June 20, 2014
Welcome back Brancamenta lovers! Wait, you say you don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, then go read my first post about the Brancamenta Mint Challenge (#brancamenta) and The Better Days cocktail. Neat, right? Remember in that post I said I made a second drink? Well, the Mint Meridian is that very drink.
But first, I realized I didn’t say much about Brancamenta in that earlier post, and maybe some folks still don’t know about it – which is a crying shame. It’s made from the same herb-and-spice set up as its older sibling, Fernet Branca, with the addition of Piedmontese peppermint oil. It’s super minty, a bit less of a digestif than Fernet Branca, and fantastic (I think) with soda over ice and in drinks. And it was inspired by opera singer Maria Callas. Neat, again, right? For my second ‘menta (I sometimes shorten it suchly) drink I wanted to hit the refreshing route more heavily, to help y’all out with summer. But I still wanted to get creative with it – hence building on another summer favorite, rum. Really!
The Mint Meridian
Ice cubes
2 ounces dark rum
3/4 ounces Brancamenta
1/4 freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Chilled club soda
Mint sprig, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway up with ice cubes. Add the rum, Brancamenta, lemon juice, and bitters. Shake well.
2. Fill a highball or closely comparable glass up with ice cubes. Strain the mix from Step 1 into the glass.
3. Top with 3 ounces club soda. Stir. Garnish with the mint spring. Enjoy your afternoon.
Tags: #brancamenta, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Peychaud's bitters, Rum, super refreshing summer cocktail, The Mint Meridian, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: bitters, Cocktail Recipes, Italy, Recipes, Rum, What I'm Drinking
June 6, 2014
Recently, I ended up with a bottle of Brancamenta via the post. Yeah, I have a good life. I did feel sort-of bad about it. See, it was part of the Brancamenta Mint Challenge (#brancamenta), where the fine folks at Fratelli Branca (perhaps best known for Brancamenta’s sibling Fernet Branca – hey, why not read about my Branca tour) send around some bottles to folks who like to make up drinks – like me! – and then we cut loose and see what happens. None of that was bad, however. The bad part was that after the bottle showed, I realized I already had a bottle of Brancamenta on the shelf. But, I suppose, as Shakespeare said, you can never have too much of a good thing.
And I did come up with not one, but two swell drinks using the minty-herbally-goodness that is Brancamenta. I’ll post the second one later, but first The Better Days cocktail. When I heard “challenge” I took it a little literally, and challenged myself to make a drink that would make people say “what, that can’t be right” when they saw the ingredients list, but then say “jump back! that is awesome,” when they took the first sip. I also wanted to keep the ingredients list slim, as a secondary challenge for myself. And have a drink that you could have early in the day. And yes, I managed to deliver on all three, if I can be so bold, cause The Better Days is tasty, good before noon, and deceptively simple.
The Better Days
Cracked ice
2 ounces gin (I used Voyager – stick with a nice juniper-y gin)
3/4 ounce Brancamenta
3/4 ounce Borghetti coffee liqueur (also made by the fine folks at Branca and a fantastic coffee-lover’s dream)
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add everything. Stir well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Tags: #brancamenta, Borghetti, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, The Better Days, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Gin, Italy, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
April 29, 2014
Listen, I don’t even need to tell you – I like the Italian drinks. All of them. Including wine, beer, and soda. But especially the liqueurs had before and after dinner. And it turns out I’m not the only one, because lately the wonderful distillers of Washington state have been releasing some really tasty bottles inspired by Italian favorites. And, I was lucky enough to get to write about these delicious phenomena for Seattle magazine, in an article called Drink Up: Washington-Distilled Italian Spirits.
April 4, 2014
We (wife Nat and I) recently got back from another trip to Italy. Sadly it was two weeks in Italy, and not seven months in Italy, but it was still darn fun. And while there, we stopped to see our pal Diego, the amazing and friendly third-generation vintner at Donini Wines, who I’ve talked about more in-depth like on the Italy blog. Every time we stop by, it’s exactly like visiting a friend combined with what I think every wine tasting should be like. We sit down, he starts opening wine:
even some unlabeled new bubbly that is fantastic, crisp, clear, and lovely:
Then he brings out cheese and crackers and more wine:
Then opens another bottle of wine:
The whole time we’re catching up, talking about wine and the seasons and Italy and America and our families and this and that, and Diego is charming and always opening and pouring more wine for us to try:
And then the table looks like this (with new reds and whites alongside old friends, all in Umbrian style and all great):
If you’re ever in Italy, especially southern Tuscany or northern Umbria, you should be sure and stop by and see him and Donini Wines, too. Sadly, they’re only imported into the US in Montana and few other select states so far. But you needed a trip to Italy, right? Oh, one thing – you’ll probably need to take some home. So leave room in your suitcase. I always do.
