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*JUST ADD ALCOHOL

exploring nuance with life's favorite ingredient


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THE RETRO COCKTAIL & POST-PROHIBITION DRINKS

Bartenders, especially those involved in the “cocktail” world, understand the
significant impact that Prohibition has had on the industries surrounding
alcoholic beverages. Many consumers, however, are unaware of that impact.
National Prohibition was rooted in political and religious belief systems, that
sought to temper a vice, and legislate morality to a nation. Any time a product,
that is in high consumer demand, is made illegal, a black market is created.
Crime increases, violence increases, and eventually, the public demands action.
It didn’t take long for the ridiculous idea to be repealed, and when Prohibition
ended on December 5, 1933, the nation joined together in a collective sigh of
relief, and a toast to better times ahead.

Treatises have been written, documentaries have been filmed, and many a scholar
has spoken about the nearly decade and a half that The United States of America
suffered under the tyranny of Prohibition. What is sorely missing, however, is a
definitive study of the decades following its repeal. And, maybe, that is
because not much is ever said, outside of our small circle of bartenders, about
what life in this industry was like before Prohibition was passed.

In 2007, cocktail historian (yes, that’s a thing) David Wondrich published the
book, “Imbibe,” about the history of the bartending profession, and the
development of mixed drinks, up to around the time of the early twentieth
century. Since then, hundreds of books have been written about the early times
of the bar business, and many others containing massive amounts of recipes from
that time. The history of the bartender, as a professional, career-minded
individual, is no longer disputed. And there’s an equal amount of reference one
can obtain about the so-called “Cocktail Revolution” of the latter half of the
same century. Many people credit Dale Degroff and his time at New York City’s
“The Rainbow Room,” as the start of the resurgence. It may seem pedestrian
today, when one can order a margarita, with fresh squeezed lime juice, in
LaGuardia Airport. But during Dale’s time, fresh juice was not only taboo, it
was essentially unavailable. It took his pioneering vision, and a plethora of
disciples, to reinvigorate our industry, and essentially take it back to its
roots.

The result of this, thirty years later, is the emergence of folks like me, who
can, again, make a career out of mixing, and talking about, alcoholic beverages.
All over the country, cocktails are again not just being taken seriously, but
are becoming a necessity in competition with other on-premise establishments. A
restaurant is now doing a disservice to its clientele, if the beverage program
is not on par with the one across the street. Owners, chefs, and managers, are
realizing the need for talent not just behind the bar, but around it as well.
Talented bartenders are now expected to not just know how to build and stir a
Manhattan, but how to make it profitable for the business to sell, in the first
place. We have truly come full circle.

But, there’s a large portion of this story that didn’t make it into the
proverbial dossier. What about the five decades between the end of Prohibition,
and Dale Degroff’s legendary rediscovery of the craft? Surely we agree that
bartenders still existed during this half of a century, so what were they doing,
and why were they doing it? As a group, we collectively call this period the
Dark Ages.



It is estimated that at the end of the nineteenth century, there were over 4000
breweries in the United States. By the early 1930’s, there were merely a
handful. While there was a strong bump, following repeal, most of the market was
controlled by what would become the large “macro” companies, Bud, Miller, and
Coors. By 1979, there were a total of 44 breweries operating in the United
States. The same can be said for distilleries. Prohibition nationalized all of
the distilled alcohol produced in the country, and the only alcohol that could
be sold to the public was marketed as elixirs for “health benefits.” This had
the effect of consolidating all of the distilled spirits under the control of a
few large companies, as well. Moving into the war and post-war eras, alcoholic
beverages followed the same mega-industrial trends as food. The same family that
heated up TV dinners for supper, and ate Sara Lee cheesecake for dessert, also
drank Smirnoff vodka, and Seagrams Whiskey. A few major brands dominated the
market, and the demand for “mixers” was minimal. A bar could be expected to
carry a dry and a sweet vermouth, and maybe some “schnapps,” but the days of
artisanal Crème de Violette, were over.



So what happened? TGI Fridays happened. Applebee’s happened. Chili’s happened.
And the club scene in the large cities happened. While drinks like the
Manhattan, and Old Fashioned, had survived Prohibition (at least in a somewhat
bastardized form) drinks like the Martini were now of national relevance. One
need only to catch a few episodes of Mad Men, to see how the vodka martini began
to be the American drink of choice. And, like all good, trends, everyone latched
onto it. The public began to move away from drinks that tasted overly like
alcohol. Soon, every mixed drink served “up” in a coupe-typed glass, was being
called a “martini.” The drink took on the shape of the glassware, rather than
the historical recipe for the drink. The style of the 1970’s led to the coupe
taking on a more angular, triangle shape, and the “martini glass” was born (I’ll
leave the subject of wine coolers to a different post.)

Every generation eschews the practices of the previous one. Soon, brown liquor
drinks, like the Manhattan, were being passed over for neon-colored martinis, of
various flavors. Large liquor manufacturers were quick to develop product lines
of artificially-colored and flavored liqueurs that were meant to approximate
real mixing ingredients of the past. You can still see this today, with examples
like Hiram Walker, Bols, and Dekuyper, all having various pros and cons to their
formulas. The Apple Martini, The Chocolate Martini, The Pineapple Upside Down
Cake Martini…. All of these drinks were born in the fern bars and clubs of the
1970’s and 1980’s. The youth was wild, the hook-up game intense. And things
would remain this way until Dale Degroff solved all of the world’s problems at
The Rainbow Room. Right? 

Let’s start from the premise that nothing’s changed. Ever. There have always
been two people in the world. One, those who want to drink alcohol, and love the
taste of alcohol. And two, those who want to get drunk, and don’t love the taste
of alcohol. If you don’t want to drink alcohol at all, I don’t trust you, you’re
strange and probably dangerous. But for everyone else, you either sip a nice
bourbon, or you mix it with ten ounces of Coca-Cola, and drink it through a
straw. There’s really no other option.

So, what are cocktails, exactly, other than a way to make an alcoholic
ingredient more palatable? Whether its lightly “seasoning” your whiskey with a
cube of sugar, and a few dashes of bitters, or drowning raspberry vodka in a
pint glass of Sprite, we’re kind of chasing after the same thing, are we not? At
the end of the day, if you want a pint of neon green liquid, served in a
triangle suitcase, that tastes like an apple Jolly Rancher on steroids,
shouldn’t I be just as willing to accept your twelve dollars in return for it,
as I would be in any other instance? Let’s face it, making an Apple Martini, and
making a Negroni, are only differed by the skill set needed to master either
one. If you can make one, and not the other, then I condemn you for not rounding
out your talents. If you can spend three minutes crafting a Mahattan, using
local, organic, artisanal, overproof Rye, but you can’t get a customer a vodka
soda within ten seconds, while a DJ pumps remixed house beats in your ear, then
my thoughts are that you’d better work on that. 

At the end of the day, there are no differences in the title ascribed to any of
these people. All of them are bartenders, they’re just using different skill
sets, depending on the location in which they happen to be working, at the given
time. To hear a bartender at a local dive criticize the bartender at an upscale
restaurant, or the other way around, is childish, petty, and unnecessary. That
being said, there are those who succeed and fail at any of these skill sets.
I’ve met incredible bartenders at clubs, and terrible bartenders at world famous
cocktail bars, and vice versa. However, the days of the arrogant, dismissive,
bartender, who looks down her nose at someone else doing exactly the same job,
but in a different way, should be over. We should be holding ourselves more
accountable. And I’m looking at you, clubtender who thinks “craft” cocktails are
elitist and corny, all while sipping your fresh kale smoothie, that you paid
eight dollars for, at the gym. 

The fact is, there were people drinking a multitude of different alcoholic
beverages in 1820, and there are people drinking a multitude of different
alcoholic beverages now. Our job is to make whatever drink they would like,
quickly, efficiently, and consistently, every time, while we continue to push
ourselves to be pioneers in our field, develop new recipes and new techniques,
and learn how to increase sales, and save money. We owe this responsibility to
our business, our industry, and ourselves.



Cheers!


THE COSMOPOLIDROP (CHRIS FABER, LOT NO. 3, BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON)

 *  1.5oz Vodka
 *  .5oz Cointreau
 *  .75oz Spiced Cranberry Syrup
   * Cover fresh cranberries with water in a saucepan.
   * Add cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg
   * Simmer until cranberries pop, and flavors are integrated
   * Strain solids and mix with an equal part of white sugar
 * .75oz Lemon
 * .25oz Unsweetened Cranberry Juice 
 * Shake with ice and double strain up, into a coupe
 * Garnish with a lemon wheel


THE ESPRESSO MARTINI (ADAM PATRICK, MATCH 2014 RECIPE)

 * 1.5oz Vanilla Vodka
 * 1oz fresh, chilled, espresso
 * .5oz Borghetti espresso Liqueur
 * .25oz 2:1 simple syrup
 * ½ an egg white
 * Shake with ice, strain out, dry shake, double strain up, into a coupe
 * Garnish with a lemon peel




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by adamrpatrick on March 23, 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by adamrpatrick on March 23, 2016

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/the-retro-cocktail-post-prohibition-drinks/




HEALTHY COCKTAILS (CTBITES.COM)

Alcohol is a poison. Well, that escalated quickly. But, let’s face it, it’s
delicious, we like drinking it, and as long as we are responsible, in its
consumption, there’s nothing wrong with a little fun. But, in this new era of
gluten-free, non-GMO, organic, fair trade, free-range, everything, trends are
making their way into the alcoholic beverage world, as well. And, as the makers
of all things cocktail, we need to embrace the fresh and healthy, as well as the
indulgent. 

I take the same approach to cocktail design that I take to cooking a meal.Always
source, and use, the best ingredients you can. Remember, “garbage in, garbage
out.” While pasteurized, from-concentrate, juices are easy to obtain, squeezing,
or juicing fresh, is always preferable. But the effort doesn’t stop there.
Freshly picked strawberries, grown locally, should be chosen over store-bought.
Citrus can be easily found in the supermarket, but a local market, or small
distributor, will always have fresher, more vibrant products. A good rule of
thumb is to think small, and work your way larger. Using fruits and foods in
season, will always lend a better product, than not. Seasonal cocktail menus (as
well as food menus,) at restaurants and bars, change seasonally for this reason.
A strawberry margarita looks out of place on January’s drink list, but lands
right at home in July.

Being health-conscious doesn’t end with mixers, however. The alcohol, itself,
must be of the highest quality, and this doesn’t inherently mean spending more
money. Plenty of companies have hopped on the bandwagon of using sustainable
grains or fruit in their distillate, and many others refrain from adding
artificial colors or flavorings to their products. Natural or raw sugar, in
liqueurs, is always preferable to corn syrup or refined sugars, Buying your
booze local, from small, independent, distilleries, not only benefits the local
economy, but these producers tend to use local ingredients, of high quality,
themselves. I would caution against purchasing any product solely because it is
made locally, if the quality of the product is not up to snuff. The highest bar
should always be of quality first, and locale second. Keep in mind, many
“locally-made” products are simply sourced from large corporate manufacturers,
and bottled locally. Don’t be fooled, but remember that all things being equal,
err on the side of local.

All of that being said, drink responsibly. Setting aside the fact that ethanol
is, literally, empty calories, over-indulgence places unnecessary strain, and
duress, on your body. It can also lead to emotional stress, as the ramifications
complicate your life. Remember, that we live to enjoy, not to destroy, and that
starts with your own personal choices, and ends with a better, more emotionally
mature, society.

Here are two fresh fruit cocktails, designed to invigorate your mind, body, and
soul. 


THE RATHBONE

 *  2oz Cucumber-Basil Juice
 *  2oz Uncle Val’s Gin
 *  .75oz Sencha Green Tea Syrup
 * .75oz Lime Juice
 * Shake with ice, and double strain into a coupe.

(To make the cucumber-basil juice, use an electric juicer, and juice one handful
of fresh basil for every one, unpeeled, English cucumber. Mix the resulting
juice with an equal part of filtered water)

(To make the syrup, simply brew an extra strong batch of Sencha green tea –
steep for about 15 minutes – and add an equal part of white superfine sugar)


WATERMELON MARGARITA

 * 1.5oz Blanco 100% Agave Tequila (Milagro works well)
 * 1.5oz Fresh Watermelon juice
 * .75oz Lime Juice
 * .5oz Luxardo Triplum Triple Sec
 * A dash of light agave syrup
 * Shake with ice, and dump all contents into a chilled, salted, glass.
 * Garnish with a slice of lime.




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by adamrpatrick on February 24, 2016  •  Permalink
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Posted by adamrpatrick on February 24, 2016

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/healthy-cocktails-ctbites-com/




HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

It is widely acknowledged that the man known as Saint Valentine lived, was
martyred, and was buried, in the North of Rome, sometime during the third
century. Different Christian churches remember his life in different ways, and,
sometimes, on different dates. But, like most holidays observed in the United
States of America, history plays little, if any, role in how we celebrate the
occasion. The account proves unimportant, the reality unnecessary. Our western
culture has a way of rewriting history, taking what reality has given us, and
exchanging it for commercial fodder. Rather than celebrate the life of a man,
who clearly had an impact on the world, we’re convinced we need to prove our
commitments to loved ones. How did that happen?

The hospitality business gives us a different perspective on holidays. It’s the
duty of every restaurant employee, manager, and owner, to set their own lives
aside, and work towards the enjoyment of others. Valentine’s Day is a holiday
that floods restaurants with customers, not just on that day, but sometimes all
weekend. It allows us the privilege of seeing many sides of many people, and
those experiences have made me think differently about what the meaning of
“love” is. Is love really boxes of chocolate, teddy bears, and roses? In a way,
those things are nice reminders of our feelings for others, but the sentiment
can’t stop there. I dislike, inherently, the idea that there is a day dedicated
to proving to others that we care about them. Is it not a condemnation of our
culture that we’ve monetized love? We’ve allowed the term to be warped into a
feeling of nervous placation. Inevitably, within a relationship, one person’s
expectations will fail to be met, and the other’s feelings will be invalidated.
I see it dozens of times, every year, just during the meal that said couple is
enjoying, in the restaurant. The interactions are telling. So how do some people
figure this out? How have some couples avoided the pressure to spend money to
prove their affections? The good relationships in our lives require constant
communication, but if that communication stems from a fundamentally flawed
foundation, then you’ll only be shouting at a wall.

Ask yourself this: how can I be a better everything? How can I be a better
version of myself? Don’t I owe those, that love me, the gift of self-reflection,
honesty, and personal growth? Isn’t it my responsibility to be fully invested in
my emotional, physical, and spiritual, development? Have I taken the time to
develop a strong moral character? Do I have the unflinching courage to stand for
what I believe is right, as well as an open mind to allow for evolution of those
beliefs? Don’t I owe it to myself, as well as my loved ones, to invest in my own
human capital, to continue to adapt to a changing culture and economy? Have I
accepted personal responsibility for all of my actions, good, as well as bad?
Don’t I have an innate obligation to consider all of this, for the good of
myself, and for the good of all of those I have, or will have a relationship
with? Imagine if everyone started the day, every morning, by considering these
questions. Imagine moving forward, through life, with these goals in mind.
Imagine if everyone else posited the same things. We might find that there are
364 other days in the year to show love and affection to others.

This Valentine’s Day, as you inevitably end up at your favorite restaurant,
surrounded by a sea of “tables for two,” remember that every one of the people,
working to ensure your night is perfect, also has friends, family, and loved
ones, who are waiting much longer, to appreciate their company. Remember that
everyone around us deserves respect, and love, and always appreciate those who
give of themselves, so that the rest of us can enjoy our lives.



Here is a cocktail to appreciate, and enjoy not only the company of others, but
the romanticism, as well.



Farewell, My Lovely

 * 1.5oz New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
 * 1.5oz Tanqueray
 * .75oz Pampelmousse
 * .5oz Lime Juice
 * 4 dashes Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters

Shake and double strain up, into a coupe

Garnish with a Grapefruit peel


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by adamrpatrick on February 11, 2016  •  Permalink
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Posted by adamrpatrick on February 11, 2016

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2016/02/11/happy-valentines-day/




JANUARY CTBITES.COM ARTICLE

Egg Nog (Jeffrey Morgenthaler version)

Behind The Bar is a new column from bartender Adam Patrick who has graced the
bars of venues such as Walrus & Carpenter, Luxe, Match and Can Tiin. He will
explore trends, recipes and the cocktail culture from both the front as well as
behind the bar. 

One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is, “I won’t tell the story the way
it happened, I’ll tell it the way I remember it.” It’s from the late-nineties
film adaptation of Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. Ethan Hawke delivers
the line in the opening monologue.

There’s something about nostalgia that adds a touch of humanity to our lives.
The real world, the world we exist in day to day, can be overwhelming and
unforgiving. Take your job, your family obligations, traffic jams, mortgage,
credit card bills, your dog destroying your new carpet, and view it all in
aggregate, and things can steam roll out of control quickly. And yet, when we
look at the past, we find it difficult to remember the mundane, the
run-of-the-mill, even though those experiences dominate our lives. Sure, we can
generally recall tragedy, or loss, but more than not it’s memories of our
childhood, or a long lost love, or a favorite pet, that we gaze back at
longingly. This type of nostalgia permeates our culture, and burrows into our
soul. I find New England nostalgia to be the most memorable of all.

Hot Buttered, Apple Cider Spiced AbsintheThe richness of history, in New
England, is as poignant as its traditions. Memories of driving through the White
Mountains of New Hampshire, in mid-autumn, call to mind a rainbow of painted
leaves, set to the backdrop of cerulean blue skies, and fleecy clouds. Summers
at Block Island recall dreams of flip flops and lemonade, cold beer, and
scantily-clad men and women throwing caution to the wind. Winter is especially
significant, as the crisp chill of the Thanksgiving breeze is quelled by the
warmth of a family gathering around the table for a hearty meal. The bustle of
holiday shopping is eased by the opening of presents under the tree. The year’s
first snowfall may intrude angrily on your morning commute, but children lay in
bed, the night before, begging the morning to bring adventures of sled rides and
snowmen. The hanging of ornaments, and lights on the tree, is eclipsed only by
the richness of the eggnog shared afterward, in celebration. Perhaps, it is this
time of year that is the most distinctly New England (and the most human) of
all.

