Classic Champagne Cocktail

Classic Champagne Cocktail

1 bottle of Dry, Extra Dry or Brut Champagne or Sparkling wine
Sugar cubes
Angostura Bitters

drop 1 sugar cube in the bottom of a Champagne flute, add 3 dashes of Angostura bitters, top with Champagne. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

The first time I had this classic version I was 32 and living on the east coast. I was at the bar at The Ryland Inn, a culinary wonderland in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. We had stopped off to have a cocktail before we were seated for dinner and, unusually enough, I was stumped on what I wanted as an aperitif. The bartender recommended this to me and I was instantly a lover of this elegant and simple drink. It is the liquid equivalent to stately posture & wearing pearls. 

The Ryland Inn



Film Buffs Enjoy this trivia:

In the film "An Affair to Remember" 1957 Deborah Kerr's character asks a champagne cocktail at the bar in the ship she travels with Cary Grant. In the Woody Allen film "Match Point", Emily Mortimer orders a champagne cocktail at a restaurant with Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

In the Francis Ford Coppola/Mario Puzo film The Godfather Part II FRANK PENTANGELI says-"MICHAEL, your sitting high up in the Sierra mountains. And your drinkin' - uh, what's he drinkin'?" WILLIE CICCI says "Champagne", FRANK PENTANGELI replies "Champaign, Uh, Champaign Cocktails -- and you're passing judgment on how I run my Family."

Negroni (Franzia style)

Negroni 

(makes 1 drink)

2 oz Gin

2 oz Campari

2 oz Sweet Vermouth

Splash of Ramazzotti (Medium-Style Amaro)

Splash of Cynar (Artichoke based liqueur) 
Orange peel

Pour all ingredients into a lowball glass and stir. 
I like them at room temperature, but if you prefer a colder version, simply pour the ingredients into a shaker and strain into your glass. 

My friends Paul & Michelle Franzia are seriously on the short list of my most favorite people to hang out with. They possess that beautifully rare combination of cultured, worldly and smart with healthy doses of humility and grace. But they maintain a few key ingredients that move them beyond the liking designation into the category of loving them. They are real, there is no pretense, and they are often wonderfully, inappropriately edgy, especially Paul!  When sitting and talking with them, I am never bored--and never censored.    

A few months ago when I conducted a blind Champagne tasting at a dinner party to start off the evening, Paul pulled me aside and tentatively asked if he could have a Negroni instead.  I lead him to my freezer where I have a shelf all for gin and vodka,  then to my bar with the other goodies. He hugged me in a way that said: "thank you for understanding." It was really funny.  So when I photographed their family a few weeks ago, Michelle had made an amazing meal and they asked if I wanted a drink. Naturally I asked for a Negroni. The way Paul makes them does not lack ceremony, but his production comes not out of pomp, but out of love.  And so here is to Paul & Michelle, who are in  Milan celebrating their 20-year Anniversary, I say to them "Cheers."  

Paul enjoying his Negroni

I also photographed Paul's brother's Family a couple of weeks ago, and I shot this of Brian's Negroni he brought on the shoot into the orchard. I love this! After the shoot with Jenn & Brian, Brian too made me a Negroni. I love my job. 

I personally discovered the Negroni in 2003, while on a work trip to Italy. We were at our hotel bar and let's just say, after a few Negronis in, there was some overly-spirited dancing.  Don't let the herbaceous goodness fool you, this is a one drink deal. 

The History:
While the drink's origins are unknown, the most widely reported account is that it was invented in Florence, Italy in 1919, at Caffè Casoni, ex Caffè Giacosa, now called Caffè Cavalli. Count Camillo Negroni invented it by asking the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather than the normal soda water. The bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a different drink. After the success of the cocktail, the Negroni Family founded Negroni Distillerie in Treviso, Italy, and produced a ready-made version of the drink, sold as Antico Negroni 1919. One of the earliest reports of the drink came from Orson Welles in correspondence with the Coshocton Tribune while working in Rome on Cagliostro in 1947, where he described a new drink called the Negroni, "The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other." According to the Corsican newspaper Nice Matin Corse of 1980, Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni is among those who it is believed invented the drink.

Bitter Bourbon Lemon

Bitter Bourbon Lemon (make 2 small drinks)

2 1/2  oz Bourbon
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 oz Simple syrup
Juice of 2 lemons

Put in shaker with crushed ice, pour up in glass of choice with more crushed ice.

(for a sweeter version, add more simple syrup)

I cooked this up, or more accurately, poured this up for our FRIENDSGIVING later tonight. 

CHEERS!

Mojo Indian Pale Ale

I have long been a fan of hoppy IPA, despite the high alcohol content, and in some instances, because of it.  If I am hankering for a beer, I will almost always order an IPA if it is on tap. They range, in my opinion, from metallic and uninteresting, to gloriously complex and varied.

The last time I was at BevMo they were having a small  Firestone tasting, in the back near the bathroom. Talk about happenstance, I was just talking about Firestone to my husband.  My friend Sherm, a chef at a Gatro-Pub in Philly, introduced me to Firestone beer on a trip she made out west. Tasting the Firestone made me fondly remember our time lounging and grilling in the backyard during Shermy's visit.  The tasting also got me in a beer state of mind.   Afterwards, I wheeled about the store, filling my basket with beers from several states, excited to try something new and get my malt and hops on.

Mojo's particular description just flat out slapped a smile on my face, knowing that some brew peeps in Boulder Colorado were at it, unknowingly, on my behalf, making interesting beer that allegedly would be a citrus dream.  And Mojo, my drinking friends, is indeed a citrus-lover's dream. Apparently, the Amarillo hops gives the beer its citrus character. I won't talk about how many fingers of head it has, because, well, I just don't think my mom would approve of such talk.

This beer is somehow summer and fall in a bottle, perfect for a fast-approaching California Halloween. It is creamy and floral and bitter and screams, charmingly, of grapefruit peel.   Several other flavors show up, like pine, that make this beer simultaneously interesting and easy drinking.

Delicious people. truly delicious.

Get this beer for Halloween, don't be scared.

American IPA
7.2%

 A little history, because that's just fun...

IPA was born out of necessity. When the British were colonizing India, the beers they sent down to their troops kept spoiling during the long sea voyage. With an extra healthy dose of hops and alcohol (40-65 IBU and 5% -7.5% ABV respectively), both having great preservative value, their problems were solved, and the world had another distinctive beer style.

CHEERS!

The French Pear

My friend Katina texted me from The Esquire Grill in Sacramento during her anniversary dinner. (I love this). She was raving about the French Pear she was drinking.  I put it in the mental cocktail queue for later, but decided to try it out at a girls weekend at the beach 2 weeks ago. The week before our trip, I went to 3 stores to find all of the ingredients, came home and went to work on perfecting this fresh fall goodness. I figured it would only take me a couple of attempts at most, to get the ratios right. WRONG. I ended up making the equivalent of about 10 drinks trying to get it right. There were overly sweet, overly tart, overly strong versions made.... and my husband hated every single one of them.  And, sadly,  I ended up unintentionally bombed on a Wednesday night.  Hobbies have risks I suppose.

I did make it at the beach and it was good, but not great.  Then, having the ingredients on hand,  I made it-- and tweaked the recipe-- once more at home after we got back from my birthday dinner  last week. AND... I am happy to announce that I am ready to make it for Katina and that we have a winner, worthy of blogging.

The French Pear 

(makes 2 martini sized drinks)

4 oz Grey Goose La Poire

4 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

2 oz Pear Nectar

Juice of 2 limes

2 oz Simple Syrup

shake in shaker with ice, serve up with a lime wheel

Peach-Basil Summer Drinking

I have been doing a lot of interesting traveling and drinking this summer, but I was in locations where I couldn't seem to sign in to my blog, so here we go with some summer libations catch-up!

PEACH BASIL!

Peach-Basil Popsicles with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

My sister's friend Susie started a gourmet Popsicle business and she is wildly successful at her local farmer's market in Huntsville, Alabama. One day we stopped by her house to purchase some to try and viola, my love affair with this fruit & herb combination was born. I thought that we should booze up the Popsicle, naturally, so we dropped it in a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  These wines are notoriously grassy and I presumed that the herb notes in the Popsicle might compliment the grassy notes in the wine.  It worked beautifully. We even threw in a few large basil leaves in the glass later, and, well, it turned out to be summer goodness in a glass. We carefully nibbled the melting Popsicle, and as they melted we let them and then drank the peach-basil laced wine. It was balmy & hot out on my sister's back patio so this proved to be a much-needed summer treat for the overheated ladies that we were.

After I came home I experimented with making the Popsicles so here is the recipe:

Peach-Basil Popsicles
4 large peaches
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of your peaches)
1/4 cup torn basil leaves

cut peaches in small chunks, put 1 cup of the peaches in a glass bowl & the rest in a food processor, add remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth. Add peach puree to the bowl of small peach chunks & stir.  spoon mixture into Popsicle molds or small Dixie cups. Freeze for one hour then add sticks or plastic handles from Popsicle molds, resume freezing.  When ready to serve, let sit out for a few minutes so the Popsicle will release more easily.

Lillet with Peaches and Basil 
a few days after we had this, I saw a recipe in Food & Wine magazine for peaches & basil with Lillet. (pronounced luh-LAY) I have long loved this all too often un-discovered darling of the French Aperitif category. Lillet is so interesting with notes of orange and has this hard to explain herbaceous elegance. It is one of the most beautiful things you can drink on a hot day over ice with just a fresh orange garnish.

