I’m Moving!

You can now find me at my very own site:

A Drink on the Rocks

All of my current content has been carried over to the new site, and I look forward to posting frequently!

Vintage Cocktails #14: The Derby Cocktail

Before baseball, basketball, or football, there were 2 great sports in the United States.  One was boxing, a game of wit, skill and physical strength.  The other was the track.  The races were where the otherwise upstanding gentlemen would gamble away their hard earned (sometimes easily earned) cash, and celebrate amongst themselves with drinks and cigars.  And while the Mint Julep has become the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, there were other forgotten cocktails named after races and their winners.  The Derby cocktail was one of them.  Trader Vic in his Bartender’s Guide (1947) lists three variations of the Derby.  I will list all three for reference, but the first one is found in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.

The Derby
1 oz Bourbon Whiskey
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Orange Curacao
3/4 oz Lime Juice

I found the Derby to be an astounding cocktail. Well served before a meal as an apertif, the drink has a fruity sweet first sip which gives way to the bourbon and finishes with an astringently sour finish.

The Derby (#2)
1 1/2 oz Gin
2 dashes Peach Bitters
1 sprig Mint

The Derby (#3)
1 oz Brandy
2 dashes Curacao
2 dashes Pineapple syrup
1 dash Orange Bitters

Imbibers 100 (Updated)

Originally posted by Darcy O’Neil, Art of Drink, this is the top 100 liquid items you should consume before kicking the bucket. I say items, because some of these cannot really be classified as beverages in the traditional sense of the word. If you want to participate, please do. It’s great fun.

Instructions:

1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment at Art of Drink, and link to your results.

OR

If you don’t have a blog, just count the ones you’ve tried and post the number in the comments section.

List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
15. Chateau d’Yquem
16. Budwieser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
21. Mai Tai (original)
22. Ice Wine (Canadian)
23. Red Bull
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
26. Tokaji
27. Chicory
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup (unfortunately I have had the pleasure of this unique Canadian product)
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Ice Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate
64. German Riesling
65. Pina Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guiness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)

Since  November of 2008, I have added an additional 11 items to my checklist bringing my total to 69 of 100.  31 out of 100 seems like a pretty doable challenge, especially since their is nothing really prohibiting me from trying several item’s on the list other than I haven’t bothered too.

Should I measure…..or just guess?

So I am driving through a Starbucks today, and I overhear a conversation between the barista and the woman in the car.

Woman: Excuse me, but I think my drink is too sweet.
Barista: I’m sorry, let me fix that for you.
Woman: Thanks, I’d appreciate that.
Barista: No problem. We free-pour our syrups so sometimes that happens.

What do you mean you free pour your syrups? Why would you do that? They provide you with these handy little pre-measured pumps, and you can’t even bother to use them cause you think you are that awesome? Clearly you are not, so you should probably stick with the pumps.

This helps illustrate some important points that are valid for baristas and bartenders alike.

1. You should only free pour anything if you know what you are doing, and can do it consistently day in and day out. Too many times you will find establishments that allow free pouring and their drinks show a lack of consistency.

2. A Little goes a long way. When using potent ingredients, a small amount too much or too little can break the balance. Think about a peppermint latte. Too much and you have a cloying medicinal mint flavor that makes you want to vomit. Too little, and you may as well have skipped the syrup altogether because it is flat and tasteless. In cocktails, we often call for dashes and drops. These are actual measurements and not just guesses. If a drink calls for drops, then it means it. Otherwise you might as well just drink the item on its own if the whole thing is going to taste like a single ingredient anyways.

3. There is absolutely nothing wrong with measuring. You don’t bake a cake without measuring the ingredients carefully, and while you can season food without measuring, usually it can be rectified if you accidentally put too much of something in. Not with a drink. If you keep adding other things to balance it out, more than likely you’ll just make it worse. Experienced professionals who are more than capable of free pouring, often still measure.

My personal habits are as follows: If I have never made the drink before, I measure. If the drink has more than 2 ingredients, I measure. If I am making a rum and coke, etc.., I usually just pour. If I have made a drink hundreds of times, I might measure and I might pour, it depends on the drink. When making a whiskey sour for example, I will pour. I have made it enough times that I can make a drink that is consistent time and again.

So ends my rant on measure vs pour. But take note. If you pour me a drink twice and they don’t taste the same, I may not let you pour me another.

St Germain Elderflower Liqueur

I have been meaning to post this for months, so I guess I’ll get on with it.

What is St Germain Liqueur? Well, St. Germain is an artisanal French liqueur made from hand-picked elderflower blossoms. The white flowers are gathered in the foothills of the Alps for only a few days in late spring. Then, 40-50 men pedal the Alpen French countryside delivering the delicate blossoms to be distilled into this nectar. Blended with a small amount of citrus and natural cane sugar to accentuate the subtle flavor of the elderflowers, and then combined with eau-de-vie, the resulting liqueur is delicate and balanced with fresh floral aromas and flavors and hints of pear, apricot and grapefruit zest.

