Cocktail Hacker

Sweet, sour, spice, water and alcohol. Those are the five, seemingly simple, components of every good punch. But, I’ll ask you this. Have you ever tried to come up with your own punch? Was it good? What about great? I’m willing to bet, coming from past experience, that it wasn’t amazing. If you’re lucky it was really good, but more than likely it was somewhere in the range of pretty okay to just good. The good (and bad) news is that we no longer live in a time when the quality of the punch can make or break you.

In times past, a punch was your way of showing not only your culinary skills but your social status as well. You see, in past centuries the ingredients that go into punch (fresh juice, spices, spirits, etc) were expensive and, in some cases, very hard to come by. So, when you threw a big party you pulled out all the stops and got the best you could. You mixed it all up and served it out of your very best punch bowl. While the times of showing your status with punch may be gone, the times of enjoying a really good punch certainly are not.

That brings us back to my original problem, where do you find the guidance to make some really epic punch? A great place to start is the recipes of times past. Or, even better, start in the pages of Dan Searing’s The Punch Bowl. In this book Dan starts things off with a history of punch and the punch bowl, amazing pictures of which are sprinkled throughout the book.

After the history section he gives a great intro on punch making pointing out some of the key lessons that apply as much to punch as to good cocktails. My favorites that he calls out are the use of good spirits and a great conversion chart for old recipes. Dan points out a key factor when choosing spirits for punch, go with good stuff, but don’t go crazy. For example, a top dollar cognac is going to be wasted on a punch. Instead opt for a high quality, but far less expensive, brandy. Following that, I love the chart for converting old measures to something more familiar. I mean, really, do you know what the hell a gill is? How about a puncheon? Yeah, me neither.

Prep aside, Dan gets to the meat of this topic, the recipes. He includes 75 recipes spanning all categories and base spirits. Included are classics such as Rum Punch, Tiki staples like the Scorpion Bowl and modern creations from top notch bartenders. Each recipe states where it originated (and the its circa date), a brief description, how many servings (4-6 oz punch cups) it will produce and, most importantly, concise measures and directions. The finish and production quality of this book that really bear mentioning. The book is hardbound, with heavy, glossy pages. The pictures are bright and vivid and the punch bowls alone are enough to keep you turning the pages. I think this would make a great host(ess) gift.

This book arrived just at the right time. I had a burning need to make some drinks for a party I was throwing and punch fit the bill perfectly. I leafed through the pages and found a quick punch that sounded super tasty. The resulting libation was easy to mix up, balanced and fruity and packed enough punch (pun intended) to keep the party going strong.

Dry Gin Punch (The Punch Bowl)

1 Quart Orange Juice

3/4 cup Lemon Juice

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Grenadine

3 cups London Dry Gin

1 quart Seltzer Water

2 Lemons, Sliced

1 Orange, Sliced

1) Pour the orange juice, lemon juice and grenadine into a large bowl,

and stir well.  Slowly add the gin, and stir well.

2) Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator, and chill for 2 hours.

3) To serve, pour the punch over a block of ice that has been set in

a large punch bowl.  Add the seltzer water, and stir gently.  Garnish

the punch with the fruit slices.

I learned a few things from this punch experience. First, punch is freaking delicious. Second, I need a legit punch bowl. My ceramic bowl and old fashioned glasses worked, but it didn’t properly show my social status. ;) Third, make more punch than you think you’ll need. Trust me on this one.

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

I was sent a couple JetBags a few weeks back for review and was excited but skeptical. The idea behind the bags is that they have absorbent material inside which will soak up the entire contents of a 750ml bottle of liquid should the need arise. Simply place your bottle in the bag, seal it up and you’re set. Seemed too good to be true.

Not being one to take claims at face value I decided to put the JetBag to the test. I filled an empty Maker’s 46 bottle with black water (sure as hell not going to waste good booze!) and put it in the bag. After a few blows from a hammer the bottle burst and, to my happy surprise, the JetBag absorbed all the liquid. I had even put a couple holes in the bag hitting it with the hammer and nothing came out! Check out the video and see for yourself.

