Cocktail Hacker

I’m going to take a bit of a break from the rigors of cocktail hacking this week.  But I won’t be stopping my work entirely.  This week I’m going to make homemade Egg Nog.  I’ve not made it before so it should be quite an adventure.  There are zillions of recipes on the net for nog.  I read through the thread on eGullet and there are certainly some great starting points there.  But, being a huge fan of Good Eats and Alton Brown in general I’m going to use his recipe this time around.  If you’re interested in watching the show it’s season 9 episode 13.  I’m a giant nerd and have all the episodes of Good Eats on my AppleTV, but if you’re not quite that hardcore, then you can watch the episode here.

I’ll drop an update next weekend on how the nog turned out, until then I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving and enjoy some wonderful cocktails.

Ok, so I really tried to like the Champagne Cocktail and I can’t say that I didn’t, but it certainly wasn’t great.  I found that no matter what bitters you use I simply couldn’t get enough of their flavor to shine through to make it worth using decent Champagne.  I also changed up the method to see if that would help.  I found little to no difference between Gary Regan’s method (bitters soaked sugar cube then champagne) and Robert Hess’ method (champagne then bitters soaked sugar cube).  Although if I have to choose I’d say fill the glass with champagne first then drop in the cube.  This way the cocktail foams much less and therefore you lose less of the evervescence.

The picture above illustrates one issue that I found with the cocktail.  No matter which method you use after a short time (45-60 seconds) you’ll find that you have a layer of white sugar at the very bottom with a layer of bitters syrup immediately on top.  As a result you end up with very little of the bitters combining with the cocktail and, as I mentioned above, little of the bitters’ flavors come through.  I did find a solution to this issue though.  Champagne is generally served in flutes these days, but there is another glass that is traditional, the Champagne saucer or coupe.  These glasses are basically a shallow bowl on a stem.  I don’t have any Champagne coupes in my glassware collection right now, although I’m certainly going to have to look for some, so I tried serving the cocktail in a cocktail glass.

This actually helped bring the flavor of the bitters out a bit more in the finished product.  My somewhat educated guess as to why this is the case is that the champagne circulates more in a wider, more open glass.  This in turn better circulates the bitters and sugar and leads to better mixing over all.  Although this method was definitely a vast improvement it was still very lacking.  So, I next tried a method inspired by Jerry Thomas’ original recipe.

In his recipe Jerry calls for shaking the Champagne, bitters and sugar with ice before serving.  Although this would most certainly cause your shaker to explode if you used a full glass of wine it would also mix the bitters and sugar very very well.  So I came up with a hybrid method.  In your shaker combine an ounce of Champagne (give or take), a teaspoon of simple syrup and three dashes of Angostura bitters.  Shake for a bit and add to your cocktail glass.  Be careful when opening the shaker, even with this small amount of Champagne mine popped open quite violently.  Top your shaken mixture with Champagne to fill you glass.

This method definitely integrates the bitters and sugar much better.  What I found was a bit surprising though, the cocktail was still not that great.  For you analytical types on a scale of one to meh I’d rate it about a 7.3.  So, what’s the solution you ask?  I think it’s quite simple.  If you have some crappy Champagne leftover by all means mix up a Champagne cocktail, you won’t be displeased, you just won’t be wowed.  And use a cocktail glass to get better bitters and sugar mixing.  On the other hand, if you have some mid-grade to excellent Champagne left over do yourself a favor and just drink the bubbly as-is.  It’s wonderful stuff and generally doesn’t need to be fooled around with.

And yet at the same time a very good start.   I just received an order of bitters from KegWorks and I’m looking forward to trying them all in the weeks to come.  I think I may even be able to leverage some of these in this week’s cocktail.

The Champagne cocktail is quite possibly one of the simplest cocktails you’ll find, but there is still a considerable amount of variability available.  And it’s on that variability that I’ll be playing this week.  In the Joy of Mixology Gary Regan mentions that the first mention of this cocktail is in Jerry Thomas’ How to Mix Drinks, but comments on the strange method.

How to Mix Drinks Or, The Bon-vivant’s Companion, Containing … Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States, Together with the Most Popular British, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish Recipes By Jerry Thomas, Christian Schultz

Certainly this method is beyond strange.  Why on earth would you add Champagne to a shaker with ice and shake?  You’d lose much of the effervescence that the Champagne would bring and as Gary mentions “the shaker would explode when opened.”  In light of that I’m going to use that method, but I am going to stick with the Joy of Mixology for my starting recipe which remains nearly identical to the recipe Thomas lists.

Champagne Cocktail

[Ingredients]

1 Sugar Cube Soaked in Angostura Bitters
5 1/2 oz Chilled Champagne
Lemon Twist

[Directions]

1) Soak the sugar cube in bitters
2) Add the sugar to the Champagne flute
3) Top with Champagne
4) Garnish with the lemon twist

Darcy from Art of Drink came up with the Imbiber’s 100, a list of 100 drinks any good imbiber should try before they die.  This list is a fantastic spin off of the Omnivore’s 100 that I chimed in on a couple month’s ago.  So here is my offering.

