied on various kinds of bitters to give the spirited beverage distinction from other drinks of the period. Emphasis was placed on the work of Jerry Thomas, and the "Golden Age" of the cocktail which it ushered in. Throughout, David Wondrich graciously supplied additional tidbits of information to supliment Mr. Berg's lecture or confirm a point made by the same.

To...punctuate the discussion, every few slides or so, a fresh cocktail of classical origin would be skillfully-prepared & distributed to the audience. In total nine (!) libations were paradaded forth - a feat which made for quite a merry (if somewhat cluttered) bar. A few of the notables among these included selections culled from J. Thomas, Harry Johnson, William Boothby & William Schmidt, like these little beauties (from the last & first authors, respectivly):

While Gin was not the base for every cocktail served, several points arose in the presentation about many of the classic recipes one finds in the old guides & books. In many cases when "Gin" is specified, it is actually "Holland Gin" or the Genever style which is meant, rather than the more modernly-prefered Dry/London Dry styles. In fact, circa 1850 (right around the time of many of these recipes' creation), quantities of imported Genever gins outnumbered those of Dry styles almost 300 to 1! When sampling cocktails from such texts utilizing the later style, results (as they were for me in several cases) are disappointing, or at least a question of "what's so great about this"? However, when a Genever style is used in cocktail recipes of the era, you can really get a feel for the incredible genius many of the great bartenders of old clearly posessed.

On a similarly-spirited note, observe the presence of Curacao in so many of the earliest cocktails - always in very small quantities & paired with an aromatic bitters like Boker's. Yet this practice fades somewhat around the same time Orange bitters (such as the 1883 brand L. Jung & Wulff) began appearing in cocktail recipes. The reasoning for this is simple - prior to approximately 1880, there was no such thing as an Orange bitters to provide the citrus complexity which the combination of Curacao and aromatic bitters created!

Other points of considerable interest included the effects of the Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906 and Prohibition on bitters (& the cocktails they were constituents of). To make a short story of it, both events were catastrophic for many of the varieties which so many recipes of the time utilized. Brands like Abbott's, Boker's (so often misspelled as "Bogart's") & Stoughton's were either driven out of business immediately by the 1906 Act or crippled by weak positioning, marketing or demand following Repeal.

In closing, Mr. Berg spoke briefly about the Bitter Truth line as well as some of the characteristics and components of bitters in general. He was quite gracious in answering questions, stating that the only information he would not disclose would be the recipes for any of his bitters. Fair enough. He did however, bring a number of tincture bottles (in addition to the full line of Bitter Truth products) filled with samples of various rare extracts & an actual sample of the long-defunct Boker's bitters! They were, quite frankly, delicious.

Similarly, when questions about TBT's (limited release) of Jerry Thomas' Decanter bitters arose, a sample of Virginia Snakeroot (which would have been included in the original c. 1862 product) extract - generously supplied by David Wondrich - was passed around for (cautious) inspection! This was accompanied by a sample of the different (non-toxic) strain of Snakeroot which TBT apparently substitutes into their own version of The Professor's housemade bitters...

All in all the event was a positively-fantastic experience, full of interesting facts and interesting discussions - all over classic (& delicious) drinks!

Cheers & Thanks...

...to Stephan Berg for the terrific show, Debbie Rizzo & Tal Nadari, as well as the CSOWG for enabling me to attend. Likewise, many thanks to Erik and Paul for introducing me to so many new faces as well as to Brian Miller & the whole Clover Club gang for their spectacular work with all those drinks!

Other Folks' Reports:

Cocktailian Kisses...

2009-02-14T19:15:00.006-05:00

As I'm certain many of you, like myself, have some manner of Valentine's Day plans, I'll keep this one short and sweet. While I'm not a proponent of holiday-themed cocktails, I happen to think that the following libation is quite appropriate for this particular 'holiday', to say nothing for how delicious the classic, if little-known, drink is.

The deceptively-simple beverage in question hails from the pages of Tiki legend Victor "Trader" Bergeron's 1946 Book of Food & Drink. As 'Vic notes, his Hawaiian-named short hoist is a, "cute name [means "kisses" in the aforementioned language] and a dandy drink. Forget it's a cocktail. In fact, double it, put it in a larger glass [...] and you've got a pretty good around-the-clock-drink."

Indeed; though I'll interject an additional note on this one - as it relies on a harmonious combination of a small number of ingredients (passing strange for a Tiki drink, I know), it's very important for said components to be of as high a quality as possible - particularly the spirits. Be cautious with the citrus too; in my area at least, this time of year often brings an annoyingly variable (read: fickle) quality/ripeness to Lemons & Limes.

That said, if you're making this little tipple for your significant other this Valentine's (or on any odd day), there's no need to tell them this kiss came from me - I'll let you take all the credit...

Honi Honi
1 oz. white Rum (Old New Orleans)
½ oz. Apricot Brandy (Marie Brizard Apry)
½ oz. fresh Lemon juice
Combine ingredient in a mixing glass with plenty of ice & shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Doubling the recipe as per Vic's suggestion is a good plan and will likely ensure a real kiss or two...

Cheers & Happy Valentine's Day!

Why We're Here - Marketing 101

2009-02-11T12:23:00.011-05:00

I write this blog for a variety of reasons...

When I embarked upon this blogging endeavor nearly a year ago, I reasoned this to be the best way to share my interests with the largest collection of like-minded individuals. I love cocktails, cooking, hospitality; and can wax poetic (as even a casual reader here can attest) about the virtues which so frequently manifest within these fields. More directly, I love sharing the things that I find to be tasty, interesting or useful so that others might enjoy similar experiences to my own.

As I learn something new, so too do you good reader; when I write about something I've enjoyed I'm happy, ecstatic even, if just one visitor here gives it a try or learns something new. Gaz Regan would label this as one aspect of the "Path of the Bartender", a tiny element in a system of sharing knowledge between any & all who might have an interest for the express benefit & advancement of the culinary craft as a whole...

Imagine my excitement when companies who publicize & market the products with which I often work (and write about) began to take notice, and sought to enable me to better provide you, good reader, with something cool or interesting to read, ponder, or try out. Many of these organizations have been extremely generous in working with little old me (& a number of my esteemed colleagues) in my humble efforts to advance the craft of the cocktail in my own way. More importantly, they have always been courteous and intelligent in their efforts - approaching me through respectable channels, providing samples, tangible & informative information.

They have allowed me to experience their product, and through my experience, enabled you to make a (nominally) better-informed decision about expanding yours. In good marketing there exists an understanding of a little concept called Brand Equity - which we'll cover in a moment - but first let me tell you what the aforementioned groups don't do when they interact with yours truly...

The quality organizations of which I'm speaking have never attempted to sell me a cute story, asked me to reprint a (lousy) sales-pitch which masquerades as a press release, disseminate biased or incorrect facts, communicated with all the professionalism (& spelling or grammar) of a 419 scam, or repeatedly spam my little exercise in sharing with any of the above. Furthermore, and very importantly, they have never made assumptions about you my good reader, as at least ten e-mails a week (& a plethora of already-filtered comments) from other companies so frequently do...

If the contents of my 'deleted mail' box are to be believed, then you 'o reader, surely deserve & desire nothing more than a big glass of root-beer or bubble-gum flavored vodka, perhaps with a dash of chemical sour mix or a spritz of Red Bull...? Perhaps you're looking into discovering absinthe, and you're really interested in getting the most chemically-psychoactive product allowable by law! "It's got more Thujone in it than those other guys! How does it taste? Don't worry about that - it'll get you messed-up the fastest!"

If I were you good reader, I'd be mighty offended - these folks clearly think of you (& me) as an impressionable child. Despite the massive amounts of capital their distillery-based patrons doubtlessly spend on them, do they do their homework? Do they take five seconds to run a search (it's in the top left-hand corner people) on a site like this (or many others) to see if words like "vodka", "sour mix", "hallucinate", or "garbage drinks invented by marketers" pop up? If they did, they would evince a modicum of interest in you or I, their potential consumer, and in building a meaningful relationship with us. They would also find that none of the above terms come up (except the vodka thing - I use that as a preservative with passing regularity) in discussion here. They do nothing to advance the culinary aspects of cocktails, in fact, the tone of their sales pitches undermines so much of the work the mixological community has done to advance the cocktailian arts.

As companies which do engage in such tactic doubtlessly employ folk who have assuredly never attended a basic Marketing class (sometimes not even a basic English class, it seems), allow me to briefly explain the concept of Brand Equity to them. Quite simply, this is the value inherent to a brand name (& the product behind it) in & of itself - the tangible goodwill espoused by your customers towards your product. It is engendered by selling the value of the brand in question through a good sales relationship - which requires nothing more than a professional investment of time. Key words there: "goodwill" & "professional"; the first is not engendered by the tactics decried here and the second is clearly not evinced in the same...

For those companies who understand this concept & engage in it, I salute your work. For those of you who plainly don't grasp it - your emails & comments will continue to be deleted, your ever-shifting IP addresses will be blocked and the products which you are paid so handsomely to represent will never get a word of coverage here. By-the-by, "Grey of Grey Goose Vodka", coming to my site to comment-spam me directly from an open Google Doc's page listing all the folks you plan on bothering after me, alongside snarky comments about the potential gains from such an activity? Not so bright...

Well-played folks...

As for me, I will settle back into my previously-mentioned (& greatly-enjoyed) role of sharing my highlights in matters cocktail & culinary as soon as this venom recedes from whence it came. A nice dinner should do the trick, so tune back in later this evening for more about that...

Cheers!

Greensleeves...

2009-01-25T23:14:00.011-05:00

...was all my joy, Greensleeves was my delight...

Sorry; that's about as old a song as they come, dating as it does to the close of the 1500's. Yet despite its' age, the ballad is quite a good one - still sung in a few of the right places - unchanged from its' original lyrics & rhythm. This practice is in many ways similar to that of one of the oldest spirits - Green Chartreuse - still produced today more or less as it was in the eighteenth century when a (c. 1605) receipt for an "elixir of long life" was translated by the Carthusian monks of Le Grand Chartreuse monastary.

Much as with the aforementioned song, Chartreuse can be quite a rarity in the liquor cabinets of all but the most-seasoned cocktailians. Indeed, to the uninitiated Chartreuse can appear to be a little intimidating - a brilliant green in color, with an incredibly-complex flavor deriving from over 130 herbs, spices & flowers; to say nothing for its steep 55% ABV (and similarly-sized price tag). Don't let any of that scare you, though - the spirit is delicious - both on its own, and more importantly, in the many classic cocktails what call for it. In libations such as the Last Word or Bijou Cocktail, the use of Chartreuse typically makes for a beverage that well-exceeds the sum of its' parts. For those of you looking to delve further into classic cocktails of this sort, good starting points for researching recipes utilizing Chartreuse include Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book and A.S. Crockett's Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book.

But, venerable classics aside, when my compatriots over at the Mixoloseum announced that a recent Thusday Drink Night was to be sponsored by the folks who produce & market Chartreuse, I was shall we say, delighted at the opportunity to work with an ingredient so dear to my heart. Indeed, many of the drinks (and there were a great many) postulated & sampled that evening were deemed a great success, yet rather amazingly, one of my own concoctions came out of the evening as the winner! And so, I would like to share with you; my joy, my delight...

Greensleeves
1½ oz. Plymouth Gin
¾ oz. Green Chartreuse
¼ oz. Carpano Antica Formula
½ oz. Orgeat syrup
1 dash: Angostura bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice & shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and enjoy both un-garnished & un-varnished.

Once you've sampled Chartreuse in a cocktail like this, one of the others developed a la minute & highlighted in the TDN wrap-up, or in one of the many classic libations which are (thankfully) re-appearing on bar menus all over - I promise you too will never again be without this lovely spirit...

Cheers!

MxMo XXXV: Broaden Your Horizons...

2009-01-19T23:00:00.005-05:00

...with a pinch of this, a dash of that - trying something new, whether it be a spirit one hasn't worked with before, a culinary technique applied towards some cocktailian end, or some other creative feat of mixological cleverness. That's the (frankly, rather clever) theme for this month's installment of Mixology Monday, as chosen by the Scribe over at A Mixed Dram. I can't help but think that this theme is certain to bring some serious entries - everything from molecular mixology items (or more fundamental, if still interesting, applications of technique) to rare & esoteric (even by my estimation) ingredients to odd cocktails from antiquity or otherwise.

I started my own considerations about topics for this event with a desire to try something simple - unique & new to be sure - but nothing too crazy, I said to myself. I had settled on a cocktail addition with which I've scarcely ever played - rimming glasses - whether to provide a contrast of flavor, added sweetness, an aromatic component, or any number of other applications.

But my copy of The French Laundry Cookbook just wouldn't stop staring at me from its place on the shelf, so that plan swiftly vanished in the resultant flurry of turning pages. So much for simple; but then again our man did say culinary techniques & tricks were fair game...

For those of you who may not possess or be familiar with this culinary gem, to say nothing of the genius behind it, The French Laundry Cookbook is the work of (3-star Michelin) Chef Thomas Keller - the fellow behind such landmark restaurants as Per Se, Bouchon, Ad Hoc and, of course, the French Laundry. The book highlights Chef Keller's use of and passion for quality ingredients - treated well and lovingly-prepared. It includes a wealth of gorgeous photographs, delightful anecdotes and highly-detailed recipes - many adopted for use by the home cook. And while none of these are specifically geared towards the cocktailian side of culinary tradition, many of the ingredients, concepts, flavor combinations, tips & tricks found within can be applied towards such ends. One such application includes the section in which my roving eye lingered - which focuses on making & using:

Powders
"are a primarily visual device, to make a dish look more appealing. They're typically a by-product related to the dish - tomato powder for a tomato salad [...] But some of our powders have a more pronounced effect on the finished dish. [Some...] are used as both a spice and as a powder [...] the oils in the spices add an exciting aromatic element to the dish." -Thomas Keller, The French Laundry Cookbook, p. 231

Upon reading that & summarily making several of the presented recipes with varying degrees of success, I was inspired to formulate a worthy cocktail rim. What follows is adapted from Chef Keller's published recipe & technique for Citrus Powder - a substance which, on its own, isn't too good for rimming cocktails with. But as a component of a more-complex mixture of sugar & spices, it makes a wonderfully-fragrant addition to any number of cocktails:

Lemon Powder
½ Cup: Lemon peel, pith removed & finely-julienned
¼ Cup: Meyer Lemon peel, pith removed & finely-julienned
Place Lemon peels in two separate saucepans and cover with cold water. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat and remove from heat, straining peels from the pans. Cover with water and repeat blanching two more times. Allow peels to cool to room temperature & pat dry with a towel before arranging separately on a parchment paper-lined, microwave-safe tray or plate. Microwave on lowest power setting for 7-10 minutes (depending on microwave) until peels are completely dry - check occasionally & if peels become dry early remove them. Allow to cool to room temperature before combining in a food processor or spice grinder. Process until peel is pulverized into fine powder (there will be a slight amount that will not fully process), then pour into a fine mesh strainer and stir with a spoon to sift into an airtight container. Makes a generous Tablespoon of powder; utilize in the following recipe (©):

Winter Rimming Blend
½ Cup: white Sugar
1¼ Tsp: Nutmeg, freshly ground
1 Tsp: Lemon Powder (as above)
½ Tsp: white Cardamom, freshly ground
Zest of one Tangerine, patted dry
Using a zester or microplane, zest the Tangerine onto some paper towels and allow to stand for a hour before patting dry to remove as much of the oils as possible. In a food processor or spice grinder, process the sugar until superfine. Add first the ground spices, processing until well-incorporated, before adding the Lemon powder & processing to mix. When Tangerine zest is no longer noticeably moist add to an airtight container, along with the sugar mixture. Stir well with a fork, being sure to incorporate the zest throughout & store for up to one week. Use in a variety of cocktails - extreme success has thus far has been had in adding a pinch to the top of Mimosas & Sidecars, as well as a rim on the following:

I absolutely love a good Ramos Gin Fizz - a harmonious blend of Gin, Cream, Egg white and Citrus - developed and made famous at the turn of the century by Henry C. Ramos, first in 1888 at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon, then later at his Stag Saloon. Though the drink has experienced a resurgence in popularity in the past few years - and it is amazing to me that it ever became unknown - I have not yet encountered any examples of variations on the (admittedly, perfect as-is) concept. In keeping with my habit of messing with classic formulas, I replaced the Lime juice originally called for with a bit of Tangerine juice, reduced the sugar and, in a nod to another classic - the venerable Pink Lady - combined a bit of Apple Brandy with a blend of Gins. The hints of Tangerine, Orange-flower Water and Gin botanicals are well-accented by the use of the fragrant Winter Rimming blend, which also plays off the reduced sugar & increased Lemon juice in this small, yet delicious, homage to Mr. Ramos' creation (©):

Winter Stag Fizz
½ oz. Plymouth Gin
½ oz. Distillery 209 Gin
½ oz. Laird's 100° Bonded Apple Brandy
¾ oz. fresh Lemon juice
¼ oz. fresh Tangerine juice
2 oz. Heavy Cream
¾ Tablespoon: superfine Sugar
2 drops: Orange-flower Water
1 fresh Egg white
1 oz. Seltzer
Winter Rimming Blend, for rim & garnish (see above)
Prepare a highball glass by running a wedge of Tangerine along the rim, then dipping it in the Wintertime Rimming Blend at a 45° angle & tapping off any excess. Combine all ingredients except Seltzer in a mixing glass & dry-shake hard for thirty seconds. Add plenty of ice & shake very hard for approximately one minute; Add seltzer to prepared glass before straining shaken mixture in. Add a pinch of the Winter Rimming Blend to the foamy top as a further aromatic garnish.

Cheers & Enjoy!

What are you doing New Years, pt. II

2009-01-05T23:00:00.006-05:00

Now, in my previous post you might recall I inquired as to the New Years festivities with which many of you were doubtlessly engaged. I also made reference to my own plans, which in my humble opinion, went over smashingly well. To sum up, I spent the past five days 'down the (New Jersey) shore, in the company of some dear friends, mixing up cocktails and concoctions of all kinds for one & all...

Sumptuous food was served by talented cooks, warm & wonderful conversation was had between friends both old & new; and the drinks were more than plentiful. Cocktails, Fizzes, Juleps, Sours, Daisies, Coolers, Toddies, Blue Blazers, Tiki drinks, a trio of Punches; even a Pousse-Cafe or two. But don't take my word for it; thanks to an almost papparazzi-like spat of photography by many talented friends, you may press on & see for yourself 'o gentle reader...

Fun with Fire

"The Blue Blazer does not have a very euphonious or classic name, but it tastes better to the palate than it sounds to the ear. A beholder gazing for the first time upon an experienced artist compounding this beverage, would naturally come to the conclusion that it was a nectar for Pluto rather than Bacchus..." - Harry Craddock, 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book

As I (and others) have said in the past, the Blue Blazer is quite the production - essentially a Scotch Toddy with the addition of an impressive spot of presentation. Yet at it's core that's all the libation really is; while it tastes just fine, the drink is about as good as the sum of it's parts, gaining distinction only from it's preparation & heavenly aroma. The use of flame in cooking (& elsewhere) can take known flavors in new directions - the caramelization of sugars can do some impressive things after all - such as in concoctions at the Pegu Club's recent Blazer Mix-off. I aimed to incorporate a similar effect in the toasty apple & spicey caramel flavors of this riff on Jerry Thomas' immortal Blue Blazer (©):

Burning Down the Orchard
5¼ oz. Laird's 100° Bonded Apple Brandy

¾ oz. Lemon Hart 151° Demerara Rum

2½ oz. Apple Cider, warmed

2½ oz. boiling Water
――

In each of five pre-warmed mugs:

1 oz. Apple Cider, warmed

1 Tsp. Agave Nectar

1 pinch: Cinnamon, freshly-ground

1 pinch: Nutmeg, freshly-ground

――

Prepare with all due caution & care as a normal Blue Blazer, passing the flaming mixture approximately 8-9 times between the mugs.

On the theme of caramelization as a flavor modifier, I set about preparing a slight variation on Jamie Boudreau's (already-wonderful) Rosewater Rickey...

This beverage is compounded by bruleeing cherries with sugar in the mixing glass. In this instance using my own brandied Sour Cherries (in a Cherry-Tamarind syrup) and a mixture of superfine cane Sugar with ground white Cardamom & Iranian Saffron. For the curious, this is made by combining approximately ½ Cup cane Sugar, ¾ Tablespoon ground white Cardamom and ~13 threads of Saffron in a small food processor until all is incorporated and finely-ground. For the brulee flame: a Misto sprayer filled with a 2:1:1 mixture of Lemon Hart 151°, Angostura & Honey Tangerine bitters...

Eastern Rosewater Rickey

3 oz. Gin (Martin Miller's)

1 barspoon: Rosewater

¼ oz. fresh Lime juice

¼ oz. fresh Tangerine juice

――

Brulee in a mixing glass:

6 Brandied Sour Cherries w/ Tamarind

1 rounded barspoon: Cardamom-Saffron superfine Sugar (as above)

Bitters mist (as above)

――
Carefully brulee Cherries until superfine sugar caramelizes. Fill with ice and add remaining ingredients. Shake well & strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with soda water & garnish with brandied sour Cherries. Brilliant technique & drink Mr. Boudreau!

Curious Classics

As I compounded all manner of beverages, a great many questions were asked about them and the history & craft of the cocktail in general. I was only too happy to oblige the curiosity, passing around copies of works like David Wondrich's Imbibe!, Gary Regan's The Joy of Mixology and Ted Haigh's (now rarified) Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails for perusal. Likewise, when a drink was made which had some particularly interesting snippet of history behind it, I was quick to regale (read: try not to bore) my friends with a little story about each.

Take for example, the class of drinks known as Corpse Revivers and "Eye-Openers", or the creation of the Japanese cocktail (very possibly my favorite cocktail) for visiting dignitaries in 1860 by Jerry Thomas. The innovation of the Florodora (a real crowd pleaser, by-the-by) for a stubborn chorus girl in 1901; even the Negroni's rise from the Americano (at left & below) came up at one point or another during the week:

Corpse Reviver #2

1 oz. Gin (Plymouth)

1 oz. Lillet Blanc

1 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. fresh Lemon juice

1 drop: Absinthe (La Fee)

Combine ingredients (save Absinthe) in a mixing glass with plenty of ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, add drop of Absinthe (or a quality Pastis) & garnish with a stemless Cherry. Try (& fail) to keep your friends from drinking it before photographing.

Japanese Cocktail

2 oz. VSOP Brandy or VS Cognac

½ oz. Orgeat syrup

¼ oz. fresh Lime juice

4 dashes: homemade Boker's bitters (or substitute 2 dashes of Angostura bitters)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of cracked ice & shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of fresh Lime.

Florodora

1½ oz. Gin (Plymouth or Boodles)

Juice of 1 fresh Lime

2 Teaspoons: Raspberry (or Blackberry) syrup

Ginger Ale (preferably homemade)

Combine ingredients (save Ginger Ale) in a mixing glass with plenty of ice & shake [typically this built & stirred; my 'berry syrup is quite thick so I tend to shake]. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice and fill with Ginger Ale. Garnish with a cherry & a slice of fresh Orange.

Americano

1½ oz. Sweet Vermouth (Carpano Antica Formula)

1½ oz. Campari

Soda Water

Build ingredients in a lowball glass filled with ice. Fill with soda and stir. Garnish with a long twist of fresh Orange or Lemon.

Experiments, Innovations & Smashing Samples

As I'd stated previously, I had been hard at work preparing all kinds of ingredients - syrups, bitters, mixers of all sorts - to go alongside the prodigious quantity of booze I had procured & collected throughout the year. Now certain of the syrups (& drinks they create) I've mentioned here before in various articles, but among both the spirits & syrups are a number of recent additions which made for some fantastic drinks. As part of my association with the Mixoloseum, I have - as several posts here should indicate - been recieving samples of various spirits for experimentation, a feat which I rather gleefully carried out at every opportunity this week...

Yamazaki Whisky & Cocktails

One of many cocktails calling for Orgeat syrup, the delightful Cameron's Kick is something of a unique item, seeing as it utilizes both Scotch & Irish Whisk(e)y's as its' base spirits. The Yamazaki 12-year, produced by the Suntory company of Japan, is similarly unique - a "Scotch" not from Scotland, but nonetheless quite delightful for use in cocktails. It makes a killer Blood & Sand (as pictured at left) likely due to the smooth hints of dried fruit (Cherries?) in its flavor, so I thought to try it out in a Pistachio & Rose-accented variation on the venerable Cameron's Kick. After the first, I had to make them three at a time, so it would seem the combination worked rather well (©):

Kikku no Cameron

2½ oz. Yamazaki 12 year Whisky

½ oz. Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

¾ oz. Pistachio Orgeat syrup (see below)

¾ oz. fresh Lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of fresh Orange.

Pistachio Orgeat
6¼ Cups: Pistachios, peeled
3¾ Cups: Water
3 Cups: white Sugar
1½ Tablespoons: Rosewater
½ Tablespoons: Orange flower Water
Prepare as a normal Orgeat syrup then cool, bottle & add 2½ oz. Brandy. Makes just under 1½ Liters of syrup.

Kilo Kai Rum & Cocktails

I've always been rather so-so about supposed 'spiced' rums - they always fall short of the mark for me in just about everything but a Rum & Coke. Even worse, many examples often have a cloyingly-artificial flavor about them. Not so with Kilo Kai, a relatively new, lightly-aged spiced rum (sadly, not yet distributed in the NJ-area) produced in Curaçao. Posessing a great spice character - redolent of Vanilla and Cinnamon, my first thought was of some of the Tiki spice combinations popularized by Donn the Beachcomber - blending Cinnamon and Grapefruit for example. Several of these combinations worked so well, I ran dry on the stuff. While I'll have to wait for a few months until it becomes available, for those of you who can get it, give either of these libations a try (©):

Donn's Red Velvet

1¼ oz. Kilo Kai spice Rum

1¼ oz. Jamaica

¼ oz. fresh Pink Grapefruit juice

2 Teaspoons: Cinnamon syrup

1 dash: Peychaud's bitters

1 dash: Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged bitters

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice & shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of fresh Grapefruit.

The Tropica Spice

1¾ oz. Kilo Kai Spiced Rum

¼ oz. JW&N Overproof Rum

½ oz. fresh Orange juice
¼ oz. fresh Pink Grapefruit juice

1 barspoon: Cardamom-Saffron Sugar

1¼ oz. Grapefruit soda (Jarritos)

Prepare a 6-7 oz. glass by rimming it with Cardamom Saffron sugar and filling it halfway with cracked ice. Build ingredients in prepared glass, top with grapefruit soda & stir briefly.

Other (sadly undocumented) experiments included a pair of Volcano Bowls utilizing a 3:1 Jaggery (Indian plam sugar) syrup in place of the usual Maple syrup - the creation of at least one of which was broadcast to a friend-of-a-friend in Brazil via webcam. The finger-lighting trick works quite well by-the-by. A bottle of BarSol's wonderful Quebranta Pisco arrived on my doorstep on the day before my departure, and as I had just finished making a batch of Gomme syrup, I set up a Pineapple for a lovely punchbowl full of Pisco Punch. A number of succesful experiments took place involving a Thai Bird's Eye chili & Tamarind syrup paired with Gin, Cherry Heering & Blood Orange as well as number of other innovations which might have been lost (or at least un-photographed) in the weeds of serving forty-odd folks drinks for five days.

Nevertheless, some wonderous photos were taken (thanks to all who took care of that), a positively-brilliant time was had every day, night & early morning and many happy memories were made. Cheers and thanks to all who attended, and I look forward to doing it all again next year...

Cheers & may everyone's new year be better than that which came before it! Except for those lousy Carolingians...

What are you doing New Years...

2008-12-30T02:26:00.001-05:00

...New Years...Eve? What indeed? Feel free to pass along your pre or post party specs in the comments section.

For my own year-end festivities, I'll be spending it (and the four days what follow) 'down the shore as we so stereotypically say here in 'Jersey. Specifically Ocean City, NJ. In a lovely guest house, behind a well-stocked bar, with a semi-rotating cast of forty-odd good friends of the SCA persuasion...

I've been laying down all manner of syrups for the past three days - everything from fresh batches of my usual standbys (Simple syrup(s), Hibiscus Grenadine, Cardamom 'Ale, Jamaica, Orgeat &c.) to new experiments in variation (Pistachio Orgeat; 3:1 Jaggery, Bird's Eye Chili-Tamarind, Gomme syrups, etc.). I've bottled up a batch of Ginger Ale soda syrup, a Tangerine-spiked twist on Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Tonic syrup, a wintertime variation on Kaiserpenguin's latest Falernum and a few other goodies. Liquor's all procured & packed, gear and glassware is cleaned and packed. Produce gets bought in the morning and...I'm off. I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of stuff...

Anyway, I'll be sure to post some highlights of the event here as I'm able - hopefully a video or three.

Cheers & Happy New Years!

Los Afrodisíacos...

2008-12-19T21:30:00.017-05:00

...I've sampled in my time, or at least those what claim to be, have been...numerous. Needless to say, when the marketing pitch for a particular spirit cites its' primary flavor component as one such substance, I'm at once intensely skeptical & mildly interested...

The aphrodisiac in question here is Damiana, a small shrub indigenous to Mexico, Central & South America, with tiny yellow flowers and dark green, somewhat bitter, leaves which slightly resemble Holly in appearance. This herb has been noted since Mayan times as a mild stimulant - particularly in the bedroom, as it were - as well as a cure-all for all manner of mild health issues. Modern science has suggested that certain concentrations of the substance are useful in the pursuit of pleasure, as well as some other uses of nominally-less interest; herbalists are fairly quick to tout its' benefits. I have sampled teas made from the dried leaves of this peculiar plant in the past and, quite frankly, remain skeptical of its purported effects. It is however, possessed of an interesting, if bitter, herbal flavor - not entirely dissimilar to a vegetal Chamomile - which is greatly enhanced & improved by the addition of a little sugar or honey.

The spirit in question here is called Agavero, a licor (i.e. liqueur) which hails from the Los Camichines Distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. It is produced by combining limousin oak-aged Reposado and Añejo Tequilas; into which an extract of the flowers (not the leaves) from the aforementioned botanical Damiana is then blended. The resulting infusion (which is sweetened) is a variation on one which has been traditionally-made for a long time in Mexico and which remains popular there - particularly in the states which make up the Baja California peninsula.

Agavero is a slightly thick, extremely-sweet liqueur that weighs in at 32% ABV; similar in proof to a triple-sec or curaçao, but is not a Tequila. In tasting I found it far too sweet to be enjoyed neat, as many have recommended. While it does taste of (unusually-sweet) Tequila, the bitter botanical taste of Damiana I had expected just weren't there; instead something else - a light flavor vaguely suggestive of Chamomile - presented itself.

Agavero has seen some success in cookery though, with a number of recipes for meals developed by cookbook author Diane Brown. The bulk of these recipes appear to involve caramelizing the sugars in said spirit, which may very well add a measure of complexity to it's flavor profile - likely letting it blend well with certain foods. That said, the spirit is interesting, but I feel that its' use in cocktails should be relegated to that of a modifier; particularly one which adds sweetness to a given drink. Replacing the triple-sec in a Margarita, for example, sounds like an interesting start...

To modify the liqueur's overall flavor I came up with the following variation on the classic Calvados Cocktail; made with Agavero, fresh Tangerine & Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy. The strength of the Laird's, combined with a heavy jolt of citrus bitters, rounds off the intense sweetness of the Agavero, allowing its slight herbal quality to interact in a far more-balanced way with the other ingredients. The resulting cocktail was pleasantly approachable - bittersweet with some interesting spicey notes - and overall, quite a nice way to enjoy this liqueur (©):

Florecer de Desierto

1½ oz. Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy

1½ oz. fresh Tangerine juice

1 oz. Agavero Licor de Tequila

2¾ Teaspoons: Honey Tangerine or Regan's Orange bitters

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice & shake well. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass & garnish with a (knotted) twist of Lemon.

Cheers & Enjoy!

In the interest of full disclosure, samples of Agavero were provided for use in writing this article.

Here's How! - Sourcing Ingredients

2008-12-10T08:01:00.002-05:00

It’s no secret that I (and many of my fellow cocktail bloggers) am wont to toss syrups, bitters, infusions and all manner of other feats of mixoloical cleverness with almost reckless abandon into our recipes. The most frequent comments we seem to get on posts including such things are questions about ingredients: “Sounds great, but where do I find X, Y & Z?” And while the Tiki Cult™ is guiltier than most, I’m right there with them…

To be honest we’ve all been in that boat at one point or another – it’s not like we grow Gentian, Sugarcane or Allspice in our backyards after all (well, most of us), and to boot, many of the components of these ingredients can be expensive to purchase. So, what follows is a handy little guide to sourcing some of the more esoteric ingredients you may encounter here, at the Mixoloseum, or any of our member’s (or other) pages:

The Interweb
A phenomenal resource, accessible from the comfort of one’s own home no less! It bears mentioning that some of the sites you’ll find listed here fall within categories listed further down, except they also offer their products online. Here are a number of websites from which you might source all manner of interesting or rare ingredients without getting out of your bathrobe, or breaking the bank:

Mountain Rose Herbs - Based out of Eugene, OR, this company carries almost every herb, root or spice a cocktailian could ever need, in a number of quantities & most are organic/wild-harvested. An invaluable resource for rare or hard-to-find bitters, tincture, infusion or syrup ingredients, they also offer a variety of house tea blends. If some prices seem a touch high, it’s due to quantity – even their smaller sizes tend to be far more than the average hobbyist could use at once.
Spices Etc. - Based out of Savannah, GA, a good resource for standard (and some more exotic) spices and herbs, with a great selection of interesting items like dried fruits, citric acid & flavored sugars. Their best value lies in a variety of dried citrus peels - available in large strips rather than ground – which makes them a good source for bitters-making.
Tenzing Momo - An apothecary shop based out of the Pike Place market in Seattle, WA, this simple webpage conceals a great resource for some especially rare ingredients – one of the only vendors I know to carry Cinchona (for Tonic) or Camphor, for example. Prices will appear especially low – be warned that this is due to quantities - as near as I can tell, each herbal item is sold in 1-ounce increments.
Auntie Arwen’s - An apothecary & herbalist (as well a regular merchant at the Pennsic Wars), Arwen’s carries a large selection of herbs, roots, flora, spices & extracts equal to any listed above. Check out their flavored sugars while you're at it; they are incredible. Their true specialty, however, lies in crafting specialized blends of these – often on a custom/to-order basis; need a ‘mango-white pepper-grains of paradise’ blend? Arwen’s got you covered…
Sweet Vanilla Products USA - The wonderfully-resourceful Tiare of A Mountain of Crushed Ice discovered this little gem – an eBay store devoted almost exclusively to the sale of Vanilla beans and their byproducts. Ordinarily commanding a king’s ransom for miniscule quantities, sourcing this delicious orchid byproduct is now both easy & incredibly inexpensive.
Fee Brother’s - If the homemade route isn’t your thing, Fee’s, based out of Rochester, NY is a wonderful resource for commercial syrups, bitters & flavorings. The company has been operating since the early-1800’s & orders are on 60-day net, so bulk purchases are the way to go - though their products are also sold elsewhere at a slight markup.
Kegworks.com - A great resource for just about everything & anything cocktail-related, both for equipment as well as commercial mixers, bitters, syrups and other interesting products. Especially useful for those of you who’d rather not take the homemade route, though some of the crazier ingredients many mixologists use just aren’t produced commercially.
Forgotten Flavors - A German company (with a German webpage) who commercially produces a pair of hard-to-find cocktail ingredients – Falernum syrup and Swedish Punsch. Quality seems to be their main concern, and if you’d rather not make either ingredient yourself, give theirs a go.

Cultural/Ethnic Groceries
These are among my favorite places to shop - and not just for cocktail supplies! Various world cultures often utilize flavors, whether through spices or other ingredients which are often unknown or unpopular in the more mainstream culinary culture; these stores cater to these flavors and the individuals who enjoy them. I highly recommend investigating your area for ethnic stores of all sorts – anywhere there is a significant community of immigrants or individuals with strong cultural backgrounds one can find businesses like these.

Forming ‘working’ relationships with the employees or proprietors (many times one & the same) of such establishments is also recommended – you’ll often get deals of the sort generally only offered to members of the communities they serve, not to mention it often helps to have someone who can read the foreign languages used on the packages. Even without such arrangements, one will often find ingredients at fairly unheard-of prices when compared to those at your average grocery store. Here are just a few examples of stores like this:

Middle Eastern - Spices, often expensive ones like Green Cardamom, Ras al Hanout or Saffron are atypically-cheap staples of places like these. Likewise, teas, coffees and interestingly-flavored beverages of all kinds are often easy to find. As many Middle Eastern cultures utilize complex & unusual sweeteners or flavorings in aspects of their cuisine – especially beverages - one can find commercially-bottled syrups (Almond with Orange-flower water (i.e. Orgeat), Tamarind, Date, Rose & Honey to name a few). High-quality Rose or Orange-flower waters, as well as flavored or artisanal Vinegars are also on offer.
Hispanic & Caribbean - That tiny corner bodega often conceals a treasure trove of flavorful ingredients. Chiles, dried or fresh, fruit Nectars & Juices, Sodas (often sweetened with sugar; like Mexican Coke, Malta, Barritt’s, Jarritos or Ting), dried Hibiscus (called Sorrel or Jamaica). Whole spices like Allspice, Anise or Achiote seeds and produce like Passionfruit, Sugarsop, Mango, Coconut, whole Sugarcane & Ginger are available quite inexpensively.
Asian - Rare & often strange (from a Western standpoint) ingredients are the watchwords in these establishments. Hard-to-find ingredients like Yuzu juice, Lemongrass, (high-quality) Coconut milk, unusual waters, tinctures and extracts like Jasmine, Rose, or Ginger are common. Teas of just about every stripe – particularly high-grade green & white varieties like Macha or Gunpowder will also be fairly common. Finally, many establishments like these will either have an in-house herbalist or will be able to recommend one in your area – another helpful resource.
Indian - Here it’s all about the spices: items like Cardamom, Clove, Coriander, Mace, Allspice & Cinnamon are often available at unthinkably-low prices & in large quantities. Likewise, dried fruits such as Dates, Figs and Oranges, as well as dozens of varieties of nuts & seeds (whole, blanched, chopped &c.) are often offered. Similar to Middle Eastern shops, unusual flavorings and sweeteners like Gur or Jaggery (date palm sugar), commercial beverage syrups like Thandai (a spicy Orgeat variant) and hard-to-find fruit Nectars (Passionfruit or Pomegranate) abound.

Fresh/Farmer’s Markets
As anyone from California will attest, this is the best way to get fresh fruit, vegetables and often herbs too – often for fantastic prices. Once you’ve found a good farmer’ market you’ll never want to go back to the supermarket again - so be warned. Offerings at this sort of establishment vary wildly with season, location and suppliers. Look for a market which (ideally) knows exactly where & from what farm(s) their produce is harvested – even better a market run by the individuals who grow the produce themselves - and stocks particularly-seasonal items only within the appropriate period. As with the ethnic/cultural spots listed above, forming a ‘working relationship’ with the folks in charge can be extremely beneficial.

Health & Nutrition/”Alternate Lifestyle”
If you can stomach the overwhelming scent of patchouli for a bit, checking out the local ‘hippy shop’ or health-nut haven can result in some impressive finds, both equipment & ingredients-wise. Handy tools like juicers, mortar & pestles, blender balls and pollen presses can be found in locations like these. Also, extracts, whole herbs and spice/tea blends, interesting Honeys, Agave nectar and other items are often for sale; especially in “New Age”-type shops. Just be careful with extracts – be certain what you’re buying is both pure & of ‘food-grade’. Many shops like this maintain listings of their offerings & will sometimes ship via mail even if they’re not represented online, so requesting a catalog or ordering one through phone or mail can be helpful.

Have a favorite source or way of procuring for hard-to-find or unusual ingredients? Be sure to let me know about it in the Comments section.

Cheers & Enjoy!

I have no affiliation, stake or ties to any sources specifically mentioned by name or link (save as a satisfied customer). This article has been cross-posted over at the Mixoloseum - whomever authorized this has undoubtedly been sacked...

A Comfortable Conflagration

2008-12-08T10:20:00.024-05:00

As I drove up to see some old friends this weekend past, the lightly-falling snow - the first of any consequence around here - got me thinking. I'm not big on being cold myself, so the change of the seasons from chilly and windy to windy, cold and wet has brought about the need for something that will send the chill packing & bring thoughts of warmer days to the forefront.

Peaches are among my favorite summertime produces; their flavor, in fact, exerts a very strong memory-association with warm summer afternoons for me. But for a December drink, why Peaches - haven't they been out of season for months, you ask? Indeed, but bear with me a moment. What really got me onto this whole notion was a bottle of the often-maligned 100° Southern Comfort which I knew my friends to possess; a higher-proof variation on the usual fruit & spice liqueur of the south. Said spirit, likely due to the increased alcohol content, asserts an even stronger suggestion of Peach flavor than it's lower-proofed cousin, making it an ideal base for the next step:

The Blue Blazer
is a classic concoction of impressive presentation, excellent flavor and marvelous warming properties. Consisting of a healthy measure of cask-strength spirit, boiling water, lemon peel and sugar which is then set alight & flung between two mugs, it's mere creation will warm the room by a few degrees. But the usual 'Blazer is prepared with Scotch - which while an excellent addition to a winter warmer - might be difficult to blend into my peachy idea. Watery peaches didn't sound so appealing either, so the hot water would have to go...sort of:

Genmaicha
is a delicious Japanese green tea which contains a bit of toasted brown rice. This feature takes the soft, grassy flavors of the tea in a whole new direction - adding a smoky, bittersweet aromatic element which is quite unique. Indeed, after playing with it here I have a number of plans for utilizing it in a Rhum or Cognac Punch in the future, but more on that some other time. Sampling the Genmaicha with SoCo yielded some favorable, if one-sided results - not quite the peach emphasis I desired.

Into the mix then came the next ingredient, an organic Peach nectar, gently warmed & added to the prepared tea. As said nectar is already sweetened, I tipped a heavy dash of Angostura bitters into the mixture to add a little complexity & reign-in the sugar. The final ingredients went into the glasses arrayed before me - a long twist of Orange peel paired with a heavy dash of Fernet Branca - a very tasty Italian amaro of great complexity. Now that the ingredients are all sorted out, what came next, you ask? Just this savory, if poorly-photographed, drink - redolent of warm peaches, caramel, spice & a discernable absence of the cold (©):

Comfortable Conflagration
6 oz. 100° Southern Comfort
2½ oz. Genmaicha tea
2½ oz. Peach nectar
2 dashes: Angostura bitters
In each Glass (makes 4):
1 long twist: fresh Orange peel
1 Teaspoon: Fernet Branca
1 Teaspoon: Nectar-Tea mixture, hot
Preparation: Brew Tea, pour into a small saucepan & combine with Nectar and bitters. Warm to a gentle simmer over gentle heat, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, warm four toddy glasses, mugs or whatever you've got on hand by rinsing them with boiling water. Add Orange peel, Fernet & hot Nectar-Tea mixture to prepared glasses. Warm a pair of well-insulated mugs with a rinse of boiling water & get ready for the show (I typically invoke the late J. Thomas for luck).
Execution: Add the hot five-ounce mixture of Tea, Nectar & bitters to one warmed mug. Pour the Southern Comfort on top of this, dim the lights & set aflame with a long match. Taking up your empty mug, carefully pour the flaming liquid from cup to cup approximately six times before extinguishing. Pour hot liquid into prepared glasses and stir briefly. Look cool, enjoy the applause (and the drink).

Cheers & Enjoy!

If you o' gentle reader would like to attempt a Blue Blazer of any ilk, I must stress that both a pair of good insulated mugs and, most importantly, practice are essential. Practice the pour first with cold water, then move up to hot water - being extremely careful when you finally move to the flaming stuff. Setting up a metal tray with a little water, or at least a layer of wet towels, underneath the area you intend to make the drink is a fantastic idea. By-the-by, I take no responsibility for any injuries or property damage sustained attempting this feat...

Libations to Love...Live and in Color!

2008-12-01T22:00:00.003-05:00

On November 20th, Thursday Drink Night at the Mixoloseum took on an air of near-respectability with the generous sponsorship of Leblon Cachaça. Company founder & President Steve Luttmann, alongside founding Partner and COO Gerry Schweitzer joined in the discssions, answering all manner of questions about the spirit they produce.

Naturally, the theme of the night was this lovely artisanal example of Brazil's native spirit; and a record-setting thirty-one cocktails were originated throughout the evening utilizing it - some of them on-location by our team at Trader Vic's in Las Vegas.

Cachaça is a great spirit - the third most-produced liquor in the world - and is similar in production to Rum, while containing a number of the grassy, vegetal flavor characteristics that many people associate with Tequila. Leblon is the end product of a ferment of pressed sugarcane juice, which is then distilled in copper alembique stills, rather than the column stills utilized by other 'industrial' cachaças. The head and tail of the distillate is discarded, and the young spirit is rested for several months in used XO Cognac casks to soften & enrich its flavors before being blended by master distiller Gilles Merlet & filtered for bottling.

The resulting artisanal spirit weighs in at 40% ABV and has a wonderful, almost floral, aroma of grassy sugarcane coupled with a fairly soft mouthfeel & a mild, if flavorful, taste. These characteristics make it an excellent introductory spirit into the world of Cachaças and makes for a fantastic Caipirinha - the national drink of Brazil. Give it whirl in one of the many drinks originated at TDN, or in one of these delightful libations (©):

Missionary's Demise
1¼ oz. Leblon Cachaça
¾ oz. Blackstrap Rum (Cruzan)
½ oz. Orange Curaçao (Marie Brizard)
¾ oz. fresh Orange juice
¼ oz. fresh Lime juice
½ oz. Orgeat syrup
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass & shake well with plenty of cracked ice. Strain into a double Old-Fashioned glass half-filled with cracked ice & garnish with a sprig of fresh Spearmint.

Clementine Caipirinha
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1 whole fresh Clementine
1 wedge (⅙): fresh Lime
1½ Teaspoons: Demerara sugar
Remove the ends from the Clementine & slice into quarters, being sure to remove any of the white pith in the center of the segments. In a mixing glass, muddle the Lime & Clementine wedges with the sugar. Add Cachaça with plenty of cracked ice & shake well. Pour unstrained into a double Old-Fashioned glass, top with fresh cracked ice & serve with a wide straw.

Cheers & Enjoy!
*In the interest of full disclosure, samples of Leblon were provided for this TDN event*

MxMo XXXIII: Made From Scratch, pt. I

2008-11-16T17:15:00.006-05:00

This month's Mixology Monday, which I've missed the deadline for by about two weeks now, was being generously hosted by Doug over at the Pegu Blog - sorry Doug! Much like all past & future MxMo's this one followed a most interesting format. His (awesome!) chosen theme, as passed down to we mere mortals from on high?

"Bring forth unto us a beverage! Thy beverage shall depend upon one
or more ingredients that thou makest yourself. Beyond that decree, you may
voyage to the edge of the Earth or beyond."

Well, as anyone who has ever even glanced sideways at this blog will attest, I've never made anything from scratch to use in a cocktail. Nope - no bitters, infusions, syrups or oddball/hard-to-find ingredients here...

That I said that with a straight face is suprising to me & should sound dubious to you 'o gentle reader, as homemade ingredients are something of an obvious passion of mine. But what to highlight, something garnered from the edge of the Earth or beyond, as Doug said? A topic which I've been experimenting with for some time (but have inexplicably yet to post on, on-time or otherwise) which, once made, can bring flavors from the ends of the world right to your glass: Tinctures.