As sure as I am that this part of the country is as rooted in nostalgia as any
place on the planet, I’m equally as confident that there is no other physical
location more inherently “New England” than the town pub. What could be more
romantic than fighting to open the heavy wooden door, grasping at its
wrought-iron handle, through slippery mittens encrusted with snow, only to worm
inside through the pitiless wind, and land shattered onto the handsome respite
of the four-legged stool? The objective is as clear as the day is long: give me
something to warm me up. While the answer to that plea is sometimes as simple as
a welcoming smile, a drink shared amongst friends becomes the memory that will
lay the seed for future comfort, the standard by which all other experiences
will be measured.

The “cocktail culture” has its roots in colonial America. This country literally
coined the term “Cocktail”…there was a proclivity for alcoholic beverages.
Colonists brought the recipes for such modern-day esoteric concoctions as
syllabubs, rattle-skulls, possets, and sangarees from the Old World. But, in the
winter, there were only a few potions that did the trick. The most famous of
these is theHot Toddy, and an equally popular recipe is Eggnog. Modern day
bartenders have extended rifts on classic drinks that, while tuned to
contemporary palates, pay homage to those that have come before.

The following recipes show reverence to these drinks, while slightly twisting
them in a direction that does justice to the original intent, and are both
inherently New England, and equally progressive. The eggnog recipe is
Morgenthaler’s original, and is the standard that all others will be judged. The
other two are standard-bearers of the first order. The hot toddy originated in
Scotland, it’s essentially a hot old-fashioned, and is considered a folksy cure
for flu-type symptoms. My interpretation adds tea, in place of water, for a
flavorful kick. The final drink is a twist on hot-buttered rum, with absinthe in
place of the rum, and fresh New England apple cider in place of the hot water. I
absolve myself of responsibility for the elicit pleasure you receive from the
imbibing of these beverages. But, above all, rejoice, reimagine, and remember. 


EGG NOG (JEFFREY MORGENTHALER VERSION)

In a home blender (commercial versions will cook the egg) combine the following,
allowing 30 seconds of blending between the addition of each subsequent
ingredient.

 *  2 large eggs
 *  3 oz (by volume) superfine or baker’s sugar (NOT powdered!)
 *  ½ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
 *  2 oz brandy
 *  2 oz spiced rum (I use Sailor Jerry’s)
 *  6 oz whole milk
 *  4 oz heavy cream

Pour into a glass, grate additional nutmeg on top.


HOT TODDY

In a pre-heated mug combine 

 1. 2 oz. Jameson Black Label Irish Whiskey,
 2. ¾ oz. Honey Syrup (1:1 Water & Honey)
 3. ¾ oz. Lemon Juice 
 4. 4 dashes of Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters
 5. Add 4 oz. of Earl Grey Tea

Stir and enjoy!


HOT BUTTERED, APPLE CIDER SPICED ABSINTHE

 1. Make a batter of equal parts by volume Butter, Brown Sugar, and White Sugar
 2. Add a spoonful of the batter to a pre-heated mug.
 3. Add 1.5 oz. Absinthe
 4. Top with Spiced Cider

(Spiced Cider: Heated in a crock pot with cinnamon sticks, allspice, nutmeg, and
star anise)








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by adamrpatrick on February 11, 2016  •  Permalink
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Posted by adamrpatrick on February 11, 2016

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2016/02/11/january-ctbites-com-article/




GINGER BEER & THE DARK ‘N STORMY

Brewed Ginger Beer originated in Yorkshire, in England, in the Eighteenth
Century. Mildly alcoholic, it was usually drank by itself, but could be mixed
with other potable spirits to strengthen the drink up. It was made using the
same techniques as other beers, yeast added to sugar to spark fermentation, but
over the decades became the non-alcoholic version we enjoy today. The British
Navy would transport large quantities as it expanded the empire around the
world, and the practice of mixing with dark Demerara or Guyana rum began to
become popular, as the rum ration for the Navy enlistees included 2 ounces a
day. Sometime after the 1860’s, Goslings in Bermuda began distributing its
blended dark rum and the rest is history. Soon, Goslings would make its own
ginger beer to market with its rum, but for those of us who prefer fresher
products, we’d rather make our own.

The process of brewing ginger beer today can be accomplished three ways. First,
the easiest way, is to combine freshly juiced ginger with lemon juice, sugar and
carbonated water. The second involves adding yeast to this product and letting
it ferment. The third involves a strange organism called the “Ginger Beer
Plant.” The “GBP” is a complex symbiotic organism consisting of a yeast and a
bacteria. It is a gloppy, gelatinous substance that ferments any sugary product
in much the same way as Kombucha. Today, we will be going the easy route.

 

Ginger Beer

 * Julienne unpeeled ginger and run through an industrial juicer:



 * Strain the juice so it is free of any leftover peel or debris
 * Mix:
 * 1 part Ginger Juice
 * 1 part Lemon Juice
 * 1 part 2:1 Simple Syrup
 * 5 parts Distilled Water (or bottled)
 * Taste and adjust if necessary

Now, there are two ways to go about the carbonating…. First, you can add
carbonated water instead of distilled and either drink right away or bottle the
ginger beer. Second, you can add water as above and carbonate yourself. This
time, we’re taking the more complicated path.

I could go into great detail about how to build a carbonation rig, however
someone has already gone through the trouble, so check out Jeffrey
Morgenthaler’s post here. Then, you will need bottles, caps, and a capper. If
you are living in southern Connecticut, you can pick some up at Maltose Express
in Monroe on rt 25. If not, or if you’re lazy, you can buy on Amazon, as well.



So, now that you know how to carbonate, simply add your carbonated ginger beer
to your 187mL wine bottles:

and cap off using your capper:

Like any fresh product, there will be some settling in the bottle, so gently
agitate before opening to ensure a consistent product.

Now you can use your ginger beer to make a Dark ‘n Stormy (picture at the top of
the page.)

Dark ‘n Stormy

 * Fill tall glass with ice
 * Add approximately 3oz of Ginger Beer
 * Float .25oz of Fresh Lime on top of Ginger Beer, and a little simple syrup if
   u like it sweeter
 * Float 1.5oz of Goslings 151 Rum on top of Lime. (The 151 is a MUUSSSTTT
   HAAAVVVEE. Really makes the drink worth drinking)
 * Add a Lime Garnish and enjoy!!

HAPPY SPRING!

 

 

 


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by adamrpatrick on May 10, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by adamrpatrick on May 10, 2014

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/ginger-beer-the-dark-n-stormy/




FALERNUM?

Falernum is a sweet syrup, originating in the Caribbean, most likely in
Barbados. It can be alcoholic, or non-alcoholic, and its ingredients are
sometimes argued over for hours. Everyone has a different recipe, some only
slight variations from others, most to suite the individual tippler’s personal
taste. But no one can argue that a properly made falernum isn’t a staple of tiki
and rum drinks everywhere.

I have combined what I think are the best parts of two recipes: 1. Jeffrey
Morgenthaler, Bar Manager, Clyde Common, Portland, OR, and 2. Rick Stutz over
at KaiserPenguin,, and tweaked a few things from there. Those sites offer a
wealth of information that I can only begin to scratch the surface of at this
point, but I’ll list out my preferred recipe, and you can take it from there.

 Adam’s Falernum

8oz Wray & Nephew Rum

6oz Smith & Cross Rum

Smash up and macerate in above rum mixture for 24 hours:

2 tablespoons whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
1 whole nutmeg
2 star anise

add:

zest with a microplane 6 limes

2oz julienned fresh ginger
Macerate for another 24 hours

Strain through moistened cheesecloth

Add 10oz water to leftover solids and steep for a few minutes.
Strain solids and mix water with an equal part of simple syrup (1:1) made with
turbinado sugar.

 

Use your Falernum Syrup to make the infamously delicious Chartreuse Swizzle:



Chartreuse Swizzle

1.5oz Green Chartreuse

1oz Fresh Pineapple Juice

.75oz Fresh Lime Juice

.75oz Falernum

 

Shake with ice and strain over crushed ice in a tall glass or tiki glass.

Garnish with a bright, vibrant sprig or two of mint!



 


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by adamrpatrick on May 3, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by adamrpatrick on May 3, 2014

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/falernum/




STOP SCREWING UP THE HURRICANE!!

Last year, I wrote an article on the Hurricane cocktail, and in honor of Fat
Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras) I’ve decided to repost. I have a cache of articles that
I come back to, now and then, to touch up and improve upon, and this week I
stumbled across our current one and thought it might be a good fit. I’m always
disappointed when I see a bad house version of a venerated cocktail, and there
might possibly be no bigger culprit than the Hurricane. Order one somewhere, and
you’ll see what I mean. At the very least, I shouldn’t be forced to drink shitty
cocktails when I’m trying to escape the reality of life. So, without further
ado, I present to you, the Hurricane Cocktail post:



 

It’s said that 95% of all tourists in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter visit
Pat O’Brien’s Bar. A staple of the local imbibing tradition, Pat O’Brien’s is a
destination for boisterous tourists and obnoxious frat boys everywhere. During
the 1920’s, it was a speakeasy at the intersection of Royal Street and St Peter,
and required a password to enter. Called Mr. O’Brien’s Club Tipperary, it
changed its name to Pat O’Brien’s Bar, and began selling legal liquor, on
December 3, 1933, two days before the end of prohibition. Then, in 1942, owners
“Pat” O’Brien and Charlie Cantrell moved O’Brien’s to its present location, an
old, historic building at 718 St. Peter Street.

