July 19, 2019
Recently, I was talking about bottles to buy dad for Father’s Day on the mighty and mighty fun New Day Northwest. It was great, as I got to highlight some fantastic spirits and liqueurs made right here in way-out Washington state. And, I also got to make a special cocktail for dad using a number of those bottles. But here’s the thing – the drink, which is called Thy Noble Father (from Hamlet, you know), is a dandy one for any time of year, any day, with Woodinville Whiskey straight bourbon, Brovo Spirits Orange Curacao, Seattle Distilling Company brandy, and Scrappy’s Black Lemon bitters. I’m not sure I can conjure many better quartets than that for you, if you’re the type of person who like cocktails layered with flavor, underlined by two base spirits, cocktails with lots of earthy and celestial citrus, along with spice notes, and a little friendly sweetness that isn’t overly sweet, just an echo. And, you can make it for dad whenever you want – it’s not like he doesn’t deserve a good drink multiple times a year, right?
Thy Noble Father
Cracked ice
1-1/2 ounces Woodinville Whiskey Co. Straight Bourbon
3/4 ounce Brovo Spirits Orange Curaçao
1/2 ounce Seattle Distilling Company Brandy
Dash Scrappy’s Black Lemon Bitters
Wide orange 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 or coupe glass. Garnish with the twist. Toast all the dads!
Tags: bitters, bourbon, Brandy, Brovo Spirits Orange Curaçao, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Drinks named from Shakespeare, Friday Night Cocktail, orange curaçao, Scrappy's Black Lemon bitters, Seattle Distilling Company Brandy, Thy Noble Father, Washington distillers, What I’m Drinking, Woodinville Whiskey Co. Straight Bourbon
Posted in: bitters, Brandy, Cocktail Recipes, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking, Whiskey
July 16, 2019
Cocktail, bar, and spirit lovers, I’m sure that you haven’t missed a moment of Seattle magazine lately – cause you’re far too smart for that. But I also know that things get busy, and other things come up, and then this, and then that, and then you find you’re a little behind, and it’s okay! You know why? Cause you can catch up on any pieces you might have missed right here and now:
• Baker’s, An Excellent Neighborhood Bar—With Delicious Drinks—Arrives in North Ballard
• Sure, Windy City Pies’ Pizzas Are Delish—but Don’t Miss the Drinks
• Skål Brings Meat, Mead and More to Ballard
• 5 Drinks to Help Celebrate National Poetry Month
July 12, 2019
This is a nice summertime buzzer, though one that in the past I’ve gone a route that equals a fairly substantial shaking, which can be a bit much if the ol’ sun is beating down and the Mercury’s risen up. Meaning, it’s hot, friends, and so shaking a ton is a little much, but since it’s needed when using honey, that was the situation. Until, however, I decided to make a honey simple syrup, which I should have done anyway cause it makes the mixing much smoother overall. I just went basically 1:1 on the syrup, and it was dreamy. Some use a bit more lemon juice and honey then in the recipe below, and that is okay, too! But I was using the marvelous Sipsmith gin here, and I wanted to let that gin shine just a little brighter, by toning down our other players without toning them out. Not a bad idea, really, and just the thing for a July day in the pleasant Pacific Northwest.
Bee’s Knees
Ice cubes
2 ounces Sipsmith gin
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce honey simple syrup
Lemon twist, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway up with ice cubes. Add everything by the twist. Shake well, but not so well as you’d have to with pure honey, which takes some serious shaking.
2. Strain through a fine strainer into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the twist. Kick back, buzz, buzz.
Tags: Bee’s Knees, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, honey, honey simple syrup, lemon juice, Sipsmith gin, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Gin, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
July 9, 2019
Hello teevee fans! Recently, I was lucky enough to go on the awesome New Day Northwest show to talk about locally-made bottles of spirits and liqueurs (locally in wonderful W-A that is) for dads for Father’s Day. I know what you’re thinking – Father’s Day was last month. And you know what, you’re right! But you know (what else)? The bottles I talked about are good any day of the year. So, do yourself a favor and watch me talk about Washington distilleries on New Day Northwest.
