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MxMo LII: Forgotten Cocktails — Alaska Cocktail

Stevi — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:20:09 +0000

There are some Mixology Monday topics you can hardly believe haven’t happened yet. But Dennis at Rock & Rye found a great one, Forgotten Cocktails. In brief:

The challenge this month is to bring to light a drink that you think deserves to be resurrected from the past, and placed back into the spotlight. It could be pre-prohibition, post-war, that horrible decade known as the 80′s, it doesn’t really matter. As long as it is somewhat obscure, post it up. If possible try to keep to ingredients that are somewhat readily available. While we all appreciate the discovery of an amazing cocktail, if we can’t make it, it’s no fun for anyone.

Alaska Cocktail

While I have spent a lot of time persuing older cocktail guides, I knew the drink I wanted to include when I read the topic: the Alaska Cocktail. And given today my region is in the throes of a snowpocalypse, I felt inspired to make one.

I can’t remember when I first discovered the Alaska Cocktail. I know I’d made at least two at home before the time I went to Zig Zag, asked Murray for something with gin in, and he returned saying, “This is called the Alaska…” and I had to laugh, because I knew what was in it, and that I would love it.

Alaska Cocktail

2 oz London dry gin (Voyager)
1/4 oz yellow chartreuse
2 dashes orange bitters

Stir with ice until glacially cold, strain into chilled cocktail glass.

I have yet to find a good explanation for the name. The cocktail dates to at least the Savoy cocktail book, and probably before that. The Savoy recipe omits the bitters, and has a 3:1 ratio of chartreuse to gin. As written, it’s a fine drink, but I find going 4:1 makes a less sweet and more enjoyable drink, and adding orange bitters creates a nice balancing note. On occasion I will also use a lemon twist as a garnish, but really, with the chartreuse, the drink doesn’t need it.

This is a potent drink, as yellow chartreuse is 80 proof. Occasionally, I will substitute green chartreuse, which is OK, but as with the Widow’s Kiss, yellow provides a much more balanced and drinkable product.

Thanks to Dennis at Rock & Rye for a fun topic. Be sure to keep an eye out for the round-up!

Bloody Mary

Stevi — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 01:05:29 +0000

I’ve so convinced myself that I do not like the Bloody Mary that I was shocked when I took a sip of the first one I ever made, and…really liked it.

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary

1.5 ounces vodka or gin
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Crystal hot sauce
2 dashes celery bitters
1/8 tsp horseradish
pinch salt and pepper
0.25 ounce lemon juice
4 ounces tomato juice

combine all ingredients in mixing glass, roll back and forth with a second mixing glass or metal half of Boston shaker until well mixed. Pour into ice-filled glass. Garnish with whatever strikes your fancy.

I’ve long had a bit of a mental block about tomato juice in general. I love tomato soup. I love salsa. I’m even OK with the occasional gazpacho. But something about tomato juice has always turned me off.

I don’t think I had ever tried a Bloody Mary before the Pacific Distillery dinner last summer, when one of the drinks was a Bloody Mary made with their Voyager gin. While it wasn’t my favorite drink of the night, I had to admit I found it pleasant.

In preparing for BarSmarts, I decided I should tackle this drink. The standard recipe does call for vodka, but in a drink that should be savory, how could I not substitute gin? Some claim gin was the original liquor in the drink, others that using gin makes it a Ruddy Mary. Regardless, it’s a great choice.

I also liked the idea of adding horseradish to the mix, as well as celery bitters. And apparently the choices worked well for me, because I’ve happily consumed this brunch staple beverage, and am seriously considering a second round, and what other flavors I’ll try. For certain, I want to see how wasabi works in place of the horseradish.

I’m pretty excited to discover that this is a drink, so long a personal bugaboo, is something I can enjoy. Experimenting with spices and garnishes for this drink can be a lot of fun, and it’s an easy way to add more vegetables to my diet!

What’s your favorite take on the Bloody Mary?

No related posts.

Aviation Cocktail

Stevi — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:47:49 +0000

I have successfully finished all the reading and online quizzes for BarSmarts Advanced. This means I can attend BarSmarts Live, when I’ll have to make drinks for people who know how they should taste. In preparation, I’m going to work through each of the 25 drinks every bartender should know. Some I have talked about previously, including the first in the list, the Aviation.

The Aviation was created by Hugo Ensslin and appeared in his 1916 book, Recipes for Mixed Drinks.

Aviation Cocktail (Original)

1/3 Lemon Juice (1 ounce)
2/3 El Bart Gin (2 ounces)
2 Dashes Maraschino (0.25 ounce)
2 Dashes Creme de Violette (or Creme Yvette) (0.25 ounce)

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

I find this base recipe to far too sour for my tastes, so I reduce the lemon juice to 0.75 ounce or less, and up the Maraschino to 0.5 ounce.