The subsequent years in the aftermath of prohibition found US drinking
establishments in a sorry state. Thirteen years of illegality had caused a
dearth of scotch and whiskey, once plentiful, and still long sought commodities.
On the contrary, due largely to the ease of access off of US shores, rum was
plentiful. In fact, by the 1940’s, liquor distributors had amassed such large
stockpiles of rum, that they were, in turn, forcing case after case onto bar
owners, with the stipulation that if you wanted to order anything, especially
whiskey, you would have to buy cases of rum as well, sometimes as many as 50!

As a result of these unscrupulous sales tactics, Pat O’Brien found himself with
a glut of rum he didn’t necessarily want, and wasn’t sure what to do with. New
Orleans had always been a whiskey town, and he would have to engineer clever
ways to sell this abundance of new liquor. His solution was a cocktail that
mixed a staggering four ounces of dark rum, with two ounces of lemon juice, and
two ounces of passion fruit syrup. Essentially, a recipe for a classic rum sour,
or daiquiri, with dark rum in place of light, lemon in place of lime, and
passion fruit syrup replacing simple sugar syrup, with all of the proportions
doubled for good measure. Poured into a glass that resembled the shape of a
hurricane lantern, and filled with crushed ice, it seemed O’Brien had hit a
homerun. And so he had. But things change.

Nowadays, it might be difficult to find a Hurricane Cocktail made in this
manner, and the current Pat O’Brien’s Bar, still situated at 718 St. Peter
Street, may be the biggest culprit of all. A trip to New Orleans will find you
at O’Brien’s drinking four ounces of well rum, added to a fully iced glass of
“Hurricane Mix,” a curious mix of chemicals, artificial colors, and artificial
flavors that you can even bring home with you in pre-packaged powder form,
should a slow, painful death be the way you wish to go out. I don’t do
pre-packaged sour mix (click here), so I sure as hell ain’t going to drink
hurricane mix. Sorry, Pat.



Wait until the next major tropical cyclone threatens your hometown, and take a
ride over to your nearest casual dining chain restaurant to find another
manifestation of this horror. Almost definitely, I can guarantee that the recipe
for their Hurricane Special will include an ounce each of light and dark rum
(Bacardi and Myers if you’re lucky, well brands if you’re not), mixed with
pineapple juice, orange juice, Rose’s grenadine, Rose’s lime juice, and maybe
cranberry for good measure. Interestingly, this also seems to be the same recipe
employed for Planter’s Punches, Mai Tais, Rum Punches, and any other random tiki
cocktail that TGI Fridays wants to focus on that week. Sorry, again.

A quick look at respectable bartenders Gary “gaz” Regan and Dale DeGroff, and
you’ll find some more respectable, though no more authentic, recipes; and Chuck
Taggert, of blogging fame even suggests substituting lime juice for lemon. But
we can all change the classics to suit our tastes, and I’m more concerned with
mixing the best possible version of the original. And so, it merely comes down
to ingredients.

For dark rum, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry recommends Goslings, while Matt “Rumdood”
Robold prefers Coruba (apparently quite a bit.) Appleton V/X is a possibility,
as well as Smith & Cross depending on how much funk your palate can adjust to.
I’ve heard New Orleans Amber mentioned as a nod to the local climate. I’ve never
quite understood the practice of mixing half light rum with half dark rum, other
than to avoid the prominence of character in taste, so I skip that nonsense
altogether.

Various tiki authorities who know more than I, including Tiare, here, recommend
various passionfruit syrups that they have had success with. The overall winner
seems to be Aunty Lilikoi from Hawaii, and though it’s a bit too expensive for
my tastes, don’t let that stop you from experimenting. Trader Vic’s passionfruit
syrup is a mess of preservatives and additives, and Monin and Torani syrups
aren’t much better. When in doubt, pick yourself up four or five passionfruits
when in season, and mash them up in some 1:1 simple syrup. Nothing can be
better, or more natural, than making something yourself. Most flavored syrups
can be made at home by using your all-purpose simple syrup and simmering some
flavorings for a few minutes. (For those of you that need a hand making simple
syrup in general, check out my page HERE.)

Lemon juice is the easiest of ingredients here, but again, many bars will fuck
this up as well. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can replace a freshly juiced
lemon. Not the plastic squirt bottle in the baking isle shaped like a lemon, not
bottled REALemon, not the case of fresh lemon juice that Sysco sells, nothing.
And for best results, squeeze your lemon directly into the drink, not the day
before.

Lastly, for authenticity’s sake, pick yourself up some hurricane glasses at your
local Walmart, or even better at Goodwill. Wrap a cloth towel around some ice
cubes and bang the hell out of them with a wooden mallet to get crushed ice (I
always lay the towel on a cutting board to avoid damaging my countertop), and
load the glass up. Shake your rum, passionfruit syrup, and lemon juice up in a
tin with new ice and strain over the crushed ice into the hurricane glass.
Garnish with a fresh orange slice, and maybe a nice brandied cherry. Stay away
from that neon red cherry that adorns the top of your ice cream sundae like a
well preserved king. No easier way to ruin a great drink than to top it with a
shitty garnish. And when you’re done, sit back, sip, and relax. Yeah the sky
might be getting grey and the wind seems to be blowing a bit harder, but a
couple of these and it ain’t gonna matter too much at all!

Hurricane Recipe:
4oz Dark Rum
2oz Passionfruit Syrup*
2oz Lemon Juice
Shake with ice and strain over crushed ice into a hurricane glass.
Garnish with orange and brandied cherry.

Passionfruit Syrup:
Add 5 mashed passionfruits to 16oz 1:1 simple syrup. Keep over medium heat for
15-20 minutes, being careful not to let syrup come to a boil. Cool, and strain
into squeeze bottle.


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by adamrpatrick on March 5, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by adamrpatrick on March 5, 2014

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/stop-screwing-up-the-hurricane/




THE MARTINEZ MYSTERY

In A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes proclaims, “There is nothing like first
hand evidence.” Half of the world would agree with that statement. The other
half is content to relish the world around them, never considering the need to
understand it. This is the dividing line of humanity. Should we seek out the
answers, turn over every rock, move every wall in the search for conclusion? Or,
are we best served by smelling the rose? Isn’t it by picking it and studying it,
dissecting it and destroying it, that we lose the sense of pleasure that caused
us to stop in the first place? Life is a mystery, and maybe we have an innate
need to solve it, to ponder why. But maybe there is no why, no ultimate purpose,
and in that regard would we not be served best by simply letting go and allowing
our minds to meld into the milieu?

I think on this a lot, more so as I grow older. I think that’s why I enjoy my
job so much. Being around good food and drink on a daily basis allows me access
to incredible pleasures with a minimal amount of input. I don’t really have to
understand Chicken Carbonara. I mean, I do understand it. It’s not complicated
in any way. But I don’t really have to. If I choose to learn the history of the
dish, the regional variations, what ingredients can be substituted and which
cannot, then I master the meal. If not, I can still enjoy it. It’s a small
victory. I can still ponder the very existence of life, the universe, and
everything, while choosing to solve little mysteries along the way. I like to
have my cake and eat it too.

Cocktails and mixed drinks are little mysteries that don’t really need solving,
anyway. Unlike chefs, who tend to codify everything, bartenders are,
historically, a bit less focused. This may not be so true today, as every
contemporary mixologist fights to get their drink onto the pages of Imbibe, but
traditionally bartenders were generally bad at writing things down. That’s why,
by the time Jerry Thomas had published the first bartender’s guide in 1862, most
of the drinks in it had already been invented. The problem was, no one knew by
whom. Flipping through the couple dozen or so rival books to Thomas’ that
appeared in the ensuing decades, we see massive differences between cocktails of
the same name, sometimes to the point of being different drinks, entirely.
Subsequent drinks, popularized by other tomes, didn’t credit Jerry Thomas’
recipes. In fact, few bartenders mentioned contemporaries at all. In this
regard, Thomas should not be regarded so much as the father of our trade, but
merely as the guide that shown the light on the industry.  There was never a
bartending equivalent of Marie Antoine Carême to bring order to this chaos, and,
thus, we find ourselves a century and a half later, trying to make sense of what
doesn’t make a lot of sense.

As mentioned in my post on the Manhattan, cocktails and mixed drinks follow
themes. You can swap out ingredients in a Negroni, or an Old Fashioned, and come
up with a wide variety of tasty concoctions. Change the citrus or the sweet
component of a Sour or Daisy, and you have an entirely different drink. More
times than not, the theme holds. That’s what makes the drink a classic, and why
it’s so difficult to develop a new theme, or as we call them—templates.

It’s generally agreed upon, in circles that agree upon such things, that to
officially be called a “cocktail” a mixed drink needs bitters. There’s debate as
to whether or not a sweetener is needed (i.e. can a Pink Gin, gin and bitters,
called a cocktail?), to which I say no, but usually one will be. This may lead
you to wonder why the term is used so haphazardly nowadays, and the answer is,
per usual, Prohibition, and its ruining of everything good and holy in our
business. The same can be said of the Martini, and its descent into its
bitter-less, “vodka up” incarnation. But a thorough study of the theme, picking
up where the Manhattan leaves off, brings us to the Martinez, a drink with a
life so short and fleeting, if you blinked, you would miss it.



