Belvedere Vodka

With the approaching Oscars, I received dozens of PR pitches for the Perfect Oscar Party Cocktail. I ignored most, and instead wrote about Robin’s Favorite Vodka Cocktail – the Cosmo, and my favorite brandy cocktail, the Sidecar. I think they’re perfect for sipping on while watching the Academy Awards show. However, this cocktail creation from Belvedere Vodka sounds awesome.
The incomparable Meryl Streep is once again up for Best Actress for her powerful performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, so sip on The Streep Sweep while watching her take on the rest of the Hollywood elite.

How to make the Streep Sweep Oscar Cocktail

* Infuse cracked black pepper into simple syrup overnight.

I really like the fresh clean taste of this vodka cocktail! I enjoy the play of the tart and acidic lemon juice with the sweet simple syrup. I also like the zing from the black pepper! This is definitely a great cocktail from Belvedere Vodka. It may be my new refreshing vodka cocktail for a warm summer day!

The Streep Sweet A Belvedere Vodka Cocktail

If you don’t have simple syrup, you can use light Agave Nectar, which I did. You can make simple syrup at home, since the recipe and instructions are simple. You make simple syrup by boiling 1 cup of water, add 1 cup of sugar, remove from the heat and stir until all of the sugar is dissolved, then cool for an hour.If you try this refreshing vodka cocktail from Belvedere Vodka, let me know how you like it!

For the record Belvedere did not send me any samples, though often spirits companies do.

Sidecar Classic Cocktail

People are talking about swagger like it’s a new thing. I’m sorry, but if you want to talk swagger, go watch The Rat Pack in action. Back in the 1960s, Frank, Dean, and Sammy knew how to have a good time, especially at parties. It was rumored that Frank Sinatra would walk up to party goers at his shin-digs, grab their cocktail and sample it. If it was watered down, he’d quickly get them a fresh one. While you may not have the swagger of Old Blue Eyes himself, you can certainly drink like him. The Sidecar is a classic cocktail with all the swagger you’ll need, whether out with friends or even at your Oscar party.

There are no two ways about it, the Sidecar is my favorite classic cocktail. I originally started looking in magazines and bar tending books for vintage drinks when it became apparent that I couldn’t find good wine at local bars. I eventually settled on a Sidecar after trying many cocktails with outlandish ingredients, like Chartreuse. A Sidecar is a remarkably simple drink with great flavor, and a lot of umph behind it.

Sidecars – Vintage Cocktails from mmwine and agoodtimewithwine.com from Matthew Scott Horbund on Vimeo.

Before we get into the specifics of making the drink, keep in mind that glassware is important. It’s my opinion that an “Old-fashioned glass” works better than a plastic cup any day. Not only does it help you get some of that Old Blue Eyes swagger going on, the fine crystal of the short tumbler enhances the experience of the cocktail. You can find great glass old fashioned glasses at any home goods store. And for added swagger points, go to thrift stores or antique stores and find something REALLY vintage!

After many long discussions with various Spirits professionals about the ingredients to go into making a sidecar, I settled on a moderately priced Brandy. Since it’s being mixed with other ingredients, having a fine Brandy or Cognac really isn’t necessary, unless that’s just how you roll.  I did settle on a French Brandy because after tasting 3 or 4 Brandies from various origins, I found it had the richest flavors at the most reasonable price.  The other two ingredients are lemon juice and Cointreau.  Some recipes call for Triple Sec, but Cointreau offers the same citrus flavors with much better delivery.  I also always use fresh lemon juice since it’s easy to get and the lemon stuff in the plastic lemons really don’t have the right flavor.

Paul Masson VSOP Brandy and Cointreau

As you saw in the video, making a Sidecar is simply mixing:
•    2 oz Brandy
•    1 oz Cointreau
•    0.5 oz fresh lemon juice (or approximately 1/2 a medium lemon)

The other key ingredient to this, or any, good cocktail is good ice. Always opt for larger, thicker cubes over smaller, thinner ones. You want the ice to chill the drink, not water it down.  Obviously smaller pieces of ice will melt faster and ruin your drink quickly.  I’ve had a devil of a time trying to find really large ice cubes that accomplish this. So, break out a block of ice, a pick, and make your own cocktail chunks!

