My First Mint Julep

I didn't jump on the mint julep bandwagon last year because I thought that mint juleps weren't very good- all sweet and syrupy and you could only drink one before you came down with a cosmopolitan-like sugar headache.

But as I've been experimenting with different forms of muddling (this is what I do for fun), it was time to face the music and see if I could make a mint julep that wasn't god- awful.

I was lazy and decided not to make simple syrup for my mint julep. Simple syrup is just sugar in water, melted into syrup. Many restaurants are making specialty flavored simple syrups to go into specific cocktails, but I'm not at that level of experimentation just yet.

So I just used powdered sugar in water (this is a legitimate recipe; don't make fun of me), muddled with mint leaves and topped with ice and bourbon. On first sip the ingredients are all separate on the tongue, but after sitting for just a minute or two (one mint julep recipe insists you let the flavors blend for "at least three minutes"), this drink becomes amazing.

Now I get it! A mint julep is not a sugary drink, nor is it a mint-and-whiskey drink. The mint juleps I've had in the past had way too much simple syrup in them, making them so sweet as to overwhelm the whiskey. And the combination of mint and bourbon changes both flavors like magic to make the mint taste less minty and the bourbon taste both less harsh and also fresh as a Kentucky breeze. Consider me converted.

Now that I know how wonderful the average old do-it-yourself-at-home mint julep tastes, I had better get out to the bars and try some made by professionals before derby season.

Pisco Sour

Back in the year 2000, Peru was the first Third World country I'd ever visited. It was the first place I drove at 65 miles per hour wasted out of my gourd, barreling down lane-less highways past trucks with no fenders and fewer headlights. It was a three week haze of lemon-juice-cooked seafood, eye-searing poverty, and altitude sickness.

Regrettably, I dismissed their national cocktail, the Pisco Sour, as a local yokel novelty---akin to stooping gutter level to drink Jägermeister back home.

But Peruvians promote the drink like they would their local soccer team or the resident hippie tourist magnet, the ruins of Macchu Pichu.

It's taken six years and help from DC's newest and, IMHO, best bar to convince me that the Pisco Sour should be ranked among the top cocktails in a mixologist's repertoire.

Normally, DC Drinks considers it a tad passé to list a cocktail recipe, but an exception must be made for our new-found master of drinks. I trust Mr. DeGroff:

Pisco Sour
1½ oz. Pisco Brandy
3/4 oz. Fresh Lemon
1 oz. Simple Syrup
Several drops of Angostura Bitters
One Small Egg White

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a small cocktail glass. Sprinkle a few dashes of Angostura Bitters on the foam created by the egg whites.

I'd add one thing to that: you should shake that shit until your hand bones ache with cold and you have to pry your fingers from the ice-caked metal. Otherwise, you've done it wrong. The raw egg needs to be destroyed, and there's no other way to do it.

This drink is simply amazing and is a fair rival to a well-made margarita. I'm just sad that my prejudicial perceptions of Peruvian backwardness prevented me from enjoying this cocktail for six lonely years.

Pisco and the Pisco Punch

Pisco is a product that had once been extremely difficult to find here in America, but recently we’ve been seeing a variety of different brands being exported from South America.

Technically, Pisco is a form of brandy in-so-much as it is made from grapes. Any spirit distilled from fruit is considered a brandy, with grape brandies the most common. Pisco is probably closest in character to grappa, which is also a brandy traditionally made in Italy from the leftovers of wine production.

The specific history of Pisco is a little murky, as well as in dispute. Depending on who you might be talking to, it originates in either Peru, or Chile. The oldest known reference to a distilled grape-based spirit from the region is in 1613, from the Spanish colonies in Peru.

It is believed that Pisco got it start when wines were being produced for export, and those wines which were not seen as good enough, were given over to the farmers, who would distill it to produce a firey spirit for their personal consumption, which is similar to the origins of grappa in Italy.

Even the origins of the name Pisco are up to speculation. There are some who say it is named after the town/port of Pisco, which takes its name from the Quechua language, where the word “pisqu” refers to the small birds that inhabit the region. The grape spirit would be shipped out of this port, and just as whiskies coming out of the port in Bourbon county Kentucky became known as Bourbon, the spirit coming out of Pisco took on the name of that port as well. Another story has it that before the town of Pisco was named, the people of this area were known as “piskos” (perhaps also being derived from the birds), and one of their many products was a form of storage vessel, which also became known as a “pisko”, and one of the most common things to store in these vessels, was the local fire-water, which eventually became known as “pisko” as well.

I’ve had a variety of Pisco’s from both Chile and Peru, and overall, I have found the Peruvian Pisco (with one notable exception) to be of significantly higher quality and character than the ones from Chile. So while I won’t definitively pronounce either country as being the true thrown of Pisco, I will say that Peru has shown itself in my mind to be the premium producer.

In Peru and Chile, one of the most popular cocktails made with Pisco is the Pisco Sour (which we’ve already covered). There is another famous Pisco drink, this one however hales from America, and specifically from San Francisco.

For ships to travel to San Francisco with supplies and passengers, it was necessary for them to take the long way around, by going down the coast of eastern South America, and then back up the west coast and on up to the busy San Francisco port. During this trip they would often pick up supplies and products to deliver to San Francisco. One of their ports of call was at Pisco, and one of the products they would pick up there was Pisco, stored in the earthenware containers of the area.

Pisco first started arriving in San Francisco in the 1830’s, and was relatively popular during the subsequent gold rush of 1849. “The Bank Exchange & Billiard Saloon” opened in 1853, where the Transamerica tower is located now, and Pisco was one of the products that they served there, and were well known for. A variety of drinks would be served, some of them taking the form of what would have been called a punch. In 1893, Duncan Nicol took ownership of the saloon, and reputedly created the recipe for a drink he referred to as the “Pisco Punch”. The recipe for this drink was a tightly held secret, and while various people would attempt to recreate this drink, they could usually only come close, but would never quite duplicate it. Even after the closing of the Bank Exchange in 1919 due to American Prohibition, the recipe was never revealed. Duncan Nicol died in 1926 at the age of 72, presumably taking the recipe with him.