As stated previously, the Manhattan began its life as a Vermouth Cocktail with
some rye to spice it up. The original proportions, proposed by Jerry Thomas,
were 2 parts Italian (sweet) vermouth, 1 part rye, 3 dashes of Boker’s Bitters,
and a dash or two of maraschino liqueur or curacao. Cocktails frequently
employed the use of liqueurs like maraschino and curacao, as well as syrups like
pineapple and grenadine, in place of sugar or simple syrup. Absinthe was
frequently added as well. Over time, likely as drier drinks became in vogue, the
proportions were changed and the modifier dropped. As a tippling culture, very
few of us realize that the original recipe was what it was. But Substitute Old
Tom gin for rye, and we have a perfectly made Martinez. How about that? It may
even shake you to your core to learn that the Martini followed along this same
template as well, early recipes making the use of sweet vermouth, as well as
bitters and modifiers. The only difference with the Martini, was that London Dry
gin was used instead of Old Tom. As time went on, French (dry) vermouth was
substituted for sweet, and a Dry Martini was born. It was called dry because of
the type of vermouth, not the lack of it. Now, we’re getting somewhere.

There are competing theories (shocking, I know) as to the origin of the word
Martinez. Some say the drink was invented by Thomas, himself, while bartending
in San Francisco. According to this legend, Thomas invented the drink for a
traveler to nearby Martinez, California. The problem is, the drink wasn’t
included in Thomas’ work until after his death, in the 1887 posthumous reprint
of his guide. The Modern Bartender’s Guide by O.H. Byron, published in 1884
(three years before the reprint of Thomas’ book,) lists the Martinez as a
Manhattan made with gin instead of whiskey. Another story claims the drink was
invented in the town of Martinez, itself; while a third gives credit to a man
with the last name Martinez. It’s virtually impossible to prove any of these
assertions, because there is no evidence. What fables lack in evidence, however,
cocktail books make up for.

In the late 1890’s to early 1900’s, the Martinez begins to utilize dry vermouth.
Gary Regan, noted bartender and drinks historian, makes a point that in 1906 the
drink mysteriously changes its name to the Dry Martini in a book by Louis
Muckensturm titled “Louis’ Mixed Drinks with Hints for the Care and Service of
Wines.” He postulates that Martini & Rossi, the famous brand of Italian
vermouth, marketed a name change for the cocktail in hopes of cornering the
market. Seeing as Martini & Rossi was one of the only vermouth brands to not
only survive Prohibition, but thrive after its repeal, this assertion is not
entirely farfetched, although Regan himself would admit there is no way to prove
it. The problem is, the word Martini appears almost twenty years earlier, in
Harry Johnson’s 1882 book. Johnson, himself, didn’t mention the Martinez until
the 1888 reprint. Not to mention Martini & Rossi didn’t debut in the States
until 1900. It is absolutely certain, however that the company would hijack the
name in later years.

In Modern American Drinks: How to Mix and Serve All Kinds of Cups and Drinks
(1895), George J. Kappeler writes that a Martini Cocktail should be made with
“half a mixing-glass full of fine ice, three dashes orange bitters, one-half
jigger Tom gin, one-half jigger Italian vermouth, a piece lemon peel. Mix,
strain into cocktail-glass. Add a maraschino cherry, if desired by customer.”
Sounds like a Martinez to me. 1896 saw a reference to the Martini: The
Marguerite Cocktail from Stuart’s Fancy Drinks and How to Mix Them by Thomas
Stuart: 1 dash of orange bitters, 2/3 Plymouth gin, 1/3 French vermouth. Close,
save for the omission of maraschino. And there’s the Turf Club Cocktail, found
in George Winter’s How to Mix Drinks: The Bar Keeper’s Handbook (1884) which
contains equal parts Old Tom gin and sweet vermouth, with Peruvian bitters,
whatever those are.

All of this can leave a man shaking his head. But as screwy as things were at
the turn of the century, they began to be straightened out on the dawn of
Prohibition. The Martini Cocktail, bolstered and marketed by the Martini & Rossi
Company, capitalized on the public trend towards dry cocktails, and the Dry
Martini Cocktail soon reigned supreme. Prohibition saw the end of the trained,
qualified bartender, and with him the proper storing of vermouth. Because
vermouth oxidizes at room temperature rather quickly, Martini & Rossi that sat
on the back bar for months at a time was frowned upon by drinkers for obvious
reasons. Soon it became fashionable to order a Martini with the bottle of
vermouth “passed over the glass” or “waved in the direction of France.” Of
course, the quality of gin surviving Prohibition wasn’t exactly top-notch,
either. It didn’t take long for Smirnoff and other vodka producers to capitalize
on consumers’ preference for a quick, clean hit of booze. By the 1950’s, vodka
was marketed as leaving you “breathless,” meaning your boss would never know you
were out to a “Three Martini Lunch.” The era of flavor had ended, and the Dark
Ages of the Cocktail were beginning.



So why revive the Martinez? Well, strictly speaking, it’s delicious when made
properly. While the Manhattan certainly achieves balance, and the true Martini
is a glorious mix of crisp, floral flavors, the Martinez walks a line between
strong and weak, bitter and sweet, that possibly only the Negroni can do better.
When modernizing recipes, I always look to the past to get an idea of the
template I’m using, and the flavor profile I’m looking to achieve. Modern
mixology allows us the use of many liquors and liqueurs that simply weren’t
available in the Golden Age. My, how far we’ve come. From having virtually no
tools only a decade ago, to an abundance of them today, the possibilities are
endless.

The Martinez lends itself well to interpretation. My addition of kirschwasser, a
distillation of sour cherries (Morello, traditionally,) keeps this drink dry and
flavorful. A combination of Ransom Gin and Hayman’s Old Tom tones down the woody
notes of the Ransom that can overpower this drink. The addition of Boker’s
Bitters (a product recreated by the amazing Adam Elmegirab) adds spicy
complexity to the traditional orange bitters. All in all, the drink is as close
to perfect as any Martinez I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve included it here,
verbatim.

Is it true that some questions are better off unanswered? Some mysteries left
unsolved? I’ll ponder that, staring reflectively off into the night, as I sip on
my cocktail….

 

The Martinez (Classic)

 * 1.5oz Old Tom Gin (Hayman’s)
 * 1.5oz Italian Vermouth (Carpano Antica, Coccho Vermouth di Torino)
 * .25oz Maraschino Liqueur
 * 2 dashes Orange Bitters
 * Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with
   a lemon or orange peel.

 

The Martinez (Adam Patrick)

 * .75oz Ransom Gin
 * .75oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
 * 1.5oz Carpano Antica vermouth
 * .25oz Maraska Maraschino Liqueur
 * .25oz Clear Creek Kirschwasser Cherry Brandy
 * 2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
 * 2 dashes Boker’s Bitters
 * Stir all ingredients over ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with
   an orange twist.
 * 

Slainte


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by adamrpatrick on February 19, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by adamrpatrick on February 19, 2014

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2014/02/19/the-martinez-mystery/




GIN & TONIC – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

The origins of the Gin & Tonic differ from that of most mixed drinks. It wasn’t
invented by a famous mixologist from the pre-prohibition era. It didn’t bring
fame and renown to any luxurious turn of the century hotel bar. No famous
bartending guides list it among their most cherished libations. And yet, the
history of this drink is one steeped in international and domestic politics,
global expansionism, agriculture, and even medicine. It is not just a confluence
of ingredients, however, but also of nations and cultures. Every time we mix a
Gin & Tonic, we retell the story of several countries, on three continents, over
a period of two hundred years. There’s scant ambiguity to its history, and very
little debate as to its timeless endurance.

While most of us view gin as the quintessential British spirit, this was not
always the case. Believed to be invented by Dr. Fransiscus Sylvuis, a Dutch
scientist and Professor of Medicine at Leyden, Holland, the first gin was a
distillate of neutral grain spirits flavored with the essential oils of the
juniper berry, and was intended to aid people with kidney diseases. Juniper
berries had been a favorite remedy for a host of maladies for hundreds of years,
going back in Europe as far as the plague, and they were used to combat
everything from circulation issues, to fever, to poor digestion, and an excess
of other issues. Sylvuis termed his concoction “Jenever,” after the French
“Genie vre” meaning Juniper, and, by 1655, it was being produced commercially.
The best versions that became part of Dutch culture used malt-wine as the base
of fermentation. English soldiers fighting in the Netherlands during the Dutch
War of Independence developed an affinity for Jenever (pronounced Gen-ee’-vurr.)
They watched, captivated, as Dutch soldiers threw back gulps of the booze and
charged headfirst into battle, earning Jenever the nickname “Dutch Courage.”
Soon, English soldiers returning home to Britain were bringing bottles of “the
courage” with them, and it didn’t take long before the whole country was smitten
with Jenever, eventually shortened to “Jen” and finally “Gin.” This Gin was very
different from the Gin we know today. Take a swig from a bottle of Bols Genever
and you’ll see what I mean. True Genever is malty, and has an air of age to it.
Imagine mixing gin with irish whiskey, and a little bit of sugar, an idea that
even cocktail historian David Wondrich admits “works tolerably well in Punches
and the like, but less so in Cocktails.”

