Cocktail Whisperer
Read More at Total Food Service:
I love books! Here are all the books on cocktails and spirits I know of (please do comment if I’ve missed something) published this year. Give some gifts or just stock up on your winter reading for the cold months. I’ve got stacks to get through myself.
Whiskey Books
Bourbon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American Whiskey by Fred Minnick
More Kentucky Bourbon Cocktails by Joy Perrine and Susan Reigler
The Big Man of Jim Beam: Booker Noe And the Number-One Bourbon In the World by Jim Kokoris
Whisky Japan: The Essential Guide to the World’s Most Exotic Whisky by Dominic Roskrow
Iconic Whisky: Tasting Notes & Flavour Charts for 1,500 of the World’s Best Whiskies by Cyrille Mald and Alexandre Vingtier
Whiskey: A Spirited Story with 75 Classic and Original Cocktails by Michael Dietsch
The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail with Recipes by Philip Greene
Miscellany
Made of Iceland: A Drink & Draw Book by Reyka Vodka, Snorri Sturluson
Inside The Bottle: People, Brands, and Stories by Arthur Shapiro
The Craft Cocktail Coloring Book by Prof Johnny Plastini
Drinking with Republicans and Drinking with Democrats by Mark Will-Weber
The Moonshine Wars by Daniel Micko
Drinks: A User’s Guide by Adam McDowell
Shrubs: An Old-Fashioned Drink for Modern Times (Second Edition) by Michael Dietsch
A Proper Drink: The Untold Story of How a Band of Bartenders Saved the Civilized Drinking World by Robert Simonson
Colonial Spirits: A Toast to Our Drunken History by Steven Grasse
DIY Bitters: Reviving the Forgotten Flavor – A Guide to Making Your Own Bitters for Bartenders, Cocktail Enthusiasts, Herbalists, and More by Jovial King and Guido Mase
Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons
Drink Like A Grown-Up by The League of Extraordinary Drinkers
The Coming of Southern Prohibition: The Dispensary System and the Battle over Liquor in South Carolina, 1907-1915 by Michael Lewis
American Wino: A Tale of Reds, Whites, and One Man’s Blues by Dan Dunn
Distilled Stories: California Artisans Behind the Spirits by Capra Press
Building Bacardi: Architecture, Art & Identity by Allan T. Shulman
Craft Spirits by Eric Grossman
Cocktail Books, General
Cocktails for Ding Dongs by Dustin Drankiewicz (Author), Alexandra Ensign (Illustrator)
Zen and Tonic: Savory and Fresh Cocktails for the Enlightened Drinker by Jules Aron
Pretty Fly For a Mai Tai: Cocktails with rock ‘n’ roll spirit
Cocktails for Drinkers: Not-Even-Remotely-Artisanal, Three-Ingredient-or-Less Cocktails that Get to the Point by Jennifer McCartney
Aperitivo: The Cocktail Culture of Italy by Marisa Huff
The Complete Cocktail Manual: 285 Tips, Tricks, and Recipes by Lou Bustamante and the United States Bartenders’ Guild
Shake. Stir. Sip.: More than 50 Effortless Cocktails Made in Equal Parts by Kara Newman
101 Cocktails to Try Before you Die by Francois Monti
Drink Like a Man: The Only Cocktail Guide Anyone Really Needs by Ross McCammon and David Wondrich
The New Cocktail Hour: The Essential Guide to Hand-Crafted Cocktails by Andre Darlington and Tenaya Darlington
Spritz: Italy’s Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, with Recipes by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau
Eat Your Drink: Culinary Cocktails by Matthew Biancaniello
Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations by Warren Bobrow
Tiki with a Twist: 75 Cool, Fresh, and Wild Tropical Cocktails by Lynn Calvo and James O. Fraioli
Cocktail Books from Bars or Places
The Canon Cocktail Book: Recipes from the Award-Winning Bar by Jamie Boudreau and James O. Fraioli
Regarding Cocktails by Sasha Petraske and Georgette Moger-Petraske
Brooklyn Spirits: Craft Distilling and Cocktails from the World’s Hippest Borough By Peter Thomas Fornatale and Chris Wertz
Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki by Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate
Cuban Cocktails: Over 50 mojitos, daiquiris and other refreshers from Havana
Brooklyn Bar Bites: Great Dishes and Cocktails from New York’s Food Mecca by Barbara Scott-Goodman
The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book by Frank Caiafa
Lift Your Spirits: A Celebratory History of Cocktail Culture in New Orleans by Elizabeth M. Williams and Chris McMillian
Science!
