Keep it Simple - The Bloody Mary

Sorry, dear Reader. . . I sometimes lapse into Stream of Consciousness writing.  I did describe how I simplified my dry martini.  Now for a few words about the Bloody.

On the face of it, "simplifying" might mean just pouring your vodka or gin into a glass, then adding a dollop of a commercially made Bloody Mary mix.  Not so.  It's not the number of bottles on your shelf, but the ingredients in that mix, that make it overly complex.  For the most part, Bloody Mary mixes are - to me, at least - not much more than tomato flavored salt, with some heat.  And because these bottles of mix remain on the shelves for some time, they contain things that help make them seem fresh, and so that the semisolids don't separate.  So consider getting away from a complexity that you don't need.

My personal preference in this genre is the Red Snapper (or Ruddy Mary), the gin version of the Bloody Mary.  But whether you prefer vodka or gin, consider this:  Into a mixing glass, place your preferred spirits, tomato juice, a squeeze of lemon juice, a dash of hot sauce (PLEASE don't make your Bloodys so hot and spicy that it dominates the flavor!), and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.  That's all. Mix and enjoy.  It may take a few moments to appreciate the utter simplicity of this mixture, now that it doesn't contain celery salt, habanero peppers, minced clams, horseradish or other accouterments. If you use vodka, don't opt for a top-shelf brand.  It will be lost in a Bloody Mary, anyway.  If you choose gin, select one with a noticeable juniper infusion.

Come up with your own simplifications. The idea of good cocktails is to savor the flavor and to socialize.

Keeping it Simple. Keeping it Real.

Most of you who follow this occasional cocktail blog know me as a classic cocktail purist.  I do add the drop or two of Fee's Orange Bitters to my dry GIN martini; I believe that blended whiskey is a far better choice for making Manhattans; and I know that Bloody Marys are best made fresh, and not from any mix - no matter how "authentic" they claim to be.  But there are times when simplicity is best, a rule that applies to life and to cocktails.

The other day, I set out to make my personal favorite - a dry martini.  I put the cocktail glass into the freezer, I filled my martini pitcher with ice, set out the bottle of orange bitters, and I got the olives (plural) ready.  But in a last-minute change of heart, I removed the glass from the freezer, emptied all but two or three ice cubes from the pitcher, put away the bitters and exchanged the olives, for a freshly-cut strip of lemon peel.  You see, even though each of those special effects was still "classic," I wanted to simplify even more.  And the result was spectacular!  With a room temperature glass and far fewer ice cubes, the martini wasn't ice cold. . . so I actually GOT to taste the botanicals in the gin and dry vermouth.  And what can be distracting for the palate, the olives and bitters turned out to be better omitted now and then.

There seems to be such an emphasis on complexity, these days.  Wines with complex "levels" of aromas and flavors; bourbons that have complex oak and caramel "notes" (Gee, I hate that word!), and beers/ales with complex malt backbones or hop infusions.  But it's simplicity that helps us appreciate cocktails (and other drinks), because it encourages our taste buds and olfactory cells to SEARCH for flavor, instead of drowning them with complexity.  Don't believe me?  Think of this, for a moment: You're more likely to enjoy the real flavor of a piece of filet mignon, when it's just simply grilled, than when it's wrapped in bacon, sauteed in garlic and placed over burning mesquite.  It's not that those other flavors aren't pleasant, but it's when the palate gets to sample all the natural flavors inherent in the meat, that the enjoyment follows.

Seek simplicity.  And you don't need to do it regularly.  But now and then, give complexity a rest, and enjoy the "ahhhhhhhh" of the simple things in life.

Bar Shortcuts

Mixology is a wonderful hobby, pastime or way to enjoy adult beverages.  But we can't always have everything on hand.  Here are several short cuts to save you time (or money).

Sour mix: While not a fan of sour mix (I'd rather make my own, from scratch), it does save time.  But what if you're OUT of sour mix?  Crystal Light fills the bill.  Take a good, rounded teaspoonful for each drink, place it into the shaker or blender, along with about the same amount of water for each.  Add your spirits and blend, stir, or shake.  Voila!  A Crystal Light Tom Collins, for example:  1 tsp Crystal Light Lemonade powder, a tsp of water, 2 oz gin, and shake.  Pour into a highball glass and add a splash of club soda.

