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).

❤ ❤ ❤

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

Love the Manhattan { a riff on our most cherished cocktail }

Manhattans = Love. Enjoy a Black Manhattan to celebrate the month of l’amour.

Deep in the heart of winter, February rolls around with a promise of love to warm you up. Another perfect way to warm up is with the cocktail we truly love, the Manhattan. It’s the ideal antidote to a bitter-cold winter evening. It evokes age-old cocktail glamour and satisfies like nothing else. We love a two-to-one ratio of whiskey to sweet vermouth, with a dash or two of bitters. Beyond that, there is room to play. You can substitute Averna, a bittersweet Sicilian amaro, for the vermouth for a deep, rich Black Manhattan; or Mirto, a Sardinian sloe berry liqueur that adds almost a hint of menthol. And if you don’t want to stray too far from our favored recipe, you can enjoy an Orange Bitters Manhattan. Just make sure you have some orange bitters on hand and a more bitter vermouth, such as Punt e Mes. For brownie points, try mixing in a new whiskey variety for your own take on this enduring classic, or another fortified wine, such as Dubonnet rouge, in lieu of the vermouth. The possibilities are endless.



Manhattan
(Cocktail Buzz’s preferred ratio)

Ingredients
2 ounces rye whiskey (or bourbon)
1 ounce sweet vermouth (we like Carpano Antica)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
maraschino, brandied, or marascha cherry, for garnish.

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

Black Manhattan
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces rye whiskey (or bourbon)
1 ounce Averna
2 dashes Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged bitters
maraschino, brandied, or marascha cherry, for garnish.

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

Myrtle Manhattan
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
3/4 ounces rye (we like Sazerac)
3/4 ounces bourbon (we like Eagle Rare Single Barrel)
3/4 ounces mirto (Sardinian or Corsican myrtle liqueur)
dash orange bitters
dash Peychaud’s bitters
maraschino, brandied, or marascha cherry, for garnish.

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

Orange Bitters Manhattan
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces bourbon or rye (try a wheated bourbon, such as Old Fitzgerald’s 1849 or Maker’s Mark)
1 ounces Punt e Mes sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters
maraschino, brandied, or marascha cherry, for garnish.

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

Bacon-Wrapped Dates are a perfect pairing for any of these Manhattans, with the bonus of being incredibly easy to throw together.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Ingredients
2 dozen dates
12 slices bacon (we like regular or low-sodium)
almonds (optional)

Method
You can either preheat oven to 350°F or use an outdoor grill, with hot coals. Cut the bacon in half and wrap a strip around each date. You can insert an almond into the dates through its natural hole if you desire, for added flavor. Place the bacon-wrapped dates (with the seam side down) onto a lined baking sheet, or a grill pan if using an outdoor grill. Bake for 15 minutes, until the bacon looks crispy. If using an outdoor grill, flip the dates, cooking about 5 minutes on each side, or until the bacon looks crispy. Remove from heat and add toothpicks if you desire.

Serves 6.

A version of the article first appeared on BarNoneDrinks.com.

Super Bowl Means Drinks and Snacks and We’ve Got Some Great Recipes

Chorizo Sobres are ideal for a Super Bowl party. Perfect with a Sidewinder, these small bites filled with spiced Spanish sausage and peaches disappear quickly. Serve them with our cooling dipping sauce.

The Super Bowl is like the Oscars: It lasts a lot longer than you think it’s going to. So what are you going to imbibe for four hours while you and your gridiron-loving guests are huddled around the flat screen watching the Steelers and the Packers ram each other? How about some porky apps washed down with a few highballs. But more on that in a moment.

P(r)ep TimeEven though neither team keeps a cheerleading squad on the payroll, you can easily rectify this. During a lull in the action, or better yet, before the game begins, gather your guests and assign a captain/choreographer to come up with some basic, fun cheers for when your team scores a touchdown, safety, or field goal. For extra credit, you or the guest who emits the most artistic flair can create a dance-piece interpretation to be performed as the Black Eyed Peas entertain us with the theme to Dirty Dancing during halftime. (Hint: you and your partner need to rent or stream this iconic movie now to learn a few steps. And when the Black Eyed Peas start their crooning, just go for it and feel the rhythm of the music take control. Your guests will be surprised by your “spontaneity” and be equally impressed with your terpsichorean prowess.)


Go Team! But what are you going to eat and drink for four hours?
Drink Time
To do all this, you’ll need some drinks to carry you through the blessed event, but ones that won’t weigh you down. You don’t want to be snoring in front of the television when your favorite team scores the winning touchdown. We suggest highballs for most of your viewing. And only ones with an ounce or an ounce and a half of booze, filled with ice, and topped with soda or your favorite soft drink. Keep it simple. Keep it tasty. Keep ’em coming. Here are a few recommendations.

Presbyterian

Ingredients
1 to 1/2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
equal parts ginger ale and soda (about 1 ounce each)
ice

Method
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the whiskey. Give it a little stir. Top with ginger ale and soda. If you're feeling fancy, add a lemon twist.

Sidewinder

Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila (you can use reposado tequila if you like a little more bite)
ginger ale (you can use ginger beer is you like a little more zing)
ice
lime wedge

Method
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the tequila. Give it a little stir. Top with ginger ale. Squeeze lime and drop wedge in glass.

And because of the sheer number of Polish-Americans who will be rooting for either team (Milwaukee and Pittsburgh Polish population rivals that of Warsaw), we suggest a Buffalo Fizz.

Buffalo Fizz

(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 to 1/2 ounces Żubrówka (Polish bison grass vodka; try Żu brand)
Sparkling apple cider (such as Martinelli’s)
ice

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

Snack Time
Pigs in a Blanket are perfect with a Buffalo Fizz. Just make sure you make plenty

For some accompanying grub, we suggest some pigs in a blanket and chorizo sobres. And if you’ve already gone through the trouble of deep-frying some of the sobres, why not slice up some sweet potatoes to make some homemade potato crisps, seasoned with a warming spice blend. Just click on the links to read the recipes.

How’s that choreography coming?


Seasoned sweet potato crisps will keep the fans happy throughout the Super Bowl. Just keep a few bowls filled with them scattered about the room.

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.

Happy 2011 from Cocktail Buzz!!!!! Enjoy Our Mocktail!!!!

(Sorry, are we being too loud?)

The Cocktail Buzz Mocktail will get you through your post-Holiday insobriety.

The Season of Good Cheer has come to an end. You overdid it? Welcome to the club, Sister Maria. Perhaps you’d like to take things a bit slower as 2011 starts to come a little more sharply into focus. The hills may no longer be alive with the sound of Santajesusdreidel music, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying something tasty to imbibe.

The following recipe is for you, dear reader, if :

1. You are tired of sipping Holiday punches, throwing back Chocopeppermint shots, or toasting with Herehaveanother champagne cocktails.
2. Your New Years resolution involves the word “healthy” or a variant of the word, as in “I will try to be healthier and not eat 200 gingerbread cookies washed down with Martha Stewart’s eggnog in the span of a week.” (200 may be a personal record, but now you’re regretting it.)
3. You like fresh citrus juices and would like to clear your head for a spell.
4. You want something that’ll taste good with brunch, but won’t give you a hangover by dinnertime.

The Cocktail Buzz Mocktail

(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice (with no sugar added)
1/2 ounce orange juice
1/2 ounce pink grapefruit juice
1/4 ounce agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger and its juice
1 1/2 ounces ginger ale
orange wedge, as garnish

Method
Shake first five ingredients in ice for 15 seconds. Double-strain into a rocks-filled glass. Top with ginger ale. Add garnish.

Note: If using cranberry juice with sugar added, leave out the agave.

If you are having a health-seekers party and would like to pre-batch your Mocktails, you can make a pitcher of them by simply performing a little math and adding some tap:

Ingredients
30 ounces cranberry juice (with no sugar added)
10 ounces orange juice
10 ounces pink grapefruit juice
5 ounces agave nectar
1 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger and its juice
7 1/2 ounces water

Method
 Add ingredients to an empty 64-ounce fruit juice bottle, shake, and chill until ready to serve. (If you are serving your guests, you can keep the bottle in the refrigerator. If you’d like the guests to serve themselves, and you don’t want them messing with your fridge, keep the pitcher in a bucket of ice wherever you decide to create your bar area. See “Also Note,” below.)

Then do the following per drink:

Fill a rocks glass halfway with ice. Shake the bottle containing the Mocktail vigorously for a few seconds. Strain 4 1/2 ounces into the glass. Top with 1 1/2 ounces ginger ale. Garnish with orange wedge.

Note: If using cranberry juice with sugar added, leave out the agave.

Also Note: You will be considered a perfect host if you place a measuring cup by the bottle on ice and write out on an index card the instructions for your guests. Feel free to embellish with colorful stickers or hand-drawn adornments.

For more recipes, and for cocktail-party food pairings, visit us at CocktailBuzz.com.

Photo © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

Cocktail Buzz Holiday Cocktail 2010: Big Apple

Manhattan, meet sparkling cider.

We don’t always come up with a new cocktail in our test kitchen. Sometimes, we’re at a friend’s or relative’s place, and the itch to create a new drink needs to be scratched. Take for instance our recent visit to our friend Matt and Daniel’s swanky Midtown pad for some holiday cheer. Lots of new faces, lots of “What do you do?”s, then Bang! Someone asked if we could come up with something new to go with the sparkling apple cider he brought to the bash.

Luckily we brought with us the makings for some fine Manhattans, so we were eager to see if the sparkling cider and the island’s eponymous cocktail would become friends. Indeed they did, and on the rocks, this baby is smooth and is blessed with a creamy mouthfeel. The nose is slightly caramel, and the first sip proves what your nose already knows. You can control the sweetness by how much sparkling cider you top it with.

So, for those of you searching for a holiday cocktail this season, you need look no further. The Big Apple pairs well with loads of winter Holiday fare unlike its mother, the Manhattan. (Boozy cocktails like Manhattans are notoriously difficult to pair with bread- and vegetable-heavy apps because they leave a burning alcohol sensation on the tongue, and no one wants that.)

Big Apple
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz. rye or bourbon
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
dash aromatic or orange bitters (such as Bitter Truth or Angostura)
generous splash or two sparkling apple cider (such as Martinelli’s)
maraschino, brandied, or marasche cherry, as garnish
ice

Method
Stir first three ingredients in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Top with Sparkling cider. Garnish with cherry.

Cocktail Buzz Island Hops, Aloha Style

The view from the lanai, near Hanalei on Kaua‘i


Our first view of Kaua‘i. Just beautiful.

We had been dreaming of vacationing in Hawaii for what seemed like forever. Steve had been once before, to the Big Island, and ever since then wanted to return. So we planned a two-week excursion, boarded the plane, and headed for our destinations: Hawai‘i (the Big Island), Kaua‘i (the Garden Isle), and Maui (the Valley Isle). We even managed to spend a few hours on Lāna‘i, catching some snorkeling followed by some picnicking on the beach.


Snorkeling off Hulopo‘e Bay, Lāna‘i


Aboard the Paragon, between Maui and Lāna‘i

We ate local, on both humble and grand scales, and drank cocktails using fresh tropical fruits and easy-to-find bottles of whatever booze we fancied our first day at the grocery store for each new island we visited. Our feeling on this matter was mutual: Hawaii is a magical place, a state of tranquility, a tonic for the soul. We drank it up and soaked it all in, and cannot wait to return to revisit some favorite spots, and venture on to new islands.

For more photos and tales from each island we explored, visit our Web site by clicking here.


Flora at the zoo in Hilo, Hawai‘i