New Holiday Cocktails
Every year a variety of new drinks are created for every holiday and a few stand out from the rest to me for this year's season. Here is my selection of the myriad I have received. Some are warm and toasty while others just capture some of the favorite flavors of the season...
- Irish Winter - Irish Coffee with a small enhancement from a new liqueur.
- Spiked Three-O Mocha - Three Olives Triple Shot Espresso meets hot chocolate.
- Milk & Honey - Benedictine and milk, either hot or cold but both very soothing.
- Peppermint Kiss - Another great Midori and mint cocktail for the season by Mixologist Victoria D'Amato Moran.
- Waterloo Sunrise - Elderflower, a great new gin. champagne and raspberry create a stunning cocktail.
- Ruby Negroni - A slightly sweeter twist on a favorite before dinner drink.
- Alchemist Punch - Bring out the more creative side in your punch.
Timeless Tipple of the Week: Eggnog
The holidays are truly here and that means that it is time to dive into the best holiday cocktails of all time. One that I will always enjoy (though it took some persuasion at first) is Eggnog. I think that many of the qualms with Eggnog, such as mine were, happens to be that there are many very bad versions of the holiday tradition, with the most poignant being those cartons that are found in the dairy section. No, to truly appreciate Eggnog we have to go old school and who better to explain it than Jerry Thomas, the most famous bartender of the late 1800's and still the best teacher of mixology?
In the 1887 edition of Thomas' Bartenders Guide there are six Eggnog recipes listed, though the classic drink has been adapted many more times over the years. Here is "The Professor's" take on Eggnog...
- Egg Nogg - For this recipe (very similar to this Brandy Eggnog recipe) Thomas includes both brandy and "Santa Cruz rum" (1/2 wine glass each) with a whole egg, powdered sugar and no milk. He also notes that "This may be made by using a wine glass of either of the above liquors, instead of both combined."
- Hot Egg Nogg - About this version Thomas writes: "This drink is very popular in California, and is made in precisely the same manner as the cold egg nogg above, except that you must use boiling water instead of ice."
- Egg Nogg for a Party -Thomas' recipe for an Eggnog punch is considerably stronger than the more modern, common version (recipe here). In this 3 1/2 gallon mix he uses 20 whole eggs, 2 1/2 quarts of fine old brandy, a pint of rum, 2 gallons of milk and 2 (whopping) pounds of sugar. He also adds a great tip that once the punch is in a bowl that it be placed in an ice bath.
- Sherry Egg Nogg - Two full wine glasses of sherry are the spirited base for this version.
- General Harrison's Egg Nogg - A non-alcoholic version of the holiday favorite, it used only sugar, an egg and ice. Thomas writes: "This is a delicious drink, and was very popular on the Mississippi river in old times. It is said to have been General Harrison's favorite beverage." Presumably the named Harrison was William Henry Harrison, though his grandson Benjamin Harrison was a brigadier general in the later part of the 1800's.
- Baltimore Egg Nogg - Also a punch, this hefty version contains 1/2 pint brandy or rum, 2 wine glasses of Madeira wine, 6 pints of milk, 10 eggs and 10teaspoons of powdered sugar.
More on Eggnog...
Sipper of the Week: TY KU Soju and Winter's First Frost
Maybe the season's first real snow fall has influenced my weekly sipping choice and maybe part of it is this is such a unique cocktail. The drink is aptly named Winter's First Frost and this chocolate cocktail's twist includes two Asian aspects, most unusual of the two is the new soju from TY KU.
At first glance one would think that this combination would not work, but amazingly enough it does. It's the soju and sake paired with chocolate and vanilla that can throw you off, but like many drinks it is something that you have to try. The TY KU Soju does a remarkable job at bringing out the flavors of the chocolate and because it does have the near flavor clarity of vodka it does not bring anything too overbearing to Winter's First Frost. It is a nice way to ring in the season.
Whiskey News: Craft Releases from Oregon & A Rare Scotch Auction
Lance Mayhew has uncovered two fascinating pieces of news in the whiskey industry this week and if you are a fan of craft spirits or a rare Scotch you'll want to read more...
- "House Spirits Distillery, one of Oregon's premier craft distilleries and makers of Aviation gin, Krogstad Aquavit, and Medoyeff vodka are releasing three whiskey expressions simultaneously at the distillery on December 12th. House Spirits Straight Malt whiskey (approx $46, 1500 bottles released), House Spirits Cask Strength whiskey (approx $34, 150 bottles released) and House Spirits White Dog whiskey (approx $20.50, 150 bottles released) will all be available for tasting and purchase at the distillery and later at liquor stores throughout the state of Oregon." Read the full article...