Pernod/Absinthe:  I once ran out of Pernod, after promising myself a Sazerac.  But I did have a bottle of anisette liqueur on hand.  So my ersatz (substitute) Sazerac was made this way:  1 tsp anisette liqueur, 2 oz rye whiskey, and a dash of Peychaud's Bitters. 

Good bartenders (home and professional) need to be good at having a "Plan B," as well.  Out of Peychaud's Bitters?  Use Angostura - not as good, but it works.

Rose's to the Rescue:  I wanted to make a daiquiri but had no fresh (or bottled) lime juice, nor did I have any simple syrup.  However, I did have a bottle of Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice.  My Rose's Daiquiri was 2 oz Bacardi Superior Rum, 2 oz Rose's Lime Juice, a dash of lemon juice (for acidity). . .and it worked!

You get the idea:  In a pinch, be resourceful.  Be creative.  I'm a cocktail purist, by nature - and experience - but when I'm in a bind, I get creative.  And who knows?  You might discover something new.

I was wondering one day, what rum and orange juice would taste like.  Here I was, thinking I had created something new. . . then I found that I rediscovered a drink called the Scurvy Medic (also the Cuban Screw).  I wasn't let down - I felt pretty good about it.

The Cubanita

When I think of rum, I think of summer.  Not sure why, but perhaps it’s the image of fields of sugar cane, waving in tropical breezes, and enjoying some of my favorite cocktails on my deck, as the summer sun slowly sinks low over my neighbor’s newly shingled roof. . .

Kidding aside, rum isn't just daiquiris or colorful umbrella drinks.  It’s a really refreshing variation on some of our favorite classics. One of my favorites is the Cubanita.

The Cubanita

The Cubanita is the rum variation of the Bloody Mary.  Because rum is a flavorful spirit, keep this variation simple.

2 oz Bacardi Superior (white rum)

4 oz Tomato juice

Dash Tabasco (or cayenne pepper)

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Dash Lemon juice

Pinch of black pepper and salt

Place the ingredients in tall glass with ice, and stir.  I’ve purposely omitted the horseradish, but that’s a personal preference.  Instead of making this from scratch, feel free to use your favorite Bloody Mary mix, for convenience.  Try to choose one that’s balanced and not overly spicy.  Garnish a Cubanita any way you like.  My personal preference is a nice wedge of lemon or lime, a slice of bacon, or a spicy, crunchy pickled okra.  

The Gibson

On the surface of it, the Gibson appears to be merely a dry martini with a cocktail onion garnish, instead of an olive or lemon peel.  But as the olive gives a certain character to a dry martini, the cocktail onion - a GOOD cocktail onion - will make all the difference in producing a perfect Gibson.

First, a little background. The most frequently offered story on the Gibson attributes its name to the famous illustrator who challenged a bartender to improve on the martini.  But that particular story is unlikely.  More likely is that the prominent San Francisco businessman Walter D. K. Gibson (1864–1938), was said to have created it at the Bohemian Club in the 1890s.

Whatever the backstory, here's where I make the distinction between the martini and the Gibson:  Shaking.  As for martinis, I say, "stir, stir, stir."  For some reason, a stirred Gibson (to me) never quite makes the grade.  So I fill my impeccably clean stainless steel shaker about 2/3 full of ice, add the ingredients and shake it for a good 60 seconds.  Then I strain it into a chilled cocktail glass and add its signature garnish.