I managed to get a bottle of the newly released Creme Yvette, and it makes a great substitution for Creme de Violette in the Aviation. Given that the best known drink that uses Creme Yvette is the Blue Moon, I am surprised that it consistently adds a reddish hue to drinks. Still, it has the floral violet notes, while being less sweet than the Rothman & Winter violette that is easiest to find in the US market.

Two Aviation Cocktails

The BarSmarts recipe is the modern Aviation. As early as The Savoy Cocktail Book, the drink had lost the violette, which doubtless became impossible to get during Prohibition.

Aviation Cocktail (Modern)

2 ounces London dry gin
0.5 ounces Maraschino liqueur
0.5 ounces lemon juice

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

This version is a gin sour that takes advantage of the funkiness of Maraschino that I for one love.

The history-loving cocktail geek in me wants to prefer the original Aviation. Still, the version I usually make at home is the modern recipe. The floral notes of the violette (or yvette) are nice on occasion. But the modern Aviation is a solid standard, and I have to agree, it’s a cocktail every bartender should know.

MxMo XLVI: Absinthe — The Atlantic

Stevi — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:05:51 +0000

This month’s Mixology Monday is hosted by Sonja Kassebaum over at Thinking of Drinking. In addition to running a fine boutique distillery, North Shore, with her husband, Sonja is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

This month she’s chosen the topic that’s near and dear to my heart:

The topic for February is Absinthe. That much maligned, misunderstood, mistreated spirit, suddenly plentiful again in the US and other parts of the world. Absinthe played a role, whether large or small, in a variety of great cocktails from the 1800’s and early 1900’s – the Sazerac, Absinthe Suissesse, Corpse Reviver No. 2… I’m getting thirsty. So let’s celebrate absinthe’s history, and its future, with all manner of cocktails using absinthe.

Atlantic Cocktail

I seriously thought about just writing up the absinthe drip for this month, as that’s my favorite way to enjoy the liquor. I decided instead to hunt for a new cocktail that shows off how little absinthe it takes to transform a dull collection of ingredients into a fantastic drink.

I stumbled upon the Atlantic on the CocktailDB, which gives credit for its creation to “H. Losappio.” I searched through all my cocktail books, and have not yet found another reference for it.

Atlantic Cocktail

1 ounce gin (Voyager)
1 ounce white rum (Ron Matusalem Platino)
0.75 ounce Cointreau
2 dashes absinthe (Pacifique)

Stir over ice until cold as the North Atlantic and strain into cocktail glass.

If you shake it, it becomes a White Lily, which I find listed in several other online cocktail databases, but also find no hint of in any of my cocktail books. This is an all clear spirits drink, so naturally, I opted to stir. The high amounts of liqueur gives it a mysterious lightly cloudy look that goes well with the name.

The original recipe calls for equal parts gin, rum, and Cointreau, and only one dash of absinthe. I found that a tad too sweet. Dialing back the Cointreau makes for a much drier drink I’m tempted to call the North Atlantic.

When making this, I mixed everything but the absinthe and stirred until properly chilled and took a taste. It was an ok, if uninteresting cocktail.

Adding one dash of absinthe really brought the gin and rum flavors out. Adding one more dash let the absinthe play in the background with hints of anise. I chose to use Pacific Distillery’s Voyager gin and Pacifique absinthe, which naturally pair well together, as the gin uses many of the same botanicals as the absinthe.

The Atlantic is a great example of how it takes just a little absinthe to bring a cocktail to life.

Thanks, Sonja, for a great topic. Be sure to drop by Thinking of Drinking to see the complete MxMo round-up!

Welcome Stranger Cocktail

Stevi — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:00:54 +0000

Here’s another drink I stumbled upon in Barflies and Cocktails.

Welcome Stranger

Welcome Stranger Cocktail

0.5 ounce gin
0.5 ounce brandy
0.5 ounce Swedish punsch
0.5 ounce lemon juice
0.5 ounce orange juice
0.5 ounce grenadine

Shake until good and cold, double strain into cocktail glass.

This was one of those recipes I couldn’t quite guess how it would taste, much less if I would like it. But it was invented by Harry McElhone himself, and the man who gave us the Monkey Gland must know a little something about mixing with orange juice.

I do like it, although it is a little sweet. Grenadine and Swedish punsch seem to work well together. This is one of those multi-ingredient drinks where all the flavors blend well, nothing dominating.

That said, next time I might try upping the gin and brandy to dry it out a bit. Glad I gave it a try.

Gloom Raiser

Stevi — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:00:29 +0000

I was paging through the delightful Barflies and Cocktails by Harry McElhone, one of the wonderful reprints by Mud Puddle Books. Amongst all the wonderful illustrations by Wynn Holcomb, I found a variation on the martini that was new to me.

