New Spirits Inspire Some Classic Cocktail Updates

Pacharán, a Spanish sloe berry liqueur, is the star in this gorgeous Manhattan-style cocktail. The brandied and moonshined sour cherries are homemade.

When we were little, Sesame Street taught us the basics, such as the alphabet and counting to ten, using clever ditties sung by a variety of adults and children we deemed the luckiest people in the world because they lived on Sesame Street. One ditty that popped into our heads as we walked about the streets of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, a ditty that we never fully appreciated since we both grew up far removed from the business districts and downtowns of our respective burgs, began “Who are the people in your neighborhood?”

We may have forgotten most of the words, but that main refrain on our midafternoon walk around our neighborhood — along the streets we normally don’t take because they are not a part of our walk to and from the subway station — finally made sense, and revealed riches that provided us just the right amount of inspiration we needed to breathe new life into some classic cocktails we were beginning to take for granted.

A relatively new wine and sprits shop near us, Passage de la Fleur boasts about a dozen shelves’ worth of natural and organic wines from around the world. Manager Emilie Kapp helped us understand the difference between organic (made with organically grown grapes) and natural (made with minimal intervention of chemicals and modern technology in both the growing and actual winemaking processes) and guided us through the somewhat confusing terrain of biodynamic wines (made by following strict, somewhat philosophical, post-harvest guidelines relating to ecological concerns).

What caught our attention, though, were the spirits, liqueurs, and fortified wines lining the back shelf. One in particular, sporting a tongue-in-cheek 19th-century silhouette of a woman in need of a handkerchief, was aptly labeled Uncouth Vermouth. We had heard of Uncouth Vermouth, the brainchild of Brooklyn denizen Bianca Miraglia, who began tinkering with wine at the Red Hook Winery. She infuses them with botanicals that bring distinct flavors to the fore, with such combos as serrano chile lavender, apple mint, and, the one we opted for, beet eucalyptus.

Although reddish, the beet eucalyptus is dry and delicately balanced, so you won’t be put off if you have issues with either of these ingredients. It’s a perfect aperitif on the rocks, and also works well in cocktails that feature a standard dry French-style vermouth. Emilie suggested Negronis, so we took her up on it and made some New York Negronis on the rocks that night that paired perfectly with some unseasoned, but lightly salted, sweet potato crisps.

New York Negroni
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 ounce gin
1 ounce beet–eucalyptus vermouth (Uncouth Vermouth)
1 ounce Campari

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. An orange twist might be nice, but is optional.

Pairing Suggestions
Anything with blue cheese.
Unseasoned, but lightly salted, sweet potato crisps.

A New York Negroni and a Brooklyn view.

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Also on Passage de la Fleur’s shelves sat a bottle of Pacharán (Patxaran in Basque), a bittersweet Spanish liqueur made from sloe berries. Its flavor may be familiar to you if you’ve delved into the recently revived world of sloe fin fizzes. Take a sip. A bright tartness mingles with a lusciously rich and deep fruitiness that, together, linger on the palate; and since this Pacharán is aged in chestnut barrels, lucky for you, those lingering flavors will taste of bitter dark chocolate. We already had a bottle of Baines Pacharán at home, so we were reminded of a Pacharan Manhattan we came up with a few years back when we were coming up with Manhattan variation after Manhattan variation. The vermouth we use in our Pacharan Manhattan is the bitter orange Punt e Mes. It matches the orange and star anise flavors inherent in the Pacharán, as do a few dashes of Angostura bitters, adding more spice to the mix.

Pacharan Manhattan
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Pacharan
1/4 ounce Punt e Mes vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass or coupe. Garnish with a brandied cherry.


Pairing Suggestions
Anything with bacon.

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With thoughts of neo-Negronis and hybridized Manhattans dancing in our minds, we continued our neighborhood journey, and alighted at the storefront of Güreje, a place we had passed many times, but never ventured into. Güreje is a new world clothier who applies old world techniques and patterns from around the world. This creates a visually arresting hybrid style that Jimi Güreje, the master dyer and owner, can call his own. Jimi showed us the back room, an expansive open gallery space for art installations, and a newly licensed bar area that will help to alleviate any thirst for patrons. There’s even an adjacent outdoor space, completely private from the neighborhood. A rarity. His bar should be open some time this month, so be sure to check it out when you’ve found yourself in Prospect Heights.

We hope this has inspired you to walk around the block with your eyes wide open. You may be surprised by the recent creativity popping up around your neighborhood.

photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

 Look deep into the amber red glow of a Pacharan Manhattan; it beckons.

Żubrówka (Polish Bison Grass Vodka) Should Be in Your Mixology Arsenal

These Six Żubrówka (zhuh-BROOV-kuh) Cocktail Recipes Should Be the Only Ones You’ll Ever Need.

Three Żubrówka cocktails (from left to right: Polish Martini, Szarlotka,

Buffalo Fizz).

Sense memory, or the concept that a particular sensory stimulus can trigger a memory that, in turn, affects one’s feelings or emotional state, plays an important role in our lives, especially a memory related to the olfactory system, or, more commonly, the nose. Perhaps you encounter a waft of baking bread and are instantly transported to a dining table from a decade ago. A wave of contentment and joy courses through your body as you remember the moment you ripped apart that crusty hot loaf, the steam rising, that first bite. Perfection.

Or take for instance the other day. We decided for our anniversary to visit a museum we’d never been to before. So we headed to off to Columbus Circle to check out the Museum of Arts and Design, also known as MAD. A good amount of modern and contemporary Native North American art was on display, and as we walked into one of the galleries, a whiff of sweet hay emanating from one of the installations made us both look at each other, smile, and proclaim, “Żubrówka.”

If you haven’t yet tried Żubrówka (pronounced zhuh-BROOV-kuh), then you must try to find some immediately, which shouldn’t be too difficult these days. Available in the United States since 2007, this honey-hued Polish vodka, distilled from rye and flavored with bison grass (a distinct smelling and tasting grass that bison love to eat—there’s a blade of it in every bottle), boasts a one-of-a-kind almond–coconut–vanilla flavor that guarantees to make you want to dance the polka. You can almost hear strains of fleet-fingered accordion music in the far reaches of your brain. And once you bring a shot of Żubrówka to your lips, you’ll notice the slightly sweet, vegetal–caramel aroma. Take a sip and your suspicions are confirmed: This vodka is a delight. Any cocktail mixed with it will delight you even more.

A Polish Martini benefits from the traditional addition of Old Krupnik honey liqueur.

Poles enjoy drinking Żubrówka mixed with apple juice. Together, they create a crisp, fruity flavor that is hard to duplicate with any other liqueur. Called a Szarlotka (pronounced shar-LOAT-kuk, Polish for an apple pie–like charlotte), this sweet drink is made usually with double the amount of apple juice to bison grass vodka, and stirred in ice. Simple. (On a side note, you may have had this drink called by another moniker, Tatanka. In the Lakota Native American language, tatanka is a bison.)

Szarlotka
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounce Żubrówka (Polish bison grass vodka)
4 ounces apple juice

Method
Pour ingredients into an ice-filled double-rocks or highball glass. Stir until cold.

❤ ❤ ❤

Another of our favorite Żubrówka–apple juice drinks, mixed with Old Krupnik Polish spiced honey liqueur, is aptly called the Polish Martini. This too is a sweet drink, made sweeter by the honey liqueur. Adjust the ratios as you see fit for both drinks, but note that in their current recipes, they pair marvelously with salty and meaty foods, and also desserts.

Polish Martini
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 ounce Żubrówka vodka (Polish bison grass vodka)
1 ounce Old Krupnik honey liqueur
1 ounce apple juice

Method
Shake in an ice-filled shaker for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add thin apple slice if desired, as garnish. (You can serve it on the rocks if you so desire, if you’re in a relaxed sipping mood.)

❤ ❤ ❤

If you’re look for something light and effervescent, but still want the taste of apples, then look no further than a Buffalo Fizz. Sparkling cider does double duty, providing both the bubbles and the apple juice flavor.

Buffalo Fizz

(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 to 1/2 ounces Żubrówka (Polish bison grass vodka)
Sparkling apple cider
ice

Method
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the bison grass vodka. Give it a little stir. Top with sparkling cider.

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Żubrówka mixes well with other liqueurs besides Krupnik, and especially in the Silesian Cocktail. The floral notes in this concoction, named after the area that spans the Polish–Czech border, make for a smooth, slightly sweet, slightly caramel-flavored delight. As with the Z Martini, you can pair it with pigs in a blanket. Or pair it with some fried cabbage pierogi seasoned with paprika and dill and a dollop of sour cream on the side.

Silesian Cocktail
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces Żubrówka (Polish bison grass vodka)
3/4 ounce Jeżynówka (blackberry-flavored brandy)
1/3 ounce Becherovka (Czech spice liqueur)
lemon peel, as garnish (optional)

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add lemon twist if desired.

❤ ❤ ❤

Our advice for Żubrówka cocktails is “the colder the better.” The Z Martini is no exception to this. It tastes best at its most gelid. Before you pour, allow the ice to dissolve a bit after your initial stir. Walk away for a minute, then come back and give it another concentrated stir. For the Z Pear Martini, give the shaker a good workout before straining. A few ice shards glimmering on the top of your cocktail will certainly add appeal on many sensory levels.