Like all cocktail bloggers, I have my preferences and opinions.  I prefer the larger cocktail onions, to the tiny pearl onions often prescribed in bar recipes.  Why?  Because the smaller onions tend to be fragile, and simply passing a cocktail skewer through them, generally causes them to begin peeling and disintegrating.  The larger onions are far more sturdy.  The ones most commonly seen in liquor stores and supermarkets are the "Tipsy Onions," which are stored in a bit of brine and a little dry vermouth.  The Tipsy brand are too sweet for me.  If you can find the cocktail onions made my Silver Palate, try those.  If they're too sweet for you, dump the pickling liquid and replace it with fresh, white vinegar (or if you prefer, you may use any simple brine used for pickles - stay away from the dill brine).  Here's how I make my Gibson:

The Gibson

3 oz Dry gin (I prefer Beefeater - it's not too heavy in juniper or botanicals)

1 oz Dry vermouth

2 Cocktail onions

Place gin and vermouth into a shaker filled 2/3 with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with two, skewered cocktail onions.  If you like the taste of orange bitters, feel free to add a few drops to the shaker, before you add your ingredients; or you can twist a lemon peel over the Gibson, before you add your garnish.

News You Can Use

This entry isn't about a cocktail, but about the "stuff" we use to MAKE cocktails.  If you have any personal pride as a mixologist, then certain things have to be a part of your way of doing things:

• Cleanliness.  It's not a habit or a tradition, that bartenders are always wiping the bar, cleaning or drying glassware or putting things in order behind the bar.  Lots goes on in that space.  And anything from plain vodka, to sugary, sticky fruit juices or simple syrup can splash on the bar.  When you reach for a maraschino cherry, you want them to be there, and you shouldn't have to fish around for an olive, to complete a dry martini.  So clean, clean, clean.

• Glassware:  You can fnd the names of the different barware pieces anywhere on the internet.  But the one piece I need to straighten out is the cocktail glass.  There technically is no such thing, as a "martini glass."  The cone-shaped, stemmed glass in which a dry martini is served, is a COCKTAIL GLASS.

• Martini:  A Martini is a cocktail made with dry gin (or vodka) and dry vermouth.  A Cosmo is NOT a martini, nor is a chocolate cocktail a martini.  Let's do this again:  MARTINI = GIN OR VODKA + DRY VERMOUTH.  Period.  (And as long as I'm on the subject, the martini was NOT named for the vermouth.  It is a distant cousin of the Martinez Cocktail, a sweet, pre-Prohibition version originally made with Old Tom Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Maraschino liqueur).

• Fruit garnishes:  Generally, citrus garnishes are applied as the cocktail is served.  It can be a peel, shave, wheel, half-wheel, or wedge.  A peel is made by THINLY peeling just the colored part of the citrus peel, from the fruit.  A wheel is a thin slice cut crossways, and a half wheel is self explanatory.  Technically, bartenders refer to ANY garnish as a "fruit."  So a "dry martini, no fruit" would mean a dry martini without an olive (or perhaps even a lemon peel).

• Stir or Shake:  If you're making a dry martini, the answer is STIR.  Shaking makes a very cold martini, but it shakes air bubbles into the drink, and tiny shards of ice make the drink look odd.  Stirring also allows the requisite amount of ice to melt (about an ounce) into the drink, taking the sharp edge off.  The ONLY - repeat ONLY - martini shaken, rather than stirred, is the Vesper, which James Bond created in Casino Royale.  It contains gin, vodka and Lillet and - as per his instructions - is shaken until very cold.  Then, it's served in a champagne coupe and garnished with a "thick peel of lemon."

• Builds:  Builds are drinks that are neither shaken nor stirred.  You "build" them, right in the glass.  A Bloody Mary is one.  An Old Fashioned is another, and so is a Caipirinha (most mixologists build these, some shake).

Dead Reckoning. . . The Ramos Gin Fizz

I first heard about the Ramos Gin Fizz, while watching one of my favorite 40's film noir offerings: Dead Reckoning (1947).  Lovely Lizabeth Scott's character seemed to really like this tall cocktail, and because I wasn't awfully interested in mixology in my mid to late twenties, I let it slip by.  But there was something about this drink that intrigued me, and when I became a cocktail blogger, I re-discovered this drink, while researching classic cocktails.  And this is a CLASSIC!