The Revolution of 1688 brought about the next major step in the evolution of
Gin. William of Orange disposed of England’s Catholic monarch, King James II,
and became William III, the new king of England. A year later, William banned
the import of French Brandy, and levied serious duties on German alcohol,
virtually guaranteeing a market for Dutch spirits. He also ended a royal
monopoly on distilled spirits that allowed English farmers to distill from local
grain. In 1695, the British raised taxes on beer, making gin the cheapest
beverage in England. This created a gin boom that lasted for decades, and gin
consumption became so rampant that new laws would have to be enacted to curb
what was being called the “Gin Craze.” During this time, as happens any time the
market becomes saturated with a cheap product with near limitless demand,
product quality waned. Harsh distillate was sweetened with sugar to seem more
palatable, and the precursor to Old Tom Gin was born. Old Tom Gin was called so
because many of the Gin Shops around London would place a small wooden plaque
shaped like a black cat (an old tom cat) on the outside of the pub. A customer
need only drop a coin into a small slot on the side of the plaque and gin would
be dispensed from the cat’s mouth. Eventually, laws like The Tippling Act of
1751 were passed that eliminated smaller gin shops and left the distribution to
larger distilleries and retailers. In the late 1800’s, the invention of the
column still also helped to solidify the gin we know today as London Dry, a
style made so clean and so well that it didn’t need sugar or other flavorings to
mask deficiencies. London Dry, a style dominated by the flavor of the juniper
berry, remained the benchmark for over a hundred years, until products like
Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray Malacca opened the door to a host of new, less
juniper-dominated gins dubbed “New Western Gins.”



The second and more variable ingredient in the Gin and Tonic, is the tonic
itself. Tonic is essentially a delivery system for quinine, an anti-malarial
alkaloid found in the bark of the cinchona tree. The Quechua people, indigenous
to Peru, were the first to discover the fever-reducing, anti-inflammatory, and
analgesic properties of the cinchona tree. The Incas used quinine, derived from
steeping the bark in water (or even better in alcohol), as a muscle relaxant
used to halt shivering due to low temperatures. As it turns out, the same
pharmacological properties that make quinine effective at treating shivering
also make it effective against the deadly malaria virus, and its fever-inducing
chills.

Soon, Spanish Jesuit missionaries discovered the beneficial effects of quinine
first-hand.  The tree itself is named after the Countess of Chinchona, the wife
of a Spanish viceroy to Peru. In 1638, after falling ill and finding no remedy
for her malady, the Spanish doctors enlisted the help of the Quechua in saving
the life of the Countess. The cinchona tea spared her from death, and the
history of quinine on the European continent began. Due to the demand of quinine
in Europe to battle malaria and other diseases, the Jesuit priests began
smuggling seeds and saplings out of South America. Concerned with facing lost
revenue, Peru immediately outlawed the export of any form of cinchona other than
bark or extract, a form they could control. In the mid 1800’s, South America
maintained a near monopoly on cinchona bark, exporting nearly two millions
pounds annually. During this monopoly, however, demand began to exceed supply.
British and Dutch soldiers in East Asia needed quinine to battle the incessant
malaria that was so prevalent at the time. In turn, prices for Peruvian cinchona
bark skyrocketed, and in 1862, an entrepreneur named Charles Ledger aimed to do
something about it. Ledger smuggled cinchona seeds out of Peru and sold them to
the Dutch government. The Dutch, in turn, began transferring the new strains to
island plantations in Ceylon and Java. Without this new, abundant source of
quinine, the colonization of East Asia may have been halted at the doorstep of
malaria.

For almost a century, Indonesia supplied close to 95% of the world’s quinine.
But in 1942, Japan attacked and took control of Indonesia to secure oil for the
war effort. The Allied powers would summon a meeting, as important as the
Manhattan Project, to discover a way to produce synthetic quinine. Thus, we have
commercial quinine extract, added to tonic water, and the beginning of the end
for natural quinine production.

The British Navy had always been drinkers. Rum rations went back as far as the
mid seventeenth century. British officers long knew of the horrors of scurvy, a
disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C. For decades the navy battled
this by adding to a daily rum ration a dose of lime juice, forming the basis
of grog (or rum, sugar, and lime). As a side note, alcoholic proof was also
invented at this time, meaning the minimum amount of alcohol in rum that could
be lit on fire with gunpowder. Hence were the ways sailors ensured they were not
being cheated out of booze by their superiors. Those same superiors, however,
drank the Queen’s gin, not bottom-feeders’ rum, and soon the sailors rations
were reduced to limit alcohol consumption. When Britain began the colonization
of East Asia, they found themselves at the vortex of history, necessity, and
convenience. Quinine, in the form of tonic water, was crucial in the prevention
of malaria. Lime juice not only prevented scurvy but gave life to a mixed drink,
a little acidity to wake up other flavors. Sugar was as important as any other
ingredient to balance flavor; and it wasn’t too long before someone decided that
the most ubiquitous of all British liquor should be added for good measure.
After all, if you had to take your medicine, you’d want it to not only taste
good, but knock you around a little as well. And thus, we have the gin and tonic
cocktail, the final step in a two-hundred year road to cocktail perfection, the
likes of which was as unprecedented as it was unmatched.

We are lucky to live in the current revival of mixology that dominates the
present day. New gins from America as well as the rest of the world have begun
to be taken as seriously as those recipes from the past that are now being
recreated. Bartenders and mixologists have more than just new gins to play with,
however. Tonics such as Tomr’s, Fentiman’s, Q-Tonic, and Fever Tree provide
fresh quinine without added high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and
flavors, and other adulterants. Like all artisan spirits and mixers, some work
well in certain applications and some work well in others. When it doubt,
experimentation is the gateway to deliciousness, and what might be good for some
may be disastrous to others. While gin itself is legally complicated to produce,
tonic water is not, and a quick romp through a health food store or two might
yield you enough ingredients to make your own. As is the motto of this web site,
when you can make your own mixers, from fresh ingredients, you’re obligated to
try.



Below is listed my starting point for homemade tonic water. It’s a combination
of a couple of solid recipes from other bartenders, presented here to
familiarize the everyday drinker to the world of craft mixers, using products
you can get at your local Whole Foods. In no way is this a be-all-end-all recipe
designed to fill every niche. Some gins like Bluecoat and Tanqueray 10 play well
off of citrusy components. Aviation might play better off of spice. And even
juniper heavy London Dry Gins can have flavors accentuated by other ingredients.
The key is to keep playing with things until they work out the way you like to
taste them, and even then, there’s always more experimenting to do. The
following recipe contains some easy to gather ingredients that play particularly
well with a wide variety of gins. As always, when looking to match with specific
spirits, some items will need to be dropped or added. Consider this a starting
point and go from there.

Tonic Syrup:

Bring to a boil –

 * 4 cups of water
 * 1 cup chopped lemongrass (chop like celery, using all but the last inch of
   the stalk.)
 * .25 cup ground cinchona bark (a heavy-duty spice/coffee grinder works well,
   or just purchase ground cinchona bark. Nature’s Wonderland is a good start.)
 * 3 fine zest of lime (a Microplane works well. Avoid long strips as with a
   vegetable peeler.) & juice
 * 2 fine zest of lemon & juice
 * 1 fine zest of orange & juice
 * 1 fine zest of grapefruit
 * 3 Tbsp. Citric Acid (many recipes call for twice this amount, but I think
   it’s overkill. Experiment freely.)

Additional ingredients to play around with, depending on the Gin you use:

 * 1 Tbsp. allspice berries
 * 1 Tbsp. coriander
 * 1 Tbsp. bitter orange peel
 * 1 tsp. lavender
 * 1 tsp. cardamom pods
 * 1 Tbsp. chamomile
 * 1 tsp. grains of paradise

After boiling, reduce to a covered simmer for 25 minutes. When the time is up,
strain out the solid ingredients and filter the resulting tea through a couple
rounds of coffee filters and/or cheesecloth. Let the liquid sit for an hour or
two in a French Press, and decant into a quart container to remove the remaining
solids.

Add the resulting tea back to a clean pot. Heat to a simmer and add .75 cup of
sugar for every cup of liquid. Dissolve and remove from stove to let cool. The
syrup will be brown, no two ways about it. Give it your all when it comes to
filtering out sediment before you add the sugar and you’ll be in better shape.
The color will not, however, turn clear, no matter how much you work at it. Such
is the way life goes.

In a highball glass filled with ice, mix:

 * 2oz of Gin
 * .75oz – 1oz of tonic syrup
 * Top with soda and splash of lime.

It is also possible (and maybe even advisable) to mix the tonic syrup with
distilled water in a carbonator (such as an iSi), and carbonate to order. The
bubbles will last longer than mineral water and the texture of the drink will
not suffer.

Slainte!


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by adamrpatrick on February 13, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by adamrpatrick on February 13, 2014

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/gin-tonic-a-journey-through-time/




A TREATISE ON TENDING BAR – PART TWO: SWEET

Premise #1:

It’s a cold, snowy, Monday evening in New York City’s flatiron district. Your
favorite restaurant is closed for a private party, and you’ve decided to branch
out. There’s a hot new dining location just down the road that your friends have
been raving about. You step inside and shake off the cold, pleased you are able
to get a small table right away.

The host pulls out your chair and smiles as you settle into your seat. She
places the dinner menu in front of you, and the wine list to your right. You
smile back, but gently push them away, thanking her. As she leaves, you’re
brimming with anticipation. You know exactly what you want, you’ve been thinking
about it all day. You relax, momentarily, and take a sip of the water just
provided to you by the young man in the black tie. You notice a slightly older,
more confident gentleman making his way to your table, and your excitement is
reignited. He greets you and asks how you’re doing. “Hungry,” you say, grinning.
Before he can reply, you blurt out, unrestrained, “I’ll have the fish! With
potatoes, and broccoli.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the confused waiter replies. “Which type of fish would you
like?”