So, I went for it. I do prefer Lillet in the aforementioned way, but it was fun to try this. Simply cut up fresh peaches, add a chiffonade of basil in a cold glass and pour chilled Lillet on top. I think I would like to try to transform this idea into a sorbet and maybe serve as a pallet cleanser at a summer dinner party in between courses. Just thinking out loud here....

PEACHES & BASIL IN NZ SB
My mom & I wanted the flavor, but hadn't attempted the popsicles, so we just cut up peaches and basil and poured the wine on top. It was in fact complex and delicious, but it lacked the slushly element of the popsicle that had so beautifully melted into the wine, and we eventually ended up with basil leaves in our teeth.  Ah, the perils of experimentation.....   :) However, you could puree peaches, basil and lemon juice, chill, and then put a few tablespoons of the mixture in the bottom of a glass ?

CHEERS!

 my peach tree finally gave me big, luscious peaches this year, so thankful.

Lemon-Mint Watermelon Cooler

At a summer party last month, my drink-savvy friend CJ brought this spiked watermelon.  It created quite the hen gaggle at the bar. Then we discovered that she was taking the run off from the watermelon and adding tonic and making a cocktail.  This was "limited" and the hen gaggle morphed more into a friendly cat fight over who was getting this alcoholic, summer in-in-a-glass goodness.  Post-party, I asked her to send me the recipe and she forwarded along the food and wine link. I couldn't make this fast enough. I modified the recipe, adding more liquid than called for and adding simple syrup to create more "run off" for cocktails.

1st Step:
Make the Lemon-Minted Vodka

in a 750ml bottle put a spring of fresh mint (I used peppermint but spearmint would work as well)
in a small bowl add 3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar, stir until it dissolves.
pour lemon sugar mixture into bottle over peppermint and fill the rest up with vodka. Let the bottle sit for 2 days like I did, or overnight or for several hours, depending on your time frame.

2nd Step:
Spike the watermelon

Cut a medium-sized, seedless watermelon into chunks and put into a large bowl, preferably the flatter the better for more contact.  Pour vodka mixture over watermelon chunks and add the finely grated zest of 2 limes, 3/4 cup of citrus vodka, and 1 1/2 cups simple syrup. Add freshly chopped mint and mix into the watermelon. Let sit for several hours stirring occasionally.

Lemon-Mint Watermelon Cooler:
 (makes 1 drink)

4 oz (1/2 cup) Watermelon run off juice
4 oz Simply Limeaide (sold in the cold section)
juice of 1 lime
4 oz Tonic Water

put ice in glass or mason jar,
add ingredients in order, 
stir, add a few watermelon chunks

Skinny Version:
Substitute Simply Limeaide with Minute Maid lemonade 15 (also sold in cold section)
use diet tonic
 


CHEERS & HAPPY SUMMER!

Buona Vita

Buona Vita

Buona Vita

makes 1 drink

1 oz Beefeater (or your favorite) Gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz St. Germain Elderflower liquer
5 oz Fresh White Grapefruit Juice

Put in cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigurously, this cocktail needs to be really cold

You could also serve it on the rocks

This drink comes from a menu that I "retrieved" at The Palace Hotel Bar in San Fransisco on one very memorable girl's night--"the after party."    This hotel, a Beaux Arts gem in historic downtown SF, was built in 1875 and is a stunning place to have a cocktail after dinner. The Buona Vita is a delicious drink and, really, who doesn't want to sip on a cocktail that means: "The Good Life" in Italian?

CHEERS!

Hibiscus Blood Orange Margarita

June's Margarita

Hibiscus Blood Orange Margarita

4 Oz Don Julio Silver Tequila
2 1/2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
Juice of 2 limes
7 Oz of freshly squeezed Blood Orange Juice 

Blend together the agave nectar, lime juice & Tequila, pour on the rocks, add blood orange juice and stir

I was in Chicago a couple of years ago for a friend's wedding. We were staying at The Four Seasons and went down to the bar for a Bourbon tasting, which was really fun. I wore my new summer dress and my husband and I sat in a corner, chatting and sipping Bourbon. ("like a lady" -that's for you Guidi)

A couple of weeks after we returned from our trip, I went shopping for some new pajamas. As I was going through the jammies and nightgowns, I saw my "dress." I saw several of my "dresses." When I asked the clerk in so many words...." what the hell?" She said: "Oh, a customer must have put one of those nightgowns in the dress section. But, yes that is definitely a nightgown!"   So, uh, yes, to my horror I apparently wore a nightgown walking all along Michigan Avenue, to Ralph Lauren for lunch and then to a bourbon tasting at a swanky hotel bar.  classy.

Despite my treacherously embarrassing faux pas, at least I didn't find out until after the fact and AT LEAST I slipped the cocktail menu from the Four Season's bar into my purse for future liquid enjoyment. 

