April 1, 2016
I’m pretty blessed to live in a state full of swell distilleries: big-ish ones, little-ish ones, medium-ish ones. And so many of them are doing their own, interesting bottled thing – it’s awesome! And during the course of one recent evening, I wanted to celebrate this particular WA-blessing by making myself a drink using all local booze. It wasn’t hard really (due to the many choices intimated at above), outside of narrowing it down – cause I like so many of them! Another night, it’d be completely different. This particular evening I was feeling rummy, though, and went with Skip Rock’s Belle Rose rum, the light-ish rum version, which was aged in white wine barrels, and has a nice vanilla-oaky-ness. I introduced it (hopefully not for the first time in history) to broVo spirits’ wonderful new-ish Lucky Falernum liqueur (especially good today). A lot of falernums available are a little cloying to me, but Lucky is higher-proof and more mighty than cloying, without losing its underlying ginger, lime, pineapple, star anise profile. Those two locals together is a good start, but I wanted a wild card, something to bring one more zing – I went with Salish Sea’s Hibiscus liqueur, made from Egyptian red hibiscus flowers, and carrying a lovely tangy tartness. Together, they made for a wonderful Washington evening indeed. No fooling!
The Course of the Evening
The Course of the Evening
Cracked ice
1-1/2 ounces Skip Rock Belle Rose light rum
1 ounce broVo spirits Lucky Falernum
1/2 ounce Salish Sea Hibiscus liqueur
Orange wedge, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add the trio of Washington-state delights. Stir well (I really wanted to say “just right” there).
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Squeeze the wedge over the glass, then drop it in.
Tags: broVo spirits Lucky Falernum, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Falernum, Friday Night Cocktail, Rum, Salish Sea Hibiscus liqueur, Skip Rock Belle Rose light rum, The Course of the Evening, Washington distillery, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Distillery, Liqueurs, Recipes, Rum, What I'm Drinking
March 25, 2016
Okay, let’s start with another drink – the Martini. Don’t worry, I’ll get to widows. But recently I received (poor me!) a bottle of Ransom Gin and a bottle of Ransom dry vermouth in the mail. If you don’t know (and, if so, why don’t you?), Ransom is a farm-to-glass distillery and winery in Sheridan, OR, started up by owner and distiller Tad Seestedt. With the f-to-g earlier, you can probably guess that they use local ingredients by the bucketful, including in the gin alone, hops, marionberry, coriander, fennel seeds, and chamomile all produced on the Oregon farm where the distillery is, which is fantastic. And the vermouth also features wine and brandy made on the farm, using OR ingredients, too. That’s pretty darn awesome, and means these old pals (gin and vermouth, that is), in this situation are old, old pals, down to the ground. So, when one (if you’re one like me) gets a bottle of gin and a bottle of vermouth from the same spot and sharing the same agricultural legacy, the first thing that happens is opening the bottles. Then making a Martini, of course.
Mine are made in old school style, 2-1/2 parts gin to 1/2 part vermouth, with a twist of lemon. The end result here – darn delicious. Hints of herb and spice, but with a really lovely smoothness overall. Everything, as you’d expect, plays so nicely together. Of course, me being me and all that, I couldn’t just try the Martini, I had to push the envelope beyond the obvious with a lesser-in-the-road’s-middle cocktail. And that cocktail was the Merry Widow, which I’d recently re-discovered (I can’t remember if this is where I saw it first, honestly) in a fun book from 1936 called Burke’s Complete Cocktail and Tastybite Recipes – a fine read if you can find it. Anyway, the Merry Widow lets the vermouth shine a bit more (which is good here, because the Ransom vermouth is very drinkable all alone, with an balanced herbal, citrus, combo), and also introduces just a hint of a few other players, all of whom played well. Give it a whirl, and see if you can taste that good Oregon terroir coming through. I served a round to some pals, and they all could – and thought the drink would make any widow get up and dance.
The Merry Widow
Cracked ice
1-1/2 ounces Ransom gin
1-1/2 ounces Ransom dry vermouth
2 dashes Absinthe
2 dashes Benedictine
1 dash Angostura bitters
Lemon twist, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add everything but the twist. Stir well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Now, bring that twist to the OR party.
