Posted by Paul Clarke, August 29, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
I'll go out on a limb here and assume it’s still summer around the country—even if it doesn't feel like that where I am in Seattle, with our overcast skies and highs in the mid-60s. While I’m seething with envy at everyone with seasonally appropriate Labor Day weather, I’ll offer up a true summer classic that seems custom-built for a long holiday weekend at the close of summer.
Quick Tom Collins History
The Tom Collins dates back more than a century and a half, but its welcoming crispness keeps it fresh always. So established in the libational world, the Tom Collins even has its own eponymous glass (tall, with plenty of room for ice). Over the years, the drink has faced some challenges—bottles of Holland House Collins Mix in my parents' liquor cabinet spring to mind. Was squeezing a lemon really so difficult? But successfully navigating its course from horse-and-carriage days to the digital age, the Tom Collins is built for survival. Keep some lemons and soda water on-hand this weekend and knock together a Collins in between grilling stints.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, August 22, 2008 at 5:30 PM
An ad for the Scottish whisky liqueur Drambuie, a main part of the MacKinnon drink.
A highball can be such a simple thing. All you need is a little booze, a little fizz, and some ice to stretch it out. Whiskey and soda, brandy and soda, bourbon and ginger ale—it's the same principle throughout.
But sometimes a highball needs help. You’re in the mood for a full-blown cocktail, but you want to make it linger. Or, and this happens often this time of year, you want something long and cold but more adventurous than your basic X+Y highball. Meet the MacKinnon.
This wafted up in Esquire in 1938 and was revived by David Wondrich in Esquire Drinks in 2002. Between the dates, I’m not sure if this item ever surfaced. Pity, that; it’s an odd and surprising drink to be sure, but with a great deal of unexpected charm. The base for the drink is Drambuie, the Scottish herbal honey-and-whisky liqueur, but before you write it off as too sweet, look at the citrus and soda—that will tone down the sugar a few notches. Plus, there’s a slider of rum to help level out flavor, and to bring the horsepower up to the necessary level.
This won’t be an everyday drink, but when you need something surprising and kind of delightful, the MacKinnon is a good bet to get you there.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, August 8, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Many people associate the era of elaborate, fruity rum drinks with the mid-20th century, a time when innovative restaurateurs such as Donn Beach and Victor Bergeron created the rum rhapsodies and Polynesian palaces that defined the age of exotica.
But they weren’t the first to venture down the rum and fruit path: behold the Knickerbocker, the ancestor of tiki.
The Knickerbocker dates to at least the 1860s, when it made its print debut in the first known bartending manual, penned by Jerry Thomas. The recipe called for “Santa Cruz rum,” or rum from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, along with lime juice and sweetener in the form of raspberry syrup and curacao, and garnished with berries in season.
Many of these old recipes show their age today, but the Knickerbocker is still pretty lively. Amber rums from Cruzan, made in St. Croix, are perfectly suitable in this drink, but you can use most any amber rum to good effect. If you don’t happen to have raspberry syrup on hand, you can make your own by lightly bashing a handful of berries, covering with a syrup made from equal parts sugar and water, and letting it soak overnight before straining (failing that, there’s always Chambord). This being berry season, incorporating this do-it-yourself effort can be especially rewarding, or if you don’t feel like that much effort, just festoon fresh berries atop the drink in a gesture of summery exuberance.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, July 25, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
One of the most distinguished and engaging writers in all of liquordom was Charles H. Baker. A contributor to Esquire, Town & Country and Gourmet during the 1940s, Baker is best known as the author of The Gentleman’s Companion and The South American Gentleman’s Companion, both two-volume works published in the 1930s that explored Baker’s culinary and libational adventures around the world, rendered in a faux-Victorian prose full of color and panache, adding to his frequently delicious (and sometimes downright weird) recipes for food and drink.
New York writer and bartender St. John Frizell published an exploration of Baker’s life in the current issue of Oxford American, and during the recent Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans, Frizell presented a 90-minute session about the man and the drinks he loved. Remember the Maine is one of the better cocktails to come from Baker’s books.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, July 18, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Usually when in you’re in a drinking establishment and the room starts spinning around you, it’s a sure sign that you’ve been there too long and exercised too little caution. But at the Carousel Bar in New Orleans, it’s easy to get the spins before even ordering a drink, thanks to the revolving bar at the center of the room.
The Carousel Bar is one of the hallmarks of New Orleans’ libational heritage, and is unsurprisingly at the heart of Tales of the Cocktail, the annual cocktails and spirits festival now taking place (it doesn’t hurt that the event is based in the Hotel Monteleone, where the Carousel Bar is located). But the Carousel isn’t just famous for the slowly turning circular bar that requires standees to keep up a slow saunter while conversing with a seated patron; it has also contributed its own classic cocktail to the hallowed halls of mixology.
Named using the French term for what’s now known as the French Quarter, the Vieux Carré traces its origin to the bar back in the 1930s, and first appeared in print in 1937, in Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em. It’s as rich and decadent now as it was back then, and still remarkably evocative of the Big Easy. This weekend, raise a toast to New Orleans with one of the city’s contributions to cocktail history.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, July 11, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Following up on the Summer of Rum, the classic way of mixing the crisp, vegetal flavor of rhum agricole from Martinique—which, to refresh your memory, is made from fresh sugarcane juice instead of the molasses almost all other rums are distilled from—is in a simple drink called the Ti Punch.
"Ti" is short for "petite," and the Ti Punch delivers on that account; unlike the overly sweet, Asti Spumante and orange sherbet concoctions your grandmother put together as a party drink decades ago, Ti Punch has only a few ingredients and is extraordinarily simple to prepare, assuming you have those ingredients. And that can be a big assumption; rhum agricole has a limited distribution, and the drink is typically sweetened with cane syrup in lieu of refined sugar. Petit Canne syrup is available on pretty much the same scale as rhum agricole, and the Martinique distiller Depaz also produces a cane syrup.
The Ti Punch looks much like a daiquiri or a caipirinha, but the distinctive flavor of rhum agricole makes this a particularly musky and rugged drink. Using a white agricole is traditional, though the aged agricole, or rhum vieux, are a bit more user-friendly for the agricole novice. I won’t tell if you won’t.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, July 4, 2008 at 4:30 PM
What are you doing inside on the 4th of July?! Oh, looking up info on the perfect Independence Day cocktail? Look no further: Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles) has poured you one. Cheers!
Fourth of July celebrations were made for beer. It’s cold and refreshing, and low enough in alcohol that you can sip at it over the course of an afternoon or evening. But for a longer celebration – especially one that involves flaming grills and possibly random blasts of fireworks – it’s a good idea to slow down the alcohol consumption even further, while keeping hydrated as you go. But it’s beer, and beer is delicious—and besides, Fourth of July celebrations were made for beer! If there were only a way to strike a balance…
Enter the Cincinnati Cocktail (and no, I don’t know why it’s called that) – heretical to some beer-lovers, but before you start tapping condemnations in the comments box, do me a favor and try it first; it’s really not bad at all. Dating back more than 120 years, to a time when drinking beer as you worked all day was considered somewhat normal, the Cincinnati Cocktail is immensely easy to prepare, but it isn’t, in any true sense of the word, a cocktail: first, there’s no spirits or even wine in there; and second, what alcohol there is in the glass is diluted by a lot of fizzy water.
Continue reading »
Posted by Lucy Baker, July 4, 2008 at 12:30 PM
The brilliant red color of this Raspberry Margarita brings to mind cherry-hued Cosmopolitans, though the drinks couldn't be more different. Whereas Cosmos rely on vodka and bottled cranberry juice, Margaritas, Mojitos, & More author Jessica Strand uses fresh raspberry purée and a combination of tequila and Chambord to create a sweet, refreshing cocktail that is the perfect expression of summer.
Win 'Margaritas, Mojitos, and More'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day, we’re giving away five copies of Margaritas, Mojitos, & More. Enter to win here.
Continue reading »
Posted by Lucy Baker, July 3, 2008 at 1:00 PM
If bold, fruit-forward drinks like yesterday's piña colada just aren't your style, you will definitely enjoy today's Cook the Book recipe, excerpted from Margaritas, Mojitos, & More, for Cucumber-Lime Saketinis. Cool, mellow cucumber is an excellent match for sake's subtle, floral flavors. While the lime adds a contrasting note of tartness, it is by no means overpowering. The predominant taste is smooth and delicate.
This drink would go wonderfully with grilled fish steaks, from bold tuna to mild mahi mahi. Think of it as an alternative to the traditional steakhouse pairing of a ribeye and a gin martini. And while it isn't as American as say, a can of Midwestern beer or California wine, it would be an elegant addition to any 4th of July bash.
Win 'Margaritas, Mojitos, and More'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day, we’re giving away five copies of Margaritas, Mojitos, & More. Enter to win here.
Continue reading »
Posted by Lucy Baker, July 2, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Nothing says 'summer' quite like a piña colada. The mere mention of the sweet, tropical cocktail conjures images of poolside lounge chairs, wide-brimmed beach hats, and broiling sunshine. Too often, however, piña coladas are pre-made in giant frozen beverage machines and have an artificial, over-the-top coconut taste.
Today's Cook the Book recipe, excerpted from Margaritas, Mojitos, & More, is for a simple piña colada that uses only the freshest ingredients. While the recipe yields only one drink, it's easy to multiply. Whip up a batch this weekend and serve with your favorite chips and guacamole.
Win 'Margaritas, Mojitos, and More'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day, we’re giving away five copies of Margaritas, Mojitos, & More. Enter to win here.
Continue reading »
Posted by Lucy Baker, July 1, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Flavored, blended margaritas are a dime a dozen. Laden with fruity syrups and loaded with added sugar, they often taste more like convenience store Slurpees than sophisticated cocktails. After more than one mango madness-induced migraine, I've learned to order mine plain and on the rocks, thanks.
But today's Cook the Book recipe for Watermelon-Ginger Margaritas, excerpted from Margaritas, Mojitos, & More, is different. Author Jessica Strand uses fresh, puréed watermelon and a combination of fresh and crystallized ginger to create a drink that is sweet, refreshing, and infused with a subtle, spicy heat.
This drink is a gorgeous, festive shade of pink. While the recipe makes only one drink it's a snap to multiply. Whip up a pitcher or two for your 4th of July celebration.
