Cocktail Hacker

Given my love for crafting cocktails I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I also love to cook. From time to time I take cooking classes at the Cooking School of the Rockies, a local school here in Boulder. At my last class, a course on the history and use of different kinds of salt put on by Savory Spice Shop, I met Mark Stiltner. Mark and I chatted for a bit about who we were and what we did, etc. A few minutes into our conversation I mentioned that in my free time I experimented with cocktails.

Mark’s eyes immediately lit up and he began telling me about a new business he was starting. At that point Mark transformed into his alter ego Danger Chef as he told me all about a line of cocktail rimming salts that he’s producing that combine chile flavors and other natural flavors directly with the salt. Being a huge chile head I was intrigued. He then pulled a small sample from his bag and we had a taste. Mark uses a unique process in creating his salts that allows him to actually coat the salt crystals with the flavor. While this may not seem all that interesting from my experience attempting to rim with a combo of salt and cayenne pepper I can tell you it’s actually really impressive.

So, following that initial sample we chatted for some more and Mark promised to ship me some samples to review. I’ve been hoarding those samples for a while now waiting for an appropriate cocktail to feature them with. I had three salts to sample. Two Margarita salts – Habanero Pineapple and Jalapeno Lime and one Bloody Mary Salt – Smoked Cayenne. Seems only appropriate that I should let you all know about these salts during the week I’m experimenting with the Bloody Mary. The verdict? Awesome.

Habanero Pineapple: Solo – Quite spicy but still very well balanced with a hint of the pineapple fruitiness coming through. With a Margarita – I absolutely love this flavor combination. Adding chile bitters to a margarita is one of my favorite twists and these salts offer nearly the same experience. This salt blend is definitely the hottest of the three I reviewed but also my favorite.

Jalapeno Lime: Solo – Very mild spiciness with the lime flavor present as well. With a Margarita – This is the mildest of the three heat wise but still a great option for adding a touch of spice and some extra flavor to your cocktails. This should be the choice if you’re wanting to try adding spice to your cocktails but aren’t a dyed in the wool chile heads like myself.

Smoked Cayenne: Solo – Awesome smokey flavor from the alder wood smoked salt with a great heat level. With a Bloody Mary – I found that the smokiness really went fantastically well with the flavors of the Bloody Mary. To make it balance nicely drop your usual levels of salt and hot sauce in your Bloody Mary. The salt on the rim will fill in. I think this salt could also go really well in a cocktail with a smokey mezcal. Sadly I haven’t gotten to give that option a try yet.

Overall, I’m really impressed with these salts. For a little under $6 each you really can’t go wrong and they’ll add a nice new level of flavor to your cocktails. You can pick them up at Mark’s site, DangerChef.com. Thanks for the samples Mark!

† The product reviewed here was provided to me as a free sample. If you’re wondering what that means check out my sample policy.

When I was at Tales of the Cocktail in July I met Steven Williams one of the reps from Pacific Distillery located in Woodinville, WA. We struck up a conversation and I was intrigued to hear that they had recently released a new gin. When Steven heard that I was from Colorado we reached an agreement. I would send them a bottle of Leopold Brother’s Gin and in return I’d get a bottle of their new Voyager gin.

I followed up on my end of the deal and my bottle of Voyager arrived shortly after my shipment headed West. Naturally, I didn’t waste any time in opening it. Voyager is a small batch gin distilled in alembic copper pot stills. The botanicals used are pretty traditional as their bottle points out. They include juniper, coriander, licorice root, cardamom, anise seed, lemon, orange, orris, angelica, and cassia. In the aroma you’ll first pick up the juniper, followed by citrus, orange primarily, and hints of the other botanicals. Overall a tremendously pleasing start to my tasting.

As you take your sip the first thing you’re going to notice is a very light subtle sweetness. Then the botanicals start to come out. The cardamom comes through first accompanied by the expected citrus and juniper. This gin isn’t boldly junipery but rather blends the flavors of all the botanicals very evenly. I think it would work tremendously well in a Ramos Gin Fizz or a Martini. Basically you want a recipe where the gin can really shine through.

Finally, I circle back to the subtle sweetness of this gin. It’s really a pleasing twist and I find myself wanting to simply sip on this gin neat which is certainly something I can’t say about most gins. In summary this is a great gin that you should definitely look at picking up if it’s available in your area.

† The product reviewed here was provided to me as a free sample. If you’re wondering what that means check out my sample policy.

You listened patiently while I waxed poetic about Roundhouse Gin, which I still claim is one of the most interesting and tasty gins I’ve ever tried. Well shortly after posting that review I got an email from Roundhouse‘s founder and distiller Alex Nelson letting me know that they’d recently released Corretto a new coffee liqueur. Knowing this I zipped out and picked up a bottle.

