Sunday, February 27, 2011

gin fiz



photo cred: thisnextthing.com
Gin Fiz!
I've never made a gin fiz. I did, however drink too many Sloe Gin Fizzes at a hotel bar in Athens, Greece as a teenager (16 on a school trip)- and I don't even know where I learned what one even was. I probably just liked the word fizz.

What is the story of the Gin Fiz you ask?
It was born in New Orleans.
And it gained popularity in the US from 1900-1940. The first mention of it was in the late 1800's within the Jerry Thomas Bartender's Guide

A gentleman asked me what I would put in a gin fizz this weekend- and we both agreed that It would start with Hayman's Old Tom gin. I love that stuff!

The rest would go as follows:

2 oz gin
1tsp powdered sugar (or simple syrup)
pressed lemon juice from 1 lemon
a dollop of an egg white

shake these all together in a shaker

strain into a high ball with 2 ice cubes

top with soda water.
garnish with a cherry-
spring for the AMAZING Luxardo ones.

you can add special components to fancify, like rose water, or orange water, even a dab of pear might be cool. But be aware that you are straying from the standard tradition listed above.

Oh and incase you were wondering about those sloe gin fizzes they are made the same way- sans egg white & with sloe gin. Sloe Gin is a sweet, red, blackthorn plum or sloe plum flavored liqueur with a gin base.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

bourbon & milk a winter brunch staple...

photo cred bourbonfilm.com







It seems like people are really into bourbon & milk lately. I'm not really a milk drinker, though i whip up my own almond milk on the regular. But I can appreciate this hearty drink like I appreciate a bowl of ice cream (or 2).

bourbon and vanilla are like peas and carrots so consider different ways of working vanilla into your drink.

Here is my favorite version of this fun treat for brunch and bourbon ingestion.

You will need: bourbon, milk, vanilla, sugar

2 oz bourbon (basil hayden, corner creek, buffalo trace, fitzgerald 1849 is real cheap as is weller 12 year...)
3 oz milk or 1/2 & 1/2 if you're a hedonist (like me).
1 sugar cube or some type of vanilla sugar mash up.
some people use vanilla extract but why not some nice vanilla bean?
vanilla sugar? vanilla powder...seriously click here
you could infuse your bourbon over night and it would be dreamy good.
there's also vanilla paste if you want to get crazy.

You may even rim your glass with some vanilla powder.... yum.

But any way, the easiest way is to whisk your milk with come type of sugar mentioned above.

some people freeze this milk and sugar over night, but you don't have to.

Toss the bourbon and milk into a glass with ice. A nice tall glass. You may grate some nutmeg on top but I don't do that.


yum


I suggest a madagascar vanilla bean

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

pisco punch from Pegu

photo cred ilove212.com


the best little cocktail blog
went to Pegu shortly after new years. And it was perfect. In addition to last year's belated Christmas gift to my brother (tickets to see monologue/story teller/ all around hilarious artist-guy Mike Daisey) I tagged on round trip train travel + food & cocktailing for this year's present...

We went to Pegu because it was close. But next time we plan to hit up Little Branch and Death & Company as well.

My brother drinks beer & Jameson and that's about it. I appreciate that about him. Standards, tradition, you know the drill. But I knew he'd be impressed by the cocktailery that Pegu demonstrates.

He drank a minty smash drink- much similar to a mint julep & he loved it.

I drank the Pisco Punch & I still can not get that dreamy little devil off of my mind.
So, here is how you create this beauty.

Pisco, Pineapple, Grapefruit, lime & lemon juice, ice

Before:
Infuse your pisco with pineapple, Pegu suggests about 3 days. If you are pressed for time (literally) you may muddle up the pisco and pineapple but it won't taste the same.
Take a jar, some chunks of pineapple and a bottle of pisco. Cover it & shake. Let sit in the refrigerator for 3 days. strain. use.

Make up a batch of grapefruit simple syrup. 1 whole grapefruit. Same recipe as regular simple syrup add the zest of a grapefruit rind to the already cooled sugar water. Try not to add the pith, that's the white part of the fruit. If it were your body, it'd be much similar to the fascia that binds your muscle to bones & skin (is that gross?) well, that's kind of what pith is, it holds the rind and the meaty fruit part all together, like a container. Pith is bitter. Let this sit for a day in the refrigerator.

same is true for the lemon and lime simple syrup. But I like fresh lime & lemon juice as I don't really covet the sweet.

Any way, I'm a dork.

This serves many people. As, it is a punch.

750 ml pisco
8.5 oz of grapefruit syrup
8.5 oz of lime juice or syrup
12.5 oz fresh lemon

I then add a bit of regular simple syrup to taste. I adore the tart finish of fresh lime & lemon juice, and maybe you don't- so if you want to stick to the pegu recipe do the lime syrup in stead.

refrigerate this delicious mess for a few hours.

I serve it in a little tumbler with cubes.

You may do whatever you please. It'll be good no matter what.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

seco! the drink of panama


The Panamanian drink is seco, a sugar-cane-distilled alcohol produced in Herrera. It is not a trendy fancy drink, it's more cool & local. Most Panamians drink scotch, rum & beer. Panama city is super cosmopolitan. Yes, it has it's heart breaking, impoverished, tragic barrios, but it is to the back drop of futuristic skyscrapers. The ultimate dichotomy. Just like home :(

Seco is really really good on ice with lime. But you can do many things with it. It has even been served with milk.
It reminds me of all of the other sugar cane spirits, cachaca (of brasilian fame) mostly.

Oh yeah, and one more thing. When in Panama? your red wine will be served cold.


hola! the best little cocktail blog goes to Panama!


well, it's not as fancy as it sounds :) it was for a yoga retreat. But I did manage to get some drinking in during my first & last days in panama city!

first off: which of the panama beers is the best?



atlas, balboa, the aptly named panama?
for sure it is namesake cerveza: Panama!
I may or may have not have come to this conclusion during the 4th quarter of the jets vs. steelers game at a panama city hooters....maybe??

trust me I drank enough to be sure of this.

But I encourage all to decide for themselves.