A Mr. William Bronson one day encountered some correspondences which fortunately appear to indicate that this was not the case. There happens to have been a John Lannes, who was the manager of the Bank Exchange during its final years. And as such, he was privy to the recipe, and after many years finally passed it on. The details of this are published in “Secrets of Pisco Punch Revealed”, by William Bronson, and published by the California History Society. I won’t repeat the minutia of the issues involved, but here is the recipe as it was discovered:

1. Take a fresh pineapple. Cut it in squares about 1 by 1.5 inches. Put these squares of fresh pineapple in a bowl of gum syrup to soak overnight. That serves the double purpose of flavoring the gum syrup with the pineapple and soaking the pineapple, both of which are used afterwards in the Pisco Punch,

2. In the morning mix in a big bowl the following: l/2 PINT (8 OZ.) OF THE GUM SYRUP, PINEAPPLE FLAVORED AS ABOVE 1 PINT (16 OZ.) DISTILLED WATER 3h PINT (10 OZ.) LEMON JUICE 1 BOTTLE (24 OZ.) PERUVIAN PISCO BRANDY

Serve very cold but be careful not to keep the ice in too long because of dilution. Use 3 or 4 oz. punch glasses. Put one of the above squares of pineapple in each glass. Lemon juice or gum syrup may be added to taste.

Mr. Bronson dutifully went about re-creating this recipe, after taking great pains to acquire some proper Peruvian Pisco. He notes that the results were not as spectacular as he had expected. Eventually he tries again, only this time making his own gum syrup, as opposed to simply using a dusty old bottle he had encountered somewhere. The recipe he used was:

Crush one pound- of gum arabic (if not already in crystal form), and soak for 24 hours in a pint of distilled water. (Gum arabic can be purchased at some confectionery supply houses and health food stores.) Add the gum arabic solution to a syrup made of four pounds of sugar and one quart of water boiled to 220 degrees Farenheit. As the mixture continues to boil, skim off impurities and then let it cool to room temperature. Filter through cheese cloth and store in bottles.

When using this in his Pisco Punch, he remarks that the results as:

It was smooth and good. It was fragrant, seductive and delicate. My wife has asked me not to drink it again.

The difference between what I tasted when I first made it and what was served that day was not a difference in flavor, but in texture and bite. I am convinced that the mystery ingredient in Pisco Punch is nothing more than gum arabic, and that it works in some way to take all the rough edges off the Peruvian brandy and perhaps alter the rate of absorbtion or metabolism of the alcohol in it.

So if you’re feeling a little experimental, perhaps you may want to give this recipe a try yourself and see if you too can discover the benefits of this wonderful elixir.

Negroni

Perhaps the best known cocktail which uses Campari, is the “Negroni”. This is an extremely simple recipe to make, as well as easy to remember. Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari.

Negroni

• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 1 oz Campari

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with either a lemon twist or orange wheel.
(Can also be served on the rocks)

Aviation

The Aviation is a slightly enigmatic cocktail. You may have heard of it, you may even have had a chance to try it, but it is also a cocktail that very few bartenders know of, and fewer still are prepared to make. The time was, not so long ago, that this drink would be next to impossible to find in any bar, one reason for that was that the principle ingredient needed to make it, "Maraschino Liqueur" (pronounced "mar-uh-SKEE-noh", which is probably not what you were expecting) was all but unheard of. Once it was extremely common, but over the years its availability waned, and in many markets across the country it was impossible to find.

Fortunately, Maraschino liqueur is gaining in popularity, most likely due to the Aviation cocktail. Today, there are at least three different brands that you might find available in your area. Luxardo, Maraksa, and Stock are all distributing Maraschino liqueur. You shouldn't confuse Maraschino with "Maraschino Cherries", since the only thing that they have in common is that there is a cherry in there somewhere. Originally, maraschino cherries were made from wild marasca cherries, which were soaked in eau de vie, while the modern version is a Royal Ann cherry that has been chemically stripped of its flavor and color, and then soaked in an artificially colored, and artificially flavored, sugar syrup. Maraschino liqueur can be sort of seen as a "cherry" version of Cointreau (Triple Sec), although with a level of both dryness and complexity that sets it apart.

Most of the recipes you will see today for the Aviation spring from "The Savoy Cocktail Book", published in 1930 by Harry Craddock of the Savoy Hotel in London. He however most likely got the recipe himself from "Recipes for Mixed Drinks", which is the first time we find this recipe in print. This book was published in 1916 by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York's Time Square. Unfortunately, the Savoy leaves one ingredient out of their recipe, and so have all recipe books that follow, and the ingredient is most likely the one that inspired the name. That ingredient is creme de violette, its deep lavender blue color gives this drink a slightly sky-blue shade, hence the name "Aviation". Unfortunately, creme de violette is an extremely difficult product to find, with no US distribution that I know of for the real thing, essentially a similar situation that we had with Maraschino liqueur not that long ago. Monin syrups does produce a Monin Violet, which works quite well, but it's a shame that Monin also makes a creme de violette which they just don't distribute here in America. I brought a bottle back with me on a recent trip to England, which allows me to make the Aviation the way it was originally intended.

Aviation

• 2 oz. gin
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/3 oz. (2 tsp) maraschino liqueur
• 1/6 oz. (1 tsp) creme de violette

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

If you can find true brandy soaked cherries, I always recommend going that route instead of using the modern maraschino cherry. Another option is to buy dried bing cherries, and reconstitute them in brandy.

