Rum Manhattan Cocktail: drinking in the face of adversity!

Perhaps you heard the rumblings about the shortage of Angostura Bitters that reverberated through the cocktail world recently. To those who are partial to their perfect Manhattan Cocktail and fearing they might have to go without, this would be roughly the equivalent to learning to wean oneself off of mother's milk. The crux of the issue is that real angostura is the smallest component by far in a Manhattan, but the most important. Without its bitter tang on the finish you have a flat, flabby whisky/sweet vermouth concoction that really isn't worth the glass it's in. Among those who were trembling at the thought of being without a dash or two in their favorite libation was my friend K. K adores Manhattans. K's pursuit of the perfect Manhattan is roughly akin to the fervor with which zombies pursue raw flesh: not just something you like, but something you need to survive. That's why upon hearing about the impending, disastrous, possibly life-altering shortage, and with his own supply dipping precariously low, he set about scouring Portland for a resupply. He finally found some, all the way across town, at this obscure international grocery where he purchased both of their largest sized bottles, which was all they had on and. Seems it was almost all anyone in the city had on hand. Well being restored to his drinking world, K generously shares his bounty with others, myself included. Just don't ask for your Manhattan "extra bitter"!

I tell this story because I found out about the shortage after reading this story by Washington Post booze columnist Jason Wilson. Liking a Manhattan as much as the next right minded barfly, perhaps without K's ardency and certainly not his bloodhound like ability to sniff out the key ingredient, I of course looked for alternatives. Word to the wise: in a perfect Manhattan there is no substitute for Angostura brand bitters. The drastically different Fee Bros. doesn't even come close. So with that in mind and a bar cabinet devoid of the real thing, I took Wilson's advice and made his substitute version offered up in his column, the Rum Manhattan. Now calling anything a "Manhattan" without using whiskey & sweet vermouth is, to some (again your author included) somewhat blasphemous. I get my back up whenever I see a "Chocolate Martini", or even more wretched the "Appletini". Just call them what they are, a "gin cocktail". I felt the same way about the Rum Manhattan, but I was thirsty and really needed a drink. Besides, it's not like I'm the one who came up with the name. What I did end up with was a rather delicious, rich, full-flavored yet balanced drink that I would gladly make again. The addition of the maraschino liqueur, which is quickly becoming my favorite cocktail component, and the dash of orange bitters (thank you for that Fee Bros.) added the perfect counterpoint to the rum and Carpano Antica vermouth. Very worthy of the glass it was poured into, this was an intriguing, complex addition to my personal cocktail repertoire. Just don't call it a Manhattan in certain company!
*** *** *** *** ***

Rum Manhattan
from Jason Wilson/Washington Post

ingredients:
Ice
2 oz. good quality dark rum
1 oz. sweet vermouth, preferably Carpano Antica
1/2 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
Dash orange bitters
Orange peel for garnish

method:
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and add first four ingredients. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds and strain into martini glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Bar exam: the Aviation Cocktail

Geez, has it been THAT long since my last post? It's not like I've been going hungry for the last three weeks. Call it a little blog vacation. And as you'll see here I have most assuredly NOT been going thirsty. Especially in this season of good cheer. Hence my need to share with you your new favorite cocktail!
Knowing that you are more than likely going to be entertaining others, or at the very least be entertained, this season then it might behoove you to have a new cocktail trick up your sleeves. In this case new being more "new to you", because the Aviation Cocktail is a classic dating back to the early 20th century. Confusion about this cocktail has been brought about with the appearance on bars around the country of House Spirits' (of Portland, Or.) Aviation gin. I've seen cocktails purportedly called the Aviation around town that have nothing to do with the original classic but DO contain Aviation gin. A little creative mixology from the House Spirits boys have not done any favors to the original. So what is it about the Aviation Cocktail that should have you running to your nearest liquor store for the one ingredient you don't have (that essential piece being maraschino liqueur. You DO have gin and lemon juice, don't you??) Like so many of the classics it is the Aviation's simplicity that gives it its charm, not to mention drinkability. Gin, lemon juice, and the aforementioned maraschino liqueur. That's it. If you're a gin lover I promise this will become a regular bar staple. It is so fresh and bright, with a perfect bitter edge that makes it go down far too easily. I wouldn't use Aviation gin in this one because it's intense herbal flavors would overpower the perfect balance that a gin like Tanqueray (my choice for this drink) or Plymouth give this little bit of cocktail history.
*** *** *** *** ***
Aviation Cocktail
makes 1 cocktail

ingredients:
ice
1 1/2 ounces dry gin
3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Twist of lemon for garnish

method:
Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add next three ingredients and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into cocktail glass, garnish with lemon, and relive cocktail history.

NOTE: I found that straining the lemon juice after squeezing to get rid of as much pulp as possible is essential to an attractive beverage. You can see from the photo a few bits of lemon still floating in the glass.- bb

Bar Exam: Monte Carlo Cocktail

You worked hard today, didn't you? Giving back. Improving your world by the mere fact you exist in it? Yeah, me too. Now, Mr. and Ms. Responsible Citizen, it's you time! Time to forget the cares of the outside world. Time to stop worrying about Tim Geithner being picked on by all those congressional bullies in The District Playground. Save wondering why Obama is dissing Special Olympics bowlers, because right now he needs all the friends he can get, for another day(by the way, Mr. President, they're pissed). No, this moment is all about you, and what better way to sit back, relax, and think "you know, I'm okay" than with a delicious, refreshing, soul warming, perfectly balanced cocktail like the Monte Carlo. Within your first couple of sips, well-being will wash over you like a bonus to an AIG executive, because like him you did some good work today!
*** *** *** *** ***
Monte Carlo Cocktail
from Jason Wilson/The Washington Post

from Wilson: "This is a variation on the Manhattan, with Benedictine standing in for vermouth and Peychaud's bitters for Angostura bitters. Rye whiskey is significantly different from bourbon; it's spicier and funkier, and it mingles well with different liqueurs and bitters. Be sure to use a higher-proof rye, such as Rittenhouse Rye (100 proof) or Wild Turkey 101."

1 serving

ingredients:
Ice
2 ounces rye whiskey, preferably 100-plus-proof
3/4 ounce Benedictine
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Maraschino or brandied cherry, for garnish

method:
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice. Add the rye whiskey, Benedictine and bitters. Shake well for at least 30 seconds, then strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. Garnish with the cherry.

Campari Aranciata Cocktail: keeping it simple!

Simple is almost always better isn't it? Life is complicated enough in this technology driven world. This morning for example I met with a "Genius" at our local Apple store because I couldn't figure out to load my email program onto my new iPhone. I love Apple's "Genius Bar". Where people like me who know next to nothing about computers go to get humiliated by a geeky 20-something who looks at me like I'm an idiot. I'd resent it more but he's pretty much right, which doesn't make me feel any better. So while I realize I can't control that part of my world, I can control what I eat and drink. Hence, my search for simplicity. And good things to drink don't get any simpler than this deliciously refreshing Campari Aranciata Cocktail. Two ingredients, which are conveniently listed in the name. Oh, plus ice. I read about it in Jason Wilson's spirits column in The Washington Post. Being a lover of all things drinkable and made from Campari, I was intrigued. I grabbed some Pellegrino Aranciata and spent maybe 20 seconds making it.The slight citrusy, fizzy sweetness from the Aranciata perfectly complimented the bittersweet character of the Campari. Not a typical winter cocktail, but one that has me pining for warm weather when it will really rock the bar. Two ingredients that lead to two words: simply satisfying!
*** *** *** *** ***
Campari Aranciata Cocktail
adapted from Jason Wilson/The Washington Post

ingredients:
ice
2 ounces Campari
3 ounces Pellegrino Aranciata (the Pellegrino conveniently comes in bottles that are slightly over 6 ounces, so one bottle should be good for 2 cocktails)

method:
Fill highball glass 3/4 full with ice (preferably large cubes). Add Campari and Aranciata and stirr gently. Garnish with orange slice.

A toast to well being!