“Any fish,” you answer. “Your cheapest fish. With potatoes and broccoli,
please.” You’re grinning again, confident in your decision.

Again, the waiter appears perplexed, but handles it with tact. “Ma’am, tonight
the chef has prepared a pan-seared Halibut with—“

“Doesn’t matter what fish,” you interrupt. “I’ll take Cod, if you have that.”
You retain your smile.

“Yes ma’am,” the unflappable server continues, “with a lemon, wine, caper, and
dill sauce, accompanied by hericot verts and cauliflower gratin. I apologize,
but tonight we are not offering a Cod dish. Perhaps I can walk you through our
menu? There are other seafood options as well as—“

“I just want fish and potatoes,” you blurt out, your smile fading away. “Don’t
you have fish and potatoes here? What kind of restaurant doesn’t have potatoes?”
What kind of restaurant, indeed.

——————-

Premise #2:

You settle into your seat at the bar. Through the stench of burnt fryer oil and
stale beer you can smell something almost relatable to food. Bacon maybe? The
floor is covered in muddy footprints, the back bar in more than one layer of
dust. You take off your overcoat, and look around for a hostess. Spotting a
young lady in a green polo shirt you motion to her with a smile. “Would you take
my coat, please?” you ask. “Why?” she replies, “you don’t want it anymore?” You
recoil, stunned, pulling your coat to your chest. “I beg your pardon?” you
retort. She chuckles and walks away.

Following a moment of awkward silence, the bartender approaches. A young man,
possibly out of high school, his hair is disheveled and his shirt is untucked. A
pencil perches precariously behind his left ear, and the tattoos run down his
right arm from shirtsleeve to wrist. You believe you see more than one naked
woman in the colorful milieu.

With a quick nod, the kid asks, “Whatcha havin’, bud?”

“A menu please,” you respond, to which one is tossed, randomly, in front of you.
“Any specials?”



“It’s all special, my man,” the young bartender says. He stands in front of you,
staring impatiently as you scrutinize the selections. You notice a plethora of
burgers, and not much else in the way of choice.

“Is the beef grass fed?” you ask.

“The bartender raises his eyebrows. “I dunno what they eat, man. They’re frozen
when they come in, and hot when they go out.”

“What about organic vegetables? Are the sides and toppings local and sustainable
produce?”

“Bud, I got the lettuce from the grocery down the street about three hours ago
‘cuz we ran out of it after lunch. So, I’m guessin’ that’s pretty local. You
want a burger or what?”

As you contemplate your response, another young man in a stained white t-shirt
appears from the kitchen. He gestures to the bartender, asking, “Dude, got a
smoke? I’m fuckin’ shot.”

You decide maybe you’re not so hungry after all.

——————–

Let’s face it, we rarely pick restaurants haphazardly. If we need a quick bite,
we hit up fast food or the local coffee shop. If we plan to entertain friends or
enjoy the creations of a famous chef, we dress up and visit a nicer location. We
scour the internet for Yelp reviews, Google reviews, and Tripadvisor reviews. We
stare for hours at Zagat ratings, Michelin ratings, and New York Times ratings.
On our phones we flip endlessly through Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and
Instagram pictures. And we do all of this so that when we decide to spend our
money at the restaurant we choose, that we have the best possible idea of what
we are spending that money on, how the food is going to taste, and what type of
experience we are going to have. We do this, seemingly, without training or
coaching of any kind. The fear of being even remotely surprised by any facet of
a restaurant’s production leaves us trembling and unsure. Is the caviar really
Beluga? How is the foie gras prepared? Are the meatballs really the best in the
city? Because you’ve had meatballs all over the city and you know how meatballs
are supposed to taste. You’re a meatball aficionado. You’re not even going to
give the damn meatballs the light of day unless they get at least a four star
Yelp review from three of your closest followers. Fuck it, skip the meatballs.
Not worth the chance for sixteen dollars. Unless they are….

So why don’t we apply this same thinking to the bar? As stated in the
overwhelmingly awesome column (here) in Esquire Magazine by Aaron Goldfarb,
people rarely choose a bar based on what drinks they serve. But you would never
choose a restaurant without having at least some sort of an idea as to whether
or not their particular choice of cuisine appealed to you at that particular
moment. Why the disparity? Why is there such a chasm between the cocktail bar
and the dive bar, such a disconnect between one end of the spectrum and the
other? The reality is, there isn’t a spectrum at all. There’s no line of
continuity, no scale from one to ten. The fact is, you either have a beverage
program or you don’t. The strength of your beverage program can be judged, but
first you have to develop and implement one. Therein, lies the rub. If the above
stories seem silly, it’s because they are. If we witnessed anyone behaving in
that manner in either of those situations, you can be sure we would act with
either laughter or disdain. Surely we would tweet about it. But these situations
happen in bars all the time. Customers are confused as to what to order and
when, and as industry professionals, we are not doing a good enough job of
helping them learn.

It’s not altogether complicated to paw through your state’s liquor ordering
guide and (assuming you have the capital to spend) purchase a bunch of booze.
You don’t need to know a whole lot about Scotch whisky to know that drinkers
will order Macallan, Glenlivit, Glenfiddich, and Chivas Regal, based solely on
name recognition. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand you will sell
Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek if you display them on the back bar. Flavored vodkas
are plentiful and cheap, so why not just order as many as possible? This
doesn’t, however, constitute a beverage program. Neither does the mass
collecting of all of the possible iterations of a given liquor. For example,
while I’d be impressed if a bar offered every possible bottle of Scotch
available in a given market (I’m looking at you, Owl Shop), that type of gross
investment isn’t all that inspired unless every bartender that works at the
establishment can educate me on how each selection tastes, and how it compares
to the others in its range. Merely having a lot of choices without any education
can actually detract from consumer demand, as the liquor list can appear
pretentious and daunting. In most cases, a finely tuned liquor list, with
bottles chosen for taste, price, region, food pairing, accessibility, and
purpose, will net the business owner positive customer feedback. So why doesn’t
it happen more often, and whose fault is it?



The answer is three-fold. Number one, it’s a lot of work to develop and
institute a quality beverage program. Number two, there’s little demand for it.
Number three, and the kicker, is that most restaurant and bar operators don’t
have the slightest idea of what they’re doing, and they don’t care. So when I
consult with an operator on the possibility of developing a bar program for
their establishment, I begin in much the same way that I began this series, with
the little things. Why spend thousands of dollars on quality booze if your bar
uses boxed sour mix, bottled bloody mary mix, brown limes, Rose’s lime juice,
Apple Pucker, and the like? It makes little sense to invest time, energy, and
money into the research and purchase of expensive and artisanal spirits if your
bar still clings to the bottled and boxed mixers of old.

In the previous article, we mentioned how simple, sharp citrus fruit, like
lemons and limes, can be utilized to bring bright, vibrant tastes and smells to
craft cocktails. The days of the prepackaged sour mix are long gone, and
restaurants looking to up their game have already hopped on the fresh juice
bandwagon. But there’s another side to sour, and that’s its opposing force:
sweet. To complement the acidic component of a drink (or bitter, for that
matter), there needs to be sugar, in one form or another. Table sugar, demerara,
muscovado, turbinado, honey, agave, Truvia, are all examples of sweeteners, but
the most important of ingredients, and the starting point from which all others
should branch, is simple syrup.

So what is simple syrup? Strictly speaking, simple syrup is nothing more than a
1:1 ratio of white table sugar to plain water. It takes the place of granulated
sugar in cocktails, achieving two main purposes. First, it is incredibly time
consuming to dissolve granulated sugar (even “bar sugar” which is essentially
superfine table sugar.) You may have noticed that slightly grainy last sip of
your Old Fashioned. That’s due to the fact that it takes several minutes to
properly saturate sugar in cold water, even using a muddler. The second, is the
difficulty in gaining a consistent dilution ratio. Unless you’re measuring the
amount of water you are diluting your sugar in, how can you be sure that the
drink stays consistent from one to the next? Face it, you’re splashing water on
the sugar from a soda gun. It’s going to vary from glass to glass. Simple syrup
allows a consistent dilution rate, and speed of service without sacrificing
quality. But one size does not fit all. Changes in concentration and temperature
can alter not only taste, but sweetness and mouthfeel. Top level bartenders
realize nuance, and slight variations can cause the difference between cocktail
success and failure. Knowing how to tailor your syrup to suit your needs will
separate the professional bartender from the amateur.

A quick chemistry lesson. The chemical name for table sugar is sucrose. Sucrose
is a disaccharide (or complex sugar) made up of two monosaccharide (or simple
sugar) molecules: fructose and glucose. The fructose and glucose bond can be
chemically separated by either a catalyst (such as lemon juice or cream of
tartar), or by heat. In industrial applications, a catalyst is less
time-consuming and more precise. In restaurants, chances are you’ve made your
simple syrup by heating your water up on a stove or hot plate, and adding sugar
until it fully dissolves. What you didn’t know, is that you’re effectively
changing the chemical makeup of the syrup by doing this, and the resulting syrup
is called invert syrup (called so because of how polarized light changes
direction when shone through the different syrups.)

