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Recipes

ACROSS COLLINS AVENUE RUMBA COCKTAIL

ACROSS COLLINS AVENUE RUMBA COCKTAIL

by Warren Bobrow

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Stroh 160
2 oz. Saffron Simple Syrup
– combine 5 or 6 pistils from saffron into a small bottle of simple syrup. Let sit overnight in fridge covered.
1 oz. each: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit (all freshly squeezed)
3-4 drops Thai Bitters from Bitter End Bitters

Preparation:
Add all the ingredients except for the bitters to a Boston Shaker filled 3/4 with ice
Shake hard for 10-15 seconds
Strain into coupe glasses and dot with the Thai Bitters.
Serve!

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Events

Tales of the Cocktail!

royal sonesta hotel

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Recipes

The Mezzrole Recipe!

https://bevvy.co/cocktail/mezzrole/luhy

I’m a huge fan of Manhattan-style cocktails; they make great aperitifs. This one is named after Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, a jazz musician who lived in Harlem in the 1920s. And, as Mezz himself would have known, the term for a well-rolled cannabis cigarette was a “mezzrole”—so I just had to commemorate both man and medicine in this elegant cocktail. It combines cannabis-infused sweet vermouth, handmade cocktail cherries, and quality bourbon into a small, but well-formed, libation that’s deeply healing.

Mezzrole_Cocktail_blog_title

When you’re infusing your vermouth, consider choosing a Sativa-Indica hybrid strain called Cherry Pie. It’s redolent of sweet and sour cherries, and it complements the toasty, oaky flavors inherent in the liquors. As for making crushed ice, it’s best to place the ice in a Lewis bag—a heavy canvas bag that’s made for the job—before whacking it with a wooden mallet or rolling pin.

This recipe calls for Greenish Cocktail Cherries.

  • 4-6 Greenish Cocktail Cherries
  •  0.5 oz (15 ml) cannabis-infused vermouth, such as Uncouth Vermouth’s Seasonal Wildflower Blend
  •  Handful of crushed ice
  • 1 oz (30 ml) bourbon whiskey
  •  Aromatic bitters
PREPARATION
  1. Muddle the Greenish Cocktail Cherries with a wooden muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, then top with the vermouth.
  2. Continue to muddle for 30 seconds to combine the flavors.
  3. Cover with the crushed ice.
  4. Top with the bourbon, then dot with aromatic bitters.
  5. Don’t have two; one should be more than enough.
Categories
Events

ASHEVILLE COCKTAIL WEEK!!

Do please join me!

https://mountainx.com/food/high-spirits-a-guide-to-asheville-cocktail-week/

May 1-8  Best Bloody Mary Contest takes place at participating Asheville bars and restaurants

Wednesday, May 4 Cocktail Theatre with Rob Floyd

Thursday, May 5  Spirit Dinner at Rhubarb with Warren Bobrow and John Fleer, Cinco de Mayo tasting and bar crawl with Hornitos tequila at The Imperial Life

Friday, May 6  Book signing with Warren Bobrow at Malaprop’s, Southeastern Distilling Expo at the S&W Building (service industry only; free of charge), Industry seminars at the S&W (service industry only; free of charge), Fourth annual ELIXIR bar competition at the S&W

Saturday, May 7 Hangover Brunch at The Imperial Life with Cathead Vodka, Cocktail tours with Eating Asheville, Kentucky Derby Party at the Smoky Park Supper Club’s Boat House, with Maker’s Mark, Old Fashioned Nightcap with Knob Creek on the rooftop of the Social Lounge

Sunday, May 8 Best Bloody Mary Contest results released online

All events require either tickets or an RSVP. For ticketing, schedule details and more information, visit ashevillewineandfood.com.

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Events Recipes

Niche’s Cocktail of the Week, My Mamontini!

cotw unnamed

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Events

Klaus and I making a splash in Moscow!

klaus2Look whose here!!! mezan1 moscow2

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Recipes

Dad’s Hat- Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey and Sage Herbal Elixir

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I think that I wrote this piece two or so years ago…  It’s fun to see where my writing has taken me.  So please enjoy and pick up a copy of my forthcoming book (Whiskey Cocktails) if you get the chance.  It’s got all the stuffing!