Winning a double Gold Medal at the 2007 and 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, St Germain Liqueur is a great addition to any home bar, or cocktail menu. The floral aromas lend itself to being paired with citrus based concoctions, as well as gin and champagne cocktails, and it’s relatively low proof of 40ABV, allows it to be versatile without overpowering other ingredients. I would be very interested in trying some of this out in the culinary arena.

True Originals #2: The Hummingbird

True Originals #1: The Samurai

The Quest

It is the new year, and I am on a mission. A mission that may turn out to be a complete failure, or may turn into something great. As Julie Powell attempted to make all the recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook in a year, so I shall attempt to make and enjoy every single cocktail in the reissued Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. For me this is no small task. For one, here in Washington State our lovely governing bodies get to decide which brands of alcohols and beers are allowed to be sold here. In addition, most companies will not ship product of a high proof nature into the state. Which leaves me a little annoyed as I can already see that several drinks are going to be a challenge. However, I shall go forth with vigor and conquer.

Wherever possible I will try to go through the book in alphabetical order to keep from a chaotic mess, although time and money will be the ultimate dictation when new or hard to acquire ingredients come into play. Cheers!

Tea

Tea is the agricultural product of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods. “Tea” also refers to the aromatic beverage prepared from the cured leaves by combination with hot or boiling water, and is the common name for the Camellia sinensis plant itself.

Tea.  It is the most popular drink in the world, and its consumption it equal to all other drinks in the world, including coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, and alcohol put together.  This to me is amazing in the fact that here in the US, tea is an often overlooked beverage.  We have it occasionally when we have colds, or if we are from certain ancestral backgrounds, but as a whole I think to the average citizen, tea is merely a simple beverage of a bygone era.  Let us however take a closer look.

There are six varieties of tea; white, yellow, green, oolong, black and pu-erh^, of which the most commonly found on the market are white, green, oolong and black. All tea are made from the same bushes but processed differently, and, in the case of fine white tea, grown differently. Pu-erh tea, a post-fermented tea, is also often used medicinally, and I myself have never seen this tea available.

Herbal “tea’s” are not tea at all but rather an infusion or tisane of leaves, flowers, fruit, herbs or other plant material that contains no Camellia sinensis. The term “red tea” either refers to an infusion made from the South African rooibos plant, also containing no Camellia sinensis, or, in many Asian languages, refers to black tea.

The Camillia sinensis is an evergreen bush that is grown mainly in sub-tropical climates.  The plants require a minimum of 50 inches of rainfall a year, as well as a zone 8 climate and acidic soils.  There are 2 varieties of the tea plant, the large leafed Assam (C. sinensis assamica) which is predominantly processes into black and oolong teas, and the Chinese (C. sinensis sinensis) which is predominantly green, white, and yellow teas.  The tea plant can grow quite large, but is usually kept trimmed to waist lever to facilitate production.  During the tea producing season, the top 1-2 inches of the plant are picked.  This is called the flush.  A plant will flush every 7-10 days during this season.  Over three quarters of the tea in the world comes from the east half of the Asian continent; China, India, and Sri Lanka producing about 60 percent of the worlds tea.

Similarly to coffees that gain differing flavors from the region of growth and the roasting process, to tea is also classified according to processing techniques:

• White tea:  wilted and unoxidized
• Yellow tea:  unwilted and unoxidized, but allowed to yellow
• Green tea:  unwilted and unoxodized
• Oolong tea:  wilted, bruised, and partia;;y oxidized
• Black tea:  wilted, often crushed, and fully oxidized
• Post-fermented tea:  Green tea that has been fermented/composted

The proper preparation for tea is also one that is often overlooked in our culture.  Different teas require different brewing times and temperatures.  Many teas are brewed several times using the same leaves which is said to brew more complex flavors during the subsequent infusions.  Below is a graph depicting brewing temperature, time, and number of possible infusions.

Type	Water Temp.	Steep Time	Infusions
White Tea	150 °F (66 °C) – 160 °F (71 °C)	1–2 minutes	3
Yellow Tea	160 °F (71 °C) – 170 °F (77 °C)	1–2 minutes	3
Green Tea	170 °F (77 °C) – 180 °F (82 °C)	1–2 minutes	4-6
Oolong Tea	180 °F (82 °C) – 190 °F (88 °C)	2–3 minutes	4-6
Black Tea	210 °F (99 °C)	2–3 minutes	2-3
Pu-erh Tea	200 °F (93 °C) – 210 °F (99 °C)	Limitless	Several
Herbal Tea	210 °F (99 °C)	3–6 minutes	Varied

All of the teas above have differing flavor profiles, not only based upon the type of tea, but also where it is grown, how it is processed, if/how it was blended with other teas, and what additives where used (jasmine, bergamot, lemon, honey, mint, etc).  As you can see, tea can be either a very simple beverage or an epicurian delight.  With so many flavor profiles, tea can be paired expertly with a plethora of dishes.  Next time you are in the mood to try something new, reach for the tea leaves.

And stay tuned for the upcoming MxMo on January 25th, featuring Tea!

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