Tags: absinthe, Angostura bitters, Benedictine, Burke’s Complete Cocktail and Tastybite Recipes, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, Martini, Ransom dry vermouth, Ransom gin, The Merry Widow, vermouth, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: bitters, Cocktail Recipes, Distillery, Gin, Liqueurs, Recipes, vermouth, What I'm Drinking
March 18, 2016
Well, it’s the day after St. Patrick’s Day, so you may be up to your ears already in drinks utilizing Irish whiskey this week – but really, can you have too many? Not when you’re using some deliciousness like The Quiet Man Traditional blended Irish whiskey, which is re-casked in first-fill bourbon casks. It carries a very approachable nature, along with a vanilla, honey, apple, spice, and oak flavor that’s sippable, sure, but which also plays well with others – as in this drink. This drink, by the way, you’ll sometimes see with other ingredients (mostly a sloe gin variety). Well, the name you’ll see on other ingredients I suppose would be proper. But this time of year, this is the only way to go, as many have gone before you (it is a fairly old drink). Have a few, and you’ll be telling stories in no time. Unlike The Quiet Man founder Ciaran Mulgrew’s father, John Mulgrew, who this whiskey was named after and who worked many years in the Irish bar world, and who, as they say “told no tales.” A good story! Which also always makes a drink taste better.
The Blackthorn, using the recipe from Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz
Ice cubes
2 ounces Quiet Man Traditional blended Irish whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce absinthe
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Lemon twist, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the Irish, the sweet vermouth, absinthe, and bitters. Shake well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the twist over the glass and let it drop in.
Tags: cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, The Blackthorn, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: absinthe, bitters, Cocktail Recipes, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Recipes, What I'm Drinking, Whiskey
March 11, 2016
I am, admittedly, about 18 days late here, as first president Washington’s birthday is Feb. 22nd. But I’ve never thought one should only honor the father of our country with a drink on that particular day (December 14, the day he passed away, is another good one), and for that matter, feel there’s not one particular drink to have, either. Another good one, for example, is the Washington’s Wish (in Dark Spirits if you want to know more). And I’ll bet there are others called just Washington too, as it seems a good name for a drink. This one is a good one, though it can be tough, as it’s very vermouth forward, so you need a good vermouth, first off. I used Dolin, which is reliable, tasty, and something one should always have around the house. Then, you need a super brandy, since it’s lower in volume than the vermouth – it needs to stand up a bit. I used Lepanto Solera Gran Reserva Brandy de Jerez (which showed up in the mail, to be honest), the only brandy to be produced entirely in Jerez. It’s nearly too swell for mixing (and great on its own), but hey, sometimes you gotta say “why not?” Aged in American oak barrels once used for sherry for 15 years, it has a nutty and spice taste, with strong wood notes, that go amazingly with the vermouth. This is one fine cocktail, friends, and worthy of the historic personage it’s named after – even when had a little later than expected.
The Washington, from Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz
Ice cubes
2 ounces Dolin dry vermouth
1 ounce Lepanto Lepanto Solera Gran Reserva Brandy de Jerez
4 dashes Angostura bitters
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the vermouth, brandy, bitters, and simple syrup. Shake well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass
Tags: Angostura bitters, Brandy, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, The Washington, vermouth, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: bitters, Brandy, Cocktail Recipes, Recipes, vermouth, What I'm Drinking
March 4, 2016
Created at some point in the 1940s (as the story goes) by Pat O’Brien (whose bar when first opened during Prohibition had the code phrase “storm’s brewin’” if you wanted in) to get rid of the cheaper rum his distributors forced him to buy in order to get the more desirable whiskey and Scotch, by mixing said rum with fruit juice and such and then giving it all away to sailors, the Hurricane is now thought of as a drink for drunken-and-wanna-be-drunker collegians. It’s usually made with a pre-mix-y thing that would make Pat turn over in his grave, and usually has all the taste of off-brand Kool-Aid. Hopefully whoever gets the $$ from this travesty is happy. But! And however! Even if he was originally making it as a give-a-way, a Hurricane made more closely to the original idea, and with homemade ingredients (at least the grenadine), and decent rum (which is plentiful), is actually darn good, refreshing, fruity, and a treat. A treat! So, don’t believe the hype. Believe the Hurricane. Oh, the below recipe can easily be doubled, as the below is a lighter wind than my usual recipe, which is only for sailors. For gosh sakes though, if drinking that doubled version, don’t go sailing or driving, and do use a fancy Hurricane-style glass.
The Hurricane, recipe from Good Spirits
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces white rum
1/2 ounce dark rum
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 ounce homemade grenadine
1/2 ounce passion fruit syrup
1/2 ounces pineapple juice
Orange slice for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the rums, lime juice, grenadine, passion fruit syrup, and pineapple. Shake really well.
