After just under six weeks my orange bitters tasted ready for the next step. Time for the straining, sweetening and diluting process. Fine strain several ways; really work the dry parts to extract the most of their flavor. Then make a caramel syrup.
Now the syrup is combined with the bitters, and more water is added to bring it down to a proper proof. Orange bitters now ready for use behind the bar.
Last week we hosted a private party for a large group of people celebrating the conclusion of a five year business venture. They asked me to come up with a couple of cocktails for the party- one fruit forward, white spirit-based and easy drinking; the other a bit more stiff and made from brown spirits. In the end both came out quite refreshing and I’d be happy to sit out in the sun and welcome spring with either of them.
Rhubarb Cooler
The Rhubarb Cooler uses Steinhager Gin. This is German gin- legally it’s only flavoring agent can be juniper. So in essence it’s more similar to a flavored vodka than what most people think of as gin. Emilia hates gin; she likes this drink. For the rhubarb component I made a syrup by cooking down several stalks of local rhubarb with sugar, water, a little vanilla and a dash of fresh squeezed pomegranite. After straining I added some St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram and a few pinches of salt for a bit more depth and flavor.
The Rhubarb Cooler:
1 1/2 oz Steinhager, 1 oz spiced rhubarb syrup, 1/2 oz lime, 1/2 oz Chinaco blanco tequila, 1/4 elderflower syrup. Shaken and strained into a collins glass with fresh ice and topped with 2 oz of seltzer.
Buzzed Bee Cocktail
The Buzzed Bee. For this one I made a honey syrup with local wildflower honey and ginger. 60-40% water to honey as this wildflower stuff was pretty intense, and added a healthy dose of ginger and a green chile to steep. It also uses Dolin Blanc Vermouth- a sweet, white vermouth in a style Dolin actually created known to some as a Bianco Vermouth. To those who haven’t tried it yet: check it out, you’ll be glad you did.
Buzzed Bee:
1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse BIB rye, 3/4 oz ginger-honey syrup, 3/4 oz lemon, 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth, and a big fat dash of Fee’s Old Fashion Bitters. Shake it like you’re mad at it, then strain it into a collins glass with fresh ice. I like mine garnished with some candied ginger.
With the Yards beer dinner now just weeks away, it was time to get over to the brewery for some serious research today. Tastings had to be done so that courses may be planned, and we wanted to meet the people behind the brews.
After trying several of their offerings we went for a tour of the brewery with brewer Frank Winslow as our guide.
As he took us around the building explaining the various equipment he was also good enough to pour for us more samples. Nearly finished saison, some Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale that was only halfway through its fermentation as well as a bottle of Tavern Spruce only seconds after it was bottled.
Modern breweries have all sorts of equipment available to them to help brew- and Yards definitely has a great set up. They’re also entirely wind-powered, work with local farms and use recycled glass and cardboard. All of that combined with very knowledgeable people clearly interested in quality, responsibly-produced product and that’s a brewery we’re pleased to work with.
A fun and exciting trip. Beers to be used for pairings are being selected, courses are being discussed. Friday, April 30th beginning with hors d’oeuvres at 6:30. Join us.
Since getting in some very tasty Sazerac 6 yr rye I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with its flavors in different cocktails. As expected it makes a pretty mean Sazerac. Last week’s post showed the Maple Milk Punch. This past weekend I decided to add a Vieux Carré cocktail to the classics list.
Just like the cocktail the whiskey takes its name from, this drink also comes from New Orleans. It came about close to a century later (1938); but it drinks like something from the same period. It was created by Walter Bergeron, head bartender at the Quarter’s great old Monteleone Hotel. Fans of a Manhattan should enjoy this twist with an herbal finish; it’s a combination of Sazerac rye whiskey, Germain-Robin brandy, Antica formula sweet vermouth, and Bénédictine- rounded out with Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters.
After a good stir this gets strained and served on the rocks (or rock in our case), and is served with a twist of lemon. Come in and try one.
