Summit Sips » absinthe

Drink of the Week: Atty

Randy — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:15:34 +0000

Back in January, Camper English of Alcademics wrote a piece for the LA Times Magazine with an interesting observation. He suggested that the Martini no longer exists because everyone who makes one (or who orders one) expects something different. In other words, we don’t really have a universally accepted recipe today, partly because everyone has different ideas about what they like, what should or shouldn’t go into the mixing glass, the proportions and how it should be garnished. Blame it on history, marketing or even peer pressure—it has become a call drink that requires specifics about its construction every time it is requested. If you order a Martini, you should expect a bunch of questions in response. Gin or vodka? Which brand? How much vermouth? What kind of garnish? If you don’t get questions you probably shouldn’t be ordering one. There’s no telling what you will get. Same goes

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Drink of the Week: Improved Gin Cockail

Randy — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 04:37:21 +0000

David Wondrich calls it “New York’s answer to the Sazerac.” If you’re a fan of that drink, you probably know that it comes from New Orleans. A true cocktail in the original definition of the word, the Sazerac features whiskey, sugar, water and bitters, plus a little absinthe—a fantastic classic. And since New York was originally a Dutch colony, it makes sense that their version would involve gin—but not just any gin. If we stay true to the period in which this was created, that gin would have been Dutch genever. It would be fair to call this the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail.

Not long ago, we explored genever in the Bols Alaska cocktail, so here’s another fun way to use it. If you’ve been thinking about adding genever to your cabinet, let me tell you, it’s time. The truth is, genever is a very interesting product that can

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Drink Of The Week: 21st Century

Randy — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:28:26 +0000

Last year around this time I started the Drink of the Week, a journey through classic and contemporary cocktail recipes. The 52 cocktails I chose, along with many that were posted in-between, form a good foundation for 2011. Already, we started the new year with a popular New Orleans classic, the Vieux Carré. This week, however, I thought I would feature a riff on the cocktail that started all of the momentum fifty-three weeks ago.

Last January, I featured the 20th Century Cocktail. You may recall that I mentioned an updated version called the 21st Century. New York bartender, Jim Meehan created a cocktail that puts a nice spin on the original, and while I encourage you to try both for comparison, his goes something like this:

21st Century Cocktail by Jim Meehan 1.5 oz silver tequila .75 oz white crème de cacao .75 oz lemon juice .25 oz

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Drink of the Week: Zombie

Randy — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:08:42 +0000

It’s the last of the Halloween cocktails, and I am finishing with a good one, the Zombie. This is another Tiki classic, but like many others in its class, this drink is rarely made properly. There’s a good reason for that: the drink’s creator, Don the Beachcomber, kept his recipes a secret from the world believing his unique, tasty creations were vital to sustaining his business. Over the years, plenty of knock-off recipes have appeared, but the original remained a mystery until recently.

If there is an expert alive today that knows more about tiki mixology than anyone else, it’s Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. His research, along with that of several others, has produced a growing compendium of tropical masterpieces along with a few surprises. One of these is the original Don the Beachcomber recipe for the Zombie which appeared in a New York Times article. The Beachbum acquired a

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Drink of the Week: Corpse Reviver #2

Randy — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:26:36 +0000

We are already a full week into October, and this being the second scariest month of the year (beware of Income Tax April), it seemed fitting that I feature cocktails that would work nicely at a Halloween party. Over the course of the next four weeks I’ll cover my favorite ghoulish classics as we work our way toward the end of the month. Today, I want to show you a cocktail that deserves to be on your list of favorites all year long. Although the name may have you running for the hills, this drink may surprise you with its simple recipe and delicious flavor. The Corpse Reviver #2 is our first Halloween Drink of the Week.

It may sound like a potion that can resurrect the dead, but in this case the Reviver is actually a class of cocktails usually considered “morning-after” refreshments. Nothing helps a corpse recover from

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Drink of the Week: Sazerac

Randy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:34:08 +0000

Building the Sazerac

Next week marks the beginning of Tales of the Cocktail, an annual event held in New Orleans to celebrate our truly American invention. But it’s more than that. Tales has become something of a Mecca to cocktail enthusiasts and professionals from all over the world. With so many sponsored events and educational sessions throughout the week, attendees have the opportunity to learn from the experts and discover new products and techniques. In addition to hosting Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans enjoys a deep tradition of mixology and has been host to the creation of many classic cocktail favorites. Perhaps the one most identified with the city is our Drink of the Week, the Sazerac.

A cocktail was at one time a narrow class of beverages following a very specific formula: spirits, sugar, water and bitters. Today, the word is associated with any mixed alcoholic

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Drink Of The Week: Monkey Gland

Randy — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:58:33 +0000

This week’s Drink Of The Week is actually a recipe I posted last year as a suggestion for using fresh grenadine. So far, I have tried to avoid reposting cocktails that I already mentioned, but today I am going to make an exception. That’s because the Monkey Gland is delicious. It’s a cocktail that bears repeating and one that I need to remind myself about occasionally. It’s one of those drinks that can convince someone that they really do like gin cocktails.

Monkey Gland 2 oz gin 1 oz orange juice 1/4 oz grenadine 1 dash absinthe

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and shake with ice to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

The Monkey Gland is named for an unusual medical procedure once thought to reinvigorate a man’s sexual prowess. By transplanting a monkey’s testical into a human host,

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Drink Of The Week: Absinthe

Randy — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:48:21 +0000

Privat Livemont poster, Absinthe Robette, 1896

There are several wonderful cocktails that I wanted to feature as Drinks Of The Week that contain absinthe, a strong, herbal spirit that was illegal for many years in the United States. However, I usually like to describe the ingredients and felt that I couldn’t do absinthe justice in the context of a recipe post. For some readers, this may be review, but I find that there are plenty of people out there who know very little about absinthe and might appreciate being brought up to speed on the subject. With all of the controversy and myth surrounding it, I decided to take the opportunity to feature absinthe itself—once a very popular drink in its own right—describe how to prepare it properly, and give a little background so that everyone can understand what it is, what it isn’t, and why this innocent

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Pomegranates and How to Make Grenadine

Randy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:45:52 +0000

Randy explains how best to open a pomegranate and release the precious seeds within as well has how to use the juice from these seeds to make grenadine. Once you've made your own grenadine, there are several delicious recipes to try, including the Singapore Sling, Monkey Gland, and the Commodore Cocktail.

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