New Year Greetings

Happy New Year and may you enjoy many more in the future -

It is going to be a great white Christmas week and New Year this year - at least for those of us sitting in front of the fireplace at the Red Lion Inn, in  the Berkshires Stockbridge, Massachusetts. A train ride to Springfield Massachusetts should present a view with a different splash of color from the Fall 2011 trip. We'll be travelling on Amtrak's Vermonter beside the Connecticut River. There will be no concerts at Tanglewood, - BSO's summer music theater, but my favorite date and I will enjoy some light jazz in the Red Lion Inn's "Tavern", a concert and the play, Victor in Great Barrington.

Speaking of whom, on a recent evening out  with my favorite girl the other day, she mentioned a certain blog by Rex Parker. Curious - I asked "How many times do you visit my blog?". Once or twice was the answer. No telling people's tastes. So I say a special thank you to my visitors.

Holidays are times for entertaining and parties to be with old friends and new. And this is a time to present your special talents in the genre of entertaining. So I am sharing with you two delightful cocktails that I guarantee will be a big hit at your New Year's blast!

So invite some friends over, dress up and serve cocktails and welcome in the New Year.

Happy New Year!

In the meanwhile, I am on a mission for a variety of bitters.

Two special holiday cocktails are -

Cocktail
French 75
1/4 oz of lemon juice
1 teaspoons of powdered sugar or castor sugar
2 oz. of Gin
stir to dissolve sugar
top with Champagne or Sparkling wine (Gruet)
Decorate with a cherry, red or green

Dirty Prosecco or "Sbagliato"
1 oz of Campari
1/2  oz of dry Vermouth
Top with Prosecco
garnish with orange slice

Alternatively, you may substitute Aperol, sans the Vermouth, for the Campari. A rendition of an Aperol Spritzer.

Conversation with a bier meister.

Parental caution; you must be 21 years or older to enter this site.

Conversation with a bier meister. 

The following conversation took place in early November 2012 – a conversation with a bier meister and sometime hop grower.

Herr Robert: I have a problem with the batch that I made and told you about recently …do you recall the 30 bottles of beer I am making?

Constantine: Yes, what’s happening?

Herr Robert: I am not quite certain but my research so far seems to indicate either a combination of insufficient sugar or the amount of yeast.

Constantine: So what happens? How do you know it’s ruined?

Herr Robert; Well it’s not necessarily ruined, it just goes  <<pht!>>, when I uncap the bottle.

Constantine: Have you considered getting in touch with someone at AmBev (Ambev* formally Companhia de Bebidas das Américas (official English translation: "Americas' Beverage Company"). *“Wikipedia”

Herr Robert; Well that might be a little overkill; and their scope of magnitude is greater than 30 bottles.

Sigh!

Constantine: So what now? Do you start over? How does the beer taste?

Herr Robert: I don’t have to start over. I have been doing some research and it appears I may be able to add some additional yeast and or some sugar. But I don’t think it’s the sugar. So my approach is to add more yeast.

The taste is of course flat, somewhat bitter, yet sweet.

Constantine: {thinking to myself, “I don’t understand what he is saying … how can it be described as bitter and then, yet he says sweet?}

I pondered our conversation.

Cocktail
Autumn Bonfire
A Rosie Schaap Jack Rose cocktail alternative
1 oz. apple ciders or juice
1 oz applejack
1 oz smoky Scottish Whiskey
1 scant teaspoon maple syrup
2 dashes bitters Black Mission Fig or Angostura
Stir in ice, pour cocktail glass and garnish with apple fan (slices)

Parental Discretion Advised! A Side Trip to Spain.

An associate recently made a trip to Spain, Morocco & Gibraltar … as I learned of it; I became quite interested in the planned excursion.  Upon Bob’s return he was eager to share with me the experience, all of which was positive. One bit that he shared intrigued us both, as he spoke of the trip. Upon ordering a Gin and Tonic he was taken when the waiter brought the bottle of Beefeater Gin to the table and commenced pouring until Bob indicated it was sufficient. Flummoxed - Bob indicated he may have waited a little too long in telling the waiter to stop pouring.  We both found the pouring curious, compared to how a drink is poured and served in the U.S. You ask how I know it was Beefeater? Bob told me when placing the order he had a choice of Beefeater or Tanqueray. The Tanqueray was 3€ greater, so that was an easy starter – go with the Beefeater.

La Prensa Cocktail

The Press Lounge, Rooftop at INK48 Kimpton Hotel

Silver tequila, pear & agave nectar, Vanilla essence, Spiked with Cinnamon bark

Hefeweizen. The Other Cocktail.

Hefewein! The other cocktail.

Reading Eric Asimov Time’s article the other day on the hefewein, I was reminded of trips to the Frankfurt am Main farmers' market and observing the Germans having a beer with their brot and salami in the middle  of the morning. It turns out Hefewein is a low alcohol proof beer and in Germany is regarded as “second breakfast”.

The backstory of this piece is that I have been intrigued by two associates who brew their own beer. Their interest extends to growing hops, acid wash of bottles, debate on the quality of water, where to find honey and mead ….. and the list goes on.

The German Purity Law of 1516 (that is correct, 1516) dictates the ingredients of German beer. If you investigate hefewein further you will learn there is a difference between the “ hefewein” – unfiltered, “kristalwein” – filtered, “Berliner weisse” – tart and sour, “dunkel weizen” – darker version.

The extent of the number of beers, just from Germany alone,  helps to explain my  amazement of the beer menu at LaJolla-land’s pub and restaurant, The Public House, recommended by Jason at  the Empress Hotel. Great food, remarkable page after page of beers and about 8 wines – few in number but really quality.

I have invested in a taste testing of 3 different German brewers and types of beer and will be reporting on the taste testing with my favorite date this Lexington Holliday weekend.

Accompanying a hefewein tasting, as is the custom in Europe to serve food with any liquor, you may wish to have available a good brot, salami, long white radishes, pretzels.

Beer cocktail.

Fat Tire Amber Ale with  Wheat Whiskey shot on the side. 

Accompanied by fresh bread and radishes.

Summertime refreshment!

A Gin and Tonic was the recommendation of Majordomo John and it was refreshing in this 100 degree heat. This conversation led to John's advice to me to try the new Beefeater 24. This new gin introduced in '09, differs as it has the addition of Chinese green tea along with Japanese Sensha. The Sensha is a Japanese green tea that is ground. These two ingredients are brewed in with traditional botanicals that are used in Beefeater gin.

Gin and Tonic
Large cubes
1 1/2  oz gin
Fill with tonic water
Garnish with cucumber spear

Consider canapé of shredded carrot with ginger.

SNAKE OIL

Two mixologists have evolved to a new and higher bar experience plane. San Diego bar menu planners and “essence” creators will create sprays to use in the cocktail as well as a “sampler” sprayed on a small bottle shaped paper that is placed on the side of the cocktail as a garnish. 

How do I know this? Dining at La Jolla’s new Herringbone, my favorite date asked me what was the piece of paper on the side of her Hemingway Daiquiri. I approached the bar and between the bartender and Matt, our waiter, I was given this demonstration of the concoction developed by the San Diego Snake Oil cocktail developers.  For the opening of the restaurant, Snake Oil created the drinks and the sprays. The waiter sprays the mini liquor bottle shaped paper with the Snake Oil created essence. In this case it was Oceanic.

The bar and the menu listed the spray essences – Wood, Floral, Oriental, Oceanic and Musk. Interesting! An appeal to their website disclosed the essences are not for sale, but they hoped I enjoyed the experience.

Shared with the reader is the Tokyo Love Hotel cocktail from Herringbone of La Jolla.

            Sweet tea vodka

            Agave

            Pressed lemon

            “Floral” essence (hints of lavender, St Germaine, honey eau de toilet)

Pair this with the <<Chef Amanda’s>> appetizer  “Bluefin Tuna Crudo 'Rod and Reel'".

 

“And Something Else……………………….”

One evening, over a rye whiskey & Jazz at The Trellis, Carey Carson asked me about my blog. How was I inspired (Thank You Jeff)?  What was the meaning of the last segment of my blog title “And something else”.

I told him I added that to the blog title as Christine was setting up my blog, to provide me the freedom to blog about something other than liquor and food.  And my instinct was correct.

I am not going to bore you with the remainder of the conversation having to do with the necessity of writing style manuals. Cary admitted he gives them as gifts to graduating students.

Ask me about the books I have read recently and it will be only fiction AND exclusively Stieg Larsson.  With one exception. I checked out Elaine Sciolino’s La Seduction. I was delighted with the experience of reading this book. Quite taken with the aspects of French life that she describes from her life experiences in France. Likely learned, or now better understand, French culture and the people. More so than my last experience in Paris 1972.

So interested in different cultures and seek to better understand the French? Read Elaine’s delightful prose on how the French use ‘seduction” in all manners of their life.

Cocktail

A Love Supreme courtesy of Pierre Ferrand Cognac

½ oz of Cognac

¼ oz Chartreuse

¼ oz Grenadine

¼ oz peach puree

Top with Champagne

Trust Your Bartender.

The bartender is your best friend.

Bartenders tend to be an overlooked and neglected species. Having served in that capacity in an ad hoc manner, both in Williamsburg’s Corner Greeks and The Lafayette Restaurant – I can attest to that. So in the words from the Hotel Inter-Continental Stephen Fry Bar menu

TRUST YOUR BARTENDER!

Let the bartender mix you a drink, tell him your mood or desire.

As I write about this exciting town, the music, the food the people, I am recalling Candace at the Drisskill’s observation of W Hotel, “Yes, the Secret Bar, or “The Redroom” and the girls, it looks like Amsterdam”.

To repeat myself on the charming Katherine,   Who so eloquently said -

“No cell phones at the bar. It’s a corporate world out there, find an office.”

Experimenting at the Kenichi Restaurant and Lounge  we ate samplers at the bar and had a great guide  to the experience, while not the bartender, this expert waitress introduced us to fusion oriental dishes.

We started off with a cold Saki, Suisham (in the green bottle). The meal covered an experience from seaweed to Black Cod with lemon confit my ova which had been marinated for 72 hours.

Well then. All said and done there is wisdom to the entreaty to “trust your bartender”. Get to know him or her, establish a relationship, choose to call him or her by another name.  I call The Trellis’ Brentley by the name “Zach”, in turn he calls me “Bob"!

Cocktail

Suisham Saki

When I Met An Elf

When I met an Elf at Austin's Annies Cafe and Bar, 319 Congress Street

Katherine is a self-described "Elf" bartender whose origins are Ulster; another thing we have in common - besides being mixologists, is that our families hail from Ulster and also hail from Massachusetts.

I met Katherine at Annies Cafe and Bar during a recent visit. This Elf had, like those in Eire, pot(s) of "gold". Our conversation started off when I made the observation - I was surprised to observe St. Germaine spirit in the bar's "well". That led to an extensive conversation on mixing and her Blushing Flamingo cocktail concoction.


Blushing Flamingo
       Watermelon infused vodka
       St. Germaine
       topped with Champagne

During our long lunch of superb farmer's market salad with chicken, and wine at this celebrated spot, Katherine the Elf kept introducing us to new concoctions. The samples would  appear in front of us on the zinc lined counter ... an apple liquer, blackberry liquer, watermelon infused vodka, Averna Amaro Sicialiane. All of these while she expertly catered to the other patrons, there for the happy hour that started at 3:00 PM. (Love Austin!)

I was very interested to learn of her opinion on rye whiskey. She too uses Old Overholt. She explained rye whiskey is such a subtle flavor it is overpowered in cocktails and infusions. So what's the purpose in using more expensive rye in a cocktail? Save it for sipping.

Katherine's last bit of advice for us on the topic of music was to go next door to the Elephant Room for jazz. This recommendation was repeated by others during our stay.

         Tip - by Katherine at Annie's, no cell phones at the bar! "its a corporate world ... they need to find a place to go to".

Spirits from Times Past .....

There is an increasing interest in making spirits. A number of persons are developing quite an expertise. I know of some who grow their own hops and make their own beer and mead.

In the March 28^th edition, the New York Times had a piece on a new brand of triple sec, handmade to vintage recipe. The brand is “Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao Ancienne Methode”. I am advised by a reputable source – one Adam Steely of The Blue Talon, this is an exceptional French liquor producer. I had the chance to speak with Adam on Saturday and to see another favorite bar tender – Karen. Adam’s adventures have recently taken him to new pinnacle – Extraordinary Cupcakes!

What strikes me, I have for some time been curious as to what is the best triple sec, not the most expensive, to use for cocktails. Advice I have been given is that the greater the alcohol proof, the more flavor. So I am using Leroux 40% Triple Sec.

The Blue Talon  Adam Steely pursued an exotic Luxardo brand of triple sec, “Luxardo ‘Triplum’ Triple Sec Orange Liqueur”.  Luxardo is an Italian brand that distills a number of other exotic liqueurs and bitters.

Increasingly I learn that the ingredients do make a substantive difference in the cocktail. For instance I learned most recently with the use of home-made grenadine syrup.

TIP

When buying triple sec, look for a higher alcohol proof brand.

El Presidente Cocte’l from the La Floradita Bar of Havana, Cuba. A cocktail that will charm the lady.

           

            ¾ oz white vermouth – sweet

            ½ oz Curacao Red or triple sec with a splash of grenadine for color

            1 ½ oz white rum

            Garnish with Maraschino cherry and peel of an orange

            Mix all ingredients with cracked ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Recipe courtesy of the La Floradita Bar.

Campari!

Campari - The liquor you need to know.

Ingredient Substitutions! Or, what to do when you run out of “beads”. [1]

Perched at the bar with my favorite bartender  [ I never let my  other favorites let on to one another],  Stephanie takes me aside and tells me  3 “men of the cloth” come to the bar Friday night, a Greek Orthodox priest,  accompanied by an Irish Catholic priest and a Reformed Rabbi. Stephanie laments they each ordered an unusual drink. The drinks are – a Masticha on the rocks, a Black and Tan, and rounding out this eclectic order, a Jack Rose. What’s a girl to do!

Any mixologist knows that one of the key knowledge factors she or he must learn is how to recognize the key ingredient and what to substitute when you don’t have a bottle of Masticha. The excellent bartender she is, Stephanie knows  to use Ouzo or Pernod as a  substitute for the Masticha, dark beer in place of Guinness for the second, and Calvados for the apple brandy ingredient in the Jack Rose cocktail.

Like the two DC bar hoppers, written about some years ago in the Washington Post, in search of an authentic Jack Rose, a good mixologist needs to know not only the ingredients but what to substitute when you lack the ingredient specified in the recipe.  Along with this blog and the internet, you should be able to determine what you can substitute.

Jack Rose Cocktail -         Written of by Hemingway

            1 ½ oz. applejack (apple brandy)

            3/4 oz. fresh lime or lemon juice

1/4 oz. grenadine (not the cloying red grenadine – make your own shaking 1 cup of POM juice with 1 cup of sugar, 2 dashes of orange flavored water or bitter, and to preserve, add an ounce of 100 proof vodka.)

Garnish with slice of apple and cherry.

           

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[1] Beads are the new fashion accessory, having recently walked Bourbon Street ; and of course  we are near Fat Tuesday and Lent. Vive le “Vieux Carre´”.