Win 'Margaritas, Mojitos, and More'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day, we’re giving away five copies of Margaritas, Mojitos, & More. Enter to win here.
Continue reading »
Posted by Lucy Baker, June 30, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Today's Cook the Book recipe, excerpted from Margaritas, Mojitos, & More, is for festive Blueberry Mojitos. Author Jessica Strand uses a combination of unsweetened blueberry juice and whole blueberries to create a brilliant, violet-colored cocktail bursting with sweet berry flavors. Strand garnishes each drink with fresh mint, but for the 4th of July, why not add a red, ripe strawberry?
Win 'Margarits, Mojitos, and More'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day, we’re giving away five copies of Margaritas, Mojitos, & More. Enter to win here.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, June 27, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Some drinks just beg to be reborn. Jotted in aging bar manuals and cookbooks, they slumber for years, maybe trotted out for the occasional “Whatever Happened To…?” experience before slipping back into relative obscurity. Then, for whatever reason, someone starts paying attention to what the drink has to say, and it’s like talking to your grandparents and really understanding them for the first time—something clicks, the beauty becomes apparent, and before you know it, the drink is everywhere.
While it might be pushing the matter to say the Fog Cutter was obscure—tiki fiends have been batching them up for years—it’s certainly enjoying a new popularity. Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron first put this drink together decades ago, but now Martin Cate, owner of Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge in Alameda, California is giving it new life. Cate listed this drink as his selection for Food & Wine Cocktails 2008, and is such a fan that he’s even registered the drink’s name on his car’s license plate.
A couple of the Bay Area’s best food & drink bloggers have recently lauded the Fog Cutter, and with good reason: it’s a delicate, fruity blend of several spirits and juices, topped with an aromatic float of amontillado sherry. Be forewarned, though, it does pack a punch. As Vic wrote of his creation, “Fog Cutter, hell. After two of these, you won’t even see the stuff.”
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, June 20, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
At last, it’s summer. And, it’s hot (assuming you don’t live near my home in Seattle, where it’s finally hitting the mid-70s). In the late afternoon or early evening—when the heat and humidity can suck the chill right out of a beer in three minutes flat—you need a refresher that’s a little more durable, yet simple to make. After all, when the heat strikes, the last place you want to be is in the kitchen, muddling up mojitos for a growing crowd of guests.
This drink requires the simplest of preparations, yet it’s almost wholly unexpected by the average imbiber. For assertiveness, it uses a good, amber rum—Appleton Extra is a good choice, as are Angostura 1919 and Bacardi 8— and for unparalleled refreshment impact, chilled coconut water.
Once only found in neighborhood bodegas and Asian food stores, this juice from a green coconut—which looks and tastes almost nothing like the more familiar coconut milk—is on the ascendance, and canned or Tetra-packed versions can be found in many natural-food stores and better-stocked groceries. Of course, it can also be found on the inside of green coconuts; if you feel like doing a little work for your drink, pick up one or two (Asian markets are still a good place to find these), make sure it sloshes interestingly, then hack a hole in the top using a large kitchen knife or cleaver (for best results, do this before starting on the rum). You may wish to strain the coconut water—even the canned versions include a bit of pulp—but its light, slightly sweet tanginess pairs beautifully with a rich, vanilla-toned rum.
While the temperature outside continues to hold steady, your internal temperature will take a nice, soft glide down. And if that doesn’t say “ultimate summer refresher,” I don’t know what does.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, June 13, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Fixing a cocktail for your dad on Father’s Day can be tough. If your father is the type to enjoy the occasional glass, chances are he’s been drinking the same bourbon or scotch for years because, well, that’s what he likes and always has. But this is supposed to be a special day, a time when you break with your habits but still stay inside your respective comfort zones. So try something different; just remember, when you’re preparing a drink for your father, there’s one simple rule to follow: don’t screw it up.
This one’s hard to screw up. The Old Fashioned is one of the most venerable of cocktails, predating not only the motor car but the presidency of Abe Lincoln. Properly made, it’s strong, but not too much, and sweet, but not too much; most important, it’s dead simple to make, and absolutely delicious.
There’s too much orthodoxy thrown about with cocktails, so instead of indicating a “right” or “wrong” way of making this, I’ll simply say this is the traditional way from the Old Fashioned’s youth. It differs from most Old Fashioneds you’ll find today in its absence of fruit and soda water; the former makes the drink sweeter than is strictly necessary, and the latter makes it weaker. If you use a decent whiskey—which you should—you won’t need the additional sweetness or the distracting flavors from the fruit; and if you add a couple of good-size chunks of ice to the glass, the time you spend chatting with your dad over the drink will take care of the additional dilution.
Continue reading »
Posted by Lucy Baker, June 10, 2008 at 3:00 PM
For most dads, the term "summer cocktail" is synonymous with one thing: an ice cold can of Budweiser tucked into a foam cozy. While there is nothing easier than popping the top on a tall boy, there are other options that are a bit more sophisticated and just as refreshing.
This week's Cook the Book selection, New South Grilling, includes a chapter on cool drinks that pair perfectly with backyard cookout fare. Inspired by the flavors of the deep South, these modern cocktails are heavy on the watermelon, mint, and—of course—bourbon.