DAD’S HAT PENNSYLVANIA WHITE RYE AND SAGE HERBAL ELIXIR (FLOYD’S PACK MULE COCKTAIL)

I just created a new cocktail with historically correct flavors.  What are those interesting bottles?  Well my friends, my usual- or unusual form of cocktail whispering has led me to a secret spring.  There up the road apiece is a spring that spouts water as clear and refreshing as the soft hand of a maiden in the summer.

Pennsylvania Rye in the un-aged form runs as soft and sweet as this spring that bubbles up from the earth.  Branch water with a kick I say.  Sitting next to this venerable bottle of Pennsylvania History sits a bottle simply called Sage from the same creative mind behind the salubrious and ever mixable liqueurs named Root, Rhubarb and Snap.

But what is Sage?  Sage is Herbalicious according to the hand-crafted natural paper-press release.

According to the copy, Thomas Jefferson was not only a founding father, but he was also an avid horticulturist.  His friend and mentor Bernard McMahon was in the midst of chronicling the 130 plants discovered by Lewis and Clark.   As history has it, Bernard and Thomas also were fond of highly intoxicating beverages.  Sage in the purest form is not just sage as an herbal adjunct, it is also an ingredient in early “Gar-Tending” experimentation!

This type of experimentation weaves its way into my semi-drunken state- *who me?*

Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania White Rye is gorgeous stuff.  If I could lay down a few bottles and wait about ten years, I’ll bet the mouth-feel will soften to that of branch water.  Now, instead of letting any rest, I’ve created a cocktail with this spicy and emotional Rye powerhouse.

Sage is distilled with thyme, sage (of course), rosemary, lavender and fennel.  All I could think about was mixing Sage with Dad’s Hat.

But the drink would not be complete without a few drops of the fire driven chocolate and spice enamored heat of the Bitter End Memphis BBQ Bitters.  Take about four drops of this amazing liquid and scatter them over the top.  The 100 proof power of the White Rye and the aromatic wonderment that says Sage finished with Bitter End Bitters only needs one more item.

I’m a fanatic for great ice…..Crystal clear and without any unpleasant fragrances or minerals, great ice cubes will enlighten your cocktails.  I did a 95/5 mix of Royal Rose Lavender Lemon Syrup and some of my filtered well water.  The benefit of putting the Royal Rose Syrup into the ice cube is to subtly change the flavor of the cocktail as the ice cube melts.  Mostly water, with that bit of syrup and everyone is friendly together.

I believe it shows sophistication of flavor.  And fortitude in your cocktail glass.  Isn’t that what this is all about?

Flavor?

Danger Level 4 out of 5.  Possibly 5 out of 5 if you err on the side of heavier handed cocktail measurements…

Floyd’s Pack Mule Cocktail

Ingredients for two very strong drinks:

1/4 cup Freshly made Lemonade (unsweetened) made with Meyer Lemons if you can find them
2 oz. Dad’s Hat Genuine Small Batch Pennsylvania White Rye- 100 proof (local Rye from Pennsylvania)
1 oz.  Sage from Art in the Age- 80 proof (USDA Certified Organic)
1 oz. Royal Rose Simple Syrup of Lavender and Lemon
4 drops Bitter End Memphis BBQ Bitters
For Ice Cubes, fill an Ice Cube tray with filtered water and add an ounce or so of the simple syrup, freeze overnight for best results

Prep:
To a Boston Shaker fill 1/4 with regular ice
Add the liquors
Add  freshly made lemonade
Shake until frosty
Pour into a funky glass with Royal Rose Lavender Lemon Syrup ice
Drip three-four drops of Bitter End Memphis BBQ Bitters over the top
Sip carefully.

 

Yes, I do mixology sessions at your home or business.  Just email me!  jockeyhollow@mac DOT com

 

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Books Recipes

What are Shrubs in Cocktails?

What is a Shrub you might ask?  Well, a Shrub is a combination of sweet and savory flavors.

Vinegar and fruits, bitter aromatics and tart essences are what Shrubs are to a cocktail.

I see a Shrub and I think savory and complicated flavors.

Shrubs seem to be recreated aroma driven concentrated tastes.  Sitting in front of me right now is a very special Apple Shrub from Shrub and Co.

I created a liquid Mulligatawny  out of my Apple Shrub.

The Mulligatawny Cocktail is a curious creature indeed.   It is comprised of Orleans Apple Aperitif woven in a melange with Busted Barrel Rum from New Jersey.

A few tablespoons of the Apple Shrub is augmented by the sharp and potent flavors of Curry- as exemplified by Bill York’s Curry Bitters from Bitter End in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I see this cocktail as a potent reminder of the British Empire running a rail road train at high speed into an unchartered pass.  In the winter.  With no one coming in either direction for about a week.  This drink is perfect for the coming apple season and fall soon ahead.

The Shrub and Co. Apple Shrub can be taken by the teaspoon full over ice cream or spooned over shortbread and dashed with some bourbon oak aged dark rum or even an agricole!

I prefer it in a drink.

There are dozens of different Shrubs on the market.  Some are created from berries, others citrus and still others tree fruits.  Shrubs are to cocktails as a time-machine is to space travel.  A means to the end.  Channeling our forefathers through their liquid driven memories.

My thoughts on Shrubs are simple.  Use them when you require a bitter/sour element to your drinks.

They add a savory sweet/sour thickness to the finished product.

Please let me know your thoughts.

 

I’ll Be an Apple Perplexed Cocktail aka: The Mulligatawny Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz. Busted Barrel Rum

1 oz. Orleans Apple Aperitif

1 oz. Shrub & Co. Apple Shrub

Bitter End Curry Bitters

Large Ice Cubes

Preparation:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled 1/4 with ice

Shake well until frosty

Strain over large ice cubes

Scrape some fresh nutmeg over the top (essential!)

Garnish with a sprig of fresh spearmint

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Articles Recipes

Mother’s Day Cocktail: Beekman 1802 and Klaus the Soused Gnome

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Is your mom sweet like honey?  Warm and comforting like a cup of tea?  Or even a little spicey?  Klaus has never met his own mother, but that doesn’t stop him from celebrating all the moms in his life.

So he’s concocted a cocktail for all moms–no matter what shape or form they come in.

Springtime brings flavor into the equation because after the long winter we had, all Klaus wants is simplicity and flavor.

So what does Klaus want?

Fabulous Rio Red Grapefruit syrup, grenadine, Barr Hill Gin, Tenneyson Absinthe and Bitter End Thai Bitters???

Bitter End Bitters out in Santa Fe, New Mexico makes Thai Bitters that are like delving into a bowl of Thai Chilies. There is that heat element that is for certain…But then there are the flavors that open up, drop-by-concentrated-drop in a cocktail. I’ve tasted dozens of bitters and there really is nothing on the market that has the character of the Bitter End. Don’t get me wrong, I love bitters and could wax poetic for hours using them in my drinks. Bitters are just about the best thing for a hangover, according to Klaus. He knows.

Fruitations from Massachusetts are a most gorgeously concentrated, pure fruit syrups that are just exceptional in any kind of cocktail or mocktail. I just go gaga over the grapefruit syrup because it is like tucking into a juicy, ripe grapefruit. Less is more with this high quality syrup. You don’t have to use much, it’s that good!

A hit of Tenneyson Absinthe Royale is necessary. Try it and you’ll know why. It’s a secret otherwise!

Klaus’s Mother’s Day cocktail

(for two)

FIRST,  make a pot of Beekman 1802 Mercantile Blend tea – please serve it steaming hot to warm you deeply before, cooling yourself with this spring cocktail.

Ingredients:

4 oz. Barr Hill Gin, made from Raw Honey and grain with juniper berries

½ oz. Tenneyson Absinthe Royale

2 oz. Grenadine

6 oz. Fruitations Rio Red Grapefruit Cocktail and Soda Syrup

Preparation:

Pour yourself a cup of Beekman 1802 tea and while you enjoy the smoky demeanor of this very elegant tea

In a Boston Shaker, fill ¾ with bar ice

Pour over the Barr Hill Gin

Add the Grenadine

Add the Fruitations Rio Red Grapefruit cocktail and soda syrup

Cap and shake hard for 15 seconds

Pour into a Collins Glass with several hand cut ice cubes

Drip four drops of the Bitter End Thai bitters over the top. If this is too spicy, cut back to two drops

CHEERS TO WHATEVER PERSON IN YOUR LIFE YOU CALL ‘MOM’!

