2008
05.02
05.02
The great Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann passed away this week at the ripe old age of 102 (he must have been doing something right!). In trying to figure out a way to honor his significant contributions to the planet, I decided to create a cocktail dedicated to this inspiring pioneer. Where to start? Well, since the ergot fungus that grows on rye grain played a role in his work, and since I happened to have a bottle of Old Overholt in my bar, I started with a rye whisky base. In doing a little research on rye-based cocktails, I noted that the Sazerac is built on rye, simple syrup, and a bit of absinthe. Now given the Swiss origins and colorful history of absinthe, it clearly warrants a place in the Albert Hofmann, and instead of simple syrup I decided to go with Maraschino liqueur for the sweet component based on how well cherry works as a garnish in the Manhattan.To round things out, I added lemon juice based on how it balances out the rye-based Delmarva Cocktail. A dash of Pechaud’s Bitters serves to add some final complexity and depth.For the garnish, I wanted something exotic and visually vibrant, and had recently spotted kumquats at our local produce market. I’ve never seen a cocktail garnished with a kumquat, but somehow it just seemed right and worked out splendidly. Outside of his scientific contributions, Hofmann lived a joyful, active, and inquisitive life. He once stated in an interview:
“Through my…experience and my new picture of reality, I became aware of the wonder of creation, the magnificence of nature and of the animal and plant kingdom. I became very sensitive to what will happen to all this and all of us.”
Words to live by. This one’s for you, Albert!
The Albert Hofmann Cocktail
- 2 oz. rye whisky
- 1 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
- 1 oz. lemon juice
- ½ tsp. Absinthe
- Dash Peychaud’s Bitters
- Kumquat sliced in half for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice, shake vigorously, and strain into martini glass with skewered kumquat garnish.
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Fine work, Rob. Having been out of town for the creation, I can’t wait to try it. And, btw, there is a cocktail on your very own blog that has a kumquat garnish…
http://berkeleycocktails.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/cocktails-in-china-spain/
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Irritator.
[...] ago and it was only a matter of time before the mixology started. A Corpse Reviver #2 here, an Albert Hoffman there and even a great party at Rob’s house featuring his very own Triolet (not to mention [...]
I think one should check this out if you missed the point:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SInkOigeGno
[...] that use a dash of absinthe as a finishing ingredient (e.g. Corpse Reviver #2, Sazerac, my own Albert Hofmann), I wanted to feature it as a main ingredient and couldn’t find a suitable cocktail that did [...]