I came across this drink on Pinterest.  It is a beautiful cocktail.  When you sip it, the first thing you note is the aroma of the oil from the rosemary, followed by the richness of the foam.  The flavor is slightly bitter orange with the rosemary enhancing the herbal tones of the Campari and Aperol.  It was created by Balena‘s lead mixologist Natalia Cardenas. I have altered it only slightly.  I include it here because it is a perfect example of two things:

1. The use of fresh herbs in cocktails
2. Combining two similar spirits, in this case Campari and Aperol

Fresh herbs are an excellent way to underscore flavors in liqueurs and liquors.  For instance, thyme goes very well in drinks containing Chartreuse or Aperol.  When constructing a drink in which I’m considering fresh herbs, I will first make up the drink without herbs or garnish.  Tasting at this point enables me to pick out flavors that I want to accentuate, (See note below).  I can then crush the herb in my fingers and sip the drink from a shot glass.  If the aroma of the herb goes with the drink, I can decide whether to just use the herb as a garnish or push it further by stirring it (a little more flavor) or shaking it (a lot more flavor) with the drink.

Combining similar spirits to achieve balance is a fairly common  trick.  Just take a look at some Tiki recipes with multiple rums.  In this drink, Cardenas has used Campari and Aperol.  Campari is bitter/herbal-fruity while Aperol is herbal-fruity/bitter.  Both have flavors of orange.  Combined the bitterness is lessened while the herbal notes are enriched.

Here is the recipe:

• 3/4 oz. Campari
• 3/4 oz. Aperol
• 1 oz. Lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. Simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• 10 Rosemary sprigs

1. Combine all of the ingredients, except 1 rosemary sprig, in a shaker without ice.  Shake for 10-15 sec.
2. Add Ice cubes (not crushed ice) to the shaker and shake until chilled, about 20-30 sec.
3. Double strain into a chilled coupe
4. Briefly pass the remaining rosemary sprig over a flame to release the oils before dropping it onto the drink.

Cheers!

Note: The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg is an excellent source of flavor combinations.

This is a wonderful time of year, and Halloween is one of the best excuses for partying ever invented!  So in that spirit, we offer a couple of ideas for spooky entertainment.

First for the drinks (have to keep our priorities straight).  Halloween specialty drinks tend to be, shall we say, “yuck.”  Some really look cool, but the flavors are not so much.  We prefer to take a standard cocktail, rename it and put it in a costume.  For instance, a chocolate martini in a glass rimed with melting chocolate and a chocolate spider web.  Or a “Dark and Spooky” with a black sugar rim.

From http://www.cosmopolitan.com/food/cocktails/halloween-drinks

For an eerie green drink try equal parts Midori, vodka,  simple syrup  and lemon juice, (aka Midori sour.)

You can also add a little dry ice for that smoking fog effect – just be very careful. Dry ice will burn you and can break glassware.  The safest way is to drop a small amount into a punch bowl.  By “small,” I mean a chip or two.  Also, don’t use dry ice in any drink with eggs, milk or cream.  The dry ice won’t smoke, it will foam.

While a smoking drink is fun, nothing beats a drink on fire!  Choose any Tiki drink or sour.  Name it something ghoulish like “Mr. Hyde.”  Serve it neat in a large round wine glass, filling it less than half way.  For the flame, float an inverted lemon or lime hull with a little piece of toast soaked in 151 proof rum.  Light the rum and serve the drink – with a straw.

Severed Arm

In the past we have prepared various Halloween themed foods: mozzarella “eyeballs”, “severed arms” and pot sticker “brains.”  This year we served roasted “fingers” and meatloaf “coffins.”

Meatball logs with almond slivers for “nails”

For the severed fingers, we used a meatball recipe, rolled them into finger sized logs and inserted sliced almonds for the “nails.”

Severed fingers with their “skin,” ready for the oven.

We then used prosciutto for the “skin.”

After roasting in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes, we put them on bamboo skewers and served them with marinara.

The meatloaf “coffins” are simply individual meatloaves shaved into a coffin shape:

Mixology Monday

Golden Kiss

This month’s Mixology Monday theme is “Perfect Symmetry.”  Hosted by Southern Ash, the idea is to find a balance between two related liquors or liqueurs.  His examples included sweet and dry vermouth, bourbon and rye, gin and vodka, and tequila with mezcal.  I would like to offer two drinks this month.  The first, a bit of a cheat on vermouth and vermouth, is the Golden Kiss.  A blend of Lillet Blanc and Kina L’ Avion D’ Or with dry curaçao.   Of course Kina Lillet, of 007 fame, is no longer available, so combining Lillet with a quinquina makes some sense, (to me anyway.)  I have been playing with Suze and Kina L’ Avion D’ Or so the segue to the Golden Kiss was simple.  The Lillet and Kina L’ Avion D’ Or share the fruity taste of orange, marmalade and apricot.  While the Lillet has a floral note, the Kina L’ Avion D’ Or has the bitterness of cinchona.  Together with the dry curaçao, they play together nicely.  I originally used Suze instead of the dry curaçao, and if you like bitterness, I would suggest you try it, but it will be bitter.  Here is the recipe:

• 2 ozs. Chilled Lillet Blanc
• 2 ozs. Chilled Kina L’ Avion D’ Or
• 1 oz. Dry curacao such as Pierre Ferrand
• 3 or 4 frozen strawberries

1. Combine all ingredients in a chilled champagne flute
2. Serve with the strawberries as ice cubes

My primary offering is the Autumn Spirit. This drink combines Irish whiskey with American single malt whiskey and bittersweet burnt honey. I finished it with Fees Brothers Whiskey Barrel- Aged Aromatic Bitters and served it neat in a brandy snifter.

For the whiskeys, I used Tullamore Dew 10 year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey and St Georges Single Malt Whiskey. The Tullamore Dew has the earthy, grassy flavors of Irish whiskey with the flavors of fruit, (apricot, pineapple, raisin) and wood. The St Georges has a forward almond flavor with a floral nose and the taste of cocoa. Having been aged in similar casks (bourbon, sherry and port) the wood flavors blend nicely.

Being partial to bitters forward old fashioneds, I thought that burnt honey syrup would be fun to try with whiskey. The burnt honey, which I burned to a dark coffee color, brought out some of the wood while the honey brought along the floral and grassy notes. The cinnamon, spice and wood flavors of the Fees Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Aromatic Bitters enhanced the earthiness, cocoa and fruit of the whiskeys.

• 1 oz. Tullamore Dew 10 year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
• 1 oz. St Georges Single Malt Whiskey
• ½ oz. burnt honey syrup (see below)
• 10-12 drops Fees Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Aromatic Bitters

1. Combine all ingredients in a brandy snifter
2. Serve neat
   

   Autumn Spirit

I obviously like this drink. I want to thank Joel at Southern Ash for hosting this month’s Mixology Monday XC and for inspiring me to try these combinations.

Burnt Honey Syrup

Burnt Honey Syrup

Equipment:

• Large pot – 8 qts
• Long sleeve jacket/apron/chef’s jacket
• Pair of heavy heat proof gloves

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Grade A Honey
• 1 Cup Water

1. In a large pot with steep sides, heat the honey over high heat stirring frequently. Note: the honey will foam and multiply several times in volume, so use at least an 8 qt pot.
2. When the honey begins to boil, about 3 minutes, begin stirring constantly. The foam will be so thick that you will only see the color of the honey in the spoon.
3. Continue to boil, lowering the temperature if needed to keep control of the foam, until the honey is dark brown to black – about 12 minutes.
4. Slowly add the water. WARNING: the water will spit molten honey onto exposed skin or your eye. Keep adding water, stirring constantly until incorporated.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
6. Store in the refrigerator.

This is our version of the iconic street food.

This has just the right balance of sweet, tart and sour.  It will be prettier with white grapefruit juice, but we usually can only get ruby reds.  Just be sure to use fresh juice.

• 1 1/2 oz. Melagro Plata Tequila
• 1/2 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 2 oz. Fresh grapefruit juice
• 2 drops grapefruit bitters

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake 10-15 sec.
2. Strain into chilled champagne flute.

This can only be sugar free if you use WheyLow.  WheyLow is the only sugar substitute I know of that will make a syrup.  It is not calorie or carbohydrate free.  It does have 1/10 the calories and 1/4 the carbs of sugar.  WheyLow is also expensive and hard to find, so, unless you’re planning to eat a lot of it, just use sugar!  Serve this over a block of cream cheese with some crackers.  Your guests will love it!

• 1 lb. sliced stemmed and seeded jalapenos – see note below
• 1 medium sweet onion small diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbls. white vinegar
• 2 tbls. water
• 1 1/2 Cups sugar or WheyLow
• 1/2 Tbls. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper

1. In a nonreactive pot over medium heat cook the jalapenos, onion, garlic, vinegar and water until onions and jalapenos start to soften – about 10 min.
2. Pour off about 1/2 of the water and add the sugar/WheyLow, mustard seeds, ginger, tumeric, salt and pepper.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Reduce the heat to med low and simmer, uncovered stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.  It will continue to thicken as it cools.
4. Allow to cool to room temperature.
5. To serve, spoon over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers or chips.
6. Keeps refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Note: Seeding the jalapenos makes the dish look better and removes most of the heat.  This will be mild – medium heat as written.  To add heat, either use 1 or 2 serranos with the jalapenos or finely chop a habanero and add it at the end of cooking.

This is our version of the iconic street food.

I offer up this drink in honor of National Vodka Day, which is also National Taco Day, and in 2014, falls on Saturday, October 4.  This just happens to coincide with our daughter’s wedding day.  Her Groom has suggested the name and I think it covers all of the bases.

I didn’t want to just make up another version of a cilantro-lime martini.  The Chartreuse accentuates the herbal cilantro while the pepper adds a nice background bite.

• 1 1/2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz fresh lime
• 1/2 oz Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 1 slice jalapeno seeded
• 1/8 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno stuffed olive for garnish – optional.

1. Combine all ingredients, except the garnish, in a shaker with ice cubes (not crushed ice).  Shake until well chilled.
2. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with the olive (optional)

Cheers!