So, in honor of the season premiere of Lost, I decided that a celebratory tiki drink was in order.  To help me decide, I wandered over to Tiki Drinks and Indigo Firmaments and decided to try out Craig’s Rum Barrel recipe.  Because, you know, a massive consumption of alcohol will help you understand Lost.  Riiight….

The Monkey Hut Rum Barrel

•  1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 oz honey mix
• 1 oz Cruzan light Rum
• 1 oz Appleton Special gold Rum
• 2 oz Lemon Hart Demerara Rum
• ¼ oz house falernum
• ¼ oz house pimento dram
• 6 drops Herbsaint
• 6 drops grenadine
• dash Fee Brothers Old Fashioned bitters
• 6 oz Crushed Ice

Shake all ingredients except crushed ice in ice-filled shaker and strain into glass.  Add crushed ice and straw.  

L said:  ”Whooooooo, that’s strong!”  Yep, it was.  And I can authoritatively say, Lost still doesn’t make sense.  However, I can say that this was a good drink.

This month’s Mixology Monday is being hosted by Stevi Deter at Two at the Most.  When I saw the theme of Guilty Pleasures, I wasn’t quite sure what to do.  I didn’t think that I had a lot of vices when cocktails are concerned, but after I sat and thought awhile, I came up with two examples.  

Unfortunately, my first choice for a guilty pleasure I can’t and won’t do for reasons of timing and taste.  When I was growing up, I remember my dad doctoring cartons of store-bought eggnog with a bottle of Seagrams VO that we had.  I’ll admit that I’ve never had real honest-to-goodness homemade eggnog, but I’m not sure that it will live up to the taste that I’ve grown to love of thick, ultra-pasteurized eggnog, dotted with “nutmeg”, and flavored with the sweet taste of Canadian whiskey.  

This got me to thinking about canadian whiskey, which leads me to the subject of this post.  One of the many hazards of being a lawyer with a mixology problem comes in navigating the hazards of the happy hour cocktail networking event.  It’s a careful balance between getting enough “dutch courage” to smooth things out without seeming like an alcoholic.  

You walk into a typical open bar event hosted in a hotel ballroom, and you have a few options.  Allow me to make some gross generalizations:

• Beer –   I like beer, but not at one of these events.  Belching in the face of a colleague will not improve your standing.
• Wine – If there’s food, this may be a good option.  Unfortunately, the options are always cheap Chardonnay and cheaper Merlot.  And there’s no food.  
• Water or Soda – A good option if I just want to talk to someone quickly and get out.  
• Mixed Drink – If I’m staying for more than 5 minutes, I’ll take option 4.  I’m not a schmoozer, so I need all the help I can get.  

But what to drink when the bartender only has a few bottles – most likely blended scotch, Jack Daniels, Canadian Whiskey, vodka, and gin?  Oh, and there’s no vermouth (dry or sweet) and no bitters.  I hate JD, and I’m not a fan of blended scotch.  Vodka tonic?  Not interesting.  The cocktailian would choose the gin and tonic.   I, however, go for the whiskey highball – Seven and Seven, VO and Ginger Ale, Crown and Sprite, it all works.  I need something clear/translucent and fizzy (preferably Canada Dry Ginger Ale), mixed with Canadian or American whiskey (preferably Seagrams VO).  There’s no real recipe needed for this, is there?  It’s not like the bartender’s using a jigger.

No tasting notes needed, as it’s different every time, yet strangely comforting.  Booze and mixer is the antihesis of sexy, but it works.  

In this corner, weighing in at two and a quarter ounces of liquor, the Dempsey!

Dempsey
from CocktailDB

• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz apple brandy
• 0.25 oz pastis
• 0.25 oz grenadine 

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

McDreaming’s reaction:  ”Yeech.  It tastes a little licorice-y.”  

McObsessed’s reaction:  ”It has a sweet fire quality to it.  That’s NOT a good thing in this case.  Yep, the cat hates it too.”  

I used Herbsaint and Laird’s Applejack in this drink.  Unfortunately, I thought that it was completely overwhelmed by the pastis.  This drink could be good, but all you tasted was the pastis.  

And in this corner, weighing in an an even two ounces of liquor, the Jack Dempsey Cocktail!