Categories
Recipes

Twisted Cherry Blossom Cocktail

 

Klaus invented a new cocktail!  This is not just any cocktail, mind you- but one that speaks clearly of the season.  But what season is that?  The dull time, just before the burst of spring.  The ground coming out of its slumber, mud all around, a few crocus flowers straining to move through the soft soil.  It’s going to snow in the next few days though…

A cruel joke perhaps?

The past few days, Klaus has seemed full of wanderlust.  He spent the time wandering through the International Restaurant and Foodservice Show in NYC.  He met the kind folks at Total Food Service Magazine and many others along the way.  Klaus admired the commercial ice machines, the electronic technology laden kitchen equipment and high-speed dishwashers.  He was so impressed!

Then, as if by magic, he tasted raw fish for the first time, cut deftly by a Japanese sashimi master.  This artisan of all things sashimi was flown in directly from Japan with his plethora of hand-made carbon steel knifes glistening in the light. (Just like the knives in Kill Bill)    Just around the corner from the sashimi master, his student sits on an ancient stool and hand-sharpens sushi knives as if his life’s work was to sharpen those knifes.  (And it was!)

Klaus commented that the stones appeared so wet as the sharpening student lay the blades down, nearly perpendicular to the stone, lying in a pool of water, the sharpening surface itself pure, as if in an excited state of altered reality.  Klaus was mesmerized by the motion of the sharpening master, one push against the stone, then the other side and so on and so on and…

But if there is one thing that Klaus knows how to do and that is drink.

Many top end Sake producers appeared in the Japan Pavilion at the show and Klaus started pulling me towards the broad tables, laden with sake from all over Japan.  Klaus didn’t want to extol over the immense pleasures of both jasmine and green tea, what he wanted was to get soused!  He was actually being quite insistent! Klaus was leading me towards a veritable Holy Grail of sake.  Smiling men and women were holding out little plastic cups of liquid history to Klaus.  He threw back his little ceramic head and drained a whole series of sake.  Some were fruity and light, the pinot grigio sake- served ice cold and meant to be enjoyed quickly.  Others were more introspective, like Burgundy, thick with sediment and possibilities.  Still others in the nearly unknown, creamy style of sake pleased Klaus to no end and I actually saw him stashing a few bottles worth in his little flask on his chest for the car-ride home.

Ah Klaus, you work in strange little ways.

The season for drinking sake is year round in Japan and Klaus suddenly realized the meaning of his own desire.  That is the absolutely freshest fish that money can buy, washed down with glass after glass of distinctive and crystalline sake from micro producers around Japan- as pure as the melted snow on Mt. Fuji.

Klaus told me that he wants to do a story on Japan.  Maybe he will be in the right place at the right time to attain a story of this merit?

Klaus?  Klaus?  Ah, he wandered off again.  Looking for another little glass of sake?  He’s so predictable.

 

Twisted Cherry Blossom Cocktail

Ingredients (for two friends or one thirsty gnome)

3 oz. Hiro Sake (well chilled)

1 oz. Bluewater Vodka (also well chilled)

3 oz. Blood Orange Juice (freshly squeezed)

1 oz. Royal Rose Simple Syrup of Tamarind

Crushed filtered water ice (Klaus uses the Mavea “Inspired Water” pitcher)

4 drops in each cocktail- Bitter End Thai Bitters

Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water- Lemon essence

 

Preparation:

Freeze filtered water ice overnight and crush, pack into tall Collins glasses

To a Boston Shaker filled ¾ with filtered water ice, add the liquors and the blood orange juice

Add the simple syrup

Shake for 15 seconds

Taste for sweet/tart quality

Pour over filtered crushed ice and finally add a few drops of the Bitter End Thai Bitters over the top… finish with a splash of the Perrier Sparkling Water and drink!

 

 Kanpai!

 

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