Why do we heat simple syrup? Like most bartending routines, mainly because it’s
how we were taught. But is it the ideal method to make our syrup? Maybe, maybe
not. Heating sugar and water in the temperature range of 130-140 degrees F. will
effectively dissolve your sugar, but the heat causes the sucrose molecules to
separate. The resulting fructose-glucose, or invert syrup, will not only be
sweeter (fructose is sweeter than sucrose), but it will be less velvety and
smooth, due to the greater viscosity of the sucrose molecule. Subtle
differences, but important ones. Heating your syrup at a temperature closer to
boiling will cause your syrup to develop a burnt, caramel-like quality that can
contaminate nuanced cocktails. Heat it at a cooler temperature, and crystals may
develop, as the sugar has not fully integrated with the water. Adding cream of
tartar or lemon juice may prevent crystallization and break apart the sucrose
bonds further, but it may require 20 minutes or more of boiling just to rid your
syrup of a lemon flavor.



One plus to heating your syrup is that the resulting invert syrup actually
extends shelf life. You see, water activity is the amount of water in a
substance that isn’t immobilized or chemically bound. High water activity = high
chance of spoilage (red meats, fruits.) Low water activity = low chance of
spoilage (dried pasta, grains.) Because monosaccharides aren’t smaller than
disaccharides, they take up more room in the solution, thus reducing water
activity and increasing shelf life. But what if I told you that you could have
your cake and eat it too?

Increasing the concentration of sugar by adding an extra part to the syrup
yields a 2:1 sugar to water solution. This is my go-to for simple syrup in all
applications that I can control. First and foremost, the 2:1 syrup (called rich
simple syrup) does two immediate things. One, it gives me a concentration of
sugar that better approximates granulated sugar (so that I no longer need to
adjust recipes that predate syrup), and it doesn’t water down my cocktail as
much as 1:1 syrup does, while maintaining the same level of sweetness. I simply
use less, and get the same result.

Now, I can heat 2:1 simple syrup and end up right back where I started, or I can
add two parts sugar to one part slightly above room-temperature water and shake
the shit out of it. Eventually, it will mix completely, and I have a perfectly
sweet sugar solution that doesn’t taste burnt, sweetens my cocktail without
watering it down, and has an amazingly silky mouthfeel due to its increased
viscosity. And, if that all wasn’t enough, the greater concentration of sugar
increases shelf life more than 1:1 ever could. I even throw an ounce of vodka in
the mix, per liter, just for shit’s sake. I have a bottle of said syrup in the
fridge right now that’s going on six months, no mold, and tastes great. But
don’t take it from me:

Camper English, did an experiment in which he tested the shelf lives of
different sugar syrups. On this site he states: “I found that 1:1 simple syrup
spoiled in about one month, 1:1 syrup with vodka lasted three months, 2:1 simple
syrup went six months without spoiling, and 2:1 simple syrup plus vodka was
still unspoiled when I stopped the experiment at six months.”

But what of other sweeteners?

Agave Nectar: Despite what you may think, agave nectar isn’t a nectar at all.
While it is marketed as a product gained in a similar fashion as maple syrup,
agave nectar is actually a highly processed, fructose-rich syrup produced from
the starch of the agave’s pina, or the same portion of the plant used to make
mescal and tequila. The process is not unlike that of high fructose corn syrup,
as that syrup is made from a processing of corn starch. Agave nectar is
essentially no healthier for you than table sugar. While its low glycemic index
results from less glucose, the abundance of body-harming fructose counteracts
many health claims. Fructose, unlike glucose, is processed in the liver. It also
contains more calories than white sugar. Like most bartenders, however, I’m
concerned not so much with health as I am with taste. Agave nectar has a rich
flavor that is hard to duplicate and compliments any aged spirit as well as
mescal variations.

Honey: In this case, raw, organic honey harvested directly from beehives is the
way to go. Packed with enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, honey may be
the healthiest natural sweetener available. Dilute with an equal part of water
to allow for greater mixability. Raw honey is notoriously difficult to integrate
into a cocktail without first being diluted.

Maple Syrup: Go for Grade A here, the better, thinner stuff. Grade B is thicker
and used more in cooking. Since we’re all familiar with the flavor of maple
syrup, I’ll simply add that the flavor is intense, and doesn’t compliment
everything. Use sparingly. If you see Grade C, it is the same as Grade B.

Sucanat/Muscovado/Panela/Jaggery: Unrefined cane sugar. Essentially dehydrated
sugar cane juice, or cane sugar with the juice evaporated. All of the molasses
content remains.

Turbinado/Demerara: Partially refined cane sugar, some of the molasses remains.
Syrups made from these sugars will have a depth and richness of flavor that
simple syrup lacks, and can bring an amazing funk to mixed drinks.



Stevia: All-natural and calorie free, the stevia plant tastes like sugar without
being sugar. In its raw form, its dozens of times sweeter than sugar, so in
commercial applications (like Truvia, Stevia in the Raw) it is combined with
other additives. 86% of Truvia by weight is erythritol, a carbohydrate that our
bodies lack the enzyme necessary to process, hence zero calories. The most
successful use of Stevia that I’ve seen applied to the bar business is to steep
the leaves, themselves, in alcohol when making homemade liqueurs or tinctures.

Coconut Sugar: a healthy, natural, sustainable sugar that is made from the sap
of the coconut tree. Although difficult to source, it can add real depth of
character in cocktails. Its taste is similar to maple and its glycemic index
number is low.

Gomme/Gum Syrup: essentially simple syrup with gum arabic (Acacia gum) added.
Gomme syrup will add to your cocktail a rich, silky mouthfeel and bolder body
than traditional simple syrup. It also acts as a stabilizer, preventing
crystallization in rich syrups. You can buy gum arabic at specialty baking
stores, but I buy mine on Amazon. Add 1/4 cup boiling water to 4tsp powdered gum
arabic. Stir and let sit for a couple of hours. Stir again. You will notice it
thickens up like a gel. Make your 2:1 simple syrup in a pot on the stove. When
it’s ready, stir in your gum mixture and simmer on low heat for a couple
minutes. Do not raise the temperature, it will foam all over the place. After
4-5 minutes, skim off the foam and bottle. Piece of cake.

**One note here on muddling sugar. While I avoid muddling sugar pretty much all
of the time, there are two situations in which I believe it can suit the
cocktail, one being an Old Fashioned when you have the time to do it properly.
In this situation, I would use a sugar cube, and soak it with bitters. Then I
would muddle for a good solid couple of minutes in a mixing glass until every
granule is dissolved. It requires patience, I assure you. The second situation
involves THE SMASH, and its Latin American variant, THE CAIPIRINHA. In both of
these drinks, you are sprinkling sugar on wedges of lemons or limes and
essentially using the graininess of the sugar to help pulverize the fruit. Very
rarely do the granules survive this massacre. Should you like to avoid buying
premade sugar cubes, I’ll list a short recipe, below:

Homemade Sugar Cubes: Mix one cup sugar (any kind) with 3 tablespoons water.
When completely and evenly saturated, spread mixture on the bottom of a baking
pan (like you might use for mac n cheese or meatloaf) and press down firmly.
Using a knife, slice into small cubes. Bake at 250 degrees for about one hour.
Let cool for ten minutes and then break it up. Simple as pie.

Utilizing our new sugars and syrups, here are some fun cocktails to experiment
with:

Mojito

 * Slap in your hands 8-10 bright green and fresh mint leaves, and place them
   into a mixing tin
 * 3/4oz freshly squeezed lime juice
 * 3/4oz 2:1 simple syrup
 * 2oz white rum (I use Vizcaya 12yr or El Dorado 3yr. Flor de Cana works well,
   also)
 * Shake all ingredients with enough ice to fill up a highball glass.
 * When through mixing, add enough soda water to tin to fill up the highball
   glass.
 * Pour, unstrained, from tin into highball glass.
 * Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a straw.

 

Bee’s Knees

 * 2oz high quality London Dry Gin (Tanqueray, Beefeater)
 * 3/4oz – 1oz 1:1 honey syrup
 * 3/4oz – 1oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
 * Shake all ingredients with ice and double strain into a chilled cocktail
   glass.
 * Garnish with a lemon peel



Fonda la Paloma

 * 1 1/2oz Imbue Petal & Thorn Vermouth
 * 1oz El Buho Mescal
 * 1oz 1:1 honey syrup
 * 1oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
 * 1/2oz freshly sqeezed lime juice
 * 1/4oz 2:1 simple syrup
 * Shake all ingredients with ice and double strain into a chilled cocktail
   glass.
 * Garnish with a lime wheel.

The Rum Old-Fashioned

 * 2oz El Dorado 12yr Rum
 * 1/2oz 1:1 Demerara Syrup
 * 3 dashes Falernum Bitters
 * Add ingredients to a rocks glass and stir with ice.
 * Garnish with a lime peel

The Caipirinha

 * 2oz Cachaca
 * 1-2 sugar cubes
 * 3-4 lime wedges
 * Muddle lime wedges with sugar cubes in a rocks glass until dissolved.
 * Pour Cachaca over muddled fruit and shake with ice.
 * Serve in the glass you built it in

Slainte!


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by adamrpatrick on February 5, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by adamrpatrick on February 5, 2014

https://justaddalcohol.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/a-treatise-on-tending-bar-part-two-sweet/


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