- "Glenfiddich is preparing to auction off one of its rarest bottles this month to benefit Friends of Scotland, the charity founded by Sean Connery to create educational scholarships and benefit veterans of foreign wars. Offering up one of the few precious bottles of Glenfiddich 50 year old for a simultaneous auction to be held at the Mandarin hotel in New York, the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami and the Peninsula hotel in Los Angeles, this bottle is the only one being offered for home purchase in the United States." Read the full article...
Raise a Glass to Repeal Day
December 5th is here again and that means that it is time to raise a glass to the Repeal of Prohibition in the United States. While this is possibly one of the least known holidays, it is becoming more popular to celebrate, especially after last year's 75th anniversary. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate a freedom that we have to drink alcohol if we choose to do so and to do that responsibly because there is no point in celebrating this historic event if we do so in a way that tarnishes the reputation of a great cocktail.
So, how to celebrate Repeal Day you ask? There are many ways from enjoying some classic cocktails with friends, buying a drink for a stranger, or attending one of the many Repeal Day events throughout the country.
You may also want to sip on some Prohibition era spirits, with my top pick being Templeton Rye Whiskey. I had the chance to host a party this week with Scott Bush and the Templeton crew (along with Clearheart Spirits) and have gained a new respect for the whiskey, which is said to have been one of Al Capone's favorite tipples and an instrumental part of his bootlegging operation during The Great Drought. One issue you may have is that bottles of Templeton are almost as elusive to find right now as they were in the 1920's.
Understanding Scotch
Scotch can be confusing when you are first getting into the category. To learn how to distinguish blends versus single malts and the impact whiskies bottled in different regions of Scotland can be a daunting task. As an introduction to each of the region's characteristics, Lance Mayhew's article Scotch Whisky Regions will help significantly and gives a few brand examples of each.
Then there is the comparison between high priced scotches and finding out what you are really missing or gaining when the question is $100 a bottle or more. I recently put this theory to the test with a comparison of two blends, Chivas Regal 18 Year Old and Johnnie Walker Blue Label. The results may surprise you, though with all whisky what each individual prefers is going to be different, but that is part of the fun of exploring scotch.
Timeless Tipple of the Week: Black Velvet
This week's timeless tipple is a celebration of a mixture of classes and it is suitably appropriate for the fast approaching holiday celebrations. The Black Velvet is a culmination of two classes with the Champagne typically representing the higher classes of society and a hearty stout taking care of the not-so-high-class - at least that is the perception of the drink in its 1860's origin.
So, is this mixed drink of sparkling wine and beer one worthy of royalty? Obviously it once was, as it was created as a memorial to Queen Elizabeth's beloved Prince Albert who died from typhoid in 1861 after a handful of momentous influences. And that is the origin of the Black Velvet: a steward of the Queen created it as a drink for the masses after Albert's death.
In reality it is a fantastic drink that brings wine and beer together in a near heavenly union that is fantastic for any celebratory state. Though many attempts have been made at recreating it in a bottled form there is not one that can touch the pure taste of a well-made Black Velvet with a freshly corked bottle of Champagne.
Cyber Monday Gifts for the Bartender
Welcome to the biggest shopping season of the year! Yes, it is Cyber Monday and most of the online stores have big deals going on beginning today. If you are wondering what to get the bartender in your life I have some ideas to help you get started.
Sipper of the Week: Cruzan Black Strap Rum and a Cafe Barbados
When it comes to indulgent coffee cocktails an Irish Coffee instantly comes to mind, but this week's sipper takes the sweetness to another level. The drink is called a Cafe Barbados and one of my favorite dark rums for it has to be Cruzan's Black Strap.
The differences between the two warm drinks are not too many, they use the same basic construction of spirit, hot coffee and a heaping mound of whipped cream. In the Cafe Barbados the spirit of choice is a dark rum, which are typically the richest of the molasses-based liquors. Black Strap takes that to an extreme that is delectable and pairs nicely with the darkest, freshest coffee you can brew - preferably using a French press to get a luxurious coffee texture. I never really understood it, but there is one other element in the Cafe Barbados mix and that is a coffee liqueur (i.e. Kahlua) because it mimics the coffee's flavor, but if you leave it out the drink does leave something to be desired so it's best to toss in that shot. Though, you could add another dimension of flavor by using one of Kahlua's flavors like their mocha, hazelnut or coffee cream.
Meet Oxley Gin
Lately many gins have been attempting to break tradition and it has caused quite a debate in the spirit category as to what can be called gin and what is on its own. However, the gin I'm introducing today doesn't stretch those bounds so much, Oxley just adds a twist to the classic and the result is quite delightful.
Consider Oxley Classic English Dry Gin a soft, bright London dry gin - that's the best way I can explain it. Where in a London dry the botanicals are typically warm and dark, in Oxley they are light and bright, though they are still recognizable. Oxley reaches this gin flavor by using a cold distillation, which allows the botanicals to release their natural essences without a "burnt" quality to them. It's rather quite an interesting take on gin and not so far off that I don't think there will be many who do not enjoy its lighter side.