Cocktail Hacker

When I started Cocktail Hacker a little over a year ago my liquor shopping trips were strategic in nature, now it’s a decidedly more tactical affair. In times past I would go to the store some times with a goal, more often not, and I would come home with spirits that sounded like they might be good. Problem with that is the little “might” lurking in front of “be good”. Most of the stuff I bought was very good, but there were a select few that just weren’t. Further, of those that were good some of them simply didn’t fit the use I had in mind for them.

Flash forward to today and specifically this week’s cocktail. When I shop now I usually have specific items in mind that I want. Granted I still do some experimenting with my purchases, but it’s no longer the predominant method of selection. As an example, one of this week’s cocktails is the Rum and Coke. Now, I have a pretty sizable rum collection already so that wasn’t really the problem. Problem was my collection wasn’t all that varied. I really want to try a Rum and Coke with a variety of rums (light, gold, dark, spiced, etc) but I want my choice of rum in each to be a solid representation of its respective category. That’s the sort of situation where I turn to the Jedi Masters for advice.

In this case the master of all things rum is Rum Dood (AKA Matt Robold). Dood’s blog is devoted to the subject and there you’ll find well thought out reviews, excellent cocktails and in my case the education I needed on what rums to keep an eye out for. About a month ago I asked Dood for a suggestion on a gold rum for everyday mixing and nearly immediately got back suggestions of Appleton Estate V/X and Mount Gay Eclipse. I opted for the Appleton Estate V/X and the suggestion was spot on. Last week Dood really piqued my interest with a post entitled Rum 101: How to Get Started with Rum. The post offers Dood’s suggested rums from each of the major categories most often used in cocktails.

Today I followed Dood’s guidance once again and picked up bottles of Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum and Flor de Cana Extra Dry White Rum. You’ll be seeing more about those as they relate to cola later in the week. Until then, stop by Dood’s site and take a look at his first Rum 101 lesson. I think you’ll find some valuable insight.

Highballs aren’t exactly new here at Cocktail Hacker. I’ve covered the Gin & Tonic and the Dark and Stormy in the past. Around Superbowl time I even put up some tips on creating your own DIY highball bar for your party. But, one category I haven’t touched on as yet is the class of cola based highballs. You all know them and I’d be willing to bet you’ve all tried them.

I don’t think there’s a ton I can offer this subject as regards the recipes themselves. So rather I’ll be focusing on the spirits this go round. What’s the best type of rum to make a Rum & Coke? I’m not sure quite yet but I aim to find out. Is a Jack & Coke really best with Jack Daniels or is it simply excellent marketing. Again, I’m there to find out. The two drinks I’m going to be focusing on this week are the Rum & Coke and the Whiskey & Coke.

If you’ve got suggestions for the spirits I should try out, please chime in. I’m truly interested in hearing what folks like in these classic drinks. The recipe I’ll be using as my basis of comparison is:

Cola Highball

2 oz Spirit

6 oz Cola

1) Combine ingredients over ice in a highball glass

I realize this ratio may be a bit cola heavy for some, but I’m looking more at the summer BBQ type of drink. One that will take you a bit to consume but still offers sufficient kick.

This week I’m focusing my efforts on another cocktail that was nearly lost to the annals of time, the 20th Century Cocktail. Invented in 1939 by C.A. Tuck and first published in the Cafe Royal Bar Book published in the same year. But don’t be confused, this cocktail wasn’t named after the century itself but rather the Twentieth Century Limited, a train that ran from Chicago to New York. The train had a number of notable features that put it head and shoulders above it’s competitors of the day.

20th Century Express - Library of Congress

First, it could make the trip from NYC to Chicago in only 16 hours. Second, it offered a barbershop and secretarial service and guests boarded and disembarked via a plush red carpet, hence the term “the red capet treatment.” Third, the train was put in to service in the early 1900’s but received a fresh new look in 1938 when it was given a streamlined Art Deco look. This change in look and the associated ad campaign are certainly what inspired this cocktail.

The drink was rediscovered by Ted “Dr. Cocktail” Haigh and I’ll be starting my exploration with the recipe found in his book Vintage Cocktails and Spirits.

20th Century Cocktail

1 1/2 oz Gin

3/4 oz Lillet Blonde

3/4 oz White Creme de Cacao

3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Lemon Twist (Garnish)

1) Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice

2) Shake until well chilled

3) Strain into a chilled cocktail glass

4) Garnish with a lemon twist

I’ve added a new page to the Cocktail Hacker site, namely my Liquor Cabinet. It’s bit rough right now but my plan is this. I’m going to update this page on a quarterly basis with what’s in the “cabinet” including an updated picture. At some point I’d also like to expand it, or make another page, to include my recommended ingredients to get you mixing. If there is anything amazing that I’m lacking, which I know there are, let me know.

Cocktail Hacker – Liquor Cabinet

So, last night I noticed something really interesting when pouring one of my sample Singapore Slings. I mixed up the cocktail per the recipe and, although this might lose my cocktail nerd card (again), I poured the entire contents of the tin into my collins glass, ice and all. Then I noticed something truly intriguing. The ice was at the bottom of the glass, under the cocktail. Slowly, over the course of about 3-4 minutes the air in the cocktail finally bubbled out and the ice rose to the top.

Another interesting note followed that. I added a couple cubes more ice to the drink and found that the foam was so thick that the ice wouldn’t drop down in to the cocktail. Now, I can offer a bit of explanation for the first bit of weirdness. It’s a simple matter of density. Since there is so much air in the drink in the way of tiny bubbles the cocktail is actually less dense than the ice and therefore the ice sinks.

Now to the question of why are there so many bubbles in this cocktail at all…I have no idea. I can only speculate that it’s due in large part to the pineapple juice.

Anyone have a better or more complete explanation?