Touch of citrus in stirred cocktails - Fernet Me Not & Mai 'Ti (+aside re salt)

I have to admit, I've recently become mildly obsessed with cocktails that use just a touch of citrus and are stirred rather than shaken. I think I was first led down this path by Rumdood's post on 'Ti punch, a deceptively simple and delicious cocktail that tilts a daiquiri's proportions to let the rum (or Rhum Agricole to be precise) take and hold center stage. I still can't believe I had not tried that drink until I saw his post, but it has quickly become a staple.

When I say a touch of citrus, I'm referring to drinks which contain at most around ¼ oz total of citrus juices, but could use half that, perhaps only a teaspoon, or even just a few drops. Just enough to offset a bit of sweetness or brighten up a drink's flavor profile. (Not to mention part of the beauty of these drinks is how simple they can be to make, with less equipment to clean up later. Glass, ice, maybe a spoon, done.)

I was led further down this particular rabbit hole after sampling a couple drinks from the excellent book beta cocktails, which I first read about via Robert Simonson's blog Off the Presses. There he describes amari and bitters heavy cocktails, including the book's Campari Martini, composed of just Campari, salt, and an orange twist. It should be obvious how amari, bitters and salt led me to immediately buy the book (info here, or store here.) For a sneak peek, check out the 2 oz of Peychaud's in the Gunshop Fizz or the fantastic Angostura Sour, or a few more from Cocktail Virgin Slut. Then go buy the book.

As an aside, I have been meaning to do a post on salt in cocktails but never got around to it, but do read the post by Maks on the Campari Martini : Salt, for he did a better job than I ever would have. I've been occasionally adding salt to cocktails since at least 2009 after I learned the trick from Dave Arnold at a FCI holiday cocktail class I attended, though my usages were limited to drinks containing more citrus and not as ballsy (or illuminating) as the Campari trick. But suffice it to say a pinch of salt can do wonders for a cocktail. You can also refer to Alton Brown's "Ballad of Salty and Sweet" if you need more convincing.

 Ok, enough commentary, on to some drinks. Last week theme for TDN was "Rick Stutz Dance Party", check out the Mixoloseum wrap up for an explanation and some of the night's drink's. In trying to come up with a drink using Rick's favorite ingredients, Fernet was the obvious choice. With that in mind, and having recently enjoyed beta cocktails' Bitter Giuseppe which uses a slug of Cynar and "11-15 drops of lemon juice", I set to work. While in Buenos Aries, I had liked the pairing of Fernet with tonic and Orange Juice so I went with a touch of orange juice with the expressed oil and orange bitters.

Fernet Me Not

• 1½ oz Fernet Branca
• ½ oz Bourbon (Bulleit)
• ½ oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash Regan's Orange bitters #6
• Orange twist w/ a bit of flesh

Express oil & squeeze juice (~tsp or less) from Orange piece; Build in DOF over large rock & use orange twist as garnish

I threw in some Bourbon just to smooth out and lengthen the drink and to help tame the Fernet somewhat, but it's still all about the Fernet; the bourbon is hard to pick out but that is by design. Frederic astutely compared it to an "inverse Fanciulli Cocktail with orange notes", which I had to look up, but in this case the drink was based on beta's Bitter Giuseppe.

My second drink would perhaps have been better suited for a Rumdood themed TDN, but I had beta's inspiration and a touch of citrus on my mind, so I made this mash up of a Mai tai, 'Ti punch, and the Art of Choke from beta cocktails. The Art of Choke is cocktail by Kyle Davidson from The Violet Hour in Chicago, another Cynar cocktail; a cocktail which beta's authors call "a brand new cocktail template." Starting from that template, I kept the Chartreuse and mint, but to capture the spirit of the Mai Tai I subbed Amaro Montenegro for Cynar, orgeat for demerara, and two aged rums for white rum, then played with the proportions and added angostura for the hell of it (perhaps because Cynar is far more bitter than Montenegro?) My thinking was that the Montenegro's orange notes would stand in well for the orange from the Mai Tai's Creole Shrubb.

mai 'ti

• ¾ oz Rhum Clément VSOP
• ¾ oz Appleton Extra 12
• 1 oz Amaro Montenegro
• ¼ oz Green Chartreuse
• tsp lime
• tsp B.G. Reynolds orgeat
• dash Angostura bitters
• mint

muddle mint with bitters, orgeat, and lime, add rest then stir & strain into DOF with one large rock; mint sprig garnish

The mai 'ti lands sufficiently far from the inspiring drinks to be its own beast. It has the feel of a 'Ti Punch, the background flavor of a Mai Tai, with bitter and herbal flavors layered on top. Give 'em both a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Bayou Harvest

This drink is from back in April for TDN Orchard, but as I've got some catching up to do, let's start with this one since it makes for a nice sipper now that the cooler fall weather is upon us, or will be soon.
The inspiration for this drink came from a cocktail I enjoyed at Beaker&Flask in Portland, which was called the New Vieux, a take on the Vieux Carré. Oh crap, I just goggled around as I'm composing this post to try to link to them and found that in fact the New Vieux contained "Rye, Apricot, Benedictine, Bitters." That's the same ingredient list as the drink I thought I came up with, but apparently just stole. I hadn't really thought about it and just remembered that apricot worked well in the New Orleans drink Vieux Carré and wondered how it might work as a sweetener in a take on the Sazerac. I suppose the proportions are probably different, and their drink was on the rocks and this is up, but credit where credit is due. In any case, I guess this was beaker&flask's concept, but damn if it isn't a tasty drink. I'll keep the name since this is definitely much more spirit forward than what they make, but the idea was theirs first.

Bayou Harvest

• 2 oz Sazerac Rye
• ½ oz Orchard Apricot
• 1d Angostura Bitters
• 1d Creole Bitters
• Bénédictine rinse

stir & strain into DOF, garnish with lemon twist

Depiction of NFL (& other pro) team distribution from CBS Sports

Ok, this is neither here nor there, but while doing fantasy football research I came across this fun depiction of the locations of NFL franchises at the CBS Fantasy Football site:

Anyway, I found it interesting enough to share. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. Go Bucs! (And of course go Yankees!)

Actually, I was about to publish, but the "Go Yanks" made it occurred to me they might have the same thing for the other sports, and they do.
MLB:

NBA:

and why not, NHL, after all I did (accidently) use a Canadian Whisky last post for MxMo:

Feel free to compare and contrast, you can see where the islands and oases of local pro sports are located.

MxMo LXI: Local Color - Fig 'n Whistle

Our host for September's Mixology Monday is Lindsay from the blog Alcohol Alchemy. Lindsay has chosen to highlight a segment of the industry that has been shooting up sprouts all over the country more and more over the last few years: the local craft spirits producers, at least one of which you are now likely to have near you. Lindsay has dubbed the theme "Local Color", and I'll let her take it from here:

I felt that the “local” craft spirits scene would be the perfect backdrop for September’s MxMo LXI...So…pull out your favorite “local” craft spirit (for those of you not in the US, what hidden gem from your neck of the woods do you want to give some cocktail press?), tell us a little bit about it and why you love it, and let it shine in whichever way (or ways!) you see fit!

I split my time between NYC and CT, and not too long ago I wouldn't have all that many choices for local hooch, but times have been a changin'. There are the dueling gins of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Gin and Breuckelen Gin. (According to the Post, they've since called a truce, and the same article also says Breuckelen Distilling "is only the second distiller to open in the city since Prohibition." So there you go. Proliferation, like I said. I think King's County Distillery is the oldest, fyi.)

