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It’s easy to find inspiration in cocktail books or to look at other websites for ideas, but nothing quite compares to the sights, sounds and flavors of a working bar or restaurant. It affords you the opportunity to try something new and to sample ingredients you might not own. Since I happen to be traveling this week, I sought assistance from professionals for the Drink of the Week and I am pleased to share my experience from here in Portland, Oregon.
You may recall last year during a visit to the City of Roses (Bridges, Mountains, Cocktails, etc.) I had the chance to try a barrel-aged libation. This year, I set my sights on the Southeast side and made my way to Beaker & Flask. We sat at the end of the bar and ordered our first round from the menu. My wife selected the Fortunate Son, a
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Here’s a cocktail that goes back to 1933. According to Ted “Dr. Cocktail” Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, it comes from an old pamphlet. As it’s presence in Haigh’s book confirms, the Communist is more of a forgotten cocktail than a classic, although with this name I am surprised it’s not well known. I suppose it might have been unwise for patrons to enthusiastically call out, “I’ll have a Communist, please!” if they wanted to avoid more than just a some strange looks over the years.
Since we are no longer living in the McCarthy era, I think it’s worth the effort to try making this. It’s also another good reason to get some Cherry Heering which may not appear as often as other liqueurs, but shows up in some fantastic drinks like the Singapore Sling and the Click here and take a bigger gulp of this article. . .
Here’s another fantastic ginger cocktail, but not a new one. It’s the Sleepy Head, and it dates back at least as far as 1930 when it appears in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book. If you are a fan of the Moscow Mule, or if you tried the Mamie Taylor, I think this cocktail has them both beat. However, the early version is a bit simpler than what we have here. The adjustments are subtle, but I think the cocktail is better for it
The first change results in a stronger boost of orange flavor. The basis for this updated comes from Jeff Hollinger of the Absinthe Brasserie in San Francisco. While Craddock’s book calls for just an orange peel, Hollinger keeps the garnish but takes the flavor a step further by
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As any regular reader will attest, I am a fan of classic cocktails. It would be hard to write these posts if that were not the case, since even contemporary combinations usually find their roots if not their inspiration from the classics. I especially love it when fantastic flavors result from simple recipes. When such a recipe also happens to be versatile enough to yield multiple delicious variations—the cocktail is, well, the Bee’s Knees.
Tracing this drink’s origin puts it somewhere in the middle of Prohibition. It first appears in print in Bill Boothby’s World Drinks and How to Mix Them published in 1934. Sometimes called the Honey Bee, or the Honeysuckle, the basic format is a gin sour that balances the lemon with honey instead of sugar or simple syrup. Boothby’s version also had a spoonful of orange juice, but that disappeared from other references. The extra kick of
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Sometimes I feature classics, sometimes a riff, and once in a while it’s an exotic Tiki. There’s not really a pattern to the Drinks Of The Week here at Summit Sips, but I do think it’s important to understand classic recipes and techniques. Over the past year or so, some of the recipes (including a few that don’t fall upon a Thursday) required a little more preparation to pull them together. Such cases usually involved preparing some homemade ingredient. That can mean making a better version of something you can find on shop shelves, or sometimes it’s an opportunity to create your own version of an ingredient that’s impossible to find anywhere. This week, I want to feature a recipe that relies upon a basic infusion for the base spirit. It’s the Riviera cocktail by Toby Maloney, a popular favorite from The Violet Hour.
I
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If any drink exemplifies the flavors that Campari has to offer, it’s probably straight Campari, but besides that, our Drink Of The Week really shows off this wonderful bitter liqueur. It may be based on just a simple sour formula, but I am surprised how much I enjoy this drink. It’s not very strong either which makes it a nice option before dinner.
I hope to feature other bitter cocktails as the year goes on, but I figure this one makes a nice conclusion to the previous post about potable bitters. The fact that this drink is also sweet and sour makes it a bit more accessible for someone starting to explore bitter flavors. If you aren’t already a fan of Campari, this is a great way to discover what all the fuss is about.
Campari Sour 1.5 oz Campari .5 oz simple syrup (1:1) 1 oz lemon
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Locke-Ober is the third oldest restaurant in Boston and the birthplace of our Drink of the Week. Supposedly invented in 1898 to honor one Martin M. Lomasney for winning the election to a seat in the state’s legislature, the cocktail is named for the city’s Ward 8 which historically supported Lomasney. Although this story is disputed by some, few can deny this is a tasty cocktail.
There is also disagreement on the exact proportions of this drink, but most folks recognize the same ingredients. You occasionally see Canadian Club used as the base spirit, but it really should be rye whiskey. You need a lemon and an orange and a bit of grenadine. I had one of these at the M & S Grill a while back and it was very nicely executed. Some prefer it on the rocks, but I like mine served up. How you decide
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Last weekend we got hit with our first snow in the Twin Cities, and although I previously mentioned how the colder, darker months inspire spiritous cocktails, this time the shoveling and the cold had me longing for the tropics. I’m no Tiki expert, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve settled on an alluring Polynesian classic to brighten my spirits. More than just a fruity rum drink, it may surprise you that this cocktail contains three different base spirits and multiple citrus flavors. It’s complex, balanced and delicious, with a history firmly planted in the Tiki movement. Moreover, it contains orgeat, the darling of homemade simple syrups.
The Fog Cutter has had its share of variations too, as one might expect with so many ingredients. Some bar recipes have even blindly suggested pouring everything from the speed rail into the mixing glass. That would never do, and
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As the end of October draws near, I continue to feature the scary, the evil and the ghoulish for your Halloween drinking pleasure, even if it’s just the names that are creating all of the fun. Perhaps the Diablo wasn’t scary enough for you last week, or the tequila was too diabolical for your frightened taste buds. If you decided to keep your distance, I encourage you to get a lot closer to our fiendish devil this time. I’m not asking you to shave his goatee, but consider the inspiration that led to two versions of our Drink of the Week, the Satan’s Whiskers cocktail.
That’s right, this is a two-for-one recipe because history has recorded two slightly different ways to concoct this drink. According to Harry Craddock’s eponymous tome The Savoy Cocktail Book, the hair on Satan’s beard is either straight or curled. Thankfully, your preference
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A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to zip over to the Wine Thief where Bittercube, the award-winnng mixology duo Ira Koplowitz and Nick Kosevich, were presenting their new line of cocktail bitters. It was nice to see Nick in action, as it had been a long time since I had seen him while he was still at the Town Talk Diner. I didn’t figure he would remember me, but I sure remember those cocktails! Of course, this wasn’t a social visit—I was there to try some new Bittercube Bitters. When it comes to cocktail bitters, most people recognize Angostura even if they aren’t sure what to do with it. Better bars might also have Peychaud’s which could mean they know how to make a Sazerac. Next on the list is probably some version
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