Scotch, frozen stones, & GT Magazine

This was my last Friday night after work. Lovely.

Monday, December 5 - Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition

Talk about a reason to celebrate!! Prohibition was certainly an interesting point in this country's history. keith and I recently watched Ken Burn's documentary "Prohibition" - well worth it. It's amazing how similar things are politically to how they were at the time of Prohibition. The issues have changed, but the actions, reactions, and ignorance is still pretty much the same. But I digress...prohibition.

What an interesting concept - to place all of the evils of humanity on alcohol. In my humble opinion, the only reason things are (typically) used in excess is often because they are taboo or illegal, at least in this country. By making alcohol out to be this great sin, it ends up being glamorized and misused (much like other taboo topics...sex, marijuana...but again, I digress). Our country has one of the highest rates of alcoholism in the world - and I can only believe it's mostly due to the fact that it is so restricted. Think back, wasn't that first sip of beer exotic and exciting because you were "too young" for it? Remember those college parties where you first had some box wine - you felt like so much more of an adult because you weren't supposed to be drinking it. And think back to that glorious age: 21! At that point you could already vote, die for your country, and drive...FINALLY you're now allowed to order a glass of wine with dinner!!

So all that being said...I suggest we all raise a glass on Monday to the anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. A cute little article in Huffington Post (IMBIBE: 5 Ways to Toast Repeal Day) suggested five old-school cocktails that could help you celebrate, including the El Presidente, the Boulevardier and the Fallen Angel. So drink up - if you're of government determined age, that is.

Grey Goose Martini

Is there anything else I need to say?

Rose Martini

I'm really trying to experiment with flavors and smells (I'm talking cocktails, but that applies to food as well). I found some rose water and it immediately flashed me back to Dove Bar in NYC. keith and I used to stop in there for happy hour after work when we first moved to the city. They served a delicious rose martini - they even floated rose petals on top. So I gave it a go - ice cold grey goose and a touch of rose water. The rose water can be VERY over-powering, but it was quite nice.

Beer me

I've been so quiet! I'm sorry. Starting a new job has consumed my life. I have been cooking - even found some great slow-cooker recipes! I hope to do some catching up this weekend. In the meantime...cheers. Here's a nice Belgian style ale from Colorado. I'm gulping it down as I make some bangers & mash for dinner!

Whiskey

We wandered over to Pope House Whiskey bar last Friday night, after dinner with The Lesbians. Greedy little me got a flight of whiskey. YUM!

Chris' Cure All

It's very likely I've posted this drink recipe on here previously...I'm just too lazy to look. :) This is a martini that resurges every fall in our household and it sticks around through winter. It started as a way to get some really good and fresh ingredients (namely raw ginger, lemon and honey) into my system when I was feeling the beginnings of a cold. It's warm, soothing, and has healing powers. Honestly, if there isn't some alcohol content in your cold medicine then you don't know what you're missing! As a kid my mom would make me drink hot tea with honey, lemon and a splash of whiskey when I had a cold. I still drink that when I'm sick...there's just a little more than a splash of whiskey, and I add ginger. From that came the Chris' Cure All.

The idea was to make something that would soothe, and please, while providing direct injections of the ingredients (all of which I fully believe aid in the healing process...I'm talking the ginger, lemon, honey, not the liquor). It needed to be sweet enough that keith would enjoy it, yet robust enough for me. There's an old cocktail called The Grandad that mixes scotch and amaretto - the flavors combine so well together I decided that would be the base of the cocktail. And by no means is this a simple drink - you've got to sip, and a couple will knock you out. :) But it's delicious, especially on a cold fall or winter night. And the next time you feel the start of a cold, make a Chris' Cure All and I'll be damned if you're not feeling great the next day.

And just a note, you could make this drink with a scotch that wasn't aged 12 years, but why would you?

Chris' Cure All
1 Tbl. honey
splash boiling water
1/4 inch piece ginger, peeled & chopped finely
1 wedge of lemon (approximately 1/2 tsp. lemon juice)
1 oz. Amaretto
2 oz. 12 year old Scotch (preferable Macallan or Singleton)

In an empty shaker, pour the honey. Add the splash of hot water and stir the honey until it dissolves completely. Add the ginger, lemon juice (and throw in the whole wedge if you're using it once squeezed), Amaretto and Scotch. Add ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Honeydew & Cucumber Martini

I bought a cute little honeydew at the market the other day - I really love the flavor of a good honeydew. But instead of cutting it up for breakfast or a snack, I juiced the whole thing. Surprisingly not as much juice as I'd expected - not as much as a watermelon of the same size. But enough for what I wanted (and I have big martini glasses).