Shots of Knowledge: The Science of Whiskey by Rob Arnold and Eric Simanek
Distilled Knowledge: The Science Behind Drinking’s Greatest Myths, Legends, and Unanswered Questions by Brian D Hoefling
Classic Cocktail Book Reprints
THE HOME BARTENDER’S GUIDE AND SONG BOOK {By Charlie Roe and Jim Schwenck}
AMERICAN BAR {By Frank P. Newman}
LOUIS’ MIXED DRINKS {By Louis Muckenstrum}
Beer (A few beer books slip through the cracks and come to me)
The United States of Beer: A Freewheeling History of the All-American Drink by Dane Huckelbridge
The Beer Geek Handbook: Living a Life Ruled by Beer by Patrick Dawson
A selection of 5, 7, 8, 9 and 13-year old Straight Bourbon Whiskey barrels
Separately distilled in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana
Aged in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana
Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
117.0 proof cask strength bottling
Aged in American white oak barrels
FLAVOR NOTES
Neat
Appearance: Luxuriant 18 karat gold flecked with cinnamon red at its heart with edges of yellower gold leaf shimmering with each gentle swirl of the glass.
Nose: Wet leather and Tahitian-vanilla bean challah French toast awash in hazelnut brown butter and dark maple syrup. Sweet plum and cherry notes give way to campfire and toasted buckwheat for a simultaneously familiar and exotic aroma.
Palate: Smoldering oak underlies the ever-present heat with each slurp accentuated by salted caramel and droplets of condensed milk.
Finish: Crackling hot late season corn pudding, covered in dollops of rapidly melting sweet butter jump at you. Each sip plunges down the throat, drenched in spicy citrus marmalade and toasted grains.
With a few drops of water
Notes of spicy ginger beer, sarsaparilla, and birch bark rush across the palate, making way for toasted brioche topped with smoked butter and raw honey. Filtered stream water carries the strong presence of this remarkable liquid, making it sing.
http://www.barrellbourbon.com/newyear
Tasting Notes by Warren Bobrow, The Cocktail Whisperer
The Wild Ginger Brewing Company approached me through their PR wanting me to review their new line of alcoholic craft soda. It’s not my usual topic, I try to stick to craft spirits, the craft soda business is much different. It’s more akin to craft beer. I don’t write about beer at all. It’s just another language!
Imagine my surprise and delight when four ‘hard’ sodas of various alcohol by volume from 4 – 5% arrived at my door. I love craft soda, the kind without alcohol… it used to be one of my topics a while back. Anyhow this lineup of colorfully cartooned cans were waiting to be tasted. With the craft beer boom, top quality beers are being canned in colorful, artist attended vessels. These are no exception with a funky sense about them.
The first one that I opened was the Wild Root Original. Smacking of herbs and good old fashioned Root Beer goodness, this is as close to what I remember from my boyhood, when my father would put some of his Haig and Haig in my root beer to keep me quiet. It was a good representation of the buzz anyhow. I remember it all these years later in a sip. And what a delicious sip it is. The Wild Root is chock full of spice as well. It’s brilliant with large ice and fine bourbon whiskey- like the Barrell Bourbon #010 version that should be out any day now. It’s that good.
The Wild Sit Russ Original.. with a snarling dog on that brightly festooned label was my least likely to enjoy, yet one of the ones that tastes the most true to form. The label reads alcoholic citrus soda, there’s that snarling dog and all I can think about is Mezan XO Rum. Smacking of herbs, spices, an element of tonic from the citrus oils- this wild soda is screaming for funky, dunder laden rum that only can come from Jamaica. No other place in the world makes rum like this and no other soda should taste quite the same. I don’t always recommend mixers with this rum, but the Wild Sit Russ Original (who was Wild Sit Russ I wonder, oh, no matter) it’s good soda. Great with Mezan Rum.
The Wild Docta’ Original Rock and Rye is way too sweet for me, but with that said I mixed some really amazing barrel aged Rum from Barrell Whiskey with a splash of this ‘rock and rye’ type soda. It dried out the sweetness immediately. It’s more of a millennials drink than I’d like to admit. They’d love it to no end. With that Barrell Rum, it’s so far over the top that I’m heading for a Hemingway Daiquiri right now. I’m not a big sugar in drinks fan.. Mark my words on that.
The Wild Ginger Original Ginger Beer – Alcoholic, like the other three soda pops is a thing of rare beauty. There is an underlying element of spice that swirls around my tongue. It’s a bit sharp, but the bubble spins in an undulation that is gratifying and bold in every spin around my mouth. There is alcohol in there, you cannot miss it. This element warms as quickly as it pours down my throat. I’m charmed immediately and my palate calls out for something to deepen the spice element of the slurp. I chose a bottle of the Mezan Guyana Rum. This rum, distilled at the Diamond Distillery is a thing of rare beauty. The Ginger Beer mimics the funky elements of the Guyana Rum, the smoke and char from the barrels and the sweetness from long aging in hot climes. To mix this rum would normally be a sacrilege, but I have good feelings about this alcoholic soda. Try it. Let me know.
