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It’s Whiskey It may seem like a broad category with all of the different styles made throughout the world, but once you understand the basic steps of production, whiskey isn’t so hard to understand. In fact, knowing even a little about how it’s made or where it comes from should help you recognize the different characteristics that transform its flavor and what you should expect when trying different styles.
Before prohibition, when a customer asked for “rye”, everyone knew what to pour. Today, many Americans would mistake this for a piece of bread. It’s no wonder there is confusion—whiskey has many different names. Whether you drink rye, bourbon or Scotch, Irish versus Canadian, blended or single-malt—all whiskey is basically the same product. But I would incite feverish debate (if not downright war) to foolishly claim they all taste the same. Subtle differences in the grain used, the barrel aging, the
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STEP.HEN, keepin' it real, Yo.
Imagine my delight to find out that my brother-in-law enjoys the exact same vodka martini that I do: Ketel One with a twist. It’s so simple that when I thought about posting something about it today for his birthday, I decided to take a more inspired approach—one with a few more “steps”.
Eleven months ago my wife and I visited the man of honor in San Francisco where there’s no shortage of great cocktails. During our visit, the better part of one evening was spent hanging out in the loft we rented, dancing and drinking Whiskey Sours. We also laughed about what our names might be if we were rap musicians.
Ok, so none of us is about to make it big in the music industry, but there’s no reason we can’t enjoy another cocktail dreaming about it, right? I decided to dedicate
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We had some fun here at Summit Sips with the last post for Talk Like a Pirate Day. I hope you all gave that one a try, or at least gave talking like a pirate a try. Pirate grog, or Bumboo is pretty basic, and it’s probably easier on your throat than growling like Bluebeard all day. This week I decided to hang on to the nautical theme and feature something similar, only our Drink of the Week uses bourbon instead of rum. It also requires you to make Passion Fruit Syrup.
I’ve made plenty of flavored syrups in the past, but never passion fruit until recently. I could buy passion fruit syrup, but I held off because I wanted to make it myself. However, fresh passion fruit or its juice is pretty hard to find. It turns out, much of the passion fruit juice that’s out there is
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As the summer fades, here’s a wonderful cocktail to help you hang on to just a little more fun in the sun. It’s usually regarded as a Tiki drink which always reminds me of warm tropical places—as it should. However, instead of rum, this one has two base spirits: gin and bourbon. What could be better than that?
I love the name of this drink partly because it’s actually a nickname. Most cocktail gurus agree that this drink was once referred to as “My Suffering Bar Steward” which seems to recall a time before ice machines and soda dispensers. Imagine a poor, suffering assistant scurrying to and fro to keep the ice bin full and to retrieve ingredients for the barman. Plenty of drinks are named for the men behind the stick, but it’s not unreasonable to believe that in a loud, crowded bar, someone might fancy a misheard version
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Every once in a while something that sounds crazy in a cocktail actually works, if you are open to the idea. One such concept is Bacon Infused Bourbon. It’s seems ridiculous at first, but when you consider sweet caramel and maple syrup flavors sometimes characterize a good bourbon, you start to think about breakfast and how a side of bacon tastes so good next to your pancakes! Does it still sound silly? Well, maybe if I break it down a bit, it will make a little more sense. What we are talking about is neither sweet nor sour, not salty or bitter—it’s the fifth fundamental flavor that the Japanese call umami.
Umami, or savoriness, is considered by eastern cultures as an important component of taste in their cuisine. It is the flavor produced by amino acids such as glutamate that we normally associate with beef, mushrooms or that “rich” character
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I would hardly call myself a wine expert, and yet I think I know enough to navigate a decent wine list. More important is getting to the point of knowing the flavors you like so you can ask the right questions and get what you want. It’s about having confidence in your ability to narrow the choices as opposed to buying a bottle based on its price. But it doesn’t come without experience, and the best way that I know to gain valuable knowledge about wine—or any kind of beverage—is to take the time to taste them.
Last week was a busy one for tasting whiskey in the Twin Cities. A few weeks ago, the world saw the release of Maker’s 46, the new bourbon whiskey by Maker’s Mark. As the bottles were arriving at the local shops, I got word of a Maker’s 46 release party being
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It’s only been two weeks since Maker’s Mark wax-dipped their first bottle of Maker’s 46 and started sending boxes across the world. Last week, a shipment arrived in Minnesota and I quickly snagged a bottle. So, what’s all the fuss about?
Makers Mark is a delicious bourbon made in Loretto, Kentucky, and like most bourbons, the creators pride themselves on tradition. In this case, it’s four generations of tradition that has resulted in a recipe that has remained unchanged in 52 years! According to Bill Samuels, you don’t mess with perfection. However, after more than five decades, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to try something new.
His family has built an empire around a product that has become the go-to standard for bourbon drinkers all over the world. In fact, even at the Seelbach Hotel, right there in Louisville, if you order a Mint Julep, they reach for
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Click here for a newer post with a fantastic homemade cocktail cherries recipe!
If you have visited your grocery store recently you may have noticed that fresh cherries are in season again. Seeing those dark, ripe cherries ready to burst inside the little plastic bins always makes me think about the same thing: homemade cocktail cherries. You may wonder, what’s the point? Can’t you just buy a jar of bright red maraschino (mar-a-SHEEN-oh) cherries that last forever? Sure you can, but allow me to explain what you are really getting inside that jar and you might reconsider that purchase. Besides, it’s not hard to make your own maraschino (mar-a-SKEEN-oh) cherries for special cocktails. As you noticed, there’s a pronunciation difference here, but that’s just the beginning.
Understanding the point of making your own cocktail cherries requires a brief walk through the history of this garnish. Originally, cocktails were decorated
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Kimberly and I have a new favorite location for great food and even better cocktails, but it requires a little planning to get there from St. Paul. That’s because this destination is all the way over the Rocky Mountains in Portland, Oregon. The object of our affection is Clyde Common, a Downtown/Pearl District hot spot that is helping to define the cocktail revolution.
Before I jump right into the cocktails, it’s important to mention that first and foremost, Clyde Common is a restaurant. The decor has a basic, modern look that reminds me of a warehouse. The stenciled labels on the wall identify the “KITCHEN” or the “BAR” with a somewhat industrial look that is softened by wooden tables and candles glowing from every corner.
We were seated in front of the open kitchen at a huge table that seats perhaps 20 guests. This “common” seating arrangement was interesting,
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This week’s Drink Of The Week is the Mint Julep. With Derby Day just around the corner and a spring that started early in the midwest, it’s time to get your mint in the ground. Even if it wont be ready by Sunday, there will be plenty of oppurtunity for you to use mint in cocktails this summer. In the mean time, pick up some fresh mint at the grocery store and I’ll show you how to make this delicious classic.
The Mint Julep is probably the oldest cocktail there is. Today, it’s a southern tradition that has been popular for centuries, and it’s also the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. That’s because the Julep we know is usually made with delicious Kentucky Bourbon, but it wasn’t always so.
Early accounts of the Julep represent this drink as a medicinal libation, or more specifically, a vehicle for
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