White Russian & What We're Drinking This Week

Jam packed first post this week - we'll of course talk about what we're drinking this week, we listen to some relatively new music, and we'll be drinking the White Russian.

First though, I feel compelled to write something about the oil spill in the gulf.  60 Minutes, as it always does, scored the best interview available in the last 6 months, with a survivor of the oil rig explosion.  Not only was he a survivor, but the man was a high-level technical engineer on the rig, with knowledge of the operation and the events leading up the disaster.

This spill is catastrophic.  Recent news is that BP successfully built a mile-long pipe that can remove some of the oil spilt.  One of the BP reps said that the pipe would capture upwards of 80% of the oil.  Forgive me for being skeptical.

It's hard to put any faith in a company that is both accepting and disclaiming responsibility for this disaster.  BP CEO Tony Hayward has been on the airwaves, loudly pronouncing that everyone else is at fault.  Meanwhile, BP has said that they will cover the costs of clean-up, while also having sought out legal waivers for whatever destruction may arise to homeowners near the water.  It's a big jumbled mess; a confluence of half-baked PR and legal strategies. 

And I don't need to see pictures of the poor animals washing up on shore to know that this spill will be devastating on the ecosystem of the Gulf.  Whatever the projected losses are at this point, double or triple them, because it's likely that whatever spillage information BP has shared to date is a fraction of the actual amounts.

I'm hoping that this accident shines some sunlight on drilling operations, putting worker and environmental safety ahead of profit driven enterprises willing to cut corners for an extra hundred-million. 

Soundtrack this week:  Broken Bells, Broken Bells - Broken Bells is James Mercer lead singer from The Shins, and Danger Mouse the DJ.  The first track, "The High Road" is a hell of a song.  I was telling some friends though that I think the rest of the album is good, but not great.  Like many other Danger Mouse efforts (apart from Danger Doom, which was an incredible rap album) about half of the album is really good and the other half is just so so.  It's worth a listen though, for the first track alone - it's an excellent song.

What We're Drinking This Week:

- Today: White Russian - the classic drink of Big Lebowski infamy, which we drink today. 

- Wednesday: Bee's Knees - gin, honey, and lime juice.  I love the name of the drink, as it portends good things to come.

-  Friday:  Petite Fleur - white rum, Cointreau and grapefruit juice.  I'm a big fan of grapefruit anything, so this one is likely to be a winner. 

Without further ado, let's have a White Russian!  Cue obligatory picture of the Dude holding a White Russian:

American Bar, page 197


White Russian

1 oz vodka
3/4 oz Kahlua
cream

Stir liquors over ice cubes in a mixing glass, strain into a sherry glass, top with light whipped cream.

For this cocktail, I'm using Ketel One vodka, Kahlua of course, and canned whipped cream. 

This drink doesn't really need much of an introduction.  The White Russian is a cocktail that even non-drinkers enjoy.  It is smooth, flavorful, sweet, and delicious.  The coffee notes are perfectly counterbalanced with the heat of the vodka - kind of in a similar way that an Irish Coffee imparts a nice bite to the mix of the cocktail. 

The White Russian was so good in fact, that I forgot to take a photo of the drink before taking a sip.  Hell, I finished the drink off before realizing that I didn't have a photo of the cocktail itself.

While the White Russian is served over ice, I find it to be a relatively warming drink because of the vodka.  As a result of its warming tendencies and the use of ice, the White Russian can be consumed in the winter or summer and seems to fit in nicely no matter the weather. 

As you no doubt noticed above, I used canned whipped cream in the place of lightly whipped cream, as the instructions call for.  I did a quick blast of the canned stuff and it worked flawlessly.  Know though, that if you attempt to impart it into the drink out of a can, you might not get an appealing looking mix.  It will taste fine, it just might look as though the cream has coagulated.

Looking forward to the other cocktails this week - until then, cheers!

Balalaika & Week of May 2, 2010

Today we'll be drinking the Balalaika, a refreshing vodka-based cocktail that will likely remind you of the Sidecar.  First though, let's recap the Derby, take a quick look at a new cocktail book we'll be using, and talk about what we're drinking this week.

Balalaika cocktail

How about that Calvin Borel, eh?  He's one hell of a jockey.  From now on, I'm picking whatever horse Calvin rides. 

My choice, Ice Box, came in second place.  He made the late charge that I expected, and had there been another quarter mile he would have likely pulled ahead, but alas, it was not to be.  It was another excellent Derby, though the telecast needs some improvement. 

NBC needs to limit the cross-promotional garbage that comprises a fifth of the Derby program.  For example, in the midst of the multi-hour program, NBC showed a Top Chef competition.  I like Top Chef, a program that appears on Bravo under the NBC/GE umbrella.  However, Top Chef contestants, as talented as they may be, have no relationship to the Kentucky Derby.

The brief cooking competition was ridiculous, and poorly thought out.  The competition was purported to be about the food at the Kentucky Derby, and the featured ingredient was mussels.  Mussels?!  What relationship do mussels have to the Kentucky Derby?  Nothing at all!

So not only is NBC blatantly cross-promoting shows on their affiliated networks, but some producer chose mussels as the ingredient that showcases the cuisine of the Kentucky Derby.  Completely baffling.  The entire production reminded me of the 2nd hour that NBC added to the program The Biggest Loser.  One hour was sufficient to show the dramatic weightloss of the contestants.  The added 2nd hour meant more filler, and more emotional nonsense.  I no longer watch the program as a result.

Enough kvetching!  Let's talk about drinks, specifically, what we're drinking this week. 

What We're Drinking This Week:

Today, we're drinking the Balalaika, a vodka based cocktail that, as mentioned above, is reminiscent of the Sidecar.

Later this week, we're going to delve a little deeper into the liqueur Parfait Amour.

We're also going do something fun for Cinco de Mayo.  I'm not sure what we're drinking just yet, as I'm still trying to score a particular liqueur, Viuda de Sanchez, and it's not widely available in my area.  Not to worry though, I have a good man on the lookout for a bottle as I type.

If time permits, we'll also check out the French 75 cocktail - a classic that has been receiving a lot of well-deserved hype of late.

Soundtrack this week:  The soundtrack this week is the new Gorillaz disc, Plastic Beach.  If you're already a fan of Gorillaz, you'll like this album, and if you're unfamiliar with their work, expect a mix of rap, funk, beats, and crooning from former Blur frontman Damon Albarn.  The music is often dark and bouncy at the same time.

In an exciting addition to the cocktail book collection, I snagged a copy of the now out of print The Ultimate Book of Cocktails.  It's likely available at discount book store locations near you, and if you can't find it there, Amazon has it listed in its used section for cheap.  I bought mine for $7.  Go to the nearby Half-Price Books and you should be able to find it cheap.  Amazon has copies listed for as little as $3 or so, before shipping.

This book contains really nice pictures of each drink.  There are some interesting twists on each recipe, as well as a brief description of the cocktail itself, its origin, etc.  For as little as the book costs, I think it's a good addition to the collection.

Today's drink comes from the book, so let's check out it out in greater detail: the Balalaika.

The Ultimate Book of Cocktails, page 138

Balalaika

1 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz lemon juice

Shake the ingredients well with plenty of ice, and stain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Add an orange-and-cherry garnish.

For this drink, I'm pulling out the Ketel One vodka, and in addition to the Cointreau, I'm using Nellie and Joe's Key West Lime Juice.  Feel free to use whatever vodka you have on hand.  In a pinch, you could sub out Cointreau for either triple-sec or Grand Marnier.

The Balalaika has a stronger alcohol taste than most of the cocktails we've made over the last few months.  In my opinion, vodka can often taste harsh at first in certain cocktails.  After one or two sips, the harsh nature of the liquor fades and becomes less noticeable.  I relate this to the fact that vodka adds little by way of flavor in this type of mixed drink, and with no additional flavor added, it's just adding alcohol content.  Sometimes, more alcohol content can be a little harsh.  This is not a hard and fast rule by any means, and the vodka fans may think I'm speaking out of turn.

This drink though, is both refreshing and lip-smackingly tart.  The Cointreau and lemon juice both add a vibrant citrus kick to the muted vodka flavor.  It's excellent. 

Between the Balalaika and the Sidecar, a cocktail with brandy instead of vodka, I do prefer the Sidecar.  The Sidecar is a smoother cocktail, plain and simple.

Looking forward to another stellar week here at The Amateur Mixologist.  Quick shout-out to a couple Indianapolis friends, and one friend out in NYC:

-  Indianapolis Amy, whose blog provides excellent insight into the "city that never sleeps; only has time to Nap"

-  Would I Buy It Again, a blog devoted to determining whether Indianapolis cuisine is worth a revisit (as well as some fast food reviews that are always entertaining)

-  NYC reader Tom who has written with interesting questions and commentary over the last few weeks.  It's always more fun when drinking with friends, so I do appreciate your support and readership.

Salud!


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