Two At The Most

Sign up for the Buffalo Trace Saloon, win a trip to the Derby

Stevi — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:00:42 +0000

The fine folks at Buffalo Trace have asked me to tell you about the Buffalo Trace Saloon. If you sign up for a free membership by March 31, you’ll be entered for the Derby Big Shot weekend. If you win, you and a friend will be flown down for the Kentucky Derby, squired around in a limo, and get a great tour of the distillery to boot.

In the meantime, take a look around the Saloon. There are some flash games to play, message boards, recipes using Buffalo Trace, and something called Bourbunnies.

And what’s in it for me? They’re also hosting a blogger contest. Sign up after clicking the link above, and I’ll be entered to win Fabulous Prizes! Actually, they sound pretty cool – a swag package for the top 25 blogs in terms of referrals of new signups, and VIP passes for the top 10 to White Dog Days at the distillery. And listen up, my Seattle-area friends — for the top traffic-driver, Buffalo Trace will come throw a party. So go sign up, add me (stevideter) as a drinking buddy, and have fun checking out the site.

No related posts.

MxMo XLVI: Absinthe — The Atlantic

Stevi — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:05:51 +0000

This month’s Mixology Monday is hosted by Sonja Kassebaum over at Thinking of Drinking. In addition to running a fine boutique distillery, North Shore, with her husband, Sonja is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

This month she’s chosen the topic that’s near and dear to my heart:

The topic for February is Absinthe. That much maligned, misunderstood, mistreated spirit, suddenly plentiful again in the US and other parts of the world. Absinthe played a role, whether large or small, in a variety of great cocktails from the 1800’s and early 1900’s – the Sazerac, Absinthe Suissesse, Corpse Reviver No. 2… I’m getting thirsty. So let’s celebrate absinthe’s history, and its future, with all manner of cocktails using absinthe.

Atlantic Cocktail

I seriously thought about just writing up the absinthe drip for this month, as that’s my favorite way to enjoy the liquor. I decided instead to hunt for a new cocktail that shows off how little absinthe it takes to transform a dull collection of ingredients into a fantastic drink.

I stumbled upon the Atlantic on the CocktailDB, which gives credit for its creation to “H. Losappio.” I searched through all my cocktail books, and have not yet found another reference for it.

Atlantic Cocktail

1 ounce gin (Voyager)
1 ounce white rum (Ron Matusalem Platino)
0.75 ounce Cointreau
2 dashes absinthe (Pacifique)

Stir over ice until cold as the North Atlantic and strain into cocktail glass.

If you shake it, it becomes a White Lily, which I find listed in several other online cocktail databases, but also find no hint of in any of my cocktail books. This is an all clear spirits drink, so naturally, I opted to stir. The high amounts of liqueur gives it a mysterious lightly cloudy look that goes well with the name.

The original recipe calls for equal parts gin, rum, and Cointreau, and only one dash of absinthe. I found that a tad too sweet. Dialing back the Cointreau makes for a much drier drink I’m tempted to call the North Atlantic.

When making this, I mixed everything but the absinthe and stirred until properly chilled and took a taste. It was an ok, if uninteresting cocktail.

Adding one dash of absinthe really brought the gin and rum flavors out. Adding one more dash let the absinthe play in the background with hints of anise. I chose to use Pacific Distillery’s Voyager gin and Pacifique absinthe, which naturally pair well together, as the gin uses many of the same botanicals as the absinthe.

The Atlantic is a great example of how it takes just a little absinthe to bring a cocktail to life.

Thanks, Sonja, for a great topic. Be sure to drop by Thinking of Drinking to see the complete MxMo round-up!

BarSmarts Wired Open for Registration

Stevi — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:35:01 +0000

BarSmarts WIRED is again open for registration, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to truly understand the basics of the craft cocktail world, bartender and enthusiast alike.

Last fall, I was invited by Pernod Ricard to try out the BarSmarts WIRED program. This is a study at home version of the highly respected BarSmarts certification put together by Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR), LLC, a group that includes such cocktail luminaries as Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost, Steve Olson, F. Paul Pacult, Andy Seymour and David Wondrich.

I completed the program and am now BarSmarts WIRED certified. While my $45 fee was sponsored, I can honestly say it would have been well worth the expense if I had paid for it myself. The BarSmarts kit is a nice set of basic bartending tools, many of which I use frequently, particularly the julep strainer and Boston shaker.

More importantly, I learned a lot from the online workbook modules and videos, and from studying for the online Drink Builder test. In particular, I felt the explanation of the distillation process was one of the most useful I’ve come across, and really brought together a lot of things I knew but didn’t really fully understand until seeing it in this format. The detailed history of the various base spirits was also very comprehensive. While the products highlighted naturally emphasize Pernod Ricard’s product line, they have an excellent line to choose from.

Registration is open through the end of March. You have 30 days from your registration to complete the four modules and the final online examination. The suggested pace is one module a week, which worked well for me – enough time to truly understand the material. The tests are a good reflection of the material studied, and the 25 drinks to learn for the final Drink Builder exam provide an excellent overview of the classics with a few modern drinks. And if you miss this window, it will be available again in the fall.

As for me, I was invited to BarSmarts Advanced, which is similar to WIRED, except that you must be invited to participate. There are again four modules with tests I need to pass, although this time I will receive workbooks and DVDs to study. Once I pass those, I will be able to attend BarSmarts LIVE in Seattle on April 27th. That will be a one day class, starting with morning seminars given by the members of the BAR, LLC, and then in the afternoon a written exam on all the material and a practical exam.

I’m very nervous about the practical exam, as I will have to, *gasp*, actually make drinks for people in public. Yes, I make them at home all the time. I even bring a fancy bartending bag full of tools when invited for parties and make drinks for friends. But this will be the first time I’ll be judged for my drink making style. Wish me luck!

BarSmarts Wired

MxMo XLV: Tea — Firenze

Stevi — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:27:06 +0000

It’s Mixology Monday yet again.¹ This month is being hosted by Frederic & Co. over at Cocktail Virgin Slut, and our topic is tea. Fred’s instructions:

Find or concoct a drink recipe that uses tea or tisane (a herbal “tea” which lacks tea leaves) as an ingredient. This can be hot tea, cold tea, tea syrups, or infusions and use it in a cocktail, punch, or other drink type. Be careful how long you infuse them (after 2 hours, things get really bitter!) if you go that route, and feel free to take a shortcut and use Beefeater 24 which has tea already in the botanical mix.

Firenze

My excuse for being late is that I was out doing research.² A few days ago I was at Coho Café and took a glance at their newest cocktail menu. The latest menu has some nice additions, including a bourbon rickey, that I look forward to trying.

Bartender Steve Shabro brought my attention to one of his drinks on the menu, the Firenze, which combines Earl Grey tea, Tuaca, and agave nectar. Earl Grey is one of my favorite teas. I love the scent of bergamot wafting out of my cup.

Firenze

1.5 ounces Tuaca
agave nectar (sub honey)
6 ounces Earl Grey tea

make a nice strong Earl Grey tea. Add Tuaca and agave nectar to taste. Stir, garnish with orange twist.

With the only alcohol coming from Tuaca, which is 70 proof (35% ABV), this is a pretty light take on a classic toddy. It’s very tasty, too. The tea can take a lot of sweetness. The agave nectar works well here as an additional sweetener, blending nicely with the other flavors. The orange in the Tuaca is a natural accompaniment to the bergamot in the tea, creating a smooth flavor profile.

Definitely a nice take on the tea ritual, and one I’ll add to my hot toddy rotation.

Thanks to Frederic for a great topic. Be sure to stop by Cocktail Virgin Slut for the full write up, as well as a constant stream of great cocktail recipes!

[1] Well, OK, I am a little late. Let’s call it Tipsy Tuesday³
[2] That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!
[3] AD: Kaite McGrew⁴
[4] AD — Attribution, Dammit!

MxMo XLIV: Money Drinks — Vanilla Whiskey Royale

Stevi — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:59:13 +0000

Mixology Monday is here again, and this month is being hosted by one of my favorite Seattle bartenders, Kevin Langmack.¹ Kevin has given us the theme of Money Drinks. We had two directions we could go. First:

A “Money” drink is something you can put in front of anyone, regardless of tastes or distastes about the spirits involved. Come up with a drink or a list based on spirits about drinks that would appeal to anyone. example: turning someone onto a Corpse Reviver #2 when they like lemon drops.

And second:

Drinks that you upgrade to the ne plus ultra: cocktails that for whatever reason (holiday, birthday, old friends come to visit, or just because you feel like it) you upgrade to superior; for example, taking your normal Sazerac with Rittenhouse and Herbsaint and, for a special occasion, turning it into a supreme-o Sazerac by breaking out the Thomas Handy Rye and the Jade Edouard absinthe. Due to the higher cost involved, and the spectacular results that should (hopefully) be found in the glass, this could also qualify as a “Money Drink”.

Vanilla Whiskey Royale

I hate it when the MxMo announcement post names the drink I’d most want to use, and in this case, Kevin hit my first choice for both versions. I have seen more than one “gin hater” realize the beauty of the spirit upon their first sip of a well-made Corpse Reviver #2. And one of my favorite recent indulgent cocktails was a Staggerac – a Sazerac made with George T. Stagg whiskey.

The path of the ne plus ultra appealed more to me. We spirit geeks will often declaim that some expressions are just too precious to mix with. And then we give in, and make an old fashioned with a great sipping rum like Zaya Gran Reserva. After all, a drink is only as good as its constituent parts.

I had the good fortune to time my first ever trip to Portland this past weekend during the annual House Spirits Booze Bazaar, and got to taste their three whiskeys. I couldn’t resist picking up a bottle of the whiskey in both the full cask strength (56.79% ABV/113.58 proof) and the subtler 44.99% ABV/89.86 proof version.² I’ll be saving the cask strength for sipping, but couldn’t wait to mix with the whiskey.

When I think of luxe drinks, champagne immediately comes to mind. Sparkling wine can make a simple combination like white wine and creme de cassis into a great sip like the kir royale. And while the Seelbach is the current newly rediscovered classic whiskey and champagne cocktail, I wanted to try something that let the whiskey express itself directly.

I ran across a recipe that called for a bourbon champagne cocktail that replaces the sugar and Angostura bitters of the classic with vanilla syrup. But why use syrup? I decided to try Navan vanilla liqueur instead.

I tried various combinations of too clever by half names, but decided to go with the most simple.

Vanilla Whiskey Royale

1 ounce whiskey (House Spirits Whiskey)
1/2 ounce Navan vanilla liqueur
champagne

pour whiskey and Navan in champagne flute, top with champagne. Sip contentedly in front of a fire with purring cat on lap.

This drink has the advantage of being incredibly delicious while being super easy to make. And so very luxurious.

Thanks to Kevin for a great topic. Be sure to check out Beers in the Shower for the round up post!

[1] despite the fact that to date, I haven’t actually had him make me a drink yet. Must remedy that. Off to Tavern Law…or Spur…or Sun…the man can be found at some great bars!
[2] I realized after getting through the whole line and getting outside that I failed to buy the white dog as well.

Bourboned Cranberry Relish

Stevi — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:00:21 +0000

I’ve been experimenting with cranberry relish recipes for well over a decade now, and have finally found one that works well for me. It has the advantage of being incredibly easy to make, and well, bourbon!

It’s best to make this the night before. If you do, I recommend that you first make yourself a bourbon old fashioned to really enjoy the beauty of the bourbon while you prepare the relish.