Today we're excerpting two recipes that are sure to make your dad forget all about that six-pack in the back of the fridge. The first is for a Mississippi Watermelon-Basil Martini made with gin and a hint of lime. The second, Not-Your-Grandmother’s Mint Julep, uses club soda for a lighter version of the classic cocktail.
Win 'New South Grilling'
In addition to excerpting a recipe each day this week, we're giving away five copies of New South Grilling. Enter to win here.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, June 6, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
In the world of mixology there are a handful of those Tracy-Hepburn combinations that just work magic. Gin and vermouth; rum and lime juice; whiskey and bitters. As long as a drink has one of these combos as a backbone, it’s hard to stray too far off course.
Add to this list tequila and crème de cassis. Really, who’d a thunk that the zippy New-World spirit from the agave would match so well with a demure liqueur flavored with an Old-World fruit? But there's just some kind of romance between the two that defies explanation; all you need to know is that separately, they can be very entertaining, but together, they’re dynamite.
Lime juice is also an old friend to tequila, one that helps keep the relationship between these made-for-each-other ingredients fresh; top the mix with a little ginger ale (or, if you’re feeling like living fast, a spicy ginger beer), and you have something worthy of sipping during a long, warm late-spring evening. Measure carefully, mix with respect, and sit back and enjoy the fireworks in the glass.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, June 6, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Created by Adam Seger at Nacional 27.
Components
Luxe Ham Cognac: Infuse an Iberico (Pata Negra) ham leg in 1.5 liters of Hennessey VS Cognac for a fortnight, covered and refrigerated.
Honey syrup: Heat 1 quart of wildflower honey with 1/3 cup of water and three large sticks of Caribbean cinnamon (cannella) to a simmer. Cover and let cool. Put through a fine mesh strainer and refrigerate.
Manchego tuile: Shave aged Manchego onto a silpat or parchment paper to create a sheet of 1/4-inch thick cheese. Bake at 350°F for 12 -15 minutes until light brown and crisped. Let cool and cut into 2-inch by 6-inch strips. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature.
Procedure
Build in a Pint Glass:
2 ounces Luxe Ham Cognac
Juice of 1 lime
1 ounce honey syrup
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Lay the Manchego tuile across the top of the glass and top with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Posted by Paul Clarke, May 30, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Two things you’ll probably notice about this daiquiri:
1. It’s not frozen.
2. It’s not laden down with strawberries, bananas, mangoes or what have you.
No, this is the daiquiri at its purest, its original, its most authentic. True, there are perfectly tasty variations on this theme (we’ll ignore the flavored glop that you see tourists gulping from bucket-size go cups on Bourbon Street), and a frozen daiquiri, made with all due attention and respect, is not a bad thing.
But an old-school daiquiri is an exercise in purity, as beautiful in its unadorned simplicity as a well-made martini or Manhattan. Of course, "well made" is a big factor here, as well: to fully realize the daiquiri’s inherent beauty, be sure to measure your ingredients; free-pouring, while easier and cooler-looking than eyeballing a measuring cup, frequently leaves you with an odd-tasting drink. And while you can mix the daiquiri with different rums or in one of its fruit-enhanced variations, the use of fresh lime juice is absolutely essential; those little green plastic limes and day-glo bottles of Rose’s should stay as far from your daiquiri as possible.
The daiquiri achieved timeless-classic status for a reason; take a moment this weekend to see what all the original fuss was about.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, May 23, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Why a Presbyterian? I can’t say for sure. Perhaps it’s a reference to the nationality of the base spirit, and a nod to the Church of Scotland. Then again, the wholesome appearance of this drink makes it suitable for covert imbibing at church picnics; for all anybody knows, you’re relaxing in the shade with a tall glass of iced tea.
Whatever the provenance of its name, the Presbyterian is pretty much made to be enjoyed outdoors, preferably with a picnic blanket in sight and with a few blue puffs of smoke blowing off the barbecue. Incredibly easy to prepare, the Presbyterian also lends itself to the pitcher treatment: simply do a little math before the guests arrive, and pour everything together as everyone’s starting to mill around the backyard (or deck, or fire escape, as the case may be). Then settle back with a plate of potato salad and whatever’s smoky and sizzling, and watch the sun go down on a long holiday weekend. Just remember to plan more days like this in the summer to come.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, May 16, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
If you read the headline and thought, “Starbucks,” you’re missing out on something here.
While my knowledge of coffee history is sorely lacking, I’d still wager that this Americano predates the now-familiar mix of espresso and hot water. First served in Milan around 1861, this fizzy aperitif became popular among American tourists and expatriates in the early 20th-century, thus earning its name.
The Americano is sometimes derided as an emasculated Negroni; that overlooks the drink’s enduring charms. While less potent in flavor and effect than the Negroni, the Americano is a very agreeable companion on a warm day, especially in the late spring when the barbecue is being brought out of winter storage and the weather invites you to linger outside. Engagingly bitter, slightly sweet, and above all, tall and cold, the Americano suits the season.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, May 9, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Sure, you could make mimosas on Mother’s Day. But if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous to make with your bubbly—or, perhaps the idea of spending an afternoon at your mother’s place requires a little extra fortification—you can send your greetings via Air Mail.
Bar manager Thad Vogler at Beretta in San Francisco likes these with the dry, floral taste of Barbancourt rum from Haiti, but the gentle, vanilla-y richness of Bacardi 8 also works well. And you’ll want to use a dry Champagne or sparkling wine here; something sweet will overshadow the rum, and you can adjust the sweetness of the drink by tinkering with the honey. The important thing is, the Air Mail is flexible while being suitably celebratory, and the potency can be dialed up or down depending on your mother’s tastes—and the day’s situation.
Continue reading »
Posted by Alaina Browne, May 3, 2008 at 10:34 AM
The michelada is a spicy beer cocktail that first became popular in northern Mexico. The cocktail's name is derived from "mi chela helada," or "my cold, light beer" and as the name suggests, is perfect for sipping on a hot summer day.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, April 25, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Before there was tiki, there was tropical. Back in the 1930s and early ‘40s, as Don the Beachcomber was spawning what was to become a wave of openings of Polynesian palaces, bartenders and restaurateurs were filling up their liquor shelves with rum and experimenting with new concoctions.
One of the earliest to be influenced by the Beachcomber was Victor Bergeron, who saw what Donn Beach had started in L.A. and took the idea home to Oakland, revamping his old Hinky Dinks watering hole and renaming it Trader Vic’s. In 1947, Bergeron published Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide, an extensive recipe guide detailing hundreds of drinks, including many proto-tiki mixes that reflected the experimentation that had been going on in earlier years.
The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail has a few of the tropical essentials: first, it’s based on rum; second, its flavor is fleshed out with fresh lime juice and the little-known syrup called falernum; and third, the name has both Caribbean and nautical overtones. It’s a few steps short of a full-blown Nui Nui, Sumatra Kula or Pearl Diver’s Punch, but there’s no shame in that. On a warm spring day, when the mood for something bright and tropical hits you but you’re not quite up for breaking into full luau mode, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail fits the bill quite nicely.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, April 18, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? Hit up the archives. Cheers!
What, you thought Manhattan was the only borough of New York that had a drink named after it? We’ll get to the Brooklyn later, but Staten Island and Queens? Well, sorry—better luck next time.
Like its namesake, The Bronx cocktail has taken a beating over the years. It all started out well (with origins at the old Waldorf-Astoria back when that was the place to drink), but when Prohibition hit, the Bronx became ... popular. This was a bad thing, you see, because all sorts of rotgut gin were being mixed into cocktails, and the Bronx was one of those that had enough other stuff in it to somewhat obscure the vile taste of the booze. By the time Repeal rolled around, many drinkers had lost a few layers of stomach lining to Bronxes and others of its ilk. As a result, it was remembered with so much ill will that the drink practically disappeared.
Let’s be honest: The Bronx is unlikely to be anyone’s favorite drink. But while it’s not exactly bottled excitement, The Bronx is actually pretty good, and surprisingly refreshing. Be sure to use fresh-squeezed orange juice (and if you add a dash or two of Angostura bitters, you’ve got a somewhat tastier Income Tax Cocktail on your hands), and approach it with an open mind. There are some things from the past worth revisiting from time to time.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, April 11, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
As much as I like to imagine it happening, chances are that Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woolcott and the rest of the gang never tipped up a round of these.
While the members of the Algonquin Round Table likely never got on the outside of an Algonquin—the drink’s recipe didn’t appear in print until years after the legendary lunch meetings ended—this mixture bearing the name of that venerable hotel is as dry and captivating as was their wit. Fortunately, while the Round Table disbanded around 1929, it’s not too late to explore the flavor of the Algonquin.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, April 4, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Let’s admit up front that the name could be a problem. "Tuxedo" is a perfectly fine name for this cocktail, given the crisp formality of its austere dryness; however, it’s such a fetching name that other cocktails have used it as well. It should also be pointed out that this drink has traveled under different sobriquets—CocktailDB.com lists similar recipes under names such as the Cutest One, the Fino Martini, the Golden Girl, the Straight Law and the Roe a Coe Cocktail, and that’s without even breaking a sweat. But it’s best not to get too tangled up in the etymology of a drink; instead, take the many versions as proof that dry gin and fino sherry are destined to be together.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, March 28, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Indecisiveness isn’t a characteristic limited to humans. Consider the weather: we’re fresh out of spring’s starting gate (those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway), but here in Seattle, a place of moderate maritime climes if ever there was one, bits of slushy snow were clinging to the blossoming daffodils late last night.
When the weather (or your palate) is being indecisive, it’s best for your cocktails to play along. That’s where the El Presidente comes in: made with light rum, it has a bright, summery appeal; but with the gravitas brought to the drink by dry vermouth and orange curacao, the flavor is ready to pull on a sweater against the evening’s chill.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, March 21, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
This Easter, the eggs won’t all be dressed up in pretty colors and beautifully arrayed in a basket.
As compared to the white-glove treatment most Easter eggs receive, the fate that awaits eggs at bars such as Green Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is much more harrowing. Last Easter, bar manager Misty Kalkofen marked the holiday by serving a menu full of cocktails that had eggs, in whole or in part, vigorously shaken into them. No word on if she plans to repeat the event this year, but here’s a drink created by Misty that certainly belongs in the Easter canon.
Mixed with applejack, Benedictine and maple syrup, the Fort Washington Flip retains hints of the winter just past; given the early Easter this year, don’t be surprised if the weather suits up to match the drink.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, March 14, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
For a holiday so frequently associated with tipsy merriment, St. Patrick’s Day is certainly celebrated with a bum bunch of drinks.
Okay, there’s Guinness—I’ll give you that as the primary redeeming tipple for the day, with a tip of the hat also to the decent drams of Red Breast. But what else do you see being poured? Buckets of American lager tinted with vegetable dye, mugs of Irish coffee so laden with sugar and whipped cream that a drinker will lapse into a diabetic coma before inebriation sets in, and in the more raucous places the young folks frequent, the unfortunately named Irish Car Bombs.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, March 7, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
If you’ve ever been to a luau-themed party or exotic bar, or sipped your way through a beach vacation, chances are you’ve been served a mai tai. Unless you’re especially lucky or just happen to have a thing for tiki drinks, however, chances are even better you’ve been served a fraud.
Spawned from the rum-soaked genius mind of “Trader Vic” Bergeron, the mai tai is one of the most regal refreshments in the exotic-drink universe. Originally made with 17-year-old Jamaican rum, imported French orgeat, Dutch curaçao and fresh-squeezed lime juice, the mai tai quickly became a phenomenon; it also quickly became perverted. Hordes of Trader Vic-wannabes took wild stabs at recreating Bergeron’s long-secret recipe, and the result is what we all-too-often experience now: a sweet, murky drink filled with assorted fruit juices and syrups, with little resemblance to the original swoon-worthy concoction.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, February 29, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
When I was a kid, one of my mother’s closest friends was in the habit of slyly pointing out that she’d had only twelve (or thereabouts) birthdays—this, despite the fact that she was a middle-aged mother of three. Her punchline of course—and note I never said it was a good one—was that she was born on February 29, a date that only appears on the calendar when leap year rolls around.
Hey, look at today’s date! As you might expect from such a benign oddity, the day has spawned its own cocktail. The Savoy Cocktail Book states, “This Cocktail was created by Harry Craddock, for the Leap Year celebrations at the Savoy Hotel, London, on February 29th, 1928. It is said to have been responsible for more proposals than any other cocktail that has ever been mixed.”
I can’t attest to Craddock’s claim, but I can back up the notion that the Leap Year is a very engaging concoction. Mildly sweet, with a faint touch of bitterness, the cocktail is tasty enough to be enjoyed regularly while we wait for the next February 29 to roll around.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, February 22, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles) to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
The Manhattan’s fans are legion; they are also, fortunately, innovators.
While there are a handful of cocktails that take the basic Martini and employ respectful riffs, the Manhattan is the mixologist’s true muse. Whiskey, vermouth, bitters—a simple, basic trio, but one that lends itself to all manners of variation. Early versions of the venerable drink welcomed dashes of absinthe or maraschino liqueur—if you’re wondering why, try it and discover the brilliance a few dashes can make—and wider-ranging interpretations include the Brooklyn, made with the bitter orange Amer Picon, and the Rob Roy, with scotch in place of the rye or bourbon.
These innovations aren’t all vintage. Here’s a relative of the Manhattan that dates to within the past five years, a drink created by New York bartender Enzo Errico that utilizes its ancestor’s rye whiskey base, matches it with the bitter Italian vermouth Punt e Mes, and fills in the flavor with a hearty dose of funky maraschino liqueur. Named for a once rough-and-tumble Brooklyn neighborhood that’s since changed with the times, the Red Hook is one of the more memorable variations of the Manhattan.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, February 15, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail from Paul Clarke to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
In 2008, if you’re an adult male who feels the need for a little, um, assistance in the intimacy department, you reach for one of the pharmaceuticals you see advertised during football games. In 1928, if you needed a little vavoom in the bedroom, you went to see Dr. Voronoff.
So popular was Voronoff’s vitality procedure in the 1920s that it inspired the creation of the Monkey Gland, a cocktail named for the rather sensitive part of an unfortunate simian’s anatomy that Voronoff surgically implanted into his eager patients.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, February 8, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail from Paul Clarke to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
This cocktail has a name, appearance and elegant flavor well suited for Valentine’s Day. Unlike its floral namesake, however, this Rose is best enjoyed in quantities of fewer than a dozen.
Rescued from a vintage bar menu by cocktail historian David Wondrich, the Rose enjoyed a brief flash of popularity at the Chatham Hotel in Paris in the 1920s. Good luck finding it since then, which is a shame; soft, floral, lightly sweet and with a titillating aroma from the cherry eau de vie, the Rose is an exercise in delicate decadence, a drink that, like the Widow’s Kiss, can put the imbiber in a mindset from a completely different era.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, February 1, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail from Paul Clarke to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Regardless of what Punxsatawney Phil happens to see when he’s persuaded to emerge from his burrow in front of a battery of television cameras at Gobbler’s Knob this weekend, there’s plenty of winter yet to come. To keep seasonal affective disorder at bay, sometimes it’s wise to embrace the season for its good points: steaming plates of comfort food are all the more comforting in the winter; you can build crackling fires in the fireplace to drive away the chill; and deep, brooding cocktails seem to provide extra solace at a time when daylight is still at a premium.
Continue reading »
Posted by Jenn Sit, January 30, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Manhattan
- makes 2 drinks -
Ingredients
4 1/2 ounces rye or bourbon whiskey
1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 Maraschino cherries
Procedure
1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Mix until outside of shaker is very cold to touch.
2. Place a maraschino cherry in each of two cocktail glasses. Strain the contents Dividing evenly, strain the contents of the shaker over cherries and serve immediately.
Posted by Jenn Sit, January 30, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Cape Codder
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Vodka
3 oz Cranberry juice
1 wedge Lime
Procedure
Pour vodka and cranberry over ice and stir. Serve with lime wedge.
Posted by Paul Clarke, January 25, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail from Paul Clarke to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Drinks such as the Manhattan have recipes that are so engaging and enduring that the cocktail moves straight from inception into the classic column; others, such as the Harvey Wallbanger, enjoy a brief flare of popularity then mostly disappear. Then you have the undead: the drinks that enjoy a certain degree of fame for years or even decades then succumb to changing tastes and disappear from view, only to pop up again on the cultural radar long after being presumed dead.
Enter the Corpse Reviver #2. Part of a class of “corpse reviver” cocktails—so named because of their purported ability to bring the dead (or at least painfully hungover) back to some semblance of life—this drink was a staple of bar manuals back in the 1930s, only to fall off the map in the last half of the 20th century. Then, thanks in large part to cocktail historian Ted Haigh (aka “Dr. Cocktail”), the Corpse Reviver #2 was rediscovered by a generation of 21st century cocktail geeks.
High time, too. Delicately balanced, not too powerful, with a lingering, mysterious flavor, the Corpse Reviver #2 is enjoying a well-deserved second wind.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, January 18, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail from Paul Clarke to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Before anybody nabs me on it, I confess: it’s not really a cocktail—and by that I mean there’s not a single drop of liquor in the glass. That’s okay, because there’s plenty of excitement going on in this drink so the harder stuff will never be missed.
The Black Velvet’s name perfectly describes the experience and sensation of drinking one: thick, rich, luxurious, decadent and probably a little bit dangerous. I was apprehensive the first time I came across the recipe, but I was quickly won over: the drink marries the stout’s ferrous tang with the dry, fruity crispness of Champagne, and makes itself all the more drinkable by cutting the beer’s robust richness with all those manic bubbles.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, January 11, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail from Paul Clarke to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Not every occasion calls for something as strong as a Martini. Sometimes you need a drink that's a little softer and more gentle, one that slowly works out the kinks from a long day yet has enough character and sophistication to make it clear you’re not taking any short cuts.
There are several drinks that go by the name “Trilby;” I don’t know where this one originated, but I really like it as an aperitif, and keep one at hand when preparing a weekend dinner. It’s simple, yet elegant, and soft but not too much; if you’re looking for an engaging pre-dinner companion, you could do a lot worse.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, January 4, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles) to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
We’re less than a week into the new year, and I’ve only broken a couple of my resolutions so far. For me, that’s a pretty good start.
Along with eating healthier, getting rid of clutter, and pausing to count to ten before I place a hasty bid on eBay, one of my resolutions is to combat my habit to procrastinate. Anybody else with me on that one? Yeah, I thought so.
Here’s a cocktail I came up with a couple of years ago, and it’s not too shabby if I say so myself. Its moniker derives from the fact that it took me more than a month to get around to posting it on my blog, for no reason other than its namesake. Tonight, after a light dinner, I’m mixing up one of these to enjoy while I go through the piles of paper on my desk and stay the hell away from eBay. Well, I dunno...maybe I'll do that tomorrow.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, December 31, 2007 at 7:30 PM
Another delicious cocktail from the fertile imagination of Mario Batali to toast the new year with. Think of it as the liquid version of Larry Gonick's Oranges Campari. Let's raise a glass to the Serious Eats community. We love hanging out with all of you, chewing the fat about our mutual food enthusiasms and passions. May the new year be filled with all things delicious. Happy New Year, Serious Eaters!
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, December 28, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles) to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
For many people New Year’s Eve means breaking out the bubbly, but all too often the bottles are kept socked away until midnight. That’s a shame—good Champagne and other sparkling wines are great to enjoy throughout the evening (in moderation, of course). And as a bonus, modest wines easily take on a new, more luscious character with just a little help from the liquor cabinet.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, December 28, 2007 at 4:15 PM
You don't normally think of Mario Batali as a mixologist, but I came across this Balsamic Bloody Mary recipe in his cool little book Holiday Food. If you're throwing a New Year's brunch or party this weekend, make a pitcher of these and offer one to every guest that walks in the door. You'll kick-start your party in a major way.
Continue reading »
Posted by Mario Batali, December 24, 2007 at 4:00 PM
Christmas Eve this year is the Feast of the Two Fishes. We are doing my linguine with clams, hot chiles, and pancetta, but I'm subbing my dad's "mole" salami for pancetta to give it a deeper spice component. The main course will be super jumbo stone crab claws from Joe's—yes, served with their mustard sauce—a green salad, and some Guido's garlic bread.
Desserts will be espresso drops and coconut balls (first step, find the coconut's legs) both from Martha Stewart's magazine Everyday Food because my kids find it very accessible and there is a photo for every cookie. I will make a version of Gina DePalma's chocolate hazelnut kisses, and we will surrender early to a deep mug of hot buttered rum from my mom's recipe file, which I'm sharing with you in this post here.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, December 21, 2007 at 7:00 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles) that's perfect for Christmas. Cheers and ho! ho! ho!
As Yuletide traditions go, they don’t come much more classic than the Tom & Jerry. Bowls of this rich, boozy warmer were a staple at countless 19th century saloons after the season’s first sign of snow. As a Christmas tradition, the ritual of breaking out the Tom & Jerry mugs lasted well into the Eisenhower administration; the link between the drink and the holiday was such that it was immortalized by Damon Runyon in Dancing Dan’s Christmas, in 1931:
This hot Tom and Jerry is an old-time drink that is once used by one and all in this country to celebrate Christmas with, and in fact it is once so popular that many people think Christmas is invented only to furnish an excuse for hot Tom and Jerry, although of course this is by no means true.
Changing tastes left this venerable holiday drink behind, but pockets of devotees still remain. Today, the Tom & Jerry is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, as lovers of classic cocktails try their hand at mixing a bowl. Preparing the batter does take a little work, but it can be doled out all day (and night) at holiday parties and Christmas gatherings. Basically a sort of hot eggnog, the drink may seem unfamiliar to contemporary palates; no worry, Tom & Jerry has a way of making friends real fast.
Continue reading »
Posted by The Gurgling Cod, December 20, 2007 at 3:45 PM
For those of you who may have been intrigued by the Charleston Punch but do not have plans to entertain groups of 300 people over the holidays, consider this saner yet festive alternative from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
.* Matt Lee and Ted Lee are Charleston denizens, but Matt developed the prototype of this punch for a black-tie holiday dinner at a Harvard eating club, so make of that what you will. It is possible that lower indigenous levels of gentility call for lower levels of alcohol.
Continue reading »
Posted by The Gurgling Cod, December 20, 2007 at 3:00 PM
The response to the New Orleans Junior League eggnog suggests that within the Serious Eats community there is a hitherto unexpressed interest in the alcoholic concoctions of nice Southern ladies. And why not? Without a flutter, they present recipes featuring booze in quantities that would make Dylan Thomas blanch. Witness the Cotillion Club Punch from the aforementioned Charleston Receipts. To make about 300 servings, you'll need:
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, December 14, 2007 at 5:00 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles) to kick things off. Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
Think of it as an easy, no-egg eggnog. Or think of it as a classic Southern tipple, with an alluring blend of sweetness and richness, and a deep-flavored kick. However you approach the milk punch, just be sure to think of it sometime during the holiday season.
I had a great time sipping one of these on a July morning in New Orleans, but with its fullness of flavor, its silky texture and its nutmeg finish, the milk punch seems particularly well-suited to this time of year. Classically made with a combo of brandy and rum, the milk punch also works well with bourbon in the place of either or both. And while it’s lovely to drink the punch when poured into a glass full of crushed ice, you can instead serve it hot, for a rich and potent warmer. Either way, this drink that dates back to horse-and-buggy days has a way of slowing everything down, taking the edge off a hectic holiday season if only for an hour or two.
Continue reading »
Posted by Jenn Smith, December 13, 2007 at 3:00 PM
Before he was an Iron Chef, before challenging other cooks to a Throwdown, before planning an upscale burger joint, Bobby Flay was a cook with a passion for the flavors of the Southwest—smoky, spicy, fruity. He translated this love of chiles, honey, and mesquite into the menu for his first restaurant, Mesa Grill.
In the 16 years since it opened, the menu has evolved, but the core ideas and the Mesa classics that bring the color and energy of the "contemporary Southwest" to diners in New York and Las Vegas year after year are still present.
Today Flay is everywhere, including on the bookshelves (he's written six previous cookbooks). This is his first restaurant-related cookbook, but the translation of food created in the professional kitchen into recipes useful to the home cook is pretty successful.
Continue reading »
Posted by Paul Clarke, November 23, 2007 at 2:45 PM
Let's get this weekend started right. And since it's a day off for many people out there, let's kick it off a bit early today. Here's a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles) to get things going. Need more than one after yesterday? Here you go. Cheers!
While retailers started gearing up for the season weeks ago, now that Thanksgiving is over it’s one long sprint to Christmas. Shopping malls opened at midnight in the suburbs around my Seattle home, and some crowds had been gathering since early Thursday morning. Without delving into news from around the country – really, checking out what’s happening at the malls in Des Moines isn’t my idea of a good time—I’m sure the story was repeated nationwide.
Whether you’re settling in after a long day of shopping, or letting the swarm blow past you while biding your time until closer to the holiday, the dawn of the Christmas season calls for some refreshment. The Stinger isn’t a seasonal cocktail, per se, but its crisp minty snap always puts me in the right frame of mind for the festive weeks to come.
While early recipes call for two parts brandy to one part crème de menthe, many contemporary palates find that way too sweet; a more brandy-heavy 4:1 ratio is much easier to handle. And while brandy is traditional, the stinger is comfortable with other spirits: I’m quite fond of substituting bourbon for the brandy, and rum works well, as does vodka, so I’m told – technically that’s called a White Spider, though I doubt you've heard anyone call it much of anything lately. However you choose to fix yours, be sure to make a toast to the long holiday season ahead.