In conclusion, all good stuff, probably too good for the marketplace. The funky can art is creative. It’s a Millennial product. Flashy. Bold. The soda is pretty darned good; I’d like to say that they will be used as a mixer. A fine mixer at that. Best of luck to them! Cheers!
The Wild Ginger Company is doing a fine job.
http://drinkwire.liquor.com/post/wild-ginger-brewing-company-hard-soda-indeed#gs.oSXtQSQ
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distilled and aged in Tennessee and Kentucky
Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
112.10 proof cask strength bottling
Aged for 13 years in Char #4 American white oak barrels
Mash bill: 74% corn, 18% rye, 7% malted barley
FLAVOR NOTES
Neat
Appearance: Broiled apricot orange at the core and resplendent warm gold at the edges. Sunlight reflecting off of burnished copper flashes across the surface leaving iridescent streaks with each swirl.
Nose: Slowly roasted exotic fruits like kiwi, coconut, and Satsuma orange swirled with smoked bergamot tea. Herbed brown butter dripping over toasted brioche and northwest cherry
Palate: Lively and amusing across the palate, the mellow warmth makes this bourbon easy to enjoy. Future sips touch all parts of the palate with broad strokes of thick clotted cream. The glow of the 112.10 proof lurks just out of sight, a welcome but not distracting figure.
Finish: Oven dried stone fruit jam with a hint of citrus oils leads to Caribbean spices. The multi-minute finish is reminiscent of sweet buttered carnival corn.
With a few drops of water
Bright sarsaparilla gives way to gooey apricot bread pudding fresh from the oven topped with rum soaked raisins. Each taste leaves almond oil sticking to the back of your tongue. The cool water spreads nuance and sophistication throughout each pleasurable sip.
Tasting Notes by Warren Bobrow, The Cocktail Whisperer
The aromatized wine ramped up with herbs, citrus peel and other botanicals is coming into its own as an essential aperitif and cocktail ingredient.
By Warren Bobrow, CSX Contributor
Vermouth is a most maligned cocktail ingredient. Most of the stuff that goes into a cocktail is sour from age because most people don’t know that vermouth has a pretty short shelf life. In other words, vermouth needs to be refrigerated to remain usable for preparing your fine cocktails. (If you have a bottle waiting on top of your fridge and it’s been there for a few months in the heat, or if you snagged one from your grandparent’s home lurking under their cobweb laden bar, THROW IT OUT NOW.)
The original use for Vermouth involved certain core-medicinal properties of the ingredients. European vermouth contains a goodly amount of its active ingredient- wormwood, which is the also found in the socially-much-maligned intoxicant absinthe. Wormwood has shown itself to be very effective for ridding the body of internal parasites like intestinal worms and for the treatment of most minor stomach maladies like your common tummy ache.
Vermouth, like many of our modern day aperitifs and their denser amaro cousins, was not originally stirred into a mixed drink to taste. In fact, they didn’t come into play in the cocktail bar until Jerry Thomas utilized them in his “medicinal” concoctions originally dispensed by apothecaries as powerful medicinals. Vermouth’s original use was a curative against head lice–that’s the healing power of wormwood for ye!
In our modern era, a person might take an antacid tablet when they have a belly ache from eating a spicy meal or spoiled food. In the 1800’s they might have a glass of vermouth or a glass of amaro for their curative and digestion. I much prefer a few glasses of Carpano Antica Vermouth instead of chemically produced stomach tablets. Here are a few vermouths to try:
Uncouth Vermouth Apple Mint
Where do I start with Uncouth Vermouth? Perhaps the first place would be with founder Bianca Miraglia herself. She is an alchemist and a poet with liquids as her muse. She gathers her herbs in their wild state and unleashes their potential mixed with wines that speak clearly of their potency and passion. Bianca is mystical in her flavors and her infused wines (vermouth) speak a language that is clearly brilliant and hardly the norm. There are different varieties with the seasons. They age beautifully as well with all the finesse of their maker. Class act!
Carpano Punt e Mes
Produced by the same fine house that produces Carpano Antica, Punt e Mes speaks a different tonality than its sibling. Punt e Mes is more modern in style, lighter- more refreshing perhaps. Sure you’ll find the notes of stone fruits cooked for long periods of time enrobed in sweet chocolate aromatics and further spiced by baking aromatics. They’re all in there. But what makes Punt e Mes so spectacular is the easy way it mixes in Craft Cocktails. I’m lucky to have a bottle in the fridge; it’s magnificent drizzled over a Rum and Mexican Cola as a very enticing float.
Atsby Amberthorn
North Fork of Long Island Chardonnay wine is the framework behind this gorgeous effort that uses a plethora of herbs and spices to weave a liquid driven dialog towards pleasure in your creative mixed drinks. But even outside of the cocktail bar, Atsby Amberthorn is a perfectly wonderful way to ease yourself into the evening. A snifter of Atsby and a twist of lemon with a splash of seltzer says to me more than a typical night-cap. This is one that heals the gut while easing that pounding in your aching head.
Lillet Blanc
The inclusion of wine made with Bordeaux varietal Sémillon lends a full, fleshy structure to this French aperitif wine. It’s blended with quinine liqueur from the cinchona bark in Peru, and citrus liqueurs from Spanish, Moroccan and Haitian oranges. Light, delicate and floral, you can sip it chilled or over ice with a twist a lemon or grapefruit.
Warren Bobrow is the creator of the popular blog cocktailwhisperer.com and the author of Apothecary Cocktails,Whiskey Cocktails, Bitters & Shrub Syrup Cocktails and Cannabis Cocktails. He can be reached via his website, cocktailwhisperer.com.
Well to be perfectly honest with you, so did I. I wasn’t aware that there are Craft Spirits in Kentucky. I know that some are working on getting the laws changed to permit Craft distilling, but I’m really not sure who they are, or if they’ve been successful.
But without that tainting my impression of the Craft Spirits industry and who makes what and where, I’d like to introduce you to Barrell Bourbon.
Barrell Bourbon is a true luxury product that you can get.
DrinkupNY has it! http://www.drinkupny.com/Barrell_Cask_Strength_Tennessee_Straight_Bourbon_p/s0185.htm
Sitting in front of me are two bottles .
Batch #001 and Batch #002.
I’ll try to be kind to you and your thirst. This isn’t going to be easy.
Writing about and tasting fine liquid is like describing Grand Cru wine. Most people cannot even fathom spending hundreds of dollars on a bottle of wine, much less ever given the chance to taste it.
Although Barrell Bourbon is not inexpensive, it’s not over 100 dollars per bottle either!
When a company sends me a bottle and it just isn’t available to the public, all I can do it hope that it makes you thirsty. I do my best to guide you and help you find a bottle.
I actually had someone reach out to me the other day, who read my review on Pappy 20 Year, assuming that I had a secret in with the company to get a bottle (or more) of this highly allocated liquid.
Nope!
But Barrell Bourbon is available. Extremely limited, but you can find it.
It’s not even noon and I’ve just taken a healthy slurp of Barrel #001. This is Cask Strength my friends. Rolling in at 121.6 Proof, it is straight out of the barrel. They don’t fine pad filter this whiskey. They only use a light mesh screen to keep the larger chunks from inside the barrel out of your glass. That’s not to say that this bourbon is crystal clear, far from, there is stuff in there. I love spirits with a soul and Barrell Bourbon has it!
Tasting Notes:
The bottle – no you don’t taste the bottle, but bear with me… is made of fine perfume grade glass. It’s gorgeous to the touch. Sumptuous and smooth. The cap is wood and real cork. A nice touch in the world of plastic almost everything. The label on each batch is very similar, with the only differences in the writing.
My bottle of Batch #001 reads Craft Distilled Barrel Stength.
Batch # 001, Bottle # 2384.
It goes on to read 121.6 Proof, 60.8 Alc/Vol.
Batch #002 reads Bottle # 429, 117.8 Proof, 58.9% Alc/Vol.
Batch #001 is made from a Mash bill of 70% corn, 25% rye and 5% malted barley. It’s distilled in Tennessee and aged in Kentucky for five years in freshly charred American oak barrels. It’s bottled at full barrel strength without any artificial colors or additives.
Flavors of Earl Grey Tea reveal themselves along with sweet vanilla, dark stone fruits, salted caramels and quince-slow cooked ones at that. The heat is ever present. You cannot escape it, even with a few drops of Branch Water sprinkled over the top to release the flavors and inner soul of this passionate product. The alcohol tingles on the tongue and wraps around your brain. This is serious stuff, worthy of your finest crystal glass. But don’t put anything other than water into it. This would be a waste of fine liquor!
Peanut brittle expands across my tongue along with long cooked apricots and white raisins. Pine nuts reveal themselves, enrobed in dark chocolate. The finish is tannic and dry. It goes on and on. Impressive and worthy of your hard earned money.
Batch # 002 is also made from a Mash bill of: 70% corn, 25% rye, 5% malted barley. The first thing you perceive is the flavor of a grilled Reuben Sandwich on Rye bread. Toasted rye has a very specific flavor and this is no exception. There is a sharp cinnamon bitterness, almost like a red hot candy that pokes a hole right in the middle of your memory. This is exceptionably memorable bourbon. There really is nothing like it on the market. Stone fruits and caramelized nuts reveal themselves after a few seconds along with deep flavors of Spanish Saddle leather and wet stones. But not wet from a fresh water stream, they are slicked with the flavors of the ocean.
The slightly less alcohol *117.8- is a welcome relief after the hit of nearly 122% alcohol in Batch #001.
Both versions are memorable. Orange marmalade and lemon curd fill your mind along with toasted rye bread and slabs of freshly smoked meats. There are bursts of fleur de sel (sea salt) and more chocolate, but not the sweet kind, I’m talking 75% bitter.
Take little sips and bite your Reuben Sandwich, let me know what you think!
This is bourbon on steroids! Definitely not for everyone! No fooling!
***********************
Warren Bobrow,is the widely published author of: Apothecary Cocktails-Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today- Fair Winds Press- Beverly, Massachusetts. Apothecary Cocktails was nominated for a Spirited Award, 2014 Tales of the Cocktail.
His forthcoming book, Whiskey Cocktails will be released October 2014. Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails follow with publication in spring ’15.
Warren is a master mixologist for several craft liquor companies.
Warren consults about mixology and spirits, travel, organic wine and food. He’s written for web-blogs and magazines like: Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods: Dark Rye, Distiller, Total Food Service Magazine, Beverage Media Group, DrinkupNY, Edible Publications, Foodista, Serious Eats, Mechanics of Style and Beekman1802. He was in the Saveur-100 in 2010.
Warren is a former, mostly self, trained cook from the pot sink on up. J&W and ACF were thrown in for good luck. Warren was the former owner/co-founder of Olde Charleston Pasta in South Carolina: *Dissolved his business after Hurricane Hugo in 1989* – to a career in private banking, (nearly 20 years; “a very grand mistake”) to this reinvention in 2009 as the Warren he’s finally become.
Warren is available to do highly personalized, interactive mixology events, local, national and international.
Contact: jockeyhollow@gmail.com
As we move headlong into the late summer months the reflection of dark liquors across our palates make a stunning resurgence. But we call out for new flavors with the waning days of the month and these flavors signify change. Cooler nights signify the shortening of daylight, a traditional trigger point for my palate to move over to darker liquors. One such liquor that I really have been enjoying as of late is Templeton Rye. Said to have been the favorite of a renowned gangster during Prohibition, this recreation of “the good stuff” is perfectly delicious when mixed. Templeton is a high rye whiskey. It’s well over the required 51% rye grain so the flavor is quite peppery from the rye. It is said that you can plant a field of rye with what fits in your pocket. (Unless your pocket has a hole in it!)That is why rye was so popular in the early days of our nation. It is easy to transport and even easier to distill with very basic resources available. The heartier flavor of rye, especially Templeton Rye makes for a robust drink with the zippy and spicy cinnamon notes along with pain grille and wet stones.This may not appeal to everyone, just like not everyone enjoys rye bread. The same holds true for rye whiskey.
Templeton Rye works so well with assertive ingredients like freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice. There really is no excuse not to use the best ingredients possible at all times. For anyone who has ever suffered and barely tolerated themselves through a screwdriver made with orange juice from concentrate would attest, fresh makes much more interest. Using fresh juices will keep your friends coming back for more.
Not a bad thing to have happen!
I recently used the Templeton Rye in a twist on the Whiskey Punch with both freshly squeezed orange and lemon juices.
Through research for another article, I was able to source out some handmade shrub syrups from different producers around the country. One of these, a vividly flavored strawberry, black pepper and balsamic shrub handmade by “Shrub Drinks” in Texas, added some unexpected nerve to my traditional punch recipe. Something marvelous happens when you mix sumptuously textured fruits and sugar with balsamic vinegar and a healthy dose of freshly cracked black pepper. Shrub Drinks also makes other concoctions like the tomatillo and lime and serrano shrub that just screams out for Mezcal. I haven’t tasted my way through their line, but the strawberry, balsamic and black pepper is just otherworldly in the presence of fresh juices and the Templeton Rye whiskey.
I suppose that a sizzling hot sandwich is in order as well. Make mine a Rueben. Make it on rye with plenty of freshly sliced pastrami and spicy mustard along with the Russian dressing and crunchy sauerkraut. This is the kind of food that screams out for Templeton Rye whiskey!
Punch is a most misunderstood beast. You have to make drinks that go into a punch bowl with balance. No single ingredient can overtake another. They need to work together in harmony. That’s why shrubs are so important in the punch bowl. The discovery of the product, Shrub Drinks makes my life really easy!
You really don’t have to try to hard to make professional quality drinks at home with the best ingredients possible.
First of all squeeze your citrus juices just before you use them. Then keep them cool, but not cold- don’t
add ice to them, but you can sit them on ice. I find it a best practice to add the spirits in last, and then only ½ as much as you think you are going to use, tasting the punch and adding more as needed. You cannot subtract from the beginning forward or add more fruit juices if you have none left. That is why it’s essential to add the spirits slowly and taste often for balance. I always start with the juices and the syrups first, get their flavors right- and then add the spirits. It’s just how I do it. Ice is also a going concern for a well-crafted punch. You may find it helpful to go to a restaurant supply house and buy a stainless steel insert. Ask, they’ll know what you’re talking about. An insert fits in a cold-line table. They are roughly 6 inches by 9 inches and at least 10 inches deep. This is the best way that I know to make blocks of ice in your freezer. The stainless steel will not taste like everything in the freezer, nor will it give off any bad flavors like plastic does. So use stainless steel!
A twist on the term plain ice would be to add some Bitter Truth Creole Bitters to the ice, for flavor and for color as the ice melts. Adding flavor and color is a fun idea to add a bit of spark to the final equation.
Since this is a rye whiskey based punch-style drink, just multiply the final number of ingredients by the number of people you are serving. This recipe is for two persons. You don’t have to make so much ice, but it’s nice to know how to if needed so you won’t have to go out and buy supermarket ice.
What’s Your Call to Action?
Ingredients:
4 oz. Templeton Rye Whiskey
3 oz. Shrub Drinks: Strawberry, Balsamic and Black Pepper Shrub
2 oz. Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
1 oz. Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
2 oz. (in each glass) Seltzer Water
2 Shakes (in each glass) Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters
Long Orange Twist
Mint Sprig for spark!
Preparation:
To a Boston Shaker filled ¾ with ice
Add the Templeton Rye
Add the citrus juices
Add the Shrub Drinks: Strawberry, Balsamic and Black Pepper Shrub
Cap and Shake hard for 10 secondsStrain into a Collins Glass with a few cubes of nice clean ice
Add some Seltzer over the top
Dot with the Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters
Garnish with a long orange twist and mint sprig
Cheers from DrinkUpNY!
Article by Warren Bobrow, a nationally published food and spirits columnist who writes for Williams-Sonoma, Foodista and the Beekman Boys. His first book, Apothecary Cocktails has been nominated for a Spirited Award at the 2014 Tales of the Cocktail! Warren’s forthcoming second book, Whiskey Cocktails is now in pre-sell from Fair Winds Press. His third book, named Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails will be released in Spring 2015.
By: Warren
Klaus is a sporting lad. What I mean by this is that Klaus likes tromping through the cranberry bogs searching for these tart berries to pop into his mouth. He’s gotten rather adept at skimming along the surface of the cranberry bog, his little flask filled with rye whiskey. Rye Whiskey you say? Why rye? Klaus will explain that of all the whiskies produced in our country, rye dates back to George Washington. George Washington distilled rye whiskey for his consumption with 60% rye, 35% corn, and 5% malted barley. This must have been a heady concoction given the predilection for strong intoxicants in the early days of our nation. Rye is historic, like Thanksgiving!
Rye whiskey reminds Klaus of the Old Country, where he rose out of the soil and joined the legions of drinking gnomes around the world. His father watered the soil where Klaus popped up with rye whiskey!
Thanksgiving is coming all too soon. Then the rush to the Christmas holidays begins. Wouldn’t it be nice to have what Klaus has in his little ceramic flask? Would you like to know what he concocted using ingredients you have in your kitchen right now????
Do you have cranberry sauce? What’s that little can doing lurking in your pantry? Open it up and add 2 tablespoons of it to a cocktail shaker. How about that bottle of honey over there? Yes that’s the one. It’s all crystallized? Perfect. Just boil some water and add it to the honey, let it cool and pour it into the shaker. Did I see some apple cider in the fridge? Sure I did. It’s gone a bit fizzy. That’s exactly what this drink needs. Don’t have any fizzy cider? Try a hard cider from the supermarket beer isle. There are dozens of them available all over the globe. Pour a bit of that into the shaker too.
Of course the most important part, the part that Klaus values over all the other parts is the giggly part. The part that is intoxicating. And that is the rye whiskey! Isn’t it funny that Klaus, a little guy made of terra cotta would know the difference between “just a drink” and a well-balanced cocktail? I think you will immediately know the very moment this comes together. As I said, anyone can make it with ingredients that you have right now. Ok, you may have to buy a bottle of rye whiskey and you certainly have some apple cider in your fridge at this time of the year. These ingredients alone make a fine drink. But add some honey syrup and some cranberry sauce and you have a lovely refreshing slurp.
