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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!

Blood and Sand

Stevi — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:59:24 +0000

The Blood and Sand is a classic example of a recipe you shouldn’t judge without tasting.

Blood and Sand

Blood and Sand

1 ounces blended Scotch whisky
1 ounces orange juice
0.75 ounces cherry brandy (Cherry Heering or Cherry Marnier)
0.75 ounces sweet vermouth

Shake all ingredients well and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with orange twist or brandied cherry.

This recipe doesn’t look like it could possibly work. And yet it does, and when well balanced, it works very, very well. The scotch is strong enough to stand up to the cherry brandy and sweet vermouth, while the orange juice gives a nice balance throughout.

This is frequently given as an equal parts recipe (as it is in the BarSmarts workbook), but I find that version too sweet and heavy. Increasing the Scotch and orange juice creates a nice blend of flavors, allowing the Scotch to show itself without overpowering the whole drink.

While I frequently double strain orange juice cocktails, I like how the pulp gives the “sand” look to this drink.

This cocktail packs a lot of flavor punch, while being relatively mild in terms of alcohol; Cherry Heering is 24% ABV/48 proof.

I haven’t yet seen the namesake 1922 movie, which is based on a novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez in which Valentino plays a bullfighter who rises to the top, marries is sweetheart, has an affair, and dies in the arena. Nor have I seen the 1941 Tyrone Power remake. I hadn’t even heard of the 1989 remake staring Sharon Stone as the mistress. I shall put at least the Valentino original on my Netflix list, and will be sure to sip a delightful Scotch cocktail while viewing it.

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!

MxMo XLV: Tea — Firenze

Stevi — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:27:06 +0000

It’s Mixology Monday yet again.¹ This month is being hosted by Frederic & Co. over at Cocktail Virgin Slut, and our topic is tea. Fred’s instructions:

Find or concoct a drink recipe that uses tea or tisane (a herbal “tea” which lacks tea leaves) as an ingredient. This can be hot tea, cold tea, tea syrups, or infusions and use it in a cocktail, punch, or other drink type. Be careful how long you infuse them (after 2 hours, things get really bitter!) if you go that route, and feel free to take a shortcut and use Beefeater 24 which has tea already in the botanical mix.

Firenze

My excuse for being late is that I was out doing research.² A few days ago I was at Coho Café and took a glance at their newest cocktail menu. The latest menu has some nice additions, including a bourbon rickey, that I look forward to trying.

Bartender Steve Shabro brought my attention to one of his drinks on the menu, the Firenze, which combines Earl Grey tea, Tuaca, and agave nectar. Earl Grey is one of my favorite teas. I love the scent of bergamot wafting out of my cup.

Firenze

1.5 ounces Tuaca
agave nectar (sub honey)
6 ounces Earl Grey tea

make a nice strong Earl Grey tea. Add Tuaca and agave nectar to taste. Stir, garnish with orange twist.

With the only alcohol coming from Tuaca, which is 70 proof (35% ABV), this is a pretty light take on a classic toddy. It’s very tasty, too. The tea can take a lot of sweetness. The agave nectar works well here as an additional sweetener, blending nicely with the other flavors. The orange in the Tuaca is a natural accompaniment to the bergamot in the tea, creating a smooth flavor profile.

Definitely a nice take on the tea ritual, and one I’ll add to my hot toddy rotation.

Thanks to Frederic for a great topic. Be sure to stop by Cocktail Virgin Slut for the full write up, as well as a constant stream of great cocktail recipes!

[1] Well, OK, I am a little late. Let’s call it Tipsy Tuesday³
[2] That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!
[3] AD: Kaite McGrew⁴
[4] AD — Attribution, Dammit!

MxMo XLIV: Money Drinks — Vanilla Whiskey Royale

Stevi — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:59:13 +0000

Mixology Monday is here again, and this month is being hosted by one of my favorite Seattle bartenders, Kevin Langmack.¹ Kevin has given us the theme of Money Drinks. We had two directions we could go. First:

A “Money” drink is something you can put in front of anyone, regardless of tastes or distastes about the spirits involved. Come up with a drink or a list based on spirits about drinks that would appeal to anyone. example: turning someone onto a Corpse Reviver #2 when they like lemon drops.

And second:

Drinks that you upgrade to the ne plus ultra: cocktails that for whatever reason (holiday, birthday, old friends come to visit, or just because you feel like it) you upgrade to superior; for example, taking your normal Sazerac with Rittenhouse and Herbsaint and, for a special occasion, turning it into a supreme-o Sazerac by breaking out the Thomas Handy Rye and the Jade Edouard absinthe. Due to the higher cost involved, and the spectacular results that should (hopefully) be found in the glass, this could also qualify as a “Money Drink”.

Vanilla Whiskey Royale

I hate it when the MxMo announcement post names the drink I’d most want to use, and in this case, Kevin hit my first choice for both versions. I have seen more than one “gin hater” realize the beauty of the spirit upon their first sip of a well-made Corpse Reviver #2. And one of my favorite recent indulgent cocktails was a Staggerac – a Sazerac made with George T. Stagg whiskey.

The path of the ne plus ultra appealed more to me. We spirit geeks will often declaim that some expressions are just too precious to mix with. And then we give in, and make an old fashioned with a great sipping rum like Zaya Gran Reserva. After all, a drink is only as good as its constituent parts.

I had the good fortune to time my first ever trip to Portland this past weekend during the annual House Spirits Booze Bazaar, and got to taste their three whiskeys. I couldn’t resist picking up a bottle of the whiskey in both the full cask strength (56.79% ABV/113.58 proof) and the subtler 44.99% ABV/89.86 proof version.² I’ll be saving the cask strength for sipping, but couldn’t wait to mix with the whiskey.

When I think of luxe drinks, champagne immediately comes to mind. Sparkling wine can make a simple combination like white wine and creme de cassis into a great sip like the kir royale. And while the Seelbach is the current newly rediscovered classic whiskey and champagne cocktail, I wanted to try something that let the whiskey express itself directly.

I ran across a recipe that called for a bourbon champagne cocktail that replaces the sugar and Angostura bitters of the classic with vanilla syrup. But why use syrup? I decided to try Navan vanilla liqueur instead.

I tried various combinations of too clever by half names, but decided to go with the most simple.

Vanilla Whiskey Royale

1 ounce whiskey (House Spirits Whiskey)
1/2 ounce Navan vanilla liqueur
champagne

pour whiskey and Navan in champagne flute, top with champagne. Sip contentedly in front of a fire with purring cat on lap.

This drink has the advantage of being incredibly delicious while being super easy to make. And so very luxurious.

Thanks to Kevin for a great topic. Be sure to check out Beers in the Shower for the round up post!

[1] despite the fact that to date, I haven’t actually had him make me a drink yet. Must remedy that. Off to Tavern Law…or Spur…or Sun…the man can be found at some great bars!
[2] I realized after getting through the whole line and getting outside that I failed to buy the white dog as well.

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.

Mount Gay Extra Old Rum

Stevi — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:32:28 +0000

This Thursday, April 9, Thursday Drink Night will be sponsored by Mount Gay Extra Old Rum, and I received a sample bottle to prepare for the event.

Milanese Sailor

Mount Gay Distilleries holds the distinction of being the oldest rum in the world, with documentation of rum production at the Mount Gay estate dating to February 20, 1703.

The Extra Old is perhaps the most distinguished product of Mount Gay Rums. The rum is blended from the distillery’s aged spirits reserve, and has a maturity of 12-17 years. The rums have been aged in 200 liter charred oak barrels. By using smaller barrels, there is more surface area relative to the rum, and there is a marked oak flavor in the finished product.

On the nose, Extra Old is redolent and rich of oak and molasses, with a hint of cocoa. Straight, it is far more dry than I expected given the nose. The oakiness is there, and the chocolate, as well as some coffee notes. This rum is 86 proof (43% ABV), but the extra alcohol doesn’t provide any extra sting.

I had read that a lot of people enjoy this as a sipping rum, so I was expecting a bit more body to this. For me, while a fine, flavorful rum, this won’t edge out Ron Zacapa Centenario or Ron Zaya in my heart when it comes to sipping.

But while I am loathe to mix with either of those Guatemalan beauties, to me the Mount Gay Extra Old begs to be mixed with.

I’m certain I could happily stick with mai tais and daiquiris and never regret a single drop, but I need to get into the mood for TDN.

What first came to mind was bringing out that chocolate flavor by adding some crème de cacao. But I didn’t want to create a heavy, sweet dessert drink.

On a hunch, I picked up the Amaro Ramazzotti. Ramazzotti is one of my favorite amari. I think it blends well with the MGXO.

Given that Ramazzotti is from Milan, and Mount Gay has a long association with sailing, I dubbed the drink the Milanese Sailor.

Milanese Sailor

1.5 oz Mount Gay Extra Old
0.75 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
0.25 oz crème de cacao

Stir over ice and strain into rocks filled ice glass. Would also be great as a swizzle.

Think you can do better? Be sure to join us for TDN this week and submit your new cocktail featuring Mount Gay Extra Old.

Bulleit Bourbon

Stevi — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:52:12 +0000

Bulleit Bourbon is a modern take on an old recipe. The modern product started in 1987, when Tom Bulleit attempted to recreate his great-great-grandfather’s bourbon recipe. By all accounts, the result is a great tasting bourbon. It’s long been a favorite of mine. When I received a box with a full bottle and two logo glasses, I felt compelled to post to Twitter a thank you for the care package.

Bulleit Bourbon Daisy

Bulleit is one of the more rye-like Bourbons out there, having approximately 30% rye in its mash bill. It’s still smooth enough to be a bourbon, but the rye gives it a peppery forward quality that makes it a great mixing whiskey. At 90 proof (45% ABV), it also packs a little extra punch.

On the nose, Bulleit lets you know that it is aged in oak barrels. On the tongue, the rye asserts itself in a playful way, along with some notes of apples and vanilla. I definitely enjoy Bulleit on the rocks, but I really like to use it for making great drinks. It should not be surprising that it tastes great in those cocktails where either rye or bourbon is called for, such as a Manhattan or Old Fashioned.

I’ve been trying to expand my horizons lately by going through my steadily increasing cocktail book collection to find new drinks. Tonight I was paging through Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Bartenders’ Manual, a late 1800′s guide recently reprinted by Mud Puddle Books. Looking at the whiskey drinks, I found his take on the whiskey daisy, and gave it a try. Below is my adjusted version of his drink.

Whiskey Daisy

2 oz bourbon whiskey (Bulleit Bourbon)
0.5 oz yellow Chartreuse
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 generous spritz of soda water

Mix all ingredients over ice, and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with fruit if it strikes your fancy.

I removed the sugar he called for as the yellow Chartreuse was plenty sweet enough, and upped the citrus for the same reason. The resulting cocktail has an unexpected mint aftertaste, which I’ve never noted in Chartreuse before, but will see if I find elsewhere. A fun twist on bourbon, and one I’ll try again, although it won’t replace the Manhattan as my favorite whiskey drink.

At $27 a bottle with taxes in Washington State, I think Bulleit Bourbon is a great deal. I find it a great go-to choice, and recommend it often as an affordable quality bourbon. While I can’t always justify the price of Woodford or Ridgemont Reserve for mixing, it doesn’t take me much to feel like a bottle of Bulleit is worth the cost.