Z Martini
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces Żubrówka (Polish bison grass vodka)
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/4 ounce white vermouth

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Z Pear Martini
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Żubrówka vodka (Polish bison grass vodka)
3/4 ounce pear puree
1 ounce white vermouth
1/2 ounce dry vermouth

Method
Shake in an ice-filled shaker for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add thin spear-shaped pear slice, as garnish.

Pairing Suggestions
Pigs in a Blanket
Pierogi
Shortbread
Spice Cookies

Pigs in a Blanket pair perfectly with a Z Martini or a Z Pear Martini.

To check out our video pairing the Z Martini with Pigs in a Blanket, click here.

photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

The Byrrh Is Back, and Is Ready for Your Next Cocktail

Byrrh, a fortified wine once unavailable in the U.S., shines in the Marianne cocktail, a riff on our cherished Manhattan.

Several years ago, while pouring through Vincent Gasnier’s Drinks, a gorgeously photographed and curated tome of alcoholic beverages throughout the world, Paul stumbled upon a minuscule entry for a fortified wine called Byrrh.

Byrrh is produced in Roussillion, in the far south of France. It is red wine treated with quinine . . . and herbs. The mixture is matured for three years before bottling. 

You will either love or hate this distinctive apéritif—its combination of sweet flavors and bitter finish is unique. Serve it either at room temperature or slightly chilled.

So many things in these two succinct paragraphs intrigue: “matured for three years,” “love or hate,” “unique.” Also, the name itself. Byrrh looks like the word myrrh (frankincense and gold’s biblical sibling), so Paul decides, in rhyming solidarity, to pronounce it brrr, as if shivering from a chill in the air. After doing a little sleuthing, he discovers that Byrrh (actually pronounced beer—how’s that for confusion!) is unavailable in the U.S. Like a child confronted with the unobtainable, he is stung by the bee of acquisitiveness and that bee will remain buzzing around his bonnet for the next six years until Byrrh finds its way to these shores (thanks to Pernod Ricard).

Byrrh is categorized as an amère (bitter), specifically a quinquina, a fortified wine that contains the herb quinine, which was added to wines as an effective malaria prevention. Invented in 1866 in the Eastern Pyrénées, Byrrh’s popularity grew steadily after poster competitions were launched in 1903 to promote the brand, and were continued throughout the early part of that century. By 1935, Byrrh achieved the position as the number one apéritif in France.

Cut to a few years later, Paul is trying to come up with a name for a cocktail he created for his mom. In doing so, he googles “Marianne Cocktail” to see if her name is already taken. Lo and behold, it is. And one of its ingredients is Byrrh! (Foiled again.)

Scouring old cocktail books can be an entertaining but often frustrating endeavor if a spirit is unavailable. Take for instance David A. Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Ever since Mud Puddle Books republished it, we had been meaning to get a copy, so when we finally did, we looked through the Manhattan section only to rediscover the Marianne cocktail. But this time, we were in luck. The bee that was busily buzzing in Paul’s bonnet would be laid to rest; Byrrh was being sold at Astor Wines & Spirits.

We’ve played with several spirits brands in making the Marianne cocktail, and find that following the recipe below will make you look at the Manhattan in an entirely new light. Akin to what we now would call a Perfect Manhattan (Embury called it a Medium Manhattan), the Marianne cocktail replaces sweet vermouth with Byrrh. But before you make the cocktail, you should take a sip of this enticing quinquina. It’s sweeter than most vermouths because it contains mistelle, a syrup made from mixing neutral spirits with partially fermented grape must. You can taste the lusciousness of the fruit. Enjoy.


Marianne
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces rye (try Bulleit or Templeton)
1/2 ounce Byrrh
1/2 ounce dry vermouth (try Noilly Prat)
1 dash Angostura bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass or coupe. Garnish with a maraschino or brandied cherry.

❤ ❤ ❤

If you like the taste of Byrrh, you may love the Rye Byrrh, which reverses the potency of the spirits in the Marianne. It’s lighter, and on the rocks. Perfect for a casual cocktail party. Serve with bacon-wrapped dates.

Rye Byrrh
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces Byrrh
3/4 ounce rye (try Bulleit or Templeton)
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
lemon twist, as garnish
ice

Method
Stir in ice for 15 seconds and strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Express twist over glass and toss in.

photo © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

Pouring Micrococktails with Templeton Rye, D.H. Krahn Gin, and Campo de Encanto Pisco at Fermented Grapes

A few weeks ago we poured some micrococktails at Fermented Grapes, our local wine and liquor shop, to give our neighbors some spirituous succor. Debbie, Jan, and the gang there never steer us wrong when we’re looking for something luscious to pair with our dinner, so we love returning the favor. Many folks braved the sweltering Saturday heat to taste three of our favorite spirits, two vermouths, and some bitters. The results were surprising.

Our arsenal of spirits await pouring and micromixing at Fermented Grapes in Brooklyn.