Corretto is aptly named after a popular coffee preparation in Italy, the Caffe Corretto. In a Caffe Corretto your shot of espresso is corrected with the addition of a shot of liquor. I think I could really change my stance on coffee if I can expect each cup to have a nice shot of alcohol included in each.

Given this week’s cocktail it seemed like a great time for a review. The White Russian always calls for another prominent coffee liqueur, which for this review will remain nameless. It seemed only logical that I should compare the two. Corretto has a light maple syrup color while the other is darker, closer to molasses. The nose on the Corretto is certainly lighter than the leading brand, but has a cleaner coffee aroma.

Let’s face it the flavor is what really counts. Corretto is less sweet but the coffee flavor is intense and very fresh. While I do like the leading brand quite a lot for me Corretto is the winner. Alex summed it up best in his email when he described Corretto as “a coffee liqueur that’s been blowing the pants off of <nameless giant> in our blind taste tests.” If Corretto is for sale in your area pick up a bottle. If not, let me know and we can work something out. Either way happiness will ensue.

This won’t come as a surprise to most of you, but, I drink a lot of gin. It is hands down my favorite spirit for cocktails and my collection shows that. At present my home collection contains around 20 bottles. That aside, up until last week I didn’t have a bottle of Beefeater in my collection, which is tremendously strange. Why? Well, whenever I’m out at a restaurant and I’m ordering my fallback drink, the Gin and Tonic, I always order it with Beefeater. For me the flavor is perfect for a G&T.

As you bring a glass of Beefeater to your nose you’re immediately going to notice both citrus and juniper aromas in perfect balance. Neither aroma overcomes the other. The initial flavor echoes the same perfect balance. Both flavors are crisp, clean and not over powering. As you continue to sip you’ll notice a nice warming effect and the other botanical flavors will start to emerge. You’ll get no burn from this spirit as you swallow it, which is a bit surprising unto itself given Beefeater is 94 proof. Finally the finish is tremendously pleasant and marked with juniper and herbal flavors. Overall a really fantastic gin.

The primary reason this gin is my go-to for a G&T is that balance between citrus and juniper. I like to be able to taste the juniper flavors in my drink but, at the same time, the citrus pairs really well with the tonic’s flavors and the lime. A gin such as Beefeater that balances those components gives you the best of both worlds. One final note. You’ll notice in the picture that the bottle is nearly half empty. That’s because every Ramos Gin Fizz I’ve made this week has used Beefeater. I think it’s a great pairing for this drink as well. The citrus pairs well with the juices and the juniper flavor makes the drink much more complex. But, more on that as I wrap up on Saturday.

Earlier this week a bottle of Cruzan Single Barrel arrived on my doorstep to sample. Looking back it was clearly brought by some kind of booze angel. Never having tasted a single barrel rum before I popped the cork that night and poured a bit noticing first the mellow amber color. This color is imparted during it’s dual aging process. First the rum is aged for 4-12 years in refilled bourbon or whiskey barrels. After this first aging the rums are blended to the satisfaction of master distiller Gary Nelthropp. Once the blend is perfected the spirit is returned to the barrel, new American white oak this time, for a second aging. 6 – 12 months later, when the flavor profile is just right, Cruzan Single Barrel is bottled, numbered and sent off for lucky rum lovers to enjoy.

My first whiff of this delightful elixir introduced me to a wide range of vanilla notes and oaky aromas. You can definitely tell this rum was aged in new oak barrels for that second aging. In the vanilla and oaky aroma you also pick up the sweetness of this rum. On your tongue those vanilla and oaky flavors are more fully expressed. The light sweetness detected in the aroma comes through in a very pleasant way that works extremely well with the complex vanilla notes in this rum. The spirit has a lasting light finish echoing the oak and vanilla notes.

Since the bottle arrived Monday and I had my first taste that evening I’ve been having a small bit, neat, every evening as a night cap. This rum truly is wonderful tasting and it’s complex flavor keeps me coming back sip after sip. Although I have been drinking the rum neat I’ve included a couple munchies in my tasting. Last night I sampled it with a bit of homemade banana bread, which was simply fantastic. Tuesday I tried it with a bit of good quality milk chocolate, also super tasty. I think it would also go very well with fresh tropical fruits like mango or pineapple. All these additions aside first give it a try all by itself with nothing to complicate the enjoyment. You may find yourself simply sipping and enjoying the flavor of this complex rum all on it’s own. I know I certainly have.