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May 11, 2012
Cocktails for Mother's Day
I’ve been doing a lot of hard thinking about what to do for my mom this Mother’s Day.
After mulling over all of the usual gift ideas — books, flowers, tea, scarves — I realized that all I want to do is take her out for a cocktail.
Off the bat, that might seem kind of absurd. How is picking up a tab (something she likely wouldn’t let me do anyway) sufficient enough to thank someone for sacrificing much of their life to raising and nurturing you into adulthood?
Sometimes I think the best gift you can give someone is your full attention. A few hours where you get together and turn off all the noise of the world around you, just sit and chat about things. Be together.
See, my mom lives in Chicago, which means we only get to see each other a few times a year. So when we do get together, it means a lot to both of us. Picking up the phone or sending pretty flowers doesn’t have the same significance as sipping a fancy drink while debating about all of the things wrong with The Hunger Games series, or what color purse works better for summer in Chicago versus summer in Austin.
So if you’re anything like me, but your mom lives in town, or if she’s visiting for the weekend, here are a few places you can take her to have some quality time together over a few fresh cocktails (and I’m sure flowers won’t hurt either).
I chose these particular libations based on a single criteria — they looked like drinks my mom would enjoy. She’s a fiend for low-alcohol treats, particularly those featuring Campari.
English Summer From Eleven Plates & Wine 1 oz. Pimms .75 oz. St. Germain .5 oz. simple syrup .5 oz. lemon juice Muddle the juice and liquor with a couple strawberries, cucumber cubes, and mint. Top with club soda. (Pictured above.)
Mora Americano From Sagra Trattoria and Bar 1.5 oz Plumberry black tea infused vermouth 1.5 oz Campari Sparkling water charge half orange wheel 1 blackberry chilled old-fashioned glass In a mixing glass add Campari and infused vermouth over ice. Stir with bar spoon. Strain into chilled old-fashioned glass over ice. Charge with sparkling water. Garnish with an orange slice flagged with a blackberry.
Pink Diamond From Urban American Grill 2 oz of Tito’s Vodka Splash of Pama Liqueur Topped off with Prosecco Garnished with English cucumber and blueberries.
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May 1, 2012
Mint Julep history and recipes for Derby Day
This Saturday is the annual Kentucky Derby, which means women will bust out their floppy hats, men will don seersucker suits, and the official drink of the derby — the mint julep — will flow in abundance at parties across the South.
For this year’s Derby Day, I caught up with Adam Harris, the Austin-based Distillery Specialist with Beam Global to chat about mint juleps. Harris is a wealth of knowledge on all things bourbon and mint juleps, and my go-to for whiskey history lessons.
The story of the mint julep as we know it today, starts in ancient Persia, where it was known as the “julab,” Harris explained. It was a medicinal drink that employed rose water as a floral sweetener to make bitter medicine easier to consume. The name changed to Julep as it passed through England to the America.
The reason why juleps rose to popularity in Kentucky and throughout the South, and the reason why we all identify the drink today as a mint julep is because mint season in Kentucky lasts for a good chunk of time. “We have a fleeting month here in Texas where mint grows, before it gets too hot or the bugs get it, but in Kentucky, it’s everywhere,” Harris said. “With bourbon being the preferred medicinal beverage down there, it became synonymous to make a julep with Kentucky bourbon and mint in the state.”
The mint julep is a very simple drink, consisting of three basic components — the sweetener, base spirit and aromatic. Harris warns that some people might think to overlook the aromatic component, but that it is “just as crucial as the taste and flavor component, because when you take in the drink, the marriage between the olfactory sensation and the taste sensation on your palate is amazing. Drinking sweetened, slightly minty bourbon and smelling fresh copious amounts of green beautiful mint at the same time is fantastic.” So don’t skimp on the bushels of aromatic mint as a garnish.
Harris offered up some very tempting variations on the traditional julep for this year’s Derby Day. Each new cocktail utilizes the basic structure of the original julep (base, sweetener, aromatic), but swap out the ingredient pairings.
To begin, here’s the recipe for the traditional mint julep:
1.5 oz. Bourbon
Sugar cube
Mint
Crush the sugar cube in the bottom of a metal julep cup with a dash of water, to break up the sugar. Gently bruise one of the mint sprigs with the sugar and water mix. Don’t shred the leaves, just mildly muddle to release the flavors. Add crushed ice. Add the Bourbon. Harris recommends a softer whiskey like Makers Mark instead of a higher proof whiskey that might overwhelm the beverage. It’s meant to be a sipping cocktail, not just a slug of whiskey one might shoot. Stir the drink with a bar spoon until the metal frosts. Top off with a bit more crushed ice and stir briefly again. Garnish with copious amounts of mint.
For the variations, Harris’ basic formula is about .25 to .5 oz. of a sweetener and 1.5 to 2 parts base spirit. Here are some of his ingredient pairing recommendations:
Courvoisier 12 year Cognac for the base, mixed with a Raspberry Shrub as the sweetener and Mint aromatic. For the raspberry shrub, follow the instructions on how to make a shrub in this post from last year.
Tesoro Blanco tequila as the base spirit, sweetened with celery honey (fresh celery juice fine strained mixed with light local honey), and celery leaves doused in chili powder as the aromatic.
Cruzan single barrel rum as the base spirit, sweetened with a Mexican coke reduction with aromatic of kaffir lime leaves, cinnamon stick and nutmeg dusting.
Canadian Whiskey with lemongrass-citrus reduction syrup with honeysuckle garnish.
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April 24, 2012
Digestible Feats returns to Fusebox Festival
Fusebox Festival, the annual contemporary art and performance festival, returns this week, and this year they will continue the tradition of featuring cocktails prominently through some quite inventive events as part of the Digestable Feats series.
Last year’s theatrical Bottled in Bond: The Decline and Fall of a Thug as Told in Five Drinks will return for two nights at Dive Bar on Guadalupe. I attended last year’s event, and had a blast playing a devious bank robber (yes, that’s me in the photo above). The cocktails produced by Jason Stevens (currently Bar Manager at Bar Congress) coincided wonderfully with the interactive performance piece, and I would expect no less from the event this year.
Two cocktail lounges will also pop up as part of this year’s fest. The first lounge will feature re-imagined 80’s cocktails designed by bar manager Brian Dressel at brothel-turned-bar Midnight Cowboy on East Sixth St., and the second celebrates New Orleans tradition with craft cocktail snowballs by Bar Congress’ Jason Stevens at the Fusebox Festival Hub (1100 E. 5th).
Complete details on the cocktail-centric events are listed below, and on the Fusebox website.
Bottled in Bond: The Decline and Fall of a Thug as Told in Five Drinks
April 28, 1:00pm & April 29, 6:00pm, Dive Bar (1703 Guadalupe)
A dark bar at mid-day. Safes cracked. Bullets bounced. Scores settled. Playwrights Steve Moore and Zeb L. West in collaboration with bartender Jason Stevens of Bar Congress have created a noir tale for Dive Bar. Each night, only 30 people will have the opportunity to drink this utterly unique piece that stirs cocktails and theater into something strong, dangerous, and funny.
Cocktail Lounge #1: ‘80s Again
April 30, 5:00-7:00pm, Midnight Cowboy
Remember the last time you ordered a Sex On The Beach or a Fuzzy Navel? And what about that crush you had on flair bartenders Swayze and Cruise in Cocktail? If you’re lucky enough to have a great craft cocktail bar in your town, it’s been a long time since you’ve sipped your way through the cloying sweetness of a Mudslide or a Slippery Nipple, but the top-shelf bartenders of Midnight Cowboy will provide a new look into those tastes with this clever pre-show happy hour. Lead by bar manager Brian Dressel, they’ll offer a menu of re-mastered ‘80s hits executed with the balanced flavors and fantastic ingredients they’re known for.
Cocktail Lounge #2: A Snowball’s Chance in Austin
May 6, 10:00pm, Fusebox Festival Hub (1100 E. 5th)
As the final treat of the festival, join us at the Hub for fully adult versions of a New Orleans summer refreshment, the Snowball. Jason Stevens, bar manager of Bar Congress, and our own Hank Cathey, curator of Digestible Feats, take over the late-night bar to replace the sticky neon syrups of youth with frosty craft cocktail surprises.
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April 5, 2012
Barrel-aged cocktail series at the Tigress going strong with fifth release
16 months and four installments since the first barrel-aged cocktail release, the Tigress Pub and Lara Nixon continue to throw cocktails into barrels to see how they will age. The newest concoction, 12 Miles Out cocktail, debuted at the pub Tuesday night.
I caught up with Tigress owner Pam Pritchard and Nixon to see how the experiment has progressed since their first barrel release in December 2010. If you need a refresher on what barrel-aged cocktails are all about, read this post (and watch the video) from last March, when Nixon and Pritchard released the second barrel-aged cocktail, the tequila-based The Brave.
The cocktail that is currently available is a Prohibition-era classic known as the 12 Miles Out, and is composed of light rum, Calvados brandy and Kronan Swedish Punsch and aged in the barrel for 5 weeks. For a drink composed of two high proof spirits and one low-proof spirit (and nothing else), the flavors were bright, citrusy and smooth. The Kronan mellowed out the other two stronger spirits and brought a subtle kiss of spice to the mix.
Henrik Facile, Austinite and Kronan Swedish Punsch creator, was in attendance for the debut. He thought the cocktail was fascinating. “Initially, you didn’t detect any of the different ingredients - it was a unit. When it got a bit warmer you got to detect a bit of the Batavia Arrack [from the Kronan] but it still maintained a freshness. Nothing felt too heavy. I think that’s the key thing to a good cocktail - three different things become a new thing. The difference between great cocktails, and not so good cocktails.”
The overall impression from the crowd was positive, and Nixon said there has been a notable increase in interest from customers since 2010 across the board as well.
“I think people in general are really supportive and really excited about it. There’s also an increasing number of foodie types that are coming to these events. That speaks loudly to me that the series is more than just people enjoying cocktails and being more about a sensory taste experience.”
Since the beginning, the barrel-aged series has been a learning experience for both Pritchard and Nixon.
“The thing about aging is that it provides you with an opportunity to take raw materials and allow them to organically develop and change, so depending on what medium you’re using (barrels, porcelain, glass, etc.) [the cocktails] will develop at different rates and certain flavors will become enhanced. I really enjoy seeing the course that nature takes with the original cocktail. It’s something that has very little to do with me, frankly, its not something that I can control. It’s like fairy magic,” Nixon said.
When asked why she thought more places haven’t jumped on the barrel-aged bandwagon, Pritchard said she believes it’s because the whole process is expensive and risky. After you decide what cocktail to feature, “you kind of have to be aware of the taste of these alcohols you put together and how you think they might evolve. Even then it’s still a gamble, because the cocktail rests in the barrel for 30 days. You have to keep an eye on it because it matures in really strange ways. If you don’t check the flavor enough times, it could go wrong and you have to toss the whole thing.”
Pritchard explained that halting the aging process at the right time is also crucial. When the cocktail tastes perfect, it needs to be removed from the barrel and bottled, another aspect many other bars don’t think to do. She likened the process to cooking. Serving a barrel-aged cocktail straight from the barrel is “like just leaving food in the oven and thinking that it wont keep cooking.” The flavors will turn, and there will be no consistency between cocktails that are served to customers.
Challenges and logistics aside, the duo plan on continuing the series well into the future because it is a labor of love. “I like offering something to my customers that they can’t get anywhere else,” Pritchard said.
Nixon also wants to continue the series because of its long-term educational prospects. “I’m starting what I hope to be a great body of work in understanding which spirits really blossom and change in cocktail form through that secondary environment in the barrel. I haven’t yet explored each and every cocktail I want to explore. I hope [the project] provides some valuable commentary on what works and why and which are less successful and why, and I just want to become an aficionado of this particular organic process.”
The 12 Miles Out barrel-aged cocktail will be available for purchase at the Tigress Pub for approximately the next six weeks, or until supplies are drained.
Photos by Emma Janzen /American-Statesman
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March 29, 2012
Anvil's Bobby Heugel on preserving Southern cocktail history
The second annual Foodways Texas Symposium, a three-day event exploring Texas food culture took place last weekend. Among the impressive line-up of food-centric seminars, I was pleased to find several presentations on alcohol history as well.
Looking at the history of drinking in America through a social and cultural lens is largely unpracticed in many culinary circles. Luckily, we have people like Anvil Bar & Refuge owner Bobby Heugel, who is invested in unearthing and spreading the gospel of Southern drinking traditions.
Heugel began discussing the long, but largely buried history of imbibing in the South by explaining the current framework of how cocktails are perceived in America. “Most of the time when we think of cocktails, we think of a Northern perspective on cocktails because it was OK to write about cocktails from the North. It wasn’t OK to write about cocktails from the South,” Heugel said. “It was something that was hidden. It wasn’t always socially acceptable.”
He admitted that unearthing Southern drinking traditions has proven to be quite difficult. Most of his perspective on the topic has been pieced together from limited sources, he said, and infused with a lot of personal interpretation to fill the gaps. But investigating the ways in which people in the South viewed and consumed alcohol is important because it provides another avenue through which we can interpret our past, and understand how our current habits and practices came into existence.
(The Devil’s Run cocktail from Anvil Bar & Refuge’s 2011 menu “Summer of the South” features Sloe gin, Fernet, Blanc Vermouth, House Chicory Coffee Liqueur and Hopped Grapefruit bitters.)
Why is documentation on Southern drinking so hard to find? Heugel gave several potential reasons why traditions have been lost to time.
First, cocktails simply didn’t take off in the South at the same time they were taking off in the North because not everyone in the South had access to ice. When ice finally did become widely available, the Civil War broke out, and the South assumed a large financial burden. The cooling commodity became more expensive than food, and cold cocktails fell to the wayside on the priority list.
Also, while drinking in the South was an everyday activity before the Civil War, during reconstruction the practice became largely associated with minorities and violence, making it unseemly for white people to consume hard alcohol, and providing yet another reason for black people to be further ostracized from white society. People could still drink for medicinal purposes, but cocktail consumption, if it did take place, remained a practice that was swept under the rug instead of celebrated.
And as if the social drinking climate wasn’t bleak enough at this point, once Prohibition hit, the religious influence and temperance mentality eradicated what was left of socially acceptable drinking almost altogether.
(Anvil Bar & Refuge’s 2011 menu “Summer of the South” featured cocktails that used traditional Southern ingredients like mayhaw, sorghum and chicory.)
Heugel wrapped up the seminar with a call to action for bar and restaurant owners (and imbibers) of the South. With so little information to go on reconstructing cocktail traditions of yore, there are still several things we can do today to preserve and maintain a strong Southern identity.
“If you’re running cocktail programs or making cocktails in the South, or if you own a restaurant in the South that really tries to play up Southern ingredients than why not do so in your cocktails as well?” He says, “If you don’t run a cocktail bar, ask the people who do to use local ingredients, or ask them for classic cocktails from the South. Because it really is part of who you are and part of why you think about drinks the way you do.”
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February 23, 2012
Cocktail recipes from the StarChefs.com Revue
Mixologist Jeret Peña of the Esquire Tavern in San Antonio was awarded a Rising Star Award at the StarChefs.com Revue on Tuesday night.
For the event, he created two cocktails to share with guests. If you were there and are interested in recreating one at home, or if you didn’t make it out and want to taste what Peña mixed up, the recipes are printed below.
Cabin Fever
Read my full description of this drink in the event recap posted on Relish Austin.
2 oz. Highland Park 12-year Single Malt
.25 oz. pecan syrup
.25 oz. Fernet Branca
4 drops Bittermens Hellfire Shrub
Orange peel
Fill a rocks glass Scotch, pecan syrup, Fernet Branca, and bitters. Add two pieces of ice and stir. When the drink is cold, remove the ice and add new ice. Garnish with the orange peel.
The Sacrilege
1.5 oz. Chamomile-infused Capel Pisco
.5 oz. Green Chartreuse
.5 oz. honey syrup
.5 oz. lime juice
1 egg white
Cracked black pepper
Add the pisco, Chartreuse, syrup and lime juice to a mixing glass and dry shake with the egg white. Add ice and shake again. Pour into a large cocktail glass and garnish with pepper.
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February 6, 2012
San Antonio Cocktail Conference showcases Texas talent; begs for unified state front
Experts from Texas and beyond assembled in San Antonio during the last weekend of January for the state’s first celebration of all things cocktail — the San Antonio Cocktail Conference.
Over the course of the whirlwind weekend, national industry veterans presented on topics such as forgotten gin cocktails, ice technique and yoga for bartenders. National bitters company Fee Brothers hosted a drink mixing competition, and several rowdy events took place at host bars Bohanan’s, Ocho Lounge at Hotel Havana and Soho Wine and Martini Lounge, ensuring all attendees were properly introduced to authentic Lone Star cocktails.
Austin turned out a strong presence at the festival, with many locals presenting on the landscape of Texas booze, and a number of local spirits producers offered samples of their products in the official tasting room.
Beyond the classroom, a hoard of Austin bartenders showed off their skills behind the bar at Esquire Tavern at the Saturday night closing party. Among the highlights were the carbonated cocktail from former Bar Congress bar manager Adam Bryan (below), an elegant combination of Old Tom Gin, Cocchi Americano and Celery Bitters. Drinkers also got a sneak peek at the talents of Jessica Sanders, co-owner of the upcoming drink.well. American Pub on North Loop, who whipped up a sassy combination of Tito’s Vodka, pineapple, raspberry liqueur and Tenneyson Absinthe.
Despite a few administrative hiccups (no ticket takers at seminar doors was the standout issue), the conference attracted some of the largest names in the cocktail industry and progressed at a comfortable pace — there was no need to rush between seminars, and not enough conflicting events to force people to choose one or the other.
Part of the allure of national cocktail events such as Tales of the Cocktail and Portland Cocktail Week is the notion that in addition to the seminars and events, participants get a chance to explore the host city and discover what local bars have to offer in the way of craft cocktails. New Orleans, New York City, Portland and San Francisco have arguably the best cocktail scenes in the country, with heaps of historic bars that have served cocktails for hundreds of years. It would take several trips to appropriately absorb any of those cities’ complete offerings.
For San Antonio, only a very small handful of bars appeared to boast craft cocktails.
The standout was the Esquire Tavern. Established in 1933, the saloon-like bar re-opened last spring after a four-year hiatus. It has an exceptionally long bar and a distinctly gruff Texas character. Pair the decor (a curious array of taxidermy and vintage light fixtures) with the exceptional cocktail program, and you have arguably one of the top cocktail bars in Texas. (Of note: Master Barman Jeret Pen a was recently honored with a “Rising Star” award from starchefs.com for being a “natural ambassador with an unnatural amount of talent.”)
The second host bar, Bohanan’s Restaurant and Bar, offered a fine selection of classic and contemporary tipples, arranged by drink style, and Ocho Lounge at Hotel Havana also offered a quality array of Latin drinks (notably created by Ben Craven of Perla’s in Austin). The third host bar, Soho Wine and Martini Bar, put forth a shocking array of cocktails involving whipped cream and several ambiguously named concoctions like the Pork N’ Fork — not exactly craft in the traditional sense.
The significant lack of options for places to find craft drinks outside the official conference begged the question that has nagged at me (and others — I heard the question posed many times during the weekend) since the announcement of the event: Why host a cocktail conference in a city where cocktails are not woven into the fabric of the local drinking scene as they are in other cities in the state?
It’s like hosting a culinary conference in a city where chain restaurants dominate the dining landscape. Imagine flying to a city to for a conference on interior Mexican food, and outside the classroom, there’s a James Beard Award winning restaurant on the corner, and then miles and miles of fast food joints. Sure, you probably learned a lot during the seminars, but the rest of the visit was likely a disappointment.
If we want to support the notion that everything is in fact bigger in Texas, why not expand on the cocktail conference concept and combine forces to host a collaborative Texas Cocktail Week? The approach could be two-pronged. First, instead of placing the focus on only one location (Mark Bohanan described one of the main goals of the San Antonio Cocktail Conference as “to showcase the vibrant cultural, art and dining scene of Downtown San Antonio,”), Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas could each have representatives at seminars and bartending talent at official events.
Second, the week could take place in a host city with a stronger cocktail infrastructure, so attendees can get a tangible feel for the local cocktail culture outside of the classroom. For example, in Austin, multiple cocktail bars in the downtown area have attracted national acclaim over the past few years, Dallas’ craft cocktail bar scene is currently exploding, according to Jason Kosmas of Employee’s Only in New York and Beverage Director for Marquee Grill in Dallas, and Houston has one of the most highly respected cocktail bars in the country - Anvil Bar and Refuge. Why snub the rest of the state, when each city has something different to add to the big picture?
Since each hub would argue that their cocktail scene has more to offer, perhaps the ideal situation would be to have the event rotate through each city by year, so that attendees can experience the differences between each scene. In that case, folks might return each year to discover what the next big cocktail city in Texas has to offer.
The bottom line is, if cities join forces with the goal of celebrating the craft of the cocktail, the rest of the country will see exactly how Texas does cocktails both in the classroom and where it really counts — at the bar.
**Photo of Adam Bryan at the Esquire Tavern shot by Bobby Arispe. Photo of the Piloto Borracho from Esquire Tavern by Emma Janzen AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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February 3, 2012
Pisco: The other white spirit
For National Pisco Sour Day last year, we heard from General Manager Raul Escobar of (the now defunct) Latin restaurant La Sombra, on the rift between Chile and Peru in the matter of Pisco production and who makes the best Pisco Sour.
This year, for National Pisco Sour Day (always the first Saturday in February), I thought I would share some highlights from an interview I conducted with Johnny Schuler (pictured below) at the San Antonio Cocktail Conference last weekend.
Schuler is arguably the authority on Pisco. Not only is he the Master Distiller for Ica, Peru’s Pisco Porton, but he also hosts a Peruvian television show on the spirit, called Por Las Rutas del Pisco, and has also written books on the subject. His extensive work to educate the public on Pisco and improve the quality of the spirit earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor from the Peruvian Congress. A virtual encyclopedia on Peruvian Pisco, Schuler is also a fascinating person and exceptional storyteller.
If you’re not familiar with Pisco, it’s a grape-based distilled spirit produced in both Chile and Peru. Schuler is one of many who claim that the spirit was originally produced in Peru, which is largely determined by the fact that the spirit shares a name with the town of Pisco, Peru. But if you ask a Chilean, they will tell you something different (you can read more about the great Pisco divide between the two countries in last year’s post).
One of the most interesting highlights from the interview was when Schuler described his fight for Pisco to be recognized in America as an independent, fifth category of white spirits.
“We don’t want to be compared to tequila, to vodka, to rum,” he explained. “No, no, this is Pisco. It’s a totally different world, it’s a different planet, its another galaxy, this is something completely different.”
The main difference is the ingredients employed to distill Pisco. Of the four main white spirits, vodka and gin are made from grain, rum comes from from cane sugar, and tequila is made from agave hearts. Pisco is made with grapes. Looking at the base ingredient alone, it’s easy to recognize that the distilled product will reflect a terroir and character completely different than other white spirits, and should be considered on its own merits.
Schuler prefers to drink his Pisco neat, and slowly, to let it open up and express its full bouquet of flavors. After tasting his award-winning Pisco Porton, I would agree that in order to fully appreciate the spirit’s identity, drinking straight up at room temperature is the way to go. The blend of Quebranta, Albilla and Torontel grapes creates a beautifully clean, fruity flavor. Warm chocolate and rose flavors provide an underlying sweetness while bright citrus notes float on the top, and at 43 % ABV (86 proof), the mouthfeel is remarkably soft and silky.
If you’d rather ease into the spirit through cocktail form, you could try it in a Peruvian style Pisco Sour for Pisco Sour Day. The drink features lime, pisco, egg white, simple syrup and Angostura bitters (see recipe below).
Or take Schuler’s advice and try swapping the pisco into classic cocktails that feature a different base spirit. He recommends a trying a Pisco Cosmopolitan or a Pisco Manhattan side by side with the original recipe, to see how the spirit changes the way the cocktail tastes.
Will Pisco ever take off enough with American drinkers to be considered a strong fifth category of white spirit? Far be it from me to predict sweeping trends of that scope, but based on my experience with Pisco, I’d say it’s worth fighting for.
Peruvian Pisco Sour
1.5 oz. Pisco
.75 oz. Lime juice
1 oz. Simple syrup
1 Egg white
Angostura bitters
Shake all ingredients (minus the Angostura bitters) in a shaker without ice, to emulsify the egg white. Add ice and shake again for a minute or two. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add a few drops of Angostura bitters to garnish.
**Photos courtesy of Evins Communications
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January 4, 2012
Texas' first Cocktail Conference debuts in San Antonio
New York City has the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Portland has Portland Cocktail Week, New Orleans has (arguably the cream of the crop) Tales of the Cocktail, and many other major drinking hubs in the country also set aside a week or so every year to celebrate one of America’s first culinary arts — the cocktail. This year Alamo City has thrown their hat into the craft cocktail celebration scene with the inaugural San Antonio Cocktail Conference, which takes place January 26 through 29.
Chef Mark Bohanan of Bohanan’s Restaurant and Bar teamed up with New York cocktail visionary Sasha Petraske to create the event, which Bohanan says is aimed to “showcase the vibrant cultural, art and dining scene of Downtown San Antonio for both the local community and visitors alike,” and bring “the art of craft cocktails to attendees in an educational, engaging way.”
Over the course of the event, seminars on a variety of industry topics covering everything from Yoga for Bartenders to the Science of Flavor will be led by well-known cocktail experts from around the country. Presenters include Toby Cecchini, freelance Wine and Spirits writer for The New York Times, Erick Castro, currently the West Coast Brand Ambassador for Beefeater & Plymouth Gin, and Chad Solomon & Christy Pope, Co-Founders of New York-based Cuffs & Buttons.
Austin will also be well represented at the conference with several local experts, bartenders and distillers leading seminars (see below for full list).
While Bohanan emphasizes that the event “isn’t a cocktail festival; it is a cocktail conference,” it’s not all stirring technique and consulting advice. The “conference is certainly for everyone — industry people, amateurs and enthusiasts alike,” Scott Becker, General Manager, Bohanan’s Restaurant & Bar added. “The more people learn about the art of craft cocktails, the more intelligent they will be as a customer and buying public.”
Tickets for parties and seminars can be bought individually ($30 per seminar unless otherwise specified and $50 for parties) through the website, and proceeds will benefit HeartGift, an organization that provides heart surgery to children in developing countries without adequate medical treatment.
Conference highlights featuring Austinites:
Tito’s Vodka Founder and Master Distiller, Tito Beveridge, will tell his story of how he started the first legal distillery in Texas.
Nate Wales and Cesar Aguilar of La Condesa Austin collaborate for The Rise of Spicy Cocktails. The seminar touches on the perception of heat and alcohol’s impact on spice. A discussion of house infusions and the different methods that spirits makers use to add flavor to their products will also be included.
David Alan, USBG chapter President and proprietor of TipsyTexan.com, and Bill Norris, the Beverage Director of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas will have their hands full with co-headlining not one but two seminars during the conference. The first, Trouble in Tequilaville, covers “issues of agave sustainability; the effect of modern technologies on this historic product; how globalization has affected the industry; and environmental & human welfare issues.”
For the second seminar featuring Alan and Norris, the dynamic duo will moderate a panel of Texas distillers who will take a look at “where Texas distilling has been, where it’s going and where it will be in the future.”
Alan will also participate in a third seminar with Trey Azar, Founder, and John Shepperd, Master Distiller of CINCO Vodka, on dispelling the myths of clear spirits.
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January 2, 2012
Wahaka Mezcal cocktails balance smoke and spice
I was formally introduced to one of Austin’s newest spirits, Wahaka Mezcal at a special mezcal night back in December at the Tigress Pub. Guests were introduced to the brand via flights and specialty cocktails by Haddingtons’ Florian Minier at the event, and I learned about the history behind this particular brand of smoky mezcal.
I enjoyed Minier’s careful blending of mezcal in these cocktails so much, I thought you might want to check them out also, if you are a fan of the bold spirit. Minier likes to work with mezcal as “as an alternative to whiskey, aged rum, or other assertive spirits,” because the “depth of flavor that good mezcals have lends itself to a wide variety of applications and works well with many flavor profiles.”
Here are the recipes for each of the cocktails featured during the tasting, along with Minier’s description of each:
Papa Oaxaca
1.5 oz. Wahaka Espadin Joven mezcal
.5 oz. Velvet Falernum
.75 oz. Grapefruit Juice
10 dashes Acid Phosphate
2 dashes Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters
Shaken, served on the rocks.
Lime Wheel garnish.
“This cocktail is a collaboration between Justin Elliott of the Volstead Lounge and myself. We were pairing this cocktail with a salad course that had masa dumplings, so were trying to come up with something that had enough flavor to pair well with the dish while remaining refreshing. Mezcal provided the perfect base for the cocktail, and ended up working really well with the grapefruit and Falernum.”
El Conde:
1.5 oz. Wahaka Espadin Joven mezcal
1 oz. Dolin Blanc
.5 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
Dash Celery Bitters
Stirred, served of the rocks.
“With this cocktail, I wanted to bring out the more earthy and herbaceous qualities of the mezcal. Its essentially a 3-2-1 white Negroni using mezcal as the base spirit, the yellow chartreuse and celery bitters supporting the vegetal characteristics of the mezcal, and finally the dolin blanc tying everything together.”
Mezcalvador Dali
1.5 oz. Wahaka Espadin Joven mezcal
.75 oz. Amaro Nonino
2 bar spoons Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
Dash Orange Bitters
Stirred, served up.
Orange Peel garnish.
“I like the way smoky flavors play with orange in a cocktail, which is what I was trying to achieve using mezcal and Amaro Nonino. Once again, it just needed a little bit of vermouth and bitters to tie everything together.”
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
December 29, 2011
Shots for New Year's Eve
Throwing a party this year? Check out these easy, fun and festive shots you can easily whip up to please even the pickiest of crowds.
If you like the idea of Kamikazes
But wish they didn’t make you pucker and cringe from sugary imbalance, whip up this Dale DeGroff cocktail in shot form. The Fitzgerald falls within the Sours family (cocktails that feature a citrus juice, base spirit and simple syrup like the Margarita), and works splendidly as a well-balanced shooter.
The F. Scott
1.5 oz. gin
1 oz. simple syrup
.75 oz. lemon juice
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain. Makes 2 shots.
If you like Gingerbread Men
Forgo the sloppy mishmash that is the standard Gingerbread Man shot (usually a variation of Kahlua, Bailey’s and Goldschlager, sometimes with Butterscotch Schnapps), and opt for this sophisticated ginger shooter instead. Art in the Age’s Snap (the company also produce root beer inspired Root liqueur), is a liqueur based on gingersnap cookies. Since the recipe involves actual ginger (as opposed to the original Gingerbread Men shot), it tastes like, well, real ginger. Snap also makes for a great after-dinner drink for those who aren’t attracted to bitter digestivo.
The Mulberry Lane
2 oz. Snap liqueur
1 oz. lemon juice
Simple syrup to taste
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill. Strain. Makes two shots.
If you like apple pie
The Chicago Apple Pie
My cousin manages a bar in Chicago called the Jefferson Tap, where they serve these Apple Pie shots, which are the closest liquid concoction I have discovered to the real deal. Forget the Smirnoff apple or apple pucker and opt for real cider in this shot that packs a serious punch.
Jesse’s Apple Pie
1 Gallon apple cider
1 Gallon apple juice
3 Cups sugar
8-10 Cinnamon Sticks
Nutmeg to taste, but not necessary.
Combine in stock pot and simmer.
Cool to at least room temperature and add 2 liters of grain alcohol (vodka or everclear).
These proportions, which are designed for a bar and not personal consumption, make for over 200 shots. For a party, I’d proportion down the recipe depending on how many people you have coming.
If you like bitters
The 33.3, aka: The Naked Gun
1/3 part Campari
1/3 part Fernet
1/3 part Cynar
Perfect for people who abhor sweet shots, this hyper-bitter cocktail was invented by Dwayne Clark of Peche, as a riff on the bartender favorite, the 50/50 (Campari and Fernet). The combination was later adapted into a full fledged cocktail called The Fist by Justin Elliot of the Volstead Lounge.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
December 19, 2011
Wintery flip cocktails for the holidays
Not a fan of hyper-heavy Christmas egg nog, but still want a semi-creamy, boozy drink to warm up with over the holidays? Skip the nog this winter, and opt instead for a flip.
Dale “King Cocktail” DeGroff defines flips in his book “The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks,” as “a category of drinks dating from Shakespearean times, when it all started with a mixture of sherry, milk and eggs called sherry sack posset.” By the end of the eighteenth century, flips combined eggs with wine, beer and an array of spices and milk. When the style of drink traveled to New England, the wine or beer was replaced with a stronger base spirit like rum, which by the latter half of the nineteenth century, had evolved into a cold morning drink that featured a whole egg.
Congress Austin, the food and beverage trifecta at the base of the Austonian celebrates it’s first anniversary this month, so I thought it would be fitting to feature flips from the drink makers behind the stick at Second Bar + Kitchen.
The use of raw eggs has raised some concern amongst public health officials, bar owners and customers in the past, but on the whole, the odds of contracting salmonella from an egg are remote. That being said, it is important to use the freshest eggs you can find, for flavor and safety purposes.
Since eggs are thicker than most normal cocktail ingredients, it’s also important to employ what is known as the “dry shake,” to completely emulsify the egg into the drink. Second Bar’s Darren Makowsky, formerly of the Tavern, explains the process:
“A dry shake is shaking a cocktail without ice. The importance of doing this in cocktails with egg or egg white, is that it breaks down the egg white (it emulsifies) and allows all of the other ingredients to be mixed together as well as creating a nice frothy head.”
After the dry shake, add ice to the shaker and continue to shake until the mixture feels completely blended. This shaking could take a minute or two, but is crucial to achieve a desired smooth consistency. There are few drinks worse than flips not completely blended. Unless you like to drink raw slimy eggs, I suppose.
Brian Dressell thinks flips are fitting libations for winter imbibing, because of their thick dessert-like consistency, and the fact that the sky is the limit with what kinds of flavors you can get away with including.
“In the winter, people seem to be more adventurous with their flavors. For example, people who usually drink clear spirits for some reason feel compelled to have darker spirits during the holidays, like rum, cognac and whiskey. You can really play with the baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, to make great festive drinks.”
This recipe from Dressell is a personal favorite that I felt compelled to include even though it’s not a Second Bar + Kitchen staple. Dressell actually created the drink for last year’s Drink Local competition.
Blue Velvet
1.5 oz. Balcones True Blue Whisky
1 oz. Porter or Stout (Real Ale Coffee Porter, Southern Star Buried Hatchet, and Fuller’s London Porter all work well)
.5 oz. Honey syrup (3 to 1 ratio of water to honey)
.5 oz. Benedictine
3 dashes Bitter Truth Xocolatl Mole bitters
1 whole egg
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Dry shake without ice for approximately 30 seconds, add ice shake and vigorously for 30-90 seconds. Strain into a chilled rocks glass. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.
Billy Hankey’s flip, named after the quirky family in the quintessential holiday film “Christmas Vacation,” features Batavia Arrak, an Indonesian sugar-cane and Java red rice based spirit most commonly employed in Swedish Punsch. The funky flavor profile of the Arrak plays second string to the beautiful mulled wine spices in this flip.
Griswold Family Flip
1 oz. Batavia Arrak
2 oz. Mulled wine (see below for recipe)
.5 oz. Lemon juice
1 tsp Powdered sugar
1 whole egg
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Dry shake without ice for approximately 30 seconds. Add ice and shake again for 30-90 seconds. Strain into a Champagne flute and garnish with a mint sprig.
*Mulled wine
750 ml Cabernet Sauvignon
10 cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
1 medium orange, peeled, sliced
.5 tsp ground allspice
2/3 cup honey
orange zest to taste
Everyone at Second Bar and Kitchen seems to be in the holiday spirit this month. Even one of their chefs jumped in to contribute a flip recipe. Tommy Ward’s (who was previously an executive chef in Seattle) flip uses egg whites instead of an entire egg, which gives the drink a lighter body. The bourbon and maple make this drink something I would opt for during the seasonal transition from fall to winter, but would work for whiskey lovers during any season.
Keep an eye out in 2012 for more chefs jumping behind the bar and using their trained palates to whip up culinary cocktails — it’s a trend that will most likely pick up speed in Central Texas in the new year.
Chef’s Tommy’s Yuletide Flip
1.5 oz. Buffalo Trace bourbon
1.5 oz. Vermont amber maple syrup
1 organic egg white
2 dashes Urban Moonshine Maple Bitters
Top with freshly ground nutmeg
Darren Makowsky’s flip recipe is great for people who are new to the concept of flips. For one, it also only uses egg whites instead of the whole egg, which means a less creamy final product. Secondly, the chocolate and cream base make the drink taste wonderfully of chocolate milk. The strega sneaks in a tiny anise spice flavor, which balances out the chocolatey sweetness.
Holden’s Holiday
1 oz. Chocolate
2 oz. Cream (half n half)
1 1/2 oz. Coco Lopez and Flor de Cana rum
3/4 oz. Strega
One egg white
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Dry shake without ice for approximately 30 seconds, add ice shake and vigorously for 30-90 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
November 29, 2011
Mustache competition and whiskey cocktails to celebrate Movember
Gentlemen, the time has come to shed those beards you’ve so diligently cultivated this Movember. But before you bust out a grooming device, celebrate your well-established facial hair and dedication to raising awareness for men’s health with whiskey cocktails at the Highball.
Angel’s Envy whiskey, which hit the Austin market last April, teamed up with the venue to host a final Movember party this Thursday (Dec.1) from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
In tune with the mustache theme, the Highball encourages attendees to dress up in a creative Movember costume. There will also be a mustache competition at 9:30 p.m. Categories in the contest include Best Mo in Character, Miss Movember and Man of Movember 2011.
The featured cocktails of the evening are also named after different mustache styles. Check out the recipes, created by the Highball staff:
The Cowboy
1.5 oz. Angel’s Envy
.75 oz. Grand Mariner
3 dashes mole bitters
Combine ingredients, stir until chilled. Serve over ice in a Highball glass.
The Magnum
1.5 oz. Angel’s Envy
.75 oz. orange juice
.75 oz. lemon juice
2 bar spoons grenadine
Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain in martini glass.
The Salvador Dali
1.5 oz. Angel’s envy
.5 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
.5 oz. Canton
2 Jerry Thomas
Combine ingredients with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a Martini glass.
Orange twist (expressed) garnish.
The Handlebar
1.5 oz. Angel’s Envy
.75 oz. Barenjager
1 bar spoon lemon juice
3 dashes orange bitters
Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain in martini glass.
Orange twist garnish.
To get in to the party, you’ve got several options to acquire a ticket. If you register at movember.com and raise $100, you get in for free. Another $100 raised gets you in, with a plus one. Otherwise, tickets are $10 at the door. RSVP to info@movember.com, because without it, entry is not guaranteed.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails, Recipes, Spirits
November 28, 2011
Local bartenders featured in gin cocktail book
Raise a glass to local bartending wizards Bill Norris and Josh Loving.
Norris, now of the Alamo Drafthouse/Highball clan, and Loving, who helms the bar at Fino and recently won national distribution for his original bitters recipe, each have one of their original recipes (that debuted on Fino menus) printed in a relatively new gin cocktail book that popped up on my desk today, “All the Gin Joints: New Spins on Gin from America’s Best Bars,” by Michael Turback.
As the title suggests, the 132 page paperback boasts 101 artisanal gin-based cocktails culled from “an honest compendium of honored establishments,” and features “their highest endeavors with the botanically-infused elixir.” It’s a modest collection with a short introduction, a small refresher on important tools of the trade, and a three page history of gin to support the bulk of the text.
On the whole, “All the Gin Joints” would be great for cocktail enthusiasts and bartenders, as it showcases some of the top echelon of drink making talent from around the country. But it would not be ideal for the the casual gin drinker who wants to mix up something quick with their favorite spirit. The recipes are predominantly from bartenders who maintain an arsenal of ingredients and highly sophisticated palates, so the majority of them call for wild infusions, syrups, craft bitters and purees that could be difficult to find or time consuming to produce for the home bartender.
That being said, Norris and Loving surely earned their position amongst other great cocktail creators featured in the book with their crafty recipes.
Norris’ Cedar Fever cocktail, which features gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Zirbenz Austrian Stone Pine liqueur, Peychaud’s bitters and a lemon peel is described as “a rush of floral pine,” with “notes of blueberry, mountain rose and a hint of peppery reed grass.” The Brotherly Love cocktail, created by Josh Living is dubbed “wonderfully complex and harmonious at the same time,” with “herbal, floral, fruity, winey, and spicy notes.” The Brotherly Love features gin, Cocchi Americano, St. Germain, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, orange bitters and an orange peel, and appears to still be on the current Fino cocktail menu.
Notable recipes from the other major cocktail hub in Texas (Houston) can be found within its pages as well. Several recipes from luminaries Bobby Heugel and Chris Frankel of Anvil Bar and Refuge are included, and one from Claire Sprouse (formerly of Beaver’s Icehouse) who you might remember from her Austin win in last year’s Domaine de Canton competition.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
November 14, 2011
Fall cocktails bring warmth to the Contigo drink menu
While sipping a cool cocktail on a chilly patio might not be the first thing that pops into your mind as a way to celebrate the dropping temperatures this fall, the new autumn cocktails at Contigo are sure to leave you percolating a warm glow (if the newly installed space heaters don’t get the job done first).
Bar Manager Houston Eaves has added three new cocktails to the fall menu last week, with a fourth to follow in the near future.
Whereas most bartenders go straight for brown, bitter and boozy cocktails to celebrate the season, Eaves took a different approach to match the patio-friendly restaurant, favoring combinations that resemble many of the summer cocktails the bar offers, but with decidedly warmer seasonal flavors like apple, ginger, pear and allspice. Each of the cocktails are on the lighter, citrus-forward side, with hints of spice and herbs weaving amongst the spirits and fruit.
Check out the recipes below.
The Mexican Monk, which is currently a special but will likely be added to the menu soon, Eaves reports, is a hot cocktail that tastes like a mix between a bright summery margarita and a warm winter spiced toddy. This drink could easily stay on the menu year-round, served over ice in the summer and heated in the cooler months.
The Mexican Monk
1 oz. Dulce Vida Añejo tequila
.5 oz. Green Chartreuse
.5 oz Agave syrup
.5 oz Lemon
2 dashes house ginger bitters
Approximately 3 oz. hot water
Combine ingredients in a glass, add hot water and stir until ingredients are blended. Garnish with a lemon peel with cloves.
The Fall Harvest might be the closest thing you’ll find to authentic homemade apple pie in cocktail form. The artichoke-based Amaro Cynar ensures that the sugar from the apple brandy and ginger liqueur don’t overpower the drink with sweetness, and the baked apple bitters counteract the tart lemon juice, creating a crisp comfort drink perfect for pairing with the darker gamey meats Contigo offers. Or perhaps, as dessert.
Fall Harvest
1.5 oz Apple brandy
.75 oz. Domaine de Canton
.5 oz. Cynar
.5 oz. Lemon
2 dashes baked apple bitters
Apple garnish
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Double strain into an Old Fashioned glass with fresh ice. Garnish with an apple slice.
The Texecutioner is my favorite of the bunch, thanks to allure of the smouldering smoky mezcal. The Cocchi Americano mellows the boldness of the Oaxacan spirit that otherwise typically dominates cocktails, and the grapefruit brightens and binds every flavor together in a melodic harmony that made me feel like curling up by one of those space heaters with a good book to draw out the experience.
Texecutioner
.75 oz. Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
.75 oz. D’Aristi Xtabentun (anisette)
.75 oz. Cocchi Americano
.75 oz. Grapefruit
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Double strain into an Old Fashioned glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
A riff on the classic Dark and Stormy, the After the Storm injects the traditional mix with an extra hit of spice with the Allspice Dram, and the additional Paula’s Texas Orange contributes a radiant perk amidst all of the darker flavors. Cloves embedded in orange create a vivid aroma that for me, triggers memories of Christmastime. Well, maybe Christmastime in Bermuda. Now, there’s an idea I can get behind.
After the Storm
1.5 oz. Zaya Rum
.5 oz. Paula’s Texas Orange
.5 oz. Lime
.25 oz St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram
Ginger beer
Combine the rum, Paula’s Texas Orange, lime and Allspice Dram in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain over fresh ice into a collins glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with an orange peel with cloves.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
November 7, 2011
Fall cocktails from the Volstead Lounge
Justin Elliott (formerly of downtown absinthe bar Peche) was hired as the new Bar Manager at Volstead Lounge last month. The first cocktail menu, featuring a small but carefully chosen handful of craft cocktails debuted at the bar last week.
Elliott’s goal with the cocktail program was to create a menu that will appeal to people who want to enjoy craft cocktails casually. It’s creative but also concise, offering a tidy balance between classics and modern inventions.
“Drinking should be fun,” Elliot remarked when I went out to shoot photos of his creations. He went on to explain how one of his main priorities to is create drinks that are easy to drink and delicious to match the bar’s unpretentious atmosphere, but also offer some of the time honored staples mixed with precision such as the Old Fashioned and Aviation.
The Volstead, which is relatively new to the East 6th district, seems like it was created for the kinds of drinks Elliott is prepared to concoct. It’s perfectly tattered vintage interior provides an atmosphere that’s hip but still dingy enough to be relaxed and far from intimidating.
While many of the drinks on the house menu feature spirits on the more exotic side for those not well-versed in the language of craft cocktails (including Zucca, a rhubarb-based amaro, and Purkhart, an Austrian pear brandy), the price point is so much lower than other cocktail bars around town ($7-10 instead of $10-13), that it’s easy to be adventurous and try new drinks without breaking the bank.
Below are a few of the highlights on the new menu. My personal favorite is the Indian Summer. The chai tea infused vermouth acts as a mellow base, rounded out with the warmth of the Smith and Cross Jamaican Rum. The Zucca and Angostura provide a bold and bitter kick, and the orange wheel aroma from the garnish ties all the flavors together with a bright citrus kiss.
Indian Summer
1.5 oz. Chai infused Dolin Rouge
.25 oz. Smith and Cross rum
.25 oz. Rabarbaro Zucca
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Sugar Cube
Orange peel
Muddle the sugar cube with the orange peel and Angostura Bitters. Add the spirits. Stir with ice until chilled. Top with crushed ice. Garnish with orange wheel and grated nutmeg.
Old Country Daisy
.75 oz. Boomsma Genever Oude
.75 oz. Pear Williams Purkhart
.5 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
Sugar cube
Lemon wheel
Muddle the yellow Chartreuse with the sugar cube and lemon wheel. Add the spirits and ice. Stir until chilled. Top with sea-salt soda water (.5 tsp sea salt added to liter of soda water, or added to one liter of water and then carbonated). Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Punsch + Judy
1.5 oz. Batavia-Arrack van Oosten
.75 oz. Lime juice
.75 oz Orgeat
Egg white
Angostura bitters
Star Anise
Combine the ingredients (except the bitters and star anise) in a shaker. Shake without ice to emulsify the egg. This will take at least a minute of shaking. Add ice to the shaker. Shake until chilled. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with several drops of Angostura bitters and grated Star Anise.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
November 4, 2011
Edible Austin's annual Drink Local Night expands local cocktail scene
UPDATE: The rules and regulations for the Official Drink of Austin cocktail competition have been posted on Edible Austin.
The schedule for this year’s Edible Austin Eat Drink Local Week has been announced, and with only a month until it happens, the lineup is looking particularly excellent for drinking enthusiasts.
For the past four years, Drink Local Night has been one of Austin’s most anticipated drinking events of the year. This time around it will be bigger and more boozy, thanks to the acquisition of a larger venue, the participation of more local spirits producers, and the melding of two of Austin’s biggest cocktail competitions.
Since the first Drink Local cocktail competition in 2007, Austin has played host to two citywide cocktail competitions every year — the Drink Local contest, and the Official Drink of Austin competition.
The Official Drink of Austin competition was originally produced as a collaboration between the Austin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Tito’s Vodka. It began in 2003, and all drinks had to be made with Tito’s (which at the time was the only distillery in Texas). The winning drink earned the title of Official Drink of Austin for the following year.
In recent years, with the rapid growth of the Texas spirits and cocktail scene, many people have felt that the contest has not accurately reflected the spectrum of talent and quality that Austin has to offer. In addition, having two major cocktail competitions fighting for center stage, both with the goal of producing a cocktail that would be considered representative of the “flavors of Austin,” is not conducive to creating a sense of unity within the community.
“The competition began as a way to promote Austin as a food and drink city,” Jennifer Walker, Director of Marketing for the Bureau explained, “Eventually we got to a certain stage where it has become so popular, it has grown to a level where it would more properly be managed by a local person with deep roots in the foodie and cocktail scene, which is why we decided to hand it over to David Alan this year.”
With David Alan of Tipsy Texan at the helm of the Official Drink of Austin competition, the contest will merge with Edible’s Drink Local Night to create a seamless showcase of Central Texas bartending talent and Texas-grown spirits.
“The industry that Tito Beveridge founded 15 years ago has grown by leaps and bounds, and alongside it so has our craft cocktail community. Drink Local Night will pay homage to Tito’s vision by showcasing the remarkable growth of Texas distilleries, and the best talent in Austin bartenders,” Alan explained via email.
The format of the new Official Drink of Austin competition will mirror that of the previous Drink Local contests, which followed United States Bartenders Guild competition guidelines, and several former winners of the Drink Local competition have agreed to judge this year’s event.
In addition to the new competition, Edible is also expanding the size of the event by taking over the ballroom at the AT&T Executive Education & Training Center. This provides more room for local distillers to showcase their spirits.
At least 11 local distillers have signed up to host tasting tables already. Spirits on site will include (but are not limited to) Treaty Oak rum, Paula’s Texas Orange, Balcones whisky, Tito’s vodka and even the elusive Garrison Brothers Bourbon, who cheekily promised to participate as long as no one mixes their whiskey in the contest.
Drink Local Night will take place on Thursday, December 8 from 6:30 to 9:30 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center Ballroom at the Carillon. There will be enough samples of each contestant’s cocktail for attendees to taste, and snacks (from Swift’s Attic, BC Tavern and the Carillon) will be provided to help soak up excess alcohol.
Check out Edible Austin’s full Eat Drink Local week lineup, get information on how to purchase tickets, and read more details on Drink Local Night on their website. Also of note, Edible has expanded their list of beneficiaries this year. Proceeds from events will benefit not only Urban Roots, but also the Sustainable Food Center this year.
Also, be sure to check out previous Austin360 coverage of Drink Local Night, to get pumped up for this year’s event.
**Top photo of 2010 winner Bill Norris and Edible Austin’s Jenna Noel taken by Emma Janzen.
Bottom photo of 2009 winner Lara Nixon taken by Addie Broyles.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
November 2, 2011
Bizarre Foods crew to visit Contigo for the Pig's Blood Bloody Mary
You read the headline correctly.
Contigo created a Bloody Mary made with Pig’s Blood, and Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods film crew (which hit Barley Swine earlier this week), have honed in on this abnormal breakfast beverage and will be making an appearance at the restaurant Friday at 5:30 p.m. to chronicle the creation.
I first heard of the Pig’s Blood Mary at a Death’s Door Spirits Pig Roast the restaurant hosted last July. Unfortunately, I showed up late and missed all the hullabaloo. To be clear, the drink is not on their daily menu, nor will it likely find its way onto the menu any time soon. It does on occasion, show up for special events.
Owner Ben Edgerton shared the background of the beverage with me via email today. I enjoyed his explanation so much, I’ll just paste it here for you:
“It was more of a dare/challenge than anything else. We hosted a party in conjunction with Death’s Door Spirits in which Andrew prepared a whole hog. In an effort to really go the distance we cooked every part of the pig, the skin, the spleen, the brains, etc.
In conversation one day in the kitchen someone threw out, ‘Since we are doing this with Death’s Door, we should use some of the pork in a cocktail.’ To which someone cleverly replied ‘Yeah, like a bloody mary with real pigs blood.’
As you can imagine, that is all it took to get a bunch of chefs and bartenders working on coming up with a way to do it. We played with the recipe for awhile and finally landed on one that works pretty well.”
So how exactly is it made?
“We mix the blood with vinegar and lemon so it won’t curdle (I know, appetizing image). We vacuum seal it and pasteurize it sous vide, then we mix that with our bloody mary mix,” Edgerton explained.
The Contigo crew definitely get points for creativity and effort, but I doubt you’ll see me drinking one any time soon with my Sunday brunch.
Guess we will just have to wait to see what Zimmern will say.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
New Tequilas debut in Austin
UPDATE: As originally published, this blog said that PaQui tequila would be available at Specs. The tequila is available at Specs in some Houston locations, but will be available in all local Twin Liquors stores by mid-November.
Great news, tequila lovers. Several tasty new brands are hitting Austin liquor stores this fall. None of them are locally produced, but in a city that drinks tequila like it’s water, I thought you might want to know what new juice you can get your hands on.
First up, PaQui tequila. PaQui is an Aztec word loosely translated to mean “to be happy.” The basic blanco is clean, bright and peppery. Oaks do not dominate the reposado or añejo, which is refreshing in a category where many producers aim for bold vanilla and wood flavors to appeal to the whiskey crowd. Each expression is aged only just slightly beyond regulations, making the flavors of the base agave shine through. On the whole, it’s a flavorful tequila that doesn’t have too much of a burn, so it’s easy to sip, but also makes an above-par Margarita as well. PaQui produces the traditional trifecta of tequilas, a blanco, reposado and añejo, and will be able to be found at all Twin Liquors stores most likely by mid-November.
Casa Dragones is another new tequila that has already seemed to penetrate the Austin tequila bar market. It’s available in most of the major tequila watering holes (Tacos and Tequila, Hugo’s, Iron Cactus, and more). I haven’t tasted the tequila yet, so I can’t give you any tasting notes at the moment. If you’ve had it, let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. For what it’s worth, apparently Oprah claimed it’s her favorite tequila. Because we’re not all flush like Oprah, at $250-300 a bottle, I’d opt to try it in a bar before splurging.
Finally, a new tequila from heavy hitters Don Julio, created specifically to celebrate their 70th anniversary. Don Julio 70 is a curious new invention in the world of tequila — a clear añejo. If you know anything about tequila, you know añejo must be aged for at least a year in oak barrels. Typically, this naturally changes the color and imparts a spectrum of oak flavors to the liquid. With the Don Julio 70, the distiller sought to filter out the añejo color and highlight specific flavor notes of the agave that are normally shrouded in the wood from the aging process.
I was skeptical about this process, so I attended a Don Julio tasting dinner at La Condesa when the spirit launched in the Austin market a few weeks ago (many thanks to Hunter PR, who invited me out on their dime). We tasted the 70 in comparison to the blanco and traditional añejo styles. The 70 has surprisingly deep and complex agave flavors with just a whisper of oak and vanilla at the base. Intensely smooth, I thought it was the best expression of tequila from the portfolio. At a $60-70 price point, I would argue that the Don Julio 70 is a solid choice.
At the dinner, La Condesa Manager Nate Wales also concocted the Don Julio cocktails for the evening. While the spirit shines on its own with confidence, all variations of the Don Julio also mixed exceptionally well. The two drinks below were my favorites.
Amargo
3/4 oz. Tequila Don Julio Añejo
1/3 oz. Tequila Don Julio Reposado
1/2 oz. Aperol
1/2 oz. aperitif wine
Dash Angostura bitters
Flamed orange zest for garnish
Combine Tequila Don Julio Añejo, Tequila Don Julio Reposado, Aperol, aperitif wine and Angostura bitters into a cocktail shaker. Stir well and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with flamed orange zest.
Yerba Buena
3/4 o.z Tequila Don Julio Añejo
1/3 oz. Damiana Liqueur
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/3 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. agave nectar
1/4 oz. filtered water
2 dashes bar keep lavender bitters
2 dashes house-made sage bitters
Chiffonade fresh sage for garnish
Combine Tequila Don Julio Añejo, Damiana Liqueur, fresh lime juice, fresh lemon juice, agave nectar, filtered water, lavender bitters and sage bitters into a cocktail shaker. Shake well and double strain into a wine glass. Garnish with chiffonade fresh sage.
**Photos by John Pesina.
Samples of PaQui were provided for this post.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails, Spirits
October 26, 2011
Steve Jobs honored in DÍa de Los Muertos altar, cocktails at Manuel's
DÍa de Los Muertos isn’t until next week, but both locations of Manuel’s are selling Day of the Dead cocktails benefiting the Mexic-Arte museum and have set up traditional altars honoring the dead, including Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who passed away earlier this month.
The restaurant even created a cocktail (center) in his honor — The Jobs, made with Makers Mark, Cointreau, apple cider, an apple slice and a splash of lemon. The altars and specialty cocktails will run through Nov. 2.
Photo by Dave Nichols.
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October 18, 2011
Fall cocktails that celebrate the flavors of the season
To kick off what (we can only hope) will be the beginning of cooler weather here in Central Texas, I’ve acquired some seasonal cocktails from the mind of Jason Stevens of the East Side Show Room and Tigress Pub.
Each of these drinks (except the Hopped Toad) feature Stevens’ favorite fall ingredient, grade B maple syrup. They also incorporate other earthy seasonal flavors like walnut, allspice, and even our local (512) Pecan Porter, in truly inventive combinations (check out the Pecan Porter liqueur recipe he created in the Alexander variation below).
Stevens is one of the most dedicated local cocktail inventors in Austin. His attention to detail and flavor pairing are exceptional, and his cocktails never fail to please my palate. The cocktails below will be available as specials when Jason is behind the stick at both the East Side Show Room and the Tigress, and are the perfect way to celebrate the flavors of fall.
I’ve included Stevens’ descriptions of each drink in italics below.
The Sicilian Orchard Flip has a full and rich body, with herbaceous notes of smoked dark chocolate augmented by autumn apple and winter spice. This cocktail is very comfortable on its own or served as an after dinner nip.
Sicilian Orchard Flip
2 oz. Averna amaro
.5 oz. Laird’s Bonded apple brandy
1 healthy bar spoon Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal
1 bar spoon grade B maple syrup (go high quality here. It’s about the flavor, not the sweetness)
1 whole medium sized farm fresh egg (yolk and whites)
1 very small (10-12 grains) pinch of salt
Nutmeg
Combine all ingredients, except nutmeg, in a shaker. Shake hard without ice for 20-30 seconds till blended, add ice and shake for 20 more seconds or till the cocktail turns creamy. Double strain into a coupe glass, garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
The Black Branch is a rounded, boozy cocktail with grain, nut, and spice soothed by maple and orange. It’s New England autumn in a glass.
Black Branch
1.75 oz. Rittenhouse Rye whiskey
.75 oz. Nux Alpine walnut liqueur
1 bar spoon grade B maple syrup (go high quality here. It’s about the flavor, not the sweetness)
1 healthy dash of triple spice bitters*
Build in a mixing glass, starting with the maple syrup, add bitters and spirits, fill glass with ice and briefly (10 seconds or so) stir. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a small twist of orange (optional).
*Triple spice bitters:
1 part Angostura bitters
1 part St. Elizabeth’s Allspice dram
.75 part Peychaud’s bitters
Combine all in a small dasher bottle, use in everything.
The 512 Alexander is local riff on a classic dessert cocktail, with the 512 liqueur adding less sweetness and more depth than the classic creme de cacao. The rich malt, chocolate, pecan, and spice flavors add an autumnal note to the cocktail.
512 Alexander
1 oz. Cognac
1 oz. 512 pecan porter liqueur*
1 oz. half-and-half or fresh cream
Combine all in a shaker, add ice and shake till cold and combined. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with fresh grated roast pecan.
*512 Pecan Porter liqueur
12 oz. of 512 Pecan Porter
8 oz. of cane sugar
2 oz. of grade B maple syrup
8 oz. of vodka (40 proof)
1 large handful of freshly roasted pecans (or skillet toasted pecans)
1 small stick (1 inch) of cinnamon
Place porter in a glass and stir several times over the course of an hour to release CO2
Add pecans and cinnamon stick to porter, place all in the fridge over night to release the rest of the CO2.
The next day place the mixture in a pot over high heat. Add the maple syrup, then slowly add the sugar, constantly stirring till sugar is dissolved. As beer heats, skim off head. Remove from heat, skim final head off, allow to cool. Add vodka and syrup in a bottle. Shake well. Allow to sit for a day before use. Keep refrigerated. Lasts for a month or longer.
In this cocktail, Chartreuse and IPA combine beautifully to enhance the winter flavors of hops, pine, and spice.
Hopped Toad
.75 oz. London dry gin
.5 oz. green Chartreuse
.5 oz. lemon juice
A few drops Angostura bitters
1 bar spoon honey syrup
6-8 oz. of your favorite IPA (I use 512 IPA)
Combine first five ingredients in a shaker, add ice, and shake. Double strain into a Collins glass, add ice or not, and top with the IPA.
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October 4, 2011
Sophisticated vodka cocktails for National Vodka Day
For National Vodka Day, a couple of cocktails that celebrate the country’s most popular clear spirit.
First up, a modern refresher from Shoreline Grill, the Sassy Martini. This cocktail features the Polish Zu vodka, whose subtle earthy cinnamon flavors come from the spirit’s base — bisongrass.
Sassy Martini
2 oz. ZU
1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a caperberry and bisongrass blades.
Secondly, a classic from the 1950’s. This drink changed the evolution of the Martini. Find out more about the history of the drink, and the proper way to mix one up in the video below.
Vesper
3 oz. London Dry gin
1 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Lillet Blonde
Mix the spirits together in a mixing glass. Add ice. Shake until chilled. Lemon twist for garnish.
**Sassy Martini photo provided by Marilyn McCray
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September 22, 2011
Fino's Josh Loving wins bitters competition; gets national distribution
The GreenBar Collective, a husband and wife team who produce organic artisan spirits with environmentally friendly materials, launched a bitters competition in Texas this year, seeking out the best organic bitters recipe to add to their Bar Keep bitters collection.
The statewide search drew 16 entries, which was carefully narrowed to the top three. The third entrant did not make the final competition due to an ingredient problem, so Josh Loving of Fino and Sean Jensen of Shade in Houston (soon to be the general manager of the highly anticipated Hay Merchant and Underbelly), gathered at Haddingtons for the last round of judgment on Tuesday.
The competition was judged by Kelly Garner, the Director of Distribution for GreenBar, local bartender and bar consultant Jeff Boley, and Bar Congress’ Adam Bryan. The bitters were judged based on quality, versatility and innovation.
Loving’s Chinese five-spice bitters topped the Orange Fennel bitters entry from Jensen, earning him the grand prize — his bitters will be bottled and sold nationally by GreenBar.
“Both entries were excellent bitters. Quality-wise they were evenly matched,” Garner explained. “The decision really came down to innovation and that’s where Josh’s stood out.”
The GreenBar Bar Keep bitters portfolio will now feature four kinds of bitters with the addition of Loving’s Chinese five-spice. The original 3 were developed by other talented bartenders around the country who were selected during a country-wide competition at Tales of the Cocktail in 2009. The line includes Baked Apple Bitters by Marshall Altier, Lavender Spice bitters from Tobin Ellis and John Hogan, and the Swedish Herb bitters by Adam Seger.
Loving’s Chinese five-spice bitters are a bold blend of equal parts clove, fennel, cinnamon, star anise and Sichuan peppercorn.* He explained that what really sets the bitters apart from others is the incorporation of the peppercorns, which bring a slight tingle to the tongue. He thought the sensation “would be really cool for cocktails, because it would bring in that other dimension to the drinking experience.”
The feat of creating a successful bitters recipe is a large accomplishment in itself. The combination of herbs, spices, and other ingredients are quite difficult to blend and perfect into a final product, as I learned when trying to make my own batch last year. Loving’s five-spice were exceptionally flavorful and bold. The bitters should hit the market in early 2012.
If you’re ambitious, try mixing up your own batch. October’s Food and Wine magazine provides a few modern bitters recipes to give a try, and of course food and drink pairings to match.
**Sichuan peppercorns were banned by the FDA up until recently, because they were carrying a citrus canker virus that was not harmful to humans, but had the potential to destroy citrus crops across the country. The FDA has since lifted the ban provided that peppercorns be heated before importation, to kill the virus.
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September 20, 2011
Event recap: Bourbon, BBQ and Bluegrass
The second annual Bourbon, BBQ, and Bluegrass festival at Stubb’s last Monday night brought bourbon aficionados and some of Austin’s finest bartending talent together for a night of mingling and tastings that rivaled last year’s fest.
A whopping twenty brands of bourbon, 6 original hand-crafted bourbon cocktails, and sizzling heaps of smoked meat provided the centerpiece for the event. Twangy banjo and mandolin riffs and the sweet southern drawl of Hem & Haw’s traditional bluegrass tunes weaved through the night, and I was hard pressed to find many people who walked away from the event without a full belly and a warm bourbon glow.
Adam Harris, Maker’s Mark Distillery Diplomat and USBG Chapter Vice President was part of the behind-the-scenes crew that organized the event, and he also spent the evening pouring Maker’s Mark samples and educating attendees about the brand.
Harris noted that the turnout this year far exceeded that of 2010. He said, “it’s great to see the interest in bourbon alive and growing strong in Austin, and it’s really fantastic that for one night we can get all of these great bourbons together and work to celebrate our National spirit.”
It was indeed a great celebration of all things Americana. All the major bourbon brands were represented, from the Jim Beam portfolio, to Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Four Roses and the Sazerac company. Stubb’s offered an array of delectable meat treats that provided a solid foundation for sipping on bourbon samples including smoked ribs and chicken/jalapeno nuggets wrapped in bacon. And while some commented on how last year’s musical entertainment was substantially more rowdy than this year, the band put on a great show.
The highlight for me was the creative array of bourbon cocktail options created by some of the most talented bartenders in Central Texas. Harris echoed this sentiment, “we had some of Austin’s best and brightest on hand tonight (not to mention the cameo from the newly formed San Antonio chapter) and they’re really the big thing that sets our shindig apart from other events like this. Not only are you sampling fantastic bourbon whiskey but your also getting the chance to try something ‘off the menu,’ so to speak, from the talents that run the show at Contigo, Perla’s, etc.”
There was a great variety of cocktails to sample, each one featuring a different bourbon as the base. Styles ranged from a few delightful summer porch drinks that were helpful to beat the heat, to some other booze-forward ones that complemented the post-BBQ coma.
Everyone raved about the Hatch Collins by Contigo’s Houston Eaves (pictured above), a crisp combination of Hatch chile Maker’s 46, lime, simple syrup, Topo Chico, and garnished with pickled Hatch chile wrapped in bresaola.
Ben Craven of Perla’s worked with the Devil’s Cut bourbon from Jim Beam. You can read more about his concoction in my notes on the bourbon that published last week.
Jeret Pena of Esquire Tavern in San Antonio made the trip north, and mixed up one of his house cocktails, the Ender’s game, which featured carbonated Earl Grey-infused sweet vermouth, Bulleit bourbon, grapefruit, lemon, bitters and honey syrup.
While I thought all of the drinks were excellent, my favorite concoction of the night was the Stumble Pie from Billy Hankey from Second Bar + Kitchen (below), which resembled sort of summer toddy with its fall flavor combination of bourbon, apple/maple syrup and walnut liqueur.
September 8, 2011
UPDATED: Texas bars battle in French 75 competition
UPDATE (9/8): The final numbers from the competition are in. The folks from Congress have informed me that Cedars Social in Dallas won the friendly cocktail shoot-out with 365 French 75s sold. The Esquire Tavern in San Antonio came in a close second with 345, Anvil Bar and Refuge in Houston (who were the biggest talkers before the competition,) got 205 and Second Bar + Kitchen came in last with 195.
Regardless of our low local turnout, I’ve been told everyone still had a great time (how can you not, when the French 75’s are flowing?) VP of Operations Scott Walker shared his thoughts:
“We had an enjoyable evening and our guests enjoyed our version of the ‘75 — I think collectively we haven’t made that many in quite some time. Congratulations to Cedars Social in Dallas and all the other bars that participated as well. I’m sure there were some good times being had around the state…”
So what’s next, Texas bartenders? Fall is approaching, maybe we can hope for an Old Fashioned competition?
(Below is the original post, announcing the French 75 battle, for your reference.)
Everyone loves a good old fashioned Wild West shootout, especially when it involves booze.
This Wednesday (August 31), four bars from around the state will bust out the cocktail shakers in a (friendly) race to see which bar can sell the most French 75 cocktails, a sprightly and crisp combination of gin or cognac, champagne, lemon juice and simple syrup.
Second Bar + Kitchen will offer their French 75s at a fresh $7.50 a pop. Anvil Bar and Refuge will represent Houston, The Esquire Tavern in San Antonio and The Cedars Social in Dallas.
The stakes? The bar that sells the most cocktails wins, well, a bottle of booze. A bottle of Pierre Ferrand Abel 45 Years Old (retail $350), to be precise. The runners up will receive the Pierre Ferrand Selection des Anges (more in the $120-150 range). Anvil has promised to share said bottle with their loyal customers in yesterday’s Houston-pride-rally-cry post on Drink Dogma.
Scott Walker, the VP of operations for Congress said in reply, “we’re just trying to give people something different to sip on in this stifling heat — and this is a great cocktail to bid adieu to the month of August. As far as the ‘competition’? To quote Lemmy, ‘you win some, you lose some, it’s all the same to me.’ We’re just fine being in Austin so, let your freak flag fly wherever you are…”
The competition should be a fun one for imbibers at each of the bars. With the Texas cocktail community growing larger (and more tight knit) by the day, I would imagine we will see a lot more of these statewide fun and games in the future. In the meantime, get out there and show Dallas, Houston and San Antonio how tough Austin can be.
Photo above by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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September 7, 2011
Caipirinhas and Cachaça for Brazilian Independence Day
Sometimes a cocktail can become so intrinsic to a place and a culture that it rises above the fray to achieve the iconic status of “official” or “national” drink of a city or country. New Orleans has the Sazerac, Peru has the Pisco Sour, and Brazil has the Caipirinha.
National holidays are the perfect opportunity to learn about the spirited icons of a place, and mix up a few to enjoy. While Brazil’s national spirit cachaça is celebrated every day in the form of the Caipirinha cocktail, the stimulating tipple gets it’s moment to transcend borders on September 7, Brazilian Independence Day.
The Caipirinha (pronounced kai-pur-EEN-ya), is a drink of the people with roots dating back centuries. The name loosely translates to mean “country peasant girl.” True to its personification, the drink is a simple, rough-hewn combination of sugar, lime and cachaça.
Before we go any further with the cocktail, let me introduce you to the national spirit of Brazil — cachaça (ka-SHA-sa). Like Bourbon for Americans (officially America’s ‘Native Spirit’ as deemed by Congress), cachaça is not only abundant within Brazil, but also symbol of national pride. According to the Ultimate Guide to Spirits and Cocktails, around “340 million gallons per year are produced in Brazil, making cachaça the third major spirit in the world in terms of quantity, after vodka and soju.” Additionally, only 1 percent of that number, approximately 3.4 million gallons are exported from Brazil.
So what exactly is cachaça? Most people compare it to rum, which is in part true, but upon first sip, you will realize that cachaça tastes nothing like the rum you are used to drinking. It’s more robust, earthy, slightly fruity and bitter but with a hint of savory aftertaste, unlike most rums which have a distinct thick sweet profile.
I spoke to Jacob Briars, the Global ambassador for Leblon Cachaca via email to learn more about the distinction between rum and cachaça. He explained that while cachaça is legally considered a rum in the United States because it is made from a sugar base, there are several fundamental differences that separate the two.
First, most rums are distilled from molasses, whereas cachaça is made from freshly-pressed sugar cane juice. This provides the stark difference in flavor between the two. Also, rums are generally distilled at least twice, whereas cachaça typically undergoes only one distillation. Briars also provided some additional historic context, “cachaça is also older, more popular and more widely consumed than rum. It was first produced in the 1530s, and rum was first made in the 1620s. It was also the spirit used to make the early versions of cocktails that are very popular today, such as the Mojito, the Ti Punch and the Daiquiri.”
You can find several brands of cachaça (including Cabana, Leblon and YPIOCA) at most local liquor stores including Specs, Wiggys and Twin Liquors.
So back to the Caipirinha — this drink is a cinch to mix up, because there are only three simple ingredients and you don’t have to have any obscure skills to put one together. The sugar component, which in most cocktails is employed in syrup form, can be integrated into the Caipirinha in raw granules. I like to use an organic demerara sugar, because it imparts a rough, earthy flavor that complements the cachaça moreso than white refined sugar.
Here’s the recipe for the classic Caipirinha, followed by (below) an instructional video from the cocktail database, where David Alan of TipsyTexan.com shows you exactly how to make the “fabulous drink with a funny name.”
The Caipirinha
2 oz. Cachaça
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 lime sliced into wedges
Muddle limes and sugar in a mixing glass. Add Cachaça. Fill shaker with ice and shake well. Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass and garnish with a lime slice.
If you don’t want to attempt mixing one up yourself at home, there will be ample opportunities to try one around town for Brazilian Independence Day. Brazilian steakhouse Estância Churrascaria will offer the Caipirinha and a fruity variation on the drink, the Caipifruta (a tropical mixture of cachaça with kiwi, strawberry, blueberry and pineapple) along with and La Sombra will also have Caipirinhas and the Ipanema a mixture of cachaça , St. Germain and grapefruit juice for $4 a piece. Shoreline Grill has the (unfortunately named) Bluetini, which is a Caipirinha with blueberries thrown into the mix, and you can also find classic Caipirinhas at Takoba.
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August 15, 2011
A spicy Manhattan at the W bars
In an ongoing effort to keep the cocktails recipe database up to date, I’ve been working on checking off a list of places I have yet to visit around town and check out what kind of cocktails they’re featuring (have a place you think I should check out ASAP? Let me know).
With it’s surge in popularity since opening, I have recently felt remiss for not spending more time checking out the cocktails at the W bars (my first visit was shortly after the launch, when the cocktail menu was in its infancy). The Living Room bar and the bar at Trace recently released a new menu, a “S.I.P (Social Interactive Playtime)” menu that’s available daily from 3 to 6:30 p.m., so I thought it would be a good time to pop in to shoot some photos for the database and meet their main man behind the stick, Joe Thompson.
Thompson moved to Austin after living and working in NYC for five years, and was part of the opening staff at the W bars. While international mixology superstar and Hendrick’s Gin ambassador Charlotte Voisey created the flagship menu, Thompson has since made his mark, incorporating some original recipes such as the Lone Star Classic and the Happenstance cocktail. Today, the majority of the menu was developed by Thompson, with the exception of three Voisey originals (The Bluegrass, Acai Caipirinha and Jalapeno-Cucumber Lemonade).
Thomspon mixed up three of his specialty cocktails for me during my recent visit, the recipes of which you can find in the austin360.com cocktail database in the Summer cocktails tab. This one stood out to me as particularly excellent, so I want to share it with you here.
The Mexican Manhattan was Thompson’s first original recipe on the Living Room menu, and his snarky answer to Austin’s wildly popular Mexican Martini (which, Thompson believes, “is total crap”). This drink adopts the structure of the classic Manhattan and spices it up with new ingredients. The drink is bold, rich and smooth like a Manhattan, yet a little more exotic and exciting. The Port softens and rounds out the oaky Anejo, and the Aztec chocolate bitters provide a dark, slightly spicy undercurrent.
Mexican Manhattan
2 oz. Herradura Anejo tequila
.75 oz. Fonseca 27 Port
4 dashes Aztec Chocolate Bitters
Dash of agave syrup
Orange twist garnish
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
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August 12, 2011
Beyond the Bomb: Jägermeister cocktails
Another perk of attending Tales of the Cocktail is meeting talented bartenders from around the country, and hearing what new and exciting things they are doing in their hometown bars.
During the fest this year, I had such an experience while attending a Spirited Dinner hosted by Sidney Frank Importing Co. I met a bartender from Embury Firehouse Lounge in Pittsburgh who informed me that on occasion their staff would substitute Jägermeister for Italian Amaros (bitter digestif liqueurs like Averna and Ramazzotti) in cocktails to appeal to a wider audience of customers.
Myself not particularly keen on the staggeringly bold flavor profile of Jäger (I, too, suffered through many unfortunate Jäger-bomb fueled nights in my early college days), I thought it would be interesting to experiment at home and see if employing the spirit within a classic recipe might change my perception.
With the help of portfolio mixologist Todd Richman of Sidney Frank, I tested out Jäger-focused variations of the Negroni, Hanky Panky and Elixir No. 1. As part of the experiment, I tasted the adaptation first to get unbiased opinion about the drink as a whole, and then mixed up the original cocktail to compare the difference between the two.
After trying three adaptations, I can safely report that if given the choice, some of them are not ones that I would choose to drink over the original, but I can appreciate the unique addition that the Jäger brings to each drink. The substitution could be an excellent way for a Jäger lover to find a fancy cocktail of choice, and vice-versa, for someone like me who doesn’t love (but can appreciate) the flavor of Jägermeister, to find a drink that is palatable.
Here are Richman’s recipes, and my thoughts on each adaptation:
Modified Hanky Panky
One of my all time favorite cocktails was developed by Savoy bartender Ada Coleman in the early 1900s. The concoction plays host to gin, sweet vermouth and a couple of delicate dashes of Fernet Branca.
For the adaptation, Fernet Branca is replaced with Jägermeister. The results? I thought the substitution neither improved nor disgraced the original, but acted as a worthy parallel. While Fernet Branca and Jager are strikingly different when tasted straight, in this particular drink both Amari act as an understated whisper of spice and herb that complement the main ingredients without overpowering.
1.5 oz. Tanqueray or Beefeater Gin
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
.5 oz. Jägermeister
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice. Stir well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange peel.
Elixir No. 2 This cocktail is a modified version of Elixir No.1, featured in The Art of The Bar, by Rob Schwartz and Jeff Hollinger. The original version uses Averna Amaro.
At first glance, this cocktail might appear to be a disjointed smattering of flavors. I was initially surprised at how well each one complemented the other. Each of the ingredients play a pivotal role. The sweet spice of the Falernum enriches the herbal Jäger, and the bitter bold Campari is tempered by the full-bodied sweet Carpano Antica vermouth.
In this instance, I preferred the original Averna version over the adaptation. The Averna blends with the other ingredients, whereas the Jäger stood out and dominated some of the subtle flavors that are otherwise present in the mix. However, my opinion was countered by my “assistant taster” (my boyfriend), who is a self-proclaimed Jäger fan and found this cocktail to be the most pleasing to his palate out of the entire experiment.
.75 oz. Jägermeister
.75 oz. Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
.75 oz. Campari
.75 oz. Velvet Falernum
Dash of Orange bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir gently for 20-30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange twist.
The Prinz (adaptation of a negroni)
This adaptation takes the premise of the experiment (substituting Jager for Amaro) and expands it slightly. The classic Negroni is one-third Campari, which is a kind of Italian bitter, but consumed as an aperitif instead of a digestif like most other Amari employed in this post. Campari is lighter and more tart than the typically rich, herbal Amaros.
The Prinz stands on its own merits as a solid, flavorful cocktail. I wouldn’t necessarily compare it to a Negroni and judge its worth based on that comparison, because Campari and Jäger are such different beasts. I would drink either version based on the time and place. The original Negroni is brighter and slightly more tart, whereas the Jäger version has more depth and spice. Since Campari can be such a polarizing flavor, I would absolutely suggest the Prinz as a worthy alternative to a Jäger drinker.
1.5oz Gin (Beefeater or Tanqueray, as these stand up to the spice and herbal qualities of Jägermeister)
.75 oz. Jägermeister
.75 oz. Punt E` Mes sweet vermouth
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well chilled, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange twist. Can also be served on the rocks, with a slice of orange as a garnish
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July 20, 2011
Meet your bartender: Darren Makowsky of the Tavern
If you’re up for another round of the Meet Your Bartender Q&A series, pick up a copy of the Statesman on Thursday, to see what Tavern barman Darren Makowsky has to say about the challenges of creating a cocktail program in a traditional beer and shot fueled bar.
In the meantime, try one of the cocktails he created for the summer menu.
Here’s his recipe for the Sunny Time cocktail:
1 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
1 oz. Paula’s Texas Orange
.5 oz. Barenjager
Combine ingredients with ice. Stir. Top off with soda.
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July 18, 2011
On the road: Heading to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail
This week, I head out to the Big Easy with a pack of local bartenders, bar owners, writers, spirits producers and more for this year’s Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans.
Tales of the Cocktail is one of the most exciting and important learning and networking (oh, and drinking) events of the year for bartenders, cocktail enthusiasts, journalists, and even your average layperson who simply wants to dabble in the drink.
The festival was created by Paul and Ann Tunnerman (AKA-“Mr. And Mrs. Cocktail”) in 2002 and has since then expanded to include an array of fun and educational events including spirited dinners, tasting rooms, seminars, competitions, and book signings. The best of the best in the world of cocktails and spirits are represented here during this five-day booze fest.
As usual, talent from Austin will be rearing its head in various ways during the week. Bill Norris (newly announced as the new Beverage Director for the Alamo Drafthouse chain) will compete in the Bacardi-sponsored Pina Colada Competition, Saveur Magazine hosts a Spirited Dinner featuring cocktails crafted with Tito’s vodka, and Deep Eddy vodka will be handing out samples in one of the tasting rooms.
If you’re going, be sure to say hello. If not, stay tuned and I will update as I can from the field, and promise a recap when I return.
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July 14, 2011
New Beverage Director for Alamo Drafthouse announced
You won’t catch veteran bartender Bill Norris behind a bar any time soon.
The Alamo Drafthouse announced this morning that Norris has taken on the role of Beverage Director for all Alamo locations including the Highball. His main role will be overseeing every aspect of beverage service, developing the liquor program and creating original drinks for special events.
Drafthouse owner Tim League explained further, “I’ve been a big fan of Bill’s work for a long time and when we had the idea of bringing on an Alamo beverage director, Bill was our first and last choice. We plan to work with Bill to reinvigorate our cocktail menu at the Ritz and the Highball, develop a new cocktail menu for the bar at the new Alamo South Mopac and work with the entire Alamo to ensure that every liquid we serve company-wide is delicious.”
Norris was of the earliest proponents of the classic cocktail revival in Austin, and part of the opening staff at Mediterranean Tapas bar Fino, which is now considered one of the best places for craft cocktails in town. Most recently, he developed the cocktail menu for Haddingtons (he resigned from the position in June). He also has a handful of prestigious awards under his belt, including winning first place at the Drink Local contest in 2010 (and second place in 2009). He was a Texas Regional Champion in the 2008 Cocktail World Cup, and also a member of the 2nd Place Team in the 2008 Cocktail World Cup Final in Queenstown, New Zealand.
He’s known primarily for his quirky style, versatility and mixing expertise. A virtual encyclopedia on cocktail history and theory, Norris is skilled in re-creating the classics but he also excels at pushing the boundaries of flavor pairings and challenging people’s drinking habits. For example, he created a Dr. Pepper reduction for The Dubliner cocktail at Haddingtons, and incorporated Jagermeister (more commonly consumed as a shot, or in Jersey-style Jager-Bombs) into the Fox Room Swizzle.
When contacted this morning, Norris expressed his excitement to join the Alamo, “I’m thrilled to join the Drafthouse and Highball team. Right now, I’m getting my feet wet by learning how the system works. Over the coming months, we’ll be rolling out new drink options, while keeping up the terrific program established by the awesome resident beer nerds.”
There’s no doubt that Norris’ knowledge, skill and creative drive will match the Alamo’s idiosyncratic, playful yet quality-forward personality. Personally, my fingers are crossed for some great cocktail and classic movie pairings.
*Photo of Norris by Annie Ray. *
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July 8, 2011
A conglomeration of summer cocktails
Let’s face it — any drink would be refreshing in this heat.
We’ve certainly hit the doldrums of summer, but that’s no reason to sink into a rut with your drinking habits. In fact, finding new beers and cocktails is one way to keep things interesting in the face of these endless summer days.
Check out the Cocktail Recipes database for a seasonal conglomeration of new cocktails. This time around, it’s chock full of fresh and fruity drinks for those hot summer days and well, hot summer nights.