Ordering a Sidecar while out at a bar can be challenging. Few new bartenders know how to make them, though they can easily find the recipe with the smartphone. Brandy, however, is something you won’t find at every local watering home. Some substitute bourbon for brandy, and know that while it makes an adequate cocktail, it’ll be more smokey than the typical Sidecar.

And remember, no matter what you drink, mix your cocktails with swagger…

Cosmo Cocktails for your Oscar Party

As you run off to prepare for your Oscar Party, making cute appetizers, sprinkling gold flakes on your table, and making sure your shoes are THE most fabulous at the party, make sure you prepare for libations as well. Since there are many drinks vying to win the Best Cocktail At The Oscars award, you have your work cut out for you. I’m pouring one of the tried and true award winning cocktails, The Cosmopolitan.

While it was Sex and the City that made the cute pink cocktail famous, the Cosmo cocktail has origins going back much further than the 1990′s TV show. Indeed, there’s talk about the Cosmo being a cocktail of choice in the 1970s for the Provincetown, Mass gay community. The cosmopolitan cocktail also has being linked to South Beach bartender Cheryl Cook creating it in the mid 80s, making a drink that used the Martini glass, yet was more widely palatable. Regardless of when and where this tasty pink cocktail was created, it’s a sure hit at any party. It also has fairly simple ingredients, though there are a host of ways to mix them up.

Grey Goose Vodka and Ketel One Vodka for top shelf cosmopolitan cocktails

The Cosmo ingredient list calls for Lemon vodka, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and cranberry juice. That seems pretty straight forward, right? Since the difference between mixing a drink and mixing a great cocktail is the ingredients, make sure you have the right spirits on hand before you start. The market is flooded with flavored vodkas these days, and I’ve not tried them all-yet!

Of course, Absolut Citron is a well known name, and works fine. Skyy Vodka has their citrus infusion that works well. Before you clamor to tell me about Belvedere and Grey Goose and their citrus infused vodkas, you can use them too. Just be sure you pick a smooth tasting vodka that is distilled 3 or 5 times, and won’t add harsh notes to your drink. I actually prefer unflavored vodka, and all of my Cosmopolitan cocktails are made with it.

Cointreau as triple sec for your cocktails

For adding triple sec to your cocktails, you are again faced with a host of options. I stick with Cointreau, pronounced kwan-troe, as I feel it offers the best flavor for my drinks. However, I’ve used both Grand Marnier (pronounced Gran Moon-yay) and Patron Citronage, an orange liqueur, and each works nicely as well. I keep away from just plain triple sec just because I find sometimes it’s not as smooth and round tasting as these options. Cointreau is not a cheap ingredient, but I think it’s a function of getting what you pay for. I feel it’s the best orange liqueur for the price.

For the lime juice, I only use fresh limes. A lot of people swear by the squeeze bottles of lemon or lime juice, as they are supposedly 100% juice, already pitted, squeezed and convenient, and that’s fine. However, for me, fresh fruit and juice is all that finds it’s way into my cocktails.

Only use fresh fruit juice for cocktails

For cranberry juice, I go for “cranberry cocktail” rather than Cranberry juice. Cranberry juice can be a little more acidic and tart, where as the cocktail is a touch sweeter and smoother.

A Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Now that we have the ingredients for our perfect cosmopolitan cocktail, lets mix them up and get ready to enjoy our Oscar Party. While the IBA specified ingredients are 1.35 oz Vodka Citron, 10.5oz Cointreau, 0.5oz  Fresh lime juice and 1oz Cranberry juice, I like to use the following recipe for a perfect cosmopolitan cocktail

1 oz Cointreau
0.75oz  fresh lime juice
1 oz Cranberry cocktail
1 1/4 oz Vodka

Place your ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some ice. Give the cocktail 10 or so hard shakes, which is meant to chill the ingredients but not water them down too much. Strain into a chilled Martini glass, garnish with a little lemon or lime peel, and serve.

If you are too cool to drink pink, and don’t think a cosmo is for you, then I recommend my favorite old fashioned cocktail, a sidecar! Either one will have you saying Pour Me Another!

Delirium Noel Seasonal Christmas Beer

When I decided to make some Christmas cookies, I knew it would be hard work. Therefore, I knew I’d need a beer. And what better type of beer to sip than a seasonal “Christmas” brew. Christmas beers aren’t just for Christians mind you, and I think they will please every person of any religion, provided they’re good. So, what beer did I pick when making my first batch, ever, of gingersnap cookies? A Delirium Noel, because who can resist pink elephants?

A seasonal brew from Huyghe Brewery, which is in Ghent, Belgium, The Delirium Noel comes in at $5 a bottle and 10% abv. I’m a fan of the Delirium Tremens, so I figured how could I not love this beer. At first look, the nose is floral and perfume like. but not over the top. Right out of the bottle, the palate is full, with nice firm carbonation. There really  isn’t a lot of any one spice, but there’s definitely notes of nutmeg and cardamon. There’s a slight warming spice on the finish that lingers quite a bit, with a lot of nutmeg. I was a tad underwhelmed. However, given the brew just got out of the fridge, I knew it was too cold and the flavors were muted.

Delirium Noel Christmas Beer

After a few minutes in the glass, and the beer coming from fridge temperature to a better serving temperature of about 60 degrees, the palate became much fuller. The spices became much more prominent and really began to overwhelm me. Perhaps this Christmas brew went a little too far, at least for me, but I felt like I swallowed a teaspoon of nutmeg and cinnamon with a little dough thrown in.  I won’t say the brew was bad, because if you’re a huge fan of baking spices and love to load your latte up with them during the holiday, then this beer will rock your tongue.

 
Have you ever had a Delirium Noel? I’d love to know your thoughts.

OB3 Orlando Bourbon, Beer N' Bites

I don’t normally post PR pitches. I get about 100 a day, I read about 5, I follow up on 1. However, every now and then one comes by that seems worthy of sharing.  And this is the one. I know noting about the organization or event, so do your research.  The company Events For Change tries to help local charities, in this case local is Orlando, FL, by hosting fun events.

This year, OB3 will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) began when several
veterans and friends, moved by stories of the first wounded service members returning home from Afghanistan and
Iraq, took action to help others in need. What started as a program to provide comfort items to wounded service
members has grown into a complete rehabilitative effort to assist warriors as they recover and transition back to civilian
life.

So – I’ll share the press release, invite you to do some research, and hope you have a good time while enjoying some good food and good drink. Let me know how it goes, I can’t make it personally.

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The producers of the Orlando Chili Cook-off, Events for Change, Inc., announce the first annual OB3: Orlando Bourbon, Beer N’ Bites taking place Saturday, September 24^th, 2011 in Baldwin Park to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The WWP is an organization founded by veterans and friends who took action to help the injured service men and women who served for our country – they have helped countless numbers of veterans and their families adjust to civilian life.

Bourbon lovers, beer aficionados and foodies are invited to come out to Baldwin Park to sip, mingle and enjoy live, local music. Your $40 admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy UNLIMITED sampling of beer and bourbon, along with “bites” from local restaurants.

OB3 admission includes:

* A souvenir glass, with commemorative logo, for sampling

* Unlimited Bourbon and Beer tastings

* Delicious Bites! Enjoy a selection of food from some of Orlando’s best restaurants

* Vote on your favorite “bite” and chow down on other food items for sale

* Learn something new at the Tasting Theater from a local chef, master distiller or brew master

* Listen to Live Music on the main stage all day

* Like football? Watch college football on our giant screen!

* Valet Parking and plenty of FREE Parking also available

* Shuttle to Park Ave., Central Ave. and in-and-around Baldwin Park.

Founded by a group of Baldwin Park locals in 2009, Events for Change, Inc. operates under a “good times for a great cause” philosophy. With an end goal of raising at least $10,000 for Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), attendees at OB3 will get the chance to have fun while making a difference. “The event falls on the 10-year anniversary month of 9/11, so it’s a perfect time to give back to those who served our country,” Kenneth Roberts, Events for Change Founder explains.

VIP tickets are available for $50 on a first come, first served basis (only 1,000 available). A VIP ticket holder receives a 5 oz. commemorative glass and special lanyard (for hands free drinking), a private bar with waitress service, two extra hours to sample bourbon and beer before the crowd arrives and special seating, right in the middle of the action.

Tickets can be purchased and additional information can be found at: www.ob3fest.com or at the official OB3 Headquarters, Paddy Murphy’s Irish Pub in Baldwin Park www.orginalpaddymurphys.com. Find us on Facebook at: OB3: Orlando Bourbon, Beer N’ Bites to stay updated as the event approaches.

