Kümmel Explained, plus Two Easy and Flavor-Popping Cocktail Recipes

The world is full of strange and exotic liqueurs (or cordials, if you prefer). Take kümmel, for instance (or kummel, without the umlaut; or even kimmel, as this is the closest pronunciation in English). Perhaps you’ve spotted a bottle of Gilka brand at the liqueur store, with a penguin wearing a kaiser helmet and monocle. How utterly German. Berlin, in fact.

For those of you who are aficionados, you already know the power of kümmel. It lies in its distinct flavor: caraway. After all, kümmel means caraway in German and Dutch. It also means cumin; both spices come from the same family. So it wouldn’t be amiss to find some kümmel liqueur that has notes of cumin in it as well. Some producers even add the flavors of fennel seeds to the process.

It is believed that kümmel was first created in the late 16th century in Holland by Lucas Bols, and because of its popularity, it spread east to Germany, then Russia, where most of the world’s kümmel is produced today.

Our association with this liqueur began several years ago when Cousin Jon gifted us a bottle (he’s such a nice guy). Of course we tasted it immediately and decided to get busy to come up with some cocktails.


CiCi will make your mouth sing as you settle into your evening.

Steve played with it first and came up with a nice take on an after-dinner sipper that unites the caraway flavors of the kümmel with the delicate bittersweet taste of elderflower. He then grounded the mix in a bath of cognac. Ooh-la-la. A very merry distinct flavor emerges from the first sip as the two flavors create one new flavor. Herbal, floral, a perfect way to end a meal and head into the prospects the evening has to offer. The name he bestowed upon this libation was CiCi. Why? Well, who can remember at this point, but the name stuck. You can have a CiCi during cocktail hour as well. Pop in a brandied or marasche cherry, and serve it up or on the rocks.

CiCi
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces cognac
1 ounces kümmel
1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)
marasche cherry, as garnish (optional)

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled glass. If serving as an after-dinner drink, split this between two people and use smaller glasses (see photo above).

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The Remington, with its lick of caraway, is one smooth cocktail thanks to Canadian whisky, some fresh orange juice, and sweet vermouth.

Coming up with our next drink, the Remington, happened by accident. In this case, a happy one. We were craving Oriental Cocktails one night, but were out of lime juice. All we had was one orange in the fridge. So Paul decided to use orange juice instead of lime juice, and swap out the triple sec in an Oriental for something more exotic. Adding triple sec to orange juice just seemed redundant. Kümmel, on the other hand, proved to be a dynamite choice; shaking it up with orange juice and sweet vermouth creates a smooth citrus-bittersweet tang that makes your whole mouth feel good. So smooth, and a pinkish shade of amber. We both looked at each other and winked. “Lady smooth.”

As we threw our heads back and laughed, one of us added, “Like a Lady Remington.”

“Let’s call it a Remington. That way, a guy would want to order one too. He’ll never know how the name actually originated.”

“Utterly devious.”

“Cheers.”

There’s a little addendum to these recipes. Paul knows a young brilliant drummer named Cici who works with a young brilliant writer named Chris who has a lovely wife named Mary née Remington. Mary happens to be a hugely devoted caraway fan. Wheel in the sky, keep on turning.

Remington
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces Canadian whisky
1 ounce sweet vermouth (try Carpano Antica)
1 scant ounce orange juice
1/4 ounce kümmel

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. You can use blood orange juice to give your Remington a spikier, more bittersweet edge.



photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

Infusing Your Spirits Is Easy

Infuse your vodka to make the Coriander Martini.

We hate to think that, when you’re perusing a recipe, you move on because one of the ingredients has the word “infusion” in it. We create some cocktails using infusions because, like a chef who experiments with enhancing flavors to achieve a desired effect, bar chefs are on a never-ending quest for the perfect taste and aroma that’ll take their creations to a level of supreme “sippability.”

So, shake things up in your home bar: Infuse your spirits with fruits, herbs, and spices. You may be pleasantly surprised and shocked by how magnificent these experiments will taste—and inspire you to create your own potable mixes. Vodka is the perfect spirit to begin with. If using strong herbs like lavender, fennel, and cardamom, a few hours to one or two days of infusion may be all that is necessary. Milder spices such as coriander and herbs like dill and cilantro may take up to a three or more days, while fruits can take up to a several weeks. Just make sure you shake your experiment every now and then, and taste-test frequently. You’ll know it’s done when the infusion brings a smile to your lips. Ahhhh!

One of our favorite infusing spices is coriander, the seeds of the cilantro plant. These toast-colored spheres release their lemony-grassy flavors, making for a unique vodka that you may want to sip chilled after a few days of infusion. We recommend a simple cocktail that packs a powerful punch of complementary flavors. The Coriander Martini. Enjoy with oysters on the half-shell, ceviche, salmon, or other seafood delights, particularly those of Thai origin.

Coriander Martini
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 1/3 ounces coriander-infused vodka (from seeds, not leaf)*
1/3 ounce St-Germain (elderflower liqueur)
2 dashes orange bitters
lemon twist, as garnish
cilantro leaf, as garnish (optional)

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add twist and cilantro leaf.

*Coriander Vodka
2 cups vodka
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed lightly using a mortar and pestle

In an airtight container, add 1 tablespoon of the crushed coriander seeds for every 2 cups of vodka. Let infuse for at least three days and up to five days (the longer you wait, the stronger the lemony-grassy flavor), shaking the container at least once a day. Strain into another airtight container and label.

Everyone Loves Punch During the Holidays (Especially the Host)

Serving punch at your holiday party will take the burden of having to play bartender to your guests. The Pomander Punch, above, tastes of cranberries and spice.

The final fifteen minutes before your guests are scheduled to arrive are always fraught with trepidation. We curse ourselves with nonstop invective. “Why the @#$% did I agree to throw this @#$%ing party. I’m such a @#$%ing idiot.” It’s at these moments, when we all turn into whining teenagers, that we must take a deep breath and rise to the occasion. You threw this cocktail party because you are awesome and your friends rock, and you wanted to share with them some cocktail and party-food pairings that will be remembered forever (and not in a bad way). So that you will be touted as the cocktail-party thrower of the century and not the sniveling spaz you seem to be playing at the moment, you must do the following: make a punch. Not the kind you imbibed as a child—those were sweet and sparkling sugar-rush inducers filled with ginger ale and neon sherbet. No, this punch will be filled with high-quality spirits and liqueurs, possibly champagne, fresh seasonal fruit, and flavors that will send you into adulthood negating any old associations with prom punch ever again. Welcome to the grownup table; you can now fold up that kiddy card table and banish it forever.

Punch is a blessing or, more appropriate, a mangala. The word itself, many believe, derives from the Hindi word panch, meaning five, alluding to the five ingredients that purportedly made up historical punch: spirits, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices. But if you ask the average josephine what she thinks of when she thinks of punch in a historical context, she may describe for you a Hogarthian scene of jack-tars, slinging their flagons while singing a shanty tune honoring the drunken sailor, which isn’t at all inappropriate. Sailors brought the Hindi punch back with them to England, bedazzled by its bold flavors of spice and citrus, and from the early seventeenth to the mid nineteenth centuries, punch ruled supreme. Punch houses dotted the London landscape, filling the hearts and minds of men with merriment. Sharing a bowl was like taking communion: it brought you closer to God, if you let it.

We want punch to bring you closer to a reasonable frame of mind. With a punch at the ready, all you have to do is point your guests in the direction of the chilling bowl and say, “help yourself to a delicious glass of [fill in the blank] punch.” At first they may be surprised that no islands of lime sherbet dot this quaff, but after a sip, you’ll hear their contented sighs, and they’ll hear yours.

Here are a few punch recipes that will brighten up your party and set your mind at ease. Some of them are for 1 serving, but with a little math, you can easily create a bowl full of shimmering panch. Just remember to make a block of ice for the punch bowl (you can freeze water in a freezer-safe bowl).

Global Punch
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Jack Daniel’s
2 ounces amber (medium-bodied) rum (such as Old New Orleans or Mount Gay Eclipse)
1/2 ounce ginger liqueur (such as Domaine de Canton)
1 ounce real pomegranate grenadine
1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)
2 ounces red grapefruit juice (you can substitute pink if red is not available)
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce lime juice
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters (you can substitute with another orange bitters)

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into chilled glass. Serves 3.

If making a bowl of punch, first make a block of ice in a freezer-safe bowl that’s smaller than the punch bowl. Then, multiply all the ingredients by eight or more depending on the size of your party. Refrigerate until chilled. About a half hour before serving, remove the ice from the bowl and place in the punch bowl. Pour the punch into the bowl. Garnish with lemon and lime wheels. Ladle into punch cups or glasses.

Try pairing with Chorizo Sobres, little deep-fried spicy smoked sausage and peach bites.

