March 21, 2012
I’ve been embracing the simple life lately (outside of the whole, “I have a million books and comics I’ll never get rid of”). Or, at least, a simpler cocktailing way of life. Not that I don’t still like the wacky, molecular, multi-flavored bitters, and obscurity driven ingredients list drinks that have started to dominate bar menus. If someone else is making it, I’ll try about anything, really. But at home, lately, I’ve been scaling it back. Partially because my daylight hours are often spent at a job that’s on the far far side of busy. But also just because it’s good to distill flavors, instead of trying to overlayer them (if that makes sense). So, some easiness without sacficing any taste. To demonstrate, the Refroidisseur de Mardi: a super simple number, but also one that’s super refreshing, and super in its ability to allow a couple ingredients to shine. It takes advantage of the newish Perrier Lemon sparkling water (full disclosure: I recently came home to a box of Perrier on my front porch) and the oldish gin. And not much more. Both wife Nat and I have been relaxing with these after long days at the office, while watching Perry Mason, and absolutely loving them. I strongly suggest, if you want to simplify, you do the same.
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces gin (Voyager is what we’ve used, but any London style gin will shine)
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Chilled Perrier Lemon
Lemon wheel, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake well.
2. Fill a highball or comparable glass three-quarters up with ice cubes. Strain the mix into the glass over the ice.
3. Top the glass with Perrier, and stir carefully, bringing everything together. Garnish with the lemon wheel.
March 16, 2012
Much like Mr. Sponge himself, the Sporting Tour has lounged around the Spiked Punch couches and guest rooms and breakfast buffets for awhile (read the first Mr. Sponge Cocktail Talk post here for more background), but we need one or two more quotes to round out the experience. And the following, dear reader, are them:
He exclaimed in a most open-hearted air, ‘Well, now, what shall we have to drink?’ adding, ‘You smoke of course–shall it be gin, rum, or Hollands–Hollands, rum, or gin?’
‘O! Liquor them well, and send them home to their mammas,’ suggested Captain Bouncey, who was all for the drink. ‘But they won’t take their (hiccup),’ replied Sir Harry, holding up a Curaçao bottle to show how little had disappeared.’ ‘Try them with cherry brandy,’ suggested Captain Seedeybuck, adding ‘it’s sweeter.’
–Cocktail Talk, R.S. Surtees, Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour
Tags: cherry brandy, Cocktail Talk, curaçao, Gin, Hollands gin, Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour, R.S. Surtees, Rum
Posted in: Cocktail Talk, Gin, Liqueurs, Rum
February 29, 2012
Sometimes, you have a little secret that you like to hold close like a puppy (one I have is that I actually don’t drink. Nah, I’m kidding. How does the fact that I’m a Martin Lawrence devotee work?). Sometimes, you have a larger secret that’s oodles of fun that you can’t tell but that you hold close to youself to like a favorite key (naturally I have these, but I surely can’t tell you about them). And then, sometimes you’re associated with a great big secret, like this recipe, or like when you get abducted by aliens and discover leap year is an alien plot, or when you wear a cape and fight crime at night using mystical powers. Of course, now this delicious recipe isn’t a secret at all, since I’m telling you it to you. But it’s still great. And we’re still sharing it. So, that’s something almost as good, right?
Cracked ice
2 ounces gin
1 ounce Lillet Blanc
Dash of Angostura bitters
Orange twist, for garnish
Orange slice, for garnish (optional, used instead of above twist)
1. Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Add the gin, Lillet, and bitters. Stir well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the twist over the glass and then drop it in. Shhhhh.
PS: Though this Great Secret is featured in Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz (a beautiful book you should really have), I found it in Patrick Gavin Duffy’s The Official Mixer’s Manual (Alta, 1934).
Tags: cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Gin, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Great Secret cocktail, Lillet, orange bitters, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Gin, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
February 22, 2012
According to the esteemed booze-ologist Dr. Cocktail (also known as Ted Haigh), this drink was named for a gold medal winning Olympic fencer. Which means you should only drink it when making a fence. Ba-dump-bump. No, really, what you shouldn’t do is drink it and use either real swords (plastic ones are okay) or hammers. What you should do is serve this at any commemorative celebration, as it’s a classy number, and one that has a host of mingling flavors–which is appropriate for a celebration, because who wants to have a boring celebration? It’s also featured in Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, which is (if I can say with without sounding pompous) a celebration itself.
Cracked ice
1 ounce gin
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/2 ounce Campari
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
Orange twist, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add the gin, Cointreau, Campari, and dry vermouth. Stir well.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange twist.
Tags: Campari, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Cointreau, dry vermouth, Gin, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Lucien Gaudin, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Gin, Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
February 20, 2012
I suppose I should in the below attribution attribute this quote to Patrick Dennis, as he wrote the book House Party under the nom de plume Virginia Rowans. And Dennis was an interesting chap, the author of the fabulously successful novel (and then film) Auntie Mame and the only author to have three books on the New York Times bestseller list at once. And then his books stopped selling and he ended up being a butler (partially by choice, as I guess he liked to buttle) for Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds. Really–as I said, interesting chap. And as his real name was actually Edward Everett Tanner III and as he decided to write the effervescently fun House Party as Mrs. Rowans, I’m sticking with her as the attributed author. He’d probably appreciate it.
Darling, would you run out and buy a bottle of Champagne? I can’t entertain as shabbily as this and I’ve spent everything I have buying vulgar things like Scotch and gin. I daren’t even cash another check.
–Virginia Rowans, House Party
February 15, 2012
As I detailed a few ticks of the Spiked Punch blog ago (and in the swell Seattle Magazine), Seattle and WA are in the midst of a distillery boom of sorts, and I couldn’t be happier. All this fantastic local booze to sip and shake and sip some more? Great with me. One of the newer distilleries that I was a little slow to track down is the Sidetrack distillery, in Kent, WA, outside of the city of Seattle (I mention this mostly to give myself an excuse for the tardy tasting, not out of any geographical bias). Sidetrack is situated right on the Lazy River Farm and makes an assortment of liqueurs and fruit brandies with fruit grown on the farm–now that’s using local ingredients. This focus on fresh and homegrown fruit lends the liqueurs (full disclosure: I haven’t had the brandies, but am excited to try them. Second disclosure: I was given samples of the liqueurs) a bright, clear fruit taste backed by a smooth slight sweetness. There are four varieties: blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry. I went with the strawberry here in the Straw Track cocktail, because it seemed to yell “summer” the most to me, and as it’s mid-February I needed a jolly jolt of summer. I think, though, that this drink is balanced enough, and bubbly enough, to have year round.
Cracked ice
1-1/2 ounces gin (I would stick with the WA theme and use Voyager if you can get it)
1/2 ounce Sidetrack Strawberry liqueur
Chilled brut Champagne or sparkling wine
Lemon slice, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with cracked ice. Add the gin and liqueur. Stir well.
2. Strain into a flute or other charming glass. Top with chilled bubbly and garnish with that lemon slice.
Tags: Champagne & Sparkling Wine, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Gin, liqueur, Sidetrack distillery, Straw Track Cocktail, strawberry liqueur, What I'm Drinking
Posted in: Champagne & Sparkling Wine, Distillery, Gin, Liqueurs, Recipes, What I'm Drinking
February 13, 2012
I’ve talked a bit about English detective-y writer Peter Lovesey in a past Cocktail Talk post, so I’ll gloss over the backstory mostly here (if you need more, head back in time), and just remind you, dear reader, that Mr. Lovesey is best known for two characters, heavyweight-but-huggable modern police detective Peter Diamond and under-appreciated Victorian police detective Sergant Cribb. The book I’m quoting today, Mad Hatter’s Holiday, features the latter and both has a good crime story and impeccable period details. A worthy read. And the below is a worthy quote, especially because I understand how sometimes a night “of gin and song” isn’t planned and then does, indubitably, take its toll.
Saturday night at the Canterbury was about to take its toll. He had not planned his night of gin and song. A visit to the Canterbury was not indelibly inspired in his social diary, like evenings at the dome and the Theatre Royal.
—Peter Lovesey, Mad Hatter’s Holiday
January 25, 2012
Well, here’s a heck of a thing: those wacky wild folks at Seattle Magazine have decided (when tipsy, I’m guessing) to have me write their Bar Hop column every month. Not sure just what they’d been imbibing when we signed the contracts (which I can’t seem to find now . . .), but they offered and I nodded. It’s not a lot of words, but I plan on making each one bubbly. But wait, what is the Bar Hop column you ask? Well, every month it’s now me highlighting a different local bar/lounge/watering hole/speakeasy/booze parlor/hooch pad, talking about what said snozzled spot is about so you know where to get your drink on. The first Bar Hop article is on Sun Liquor Distillery, where you can go and have a drink with Sun’s Hedgetrimmer gin right where it’s made. A fine, fine thing I think (oh, if you don’t have the new issue of Seattle Magazine, then go get it. Or, read the Sun Liquor Bar Hop column online).
