Cocktail Hacker

Yar, me mateys. On the morrow ye’ll be talking like a salty sea dog, but will ye be drinkin’ as much? I’d bet me grog you haven’t planned for it. Yarrrr, I can’t do that anymore. To you native pirate talkers, my hat is off to you. But seriously, tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day. What say we also drink like pirates and do the day up right?

Jolly Roger by JDM77

Grog is what you’ve likely heard that pirates drank. And, to be traditional, you could certainly drink that as well. Though, seeing as it’s simply a mix of rum and water, I think I’ll be going with something a bit more tasty. As an interesting side note, the whole reason grog came about is because the sailors were originally given their water and rum rations separately. Problem is, when some sailors saved up a few days rum rations and had them all at once, bad things happened.

So, let’s see what other options we’ve got. Sticking with the rum I’m betting pirates often had punch when they came in to port. The fruits were readily available and I’m certain they would have put them to good use. But, if you were out at sea where fruit wasn’t readily available you likely would be drinking bumbo. Bumbo is a mixture of rum, water, sugar and spices. This drink seems like a natural offshoot of grog. It was far more flavorful and the sugar would make it even better.

Let’s do a thought experiment. Say you’re a pirate and you’re cruising the seas. Being an opportunistic bunch, were you to come across a British Navy vessel, chances are, you’d raid them. And during that raid, you’re likely to plunder some gin and lime cordial. Can you say Gimlet time! Same would go for brandy and whiskey. You’re definitely not going to be seeing cocktails like those that I usually mix, but I think you’d be drinking far more than just grog.

All that aside, we’re not pirates and thankfully we have a lot more ingredients at our disposal. So, here’s my vote. Let’s drink like a pirate would have given they had the means. For me and my friends that means we’ll be drinking Salty Dogs, Navy Grog and Rum Old Fashioneds, for the classic bumbo feel.

Yar, me friends. Drink well, let yer sails be full and yer booty be plentiful.

Tasting spiced rum there are certain things I look for. First, the base rum should be good. Flavored crappy rum is still crappy rum. Second, the flavors should taste natural. I don’t want the rum to taste like the producer added some bottled extracts and called it good. Third, and finally, the spice flavors should be distinct and not muddled. It’s easy to add a bunch of flavors and end up with a muddled mess. It’s considerably more difficult to combine distinct flavors while keeping them distinct yet harmonious.

BlackBeard Spiced Rum passes my rigorous testing protocol and comes out the other side with me smiling. The bottle notes the key spices are vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. And, while the nutmeg and cinnamon play side roles, the vanilla is definitely the star. The vanilla flavor is smooth and fresh with no chemical notes. Just what I like.

This rum plays extremely well with Coke. Though, I do have a recommendation. Add less Coke than you normally would, I’d keep it about 3:1 Coke to rum, tops. That keeps the rum flavor from being over diluted. A twist of lime is good if you’d like to change things up. Good stuff. BlackBeard would also make for an interesting twist on the Mojito.

Overall, it’s a great spiced rum. Less complex than others, but that’s not really a bad thing. The spices it does include it does very well.

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

What first struck me as I looked at the review bottle of Reyka vodka I had been sent was the bottle itself and not how you’d think. The bottle design is unique with “Iceland” (it’s home country) embossed around the shoulder, but that’s not what caught my eye. What I really enjoy is the glass itself. In a time where things are becoming purer, cleaner, more sterile, the glass in the Reyka bottle has tiny bubbles. It reminds me of an earlier time when things were made by hand. Now, don’t think I need saving from my naive views. I have no doubt this design detail was fully intentional. Matters not to me, though, I like it.

Okay, moving on to what you’re really interested in, the spirit itself. The color, as you’d fully expect is crystal clear. The aroma is of clean alcohol only and the flavor is crisp and tremendously clean. There is no aftertaste and the finish is very short. This is a top shelf vodka to be sure. This is going to sound campy, so brace yourself. This vodka tastes like my mental image of Iceland. Crisp glacial water flowing over lava rock. Expanses of open country. A slower pace of life. Almost a return to times gone by. Campiness over, thanks for indulging me.

So, here’s the key point. I like this vodka. It’s crisp, clean and nearly flavor/odorless. Exactly what you’re looking for in a high quality vodka. To make things even better, it’s reasonably priced ~$30 depending where you go. And, to seal the deal, it just won the Vodka Trophy at the International Wine and Spirits Competition held in London.

Skál!

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

For me, certain cocktails are inexorably linked to points in time and space. The Daiquiri is linked, in my mind, to the thriving nightlife of Cuba in the 1930’s. The Martini to the 1980’s. The Cosmo will forever be tied to Sex in the City and, going forward, the Bee’s Knees will be the cocktail linked to the Flappers of the 1920’s.

The term bee’s knees originated as flapper slang. Other notables from that era that survive include “the cat’s meow” and “the big cheese”. I digress. The Bee’s Knees reminds me of a time when spirits were of poor quality (Prohibition). Think “bathtub gin” and masking their flavors was priority number one in cocktail creation. This cocktail, however, does that subtly, without over-masking the flavors of the spirits.

Bee's Knees (Cocktail Hacker)

2 oz Gin

3/4 oz Honey Syrup

3/4 oz Lemon Juice

1) Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice

2) Shake until well chilled

3) Strain into a chilled cocktail glass 

Some notes. First, honey syrup is super simple. One part water, one part honey, shake, done. Next, note the ratio of lemon to syrup. The 1:1 ratio is key on this one. That ratio balances the sweet and sour perfectly. For a sweeter or drier cocktail you can increase or decrease both ingredients, just keep them in balance.

So, what’s the long and short on this cocktail? It’s great. The gin comes through as the clear star. Go with a complex gin, you’ll be well rewarded. As for the honey, my first suggestion is to go with something local. You’ll get the flavors of your terroir, to be pompous, and you’ll be supporting local business. Though, if you’re feeling bold, try a varietal honey like orange flower or clover. Though, be prepared with an equally bold gin to stand up to the honey’s flavor.

In summary, this drink really is the Bee’s Knees. Okay, that was lame, but give this cocktail a try. It’s good, I promise.

Creating original cocktails from scratch is something that’s always been a challenge for me. Where should I start? What spirit should I use? Often, I find myself stuck. So, on the occasion that I’m struck with inspiration, it’s a great feeling. I got that feeling when sampling ALO last week. ALO Elated has a nice green tea flavor and that got me thinking what would work well with tea. My first thoughts were of the classic tea garnish, lemon, but what spirit to use. Then I had a moment that can best be described as a mix between an “aha” and “well, duh” moment. Honey. Honey vodka to be specific. I recently sampled, and loved, Spring44 Honey Vodka so that was the natural choice. Enough blather, here’s the recipe.

Honeysuckle

2 oz ALO Elated

2 oz Spring44 Honey Vodka

1/4 oz Lemon Juice

2 Dashes Bitters

1) Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice

2) Shake until well chilled

3) Strain into a chilled cocktail glass

The flavors in this cocktail are not unexpected. Subtle notes of honey and tea run throughout the flavor profile. The lemon comes through as only a bare touch of sourness and lemon flavor. The drink is not overly sweet and yet not dry, just right. The bitters add depth and complexity and a lovely layer of spice. Just what this cocktail needed.

I leave the bitters up to you. I used Robert Hess’ House Bitters which were great, the ginger and cardamom flavors play really well with the tea and honey. That said, I think you could use any other aromatic bitter that you like, or even just some orange bitters to play up the citrus.

Since this is one of my first forays into creating cocktails from scratch, I have a request. If you mix up this drink, please let me know what you think. That kind of input will help me improve my cocktail improv going forward.