Brandy Champagne Cocktail (Drink # 11)

I played basketball tonight.  Due to the random nature of picking teams (first 5 free throws hit are one team, the second 5 are the other team), I had to guard a guy who was 6 inches taller than me.  I'm 6' tall.  This guy was 6'6".  It was not a fair match-up.

It was so unfair that I would laugh every time he got the ball in the paint.  I couldn't help it.  I wasn't alone either.  I was the tallest guy on our team.  Everyone else was around 5'9" to 5'10", so they weren't crazy-small or anything, but still, I was stuck with the very tall former collegian.  Awesome.

We lost the first game, quickly.

After I got home from the game, I found Barca, the Official Mascot of The Amateur Mixologist was a wet mess after playing outside in the rain.  She is the Official Mascot, but even Official Mascots aren't allowed on the coach when soaking wet.

All was not lost - I was still looking forward to the Brandy Champagne Cocktail, which combines a few things that I really enjoy...

Recipe
The Ultimate Bar Book, page 151


Brandy Champagne Cocktail

1 sugar cube
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1/2 ounce brandy
3 to 5 ounce chilled champagne
Lemon twist

In the bottom of a chilled champagne flute, soak the sugar cube with the bitters.  Pour in the brandy, and slowly top with champagne.  Run the lemon peel around the rim, twist it over the drinks, and drop it in.



As first noted in the Sidecar post, I'm a fan of brandy.  I'm also a fan of Angostura bitters.   Champagne ain't bad either - making any evening feel like it's more important than the random Thursday evening that it truly is. 

Even though I like the ingredients in this drink, it is a weird combination, and the results are pretty mediocre.  It kind of tastes like a ginger beer, or a screwed up craft-produced cream soda or root beer.

Let's start with the bitters. As mentioned in the Old Fashioned post, Angostura bitters with sugar produces a really strong and vibrant summer spice scent.  But, a little goes a long way. The brandy and champagne (or in this case, sparkling wine) don't really add much flavor to counteract the spice, and as a result, the drink is really pungent, sweet and overpowering - in the same way I find many ginger beers to be overpowering.

Sadly too, the lemon twist added nothing. 

This drink doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  Is the sugar meant to sit at the bottom, sometimes floating up the side when the glass is turned up for a drink?  Brandy is, on a relative scale, a sweeter 80 proof alcohol, as far as 80 proof alcohols go.  The recipe couples a sweeter liquor with sugar and bitters (which despite the name, actually adds a sweetness - a complex sweetness, kind of like licorice jelly beans, but sweetness nonetheless), and then, top it off with champagne.  It's just too sweet, and the flavor isn't particularly good. 

If you needed a champagne or sparkling wine drink, I'd stick with the Velvet Champagne d'Amour.

On the bright side, this weekend should be filled with St. Patrick's Day parties, Irish Coffees, and more warm weather.  Have a great weekend, stay safe...we'll be back on Sunday with new drinks for next week!

Irish Coffee (Drink # 10)

One week from today is St. Patrick's Day - my favorite holiday of the year.  No other celebration is as joyful, and let's be honest, St. Patrick's Day doesn't carry the baggage that comes with other holidays.

It is a unique combination of tradition (sort of), good drink (definitely), good music (save for Danny Boy), and good food (even if corned beef and cabbage is completely inauthentic).

I was in Ireland back in 2006, ripping through all of the south, from Shannon, to Galway, to Dublin, Kilkenny, the Ring of Kerry...on and on and on...in 8 days.  It was amazing.  I came away with a fond appreciation for the country and its culture.  And, it should go without saying, its drink.  (Cue obligatory photo of Irish landscape).

Ireland is probably best known for Guinness, and Irish whiskey. 

Guinness of course, is the brewery in Dublin that brews the stout beer of the same name.  It's excellent beer of course, few could disagree.  Word always is that it tastes better in Ireland than it does stateside, but I didn't find that to be case.  I think it's more likely that the Guinness in Ireland tastes about the same - but YOU'RE IN FREAKING IRELAND!, and that has to account for something.  Sentimentality makes everything taste better!

If you're a hard alcohol man, there's no more prominent Irish whiskey than Jameson, by far and away the best selling whiskey export Ireland has to offer.  Irish whiskey is different than other forms of whiskey in various ways - but rather than get into details (in this post anyway), it's safe to say that Irish whiskey is the lighter flavored, less peaty cousin of scotch whiskey.  One of my favorite whiskeys, Irish or otherwise is Tyrconnell, an Irish single malt that costs around $30-35 a bottle.  Great value, and a great whiskey. 

Today, I am fortunate enough to be drinking Irish Coffee, a drink supposedly first created in the 1940's after some American passengers had a particularly rough go on a "flying boat".  Yes sports fans, you read that correct: a flying boat!  Perhaps we account for their rough trip because they agreed to ride on a flying boat in the first place.

Recipe
The Ultimate Bar Book, page 403

Irish Coffee
1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon brown sugar
5 to 6 ounces strong hot coffee
Heavy cream or whipped cream

Pour the Irish whiskey into a warmed Irish coffee glass, add the brown sugar, and stir until dissolved.  Pour in the hot coffee, and slowly add the cream to float on top; do not stir.

Or top with a dollop of whipped cream.


This is the first drink that I've had more than a handful of times before starting this blog.  It's no surprise that I think it's fantastic.

But, this recipe is surprising to me for a couple of reasons.

First, I've never added brown sugar before, and never thought to do so.  Second, I'm not used to such a small amount of coffee in my Irish coffee.  In my trusty 1984 USA Olympic mug, 6 ounces makes up just over half of the mug, and that seems like an incredibly small amount of coffee relative to what I normally drink.  I'm downing two or three of these mugs if given the chance.  Is 5 or 6 ounces considered a serving?!?

With the smaller amount of coffee, the Irish whiskey is noticeably stronger.  That's not a bad thing.  It is an overwhelmingly warming drink.  With each sip, the heat of the drink, coupled with the whiskey makes the stomach feel as though it is surrounded by a heat-wrap, turned up to 11.  It's great.  Funny though, that the cold weather has been demolished by the 73 degree day we had today!  I'll drink a warm drink in 73 degree weather after the winter we've had.

Even though this is a tried and true classic, using the recipe did change my perspective just a touch.  If I had survived a calamitous journey in a flying boat, I too would have upped the ratio of whiskey to coffee - perhaps as high as equal parts coffee to equal parts whiskey.  Though if someone offers me a ride in a flying boat, I'm running in the other direction.

Tomorrow, the Brandy Champagne Cocktail!

Toreador (Drink # 9)

Let's start by discussing tequila for a moment.  As I indicated yesterday, I've given tequila a couple of chances in the past as a stand alone drink, with mediocre results.

The first time I tried tequila as a stand alone drink was back in the summer before college.  My good buddy Jeremy and I were about to head off to our respective institutions of higher learning, but before doing so we decided to purchase a couple of cigars (legally) a bottle of tequila (not legally) and sit on the edge of his parents' driveway, taking in the last of the summer.

He bought a bottle of Patron Silver, and was told that it was for "sipping" and not for taking shots.  At the time, taking shots of tequila was all we knew.

Sipping tequila proved difficult.  I could tell even then that the quality of the Patron Silver was markedly better than whatever I had drank in the past.  Even so, I didn't yet have the taste for drinking 80 proof alcohol neat, and I wasn't familiar with the tenant that some spring water can be used to open up the alcohol.  So I drank the Patron Silver, trying each time to like it more than the last sip, but it was not to be.  The cigar was welcome refuge from the taste of the tequila.

Fast forward to about 6 months ago, my second attempt.

Having just read an Esquire magazine article about tequila, entitled Things We Think We Know About Tequila, and featuring an accompanying article listing good tequilas, I was convinced to give it another try. 

I bought a bottle of Cuervo Tradicional, a modestly priced selection that the article said tasted of "Figs and chocolate" and was a "great value" at $25.  I poured a glass, throwing in a couple of small ice cubes.  I didn't love it.  I gave it a serious college-try too.  It was as though the pool water was just warm enough to put my feet in the wading area, maybe even my ankle.  But I didn't get much further though, the water was just too cold, the tequila too, I don't know, tequila-y.  I stopped sipping about half-way through the drink.

Here we are again, another try at the agave king.

So on my way to the soccer game (we lost in a crushing 3-2 defeat), I stopped by a liquor store I've never seen or been to, but apparently has been in the same location since August of 2008.  Funny how that works - a store sits in same the place for years and you only notice it when you need it to appear (kind of Lost-ish, in a way).

This liquor store was fantastic too, and will be on the short list of places to buy alcohol in the future.  On this visit, I needed the silver tequila for the Toreador cocktail.  My friend Eric had mentioned that 1800 Tequila is pretty good stuff, so I went looking for a bottle of their standard issue silver tequila.

This is what they had:

Now, in fairness, it wasn't all that they had.  In fact, this cool looking bottle was the same price as the neighboring regular 1800 Tequila Silver bottles.  From the picture, you've no doubt gathered that I bought the funked out bottle.  Apparently, 1800 Tequila commissioned artists to create these limited edition bottlings.  Learn more about it here, if you're so inclined.

With the tequila and the crème de cacao, I was good to go.

One other quick side note worth mentioning...this recipe, as you'll see below, calls for white crème de cacao.  The difference between white and dark crème de cacao is the color of the syrup used to make the liqueur.  And, the word "crème" in a name indicates that there is no cream used in the production of the liqueur.  A bit counterintuitive at first thought due to the sound of the word, until you realize that the word "cream" itself is used when cream is included in the contents of the liqueur (now it all makes sense).

Let's drink!

Recipe
The Ultimate Bar Book, page 301
 
Toreador
1 1/2 ounce silver tequila
1/2 ounce white crème de cacao
Whipped Cream
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Shake the tequila and crème de cacao vigorously with ice.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Float a dollop of whipped cream on top, and sprinkle with cocoa powder.


Wow, this is an interesting drink!  There is no doubt that this is tequila based, but it is well-paired with the crème de cacao.  The crème de cacoa doesn't provide too much noticeable flavor, but with the sprinkle of cocoa on the top, the chocolate aroma comes through really nicely.

And it makes sense that tequila and chocolate flavors and aromas should go together.  Latin cuisine is filled with a litany of chocolate flavors mixed with spicy flavors we're not used to coupling together.  If you've at all traveled to Mexico, or some other country south of the American border, you've probably seen hot chocolates made with various spices, chillies, or even anise flavored liquors - a real change from the hot chocolates available at the nearest Starbucks or Lavazza location.

This drink is similar to those hot chocolates south of the border.  The whipped cream though, doesn't impart itself into the rest of the drink when it moves about the glass with each sip.  Tip the glass into your mouth, and the whipped cream floats to the other side, as if it is taunting you.  Sure, some of the whipped cream creeps away from the mainland of foam, but not often enough.

I'm a fan of this drink, but I struggle thinking of the occasion in which I would make it again.  Before a night out?  Probably not.  Random weeknight?  I suppose it's possible, but I'd rather make the Sidecar if given the choice. 

I think it's best chance is when making food that is related to its flavors, and likely its origin.  Fish tacos with chipotle mayo, or enchiladas with a spicy red sauce - something along those lines.

Has the drink changed my opinion of tequila entirely?  Not really.  But, I haven't given up on tequila just yet.  Consider this a push.

Pedro Collins (Drink # 8)

I watched the season finale of Big Love this evening.  If you haven't seen it, or don't want to know the general story line of the show - skip down to the recipe.


Big Love
This season has been a weird one.  I felt like the show had too many balls in the air, and every story seemed crazier and crazier.  Bill turned into an asshole, plain and simple.  And the idea that he'd come clean about his polygamist family right after the election never quite made sense to me.  How blinded must Bill have been to think that he'd be accepted and not run out of office immediately after he admitted his polygamist-ways? 

Let's talk about the speech for a moment...

Why would a state senator get a platform like that, in front of what I presume was the capital building, for his acceptance speech?  He wouldn't!  It's as though he became a U.S. Senator.  It looked ridiculous.

In any event, I did not think that he would follow through with admitting his family's secrets to the rest of Utah (and the world, I suppose).  None of the wives looked particularly happy, and who can blame them - they're all getting screwed out of what they want.  The end of the show mirrored this season's new opening - filled with blowing hair, and pouty lips.  I'm not sure where the show goes from here, but there isn't enough room for too many more story lines.

Recipe
The Ultimate Bar Book, page 271

Pedro Collins
2 ounces light rum
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
3 to 4 ounces chilled club soda
Lime slice
Maraschino cherry

Pour rum, lime juice, and sugar into an ice-filled collins glass. Top with clubs soda and stir gently.  Garnish with the lime slice and cherry.


I used my trusty old Bacardi Rum bottle for this one.  This bottle is getting more use in the last month than it had did in the 6-7 years prior.  I'm enjoying rum far more than I ever thought I would.  I guess the last few times I had rum would have been in a rum and coke, or something similar.  Rum and cokes aren't terrible, but they aren't my favorite.  As a result, I never gave rum much of a chance.

This is one hell of a refreshing drink.  Anything with rum, lime juice and ice is bound to taste a little lime-aid-ish - and it surely does, just like the Daiquiri.  And unfortunately, the sugar won't dissolve in the cold liquid, so it's left sitting in the bottom of the glass.  I'm not sure how much additional sweetness is really necessary for the drink.  If it did dissolve, the drink might become a little syrupy.

The Pedro Collins is fairly light on the alcohol relative to the rest of the drink's contents, so you can drink a couple of these and still be sitting pretty.  The club soda adds only a small amount of fizz, but just enough to add a little pop to the drink that would otherwise be sweet and flat.

This is another in a string of summer drinks (see also the Daiquiri and the Sidecar).  There's a reason rum is an alcohol out of the tropics - in the high heat, the Pedro Collins is a good bet.  Next time though, I may mix everything without the ice, in the hopes the sugar dissolves at least in part.  Like I said above, the sugar may be unnecessary in the end, but it seemed silly to have the sugar sitting idly at the bottom. 

I actually think that this phenomenon is a big reason artificial sweetners are so popular - they dissolve in cold liquids far better than regular sugar.  You can read more about this at my new blog:
www.randomthoughtsbasedonlittleornoscientificevidence.com.

Check back tomorrow when I try the dreaded tequila drink I wrote about the other day, the Toreador!  Honestly, I'm not looking forward to it.  I have a soccer game this evening, and there may be nothing worse than tequila after running around like an idiot for an hour.  Though what do I know, perhaps there's nothing better - only one way to find out...

Week of March 7, 2010

My friends!  All apologies for the delays between posts.  The end of last week ended up being a confluence of a crushing amount of work at the office, cleaning up the place for the impending St. Patrick's Day celebration, and admittedly, taking full advantage of the spring-like weather.

50 degrees feels like 80 degrees after the winter we've had.  And Barca, the Official Mascot of The Amateur Mixologist (a soft coated wheaten terrier) was having a blast outside.

Here's what is on tap this week - as always, the drinks have been picked at random (all pages from The Ultimate Bar Book):

Brandy Champagne Cocktail (page 151 - drink #1)

Pedro Collins (page 271 - drink #3)

Irish Coffee (page 403 - drink #1)

Toreador (page 301 - drink #3)

A few thoughts about the above.  It is an utter coincidence that we'll be making Irish Coffee so close to the greatest Irish holiday of the calendar year (OK, you caught me, I can't name another Irish holiday).  Coincidence or not, I'm definitely excited about the Irish Coffee, as it is a favorite drink of mine, usually made by way of eye-ball measurements and probably far more alcohol than the typical recipe requires.

I'm a little tepid about the Toreador - the ingredients of which are pretty much just tequila.  There are some other items, but they contribute so little to the drink, that I may simply be giving tequila yet another chance as a stand-alone drink (like scotch neat).  I've tried tequila on its own two other times, with mixed results. Maybe the third time is the charm.

Looking forward to trying them all, and will probably start mixing on Monday evening for an early Tuesday morning post.  Until then, I'm heading to an Oscar party in a seersucker suit - that's right - seersucker.  I'm ushering in spring a touch early, and throwing out the rules of style.

My pick for best picture is The Hurt Locker.  Even though they've had some rough press of late, between their producer bad mouthing Avatar, and soldiers questioning the authenticity of the movie, I just think it's the likely winner.

Drink Seven - Violet Champagne d'Amour

The Olympics are over.  Aside from the hockey game yesterday afternoon, I haven't paid too much attention to the Games in the last few days.  Figure skating doesn't do it for me.  When NBC turns to figure skating in prime time, it usually means that the other sports that I do care about have all ended.

In 4 years, the next winter games will be in Sochi, Russia.  Apparently, Sochi is a city more known for its beaches than its mountains.  It will be interesting to see Russia prepare for the games, since it is likely to be the warmest climate for the winter Olympics in the modern era.

Out with the Olympics, and in with random drinks...

Let's start with two numbers: 167 and 2.

What do these numbers have in common?

They are how we arrive at making the Violet Champagne d'Amour!

You see, I went ahead used this fine website random.org, putting in the pages between which The Ultimate Bar Book features its drinks (pages 92-407).  The first number represents the page number I have to use to find the next drink.  If a drink doesn't appear on the page, I have to try again until I reach a page with cocktails.

The second number is simply a number 1-4, also generated from the random.org website - to choose which drink listed on the page to use.  There are rarely if ever more than 4 drinks on any given page, so we're going to have no problem with a 5th drink going under the radar.

So what is this Violet Champagne d'Amour?  Without knowing a thing about it, I'd say that it's safe to assume that champagne is involved, as is love.  But, you ask, don't you put love into every drink that you make?  I do, I do. 

The Violet Champagne d'Amour might require additional love.  Either the Violet Champagne d'Amour is a stage 5 clinger (bad), or, it envelopes the drinker in love (good). Let's find out!

Recipe
The Ultimate Bar Book, page 167
1 ounce Parfait Amour
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/4 ounce Cointreau
3 to 5 ounces chilled champagne
2 fresh violets

Pour all liquid ingredients but the champagne into a chilled champagne flute.  Slowly top with champagne.  Float the violets on top of the drink.


Wait a second. Did I see the word "violets" listed among the ingredients?  [looks again]  You have to be kidding me!  Who has violets readily available, as a drink garnish?!  No one!  No one does!  Florists don't have violets for garnishing drinks!  I talked to a florist just now, who said, and I quote "If you're using violets as a drink garnish, you sir, are an asshole."  A florist said that!*  You know that if the florists are against it, we all must be against it.

As a result of this very situation, I'm creating a NEW RULE for this website: A drink should never be avoided as a result of little-to-no garnish availability.

Garnishes often do not affect the flavor of the drink, and ultimately that's what we're interested in - the flavor of the drink.  Also, some garnishes are more important than others.  Throwing a lemon twist in the drink might change the flavor, whereas an inedible flower is simply meant to look good on the glass.

So, as a result - NO VIOLETS FOR THIS DRINK!  Done and done.

This drink also required another trip to the liquor store, because surprise surprise, I didn't have any Parfait Amour on hand - I just ran out, like, yesterday, as luck would have it. 

While at the store, I bought the following:

Parfait Amour - $25
Cointreau - $30
G'vine Gin - $33

I know what you're saying, gin is not a component of the Violet Champagne d'Amour.  True.  However, my local liquor store has been out of this particular gin bottling for some time, and only recently got a new shipment.  I had to buy it.

G'vine is outstanding gin.  It is made from Ugni Blanc grapes in Cognac, France.  In other words, gin purists probably hate this stuff!  It is excellent though, and smooth as hell.  If you happen upon a bottle, buy two of them - it's availability is always suspect.

Moving on!

Where the Jack Rose failed, the Violet Champagne d'Amour succeeds.  This is a sweet, but complex drink.  The lemon juice is probably the most prominent flavor first tasted, but it quickly gives way to the parfait amour, which has an almost velvety texture and taste.  It is a tart on the one hand, but smooth on the other.  Each sip seems to have its own essence.

The Asti adds some additional sweetness, to be sure.  A dryer sparkling wine, like a brut, may change the drink for the better.  However, the sweetness of this version of the Violet Champagne d'Amour is not overwhelming.  I drank it before dinner, and it was a perfect aperitif.  And the picture above doesn't quite do its color justice - it's purple, because of the Parfait Amour.  How often do you get to drink something that's purple in color, and not revolting?  Never! 

I know that most of you will have no reason to purchase Parfait Amour, but if you're interested in expanding your drink selection, this particular cocktail is a solid addition.  You'll probably have some Cointreau or Grand Marnier lying around, and even a bottle of champagne that you've been meaning to open.  All told, it's an excellent drink.

One last note:  I added one step to the recipe above, because I didn't want to drink a room temperature cocktail, it just didn't seem fitting.  So what I did was shake all of the contents, apart from the Asti, in a cocktail shaker, straining it into the champagne flute before topping it off with the sparkling wine.  It was chilled, and refreshing.  If you choose not to do this, I think the result will still be good, but it will be room temperature, or maybe slightly cooled if you're using a chilled champagne flute and chilled champagne. 

*no florists were harmed in the creation of this post (or spoken with, for that matter)

Drink Six - The Old Fashioned

The final recipe of the first six drinks...The Old Fashioned!

According to Wikipedia, the Old Fashioned may have been the first cocktail.  There are many different recipes for this drink, and it has so many components, it's easy to see why some would be replaced with others (or omitted entirely).

Recipe
American Bar, page 145

1 sugar cube
dashes Angostura bitters
2 oz bourbon
soda
stemmed cherry
orange
lemon

Place sugar cube in an old fashioned glass, saturate with Angostura, add orange and lemon wedges, press with a pestle, add bourbon, stir well, add ice cubes, fill with soda or water, stir again, garnish with cherry.


This is by far the most complicated recipe to date.  I used what little Woodford Reserve I had left for the bourbon, real deal Angostura bitters, and thankfully our local Farm Fresh Delivery service had sent oranges and lemons this past Thursday.  I had everything in the recipe at the house, except for the sugar cube and the ice cubes.  I know, I know.  You're saying to yourself "how does he not have ice cubes"?  A good question, though, if you saw the state of the freezer, you'd understand. 

It's not that my freezer is gross or anything, it's merely packed to the brim with a ton of great Costco purchases.  And, my freezer doesn't have its own ice-making machine.  The result of all of this is that I need to pick up an ice bag from time to time.  That's what I did - running to the local Village Pantry (specializing in ice bags and monthly hold-ups).

Once I had everything in place, I started trying to find something that looked like an old fashioned glass.  Not knowing what one would look like, I tried to find a lowball glass that might fit the bill.

And then...and then I gazed upon the finest glass in my collection.  Was it my quirky economics based glass that tracks the NYSE ebb and flow in the 1960's?  No, but alas, that is an outstanding piece of hardware that will definitely be used in the future.

What glass was it?  What I saw, and what would serve as the vessel for this very drink, was my Al Harrington, The South Pacific Man, glass.  I have two of them - somehow finding the pair at a thrift store many years ago.

You're saying to yourself - but I've never heard of this gentleman - who is this man of mystery?!?  I will show you...

Here is the front, announcing Mr. Harrington:

And here is the back -with Mr. Harrington himself:

Genius!!  Love this guy.

Alright, so here are all of the drinks components, including Mr. Harrington:

To the drink itself... 

I'm not sure what to make of it.  When I mashed the sugar, angostura bitters and the wedges together, the glass smelled great!  It was kind of a summer-like spice mixture that I thought would pave the way towards something excellent.

But when it came to sipping time, I was getting bits of pulp with each sip.  I like pulp in my OJ, but not in my cocktails.

It tastes like a watery bourbon drink, with a touch of bitters.  Whatever addition the sugar and fruits are adding gets diluted by the soda water.  I can taste some of the orange at times, which is a nice compliment to the bourbon, but I'd probably cut back on the soda water, or not use any at all.  I think the soda water just takes away from the flavors one would want in this drink, namely: bourbon, bitters and sweet orange and lemon.

The more I type this post out though, the more I'm sipping this drink, and liking it.  It has a refreshing quality, sitting over the ice.  And as the ice melts away, yet more of the flavor does as well.  On second thought, just skip the club soda entirely.  The ice will provide enough liquid to balance the drink out - no need for any additional water (unless watered-down drinks are your style).

The old fashioned, with the necessary adjustments, is a winner.  But the real highlight this evening is being able to share the moment with Al Harrington, The South Pacific Man!