I fell in love with Suze at first taste.  The full-bodied citrus and herbs and the long spicy, bitter finish had me!  I frequently use it as a modifier to add richness and a little herbal bitterness to various cocktails.  Almost a secret ingredient.

I created this cocktail to highlight the flavors of Suze.  After trying multiple styles of gin, I settled on Navy Strength Plymouth Gin.  Various London dries and Botanist were also very good.  I further experimented with vermouth.  Sweet vermouth alone does not work well.  A premium dry or a “perfect” with dry and bianco are best.

I’ve been making variations of this cocktail for a few years.  Only recently have I added Bigallet’s Thym.  While totally optional, the Thym enhances the woody notes of the Suze and prolongs the herbal flavors into the finish.  Just remember that the Thym is the modifier here.  More than 3 or 4 drops will result in a powerful taste of thyme.  The nose is lemon and faint herbs.  The first flavors are herbal and a touch woody.  Juniper follows with continued herbs and just a hint of thyme.  The finish is herbal, spicy and clean

• 2 oz. Navy Strength Gin (Plymouth)
• 1 oz. Premium Dry Vermouth such as Carpano
• 1/2 oz. Suze
• 3-4 drops Bigallet’s Thym (or half a bar spoon) – optional
• Lemon peel for garnish
• Dried lemon wheel and/or sprig of fresh thyme for garnish – optional

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all of the ingredients, except the garnishes, in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Express lemon peel over drink and discard
5. If using, dress up your cocktail with the dried lemon wheel, spank the thyme and float it on the lemon wheel.

Cheers!

When I think of a dessert drink, my mind usually lands first on coffee. When I think of dessert, chocolate usually wins, (like everyone else, right?). So, my dessert cocktails frequently incorporate coffee and chocolate.  My list of after dinner drinks includes several sweet cocktails.  I prefer my dessert cocktail to be not overly sweet.  That’s probably because, while I might start out thinking the cocktail is my dessert, I usually end up eating something sweet as well.  So, I like dessert cocktails that do double duty as a stand alone dessert or as an accompaniment to a dessert, (read chocolate cake).

The Nectar de Café uses apricot brandy, amaretto, Ancho Reyes, crème de cacao, molé bitters and coffee syrup.  I used Kinsman Rakia for the apricot brandy.  Depending on the brand you use, you may want to adjust the sweetness.  The coffee syrup is house made, (go here for the simple recipe),  but you can use whatever brand you like for your cold coffee.

Nectar de Café

This cocktail is a touch on the sweeter side.  It alone can be dessert, but not so much that you couldn’t enjoy it with your favorite sugary delight, (chocolate cake).  The nose is sweet apricot, tropical fruit and coffee.  The taste is fruit, coffee with background of nuts, chocolate and chilies.  It doesn’t taste as sweet as your nose told you it would.  The finish is chocolate and coffee.  Shaking the drink creates the coffee foam and gives the cocktail a pleasant mouth feel.  After shaking and double straining into the glass, let it sit for about 30 seconds to allow the foam to form and the drink to clear.

• 1 oz. Apricot brandy
• 1 oz. Cold coffee syrup
• 3/4 oz. White crème de cacao
• 1/2 oz. Ancho Reyes Liqueur
• 1/2 oz. Amaretto
• 4-5 drops molé bitters

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake to chill and create a foam – about 30 seconds.
3. Double strain into the chilled cocktail glass
4. Let the drink sit for about 30 seconds to allow the foam to form and the to drink clear.

Cheers!

This drink is based on Kathy Casey’s Luxury Gin & Tonic Cocktail with Cucumber Lime Foam.  (Follow her on Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen).  I did not have all of the ingredients she called for and, besides, I generally like to mess with recipes!  This cocktail demonstrates a number of things:

• How you can substitute ingredients
• How to make your own ingredients when necessary
• Making a flavored simple syrup with fresh ingredients
• Making a rapid infusion to create a syrup
• Making a rapid infusion to create all new bitters flavors
• How you really need an iSi Whipper if you’re serious about craft cocktails at home.

Total active prep time for this cocktail was about 20 minutes.  Inactive prep time was 4 hours.  Without an iSi Whipper, there would be no foam and the infusions would have required 12-24 hours.  Bottom line, get yourself 2 or 3 iSi Whippers.

You can purchase Dry Blood Orange Soda (Dry is the brand name), and Monin Cucumber Syrup.  I used fresh blood oranges to make blood orange syrup and used that to make a blood orange soda.  I also added cardamon to the foam, cucumber to the simple syrup and substituted Luxardo for the Monin Bitters.  This cocktail doesn’t work without the foam.  With it, the drink comes alive with herbal notes from the gin and bitters, the citrus of the orange and lime and of course, the cucumber and cardamon.

Gin & Blood Orange Tonic with Cucumber Cardamon Foam

• 1 1/2 oz. Hendricks Gin
• 3 oz. Blood Orange Soda – see below
• 1/2 oz. Fresh lime juice
• 3 dashes Tonic Bitters – see below
• Cucumber Cardamon Foam – see below

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine everything except the foam in a mixing glass with ice – stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled glass and top with the foam.
4. Serve immediately

Blood Orange Soda

•  Zest and juice from 5 blood oranges
• 1/4 tsp Citric acid
• 1/2 – 1 Tbl. Agave to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in an iSi Whipper and swirl to combine (do not shake or particles can plug the Whipper)
2. Charge with 1 N2O cartridge and swirl for 30 seconds
3. Let sit for 30 – 60 minutes
4. Holding the Whipper upright, discharge rapidly.  Hold your hand about 10 inches over the top to prevent spraying your ceiling.
5. Let sit for a few minutes then strain through a fine mesh strainer.
6. Keeps refrigerated a few days.

To make Blood Orange Soda, combine 1 part of the Blood Orange Syrup with 3 -4 parts carbonated water.

Cucumber Simple Syrup

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 – 2 1/2 inch piece of English Cucumber

1. In a small sauce pan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Puree the cucumber in a food processor or with a stick blender.
4. When the syrup has simmered for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and add the pureed cucumber.
5. Set aside for 30 minutes.
6. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
7. Will keep refrigerated about 2 weeks.

Cucumber Cardamon Syrup

• 4 oz. Over proof vodka
• 3/4 Tbl. Cardamon pods – crushed
• 1 – 2 1/2 inch piece of English Cucumber – pureed

1. Combine all ingredients in an iSi Whipper and swirl to combine (do not shake or particles can plug the Whipper)
2. Charge with 1 N2O cartridge and swirl for 30 seconds
3. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes
4. Holding the Whipper upright, discharge rapidly.  Hold your hand about 10 inches over the top to prevent spraying your ceiling.
5. Let sit for a few minutes then strain through a fine mesh strainer.
6. Keeps refrigerated a few weeks.

Cucumber Cardamon Foam

• 2 Sheets Gold gelatin
• 4 oz. Cucumber Cardamon Syrup
• 2 oz. Water
• 3 oz. Cucumber Simple Syrup
• 2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
• 4 oz. Pasteurized egg whites

1. In a small sauce pot, warm the water and syrups over medium heat.
2. In a separate dish, “bloom” the gelatin sheets in room temperature water.  They will feel soft and gummy.
3. Remove the gelatin sheets from the water and squeeze out most of the water.  Add to the sauce pot with the warm syrups.  Stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
4. Remove the sauce pot from the heat and allow to cool 10-15 minutes.
5. Add the lime juice.
6. Lightly beat the egg whites and pour through a fine mesh strainer into the the iSi Whipper.
7. Pour the cooled syrup, gelatin and lime mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the the iSi Whipper.
8. Close the whipper and shake vigorously.  Double charge the Whipper shaking between each charge.
9. Refrigerate for 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.
10. Will keep refrigerated for 10 -14 days

Tonic Bitters

• 8 oz. Luxardo Bitters Liqueur
• 1 Tbl. Ground Cinchona (Peruvian) Bark

1. Combine all ingredients in an iSi Whipper and swirl to combine (do not shake or particles can plug the Whipper)
2. Charge with 1 N2O cartridge and swirl for 30 seconds
3. Let sit for 10 – 15 minutes
4. Holding the Whipper upright, discharge rapidly.  Hold your hand about 10 inches over the top to prevent spraying your ceiling.
5. Let sit for a few minutes then strain through a fine mesh metal coffee filter (“gold” filter) and then through a paper coffer filter.
6. Pour into a bitters bottle.
7. Keeps on the shelf indefinitely – but the flavor will become more bitter over time.

Cheers!

While perusing the beer cooler at my favorite liquor store I spotted a bottle of Dogfish Head Namaste Beer. What caught my eye was the label listing orange, lemongrass, coriander and peppercorns as ingredients. We were in the process of preparing a Tonic Bar for a gathering we were hosting. The ingredients listed on the Namaste label were also going to be on our Tonic Bar. So, I thought, why not try using beer in the Gin and Tonic? It works!

We used our homemade tonic syrup. It’s easy and quick to make. However, you can purchase any of several brands of Tonic Syrup. We enjoy Jack Rudy’s and Liber & Co. When making tonic water from tonic syrup, you combine the syrup with carbonated water. This recipe substitutes beer for the carbonated water. So, whatever tonic syrup you’re using, just substitute the carbonated water with beer. Beer’s better than water anyway!

I used Hendrick’s Gin for this cocktail.  The herbal qualities of their gin worked perfectly with the Namaste.  Whichever gin you choose, when preparing this cocktail, try to pour slowly and stir carefully to reduce foaming.

• 2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
• 1 ½ oz tonic syrup
• 4 ½ oz Dogfish Head Namaste
• Orange peel for garnish – optional

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
2. Strain into chilled glass over fresh ice

Cheers!

This margarita is a new favorite because of its subtle taste of jalapeño with the slightest bit of heat on the finish.    It was popular at our last party…and we knew we had a hit when the rest of the cocktails went untouched!  The simple syrup takes only a few minutes to make, but does require time to cool.  So plan ahead!

The Jalapeño Margarita

• 2 oz. Premium plata tequila such as Milagro
• 2 1/2 oz. Fresh lime juice
• 2-3 slices of fresh jalapeño  – seeds removed
• 1 1/2 oz Jalapeño Simple Syrup – see below
• 1/4 oz. Cointreau or triple sec

1. Chill a margarita glass with ice and water
2. Add the lime juice and jalapeño slices to a shaker and muddle
3. Add the remaining ingredients with ice and shake to chill – about 15-20 sec.
4. Double strain into chilled glass
5. You can rim the glass with salt and/or garnish with a lime if you wish

For a frozen variety – see below

Jalapeño Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 jalapeño stemmed and coarsely chopped

1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over med-low heat.
2. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes (be careful, sometimes this will foam up and boil over)
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool
4. Strain into a jar, bottle or squeeze bottle and store refrigerated – it will keep a couple of weeks.

Frozen Jalapeño Margarita

1. Chill a margarita glass with ice and water
2. Add the lime juice and jalapeño slices to a mixing glass and muddle
3. Double strain the lime juice into your blender
4. Add the remaining ingredients along with 8 – 10 oz. ice
5. Whir it up and serve in your chilled glass

Cheers!

Here we are with another excuse to party!  Fat Tuesday always means Mardi Gras and New Orleans. So to celebrate, let’s take a look at two iconic libations from the Crescent City, the Vieux Carré and the Sazerac.

Vieux Carré

The Vieux Carré dates to 1938 and was the creation of Walter Bergeron, the head bartender at the Monteleone Hotel.  This cocktail, which is similar to a Manhattan, combines the spiciness of the rye with the sweet and mellow flavors of the Cognac and vermouth.  Add to that the herbal notes of the Benedictine, and you have a smooth and complex drink.

• ¾ oz. rye whiskey
• ¾ oz. Cognac
• ¾ oz. sweet vermouth
• ¼ oz. Benedictine
• dash Peychaud’s Bitters
• dash Angostura Bitters

1. Chill either a cocktail glass or an old fashioned glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice
3. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass and serve up or over fresh ice in chilled Old Fashioned glass
4. Garnish with thick lemon twist

Sazerac

The Sazerac is, basically, a bitters forward, rye Old Fashioned with an absinthe rinse.  The history of this drink is somewhat clouded, but it does originate in New Orleans in the last half of the 19th century.  There is also supposed to be a ritual for making the Sazerac.  The ritual simply substitutes a second Old Fashioned glass for the mixing glass in the recipe below, (or you could mumble a line from Monty Python as well!)

Whatever ritual you follow this is a cocktail you need to try.  The flavors are the spices of the rye and bitters combined with the hint of anise and herbs of the absinthe.

• 2 oz. quality rye whiskey such as Sazerac or Templeton Small Batch
• 4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• 1 tsp. 2:1 simple syrup
• absinthe
• lemon peel

1. Chill old fashioned glass with ice and water.
2. Combine all ingredients, except absinthe, to a mixing glass and stir with ice.
3. Drain ice and water from chilled old fashioned glass and rinse with dash of absinthe.
4. Strain drink into chilled, absinthe rinsed old fashioned over fresh ice.
5. Twist lemon peel over drink and discard peel.

Laissez les bons temps roulez!!

Santé!

Later That Night….