Events for Change, Inc.
Events for Change, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded by locals. Founded in 2009, Events for Change, Inc. operates under a “good time for a great cause” philosophy. More information about Events for Change, Inc., OB3: Orlando Bourbon, Beer N’ Bites and other events can be found at: www.eventsforchangeinc.org

Events for Change, Inc. encourages you to drink responsibly.

OB3 Orlando Bourbon Beer N Bites for a good cause

Grand Marnier

Oh, Grand Marnier, how I love you! I don’t remember the first time I tasted your delicious nectar, but I remember reuniting with you over some crepes in Paris in 1996 and again more recently at that neighbor’s party a few years ago. No turning away again, my love.

Seriously, though. This is good stuff! The dudes at Total Wine convinced me to cheat with a cheaper no-name brand a year or so ago, but I came back. Nothing like the real deal!

Grand Marnier is a blend of fine cognacs and uniquely harvested and distilled essence of Citrus bigaradia oranges. The oranges are used for their excellent fragrance, says Patrick Raguenaud, Cellar Master and Director of the Bourg-Charente site. Ugni Blanc grapes from France’s Cognac region are selected based on quality to make the Cognacs used in Grand Marnier. Mr. Raguenaud is the guy that purchases and blends the cognacs before Grand Marnier is finally aged in French oak casks.

I personally adore Grand Marnier neat, no ice and no mixing. However, Serge Sevaux serves as Grand Marnier Cocktail Ambassador for the brand. It’s his job to promote the use of Grand Marnier and educating bartenders on its diversity. He also works to create new and unique cocktails, and as you can see by the extensive list on their website, he’s been successful at this task.

Finally, let me give you a brief idea of what I think about the drink. You can not mistake the wonderful aroma from the second the bottle is opened. Beautiful fragrant orange fills your nose, and that’s before compounding the aroma tenfold as your pour it into your glass. Get your nose up close for the ultimate. More concentrated orange citrus and a sweet candy aroma ride a wave of clean alcohol. Wonderful!

As if the aroma isn’t enough, the flavors just bring the world to a standstill! Slick orange covers the entire palate while the 40% alcohol gives a spirits palate cleansing that you will never forget. There is a burn, but the sweet candy-like orange tones it perfectly. Nuances of orange peel add even more interest. Every sip is just as luscious as the next. Except the last one, as it’s been diluted with a little tear. The flavors last and last on your palate, extending the experience even after the glass is long finished.

To put a twist on The Most Interesting Man in The World’s famous quote, “I almost always drink beer, but when I don’t, I choose Grand Marnier!”

Circus Boy Hefeweizen Beer

You would think with it being American Craft Beer Week, I’d have had at least one post about beer from Monday through Friday. However, when things are so busy you’ve only had two beers all week, writing is on the back burner. However, now that things are heating up outside, I wanted to talk about Magic Hat Circus Boy hefeweizen beer.

Every beer commercial I’ve seen in the past few weeks shows how hot it is outside, and how their ice cold beers cool you off.  That’s great, except like white wine, ice cold beer usually equates to no taste beer. The cold mutes the flavors, and you’re left with high octane water with some bubbles and a head. It’s great that you can turn the mountains blue, but you still want your beer to taste like beer, not water.

Magic Hat Brewing Company is located in South Burlington, VT and has been pumping out beer since 1994. They produce four year round beers, four seasonal, and one off brews as well. I’m a big fan of the Number 9, and we’ll talk about that another time.

The Circus Boy is a hefeweizen beer, or a wheat beer. The Magic Hat Circus Boy is an unfined and unfiltered beer, which a hefeweizen should be. Hefeweizen actually means yeast wheat, and the yeast is not filtered out, giving the beer a cloudy appearance. The Circus Boy is easy to drink on a hot day, and while it’s medium bodied, there’s notes of light fruit and toast that makes it easy to drink.  It’s brother in law approved, as he is usually a Mich Ultra dude!

So, in honor of American Craft Beer week, raise your glass, and tell me what you’ve sipped!

Bourbon The Evolution of Kentucky Whiskey

With the Kentucky Derby tomorrow, it’s only fitting that the book I’m reading is about bourbon. Authored by Sam K Cecil, Bourbon, The Evolution of Kentucky Whiskey is a factual account of the distilleries and their proprietors starting in the 1700s to current day. If you’re looking for a lot of information and lore about bourbon, this $20 book may be for you.