Way before Lizabeth Scott's character sat across from Humphrey Bogart's character in Dead Reckoning, the Ramos Gin Fizz had been a classic for decades.  Because mixology is about folklore, I'll share the backstory about this absolutely DELICIOUS drink:

The Ramos Gin Fizz was created by Henry C. Ramos in 1888, in his New Orleans bar, where it was originally called a New Orleans Fizz. Before Prohibition, labor was not expensive, and the Ramos brothers could afford to hire more than a dozen men to shake these drinks, during heavy bar times. The Ramos Gin Fizz was so popular, that it was still difficult for them to keep up with the orders. As time went on, the focus changed from a quality drink made for a valued customer, to a quickly made drink that could be easily provided to a crowd.  However, the Ramos Gin Fizz is still made in bars and hotels, but very few outside of New Orleans.  NOLA has a well established reputation for taking the time needed, to give the customer a quality cocktail - no matter how complicated.  The Sazerac is proof of that.

The attraction of this classic cocktail is about its consistency and unique taste.  As you look at the recipe and the preparation, you'll see how important it is to get the components right. . . and to shake, shake, shake to get the right mouth feel.  Here's how I make mine:

Ramos Gin Fizz

2 oz dry gin (Some recipes recommend Old Tom [sweet] gin)

1/2 oz Lime juice

1/2 oz Lemon juice

1-1/2 oz Simple syrup

2 oz Heavy cream

1 PASTEURIZED egg white*  (I recommend using Frothee, if you do NOT have pasteurized egg whites)

2 dashes Orange Flower Water**

Club soda

Into a cocktail shaker WITHOUT ICE, place all the ingredients EXCEPT FOR the club soda.  Dry shake (NO ICE) for one minute.  Add cracked ice, then shake HARD for at least another two minutes.  Strain into a highball glass containing a splash of club soda.  Garnish with a lemon peel, lime peel, orange peel, OR a sprig of mint.  Pop in a straw and PLEASE don't gulp this one down.  It's light and interesting, and from a mixologist's point of view, this is a gentle feather stroke on the cheek, compared with the slap in the face of a piña colada.

* Any number of cocktail recipes include an egg white.  Keep in mind that these recipes were created back when eggs were not an issue.  IF AND ONLY IF - repeat: IF AND ONLY IF - you can get PASTEURIZED egg whites, include it in the recipe.  Most supermarkets carry cartons of PASTEURIZED egg whites.  Keep them refrigerated.  You may also use powdered egg whites.  And I heartily recommend a product called Frothee, which has NO egg white but makes a very nice froth.

**  For many/most of you, orange flower water may be a strange ingredient, for ANY purpose.  I grew up in an Italian American home, and orange flower water was part of the recipe for the annual Grain Pie at Easter (Pizza Grano).  This was made with cooked wheat, eggs, ricotta cheese, sugar and a dash of orange flower water.  But don't look in a liquor store for this.  You're more likely to find it in a large supermarket or in a specialty store, with the baking items.  If you can't find it, I would recommend using a grating of orange peel.  But DO try to get the orange flower water.

Papa Doble Plus One: A Summer Celebration

Ahh, summer.  Its arrival is heralded by longer days, shady decks and patios, and an occupied hammock.  And when summer gets here, I think immediately of two great drinks that can make long, pleasant evenings with friends just a bit more pleasant:  The Papa Doble and the Salty Dog.

  

Ernest “Papa” Hemingway was said to have been fond of his cocktails, from the Bloody Mary, to the Classic Martini, to his own special version of the daiquiri, known to his friends and favorite bartender as the Papa Doble.  Hemingway, of course, was known as “Papa,” and his reputation for enjoying doubles of his daiquiri gave this cocktail its name.  To me, this is THE Summer Cocktail, and here’s how I make mine:

The Papa Doble

2 oz Bacardi White Rum

Juice of ½ lime

1 oz Grapefruit juice

Dash Luxardo maraschino liqueur

I create mine as a “build.” I just add them to an Old Fashioned Glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with a lime wedge.  The “official” way (if there is one) is to place the ingredients and cracked ice into a shaker, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  It’s summer, so it’s your choice.

TIP:  If you prefer pink (ruby red) grapefruit juice, go right ahead.  Summer is about having it your way!