Honeydew & Cucumber Martini
3 parts fresh honeydew juice
3 parts cucumber vodka (I used Pearl Cucumber Vodka)

Add the juice & vodka to a shaker with ice, shake vigorously and pour into a martini glass.

Fruity Margarita Martini

Again with the un-creative name!! So this drink was created based on the fruits I had available after a trip to New Seasons. Plus I still had half a bottle of Gran Gala and I desperately wanted to use it - I LOVE the smell & flavor of that orange liqueur. And anytime I get to muddle I get all excited. Interactive food & liquor making is the best.

Fruity Margarita Martini
1/4 white peach, chopped
1 strawberry, sliced
 Small bunch of fresh blueberries (8 - 10)
1/2 key lime, cut into pieces (or 1/4 regular lime)
1 oz. Gran Gala
1 oz. white Tequila

In your shaker combine the peach, strawberry, blueberries and lime. Muddle the crap out of them until all that's left is a gorgeous fruit slurry. Add some ice, the Gran Gala and the Tequila. Shake vigorously and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a few whole blueberries and a thin slice of peach.

Hazelnut Latte Martini

Another wimpy name, but nothing creative came to me!

I wanted a coffee cocktail. I poured through the many bar books I have in the kitchen and wasn't pleased with any recipes containing actual coffee. So I adapted and made my own. This is really nice, and surprisingly not too sweet. However I do think the addition of a tiny splash of chocolate (probably a chocolate liqueur) would have been ideal. Honestly coffee and chocolate are the most amazing pair - they bring out complexities in each other that are astounding.

Hazelnut Latte Martini
1 1/2 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Kahlua
1/2 oz. Frangelico
1 oz. brewed coffee (mine is from a coffee press, so a little strong)
Splash half-n-half (or cream, milk, etc.)

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a couple of espresso beans - chocolate covered if you're feeling fancy!

Caipirinha updated

A while ago I posted a cocktail recipe for the Caipirinha using Cachaca (Brazilian sugar cane rum). I made a variation over the weekend that I absolutely loved! It included the addition of orange and ginger to the mix (hmm...I'm sensing a flavor profile throughline this weekend!). Here's the updated version:

Caipirinha with Orange & Ginger
5 limes, cut into 8 pieces
2 oranges cut into small pieces
1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
1 1/2 C turbinado raw sugar
2 1/2 C Cachaca rum (or any white rum)

Combine the limes, oranges, ginger and sugar in a pitcher. Muddle the crap out of it all until the juices have been completely released from the limes, oranges & ginger and the sugar is dissolved. Add the rum and stir to dissolve any sugar that's still left. Pour into a serving pitcher, and serve over ice.

Ginger-Orange Martini

I've been lacking the creativity to come up with fun names for newly invented cocktails this week. I'll work on that. However this one isn't quite there yet, so I'm not going to name it...although it was inspired by Madame DuMoore at The Rainbow Room, so maybe I'll just call is something like Spicy Drag - or The Ginger Queen.

I've tried a few versions of this and it still needs tweaking, but I still wanted to share it. I'm a huge fan of fresh ginger, especially in cocktails & martinis. And upon my discovery of Yazi Ginger Vodka, I was giddy as a school girl. I LOVE Canton Ginger Liqueur but often feel that it's too sweet. This is not sweet - in fact it's quite spicy and delicious! The addition of Campari is quite interesting - Madame DuMoore basically treated it like bitters, just adding a splash (my first version had WAY too much Campari). And truth be told Campari doesn't do it much for me. I mean, it's everywhere in Italy, as keith and I discovered. And when we finally sauntered up to a bar and ordered what everyone else was having (Campari and soda) I could barely choke it down. It's so bitter - YET as an enhancement to drinks (just like bitters) it seems to work.

Spicy Drag...or Ginger Queen
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp. orange zest
juice of 1/2 orange (for fresh orange flavor)
2 1/2 oz. Yazi Ginger Vodka
Splash Campari (mostly for color and flavor)
1 1/2 oz. orange juice (yes, in addition to the fresh squeezed)

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass, and garnish with a thin orange wheel. Suggestions: perhaps a splash of simple syrup will bring this monster to it's knees? And maybe even a splash of soda water will mellow it out? I'm not sure yet, but here's my beginning!

Rainbow Room Lounge

After gorging on Voodoo Doughnuts, we wandered through an Arts Fair, and walked around downtown eventually making our way to happy hour at The Rainbow Room Lounge (part of CC Slaughters). They have an impressive martini menu - but don't fall for it. The drinks are good, for sure, but the one and only Madame DuMoore, drag queen bartender du jour can whip up an original creation that is sure to please. I ended our visit with a tasty concoction of fresh ginger, muddled orange, ginger vodka, and campari. Slurp!

A Hike and a Beer

This past Saturday I again ventured up to the top of Saddle Mountain. This time I took keith so he could experience the gorgeous views as well. Armed with a new hiking backpack, and some new hiking poles for keith, we set out. Again, first stop was at Camp 18 - I had a luscious omelet filled with steak, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. keith had a lumberjack breakfast complete with one huge pancake, one piece of french toast, eggs, sausage and homefries. With our tanks full of fuel, we hit the hiking trail.

The beginning of the hike is "respectable" (as Kevin put it), and brings you out to an outcropping of stone that seems to float above everything. I made a point to walk out to the edge for a photo op - big deal to someone that is leery of heights, like me. And then the trail gets difficult going straight up to the summit. Wonderful day, gorgeous weather, and then we relaxed at home with a lovely local IPA - which hit the spot after a hike like that!

Comfort Food, a Hike, and some Beer

This past Tuesday my new friend Kevin took me hiking up to the top of Saddle Mountain - it's an hour west of the city off Route 26. Kevin is an AVID hiker - an outdoorsman for sure. I'm a recovering city boy, so I had no idea what to expect. Luckily he had planned the day to start with a big, hearty breakfast at Camp 18 - a rustic and stunning restaurant full of gorgeous wood & wood sculptures as well as huge plates of warm and delicious food. And naturally, I got a few photos from the inside of the restaurant but neglected to take a photo of the massive pile of biscuits and gravy that was delivered to my table. Kevin managed to put away most of three insanely huge blueberry pancakes and a plate of potatoes.

Fueled and ready to go, we made our way to the Saddle Mountain. Heck of a hike - and well worth it for the views. You get to the summit and you have a full 360 degree view - ocean to the west, and forest all around. And after a great hike there was only one thing left to do - get some beer.

Kevin took me to Lucky Labrador for a few pints. Great brewery with a lively back patio (dogs welcome...of course). I started with the Hellasourus Rex - a lighter German-style lager, and then moved on to the ESP. I got home and keith had ordered pizza for dinner - all in all a great day!

The Mistress

Last week I was watching old episodes of Oliver's Twist (Jamie Oliver cooking show) and one of the quick and easy recipes was a lime & basil sorbet. It looked VERY simple - and sounded delicious. So I figured I'd give it a go. I talked with Holly on the phone the next day and mentioned it to her, and her response was "just put in the blender with some tequila." Awww...Holly, you say the sweetest things. :) So I (basically) did just that. But here's why...

I actually DID attempt the sorbet, but I just couldn't get it to set. I think I didn't let it boil long enough (I'm still getting used to the electric range - it gets really, really, really, really, really, really hot really, really, really quickly). So it wasn't reduced enough to thicken up as it should in the freezer. But no loss, I pulled it out of the freezer and immediately poured some into a cocktail shaker with tequila. Thus The Mistress was born.

Why The Mistress? Well it fits the theme of our future endeavor. But more than that, it fits a certain Mistress we know and love. I'm speaking of the one and only Lana, of course. She's amazingly sweet, with a touch of earthy freshness. Yet she's damn powerful and can bring you to your knees. Such is the case with this drink. Be forewarned - The Mistress is strong and sweet and will own you.

The Mistress
1 part Lime-Basil simple syrup
3 parts white tequila
Lime wedge

Add the syrup & tequila to a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass and squeeze one wedge of lime overtop before serving.


Lime-Basil Simple Syrup
2 C water
1 C sugar
Zest of 5 limes
Juice of 5 limes
1 bunch of basil (handful)

In a pot, combine the sugar and the water. Stir and heat up. Add the zest, and bring to a slow boil.  For sorbet you would allow this to boil for 5 minutes or so. For simple syrup, don't do that. Simply take it off the heat and add the lime juice. Make sure your basil is clean, and pop it into a mortar & pestal. Bash it to death until it's all bruised and you've extracted some juice from the leaves. Add this entire basil mess to the pot and stir through. Let it sit for a couple of minutes so the flavors begin to come together. Then pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the basil leaves and pieces. Store in the refrigerator, and it should keep for up to a week.

If you wanted to make the sorbet (and boiled it for at least 5 minutes), at this point you could pour the contents into a metal bowl and pop it in the freezer. After 45 minutes, pull it out and whisk it good. Put it back in for 30 minutes. After that it should be ready for you to spoon out. It wasn't for me, and thus the drink was born.

Pink Lemonade

Not long ago I bought a bottle of maraschino liqueur for a cocktail I wanted to try. And now I have a bottle of maraschino liqueur. :) What to do? I started pouring through some bar books to find unique ways to use it up. I came across a very simple recipe called Pink Lemonade. It's actually quite refreshing - I added some maraschino cherries (again, I feel the need to use them up!) which actually made the drink a little pink. This cocktail is best enjoyed while having light-hearted and/or trivial conversation. No heavy stuff, please.

Pink Lemonade
4 parts vodka
2 parts maraschino liqueur
Fresh lemonade (I used bottled...sue me)

Pour the vodka and liqueur into a cocktail glass over ice. Fill the rest of the glass with lemonade and stir. Add maraschino cherries for added appeal. Note: the second time I had this cocktail I realized it was actually just a little too sweet for me. So I added about 1 - 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.

Hip Sips

Another creation by Lucy Brennan from her book "Hip Sips," I wanted to try this one because of the use of maple syrup. The book is fascinating because there are so many unconventional things she uses in her recipes (which unfortunately can make it a hard book to actually USE - you have to go out buy all kinds of odd things, including odd & interesting liquors).

The maple syrup certainly adds a sweetness to the drink, yet the bite of Grey Goose permeates. It's quite an interesting martini and we both enjoyed it on a hot early evening while sitting on our patio and talking about our day.

Vermont
3 oz. Grey Goose vodka
1/4 oz. Grade A Vermont maple syrup
1 unsalted almond for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the vodka and syrup. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Add the almond for garnish and serve immediately.

Ad Lib by Lucy Brennan

A while back keith got me this amazing book of unique cocktails called "Hip Sips" by Lucy Brennan. I was pouring through it the other day and came across this cocktail. It immediately caught my eye because one of the ingredients is cilantro. Lo and behold - I love cilantro! The smell, the texture, the taste. And now I can have it in a drink? Why, I just couldn't believe it so I had to make it for myself!

The cilantro is paired amazingly with the lemon-lime juice. Delicious, and quite refreshing on a warm summer night. It's not a cocktail I could have too many of in a row, as it is a bit powerful - I'm talking taste here. But wow, what a knockout. And while the recipe technically calls for Crater Lake Vodka, use whatever you like. I used Svedka and it was delicious. Also the recipe calls for cocktail ice (basically crushed ice you can manipulate easier than cubes) - and you're supposed to muddle the ice and cilantro together. I didn't have any cocktail ice, so instead I muddled the cilantro and the lemon-lime juice together, then added all of the ingredients - and ice - and shook vigorously.

Ad Lib
Cocktail ice cubes for muddling and shaking
5 to 7 fresh cilantro leaves
2 1/2 ounces Crater Lake vodka
1 ounce fresh Lemon-Lime juice (basically one part lemon, one part lime mixed in advance)
1 ounce Simple Syrup
Lollipop rim*

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the ice and cilantro until the ice is slushy and the cilantro is evenly distributed throughout the ice. Add ice to fill the shaker. Add the vodka, lemon-lime juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a martini glass garnished with a lollipop rim.

*Lollipop rim - you need some baker's sugar for this (or superfine sugar - very small granules). Cut a wedge of orange, and make a deep cut right in the middle of the wedge. Turn your martini glass upside down, and slide the cut wedge around the edge of the glass. Rub the orange wedge all the way around the glass (up to 2 inches down the edge). Have your sugar ready in a wide bowl. Tip the edge of your martini glass into the sugar and spin the glass to coat all around the edge. Your left with a deep rim - about 1 - 2 inches (typical rim is very shallow).

Pink Flamingo

I'm having a grand time trying out new cocktails, if you can't tell. This one came from a great book keith got me last Christmas called "The Modern Mixologist" by Tony Abou-Ganim (with Mary Elizabeth Faulkner). It's a nice and refreshing summer drink - tart and yummy. And halving the grapes as a garnish is completely worth it.

Pink Flamingo

1 1/2 oz. Absolut Citron vodka
1/2 oz Maraschino liqueur
1 1/2 oz. fresh lemon sour*
1 1/2 oz. white grape juice
1 oz. POM pomegranate juice

Add everything to a shaker with ice, shake vigorously. Pour over ice into your cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon slices and sliced green and red seedless grapes.

*Lemon sour: 2 parts fresh lemon juice, 1 part simple syrup. We've made a habit of always keeping some simple syrup in the refrigerator for just such occasions. :)