So, the long and short is, I’m skeptical no longer. The bag held up great, the zipper is strong and the material of the bag is robust. If you had a leaky cork you’d have no problem whatsoever and should your bottle actually break the JetBag will contain it. I’ll definitely be buying a few of these to have on hand for traveling.

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

I’m not going to make every recipe from Cosmo’s Official Cocktail Book, I promise. Just this last one, the Sea Spray Kiss. Of the cocktails we tried from the book it’s a toss up for me which is my favorite, the Stout Float or the Sea Spray Kiss. Both have their merits and, really, shouldn’t be judged against each other. So…I won’t. They’re both super tasty in their own right and very, very different.

Sea Spray Kiss (Cosmo's Official Cocktail Book)

1 oz Pear Vodka

8 Raspberries

1/2 oz Chambord

1/2 oz Simple Syrup

3 oz Prosecco

1) Muddle the raspberries, simple syrup and Chambord

2) Add vodka and ice and shake well

3) Strain into a glass and top with prosecco

I know I whine each time I make a pink cocktail about how I feel unmanly or whatever, but you know what? Pink cocktails are damn tasty! There, I said it. I love the combo of the fresh raspberries and Chambord in this cocktail. You get the brightness of fresh berries with the sweet, richness of the Chambord. Well played. The prosecco adds lightness to what would otherwise be a too-sweet drink and the pear vodka is present, but not overpowering.

This drink is light and fruity (let’s not forget pink) and would be great for a bachelorette party or bridal shower. On that note, batch this cocktail ahead of time if you’re going to make a bunch. It’s super easy. Scale up the vodka, raspberries (might puree those if you’re really making a ton), Chambord and simple syrup. Add 1/2 oz of water per cocktail (to account for the loss of ice melt while shaking) and refrigerate. When you’re ready to serve simply pour a glass and top with prosecco.

Final note, this is a recipe that uses simple syrup. Which, if you”re new to cocktail making, might as well be in another language. Heck they even sell the stuff bottled, despite it being nothing more complex than sugar and water. Cool thing is, the book tells you right in the recipe how to make it. Really like that touch.

I’ve been doing some cleaning up around the site as you’ve probably noticed. As part of this I decided to move my links and blogroll to their own page. In so doing, I’ve just gone through all my links and my RSS feed list (blogroll) culling out inactive sources and adding new. I know I’ve missed some, and that’s where I’m counting on you all. If you have a link you think I should know about (site, blog, store, etc) comment here. I’m always looking for new and interesting stuff to check out.

Thanks much!

-R

“You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?” No? Yeah, me either. I prefer to sin indirectly through the consumption of spirituous liquors, sometimes in excess. Speaking of drinking, here’s another cocktail from Cosmo’s Official Cocktail Book, Dancing with the Devil. This drink sounds promising right from the start. Tequila, Chambord, ginger beer? Yes, please, how about nine.

Dancing with the Devil (Cosmo's Official Cocktail Book)

1 1/2 oz Tequila

1/2 oz Chambord

1/2 oz Lime Juice

Ginger Beer

1) Combine tequila, Chambord and lime juice in a glass with ice

2) Top with ginger beer

3) Garnish with crystallized ginger or a lime wedge

Despite the early outlook this wasn’t my favorite cocktail of the ones we sampled from Cosmo’s book. The flavors were a touch combative and interestingly the color of the cocktail in the book (orange) is not at all the same as the cocktail we ended up with. Minor slights aside, I think this drink has promise. Given the right tequila (I’m thinking a blanco with some spice) and the right ratios (go light on the ginger beer, maybe 2 oz max) this could be a real winner. Basically what you’re looking at is a twist on a Margarita with some ginger beer. Finally, while you’re at it, bump up the lime juice a bit too (say, 3/4 oz). Unless, of course, you make homemade ginger beer with a nice hit of sourness.

If you have the time and inclination to mix up a few of these and find the right recipe, I’d love to know. For me? The devil, or rather, the cocktail shaker awaits.