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Somewhere back in the late Forties, the Brownsville Herald mentions a drink that “replaces the salt sweated out in torrid Texas summers.”  This summer classic was the great alternative to the screwdriver, and it’s known as the Salty Dog.  To me, the Salty Dog is far more interesting than mere vodka and orange juice, and it’s a nice way to break the ice at the start of summer gatherings. . . or when you just want to kick back and relax with friends.

The Salty Dog

2 oz Gin

3 oz Grapefruit juice

Pinch of salt

Place all the ingredients into a shaker with cracked ice, shake, then strain into a highball or Old Fashioned glass.  You may rim the highball glass with salt, if you wish.  Garnish with a slice of lime and serve with a straw.  Personally, I make mine as a build, just adding the ingredients to a glass with ice, giving it a stir and adding a straw.

TIP:  Without any salt, this cocktail becomes a Greyhound.  So if you’re watching your sodium, a Greyhound may be a good alternative.  For those who prefer pink grapefruit juice (a bit sweeter and more colorful than white grapefruit juice), fear not!  Mixology is all about creating what YOU like.  So use ruby red grapefruits or pink grapefruit juice and enjoy.

The Scurvy Medic

Before you head to Google, to find out what this is, let me just tell you that there really isn't much of a backstory to this cocktail.  It's really just the rum alternative to the screwdriver.  Also called the Cuban Screw, the Scurvy Medic is simply rum and orange juice, with a dash of lime juice.

The Scurvy Medic

2 oz Bacardi Superior (white rum)
4 oz Orange juice
Dash of lime juice

Put all the ingredients into an Old Fashioned glass, add an ice cube and give it a stir.  For my taste, I also like to add a good dash of Peychaud's Bitters.  When you serve, garnish with a lime wedge.

The Bacardi Cocktail

As summer approaches, it’s difficult not to think of rum drinks, many of which are fairly recent additions to mixology, especially since the rise of spiced rum.  And many rum drinks arrive with the inevitable umbrella and pineapple garnish. But my approach has always been to get back to basics, and there are few classic rum cocktails as basic as the Bacardi Cocktail.  This is a classic that’s as perfect for a patio get-together, as it is for an indoor dining-room supper.

As the name implies, this drink is – or was – to be made with Bacardi rum.  In fact, in 1936 Bacardi took the matter to court.  Bars became vulnerable to a lawsuit, if they used any rum other than Bacardi, to make a Bacardi Cocktail.

I make mine this way:

The Bacardi Cocktail

1 jigger of Bacardi Rum (I prefer Bacardi Superior)

Juice of 1 lime (strained, to remove pulp)

1 tsp Grenadine syrup

Into a cocktail shaker, place the rum, lime juice and grenadine, with cracked ice.  Shake rapidly and strain into a chilled cocktail (martini) glass.  Garnish is optional but, if you wish, feel free to drop in a maraschino cherry.  My personal preference is a thin slice of lime floated on top or at the edge of the glass.

The Bitter Truth

For several years, the popularity of what I call “Bar Bitters” has skyrocketed.  Once unobtainable, ingredients like orange bitters (a drop or two makes a classic dry martini even MORE classic!) and Peychaud’s bitters (an essential for the classic Sazerac) are now far more available.  But before orange bitters or Peychaud’s bitters was a staple for any bar, there was Angostura bitters.  Aside from being used in the Old Fashioned and in the classic Manhattan, Angostura bitters have been part of at least two drinks popular in Britain and parts of the British Empire.  Here are my favorites:

Pink Gin

So called, because a drop of Angostura lends its pink color to the aromatic gin, this is NOT the same sweet, bubble-gum pink created by the addition of Grenadine.  Popular many years ago, a Pink Gin was considered a classic – and classy – afternoon cocktail.  Here’s how to make one:

2 oz Chilled dry gin

Angostura bitters

Lemon shaving

Into a chilled, small cocktail glass, place several dashes of Angostura bitters, swirl to coat the inside of the glass, and discard.  Add the chilled gin, then twist the lemon shaving (Use a peeler to remove a thin, 1-inch long piece of peel) and drop it in the glass. 

Rum and Bitters

During a visit to Peter Island (British Virgin Islands) years ago, I chartered a half-day inshore fishing trip.  I did well (except that a barracuda took half of a yellowtail I had caught), and after we docked, the boat’s owner and I had a drink at the bar of the Peter Island Yacht Club.  He ordered for both of us, and that’s where I first tasted a  Rum and Bitters.  It’s a terrific summer cocktail, and it’s deceptively simple to make:

2 oz Bacardi Gold

Angostura bitters

Lime wedge

Place two or three ice cubes Into an Old Fashioned glass, then ONE dash of Angostura bitters and the rum.  Stir once or twice and garnish with the lime wedge.

We docked, just as the sky broke loose, in one of those quick Caribbean cloudbursts.  Getting in, under cover of the bar, and enjoying a Rum & Bitters was as good as it gets!

Sake – Not Just for Sushi, Any More

When I mention sake (Japanese rice wine) as a cocktail ingredient, I often get looks of surprise.  Since its introduction to the West, sake has been linked almost solely with sushi, Japanese hibachi cuisine and things Asian.  But it can also be a remarkably light but flavorful cocktail component.  But first a few words. . . a very few words . . . about sake.

Sake is a wine brewed from rice.  It’s “brewed,” because it comes from grain.  There are many different types of sake, and a wide range of prices – especially for the premium varieties - but the ones used in cocktails don’t need to be sophisticated.  In Japan, sake is more often consumed chilled, rather than heated, as we often see in restaurants.  Sake on the rocks is a clean-tasting aperitif, and there’s no need to make a fuss over the “proper” way to consume sake, when it’s used in cocktails.  So here goes:

Sake on the Rocks

2 oz Sake

Pour over ice and garnish with cucumber slices or a wedge of lime. 

 

The Sake Martini

2 oz Dry gin (or vodka, if you prefer)

½ oz Sake

Cucumber for garnish

Place the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a thin spear of cucumber or a sprig of dill.

Tip: Using sake, instead of dry vermouth reduces the amount of botanicals (herb flavoring) in a martini, leaving the cocktail with a cleaner taste.  Dry vermouth can seem heavy, by comparison.

The Bloody Maru

2 oz Sake

6 oz Tomato juice

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Juice of ½ lemon

Cucumber spear for garnish

Tip:  Sake has a unique, light flavor that goes so well with the other ingredients – perhaps far better than vodka does.  For a more Asian feel, use a dash of soy sauce, instead of Worcestershire.  Or feel free to use a TINY (that’s T-I-N-Y) bit of prepared wasabi, instead of cayenne pepper.  Mixology is about experimenting with flavors and combinations.

Sazerac - A New Orleans Classic

The Sazerac

The Sazerac is classic and classy.  But don't expect your favorite watering hole to know what a Sazerac is ("I've heard of them.  What are they?") or how to make one.  And chances are, they don't have the ingredients.  So the pleasant burden of continuing tradition remains with the home mixologist.

First, a mixologists’ secret:  It’s not necessary, to remember all the recipes for all the cocktails you’re interested in.  If you’ve ever made a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, you can make a Sazerac, which uses rye instead of blended whiskey, adds a dash of absinthe and slightly different bitters.

 

The Traditional Sazerac

2 oz Sazerac Rye

1 tsp Utrafine sugar or simple syrup

Dash Peychaud’s Bitters

Absinthe

Take two rocks glasses, and place ice into one, to chill the glass.  Into the other, place the sugar, bitters, and rye whiskey.  Muddle the bitters and sugar, then swirl to mix.  Empty the ice out of the chilled glass, and add some absinthe.  Swirl to coat the inside of the glass, then pour out the excess absinthe.  Now pour the whiskey mixture into the chilled, absinthe-coated glass, twist a lemon peel over the top, and drop it in the cocktail.

If you find it difficult to obtain Sazerac Rye, ask your spirits seller for another good brand of rye.  Instead of absinthe, I use Pernod, because it’s more available and more reasonably priced.  And Peychaud’s Bitters – although distinctive in flavor – also may not be available.  But Angostura will suffice.  If you enjoy this New Orleans specialty, you can always invest in the traditional ingredients.

A Family Drink - The Shirley Temple

As I write this, the world mourns the death of Shirley Temple Black, whose love affair with the American public began decades ago, with her wonderful films as a child actress.  What's all this got to do with cocktails?  Well, one of the most famous "family drinks" for many years, has been the Shirley Temple, a refreshing and delicious non-alcohol "cocktail."

Make one for yourself today - to honor the memory of that little girl who so brightened our lives, with her smile, dancing and singing.  And who served the United States in a diplomatic capacity later on in life.  Here's how I make one:


Shirley Temple
3 oz Lemon-lime soda
3 oz Ginger ale
Dash of Grenadine
Maraschino cherry

Into a tumbler containing ice, add the ingredients and give it a gentle stir.  Add the cherry, pop in a straw, and enjoy!

A Departure for Me

I'm not taken to sweet drinks, but this is a very pleasant cocktail for the warmer months.  As I write this, snow is covering our yard, and it's in the low 20's.  But you have to think ahead, in the Cocktail Game.

I discovered this last year, after getting a bit weary of the somewhat complicated classic cocktails I'd been experimenting with - things like the Sazerac.  All I wanted was something simple and refreshing.  And this fills the bill.  I've made a minor alteration, but not in the taste.

If you haven't tried one, give the Fuzzy Navel a go.  The name is derived from its ingredients: Peach schnapps (peach = peach fuzz = Fuzzy) and orange juice (a Navel is an orange).  Here's how I make mine:

The Fuzzy Navel
2 oz Peach Schnapps
2 oz Orange juice
1 Tsp lemon juice
Splash of soda water

Place the ingredients into an Old Fashioned glass containing ice.  Stir gently, add straw and enjoy! (Garnish optional.)

Don't Look Down Your Nose. . . at Blended Spirits

Trends, trends, trends. . .one of the most recent trends in spirits is looking down one's nose - WAY down - on blended spirits (whiskies).  When I was a cashier in the liquor business, I saw many a customer express his/her preference for single-malt scotches and single-barrel bourbons.  I often wondered if part of that preference weren't based on the significantly higher prices for these single-whatevers.

I go back a few years.  Way back, in fact.  I drank scotch and other whiskies with my father, grandfather and uncles.  They all drank BLENDED whiskies, they were just fine.  But that's not the whole story.  Whiskies are blended, to give the best possible flavor, by taking a mixture of different whiskies with favorable qualities.  And like the single-whatevers, the aging brings out even greater qualities.

Am I against single-whatevers?  Ab
solutely NOT!  I love single-malt scotches and was introduced to them before they became popular.  I remember drinking Laphroaig and Red Hackle (no longer available) and enjoying them.  I have nothing against the single-whatevers.  My approach is to enjoy whiskies, if you like them and NOT to look down my nose on blended whiskies, because the social and marketing pressures are toward single-malt and single-barrel whiskies.  If you choose to drink a whiskey, choose it because you like it, and not because it's trendy.  I don't like "trendy," because it invariably ends up being a synonym for "snobby."

And I should share something else with you.  [looking around]  I occasionally put my whiskies ON ICE.  Few whiskies are as satisfying to me, as those that I enjoy on the rocks.  So lift up your sights and avoid looking down your nose, when it comes to blended whiskies.

Mixology - It's Flexibility that Counts

Negroni

Like most creative people, bartenders hesitate to divulge secrets. . . and relish in the thought that so many people would love to know how to do what they do.  But like cooking, many recipes are adaptable - and adapted - from some other basic formula.

One "basic" cocktail is the Americano, an equal combination of sweet vermouth and Campari, with a dash of Angostura added.

A Professor Negroni walks into a bar (no, this is not a joke) and asks the bartender to make his daily  Americano a bit more interesting.  So the bartender adds a third component (gin), and the Negroni was born.

Recently, bartenders have begun to swap rye whiskey for the gin in a Negroni, leading to what some call a "Flaming Heart."

And if you don't like Campari and leave it out, you get almost shockingly close to a. . .[wait for it] . . Manhattan.

Mixology isn't so much about secret recipes, or even the wonderful folklore that goes with classic cocktails.  It's about being open to substitutions, changes and experimenting with different components.
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Caipirinha

Swap gin for the usual vodka in a Bloody Mary, and you get a Red Snapper.  You see?  And if you tinker around enough, you'll even find out that some of your experiments have "made it big" years before, as classic cocktails.
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Swap tequila for rum in a daiquiri, and you come close to a Margarita.  Swap rum for bourbon in a Mint Julep, and you come pretty close to a Mojito.  Swap cachaca for rum in a Mojito, and you come pretty close to a Caipirinha.

And swap scotch for blended whiskey or bourbon in a Manhattan, and you end up with a Rob Roy!


It's all about flexibility.

The Sidecar - A hint of days gone by

A Sidecar for the Holidays - Memories of Days Gone By

Vintage cocktails are all about bringing back memories of great times with friends and family . . . and for the cocktail aficionado, memories of great - and classic - cocktails from days gone by.  The Sidecar, which came to us from Europe, about the time of WWI is one of these.  An officer, it is reputed, chilled from riding in a motorcycle sidecar, entered a Parisian bar (said to be either Harry's or the Ritz) and asked for a warming drink, from the bartender.

 We don't need to ride in a motorcycle sidecar or even go to Paris.  You can enjoy much the same warming drink, right at home or at any good bar.  Either way, a Sidecar is a great vintage cocktail. 

Here's how I make mine:

The Sidecar

1  Jigger brandy

1/2 Jigger Cointreau

1/2 Jigger freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice

Combine the ingredients in a shaker with cracked ice.  Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  No garnish necessary, but I think a thin strip of lemon peel or a small piece of orange is very appropriate.

TIP:  Use Cointreau, not triple sec.  The flavor speaks for itself.

The Bee's Knees. . . the cat's meow

My specialty is vintage cocktails, and when I saw the Bee's Knees, I immediately got more curious.  Any cocktail that's named for a truly old fashioned expression has got to have some interest for me.

To my way of thinking, the Bee's Knees is a good cocktail for nearly any season, but I'd recommend it for spring through early fall.  As its name implies, it contains something to do with bees. . . namely, honey.  And although I don't like to reduce a recipe to something overly simple, the Bee's Knees is basically a gin sour made with honey, instead of powdered sugar.


Here's how I make mine:

The Bee's Knees

2 oz Dry gin
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbs Honey
1/2 Tbs Warm water

Make "honey syrup," by mixing a tablespoonful of honey, with the warm water.  Add the lemon juice and gin, and shake well with cracked ice.  Pour into a chilled coupe (an old-fashioned champagne glass).  No garnish needed, but if you insist on decorations, a small piece of lemon peel will do.

The Champagne Cocktail:  Remember Casablanca?

When I think of the cinema classic Casablanca, I think immediately of Paul Henreid ordering champagne cocktails, for himself and Ingrid Bergman.

This drink, "starred" in both Casablanca and An Affair to Remember.  In both situations, those who ordered it showed impeccable taste.

The Champagne Cocktail is easy to make and a wonderful drink for sit-down dinners or casual gatherings.  I like mine on the dry side, so I use a brut champagne.  But make it your way.  If you prefer it less dry, use a sweeter sparkling wine or even an Asti spumante.  And if your barware permits, I recommend a classic champagne coupe, but it looks and tastes just as wonderful in a modern flute.  Here's how I make them:

Champagne Cocktail

1 Sugar cube (or 1 tsp granulated sugar)

Angostura Bitters

1 oz Brandy

Well chilled champagne or sparkling wine

Place the sugar at the bottom of a classic champagne coupe (or flute glass).  Add several dashes of Angostura Bitters, then add the brandy.  Slowly add the cold champagne and garnish with some lemon peel.

Tip:  If Angostura Bitters are a bit too intense, feel free to use Fee's Orange Bitters.  And if you'd like to make the version featured in An Affair to Remember, use pink champagne or sparkling wine and make the drink in a cocktail (martini) glass.