Yes, I’ll Come to Cambridge Cocktail serves two handily. Right Klaus? Klaus?
Ingredients: (Klaus proven!)
3 oz. Rye Whiskey *sure, you can use bourbon, or even Scotch!
2 oz. Cranberry Sauce (that little can will do)
2 oz. Apple Cider or Hard Apple Cider in a bottle with fizz
1 oz. Honey Simple Syrup- 2:1 ratio honey to boiling hot water, then cool.
Good Ice, meaning double boiled water in a tray, hand cut.. easy to do!
Lime pinwheels
Preparation:
Klaus has said over a dozen times, put the ingredients in the shaker, BEFORE adding the ice. I haven’t paid attention.. Now I should..
Pre-chill with bar ice and water- two Collins Glasses for this drink, then pour out
Add all the ingredients to a Boston Shaker (except the lime garnish)
Add ice to ¾ in the shaker and then cover
Shake hard for 15 seconds
Add a couple cubes of hand cut ice to your pre-chilled Collins glass
Strain the Cambridge Cocktail over the ice
Garnish with the lime pinwheel and a long straw
Do you want to know what I’m excited about? Well it’s pretty simple. Tequila. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed the flavor of the earth as exemplified by the Terroir captured by Tequila. Oh I suppose this is my own fault. The good stuff is mostly unavailable in the part of New Jersey where I live. Sure there are all the national brands available. Plus some pseudo-artisan varieties in fancy hand-blown bottles. No, what I’m looking for it the real thing.
I want to taste the earth and the agave root. And I want some now!!!!
Recently I was introduced to a unique and carefully crafted brand of Tequila named Rudo after the dastardly cunning, Lucha Libre wrestler from Mexico.
Tasting Notes:
There is almost a balletic quality to the flavor of the Reposado sitting in front of me right now. I just took a swish into my mouth of the Rudo Reposado. Pin point drops of Mexican honey swirl around my mouth leaving sweet little explosions of vanilla cream pastilles dipped in fire. The finish goes on and on, finally ending in a blazing sunset across your throat and down to your stomach. Rudo is deeply warming and there is magic in every sip. The specific Terroir of the region is very apparent in each sip. There is a dreamy, creamy quality of this spirit. The world becomes soft and the sounds of the day become far away. Be careful with Rudo. He may be a bad guy if you drink too much of his name-sake Tequila. But until you get there- the point of no return so to speak, I recommend this little cocktail that was influenced heavily by my friend Chris Milligan out in Santa Fe, barkeep at Secreto.
He created the Smoked Sage Margarita. I pay homage to his brilliant drink by adding USDA Certified Organic Sage from Art in the Age.
The Liquor named Sage on the herb by the same name- Sage? Of course?
But what about the ice? I’ve long held that Mavea, the German water filtration pitcher is the very best for making the frozen matter that we call ice. I take this highly filtered and purified water and add it to silicone ice cube trays, THEN I zest with a microplane zester two lemons and limes over the top. Freeze as normal.
Finally I added the Bitter End Mexican Mole Bitters, rife with spices, chocolate and dreams of the coyotes running amok in the desert.
Thank you Bill and Laurel for making sure I was safe behind the walls and not out in the desert when the coyotes came running and screaming throughout the night. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
I call this drink the Ghost Ranch Shot in honor of the famous Ghost Ranch where Georgia O’Keefe spent much time. She was a wild woman who would have appreciated this power and fragrance of the desert in every sip.
Makes two very mysteriously thirst quenching cocktails.
Ingredients:
3 oz. Rudo Reposado Tequila
6 Drops of the brilliantly potent- Bitter End Mexican Mole Bitters
1 oz. Royal Rose Simple Syrup of Lavender and Lemon
2 oz. SAGE (USDA Certified Organic Sage Liquor- 80 Proof!)
1 Sage Leaf (and a match)
.50 Fresh Lemon Juice
.50 Grilled Lime Juice (Char some lime wedges in a cast iron pan until blackened, then juice)
Preparation:
Turn your Boston Shaker upside down resting on two other shakers (Thanks Chris for enlightening me!)
Take the piece of Sage in your fingers and light it on fire under the Boston Shaker
Fill the Shaker with the smoke of the burning Sage leaf
Crumble the charred Sage leaf directly into the Boston Shaker, still filled with smoke
Add the Tequila
Add the Sage Liquor
Add the Lemon juice
Add the Grilled Lime juice
Add the Royal Rose Syrup
Add 6 drops of the Bitter End Mexican Mole Bitters
Fill the Boston Shaker 3/4 with ice, cover and shake for 10-15 seconds
Serve in a rocks glass with a salt rim and one HUGE hand cut- infused Mavea Lemon/Lime zest ice cubes
Garnish with a chunk of lime
What’s Klaus doing in the picture? Trying to capture his moment of fame? Nah, he’s just thirsty.
Click here for enlightenment. only in the movies!
From the Rudo and Tecnico Website:
Rudo is one of the main heroes of Lucha Libre – combative art form with elements of melodrama, high-flying athletics, comedy, suspense, and intrigue. Appearing in red mask, Rudo is a wrestler who does not respect the rules of Lucha libre or his fellow wrestler. He is considered the “bad” guy or a “heel” and is willing to win by any means necessary even if it means cheating or brown-nosing the referee. Rudo’s wrestling is not as refined as Tecnico’s. Unlike the spectacular aerial maneuvers and complicated techniques, which técnicos are known for, Rudo makes greater use of brute force – hitting, lifting and dropping an opponent. While Rudo’s moves are rougher and less elaborate, he is not to be taken lightly. It is always fun to watch Rudo using his shear strength and trickery to get the better of his opponent.
Rudo can surprise you with his tactics, so never turn you back on Rudo. Rudo will use all means necessary to be victorious, and he will sneak up on you while you are not watching. Rudo is more down to earth than Tecnico and will always give a good show. Boisterous and funny, they engage the crowds of spectators and set up the mood for the game. Rudo will not follow the rules in wrestling, and his adversaries had better not slip up, as they might be surprised.
Although rudos often resort to using underhanded tactics, they are still expected to live up to a Luchador code of honor. For instance, a Luchador who has lost a wager match would prefer to endure the humiliation of being unmasked or having his head shaved rather than live with the shame that would come from not honoring his bet. Rudos have also been known to make the transition into técnicos after a career defining moment, as was the case with Blue Demon, who decided to become a técnico after his wrestling partner, Black Shadow, was unmasked by the legendary Santo.
Rudo is 100% blue agave tequila produced by artisanal methods in Jaliscos Highlands. Carefully elaborated at the family-run distillery, Rudo offers a perfect combination of spectacular presentation and superior taste. To pay homage to Rudo’s character, our tequila boasts bold and unexpected flavors, a real tribute to blue agave spirit. Reposado and Anejo are aged to perfection in bourbon white oak barrels to achieve smooth and luxurious texture and long finish. Selected “Most Likely to Succeed in 2012” by the Tasting Panel Magazine.
Warren Bobrow is the Food and Drink Editor of the 501c3 non profit Wild Table on Wild River Review located in Princeton, New Jersey.
He is under contract and has just completed his first book named Apothecary Cocktails for Quayside/Rockport Books in Massachusetts.
He was one of 12 journalists world-wide, and the only one from the USA to participate in the Fête de la Gastronomie– the weekend of September 22nd. 2012 in Burgundy.
He attended Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans in 2011/2012. Plus the Manhattan Cocktail Classic and the Boston Cocktail Summit.
Warren presented and demo’d freestyle mixology at the International Food Bloggers Conference in Portland, Oregon. (2012)
Warren judged the Iron Mixology competition at the Charleston Wine and Food Festival (2012)
Warren has published over three hundred articles on everything from cocktail mixology to restaurant reviews to travel articles.
You may also find him on the web at: http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
Warren is a published food writer and former cook.
He’s written food and cocktail articles and news for Edible Jersey, Chutzpah Magazine, Voda Magazine, Tasting Table, Serious Eats and Total Food Service Magazine.
Warren attended the Kentucky Derby and the Oaks Day Races this year while on assignment for Voda Magazine.
He writes for the “Fabulous Beekman 1802 Boys” as their cocktail writer. (The Soused Gnome)
He also writes for The Daily Basics, Leaf Magazine and Modenus.
He writes for Williams-Sonoma on their Blender Blog.
He is a Ministry of Rum judge.
Warren began his climb to becoming a cook as a pot scrubber at the York Harbor Inn in York Harbor, Maine in 1985.
He cooked at Alberta’s in Portland, Maine during mid-80’s.
Warren is the former owner and co- founder of Olde Charleston Pasta in Charleston, SC while cooking at the Primerose House and Tavern. (Also in Charleston)
He spent Hurricane Hugo (1989) in his former home in Charleston… Ouch!
Warren was # 30 in Saveur Magazine’s 100 for his writing about the humble Tuna Melt.
Headshot photograph taken at the Ministry of Rum in San Francisco- August 2010