Flops n Sox

I created this drink on a whim after a friend and coworker, Lauren,
 
asked for an egg nog. Of course I have no idea how do this on the fly.  
 
But being a slower than normal Monday at Beaker and Flask,
 
 I took this as an opportunity to try something off the wall. 
 
 My first thought was to produce Charles Baker Jr’s Porto Flip, 
 
or Paul Clark’s Fernet Flip. Finally, I remembered The Great Pumpkin. 
 
This is a drink that I learned to make at PDT during my short trip to NYC.
 
 
Great Pumpkin
 
 1 oz. Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey 
 
 1 oz. Laird's Bonded
 
 .5 oz. Grade B Maple Syrup 
 
 2 oz. Southampton Pumpkin Ale
 
 Whole Egg
 
 Dry Shake/Strain/Fizz Glass/Garnish with ground nutmeg
 
 
  I had tried to make this cocktail with a different beer once before
 and learned that I have to build around the beer. I needed something big and dark.
 
 Looking toward the taps at Beaker and Flask, I thought of the Dopple Bock.
 
 I poured myself a taste, this time with cocktails in mind. It was malty and sweet with dry 
 
 chocolate tones. I wanted the finished product to be feminine so I took a stroll
 
 all the way to the other end of the huge back bar at Beaker and Flask.
 
 (On a side note; if you’re busy behind that bar, you have to use the Rachel Ray goes 
 
 to the fridge technique or you will be in a world of hurt come 3 am.) 
 
 White port? Calvados? Armanac?
 
 So many toys from which to choose... 
 
 I had tasted the Pineau de Charentes Rose just the other night and remembered that it
 
 packed some killer apple tones on top of what seemed to me to be light, bright,
 
 July berries. Perfect.  Now I just needed to fortify it... Irish seemed natural 
 
 to keep it soft while accenting the malt in the beer. And Boom! we
 
 have a new cocktail for MXMO.  Being a totally off the cuff  kind of drink,
 
 I wanted to name it something that reminds me of rolling out of bed in the winter. 
 

 Flops n Sox
 1 1/2 oz Pineau de Charentes Rose'
 
 1 oz Redbreast 12 yr 1 1/2 oz Bayern Dopple Bock
 
 1 egg 3 drops orange flower water
 
 2 dash Peychauld’s
 

 
 Draw the beer from the tap and stir for a few seconds to lose some of the carbonation.
 
 In a mixing tin, measure the first 2 ingredients and dry shake with the 
 
 whites of the egg until emulsified.  Add the beer and yolk with ice and shake
 
 like a mother fucker for at least 10 seconds.  Double strain into a wine glass 
 
 garnish with OFW and the Peychauld’s
 
  
  

Haiku D'Etat

Even though this was a short trip, I had a riot. Thank you, Jim and Rocky, for being gracious hosts. The menu that I poured while I was there went over well. I tried to bring some fun to the bar and added an interactive game to the drink list. The menu had the Haiku on it so every time someone ordered the drink, we forced them to write one. It's funny to me how many people were dumbfounded and struggled at this request while others seemed to have a haiku ready before we even asked.
 
Haiku
 
1 1/4 oz Aberlour
 
3/4 Pineau de Charentes
 
1/2 Cherry WoodSmoked Syrup
 
1 tsp Gammel Dansk,
 
1/2 lemon juice
 
1 egg white
 
garnish with Elderberry Tincture

Guest Bartending At Vessel

Next week will be my first guest bartending adventure. I will be working at Vessel with Jim Rondal and Keith Waldbauer. I'll be using primarily Pernod Ricard products in the hopes to get a regular "Bartender Exchange Program" going between WSBG and the OBG. Below is the cocktail list I plan to take with me.

Fortress of Solitude
Redbreast 12 yr, Aperol, Cold Pressed Stumptown Coffee, Santini,

Haiku
Aberlour, Pineau de Charentes, Smoked Syrup, Gammel Dansk, Elderberry Tincture

Souracher
Rye, Carpano Antica, Campari, lime, ginger beer

Chauncey
Plymouth Gin, Rye, Punt E Mes, Martel VSOP

Biltmore Iced Tea
Pisco, Lillet Rouge, Benedictine, Black Tea, Cynar, Pickled Lemon Cukes

AKA Burro Punsch
El Tesoro Reposado, Amaro Ramazzotti, Carpano, Arrack, ginger beer

Ephemeral
Ransom Old Tom, Dolin Blanc, St Germain, Celery Bitters

Unnecessary Noise
Makers Mark, Aperol, Dolin Blanc, Pernod Absinthe

In addition to getting to work behind a great bar with a some great peeps, I get to attend a lunch with Bill Samuels of Maker's Mark at Zig Zag. I look forward to my trip north because of the relationship I've started to build with my fellow craftsmen up there. Having these relationships and a community of like-minded individuals is priceless... not to mention we're gonna have a blast!

Improved Rhum Cocktail

IMPROVE YOUR COCKTAILS

Jerry Thomas published the first ever drink book in the United States in 1862 called The Bar-Tender's Guide (also called The Bon-Vivant's Companion). In it, Thomas gave his recipe for an original Brandy Cocktail containing gum syrup, bitters, brandy and curacao. Building on that recipe, this Improved Cocktail adds a dash of absinthe along with Maraschino Liqueur replacing the curacao. Here is my version of the Improved Rum Cocktail. (I think its improved because it uses Depaz and Absinthe Marteau ) -

Improved Rhum Cocktail

2.00 oz. Depaz Blue Cane Amber Rhum

0.50 tbsp. Absinthe

0.50 tbsp. Rich Demerara Syrup (2:1)

1.00 tbsp. Maraschino Liqueur

2 dashes Fee's Old Fashioned Bitters

Stir all ingredients with fresh cracked ice. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass.

Heartstrings

1 ½ oz Boca Loca Cachaca

1 oz Cherry Heering

½ oz lime

¼ oz Cinnamon Syrup

¾ oz egg white

hibiscus tincture

For Syrup

3 cinnamon sticks

1c sugar

1c water

Use a mortar and pestle to smash the cinnamon sticks . Heat everything saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer for two minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture steep for 2 hours. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth. Bottle and keep in the refrigerator for a month or so.

Hibiscus tincture

½ Cup of dried hibiscus tea,

1 Cup Demerara 151 Rum

Place in sterile jar for 2 days shaking every few hours. Fine Strain using a cheese cloth

Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren

1 ¼ oz Cardinal Mendoza Spanish Brandy
¾ oz Cherry Heering
¼ oz Del Maguey Chichicaba Mescal
2 Dashes Angostura orange bitters

Flammed Orange Zest

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Fill with freshly cracked ice and stir gently until chilled and softly diluted. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a flamed orange zest.

Imagine Sophia Loren in a spicy Spanish film from the 1940’s, a stunning black on black dress accentuating her natural curves. At first glance it seems simple and delicate; upon further inspection you see that the devil in the details. This woman is to be respected and savored. Sophia Loren is timeless, elegant and sexy. The rich hue of the cocktail will remind you of a bracelet of Madagascar Rubies. A woman drinking this cocktail would have cat-like grace and balance, she'd be rich and well-mannered. But if you cross her, the spicy and smoky tones would have you wishing you had never set your eyes on her. After the last scene, her image seems to burn in the back of your mind. The robust memory of the experience, and this cocktail, will linger and leave you wanting more.

Contract Killer

This was my losing drink for the Metaxa competition put on by Imbibe magazine. It is one that still gets ordered from time to time. Metaxa was unknown to me untill I bought it in the hopes of winning a trip to Greece. The name is perfect: one will never win a contract with a marketing company with 2 homemade ingredients, even if they're fairly commonplace at most scratch bars.

Contract Killer
1.25 oz Metaxa Seven Star
.5oz Real Pomegranate Grenadine
.5oz orange juice
.5oz lemon juice
.5oz Benedictine
.5oz egg white
7 drops Lavender Tincture

Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake dry to arouse the egg white. Add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain using a fine tea strainer into a chilled coupe. Garnish with single candied rose petal.

For Lavender Tincture-
1/2 cup edible lavender
1 cup 101 proof vodka (I used Smirnoff Blue label)
Steep for 5 days in a sterile jar shaking daily.
Strain through a coffee filter.

For Grenadine-
3 cups distilled water
3 cups pomegranate seeds
1 tsp. ea. vanilla/ orange flower water/ vodka

Bring water and seeds to a boil, then simmer for 10 min until sacs release the juice. Strain through a sieve covered with cheese cloth. Measure volume and bring to boil again. Stir in sugar at 2:1 ratio, or half as much sugar as pomogranate mixture. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Keep refrigerated.

Must Know Classic Cocktails

Bittered Gin Sling
2 oz. Hayman’s Old Tom gin 1 oz. lemon ½ oz. gomme dash Fee’s Old Fashioned Shake / WATER / ICE SPEAR

Chrysanthemum
1½ oz. Dolin Blanc ¾ oz. Bénédictine ½ tsp. St. George absinthe
Stir / COUPE / orange zest

Corpse Reviver, #2
¾ oz. Plymouth gin ¾ oz. lemon ¾ oz. lillet blanc ¾ cointreau
Shake / UP/ 5 drops absinthe

Hemingway Daiquiri
2oz. Ron Matusalem Platino ¾ oz. lime ¾ oz. grapefruit ½ oz. luxardo maraschino ¼ oz. rich demerera SS Shake / UP

Ideal Cocktail
1 ½ oz. Plymouth gin 1 oz. Carpano Antica ½ oz. grapefruit ¼ oz. luxardo maraschino
Shake / UP / flaming orange / cherry

La Paloma
1 ½ oz. Herradura Silver ½ oz. limepinch salt 3 oz. grapefruit soda shake / COLLINS

Mai Tai
1 ½ oz. Appleton V/X ¾ oz. lime ¾ oz. falernum ½ oz. orgeat ½ oz. cointreau dash grenadine
Shake / BUCKET / crushed ice / spanked mint

Pink Lady
1 ½ oz. Plymouth gin ½ oz. lemon ½ oz. applejack ½ oz. grenadine ½ oz. egg white Shake dry, then wet / COUPE

Picon Punch
2 oz. Amer Picon ½ oz. grenadine
Shake / COLLINS / crushed ice / cognac float

Pisco Sour
2 oz. Don Cesar Pisco1 oz. lemon ½ oz. gomme ½ oz. egg white
Shake dry, then wet /ABSINTHE/ angostura swirl

Rosy Dawn
1 oz. Plymouth gin 1 oz. Hennessy Cognac ½ oz. orange curaçao ½ oz. cherry heering ½ oz. lime cordial 16 drops rose bitters
Shake / WINE / CRACKED ICE

20th Century
1 ½ oz. Plymouth gin ¾ oz. lillet blanc ¾ oz. lemon ¾ oz. house crème de cacao dash gomme
Shake / COUPE

Vieux Carré
¾ oz. Rittenhouse Rye ¾ oz. Carpano Antica ¾ oz. Hennessy Cognac bar spoon Benedictine 2 dashes Angostura & Peychauds Stir / BUCKET / CUBE

Ward 8
2 oz. Rittenhouse Rye ¾ oz. orange ¾ oz. lemon ¾ oz. grenadine Shake /COUPE

Ephemeral

A shout out to Ouroboros who has become a great customer and friend. He brought me my first bottle of Bittertruth Celery bitters. I made this cocktail on a whim for his birthday simply by using two of the new ingredients to the bar then then tasting it and adding what has been coined "Bartender's Ketchup" by Mr. Chas Munat. This drink became an instant classic. Beware, there is no substitution for the Ransom Gin in this Cocktail so if you aren't lucky enough to live (or work) in the great State of Oregon You may be Shit out of luck.


Ephemeral
1.5 Ransom Old Tom
.75 Dolin Blanc
1 tsp St germain
10 drops Celery Bitters (Bittertruth)
Stir and strain into a classic glass and garnish with a grapefruit peel

AKA Burro Punsch

AKA Burro Punsch
1.5 oz El Tesoro Reposado
.5 oz Carpano Antica
.5 oz Amaro
.25 oz Batavia Arrack
.5 oz ginger beer
orange wheels for garnish
Stir all except the ginger beer with freshly cracked ice, Add ginger beer and stir lightly to integrate. Strain into a rocks glass that has been preped with orange slices holding a large cube of ice.

El Tesoro is the star with it's lush fruit, pepper and smoke. The Carpano and Arrack round the edges with their earthy sweet and spiced notes. The Ramazotti brings a snappy compexity with flavors of toffee, bitter orange and gentian. Finally, the ginger beer adds a subtle heat and effervescence that ties it all together.