Sam began his career in the whiskey business in 1937, and worked in the industry through his retirement in 1980 from Maker’s Mark as VP of Production and Plant Manager. To write the book, Sam not only called upon his personal experience, he interviewed many distillers, historians and authors of other books on the subject. While there are sometimes key facts repeated in the same chapter, and there is sometimes a sense of jumping around in a chapter, the book is chock full of information. I’ve not finished it yet, but I enjoy each chapter and the education along the way.

I did particularly like the way Sam ended his chapter on Prohibition. After recounting a story of the theft of whiskey from the home of Lewis Guthrie, who had bought the Early Times Distillery, Sam says

The repeal of Prohibition has not eliminated all the vices and corruption tht took place, but one would think that Americans would have learned a lesson. It is a well-known fact that to prohibit something makes it more enticing. Teaching good habits is more important than an absolute prohibition against bad ones.

So this weekend, when the ponies are running around while ladies in fancy hats sip mint julep, raise a glass to Sam K Cecil, and his love for Kentucky Whiskey.

No More Fruit Beer

OK folks we all have gone through the phase in our life where “drinking hard” was fun.  We have played drinking games, and challenged others to chugging contests.  Nothing beats shot-gunning a beer at a tailgate of your favorite sports team…..or heck even while tailgating for the local beer festival.  Drinking is a social matter, and that being said we should have fun with it.

Today, on the day after Cinco De Mayo, I am not going to stand on this soap box preaching to you about funneling beers, playing drinking games, or chugging a few beers.  I would NEVER!  Partially because those are all things that I enjoy doing when the time is right.  I will share my opinion about a few of these “traditions” that come along with “holidays”

No More St Patricks Green Beer

There is no reason to EVER put food coloring in any beer, but society will give you a pass one day of the year (St. Patty’s Day).  How often do you see someone putting blue or green food coloring in a pint of bud light the other 364 days out of the year?! NEVER….that person would be laughed out of the bar if they asked for a beer with blue food coloring.

This said, we should start another movement today, the day after Cinco De Mayo.

Starting today we should only fruit our beers 1 day a year.  Society moving forward will give a pass to fruiting your beer just on Cinco De Mayo, when too many people will partake with Corona and Corona Light with a Lime in it.  The other 364 days a year there should not be a lime in that swill, an orange swimming in a hefewiezen/wit, blueberries in a SeaDog Blueberry Wheat, or any other type of whole/sliced fruit in a beer.

If you don’t like the flavor of the beer without the fruit, then move to another beer.  If you like fruity beers then find beers that use fruit in the process, ie Fruit Flavored Lambics, Ciders, or Fruit Flavored Wheat Beers.  There are millions of different beers avalable on the local/regional/national/international market.  I guarantee you that you will find a beer that you like, without a piece of produce floating on top.

So lift your un-fruited glasses high and toast to finding a beer to substitute for all the holiday gimmicks out there.

“To Good Beer, CHEERS!”

~The Ferm

Tequesta Brewing Co

I will always be the first person to say how much I hate South Florida.  It’s no big mystery.  It’s years behind on the times, people drive like they are missing an early bird at all hours of the day and they feel the need to build on every available inch of land that they can.  And as much as I hate saying this, I am proud of the beer culture that is developing here.

Almost 3 years ago I started a little beer blog just to document my own ventures into craft beer.  And now the once wasteland is rising up in the game.

Brewpub staples like Big Bear and Brewzzi’s have been around for a little while but in the past year we have seen the emergence of Tequesta Brewing Company and Funky Buddha Brewery in our own backyards.

Other breweries like Blind Tiki, Liquid Bakery and Good Karma are in the process of getting all their paper work in place to start producing suds for those that refuse to be served bad beer.

It’s exciting times in South Florida for lovers of good beers.  I mean Funky Buddha has the number one new beer on both BeerAdvocate and RateBeer.

So I implore you if you are in South Florida to go out a support your local brewery or brewpub.  Let them know that you appreciate what they do.  If you aren’t in South Florida then do the same.  There are huge beer communities all over the US.  Just do searches for local breweries and go see them.  Many breweries have a tasting room or bar that you can go to and visit.  Call them and ask about doing a tour.  Buy some brews or some swag.  It helps them keep going.

I am still not the biggest fan of South Florida in general but I can honestly say that I no longer embarrassed to recommend some of my beer loving friends to come down and visit.