Drink Links

Some Drink Links (patent pending), to get you through the workday.

-  Cocktail Camps

Portland is one of my favorite places.  It's the only city I've been to in which I did not have a single bad meal.  Not one, out of like 15 opportunities.  Every meal was excellent, and every cocktail was superb (shout out to Alberta Street Oyster Bar, whose lead bartender was outstanding).

And now, The City of Roses has come up with a cool concept called Cocktail Camps - whereby participants pay $10, and learn the ins and outs of cocktail making.

-  Pulitizer Prize Parties in DC

The Pulitzers are being handed out today - and if you're in the DC area, find out the places to celebrate or hang your head in shame.  Deep, unforgivable shame.  Anyone want to bet a drink on the National Enquirer getting a big prize for the John Edwards work?  Anyone?

-  $14 cocktails with bacon

This is really a story about bacon with the briefest mention of the $14 bacon cocktail (in fact, you've already read the part about the cocktail by reading the above link headline).  A cocktail with bacon sounds intriguing, and awful. 

-  French 75 cocktail recipe

A nice little write-up about the French 75 cocktail, with recipe.  Well worth a look.


For more content, updates, random musings, and my attempts to be witty, check us out @IMakeDrinks on Twitter.

Week of April 11, 2010

Quite a fun Masters tournament, eh?

It's interesting that Phil wins a tournament so heavily affected by Tiger's sideshow.  Phil and Tiger have famously not gotten along over the years, and it's fitting that Phil, as a result of his strong play and ultimate win, is as much a part of this year's Masters story as Tiger.  Had some young upstart or unknown won, this year's tournament would have gone down as merely Tiger's return.  With Phil winning, it is a tournament shadowed (though not overshadowed) by Tiger's past 6 months, and people will remember the outstanding golf play over everything else.

And, I for one am happy with this result.  As a golf fan, I never really cared about Tiger's shenanigans.  You mean to tell me rich and famous people lead often-debauched lives?!?!  Well I never!!

With The Masters over, with Tiger's return over, we can move on.  I hope we can move on anyway.  I don't care for any further details of Tiger's life.  I'm tired of the "mistress" stories.  [Sidebar: I'm particularly tired of them because of the incredible misuse of the word "mistress."  Get it right people!  Sleeping with someone a few times does not a mistress make!  If Tiger had 20 actual mistresses, he'd have no time for golf.  None.]

Enough golf talk for the moment, let's talk about something far more important...cocktails and drinking!  Let's have a look at what we're drinking this week. 

We have a couple classics, and a drink that I'm wholly unfamiliar with, the Fireman's Sour. 

1. Mojito

The Cuban classic!  We're doing something a bit different with the Mojito, and comparing recipes.  We're going to pit the American Bar recipe against The Ultimate Bar Book recipe, and see which one tastes better.  This is the first time we've had dueling recipes - should be great!

2. Fireman's Sour

Another rum based cocktail - with a mix of grenadine, lime juice and some other stuff which should make this a good bet.

3. Tom Collins

The most famous of the Collins drinks!  Gin based, and old - back to the 19th century.  I'm looking forward to it, as the only Tom Collins I've had in the past was mix-based, and I don't doubt that a freshly made product will yield far better results.

I'm going post some drink links later today, so be sure to check back for some updated news and information in the cocktail universe.  And of course, tomorrow, the Mojito! 


For more content, updates, random musings, and my attempts to be witty, check us out @IMakeDrinks on Twitter.

Harvard Cooler

Yesterday was the first day of The Masters, my favorite sporting event of the year. 

I have some friends who have questioned such a statement in the past.  How can it be your favorite sporting event - what about the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, October baseball, the Super Bowl, college football Saturdays...and on and on and on.

All of those things are great, but for me, The Masters will always be king.

It is a confluence of things that makes The Masters so special.  The course, Augusta National, and its beauty; the history, with founder Bobby Jones, a legend in the sport; the drama, with a lineage of greats, from Arnie, to Jack, to Gary, to Watson, to Faldo, to Tiger, to Phil (and countless others); the language, the patrons, the first cut. 

The Masters truly is a tradition unlike any other.  No sport, with the lone exception of baseball, makes me feel this emotionally invested in its outcome, in its broadcast, in its importance on the sporting landscape.  As I type this, I'm wearing a black Augusta National sweater, and watching the DVR recording from Thursday's play. 

And if you haven't gotten into The Masters, or you're wondering how I could feel as I do - give it a chance.  Many friends who first questioned my love for this tournament, have since acknowledged its greatness, and view it in a similar manner today.

The last thing I'll mention about The Masters is that it always ushers in the spring, and you can count on warmer weather after its early April start.  It's fitting then, that we're drinking the Harvard Cooler, a cocktail that's meant to be consumed in warmer weather, and in relaxing settings.

Let's have a look!

Recipe
The Ultimate Bar Book, page 130

Harvard Cooler

2 ounces apple brandy
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon simple syrup
3 to 5 ounces chilled club soda
Lemon peel spiral

Pour the liquid ingredients into an ice filled highball glass. Stir well. Garnish with the lemon peel.

When I took my first sip of the Harvard Cooler, my reaction was as follows (I've kept it in its original form, so you can see how badly I reacted to the taste):

"I must have bought the crappiest calvados available, because this ingredient list screams refreshing goodness, and yet, what I'm drinking is utterly mediocre, if not bad.  It's not entirely undrinkable, but, the flavor almost contains a bitterness that shouldn't be there.

A while back, my friend Will was over.  Will is in the alcohol industry and knows as much as anyone about various types of alcohol. He tried my calvados after I told him of my experiences.  He said that it didn't have a strong apple flavor like many of the other apple brandies that he had consumed.  And maybe that's just it - my calvados sucks."

And then, I wrote this:

"Otherwise, this drink should work.  As I said, it's not terrible, and after letting the ice melt away, and the bitter qualities fading, it gets a little better with each sip.  These are very small incremental changes, but I'd say it's progress all the same."

By the end though, I actually enjoyed it.  It's a weird progression, going from awkward revulsion to pleasant refreshment.

This isn't the first drink that takes a couple sips to get going.  I felt the same way about the BUMBO!, and even the strong qualities of the Caipirinha caused a bit of a reaction at the start.  I'll give this one a thumbs up - but advise you to seek some help at the liquor store when purchasing your apple brandy or calvados. 

I hope that everyone has a great weekend, and enjoys The Masters.  My pick before it all started was Phil, and I'm sticking with him.  I think he's playing well, and his game is on an upswing.  We'll see you again next week!


For more content, updates, random musings, and my attempts to be witty, check us out @IMakeDrinks on Twitter.

Kamikaze Cocktail

I don't know how we've made it this long before making a cocktail with vodka.

In the United States, vodka is the best selling alcohol (scotch rules the rest of the world).  We drink it in vodka tonics, vodka sodas, vodka Red Bulls, and any other vodka-plus-something combinations that we can come up with.  Vodka is everywhere, and it doesn't seem like a month goes by without a new vodka issuance being set out on our local store shelves.

So what is vodka?  It's distilled alcohol from any number of things that can fermant - but most often from potatoes or grains.  The word "vodka" is derived from the Slavic word voda, and people have taken the derivation to mean little water.  You didn't know this, but I'm fluent in Slavic.  Or, maybe I just looked up vodka on Wikipedia.  You decide!

There are two lines of thought related to the taste of vodka.  Some will tell you that it's supposed to have no flavor, and others will say that vodka is absolutely supposed to have flavor, albeit subtle flavor, and that the no-flavor camp are a bunch of idiots.  I'd say that neither camp is being fair to the other (and what's up with the name calling, flavor-camp - inappropriate!). 

Vodkas will taste different as a result of each vodkas production method.  It is those differences that comprise the flavor profiles of the particular vodka.  You could safely say that vodkas are not supposed to have any off-notes in their flavor profile, though you could say that about any drink - alcohol or otherwise.

Forgive me for this analogy, but, it's kind of like the differences between bottled water.  Dasani tastes a bit different than Aquafina.  This example is suspect as a result of the fact that water is indeed not supposed to have a flavor (it's the best I could come up with).  I'll spare you further analogies and simply point you to this great article in The Atlantic, from 2004 - it provides a better vodka history than I can provide in this space. 

Here we are though, with the shot promoted from single-A ball to the Majors, the Kamikaze Cocktail. 

Recipe
The Ultimate Bar Book, page 319

Kamikaze Cocktail

2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Cointreau (or triple sec)
1/4 ounce fresh lime juice

Shake the ingredients with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Phew, this is a strong one.  This is not like any kamikaze shot I've had in the past, largely perhaps because it's something I can't throw back in quick succession. 

This drink doesn't really suit my tastes.  I like vodka, but I've never acquired a taste for it.  Mask it in a mix of other ingredients and I'm good to go, but on its own, I'm just not with it.  For the Amateur Mixologist, the Kamikaze Cocktail has just too much vodka, and not enough filler to make it palatable. 

All of which is not to say that this is a bad drink.  I'm sure a vodka lover would dig it in ways that I'm not feeling.  I will say that I appreciate the few additions to this drink.  As mentioned on other posts, I think there is something to said for tasting the flavor of the main liquor.  If you're not a fan of the main liquor though, this principle doesn't might not work out so well for the drinker.

Kamikaze Cocktail - it's a winner if you love vodka, and probably a touch strong if you're a little meh on the little water.

Get your Trapper Keeper in check and your number 2 pencil sharpened because tomorrow, we're going back to school (and high brow) on you - the Harvard Cooler! 



For more content, updates, random musings, and my attempts to be witty, check us out @IMakeDrinks on Twitter.

Alexander

Today we're drinking the Alexander.  According to The Ultimate Bar Book, the recipe we're using - with gin - is the traditional form of the drink.  A newer twist on the old Alexander, with brandy (aptly named the Brandy Alexander, duh) has since become more popular. 

I'm all for the classics so we're starting with the gin-based version of the Alexander.  At some point we'll compare the two drinks to see which is better, but I have a feeling that the heavy cream may drown out much of the distinction between the gin and brandy tastes.

Recipe
The Ultimate Bar Book, page 174

Alexander

1 ounce gin
3/4 ounce white crème de cacao
3/4 ounce heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and sprinkle with nutmeg. 

For this receipe, I'm using Bombay Sapphire Gin, DeKuyper crème de cacao, heavy cream from the nearby Kroger, and ground nutmeg from Trader Joe's.  I looked for some nutmeg that I could freshly grate, but had trouble finding any.  I'll keep looking though, as this is the second drink that's called for the ingredient, and there's likely a vast difference between freshly grated, and already ground.

Immediately after throwing everything together in the mixing glass, the drink looks like any other cocktail with heavy cream.

I would describe this drink as a more refreshing version of a white russian.  You'll taste the chocolate from the white crème de cacao, and the cream adds the frothy milk component that makes it a really smooth combination. 

The above recipe is quite small though, and while at first thought, one might think that doubling the recipe is in order, I would caution you.  Drinking heavy cream is not enjoyable in large quantities.  It's like anything else that's incredibly rich (and not particularly good for you), consume it sparingly if you want to enjoy it.  In other words, don't run off drinking heavy cream en masse.

I finished the drink off quickly because it's quite tasty, and not particularly alcohol-heavy.  As posited above, the heavy cream masks much of the gin flavor, which, if you're like me and you like gin, is a shame.  Other recipes I've seen call for light cream, or sweet cream, and not heavy cream.  I don't pretend to know the distinctions between each of these versions of cream, but I would say that you're probably OK using half and half, or something similar, as opposed to the big boy, heavy cream.

One other note: I continually referred to the recipe appearing similar to the Toreador, because of the crème de cacao and the nutmeg.  No way.  Not even close.  I was dead wrong.  The heavy cream, and probably more importantly, the lack of tequila, make these two drinks entirely different from one another.

Tomorrow, we're drinking the Kamikaze Cocktail.  Barca, the Official Mascot of the Amateur Mixologist, has been on a keen look out for kamikaze pilots since I first mentioned the drink on Monday.  Here's a photo of her in action (notice the "keen look out death stare" - she's ruthless, this one!):

Until tomorrow my friends!

For more content, updates, random musings, and my attempts to be witty, check us out @IMakeDrinks on Twitter.

Drink Links

Last night's game took a lot out of me.  My friends and I saddled up to the bar early to grab a spot for the game, and six hours later I was exhausted and my team defeated.  Unfortunately, upon returning home around midnight, I didn't have anything left in the tank to make a drink. 

Incidentally, anyone else think there will be a run on bulldogs as a result of Butler's NCAA run?  I do!  Just look at Blue II, the official mascot of the Butler Bulldogs.  Who wouldn't want one?!?  In the year 2025, the only dogs available will be bulldog and portuguese water dog mixes.

In any event, today we have some drink links to fill the void until tomorrow. 

Drink Links

New Orleans Cocktail Museum to talk about soda's influence on their drinks.  This isn't so much an article as an event reminder, but it gave me two drinks that I'm unfamiliar with: the Roffignac and the Ramos Gin Fizz.

According to one website, the Roffignac recipe is:

2 ounces Cognac or good rye whiskey
1 ounce raspberry syrup
Soda water or seltzer

Sounds interesting, and probably refreshing if served cold, in the New Orleans heat.

The Ramos Gin Fizz is comprised of many different ingredients:

2 ounces gin (Old Tom gin if you can get it)
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup
3 small dashes orange flower water
2 drops vanilla extract (very optional; there's some controversy over whether this was ever really used, but it does add a nice touch)
1 ounce cream
1 egg white
Soda water

I'm up for making both, but it appears as though I need some added time to make the Ramos Gin Fizz. If you're in the NOLA area, this event may be worth a visit.

April is the drunkest month.  Don't take my word for it, take the newspaper of record's word for it.   Also featured in the posting is a link to some poetry-themed drink recipes.  Well worth a look.

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic is back!  If you're in the NYC area, check it out.  The convention will run begin May 14th and will end on May 18th.  Among the covered topics, "...the role of Curaçao in cocktails; a history lesson about the late-19th-century New York bartender Harry Johnson, a revered figure in liquor circles; an examination of "monk-inspired" cocktails (think Chartreuse and Benedictine); a discussion of non-aged whiskeys known as "White Dog"; and a session on "Bar Myth Busters"".

Check back tomorrow when I'll make the Alexander - a gin based drink that looks suspiciously like the Toreador. 


For more content, updates, random musings, and my attempts to be witty, check us out @IMakeDrinks on Twitter.

Week of April 4, 2010

Let's talk briefly about basketball.  The Final Four is in Indianapolis this year, and Indianapolis is also the home of the Butler Bulldogs.

Butler is unique in Indianapolis as neither Indiana nor Purdue fans consider Butler a rival.  As a result, Indianapolis residents have a bit of a soft spot for the Bulldogs.  They have always been the little brother to the other big state institutions.  Obviously, Butler has had considerable more success than Indiana of late, and say what you will about Purdue's strong season, they haven't made the final game since 1969.

Now, Butler plays Duke in the final college basketball game of the year.  There have been a lot of David v. Goliath storylines about the that you can read from ESPN to Sports Illustrated, but I don't see it.  Butler is very good.  Their coach Brad Stevens, while young, is smarter than 90% of his peers and is unflappable in the face of pressure. 

No, Butler is no also-ran, merely there to pick up their consolation prize - they are a supremely talented team with a likely lottery pick in Gordon Heyward. 

Having said that though, they face a tall task with Duke.  I will be rooting for Butler, wearing navy blue and hoping they can pull it out.  I think it'll be tough though, and there's a strong chance, particularly if Duke is hitting their 3's, that this game is over before the half.  Here's hoping Duke comes out cold, and Butler's tenacious defense brings them one more W to end their season.

On to drinking!!

This week, we have one more reader submitted idea, and two other choices that picked from The Ultimate Bar Book.

Alexander - a gin based cocktail, with an ingredient list that looks a bit like the Toreador

Kamikaze Cocktail - yep, you guessed it, it's the cocktail version of the shot - should be interesting

And lastly, I decided to face down my demons and go with the reader submitted drink suggestion to try something with calvados.  I figured I could pick the drink though, as a comprimise.  The result:

Harvard Cooler - apple brandy (more Calvados, yay) based, and summery

Looking forward to them all.

One last note: I recently signed up on Twitter and try to post drink related links, notes, and the like.  If you're on there, look me up.  I'm @IMakeDrinks.