Gloom Raiser

Gloom Raiser

1.5 ounces London dry gin
0.75 ounces dry vermouth
2 dashes absinthe (I prefer a white over verte here)
2 dashes grenadine

stir and strain into cocktail glass, garnish with lemon twist.

This is a great variation to my tastes. It takes the venerable dry martini and adds just enough absinthe for that wonderful anise scent and a hint of taste, and just enough grenadine for just a little sweetness.

I tried this with both a blanche (Kubler) and verte (Pacifique) absinthe, and found the blanche worked a bit better. The Kubler brought a great balance while the Pacifique, even at just 2 dashes, wanted to assert itself too strongly in this mix.

In the spirit of Harry’s New York bar, still located at 5 Rue Daonou in Paris, I used Citadelle, a French-made gin.

This cocktail is another great example of how just a little bit of a strong ingredient can change a cocktail for the better.

Port of Barcelona Gin

Stevi — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:00:53 +0000

I usually want a gin that plays well with others, one I can use in all sorts of different drinks.

Elderflower Royale

Some gins are more particular though, getting along famously with some and acting aloof and standoffish with others.

Port of Barcelona gin is one of those gins. It is produced in the Kingdom of Spain by Esmeralda Distillery, the same people who bring us the delightful Obsello Absinthe. The botanicals listed are wild juniper, sweet almonds, hazelnuts, lemon zest, star anise, allium cepa, orange peels, coriander seeds, chebub seeds, black cardamom, orris root, ginger root, nutmeg, and cubeb root. The gin is distilled three times, the final time in the same copper alembic stills used for Obsello.

The label tells us it’s a distilled malt gin, and I do sense some malt on the nose and the palate. The scent is more reminiscent of a genever than a London dry gin. I also smell a faint hint of juniper under the coriander, mild citrus, cardamom, and nut.

On the tongue, I taste the peppery cubeb root and oniony allium cepa, as well as the start anise, citrus, and nuts. It has a softer mouthfeel, once again similar to a genever.

Port of Barcelona does have a unique list of flavors, and to my taste, they are flavors that do not work well in a martini. I made a 4:1 martini, and it was possibly the least enjoyable martini I’ve ever made. The gin and the vermouth seemed to be at war with one another, and the drink never settled down.

On the other hand, the Port of Barcelona makes what is currently my favorite gin and tonic. I have tried it with both Stirrings and Schwepp’s tonics, both with great success. The tonic really opens up the different flavors. The result is a fascinating, delicious drink. Granted, I do like a good gin and tonic, but these were so good I had a hard time resisting the urge to finish the review bottle I was sent making more.

I did want to experiment, however. Given that tonic worked so well, I thought I’d give champagne a shot, and maybe add a little more sweetness. I can’t believe the following isn’t a standard marketing drink for St. Germain, as it’s the way I most commonly use it, but I can’t find it on their site, so I’m going to give it my own name.

Elderflower Royale

1 ounce St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
1 ounce gin (Port of Barcelona)
dry sparkling wine to top

Pour liqueur and gin into champagne flute, top with sparkling wine.

This is another flavor combination that works well. The Port of Barcelona flavors seem to clash with the flavors of vermouth, but the mildness of a dry sparkling wine acts more like the tonic, to open them up and let them play. The St. Germain plays a pleasant backnote, bringing the flavors together.

You won’t catch me ever making another martini or other vermouth based drink with Port of Barcelona. But I plan to keep some on hand for making truly outstanding gin and tonics. Sometimes you have to appreciate that some liquors are just more particular, and treat them accordingly. They may show you their secrets!

Communist Cocktail

Stevi — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:00:37 +0000

I was paging through Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails when I hit The Communist.

The Communist Cocktail

The Communist

1 ounce London dry gin
1 ounce orange juice
0.75 ounce lemon juice
0.5 ounce cherry brandy (Cherry Heering)

Shake until as sold as Mother Russia, double strain into a very proletarian cocktail glass.

With fresh fruit juices and Cherry Heering, this is a little bourgeois for the name. I was initially reluctant to go with the full 3/4 ounce lemon juice, but decided the cherry brandy and orange juice would be plenty sweet, so in it went.

A surprisingly dry final result.

I rarely use fresh squeezed orange juice, largely because I rarely see proper juicing oranges, and don’t much like navel orange juice in my cocktails. This came out enjoyable as is, but I bet it would be really great with fresh orange juice. And the color of the cocktail is a lot of fun.

Definitely a drink I’ll keep in mind to return to in the future. Bet it would make a fun brunch drink.

Make Your Own Grenadine

Stevi — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:44:04 +0000

It took a long time for me to warm up to grenadine as a cocktail ingredient, after a childhood chock full of bright red Rose’s Grenadine Shirley Temples.

Rose's vs Homemade Grenadine

But now I know how many great cocktails include grenadine. A couple of personal favorites are the El Presidente and the Blinker. And now that I know how easy it is to make my own grenadine, I’ll never go back to Rose’s.

Like many a first time grenadine maker, I started with Paul Clarke’s epic Grenadine Face-off. The first time I make cold process grenadine, I shook and shook and shook…and finally gave up and used the blender. The results were fine.

Now I use my handy dandy milk frother, and it’s even faster, cleaner, and easier.

Cold-Process Grenadine

1 cup pomegranate juice (I used some POM Wonderful that was sent to me for review)
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vodka

Put juice and sugar in a conveniently sized resealable container. Take your milk frother and incorporate the sugar. Add vodka to extend life. Refrigerate. Will keep a good long time.

Have a Heart Comparison

Where Rose’s doesn’t taste much like anything but sugar to me, the homemade has the the taste of the pomegranate juice and a much richer, deep color to boot.

The best grenadine I’ve had to date was an experiment by Zane Harris (newly of Rob Roy), based on a recipe he’d uncovered that called for both pomegranate and raspberry. His process was long and complicated and someday I may try it, but for now, I’ll stick with a recipe that I can whip up even faster than simple syrup (because I don’t have to wait for it to cool).

I used my latest batch to try out a recipe in Ted Haigh’s newly reissued Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, the Have a Heart. I dropped the lime juice to 1/2 ounce, adding a lime wedge garnish lets the drinker decide to tart it up.

Have a Heart Cocktail

1.5 ounces London dry gin (Voyager Small-batch)
0.75 ounces Swedish punsch (homemade)
0.5 ounces fresh lime juice
0.25 ounces homemade grenadine

Stir while thinking weepy 1934 thoughts, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with lime wedge.

As in the picture above, the cocktail on the left uses Rose’s, on the right, homemade. The fake color of the Rose’s carries through to the cocktail, while the homemade contributes to a drink with a much deeper, appealing, adult color.

Even more important is the taste. I didn’t care for this cocktail with the Rose’s. With the homemade grenadine, however, this is a tasty, well rounded drink.

I must admit, I also love using my homemade grenadine in homemade Shirley Temples. Fill a rocks glass with ice, some soda water, and spoon in up to a tablespoon of grenadine, and I have a light, refreshing drink that’s just sweet enough. And it’s a great base to experiment with bitters! I especially recommend a dash or four of blueberry bitters!

What’s your favorite way to use grenadine?

Martin Miller’s Gin

Stevi — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:22:21 +0000

A lot of high end liquors try to sell you with a story. Martin Miller’s Gin has quite a doozy – after distillation, the raw spirit is shipped from England to Iceland to be combined with water to bring it to proof.

Fin de Siècle

I can tell you after receiving a sample bottle, and having enjoyed it in many fine establishments, that gimmick or not, Martin Miller has put his name on a fine gin.

As the story goes, in 1999, British entrepreneur and bon viveur Martin Miller and two friends set out to create the finest gin possible, no expense spared.

Their recipe, apparently formulation number 7, combines juniper, orange and lemon peel, coriander, licorice, cinnamon, cassia, nutmeg, angelica, and orris root. These botanicals are batch distilled in a century-old copper still in England’s Black Country before the aforementioned 3,000 mile round trip to Iceland.

Martin Miller is making two gins; my sample bottle is of the 80 proof (40% ABV) version.

On the nose, there is the slight scent of violet from the orris root, and a general pleasant spiciness. This plays through on the taste. I don’t find the citrus to be very strong, instead, there’s a confident bitterness from the juniper and licorice, along with a general interplay of all the spices. This gently eases into a balanced aftertaste that doesn’t linger. The mouthfeel is quite soft. Maybe there is something to that glacial Icelandic water.

In preparation for this week’s TDN, which is sponsored by Martin Miller’s gin, I wanted to try a new drink. SeanMike of Scofflaw’s Den sent me a bottle of his take on Jamie Boudreau’s recipe for Amer Picon, so I thought I’d finally try the Fin de Siècle. This cocktail was created in the 1920s, and refers to the19th century.

Fin de Siècle Cocktail

1.5 oz English dry gin (Martin Miller’s gin)
0.75 oz sweet vermouth
0.25 ounce Amer Picon
1 dash orange bitters

Stir with ice in a mixing glass while dreaming of the 19th century, then strain into a cocktail glass.

This is a nice balance of bitter and sweet, and I think it suits the Martin Miller’s well. This cocktail wouldn’t work as well with a more citrus-forward gin.

I have not yet had a gin cocktail with MM that I didn’t enjoy. It makes a wonderful martini and gin and tonic. It’s an overall solid gin. Its list price is $33.99, which puts it in the same price range as other premium gins I enjoy.