Bourboned Cranberry Relish

1 orange
1 lemon
1/2 cup bourbon (Bulleit is an excellent choice)
1/2 cup sugar
1 dash salt
1 dash fresh ground pepper
12 ounces fresh cranberries

zest orange and lemon. obtain 1/2 cup juice from the orange and lemon — start by juicing the whole orange, and for anything less than 1/2 cup, obtain the remainder from the lemon. Pick over the cranberries to remove any bad berries or stems, then rinse the berries.

Put zest, juice, bourbon, sugar, salt, and pepper in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add berries, return to boil and reduce heat. Simmer until the berries reach your preferred consistency (I usually go about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, allow to cool, then transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate, preferrably over night.

I like the sweet and tart balance of this recipe, and the bourbon brings a depth of flavor. Goes great on day-after sandwiches. This will keep well in the fridge, as well!

Happy Thanksgiving to my US readers, and have a great day to everybody!

TDN Crystal Head Vodka – Live from Chantanee

Stevi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:58:12 +0000

This week’s Thursday Drink Night promises to be a lot fun.

It’s sponsored by Crystal Head Vodka. Vodka may get a lot of derision from cocktail geeks, but it can present a true challenge when trying to create a well balanced cocktail. And, just in time for Halloween, it comes in a gorgeous bottle in the shape of a crystal skull!

Here in Seattle, we’ll be participating live from the Naga bar at Chantanee Thai Restaurant in Bellevue, where we’ll be mixing up and tasting all the drinks invented for the night and generally having a great time.

We’ll be starting at 4 pm PDT / 7 pm EDT. Log in to the Mixoloseum chat room and share with us your ideas for drinks that feature Crystal Head vodka. The best drinks will be put up for a vote; the winner will receive a Baron strainer courtesy of Cocktail Kingdom. A

And be sure to check the Mixoloseum blog for the live video feed from Chantanee where I know bar manager Andrew Bohrer has some fun ideas in store for us!

MxMo XLIII: Vermouth — The Visconti

Stevi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:12:28 +0000

Fall is closing in fast, but October refuses to leave until we honor it with a Mixology Monday. Over at Cocktailians, Vidiot is hosting a most excellent theme, Vermouth. He bids us:

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to present a delectable vermouth cocktail for us all to drool over. Sweet/Italian or dry/French vermouth are fair game of course, as are quinquina, aperitif wines like Pineau des Charentes, or for that matter any fortified, aromatized wine such as Lillet (red or white), or Dubonnet (ditto.)

Vermouth is a true workhorse of the classic cocktail world. Without it, a martini is just be cold gin. Fortified wines are among my favorite mixers, and my refrigerator is bulging with various bottles of Lillet, Punt e Mes, sweet, blanc, and dry vermouth.¹

Visconti

One of my favorite ways to change up a drink is simply to switch the vermouth used. Like a martini with dry vermouth? I bet it willl be great with Lillet blanc! Can’t decide between a martini and a martinez? Make a perfect martini with equal parts of each!

Another favorite drink of mine is the Negroni, with equal parts London dry gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. This is a great base to experiment with, as I have show several times here at Two at the Most. One of my most successful substitutions so far was the Rumgroni, simply using rum instead of gin.

Last time I was in the mood for a Rumgroni, my eye was caught by my bottle of Amaro Ramazzotti. I’ve covered Ramazzotti several times, because it’s a fantastic amaro. I decided to give it a whirl in place of the Campari. While the initial taste was great, to my surprise going full equal parts on the Ramazzotti seemed to make it too dominant — surprising to me since I think of it as much more mild than Campari.

Visconti

1 ounce Jamaican run (Appleton V/X)
0.75 ounces Amaro Ramazzotti
1 ounce sweet vermouth

Stir over ice until well chilled and strain into rocks glass with one piece of ice. Garnish with flamed orange peel.

