Checking In

Yes, I'm alive.  Yes, I still love making drinks.  No, I have not retired from cocktail blogging.  All good questions my friends, all good questions. 

Here is a small update:

I've taken the last couple of weeks to fulfill some unrelated-to-drinks-business I've been meaning to get around to and finish up.  At the same time, I've been mulling over ways in which The Amateur Mixologist experience can be improved.  We've got 70+ cocktails in bin, and are off to a fantastic start.  Yes, that's right, I said start.  I think we're scratching the surface of possibilities here.

Take for example, a couple Friday's back when my friends and I had a vodka tasting.  We all purchased $35-40+ bottles of vodka and proceeded to drink approximately 6 or 7 different vodkas.  We didn't do a blind tasting and, it wasn't scientific, I assure you.  It didn't really matter to us what the price was on the bottle, but then again, everything we were drinking was in the same ballpark - the "premium" or "ultra/siper-premium" class. 

The winner?  Well, there were two winners really: Belvedere and Żubrówka.  Belvedere was clean, refreshing, and lacked the pungent alcohol flavor that some of the other vodkas brought into the mix.  Żubrówka was incredibly unique, and tasted like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.  It's worth noting too, that the Żubrówka we consumed was the true Polish version of the vodka that is illegal in the States (JB and I had no idea of its illegal nature in advance of bringing it back).  You can find bison grass vodka here that is without the illegal components, though I'm not sure if it tastes different than the Polish version.

In any event, the vodka tasting is a solid concept that we have not yet explored here at The Amateur Mixologist.  We've considered video, as well as a less frequent posting schedule, but with more depth (think New Yorker v. The Week).  All told this has been a fun experiment., and one that we plan to continue.   Readership has steadily increased in the last months, and we're closing to averaging 1,000 page views a month.  Thank you again for all of your support - your e-mails, your comments are all very much appreciated.

After this past weekend, whereby I celebrated a fraternity brother's bachelor party at Keeneland in Lexington, I will need some time to recover.  It's been a rough stretch of late, and some time away from a cocktail is well needed, and well deserved.  Know though, that we'll be back, hopefully soon, with a cocktail or alcohol related post that is sure to please.

Drink with you soon - and until then - cheers!

Pale Deacon

A day late, sure, but who cares - let's check out the Pale Deacon!

Pale Deacon

Taken once again from Esquire's fantastic online database of drinks, available here.


3 ounces London dry gin
1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar
4 1/2 ounces grapefruit juice



"Shake the gin, sugar, and grapefruit juice* well with cracked ice, then pour unstrained into a chilled Collins glass. Truth be told, we prefer ours with 3 dashes of Angostura bitters -- but we would, you see; we're professionals."

Alright, I played around with this one because of the ingredients I had on-hand, and the spirit (no pun intended) of the recipe.

First, I only had Ruby Red Grapefruit juice available at the Amateur Mixologist studios.  Because Ruby Red is so sweet compared to regular grapefruit juice, I decided that the drink didn't need any more sugar.  So, I didn't add the half-teaspoon.

Also, I used what gin I had on hand, as I ran out of London dry gin a little while back, and didn't have any in stock.  Use any gin you like for this one.  There's enough grapefruit juice used in this recipe to knock out the subtleties of good gin anyway.

Lastly, I went ahead and added the Angostura bitters to the drink, so that I could further cut against the sweetness of the Ruby Red.  I figure the experts from Esquire's drink catalogue know a thing or two about the best way to make the drink.

I can't say that they were wrong!

This was a fantastic drink, entirely refreshing, not too sweet (even using the Ruby Red), and highly drinkable. 

The Pale Deacon works for practically any occasion, save for perhaps the coldest of winter nights when all you want is a scotch and blanket.  And, it can be made in large quantities.  If you do make it in large quantities, know that you need to add the bitters just before serving.  If you add the bitters early, the flavors can expand and expand exponentially.  In other words, add the bitters at the end and control the flavor.

Big fan of the Pale Deacon - hope you love it as well.  Cheers!

What We're Drinking This Week

It's a brief What We're Drinking This Week due to a crushing work schedule...

We're going to bring back the Pale Deacon for tomorrow.  It was originally scheduled for last Friday, but, again, crushing workload and all. 

I'm hoping that on Thursday we can do the Amore Campari, a recipe I found from GQ's website.  As mentioned in previous posts, this is Campari's 150th birthday.  It is a classic liqueur, worth our time and attention.

I had a great weekend, and hope you did as well.  Friday, I went to Art v. Art, at The Vogue theater in Indianapolis.  It was fantastic.  I plan to write more about it this week.  Saturday, I watched my beloved Arsenal lose to West Brom (WEST BROM?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!).  Ugly match.  And, they lost at home no less.  Pitiful.

But, the Colts won on Sunday and things turned right again in the world.

Until tomorrow my friends - have an excellent Monday!

Pale Deacon (next week)

We will sadly have to try the Pale Deacon next week.  Today though, I'll be putting up some fresh quality drink links!  Check back in a bit...

Gin Rickey

Last night, The Amateur Mixologist played in his weekly soccer match, pulling out a 5-5 draw against a good side filled mainly with quality Brits.  I spent 50% of the match taunting them for the latest snooker scandal in England.  Only kidding of course.  No one gives a shit about snooker, not even the Brits, and it's their sport.  A draw is a decent result, but, I was exhausted. 

The Gin Rickey turned out to be an excellent choice for me on a night after such hard work.

Gin Rickey
Taken from Esquire's fantastic online drink database, available here.

