Hail to The Chief: El Presidente cocktail

If you thought booze was any less susceptible faddism than any other thing in your life, think again. Case in point is the current affaire d'amour many bartenders are having with rum. Long forgotten and now popping up everywhere, not just on bar menus but on the front of the bar's themselves (here in PDX we have bartender extraordinaire Kevin Ludwig's new and very cool booze boite Rum Club), Rum is having its 15 minutes. Long ignored is the fact that rum has a long and storied history as a main ingredient in many a pre-prohibition cocktail.

For those who have forgotten their drink history, may I suggest you immediately run out and buy a copy of the Washington Post drinks columnist ("Drinks columnist"...I should sue my college academic adviser for negligence. I don't seem to remember "drinks columnist" ever being mentioned as a career option) Jason Wilson's excellent and inspiring booze bible appropriately titled "Boozehound". I've referenced Wilson and his intoxicating skill set many times on this blog (just search his name in the search box upper left) and almost without fail he's steered me right. His book should have a prominent seat at the bar of all drinks aficionados. At the end of his chapter "Of Politics and Rum" he offers the following recipe for the "El Presidente". He writes that it was "Popular in Havana during the 1920 and 1930s and was reportedly offered to President Calvin Coolidge by then Cuban president Gerardo Machado. Coolidge, mindful of Prohibition back home, declined the drink." I highly encourage you to find out what Coolidge was missing out on, because this is a deeply refreshing drink with a rich, fruity complexity. Wilson recommends using an aged rum in this drink, which I heartily endorse. I used Flor de Caña 7 year old off my home bar. It was perfecto!
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El Presidente
from Jason Wilson's "Boozehound"
ingredients:
1-1/2 ounces aged rum
3/4 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce Cointreau
1/2 teaspoon grenadine (I found the excellent REAL grenadine made by Sonoma Syrups at New Seasons here in PDX. It's worth searching out!)
Orange peel twist for garnish

method:
Fill a mixing glass two-thirds full with ice. Add the rum, vermouth, Cointreau, and grenadine. Stir vigorously for 30 seconds, then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange twist.

Bar exam: Alice's Key Cocktail

Just when you think you've seen it all, some new vision comes dancing across the landscape. I think of that often at VINO, when after 20+ years in the wine biz I am introduced to yet another grape I haven't heard of, some totally new flavor sensation. In the cocktail world the same can be said for the seemingly endless discovery...or in this case rediscovery...of some long lost ingredient. That's what I thought of sitting at the bar at PDX's cocktail haven Clyde Common, where the unusual, creative, and delicious is always on the cocktail menu.

This latest happened some time ago, where a since forgotten cocktail containing Bonal Gentiane-Quina was offered. It had gin, some citrus I think, something else, and Bonal. First I had never seen the eye-catching bottle. My only experience with Bonal had been through the classic deco ad poster (left). So I have the drink and find Bonal is instantly something I have to add to my overflowing home bar. How wonderful! What is Bonal Gentiane-Quina? The importer's website describes it thusly: "Since 1865, this delicious aperitif wine has stood apart for its exceptional complexity, delightful flavors and stimulating palate. Serious to its role as aperitif, it was known as "ouvre l'appétit" - the key to the appetite. Found popular with sportsmen, Bonal became an early sponsor of the Tour de France. It is made by an infusion of gentian, cinchona (quinine) and renown herbs of the Grand Chartreuse mountains in a Mistelle base. Traditionally enjoyed neat or with a twist; also may enhance classic drinks in place of sweet red vermouth."

So I find the local distributor of this latest alcoholic intrigue, and not only do I order it pour moi, but I also find I can proudly stock it on the shelves at VINO. Sharing the love, as it were. And shoukd you need it, now you know where to get it. The hard part is finding recipes to use Bonal in. I came across this delicious drink called Alice's Key on a local drinks blog Portland Craft Cocktails. This is a refreshing, slightly bitter, slightly sweet spice infused libation. The herbal bitter Bonal plays perfectly with the fruity, sweet-ish Aperol, with gin playing the role of muscular playground monitor, giving a foundation and keeping those other ingredients in line. A very intriguing drink that makes me wonder, as always, what's coming around the booze corner next??
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Alice's Key
from Portland Craft Cocktails

ingredients:
1 part gin
1 part Aperol
1 part Bonal

method:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake vogorously and strain into cocktail glass.

Bar exam: Baltimore Bang Cocktail

In the annals of great cocktail names I would rate the Baltimore Bang right behind the Corpse Reviver #2 as something that must be consumed. Certainly more interesting than the Singapore Sling, although it doesn't have that drink's tropical exoticism. He who supplies bibulous knowledge, spirits columnist Jason Wilson of the Washington Post, mentioned the BB in a recent column on the many uses and misconceptions of apricot brandy. Seems apricot brandy is another almost forgotten pre-prohibition tipple that in its day popped up in various cocktails with great regularity. The Baltimore Bang is one of the best uses of apricot brandy (here in Portland you can find the highly acceptable Marie Brizard brand with a little searching) I've found yet. Another perfectly sweet-tart drink that does nothing but compliment the bourbon base. The one problem I had with it is that this is one of those far to easy to drink cocktails. The good news is that like most smaller drinks from that heyday of cocktailing, this doesn't cause too much damage should you have another!
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BALTIMORE BANG COCKTAIL
From Jason Wilson/Washington Post

ingredients:
1-1/2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz apricot brandy
1/4 oz simple syrup
Orange peel twist for garnish

method:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into small tumbler filled with ice. Garnish with orange peel.

Bar Exam: Three To One Cocktail

I decided to take another opportunity to delve into Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh's ever-inspiring book "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" because I was, well, thirsty. Not for just anything, mind you. This particular thirst was demanding something gin-ish, as my thirst so often does. Something simple, fast, and hopefully delicious presented itself on page 268 of Haigh's book. The Three to One Cocktail was reportedly served at the old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel bar before prohibition. It is the epitome of why I love classic cocktails: very few ingredients coming together in a perfect balance. The herbal tang of gin balanced with the sweet-sour of the brandy and lime. Delicious! Plus the manageable size of this cocktail, and yet another reason to love these old drinks, promises that your drink stays cold through to the end, and is a small enough serving that should you be of the mind for another (and trust me, you will!), it is well within reason.
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Three To One Cocktail
from Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails/Ted Haigh

ingredients:
1-1/2 oz. gin (preferably 100 proof)...I used Tanqueray which was delicious- bb
3/4 oz. Marie Brizard Apry
Juice of 1/2 lime

method:
Fill cocktail shaker half full of ice, add ingredients, shake to chill., and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Drink notes:
From Haigh's recipe: "I like a powerful gin in this cocktail to stand up to the rich, sweet flavor of the apricot liqueur and the acid of the lime."
On the apricot liqueur, the Marie Brizard is hard to find, at least here in Portland, but is worth searching out. Other cheaper brands can be too sweet and cloying, throwing off the balance of these simple cocktails.- bb

"Bartender, this cocktail taste s a little fresh. Have anything that's been sitting around?"

It's a natural progression I suppose. First came the rebirth of cocktails in the 1990s. Soon to follow came the "mixologists", because obviously who would want a mere bartender mixing their drinks? Besides me, I mean. Now we have celebrity mixologists, because why should Food Network chefs have all the fun? And with celebrity, as we know all too well, comes freedom and license to create. Whether what they're creating needed to be created is debatable. Of course the same could be said for most of the consumer goods we're told we can't live without.

This all comes to mind because of this article I read in last weeks NYT. We've all heard of barrel aged bourbons. Now, taking it to its next logical step (this is where the "does it need to be created" part comes in), bartenders at trendy (read high $$) bars are now barrel aging whole cocktails. That negroni I dearly love, which I consider a perfect drink, apparently isn't good enough. The new alcohol alchemists behind the bar are throwing it and other drinks into small barrels and aging them for up to 3+ months. Supposedly this adds complexity and character as the ingredients oxidize (particularly vermouths and other botanicals). Not to be a closed minded old barfly, but please would you just give me a fresh, well-made drink. The old classics are classics for a reason. I really don't think a light will go on in some unknown darkened corner of my liver if I drink a 3 month old Manhattan. To me a classic case of just because you can do it doesn't mean you should. Thoughts?

accompanying photo of Clyde Common bartender Jeffrey Morganthaler from the NY Times

Bar Exam: The Colman Cocktail

Wow! What was that that just hit us here?? Talk about a force of nature. Which is a way of saying this latest posting pause has been brought to you by the newest addition to the PDX appetite scene and the life that hasturned our world upside down 9in all the right ways), our new son Colman, born 3 weeks early Jan. 12th at a power packed 7#7oz.....


Colman passed out on my chest (left), drunk on mama's milk, and (right) pimping it in his car seat


Now that we're getting used to interrupted sleep....as much as one can get used to waking up at 1am, 3:13am, 4:55am, etc...I finally feel moderately able to put together some sort of post to honor Colman's tumultuous arrival. So how to pay tribute to something that both his mom w and I are...to be oh, so eloquent...gaga over? Thinking of what tastes good after a day of diapers (bringing new meaning to the term "shitload"), a soothing cocktail, something not too strong so I can remain able to parent, but with enough flavor to satisfy, seemed just the thing. Keeping in mind how honored I would have been to have a new cocktail named after me, may I present for your drinking pleasure The Colman. I loved this combo of vodka, pear brandy, ginger simple syrup, and citrus (with a nod of inspiration to the classic Impear cocktail at Castagna here in PDX). Far too easy to drink, this satisfies on every level, much like the feelings it's namesake has brought to our house!
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The Colman Cocktail
an E.D.T. original

makes 1 drink
ingredients:
2 oz. vodka
1/2 to 3/4 oz Clear Creek (or other) pear brandy
3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice (I've tried it w/both, and think they are equally delicious, so whatever you have laying around, have at it!)
1/2 oz (3/4 oz if you like a slightly sweeter drink) ginger simple syrup....recipe to follow
Disc of ginger for garnish

method:
Fill cocktail shaker half full of ice, add all the ingredients, shake for 20 seconds, and strain into a martini glass, garnish with ginger, and ponder the wonder of life!

Ginger Simple Syrup
ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup peeled, roughly chopped ginger

method:
Add all ingredients to sauce pan, bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve sugar, turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Should keep in fridge for a week or so.

They're called "classics" for a reason!

As I type this I am happily enjoying what one writer called "basically, a perfect martini with an ounce of OJ." He would be correct. As I am always looking for new ways to satisfy my (un)healthy fascination of all things gin-ish, I have been meaning to try this most simple of classic cocktails, the Bronx Cocktail, forever. Why I never got around to it I have no idea. Must be that flood of gimlets, negronis, side cars, and Last Words...not to mention martinis....that have been enlarging my liver lately. And don't even get me started on the advent of G&T season. Christ, it's like I'm in the middle of an ADD-driven, alcohol fueled funhouse! Also you long time drinkers....er, readers, know of my respect for tradition on the planet Cocktailania, and this pre-prohibition tipple harkens back to a time of crashing stock markets, lost fortunes, and loose morals. Which I guess makes it the perfect drink for today. Gee, everything old IS new again!
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Bronx Cocktail
from various sources

ingredients:
ice
2 ounces gin
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce dry vermouth
dash or two of orange bitters
twist of orange peel for garnish

method:
Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice. Add the gin, orange juice, sweet and dry vermouths and the bitters. Shake well, then strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. Garnish with the twist of orange peel.

Food news to satisfy your curious appetite!

In case you need it, here's a pretty good dim sum primer from an article in the SF Chronicle that also lists some of their choice Bay Area dim sum restaurants. If you don't know your har gau from your gai lan, check it out!
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Also from the SF Chronicle's "Kitchen Essentials" series, a list of Ten Pantry Essentials. The whole series of articles, which have included the "Top Ten Cooking Techniques" and a list of kitchen tools. In the essential pantry item list, I have to admit I might not have thought of using fish sauce in my Caesar dressing if I was out of anchovies. They also offer substitutes for their choices in case the ones the are pimping are hard to find. The whole series is a really great resource, and only reminds me of how pathetic the food section of our PDX paper, The Oregonian, is.
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From my fave cocktail columnist Jason Wilson in the Washington Post, a timely piece on Tiki cocktails, perfect for the warm weather ahead and its accompanying outdoor beverage enjoyment, with several recipes you can expect to see me post about.....soon! You can bet JW's Zombie and Mai Tai are both in my future this summer!!
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Is there no end to the fabulous food inspiration from Mark Bittman's Bitten Blog at the NY Times site? Greek nachos, anyone? Hell yes!
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I'm also dying to make food scientist Harold McGee's yogurt and crème fraiche. Two things you can easily buy at the store, but seem so much better (and interesting) if I make them in my own kitchen.
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Skirts, hangers, flatirons, flanks. In these leaner times it's time for leaner (and less expensive) cuts of cow. This article from the Los Angeles Times has some good tips on how to get your money's worth and cook 'em right so you won't even miss those more expensive New York's and rib eyes. Well, you still might miss them, but your wallet will feel better!

Thirst is the mother of invention!

I don't know about you, but here in PDX the temp has been holding at an unusually warm 80*+ for days now. Each day, my summer thirst has been building. I've been slaking it with the usual battery of alcoholized thirst quenchers; G&T's, martinis, Campari and soda, etc. Last night I really wanted something different though. Using, as usual, gin as my starting point, I took stock of my personal inventory. Gin? Of course, in abundance. Meyer lemons off of my beloved dwarf ML tree? Check! What to add? Somehow the classic summer cooler the mojito popped into my head. So why not grab some mint off the parking strip (I'm sure no dogs peed on that part.....), muddle it up with a chopped Meyer lemon, maybe add a little simple syrup for that sweet/sour balance, and of course the G-word. The result: bb's Meyer-Mint Mashup, which if I may is now of the best things I've slurped down in quite some time...at least since yesterday's martini. Sitting prettily with a thin slice of lemon, this looked almost as good as it tasted!
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bb's Meyer-Mint Mashup

serves two (but you'll want more!)

ingredients:
1 Meyer lemon, cut into eighths
8 or so mint sprigs
1 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil until sugar dissolves, then left to cool)
5 oz gin
2 very thin slices of Meyer lemon

method:
Place lemon and mint leaves in the bottom of a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Muddle vigorously until lemons have released most of their juices. Add syrup, gin, and fill halfway with ice. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into martini glasses, garnish with lemon slice, serve and enjoy!
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: wow, how coincidental, a recipe for the Perfect Margarita!

The Caipirinha Cocktail...now where'd I put that damn thong??

Smoke in a Drink Bad:
bacon-smoked bourbon at Belly Timber in Portland, or any smoked hooch that all the new "mixoligists" are doing at bars around the country. Guys...and girls...leave it alone already!

Smoke in a Drink Good:
Laphroig Single Malt Scotch....mmmm...peaty goodness.
The Caipirinha Cocktail...I'm guessing the national liquor of Brazil, Cachaça, gets its smoky character from the oak barrels it's aged in. However they do it, shaken up with a little lime and sugar it makes a kick ass cocktail. A caipirinha is kind of mojito-like, refreshing, the perfect sweet-tart mix, and with that crazy Cachaça complexity. Man, that shit's good! The other night after work I had an urge for something different than the usual negroni or martini. I had a neglected bottle of Cachaça in the bar that seemed so lonely, so to make it and me feel better it was time to put some samba on the stereo, wiggle into my my thong, and whip up a caipirinha and get my Barzilian groove on. Of course I soon realized that I didn't have a thong to put on...which is probably for the better. Talk about a crime against humanity to anyone who might get a peek at my lily white ass....the horror!! But even without the thong, my cocktail was simple, fast, and delicious. Obrigado, Brazil!!
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Caipirinha Cocktail
serves 1

ingredients:
3 oz. cachaça
5 or 6 lime pieces from a lime cut into eigths.
1 tablespoon sugar

method:
Place lime pieces and sugar into bottom of cocktail shaker and muddle until well combined and all mushy. Add cachaça and large ice cubes. Shake for about 15 or 20 seconds, and pour into 5 or 6 ounce old fashioned glass. Garnish with lime.

For an added, non-traditional bit of groove in case you're short on Stan Getz & João Gilberto in your playlist, may I suggest while enjoying a caipirinha getting your Snoop Dogg on with this...

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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: exceeding expectations with this awesome Butternut Squash Risotto!

A dinner party in four days. Day One: cocktails and apps

So you want to have a dinner party, do you? And let me guess...you need inspiration? I thought so. That's why we read these food blogs isn't it? I mean besides the obvious "killing time at work" reason. Well, since you have a need (and mouths) to fill, let me help you out, because last Sunday I had a kick ass post-holiday dinner party for those who work at the wine shack. Everyone was left full, happy, and drunk, so I guess it was a success. Here's what's going to happen: each day for the next four days I'm going to lay this out for you with apps/cocktails, first course of soup, entrée, and dessert. By Monday you'll be fully ready to wow your friends and earn much love from those who are fortunate enough to be graced with an invite to your table!

I know my friends well enough to know that when they walk in the door, and after the hugs are spread around, they want something in their hands. Hopefully liquid and with a little kick. Here's a list of cocktails and links to the recipes that will give everyone the proper pre-dinner glow:
- Hendrick's Gimlets
- Campari Aranciata Cocktail
- Negroni
- Manhattan Cocktail
- Margarita
- Sidecar Cocktail

You might also want to stash a bottle or two of prosecco and white in the fridge, too, just in case anyone pulls the unexpected and decides on a grape based drink. w tends to roll this way, so it's best to be a good Boy Scout and be prepared. Of course with alcohol beginning to course through their systems, it's incumbent on you, the responsible host, to have something for your guests to eat. Do yourself a favor...make it easy and have them ready when you pour the drinks. You'll be too busy with the greetings and tending to dinner prep to be whipping up last minute apps. You can take the easy way and do the cheese thing, which isn't ever a bad idea. But with a bare minimum of extra effort, you can make the two starters I laid down that absolutely nail it, are delicious, can be made a couple of hours ahead, plus they look pretty damn good on the serving platter.....
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Piquillos con Atun
A classic Spanish tapas, these are fabulous. Use good canned tuna in olive oil. I love the Ortiz brand from Spain.

ingredients:
1 Jar (7.6oz) Piquillo peppers
1 tin Bonito tuna in olive oil
Extra Virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup Capers
Lettuce, washed and drained (optional)

method:
1. Combine tuna in a bowl, draining off about half of the oil. Replace about half of the drained oil with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Break the tuna up into large chunks and add the capers.
3. Hold the peppers so that they form a cone in your hand and stuff with the tuna mixture.
4. Place each stuffed pepper onto the bed of lettuce (if using) or platter. Sprinkle the whole platter with capers and drizzle with olive oil.
Chorizo Deviled Eggs w/ Chorizo Chips
Who doesn't love deviled eggs? Throwback food at its best. And very open to imaginative interpretation! I wanted to stick with a Spanish theme for our apps, so chorizo was the natural choice. Figure at least 2 egg halves per person.

ingredients:
8 eggs
1/4 cup Spanish chorizo, finely chopped
16 thin slices chorizo for chips.
Mayonnaise
Smoked Spanish paprika to taste

method:
1- Put eggs in saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil. When water comes to a boil, remove pan from heat and cover. After 15 minutes carefully place eggs into ice water bath to cool. Let cool for 20 minutes or so.
2- While eggs cook, crisp the chopped chorizo in a small non-stick skillet. Set aside on a paper towel to drain. Add chorizo slices to skillet and cook to crisp, turning once or twice. Set aside on a separate paper towel to drain. (oh, you may want to make more chorizo chips than you need, because they're really fucking good and once you nibble one, you'll want more. FYI, ya know?)
3- Slice eggs in half lengthwise (a really sharp knife is very helpful here) and place yolks in small mixing bowl. Set egg white halves aside. Add mayonnaise to yolks and mash to desired consistency (I like my egg yolks a little stiff). Add paprika to taste; add chopped chorizo, and mix together. Salt to taste. Carefully fill each egg white half with yolk mixture and add chorizo chip on top. Arrange on platter and serve.
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Pernil is the pork shoulder that dreams are made of!

Is absinthe over?

According to this amusing article in this mornings Sunday NYT it is. Being compared to the band Interpol, laceless Converse sneakers, and a soul patch as author Eric Konigsberg did can never be good PR......
"If absinthe were a band, it would be Interpol, third-hand piffle masquerading as transgressive pop culture. If absinthe were sneakers, it would be a pair of laceless Chuck Taylors designed by John Varvatos for Converse. If it were facial hair, it would be the soul patch."

Can you keep a Secret?

It used to be that while waiting for a coveted table at the still über-hot Toro Bravo restaurant here in Portland, the only option was to be crammed into that tiny elongated closet off to the side, packed liked sardines around the tables in the front, or waiting outside. Now, for all of us who want to go to TB but hate to wait, relief is a short walk upstairs, where for the price of a well-made cocktail you can join The Secret Society. The owner of the building that houses Toro Bravo, Matt Johnson, used to have his office in a room that looked out over the sidewalk in front of Toro Bravo. Night after night he'd see crowds of desperate, hungry, and probably thirsty diners waiting...and waiting. Being a smart boy who knows opportunity when it rears its profitable head, he transformed his office into a cozy, darkly lit den of adult refreshment with the titillating name The Secret Society. With its high ceiling, dark red walls, and very inviting bar with ice water dispensers for proper absinthe making on the bar, it reeks of retro cocktail cool (and you can see w looking very of-the-moment at the bar above). Various snacks are available to soak up the well thought out list of libations being offered. Absolutely not just a place to go while waiting for a Toro table, this charming, romantic bar should be on any cocktailistas list!
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Oh, and how as dinner at Toro Bravo? As always it was outstanding. Highlights for me were the always addictive salt cod fritters with aioli (that's an armada of them steaming across a sea of aioli at left) and the squid ink pasta with an hazelnuts and an egg yolk attractively positioned on top. I am always impressed at how consistent this place is considering the crowds. Owner John Gorham really has it working, and at an always reasonable price.

Environmentally aware cocktailing? Excellent!!

The first thought I had when I read Washington Post spirits columnist Jason Wilson's column inspired by his recent visit to the Slow Food Nation in san Francisco was "You mean now I can go green and get drunk at the same time? Outstanding!" That must mean that my hangover is responsible and sustainable, too. In that spirit...pun sort of intended...I thought I would tip my glass in the direction of the new green tradition of getting one's groove on and make his accompanying cocktail (I love that with every column Wilson always has a recipe or two to slake my curiosity) he called The Arboretum.

What I liked about this even before I made it was that it would require a trip to the liquor store to get new imbibable ingredients as I didn't have any maraschino liqueur or green Chartreuse. Any chance to stock the expanding home bar is not to be missed so off I went. Now neither one of these are inexpensive options, but in the amounts called in most recipes for I'm guessing I'm not going to plowing through them too quickly. My local spirits provider (for you PDX readers I really like the SE 11th and Hawthorne Blvd. store. They are among the rare Oregon liquor store operators who actually realize they are in the retail business and not just peddling demon alcohol from behind the counter) only had one brand of Chartreuse and the maraschino liqueur was the Luxardo brand. Anxiously, with that illicit thrill the liquor store always gives me, I raced home with my purchases to begin my attempt at viewing environmental enlightenment through the lens of a martini glass. I put all the parts together as instructed, shook the hell out of it to crush the ice against the cucumber slices and basil leaves and strained it into the cocktail glass with barely restrained glee. I raised the glass to my lips with visions of Toyota Prius' flashing through my mind, sipped, and thought...."Man, that is a little medicinal for my taste." It was actually quite good, and I liked how shaking the cucumber and basil gave this background freshness, but Chartreuse is a very strong flavor and it was a little too sweet. I would probably back that off the Chartreuse to maybe 1/2 ounce or so and also cut back to just a dash of the syrup. But that's the great thing about cocktails: another variation means another drink! I printed the recipe below exactly like JW called for.
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The Arboretum
from The Washington Post

Summary (from Wilson):
This is a farm-market-fresh cocktail full of herbal, tangy flavors that will impress the slow-foodies in your life.

It requires more shaking than usual to ensure that the cucumber and basil flavors are well integrated. The cocktail's creator specifically calls for using Square One vodka and agave nectar, but Spirits columnist Jason Wilson suggests using the organic, sustainable vodka of your choice, and he likes using the honey syrup featured in the Dupont Gin Rickey, instead of agave nectar.

2 servings

ingredients:
Ice cubes
2 ounces vodka, preferably organic
1 ounce green Chartreuse
1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/4 ounce agave nectar, preferably organic
Dash orange bitters
6 basil leaves, 4 of them torn into strips
6 thin cucumber slices

method:
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the vodka, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, agave nectar, orange bitters, 4 of the basil leaves and 4 of the cucumber slices. Shake vigorously for at least 1 minute, then strain into 2 cocktail (martini) glasses. Garnish each with the remaining basil leaves and cucumber slices.

Recipe Source:
Adapted from a recipe by San Francisco bartender Alberta Straub.

Ginned up!

Not only is Portland the home to the greatest number of craft breweries in the world, but to metaphorically put the olive in the martini, we lucky denizens of this thirst ridden city are also fortunate enough to have a growing number of craft distillers whose vodkas, gins, whiskies, and other intoxicants are gaining nation-wide recognition. Stephen McCarthy and his legendary Clear Creek Distillery started the boom years ago. Now labels like Medoyeff, Aviation, New Deal, Ransom, and others are putting smiles on faces in bars across the country. We even have our own and the nation's first craft distillers guild. Being somewhat of a gin freak, when word of a new bottling of this most botanical of beverages comes my way, I have this uncontrollable urge to visit my nearest liquor store (which I always get a probably unhealthy pleasure out of going to in a grownup kid-in-an-adult-candy-store way. Even after all these years there is still a kind of illicit thrill to viewing those shelves of demon alcohol!) in search of my next martini mixer.

My latest find is the newly released gin from Integrity Sprits called 12 Bridges. As they say on their very nicely put together website, 12 Bridges is "aptly named for the number of bridges in our city, and for the 12 botanicals in its recipe". It ran a little over $25 an attractively packaged bottle, and it was with great anticipation I took it home to mix that first gin-and-tonic on a sweltering evening. I (along with my co-palate in pleasure w) first took a sniff and a sip straight up to get a feel for it. Definite floral, citrus, cucumber notes were very apparent, along with the usual juniper botanicals, on the nose and in the mouth. I know, it's kind of dorky to sniff your gin, but what can I say, I'm obsessed. Mixed with the tonic really brought out the cucumber flavors. It reminded me a lot of Hendrick's Gin with those same kinds of sensations. Like Hendrick's, I'm sure it would make a killer gimlet. Tonight I'll try a 12 Bridges martini, because I would hate to skimp on my research. I'm not sure about national distribution, but if you see it, it is definitely worthy of ice and tonic. Cheers!!

As if I needed another temptation....

For me, part of the fun of going out to dinner is the pre-dinner libation, aka "the pre-func", "getting your groove on", or "setting the table". When w and I have our date nights we almost always make one stop for a refreshing adult beverage before our final destination. The place that has become our de facto starting point lately here in PDX is the Teardrop Lounge in northwest. They've come on fast and hard and are among the cutting edge cocktailistas in town, with a menu of creative and deliciously intoxicating beverages that only seriously indulgent minds would come up with. The owner/bartenders are awesome, and Teardrop was recently named Bar of the Year by Portland Monthly Magazine. They almost always nail it with their drinks (although I have to admit that w's "A Bittersweet Life" was a rare miss). It's a warmly inviting, modern/retro boîte (modern in its sleek design; retro in its comfortable to hang at bar and barmen who take their work seriously and appreciate the history of their craft) that we really dig, a place that doesn't reek of the annoying, trying-too-hard vibe usually given off by other places in the "Pearl" district. Before dinner out at Alba last Saturday, I also happened to have one of the best new drinks to wreak havoc on my liver in quite some time (the last really cool, new drink that grabbed me was the Old Pal at Castagna Café), the intriguingly named "Vow of Silence" (right), a perfectly balanced blend of gin, yellow chartreuse, grapefruit, lemon, averna amaro, and gomme syrup. I'm still not sure what those last two ingredients are, but they all come together to form one wildly good drink that will leave your personal vows of silence, sobriety, or whatever else you're swearing off this week in tatters on the floor around your bar stool!

Jumping through the Hula hoop!

Being a man who's appetite and attention span are on opposite ends on the unlimited/limited scale, I find myself looking for new edible diversions on a disturbingly regular basis. Here in Portland, thankfully, there are seemingly new restaurants opening every few weeks. Lovely Hula Hands isn't one of them. However it is one of those places that has been on my list ever since it moved from its old location on burgeoning North Mississippi Avenue, brought in a new chef (Troy McClarty), and apparently has been packing them in since. So last Saturday, with the encouragement of friends and fellow appetite enablers J&K, w and I made the pilgrimage.

But first, as with any good meal, the appetite needed a bit of priming, so we met at Mint for a pre-prandial drink at this icon of the Portland drink scene. Much to our concern, Mint was closed for a private party, but we did make it into their neighboring sister bar 820, which shares a kitchen and connecting door with Mint. My wanting to meet at Mint did have ulterior motives beyond satisfying my cocktail lust. I had heard from several friends about their Kobe beef burger, so I thought along with our beverages we could all share one and see for ourselves. Cut into four pieces, it made a perfect entrée cum appetizer. The burger itself? Good, but still not coming close to the paragon that is the Castagna Café burger (although the accompanying sweet potato fries were excellent). Ah, well, the search goes on. As for 820 itself, it very much has that be-there-to-be-seen feel, but I usually find a bar with long lists of signature cocktails a little too "trying too hard to be cool". It goes against my old school martini traditionalist thing. Also as w said, the crowd there seems very "B & T"...that's bridge and tunnel for the uninitiated.