February 28, 2014
This is (and I’m being both tongue-in-cheek and deadly, deadly, serious here) a nutty drink. Really, I’m not 100% sure how I came up with it, as the ingredient list is wide-ranging and may appear to be one that would only turn up in the ramblings of a drink-making madman. A madman, I tell you! Wait . . .
Anyway, the recipe’s printed in Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, and, strange-ish ingredient list aside, it’s darn good. A great drink for a Friday, really, especially if you’re getting ready to go on a world tour, or want to pretend to take a world tour from your living room or home bar. If you can’t find the Kahana Royale macadamia nut liqueur, well, I feel for you. But you could sub in another nutty liqueur – then email me and tell me how it is. If you can’t find Amaro CioCiaro, dang, I’d move. But if that isn’t feasible, try another of the amaros, one that leans towards the bitter side. If you can’t find Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters, then just go read another blog. Sorry.
Friday Kahloe
1-1/2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Kahana Royale macadamia nut liqueur
1/2 ounce Amaro CioCiaro
Dash of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the bourbon, macadamia nut liqueur, CioCiaro, and bitters. Shake well—it’s Friday, so show you appreciate it.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Tags: Amaro CioCiaro, bourbon, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters, Friday Kahloe, Friday Night Cocktail, Kahana Royale macadamia nut liqueur, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: bitters, Cocktail Recipes, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Italy, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking, Whiskey
January 24, 2014
I’m just gonna come out and say it – I hold you in high esteem. First off, because you’re reading this blog (hah! Thanks). Secondly, cause I’m holding out hope that you’ll try this drink, which shares a name with the feeling I have for you. Jeez, is this still making sense? I hope so. Anywho, if you do try this drink, you’ll like it I’ll bet. And then hold me in high esteem as well. Then everything will have completed the boozy circle.
The Esteem, from Champagne Cocktails
Ice cubes
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Meletti anisette
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Chilled brut Champagne
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, anisette, and lime juice. Shake while smiling.
2. Strain into a two flute glass and fill almost to the rim with chilled Champagne.
Tags: Champagne & Sparkling Wine, Champagne Cocktails, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, Meletti Anisette, The Esteem, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Champagne & Sparkling Wine, Cocktail Recipes, Italy, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
October 4, 2013
Buon giorno cocktail fans, and fans of cocktail videos, and Italian fans, and fans of good drinks, and fans of good translations, and welcome all y’all to another episode of the Cocktail to Cocktail Hour, the world’s best cocktailunmentary show. This episode is extra special, as we have a guest who’s traveled all the way from Italy to share a special recipe with us. So, watch up, and ciao until next time.
PS: Special thanks to AK Translation Services for the immaculate translating.
Tags: Aperol, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Cocktail to Cocktail Hour, Cocktail video, Cocktail Videos, Friday Night Cocktail, Prosecco, Spritz, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: aperitif, Aperol, Champagne & Sparkling Wine, Cocktail Recipes, Cocktail to Cocktail Hour, Italy, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
September 13, 2013
Holy Toledo! Everyone who’s been holding your breath can now exhale – the new season of the Cocktail to Cocktail Hour is finally upon us. They (those bastardos) said it couldn’t be done, said that the Cocktail to Cocktail Hour was too radicool, too awesome, too tasty for modern T.V. – but they were wrong. To prove it, the first episode of the new season, where I teach you have to make the Kick-Off, a combination of gin, dry vermouth, anisette, Benedictine, and Angostura. Get to it, y’all!
Tags: Angostura bitters, anisette, Benedictine, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Cocktail to Cocktail Hour, Cocktail video, Cocktail Videos, dry vermouth, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: bitters, Cocktail Recipes, Cocktail to Cocktail Hour, Cocktail Videos, Gin, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Italy, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