Rob Roy

Most people are familiar with the Manhattan cocktail, a wonderful combination of American whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Few however are as familiar with its Gaelic cousin, the Rob Roy.

The Rob Roy first makes its appearance in the 1890's (about 10 years after the Manhattan) in New York. There are apparently two things that specifically led to the unveiling of the Rob Roy cocktail: first is that Dewar's Scotch Whisky was introduced into New York; and second there was a new opera that had just opened by the name "Rob Roy". The rest, as they say, is history.

There aren't that many cocktails that use Scotch, mostly because its rather strong and smoky flavor have a hard time blending well with other flavors, for this reason it is best to use a blended Scotch instead of a Single Malt. I personally prefer using Dewar's, if for no other reason then to celebrate this cocktail with the spirit that gave it birth.

Rob Roy

• 1 1/2 oz blended Scotch Whisky
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 to 2 dashes orange bitters (or Angostura)

Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or cherry.

Like the Manhattan, and the Martini, this drink can be made sweet, dry, or perfect. The above recipe is for a sweet Rob Roy (but since this is the "normal" recipe, it isn't necessary to specify that). If you'd prefer yours made with dry vermouth it would be a "dry Rob Roy", and if you'd like to have it made with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth (1/4 ounce of each in this case), you'd ask for a "perfect Rob Roy".

Vermouth is a fortified wine, meaning that a spirit (normally brandy) has been added to it. This, along with the various botanicals that it also includes, will help preserve it better then a plain wine. However this does not mean it should be considered "shelf stable", over time the flavor of the vermouth will gradually degrade. For this reason it is recommended that you keep any opened vermouth bottles in the refrigerator to preserve them longer.

Sweet Martini

Consider the Martini, a drink which spans more than 100 years. It is an elegant and sophisticated drink which has come to be such an icon of the cocktail, that what was once considered to be just a cocktail glass, has been essentially rechristened the "Martini" glass in it's honor. Today, the majority of Martini's being served use vodka as the base spirit. At least most people realize that gin is a viable option, even if they don't order it that way themselves.

Gin is one of those spirits that may people shy away from. When I encounter somebody that has a clear aversion to gin, I try to dig a little deeper and discover where this might come from. Sometimes it is due to a bad experience at some point in their past, or it is simply because they've tried a few gin based drinks and really didn't like them. At issue, is the fact that there are essentially only two gin based drinks that most folks know of: the gin Martini, and Gin & Tonic. Neither of these drinks is really appropriate as an introduction to gin. I always like to remind people that of all of the base spirits (brandy, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, vodka), gin is the only one which does not have a tradition of being sipped straight. So it isn't surprising that people might not like a cocktail that these days might be essentially just a glass of cold gin.

I'd like to suggest a very old alternative to anybody who doesn't think that they like gin.

We've already covered the dry Martini cocktail, and while the recipe presented is an excellent example of what this drink should really taste like, there is an older form of the Martini, which I like to use as way to gently introduce people to the wonders of gin.

Originally, the Martini was made with sweet vermouth instead of dry. The term "dry Martini" was used to request a Martini that was made with dry vermouth instead of sweet. The ratios back then were quite a bit different then is commonly found today, sometimes even to the point of using more vermouth than gin.

Sweet Martini

• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or cherry.

When properly made, the strong botanical flavors of the gin are gently hidden within the sweet herbal flavors of the vermouth. In my pictured example, I chose to use both the lemon twist and the cherry for the garnish, and as bit of a nod to the retro, used a metal sword pick to hold the garnish together. After all, there's nothing wrong with having a little fun!

Caipirinha

June 12th. Something I try to do every year at this time, wherever I happen to be, is seek out a traditional Brazilian restaurant, and celebrate National Cachaca Day, which remembers June 12th, 1744, the date when Portugal, then colonizer of Brazil, prohibited the production and distribution of cachaca throughout Brazil. Ok, so perhaps it isn't an "official" national holiday in Brazil, but there are many people who like to have an excuse to celebrate none-the-less.

Of course, “National Cachaca Day” isn’t the only time you can find a celebration worthy of the Caipirinha, as Rosanne describes her her post (”Celebrate Mardi Gras like a Carioca“) you can also use Brazil’s version of Mardi Gras (aka. Fat Tuesday), which they refer to as “Carnaval”.

Cachaca, is a Brazilian spirit that is made from fermented sugar cane juice, which puts in roughly in the same category as rum (which is manufactured from fermented molasses). Cachaca however has a rather unique flavor that has a slightly more earthy character. One of the more popular cocktails that call for cachaca is the Caipirinha, by many accounts Brazil's national drink.

Caipirinha

• 2 ounces cachaca
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 lime (quartered)

Wash the lime, and cut it in half, and then cut one of the halves into quarters. Put lime and sugar into a tumbler, and muddle hard. Add the cachaca and stir. Fill with cracked, or crushed ice, and stir again.
If cachaca is not available in your area, you can substitute a good white rum.

This drink is one of those times when substituting simple syrup for the sugar isn't a good idea. The reason is that when you muddle the limes with the granulated sugar, it actually grinds against the skin of the lime a little and releases some of the essential oils in the skin, which adds a wonderful flavor to the drink. And don't even think about adding ice before you muddle.

Sazerac

A few months ago Brenda talked about the Sazerac cocktail but I’d like to give you more of the background and history of this honorable cocktail. The Sazerac cocktail comes to us from New Orleans, where it has had a very long history. The Sazerac is so old in fact that many will attempt to tie it to the origins of the word 'cocktail' itself.

One of the key ingredients of the Sazerac cocktail is Peychaud's bitters, developed and produced by Antoine Peychaud back in the early 1800's. He was a pharmacist in New Orleans and had created his own special recipe for bitters, which he would use as a medicinal cure-all for his customers. One way in which he would administer his bitters, was in the form of a mixed drink that consisted of brandy, sugar, a few dashes of his bitters, and a few dashes of absinthe. Where this starts to explain the word "cocktail", is in the way which the drink was served. It is claimed that he would serve his concoction in an egg cup. One of those little ceramic cups you serve a single hard-boiled egg in (which looks sort of like a bartenders jigger). In French, these are called "coqueteir", and it wouldn't take too much imagination to see this word getting mangled into
"cocktail", especially after you might have had a couple of them.

Unfortunately, this story is easily dispelled. We know that the word cocktail existed as early as 1803, which happens to be the same year that Antoine Peychaud was born, thus making it difficult for him to have been manufacturing bitters, much less serving them to customers in little egg-cups.

But enough of a history lesson, let's dive into making ourselves a drink. Here is how I make a Sazerac:

Sazerac

• 1 scant teaspoon simple syrup
• 2 to 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• 2 to 3 dashes absinthe
• 2 ounces rye whiskey

Add the simple syrup, bitters, and whiskey to a small rocks glass. Add a couple chunks of ice and stir briefly to chill.
In a second glass, add the absinthe (or appropriate substitute, such as Herbsaint, Pernod, or other anise flavored liqueur) and swirl to coat.
Strain the contents of the first glass into the second.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

Note: I actually keep my absinthe in a small atomizer bottle and just spray the glass with this to coat.

You might notice that my recipe (properly) uses American rye whiskey instead of the brandy that I list in the description of how Antoine Peychaud originally made this drink. Brandy was the original ingredient; in fact it was "Sazerac" brandy, which also gave the drink its name. But in the mid 1800's they switched to using rye whiskey instead, and it's been that way ever since. There are also some who would use Angostura bitters instead of, or in addition to, the Peychaud bitters. This is a modification born out of the fact that Peychaud bitters is nowhere near as easy to find as Angostura bitters. The two however are very different in flavor, and so one is not a proper substitute for the other, especially in a drink such as the Sazerac. So take the time to hunt down a bottle of Peychaud’s and give this drink the respect that it deserves.

Mojito

One of the things I love about living in the Pacific Northwest is that if you don't like the weather, just wait a few moments and check again. Today, the sky is blue, the sun is out, and I can almost hear summer knocking at the door. One of the drinks that I think embodies summer perfectly is an icy, minty Mojito.

Mojito

• 1 1/2 ounces white rum
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar or 1 ounce simple syrup
• 2 sprigs mint
• Soda Water

Place sugar, mint, and a splash of soda in a pint glass.
Use a muddler to lightly press the mint and dissolve the sugar to form a mint flavored syrup.
Add ice, lime juice, rum, and one half of a lime shell (quartered).
Shake well, and then strain into an ice filled pint glass.
Top with soda and garnish with a mint sprig sprinkled with sugar.

This drink most likely originated during the 19th century in Cuba, when it would have been made with water that had been sweetened with cane sugar and then spiked with unrefined rum. From this humble beginning, it eventually evolved and made its earliest appearance under the name "Mojito" at Playa de Marianao, a working class beach near Havana Cuba. Its form by this time had already taken full shape. It might often, however, have still been made with plain water instead of sparkling water.

It was in "La Bodeguita del Medio" (a combination of bar and grocery store), however, that the fame of the Mojito took root. Here, Angel Martinez, its original owner, began serving his version of the drink that he had been sampling at the various beach bars of the area. He must have been doing a good job with them, because suddenly his bar became renowned for them. It should be remembered that the Mojito was the working class drink of the time, while the Daiquiri was the upper class drink that was being served to the visiting Americans at the more famous "El Floridita" bar. It was also the Daiquiri which was being heavily promoted by the Bacardi Company, while the Mojito was being all but ignored.

Today, the Mojito has become one of those hip and trendy drinks, which almost necessitates avoiding it least you appear to be simply trying to follow the crowd. In many cases you are probably better off ordering something else, since by becoming too trendy, the Mojito has also been subject to various shortcuts in an attempt to take a drink which is a little time consuming to make properly and turn it into a drink that is both quicker, and cheaper to provide to the trend-following masses. This doesn't mean that the Mojitos you make at home have to fall into this trap. So prepare for summer by picking up some fresh mint and limes, and try making your own icy fresh Mojitos at home, where you know you can make them just the way you like.

Manhattan

Thus far on our little cocktail journey, we've danced around some of the classic cocktails without really addressing what could be considered as the two quintessential pre-prohibition cocktails, the Manhattan and the Martini. This week I'd like to present to you the older of these two cocktails, the Manhattan.

As with most cocktails, it is next to impossible to determine exactly how or when the Manhattan first came into existence but it was probably first concocted in New York City’s Manhattan Club, probably in 1881 or 1882. The recipe appears to have actually been served at a number of different clubs at the time, although at each club it took on a different name. At the Manhattan Club it was called the Manhattan, but at the Turf Club it would have been called the "Turf Club Cocktail", while at the Jockey Club you would order a "Jockey Club Cocktail".

Traditionally, a Manhattan Cocktail is made with rye whiskey. Unfortunately there is very little rye being made today, even though it used to be the most popular of the American whiskies. Prohibition brought about a slight switcheroo, with Canadian whisky becoming the common replacement for any drink previously being made with American whiskey, even to the point that to this day many bartenders will refer to Canadian whisky as "rye" even though it usually have very little rye in it at all (American rye whiskey has to be made with at least 51% rye grain, while bourbon has to be made with at least 51% corn).

Manhattan

• 2 ounces rye or bourbon whiskey
• 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Rye whiskey will have a sharper and spicier flavor then bourbon, and for that reason I usually recommend beginners use bourbon for making their Manhattans, at least at first. Maker's Mark, is a bourbon that I highly recommend for this purpose, and when you are ready for rye, I usually recommend Old Overholt, although there is going to be a new Sazerac rye coming on the market soon that should prove interesting.

For the vermouth, I normally use Noilly Pratt, although Martini & Rossi is also very good, just a little sweeter, and not quite as complex.

While I often see people ordering their Manhattans without bitters, I highly recommend that you always use bitters. Tasting with and without side by side clearly shows (to me anyway) that the one with bitters has a far better blending of flavors.

These days, most bartenders tend to shake everything that they make, which is truly a crime when it comes to the Manhattan. A shaken Manhattan will not only be cloudy in the glass, but it will also have an unappealing foam on the top. Not a lush and creamy foam as you'll find on a pint of Guinness, but a foam that reminds me of a slurry of wastewater. A properly made Manhattan should always be stirred, and never shaken.

As for the cherry, originally this garnish would have been a real cherry simply soaked in either brandy or maraschino liqueur. However prohibition overly popularized the neon red gems that we now refer to as maraschino cherries, and while they make a reasonable garnish here, I will often use either real imported maraschino cherries from Maraska, or I will soak dried bing cherries in brandy, and use those.

Fizz

Easter doesn't really have a cocktail that is traditionally associated with it, unless you would count something like a Mimosa which you might have at Easter Brunch. Easter is however associated with eggs, and there are several cocktail recipes which also use eggs, so I thought I'd introduce you to a family of mixed drinks which would often include eggs as an ingredient.

Note that we aren't talking about cooked eggs here, but raw. To the best of my knowledge there aren't any cocktails which use cooked eggs, unless you might use one as a garnish in a Bloody Mary. You might have a concern regarding the use of raw eggs, either just from a squeamish standpoint, or from a fear of salmonella. Tremendous strides have been made regarding the safety of eggs, and while the possibility of encountering salmonella tainted egg isn't at 0%, it is so low as to be extremely rare. For that reason you may choose to use pasteurized in the shell eggs, or perhaps skip the drinks presented in this article all together. Myself, I never hesitate to use a raw egg in any cocktail that calls for it.

This week I'd like to introduce you to the "Fizz" drink category. One version of this drink that you may be familiar with is The Ramos Gin Fizz which always includes an egg white in the recipe. A normal Fizz however is normally egg free.

It is easy confuse a "Fizz" with a "Collins". Both drinks use essentially the same recipe, but with one crucial difference. In a Collins the ingredients are simply poured into the glass and briefly stirred, the result being a relatively clear and refreshing drink. The Fizz on the other hand is, well, "Fizzed". This means that the sugar (or simple syrup), lemon juice, and spirit are first shaken well with ice, then strained into an ice filled Collins or Highball glass. To this charged water is forcibly sprayed into the glass, either from a soda siphon (which you have first shaken up to build up pressure), or by taking a bottle of soda water and giving it a quick shake with your thumb over the opening and then squirting it into the glass. The result is a definite foaming up that is quite different from a Collins.

You can use any spirit for making a Fizz, but the most commonly used one is Gin:

Gin Fizz

• 1/4 ounce simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 2 ounces soda water

Shake the syrup, juice and gin well, then strain into an ice filled Collins or Highball glass.
Shake the soda siphon to build up pressure, then top the drink with soda so as to form a foamy head, and stir quickly to even increase the foam.

You might notice that I started this entry promising you a drink that incorporated egg. The Astute amongst you will notice however that the above recipe includes in fact no egg whatsoever. It is in the variations to the Fizz that the egg comes into play. There are in fact three variations: Silver Fizz, Golden Fizz, and Royal Fizz.

• A Silver Fizz is the same as listed above, but with the addition of a raw egg white.
• A Golden Fizz is the same as listed above, but with the addition of a raw egg yolk.
• A Royal Fizz is the same as listed above, but with the addition of a whole raw egg.
• And just for completeness sake, a Diamond Fizz is the same as above, but using Sparkling Wine instead of soda water.

So get into the Easter spirit this year and try a Royal Gin Fizz!

Martini

Yes, it's finally time to address that quintessential cocktail, the Martini. This drink has suffered terribly from becoming far too easy of a name to just toss about haphazardly. To understand this better, let me quickly relate it to a similar situation that occurred in the wine industry during the 1950's.

Great wine was not always as easily available as it is today, and imported wine even less so. America just wasn't into wine in those days. It was during this time that for some reason a particular wine region of France made a big impression with the high-quality wines that they began exporting to us. It became *the* wine to drink and was really showing the American palate what real wine could taste like. Unfortunately, its very popularity became its downfall. It became so popular that many lesser American wineries started using that name to label their wines with, just so that they could profit from this sudden popularity. It didn't take long before its name became synonymous with "cheap white wine". It was mostly because of this very situation that France essentially copyrighted their treasured wine regions so that Americans wouldn't be able to destroy their reputations. The wine region that suffered this setback? Chablis. To this day, many consumers will steer away from Chablis, still equating it as just cheap plonk. Instead they will set their sights on their preferred white wine, Chardonnay. What many of them don't realize is that Chablis IS Chardonnay.

Likewise the Martini. The Martini isn't just any cocktail, it is a specific cocktail, made with specific ingredients. Unfortunately the Martini became such an iconic example of a cocktail, that establishments - wishing to profit from association, started referring to anything served in a cocktail glass as being a type of Martini. You can even see a similar fate happening to many other overly popular cocktails, their names are being tacked onto drinks that often bare no resemblance to them, simply as a way to entice customers to try them out; Pineapple Cosmopolitans, Mango Mojitos, along with countless Margaritas and Daiquiris.

Dry Martini

• 2 ounces gin
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or a single olive.

The above is what would be called a "4 to 1" Martini, meaning that it is using 4 parts gin to 1 part dry vermouth. It is referred to as a "dry" Martini because it is using dry vermouth instead of sweet, which was how the Martini was originally made. Yes, I realize that these days many people have come to believe that "dry" is in reference to less and less dry vermouth in it, but that unfortunately is a nomenclature that is born out of ignorance, and not one that I can innocently subscribe to. I will also not refer to cheap white wine as "Chablis".

The goal with a properly made Martini is to present the palate with a balance of the flavors it contains. You should almost not be able to tell where the gin stops, and the dry vermouth begins. The "modern" (gin) martini is often nothing more than a glass of cold gin, which may be a fine drink (if you like straight gin), but it is outside the concept of what a Martini should be. It is also critical that the ingredients spend enough time on the ice to get just the right amount of dilution so that the bite of the alcohol is reduced to a smooth and subtle texture, still present, but not overshadowing the drink.

Give this version of the Martini a try, paying special attention to the flavor balance. You should also play around a little with the ratios presented until you feel that you've gotten to that perfect point where the gin and vermouth have become so balanced as to almost become a brand new flavor.

Mint Julep

These days, "Mint" and "Julep" are inexorably linked together, however the julep in fact is a type of mixed drink, with the Mint Julep being just one particular variation. It is believed that the julep arose during the 15th century as a way to disguise the taste of unpleasant medicine - spoonful of sugar so to speak. The term julep is derived from two Persian words: "gul" or rose, and "ab" or water, thus a translation of this would be "rose water", or more aptly "perfumed water". Eventually a julep became a mixture of water, sugar, and liquor, and since in those days most liquor was just barely potable, it was important to include enough sugar to mask the harsh flavors.

In 1815, the English captain Marryatt became smitten by the Mint Julep during a visit to a Southern plantation here in America; he shared his experience with his English compatriots in his writings:

“I must descant a little upon the mint julep, as it is, with the thermometer at 100, one of the most delightful and insinuating potions that ever was invented, and may be drunk with equal satisfaction when the thermometer is as low as 70. There are many varieties, such as those composed of claret, Madeira, cognac but the ingredients of the real mint julep are as follows. I learned how to make them, and succeeded pretty well. Put into a tumbler about a dozen sprigs of the tender shoots of mint; upon them put a spoonful of white sugar, and equal proportions of peach and common brandy, so as to fill it up one-third, or perhaps a little less. Then take rasped or pounded ice, and fill up the tumbler. Epicures rub the lips of the tumbler with a piece of fresh pineapple, and the tumbler itself is very often incrusted outside with stalactites of ice. As the ice melts, you drink. I once overheard two ladies talking in the next room to me, and on of them said, Well, if I have a weakness for any one thing, it is for a mint julep! A very amiable weakness, and proving her good sense and good taste. They are, in fact, like the American ladies, irresistible.”

While originally the mint julep was made with brandy, it has become far more common to make it with American bourbon whiskey instead. And while it is no longer necessary to disguise poor spirits with sugar, a properly made julep still remains a drink that is expected to be ever-so-slightly on the sweet side.

Mint Julep

• 4 whole mint sprigs
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 2 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey

Muddle the mint and simple syrup in the bottom of a julep glass.
Half fill the glass with very cold finely crushed ice and half of the bourbon.
Stir to combine ingredients, and begin chilling the glass.
Fill the glass with more very cold finely crushed ice, and the rest of the bourbon.
Stir slowly and well until a fine ice coating forms on the outside of the glass.
Garnish with a mint sprig and dust with a little powdered sugar.

Properly made, this drink will strike an absolutely wonderful balance between the mint and sugar, with the bourbon still able to shine through. Unfortunately, this is most likely not what you might find if you happen to order one at the concession stands at the Kentucky Derby. Like any other mass-market extravaganza, they have unfortunately taken far too many shortcuts and cost cutting measures with this drink to allow it to be properly prepared.

And speaking of proper preparations, this drink really deserves to be served in the traditional silver Mint Julep glass, which can often be not only difficult to find, but pricey once you do. One very affordable source I've found is here.

Americano

I distinctly remember the first time I had Campari.

This was before I had gotten into cocktails, and I was flying business class to Europe. I was perusing the list of available liquor, and as is usually my inclination I was feeling adventuresome and wanted to order something I had never tried before. Campari stood out like a shining beacon. I had of course heard of it, and vaguely remembered what the bottle looked like, but was pretty sure I'd never tired it before. I placed my order with the stewardess, and she asked me if I'd like soda water with that.

"No, straight will be fine."

I should have realized something was amiss when she gave me a rather quizzical look.

When the little bottle of Campari arrived, I poured the contents into the accompanying glass and took a sip.

That had to be the absolute worst beverage I had tried in my entire life. To say it was bitter just didn't do it justice. But, not only did I politely finish the entire thing, I also had a nagging realization that this was a product that was sold world-wide, and it was part of the short-list of products that the airline felt was appropriate to provide to their guests, so there really must be something redeeming about it. I made it a point to drop into bars and ask the bartender if they knew any good cocktails that used Campari. One of the drinks I'd end up with on several occasions was the Americano. At first, that bitter, bitter, taste that I had on the flight over just assailed my taste buds. But after several such visits into various bars, and trying several other cocktails that used Campari, I eventually got past that initial shock and gradually developed an appreciation for it. It's sort of like when you have your first taste of Cabernet Sauvignon, after years and years of soda pop. The complexities it presents are just too much for you, and you need to gradually acclimate your senses to it by starting off with something more approachable like white zinfandel.

Americano

• 1 ounce Campari
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• soda water

Pour Campari and sweet vermouth into highball glass filled with ice and stir. Top with soda water and garnish with an orange wedge or twist of lemon.

The recipe for the Americano originated in 1861 at Gaspare Campari’s bar in Turin, Italy. But it wasn’t until American Prohibition, when the Italians noticed how the visiting Americans favored this drink, that they dubbed it the Americano. Ironically, those same Americans were actually able to sip their Campari drinks legally at home, since it was classified as a medicinal product and not an alcoholic beverage.

Many people think that the Americano is a simplified version of the Negroni, but in fact it was the other way around, but that story can wait ’til another day.

Old Fashioned

So far, the cocktails we’ve been looking at have all been good standard classic cocktails, with a relatively long history behind them. For this week, let’s turn the clock back even further and take a look at a cocktail that could perhaps be viewed as the one of the oldest cocktails.

As I mentioned in connection with the Champagne Cocktail, originally a cocktail was defined as being made with a spirit of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters. When that spirit is Bourbon (or Rye), what you have is known as the Old Fashioned cocktail.

Now there happens to be a story that relates how this cocktail was invented at the Pendennis Club in Louisville Kentucky, perhaps in the later half of the 19th century. As the story goes, the bartender was asked to make a cocktail, but the customer warned him that he didn’t like whiskey. Aghast at the concept of serving a non-whiskey drink in the heart of bourbon country, the bartender instead whisked him up a drink made using sugar, dissolved in a little water, bitters, and bourbon, garnished with a wedge of lemon. The customer was delighted, and asked what the drink was, to which the bartender replied that it was an “Old Fashioned”.

It makes a good story, and perhaps it is in fact true, but it almost certainly is not how this cocktail originated. The first occurrence of a recipe listed as “Old Fashioned” appears in “Modern American Drinks” (1895) by George J. Kappe and is listed as “Old-Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail”. Virtually any cocktail book prior to that date however, lists pretty much the same cocktail, but simply under the name Whiskey Cocktail. Thus we can conclude that while the bartender at the Pendennis Club may have introduced the trend of calling this drink “Old-Fashioned” instead of just as a “Whiskey Cocktail”, he did not in fact invent the drink.

These days, the Old Fashioned has become a drink that few people order. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this wasn’t partially due to the fact that most bartenders do an absolutely horrid job of making it. The worst in the litany of their crimes is that they will often top it off with soda. This problem occurs because it has become common to serve this drink in a “double” Old Fashioned glass, but this means that the drink will only half-fill the glass, the easiest (and cheapest) solution is to simply fill the remainder with water, and since most of the old recipes called for a “splash of water”, no harm done, right? Unfortunately, that so called “splash” of water in the original recipes was there simply to help dissolve the sugar, essentially making a little simple syrup in the glass. So the water added should be about the same amount as the sugar added, about a teaspoon. The next problem we see with the modern Old Fashioned is the muddling of a cherry with the sugar. This really doesn’t add much besides a little more sweetness, and a cherry carcass that really isn’t all that appealing. A slice of orange is also often muddled in the drink, and while the orange flavor does go quite well with the whiskey, I personally would prefer not to have the added pulp.

While there are countless variations on how this drink can be made, the following is the recipe that I find best reflects the history of this esteemed cocktail, while at the same time incorporating a few of the enhancements that have been made to it over time.

Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail
(using a small Old Fashioned glass)

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Muddle to combine and dissolve the sugar.
Fill the glass with ice.
Squeeze a half-dollar size of orange peel over the ice to express the oils from the skin into the glass.

• 1 1/2 ounces Bourbon or American Rye whiskey

Stir to mix well and chill the drink.
Garnish with a half orange wheel and a maraschino cherry.
Serve with small straws and/or a small swizzle stick

The sugar may not dissolve totally, and so I often recommend that people substitute simple syrup for the sugar and water.

Even if you’ve grown accustomed to an improperly made Old Fashioned, I strongly recommend that you give this version a try. And if you’re lucky, you just might find a bartender who knows how to make it this way as well.

Daiquiri

These days it seems as though the Daiquiri isn't quite getting the respect that it deserves. When properly made, it is a delightful and refreshing cocktail made from three very simple ingredients: Rum, lime juice, and sugar.

Since there is a town called Daiquiri on the east coast of Cuba, it is fairly certain where the name comes from, if not the drink itself. There are of course several stories about its origin. The most commonly reported story happens around 1896 and deals with a Mr. Jennings Cox, an American, who chose to combine rum, lime juice, sugar, and ice to serve to his friends. Many doubt he actually invented the drink, since those ingredients were essentially commonly used in various permutations already throughout the area, so their combination in this way is about as much of a stroke of genius as mixing lemon juice, sugar, water, and ice, to make lemonade. Regardless, it does appear fairly certain that Jennings Cox did promote the Daiquiri to the visitors he received, and in 1909 served it to a visiting naval officer Admiral Lucius Johnson, who in turn introduced it to the Army and Navy club in Washington D.C. The cat was now out of the proverbial bag, and the Daiquiri caught on fast.

In the 1930s Ernest Hemingway was very fond of the Daiquiris he was served at El Floridita bar in Havana Cuba, but he probably wouldn't even recognize the drink today that is commonly served up under that name. More often than not, it more resembles a frozen slushee from your childhood then a dignified adults-only beverage. It also seems that any flavor in the world can be plunged into this drink, most likely in an attempt to help mask the inferior booze that might have been used to make it.

Daiquiri

• 2 ounces light rum
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Sugar, as you may, or may not know, does not dissolve well in alcohol. It will almost be a given that there will still be some grains of sugar remaining in the glass that didn't get completely dissolved. If this bothers you, you can always turn to simple syrup (dissolve one cup of sugar in one cup of simmering water). But don't even consider taking the oft attempted shortcut of using a bottled “Daiquiri Mix” to make this drink.

Bloody Mary

To me, cocktail recipes aren’t supposed to be messed with very much. If you go into a bar, and ask for a relatively standard drink, you should know what you are going to get, and not be handed something different. “That’s the way we make them here” just doesn’t cut it for me. The “Mai Tai” does not include pineapple juice, a properly made Lemon Drop does not include triple sec, and the Martini is always made with gin... okay, I’m learning to be a little more flexible on that last one.

The Bloody Mary however is a drink that provides the culinary bartender some wiggle room, where they can express their creativity. I think of it as the “meatloaf” of cocktails, within certain limits, everybody seems to have their own favorite recipe.

The core ingredient of a Bloody Mary of course is tomato juice, the spirit is usually vodka, and the flavor is robust and spicy. Let’s start off with a fairly basic core recipe:

Bloody Mary

• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 2 Dashes Worcestershire
• 4 Dashes Tabasco
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
• 4 ounce Tomato Juice

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass and roll back and forth to mix. Strain into an ice filled pint glass or goblet. Garnish with wedge of lemon and lime.

Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice, salt, pepper, are the traditional ingredients used to add the kick to a Bloody Mary, but you can use horseradish, wasabi, ginger, cayenne pepper, and various other spices to either round out the flavor, or add that special touch to your recipe. Celery salt has become a fairly common ingredient, and works very well. I personally like to add a tablespoon or two of a mild chile powder (chile powder is just ground dried chile peppers, while “chili” powder is a spice mixture) which ads a very enticing depth to the drink.

But the choice of ingredients is only one area where you can add your own personality to this drink. Often the glass is rimmed in not just salt, but a variety of other spice mixtures as well. And of course we can’t ignore the garnish. While a simple garnish might just be a wedge of lemon and/or lime, but celery, asparagus, pickled green beans, and even beef jerky can play a role in your next Bloody Mary.

Bloody Mary’s are also the only cocktail which I feel can, in a pinch, be made with a mix. Demitri’s is one that I like since it is just the concentrated seasoning, to which you then add tomato juice and vodka, so it’s not only easier to keep on hand, but also allows you to increase or decrease the robustness of the final flavor. Other companies, such as Stirrings, Dave’s Insanity Sauce and of course Tabasco are only a few of the companies that weigh in with their mixes which are worth checking out. I might even recommend hosting a “Bloody Mary Party” where each guest brings their own favorite mix or recipe, and in a blind tasting you try to discover which you all like the best.

Pegu Club

Gin is one of those spirits that it seems a lot of people have an aversion to. I suppose when you think about it, it isn’t too surprising. Juniper, which is one of it’s key flavoring elements, isn’t necessarily something that most people’s palates are familiar with.

When I encounter somebody who indicates that they don’t like gin, I make it a point to find out why. Once we get past the vague generalities of “it tastes nasty”, and “I don’t like eating pine trees”, I try to discover exactly where their previous taste experiences come from. More often than not, the source of their aversion is an unfortunate experience is from a Martini. This is indeed unfortunate, since the Martini (which we will cover in a future installment) is a wonderful cocktail, when properly made. The problem however is that even a proper Martini is not something I would foist upon an unsuspecting neophyte. It is a full-on cocktail that should only be attempted once the training wheels are off. But another unfortunate part of this, is that most Martini’s these days are simply a glass of cold gin. Yeah, there is usually a whisper of vermouth in there somewhere, but not nearly enough to really make a difference.

Of all the spirits (brandy, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, and vodka), gin is essentially the only one that is not traditionally expected to be enjoyed “neat”. Granted, the modern gin Martini is pretty close to this, but that’s probably why most people have moved away from gin, and request their’s made with vodka instead. Gin however is a wonderful cocktail spirit, in fact I would argue that it is probably the best cocktail spirit. The challenge for me then, is to present a gin-phobic drinker with a gin cocktail that they will actually like. Fortunately, I’ve got many to choose from. Today I’d like to introduce you to one that I think has a wonderful flavor profile.

Pegu Club

• 2 ounces gin
• 3/4 ounce orange curacao
• 3/4 ounce lime juice
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters

Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime peel.

When properly made, this drink has a nice citrusy backbone to it, with a hint of spice. The gin itself is barely noticeable, and provides the complexity that makes everything work well together.

Not only is this drink fairly old, it also has been pretty much forgotten over the last few decades. This drink was originally the house drink at the Pegu Club, which was a British establishment in Rangoon during the 20s. It is a rare treat to find a bartender who knows how to make this drink, much less has heard of it. Hopefully this will be changing, due in part to the newly open “Pegu Club” in New York, where you can obviously find one of these on almost every table.

Kir Royale

For Valentines Day I can think of no better cocktail to celebrate with than the Kir Royale. It has the obvious benefits of being Champagne for celebration, French for romance, and tinged with pink to take on the appropriate color. There is however another important aspect of this drink that makes it oh-so-appropriate, and that is that it is simple, easy, and quick to make. Face it; we have more important things to take care of then spending time gathering ingredients for a cocktail!

Kir Royale

• 5 ounces chilled sparkling wine
• 1/4 ounce creme de cassis

Fill a champagne flute with champagne, and then add the creme de cassis.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

To understand the Kir Royale, it is necessary to first understand its less regal cousin, the Kir. The name Kir, is in recognition of Canon Felix Kir, a former mayor of Dijon, France. The components of a Kir are even simpler then that of the Kir Royale, consisting of white Burgundy wine (specifically Aligot, but these days Chardonnay is often used instead), and a splash of creme de cassis. Both products being local to the Burgundy region, the origin of the drink itself definitely predates Canon Kir, when it was simply referred to as "blanc-cassis". Canon Kir became the Mayor of Dijon in 1945, at the close of World War II. He was well known for promoting local products to all visiting dignitaries who visited, and was particularly fond of serving blanc-cassis. His association was so well known in fact that the Damidot family, owners of the Lejay-Lagoutte company in Dijon approached him in 1952 for the right to name this drink “un kir maison”, which of course would be made with Lejay-Lagoutte Cassis.

So whether you make a Kir using white wine, or a Kir Royale using Champagne (or sparkling wine), you'll end up with a delicious libation indeed. And I suppose if you wanted to instead make yours with beer, you could call it a "Bubba Kir".