Wednesday January 6, 2010
I always enjoy looking back on a year to see what has developed in the cocktail world. This year was quite exciting and the distilled spirits that were launched are a nice collection that span the board.
Square One Botanical Spirits
Photo Courtesy: Square One Organic Spirits
It was, once again, a year of infusions, but did not include as many flavored vodkas as has been the trend in previous years. Instead, the flavors are in the form of whiskey, gin, and tequila with a vodka or two catching my eye because they are truly unique. One thing that I noticed while compiling my list is that the majority have flavors - or flavor combinations - that are completely new and this is exciting because it is innovations like these that lead to truly modern cocktails and allow us to explore flavors in a way we have not had the opportunity to do so before.
Find my picks for the best new spirits of 2009...
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Timeless Tipple of the Week: Star Cocktail
Tuesday January 5, 2010
Take a Metropolitan made with apple brandy, switch the bitters for Peychaud's and the syrup for gum, add a lemon twist and you have this week's featured classic cocktail, the Star Cocktail. It is one of those true classics, dating back to the 1890's at least.
The Star Cocktail can be found in George J. Kappeler's 1895 bartending guide, Modern American Drinks, though it was not mentioned by Jerry Thomas in his 1887 Bartenders Guide. this leads me to believe that either the drink found its fame somewhere within those 8 years or Thomas didn't think it important enough to be included in his list of 200 cocktails that made the cut in that second edition.
What the Star Cocktail is is a blast from the past, a taste of a by-gone era, and quite the delightful little drink. It is just sweet enough for most any taste and perfect for dessert or as a calming nightcap. It is that apple brandy that makes a world of difference. I suggest you seek out the best apple brandy you can find as the spirit is often of a more questionable quality anymore and do not do the Star Cocktail justice - a calvados is a good choice.
Star Cocktail Recipe....
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Saturday January 2, 2010
There is something ever-so-soothing about a cream-laden cocktail on the cold days of winter. They are comforting, warming, and tranquilizing, which is exactly what many of us are looking for in drinks this time of year. So, I dug up an old cocktail recipe to feature this week and all you need is your favorite rum, an orange liqueur, and a carton of cream to create a semi-tropical, semi-glacial mixed drink, the Parisian Blond Cocktail.
This drink is the rum version of the Brandy Alexander, with rum being the obvious substitute for the brandy and orange curacao the not-so-obvious substitute for the creme de cacao. So instead of a venial, chocolaty cocktail you have a sugared, citrus one. The comparison is quite remarkable and, if you love an Alexander, you will love the Parisian Blond.
As far as the rum goes, I like a nice, rich dark rum for this cocktail. Choose one of the aged rums - not the artificially colored rums - like those from Matusalem or Appleton. Or if you are lucky and have the opportunity, pick up a boutique rum, such as Clearheart's Dark Rum which I recently discovered, as this is a cocktail in which the specialty spirits are worth any effort you put into finding them.
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Friday January 1, 2010
Welcome to the first day of 2010! Chances are that if you are on my website this morning (or what seems like morning to you right now) you are looking for some relief from that nasty hangover. While there are many remedies that range from drinking orange juice, sports drinks or some protein drink that will make your stomach curdle to (I love this one) the old Irish way of burying the ailing person to their neck in river sand, there is one tried and true hangover "cure" that is simple: drink a Bloody Mary.
Yes, this relief is found in yet another alcoholic drink, but they do say that the "hair of the dog" is the best remedy. In this case, however, it's not a strong drink and the Bloody Mary has other invigorating ingredients. The tomato juice gives you vitamins, the spices and heat wake up your senses, and the lemon brings in a touch of acid for the stomach. When combined together these elements really do relax the aftereffects of last night's party (though they are not a "cure," simply relief).
There are many ways to make a Bloody Mary and it is not hard to do so from scratch - so forget a quick dash to the convenience store for one of those bottled Bloody Mary mixes - with everything you need being right there in your kitchen, hopefully. Here is the base recipe for a Bloody Mary and if all the vodka was consumed last night you can go with the Bloody Maria (tequila), or use gin for an old-school variation, or you can simply skip the booze altogether and mix up a quick Virgin Mary. One variation I don't recommend for the hangover sufferer is any of the Bloody Caesars - there's something about clamato and nausea that are usually not the best combination.
With all of that said, mix yourself up one of these drinks to find relief for today is also, quite appropriately, Bloody Mary Day. Even if you are one of the fortunate few without a screaming headache this morning you have a good excuse to enjoy this favorite drink. A Bloody Mary, football and brunch are one of the best ways to start off the New Year!
Hangover 101...
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