July 2, 2019
Another from our series of
Maigret Cocktail Talk posts featuring famous stoic, tall, Parisian Inspector Maigret, created by the celebrated author Georges Simenon, who wrote said Inspector as one who is not shy about having a sip of something boozy here and there. Even when he’s in retirement and not an Inspector (well, really, he’ll always be the tops to his past police pals, and the world at large, which is how he gets involved in this particular post-police case, which a matriarch of a family brings him in to look over a supposed suicide — it’s a sort-of extra long story, which I read in the
Maigret’s Christmas collection) at all. Also, he still has some drinks. Including some kümmel with the landlady of a very down-in-the-mouth hotel he is staying at.
“I wouldn’t mind a glass of something,” he had said, sitting down or rather straddling a chair beside her. “What about you Madame Jeanne. What will you take?”
“Nothing, Monsieur. I’d better not drink. Everything upsets me.”
“A tiny drop of liquor?”
“Well, just to keep you company … some kümmel, then. Will you help yourself? The bottles are on the shelf. My legs are so terribly swollen this evening.
Kümmel was her tipple then. And he, too, had drunk kümmel out of politeness. It had left him still feeling queasy. He vowed never to touch a drop of kümmel again in his life.
— Georges Simenon, Maigret in Retirement
June 28, 2019
The north wind says, I bring a clear spirit with the breath of juniper and some cracked ice for chilling. The east wind says, I’ll bring a classically-style orange essence built on grapes and a nice glass. The west wind says, I’ll bring something with a hint of bitter and herb made in the mountains (or thereabouts) and a twist of orange. The south wind says I’ll bring a bit more bitter undercurrenting via a legend that needs no introducing, along with a long spoon for stirring. That’s all the winds, and now we have our drink for today.
Four Winds
Cracked ice
1-1/2 ounces gin (I used nice reliable Bombay)
1 ounce Pierre Ferrand Orange curaçao
1/2 ounce Breckenridge Bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
Orange twist, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add the gin, curaçao, Breckenridge bitters, and Angostura bitters. Stir well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange twist. Drink four times, once looking each direction.
Tags: Angostura bitters, Breckenridge Bitters, cocktail recipe, cocktails, Four Winds, Friday Night Cocktail, Gin, orange twist, Pierre Ferrand orange curaçao, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: bitters, Cocktail Recipes, Gin, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
June 21, 2019
Hey sunshine daydreamers! Guess what today is? That’s right beach beauties, it’s the first day of summer, and you know what that means? Smear on the sunscreen and take off your sweaters, slip on your sunglasses and slip into some short shorts (or whatever your hot weather wear of choice), and start enjoying the rising mercury and retreating clouds and cold. All of that, plus make this this drink, which slides you straight into summer, while remembering that winter, like all seasons, isn’t gone for long. How does it do that? Well, the rum is a summer standby, of course, but dark rum can really play year round, and its pal here, Bénédictine, has that rich herbal monastic thing going on that keeps one warm when the temperature is chillier, but also fits into a number of sun-tastic tiki type drinks. See where we’re going? The final player: Crabbies ginger beer, superficially Orange Spiced variety, but if you can’t find it, go with the regular variety. Ginger beer is of course a refreshing refresher, but the orange spice, well, that’s winter time. Really, though, forget my shoehorning – this is a nice one to sip as the seasons change.
The Happy Crab
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounce dark rum
1/2 ounce Bénédictine
5 ounces Crabbies Orange Spiced ginger beer
1. Fill a big highball or comparable glass about halfway full with ice cubes. Add the dark rum and Benedictine. Stir briefly.
2. Add the Crabbies. Stir to combine. Face the sun with a smile.
Tags: Benedictine, cocktail recipe, cocktails, Crabbies ginger beer, Crabbies orange spiced ginger beer, dark rum, Friday Night Cocktail, ginger beer, Rum, The Happy Crab, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Liqueurs, Recipes, Rum, What I'm Drinking
June 18, 2019
Opening late-ish last year as the newest sibling in the swell Derschang Group collection of Seattle bars, Queen City is a beaut of a Belltown spot here, and not too long ago (in the history of time), I got to visit it, and while visiting, chatted a lot with amiable Derschang Group beverage manager Myles Burroughs. And – I know, all the good things happen to me, don’t be jealous – he made me a Pineapple Riesling Daiquiri, a nice twist on the rum classic boasting natural wine. Then, I got to write a Pineapple Riesling Daiquiri article for the smashing Seattle magazine, and now you can go read it. Then go to Queen City and have one, some some good things will happen to you.
