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  Making a great cocktail takes time, and if you have tried to recreate any of the recipes here, you know that the results are worth waiting for. But, during those moments when you have a guest waiting, you need a plan that makes the most of your equipment, your space, and your time. Although technique is important from beginning to end, I believe the biggest challenge comes when using fresh citrus.
It’s not that squeezing citrus is a big problem. It isn’t. In fact, if you aren’t using fresh juice in your cocktails it is by far the best improvement you can make. Yet, the moment you do start squeezing fruit, you quickly realize that the additional steps can slow you down, and if you are just a little bit clumsy, can result in a sticky mess all over the work area. Not everyone has the perfect space for making drinks, and few of us can dedicate an entire section of the kitchen for the task. With everyone probably doing it just a little bit differently, I thought I would write about my experience with some of the equipment I have used as well as a few techniques that make the process a little easier.
 Juicing Equipment
Let’s get a few things out of the way first. Some gadgets are just impractical. First on the list are the little wedge squeezers. Most of them are made of thin, stamped metal. One is setup like a pliers that you hold in your hand to squeeze lime wedges. Another is shaped like a cute bird with a hinged tail that pours from the beak. When you make a sour, you need .75 to a full ounce, and you are not going to get that much juice from a wedge. Consequently, you’ll be squeezing wedge after wedge, juice spraying everywhere, while you try to collect enough juice. This is just a hassle, not to mention the fact that you need to cut everything into wedges in the first place. These may be fine for seafood, but not for cocktails.
On the opposite side of the spectrum are the big, heavy pull-arm squeezers. Setting aside their higher price, these are fantastic for juicing a lot of fruit. I own the Hamilton Beach Juicer which does a great job of extracting every last drop from grapefruit to key limes. If I batch my juice or want a gallon of fresh orange, I pull this out. Similar models may work just as well, but to be honest,
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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
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 Recently, I have been enjoying some cocktails made with Chartreuse. According to Camper English of the Alcademics blog, the price of Chartreuse is increasing, nationally, by $11. That’s a bit of a hike, considering this stuff isn’t cheap to begin with. Still, as he notes, some retailers haven’t changed a thing, so now’s the time to go buy yourself a bottle.
Chartreuse is a wonderful spirit with a long and interesting history. First introduced in 1605, the spirit is named after the Grande Chartreuse Monastery in the Chartreuse Mountains of France where it originated. Although it is produced in a factory today, it continues to made under the supervision of monks using a secret recipe containing over 130 different herbs, flowers and “other ingredients”. There are two variations. Green Chartreuse obtains it’s color from the chlorophyl in the herbs and is a strong spirit, weighing in at 110 proof
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  Normally, it might not make sense to review a bar so far out of the Twin Cities jurisdiction, but I decided to make an exception for The Violet Hour. This place is so unique it’s worth describing, especially since it’s not completely unrealistic to consider Chicago a good weekend getaway with the possibility that someone reading this might add it to their itinerary.
Probably the first thing you notice about The Violet Hour is the fact that its hard to notice—the first floor of this building is decorated in tasteful graffiti that looks more like an unfinished construction site than an exclusive den of mixology. The only indication that you have the right location is the address numbers on the side. Without that, you might actually miss the door which is camouflaged against the painted wall. This “hidden” effect is an homage to the speakeasies of the Prohibition era. Once you do find the door and step inside, you find yourself in a small, undecorated room—more of a hallway, really—with heavy velvet curtains at one end. Here, you will wait to be seated.
Beyond the curtains lies an elegant, large, open lounge with
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Some of you who watch the reality cooking competition show called Top Chef may have been enjoying this season which takes place in Las Vegas. Yesterday’s Elimination Challenge pitted the men against the women to provide food parings with cocktail shots at a bachelor and bachelorette party. One of the shots was a Moscow Mule.
First of all, is the Moscow Mule a shot? I suppose it could be, if you served a small portion in a shot glass. By that logic, I suppose anything could be a shot. How about a Cosmopolitan shot, or a beer shot? Be that as it may, my question isn’t about the size of the drink but that it was made using grapefruit juice. It’s not that I don’t think it would taste good—on the contrary—I think it could be a good combination. I just don’t think it’s a Moscow Mule.
Recently attributed to Hollywood in 1941, the invention of the Moscow Mule is believed to have been concocted to sell more vodka at the time. The drink was a hit and quickly spread around town. Within a few years it was popular throughout the southwest and it is now recognized for starting the vodka craze of the 1950s. Sometimes served in a copper mug, the typical recipe for the drink is as follows:
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