1/2 ounce lime juice

2 ounces London dry gin
club soda

Squeeze the lime juice into a Collins glass full of ice. Add the gin, throw in the lime half, and top up with bubbly water of choice. That's it. Don't let anybody convince you to put sugar in this. You can use other liquors, adjusting the name accordingly.

This Gin Rickey tastes like a bizarro-Sprite, and yet, is oddly refreshing.  The drink makes for a perfect nightcap after playing a soccer game.  It's not particularly alcohol heavy, it's served cold, hell, one could convince themselves that this would have been a sports drink 200 years ago. 

As Peggy said on last week's Mad Men, we need 3 ingredients for a cocktail, and this fits the bill, barely. [I believe she said that 2 ingredients is "an emergency", a line that I liked very much.  Unfortunately though for Peggy, the world of cocktails has taken a back seat to 2-drink choices in the last 2-3 decades - though we're fighting against it in recent years!!  Good on us.]

It's also worth pointing out that I cheated a bit on this cocktail.  I didn't use fresh lime juice.  The limes I had at the house had faded and faded fast.  See?

Not only that, I didn't use London dry gin.  I used Leopold's small batch gin made in Colorado.  Leopold's is excellent, and I highly recommend checking out their Blackberry Flavored Wishkey.  I know that it sounds a little strange, flavor-wise, but it is unique and very good.

Our Gin Rickey turned out nicely.  And, the Gin Rickey is a cocktail that provides plenty of room for error - so throw in that bottled lime juice and non-London dry gin if available - give this one a go!

See you on Friday!

What We're Drinking This Week

Another stellar week ahead here at the Amateur Mixologist, your home to drink information, recipes, and extremely random book and music recommendations! 

As you may recall from last week's "What We're Drinking This Week" post, I'm just now digging into John Franzen's new novel, Freedom.  The book has, in that brief time, been selected as the last book to be featured in Oprah's Book Club.  Oprah, as you know commands a massive audience, and her book club is responsible for moving thousands of copies as soon as a book is selected. 

In this instance though, Freedom was already being hailed as the Next Great American Novel, by numerous critics.  Read all of these various words of praise:

From the New York Times book review:  "Jonathan Franzen's new novel, "Freedom," like his previous one, "The Corrections," is a masterpiece of American fiction."

From another New York Times story: "an indelible portrait of our times."

From Salon.com: "Brilliant portrait of our times."

From the Dallas Morning News: "Jonathan Franzen does not publish often, and when he does, critics and readers of serious fiction look to him for large, carefully crafted, consequential statements about life in the American middle class."

And the comparatively tame: "Franzen has written two terrific novels in a single decade and that the new one is just as good as the last."

I'm starting to feel as though people like this novel. 

What's interesting is that I cannot recall this much buzz and pop culture attraction for such a critically acclaimed novel in my lifetime.  Sure, a sequel to Da Vinci Code kills at the bookstore, and would certainly sell millions of copies.  But no one take it seriously as a true literary work of art.  So what's changed this time around?  Why are people gravitating to a 600 page novel in a way that's usually reserved for a 300 page piece of beach-reading fluff? 

I don't have the answer, though I do think it's a hopeful sign.  One must at least give Oprah credit for selecting a quality book, as opposed to something as ridiculous as The Secret, which upon the mere thought of it, makes me mad with rage.  For as often as Oprah does a disservice to her audience - and there could be no greater disservice to her audience and culture at large than introducing them to the cockamamie bullshit that is The Secret - sometimes she pulls out a gem and exposes her audience to the same.  Freedom is one such gem.  It in no way would have lurked in the shadows.  It would have been a literary phenomenon with or without her book club.  But, still, she chose wisely, and for that she deserves some credit.

What We're Drinking This Week

Boy, after thinking of The Secret, I'm infuriated enough that I need a drink.  Like, immediately. 

Wednesday:  Gin Rickey - classic gin based cocktail that is sure to please.

Friday: Pale Deacon - another gin based cocktail with grapefruit juice.

See you on Wednesday!  And, if you just can't get enough of me, you can always follow us on Twitter, @IMakeDrinks

Cheers!

Honey Bee

Today we're drinking the Honey Bee, a cocktail that is quite similar to The Bee's Knees, though with rum instead of gin (and the addition of water).  Also, it's worth noting that this is another cocktail recipe taken from Esquire's fantastic online catalogue of drinks.  Tuesday's cocktail, the McCrory, was another Esquire find.  If you've never been to the site, I highly recommend checking it out (available here).

Honey Bee

1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon water
2 ounces white rum
1/2 ounce lemon juice

Put the honey and warm water in a cocktail shaker and stir it until the honey is thoroughly dissolved. Add the white rum* and lemon juice, then shake viciously with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If this is too dry, or if you're feeling charitable and generous of spirit, g'ahead and add a little more honey. Drink how ya like.

*According to Embury, this makes it a Honeysuckle; a Honey Bee requires dark, Jamaican-style rum. Esquire's 1949 Handbook for Hosts disagrees. We'll go with Esquire.

This is a nice drink, and is quite similar to other rum plus lemon juice cocktails we've tried in the past.  Lemon juice and gin is an easy, reliable flavor combination.

This drink is sweet, but not too sweet, and as the recipe indicates, you should use more or less honey to your preference.  With the summer winding down, this may be one of the few remaining cold drinks we can consume before the days become too cold for BBQs.  It is, however, ideal for such occasions (BBQs that is). 

I hope everyone has an excellent weekend; for my Hebrew readers, an easy fast; and here's hoping we have at least a couple weeks of stellar weather so we can play some golf.   Cheers!