Rihanna
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 ounce amber rum (such as Old New Orleans or Mount Gay Eclipse)
1/2 ounce white rum (such as Mount Gay Silver Eclipse)
1/8 ounce Cruzan Black Strap rum
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
1/4 ounce Velvet Falernum
1/2 ounce simple syrup*
1/4 ounce crème de banana (such as Bols)
3/4 ounce orange juice
1/4 ounce lime juice

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into chilled glass. If you’re feeling the call of the tiki gods, garnish with cherries and banana slices poked through with a straw. Serves 1.

If making a bowl of punch, first make a block of ice in a freezer-safe bowl that’s smaller than the punch bowl. Then, multiply all the ingredients by eight or more depending on the size of your party. Refrigerate until chilled. About a half hour before serving, remove the ice from the bowl and place in the punch bowl. Pour the punch into the bowl. Garnish with cherries and banana slices. Ladle into punch cups or glasses.

* Dissolve one cup of sugar in one cup of water over low heat, stirring occasionally. When all the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat, let cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a month.

Try pairing with baked coconut shrimp.

Pomander Punch
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces cranberry sauce–infused Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon Carolina Moonshine*
1 ounce bourbon (try Bulleit)
1/2 ounce clementine orange juice
1/4 ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
block of ice

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a half-moon slice of clementine or a whole pericarp of star anise. Serves 1.

If making a bowl of punch, first make a block of ice in a freezer-safe bowl that’s smaller than the punch bowl. Then, multiply all the ingredients by eight or more depending on the size of your party. Refrigerate until chilled. About a half hour before serving, remove the ice from the bowl and place in the punch bowl. Pour the punch into the bowl. Garnish with clementine orange wheels and star anise pericarps. Ladle into punch cups or glasses.

* In an airtight container, add 1/3 cup homemade cranberry sauce (follow directions on package of cranberries) for every 2 cups moonshine (you can substitute vodka if moonshine is not available). Let infuse for at least five days and up to two weeks (the longer you wait, the better), shaking the container at least once a day. Strain into another airtight container and label.

Try pairing with bacon-wrapped dates.


Blackberries and cinnamon combine to create an amazing flavor sensation. This punch is boozy and bodacious. The bowl will be emptied by nightfall.

Bramble Punch
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
4 1/2 ounces amber (medium-bodied) rum (such as Old New Orleans or Mount Gay Eclipse)
3 ounces cognac (such as Martell VSOP or Hennessy VS)
1 1/2 ounces Jeżynówka (blackberry-flavored brandy)
3/4 ounces Becherovka (Czech spice liqueur)
1 1/2 ounces cinnamon-infused black tea*
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 ounces tangerine juice
1 1/2 ounces pink grapefruit juice
ice cubes, preferably in a chunk, or a block with blackberries frozen within.

Method
Add all the ingredients (except the chunk of ice cubes) into a large shaker or capped bottle. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, making sure the sugar dissolves (if you prefer, you can dissolve the sugar in a little water before adding it to the mix). Place ice chunk or ice block in bowl. Pour punch into bowl. If using a chunk of ice cubes, the ice cubes will start to break apart. When they do, or if you are using a block of ice, stir the punch with the ladle to chill, wait a minute (do not rush, let the ice dissolve a bit), stir again, and serve. Add a blackberry to each cup for a nice sweet-tart surprise at the end of your drink.

Serves 4. You can easily double or triple the recipe.

* Steep a tea bag (with black tea) and a cinnamon stick in 1 cup of boiling water. Remove the tea bag after 3 hours. Remove cinnamon stick after 3 days. If you can’t wait 3 days, then make sure you shake it well before using.

Try pairing with Cheddar Blue Fricos, lacy and crispy wafers of cheese.

photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

People Are Jazzed About Tales of the Cocktail

Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans’s annual five-day summer celebration of all things spirituous, is gearing up for its July 21–25 celebration. We asked you what you are looking forward to most from Tales of the Cocktail 2010, and here’s what you told us. (We will continue to update this post as you send in the things you’re most excited about Tales of the Cocktail this year [mail@cocktailbuzz.com].)

Stephan Berg, one of the masterminds behind The Bitter Truth bitters and spirits, waxed enthusiastic about Tales this year. “Oh we are excited, because we just got nominated as best new product with our Celery Bitters.” We love his celery bitters and have been tinkering with it recently in a cocktail riff on the Vesper we call Clear.

Clear
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 ounce vodka or a light ginger-infused vodka
1/4 ounce elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)
dash or two of Bitter Truth Celery Bitters
splash of soda
ice
grapefruit peel

Method
To build in a highball glass, add the spirits. Then add ice. Top with soda. Stir until chilled. Express grapefruit peel over the drink and rim the glass with the outside part of the peel. Discard or add to drink.

Tiare Olsen, who muses about spirits, and especially tiki drinks, on her blog A Mountain of Crushed Ice, gave us her list of things she’s most looking forward to:

Its first and foremost about three things for me:

1. The people — meeting my friends and making new friends;
2. New Orleans — love that city!;
3. Party and having a good time (that includes great cocktails and the best food in the world).

As a codicil, she added, “Then of course, interesting sessions.”

Sarah LeRoy of Piedmont Distillers, the makers of Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon, Catdaddy, and Lightning Lemonade, was excited about the visibility of Piedmont’s products at this year’s Tales:

Of course, I think the Piedmont Distillers Tasting Room is a must attend event. After months of Catdaddy recipe creations by mixologists from across the country, we’ll have King Cocktail himself Dale DeGroff, editors from Mutineer Magazine, Paul Tuennerman (aka Mr. Cocktail), and Joe Michalek (Piedmont Distillers Founder) judging the top 3 recipes from the Catdaddy Bar Chef Challenge. They’ll pick the winner of the Golden Mason Jar trophy. But it’s not just the “experts” who will have their voices heard – everyone who comes to the Tasting Room will get to vote on their favorite cocktail too.

The Tasting Room is on Thursday, July 22, from 4:30–6:00pm, so it’s a great way to kick off your evening before you head out to the Spirited Dinners. Sarah and the gang will be in the Royal Room on the bottom floor of the Monteleone (near the parking deck entrance). Be sure to tell them Steve and Paul sent you their way!

Danny Ronen, spirits writer, rep, barman, and all around great guy, responded by saying:

Strangely, the things I’m actually most excited about are all not part of Tales itself:

• Volunteering with some friends before Tales begins;
• Exploring NOLA: the Garden District, Uptown, 9th Ward;
• BBQ in a local park; and
• Seeing friends and colleagues from around the world — that means YOU kids!

That’s so sweet of Danny to refer to us as kids. He’s either delusional or knows that flattery will get him everywhere.

Libation Girl Carmen Operetta, who’s always on the lookout for the latest trends in cocktailing on her Libation Diaries blog, gushed about how much she loves Tales:

I’m so excited to return this year! Last year was my first and words can’t describe how fantastic it turned out! This year I’m interested in attending the Dita Von Teese+Cointreau burlesque show!!

Also, I will actually have the time to visit the Museum of the American Cocktail (MOTAC) and eat more of the native cuisine (maybe not the seafood) and do a little shopping.

There will be so many interesting events, seminars, and dinners to attend this year; therefore I’m getting prepared now to get hopefully the full experience of TOTC!

Kara Newman, food/wine/spirits writer, is excited about the following seminars she will be attending:

• Art of the Aperitif (after reading Paul Clarke’s SF Chronicle article on this topic, I’m curious about quinquinas!);
• From Convicts to Cocktailians: The Release of Australian Flavour (because I love armchair travel, and I’ve never been to Australia);
• The Smooth & Creamy History of the Fern Bar (Martin Cate is always entertaining . . . and this topic sounds delightfully recherche!)

But Kara is especially jazzed about signing copies of her first book, Spice & Ice.

I presented a panel on spicy cocktails with the same title at Tales two years ago, so this feels like coming full circle! Some of the same bartenders who were on that panel (Adam Seger and Danny Valdez), and the drinks they presented at Tales, are in the book too. It might sound sentimental, but it just feels right to be bringing the book here.

Kathy Casey, the talent behind Kathy Casey Food Studios and The Liquid Kitchen, and many other food and cocktail adventures, is very excited about her seminar Creative Cocktails and the Power of Brainstorming. And of course, she and her crew can’t wait to see old friends again, and make some new ones.

Francine Cohen, editor of Inside F&B, has the following to say:

I can hardly wait to return to New Orleans for Tales! Picking my favorite things would be like picking my favorite spirit – impossible since there’s so much that is good.

We may no longer have the constant buzzing of the vuvuzelas in our ears now that the World Cup has ended but it will be replaced by an even livelier buzz – the happy sounds of new and old friends greeting one another and the constant spirited chatter that fills the halls of the Monteleone, envelops the Carousel Bar, permeates Old Absinthe house, and wafts across the pool.