So it was on to Lovely Hula Hands, where you walk into their warmly lit downstairs dining room (pictured above). I really like their space....a few cozy tables downstairs, a few more upstairs where we were seated. The snack at 820 only whetted our appetites, so we jumped right in with starters of Belgian Endive Salad with persimmons (seemingly the ingredient du jour at almost every restaurant); Cream of Sunchoke Soup with pancetta, apples,, and sage; and an order of Dungeness Crab Cakes. All three were delicious, but when the crab cakes came out, though tasty, we were somewhat surprised to see two tiny discs about the size of a half dollar each. For ten bucks I would have at least liked a dollar fifty size portion. We washed down these beginnings with a crisply delicious bottle of 2005 Touraine-Mesland Blanc from the Loire Valley. This Frenchie sauv blanc is the deal off their white list at $27 a pop.

For entrees w and K had the Pan-Fried Scallops with a celery root and hedgehog mushroom risotto. The scallops were perfectly cooked, the risotto had the requisite bite and savory mushroom-ey goodness. J had their Linguine with Manila Clams, pork sausage, tomatoes, and garlic. This was really good, briny, fresh, with a favorite combo of mine, seafood and pork products! I opted, thankfully, for their killer Cascade Natural Beef Short Ribs with pears, mashed potatoes, garlicky chard, and horseradish cream. This was awesome, the short ribs fall off the bone tender. I loved each meaty bite, and the pears and horseradish cream an interesting and delicious accompaniment. For drinking fun I had brought along a 2002 Maurice Ecard Savigny-Les-Beaune "Jarrons", a single vineyard premier cru red Burgundy that once again shows why the French know pinot noir like nobody else. Young, elegant, velvety, a paragon of pinot, and crying out for about 2 to 3 more years in the cellar.

Even though we were careening toward the food wall, and w had already hit it, how could we not have dessert? Twenty minutes later, with their just okay Chocolate Panna Cotta with amarena cherries and a fabulously decadent Sticky Date Pudding with toffee sauce that had us swooning, under our belts, even with w rallying from her food coma to help, and with two glasses of the perfect fizzy goodness that is Moscato d'Asti, we had all crashed, satisfyingly, at the end of this food road.

All in all, I would definitely look forward to a return visit. The food overall was very good, the room comfy, the service maybe a bit distracted but nothing that would keep me away. Another dining option to anticipate.....excellent!!

picture above from Portland Mercury

Holiday Glow: the Stinger

Continuing my exploration of all things holiday and thirst quenching, I made a Stinger last night based on the recipe in yesterday's post. It looked a lot like this....
And tasted a lot like this: Fairly sweet, with a strong minty bite, the cognac flavor wasn't near as apparent as I might have expected. The mint and the slight hint of lemon, along with the amount of ice that melted while it was in the shaker brought everything in balance. I could see this as a nice after dinner drink, or maybe one to have sitting in front of the fire. I have to say after one I was feeling that nice beginning glow. I think it is one of those sneaky-strong drinks that you have to be careful with, because as it is described in the post below it is "a short drink with a long reach"! Happy holiday's, anyone?!

Stinger recipe in previous post

Holiday Cheer!

It's that happy time of year. The time when the world feels full of hope, twinkling lights, good will toward men, blah-blah-blah.....and oh yeah, my favorite part, those ever present cups 'o cheer!

Which is why this article in the Washington Post (see El Phil, I DO read something besides the NYT!) was like the singing of angels, like making out that Santa wish list, like anticipating my next holiday hangover. Post writer Jason Wilson, who somehow landed the enviable job of being their drinks writer, compiled, amusingly, a list of what he considers some essential winter & holiday libations, along with some must have bar inventory. I was so inspired I ran down to our local liquor outlet to stock my own holiday cabinet of hope. When w arrived home last night, to get us in the mood for some tree decoratin', I made two versions of one of his listed winter spirit warmers, the classic Alexander. One I made with gin, one with his variation of pear brandy. To me, both were highly delectable, being a gin lover I gave my slight nod to the Tanqueray model. w was not so convinced, as she is more of a standard g&t kind of girl. So, alas, I had to finish hers...hee-hee! Tonight I will explore (and report) on the delicious mysteries of the Stinger!

So with that, I give you the Spirit(s) of Christmas '08.....cheers!!
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comments and descriptions of each drink are Mr. Wilson's.




One smoothly delicious Alexander coming up!!











Alexander
The Alexander is a versatile drink that every home bartender should break out during the holidays. It can be made with gin or cognac, preferably Pierre Ferrand Ambre. Or try a variation by Spirits columnist Jason Wilson: the Pear Alexander, which uses Belle de Brillet.

Some cocktail purists insist that a Brandy Alexander should actually be called a Panama. Ignore them.

1 serving
Ingredients:

* Ice
* 1 1/2 ounces gin, cognac or Belle de Brillet
* 3/4 ounce heavy cream
* 3/4 ounce white creme de cacao
* Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

Directions:

Fill a mixing glass two-thirds full with ice. Add the gin, cognac or Belle de Brillet, then the heavy cream and white creme de cacao. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
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Stinger
"The Stinger has always been considered a Society drink," writes David Wondrich in his entertaining new cocktail history, "Imbibe!", noting that it was the favorite drink of Reginald Vanderbilt. A 1923 profile of Vanderbilt described the Stinger as "a short drink with a long reach, a subtle blending of ardent nectars, a boon to friendship, a dispeller of care." This classic is a perfect drink for after dinner.

There are many ways to make a Stinger, which traditionally is served straight up. Spirits columnist Jason Wilson likes his on the rocks; he usually makes it with 1 1/2 ounces of fine (read: expensive) VSOP cognac.

When using the better-value Pierre Ferrand Ambre, Wilson prefers a ratio of 2 parts cognac to 1 part creme de menthe.
1 serving
Ingredients:

* Ice
* 2 ounces cognac
* 1 ounce white creme de menthe
* Twist of lemon peel

Directions:

Fill a mixing glass two-thirds full with ice. Add the cognac and white creme de menthe. Shake well, then strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with three or four ice cubes (not crushed ice). Garnish with a lemon twist.
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Hot Buttered Rum
It is best to make the batter in advance so the spices have an opportunity to mingle. Be sure to remove the batter from the refrigerator at least 6 hours before serving to allow it to soften. The recipe for the batter makes enough for 10 to 12 servings; refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month, or freeze for up to 2 months.

1 serving
Ingredients:
For the batter

* 1 pound light brown sugar
* 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 to 2 teaspoon allspice
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For each drink

* 1 1/2 ounces rum, preferably Mount Gay Eclipse
* Boiling water, as needed

Directions:

For the batter: Beat together the brown sugar, butter, spices and vanilla extract until well combined. Refrigerate in an airtight resealable container until ready to use.

For each drink: Combine 2 heaping tablespoons of the batter and the rum in a warmed coffee mug. Add boiling water to fill to the top, and mix well. Serve with a spoon.
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Saratoga
If you like a Manhattan, try this cocktail, which adds cognac to the mix. It became popular during the 19th-century heyday of Saratoga Springs, where New York's sporting classes retreated for horse races, gambling and leisure. This is a slight variation on the original recipe, the only difference being that the drink was to be shaken. It's much better stirred.

1 serving
Ingredients:

* Ice
* 1 ounce rye whiskey, preferably Wild Turkey Straight 101
* 1 ounce cognac, preferably Pierre Ferrand Ambre
* 1 ounce sweet vermouth, preferably Martini & Rossi
* 2 dashes Angostura bitters
* Quarter-slice lemon, for garnish

Directions:

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice, then add the rye whiskey, cognac, vermouth and bitters. Stir well, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with the slice of lemon.

Salut Camilo e Gaspari!

It's the little differences that make all the difference. Of course I can relate this statement to my love and endless and healthy(?) fascination with cocktails. I write this as I sit at home having the national cocktail of Federal Republic of Bruce, an absolutely perfect Negroni. The Negroni, an oh so satisfying drink, traditionally a blend of gin, Campari (invented by Gaspari Campari in the early 1800s), and sweet vermouth in equal amounts, is an old school classic. It is named after Camilo Negroni who lived in early 1900s Florence and always ordered this particular libation.
My particular love affair with Camilo's concoction began years ago, and has never waned, through the highs of enjoying them at a sunny outdoor café table on the Giudecca Canal in Venice (for $2.00!!) to the lows of waking up after perhaps one too many with the unfortunate feeling of an elephant tap dancing on my head.
But I found out how big a little difference can be after a San Francisco afternoon a few years ago spent on a hunt for the perfect Negroni. It was in the bar at Bix, a wonderfully atmospheric place and perhaps my favorite Bay area haunt for martinis and other cocktails , that I learned the secret. I think this was stop number three on the search, and one sip in my eyes went wide and I turned to the bartender and said "You did something different here, didn't you?" I remember his satisfied little smile as he said that he indeed had his own minor variation on the classic one-to-one-to-one proportions. For so simple a recipe, you'd be amazed at how many bartenders screw it up, or riff on this, and completely lose sight of what is a drink that, as an old drinking companion succinctly said, "Made correctly is the perfectly balanced cocktail." So what was that little difference that made the perfect cocktail into something that was touched by the hand of God? He keeps the usual proportions of one part gin and one part Campari, but instead of one part sweet vermouth, he used 1/2 sweet and 1/2 dry vermouth. The dry vermouth gives it this slight acid bite that balances out the richness of the Campari and gin.
And if the Negroni is the National Cocktail of this Republic in my mind, then Tanqueray gin is the National Beverage. I say that as a prelude to advise you to use a somewhat more neutral gin...I prefer Gordon's...because the assertive flavor of Tanqueray tends to overpower the other elements. So easy, so good, and so important to my happiness. Mille grazie Camilo!

The Perfect Perfect Negroni
1 part gin, preferably Gordon's
1 part Campari
1/2 part sweet vermouth
1/2 part dry vermouth
Shake with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.