August 21, 2020

What I’m Drinking: A Champagne Cocktail with Chateau Ste. Michelle Bubbly White Wine

champagne-cocktailWhoa, summer is already deep into its summerness, and I feel I haven’t had nearly enough bubbly sparkly shimmery (while still cooling) drinks yet. It goes so fast! Could be that with all that’s happening in the world, having a celebratory effervescent mix seems, oh, off a bit? But that’d be silly, cause there is still so much to celebrate, every day, if I can be a little starry-eyed. Maybe I’m just lazy (far more likely)? Or maybe I haven’t had the right mixing option?

 

Luckily, at least for the latter open-ended (potentially rhetorical) question, a nice selection of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s new line of wine in single-serve aluminum bottles recently showed up in the mail (see, that’s something worth celebrating), and the selection included the “Bubbly” white wine variety (or varietal, if you will, hahaha). All of the four different options have screw-top caps for those that don’t finish in one go – but at 250 ml, I can’t see that happening for you! – lovely artsy decoratives (I made that word up!), and come in a 2-pack. The non-Bubbly choices include a crisp, citrus-y Pinot Grigio and a summer-y and strawberry-and-currant-y Rosé that I’ve tasted, and a Something Sweet white wine blend I’m excited to taste.

 

But back to Bubbly! It’s made from a bountiful blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Muscat Canelli, and Gruner Veltliner, and delivers a nice apple core flavor, with a little spice, a hint of summer, a dry enough nature, and a clean inviting bubbly-ness. Well worth having chilled all on its own under the shining sun (though I suppose some might be too much in the wine snob category to sip something from an aluminum container – let’s pity them, shall we?), Bubbly also is convivial enough to serve as a solid base for a classic Champagne Cocktail or other sparkling-based cocktail. And the 250 ml size makes it ideal for making two drinks, which is what you’ll want to do so your paramour, bestie, spouse, sanitized neighbor, or other personality doesn’t feel left out. It’s what I did! With that very-legendary and mentioned-above Champagne Cocktail. Side-non-Bubbly-note: I suggest you choose Scrappy’s Orange bitters for your bitters here. Because it has a rich, herbal, bitter-y flavor that goes perfectly (so well that I just ran out of my bottle. That’s the opposite of an occasion worth celebrating).

Champagne Cocktail (using the recipe from Champagne Cocktails: 50 Cork-Popping Concoctions and Scintillating Sparklers, of course!)

1 sugar cube

3 dashes Scrappy’s Orange bitters

Chilled Chateau Ste. Michelle Bubbly white wine

Lemon twist, for garnish

 

1. Add your sugar cube to a flute in any manner you see fit. Dash the 3 dashes orange bitters over it. Let it settle in for a minute.

 

2. Fill the flute almost to the top with Bubbly. Garnish with the lemon twist.

June 26, 2020

What I’m Drinking: The WAD

Upon reflection while sipping one of these beauties, I’ve realized that perhaps The WAD isn’t the most attractive of names. Am I right? Tell me I’m wrong? Perhaps I’m right, but, well, it’s too late to change the name now, cause it’s out in the world, and the poor drink would be sad cause people would always be calling it by the wrong name. So, here we are, The WAD. I do think it’s made better if I say that it stands for Washington Aligned Daiquiri of Sorts? And that WADS would be worse (well, maybe)? Cause that’s where the name comes from. See, I was making a Daiquiri type drink for a pal, or was wanting to, and also wanting to use all WA-made ingredients, for fun, and wanted to differentiate it a bit, all that, okay. Okay! So, started with the Puget Sound Rum Company’s Rum 47 Amber rum – so named as it was carefully made on the 47th parallel, with organic panela from a family farm in Columbia, and aged in ex-bourbon barrels. Great start! Next, sticking with Puget Sound Rum Company, their Comb and Cane honey-infused rum, which is made with Pacific Northwest honey, and has a slight sweetness and more good rum-ness. Add some fresh lime juice, and some brown sugar simple syrup, and The WAD is here. Potentially not awesome name and all.

 WAD

The WAD

 

Ice cubes

1-1/2 ounces Puget Sound Rum Company Rum 47 Amber rum

1 ounce Puget Sound Rum Company Comb & Cane

1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 ounce brown sugar simple syrup

 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add everything. Shake well.

 

2. Strain through a fine strainer into a cocktail glass or comparable. Sip it up, WA style, whatever your name.

June 19, 2020

What I’m Drinking: A Kindred Spirit

So, it was just a few weeks ago when I was talking about how flavored vodkas weren’t necessarily my boozy jam, but then went and talked about this Cucumbers and Tonic highball I was having and how tasty it was. And now here I am, doing it again! Sorta. I mean, here, I’m talking (typing?) about, or about to type about, a smoked vodka that I really am liking. Specifically, Chase Smoke flavored vodka, a bottle of which showed up in the mails recently (lucky for me, and then some!). It’s made by smoking spring water with English Oak for five good days, and then blending with Chase vodka (which itself is made from British potatoes, grown on a farm in Herefordshire – same farm the distillery is on if I have it all right). But what does it all mean? It seems like it could go perfectly wrong, but it goes perfectly right! With a memorable and lovely oak smokiness, and echoes of the forest and campfires and sunsets in fall. That last bit too much? Well, sometimes that’s okay! Sadly, right up front, I have to admit I don’t think it’s available in my own state of WA at this moment – but soon, one hopes. Secondly up front, I think this smoked vodka dream was really designed to craft legendary Bloody Marys – and I don’t like Bloody Marys. SHHHH! Don’t tell.

 

But I believe this vodka is actually a treat on its own, or over a little ice. And good in other drinks, including A Kindred Spirit, which I’m going to detail right here. Influenced by the Oaxacan Old Fashioned, a favorite of my wife’s, and another smoky delight. Which means I’m upping the smoke quotient! And also going to go with two base spirits — upping the base spirits! We’re going up here! Second base spirit: mezcal (you may have guessed this already, with the smoke talk). But with two base spirits, need to make sure they get along, so also here, a little rosemary brown sugar simple syrup. And then, for the final ingredients, a little Angostura bitters, to add a few herbal undercurrents, and a wide orange twist for some rich citrus hints. Everything comes together to form a lovely sipper for the back patio, or in front of the fire, or wherever you please (you’re sipping, after all), as well as a swell way to showcase the swell Chase Smoked Vodka.

anothers-burning

A Kindred Spirit

 

2 ounces Chase Smoke flavored vodka

1/2 ounce Montelobos mezcal

1/2 ounce simple syrup (see Note)

Dash Angostura bitters

Big ice cube, or a few regular ice cubes

Wide orange twist, for garnish

 

1. Add everything but ice to an Old Fashioned glass. Stir well.

 

2. Add a big ice cubes or a couple regular ice cubes. Stir again, briefly. Garnish with the twist.

 

A Note: I used a rosemary-y brown sugar simple syrup here, and it was yumski. However, regular could work, too! For the rosemary, just add some to your normal recipe.

June 12, 2020

What I’m Drinking: The Shango

Having a good drink on your birthday is (if you’re a drinker, and of legal age in the country you choose to live within) a treat, and should be something everyone gets to enjoy. With that in mind, I made up the below drink for an old pal of mine (I’ll bet you can’t guess his name) for a recent birthday, bottled up a few, and gave them to him in the appropriate manner for the times. But, because he is a such a rad dude, I didn’t feel I could just come up with any ol’ drink, but wanted it to have a little bit of a backstory. That might be, you’d think, difficult, but said fella has been a traveling man here and there in his time here, and so the lightbulb moment was “hey, how about using some ingredients from where he went in his life” or where he did “go” so to speak. And if I also made Bingo boards around said birthday, well, that’s just me. Back to the drink. It starts with a little smooth and friendly Barsol Peruvian pisco, as our base. Then, traveling back here to the states, we go to Indianapolis, where some lush limoncello is made by Hotel Tango Distillery. And then, right back here to the W-A where birthday boy lives now, with Sidetrack’s amazing Strawberry liqueur (made on the world’s swellest farmer, just outside of Kent), and Scrappy’s unbelievable Black Lemon bitters, made in Seattle. Altogether, get your go on with the Shango! On your birthday, or anyone’s birthday!

shango

The Shango

 

Cracked ice

1-1/2 ounce Barsol pisco

3/4 ounce Sidetrack Distillery Strawberry liqueur

3/4 ounce Hotel Tango limoncello

Dash Scrappy’s Black Lemon bitters

 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add everything, and stir. Go, go, go!

 

2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Drink around the world.

May 22, 2020

What I’m Drinking: The Snow Ball

Does it show some sort of psychic issue, or alien implantation, or the influence of malevolent fairies that I like having this drink called The Snow Ball (“this” cause I feel there are an inordinate amount of drinks carrying the same name, but this one is what I particularly mean when using said chilly moniker) not so much when it’s snowing season, but when we’re heading into sunshine season? It could be one of those three things, surely, right? I mean, admittedly, this drink is tall, refreshing, smooth, bubbly, the opposite of a malevolent fairy mostly, so it makes sense to have it when the sun is all a-flutter and hot, to me. It also makes sense if you can to use Seattle Distilling Company brandy (read more about Seattle Distilling Company brandy if it makes you happy); however, I understand that for many this is as difficult as a snowball in June, so do what’s best for you and don’t be too sad. Oh, you know, thinking it over, you could just use an egg white, as opposed to the whole egg here – egg whites being more the norm for drinks in this modern age. If having this for a May breakfast, I’d still go the whole route (and wouldn’t drive to work afterwards).

snow-ball

The Snow Ball

 

Ice cubes

2 ounces brandy

1 ounce Simple Syrup

1 egg

Chilled ginger ale

 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the brandy, simple syrup, and egg. Shake very well.

 

2. Fill a Collins glass or hefty highball three-quarters full with ice cubes. Strain the well-shaken mix over the ice.

 

3. Top the glass off with ginger ale. Stir, but calmly.

May 8, 2020

What I’m Drinking: The Tipperary Cocktail with McConnell’s Irish Whisky

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, great drinks are even greater with a good story – and a great story takes it to even another level. Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of McConnell’s Irish Whisky in the post (what a nice thing! Especially in these stay-at-home times! So, don’t be jealous, I’ll share). And what a great story to go along with such a dandy whisky. Here are the basics – McConnell’s started producing whisky way way back in 1776, a year famous here in the U.S. for things other than whisky, though I’m sure a lot was consumed here at that time, too, hahaha. The whisky was made in Belfast, but soon being sipped all over the world by discerning sippers. But then! Tragedy, in the form of a vast fire that destroyed (so sadly) 500,000 gallons of whisky and a chunk of the distillery itself. Persevering, they rebuilt, and whisky flowed. But then! Tragedy, again, in the form of prohibition, which really put the damper on long-distance imports to the U.S., a monster-sized consumer – and that sad event destroyed the distillery, like the fire, but worse. Until this year, when it rose the economic and literal ashes, like a tipsy phoenix.

 

Of course, a good story like that (and distilleries coming alive and alive again are good, good stories) doesn’t mean as much if the flavor doesn’t rise to the tale. McConnell’s is a swell tipple, however, so the tale is ripe for more telling. A blended whisky, it’s aged five years in American oak, and as other friendly Irish whiskys, it has an approachable (not annoying) sweet nature. Beyond the lovely bottle, it sets itself apart thanks to a singular vanilla, nutmeg, spice and hint-of-smokiness taste. Yummy. So yummy, you could be forgiven for only consuming this recovered-from-history hit solo, or with a splash of water, or maybe a cube or two of ice as the mood descends on your day. Heck, I drank a lot of it that way myself, and only felt happy about it.

 

However! I also just can’t resist combining spirits and liqueurs I like into cocktails – and the welcoming, flavorful nature of McConnell’s is a bountiful base for a cocktail that lets it shine, while introducing a few friends that can stand alongside proudly. Today, I went with the classic, if not super-widely known, Tipperary. This version (there’s a separate cocktail carrying the same name from a few years earlier) goes back I believe to the 1922s, if memory serves, but don’t take me to task on it if I’m confused. To go with our mighty McConnell’s, the drink brings another legend to the mix, herbally, mystical, Green Chartreuse, along with sweet vermouth – I’m going with Punt e’ Mes here, which is just a touch drier than some, while still delivering more lush herbal notes , alongside a gentle bitter. Altogether, this cocktail delivers amazingly. I mean, it’s amazingly delicious. So, so, delicious, and just the right one for celebrating McConnell’s coming back on the booze scene.

tipperary

The Tipperary Cocktail

 

Cracked ice

1-3/4 ounces McConnell’s Irish whisky

1/2 ounce Green Chartreuse

3/4 ounce Punt e’ Mes sweet vermouth

 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add everything. Stir well.

 

2. Strain into a cocktail glass.

 

A Note: I’ve seen this with a lemon twist as garnish (heck, I’ve even had a great one that way), but with this particular trio, I didn’t think the brighter citrus notes worked. But if you do, do.

April 24, 2020

What I’m Drinking: Brovo Pretty Vermouth and Tonic

Sometimes, when you’re at home for a while, you want to get nutty and make drinks with, say, peanut butter, or utilize a whole giant bouquet of ingredients, or some such. Sometimes, when you’re at home for a while, you just want to keep things lovely and simple. Today is one of those times. Don’t be confused, you still naturally want tasty tastes, so I’m reaching for WA-state-made Brovo Pretty vermouth. A blanc vermouth, it has a layered fragrance and taste, with some light (meaning, light on the feet, like an angelic dancer) spice, vanilla, floral notes bursting out – hey, it’s sorta like a bouquet! And goes perfectly with tonic, in a simple V&T. I went with Fever Tree tonic, which is a solid choice. Though, staying local with one of our swell WA tonic syrups would be better, but sadly I’m out! I need to get onto my ordering, so I can practice what I preach, which is: support your local makers.

brovo-tonic

Brovo Pretty Vermouth and Tonic

 

Ice cubes

1-1/2 ounces Brovo Pretty vermouth

3-1/2 ounces tonic

Lemon slice, for garnish

 

1. Fill a highball or comparable glass three-quarters up with ice. Add the vermouth. Then the tonic. Stir briefly.

 

2. Garnish with the lemon slice. Oh, and add more tonic as desired (4 ounces is just fine, too).

 

April 10, 2020

What I’m Drinking: Particularly Boosting

It was only a week ago (which these days can feel like a long time, I know) when I broke it all out, all meaning my making of peanut butter simple syrup to try in drinks, following along a thread first spun by creative chums Paul and Colleen, and then broke out a drink called Pleasant Bounty using said peanut butter pleasantry. Did you miss that? I can’t believe it if you did. But if you did, be sure to go back and check out the pb goods, so you can get the full story and not feel un-full. Okay, back? Sweet, cause you won’t believe what’s about to happen here – peanut butter simple syrup drink #2! That’s right, there’s no way I wouldn’t try out more than one drink with a new creation. And, shhhh, between us, I think Particularly Boosting is even better than Pleasant Bounty. And do you like the two PB names? I sure do! This drink actually follows along the lines of the peanut butter simple, with a balance of ingredients in equal amounts, somewhat in an Alexander fashion, if we’re musing. Starting naturally with the pbs (peanut butter simple), and moving along to a nice base of vodka, and then a crème de cacao (accent on the “cao”) smoosh. The chocolate and peanut butter combo is so classic, I’m not even going to dwell on it. You know that’s the stuff. As is this drink.

PB-2

Particularly Boosting

 

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce peanut butter simply syrup

1 ounce crème de cacao

Cracked ice

Cocoa powder for garnish

 

1. Add the three liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker or mixing glass. Stir, but not too wackily.

 

2. Fill your mixing glass or shaker halfway full with ice. Stir again, gently.

 

3. Strain into a cocktail glass or comparable. Dust with a little cocoa.

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