2. Fill an old fashioned or comparable glass halfway with ice cubes. Strain the mix through a fine strainer into the glass.
3. Garnish with an orange slice.
A Note: Passion fruit syrup can be hard to find – check Asian grocery stores and online. But if you absolutely can’t track it down, substitute 1 ounce simple syrup. Not quite the same, but not quite awful, either.
February 26, 2016
I tend to make up, uncover from old books, try out, play around with, guess at, and just generally have a fair amount of cocktails. And usually when making them up, or trying to modify up an older recipe found in a deliciously dusty tome, I have good luck from the get-go. Which of course makes me cocky, and probably annoying to friends and family and dogs. However, fairly regularly I get reminded that I make lots of mistakes, too, and sometimes just can’t find that right proportional mix no matter what. Recently, I went through an evening like this, where I was (gasp!) throwing drink and drink out cause they stunk and I stunk. Finally, I just went to what I knew would come together nicely, and quit the wacky experimenting, and that’s gin and Aperol. Easy, friendly, and with a little Blanc vermouth and Scrappy’s orange, the savior of my night and ego. Of course, it helped that the gin was from local stars the Seattle Distilling Company, who make a darn fine gin (and whiskey, coffee liqueur, and vodka). Sometimes, when the night is stormy (even metaphorically so), it’s good to have friends around.
A Fool’s Paradise
Cracked ice
1-1/2 ounces Seattle Distilling Company gin
1 ounce Aperol
1/2 ounce La Quintinye Vermouth Royal blanc
1 dash Scrappy’s orange bitters
1. Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker halfway full with cracked ice. Add it all. Stir well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Be humble.
Tags: A Fool’s Paradise, Aperol, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, La Quintinye Vermouth Royal blanc, Scrappy’s orange bitters, Seattle Distilling Company, Seattle Distilling Company gin, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: bitters, Cocktail Recipes, Distillery, Gin, Liqueurs, Recipes, vermouth, What I'm Drinking
February 19, 2016
Recently, I made a drink called the Boomerang, with Spirit Works rye, and it was darn tasty (I sure hope you didn’t miss it). But I also received (lucky me) a bottle of Spirit Works straight wheat whiskey, made from 100% organic CA red winter wheat. I wasn’t sure exactly how to try it out (outside of neat, of course, which is always a good first step), and so took it to my whiskey-loving-pal Jeremy’s house, where he made me a delicious Old Fashioned, which is naturally a fantastic way to take a whiskey through its paces. And this wheat number did dandily. It’s a very round whiskey, if that makes sense, nice and approachable, with a little sweetness, and some nut and fruit accents that were all in play in the drink. Yummy stuff.
The Old Fashioned
Teaspoon simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange slice
Maraschino cherry
Ice cubes
2 1/2 ounces Spirit Works straight wheat whiskey
1. Place the simple, bitters, orange, and cherry into an old fashioned glass.
2. Using a muddler or very solid wooden spoon, muddle it all up.
3. Place a couple ice cubes in the glass. Add the whiskey. Drink it up.
Tags: Angostura bitters, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Spirit Works, Spirit Works straight wheat whiskey, The Old Fashioned, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: bitters, Cocktail Recipes, Recipes, What I'm Drinking, Whiskey
February 12, 2016
Hey, young lovers! Do you have your Valentine’s Day drink ready yet? If not, well, did you know you only have two more days to figure it out? Don’t fret though (you’ll get wrinkles). I have you covered, with the Lover’s Moon. It’s smooth, but has a little umph (like all us romantics), and lots of flavor. A swell choice! Trust me.
The Lover’s Moon, from Dark Spirits, Serves 2
Ice cubes
3-1/2 ounces bourbon
3 ounces Kahana Royale Macadamia Nut Liqueur
2 ounces heavy cream
2 maraschino cherries for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the bourbon, macadamia liqueur, and cream. Shake well.
2. Add a cherry to each of two cocktail glasses. Strain the mix into the glasses, making sure each gets its full share. Sure, the cherries will vanish for a minute, but like the moon, they’ll reappear.
A Note: Can’t find the luscious Kahana Royale Macadamia Nut Liqueur? You could try this with another nut-based liqueur. Nocino (the Italian green walnut liqueur) would be interesting. It’d be less sweet, but still . . . intriguing. Try it, and let me know!
Tags: bourbon, Cocktail Recipes, cocktails recipe, Dark Spirits, Friday Night Cocktail, heavy cream, Kahana Royale macadamia nut liqueur, The Lover’s Moon, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Dark Spirits, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking, Whiskey