I scored a 56/100 so it looks like I have some serious imbibing left to do in my lifetime.

Instructions:

1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment here and link to your results.

OR

If you don’t have a blog, just count the ones you’ve tried and post the number in the comments section.

List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
15. Chateau d’Yquem
16. Budweiser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
21. Mai Tai (original)
22. Ice Wine (Canadian)
23. Red Bull
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
26. Tokaji
27. Chicory
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Ice Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate
64. German Riesling
65. Pina Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guiness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)

As a card carrying man its a bit difficult to enjoy pink drinks, at least in public.  But, my friends, after a week of experimentation I can assure you that the Cosmopolitan is well worth swallowing your pride for.  This week was particularly well suited for analysis and experimentation.  In my initial search for recipes an interesting trend came the surface.  There seem to be two general families of Cosmos.  The difference between the families is the amount of cranberry juice each utilizes.  The recipe I started the week with (Gary Regan’s) is part the cranberry for color family.  The second is the cranberry for flavor family.

The first recipe I played with was Gary Regan’s from the Joy of Mixology.  I found this recipe to be extremely well balanced and the citrus and sweet components were perfect.  I think it can best be described as a Margarita for people who don’t like Tequila, which isn’t particularly surprising given the similar ingredients.  Further spurred on by Matt’s suggestions I decided that this would be a good recipe to test the effects of using regular vodka in place of the suggested citrus vodka.  On the initial nose the two cocktails are indistinguishable.  The flavor on the other hand is more complex with the addition of the citrus vodka.  That said, the use of regular vodka in no way makes this a bad cocktail.  In fact, in the cranberry for flavor recipes I think the citrus vodka is nearly covered anyway and as such I’d recommend using whatever vodka you like.

My next side by side comparison utilized a cranberry for flavor recipe and compared whether its worth using pure cranberry juice or if cranberry cocktail should be the choice.  In the picture above the cocktail on the left I made using cranberry juice and the one on the left using cranberry juice cocktail.  The first thing you’re certain to notice is the much deeper red color that the pure cranberry juice produces.  The resulting flavors are also quite different, but both very good.  The pure cranberry juice is more tart and offers a much more intense cranberry flavor.  Additionally the tartness causes you to slow down in your consumption which is not an all together bad thing at times.  The cranberry juice cocktail on the other hand produced a less tart, sweeter cocktail with a less intense cranberry flavor.  This drink is much more drinkable.  In these proportions the percentage of alcohol is low enough that the drink will freeze if placed in a freezer (I found this one out by accident).  I mention this because I think this recipe could be used either as a punch or as a basis for a punch.

To summarize this experiment I would suggest using cranberry juice cocktail if you’re looking for a drink that is sweeter and puts more emphasis on the lime and cointreau flavors.  If you’re looking for something a bit more tart and complex definitely give the pure cranberry juice a go sometime.  If you’re making a recipe from the cranberry for color family I think the real cranberry juice is worth the extra cost as it yields a cocktail with a much deeper color.  However, one final note.  Pure cranberry juice is a little on the pricey side (mine was about $9 for a bottle) and I can’t really envision anyone drink the stuff straight so you might want to freeze some or plan to mix it with something else so you don’t waste what’s not used in your cocktails.

So the final Cocktail Hacker verdict for this week is that I like two recipes.  One from each family.  From the cranberry for color family I like Gary Regan’s recipe from the Joy of Mixology.

Cosmopolitan [Cranberry for Color]

[Ingredients]

1 1/2 oz Citrus Vodka
1 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 - 2 dashes Cranberry Juice for Color
Garnish with a Lime Wedge

[Directions]

1) Combine ingredients in a shaker
2) Add ice and shake until chilled
3) Strain in to a chilled cocktail glass

And from the cranberry for flavor family I like the simple recipe (#1) from Difford’s Guide.

Cosmopolitan [Cranberry for Flavor]

[Ingredients]

1 oz Citrus Vodka
1 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 1/2 oz Cranberry Juice
Garnish with a Lime Wedge

[Directions]

1) Combine ingredients in a shaker
2) Add ice and shake until chilled
3) Strain in to a chilled cocktail glass

So, if you’re a bit worried about ordering a pink cocktail you certainly have nothing to fear in this one.  The Cosmopolitan is a fantastic cocktail that is well worth your time.  Plus, you’re comfortable in your manhood and you can drink whatever you damn well please.  And if anyone gives you any crap, finish off your Cosmo, then use some of your ninja moves you learned from late night TV on them.  They’ll never mess with the crazy guy again.

I’m a bit late this week but fear not we’ll be enjoying a new cocktail.  I haven’t given much time to vodka on the blog thus far and that’s partly due to the fact that by itself it’s not particularly exciting.  However, it still reigns as the most popular spirit sold today.  So there must be something all those people see in it.  I think one of the amazing uses for vodka is its ability to take on other flavors with ease.  This week’s cocktail is a great example of that.

The Cosmopolitan utilizes citrus flavored vodka.  This choice does two things, one it brings some great citrus flavors to the party which really add to the flavor complex of cocktail, and two the vodka thins the strong flavors of the other ingredients.  This “thinning” allows the other flavors to come through without covering them by the spirit’s inherent flavor.  I’ll be starting my exploration with Gary Regan’s recipe from the Joy of Mixology.

Cosmopolitan

[Ingredients]

1 1/2 oz Citrus Vodka
1 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 - 2 dashes Cranberry Juice for Color
Garnish with a Lime Wedge

[Directions]

1) Combine ingredients in a shaker
2) Add ice and shake until chilled
3) Strain in to a chilled cocktail glass

Sorry for the dearth of posts this week.  There was a political event happening and I was paying attention to that.   But, fear not, that did not keep me from my work with the Gimlet.  The first experimental track I followed was altering the proportions.  As I mentioned in the intro post the recipe on the bottle of Rose’s Lime suggests a ratio of 3:2 (Gin:Rose’s).  I found these proportions to be too sweet for my taste.  I dropped the Rose’s down so I had a ratio of 2:1 and found that the resultant drink was much more to my liking.

I had some folks over to watch the election coverage on Tuesday so I had some willing participants in the experimentation.  Sean, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts favors a less sweet cocktail.  With that in mind we did a bit of experimentation and found that a ration of 4:1:1 (Gin:Rose’s:Lime Juice) worked really well.  I will say though that this is no longer strictly a Gimlet.  It is however quite tasty and I would highly recommend it as a Gimlet alternative if you’re not in favoring the sweetness but like the lime flavor.  In fact in reading up on the history of the cocktail it seems there are two schools of Gimlets.  Those utlizing Rose’s Lime and those centered on fresh lime juice.  It seems that the fresh lime juice version may slightly predate the Rose’s recipe but beared a different name so in my opinion can’t really be called the first Gimlet.  If you’d like to read a bit more about history of the Gimlet I highly suggest taking a peek at David Wondrich’s excellent write up in this eGullet thread.

And, being one to not leave well enough alone I wondered if I could make a better lime cordial.  The answer paradoxically enough is yes AND no.  I followed Sonja’s recipe from Thinking of Drinking and made a wonderful batch of homemade lime cordial.  However in a Gimlet it lacks the characteristic funkiness that the Rose’s brings to the party and I must say that’s one of the things I really enjoy about the cocktail.  So now you see my paradox.  I’ve created a great homemade lime cordial but it in turn doesn’t make what I consider a great Gimlet.  Gary Regan put it well in The Bartender’s Bible “I’m inclined to think that Rose’s was the ingredient that invented the drink.”  I’ll take it a step further to claim that Rose’s is the ingredient that defines the drink.

One final note.  While reading the history given by David Wondrich I noted an interesting tidbit.  This cocktail was originally conceived to help prevent scurvy on sailing vessels.  And, as noted in the history naval vessels of the period commonly carried “Navy Strength” spirits.  The notable feature of these is their higher proof, generally around 110 versus the common 80-90 found in most spirits today.  So with this information in hand I used the only high proof Gin I had in my collection, Old Raj, and mixed up a 2:1 Gimlet.  This my friends, I feel is the answer.  You still get the flavor of the Rose’s but the Gin kick is noticeably increased.  Another, less expensive, option is Plymouth Navy Strength.  I’ve not tried it but seeing as Plymouth is my go to Gin these days I’m guessing its quite delicious.  So on that note I leave you with our recipe.

Cocktail Hacker Gimlet

[Ingredients]

2 oz Navy Strength Gin
1 oz Rose's Lime

[Directions]

1) Pour over ice
2) Stir to chill

Well, Halloween week is over for this year and I had a damn fine time.  Hope you were able to get some good ideas from my posts, but now we must move on.  This week, as you doubtless know, is election week and following that theme I’m highlighting the Gimlet.  What does the Gimlet have to do with election week you ask?  Nothing actually, just seemed like a good segue.  I first heard about this cocktail from my friend and loyal CH reader Matt Beasley.  We were at a party at a mutual friend’s and we only had gin and limes on hand, a sad situation I know.  Matt wisely suggested that we make some Faux-Gimlets.  So we mixed up some lime juice, sugar and Gin.  It was a pretty delicious.  Strangely though, I never made the real version using Rose’s Lime, until now.  The recipe I’m starting with is directly off the Rose’s Lime bottle.

Gimlet - A la Rose's Lime

[Ingredients]

1 1/2 oz Gin
1 oz Rose's Lime

[Directions]

1) Stir with ice