ONE OF OUR FAVORITE light London-style gins, DH Krahn, would be the focus of our first tasting, so we opted for martinis. Martinis used to be exclusively gin, with a generous helping of dry vermouth, and a dash or two of orange bitters. We stuck with this tried and true formula and made believers out of those sippers who feared the power of gin. For an extra kick, we added a drop of cocktail onion juice to the martini to create a Gibson. DH Krahn gin is perfect for a Gibson when mixed with Noilly Prat dry vermouth, and a dash of Bitter Truth orange bitters. This gin boasts a light juniper infusion, plus notes of coriander, ginger, and the oils from oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. What we love also about DH Krahn is its versatility. It can easily fit the bill for London-style gin drinks, or lighter-style cocktails. Exquisite.

Gibson
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) gin (try DH Krahn)
1/3 ounce (1 teaspoon) dry vermouth
1–2 dashes orange bitters (try Bitter Truth)
cocktail onion, as garnish

Method
Stir for 30 seconds in ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add onion.

Martini
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) gin
1/3 – 1/2 ounce (1 teaspoon – 1/2 tablespoon) dry vermouth (do not skimp on the vermouth; this is not a vodka martini ;)
2 dashes orange bitters (try The Bitter Truth)
olive or lemon twist, as garnish

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive or lemon twist.

❤ ❤ ❤

MANHATTANS are our love-affair cocktail, so we were happy to make some wee ones for our neighbors. Since we were pouring Templeton Rye, our new fave, we employed the Templeton Rye’s official Manhattan Cocktail recipe ratio (it makes for a revivifying summer Manhattan), which we’ve posted before, except we used Dolin Sweet Vermouth and The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters. Delicious. No surprises here. The whiskey tipplers who took the plunge loved the smoothness of the Templeton Rye and the way the bitters and the vermouth brought out the spiciness inherent in the rye. At 40% abv, this rye goes down smoothly, but not until you’ve gotten a whiff of its light caramel redolence. Perfection.

Manhattan

Ingredients
2 ounces (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) rye
1 ounce (1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons) sweet vermouth (try Dolin Rouge)
2 dashes bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 15 seconds and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino or booze-soaked cherry.

Templeton Rye Manhattan
(recipe from the men of Templeton Rye)

Ingredients
2 ounces (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) Templeton Rye
3/4 ounce (1 1/2 tablespoons) Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters (we also like The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters)

Method
Serve stirred, never shaken. Kiss with cherry.

(You can decide for yourself whether you want it up, or on the rocks.)

❤ ❤ ❤

THE BIGGEST SURPRISE of the pouring turned out be the Campo de Encanto Pisco, which is an acholado pisco, or rather a mix of four different pisco varietals. For those of you who have never had pisco, it a brandy distilled from fermented grapes. It is light, slightly fruity, but not sweet, closer to a pear eau de vie than a cognac. We decided to mix it with some run-of-the-mill tonic water, fortified by a dash of Bitter Truth orange bitters. Eyes lit up after sipping. “I could drink these all day long” seemed to be the constant refrain. That made us happy, and we decided that the Pisco and Tonic would be the official late-summer drink at Chez Cocktail Buzz.

Pisco and Tonic
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) pisco (try Campo de Encanto)
4 ounces (1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons) tonic water
dash orange bitters (optional) (try The Bitter Truth)
ice

Method
In a highball or collins glass filled with ice, add pisco (and bitters) and stir for 15 seconds. Top with tonic. You can add a lime wedge if you so desire.

Cocktails To Keep You Abuzz During HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”

HBO premieres “Boardwalk Empire” Sunday evening, September 19. Which of these cocktails will you be enjoying while watching the hands of Scorsese weave their magic? (photo ©HBO)

Once again, we received a desperate epistle from a thirsty gourmand:

Dear Cocktail Buzz,

I am anxiously awaiting the premiere of “Boardwalk Empire,” [the new HBO show about Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition]. Any suggestions for speakeasy cocktails to enjoy while viewing?

Thanks!

Cousin Barbara

We inquired as to what food Cousin Barbara would be serving so we could have an idea of what flavors might pair well with her fare.

Dear Cousin Barbara,

We are currently working on a progression of speakeasy era cocktails for you. Are you planning seafood for dinner that night to highlight the Atlantic City aspect of the show, or will it be something else? Will there be appetizers or hors d’oeuvres? Inquiring minds want to know. If you don’t know yet, not a problem. Cocktail Buzz can devise something special that will go with anything.

Cousin Barbara quickly got back to us:

What an excellent idea! First thing that comes to mind is clams. Maybe two dishes: one chilled, one hot? Clams Casino screams Atlantic City, don’t you think?

I’d love to hear your suggestions and am excited for your cocktail pairings.

