Meet our friend Farmer David.  He runs Z Food Farm right down the road from us, and is responsible for bringing elements lots of excellent produce.  In fact the beets he’s been bringing us have been so good that I couldn’t resist using them in a cocktail.  Have an open mind?  Good.  It’s tasty.

Champion Juicer, doing what it does best.

I played around with beet juice and a few different spirits, followed by a few different acids.  Then with the right one selected methods of sweetening were tested out, and rather than using a sugar syrup I thought that the liqueur Domaine De Canton made a lot of sense and provided an extra depth of flavor.

Finally it was decided that this is a drink that benefits from an egg white.  No, not one of those eggs from the giant conglomerate farms in Iowa that have been making headlines lately.  If there’s anything to be learned from that it’s simply another lesson in why to shop local.  At elements our eggs come from any of a few farms just miles down the road, and we know that they’re of good, safe quality.

Here’s a decidedly less-mustacheoed David and his dad, Alan, enjoying the cocktail.

Since we already list Z Food Farm on the dinner menu I didn’t think that David would mind too much if we had a little fun; so this cocktail is called the Schrute Family Farm Fizz (any fans of the Office out there?)

The Schrute Family Farm Fizz:

1 1/2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom gin, 1 oz Domaine De Canton, 3/4 oz lime, 3/4 oz Z Food beet juice.  1 egg white.

Served in a collins glass without ice; I thought that the brilliant color was enough to negate needing a garnish.  I don’t even like it with a straw.

From his recipe we just changed up some of the ratios a bit, and chose to work with a wheat whiskey rather than bourbon.  I’m very happy with it, and in Kevin’s honor we have put it on the classic cocktail list as the Avenue (K).

1 oz Bernheim Wheat Whiskey, 1 oz Menorval XO Calvados, 1 oz passionfruit puree, 1 tsp house grenadine. 2 dashes of orange flower water.  Served with brandied cherries.

If it doesn’t already seem like herbal liqueurs are a regular feature in the bar here at elements, let me establish that fact now: they are, and hopefully always will be.  I’ve mentioned before how much I appreciate the hard work of monks.  Here’s yet another reason.

V.E.P. Chartreuse (that stands for Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé, or Exceptionally Extended Aging) is the upper level of the herbal liqueur that I love to mix with.  While the base level is fantastic (neat or in cocktails); this stuff is amazing.

It’s available in either the Yellow or the more intense Green variety, and is the same formula as the base.  It’s simply oak aged for a much longer time.  That extra aging does amazing things.  This is simply put one of the best things in the world to bring a close to a fine meal, and adds another layer of depth to a top shelf that I’m pretty proud of.

So many choices. . .

Added a new one this past weekend keeping in the theme of refreshing summer libations.  This is a little twist on the South American classic Pisco Sour.

Pisco is a grape brandy.  Specifically, it’s a pomace brandy; like grappa  or marc.  We’re using Peru’s Ocucaje- it’s very nice.  In addition we’re also using two products from the wonderul people at Haus Alpenz: their Velvet Falernum as well as Purkhart Pear Williams.  The Falernum is made from reduced rum, with sugar added and flavors of lime, clove, and almonds.  The Pear Williams is another brandy- this time a pear Eaux-de-Vie that is one of the crispest I’ve tried.

Pisco and Pears

1 1/2 oz Ocucaje Pisco, 1 oz Velvet Falernum, 3/4 oz fresh lime, 1/2 oz Purkhart Pear Williams, 1 local raw egg white.

Shake, strain; I like to serve this one on ice as it is still very hot outside.  Garnish with seasonal berries or brandied cherries and some Peruvian bitters.

This past weekend we once again made a few changes to the cocktail list.  New to the list was the classic Pegu Club Cocktail, hailing from the early 1900s when the British and their empire kept a club of the same name in Rangoon, Burma (aka Myanmar).

The house drink at the club was (and on our menu, still is) a wonderful strong gin beverage; sweetened with curacao and backed by a nice tart punch of lime.  Bitters round everything out nicely- we use a combination of Angostura and house orange bitters.

the Pegu Club Cocktail

Monks are wonderful people.  Aside from their many other contributions to society they’ve been good enough to support their monasteries for centuries by producing such excellent goods as wine, cheese, beers, and spirits for the rest of the world.  Chartreuse is made by Carthusian monks north of Grenoble, France; and has been for centuries.  With over 130 aromatics in it, it’s one of my favorite things in the world.

Somewhere around this time last year we had a private party for a local jewelry store showcasing watches from the esteemed watchmaker Panerai.  We had three special cocktails created just for that event; and I was so happy with one of those, the Luminor, that I added it to the cocktail list for the rest of the summer.  It works the less intense Yellow Chartreuse in with rye whiskey.

Well- summer is definitely back.  Luminors will ease the heat and quench the thirst it brings.

the Luminor

2 oz Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond rye, 3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse, 1/2 oz ginger beer syrup, 1/2 oz elderflower syrup, 1/2 oz fresh lime juice, 3 dashes house bourbon/citrus bitters.  Shaken and strained onto a big chunk of ice, topped with 1 oz seltzer.   One of our regular guests, Steve, suggested the mint sprig for garnish.  Thanks for that, friend.  It works well.

Banks 5 Island Rum

Recently we brought in a rum that is brand-new to market.  Vegetal, peppery and very full-bodied; it’s a blend of aged rums from Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, Barbados and Indonesian Java.  That last island, Java, is known for their particular variant of rum known as Arrack.  A popular component of many punches well over a century ago, this special rum is known for the intensely aromatic pitch it can lend.  Utilizing only a bit at a time added just the right amount of depth to punch, and with that same knowledge in mind Banks crafted this rum so that it could stand apart from the crowd.  It is very unique, very tasty, and fun to play with.

I thought we’d start with something simple and refreshing.  It is very hot outside after all; and few things cool one down better than the classic Aviation.  Here’s ours made with Banks 5 Island rum instead of gin.

Aviation Variation

2 oz Banks 5 Island Rum, 1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino, 1/2 oz fresh lemon, and just less than 1 tsp Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette.  Shaken well, strained and garnished with a twist of lemon.

Just got in this beautiful tequila from Don Julio.    It’s distilled only once per year, just before the rainy season starts.   10-12 year-old agaves, after distillation it is aged on average 30-36 months in used bourbon barrels.  I’ve heard that when Mexico recently created their newest designation of Extra Anejo (requiring a full 36 months of aging) Don Julio’s people approached him and asked if he wouldn’t mind adding those few extra days to 1942’s aging process so it would qualify and could get on the label.  His answer: Why?  Why should I care about your laws or what goes on the label.  1942 is my baby, and is perfect as it is.

Come in and check it out.

Tequila 75

This weekend brought two new cocktails to the list.  One to our classics page; one to the more seasonal recipes.  I’ll show the seasonal one first.

I visited the very excellent Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. (as they say- a drinking establishment) in Philadelphia last week and enjoyed a number of cocktails.  One that really made me think had many components, including; but not only: tequila, citrus, sparkling wine and cinnamon.  What great friends they all seem to be!  Time to play.

We ended up with the Tequila 75.  Based on the classic French 75 mix of gin, lemon, sugar, and champagne; here we use 2 oz of blanco tequila from Chinaco, 1 oz of fresh lemon juice, and 3/4 oz of a syrup made with cinnamon from Sri Lanka, topped with a couple of ounces of dry Spanish cava.  It’s a beautifully sweet and floral cinnamon, and the syrup doesn’t overpower so the cocktail stays refreshingly drinkable in this summer heat.  The rim is of that same cinnamon, sugar and a touch of salt.  Very simple, very easy to tipple.

Next up is a cocktail using Boker’s bitters.  John Boker founded Boker’s Bitters in 1828 and they were very popular up until Prohibititon forced them out of business in the 1920s.  Recently barman Adam Elmegirab has begun reproducing them, and with a bottle in hand I reached for my 1887 reprint of ‘Professor’ Jerry Thomas’s Bar-Tenders’s Guide or How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks.  I took his Improved Gin Cocktail recipe using Holland gin, played with the ratios a bit and ended up with our:

Improved Holland Gin Cocktail

A healthy dose of Boomsma Oude Genever, Luxardo Maraschino, Boker’s bitters, and gum syrup all get shaken and strained with some Mata Hari absinthe misted over the top.  Garnished with a twist of lemon.

A double entendre defined is essentially a term with two meanings, frequently with one being somewhat risqué.

That said; there’s few things in life less risqué than a good cocktail- or perhaps what one (or two) may lead to.

These days there are a number of serious bar programs across the country that avoid vodka.  Given the number of cosmos, appletinis and the like that the last decade or two have seen made it’s understandable that some bartenders may have gotten a little bored.  Branching out to other spirits is fun and necessary- but to avoid as a restaurant a popular spirit base in general is not only inhospitable (we are the hospitality industry, after all); it’s downright rude.

So with this drink I wanted to reach out to two different groups.  I first wanted to show my vodka drinking friends that there are other options than simply sweet or fruity out there that are very delicious.  At the same time I was hoping to entice my gin-drinkers to a vodka cocktail- to show them that complexity is not only possible but lush and rewarding with vodka.

With it’s beautiful, silky texture Double Cross vodka was a great start.  The company is somewhat locally based so that also makes you feel good.  An ounce and a half of that with three quarters of an ounce of white Lillet, a half ounce of Grand Marnier, a half ounce of Carpano Antica sweet vermouth with a touch of orange bitters (stirred well) and a flamed orange zest results in a classically-styled cocktail that I hope many will enjoy.  I know I do.