Jack Dempsey Cocktail
from CocktailDB

• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1.5 light rum
• 0.5 oz gin
• 0.75 tsp sugar

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

McDreaming’s reaction:  ”Mmmm, it’s lemonade-y.  I like it.”

McObsessed’s reaction:  ”It’s tart.  It’s better, but not fantastic.”

I agreed with McObsessed that it was better, but it could be toned back a touch on the lemon.  Still, much better.  

Well, there you have it folks, I think we have a TKO for the Jack Dempsey Cocktail.  Let’s see what the judges say…

It’s a unanimous decision for ….  Patrick Dempsey?  What?  Who the hell is that?  (Pssst.) Oh, yeah.

Him.  Enjoy the premiere, ladies!

Scorpion
from The Joy of Mixology, Gary Regan 

• 2 oz light rum
• 1/2 oz brandy
• 2 oz orange juice
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz orgeat syrup
• 1/2 oz 151-proof rum

I found the Paloma during the early spring while I was reading Paul Clarke’s blog, The Cocktail Chronicles.  My good friend M invited L and I to his parents place in Rehoboth Beach for an early beach weekend with a bunch of his friends.  Somehow, I got the job of being the bartender….  Anyway, one of the drinks that I unveiled that weekend was the Paloma.  Needless to say, it was a huge hit.  Light, fruity, refreshing, it was the perfect start to warmer weather.  

Once strawberries came in season, I knew I had to make a batch of Tequila por Mi Amante.  I did, and wow, what a fantastic drink that made.  Totally changed the character of the tequila in the drink.  Fruity, cooling, and with a hint of spice.  

Paloma
from Paul Clarke and Married with Dinner

• 2 ounces reposado tequila
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• pinch coarse salt
• Grapefruit soda 
• Grapefruit bitters (optional)

Add tequila, lime juice and salt to an ice-filled Collins glass.  Add Grapefruit bitters for an extra layer of flavor.  Top with grapefruit soda.  I like Ting, but Squirt works well also.  Garnish with the spent lime shell.  

Paloma, Mi Amante
from Paul Clarke 

• Same steps as the Paloma, but sub in the Tequila por Mi Amante for the reposado.  Skip the Grapefruit bitters.  

L rated both of these fantastic, preferring the regular Paloma ever so slightly over the Paloma por Mi Amante.  Gotta love a drink that you willingly default to and don’t feel disappointed with your choice.

After paging through David Wondrich’s Imbibe!, a great book on the early history of American cocktails, I came upon the Prince of Wales Cocktail.  With a great backstory and promising flavors, I had to try it.  

His Highness Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, was the son of Queen Victoria.  He was born on November 9, 1841, and ascended to his title on December 8, 1841.  As the son of one of the longest living monarchs in Great Britain’s long and storied history, one could say that the guy had some time to kill before he could become king.  59 years, in fact.  So, with that much time on his hands, and with mom not allowing you to do anything related to the governance of Great Britain, you’d probably end up doing exactly what he did – become a playboy and travel the world on the family fortune.  

 In 1860, the Prince became the first member of the British royal family to visit North America.  His charm and affable nature attracted huge crowds wherever he went.  He stayed with President James Buchanan in the White House for three days, saw Niagara Falls, and visited New York City.  Although we don’t know the exact provenance of the Prince of Wales Cocktail (of which there are many variations), perhaps he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jerry Thomas during his trip to the United States.  

The Prince of Wales Cocktail
from Imbibe!, David Wondrich 

• 1.5 oz rye whiskey
• 1/4 tsp. maraschino liqueur
• 1 tsp. bar sugar
• 1/2 tsp. water
• 1/8th of a ring of Pineapple
• lemon zest
• 1 dash of Angostura bitters
• 1 oz Champagne

I thought, “Hmmm, what’s the most powerful, yet tasty drink I know?”    

A voice cried out in the wilderness, “Make a Tiki drink – preferably a Zombie.”

But there are so many recipes, I thought.  Which one to make?  There’s only one way to solve this dilemma – a Zombie-off. 

Challenger #1 (from Cocktail DB)

Challenger #2 (from The Joy of Mixology, Gary Regan)

• 1/2oz lime juice
• 3/4oz pineapple juice
• 1/4oz apricot brandy
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 2oz anejo rum
• 1oz light rum
• 1oz dark rum
• 1/4oz 151-proof rum

Both cocktails are shaken and strained into a 10oz glass filled with ice and garnished with cherries.  

L tried Zombie #2 first.  ”WHOA – that’s strong. (cough cough).”  
Zombie #1 was next:  ”Mmmm, that’ll do nicely.” 

I found Zombie #1 to have a nice balance of sweet, citrus, and rum.  Zombie #2, with its comparative lack of citrus, tastes a bit like a glass of cold sweetened rum.  

I finally updated the list of what I’ve got in stock in the Mixology Lab, with the help of my loyal assistant L.  I’ve been playing around with cocktails for at least three years in earnest, though some of these bottles date back much further.  The bottle of Jagermeister, for example, belonged to a college roommate of mine, making it close to a decade old.  I’m not planning on drinking it, but I’m just can’t part with it.  There are still a few holes, though – Benedictine, Chartreuse, Campari, and a slew of rums and amaros.  But I have to admit, it was a revelation to see the whole list down in one place.  

Click here to visit the Liquor Cabinet.

Over at Very Good Taste, Andrew posted a list of 100 foods that, as he says, “every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life.”  Here’s my version of the list.   

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar    (Surprisingly not – ed.)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more   
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse   (Not just Horse, but Horse sashimi.  I don’t recommend it. -ed.) 
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

That’s it – I’ve had 71 out of the 100.  Not bad.  The only thing that maybe I wouldn’t eat is Roadkill, but I’d eat it under certain proscribed circumstances.  Think about it, the meat may be safer than some of the questionable street food you’ve eaten – Thank you, El Calle Cholera in Monterrey.

The latest Mixology Monday topic is hosted by Kevin at Save the Drinkers.  Our topic for the 30th edition of MxMo is Local Flavor.  Here’s how Kevin describes the challenge:  

Option 1: Gather ingredients that are representative of the culture/geography/tackiness of your respective cities and make a drink with a truly place-based style. For example, huckleberries are native to the geographical area where I live, as are elderflowers, potatoes, and extremely conservative, closet-case politicians. (I’m just saying!)

Option 2: Dig up an old drink that came from your city and revive it! If you can find the original bar, that would be even more interesting.

As luck would have it, there was a recent article in the Washington Post on The Lime Rickey, one of the few cocktails to have originated in Washington, DC.  As David Wondrich writes in Imbibe!, the Rickey was named after Col. Joe Rickey, a Confederate Army veteran and well known lobbyist in the 1880s.  Joe was a regular man about town, and had a particular affection for a whiskey cooler of his own invention, which he proceeded to instruct every bartender in town as to its construction.  It became so popular that the Washington Post mentioned the drink in a story in 1889.  The original drink was pretty straight forward:  a measure of whiskey (maybe bourbon, maybe rye) was added to a tumbler filled with crushed ice and the juice of 1/2 of a lime, and topped off with club soda.  The observant reader will note the absence of any sweetener, whatsoever.  This was due to a peculiar belief of the Colonel that the presence of sugar in a drink “heated the blood” while his beverage, with the cooling properties of the lime juice, was highly beneficial to the constitution.  

My MxMo contribution stays fairly close to the Colonel’s original recipe.  (Not that one…)  It uses Maryland “style” rye in a nod to my home state.  I say “style” because there’s no authentic Maryland rye whiskey produced anymore in the State of Maryland.  Up until Prohibition, Maryland and Pennsylvania were the rye whiskey capitals of the United States, with each state having its own distinctive style.  Unfortunately, the Volstead Act killed most of these distilleries, and with it the spicy Pennsylvania Rye and the softer Maryland Rye. The Pikesville Supreme Straight Rye Whiskey I used in my drink is distilled by Heaven Hill in Kentucky, but I think that it does justice to the style.  

The Old Line Rickey

1.5 oz Pikesville Supreme Straight Rye Whiskey
1/2 lime
Club Soda or Seltzer
Rich Simple Syrup (optional)

In a highball glass, squeeze half a lime (approximately 3/4 of an ounce) and fill the glass with crushed ice.  Add the rye whiskey and stir.  Top off with club soda or seltzer.  

When I tasted this mixture, it was good, but tart.  I added a generous dash of Rich Simple Syrup (2 parts Demerara Sugar to 1 part water), and it rounded out the flavors.  Maybe not what the good Colonel would have preferred, but a fine beverage none the less.