Being more of a whiskey man myself, I had initially assumed I'd go with one of the Hudson Valley Whiskeys from Tuthilltown Distillery (who will also sell you a small barrel you can use to age your own cocktails), but my Tuthiltown bottles are in NY and I'm in CT, and browsing the store here in CT I came across a perhaps more intriguing option in WhistlePig Straight Rye, a 100 proof 100% Rye made bottled in nearby Vermont. (EDIT: D'oh, a commenter alerts me that despite "Vermont" appearing no less than three times on the front of the bottle, in fact the liquid is made in Canada and only hand bottled on the farm in VT. What can I say, I got tricked. Or sloppy. But it's still good stuff and I'm rolling with it. Canada is like VT, right? Transitive property?) (VT is close enough to CT to count as local, right? It probably takes less time to drive between the two than the average LA commute, so I'm counting it. Besides, who doesn't love a pig?) As for drinks, I was seriously tempted to use the obviously local Manhattan as the cocktail, but what fun is that? Of course, just to be sure I confirmed the WhistlePig makes a damn fine one. But I've chosen to feature it in an original cocktail, as is my wont.

In addition to the delicious Vermont whiskey, I'm including a couple other ingredients to juice up the local vibe. While hardly local to me, I'm also using an excellent 8 year apple brandy produced by Clear Creek Distillery in Portland. I think Oregon in general and Clear Creek in particular exemplify the platonic ideal of localness, so in a nod to that in it goes. Their product compares well to a fine Calvados.
But I'm not done yet. For a tip of the hat to my other haunt of NY, I've used some Bittermens Mole bitters to season the drink, which as of Jan 2011 are proudly produced in Brooklyn. Putting it all together, here's the drink:

Fig 'n Whistle

• 1 oz WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey
• 1 oz Clear Creek Distillery Eau de Vie de Pomme, 8 yr
• 2 tsp fig spread or preserves
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters
• Fresh fig garnish

Dry stir to dissolve preserves, stir with ice, and strain into chilled DOF (double strain if you prefer to have no trace of fig seeds or remnants of undissolved preserve) Garnish with slice of fresh fig.

The cocktail has a lot of deep round flavors from the wood aged spirits and spices from the bitters, not to mention a certain earthy nuttiness from the fig spread. The pectin from the preserves also contributes to the mouth feel, somewhat reminiscent of what you might find in a cocktail made with a gomme syrup.
Truth be told I actually made the initial version this cocktail using just Rittenhouse Rye for my second drink for TDN:Fall, but it ended up being an early night for everyone so I never got around to submitting it. I thought about using Laird's or Calvados the first time, but had none; my trip to the store for the WhistlePig and Clear Creek Eau de Vie took care of that, and this is a better version in any case. In an odd coincidence, I actually was going to use the same name before I even considered the WhistlePig Rye; it just popped into my head, I think because there is a pub called the Pig 'n Whistle in NY I pass by sometimes.  I hadn't even realized WhistlePig was from Vermont and thus a viable option for MxMo until I saw it at the store the day after concocting the drink, I would have guessed it was from Kentucky or thereabouts. But such is fate. Enjoy.

UPDATE: Lindsay's roundup post is up over at her site, head over there and check out all the drinks for this round of MxMo.

"Love of my Life" cocktail, published in Mutineer Magazine

I concocted the Love of my Life cocktail way back in January for the "Thinking of Summer" TDN, but it was one of the many drinks that got lost in the shuffle about which I never got around to posting. But now I've got a good excuse to reach back through the months to finally post this one, since it appeared in the July/August issue of Mutineer Magazine. I know, cool, right? You see, there is a sporadically appearing column put together by SeanMike Whipkey of Scofflaw's Den which highlight some of the drinks created over the last several Thursday Drink Nights, and this time a couple of mine made the cut. A couple? Yup, they saw fit to include my Vieux Szaffa as well, but I already posted that. I know it's hardly a big deal, but I got a kick out of seeing some of my drinks in shiny print, so thanks to the CSOWG and everyone over at the Mixoloseum for making TDN happen and SeanMike for the cat wrangling it takes to put up the column for Mutineer. Do go over and check out the magazine, you can find some fun stuff over there, and look out for the next Drink Night Cocktails column hopefully appearing in an upcoming issue.

Love Of My Life

• 2 oz Coruba Rum
• ½ oz TraderTiki (oh, wait, I mean B.G. Reynolds) Passionfruit syrup
• ¼ oz lemon
• ¼ oz lime
• ¼ oz grapefruit
• ½ oz simple syrup (1:1)
• 1 dash aromatic bitters
• 1 dash Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters

Shake & strain into cocktail glass

Not being one to do extra work, I'll just leave you with the quote I gave them to put in the magazine:

No fun tale about the origins of this drink. In reality I just stumbled onto it due to my desire to play with my just-arrived bottle of TraderTiki Passionfruit syrup, my new-found love of Coruba rum, and extra grapefruit juice for the "Thinking of Summer" TDN. I'd never made, and rarely even tried, a drink with Passionfruit syrup, but Blair's product has won me over. I added additional citrus, some bitters, and decided the drink could use a touch of simple to dial down the tartness. In my naivety, I hadn't realized it was similar to a classic drink, like a slightly less tart, bittered Hurricane, but served up.

Where to buy Nick&Nora Cocktail Glasses

NEW UPDATE (12/9/2011)

NEW (12/9/2011) UPDATE: Found a source (for different & better new glasses)! Short story: Rick comments below that you can buy Nick&Nora glasses Tabletop Style! Longer story with pics and info in new post: Verified Current Where to buy Nick&Nora Cocktail Glasses!

END NEW UPDATE

(OLD) UPDATE

UPDATE: My sincere apologies, but a commenter has informed me that in fact Pour wines has not carried the glasses for a while, despite them showing up in their online store (although the link is broken, which I did not realize). It was quite a while ago when I got the glasses, but I put up the post now in response to some recent queries after I used the glass in pics in recent posts. Alas, I have no other info about the glasses or where else to get them, sorry. (There are no markings at all on the glass.) If anyone finds out anything else and lets me know, or if I discover more info I'll update the post. I think PDT (see '07 blog post) and Pegu Club ('08 video) still use them, I'll try to remember to ask about them next time I'm at either place. I did tell you they were hard to find, I guess the quest continues...

END UPDATE

Want to know where to buy Nick&Nora glasses? You are not alone, as I've recently had several inquiries as to where to procure the Nick and Nora Martini glass I have used in several of my blog photos. (Yeah, yeah, I know the Nick & Nora Cocktail Glass is not a martini glass, but I've often seen it referred to in that manner, and the whole point of this post is to maybe make it easier for someone to find out how to purchase a Nick and Nora Cocktail Glass, and they might ask google about a Nick & Nora Martini glass. In fact, the site I'm about to reveal refers to it as NICK AND NORA MARTINI. Still hurts me to type it. But as you might notice I'm using different phrasing to describe the Nick and Nora glass in case that's how someone chooses to look for it.)

If you have searched far and wide for these glasses and your efforts remain stymied, I feel your pain, as I had been in the same situation. I googled and googled, trying every search term I could think of, but to no avail. I can get quite determined when searching for something, but this time, even I had to eventually give up. My search bore no fruit, other than finding others on a similar Quixotic quest as I. But lo, after regaling my wife with tales of woeful defeat at the hands of the googleplex, she valiantly took up the gauntlet and continued the battle anew. Of course, in no time at all, she found them. To this day I don't know how she found them, but as you can see, she did. Not only did she locate the Nick and Nora glasses online, but they were right there in Manhattan, at Pour Wines, on the Upper West Side. And for the cherry (olive?) on top, they delivered a half dozen to me the very next day. The victory (and the martini contained therein) never tasted so sweet.

Specifically, the Nick and Nora Cocktail Glasses can be found at the Pour website under Wine and Spirits Accessories under Wine Gifts in Pour's online store. I even stole the topmost picture from their website, but I hope they will forgive me since I'm presumably driving people to their site. For the record, I think my search failed because google doesn't know how to index the flash-or-whatever based web pages that pour uses, but the wife was able to do it, so what do I know.

Now I'm not saying these glasses are as awesome as an actual vintage glass would be, but they are still quite elegant, and nice to have several on hand for a cocktail party. Plus you can toss 'em in the dishwasher, which I'm loathe to do with my antique store finds. They hold 5 oz when filled all the way to the brim, which I find allows them to comfortably hold my typical pour with neither fear of spilling nor looking mostly empty.

Oh, if you are wondering from where the Nick and Nora Martini Glasses obtained their name, they are the namesake of the main characters in The Thin Man series of detective movies starting back in 1934. You can get a sense of how they might have deserved the honor from these clips:


Ok, that's all I got, hope it was helpful. Now go forth and imbibe. Me, I'm thirsty, I think I might just go make something to fill the Nick&Nora Cocktail Glass I just teased by filling with water to measure her capacity. Hope you enjoy your Nick & Nora Martini Glasses. Cheers!

MxMo LX: Come To Your Senses - Big Apple Sour

Mixology Mondays have been coming at a fast and furious clip lately, at least compared to my recent tortoise like pace of posting, and sure enough it's time again for August's event. This month is hosted by 12 Bottle Bar, with the theme "Come to your Senses":

We all know that cocktails are supposed to taste good, and for this event, we’re going to take that as a given.  What we’re looking for, instead, are drinks that truly excite one or more of the other senses: touch, smell, sight, or even hearing.  Of course, it you want to get scientific about it – and why wouldn’t you – there are even more sensations which can be played with (echolocation, anyone?)... For inspiration, we suggest the grand garnishes of Kaiser Penguin, the flaming fantasia of the Pegu Blog’s Halikai Hot Tub, the sonic symphony of Aviary’s Old Fashioned in the Rocks, the vivacious visuals of Scott Beattie, ingenious ice, semi-solid shots, jiggling jellies, or even – if you’re willing to go there – Pop Rock rims.  The goal, we hope, is for everyone to embrace the fun, the challenge, and the potential absurdity of the event.  It’s time to think outside the glass..

I was not immediately sure in what direction to head for this one, but shortly my contemplation led me to recall the yet-to-be-opened PolyScience Smoking Gun my wife got me for Christmas. (I've mentioned how awesome my wife is, right?) I figure the smoke could provide both a striking visual and powerful aroma component to enrich the experience of drinking the cocktail. (Yeah, I know it's basically just a bong with a fan attached to it, but it's still pretty cool and does its job of delivering cold smoke.)

I started with something pretty simple, and didn't have time to get more elaborate. Luckily, my first attempt turned out to be pretty darn good. For no other reason other that I felt like trying one, and perhaps because it has slightly heightened visual appeal from the claret float, I went with a New York Sour. I took that drink, smoked the hell out of it with applewood, and I give you the Big Apple Sour:

Big Apple Sour

• 2 oz Rye (Sazerac Rye)
• ½ oz Simple syrup (1:1)
• ¼ oz Cointreau (for dash Curaçao)
• ¾ oz fresh lemon
• ½ oz Claret (JAQK Cellars Bone Dance Merlot)
• Applewood smoke from Smoking gun

Add first 4 ingredients to shaker and fill with applewood smoke and ice, bubbling smoke through liquid at times. Fill an additional vessel with smoke if desired for added effect. Shake and strain into Nick&Nora glass. Using bar spoon float wine to top drink. Garnish with additional smoke.

In motion if you prefer. (Do I get to count the crickets chirping in the background as an audible component to the drink? I'll take it. Add "Serve outdoors at dusk" to the instructions above.)


Here is a somewhat frantic video of me smoking the cocktail. Please excuse the cinematography:

Smoke filled shaker and smoke filled carafes for serving:

One for me, one for my brother the camera man:

I had every intention of making a second drink, angling specifically for smoking some rosemary into a green chartreuse concoction, but I ran afoul of the clock. Stay tuned for further experiments. I also fantasized about incorporating smoke into a drink served in my volcano bowl with an aflame LH151 center, incorporating my new favorite wine Calabretta Etna, grown on the slopes of the active volcano Mount Etna, but definitely didn't yet get to that. Same bat time, same bat channel...

For more inspiration, here's a clip from Manifesto in KC about smoking a whole bottle of Bourbon: