Highlighting Flavors…

…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

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
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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.
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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!

Long Journeys & an Unexpected Absence...

...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...

...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...

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.

Over the Border to Find a Fix...

...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!

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?

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...

(Bols +) Bitters Makes it Better, part III

...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:

• CocktailBuzz.com
• The Cocktail Guru
• Eat Me a Life
• Time Out New York