This year’s Pro Series seminar lineup is even more exciting to me than it has ever been as there’s a lot of attention focused on the business of the bar business with presentations on consulting, intellectual property, wisely crafting deals, effective operations, and more. As the industry talent grows from bartenders to bartender/businessmen this kind of information is invaluable.

I’m also looking forward to supporting the Cointreau Apprentice Program and poking my nose around behind the scenes and reporting on the goings-on in www.insidefandb.com so everyone knows (even if they’re in a bit of an alcohol induced haze) just what it takes to put together such a great time.

And lastly, I’m jazzed about all the fun evening events from the Beefeater Welcome Reception to the Diageo Happy Hour to the Bombay Spirited Dinner to the Cowboy Mouth and Rebirth Brass Band concert DonQ organized to benefit the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s efforts to clean up and restore the Gulf Coast area impacted by the oil spill, to the Spirited Awards and the Bartender’s Breakfast.

I’m exhilarated and exhausted already just thinking about it!

Thuhuong Tran, a New Orleans native who we met at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, and who watched us pour some Catdaddy cocktails at last year’s Tales tweeted, “I am most excited about trying all the different spirits and liqueurs and seeing all the peeps I’ve met in the past!”

And someone from Liqurious.com responded that he or she was “excited about Tales of the Cocktail in general! The Spirited Dinners series sounds like an amazing way to experience NOLA.”

We also received a nice note from Dinah Sanders and Joe Gratz. They write on their blog Bibulo.us, and apologize that they will not be able to attend Tales this year. They included in their note:

Alas — a bit sorry not to be infusing our cash into the wounded New Orleans economy as well as missing the cocktail nerdy fun.

Tickets to the events mentioned can be purchased here.

[Buzz note: Words cannot describe how horrible the Gulf oil disaster is; our hearts go out to all who are dealing with this fiasco on a daily basis.]

Beefeater: The Summer Edition. Available Now! Get Some While Supplies Last!

Well, if you read our posts, you’ll be happy to know that we finally met Stephanie Jerzy, that elusive spirits promoter and champion of cocktail geeks from Central Connecticut, and may we say, what a charming woman. She could elicit a racketeering confession from Al Capone if just given five minutes and a bottle of gin. Beefeater Summer Edition, to be precise. Stephanie invited us to the launch of Beefeater’s newest edition to its roster of excellent spirits. We met Stephanie at the Ace Hotel’s Liberty Hall, a tastefully modest set of rooms, but festooned with lovely bottles of Beefeater’s Summer Edition, a light gin (and a terrific introduction to people who say they don’t like gin, but will ultimately succumb to the brave new world that lies way beyond the isle of London dry). Developed by the creative genius Desmond Payne, the master distiller who gave us last year’s crazy delicious Beefeater 24, this light gin is made with the edition of elder flower, black currant, and hibiscus flower. While sipping it, you realize that this gin is gentle, not overtly juniper forward, and no surprise that it mixes splendidly with its parent components.

When we first walked down to Liberty Hall, there were small clusters of people gathered around two bars mise-en-place’d with the pressed-flower, scrapbook-as-collage label in throbbing lime, sno-cone blue, and vermilion; and two tables loaded with the perfect complement: nosh. On platters lay just-cooked two-bite fish and chips, replete with cocktail sauce, if you so chose; braised artichokes, so tender you could pierce them with a whisper; and a fine selection of cheeses and their faithful leavened companions. We sipped an English Summer Collins to start as we chatted with New York Times columnist Robert Simonson, and shared some favorite ways to drink summer sippers. Perhaps we can collaborate someday on the perfect Summer Cocktail. Hmm. If it’s anything like the English Summer Collins—with just the right amount of sweetness, with some St-Germain to bring out the its elder flower notes, just a bit of crème de cassis to cut through the fresh lemon juice, accompanied by a minty, lemony aroma as you bring the straw to your lips—this drink will be loved for its simple refreshing elegance. We’d serve them in a heartbeat to eagerly awaiting guests on our terrace.

English Summer Collins
(created by Jamie Gordon)

Ingredients
1 1/2 parts* Beefeater Summer Edition gin
1/2 part St-Germain (elder flower liqueur)
1/2 part Mathilde Cassis (crème de cassis)
1 part fresh lemon juice
3/4 parts simple syrup
club soda, to top
lemon wedge, as garnish
mint sprig, as garnish

Method
Shake first five ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice into a highball glass. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a mint sprig.

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Stephanie then introduced herself as Robert went off in search of a new cocktail and a possible tale for his online musings, Off the Presses. Our online chatter instantly morphed into flesh. We talked about Connecticut, where Paul is from, not too far from where Stephanie calls home too, and reminisced about the fun we had separately at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic Gala. Not content with just one drink, we escorted her to the bar and asked for a Summer Flower. Now, who wouldn’t want a cocktail called a Summer Flower? Mixologist Jamie Gordon, who expounded on developing the evening’s cocktails with spirits ambassador and bon vivant Simon Ford, found a perfect trio to add to the new gin: hibiscus syrup, fresh lemon juice, and a dash of orange bitters. This flower shone deep red and tasted like lightly sweetened tea, with a slight tart note from the hibiscus and a pucker from the lemon. The orange bitters rounded out things nicely. Needless to say, all the yummy food went very well with these drinks, and that made us all happy.

Summer Flower

(created by Jamie Gordon)

Ingredients
2 parts Beefeater Summer Edition
1/2 part hibiscus syrup
3/4 parts fresh lemon juice
1 dash orange bitters
grated lemon zest, as garnish

Method
Shake ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and fine strain (or double-strain to remove any pulp) into a cocktail glass. Garnish with grated lemon zest.


Stephanie (on right) and her friend Julia. You can read Stephanie’s Musings on Cocktail Culture. A Summer Gin Fizz, courtesy of the Mixologists and Ad Firm that conceptualized it: 2 parts Beefeater Summer Edition over ice. Top with fresh ruby grapefruit juice and a splash of club soda. Garnish with a wedge of ruby grapefruit.

As we said our good-byes to Stephanie and her lovely friend Julia, who happened upon the party just in time for a light summer refresher, we were handed each a petal-pressed-in-paper envelope sealed in wax and stamp with the imprint of a sunflower. Inside, little dried blooms pressed in between recipe postcards with photos of cocktails in Mad Men era–poses and saturated hues. We can’t wait to pick up a bottle and and have a picnic.

* For American measures, a part equals 1 ounce, which will make your life easier.

Cocktail Buzz Creates a Hot New Fall Cocktail for Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol NYC Launch Party

Last night marked the book launch of Dan Brown’s new novel, The Lost Symbol, at New York City’s Gotham Hall, and we were asked by the nice people of Doubleday Books to come up with a signature cocktail to kick off the event. If you ever get the opportunity to attend an event at Gotham Hall, you will be happy you walked through its doors. What a glorious space, with high glass-tiled ceiling, and gorgeous Egyptian-style detail in the bars that once haunted this old, restored bank. And for the event, the book jacket’s symbols were projected in bright red all over the upper walls, providing a warm, passionate glow. It was if the book jacket had come to life.

The publicity people at Doubleday wanted a simple yet delicious (but, of course) martini-style cocktail that reflected the book’s red jacket. We started playing with some pomegranate juice, which mixes nicely with many spirits and makes any drink glow a deep rich red (see photo and recipe below). The St-Germain adds a delightful herbal touch. We ended up making three drinks we just loved, and the folks at Doubleday chose one.

Truth be told, we were given no information about The Lost Symbol. Everything about it has been shrouded in mystery, yet due to the success and popularity of his earlier books, this new one quickly rose to number one on Amazon in pre-sales. The only things we were told were the title and that it featured Robert Langdon, who was played by Tom Hanks in the film version of The Da Vinci Code. After doing a little Google sleuthing of our own, we discovered that the Freemasons and George Washington’s putative treasonous acts were perhaps the focus of this The Lost Symbol. (Our sleuthing paid off—there were cherry trees everywhere, a nod to the myth that Washington chopped down one of those suckers for reasons we really cannot recall; and the men and women behind the stick, as well as the cater-waiters, sported white perukes, providing a whiff of the eighteenth century.)

We’re delighted with the results. The Langdon’s Folly reminds us of white grapes bursting with juicy tangy sweetness. They are easy to make, light in alcohol, and perfect for your next fall cocktail party (or after your book club has finished discussing one of The Lost Symbol’s chapters). Drinking two would not be considered indecent.


Langdon's Folly
(created by Steve Schul and Paul Zablocki, Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces pomegranate juice
1 ounce vodka
1/4 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur

Method

Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. You can add an orange twist to this drink. Do not twist above cocktail—simply toss into the drink. A small peel (using a vegetable peeler and about 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inches without the pith) would float nicely.

photos © 2009 Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz