First, Shannon’s colleague and accomplished playwright Philip Gotanda has asked us to create a cocktail to go with his play I Dream of Chang and Eng. The play, which is still in development, centers around the lives (or should I say life?) of the famous Siamese Twins. Shannon and I were privileged enough to see a staged reading at A.C.T. recently, and know that both Cognac and Absinthe are referred to during the play. With the Thai element also in play, we have a wide range of pretty interesting possibilities.

Second, my friend and (just barely) former colleague Clay Fenlason from Sakai/Georgia Tech recently tweeted, perhaps jokingly, that I should make a cocktail for the core of Sakai 3 project, which is code named Nakamura.  The project uses Apache Sling at its core so he suggested a name: the Nakamura Sling. Obviously the Singapore Sling comes to mind as a starting place.

No progress to report on either of these yet. Your suggestions are welcome!

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1. Cocktails in Australia?

The challenge with Canton is to embrace the intense almost peppery ginger flavor, but to also balance it so that it doesn’t overpower the drink. Pear juice was the initial counterpoint, but I found that it needed something more to balance the ginger, and fortuitously Michael had a bottle of vanilla infused simple syrup lying around just looking for a drink to call home. So I added that, dropped the lemon but kept the lime, and with the final addition of a crystallized ginger garnish converged on the ingredient list that stands today. That convergence occurred, interestingly enough, on an evening that I was hosting a TV viewing of a major boxing match between the great Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. Now I’m not normally a fight fan, but my wife’s family is Filipino and in the Philippines Pacquiao is a living God, so I was only to happy to host the party and, of course, serve cocktails. Since the drink came together in its near final form that night (ratios were later tweaked slightly), I initially called it the Pacquiao Punch. While that name was very popular with my fine brothers-in-law and fitting for that evening given that Pacquiao thoroughly pummeled Cotto, it soon became clear that a name for a wider audience would be required. So I started thinking about the ingredients and where that place that I wanted the drinker to be transported to was–somewhere on the vast Asian steppe, centuries ago, on a camel caravan transporting pears and ginger and vanilla beans from China to the Mediterranean with the blood orange sun melting into the distant horizon. And so I arrived at The Silk Road, the end of this journey and a drink that I feel truly delivers on its inspiration. Let it transport you.

The Silk Road

• 4 – 4 ½ parts vodka
• 1 part Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
• 1 part pear juice
• ½ part vanilla simple syrup (Sonoma Syrup Co. or homemade)
• ½ part lime juice
• Crystallized ginger slice

Shake all ingredients vigorously in a shaker two thirds full of ice and strain into cocktail glasses. Garnish with long strips of crystallized ginger.

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• 1 part gin
• 1 part Luxardo (maraschino liquer)
• 1 part green Chartreuse
• 1 part lime juice

Served up, of course. I love the elegant simplicity of the equal proportions of each ingredient. It is a difficult combination to pull off, although the Negroni is a classic with the same elegance and Rob’s original Absinthe Triolet also achieves perfect balance.

Of course you might not have all of these on hand, although Luxardo should, by now, be a regular part of your bar setup (you do make an Aviation every now and again, don’t you?). But, as it happens, I found myself with neither Luxardo, Chartreuse nor lime juice. Aaack! But necessity is, of course, the mother of invention. So here’s what I came up with:

• 1 part gin
• 1 part triple sec (for the Luxardo)
• 1 part St. Germain (for the Chartreuse)
• 1 part lemon juice (for the lime)

The result is a fantastic, herbal libation that had Shannon nodding her head in agreement that it deserved a blog entry and a name. Since it was inspired by The Last Word, I’ve dubbed this drink The Post-Script.

Shannon also observed that, somehow, the combination gives birth to a lychee flavor. Very pleasant and intriguing. It can be served, like its inspiration, without a garnish, but I chose to add a brandied cherry and a bit syrup. You also might find it a bit too floral.  The solution to this is to back off on the St. Germain (subtract a 1/4 part) and add a bit more gin (add a 1/4 part). This does sacrafice the 1:1:1:1 ratio, which is a shame, but a small price to pay if you like the result better.

In any case…enjoy!

Related posts:

1. The Anchor
2. The Perfect Cocktail: Corpse Reviver #2
3. A Taste of Persia

Wexler's Interior

We started with dinner a Wexler’s, a relatively new place in the financial district that serves up inventive interpretations of Southern food, often infused with smoke (and featured in today’s New York Times!). We of course had a round of cocktail’s there (I had a regular Manhattan) which were a great start to the evening.  The food  at Wexler’s is fantastic, the service is excellent and Matt Wexler himself is a gracious and helpful host. In fact, when Rob made the reservation via OpenTable, Matt remembered that Rob’s wife Joyce has some dietary restrictions and actually contacted Rob to see if he should start thinking about a special menu for Joyce. Now that’s service.

I won’t recount the whole meal, but I will mention the Scotch Eggs. This is a traditional and nasty dish consisting of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat and deep fried. On the server’s urging we tried chef Charlie Kleinman’s reinterpretation: Soft-boiled eggs covered in burnt-ends of short rib and deep-fried. The eggs somehow stay whole and soft and the rib meat is a perfect foil. An original idea, perfectly executed.

Clock Bar Logo

Next we found our way to the Clock Bar at the St. Francis. I’ve written about this before. While Marco is no longer tending bar there it remains, perhaps, the pre-eminent posh bar in the area. The bar itself is beautiful, the staff is informed, efficient and friendly, and the cocktail list, of course, is fantastic. Two favorites were the Autumn Sweater (Bols Genever, Dimmi, Apple Juice, Lemon, Vanilla Rosemary Syrup and Egg White) and the Ahumados (Mezcal, Canton Ginger Liqueur, Lime Juice, Agave Nectar and Ginger Syrup). The latter was a bit too smoky for Kang’s taste, but I was able to help him out. That’s what friends are for.

Bourbon and Branch

We could have spent the entire night there working our way through the list but we had a reservation at Bourbon and Branch, a self-styled speakeasy where you need a reservation and a code-word (ours was “bent” which was soon to be accurate) to get a table.

Here’s where my memory gets a bit fuzzy, but I do remember closing the night with a flight of tequilas. And I know Rob ended the evening with a Last Word (equal parts Gin, green Chartreuse, Lime Juice and Luxardo) which may be, in fact, the last word in cocktails. Hopefully Rob and Mark and Kang can fill in the details.

How fuzzy? Well let’s just say that Mark called me about a week later and asked me to look in my wallet at my United Mileage Plus Credit Card. Sure enough, it was imprinted with Mark’s name and he was holding mine. We’re in the process of reconciling our bills right now because neither of us had any trouble using the other’s card. Some much for credit card security (but you knew that)!

In any case we’ve determined that this will be a regular event, currently under the code name of GCRS (read the post title, silly). Although we’re open to cocktail researchers of all genders….

Related posts:

1. The Post-Script

On the second iteration, I came up with what I feel is a very nicely balanced and tasty drink:

Ginger Pear Cocktail
* 2 parts vodka
* 1 part Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
* 1 part pear juice
* Splash of fresh lime juice (1 lime for 2 – 3 drinks)
* Sliced kumquat for garnish (or fresh pear slice)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker half full of ice, shake vigorously, strain into cocktail glasses, and enjoy!

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Below are some selections to prove the point. Suffice it to say that I didn’t bother asking for proportions because who would want to make these things, much less drink them?

Severed Goat’s Head

• Svedka Vanilla
• Chocolate Liquour
• Raspberry Liquour
• Grenadine

Don’t you feel that the Grenadine is really gilding the lily?

Miss Beauregard

• Stoli Bluberi
• Svedka Vanilla
• Butterscotch Schnapps
• White Creme de Cocao [sic]

I’m really glad they specified the white Creme de Cacao. It’s this kind of attention to detail that makes all the difference.

Rojomotxo

• Red Wine
• Cola
• ers

I confess to needing some education here. I would assume that “ers” is an error if it weren’t for the fact that, after reading through the menu, all my notions about cocktails had been completely desecrated. And nothing else on the menu has so few ingredients. So I can only guess that this is some type of consumable liquid. Please enlighten me. I didn’t have the heart to ask the bartender.

Running of the Bulls

• Jaegermeister
• Red Bull
• Amaretto
• Coca-Cola
• Sprite

Coca-Cola, Sprite and Red Bull? Really?

There are more. Check their website  (turn your speakers off first) to see some of them.

Now, I do want to give them some credit. There was a fine set of spirits behind the bar including a full set of Hangar One products. So after trying something called the “Father Rodier” (Clementine vodka, St. Germain and Lemonade…it was bad but not evil) we had the bartender make up a gimlet with Kaffir Lime vodka. It was splendid. So if you go the Double Daughter (and why not?) stay off the specialty cocktail menu. And have one of the fine bartenders mix you up a traditional cocktail with some of their top notch spirits.

Related posts:

1. A Taste of Persia

Alas, no luck on the cocktails in Bathurst. When I asked folks where one would get an authentic Australian cocktail, the answer was simple: Anywhere! The authentic Australian cocktail is beer! This is not the answer I was hoping for. I’m at fault because I didn’t do my homework. There is actually a local craft distillery, called Stone Pine, very near where I was staying. But I didn’t discover this until it was too late to plan a visit! I’m disappointed in myself.

Back in Sydney it was, of course, easy to find a nice range of cocktails, including an excellent Clover Club enjoyed by Clay, my colleague who was traveling with me. Nothing that I’d call particularly evocative of Australia though.

On the way back to the US I found myself with some Australian currency. Not wanting to get shafted by the currency exchange folks I decided, instead, to get shafted by the Duty Free folks. And in the liquor section I found a few different varieties of a New Zealand vodka called 42 Below. So I picked up a bottle of the kiwi flavored vodka (what else?).

42 Below has a variety of products (honey, passion fruit, feijoa) and an irreverent marketing style, as evidenced by this video (this one is also hilarious).

In any case I needed to come up with something to go with the Kiwi Vodka. I had a little leftover 5-spice Simple Syrup which, at first, didn’t seem like a good idea. But then I walked by a 4-pack of Fever Tree Ginger Beer at the store and I thought….just maybe….

So here’s what I came up with, as yet unnamed and in need of a garnish:

• 2 oz 42 Below Kiwi Vodka
• 2 oz Fever Tree Ginger Beer (not ginger ale. ginger beer.)
• 1/2 to 1 oz of 5-Spice Simple Syrup (depending on your taste, I like it towards the 1 oz end of the spectrum)

Mix vodka and simple syrup in a short glass full of ice. Top with the ginger beer and give it a stir. Enjoy!

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It was also unseasonably cold and had even rained earlier in the day, so I thought about “winter” spirits like whiskey or brandy, and settled on a variation of a variation of an old favorite, the Sidecar. The classic sidecar is 3 parts brandy, 1 part triple sec and 1 part lemon juice, served up. I’ve recently tried Scott Beattie’s Mendo Sidecar variation which substitutes Cointreau and Luxardo for the triple sec and reduces the brandy by 1 part.

Here’s what I shook up last Saturday:

• 2 1/2 parts Brandy
• 2/3 part Citronage (I like this better than triple sec and it is less costly than Cointreau)
• 1/3 part Luxardo
• 1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice

I premixed this in a pitcher and shook up 2 cocktails at once for the guests, garnished with an orange twist. Forgive me for the 2/3 part and 1/3 part (seeming) complexity. You can think of it as a total of 1 part sweet liqueur and simply use a mixture of Citronage and Luxardo. Experiment a bit with the mixture, although I find that Luxardo can be overpowering.

As it happens, I was also smoking some salmon for the party and it gave me an idea for the next time I make this. I wonder if putting the orange in the smoker briefly (30 minutes?) might add a nice touch to this drink? It would essentially be the equivalent of a dash of bitters. A future experiment…..

Related posts:

1. The Sidecar: I finally get it!
2. The Perfect Cocktail: Corpse Reviver #2

We were having some friends over for dinner (smoke-roasted sirloin with yellow tomato chutney, but that’s another story) and I wanted something that would look dramatic and taste fantastic without requiring a ton of assembly work. I mostly succeeded.  Here are proportions for two cocktails:

• 2 ounces vodka
• 2 ounces grapefruit vodka (I used Absolut). Orange vodka would work well too, as in the PomIranian.
• 1 ounce lime juice. The small, juicy Mexican limes are best for this.
• 2 ounces Spiced Grenadine
• 1 egg white
• 10-15 leaves of mint. I used Chinese hot mint, available at Berkeley Bowl. It added some additional zing that was terrific.

Muddle the mint in the bottom of the cocktail shaker. Add the egg white and give it a good long shake to emulsify. Add everything else and a good portion of ice. Shake again, vigorously, since you’re trying for a nice foam.  Serve in a champagne glass. No garnish necessary, but a curly orange peel over the rim would look nice.

To make the spiced grenadine, briefly roast approximately one tablespoon of cardamom pods, one tablespoon of crushed whole black peppercorns, 1 smashed nutmeg pod and 2 pods of star anise. Mix approximately 2 cups of pomegranate juice and 1.5 cups of sugar and bring to a boil (this is your grenadine). You can add more sugar if you like it a little sweeter. Add the spice mixture to the grenadine and let simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, then strain the liquid into an airtight container, pressing on the spices to get as much flavor out as possible. Voila, spiced grenadine!

I’m happy to report that this was a big success and met with rave reviews from our guests. I was a bit disappointed in the color, which was light brown rather than red or pink (one guest asked, before tasting, if there was chocolate in the drink).  Homemade grenadine tends to be brownish red rather than candy apple red and I think the mint and egg-white might have moved the whole mixture towards brown. Everyone else liked the color, especially with the foam, but I’m puzzling over how to make it look a bit more red. Maybe abandoning the foam and finding another garnish would help.

Sorry, no pictures of this one.

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1. Lemon Mint
2. The Post-Script

Like many cocktailians, I’ve been inspired by the availability of genuine imported and domestic absinthe since the U.S. ban was lifted in 2007. Michael and I actually co-invested in a lovely absinthe fountain that we’ve utilized at a couple of parties to provide traditional absinthe service with the serrated spoons, sugar cubes, etc. While a classic absinthe, sugar, & water is a fine thing on occasion, I’d been looking for a really good absinthe cocktail to get the mystical Green Fairy (as it’s been called) more into circulation among my friends. And while there are several well-known drinks that use a dash of absinthe as a finishing ingredient (e.g. Corpse Reviver #2, Sazerac, my own Albert Hofmann Cocktail), I wanted to feature it as a main ingredient and couldn’t find a suitable cocktail that did that. So I invented one. Inspired by a drink called the Sylph at the fine Berkeley restaurant restaurant Downtown, I experimented with combinations involving absinthe, vodka, Cointreau & lemon juice. After much research, that rare & wonderful thing happened where a simple equal balance of 3 strongly-flavored ingredients crystallized in a way that each held each other in check (in a similar way as the Negroni). The strong anise flavor of the absinthe is perfectly counterbalanced by the deep orange notes of the Cointreau and the sharp citrus of the lemon juice. The resulting synergy was surprisingly refreshing and smooth-drinking, and my absinthe cocktail was born:

The Absinthe Triolet

* 1 part absinthe (green for best color)
* 1 part Cointreau
* 1 part lemon juice
* Orange twist for garnish (preferably flamed)

Shake vigorously in a cocktail shaker half full of ice and strain into martini or champagne glasses. To flame the orange twist, squeeze the peel over the filled glass with the orange side out to release the zest while holding a lit match between it and the glass. This makes for a flashy visual effect and adds a nice burnt orange flavor to the drink.

Now a quick note on the name. For this, I turned to my French neighbors who were actually living in Michael & Shannon’s house at the time while they lived in Paris for a year. Over dinner one night, we enjoyed the new drink while I implored their help in coming up with a French name for it, based on the French origin of the Lucid Absinthe and Cointreau I was using. After a couple of tries (and a couple of rounds!), Antoine had an “aha!” moment and presented me with “triolet”, which means “triplet” in French. This seemed ideal because the drink is a perfect triplet of equal parts absinthe, Cointreau & lemon juice, and “triolet” (pronounced “tree-oh-lay”) sounds chic and is easy enough to pronounce in English. So with a nod to Dr. Chambaz for the name, my hope is that the Absinthe Triolet will someday catch on with the general drinking populace as a way for those who aren’t crazy about straight absinthe to enjoy it in a more accessible cocktail. It’s certainly become the preferred way to imbibe absinthe for me and many of my guests. If you agree, spread the word about the Absinthe Triolet to your friends. It’s an easy recipe to remember!

Related posts:

1. The Post-Script
2. The Perfect Cocktail: Corpse Reviver #2
3. The Sidecar: I finally get it!