Richly satisfying: the Millionaire Cocktail

Feeling rich right now? Like a million bucks? Yeah, me neither. Stock market-shmock market...talk about not worrying about things out of my control. What little discretionary income I have left I have decided to dedicate to the further expansion of my culinary and bibulous boundaries. Like all my money isn't spent there right now, but since I'm setting my goals conservatively these days it seems like a prudent (not to mention satisfying) course through these turbulent times. With that in mind, if I can't live like a millionaire, then at least I can drink like one with the Millionaire Cocktail, as presented in Jason Wilson's ever intoxicating spirits column in The Washington Post. A recent essay he wrote was about replacing expensive bottles of hooch with less expensive alternatives. Great advice contained there. The Millionaire is an old school concoction, and his recipe varies slightly from the original. On first sip I wasn't sure about it....kind of strange with its bourbon-absinthe combo and a slight sweetness from the grenadine. But I have to say it really grew on me, and with the second...and third..and further sips I was really digging it. Absolutely worthy of sharing. You might say richly satisfying!
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Millionaire Cocktail
from Jason WilsonThe Washington Post

Wilson: "This is a variation of a drink that was a standard in early 20th-century cocktail books. The original called for rye whiskey, orange curacao, grenadine and egg white; sometimes a dash or two of pastis or absinthe was included as well. Here, bourbon is used instead of rye, Cointreau instead of orange curacao, and Pernod is a more economical alternative for rinsing the inside of the glass than absinthe would be. Use a pasteurized egg if you are concerned about the risk in eating uncooked eggs. By the way, you might be a millionaire if you can afford to rinse a glass with real absinthe. A new status symbol?"

1 serving

ingredients:
Absinthe or Pernod for rinsing the glass, plus 1/4 ounce absinthe for the cocktail
Ice
2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 to 3 dashes grenadine
1 tablespoon egg white (see headnote)

method:
Use just enough absinthe or Pernod to rinse or coat the inside of a cocktail (martini) glass. Pour out any excess.

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice.

Add the bourbon, Cointreau, lemon juice, grenadine, egg white and the remaining 1/4 ounce of absinthe. Shake vigorously for 60 seconds, then strain into the martini glass.
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One year ago today @ E.D.T.: The taco truck glory that is Taqueria Uruapan!

A web of refreshment: the White Spider cocktail!

I was remarkable thirsty last night as I was pondering getting dinner ready. I had just cleaned up after a post-work run (How do you think I eat and drink as much as I do? Pact with the devil? Good genes help, but man, you gotta exercise!) and was in a cocktail mood. How unusual, I know. I'm in that mood as often as GWB is in a democracy spreading mood. Anyway, I knew I had some extra lemons laying about needing juicing, and something tart and slightly sweet sounded just about perfect . None of my usuals were what I wanted. Negroni? Nah. Martini? Not now. Hendrick's gimlet? Close, but I had lemons, not limes. So I jumped on one of my favorite drinks sites, drinkboy, where you can look up drinks by ingredient. I scrolled through their "lemon" suggestions, and came across this little gem that sounded just about perfect. A White Spider? I know, I've never heard of it either. I did a little further research and found this (with a slightly different recipe than below) on the Saveur magazine website: "London-based fashion journalists used to order this old-style cocktail at the Blue Bar of New York's famed Algonquin Hotel." Hm, anything good enough for old-school fashionistas has got to be good enough for me. And it turned out to be exactly what I wanted! Of course, any cocktail starting with gin gets me halfway there. And the slight citrus sweetness from the Cointreau and simple syrup perfectly offset the lemon juice twang. Fast, easy, and delicious. Here's to the old school!
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White Spider

ingredients:
1 ounce Gin
1 ounce Lemon Juice
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1 tsp Simple Syrup (for syrup boil 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water until sugar dissolves, then cool)

method:
Combine ingredients with ice in cocktail shaker. Give it a few vigorous shakes and strain into a cocktail glass.

Summer's coming. Are you ready?

You know you'll need it in your summer repertoire. You know your friends will be asking for it. At some point this summer the question for you is: "Will you be able to satisfy your friend's needs?" Because I care, I am here to save you, and all of America, from the shame of the "disappointed guest".

When you throw down the chips, spoon out the homemade guacamole, this perfectly delicious, and perfectly balanced margarita, will put the smiles on everyone's faces. Three ingredients, made in a 2-1-1 ratio. Summer thirst quenching is that easy! Get ready, 'cause you know it's coming!!
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The Perfect Margarita

ingredients:
2 oz good tequila
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice (save one half of squeezed lime)
1 oz cointreau (or in a pinch triple sec)
Kosher salt

method:
1-Using half of already squeezed lime, run around the edges of martini glass. Sprinkle kosher salt on a flat late. Dip and twist edge of glass in salt to coat.

2-Fill cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add tequila, lime juice, and cointreau. Shake vigorously. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with lime wedges. Relax. Enjoy!