Dialing the Ramazzotti back to 3/4 ounce and adding a flamed orange twist garnish made for a great balance. This is another drink that will go into rotation in my home bar. Full and rich, yet easy to sip, and made all the better because of the sweet vermouth. I decided to call it the Visconti after the House of Visconti, long time rulers of the Duchy of Milan. Since it’s a take on the Negroni, named after another duke, it seemed apt.

Thanks, Vidiot, for a great topic. Be sure to check out Cocktailians for the wrap-up!

[1] Please tell me you already know to keep your open vermouth in the fridge to make it last longer!

Don’t Be Bitter

Stevi — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:48:02 +0000

I love Beefeater 24 Gin, and I love Bitter Truth bitters, so I was a bit bitter that I didn’t seem to have much of a chance to get my hands on my very own bottle of the Bitter Truth’s Beefeater 24 bitters.

Bitter Truth Beefeater 24 Bitters

That was until Michael Dietsch announced his “Don’t Be Bitter” contest over at A Dash of Bitters. All I have to do is give some link love to a fellow blogger and talk about a time I was bitter about their good fortune.

At the top of my list is Tiare over at A Mountain of Crushed Ice. Not only does she take great photos and invent wonderful tiki drinks, but she’s always getting rums I can never dream of getting my hands on. It’s not just that she torments us U.S. bloggers by prominently featuring Havana Club rums in her sidebar¹. She is continually reviewing delicious sounding Demerara rums that apparently only she can get. Her month of mai tais sounds positively sinful, and would set me back a fortune to try to replicate. I’m sure it wasn’t too cheap for her, having to import rums all the way to Sweden, but somehow she does it, and she does it oh so very well!

It would soothe my envy to receive a bottle of Beefeater 24 bitters, but even if I don’t win, I’ll keep reading Tiare’s wonderful blog, and think you should to!

[1] Oh, the forbidden fruit!

Bellringer Gin and the Bitter Apricot Cocktail

MxMo XLII: Dizzy Dairy — Kávé

Stevi — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:57:22 +0000

It may barely still be September, but it is definitely Monday, so it must be time for Mixology Monday! This month, we are hosted by the kind folk over at eGullet. Chris Amirault has chosen the topic of “Dizzy Dairy,” declaring:

Any drink using a dairy product is fair game: milk, cream, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, curds, you name it. Given the importance of dairy products in drinks dating back centuries, there are lots of opportunities for digging through vintage receipts for a taste of the past, and as always innovation is highly encouraged.

It’s been a while since I’ve featured an original drink at Two at the Most, so this seemed like an excellent time to try something new.

Kávé

Aside from the occasional Ramos Gin Fizz, I rarely use milk products in cocktails, although I frequently use egg whites! I do have a favorite nightcap, which is an ever-changing combination of rum, milk, and creme de cacao.

For MxMo, I wanted to experiment with that idea, but create something a little more complex. I have been enjoying the bottle of Kahlúa Cream I received as a sample, and have enjoyed it with rum as well, so I used that as a base.

I haven’t worked too much with the bottle of Zwack I also received to sample, although I greatly enjoyed the lunch the brand sponsored for Drink.Write 2009. When I added it to my rum and Kahlúa Cream, I was surprised at how well it worked. I added my current favorite bitters, Bittermens Xocalatl, to add an additional layer of flavor, and was really pleased with the result.

Kávé

0.75 ounces dark Jamaican rum (Appleton V/X)
0.75 ounces Zwack
0.75 ounces Kahlúa Cream
2 dashes Bittermens Xocalatl mole bitters

Shake over ice until well chilled, then strain into ice-filled old fashioned glass.

The bitter herbal Zwack keeps the sweetness of the Kahlúa Cream in check, and the rich dark rums rounds out and ties the flavors together. I can also imagine trying these flavors together with warm milk for a nice winter drink.

What is your favorite way to use cream liqueurs?

Thanks to eGullet for this fun theme. Be sure to check the forum to see everybody who has participated!