You know how certain things just make you feel comfortable and enhance your sense of well being? A comfy cashmere sweater. A fuzzy puppy. A warm feather comforter on a cool autumn evening. A $200 Nordstrom gift card. A confident bartender who really knows his way around a bottle of gin. Okay, maybe that last one speaks more to me and my needs, but hey, this is my blog, so there ya have it!

Every time I walk into Portland's Ten-01 and see their master mixologist Kelly Swenson behind the bar, I know things are going to get cozy and my personal well being is about to get a lift. We stopped by for some happy hour nibbles and libations yesterday when I took the afternoon off from the wine shack to celebrate w's birthday weekend. There's a sort if illicit thrill that goes with having cocktails out at 3:30 in the afternoon, and I can think of no better place than Ten-01. Besides Kelly's mad skills behind the bar, they have way above average cheap bites (those are their crispy Thai ribs at right) from 3-6. We ordered a couple of drinks...a Paloma for w (that put my attempt to shame and I'm stealing his version) and Kelly's Martini 1812 (pictured above) for me. I asked Kelly about the name and he said that is the year it was invented. Now Kelly forgotten more about making drinks than I'll ever know, so it sounded good. But I did further Googling this morning and found what I think may be the real reference to 1812, which is the year Alessandro Martini, who founded the Martini and Rossi vermouth company, was born. Whatever the reason for the name, this was an outstanding, exquisitely balanced cocktail. A three-to-one mix of gin and Carpano vermouth, with a drizzle of Maraschino liqueur and a dash of orange bitters and an amarena cherry for garnish, this also had a lovely golden tint that made it perfectly matched to the cool fall afternoon outside. So a toast to Alessandro and Kelly, two people who continue to enhance my world!
*** *** ***
Martini 1812
From Kelly Swenson of Ten-01

ingredients:
Three parts gin
One part Carpano Antica vermouth
1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
Dash orange bitters
Preserved amarena cherry for garnish

method:
Fill cocktail mixer half full of ice. Add gin, vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters. Stir to combine and chill. Drop cherry into martini glass and strain cocktail into it. Enjoy!

Sipping it with the old school!

Now this is old school. The recipe for the Bijou cocktail first appeared in Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual in 1882! Bijou is also the French word for jewel. Various sources have it named after the colors of the various intoxicants it contains: green Chartreuse for emeralds; gin for diamonds; and sweet vermouth for rubies. Isn't that precious (no pun intended)?

All I know is this was a really nice drink. Kind of the French version of a Negroni with the Chartreuse subbing for Campari. Very balanced, perhaps a bit sweet for some, as is the case with a fair number of Chartreuse drinks. I did see another recipe that added a splash of lemon juice, which I think would be a great counterbalance. All in all, a nice nod to the old classics and absolutely worthy of further exploration!
*** *** ***
Bijou Cocktail

makes one cocktail

ingredients:
1 ounce gin
1 ounce Green Chartreuse
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 dash orange bitters

method:
Fill cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add ingredients. Stir well (all the recipes I saw called for stirring, not shaking) and strain into a martini glass.

Carpano Antica Formula: once again I succumb.

It really is never going to end. Just when I feel I couldn't possibly have another food or drink obsession, my friend and provider of edible and liquid pleasure Nancy, owner (along with her ever gracious husband Randy) of one of w and my favorite new spots to indulge in PDX, Bar Avignon, introduces me to this oh, so good elixir which I have found to be the perfect aperitif. Carpano Antica Formula from the distiller Branca is an Italian sweet vermouth that I have noticed popping up as an ingredient on more and more cocktail lists and I had admired it's very attractive old school Euro packaging. This is far from your standard Martini & Rossi vermouth. Much more intense, rounded, with wonderfully warming flavors of vanilla, dried fruit, orange peel, and other indescribables. A couple of weeks ago Nancy asked if I had ever tried it on its own. I hadn't, she insisted I must, and since I'm a boy who can't say no I soon found myself lost in another pleasure haze while slowly sipping this down. You could mix it in a cocktail I suppose, in a Manhattan or Negroni, but for those drinks I still prefer regular sweet vermouth (at home I use Boissiere). No, for me this is the perfect recipe: a clean, clear, small cocktail glass, two large ice cubes, two or tree ounces of Carpano, a stylish twist of orange peel....and a smile on my face!

The search for refreshment: the Paloma Cocktail

In my never ending search for the perfect refreshing adult beverage, I had something quite different yesterday, in that it required the addition of agave syrup (or nectar) to the naturally delicious combination of tequila and grapefruit juice. I found the agave syrup at my local New season's market in the baking section in with the natural sweeteners. It reminds me of a cross between simple syrup and a lightly flavored honey. I was inspired in this creative pursuit by the Washington Post's spirits columnist Jason Wilson's recent musings on the tequila, specifically the difference between blanco and reposado agave tequilas. It's a very informative column that only served to stoke my food and drink obsession, and he included the recipe below for the Paloma cocktail, practically the national libation of Mexico, because, as hard as it is to believe, Mexicans don't really drink margaritas. The 'rita is a relatively recent invention to feed the tourist hordes. He did state that traditionally they use Squirt for this drink, although his version called for fresh grapefruit, lime, and agave nectar. My verdict: It wasn't what I was hoping for. A little flat (although in full disclosure, my store didn't have fresh white grapefruit, so I used canned white grapefruit juice, which just isn't the same). I'll give it a try again with the fresh grapefruit juice, or I think better still I'll do what the natives do and grab a bottle of Squirt. In the end, and not to go all gringo, I think I'd rather have a perfect margarita any day.
*** *** ***
Paloma Cocktail
from The Washington Post

Summary (from Jason Wilson):
“In Mexico, Paloma cocktails are more popular than margaritas, and for good reason: Grapefruit flavor mixes perfectly with tequila, better than lime juice alone.

A traditional Paloma is made with a grapefruit soda such as Squirt. But this refreshing version, served at Apothecary in Philadelphia, calls instead for freshly squeezed white grapefruit juice and for club soda, to add fizz.”

1 serving

ingredients:
Ice
2 ounces blanco or silver tequila
3 ounces freshly squeezed white grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce agave nectar
Sea salt, to rim the glass
1 lime wheel, for garnish
Club soda

method:
Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice and add the tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and agave nectar. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled collins glass rimmed with sea salt. Garnish with the lime wheel and top with a splash of club soda.

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!
*** *** ***
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.

Your new favorite summer cocktail...no...REALLY!

Anyone can go the farmers market and shop for dinner ingredients. Even more fun is going to the market and shopping for cocktail ingredients! With that thought in mind and the impending arrival of friends for our pal Denise's birthday dinner that we were whipping up yesterday (many recipes to come from that off-the-hook soirée, I promise!), w and I hit the local Hollywood (yes, there's a Hollywood neighborhood in Portland. Don't ask me why.) farmers market to grab big green, fragrant, beautiful looking bunches of basil for this awesome Basil Vodka Gimlet to welcome our guests in refreshing style on a sweltering summer evening.

I saw this recipe last year in Food and Wine. Now I am a huge fan of the traditional gin gimlet, especially made with Hendrick's gin. This FW recipe caught my eye because it looked so delicious and made with such a seasonal ingredient. How often do you get to make "seasonal" cocktails? Anyway, we made them once last year to great applause, and I've been jonesing for them since. I'm telling you, if you want to wow your guests with an easy, perfectly balanced, incredibly flavorful, and absolutely delicious drink, this is it!
*** *** ***
Basil Vodka Gimlets
makes six drinks

note: the recipe calls for stirring them in a pitcher and serving them in an 8 to 10 ounce highball glass filled with ice. I much prefer them shaken and served up, so the nuanced flavors don't dilute in the melting ice.

ingredients:
1 cup basil lemon syrup (recipe follows)
3/4 to 1 cup vodka
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

method:
Mix together all three ingredients in a pitcher. Fill cocktail shaker 3/4 full of ice. Pour enough mixture to just cover the ice cubes. Shake the hell out of it. Strain into martini glasses. Repeat as necessary!
Garnish with basil sprigs or lemon twists if you want.
* * *

Basil Lemon Syrup
makes about 5 cups
ingredients:
4 cups packed fresh basil leaves
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
9 or 10 (3-by 1") strips of lemon peel

method:
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium sauce pan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let stand at room temperature, covered, for one hour, then transfer to refrigerator to chill for one hour. Strain syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids.
* Syrup keeps, covered and chilled, 5 days.

A cocktail classic re(de)fined!

Just so you know, there's been a ton of stuff going on in my world that has precluded regular posting. Sometimes things come out at you out of the blue that leave you spinning. Or at the very least in need a nice refreshing adult beverage! Which is why today's post is very applicable to current situation, and has been a huge help in getting my feet grounded and my mind adjusted.

The sidecar is one of the old school classics of cocktail culture. Traditionally a mix of brandy, Cointreau, and lemon juice. Sweet and tart, the two things that go great together, in one lovely drink. Lately w and I have been enjoying our own take on this standby, owing to her dislike of regular brandy and my continuing infatuation with my Meyer lemon tree. We've dumped the regular brandy in favor of Clear Creek Distillery's Pear Brandy and are using the slightly sweeter yet still sour Meyer lemons instead of the standard citrus. Relaxing, refreshing, rejuvenating. The three R's for right thinking adults!!
*** *** ***
Pear Brandy and Meyer Lemon Sidecar

ingredients:
1 oz Clear Creek Pear Brandy (or other good brand)
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice
Small amount superfine sugar spread on salad plate

method:
After squeezing Meyer lemon juice, run the rind around the rim of your favorite martini glass. Dip rim of glass in superfine sugar and slowly spin to coat. Set aside. Fill cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add brandy, Cointreau, and lime juice. Shake vigorously. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with lemon twist or circle. Sip, enjoy!

Hemingway, Havana, daiquiris.....and me?!

Maybe it's cocktail kismet, but the very day I came home from the wine shack in dire need of refreshment and decided to make a daiquiri while I awaited w's arrival home (a daiquiri is something I hadn't thought of...and never made at home...until recently when we had them as one of our "house" cocktails at our recent wedding reception. They were quite delicious!). While sipping this rum-based bit of adult enjoyment, I was online and came across this article in the Wall Street Journal's online edition about Ernest Hemingway's daiquiri, called the Papa Doble. I had forgotten abut EH's penchant for consuming gargantuan quantities of this drink at his favorite Havana bar La Florida, which he called "Floridita" (although under his entry on wikipedia they have a picture of the La Bodeguita del Medio bar, which they say was his regular haunt. When you consumed as much hooch as "Papa" I'm sure you were a presence at...and under...innumerable bars. Besides, we all know how dependable fake-ipedia is). Hemingway and me. The similarities are, I think you'll agree, eerie: Hemingway loved the daiquiri, I love the daiquiri. Hemingway loved to travel and live large, ditto for yours truly. Hemingway was a great writer, I'm a...um...well, enough of that.

Anyway, this is really just an overlong introduction to my recipe (adapted from the New American Bartender's Handbook) for what I think just may be the perfect daiquiri. With the magical sweet complexity of the rum and the balancing tartness of lime, this is a great escape while you sit on your patio dreaming of old Havana!
I know there's something historically wrong with what's being depicted on this vintage postcard from La Florida bar, but I just can't put my finger on it..........
*** *** ***

Daiquiri

ingredients:
2 oz. (60ml/4 tbsp.) light rum
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. superfine sugar (you can use regular sugar, just give it a couple of extra shakes)
Lemon twist for garnish

method:
Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice, add ingredients, shake as if your life depended on it, strain into martini glass, add garnish, and enjoy!

Note- Further info for you cocktail geeks: The New American Cocktail handbook also says that the daiquiri had originally been invented by miners in the Daiquiri mountain range in southern Cuba. La Florida bartender Constante Ribailagua perfected the drink that Hemingway made famous.

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!!
*** *** ***

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!

Derby Day = Julep Joy!

It's Derby Day in Louisville, Kentucky, the day of the Run for the Roses, and with that all drinkers with any self-respect will think of but one thing: an icy cold Mint Julep, one of the true classics of cocktail culture and a drink more associated with a sporting event than any other. In this great article in last Wednesday's Washington Post, drinks columnist Jason Wilson pontificated on the mint julep. It's past, it's muddy present, and just what is the proper way to make it (see below for his preferred version). Perhaps my favorite passage from his column:
"Here are some of my other personal rules for drinking -- and debating -- a mint julep:
· A mint julep is an afternoon drink; never drink one after the sun sets.
· A mint julep is to be enjoyed by itself; never try to complicate it by mixing it with food.
· If you're from the South, no one up North will ever make a mint julep the right way."
*** *** ***

The following is reprinted from the Post:
Mint Julep

Summary:
This variation on Henry Clay's 19th-century recipe is served at the Round Robin Bar at the Willard Hotel. Bartender Jim Hewes recommends using red-stemmed mint and Maker's Mark bourbon.

For richer bourbon flavor, Spirits columnist Jason Wilson recommends trying a higher-proof bourbon such as Wild Turkey 101-proof or Wild Turkey Rare Breed (108 proof). Be sure to use crushed ice, and serve this drink extremely cold, with frost on the glass. One variation: Instead of dusting with confectioners' sugar, add a tiny splash of rum at the end.

You may want to start with a glass that's spent time chilling in the freezer. And don't forget to serve this with a straw for sipping.

1 serving

ingredients:
8 to 10 mint leaves, plus 1 mint sprig, for garnish
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 ounces bourbon
Sparkling water
Crushed ice
Twist of lemon peel, for garnish
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

method:
Chill a (tall) Collins glass in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Combine the mint leaves, sugar, 1 ounce of the bourbon and a splash of sparkling water in the chilled glass. Use a spoon or wooden muddler to gently crush (muddle) the mint into the mixture.

Add a handful of crushed ice and stir vigorously. Add the remaining 1 1/2 ounces of bourbon and a splash of sparkling water. Fill the glass to the brim with ice (tightly packed), then use a bar spoon or knife to agitate the mixture ("with relish" according to Jim Hewes) until frost appears on the outside of the glass. Garnish with the mint sprig and lemon twist, and dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Insert a straw and serve immediately.
Recipe Source: From the Round Robin Bar at the Willard Hotel.

photo from the Washington Post

Another debate? Um, bartender......

After listening to bits and pieces of that fake love fest that was the Hillary & Barack debate last night, can you blame a guy for running to the liquor cabinet? Especially with motivation from what has become my latest must-read, Washington Post columnist Jason Wilson's cocktail column that comes out every other Wednesday (register for free at the paper's website to read all WP articles) in the online edition of the paper. As if I needed more encouragement to shake up another nerve soothing libation, his last liquorous lead from January 23rd ironically featured two quintessential summer cocktail recipes, the margarita and cosmopolitan. It was a way of explaining the importance of having the right orange liquor in one's home bar, in this case focusing on the oft-overlooked Cointreau and Grand Marnier (both of which I smugly confess to having at the ready). For my attitude adjustment session, I went with his cosmo recipe, necessitating a quick, always fun in an adult-kid-in-a-candy-store trip to the liquor store for some citrus vodka. I grabbed the Smirnoff's Citrus...inexpensive and perfect for mixing. I also did my preferred substitution of pomegranate juice for the traditional cranberry. Somehow, having what would normally be a warm weather cocktail on a cold, wet, windy, cold...did I mention it's cold here?...night here in PDX was just the ticket to take my mind off of anything happening outside the warm confines of the kitchen. I could almost forget Hillary's semi-hysterical fake laugh, Barack's insincere smile....on second thought, looking at this picture I suddenly feel the need for another....









*** *** ***
Cosmopolitan
adapted from Jason Wilson/The Washington Post:
Though cocktail snobs will turn up their noses, the classic Cosmo actually is a very good cocktail. The problem is that it's become obscured by dozens of variations, most of them ranging from bad to ridiculous. Spirits columnist Jason Wilson recommends a good-value citrus vodka.-JW
1 serving

ingredients:
Ice
2 ounces citrus vodka
1 ounce orange-flavored liqueur, such as triple sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce unsweetened cranberry (or pomegranate) juice
1 lime wedge, for garnish

method:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, orange liqueur and juices; shake well and strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Equilibrium Regained...regularly!

I try to surround myself with people who care about me as much as I care about them. People who can take one look at you and know how you're feeling, and do their best to make you feel better. Hopefully they know that given the chance I would have their back, too. One person who plays that role in my world, and probably doesn't even know she's that important...talk about altruism....is Suzanne, the master of mixing and my favorite bartender...EVER...who plies her witchcraft at Café Castagna here in PDX. I can stop by after a crazy night at our Friday tastings at the wine shack, and she instinctively knows exactly what I need to regain equilibrium (read: blood alcohol level).

She started me on the perfectly potent, tart-sweet Hendrick's Gimlet a couple of years ago, and it has rocketed to near the top of my favorite refreshing adult beverage list, coming in right behind the national drink of wineguyworld, the Negroni, and pushing an exquisite Tanqueray martini hard for second place. Mine at home don't quite reach the levels of perfection that I have at Castagna. After all, Suzanne has set the bar...and her bar...pretty high. But in a pinch at home when the need strikes, these work just fine!
*** *** ***

Hendrick's Gimlet

ingredients:
2 oz. Hendrick's Gin
1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup ( to make syrup put 1/2 cup water

method:
Fill cocktail shaker with ice, add ingredients, shake very well, and strain into martini glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

Note: You can use any gin, but Hendricks just seems to have that perfectly balanced floral-herbal character that works magic here.

Old School: the Sidecar

I love the old school, especially when it comes to my favorite libations. I even like calling cocktails "libations"...sounds so 60-year-old man or something. There is nothing like a classic cocktail, especially during the holiday season, to give one a sense of well being. I know there are people of a certain age who consider things like chocolate martinis "classic" because they saw them on a menu at an airport bar somewhere. Airport bars...does anything suck more than airport bars?? Crappy drinks that cost a fortune. But that's off topic. Let me clue you in to something so you can avoid future drinking embarrassment: first off, a chocolate martini (or coffee, or vanilla, or pomegranate, or insert liquid here) isn't classic, and secondly it isn't even a martini!! It's some sort of weird car wreck of a drink, something that is best avoided. A martini is gin and vermouth...period! Preferably in a 5 to 1 configuration. Maybe you can sneak in some vodka and still call it a martini, but really that is just a vodka cocktail. I told you I was old school. You don't fuck with my classics!

I thought about the affronts that the classics have suffered as I was home a couple of nights ago enjoying a perfect sidecar, one of the original classic cocktails, "invented" in the early '20s. Like all things that are truly classic, it is also simple. Three things: brandy or Cognac, Cointreau, lemon juice. That's it. And this time of year, I have added incentive to enjoy this thing of thirst quenching beauty. My very own Meyer lemon tree is in full production, and several vividly yellow orbs that are just hanging there, awaiting their culinary fate. I like a sidecar made with regular lemon juice. But I LOVE a sidecar made with Meyer lemon juice. It's got all the citrusy tang with a hint of sweet complexity. Shaken, strained into a martini glass with a lightly sugared rim...mmmmmm...old school indeed!

The tree of all that is good and juicy!












*********************
bb's Classic Sidecar

ingredients:
2 shots brandy or Cognac
1/2 shot Cointreau
1 shot fresh squeezed lemon juice

method:
Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add ingredients, shaker heartily and strain into martini glass with sugared rim. Prepare to feel better about the world!

Take a Punch

Having people over and want to break away from the same old-same old? Not that I would ever turn down a perfectly made negroni or martini, or look askance at a fizzy glass of Champagne, but after reading this article in today's Washington Post, it may be time to get (slightly!) punch drunk at my next soirée. Turns out that punch, that drink that has made us all cringe (at most weddings), or throw up (at most college parties), is making a comeback. Writer David Wondrich in his new cocktail compendium "Imbibe" devotes an entire chapter to the history of what was once the most accepted of libations, although he does bemoan the fact that "bears the same relation to the anemic concoctions that pass under its name today that gladiatorial combat does to a sorority pillow fight", plus the fact that "There's basically the fraternity kind of punch and the food magazine kind of punch, and they both suck." Check out Post writer Jason Wilson's thirst inducing article, and get ready to get punch up your next party!

photo from Washington Post