So, viola, this is one of the creations I tried to mimic from their menu while vising my friend Virginia in Santa Cruz last weekend. She and I drank one on her deck, talked and enjoyed the sunset, in our nightgowns.

Dubonnet Citrus Shandy

Dubonnet Citrus Shandy

Dubonnet is a French Apéritif (pronounced Dube-O-NAY)

Apéritif is a word originating from the Latin word aperio, which means to revel, bare, uncover, make clear.  Apéritifs were originally conceived to "open" or prepare the appetite for a meal. Dubonnet is mix of fortified wine, a proprietary blend of herbs, spices and peels, and the medicinal quinine. I 1st discovered this drink in my early 30's, over lunch with a devastatingly interesting French Canadian professor whom I worked with. A great memory of a sunny day at a French restaurant discovering a new drink.

Dubonnet is delicious on the rocks with just a squeeze of lemon, but I made this mixture as a fun way to drink Dubonnet Rouge in the summer.

Dubonnet Citrus Shandy

1 Cup Dubonnet Rouge
1 Cup Lemonade
4 shakes of orange bitters
juice of 2 limes
6 torn basil leaves

add all ingredients to a large cocktail shaker
pour over crushed ice, top with Pellegrino
garnish with a lemon wheel and a piece of basil

CHEERS!

Skinny Hawaiian

For those of you who know me, you know that I rarely do low-calorie, low-fat anything.  I know I should, but it sort of goes against my hedonistic philosophy in the way of food and drink.  HOWEVER, I have a lot of health-savvy, in-shape friends (Riina) who deeply care about their libations not setting them back 1200 calories.  I get it.  I have promised to feature such a drink but can't seem to bring myself, in good conscious, to recommend anything containing bubble gum vodka.  I just can't do it.  So, this is a "skinny" drink that actually has some complexity and flavor.  This drink accomplishes a lot.  It isn't an affront to my pallet while simultaneously not being a caloric affront to my in-shape chicas.  And it is, after all, swimsuit season.

Skinny Hawaiian

2 shot glasses of your favorite vodka
2 shot glasses of pineapple juice
3 shot glasses of Cherry-Pomegranate Crystal Light
(add 2 tsp Agave Nectar for a sweeter drink)

Shake in shaker with ice and serve up in a Martini Glass
top off with a generous splash of diet 7-up

you can garnish with blueberries or a pineapple ring & mint goes well with this too

Cheers!

The Bronx

The Bronx

I discovered this cocktail at The Ahwahnee Hotel one summer afternoon on the outdoor patio.  Sitting in the middle of Yosemite National Park, with the awe-inspiring rock formations surrounding you, is nothing short of elevating. Add a delicious gin concoction on top of that, someone pinch me.

 I resurrected the Ahwahnee bar's drink menu out of the "stolen menu drawer" and have recreated it for your drinking pleasure. There are a few gems on their cocktail menu that I will be exploring over the summer, stay tuned.

According to the Ahwahnee menu, and some other accounts, the cocktail was originally created at The Waldorf-Astoria hotel in NYC in 1899 by Johnnie Solon, a pre-Prohibition bartender at the hotel and that he named it after the Bronx Zoo.

Other accounts suggest that the cocktail was invented in Philadelphia where it might have remained in obscurity had it not been discovered by a restaurateur from the Bronx, Joseph Sormani. He allegedly discovered it in the Quaker City in 1905. He is mentioned as discovering the cocktail in his obituary which appeared in the New York Times.

The Bronx (makes 2 drinks)
4 oz Gin (Beefeater or Hendrick's)
2 oz Sweet Red Vermouth
7 oz Fresh Orange Juice
2 oz Simple Syrup 

CHEERS!

Bourbon Mint Sweet Tea

Bourbon Mint Sweet Tea

This is as Southern as it gets people so put on some country music, invite your relatives over and get out your mason jars!

Preparation:

The Fancy Ice Cubes
Brew some strong regular or decaf tea, pour in ice cube trays and put a sprig of mint in each cube. Once they are frozen you can store them in a large zip lock bag.

Mint Simple Syrup
heat 2 cups or water on stove, add 2 cups of sugar, stir until dissolved. remove form heat, add a large bunch of washed fresh mint and let sit 15 min. Remove Mint, let simple syrup cool to room temperature and strain into a pitcher or bottle and refrigerate.

The Tea

1. Boil 4 cups of water, take off heat and add 12 tea bags and let steep for 7 minutes

2, remove bags and let tea cool

3. add 1 cup of mint simple syrup and 1 cup of  Jim Beam Bourbon (or your favorite Bourbon)

4. taste and adjust to your taste, you may want it sweeter (add more simple syrup) or stronger (add more bourbon)

5. pour over your ice cubes and garnish with mint

I have not tried this, but you could do all sorts of variations on this idea.  I am thinking you could do lemon herbal tea with gin and make lemon-thyme simple syrup?

If anyone tries a variation with delicious results, please share!
CHEERS!

Calvados (Apple Brandy)

Calvados
Apple Brandy from Normandy, France

I used to sell Calvados when I lived in Philadelphia and was a wine rep. Before that I never knew much about this sumptuous drink. The brand I sold was Boulard Pays d'Auge which was/is divine, so I assumed that all Calvados was this delicious.  Wrong.  Some can be cantankerous little devils.  Harsh on the pallet and lacking the finesse and beauty I have come to appreciate and adore in great Calvados.  This brandy is truly rapturous alongside a rustic apple tart with crème anglaise.  But alas, I am busy and barely had enough time to even sit down to dinner this particular night, much less make a homemade dessert.  So I simply sliced a crisp apple and we really enjoyed this simple combination.
I love the idea of what is called "The Norman Hole" If you have a really long dinner party with several courses you can throw in "The Norman Hole" (a small bit of Calvados served with apple sorbet). Pallet Cleanser with a kick!


 How it is Made:
Calvados is distilled from cider made from specially grown and selected apples, of which there are over 200 named varieties. It is not uncommon for a Calvados producer to use over 100 specific varieties of apples, which are either sweet (such as the Rouge Duret variety), tart (such as the Rambault variety), or bitter (such as the Mettais, Saint Martin, Frequin, and Binet Rouge varieties), the latter being inedible.
The fruit is harvested (either by hand or mechanically) and pressed into a juice that is fermented into a dry cider.  It is then distilled  into eau de vie (water of life). After two years aging in oak casks, it can be sold as Calvados. The longer it is aged, the smoother the drink becomes. Usually the maturation goes on for several years.


Grades of Quality:
The age on the bottle refers to the youngest constituent of the blend. A blend is often composed of old and young calvados. Producers can also use the terms below to refer to the age.

• "Fine", "Trois étoiles", "Trois pommes"—at least two years old.
• "Vieux"—"Réserve"—at least three years old.
• "V.O." "VO", "Vieille Réserve", "V.S.O.P." "VSOP"—at least four years old.
• "Extra", "X.O." "XO", "Napoléon", "Hors d'Age" "Age Inconnu"—at least six years old. Often sold much older.

High quality Calvados usually has parts which are much older than that mentioned. Calvados can be made from a single (generally, exceptionally good) year. When this happens, the label often carries that year.

Watch a short YouTube Video briefly talking about Calvados:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi4k7bXDTB0

May Margarita

May Margarita

 I love fresh margaritas and I have several versions I like to make. This particular version was inspired from a restaurant that my husband and I went to in Seattle a few years ago, Elliots.
 I am sending this version out into cocktail land for making a pitcher with friends this weekend.

There are a few key elements to a really good Margarita...

1.   Really good Tequila (Put the Jose Cuervo down) It does not have to be Patron--someone gave this to us as a gift--Just make sure it is 100% Agave. I like Silver (Blanco) in this recipe

2. FRESH JUICE !!! If you don't have fresh juice, drink a beer or make another drink.

3. Simple Syrup (2 cups water, 2 cups sugar, heat until sugar dissolves, cool, refrigerate, done)

Pitcher of May Margaritas

In a Pitcher mix:

1 1/2 cups Tequila

1 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 1/2 cup simple syrup (for a tart drink) 1 3/4  cup (sweeter)

stir, pour in salted-rimmed glasses, rocks, lime garnish

Drink with Chips & Salsa!

My Version of Vergie's Cuisinart HOT Salsa

blend 1 shallot or a bunch of green onions, 4 garlic cloves, juice of a lime, salt, cracker black pepper & 2 Jalapenos (I also add 2 Serranos because Jalapenos add flavor and the Serrano peppers up the heat. I  keep all seeds in) Zip all ingredients until finely chopped

add large container cherry tomatoes and fresh cilantro, pulse until desired consistency

blend, taste, make adjustments according to your taste, enjoy!

Oh, The other key to a really good margarita is having your husband squeeze all of the juice for you.
CHEERS!

For versions of the history of the Margarita:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margarita

http://bestmargaritas.com/index.php/menus/history-of-the-margarita


For interesting facts about Tequila

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tequila

Mint Juleps

The Kentucky Derby is 2 days away & That means it is time for Mint Juleps!

I am Southern
I love Bourbon
I grow mint
I LOVE everything about the Kentucky Derby and I love a good cocktail....

The Mint Julep --essentially Bourbon over ice with a little muddled mint & sugar is not for everyone, I love it, but it is too "hard core" for most, particularly if Bourbon is not their poison.

So, I have adapted a recipe that not only appeals to a broader range of tastes,  but allows you to make the juleps in batches for your friends.

The recipe is simple, but requires some preparation.

1. Make Mint Simple Syrup. Boil equal parts sugar & water until sugar dissolves and liquid is clear. Turn off heat, throw in a bunch of mint and let sit for 15 min. Discard the mint, let syrup come to room temperature. Once it has cooled,strain the syrup into a bottle and refrigerate for at least several hours up to a week.

2. Get out your juicer because this is KEY. Juice fresh lemon juice beforehand, I freeze it when lemons are juicy and I have the time to juice.

3. Buy your favorite bourbon/whiskey, a smoother version works the best

4. Crush ice into large zip lock bags and freeze.

pinch tiny tops off mint plant, wash and have ready before your peeps arrive.

In 2 separate Pitchers:

Mint Julep (Sweeter Version)

1 part Bourbon
1 part fresh lemon juice
2 parts mint simple syrup

Mint Julep (A mouth-puckering, Less Sweet Version)
(my favorite)

1 part Bourbon
2 part fresh lemon juice
1 parts mint simple syrup

Friends come over, you fill mint julep cups with crushed ice, pour the preapred
juleps and top with mint top. Now you just need to buy your fancy hat and call your bookie. 

Sol Sister

Resurrecting My Sol

 So my husband and I just returned from a trip with five other couples to Puerto Vallarta. While there, I put the cocktail shaker away, put my flip flops on and kept it simple. Mexican Cerveza my friend.  When we ventured to Soriano to buy beer, Corona had the monopoly on cooler space, but there, off to the side, shinning like the sun was the beer from my Freshman year of college.  Sol. My roommates and I even had a large vinyl Sol banner thumb tacked to the bottom of our breakfast bar.  Very classy. No, it didn't exactly go with my Laura Ashley comforter, but I was convinced it made us look cool. Memories.

My freshman year of college was fall, 1987, the year Heineken started the rumor that Corona workers were urinating in the beer. This was later proven false, but I was suspicious. I wasn't taking any chances.  I drank Sol, if for no other reason than to avoid any looming humiliation from frat boys that the "brunette with the big perm" apparently loved "piss beer."

Corona has long been a staple in my grown-up refrigerator.  It is almost always alongside my Mexican meals and in my cooler at the beach. But I enjoyed revisiting my freshman days and drinking the "Sun" in the sun.  I have decided I am bringing it back this summer. Okay, so I bought a red bathing suit and the label matches beautifully. It's only a secondary reason.

On the last day in Mexico I was standing at the pool tipping up my beer, slugging it back if you will.  I hear, Steve, one of the crazier husbands in our group, channeling a Train song by singing out --in this hilariously aspirated, slow-motion voice: "Heyyyy Sol Sissss-ta" --hence the name of this blog entry and a tribute to my Sol Sista's from the trip:  Cath, Virgie, Denise, Amy & Karen. Good times ladies!

Sol was started in 1899, over 20 years after the revolution against the Spanish (& the French) and the year before the democratization of Mexico. It was known as a working man's beer.  So in the spirit of Viva La Mexico, throw one back people.  Add two limes and a pinch of Tajin, just saying.

CHEERS!

Rosé Wine

Don't turn up your Nosé at Rosé!

If you haven't already given Rosé (or Rosato, or Rosado) a chance, it may be because you are understandably jaded, albeit scarred, from your White Zinfandel days. I know, YOU never actually drank White Zin, but maybe some of your "friends" did.  Well, I drank it in my EARLY 20's and, embarrassingly enough, loved it.  My college boyfriend, who read Hemingway and drank chic French table wine or Pernod, was a chef at night and his tolerance for my double bottle of the "pink stuff" was, I suppose testament to how much he liked me.  It goes without saying that now, if I even smell White Zin, it turns my stomach.  But, I have no regrets because it served an important purpose for me, for it was my "gateway" wine.  The day, at age 24, that I walked into Chateau Maison Blanche near St. Émilion, I, and my palate, were changed forever. It was an experience I will never forget. If someone had poured me that same glass of Bordeaux at my apartment in Gainesville, it would certainly not have cast the spell on my taste buds, as it did in that rustic tasting room.  It was a bewitching combination of elements. It was smelling the cavernous cellar on the tour, that earthy smell laced with fermented grapes. And the tour guide passionately talking about the 1990 vintage and finally, me tasting. I was forever changed at that moment. It taught me that so much of our taste is informed by our mood, our expectations, the light, the smells around us.

  After that experience I banished my White Zin days from my memory! How could I have been so gauche?!?   Later that same summer, I met a friend after class one day in Paris. Upon his recommendation, we drank a bottle of Tavel Rosé at a cafe at the base of some domed building that now escapes me in name. It was dusk and the air was balmy. The light was playing on the table and the wine was beautiful in that Prussian blue, late-day light. The Tavel was slightly sour and tart and had a dry, wet rock flavor lurking towards the end that somehow matched the light. I was transported.

And so I kept the "pink stuff" in my wine repertoire and have long enjoyed the beauty of Rosé, especially in Spring, when you get the gift of a warm afternoon. I have not, however, enjoyed the condescending glares I receive at restaurants when I have a glass of what my dining neighbors decide is certainly White Zin in front of me. Being from Alabama originally, as I am, I have really had my fun with this scenario. I can resurrect the back-woods version of my remaining southern lilt and successfully complete the horror of my judge-EEE-ass neighbors. So much fun. I love watching their sanctimonious smiles as they deem themselves superior, while drinking an overly-oaked Pinot Noir that frankly, makes me throw up in my mouth a little. I digress. 

In case you don't know and are wondering, the color in wine all comes from the skins, so to make Rosé, they simply let the juice sit on the skins for a time until they get the pink color in the wine.

  If you haven't already fallen in love, PLEASE try Rosé. there are Portuguese ones, and Spanish ones and French ones, OH MY! There are beautiful ones from the Anderson Valley, the list goes on. The Portuguese one shown in the photo on the left has a hint of fizz which makes it supremely refreshing. The wine on the right is a Spanish Bobol (pronounced BOW-bull) which is a Spanish grape I discovered a few summers ago at a wine tasting in Berkeley. After that tasting, I came home and my favorite wine guy at Trader Joes, Marty, had ordered a Bobol for under $10 and it was/is fantastic. I paired it with tangy goat cheese and berries. Heaven.

I will share my favorite memory of a glass o' pink and then I will relieve you of my loquacious ramblings to go buy some pink wine and make your own memories!   When I was 18 weeks pregnant I found out I was having a girl. I was visiting my friends in Philadelphia and my friend Lizzie served, for a before-dinner toast, Rosé Champagne in tiny pink crystal glasses. Although I could only have a few sips, it was a perfect, lovely gesture and a beautiful moment I will cherish for always.

CHEERS!

Barbera

Barbera d'Asti & Barbera d'Alba

 

Grape:      Barbera

Country:   Italy

Region:    Piemonte (Piedmont)

Barbera is widely planted in many regions of Italy, but I am focusing on Asti & Alba (2 towns/regions within Piedmont). Barbera is believed to be indigenous to Piemonte (Italian for Piedmont & pronounced Pee-uh-MON TAY). See Map Below

And so it begins, my quest to make you love Italian wine as much as I do.  Yes, I live in California and I so enjoy going to Napa & Sonoma. However, given the choice on a Tuesday at the grocery store, I will always reach for an Italian bottle to go with dinner. 

Italian wine does not always appeal to the typical American palate, primarily because, I believe Americans have been long bombarded with bottles of overly-jammy Australian wines and/or California oak bombs. Clearly there are appealing and beautifully crafted wines from almost every wine region in the world, so don't get your panties in a bunch if you love your California Cabernet or your Australian Shiraz.  I just want to focus on the virtues of branching out, the virtues of Italian wine, and for today, the endearing simplicity of Barbera in particular.

The Italians have been drinking wine for centuries. They drink it every day and with their meals. Because of this, Italian wine has more acidity than some may be used to. However, when you consider the balanced fruit, the bright acidity and the restrained use of old oak, you have a wine that happily dances on your palate after your big bite of pasta and that crusty bread drenched in olive oil.

 My favorite producers of all Piemonte wines are Produttori and Vietti. They use traditional wine-making techniques and I am always delighted with any bottle of either.  Note: Vietti makes a Barbera from Asti & from Alba.  Few things disappoint me more that when a producer changes their wine making style to fit an American palate, trading what makes Barbera, and other Italian grapes so charming for an overly-oaked bastardization. The bottle I photographed this morning is a $5 bottle from Trader Joe's that I am excited to try tonight with my shrimp vodka sauce pasta. So there. You certainly can't assume me a snob if I am excited about a $5.99 Barbera!

Admittedly, Barbera can sometimes be thin and uninteresting, but more often, I find it to be an approachable, easy drinking wine with berry fruit on the front and comforting earthy tones on the finish.  And the worst bottle of Barbera I have ever tried was leagues above other inexpensive wines.  Barbera is a fun wine to add to your repertoire. I have never subscribed to the notion of repeatedly drinking the same 3 or 4 bottles of "favorite" wines over and over.  My motto: if a wine looks weird, unfamiliar or something I have never tried, it goes in the cart!  If I hate it, no big loss.  I just add guava nectar, fruit slices and Pelligrino to it and it becomes Sangria. If, however, I happen to enjoy or even love it, I have a new interesting wine friend that I would have never discovered if I had played it safe every time I drank wine. 

Buy a Barbera from Asti and Alba and compare. Typically, and again there is great variation, Asti is somewhat lighter in style while Alba can be a little fleshier. Try different price points, put them in brown bags and do a blind tasting with a group of friends. Get crazy and throw a Barbera from Lombardy in  the mix, just for shits & giggles. 

CIAO & SALUTE!

The Dorchester

The Dorchester (makes 2 to 3 drinks)

4 oz Beefeater Gin
3 oz Luxardo Maraschino
juice of 2 limes
juice of 1 large pink grapefruit

Pour all of the above into an ice-filled shaker, pour up in glass of choice, garnish with lime slice

This drink is at the top of the Slanted Door's cocktail list. The Slanted Door is a Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco's Ferry Building at the base of the Bay Bridge. The restaurant is known for its' inventive fare and drinks. This drink is nothing like I have ever tasted. It is clean, bright, fresh and so interesting. If you go to the Slanted Door, order this drink with the Grapefruit Jicama Salad. Perfection.

The Dorchester is a famous 30's hotel in London's posh Mayfair district.  President Eisenhower set up there in 1944 during WW II, the literati drank there and celebrities still frequent the hotel. Allegedly, the Martini and the Manhattan were created there by their notorious barman, Harry Craddock.

CHEERS!

Sidecar

"Crush Car"

2 oz           VSOP Brandy (I used Raynal that I bought at Trader Joe's)
1 oz           Triple Sec (I used Patron Citronage)
2 oz           Simple Syrup
1 1/2 oz     Fresh lemon juice

Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice, shake and serve up (no ice) with a lemon wheel
(makes 1 drink)


Several years ago on our anniversary, my husband and I dined at CRUSH, a small, dark, charming restaurant in San Francisco. Clearly, I slipped the printed cocktail menu in my purse.  After lunch today, some five years later,  my husband wanted an afternoon cocktail.  I fished out our stash of "stolen" menus and chose this because he has, much my to my delight, grown to love all brown liquors. As an aside, when we were dating and first married, he ordered Cosmos, Madrases & Bay Breezes.  Naturally, his sexual orientation was up for debate among my friends, because of his drink preferences.  I later concluded  it was a mixture of his much-younger-than-me age and his California existence.

When we dined at Crush, years ago,  he ordered their "Crushmopolitan" but today I made him the "Crush Car" (Sidecar) and he, and his "big-boy" palate, LOVED IT!  I experimented with the recipe and let me stress that this exact recipe listed above was far superior, any slight variation on the amounts strangely made a totally different-tasting concoction!

CHEERS!

As for the history of the Sidecar, there are a few versions. One version says that it was developed in a Parisian bistro during World War I by a friend who rode to the favorite bar in the sidecar of a motorcycle. Which bar this was is left to speculation, but is popularly thought to be Harry's New York Bar.  Another claim to the Sidecar invention attributes Frank Meier who worked at the Paris Ritz.
The next story moves to Buck's Club in London. In his 1922 book Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails, Harry MacElhone credits the drink to Pat MacGarry, one of the great bartenders of the day. This was also backed up in Robert Vermeire's 1922 Cocktails and How to Mix Them.

Whichever theory is correct will remain a matter of debate and opinion. One thing that is agreed upon is that the Sidecar is a classic sour drink. Sours were quite popular during the golden age of cocktails in the early 1900's.

Salty Dog

My Go-To Drink has always been a Salty Dog

The old school traditional Salty Dog was made with Gin. While I have grown to love Gin, I prefer Vodka in this drink, which is what you would typically get if you order this in a bar.

fill tall thin glass with crushed ice

add 3 oz vodka

add 7 oz of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice

The fresh juice is KEY to this drink's sublime flavor, I use a mixture of sour & Ruby Red. You can use Gin if you don't care for vodka

Pour drink in a larger glass or shaker

rim original tall thin glass with grapefruit piece & dip in a tray of Maldon salt (Kosher works perfectly fine as well)

Pour drink back into rimmed glass and garnish with grapefruit pieces. 

Drink with Straw

You can also make this drink in a shaker with ice and drink up (no ice)

Jazz this drink up with a top off of Grapefruit Soda!

Although this is indeed delicious as a summer drink, I make it in January & February because the grapefruit trees produce fruit here in the Central Valley this time of year.  I now look so forward to my: 

"It's Winter-but Spring-is-coming Salty Dogs!"

When we were in our early 20's, my dear friend April & I took a trip from Florida to New York on Amtrak. We still have so many memories from that trip we took over 20 years ago.  The flirty Firefighters in our train car, the freezing snow whipping about as we tried to gallery hop. We even went to the top of the World Trade Center and I still have our photos and a ticket stub from that day. It makes me teary when I look at us on top of those towers.  Another stark, lighter, funnier memory is our night out for drinks in the village with some friends. When I ordered a Salty Dog, our waitress, who had the most delicious Brooklyn accent, returned to the table, slapped down her 4-inch bedazzled acrylic nails on the table and told me: "Honey, your gonna have to EEE-laborate on that SAUL-tee Dow-ug"

I still use that accent when announcing that I am making this drink!

(luckily my husband finds this mildly charming).

CHEERS!