We had so much fun researching and mixing cocktails, we decided to let Cousin Barbara choose what appeals to her with this list.

Cousin Barbara,

As we ease into fall’s brisker moments, we feel that Clams Casino is the perfect accompaniment to your soon-to-be-new HBO addiction. One of these cocktails might be a delightful foil to the salty, meaty bivalves:

If you’re feeling particularly witty, this may do you well:

Let loose with witty repartee and an Algonquin Cocktail. Or perhaps a Monkey Gland or a Scoff Law Cocktail would do you better.

The Algonquin Cocktail

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces rye
1/4 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce pineapple juice

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

❤ ❤ ❤

If you want to start the evening with a bang (and who doesn’t?), try this little fella:

The French 75

(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin (preferably one redolent with juniper)
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup*
1 – 1 1/2 ounces champagne
lemon twist, as garnish
brandied cherry, as garnish
ice

Method
Shake gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup for 15 seconds in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into wine goblet or highball glass halfway filled with ice. Top with champagne. Add more ice if necessary. Garnish with lemon twist and cherry.

* Over low heat, dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water (stir occasionally). Remove from heat, cool in container, and refrigerate for up to a month.

[To watch our video pairing the French 75 with shrimp cocktail, click HERE.]

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If you’re the kind of person who likes a theme cocktail, then you’ll do well not to evade this concoction:

The Income Tax Cocktail

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
juice of 1/4 orange
2 dashes Angostura bitters
orange wheel, as garnish

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.

❤ ❤ ❤

This Prohibition biggie will certainly make a monkey out of y’all:

The Monkey Gland

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces dry gin
1 1/2 ounces fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon real pomegranate grenadine
1 teaspoon plus 1 dash pastis (Pernod, Herbsaint, Ricard, absinthe)

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

❤ ❤ ❤

Flout the Eighteenth Amendment and all the silly rules that make us so gosh-darned dull with one of these beauties:

The Scoff Law Cocktail

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces rye
1 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce real pomegranate grenadine
lemon twist, as garnish

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.

❤ ❤ ❤

Simple and refreshing, this elixir’s name evokes British Colonialism and other jolly exploits:

Pegu Club Cocktail

(adapted from Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, by Ted Haigh)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Cointreau or other 80-proof triple sec
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

❤ ❤ ❤

And if none of these is floating your boat, why not stick with tradition and down a martini or two.

The Martini

(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)
2 ounces gin (try Bombay Sapphire, DH Krahn, or Death’s Door)
1/3 – 1/2 ounce dry vermouth (do not skimp on the vermouth; this is not a vodka martini ;)
2 dashes orange bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive or lemon twist.

❤ ❤ ❤

We couldn’t possibly forget an after-show cocktail, to be served with a sweet dessert:

Barbara Cocktail

(adapted by Cocktail Buzz from The Savoy Cocktail Book, by Harry Craddock)

Ingredients
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce fresh cream
1 ounce crème de cacao (either white or brown, depending on your mood, or the lighting)

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If you’re feeling adventurous, shave a little chocolate, nutmeg, or cinnamon over the top, or a combination thereof, depending on with what dessert you are serving it.

Enjoy your opening. We’re enjoying an Algonquin and a Pegu Club as we write this e-pistle.

Bottoms Up!

Steve and Paul
Cocktail Buzz

This just in from Cousin Barbara:

This list is just swell, fellas! And more than enough suggestions to last the entire season. With cocktails this good, who needs to repeal prohibition?!?! You're the cat's pajamas!

The Srirachacha Lights Up Our Lives

The Srirachacha, a savory Martini with just a drop of Sriracha chili sauce and a dash of celery bitters, garnished with a pickled green tomato.

One cold Sunday night this past January, we were too lazy to go out and brave the frigidaire that was Brooklyn, so we quadruple-locked the door and said to each other “Let’s make a Martini . . . but not a Martini Martini.” Something a little more exotic. So we looked in the frigidaire that was in our kitchen and Steve whipped out a jar of Rick’s Picks Pickled Green Tomatoes. Acknowledging his choice, I espied a brightly vermilion-hued squeeze bottle of Sriracha hot sauce. We know you’ve seen it. If it’s the original from Huy Fong Foods, it’s got a big outline of a rooster on the front and a neon green cap. It’s actually an American invention, by David Tran, in 1984, who wanted to make a ketchup-like condiment, but one that reminded him of the chilies back home in Vietnam. (There are other Sriracha chili sauces on the market, such as Roland, which looks similar, but has two yellow Chinese dragons on the bottle, and a mustard yellow cap.) Well, we decided that this sauce (pronounced SIR-rotch-ah) was going to some how mix with gin and dry vermouth to create a new cocktail, based on an old favorite.

We had some Dolin dry vermouth in the fridge, and some sample mini bottles of Death’s Door gin that we picked up at Tales of the Cocktail last summer. If you haven’t had a drink made with Death’s Door, you must seek one out. The gin, from Wisconsin, is made with organic wheat and juniper berries found wild on Washington Island. You can taste the juniper, along with zingy fennel and bright coriander, in the gin, and it mixes extremely well with the Dolin. Old-school Martinis have a dash of orange bitters, but we decided to wait on adding bitters until we added the hot sauce.

Deciding on old-school measurements, we gave the gin and vermouth a ratio of 3 to 1. Since dry vermouth loves to swish around with gin, why not send the two into quivers of sprituous delight. In thinking of the amount of Sriracha, we decided on but one drop per drink. Why overdo a good thing. After a quick shake and a taste, we were pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it. And only a hint of the Sriracha came through, just enough to elevate this drink to something more complex. However, we both knew that a little bit of bitters was needed, but not orange. Celery would be more befitting. Just a dash did the trick. And adding a nibble of pickled green tomato made the last bite a perfect end to a harmonious drink.

Steve dubbed it “Srirachacha” (stress on the final syllable), and we proceeded to do some not-in-synch, pseudo-sixties parlor-hipster Cha Cha moves. It proved to be a great pre-dinner appetite stimulator (the drink, not the dancing), because as soon as Steve was making up another batch, I was sauteeing up some chicken cutlets piccata-style, with a little Singapore seasoning added to the flour, plus more as the chicken lay sizzling in the butter-drenched skillet. And to top off those golden moist cutlets: Sriracha sauce, of course, and a little candied citron, for good measure.

So, when there’s still a nip of cold in the air, but the promise of spring teases us with a sunny day, heat things up with the Srirachacha. A drop of Sriracha chili sauce is all you need. Think of it as a a crisp martini with a warm glow. And don’t forget to treat yourself to some Seared Singapore Chicken Cutlets as a little side. Bon appetit.

Srirachacha
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Death’s Door gin
1/2 ounce Dolin dry vermouth
1-2 dashes Bitter Truth celery bitters
1 drop Sriracha chili sauce
1 piece of pickled green tomato, such as Rick’s Picks

Method

Add all ingredients except tomato to a shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a pickled green tomato.

The Srirachacha perfectly pairs with an appetizer of Seared Singapore Chicken Cutlets.

Seared Singapore Chicken Cutlets
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients 

1 package of thin chicken cutlets (about 5), cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup flour
1/8 cup Singapore Seasoning from Penzey’s, or another spice mix that contains curry flavors
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sriracha chili sauce
bite-sized candied citrus peel, as garnish (citron works beautifully with the Sriracha)

Method

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, mix flour and Singapore Seasoning in a bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, and add to pan when butter starts to sizzle. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle more seasoning on each side. Remove from heat. Drizzle with Sriracha. Scatter with candied peels. Serve immediately with Srirachacha cocktail.

Calling Doctor Bombay . . . Emergency, come right away!

How the Bombay Cocktail Becomes the Bombay Emerald

The Bombay Emerald glows a deep rich green. Pair with samosas dipped in mango chutney for a simple cocktail party hors d’oeuvre.

In the salad days of our cocktail experimentation, we came across a recipe in the 1988 Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide for the Bombay Cocktail. I think we were looking for a drink that used both dry and sweet vermouths, but the details are fuzzy as they often are when cocktails are involved. The recipe is as follows:

Bombay Cocktail
(adapted from 1988 Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide)

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce brandy
1/4 teaspoon Anis
1/2 teaspoon triple sec

Method
Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

❤ ❤ ❤

It’s a relatively low-alcohol drink, smooth with hints of licorice (from the Anis, or anisette liqueur) and orange (from the triple sec). The 1968 edition of Mr. Boston has the same recipe, though “absinthe substitute” stands in for Anis, and curaçao for triple sec. You can even find a similar recipe in the Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930 for the Bombay Cocktail (No. 2).

Memory can be a trickster, especially so if alcohol is involved (didn’t someone just say that?), but one thing we do remember from that night of inchoate mixology is the discovery we made when we added blue curaçao for the triple sec. The cocktail glowed a deep gold. We must have been munching on something spicy that night because we were not content with the dryness of the Bombay. So we bumped up the amount of blue curaçao and, lo and behold, the gold transformed into a deep golden green [see photo above]. Not only was the color an improvement, the elevated sweetness made the drink eminently more sippable.

Herbsaint is a terrific absinthe substitute (we made the drink before the reintroduction of absinthe in the U.S.) and we use it all the time in our Sazeracs. You can either rinse the glass with a little bit and empty it out, or you can add a dash to the mix before stirring. Either way, the slight licorice buzz will dance on your tongue with every sip. (The extra ounce of brandy will also add to the buzz making you even happier.)

If you want to pair the Bombay Emerald with something simple and tasty, and you don’t feel like going to a lot of trouble, buy some classic Indian samosas from your local restaurant and serve them with some chutney for dipping, such as mango chutney. Just make sure to up the blue curaçao to 1/2 oz. (or even more) to increase the sweetness. This will also deepen the emerald green [see photo at top of post].

Samosas with mango chutney, plus a Bombay Emerald, will keep your guests happy at your next cocktail party.

Bombay Emerald
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces brandy
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4–1/2 ounce blue curaçao (the more, the greener the cocktail)
dash of Herbsaint

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

You can read a little tale about the Bombay Cocktail (No. 2) from our friend Erik Ellestad at the e-bar, Underhill-Lounge.

photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

Cooking and Drinking, Polish Style

Pierogi are worth the effort. Fried, boiled, or steamed, they come to life with some caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms, and go perfectly with Z Martinis.

Because we love to cook and come up with new recipes, we have a blog on our Cocktail Buzz Web site called Well Fed. Recently we made a trip to the Brooklyn Heights home of Cousin Barbara and her happy-in-the-kitchen husband, Jon, for some lessons in making pierogi, those ubiquitous polish dumplings that are always stuffed with hearty old-world comfort (think sauerkraut, potatoes, farmers cheese). No strangers to melding eras and clashing cuisines, Steve and I decided to up the ante a little in our pierogi fillings. We brought in some New Orleans-style Andouille sausage and mixed it with some old-school Polish prunes, plopped a dollop into the pierogi dough, and made some pillowy dumplings that, when shallow-pan fried, cooked to a golden-brown exterior that when bitten, gives to a slightly spicy, slicy sweet interior. We even included some Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine in the mix for some flavor balancing, and a splash of Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon for good measure. We think you’ll love the results. And if you don’t have a whole afternoon or a group of four to make the pierogi dough, well you can cheat like we sometimes do and use premade dumpling wrappers. Your guests do not need to know. But if you have the time, and crave a little culinary adventure, then by all means start the pierogi-making process. You will be Polish-proud of the results.

And if you’re wondering what to imbibe with some pierogi, they pair perfectly with our Z Martini, which uses Żubrówka vodka, that slightly chartreuse Polish bison-grass vodka that always reminds us of caramel-drenched flan.

Bitters Is Better: The Bitter Truth Mingles with Bols Genever at Clover Club

Four down, five to go, but Paul’s just sipping this time.

Let me start by saying that, although I very much wanted to, I did not even come close to finishing the nine cocktails served to me at the recent Bols Genever Classic Cocktail Series: The Influence of Bitters. Even though bringing each coupe to my lips was like tasting history, I only took two sips of each drink (three if I really liked it), and gently pushed them away from me as I listened to the estimable Stephan Berg, who cohelms The Bitter Truth company in Germany. He began his presentation, behind the bar at Brooklyn’s newish classic cocktail hot spot Clover Club, by saying, “I’ll tell you anything you’d like to know . . . except the recipe for The Bitter Truth.” For those of you not familiar with The Bitter Truth, Stephan Berg and business partner Alexander Hauck travel around the globe promoting their excellent line of cocktail bitters (Steve and I have two in our collection: Orange and Celery). They are amazingly balanced, well-crafted bitters, and have spiced up cocktails throughout the free, drinking world for several years now. Germany, which once only had Angostura bitters available, now has a host of flavoring agents to be proud of. While at the event, I was lucky enough to try the hard-to-find, small-batch Jerry Thomas’s “Own Decanter Bitters,” A piquant blend of citrus fruits and clove, derived from a recipe from the 19th century’s master bartender, Jerry Thomas. A truly masterly concoction. (I even got to try a Holland’s Pride Cocktail, made with the extinct Boker’s bitters—a rare treat, indeed!)

Holland's Pride
(adapted by Stephan Berg, mixed by Brian Miller)

Ingredients
2 ounces Bols Genever
1 ounce dry vermouth
1/4 ounce simple syrup
2 dashes The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas bitters
1 dash absinthe

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe.


Stephan Berg shares cocktailiana with his rapt audience.

We began sipping bartender extraordinaire Brian Miller’s take on one of the first published cocktails, the Brandy Cocktail, a simple and flavorful classic, and then moved into cocktails highlighting Genever, an old-school maltwine-based gin that Bols has reintroduced to the world in the form of a smoky-gray bottle containing this unique spirit (the smell reminds one of yeasty, fresh-baked bread). Bols rep Tal Nadari had explained to us in his opening remarks the history of Bols Genever and its reemergence into the world of cocktailiana, and now we were about to taste Genever in action with our second sipper, the Gin Cocktail . The Genever truly is a revelation, closer in flavor profile to a dry whiskey than a London dry gin. Just adding a dash of bitters, some curaçao, and some simple syrup to create the Gin Cocktail was only the racehorse out of the starting gate. I couldn’t wait to see what drinks would come out next, and which ones would be my favorites.

Brandy Cocktail
(adapted by Stephan Berg, mixed by Brian Miller)


Ingredients
2 ounces brandy
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1/8 ounce orange curaçao
2 dashes The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.



Those that did stand out were the early Martinez Cocktail (a Manhattan essentially, but with Genever substituting for whiskey), the early Martini Cocktail (not to be confused with a current-day bone-dry Martini—this one contains Old Tom gin, a sweeter and mellower cousin of Genever, and a dash of absinthe), and the Bamboo Cocktail (a mix of dry vermouth, sherry, orange and aromatic bitters, garnished with an olive).

Martinez (19th c.)
(adapted by Stephan Berg, mixed by Brian Miller)

Ingredients
2 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce Bols Genever gin
1/8 ounce orange curaçao
4 dashes Angostura bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe.

Martini (19th c.)
(adapted by Stephan Berg, mixed by Brian Miller)

Ingredients
1 ounce Old Tom gin
1 ounce dry vermouth
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1/8 ounce absinthe
3 dashes The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas bitters*

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry, olive, or lemon twist.

Bamboo Cocktail
(adapted by Stephan Berg, mixed by Brian Miller)

Ingredients
1 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce oloroso sherry
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

❤ ❤ ❤

During the seminar, we listened to Stephan expound the different eras of the cocktail, backed up by a photo presentation (my favorite: an old snap of bitterly stern Temperance Movement ladies underneath the banner “Lips That Touch Liquor Shall Not Touch Ours”—the poor dears looked as though they had never been touched by anyone, or anything, except perhaps the catarrh). It was comforting to see some familiar faces at this event, such as those attached to the able bodies of Erik Ellestad (Underhill-Lounge), Joaquin Simo (Death & Co., and one of Playboy Magazine’s top 10 bartenders of the year), Jonathan Pogash (The Cocktail Guru), Zachary Sharaga (Louis 649), Michael Anstendig (food and lifestyle writer), Francine Cohen (Food & Beverage Magazine), and Dave Wondrich (Imbibe!, the book).


Giuseppe Gonzalez, head bartender at Clover Club, and Tal Nadari, the man behind the bols Genever Classic Cocktail Series.

And it was equally delightful to meet some new comrades, especially the two amicable gentlemen sitting next to me: Giuseppe Gonzalez (the head bartender at Clover Club), and Chris Stanley (Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, An Exercise in Hospitality); also Greg Boehm (mastermind behind the re-release of classic cocktail books from MudPuddle Books), and the charming Julie Reiner, the lady with her finger on the pulse of the Cocktail Renaissance and owner of Clover Club. Without her help (and gorgeous bar), and the talents of Stephan, Tal, and Brian, I would not have been able to spend a sybaritic afternoon in my favorite place on Earth—Brooklyn—with some of the nicest folk around. Here’s to Bols Genever, The Bitter Truth, and Clover Club. Cheers and Bottoms Up.



P.S. My slight hangover the next morning was only cured later in the evening by a cocktail at the new Prospect Heights bar, Cornelius. Good luck and welcome to the ’hood.

* Because the Jerry Thomas bitters is difficult to come by, you can substitute it for another bitters, such as Regan's Orange Bitter No. 6, or perhaps a combination of Angostura and The Bitter Truth Orange Bitters (you want both citrus and spice flavors). —Cocktail Buzz

photos © Cocktail Buzz

Mixology Monday XXX: It’s a Brooklyn Thing

The Brooklyn Nonino, perfect for a Brooklyn sunset.

So, what better way to celebrate the place we live than riff on the classic Brooklyn Cocktail, which unfortunately contains the unattainable Amer Picon (and we had no time to create Amer Boudreau . . . but perhaps next time).

Ah, Brooklyn. The borough we love. Our Brooklyn Cocktail variation, which we imbibed tonight while overlooking the Brooklyn (and Manhattan) skyline, is made using another amaro, one of our favorites, Nonino. Bittersweet bliss. And with the addition of a bit of orange rind, the complexity of all of its components reveals itself exposing a bright New World essence that is this great borough. You’ll already have all the other ingredients at home, so go out and get some of that Nonino, stir until cold, and fuhgettaboutit.

Brooklyn Nonino
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces rye (we used Wild Turkey)
1/2 ounce dry vermouth (we used Noilly Prat)
1/4 ounce Amaro Nonino
1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur (we used Luxardo)
orange peel, as garnish

Method

Stir all but garnish in a pint glass 2/3-filled with ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.


Greetings from the Buzzed Boyz in Brooklyn.

photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz