R(h)umbullion!

Or, "A Crazy, Criminally-Fun Shift"

On the last Sunday of September, the bar was overrun by pirates. And not just any pirates, but a quality crew of sarong'd scalawags, comprised of such inestimable personages as Julie Reiner, Brian Miller, Ryan Liloia and Garret Richard. To be fair, we invited them aboard our boat, enticing them further with a whole roasted Pig and the fabulous distilled nectars of Martinique's Rhum JM.

 

The theme of this epic gathering was a bold inland incursion (to the wilds of New Jersey) of the weekly event known as Tiki Mondays with Miller, formerly hosted at the island stronghold of Lani Kai in NYC. As with past examples of Tiki Monday, a menu of tropical libations selected by Captain Miller was on-offer. Accompanying these delicious beverages was a complimentary tasting of Rhum JM's complete portfolio of Rhum Agricole, which were also the principle spirits used in the evening's potions.

 

While I love drinks of all sorts, readers here may note that I have always had a soft spot for all things R(h)um and it's most tricked-out champion: Tiki. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I was stoked to be involved with this event. 

 

Three minutes into the Lime Massacre

As I prepared for the arrival of our guest crew, the spent shells of Limes, Grapefruit and Pineapples piled up around me - too numerous to count. [Not true, actually. I hewed through 268 of the former, 70 of the next and 8 of the latter, but the theatrical version sounds better. Besides, it's my job to keep track of these things.] A profusion of new housemade ingredients filled my refrigerators (vying for space with our sizable collection of such things) and an abundance of Rhum was arrayed on the backbar and speed rails.



Bar prep, now with 400% more Pirate!

As Julie, Brian, Ryan and Garret stepped behind the bar, they hefted insulated chests smuggled across the Hudson, brimming with ingredients rare and forbidden: fragrant syrups, spices and orchids. Together we festooned the Catherine Lombardi bar with pirate colors, mixed up batches of a few final ingredients (Don's Mix, Spices #2, &c) and cut a not-so-miniature mountain of various garnishes before donning sarongs and war paint for a festive rumbullion with no quarter offered...

 

And what a shift it was! Julie and Brian manned the forward bar station (the helm), while I got down and dirty in the service bar (the poop deck). Ryan and Garrett, along with my faithful barback Allison, moved tirelessly back and forth down the line of cannon, putting out (and occasionally starting) fires wherever necessary.

 

As they arrived, our guests were treated to a potent glass of punch in the form of a classic Scorpion Bowl, prepared with (in a slight twist on Trader Vic's 1946 recipe) JM's Blanc and Elevé Sous Bois Rhum Agricole. To accommodate both the sheer size of the bowl (three recipes worth!) as well as the time it would spend over ice, we served it over cracked cubes derived from the 3"x3" molds we ordinarily use for ice balls.

 

With their initial tipple finished, our guests were able to select from five classic Tiki cocktails as well as an original one developed by Julie in honor of Lani Kai and the great times it inspired while open. Captain Miller's menu read as follows:

 

MAI TAI 

(Trader Vic, c. 1944)

This drink truly is outta this world…mai tai roa ae!!

Rhum JM Blanc, 12yr Demerara & Dark Jamaican Rums,
Lime Juice, Orgeat, Orange Curacao

 

THREE DOTS & A DASH

(Don The Beachcomber, ci. 1965)

Peace of mind is what you will achieve after just one sip of this.

Rhum JM Eleve Sous Bois & Guatemalan Rums, Lime & Orange Juices,
Acacia Honey Syrup, Velvet Falernum, Don’s Spices #2, Angostura Bitters

 

DONGA PUNCH

(Don the Beachcomber, c. 1937)

“A gully in a field” is where you might wind up after a few of these.

Rhum JM Eleve Sous Bois, Lime Juice,
Don’s Mix, Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters

 

LANI KAI SLING

(Julie Reiner)

A tasty tiki tipple in honor of our old ship & all those that sailed on her.

Rhum JM Blanc & 3yr Demerara Rums, Lime & Pineapple Juices,
Grenadine, Cherry Heering, Cointreau, Benedictine, Angostura Bitters, Club

 

DON’S BEACH PLANTER

(Don The Beachcomber, c. 1937)

Too many of these is what did in tonight’s guest of honor.

Rhum JM Eleve Sous Bois & Dark Jamaican Rums, Cognac,
Lime & Pineapple Juices, Passion Fruit Syrup, Angostura Bitters, Absinthe

 

HAWAII KAI TREASURE

(Mannie “Blackie” Andal, Hawaii Kai Restaurant, NYC, c. 1960’s)

You know how pirates love their buried treasure!

Rhum JM Blanc, Lime & Grapefruit Juices,
Coco Lopez, Acacia Honey Syrup, Orgeat, Blue Curacao

 



The turnout was mai tai roa ae; full of friends from New Jersey, New York and other ports of call. Our house regulars were out in force, complimented by a delightful contingent representing the Tiki Mafiaaarrrgh and a few special guests turned up quite unexpectedly. Imagine my delight when, looking up from a particularly long and complicated order ticket, I saw none other than Jeff "Beachbum" Berry and his lovely lady standing at my bar. Many thanks to the Bum for dropping anchor in 'Jersey; likewise to the merry motley of guests who dropped in for a drink or six.

 

Finally, much love and a major mahalo to Julie, Brian, Ryan and Garret, without whom none of this would have been possible. It was an honor and a pleasure to pull a shift on your ship; may its colors never be struck.

 

 

Cheers & Mahalo!

MxMo XXXV: Broaden Your Horizons...

...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!

Here's How! - Sourcing Ingredients

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...

Going Out All Dolled Up...

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!