Tinctures

are quite simple concoctions really, consisting of nothing more than an ingredient - generally an herb, root or spice - whose flavor has been extracted by means of a solvent - ethanol in this instance. Chances are, no matter how humble your spice cabinet may (or may not) be, you've got a tincture or three in there right now; got pure Vanilla extract?

The reason for an ethanol base is simple: high-proof alcohol extracts the essential oils - the aromatic compounds which provide scent & through this medium, flavor - quite efficiently. Most tinctures fall into the 35-80% ABV range for this very reason, though even the weakest of them (that Vanilla extract of yours likely comes in at 35% for example) typically start in a neutral base which is around 80-95% ABV before being diluted somewhat. It is in this matter, incidentally, that I've never been more pleased about college students fulfilling their odd requirements for drinking. Simply put, due to the demand such persons have for high-proof Neutral Grain Spirits (read: Everclear), such items continue to be produced & sold in most parts of the country. But it was not always this way - once upon a time NGS's filled an important role, not by being drunk with Kool-aide, but rather in the production of colorants, bitters, infusions & tinctures.

In Jerry Thomas' How to Mix Drinks, as well as Christian Schltz's accompanying Manual For the Manufacture of Cordials, Liquors, Fancy Syrups &c., &c. a sizeable number recipes for producing colorants oils, extracts and tinctures are included as well as referenced. Take this one for example:

Tincture of Cinnamon

Place 2 pounds of ground Cinnamon into a jar with 1 gallon 95 per cent alcohol, closely covered. At the end of 8 days strain the liquor clear; wash the sediment with 1 quart proof spirits [read: 80°]; strain it; mix the two liquors together, and filter through blotting paper.

All well & good if you have use for a 1¼ Gallons of tincture! Generally speaking, tinctures last a long time, since a little goes such a long way (much like bitters) scaling recipes such as this one down tend to be a good plan, like so:

Tincture of Cinnamon

2 oz. whole Cinnamon sticks

8 oz. Neutral Grain Spirit (Everclear)

Combine ingredients in an airtight container for about three weeks, agitating every day. When ready, fine-strain to remove all solids & bottle. Give this a whirl in Jeff Morgenthaler's Autumn Leaves.

Now, as most of us don't manufacture imitation spirits & colorants as our friend Mr. Schultz did, we get to the subject of using tinctures today. Certainly, tinctures are optimal for adding tiny dashes of flavor to given recipes - particularly when adding such a flavor in the form of its originating spice would be impractical. Furthermore, while spices are far more available in modern days than they were in antiquity, the problem of their (sometimes rapid) degredation is still a valid one. Those same oils & aromatic compounds which give spices their characteristic favors, tend to be greatly reduced with time - especially once whole spices been dried & ground. In this way, tinctures act as a preservative - allowing one to capture the flavor & aroma of a fresh spice while concentrating it for use much farther down the line than a quantity of that spice would ordinarily allow. Likewise, since it will grow no stronger or weaker with age, tinctures are quite stable in their intensity - a feature which some, like Jamie Boudreau of Spirits & Cocktails, advocate using to prepare bitters with consistency.

Another fantastic use, which many 'seat of the pants' sessions of TDN have taught me, is constructing flavored syrups on-the-fly. Despite my penchant for making all sorts of flavored syrups, this peculiar affliction also graces my colleagues in the Mixoloseum, so on any given evening there will be recipes calling for syrups infused with Coffee, Cinnamon, Allspice, Nutmeg, black Pepper or any number of other items. Yet by taking a small quantity of ordinary simple syrup, one can add a given tincture to produce the flavor(s) required in mere seconds, like so:

Cinnamon Syrup

4 oz. Simple syrup (2:1)

2-3 drops Cinnamon Tincture

Combine ingredients & shake well to mix. Use as a normal Cinnamon syrup, like in Rick of Kaiser Penguin's Jet Pilot.

Now that you've got some uses lined up for these versatile extracts, how do you go about crafting your own? Tinctures are fairly forgiving in their construction, but here are a few hard & fast rules for making them on your own:

Barring a few of the stronger spices, tinctures are generally prepared in a 5 or 4:1 ratio of Spirit:Spice.
Tinctures take a while to make, generally-speaking about two weeks of maceration, though certain spices & herbs require more time, even in high-test spirit. Color is a good indicator - when the color of the liquid has deepened to match that of the herbs & grows no darker in hue, you're likely good to go.
Scent is also a good indicator - when you can detect no alcohol fumes overpowering the aroma of whatever you've infused, the tincture is more or less ready. Taste can be used here too, but be sure to only sample the tiniest of tiny amounts to avoid blowing a fuse in your taste buds. Bitter or spicy tinctures are recommended against sampling undiluted.
If you'd like your tinctures at a milder final proof, feel free to dilute them with water. However, to avoid diluting the flavor, you'll want to allow said water to infuse in the washed spices for about a week before you strain & add it to your original alcohol base.

To get started, here are handful of tinctures which are much-valued in my kitchen & bar (for a full list of the tinctures I've currently got on hand, check out the "Behind the Bar: Tinctures & Bitters" sidebar on the right):

Tincture of Iranian Saffron
4 oz. Neutral Grain Spirits
1 Teaspoon: Iranian Saffron threads
Combine ingredients in an airtight container for eighteen days, agitating gently each day. Should be a delicate, clear reddish-pink in color. When ready, fine-strain to remove all solids & bottle. Give 1 drop of this a try in a Pisco Sour, or two drops in a Silver Fizz.

Tincture of Black Cardamom
2 oz. Black Cardamom, seeds only
8 oz. Neutral Grain Spirits
Combine ingredients in an airtight container for three weeks, agitating gently each day. Should be a slightly opaque, smoke-hued color. When ready, fine-strain to remove all solids & bottle. Give 2 drops of this a try in a Sidecar or Tom Collins.

Tincture of Wormwood
2 oz. Wormwood
8 oz. Neutral Grain Spirits
Combine ingredients in an airtight container for three weeks, agitating gently each day. Should be an opaque, deep dark green in color. When ready, fine-strain to remove all solids & bottle. Give this a try in Darcy O'Neil's researched reproduction of the infamous Green Swizzle or the handful of other antique recipes what call for "Wormwood bitters".

Tincture of Scotch Bonnet
7 oz. Neutral Grain Spirits
2 whole Scotch Bonnet peppers, seeds only
1 Tablespoon: Scotch Bonnet pepper, julienned
Please be extremely cautious when working with these peppers, wearing gloves & being careful to avoid contact with your eyes or mouth. Combine ingredients in an airtight container for sixteen days, agitating gently each day. Should be clear with a very slight, almost ominous, oily orange tint. When ready, fine-strain to remove all solids & bottle. Give this a (careful) try as the spicy element in a wicked Bloody Mary - sub 2 drops in for your favorite hot sauce.

Cheers, enjoy & sorry again Doug!

Stop Me if You've Heard this One

2008-11-06T12:35:00.006-05:00

So, a cocktail geek & some lovely ladies walk into a bar...

Which bar, you ask? Why Death & Co. in New York city of course. And what's so special about that? Well, tonight is a juniper-scented TDN over at the Mixoloseum and what better venue for tossing up new & interesting libations than there? Ok fine, one's own kitchen is cool too (& ordinarily where I'd be for a TDN) but hell, why not go live with it though some curious combination of mobile technologies. Besides it's not like they have any Gin at Death & Co...no surely not, no...

So be sure to join us tonight, with as much live cocktail crafting as my wallet (& the bartenders' patience) will afford from D&C, in the Mixoloseum Bar at 7pm EST. The only requirements for all you home participants are a bottle of Gin that you've never bought before & the extra-spiffy prize for the best original cocktail of the evening is a bottle of the new (& oh-so-tasty) Angostura Orange bitters! Tune in here later for updates & a recap of my TDN coverage...

Cheers!

Going Out All Dolled Up...

2008-10-21T19:51:00.027-04:00

Before I get into this weeks' cocktailian post, I want to take a moment to get all sentimental on you. As I briefly mentioned in my most recent article, I've noticed something of a (massive) spike in visitor traffic to the humble little blog you now find yourself reading. That so many of you from such wide and varied locales consider my ramblings worth your time is really inspiring, so thank you kindly for stopping by. Similar thanks to the wonderful online communities of cocktailian writers, bloggers and foodies for their generous advice, encouragement, linkage & overall good-will...

Among these wonderful groups is the shiny-new foodie community Foodbuzz.com, which has just recently gone live & whose lovely badge you may have noticed gracing my site. Simply put, it is a veritable hub of inspirational activity - with featured publishers and contributing members churning out brilliant articles and recipes in just about every conceivable area of food & drink. For the official press release & explanation of what Foodbuzz is about, check here. Alternately you can just get a (visually-stunning) glance at some of their finest contributors with their inaugural 24, 24, 24 video. Barring those, just leap right into the fray with a visit to the main site...

Similarly, a huge thanks to our friends at Liqurious.com (formerly the well-missed Tastespotting.com) for showcasing photos of not only my, but dozens of my favorite bloggers' drinks! Especial thanks to the mysterious individual ( ? ) who keeps adding me to the queue there!

A final thanks to Gabriel from Cocktailnerd.com and Rick of Kaiserpenguin.com for their tireless work in establishing the Mixoloseum - a fantastic chat forum where cocktailians from all over might gather to discuss our favorite mixological projects & plans in authentic "nineties-style". This friendly forum (home of the fantastically-entertaining weekly TDN) also plays host to themed panel discussions, often visited by venerable names in the mixological multiverse, where it is a truly-inspirational venue. This was certainly the case during the most recent panel on garnishing cocktails:

Led by Tiare of A Mountain of Crushed Ice & Rick, with a gracious (& insightful) appearance by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry of Exotic/Tiki-drink fame, this discussion was a showcase of some of the most beautiful (& functional) examples of garnish I've ever seen, paired with historical information on the topic by the 'Bum and lots of banter on how to accomplish such artistry at home. As a fitting conclusion to this panel, Tiare has proposed a Garnish Contest open to all. So, as a conclusion to my (not-so-brief) lapse into thankful sentimentality, here are my entries - delicious cocktails both - which showcase the effects a particular garnish can have on a libation's enjoyment (©):

Blood & Brandy
1½ oz. VSOP Brandy (Raynal)
½ oz. Rhum Agricole Blanc (La Favorite)
1 Teaspoon: Campari
1 oz. fresh Blood Orange juice
1 oz. Simple syrup
1x fresh Egg white
2 dashes: Peychaud's bitters
Combine ingredients, except bitters, in a mixing glass and dry shake to incorporate & emulsify. Add ice and shake well before straining into a chilled cocktail glass. Dash bitters on top of foam & swirl into a pattern with a toothpick before adding a flamed twist of Blood Orange.

Sudanese Rose
1½ oz. Rhum Agricole Blanc (La Favorite)
½ oz. Lillet Blonde
2 oz. Karkade (Hibiscus tisane, Jaimaica also works fine)
3-4 dashes: Hibiscus Grenadine
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass & stir well with plenty of ice. Strain into a double-rocks glass, half-filled with ice. Garnish with a twist of Lime, sprig of fresh Peppermint & an organic Rose petal.

Both cocktails make visually-appealing (IMHO) use of aromatic garnishes - ones which contribute primarily to the olfactory aspects of the libations in question. The Peychaud's used in the Blood & Brandy sits delicately atop the foam created by the egg white, while the flamed Blood Orange peel adds both flavor & aroma to said foam (and through it, the liquid slumbering beneath). As the Sudanese Rose is a composition in subtle floral & botanical flavors, the addition of the acidic citrus oil provides a nice contrasting element to these tastes - helping to keep them in line, as it were. The aromas of the peppermint and rose provide a refreshing olfactory experience to match & enhance the tart flavors of the Hibiscus tisane in the cocktail. Neither beverage, like so many other (equally dolled-up) libations would be even remotely the same, were they to go out sans garnish...
Cheers & Thanks again!

Seasonal Produce: Pumpkin

2008-10-18T22:00:00.018-04:00

As the autumn season continues & more of my favorite examples of seasonal produce become prevalent, I was reminded of an experiment I had been contemplating for some months. Now before you start frantically searching for the back button (it's on the left), a few brief words. If you've been reading here for a while (or are one of the many new readers who have been trickling in from all corners of the earth - thanks by the way!), you've doubtlessly noted three things in or about my rambling articles:

1. I tend to wax poetic at times...alright all the time.

2. I'm more often than not rambling about (crazy) recipes which are, admittedly, a pain to actually make - no matter how delicious they might be.

3. Coming under the auspices of items 1 & 2, a fairly-lengthy article discussing regional variations on Orgeat syrup.

Well, at least for this little experiment - a continuation of the topics mentioned in #3 - I'll try to avoid the pitfalls of 1 and 2. As it is mid-October, I'm sure many of you are preparing for some manner of Halloween festivities, which will undoubtedly result in hacking up an otherwise-serviceable pumpkin. But what to do with all the insides? Make some pumpkin pie from the flesh of this seasonal delight? Sure (and a bloody fine idea that is), but what about the veritable pile of seeds you'll end up with?

One of the problems I failed to mention when discussing Orgeat variants like Horchata de Melón is that, while absolutely delicious, they tend to be inefficient to make. After all, how many seeds can one expect to extract from a watermelon or worse, a cucumber? In the following recipe, this problem is non-existent - even the smallest of pumpkins is nearly overflowing with seeds. Even better, if you mean to make a jack o'lantern in the next few weeks you'll have more of them on hand than you could shake a stick at. Simple, efficient & absolutely delicious - give this one a try (©):

Pumpkin Horchata

2¼ Cups: fresh Pumpkin seeds

¼ Cup: slivered Almonds

2½ Cups: Water

2¼ Cups: white Sugar

4 Tablespoons: Muscovado/brown Sugar

½ Teaspoon: ground Cinnamon

¼ Teaspoon: ground Nutmeg

¼ Teaspoon: ground Ginger

5x whole Cloves

1 pinch: Cayenne pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Wash the pumpkin seeds thoroughly in a colander or strainer, then pat dry. Spread seeds and Almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet & toast until fragrant. Process the (still-warm) toasted mixture in a food processor, shells & all until coarsely-ground. Combine this mixture with the spices and Water (reserve the Sugars for later) and refrigerate for approximately 4 hours. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Re-combine the solids and liquid and steep again for another 4 hours; strain again. (For the strongest flavor; repeat the process once more.) Combine strained liquid with Sugars in a saucepan & bring to a very gentle simmer over medium-low heat (do not boil) until Sugars are dissolved. Cool, bottle and enjoy in the following libation:

Clever Jack Cocktail

1½ oz. Laird's 100° Bonded Apple Brandy

½ oz. Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt)

¾ oz. Pumpkin Horchata

½ oz. fresh Orange juice
1 Teaspoon fresh Lemon juice

1 dash Fee's WBA bitters

Combine ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice & shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass & garnish with a flamed twist of Orange.

If you do give this syrup a go, be sure to pass along whatever cocktail recipe(s) you clever folks might come up with. Incidentally, if you mean to substitute this into an existing cocktail what calls for Orgeat, go a little heavier on the pour - its' slightly more delicate in flavor and sweetness that the aforementioned French stuff...

For my part, I'll be carting a bottle over to Jonathan Pogash's Elements of Mixology class tomorrow at the Astor Center in NYC to try & formulate some more uses for this delicious seasonal syrup. Then perhaps a quick jaunt over to Pegu to see what those clever lads can make of it...

Cheers & Enjoy!

MxMo XXXII: Guilty Pleasures

2008-10-12T22:41:00.007-04:00

This (only nominally) guilt-ridden installment of Mixology Monday is being hosted by Stevi over at Two at the Most. Her chosen theme? Guilty pleasures of course, or those 'cocktails' which are well-loved or enjoyed even though we know, or are just constantly told, are no good for us. This theme, undoubtedly chosen for just such a purpose, will almost assuredly result in no small amount of mockery across any number of cocktailian blogs, to say nothing of the already snarky dialogue peculiar to the Mixoloseum. Bring it on I say & we'll exchange remarks over a round (or five) of Irish Carbombs...

I don't quite know how guilty I am about enjoying this particular beverage, however politically-incorrect or tactless its' name & method of consumption may be. I love a good pint of heavy, as they say, and Guinness is a fine example. Likewise, I enjoy a drop of Whiskey, particularly the Irish varieties. As for the cream liqueur (Bailey's in this case), well maybe I'm a little guilty about that, but nobody's perfect.

The recipe, merely a variation on the venerable boilermaker, is outrageously simple. This, above all else, makes this beverage an especially easy choice when out on the town in an establishment of...questionable virtue. Incidentally, despite its universally Irish components, due to its' name this drink might not be the best thing to order in a "real" Irish bar (much like a "Black & Tan") - a bloody shame since the Guinness is always better in that sort of place:

The Irish Carbomb
½ oz. Jameson's Irish Whiskey
½ oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
12 oz. Guinness Stout
1x (sturdy) Pint Glass
1x (sturdy) Pony shotglass
Pour the Guinness into a chilled pint glass. In the pony, layer the spirits in the order presented. As quickly as you are able, carefully drop the shot into the pint glass - no spilling now! When the pony hits bottom, it's bottoms up - much like a (far more classy) Fizz, a Carbomb does not improve with time.

Best enjoyed with friends - preferably a whole dive bar's worth - with loud punk music (I prefer Rudie Can't Fail or Anarchy in the UK myself) blaring from the jukebox...

Cheers, enjoy & don't be too serious!

Seasonal Produce: Pears

2008-10-06T23:05:00.008-04:00

With the looming descent of autumnal weather, a great many of my favorite fresh produces are hitting their peak seasons. Pumpkins, apples, cranberries and pomegranates are all prevalent from September on, but chief among these, in my humble opinion, are Pears. Literally dozens of varieties of this delicious fruit become readily available around this time of year, with new types appearing in your local market (even supermarket) from late September all the way through to February.

Pears have been a relative staple of the human diet the world over (particularly in cooler climates) since the days of antiquity, being known of and cultivated by the ancient Greeks & Romans. The fruit is mentioned several times in Pliny the Elder's 1st century text, Natural History, where he particularly noted their use in producing a variety of wine called Castomoniale. The 4th-century writer Palladius further mentions this beverage, citing in his Opus Agriculturae that Romans preferred it to wine made from apples.

What's more, one of the earliest known cookbooks - the 4th century work Apicus - lists several recipes for preparing the fruit as per the apparent Roman belief that pears were best enjoyed cooked & heavily-spiced (stewed in honey or cooked in a soufflé-like patina) rather than raw. Records similarly indicate that at the time of the Roman conquests of Gaul, the peoples there were already utilizing pears to produce both wine and a variation on hard (apple) cider. This tradition carried through the medieval period, spreading to England during the reign of Henry VIII, where the beverage acquired the name "Perry". Similarly, the spread of distillation around the same period brought about the delicious Eau de Vie de Poire.

However, for use in modern cocktails those crazy Romans may have been onto something with their notion of preparing pears - particularly with the use of spices. Depending on the variety, pears, while perfectly delicious raw, often have the kind of subtle flavor which can be enhanced by (or act as the perfect foil for) all manner of stronger spice flavors. Ginger, Cinnamon, Tarragon, Cardamom, Vanilla, Clove, Nutmeg, Anise, even Juniper and Saffron have all been combined with pears by chefs, both pastry & culinary, for many centuries clear through to the modern day. In keeping with that notion, might I suggest this delicious libation which carefully balances the silky texture and flavors of pear, the spice of ginger, and the botanicals of both Pimm's & Gin rather delightfully (©):

P & G Cocktail

1½ oz. Pimm's No. 1

½ oz. Plymouth Gin

2 oz. organic Pear nectar

¼ fresh d'Anjou Pear

2 dashes: Angostura bitters

Ginger beer

In a mixing glass muddle the fresh Pear with the Gin & bitters. Combine remaining ingredients (except Ginger beer) & shake with plenty of ice. Fine strain into a chimney glass and top with Ginger beer. Stir briefly and garnish with a slice of fresh Pear and a sliver of crystallized Ginger (optional).

Returning to our Roman friends' practice of stewing pears in honey & spices once more, one finds another great use for the fruit in libations. Poached pears, long a potent item in the pastry chef's arsenal, can be used to add sweetness, spice and flavor to any number of drinks which may be well-enhanced by any of those elements. At its most basic, poaching pears (or most any firm fruit) merely requires you to skin & remove the cores from the fruit before simmering for about twenty-five minutes in a 3:1 mixture of water & either sugar or honey. From there the sky is the limit: adding spices, citrus zest, wine, or most any other savory ingredient to the mix can result in some truly marvelous creations.

The great recipe for pears poached in Saffron-Vanilla syrup posted at Figs with Bri, for example, makes a fantastic addition (though a plain honey-poached one works fine too) to the following libation - itself a riff on the classic autumnal Stone Fence. Much like that venerable cocktail, one can use a commercially-available Perry (such as Woodchuck) or the adventurous can ferment their own by leaving a non-pasteurized Pear cider/nectar out in a cool, dark place for 5-6 days (uncovering occasionally to release the accumulated gasses). Either method will endow you with a dry, lightly-alcoholic and very tasty 'cider' which can be used to great effect in (©):

Perry's Mason
1¼ oz. Eau de Vie de Poire (Pear William)
¾ oz. Irish Whiskey (Redbreast or another full-flavored variety)
Perry cider (see above)
2-3 slices: Poached Pear
Combine spirits & poached Pear slices in a Highball glass half-filled with ice. Fill up with Perry, stir briefly and enjoy un-garnished & un-varnished.

Embracing Seasonal Flavors
With the growing popularity of fine-dining establishments, one doesn't need to delve into ancient history or even the kitchen to enjoy the taste of fresh pears in libations or cuisine. Great restaurants & bars all over the world have been embracing a seasonal outlook on fresh produce for quite some time - a concept which really brings some delicious, high-quality drinks and dishes to both bar & table. One such establishment is my favorite 'local: the highly-rated Catherine Lombardi's in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey. The outspoken principles on fresh, local ingredients of co-owners Francis Schott and Mark Pascal (of Restaurant Guys Radio fame), together with a top-notch bar & kitchen-staff, regularly produce truly fantastic culinary creations, such as Mr. Schott's own (delicious) autumnal cocktail:

The Irish Twin
1½ oz. Jameson's Irish Whiskey
2 oz. organic Pear nectar
½ oz. Honey syrup (1:1 - Honey:Water)
1 dash: ground Cinnamon
1 slice: fresh Pear
Combine liquid ingredients and dash of Cinnamon in a mixing glass with lots of ice & shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass & garnish with the slice of fresh Pear (dusted on one side with a little cinnamon).

If you find yourself in the New Jersey area sometime this Fall, a stop into New Brunswick and the beautiful bar at Lombardi's would not be amiss. Ask for an Irish Twin, perhaps an antipasta or two, and escape autumn's chill with some of the great produce of the season...

Cheers!

PS - For those of you gentle readers with some homebrewing experience who want to have a go at brewing a real Perry, the UK-based Real Cider and Perry Pages contain some excellent reading material on the topic...

Only Funkin'

2008-09-28T21:04:00.012-04:00

It sometimes seems that those of us who write cocktail blogs are especially prone to following similar lines of booze-soaked thinking. I sometimes think it must be some sort of collective-subconscious inspired in part by our prodigious drinking habits...

Case in point - I embarked upon this post with the aim of writing about a certain pair of Tiki cocktails of which I am rather fond when, hey presto, I check my blog reader to see that Tiare - the fabulously-talented mixologist from A Mountain of Crushed Ice - has beat me to the punchbowl as it were. Her research & descriptions of those classic cocktails, the Dr. Funk and Funk's Son specifically, are both spot-on and well-done (as always). That she prepared the drinks in a pair of beautifully-executed ice towers (!), makes her post an incredibly hard act to follow. Nevertheless, I'll make an attempt to contribute something to the topic of the inestimable Doctor Funk...

In my recent and fairly long-winded vacation recap, I mentioned a number of spirits I had acquired in my travels. One of these was a French Pastis flavored with Violets - an interesting spirit of 45% ABV which reminds me considerably of a combination of the best elements of both Herbsaint and Crème de Violette. After getting a feel for its strength & (very) pleasant flavor, I began searching for a use for the stuff in cocktails. Despite a few marginal successes with some recipes from the Savoy cocktail book, the savory use of Absinthe/Pastis as an addition to many of Tiki barman Donn Beach's libations continued to spring to mind...

One of the finest examples of this modifier is the good Samoan doctor's cocktail, which Trader Vic speculated was originally invented to cure the cathard (the loss of ones' mind from the heat). After a bit of experimentation with the various recipes for the original, alongside a variety of substitutions for different ingredients, I settled with a riff on the (slightly-simplified) Dr. Funk recipe which Jeff "Beachbum" Berry prepared for an episode of The Cocktail Spirit filmed at the close of this year's Tales of the Cocktail. Maybe there is something to this boozy collective-subconscious thing after all? In any case, here she is, a very funky libation named after an old song by another hard act to follow - Bad Manners (©):

Only Funkin'
1½ oz. flavorful white Rum (Rhum Barbancourt white)
¾ Tsp. Pastis au Violette
¾ Tsp. Hibiscus Grenadine
¾ oz. fresh Lemon juice
¾ oz. Violet "Tea" Syrup (see below)
1 oz. Seltzer
2 Tsp. heavy dark Rum (Cruzan Blackstrap)
Combine all ingredients except Seltzer & dark Rum in a cocktail shaker filled with cracked ice. Shake well & strain into a chimney glass ¾-filled with crushed ice. Top with Seltzer, give a brief stir and float the dark Rum on top, adding more crushed ice if necessary. Garnish with a long twist of Lemon & an edible Violet.

Violet "Tea" Syrup
1 Cup: white Sugar
¾ Cup: Water
2½ Tablespoons: Blue Violet Herb Mix
1 Tsp. dried Hibiscus flowers, coarsely ground
Combine ingredients in a saucepan & bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for five minutes & remove from heat. Allow Violet Mixture to steep until liquid cools to room temperature before fine-straining out solids & bottling (a small tea ball/infuser will minimize this step considerably).

Can't find a Violet-flavored Pastis or get ahold of the required herbal blend? The following substitutions work fairly well & produce almost the same beverage with only marginally more work. For the Violet Pastis, a mixture of approximately 2/3 Herbsaint & 1/3 Crème de Violette is fine. For the Violet "Tea" Syrup, a 3:1 blend of Monin Violet Syrup (or an equivalent commercial syrup) with strong Green tea will more or less replicate the flavor you're seeking...

Cheers & Enjoy!

Ramblin' On...

2008-09-22T21:30:00.046-04:00

...and on, after a brief stopover on the topic of this month's Mixology Monday as well as a ferocious bar-room brawl against an inexplicable episode of writer's block, here she is (finally, you say) - part deux of my long-delayed vacation recap from the often-curious perspective of food & drink...

Istanbul, Turkey
Naturally, when planning this vacation, I had elected to take an excursion (arranged by the cruise) entitled "Cuisine & Bazaars of Istanbul". The tour began perilously (for me anyway) early in the morning, arriving in the Old City (where Istanbul was Constantinople) and walking through the marvel that is Galatasaray Square. Off this pedestrian-only street a multitude of confectionary shops, markets and other stores abound and the tour visited many of them, including a walk through the old Cicek Pasaji (once the Flower Market, the space is now filled with restaurants, coffeehouses & taverns) to reach Istanbul's outdoor Balik Pazari - the Fish & Produce market:

This long, narrow street is literally wall-to-wall with outdoor vendors, selling some of the best-looking produce & seafood I've yet seen. To give you a rough idea - those peaches pictured on the end were roughly the size of a grapefruit (and were almost outrageously juicy & delicious)! After a prolonged wander through the market (& a great deal of inner annoyance at the realization that customs would never let me bring anything sold here back home), the group proceeded back up through Galatasaray Square, stopping at a number of the confectionary shops for snacks and sweets, such as fresh Baklava & candied Almonds before boarding a bus for the short trip to:

The Spice Bazaar

Let me say this first - the Spice Bazaar is worth a trip to Turkey alone. A massive indoor & outdoor market frequented (unlike the infamous Grand Bazaar) by Turks & tourists alike, if it's used in cooking you can find it here. Inside the market I spent more than an hour wandering from vendor to vendor - shopping, haggling and enjoying a peculiar sales technique employed throughout Turkey - a cup of coffee or tea. Turkish Coffee or heavily-sweetened Black tea (both strongly-caffeinated beverages), are one of the first things a merchant here will offer should you even glance casually at his wares. One will be invited into the shop, shown a seat & a small tea glass or demitasse cup of either will summarily be brought to slowly savor while the vendor inquires as to what you should like to purchase (and fiercely haggles over the price).

While receiving this treatment I purchased many spices - Iranian Saffron (a gram of which costs scarcely $8 US!!), Black Cardamom, Coriander, Jasmine, Sahlep (ground Orchid root), Lime-linden, Galangal, Fennel, worldly blends like Ras al Hanout & Turkish Curry, dozens of dried Chiles and much more. The famed Turkish Mehmet Effendi Coffee is bagged here (I got a half-kilo) and in the outdoor market, where housewares are sold, one can find beautiful examples of Cezve (copper coffee pots). Likewise, perfumes, copper kitchenware, hand-woven carpets & blown-glass tea sets are available everywhere, as are the dozens of tea-blends enjoyed throughout the East. Needless to say, the place was a slice of heaven for me & there's a better-than-average chance that I might not have ever left if I only knew a bit of Turkish...

Kiraathane & Rakish Behavior
Following the tour & subsequent jaunts through the various Bazaars, being left with the option of several hours on my own in the city prior to boarding the ship, I thought to get a look at the quieter, less tourist-clogged areas. After wandering for short time towards the Old City, I stumbled upon a small back street which terminated at the coffeehouse, or kiraathane pictured at left. Though thirsty from walking, I thought of moving on - not wanting to push my caffeine-rush any further with yet another glass of coffee or tea (delicious though they may have been) - yet something, perhaps the atmosphere, kept my feet firmly planted. As I took a carpet-draped seat and the proprietor approached, I recalled there was libation particular to Turkey which I had not yet sampled - the native spirit called Raki.

Raki is one of the many anise-flavored spirits which brave souls enjoy throughout the world's varied cultures. Traditionally produced on a grape base (though newer examples are made with sugar beets or grain alcohols), Raki is a passing-strong libation most often enjoyed as a digestive in a method not dissimilar to Absinthe: mixed with ice water. Also similar to an Absinthe, when enjoyed in this manner Raki manifests the peculiar characteristic of a louche - meaning when added to water, the anise oils within form a hazy (pale white, in this case) cloud within the glass.

Having had Raki only once before (a sugar beet-based variety) back home, I naturally had to try the native grape variety. I ordered the drink with ice water, as well as a sampling of the traditional food accompaniment - a soft, white (deliciously-unpasteurized) sheep's cheese called Beyaz Peynir - not dissimilar to a mild Feta (just don't tell the Turks or Greeks I said that). Both were excellent and my leisurely enjoyment of the pair was increased by the presence of a group of street musicians - a flute, drum & fiddle trio - who had taken up not ten feet away. After savoring the combination and realizing I had more than enough time to linger, I ordered another - this time straight with a glass of Karkhade on the side (I was not bold enough to sample the traditional chaser to Raki ).

To my surprise the tart hibiscus tisane came unsweetened, but with a small dish of candied orange peel on the side, which the proprietor explained was for this purpose. On taking his advice, and with subsequent sips, I had a moment of epiphany (a rare occurrence, let me say) and taking up my small glass, combined a portion of the remaining Raki and Karkhade with an extra slice of the peel. It was sublime - tart floral flavors, complex bitter notes, with an almost Americano-like sweetness on the finish. Needless to say I enjoyed a fair number more of these, which, upon my departure made the return to the ship (on time no less!) more than a bit tricky. If you can find a Raki (preferably one made on a grape-base, i.e. not the ubiquitous Yeni brand), give one of these a try (©):

Kiraathane Cooler

2 oz. Raki

4½ oz. Karkhade, unsweetend (Jamaica works fine)

4-5 pieces: candied Orange peel

1 piece: Orange peel, pith removed (for garnish)

Briefly muddle the candied orange peel in the bottom of a Highball glass. Fill glass half-way with cracked ice, add remaining ingredients and stir briefly to chill. Flame Orange peel over the top & enjoy.

If you have one, cut this recipe down to a quarter & prepare in a tea glass as I originally did. To make the candied Orange peel, follow a recipe like this one.

Rome, Italy
Cocktail Bloggers Unite!

Years ago I had visited Rome, and consequently had seen a great many of the numerous historically & culturally-significant spots in the great city before. This made my (admittedly hastily) planned visit with Massimo "Maxologist" La Rocca of Listen to the Ice the ideal stop for me on my return visit. My (unfortunately brief) meeting with Max was a real pleasure - he came in on his day off to meet up with me! His gig at the beautiful, ultra-modern St. George Hotel is quite a swank one, as I saw on my impromptu tour of the place. I got to take a look at the terrace bar which is his province - complete with its' incredible rooftop view of some of Rome's most famous buildings - discussing infusions & tasting his (delicious) homemade ginger syrup while I was up there. Back downstairs in the hotel's garden lounge Max was quick to proffer one of his incredible signature libations: the Celeriac Cocktail, prepared as a long drink with a touch of egg white added.

As I had brought out a few homemade Bitters & Pimento Dram along, we discussed some uses for them (both potential & proven). As it turns out Max had something for me as well - a really tasty Italian Rhubarb Amaro called Zucca which I'd never seen before. He recommended it be mixed with a gentle application of a complex vanilla liqueur, mentioning Galliano specifically. Now I don't generally make much use of Galliano at home, but upon my return I recalled that I had made a Vanilla & Star Anise-infused syrup before departing - essentially a flavor profile similar to Galliano's, if a touch sweeter. So I played around with the proportions and came up with this pleasantly-bittersweet libation (©):

Rhome in a Day

¾ oz. Plymouth Gin

¾ oz. Zucca Rhubarb Amaro

½ oz. Vanilla & Star Anise Syrup (see below)

2 Tsp. fresh Lemon juice

1 Tsp. fresh Orange juice

Combine ingredients and stir well with plenty of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass & enjoy.

Vanilla & Star Anise Syrup
1 Cup: white Sugar
1 Cup: Water
1x Madagascar Vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1x Star Anise pod, whole
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a light simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to a clean airtight container & adding ¼ oz. Vodka as a preservative. Allow to rest, agitating occasionally, for twelve hours before removing the Anise pod. Allow to rest for six days, agitating occasionally, before removing the Vanilla bean & bottling.

Many thanks again for the fabulous hospitality and phenomenal drink Max! For those of you gentle readers who have not checked out his bilingual cocktail blog or tried any of the inspired recipes he regularly posts there - get to it posthaste!

Marseilles, France

Arles - Perfectly Provençal
Much as with Rome, I had been to France once before - Paris specifically - yet let the record show that the culture of southern France is worlds removed from that of the north. The cuisine for example, while undeniably French, tends towards more Mediterranean leanings with a serious emphasis on fresh seafood and flavorful herbs like the omnipresent Lavender & Herbs de Provençe blend(s). The wines produced in this area and its' surrounding regions were already among my favorites, particularly vintages hailing from the Côtes du Provençe and nearby Côtes du Rhone appellations. This appreciation did nothing to prepare me for the incredible wines I would enjoy at the cozy Pour le Vin (whose list of specials for the day is pictured at left) in beautiful Arles, a small city dating to Roman times, deep in the heart of Provençe...

Let me preface this with an apology: my knowledge of wines & resulting ability to describe them remains extremely lacking (I often say I know just enough of wine to know precisely how little I know), yet I will try to convey some sense of the (excellent) ones I sampled. Beginning on comfortable ground, a paired flight of phenomenal, full-bodied Côtes du Provençe picked from the days' specials went down quite comfortably. Noticing that the number of previously-unknown (to me) appellations & vintages accounted for a majority of the menu, I quickly set about sampling several of these:

First came a tasting of hard-to-acquire (I was told the appellation is limited to a single vineyard) Bellet, produced largely from the region's Braquet grapes not far away, in the nearby city of Nice. Though heavy in body, the rich flavors I got of vanilla & blackberries were almost ethereal in nature - strong through to the finish before vanishing completely. The resulting experience so enthralled me that I ordered a full glass of the delicious red before even completing my tasting portion. After savoring the Le Braquet Bellet, I moved onto a tasting (& subsequent glass) of Domaine du Paternel Cassis Blanc, produced a short distance down the coast from where I sat. A wine I'd only ever heard about back in the 'States, Cassis Blanc is often described as a refreshing, flavorful - sometimes almost herbal - and full-bodied white wine. This description hardly does what my glass contained any justice...

Refreshingly sharp without being too dry, with nicely-rounded citrus (not dissimilar to grapefruit) tones throughout, this ranked among the best white wines I've ever tasted - a small & fairly exceptional list as I don't generally enjoy whites much. At or around this point I realized I had been indulging in a strictly 'liquid lunch', a fast which I broke with a light but thoroughly-delicious meal of Croûtes & Oysters served with the house Rouille. A thick, rusty-colored sauce, Rouille (which I mean to post on in the future) is not altogether different from a spicy Aioli, which made it a fantastic accompaniment to the Oysters and toast. My final glass of Cassis Blanc provided an incredibly refreshing and delicate foil for the spicy, flavorful food...

Le Cafe...?
Following the glorious wine and food, I journeyed around the tiny streets of Arles for a while until later in the day when I came across the following famous cafe. [The first person to correctly name this places' significance in the comments section will receive a bottle of my own homemade Honey Tangerine bitters.] Regardless of the quiet establishment's history, the strong coffee they served up was superb - particularly when sweetened by a splash of Orgeat syrup in a handily-named Cafe au Orgeat. My only regret about this particular stop was that I wasn't in Arles (or even Marseilles) at nightfall and so could not have gotten a much more apropos look at the cafe...

Les Baux de Provençe
Before my return to the ship, the final stop of the "Provençe on your Own" tour (read: glorified bus transport) I had undertaken was at the medieval village of Les Baux de Provençe. Built on a truly incredible location, this one-street tourist-town, complete with the ruins of a medieval castle, is precariously perched atop a limestone cliff, overlooking the scenic valley pictured at left. The shops here largely carry an interesting variety of art, homegoods and spices alongside artisanal spirits & liqueurs. Absinthe and Pastis were everywhere, with literally dozens of both lining the shelves of most every shop, as well as the numerous types of specialty glasses, spoons, fountains and drippers which facilitate their enjoyment. Though I contemplated purchasing one of the many beautiful blown-glass absinthe fountains I saw, I limited my purchases to several more interesting (& easier to transport home) items of local origin:

A pair of dry fruit liqueurs - Crème de Framboise (raspberry) & Crème de Mure (blackberry); an herbal liqueur - Crème de Lavandre (lavender); the rare aperitif RinQuinQuin (a peach quinquina); as well as a pair of flavored Pastis - Pastis de Violette (violet) & Pastis du Peche (peach). Upon tasting them back at home, all of these possess some very interesting flavors and characteristics - the Pastis in particular - which I will be certain to experiment with (& post about) in the future...

Barcelona, Spain
Though I was in Barcelona for only one full day after the ship disembarked, it certainly was a culinary dream of sorts, one whose brevity required me to enjoy it in a mad dash about the city. Barcelona is a wonderous city, particularly from an architectural and aesthetic standpoint, with a plethora of things to see and do - made simpler by the (genius) tourist bus lines which run preset routes through the city. A sort of combination multilingual tour-guide & taxi service, these brightly-colored buses take one nearly anywhere you would care to go, highlighting stops one may not have known of along the way & allowing one to see as much of the massive city as possible.

After a number of sightseeing stops, I disembarked near the famed beaches of the coastal city. The streets in this area are literally lined with small restaurants, cóctel bars and cafes. After glancing at various menus, I stopped in at an establishment called El Mundo Cafe ("the World Cafe") whose cóctel del día ("cocktail of the day" - the primary reason I stopped in) was listed as a sort of Añejo Highball, made with aged Havana Club rum & Marie Brizard Curaçao. Obviously, I started my lunch with one of these, enjoying an amuse bouche of local olives, gherkins and gibson onions in malt vinegar while I pondered the menu. I opted for a dish named Conejo y Allioli - rabbit braised with a side of the spiced Catalan Aioli - which I was amused to learn is referred to as "Allioli" in the region. It was delicious - tender and slightly gamey and the spicy sauce made a delightfully-flavored addition - the combination paired perfectly with the well-aged rum in my cocktail.

Dry Martini
After lunch I worked my way towards the central portion of the city with a purpose - a stop at the famed bar Dry Martini. Dimly-lit and quiet at the time of my late afternoon visit, this gorgeous, classy spot is lined from floor to ceiling in antique bar equipment, books and cocktail-artwork - making it a kind of museum of the bartender's craft. The specialty drinks served across its' long hardwood bar were excellent, a blend of classic recipes - Martinis, Frappes, Highballs - with modern interpretations on the above.

My first cóctel was naturally the namesake Dry Martini - prepared "fifty-fifty" in accordance with the sign (pictured at left) that crowns the antique cash register, detailing the recipe for all to see. Noticing an impressive number of variations on the classic Fizz or Tonic-based drinks, I opted for one of these next - imbibing a "Rumba Numba" - a tasty riff on the Gin Fizz, flavored Vanilla bean & a splash of Tonic. For my final drink, I enjoyed another of their modern signatures: the "Jalapeño Frappe", a delightfully-spicy beverage whose component ingredients sadly escaped my notice completely. After a final lingering look at the place - already starting to fill with well-dressed patrons - I headed back to my hotel to get ready for dinner...

El Cangrejo Loco
Unable to get a reservation on such short-notice at Dry Martini's highly-rated restaurant Speakeasy, I inquired with the hotel concierge for an alternative dinner spot. Though, to me, an unlikely name for a restaurant, "The Crazy Crab" would prove to far outstrip even the most glowing recommendations I received for it. I returned to the harbor area not far from where I had lunch to the last building along the Port Olímpic piers. What followed ranked among the top five meals of my entire life, no fooling:

As I gave the expansive menu a once-over, I asked the sommelier what cóctel, if any, he might recommend from the bar. By way of answer, he returned with a house specialty: a "Cava Cóctel" - a classic Champagne Cocktail with a twist - made as it was with a local Brut Cava. My meal began with an "Ibérico Sampler" - a plate containing portions of three Jamóns Ibérico de Bellota - cured from the thigh, shoulder & loin of a (free-ranging, acorn-fed) blackfooted pig and accompanied by a sharp unpasteurized cheese of Ewe's Milk. Next came another tapas plate - this one composed of alternating layers of thickly-sliced Foie Gras & paper-thin slivers of Veal, pan-seared together with a hint of Paprika, Cinnamon & Sea salt. Where the Foie left off and the Veal began I'm not quite certain, but I very nearly canceled my entree in favor of another plate of this. Thankfully I did not, for the main course - a Sucking (milk-fed) Leg of Lamb, braised with fresh Rosemary & Pistachios and served alongside Potatoes whipped with Allioli - soon arrived, much to my delight. Prior to dessert I enjoyed a glass of Havana Club 7 Años rum over ice, savoring it greatly until a dish of house-made ice cream - white & dark Chocolate in flavor - arrived with strong black coffee alongside...

With the close of that epic and truly incredible meal I shook the hand of the owner and the chef, thanked them profusely in halting Spanish and returned to my accomodations. Five o'clock, the next day brought an adventure of a far less pleasant variety - the long trip home (one which my luggage nearly didn't make). It was overall an absolutely incredible journey, one which I should like to make again in my life if at all possible, and I only hope that my rambling narrative has enabled some of you readers to have made it with me...

Cheers & Thanks!

MxMo XXXI: Fast Times & Hot Drinks

2008-09-15T22:49:00.014-04:00

This month's installment of Mixology Monday is hosted by the folks over at Bibulo.us whose rather inspired theme - Cocktails of the 19th Century - combines two of my favorite topics: classic libations and history! Hat's off to Joe & Dina for choosing such an interesting topic...

Despite a rather peculiar hot and humid turn of the weather hereabouts, the evenings have started to grow decidedly chillly, (as is right & proper for mid-September if I do say so) particularly this evening. And so, in anticipation of the many cold nights yet to come while contributing to the theme of this MxMo, I reasoned to discuss a popular hot drink of the period in question - the Whisky Skin.

The recipe for a Scotch Whiskey Skin, as well as the Columbia Skin (as it was called for in Boston) first appears in Jerry Thomas' 1862 How to Mix Drinks, though it was apparently well-known some time prior to this publication. As noted in David Wondrich's marvelously well-researched work Imbibe! the drink is almost assuredly Irish in origin - "a small version on the almost-lemonless punch popular there" - and it is first referenced in an 1854 printing of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper.

A rather simple warming beverage consisting of Scotch whisky (likely a blended variety, which was most popular at the close of the 19th century), a long spiral of Lemon peel & plain boiling-hot water. Straightforward enough, and differing from the similarly-popular Hot Toddy only in the addition of the Lemon peel. While fairly soothing due to it's heat, and tasty if you enjoy the milder flavor of the Scotch you use, the drink is just that - a measure of warm blended whisky adulterated by some Lemon oil.

However, in the revised 1887 edition of Thomas' work, the (unknown) revising author specifies alternately Glenlivet or a peaty Islay Scotch for the 'Skin (both improvements on a blended variety) while also adding a small measure of sugar to the recipe. Likewise, the 1887 also presented an additional variation on the beverage - the Irish Whiskey Skin, similarly prepared with the aforementioned 'lump of sugar'. These revisions combined produce a warming drink which in my opinion (as well as Dr. Wondrich's, it seems) is a vast improvement on the original.

Of equal interest, the Whiskey Skin appears to be a drink which is particularly well-steeped in the violence associated with the fast times of the turn-of-the century. As Professor Wondrich describes in Imbibe!, the second recorded mention of the drink comes from the testimony of one Richard Stark, a young bartender at an establishment off Broadway in 1855 who had a steaming-hot 'Skin flung into his face by a customer. The (difficult, to say the least!) customer, one Richard "Pargene" McLaughlin would later shoot Mr. Stark's employer three times in a scuffle at the bar of the Stanwix Hotel. Mr. Wondrich also notes that further violent behavior involving the Whiskey Skin included it's appearance in Our American Cousin, the play at which President Abe Lincoln was shot. Finally, the drink makes an appearance in several works of prose, most notably a colorful poem entitled "The Mystery of Gilgal", by John Hay included in the 1912 Yale Book of American Verse. The work details an unknown order for a 'Skin, which after some debate by the establishment's patrons, sparks a rather lively knife & gunfight amongst the same. The author humorously closes with the remark that he never did find out "who got the Whisky Skin".

It was me. Though hardly a cause for outright violence, in preparing this drink, I realized I lacked the necessary Scotch - having only a blended variety on hand - but that I did have a bottle of the (delicious) pot-stilled Redbreast Irish Whiskey. And so I prepared (and greatly enjoyed) the following:

Irish Whiskey Skin
2 oz. Irish Whiskey (preferably pot-stilled)

1½ Tsp: Demerara Sugar

Peel of 1 small Lemon, pith removed
Combine the sugar & Lemon peel in a pre-warmed Hot Toddy or Irish Coffee glass. Fill halfway with boiling water, add Whiskey and stir. Serve with a spoon & enjoy while steaming hot.

Cheers!

PS - Don't mind this post's URL title - I had originally thought to write on one of my favorite cold drinks of the 19th century - the Japanese Cocktail - but TraderTiki had that one well sewn up long before I began the post.

Home Again, Home Again...

2008-08-31T23:13:00.044-04:00

Jiggity-Jig...

But from where from you ask? A nice jaunt around the various & sundry ports of call of the Mediterranean with Princess Cruise lines. Starting in Italy at the docks of Venice, the trip lasted twelve days and terminated in the new Mecca of cuisine: Barcelona, Spain with a great many fascinating, if brief, stops along the way. More on those in my next post (hey, there's quite a bit to remember), first a brief look at my accomodations (from a food & drink standpoint, of course) on the trip...

The Boat

Strictly speaking, more of a floating hotel with a propeller than a ship, the Emerald Princess was truly a massive piece of work, with space for well over 2000 passengers and over 1000 crew members from a diverse mix of countries. As we sailed from Europe, the majority of the passengers hailed from various locales therein; onboard I heard a plethora of languages being spoken - everything from Spanish and Italian to Russian. The ship's impressive facillities included a library, casino (wherein I lost a fair bit), numerous swimming pools, a nightclub (loud, neon & flash, just like any on land), more than a dozen unique bars & lounges and four (immense) dining rooms (as well as a pair of independent restaurants). While not in port, I occupied myself with a variety of activities, among the most interesting of which was a tour of one of the ship's four main galleys (any one of which occupies a similar square footage equivalent to that of my home):

Onboard most any cruise line, as a part of the price of admission, fairly ridiculous quantities of food are made freely available just about 24 hours a day. And somehow, despite such massive volumes of cuisine being served up, quality-wise, it's by-and-large both very good & very well-prepared.

To give you some idea of these quantities, the ship stocks somewhere between 110 and 115 tons of foodstuffs for each voyage! Daily preparations & requirements, on average, include *7000 lbs. of fresh fruit, 2100 lbs. of beef, 1700lbs. of flour (for bread alone, nevermind pastry), 550 Gal of soup and 500 lbs. of Pasta! Now, I've worked in catering & at busy restaurants before, yet even after a tour of the gleaming galley I only have the vaguest notion of how they put forth such high-quality food for roughly 3000 people day-in & out. The best I could come up with was that in addition to well-trained personel and state-of-the art equipment, they (like any successful kitchen) have a tried & true system which is followed to the letter.

All that soup for instance, would be prepared in an industrial apparatus like the ones pictured at left - each capable of cooking over seventy-six gallons at a go. Dinner service is a la carte, with a number of predetermined selections from which to choose, so dishes (with the exception of meat cooked to order) are prep-cooked somewhat in advance of the dinner times (which are more or less set under two seperate seatings) before being placed into temperature-controlled cabinets like the ones pictured here. Long rows of finishing, plating & garnish stations spanning the rear of these containers provide the last-minute touches to individual orders before they are brought to table. And if should you desire a drink with dinner, the point-of-sale system used by the dining room staff calls beverages back to one of two (caged) service bars in each galley, which brings us to the next part of my review - the drinks!

Now, with the cuisine being generally great, I have to say that I was shocked & disappointed to find the bar service more than lacking in many regards. What struck me as particularly shocking was the dichotomy of product qualities. Barring small differences between individual bars & lounges, based largely on theme, every bar had essentially the same range of spirits and mixers available. While hardly exhaustive, I was pleasantly surprised to see Pimm's No. 1, Appleton's V/X Rum, Campari, Leblon Cachaca, Simple syrup (made daily), Passionfruit & Raspberry purées by Funkin, Pomegranate syrup (used for Grenadine) & Angostura bitters at every bar. The bartenders were all friendly, each had a great patter & most seemed to know their spirits more or less thoroughly...

...yet there were no fresh juices *(despite the presence of some 70,000lbs. of fresh fruit on board), only Lime and Lemon pre-mixes, miniscule twists of citrus cut days prior were casually tossed into drinks with nary a twisting motion to be seen, the (already wet) tired ice used to prepare a drink was casually poured into the glass (despite the uniform presence of hawthorne strainers). Even worse, what passed for shaking a drink wouldn't even qualify as 'rocking them to sleep', much less 'waking them up', as the late Harry Craddock would say. Everything except neat spirits, was free-poured despite the uniform presence of jiggers and while glassware was stored in refrigerated units, the lack of a properly-chilled, diluted (or even measured) beverage within made cocktails more or less...unpleasant.

I visited each of the ship's bars to try and determine if perhaps there was a well-trained 'tender, one willing to make the effort. The folks in the "Martini Bar" were fairly appalled at my request of a stirred Martini (which was tossed exactly three times with watery ice before being strained into a cold glass), and were even more appalled that I had ordered it with Italian vermouth (which was far beyond stale). That they offered me a drink from their list of some forty-five "Martinis" was small consolation, let me tell you. An attempt at talking another barman through preparing a Hurricane resulted in a combination of Appleton's Rum, Lime sour mix, Passionfruit puree & no Simple syrup, all casually built over more melted ice. What was a cocktailian to drink under the circumstances, without becoming a hated "difficult customers"? Stick to Caipirinhas (the only drink which guaranteed fresh Lime as it was plucked from the garnish tray), simple Highballs & Cuba Libres (made with European Coca-Cola, which, much like Mexican Coke, is not made with HF Corn syrup).

Just as despair began to set in, I visted one of the ship's smaller on-deck bars, where I struck up a conversation with the South African bartender on duty. After a short exchange about food-service and bartending (& observing that he actually used the jigger at his station) I asked him if he would be willing to make a cocktail by my specifications - nothing outrageous, just a proper Whiskey Sour. With juice culled from wedges of Lemon in the garnish tray, a proper measure of Jameson's and a good hard shake it was fantastic. After noting his shifts, for the remainder of the cruise I went only to that bar for my cocktails & I introduced him to a number of classics which the bar's stock was abe to produce - an Americano, Bronx cocktail, Roman Punch, even a close fascimile of a proper Mai-Tai (sans Orgeat). He was curious to know where I had learned many of my recipes & I was happy to lend out reprints of the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, as well as Charles Baker's The Gentleman's Guide, which I had brought along to read. He devoured them in just four day's time and was quick to ply me with recipes of interest he had seen. All that just goes to show what a bartender who cares can do, even under less than optimal conditions, and I'm honored to have met & been able to share a few recipes with the man.

And so, with cuisine & cocktails squared away onboard the ship, here's a brief look at the first of my destinations:

Venice, Italy

Harry's Bar

Venice is a place of many wonders; the city itself is an engineering marvel, essentially standing on water. The buildings are hundreds of years old, built in a magnificent variety of architectural styles, and there is something very pleasant & peaceful about visiting a place where the streets remain unclogged by cars and traffic.

Chief (in my humble opinion) among the many marvels of Venice is Harry's Bar, a venerable & renowned (despite its discrete exterior) establishment opened in 1931. The dimly-lit interior is small & cozy, elegantly decorated in handsome wood tones with a tiny stone-top bar and white-jacketed staff. Though a bit expensive, the atmosphere (to say nothing for the phenomenal cocktails) was worth every Euro...

My Americano (pictured at left), Bellini & Old-Fashioned were prepared pefectly & efficiently by the fastidious barman and served in the house's beautiful engraved glassware. While seated, I (gleefully) watched the bartender press fresh oranges & purée a batch of white peaches (for the bar's most famous invention, the Bellini) in the manner of a well-practiced ritual, all while effortlessly keeping up with the busy lunch rush's liquid demands. Equally interesting about the experience, was the service - at once formal & intimate. All these elements combined under one roof - the gleam of knowledge and amusement in the otherwise silent bartender's eyes when an order came through, the quiet sounds of dishes and glassware - led to a truly fantastic experience...

Between a spot of writer's block, a poor memory and after noting the length of this post alone, I have opted to detail the remaining stops on my journey in my next post. Adventures with the cuisines and cocktails of Istanbul, Rome, Naples & Barcelona and others will be along shortly , so stay tuned!

Cheers!

What is it Good For?

2008-08-12T20:05:00.015-04:00

War...

Pennsic War that is. For those among you who have never heard of it before, is one of the largest annual events run by the Society for Creative Anachronism - a worldwide medieval educational & re-enactment society with whom I have been an active member for many years. This two-week long event takes place at a massive campground called Cooper's Lake in upstate Pennsylvania & often draws upwards of ten-thousand people. It is a tricky experience to explain in a single post, particularly to those who have never attended, but I will attempt to sum up the overall experience as fully as possible:

Pennsic is a city-sized (those are all tents in the picture above by-the-by), two week-long camping event wherein the attendees live (more or less) & dress according to a given period of pre-1600's history with which they have an interest. My own time period, for example, is Kamakura-era (mid-1200's) Japan. Attendees generally camp with their regional or local groups, which are allotted campsites according to their size.

During the day at Pennsic, while thusly dressed & encamped, one can attend classes on all manner of historical matters of interest, fight re-enactments of historical battles complete with armor & rattan weaponry (quite a sight to see & the principle reason it's called a 'War'), perform or listen to music from antiquity, attend formal medieval-styled courts and otherwise experience various aspects of the medieval lifestyle from dozens of the worlds' cultures. A large portion of the site is devoted to a massive marketplace, wherein one can see and find just about anything - fantastic jewelry & metalwork, glassblowing, clothing, leatherwork, herbs, brewers - name it & you can likely find it. At night, however, Pennsic takes on a frenetic, Dionysian-atmosphere with many of the groups in attendance throwing massive parties in a variety of period & non-period themes (hence the anachronism in SCA).

So how does one throw a party or have any hope of eating good food or mixing a decent cocktail on a camping trip you ask? For starters there are some modern amenities available - camps are supplied with running water (we have a heated camp shower & sink), and there is a store on site at which one can purchase necessities like ice (cubed or block). Similarly, some of the larger groups have very impressive set-ups, complete with propane refrigeration, ranges & the like, and for my part - I long ago built a 'portable' bar (I'll have pictures up soon) which I bring with me, and many of my fellows are equally clever in what they bring to arrange for such things as food, drink & comfort.

To give you a rough idea, in camp we feasted on Paella, Curried-Coconut Rice, Stir-Fried Vegetables w/Sesame Noodles, Hummus, Steak, grilled Tuna and much more. In the heat of the day (& throughout the evenings' carousing), an assortment of drinks kept us all comfortable & relaxed - Hurricanes, Palomas, JW&N w/Ting, Scorpion Bowls, Stone Fences, a wide variety of Coolers, Fizzes, Swizzles, Smashes, Sours, Shrubs and other libations of my own devising were greatly enjoyed by all, such as this refreshing cocktail utilizing Horchata de Melón (made w/Cucumber, Cinnamon & Coriander):

Mí Amor
1½ oz oz. Hendrick's Gin
½ oz. white Port
1¼ oz oz. Horchata de Melón
½ oz. fresh Valencia Orange juice
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass & shake with ice. Strain into an Old-Fashioned glass half-filled with crushed ice & garnish with a whole Cinnamon stick.

Likewise, as none of the above really fall within the provinces of the SCA's historical period (& anachronism will only go so far), I played with a handful of recipes & notions from antiquity: a Wassail Bowl; drinking Chocolate flavored with fresh Blackberries & Cassis; brewing a Pap of Barley, Almonds, Nutmeg & Mace before fine-straining it for blending with Brandy and Wine; as well as a number of Mead-based drinks.

All & all Pennsic War is an incredible experience - good (not just by camping standards) food, quality drinks and through the days a glimpse at the diverse cultures & history of the world, all in the company of a horde of extremely friendly, knowledgeable & like-minded individuals. What follows will be a brief glance at some of my cocktail-related adventures at War:

Fascinaing Flavors While Finding My Inner Vagabond While a number of the Pennsic marketplaces' inhabitants are in the business of supplying comestibles to the populace, none of them (in my humble opinion) do food & beverage-service quite like the fantastic folks at Your Inner Vagabond.

This incredible lounge is one of the true wonders of Pennsic, lavishly decorated in authentic Middle-Eastern coffeehouse style. Within its cool & comfortable confines one can sample an impressive array of delicious coffees, teas, specialty drinks and desserts, complete with live entertainment & hookah service in the evenings.

I was able to spend a great many hours within, sampling a wide variety of rare & delicious beverages while enjoying numerous lengthy conversations with a new acquaintance, the worldly owner/operator AJ, whom I found to be a kindred spirit in all matters mixological. She and her fabulous staff espoused an attitude towards quality, consistency and wondrous ingredients which I cannot applaud heartily enough.

When the time came to experiment & work with certain flavors which had been discussed, whether back at my own bar or in YIV's impressive kitchen, I was quick to play with a number of interesting combinations, several of which worked quite nicely:

Lemongrass Cooler
1½ oz. Plymouth Gin
½ oz. Aperol
1 oz. Monin Lemongrass syrup
½ oz. fresh Meyer Lemon juice
Combine in a mixing glass & shake with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice, top with Seltzer & garnish with an Orange twist.

Jasmine "Toddy"
1½ oz. Brugal Añejo Rum
½ oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
3½ oz. Jasmine Green Tea
½ oz. Demerara Simple syrup
1 dash: fresh Lemon juice
1 dash: Angostura bitters
Brew a strong cup of Jasmine tea. Build ingredients in a drinking Bowl or Coffee glass while tea remains hot & stir briefly.
A scant ½ oz. of Honey syrup (2:1 - Honey:Water) also works well in place of the Simple syrup. This is also equally good (& quite refreshing) cold - merely allow the tea to cool after brewing & serve over cracked ice.

Sudanese Rose
1½ oz. Rhum Agricole Blanc
½ oz. Lillet Blanc
2 oz. Karkade (a Hibiscus Tisane, Jaimaica also works fine)
3-4 dashes: Hibiscus Grenadine
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass & stir well with plenty of ice. Strain into a double-rocks glass, half-filled with ice. Garnish with a twist of Lime, sprig of fresh Peppermint & an organic Rose petal.

Even better for you gentle reader, in addition to their (sadly, temporary) Pennsic location, AJ & her staff operate a permanent facility in downtown Pittsburgh at which you can experience the same wondrous range of culinary creations coupled with all manner of live entertainment events without having to "rough it". If you're ever in town check them out - I promise, once you've sampled their Morrocan Coffee you'll never have another espresso...

An (Expected) Party & Cocktails for the Masses
On the last Thursday of Pennsic, sometime around dark-thirty, our camp opens its doors to the general populace & throws a party. This year was no exception, with the theme of the fete being a blatant, over-the-top, mockery of the Inquisition in true Mel Brooks/Monty Python fashion. The event, complete with live music & fire-Poi by members of our group, was a positively smashing success. Throughout the evening and well through the last few days of War I heard nothing but kind words & good feelings circulating the public rumor mill regarding our little soiree...

While we provided a modest spread of cold Beer & hard Cider (Smithwicks, Guinness & Woodchuck on tap) I was, of course, responsible for arranging the cocktail end of the liquid refreshment for the evening, and I'd like to think I did not disappoint. Intending no disparagement towards other groups or the quality of their parties, let us merely say that the trend of true mixology has not yet caught on with all of Pennsic's many "cocktail" crafters. For our (not so small) event I therefore wished to demonstrate to the attending populace what a proper cocktail could be - a real culinary experience in a glass, taking no shortcuts despite the immense volume required. To this end I prepared a pair of libations for our guests' pleasure, as well as a measure of flavorful shots for those who wished to get underway with a minimum of fuss:

Bloody Inquisitor
3½ Liters: Cardamom, Vanilla & Valencia Orange peel-infused Vodka
1 Liter, 3 oz. Triple-Sec
1 Liter, 3 oz. Marie Brizard Orange Curacao
15 oz. Lillet Blanc
8 Liters: organic Blood Orange Nectar
15 oz. Simple syrup
1¼ Tablespoons: Regan's Orange bitters
1¼ Teaspoons: Green Cardamom tincture
9x Valencia Oranges, julienned
3x Meyer Lemons, julienned
In advance, add 2 whole Madagascar Vanilla beans (split), 2½ Tablespoons whole Green Cardamom and 2 Tablespoons dried Valencia Orange peel to Vodka & macerate for eight days, agitating occasionally.
Combine ingredients in a clean 5-Gal water cooler, pouring infused Vodka through a double-layer of cheesecloth to strain out solids. Stir well to incorporate & add fresh fruit. Approximately one hour before serving add one 10lb. block of (double-frozen) ice & stir well. Pour servings over cracked ice.

Yes, yes I know a Vodka-based cocktail isn't very exciting, but in my experience people trust things that they recognize & are comfortable with. Though my original idea for this particular cocktail called for a Cardamom-infused Gin, I knew that no matter how good it tasted I would never get the vast majority of our guests to even try it, so I settled on an infused-Vodka recipe. In retrospect I'm fairly glad that I did - this drink was quite a hit and the flavors were excellent in my own humble opinion. With the next cocktail however, I pushed a few boundaries rather successfully:

The (Spice) Rack
5x 750ml: Lautrec V.S. Cognac
3x 750ml: El Dorado 5-yr Demerara Rum
1x 750ml: JW&N 123° Jamaican Rum
9 oz. St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
4 oz. El Dorado 151° Demerara Rum
1 Tablespoon: Angostura bitters
1 Tablespoon: Spiced Lemon bitters
50 oz. fresh Lemon juice
14 oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice
4 lbs. Demerara sugar
16x bags: Green Tea
16x bags: Black Tea
2 Gallons: Water
Approximately six hours prior to serving, bring Water to a rapid boil & remove from heat. Peel half of the Lemons, being sure to remove as much of the bitter white pith as possible. Slack the Sugar into the Water and add the Lemon peels & Tea bags. Allow the Tea and Peels to steep for approximately one hour before removing, being sure to press them through cheescloth to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Place a clean cloth over the mixture & allow another hour for it to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile start juicing Lemons. Pour mixture into a clean 5-Gal water cooler & add the remaining ingredients, stirring well to incorporate. Allow to rest for another two hours to allow the flavors to blend & develop before adding one 9lb. block of (double-frozen) ice. Allow one final hour to chill, stir well & serve over cracked ice, garnishing with a (optional) twist of lemon.

This recipe is a modified & scaled version of the classic Bowl of Punch, as presented in David Wondrich's Killer Cocktails (among other sources). I chose both flavorful Demerara as well as strong Jamaican rums and added a bit of Pimento Dram & bitters to contribute to the spice element(s) already present in the spirits. The use of both Green & Black teas acted as an excellent foil for the dynamic combination of flavors.

For the 'shot' of the evening, I decided to go with something I have already had some success with. After procuring some freshly-dried Jasmine flowers in the Pennsic markets, I settled on the lovely flavor combination of Jasmine & Vanilla and (somehow) managed to cobble together a flash-infusion of those flavors into an already-made Orgeat syrup with little more than a camp stove & a muddler. With this syrup in hand I then assembled a well-chilled triple batch of my own Falaknuma Bowl in a 2½ Gal water cooler, and poured one-ounce servings to those of our guests who did not wish to shilly-shally or mess around in getting their night started (or ended). It was oddly the first of the three beverages to go dry, even though it did require some 'selling', as it contains a measure (however small) of Gin. I daresay I wooed a visitor or three over to the cocktailian love for all things juniper with this one, and was quite happy to have done so...

With the close of Pennsic this Sunday past, I have finally started to decompress from the tedious journey home. However, I will treasure the new friends I made, old friends I got to see again, and many adventures about which I have elected not to write. Vivat, so long and thanks for all the memories. For those of you whom I have terrified beyond belief with this glance into my unabashed exploits in geekery, have no fear, regularly-scheduled posts on cocktails & cookery will continue uninterupted from here on...

On that note, for my next adventure, at week's end I depart for a short cruise through the Mediterranean, with such diverse stops along the way as Provence, Istanbul, Venice, Rome & Barcelona (among others). I shall attempt to keep you my good readers appraised of the highlights of my travels - several items of interest should include the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, Harry's Bar in Venice, (possibly) a visit with Max of Listen to the Ice in Rome & a stop off at both Boadas and Dry Martini in Spain before returning to real life. Rest assured I shall share whatever I might find and learn upon my return to the 'States...

Cheers & Enjoy!

Those Crazy Old Romans...

2008-07-16T18:05:00.016-04:00

With the starting guns of this year’s Tales of the Cocktail sounding even now, I find myself somewhat at a loss for a posting topic. For those of you who aren't familiar with the event, ‘Tales is a convention for mixology, mixologists, authors & spirits-industry professionals from around the globe, all gleefully imbibing their way through educational seminars, panel discussions, exhibits, cocktail-cuisine pairings, receptions and unexpected (though often planned for months) trips to the Carousel Bar (or any of the New Orleans’s other fantastic bars).

Check out the shiny new Tales Blog for updates & articles from some of the numerous bloggers who are (nearly my entire links list is) in attendance, as well as Twitter updates from many of the same. Likewise, tune in to SSN's The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess for webcasts directly from the convention. As yours truly was unable to attend, I had thought to spread some of the educational spirit of ‘Tales with a short discussion on a wonderful, if little-known, cocktail (while I make convoluted plans for my attendance of next years’ convention):

Of the many drinks which the estimable Jerry Thomas wrote about, a fair number of them come to the foreground as libations which should never have been allowed to vanish from the modern mixologist's repertoire. Thankfully, with works like IMBIBE! by David Wondrich, Darcy O'Neil's painstaking transcription of Thomas' revised 1878 bar-guide, or the soon-to-be released reprint of the original 1862 How to Mix Drinks, many such unjustly 'forgotten' cocktails may once again become known & loved (hey, one can dream).

One such beverage is the Roman Punch, which in my humble estimation is a variation on the concept of a flavored, Sour-styled drink. Interestingly (read: strangely), this cocktail made it through the fires of Prohibition almost completely unscathed in certain sources, as seen in Trader Vic’s 1946 Book of Food & Drink. Yet in nearly every source between its first & last (to the best of my knowledge) appearance are oddly altered or adulterated in some fashion. So what happened? From the differences in recipes (almost all of which include Lemon, Cognac, Rum & some manner of Wine) one can form some ideas about why such a variety of recipes emerged; but more on that as we go:

Here we see the original version; as crafted, I’d wager, to accommodate the sweet-tooth tastes of its eras’ imbibers, while presenting a drink to the same under the cloak of what would have been a very familiar concept at the time – a Punch:

Roman Punch (J. Thomas’ How to Mix Drinks, 1862 & 1878*)
1 table-spoonful of sugar *[dissolved in a little water].
1 table-spoonful raspberry syrup.
1 tea-spoonful of Curaçao
1 wine-glass of Jamaica rum
½ wine-glass brandy.
The juice of half a lemon.
Fill [large bar-glass] with shaved ice, shake well, dash with port wine, and ornament with fresh fruits in season. Imbibe through a straw.

The Temperance Movement (active even in J. Thomas’ time) & its’ sinister designs of Prohibition in the ‘States had just gotten the ball rolling at the time of this recipe’s publication. As presented at the Savoy - a very high-end establishment - it took on the look of a formal Punch, with the inexplicable addition of Orange bitters (for the Curaçao perhaps?), Champagne, Orange & Egg whites. This seems like a reinforcement of the flavored-Sour theory, as this recipe essentially makes a California (or Stone) Rum Sour with bubbly added, yet somehow excludes the Raspberry syrup as its flavoring (& namesake coloring) element:

Roman Punch (Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930)
1 Qt. Champagne
1 Qt. Rum
½ Liqueur Glass Orange bitters
The Juice of 10 Lemons
The Juice of 3 Oranges
2 lbs. Sugar
The Whites of 10 Eggs
Use punch bowl. Dissolve Sugar in lemon and orange juice, add the rind of one orange, add the well-beaten whites of eggs. Surround the bowl with cracked ice and stir the ingredients well together.

Duffy seems to take the odd stance of “a Punch is complicated” in his adaptation of the recipe. He reintroduces Cognac to the mixture, yet attempts to make a dryer Punch out of our Sour by removing the Oranges, (still) omitting the Raspberry and substituting in some Swedish Punsch, Curaçao (likely as complex sweeteners) & Tea! On the other hand, he at least returns to the idea of adding fresh seasonal fruit to the final concoction as an edible garnish:

Roman Punch (P.G. Duffy’s The Official Mixer’s Manual, 1934)
1 Whiskey Glass Cognac
1 Whiskey Glass Swedish Punch
½ Whiskey Glass Curaçao
1 Pint Jamaica Rum
Juice of 6 Lemons
1-1/2 Quarts Champagne
1 Teaspoonful Aromatic Bitters
2 Tablespoonfuls Good Tea
Put Tea in a small cheesecloth bag and leave it in the above mixture for about ten minutes, surround punch bowl with cracked ice, pour in the punch and add cut up Fruit.

Here W.C. Whitfield also advocates the 'bubbly California Sour-style', shying back from the somewhat complicated Punch idea, yet still excludes the Cognac & more importantly, the Raspberry syrup:

Roman Punch (W.C. Whitfield’s Here’s How, 1941)
10 Lemons (juice only)
3 Oranges (juice only)
2 Pounds Sugar
10 whites of Eggs
Dissolve sugar in the fruit juices, add rind of one orange and whites of eggs, well beaten. Stir these thoroughly, place in a punch bowl with large piece of ice, then pour in
1 Quart Fine Rum
½ Liqueur Glass Orange bitters
1 Quart Champagne

Here we see the drink (somehow) being served largely unchanged from its original recipe in the mid-1940’s. I have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Bergeron had a slight aversion to all but the best of the classic methods of making a champagne-fizzed Punch, and saw this drink for what it should be – a sort-of flavored Rum Sour:

Roman Punch (Trader Vic’s Book of Food & Drink, 1946)
½ Lemon
1 ounce raspberry syrup
1 ounce Jamaican rum (Red Heart or Meyer’s)
1 ounce Brandy
Port wine float
Squeeze Lemon in a 12-ounce glass; add syrup and liquor; fill glass with shaved ice and swizzle. Add berries in season and a float of port wine. Serve with spoon and straws.

I really enjoyed this when I first tried it – by both Thomas’ & Vic’s methods and as with anything I like so much, I had to mess with it. Once you’ve tried the others, give this blackberry-flavored variation on the classic recipe (named for Julius Ceasar's principle unit) a spin. I'd like to think it is a tasty preservation of the original recipe with some small concessions to the various interim drinks which were called "Roman" (©):

Thirteenth Legion
¾ oz. fresh Lemon juice
1 oz. Blackberry syrup
1 oz. Jamaican Rum (Appleton’s V/X)
¾ oz. Quebranta Pisco (BarSol)
1 dash Regan’s Orange bitters
¼ oz. semi-sweet Port Wine (Sandeman Reserva)
Combine all ingredients (except Port) in a chimney or Collins glass with crushed ice & swizzle to incorporate & chill. Top with more crushed ice, float Port & garnish with several fresh Blackberries.

In closing - your homework is to try (almost) any of the many versions (though do try the ‘non-punch’ ones first) of this classic – I’ll be sure to order a Roman Punch down at next year’s ‘Tales and I promise, just as Trader Vic did - you’ll really drop your toga on this one...

For those of you currently attending this year’s convention – have one (or three) of something for me & have a great time in the Big Easy. Cheers & enjoy everyone!

Playing with Pisco, part I

2008-07-03T11:20:00.023-04:00

Ah, Pisco... ¡Materia encantadora!

Now I've always been fairly partial towards all kinds of Brandy, and a quick glance at the recipes of nearly any older cocktail book will show that the mixologists of eras past seemed to think pretty highly of it as well. Yet despite this cocktaillian affection for distillates of the vine, I've often had a hard time convincing people to try cocktails based upon an aged example of the spirit. All that goes out the window when the various & sundry other kinds of Brandy come up, however.

There are many of these - as one drives the limousin away from the relatively-known, if oak-tinted, worlds of Brandy & Cognac, a whole world of spirits (made from fruits other than grapes too!) becomes apparent when regionally-produced variations come to the table: Grappa from Italy (California as well), Eau de Vie or Marc from France, Pálinka from Hungary, Brandy de Jerez from Spain, Aguardente Velha from Portugal, Coconut Arrack from Sri Lanka, certain (real) Schnaps from Germany and even Apple Brandy from the wilds of New Jersey. Now, much as I like these examples of Brandy, none of them can hold a candle to the soft, fragrant flavors of a good Pisco from Peru and/or Chile.

Wait, Peru and/or Chile!?! Without digging too deeply into the issue, it seems the origins of this wonderful spirit are (and have been) rather hotly debated by these two countries for quite some time. Suffice to say, I am firmly in the camp of the Peruvians on this one (with no disparagement intended to the Chileans mind you). Why pick a side you ask? Two reasons - taste & a measure of petty vengeance:

Now, I've sampled a handful of Piscos, three of these being Chilean - and for a time the ABA brand was among my favorites (the other two were unspeakably awful). Then the producers decided to stop exporting it to these shores, without a phone call or even a memo reading something like, "Hey, you'd better stock up quick Chris" (enter the petty vengeance). Of the Peruvian Piscos I had tried (in bars mostly), I had no bad experiences in the matter of taste - quite the opposite really. But where was I to find Pisco in my part of the country (where the liquor store operators only recognize words like 'E&J' or 'Bacardi')? Luckily, in the course of speaking with a certain master mixologist, I was very promptly put into contact with Mr. Diego Loret de Mola, a mighty-fine gentleman whose BevMax company handles the marketing &c. for BarSol - a fantastic Peruvian Pisco whose equal I have yet to find. As the word was spread to me, so shall I pass it to you - go out and pick up a bottle (or ten) of this fantastic Pisco - I promise you'll love it...

Well, that's great and all, but what do I do with it, you ask? Try a Pisco Sour to start, then move along to a few other great libations like David Wondrich's Piscodora. You could try substituting Pisco (or another of the lesser-known Brandies I'd mentioned earlier) into cocktails that call for a 'plain' Brandy (try a Roman Punch or Scorpion Bowl this way). Failing all those (or if you've already tried them) you could start really playing with your Pisco. Prior to the untimely death of my computer, I had promised a certain 'tender of the Tiki persuasion that I would share some particular infusion recipes, and I shall not disappoint (©):

Límon Piscello

2 Cups: Quebranta Pisco (BarSol)

1 large Lemon

1 Meyer Lemon

3 Tblspns: fresh Lemongrass, minced

3 Tblspns: Demerara sugar

2 Tblspns: fresh Meyer Lemon juice

1 Tblspn: Coriander, toasted

1½ Tsp: dried Lavender

Method:

1. Carefully clean & peel the Lemons, being sure to remove & discard all of the bitter white pith. Press the Meyer Lemon & reserve 1 oz. of the juice (if the Meyer Lemon is shy on juice topping it off with the regular Lemon is fine).

2. Dry the Lemon peels on a baking sheet in a low-temperature oven (200°) for approximately thirty minutes & set aside to cool. While you're waiting, toast the Coriander in a small, non-reactive saucepan over low heat (1-2 minutes).

3. Combine all ingredients in a large container & agitate to dissolve the sugar.

4. Place in a cool, dark place for ten days, swirling contents vigorously several times.

5. Fine-strain out the solids, being sure to press them to extract all liquid & return the infusion to a clean container. Allow to rest for another 4-6 days, being careful not to agitate.

6. Carefully rack, decant or filter liquid off of sediment and fine-strain again by preferred method (coffee filter, cheesecloth, &c) until liquid is clear.

Fragrant Límon Sour

2 oz. Límon Piscello

¼ oz. fresh Grapefruit juice

¼ oz. fresh Lime juice

¼ oz. fresh Lemon juice

1 oz. Raw Simple syrup

1 fresh Egg white

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 dash Regan's Orange bitters #6 (or my Spiced Lemon bitters if you've got 'em)

Combine ingredients (except bitters) in a shaker & dry shake to emulsify. Add ice and shake again, straining into a cockatil saucer or sour glass. Dash bitters on top & swirl into some kind of "artistic" pattern as an aromatic garnish.

Cheers & Enjoy!