Inside, you’ll find libations featured at (air-conditioned) watering holes like Frank, Sagra, 24 Diner, the Tavern, and more. A myriad of cool flavors are covered, ranging from cucumber and basil drinks to ones brimming with strawberry, peaches and various flavors of tea.
Hopefully you will find something pleasing amidst the 18 new cocktail recipes, and handful of old ones tossed in for good measure.
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June 30, 2011
Beyond pesto: Basil cocktails
If your basil plants are surviving the dog days of summer, it’s time to put them to good use.
Pesto is always a good stand-by, but muddling a few leaves into your afternoon tipple can elevate a summer cocktail from simply achieving its purpose of refreshment, to making your taste buds dance with delight.
Herbs have long had a place in the world of mixed libations, and for good reason. They impart a slightly sweet, slightly savory, vibrant flavor to cocktails that is difficult to mimic otherwise.
Basil in particular imparts a suggestive botanical quality that lightens the weight of spirits and deepens the sweetness of fruits and sugars. It also pairs well with just about any base spirit you choose, from gin and vodka to whiskey, sake, and rum.
There are several ways to integrate basil into your glass. Muddling gently will express the herb’s organic flavor and disperse it throughout the drink. Making a homemade syrup will dull the brightness and impart a more subtle flavor. Or you can use it simply as a garnish, to effect the sight and scent of the first sip.
Many local bars incorporate basil into their summer menus. Here are a couple to seek out, or try to make yourself at home.
At Sagra Italian Trattoria, they’ve adopted a “farm-to-tumbler” approach for the summer. Bartender Mason Popp, created a cocktail program that incorporates herbs grown the restaurant’s greenhouse. Doesn’t get much more fresh than that. Here’s the recipe for his Basil Ginger Martini:
Basilco (Basil Ginger Martini)
3-4 large leaves fresh basil torn into pieces
3 oz. vodka
2 oz. prosecco
1/2 oz. ginger simple syrup (see recipe below)
Reserve one basil leaf for garnish and tear the rest into pieces. Muddle the torn basil in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice and add vodka and ginger simple syrup. Shake vigorously. Pour prosecco into a chilled martini glass. Pour basil, vodka mixture into the glass. Garnish with one whole basil leaf.
Ginger simple syrup
1/2 tablespoon diced ginger
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add ginger and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain out the ginger and add sugar and stir well until all the sugar is dissolved. May be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Another summer refresher with a decidedly more Southern flare is the Kentucky Peach from Cassie Stewart of Frank. The incorporation of basil into this cocktail balances out the tartness of fresh peach lemonade, and the vanilla notes of the bourbon provide warmth and spice. Perfect for sipping on a porch swing or back patio.
Kentucky Peach
1.5 oz Maker’s Mark
Basil
Peach lemonade
Muddle several basil leaves with Maker’s Mark in a glass. Add ice, and top off with peach lemonade. Garnish with additional basil leaves.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails, Recipes
June 28, 2011
Austin bartenders to invade Anvil Houston
Houston’s prestigious cocktail haven Anvil Bar and Refuge will turn over its bar spoons and shakers to a handful of Austin bartenders for one night of cocktail debauchery this holiday weekend.
Co-owner Kevin Floyd will be getting married, and the Anvil staff wanted to celebrate the event, so Floyd and co-owner Bobby Heugel lined up six talented Austin bartenders to command the bar on Sunday, July 3.
Bill Norris (formerly of Haddingtons and Fino), the point person for Team Austin, commented in the press release, “Anything we can do to help fellow bartenders is cool, but the chance to work behind what I think is the best cocktail bar in country is more like a treat and an honor than a favor.”
His reverence of Anvil isn’t far off the national consensus. Anvil has been heralded by many reputable publications as one of the foremost places for craft cocktails in the South. Heugel was nominated as a James Beard semifinalist this year, and continues to push the envelope with Anvil’s creative cocktail offerings.
Norris will be joined by Brandon Burkhart of Haddingtons, Adam Bryan and Brian Dressel of Bar Congress, Josh Loving of Fino and Andy Arrington of Jeffrey’s. The special menu for the evening is below.
For more information about the Anvil Austin Invasion, check out tweets under the hashtag #ATXAnvilInvasion.
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June 21, 2011
Tiki cocktails take summer residence at Bar Congress
Grab your grass skirts, ukuleles and swizzle sticks. It’s tiki time.
Bar Congress has launched Tikimatica, a summer drink program that celebrates the classic kitsch of the tiki movement one rum-fueled cocktail at a time.
Here’s what Bar Manager Adam Bryan had to say about the program, “The craft cocktail scene in Austin, while it seems new to a lot of people, has been here for a long time. And just like with most anything, we can get tired working with and doing the same things. So we look for fun ways to be playful and casual behind the bar, and tiki drinks are one of those ways. But they also have a strong history in the cocktail culture, and we get to shed light on that while having fun and drinking the more fruit-forward cocktails versus our regular stodgy Manhattans.”
Every Tuesday and Wednesday night from now throughout the summer the bar will be serving classic tiki concoctions from the 1940s through the 1970s. Here’s the menu, which is subject to change based on bartender’s whimsy:
Want more information on the tiki movement? Check out this article in the recent issue of Edible Austin.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
June 17, 2011
Cucumber cocktails
Finding ways to cool off is on everyone’s agenda this week as the temperatures continue to rise by the day and hover in the 90s well after the sun has set over Central Texas.
While my colleague Mike Sutter is fighting the heat by seeking out the best brain freezes around town, I’d like to offer up an adult beverage option for offering momentary respite from the burdensome temperatures.
Cucumber cocktails. Cool, clean, pure, thirst-quenching cucumber cocktails.
Fleshy cucumbers bring a subtle sweetness and pleasing texture to drinks when paired with spirits. While incorporating them into a drink requires a bit more work than your standard fruit muddle (double straining is a must to eliminate excess pulp), the cold, crisp qualities of the final cocktail are worth the hassle.
Here are three local cocktails that incorporate cucumber, to take the edge off these sweltering afternoons.
The gimlet is a classic cocktail. When cucumber is incorporated, it provides an even more agreeable spin on an already delightful drink. Here’s the recipe from Garrett Mikell of Peché, Austin.
Cucumber Gimlet
1.5 oz. Hendrick’s gin
1 oz. Lime juice
1 oz. Simple syrup
Cucumber slices to garnish
Combine all ingredients in a pint glass with ice. Shake until the shaker begins to feel cold to the touch. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cucumber slices.
A lesson in contrasts, this Paggi House concoction was invented by former bartender Jeff Boley.
Emerald
1.65 oz. Hendrick’s gin
.5 oz. Cointreau
.5 oz. cucumber juice
.25 oz. simple syrup
1 sprig rosemary
A sprinkle of cayenne pepper
In a mixing glass, muddle the rosemary with the simple syrup. Add the gin, Cointreau, cucumber juice and ice, and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass half-rimmed with salt. Sprinkle a pinch of cayenne pepper on the top of the drink.
Last but definitely not least, a simple gem from Harlan Scott of Parkside.
Rosemary Cucumber
3 oz. Hendricks
2 oz. Cucumber puree
Splash of Paula’s Texas Orange
Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into salt rimmed glass. Garnish with pulled rosemary and smoked paprika cucumber slice.
Play around at home with your own creative concoctions. Here are some flavors that are complimentary to cucumbers, found in The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg.
I’d recommend using a gin or vodka as a base, as those are the most complementary to the cucumber’s soft and understated flavor profile. Hendricks is an obvious gin choice, because it already has cucumber in its recipe, but that’s no reason to not get bold and try a different brand.
Here are some suggestions of accompanying ingredients (to be combined in whichever manner you please.): basil, cayenne, jalapeno, cilantro, coconut milk, lemon balm, lemon juice, lime juice, mint, pineapple, and balsamic vinegar.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails, Recipes
June 9, 2011
Summer Tea Cocktails from 24 Diner
“This is the South, people love iced tea, and we all know tea is good, but man, is it fantastic when you add a little booze.”
Billy Caruso, the sommelier at 24 Diner (formerly of the Paggi House), hit the nail right on the head. There are few beverages more effective in cooling oneself on a simmering hot summer afternoon than iced tea. Add a jigger or two of liquor, and you have a drink capable of taking the edge off even the most oppressive heat waves.
Several of the inventive highballs on the new summer menu at 24 feature tea as a primary ingredient.
Tea works well in cocktails because it provides an earthy depth that is difficult to mimic using other ingredients. It has the power to brighten a citrus-forward drink with floral notes, or round out a booze-centric cocktail with a backbone of herbal complexity.
For the menu at 24, Caruso opted for using organic tea acquired from Mighty Leaf instead of hopping on the sweet tea vodka bandwagon. “I have never been a fan of flavored spirits,” he explains, “I think if there is a flavor you are trying to achieve you should infuse it yourself. It’s so easy, and wicked fun to play around with the flavor combinations.”
When it comes to tea in cocktails, the pairings are seemingly endless. No two teas are exactly alike, and each style brings different characteristics to the table. For example, Caruso believes “herbal teas are fun with cordials and aperitifs, but the true black and green teas scream bourbon and citrus.”
Tea is also a flexible ingredient in the sense that it can be incorporated into the drink in different ways as well. Using previously-brewed iced tea, infusing a spirit directly, or creating a tea syrup all provide varying effects on the final cocktail.
Below are the recipes for two of the tea cocktails on the 24 menu.
The Southern Bliss’ floral Hibiscus iced tea and St. Germain elderflower liqueur are balanced by the slight bitterness from the Kaffir lime flavored vodka, resulting in a citrusy-sweet concoction.
Southern Bliss
1.25 oz. Hangar 1 Kaffir Lime Vodka
.5 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1.25 oz. orange juice
.5 oz. hibiscus tea
Add the ingredients to a highball glass filled with ice. Pour into shaker and back into highball glass, garnish with lime twist.
The Ben Crenshaw, a local version of the John Daly cocktail, is a more straight-forward summertime tea drink, where the cooling mint and lemon provides a contrast to the bolder spice of the black tea.
Ben Crenshaw
1.75 oz. of Tito’s
2 oz. black tea
2 oz. lemonade
1/4 of a lemon
.5 oz. simple syrup
5 mint leaves
Muddle lemon with mint and simple syrup in a highball glass. Add Titos, black tea, and lemonade. Pour into shaker and back into highball glass. Garnish with mint sprig.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails
June 1, 2011
Tales of the Cocktail festival Spirits Awards nominees announced
Every July, bartenders, spirits industry professionals and drinking enthusiasts descend on the city of New Orleans to celebrate the craft of the cocktail at the Tales of the Cocktail festival.
Tales of the Cocktail released the nominees for the 5th annual Spirited Awards today, an awards ceremony which “provides recognition to those individuals and establishments that have shown an outstanding talent for advancing the craft of the cocktail.” The nominees were selected by a “group of esteemed members of the cocktail industry.”
If you are a budding cocktail enthusiast, use this list as a road map to discovering more about the curious inner workings of the industry. The nominees below represent some of the best bars for imbibing, the most exciting new spirits on the market, the most influential experts and personalities, and the most informative books and other publications you should be reading to further your knowledge.
While Texas is not represented in this year’s list, at the rate that our scene is growing (and as the quality of cocktails steadily increases), it’s only a matter of time before the Lone Star State gains recognition from outlets such as Tales of the Cocktail. For now, we can take pride in the caravan of local talent who will make the pilgrimage to New Orleans this July, and trust that they will represent our scene well as they drink their way through the festival.
Here’s a selection of nominees. For the full list, check out the facebook page:
American Bartender of the Year
Eric Alperin, Los Angeles, California
Kenta Goto, New York City, New York
Misty Kalkofen, Boston, Massachusetts
Sam Ross, New York City, New York
Joaquin Simo, New York City, New York
Best American Cocktail Bar
Clover Club, New York City, New York
Drink, Boston, Massachusetts
Employees Only, New York City, New York
The Varnish, Los Angeles, California
Best High Volume Cocktail Bar
Eastern Standard, Boston, Massachusetts
Flatiron Lounge, New York City, New York
Florida Room, Miami, Florida
Rickhouse, San Francisco, California
Best Cocktail Writing - Non Book
BarlifeUK.com
Imbibe USA
Liquor.com
Tasting Panel Magazine
Best Cocktail Writing - Author
Toby Cecchini, New York City, New York
Camper English, San Francisco, Francisco
Darcy O’Neil, London, Ontario
Naren Young, New York City, New York
Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
Fix the Pumps by Darcy O’Neill
Left Coast Libations by Ted Munat & Michael Lazar*
Punch by David Wondrich
Speakeasy by Dushan Zaric and Jay Kosmas
Best New Product
Bank’s Rum
Cocchi Americano
Smith & Cross Rum
Tequila Calle 23
Best Restaurant Bar
The Drawing Room, Chicago, Illinois
Eleven Madison Park, New York City, New York
Hawksmoor Seven Dials, London, England
Hix, London, England
World’s Best Cocktail Bar
69 Colebrooke Row, London, England
Dry Martini, Barcelona, Spain
Employees Only, New York City, New York
High Five, Tokyo, Japan
World’s Best Cocktail Menu
Artesian at The Langham, London, England
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Mayahuel, New York City, New York
Sanctuaria, St. Louis, Missouri
World’s Best Drinks Selection
Artesian at The Langham, London, England
Cure, New Orleans, Louisiana
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Employees Only, New York City, New York
World’s Best Hotel Bar
Artesian at The Langham, London, England
Clive’s Classic Lounge at Chateau Victoria Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia
Clyde Common at The Ace Hotel, Portland, Oregon
The Savoy, London, England
World’s Best New Cocktail Bar
1534, New York City, New York
Dram, New York City, New York
Eau de Vie, Sydney, Australia
Painkiller, New York City, New York
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May 27, 2011
Memorial Day weekend Sangria recipes
Memorial Day weekend is upon us. The annual holiday brings together families and friends to celebrate with a variety of summer-like activities. Grills will fire up, kids will splash around in the pool, and there’s nothing better than a cold beverage to accompany the festivities.
Sangria is a great option for both substantial gatherings of family and friends, or a quiet weekend away from all of the outdoors action. It’s easy to serve, can be prepared ahead of time, and is typically lower proof than cocktails (which helps fight dehydration in the midst of oppressive Texas heat). Sangria pairs well with grilling meats of many kinds, and goes surprisingly well with BBQ also.
I spoke to Alejandro Duran, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Malaga Tapas and Bar to solicit his advice on how to construct a satisfying Sangria.
Originally from Madrid, Duran claimed that Sangria was an integral part of childhood. As a kid, he would be treated to small amounts as a treat on the weekends, and as he grew older it became a staple at the dinner table to help beat the Spanish heat and accompany his mother’s homemade paella.
At Malaga, they serve a Sangria which is made in what Duran calls “old world style,” which incorporates traditional Spanish red wine, Spanish brandy, and fresh seasonal fruits. Here’s the recipe for the Sangria served at the bar, which will also be available in “bottomless” proportions during brunch starting the first weekend in June.
Malaga’s Spanish Sangria
1 bottle of Tempranillo
1/2 cup of Spanish brandy
1/2 cup of Licor 43
1 cup fresh orange juice
3 tbs sugar
2 - 2 inch pieces of cinnamon
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
2 whole oranges, thinly sliced
1 whole lime, thinly sliced
1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
2 peaches, sliced (if in season)
20 pitted cherries
2 cups club soda (Can use 7up/Sprite in place of club soda, if so omit sugar.)
Combine all ingredients. Chill 6 hours to overnight before serving. When serving, spoon out pieces of fruit into glasses, pour sangria over fruit. Serves 4-5.
If you choose to experiment making Sangria at home, Duran provided some helpful tips for making the best one from scratch.
First, while the original Sangria is made with red wine, white wine or cava are also modern options to play around with. Duran claims that the important thing to keep in mind is achieving a balance between sweet and dry. For this, he recommends using medium bodied Spanish wines such as a Tempranillo as opposed to a sweeter Zinfandel or bone dry Cabernet.
When asked about fortification, he replied, “you always want to put in a little Spanish brandy for a kick. One cup to one bottle of wine should do it.”
To depart from tradition, other spirits can also be incorporated into the mix. For example, I tasted a white wine Sangria that used St. Germain as the accompanying spirit at the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival this past March. The sweet, floral qualities of the St. Germain pair well with succulent berries and peaches. Dry wine is crucial in this recipe to balance out the sweetness of the liqueur.
Here’s the recipe from the St. Germain website:
Sangria Flora
.75 cup St-Germain elderflower liqueur
3 cups Sauvignon Blanc or Dry White Wine
1 Fresh Peach (diced)
5 Fresh Strawberries (halved)
5 Fresh Raspberries
10 Fresh White Grapes (halved)
Method: Stir ingredients in your St-Germain carafe. Let the mixture soak for 15 minutes (or longer if desired), then pour into ice-filled glasses. Makes 4 cocktails.
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May 23, 2011
National media outlets give Austin bars some love
Austin’s drinking scene is making a name for itself on a national level. Again. Check out recent accolades below.
Esquire Magazine released its list of “The Best Bars in America 2011.” Bar Congress got one of the spotlight reviews from local Andy Langer, who said that the East Side was previously the only place to go for “old-timey craft cocktails.” But now with bars like Bar Congress, “downtown is making a comeback.”
Other local bars made Esquire’s master list. The Good Knight, Donn’s Depot and Deep Eddy Cabaret were all part of the staff’s “favorite new places to drink.”
Imbibe magazine recognized Bar Congress in its “Where to Go Now” section of the May/June issue (PDF), in which it states that “Austin, Texas is the latest city to stake its claim as a cocktail destination, thanks in part to the recent opening of Bar Congress.” The article goes on to praise bar manager Adam Bryan’s inviting menu, and recommend his Preferred Lies cocktail.
In April, Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appétit recommended Bar Congress as one of three places “where the staff knows how to mix a drink,” in an article titled “Stop Whining About Cocktails and Enjoy the Revolution’s Well-Poured Drinks.”
Knowlton also slips in a quick reference to Bill Norris’ expertise at Haddington’s, and profiles an up-and-coming cocktail destination in San Antonio, The Esquire Tavern, which is quickly gaining a name for itself as well.
Cocktail behemoth Bar Congress is currently the foremost darling of national attention, but Austin has many more cocktail-centric bars that craft an important supporting cast, and the scene is only just starting to bud. Whom would you like to see put in the spotlight? Where is your favorite place to drink in town, and how do you think we shape up on a national scale?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Cocktails
The Year of the Negroni
At the Manhattan Cocktail Classic this year, Italian bitter Campari announced that 2011 is the year of the Negroni cocktail.
This comes as no surprise, considering the Negroni is composed of 1/3 Campari. Nor is the announcement particularly earth shattering, considering the Negroni has been around since the 1920s.
Yet I thought it would be a good excuse to talk about the vintage cocktail, which is one of my particular favorites. The Negroni is as classic and timeless as the Manhattan, Old Fashioned and Gin Martini, but still relatively unknown to many.
To start, here’s the standard recipe for the Negroni:
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Sweet vermouth
1 oz. Gin
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Second, while many cocktails have unknown origins, the Negroni has a very specific birth story. The year is 1919 (or 1920, depending on who you ask). Italian Count Camillo Negroni is enjoying his favorite aperitif in an Italian cafe, the Americano cocktail. On this particular occasion he decides his signature beverage needs a spirited boost. He asked the bartender to strengthen the drink. The bartender removed the soda water and added gin. The Negroni was born. (For more details, check out this San Francisco Chronicle article by Gary Regan from 2009, where he gets into some of the specifics of the history).
The Negroni is a bold cocktail. Anyone familiar with Campari can attest to its bright, aggressive bitter flavor, and when combined with gin it’s not for the faint of heart. The final ingredient, sweet vermouth, mellows out the striking spirited combination, creating an overall balance.
To really understand the cocktail and enjoy its full potential, the Negroni should be stirred and served up in a cocktail glass. Several places in Austin, which will remain unnamed, shake and serve it on the rocks. This dilutes the drink to the point where it becomes a frothy, watery mess. Since the Negroni is composed only of spirit ingredients, stirring gently will dilute the cocktail less, create a beautiful texture and maintain its intended flavor balance.
One of the great things about the Negroni is that it is a drink with an overarching structure that allows for manipulation to create exciting new drinks as well. The framework to keep in mind is 1 part base spirit to 1 part sweetener to 1 part bitter. So you could try using Chartreuse instead of Campari or Lillet Blanc instead of vermouth.
A spin on the Negroni that I particularly enjoy substitutes earthy, smokey mezcal for gin. If you enjoy the original Negroni, and have an adventurous palate, this cocktail will delight your taste buds. Below is the recipe for a “Smokey Negroni” from Peche.
1 oz. Mezcal
1 oz. Dolin sweet vermouth
1 oz. Campari
Stir all ingredients in a mixing tin with ice, strain into a chilled glass and garnish with an orange twist.
Permalink | | Categories: Cocktails, Recipes
May 17, 2011
What's your go-to drink?
Writer and Imbiber Dan Dunn posted this story on Food Republic today, on the importance of having a “go-to drink.”
He defines go-to drink as “one you order when your brain is on autopilot.” A drink you can order when the bar is busy or when you find yourself in a place that has limited ingredients (or bartenders of a certain skill-set).
This has been an issue on my mind recently. I feel like it’s important to have a standard drink, one that defines who you are as a person. On the other hand, I am also a proponent of the mantra “there’s a time and a place for every drink,” and believe it is important to take into consideration the kind of bar you are in, your company, and the occasion, before you order. You wouldn’t walk into the East Side Show Room and order a Cherry Cosmopolitan any more than you would walk into Maggie Mae’s and order a classic Negroni.
That’s a much larger discussion, but the same principle applies. Having a simple signature drink that you know you will enjoy in any kind of bar is important.
I spent many a maddening moment in my drinking youth standing behind the bar with a look of slight panic, completely incapable of spitting out a drink order that is so simple, as Dunn describes, that “not even a trained monkey or an aspiring D-list actor can screw it up.”
My default used to be whiskey and ginger ale, but so few bars carry ginger ale that it eventually became an issue (the typical workaround of Sprite plus Coke does not even come close to the same flavor as ginger ale, so don’t even bother going there).
So today, my “go-to” is whiskey on the rocks. I love whiskey. On the rocks could be construed as a cop-out, because it’s not exactly a mixed drink. To me, it’s a simple and straightforward, no-bull kind of drink that will fly in practically every situation - from the dirtiest of dives to the cleanest of craft cocktail bars.
What’s your go-to drink?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Beer, Cocktails
May 13, 2011
Refreshing Highballs at Perla's
As the weather continues to grow warmer, the need to cool off with a frosty beverage becomes increasingly important to maintain one’s sense of calm and happiness. Today’s recommendation for beating the heat? The highball.
According to the 1949 edition of the Esquire Handbook for Hosts, highballs are the “high priest of tall drinks,” composed of “nothing but spirits, ice and water or soda.” So simple, yet so effective. The highball category of cocktails are perfect for spring because they are loaded with ice, and can be as simple or complicated as the occasion requires.
Below are the recipes for several modern highballs created by bartender Ben Craven at Perla’s. When designing his spring menu, he aimed for a focus on fun, vibrant concoctions. The drinks highlighted below serve this purpose well.
Parklife Perry
1 oz. Makers Mark Bourbon
1 oz. Blackmaker Rootbeer Liqueur
4 muddled Lemon Wedges
1 small piece muddled fresh ginger
1 splash simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Shake and strain into a collins glass over ice and top with Fever Tree Ginger Beer
Garnish with a Lemon Wheel and Blackberry
Krakow Collins
1 oz. Zu (Zubrowka) Vodka
1 oz. Bonal Gentiane-Quina
1/4 oz. Aperol
1/4 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 oz. Simple Syrup
1 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice
Shake and strain into a collins glass over ice and top with club soda
Garnish with a grapefruit wedge
The Passenger
1 1/2 oz. Dry Gin
1/2 oz. St. Germain
1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
Pour into Collins Glass and top off with San Pellegrino Aranciata
Stir and garnish with a sprig of mint
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Cocktails, Recipes
May 5, 2011
Mint Juleps for Derby Day
While you may still have tequila on the brain (or in the bloodstream) from Cinco de Mayo festivities, another iconic drinking holiday of sorts occurs this weekend - The Kentucky Derby. The mint julep has long been associated with the derby and derby parties, and thousands of juleps will be consumed at Churchill Downs this weekend to mark the occasion. Here’s your cliff notes guide to mint juleps, so you can be fully prepared for the weekend’s revelries.
Interesting facts and suggestions
It is widely assumed that the julep’s roots extend back to the Arab world, from a drink made with water and rose petals, called a julab.
Before it assumed a defined recipe in America, julep was a word used to describe “a kind of liquid medicine.” Juleps were a category of drinks that could (and did) feature many different kinds of spirits. Brandy and peach brandy were cited in recipes dating back to 1787, according to author Gary Regan (The Joy of Mixology).
Mint was not printed as an ingredient in the julep until 1803, and author Ted Haigh (Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails) claims that the framework for the modern mint julep made with whiskey did not surface until the mid-1800s.
Many consider the drink to be one of the first American cocktails (due to its incorporation of ice), and is now the official drink of the Kentucky Derby.
The mint julep was a favorite of many famous American luminaries such as William Faulkner and Theodore Roosevelt.
Crushed ice is crucial in the making of a high-quality julep. Don’t use soda.
Use spearmint in your mint julep. It will taste better than peppermint.
Mint juleps are meant to be a sipping cocktail. Enjoy at a slow, leisurely pace.
The recipe
The ingredients are incontestable. Mint. Sugar. Ice. Whiskey. More mint.
How the ingredients are assembled represents a point of strict contention for many Southerners. Straw or no straw? Powdered sugar or simple syrup? One sprig of mint or twenty? To muddle the mint or not to muddle? Each decision will alter the drinking experience in a small way, but in the end, it’s a matter of personal preference.
Here’s the recipe from Second Bar + Kitchen, which can also be found in the Austin360 Cocktails database. I typically follow this progression of preparation, although I tend to garnish with copious amounts of mint to experience the full aroma bouquet, and use a slightly more stout 2 oz. pour of bourbon, because I like my whiskey more pronounced.
1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
1/2 oz. Simple syrup (or a teaspoon of sugar)
Mint
Gently bruise one of the mint sprigs in the bottom of a metal julep cup (or highball glass) with the simple syrup. Don’t shred the leaves, just mildly muddle to release the flavors. Add crushed ice. Add the Bourbon. Stir the drink with a bar spoon until the metal frosts. Top off with a bit more crushed ice and stir briefly again. Garnish with the second mint sprig.
The party
While I personally enjoy mint juleps alone or in good company on my porch at home, the derby is cause for celebration, and should therefore be consumed in the jovial company of others for maximum enjoyment. Here’s a small selection of places to get your mint julep fix on Saturday. Don’t forget your derby garb — big hats, dresses and suits are a must.
Haddingtons
Kentucky Derby-inspired menu and drink specials (Mint Juleps ($4), sponsored by Bulleit Bourbon. Brunch menu served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Derby-centric menu from 2 to 7 p.m.
Trifecta on 3rd
2 p.m. Drink Maker’s Mark Mint Juleps while wearing big hats and watching the
Kentucky Derby.
Twin Liquors Locations
From 2 to 5 p.m. If you just want to taste a mint julep, and skip all the Derby business, there will be a tasting at Twin Liquors stores. Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark (depending on which location you visit, check the website for specifics) mint julep samples for free.
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Cocktails presented as art forms in Digestible Feats series
With the perceived pretension that surrounds the current craft cocktail revival, seeking new and innovative ways to make cocktails approachable to people who are unfamiliar with them is an issue many bartenders struggle with daily.
This year’s Fusebox Festival debuted a new series that (in part) tackled this issue. The aptly named Digestible Feats featured collaborations between artists of various mediums and talent from the culinary arts to showcase the connection between the two and provided an alternative way for people to connect and interact with the local food and drink scene.
Curator Hank Cathey brought together local artists, writers, musicians and proponents of other art forms together with “chefs and bartenders who approach their craft with excitement and a desire to challenge themselves and their customers,” to create the series of multi-sensory, engaging and educational events, many of which featured craft and classic cocktails.
Digestible Feats included a one-night-only craft cocktail bar in the Seaholm Power Plant, an interactive Martini lecture at Bar Congress, and cocktails, tapas and music for ‘Eat, Drink, Listen” at Fino. I attended the final event of the series at The Tigress Pub last Saturday, a play titled “Bottled-in-Bond: The Decline and Fall of a Thug as Told in Five Drinks.”
Playwrights Steve Moore and Zeb L. West of Physical Plant Theater and bartender Jason Stevens of The Tigress and East Side Showroom joined forces to create and present the noir play.
Art came alive in the tiny pub, when instead of passively viewing the action, audience members were selected to play the roles of two bank robbers who betray one another for the love of a fair lady. The participants followed a script penned by the playwrights, which was whispered into the actor’s ears as the action progressed, while their actions were guided by West.
Each scene concluded with the characters ordering a drink from Bartender Jason Stevens, who described a brief history of each cocktail, the correct proportions and reasons for specific mixing techniques, before serving samples for the viewers to imbibe.
Stevens explained that each cocktail came from a vintage cocktail recipe book, and was carefully selected from the same era as the play, in order to script a complementary story through the drinks. He elaborates, “I wanted the drinks to evoke a feeling that the audience could share with each other and the performers beyond what was written and acted. Following the idea of a man’s downfall I started with elegant, low-alcohol cocktails and slowly descended into boozier, simpler fare, highlighting and reinforcing the play’s tones through appearance, feel, and taste.”
The event was thoughtful and engaging. Audience members not only watched, but enjoyed the scripted action as a shared experience, and instead of merely tasting cocktails, they were introduced to the drinks and encouraged to experience them within the context of history and emotion.
Austin is primed for multi-platform collaborations of this sort, and Cathey hopes to continue the series beyond Fusebox, due in part to the warm reception participants professed towards him. “When I’ve talked to audience members, collaborators, or managers of the restaurants and bars, the most common question has been “How can we do more of this?” That’s a question we’re asking ourselves, too. Austin is excited about this work, and so are we, so we’re considering what’s possible.”
Here’s one of the drinks that was served during Bottled-in-Bond, to accompany the scene titled “A drink to undo the days…”
The Lone Tree Cocktail
Adapted from Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book
1 ¼ oz Plymouth gin
¾ oz Lillet Blanc
½ oz Carpano Antica vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
Combine, stir till chilled, pour into a coupe glass and garnish with a small twig of thyme.
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May 3, 2011
Cinco de Mayo margaritas
Cinco de Mayo is tequila’s moment to shine. But if sipping or shooting the nectar of Mexico’s treasured agave plant doesn’t fit your bill for the perfect fiesta this year, turn to the time-honored standby, the margarita.
The Classic Margarita
Margaritas haven’t always been served frozen or on the rocks. The original recipe consisted of only three ingredients and was served up, like a cocktail. It’s a balanced, understated and elegant drink. It’s also easy to make. Here’s the recipe:
1.5 oz. 100% agave tequila
1 oz. orange liqueur (Cointreau or Paula’s Texas Orange for a Texas twist)
.75 oz. fresh lime juice
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime.
David Alan of TipsyTexan.com contributed his take on the classic margarita for the Austin360 cocktails database. Here’s the man himself with the recipe for the “unofficial official drink of Austin, the margarita.”
Prickly Pear Margarita at Fonda San Miguel
This drink is a celebration in a glass. Designed by author and tequila-lover Lucinda Hutson, the Prickly Pear margarita will be featured at Fonda San Miguel for the Cinco de Mayo holiday. The fresh Prickly Pear puree is bright and tart, the jalapeno syrup provides a slight edge but does not pack as much heat as many recipes insist upon (which is a good thing), and the sweet-spicy salt on the rim is addicting. Here’s the recipe:
2 large, fresh, ripe red prickly pear fruit, peeled
6-8 oz. blanco or reposado tequila
3-4 oz. fresh lime juice
4 oz. homemade jalapeno syrup
Mexican chile seasoned salt to rim glass.
Puree prickly pear in a blender. Add tequila, then strain mixture through a fine sieve to remove hard seeds, using a wooden spoon to press out all of the nectar. Stir in lime juice and syrup to taste. Chill or freeze before serving. Pour over ice into a glass rimmed with Mexican Chile Seasoned Salt. Garnish with a slice of unpeeled prickly pear or a lime wedge.
Serves 4.
Note: Use commercial frozen purees when prickly pears not available.
Jalapeno Syrup: 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, 2 or more jalapenos (or serranos for more heat) halved and seeded. In a heavy one-quart saucepan, bring sugar and water to a slow boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add peppers and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool. Pour, un-strained, into a bottle, and refrigerate for two weeks.
*Prickly Pear photo by Emily Lim FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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Haddingtons' iconic cocktail series
Vintage cocktails will be given a new life at Haddingtons this summer. Here’s the breakdown from the press release:
Beginning May 9, the pub will feature a revolving monthly cocktail series highlighting the celebrated spirits and mixed drinks of bygone eras, as well as modern cocktail adaptations created by award-winning bartender Bill Norris. These special cocktails are only $10 each during regular service, and $8 during happy hour and from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
“This cocktail series is a great way for Haddingtons to honor the influential cocktail legends of the past. Bartending would be nowhere without these books. And it’s a nice way to expose our guests to something a little different,” Norris says. “One of the best things about Haddingtons is that we offer some really cool food and drinks, but we don’t do it in a super serious, pretentious way; it’s a fun environment. And if classic cocktails aren’t your thing, you can still get a great beer. We’ve got a little something for everyone.”
May
The first monthly cocktail series will highlight recipes from “How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion,” and will include classic cocktails such as the Sherry Cobbler, a mixture of sherry, sugar and ripe berries; the Old Fashioned, a simple combination of rye whiskey, bitters and sugar that is known as the world’s first cocktail; and the Martinez, a cocktail of Old Tom gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino and orange bitters that became the template for iconic cocktails like the Martini and the Manhattan. Additionally, Norris will tantalize Haddingtons guests with his Pasado de Moda cocktail, a potent yet smooth mixture of mescal, navy-strength rum and mole bitters.
June
“The Savoy Cocktail Book,” a reference that showcases the more playful cocktails of the Prohibition era will be featured. Cocktails such as Cameron’s Kick, a blend of Irish whiskey, Scotch whiskey, orgeat and lemon; the Bijou, a cocktail of gin, chartreuse, sweet vermouth and bitters; and the Millionaire No. 1, a sweet mix of aged rum, sloe gin, apricot brandy, grenadine and lime will be served. Norris’ special accompanying cocktail for the series is the Dover to Calais, a tempting combination of navy-strength rum, chartreuse, orgeat, lime and Peychaud’s Bitters.
July
Haddingtons’ final monthly cocktail series will feature recipes from “Trader Vic’s Book of Food & Drink,” will have Norris redefining the classic, iconic Tiki cocktails that are so often poorly made as syrupy-sweet beach drinks. Norris will enlighten Haddingtons guests with Trader Vic’s classic Navy Grog cocktail, with Demerara rum, light rum, blackstrap rum, lime, grapefruit, honey and soda; the Suffering Bastard, a blend of bourbon, gin, lime, bitters and house ginger beer; and the tasty Scorpion, a mixture of light rum, brandy, orange, lemon and orgeat. Norris’ modern cocktail of the series is his award-winning Waco Haze Cutter, a blend of Balcones Rumble, Balcones Baby Blue, gin, grapefruit, orgeat, cream and sherry.
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April 29, 2011
Shrubs emerge in local cocktails
It’s spring, and I’ve got shrubs on the brain.
The shrubs in question are not the foliage-picked-fresh-from-your-garden type, but rather a method of preserving fruits and vegetables that dates back to colonial times. A shrub is a mixture of fruit, vinegar and sugar that when cooked, results in a sweet yet tart syrup used to brighten up drinks.
In the late 1800s, shrubs were added to water or carbonated sodas and consumed as a way to beat the heat, or otherwise strengthened with rum or another base spirit to create a more robust beverage (also to fortify the mix, so it would stay consumable for a longer period of time).
Austin bartenders are recently hip to the idea, making homemade shrubs and incorporating them into cocktail recipes.
Bill Norris of Haddington’s has a particular affinity for cocktail shrubbery. During a recent visit to the pub, he explained that one of the benefits of using shrubs in cocktails is the acidic dimension they contribute to the mix.
“The sour component of a cocktail, whether it be lemon, lime or grapefruit, oftentimes yields a bunch of drinks that taste similar to one another.” The vinegar in a shrub introduces a bright, tangy quality that juice alone doesn’t match. Norris created a carrot/ginger shrub for the What’s Up Doc? cocktail, which can currently be found on the spring menu at Haddington’s. Check out the recipe below.
I followed Norris’ suggested preparation (one part vinegar, one part fruit, one part sugar, brought to a boil, then reduced to simmer for 20 minutes before cooling) at home when experimenting with a blackberry and strawberry shrub. I found that the vinegar provided a surprisingly delightful sour backbone to what would otherwise just be a fruit syrup. The final products were so bright and delicious I enjoyed most of the batch straight from the spoon. They also tasted great mixed with soda, and I would imagine, splendid as a topping for ice-cream or waffles too.
I used a red wine vinegar in one of my homemade shrubs, but different types of vinegar can be used to achieve different effects. Norris’ recipe below employs apple cider vinegar. Adam Bryan of Bar Congress also incorporates vinegar and shrubs into his drinks when applicable. He currently prefers an Asian style that features rice vinegar.
The method Bryan subscribes to calls for allowing the fruit to macerate in vinegar for several days before cooking. He believes that this preparation “works best with more exotic fruits as well as heartier darker fruits and vegetables (think tamarind and apples, pineapple, even pumpkins) rather than berries, citrus or cucumbers.” This process is also used in the recipe (below) highlighted by Statesman food writer Addie Broyles in this article from 2010, and this recipe for a Raspberry vinegar from the New York Times.
Blueberry Shrub
4 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
Place blueberries in a nonmetallic container. Add the vinegar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least three days. Pour the vinegar-marinated blueberries into a sieve over a bowl; press the berries to release all their juice. Discard the solids.
Pour the blueberry-vinegar liquid into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour the sweetened blueberry liquid into a small container and chill.
Shrubs like this would work great in tall ice-filled sodas for a light non-alcoholic drink, or add some vodka or gin to make a refreshing highball. The recipe for blueberry shrub was taken from ‘Porch Parties’ by Denise Gee.
What’s Up Doc?
2.5 oz Oloroso Sherry
.5 oz Ginger/Carrot Shrub*
2 dashes celery bitters
Combine all in mixing glass with ice. Stir until well chilled and strain into chilled
cocktail glass.
*To make the carrot ginger shrub, combine one cup apple cider vinegar, one cup sugar, preferably raw, one cup diced carrots and a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins. Remove from heat. When cooled to room temperature, strain out solids and bottle. Will keep for several weeks.
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April 21, 2011
Cocktails to enjoy this spring
Spring has sprung. It’s time to throw open the doors, sit out on your patio and sip on some sumptuous thirst-quenching cocktails before the heat becomes oppressive and you’re trapped indoors for the rest of the summer.
I’ve picked out some delicious suggestions for you to try this spring, and compiled them in an easy to access section of the Cocktails database. Refreshment is the number one goal in making a satisfying warm weather drink, so most of the beverages you will find in the database are tall, cool, ice-packed beauties. You might recognize some of the recipes in the mix, but over half are brand new, so be sure to scroll through the entire set.
The season’s drinking education will continue with a couple of spotlight posts in the near future, but in the meantime, here’s a glossary of terms to help you navigate through the new cataloged libations:
Collins: Tom, John, and Jack all belong to the same family of cocktail, The Collins. As a style, the Collins does not adhere to a hard and fast recipe, but is more of a set of guidelines that can be manipulated per each occasion. Collinses are composed of a base spirit (gin, bourbon, applejack), a citrus (lime, lemon, grapefruit), a sweetener (simple syrup, honey, agave nectar), and an effervescent agent (club soda, champagne, ginger beer). They are served tall, over ice, in a (not so coincidentally-named) Collins glass.
Julep: In the early 1800s, julep was a word used to describe “a kind of liquid medicine.” Today, as defined by Merriam-Webster: “a drink consisting of a liquor (as bourbon or brandy) and sugar poured over crushed ice and garnished with mint.” The Mint Julep is a quintessential hot weather cocktail that is meant to be consumed at a leisurely pace. It’s also the traditional beverage of the Kentucky Derby (which will take place May 7, 2011).
Shrub: Shrubs are a method of preserving fruits and vegetables that dates back to colonial times. The standard ratio of ingredients is one part vinegar, one part fruit, and one part sugar, although this can be adjusted to suit your personal tastes. The result is a tart but sweet syrup that brings a brightness to both alcoholic beverages and sodas (for teetotalers). Shrubs are currently reappearing in modern cocktails as an alternative to traditional citrus components such as lemon, lime and grapefruit.
Ginger Beer: Ginger beer is a completely different beast than it’s milder, more accessible relative ginger ale. In the 18th century in England and America, ginger beer was fermented, yielding an alcoholic tipple. Today, both ginger ale and ginger beer are alcohol-free. What’s the difference, then? Ginger is more pronounced and spicier in ginger beer, making it a soda not for the faint of heart. It adds depth and dimension to many highballs.
Aperitif: The definition, as taken from The Aperitif Companion by Andrew Jones: “An aperitif is a drink usually taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite.” The ritual of drinking an aperitif before dinner is widespread in Europe, but not so much in America. This is a tragedy that should be remedied post haste. Well-known aperitifs you will find in the spring package include (from most bitter to slightly less so,) Campari, Aperol and Pimm’s.
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March 10, 2011
Adam Bryan to represent Austin at Texas cocktail competition
Earlier this week, bartenders in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin poured fresh inspiration into a classic cocktail recipe during the qualifying round of the Maker’s Mark Craft Cocktail Competition.
Lead barman Adam Bryan of Bar Congress took home the winning shaker for Austin.
Bryan will join the other regional winners March 31 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts for the Stars of the Bar competition, which is part of the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival’s Stars Across Texas Classic. Each bartender’s cocktail will be judged for the chance to be named the Festival’s official cocktail for 2011.
The competition was based on the premise of creating a new twist on the Collins cocktail, a drink traditionally composed of a spirit, citrus, sugar and soda. Each drink must showcase Maker’s Mark as the base spirit but could play with variations of citrus, sweetener and effervescent agent (soda, beer, sparkling wine, etc.) to create an original drink.
The judges of the local round of the competition, which was held in the Fox Tavern at Haddingtons, were myself, Bill Norris and Zach Northcutt of Haddingtons and Todd Richman, mixologist and Trade Educator for Sidney Frank Importing Company.
The featured cocktails sported unusual ingredients and inventive combinations. Themes varied from Indian curry spices to homemade lemon curd, dark chile chocolate and a cherry Chinese 5-spice gastrique.
Bryan’s cocktail, the Handyman Collins, was one of the two cocktails that featured beer as a primary ingredient, tapping into a booze trend that’s been popping up on menus in Austin recently, and has been spotlighted on a national level for some time now.
The Handyman Collins (which Bryan describes as a good cocktail to enjoy after mowing the lawn) is a combination of Maker’s Mark, lemon zest, castor sugar and Hennepin Beer. The hops from the Hennepin and wheat-forward flavor of the Maker’s Mark played well together. The addition of fresh lemon zest creates a refreshing drink with multiple layers of interest.
Austin-based Maker’s Mark Distillery Diplomat Adam Harris told the crowd he was impressed with the unique and varied flavor-profiles everyone brought to the table as well as the level of sophistication each participant infused into such a simple base recipe. He further claimed that the level of talent showcased is a testament to how creative and flourishing the cocktail scene is across Texas, and in Austin in particular.
Check out the recipe for Adam Bryan’s drink below.
The Handyman Collins:
2 oz. Maker’s Mark
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest
1 Tbsp. castor sugar
4 oz. (approximately) Hennepin Beer
Crushed Ice
Cherry and lemon wheel garnish
**Photo of Adam Bryan at Bar Congress taken by Ralph Barrera AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Cocktail photograph by Emma Janzen AMERICAN-STATESMAN.
**UPDATE: There were 6 others who competed in the Austin round. Benjamin Craven from Perla’s, Brian Dressel from Second Bar + Kitchen, Houston Eaves from the East Side Show Room, Carter Buford from Peche, Brandon Burkart from Haddingtons, and Garrett Mikell from Peche.
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March 8, 2011
New Orleans cocktails for Fat Tuesday
Happy Fat Tuesday. Here are some options to celebrate in style with some classic New Orleans cocktails.
First up, the Sazerac.
In 2008 the Sazerac was named the official drink of New Orleans. The cocktail is composed of whiskey, Herbsaint, sugar and Peychaud’s bitters. Check out the recipe and more history on the cocktail in the Austin360 Cocktail Database.
Second up, another classic New Orleans cocktail named after the French Quarter, the Vieux Carré. David Alan of TipsyTexan.com explains the correct way to make the drink in the video below. Check out more information and the recipe in the Austin360 Cocktail Database.
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March 7, 2011
Lara Nixon on Texas' classic cocktail scene
Last week, Statesman videographer Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon sat down with local bar craftsperson Lara Nixon to discuss her second barrel-aged cocktail. Today he posted the extended version of the interview.
Nixon plays a substantial role in the local scene, and therefore has a unique perspective on how the culture of classic cocktails is progressing in Texas.
Here she shares her thoughts on how the Texas scene differs from other national cocktail hubs on the East and West coasts, how classic cocktails should be a fun experience and bridge the gap between bartenders and customers, and the story behind her barrel-aged cocktails.
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March 4, 2011
Barrel-aged cocktails making waves
Cocktail lovers of all kinds gathered at the Tigress Pub on North Loop last Tuesday night to taste a new cocktail trend that originated on the West Coast, but is beginning to gain traction in Austin. Lara Nixon of Balcones Distilling, theblueruin.com, and Tipsy Tech revealed her second attempt at barrel-aging a cocktail.
Nixon presented her first barrel-aged cocktail back in December, and since then hit the drawing board with a new spirit profile to see how a different cocktail would behave in the barrel.
The new cocktail, The Brave, was based on a recipe created by Bobby Huegel of Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston. Nixon wanted to experiment with how the smoky Mexican spirit Mezcal would age in the barrel.
Here’s the recipe for The Brave:
1 oz Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
1 oz Hacienda del Sotol Plata
.5 oz Averna Amaro
1 tsp Marie Brizard Orange Curacao
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir in a brandy snifter without ice and mist Angostura bitters on top. Flame an orange zest above the cocktail for garnish.
The Statesman’s videographer Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon chatted with Lara Nixon to get a more in depth explanation of why she decided to barrel-age, and why it is exciting for the new wave of cocktail craftsmen and enthusiasts. Check out his video interview with Nixon below.
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February 5, 2011
National pride and Pisco Sours
“We’ve been to war. Not over Pisco, but maybe we should have.” Raul Escobar, General Manager of the swank Pan-Latin restaurant La Sombra jokes about the longstanding cultural divide between Peru and Chile. The matter of contention? Which country first distilled the grape brandy Pisco, and which one makes the best Pisco Sour, a mixture of citrus, sugar, Pisco and egg whites.
Peru celebrates National Pisco Sour Day on the first Saturday of February, so while Peruvians celebrate their national cocktail in South America, the battle of which sour tastes the best will likely wage between ex-pats in bars across the U.S.
There are several factors that differentiate a Chilean from Peruvian Pisco Sour. First, the type of Pisco used. The type of grape, which parts of the grape are distilled and whether the spirit is aged or not and for how long vary from distillery to distillery, thus yielding wildly different tasting spirits. Secondly, the cocktails differ in their use of citrus. The Chilean version uses lemon juice, while Peruvians use limones verdes, or what we know as limes for the juice component.
Escobar (above), who hails from Chile, deals with the divisive Pisco Sour battle on a daily basis at La Sombra. The restaurant’s Executive Chef Julio-Cesar Florez, from Peru, also believes that his country makes the superior version of the cocktail. The playful competition between manager and chef eventually led to a party last fall aptly named The Great Pisco Divide.
When asked about the event, Escobar explained that he was raised drinking Pisco Sours as part of daily culture, and it has always been his “dream to throw a party and have everyone drinking Pisco Sours.” For the Great Pisco Divide, they offered blind tastings of each country’s variation to guests. Escobar beamed when he exclaimed that the Chilean version was the crowd favorite, winning tasters over 64 to 47. He also teased that some of the long-time Peruvian sour drinkers chose the Chilean version during the blind tasting, and were so distraught that have not been back to the restaurant since.
Natives may argue until the end of time about which cocktail tastes more authentic or delicious, but to the impartial taster, comparing one version to the other is like comparing apples to oranges. They are distinctive and each type showcases different aspects of the Pisco used. At La Sombra the Chilean version tastes light, balanced and delicate, whereas the Peruvian version has a little more funk, density and depth. Each one showcases the base spirit well, and makes a refreshing drink.
Figure out for yourself which tasting team you support. La Sombra will have happy hour specials all day today, Saturday Feb. 5 to celebrate Peru’s National Pisco Sour day. Several places around town offer their variations on the Pisco Sour as well. You can try the cocktail at La Condesa, Fino, Peché, or Takoba.
Here’s one version of a recipe for the Peruvian style, if you want to make one at home:
1.5 oz. Pisco
.75 oz. Lime juice
1 oz. Simple syrup
1 Egg white
Angostura bitters
Substitute lemon juice for the lime juice if you want a Chilean version. Raul Escobar recommends the Peruvian Don Cesar Especial pisco, or Chilean Capel, which he grew up drinking at home.
Austin bartenders have played with versions of their own Pisco Sours as well. Check out some of them in the Austin360 Cocktail Recipe database including one from Adam Bryan of Bar Congress, the Pisco Fuego, which includes the french elderflower liqueur St. Germain in the mix. Garrett Mikell of Peche contributed a Pisco Sour recipe that also benefits from flames, the Scorched Pisco Sour (photo below).
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January 13, 2011
Cocktails at the Austonian (with video)
It’s an exciting time for the downtown drinking scene. Seems like new bars are popping up left and right in the drinking districts, but now a new breed is emerging — the craft cocktail bar. Already a staple in larger cities like San Francisco, Portland and New York City, Austin is rapidly gaining momentum in this area with recent additions like Haddingtons, the W bars, and the Tigress Pub.
If you picked up a copy of today’s print edition, you might have noticed the story on a couple of the latest watering holes that opened last month — Bar Congress and Second Bar + Kitchen. If you missed it, read the introduction and check out the photos and recipes here.
Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon, one of the Statesman’s multimedia journalists shot video to go with the story, featuring Billy Hankey, the lead barman at Second Bar + Kitchen. Check it out:
