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.

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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.)

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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.

The Perfect Gin and Tonic

Gin and Tonic is a summer standard. It’s easy to make a drink when the recipe is its name.

Now that summer is officially here according to our social calendars, gin is in. Every gin drinker has a favorite way to make a gin and tonic. For some, substitutions will not do. We have several ways of making this refreshing cooler, and they all have the same 2:1 ratio of tonic to gin. One of our readers wanted to know about tonics and how they interact with different brands of gin.

“I’ve been trying to perfect gin and tonics for the summer, but always feel that the mainstay tonics — Canada Dry and Schweppes — could stand replacement with a better product. I’ve heard of a few boutique tonics, but haven’t had any luck locating any. Can you identify these products, and possibly even do an evaluation of various tonics?”

— Chris Boerboom, Brooklyn, NY

So to answer Chris’s question, we did a gin-and-tonic tasting using four different readily available gins we had on hand and three different tonics, all in our standard 2:1 ratio, plus lime wedge. Even though taste is very subjective, but we made a few discoveries along the way, namely that a dry gin is preferable, and that tonic with corn syrup is a little too sweet and leaves a bitter and somewhat chemical aftertaste. That said, here were our favorites:

1. Bombay Dry Gin and Fever Tree Tonic: Regarding London dry gins, Fever Tree Tonic is a great foil. This gin and tonic is refreshingly balanced (you can taste all three ingredients), clean and smooth, with a slightly bitter taste (but no change in the finish, it’s a consistent flavor)

2. Tanqueray Dry Gin and Fever Tree Tonic: This gin and tonic is a little sweeter than our first recommendation. The gin is more prominent, and the bitterness is stronger yet pleasant.

3. Tanqueray and Canada Dry Tonic: If you cannot locate Fever Tree Tonic, you can go to your grocery store and pick up this tonic that uses corn syrup. Sweetness and bitterness are balanced when mixing this commercially produced tonic with Tanqueray, but the overall effect is a sweeter start and a bitter finish.

Overall, we prefer London Dry Gins (the drier the better, with mild juniper taste) and Fever Tree Tonic (available at finer grocery stores . . . ask your grocer to stock it).

You may have your own preferred brand of tonic (there are lots more out there). You may want to try Q Tonic and Fentimans with your favorite gin and see if any sparks fly. And by all means, don’t stick to the 2:1 ratio if that doesn’t cut it. After all, it is your drink. Don’t settle for something you don’t like.

Gin and Tonic

Ingredients
1 1/2 (or 2) ounces gin
3 (or 4) ounces tonic water
ice
lime wedge, optional

Method
In a highball glass filled with ice, add the gin, stir a bit, and then top with tonic water. Give it another quick stir. Garnish with a lime wedge for extra flavor.

Serve with potato chips or some other salty snack.

We would love to hear from you. Let us know your favorite duo for making your perfect gin & tonic.

For more cocktail and party food ideas, visit us at www.CocktailBuzz.com.

Photo © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz