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There was a fine gal named Laurel.
Who never put up with any Quarrel
She married fair Bill
Whose true voice that she willed
So there would never be bitters to spoil!
The clouds are rushing in this morning. Rain is pouring heavily from the sky in buckets. Someone said something about heavy thunderstorms and sixty- degree weather. This is not winter- I’m confused. Certain types of confusion- such as the weather do strange things to my sense of normal. But what is normal these days? Is it finally Winter? I hope so. This may be just an anomaly.
It’s a mere blip on the radar screen.
While down in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail- I had the pleasure of meeting and enjoying a cocktail at the historic carousel bar at the Monteleone Hotel with my friend Bill York of Bitter End Bitters and his lovely wife Laurel. As the carousel made the slow go-round and all those around me became more and more sloshed, (present company excluded) my cocktail driven sense of self detached from the reality of the situation. Now, many months later, I’m reminded of the restoratives served at the Carousel Bar and the friends I made while circling the room as the seconds ticked away.
Cheers!
A Limerick for Laurel Cocktail
( A VERY twisted takeoff on the classic cocktail named Bees Knees)
Makes one very dangerous drink. Stay off the roads!
- 2 Shots of a very smoky Bourbon Whiskey like Devil’s Cut from Jim Beam
- 1 Shot fresh lemon juice
- 1 Shot freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons Lavender/Lemon Simple Syrup from Royal Rose
- 2 tablespoons of wildflower honey
- Bitters (your choice) I prefer the Thai Bitters from Bitter End
Preparation: To a cocktail shaker- add ½ with ice. Add Scotch, honey, juices and bitters, shake and pour into a short glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a grilled orange slice and sip to the mournful sound of that strange, yet familiar song from Chet Baker- My Funny Valentine- all sung in minor notes. Very appropriate for a 60 plus degree winter day.
Posted by Modenus on January 27th, 2012 at 8:21 am.
Cocktail Whisperer Warren Bobrow whisks us away to warmer climates with this week’s cocktail.
Cocktail inspiration comes from the internet- driven media as well as my twisted sense of my often enlightened self. This morning I was reading the “Tweets” from my friend Patti Clauss. She linked and re-Tweeted a recently published journey in Eater Magazine involving Anthony Bourdain, eating and drinking his way through the streets of San Francisco. I love Tiki bars, especially the ones in San Francisco. They are a fantasy for the mind and the body. It’s funny to me how drinking rum in tropical vessels just seems to evoke a dreamy sensibility that is all things San Francisco. Continue Reading…
Posted by Modenus on January 13th, 2012 at 9:59 am.
In celebration of the New Year- finally leaving the old year behind and welcoming a new chance…
I’ve decided to reach deeply into my liquor cabinet and devise a new cocktail that anyone (well, nearly anyone) can make with relative ease.
This cocktail is based on Bourbon Whiskey. If you’ve been following me for these past months on Modenus, you’ll see that I have a particular passion for Bourbon. Not only Bourbon but also Absinthe. This little cocktail, more of a slurp than a tall drink is called the J. Madison Mutt Cocktail – It features Bourbon, a bit of cognac and a few dashes of ginger simple syrup. Then I notch up the flavor with a bit of maple syrup and some Absinthe. I also take some tangerines and sear them in a pan to bring out their perky flavors- then I muddle them with some seared lemons.
It’s really easier than it sounds. The hardest thing to do is make the ginger syrup- that I offer my recipe for below. (Hint: it’s easy!)
Happy January my friends!
J. Madison Mutt Cocktail
Ingredients to make 2 rather potent cocktails
2 Shots of Maker’s Mark 46
1 Shot of Tenneyson or Lucid Absinthe or your choice
1 Shot of Conjure Cognac or your choice
Seared Tangerines and Lemons (carefully peel to remove bitter pith)
2 Tablespoons of Ginger Simple Syrup (recipe below)
2 Tablespoons of Dark Maple Syrup
Lemon Peel garnish
Bitter End Jamaican Jerk Bitters
Preparation:
In a stainless steel pan, sear the citrus fruits and set aside to cool
Muddle seared citrus in your shaker and then add a bit of ice to the shaker
Add Liquors, Bourbon, Absinthe, Cognac
Add Syrups
Shake and strain into a short rocks glass with a couple cubes of ice and garnish with a lemon peel and a couple drops of the Bitter End Jamaican Bitters
Ginger Simple Syrup
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
1 Ginger Root peeled and grated (use a small ginger root)
Boil Sugar into water and add ginger root until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and let steep with the ginger for a couple of hours before using.
Ginger Syrup!!!
Posted by Modenus on January 6th, 2012 at 11:15 am.
Mixologist, food & wine connoisseur and friend of Modenus, Warren Bobrow, brings us our final post for the year. He captured this wonderful moment over the Delaware River in Lambertville NJ.
Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012 Warren!
This year, I have the opportunity to devise a cocktail that mirrors the passion that says New Year’s Eve. What better time to tip the hat to the French for inventing the French 75- The classic ingredients vary, one thing is for certain it contains sparkling wine. I’ve mixed up the classic quite a bit with winter citrus fruits. These include charred orange, tangerine, clementine and lime- juice.
The classic rendition, according to legend is quite potent. My version is no less intense- so please be careful. You wouldn’t want to be wandering the streets blind drunk before the bell tolls Happy New Year on the stroke of midnight!
The Cocktail Whisperer’s rather twisted French 75.5.
Ingredients to make four – cacophonous cocktails:
6 oz sparkling wine
4 shots of white whiskey
2 shots botanical gin, like Bulldog or Hendrick’s
Couple of shots of cocktail bitters (your choice)
Seared orange, tangerine, clementine and limes. Two of each. Juice after grilling and reserve
Preparation:
To a cocktail shaker fill ½ with ice
Add white whiskey, the gin and the charred juices
Shake and strain into a Champagne glasses
Top with sparkling wine and sip to your heart’s content, but do so very, very carefully!
Happy New Year!!!
Posted by Modenus on December 30th, 2011 at 1:41 pm.
The St. James Infirmary Cocktail came to me one night at the Preservation Hall in New Orleans. I was down in Nola for Tales of the Cocktail. It was one of those sultry nights- 100% humidity and 90 degrees outside. I was drenched with sweat and trying not to go back to my hotel room to shower..again.. Up ahead was the Preservation Hall. This pile of tumbledown sticks and bricks doesn’t look much from the outside. In fact from the inside it isn’t much better.
But a cool breeze blows through the un-airconditioned space and the jazz that flows outside into the street is a lick of cooling air on your flesh. You just get all worked up inside so the heat no longer hurts.
The music is smooth, fine and historic in nature. Louis Armstrong’s ghost inhabits this place as does the ghosts of New Orleans Jazz masters who have come and gone throughout the ages. The music is slippery and puts a smile on your face.
I thought of this cocktail while dreaming of another time and another place. In this case, New Orleans in the 1930′s. It’s so powerful there. You cannot escape history.
St. James Infirmary cocktail, special thanks to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
2 oz Sloe Gin
1 shot of Tuthilltown Manhattan Rye Whiskey
1/2 shot of St. George Absinthe
1/2 shot of Royal Rose “Rose” Syrup
Q-Ginger Ale
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Bitter End Bitters from New Mexico… Try their Mexican Mole’ Bitters in this little gem
Preparation:
Combine all the liquors with the lemon juice in a cocktail shaker
Shake with some fresh ice and strain into a coupe’ glass without ice
Finish with Q-Ginger Ale and 6 drops of Bitter End Mexican Mole’ Bitters
Garnish with a ripe blueberry (or a sloe berry if you can find one!) And stay out of the infirmary!
Makes two rather tasty drinks.
Posted by Modenus on December 16th, 2011 at 9:29 am.
Absinthe stirs the imagination. All those paintings from France in the 1800’s exemplifying the mystical aspects of this misunderstood liquor makes me want to delve deeply into measured sips. But how does Absinthe work? It does because of the mystique surrounding the clear liquid that somehow turns cloudy after dripping scant drops of water over the surface. Magic happens! Sure there are the botanical herbs, of course there is the ever-present alcohol- you cannot miss that with many varieties exceeding 120 proof!
Absinthe is powerful stuff indeed!
I love Absinthe because of the bad boy (bad girl) element. From a flavor perspective, Absinthe is every bit as delicious as botanical Gin, but it is thicker somehow. On the first taste, you can feel the creamy texture against your lips and tongue- then- coming quickly into view is the anise elements- then suddenly as if a monster awakened- the brooding depth of the alcohol. Sweet, savory, tart and herbal elements differ from brand to brand. The European varieties are known to contain certain long banned ingredients, but the American ones are no less potent. The rumor of a brand of Absinthe that may have plied Van Gogh to cut off his ear is known as the Green Fairy- good luck finding it! (No, not his ear) La Fee Verte.
This week’s cocktail is woven of Absinthe, freshly squeezed, charred grapefruit juice and a splash of Q-Tonic water. Q-Tonic water is available in nearly every Williams-Sonoma store and also in Whole Foods. It’s worth the extra expense for a hand-made product!
I’ve taken a small producer Absinthe from St. George in California- certainly available around the country- although you can use your choice of Absinthe- and added freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. I char the grapefruit segments in a cast iron pan before juicing to reveal a deeper personality and a hint of mystery!
The Green Fairies Ear
Ingredients:
- 2 shots of St. George Absinthe
- 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented, charred in a cast iron pan, then juiced/strained
- Coconut water ice cubes (freeze un-sweetened coconut water in an ice cube tray)
- Q-Tonic water
Preparation:
- To a small rocks glass, add two or three coconut water cubes, then the Absinthe, mix a bit to cool.
- Add about three tablespoons of the charred grapefruit juice
- Top with Q-Tonic water and sip (carefully) to the Belle Epoque!
Posted by Modenus on December 9th, 2011 at 5:20 pm.
This week’s Friday cocktail is a lesson in simplicity using ingredients that are easily sourced.
I’ve had a hunger for Vietnamese food recently. Perhaps it’s the change of seasons that make me desire spicier foods. Perhaps it’s the tart lip-smacking aromas of their unique lemonade? How about combining the Vietnamese Salted Lemonade with a bit of iced vodka and Agave syrup?
I think that’s what awaits you!
Vietnamese Salted Lemonade Martini
This electrifying cocktail came to me one night while enjoying a tall glass of Vietnamese lemonade in New York City. I was dining at my favorite restaurant down in Chinatown. It is called Pho Viet Huong. This place turns out fabulous food, lighting fast out of their kitchen. You literally order and it appears in front of you. Like magic. Their lemonade is freshly squeezed, they use palm sugar for sweetener and a bit of sea-salt to give the umami flavors of sour to sweet to sharp all at once in your mouth. Sure you can have a sweet lemonade, but the salty version is just perfect for the addition of vodka and the beguiling flavor of Agave Syrup.
10 lemons
Agave Syrup
Good Vodka (like Bluewater or Purity)
Sea Salt (just a pinch)
Bitter End Thai Bitters (or Angostura with a tiny Thai chili finely chopped)
http://www.bitterendbitters.com/proddetail.php?prod=ThaiBitters
Preparation:
Juice the lemons and strain out the pits. Correct sweetness with Agave Syrup.
Chill for a couple of hours in the fridge to combine the flavors
Add 2 shots of Vodka to a mixing cup ½ filled with ice. Add about 4 shots of the Vietnamese style lemonade (which is just like regular lemonade, except no white sugar is used)
Add ½ medicine dropper of the bitters (or make your own with Angostura and 1 tiny Thai chili well chopped)
Add a pinch of sea-salt.
Shake and strain into a pre-chilled tall rocks glass, check for sweetness/sourness and add a tiny bit of sea salt to the top of the glass. Add a tall straw and sip to the weekend!
Posted by Modenus on December 2nd, 2011 at 11:23 am.
The “Chestnut Plank” Punch
With Thanksgiving now behind us, I give thanks for my voice to be included on the pages of Modenus. It is because of Modenus that I have developed my voice and through this honor- I’ve influenced the drinking of many others. It is because of the unique style and passion that Veronika Miller brings to the pages of Modenus that I am able to utilize this design centric forum.
Veronika should be commended for having the foresight to include my cocktail recipes and stories within the pages of Modenus. That indeed is artistic creativity on her part. Thank you V…
We all like to relax at the end of a tough week. In my case, it has been a tough several months. Hopefully something will give soon.
We are lucky to have good health, good family and friends surrounding us. We also will enjoy some great cocktails during the holidays.
Happy Thanksgiving All!
This week’s cocktail is more a punch for ease of service. It will slake the thirsts of at least ten of your friends and then some. It has the spark of the summer, mixed with the depth of the coming winter. Please enjoy the “Chestnut Plank” Punch!
1 large bottle of dark rum (1.75 size)
½ bottle of Roasted Chestnut Liqueur from Italy
1 Qt. Freshly squeezed lemonade (sweetened with agave instead of sugar)
½ Qt. Freshly squeezed Pineapple juice with chunks of a fresh pineapple
4 bottles of Ginger Beer
Freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation:
To a punch bowl add the dark rum, the chestnut liqueur, the lemonade and the juices. Stir to combine, add 4 bottles of ginger beer, add a large hunk of ice (order this at your local ice house) and finally grate some fresh nutmeg over the top. Serve to your appreciative guests.
Note from Veronika: The pleasure and gratitude is all mine Warren. I cannot thank you enough for your weekly posts and have to say that they’ve not only added tremendous value to Modenus Blog, but you’ve created a following for yourself and have quickly become an institution on Modenus. Seeing you create and “design” with drinks gave me a lot to think about. Design is everywhere, in how we live, eat, drink, the technologies we use (and often take for granted) and many of the well designed things in our lives are there because someone cared enough to create them. And it is this extraordinary care that you’ve so creatively displayed in your weekly recipes, despite things not having been easy for you, that inspires me to do better and to care more. Thank you.
Posted by Modenus on November 25th, 2011 at 4:57 pm.
Tequila and….
Tequila has a rough and ready reputation. Not all Tequila is meant to be shot with lime and salt, nor does all Tequila deserve the dishonor to be covered up in sticky sweet Triple Sec, Rose’s lime juice/sugar syrup and ice. Tequila is interesting enough for a gimlet and certainly it is interesting enough in a citrus based, Martini type drink.
The Sand Dollar (For a few dollars more) cocktail is a very sophisticated Tequila drink that goes down even better with freshly squeezed juices. In fact I never (EVER) use bottled juice and you shouldn’t either. Bottled fruit juice is only for breakfast, if then!
Fresh juices were invented for cocktails… And breakfast!
I use Milagro Silver Tequila for most of my Tequila based drinks because of its superb mixability. It’s got flavor wrapped through each savory/spicy sip. I also use the brilliant handcrafted Bitter End Thai Bitters in this cocktail. I suggest using the Thai Bitters, woven with lemongrass, galangal and spices. These truly unique bitters are worth seeking out and you can find them here. The drink comes together with a bit of sweet Vermouth. I prefer the Carpano Antica. It’s worth seeking out.
The Silver Dollar Cocktail (only For a few dollars more!)
Makes one very strong cocktail. Or two weak ones.
3 shots of Milagro Silver Tequila
½ shot of Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (or your choice)
¼ cup total- freshly squeezed lime, grapefruit and lemon juices (essential!)
1 medicine dropper of Bitter End Thai Bitters
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled ½ with ice
Shake and strain into a chilled Martini glass with one large round ice cube- garnish w/a home cured cherry and a sprig of slapped spearmint.
Posted by Modenus on November 18th, 2011 at 10:08 am.
Whiskey- just so.
Last week I had the unique opportunity to boil water over a wood stove. Not because I wanted to- but because it was keeping us warm. Water boiled in a kettle over a Jotul woodstove just tastes better somehow in a hot drink.
This week the electric is back on and I am drawn, naturally to the fireplace- not only as a source of heat, but a source of good feelings and relaxation.
Whiskey is on the menu tonight. A tasting of several single malt Scotches. Will I know the difference? I wonder. Bourbon is usually my topic- Scotch is such an intellectual topic. Most of the authorities on Scotch are my friends- they know much more about this spirit than I do.
A cocktail that calls for Scotch, usually would not use a single malt Scotch, unless money is no object for you. Many of my bottles are samples- but it may not be financially feasible to mix a hundred dollar bottle of 18 year old Scotch with freshly squeezed lemon juice!
The Peat Fire is a simple cocktail of my invention. It involves the aroma and flavor of a peat fire burning in a cabin in Scotland. A lemon is juiced and some sweet vermouth added to the mix. Seltzer is employed and a dream is realized. This cocktail tastes fine with an inexpensive, but good smoky Scotch like Johnny Walker Red Label. It’s available almost everywhere in the world.
The Peat Fire cocktail- Serves two
Ingredients:
4 shots Johnny Walker Red Label or your choice of blended Scotch
2 Lemons- juiced
1 shot Sweet Vermouth – Punt e Mes is my go/to
A few splashes of Angostura Bitters
Preparation:
Fill a drink mixer ½ with ice.
Add Scotch
Add Lemon juice
Add Sweet Vermouth
Add Bitters
Shake and strain into a short rocks glass with a couple of ice cubes, finish with seltzer and garnish with a cherry (home cured..NEVER use those awful red things from a jar!)
Posted by Modenus on November 11th, 2011 at 12:13 pm.
