Tuesday, September 29, 2009

MxMo : Dizzy Dairy



Dizzy Diary:
Any drink using a dairy product is fair game: milk, cream, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, curds, you name it. Given the importance of dairy products in drinks dating back centuries, there are lots of opportunities for digging through vintage receipts for a taste of the past, and as always innovation is highly encouraged.

We hope that you'll measure out your portions as best you're able: better to indicate a tablespoon or ounce of egg white, for example, than to say "egg white." In addition, be sure to share any tips and techniques that benefit your booze -- "dry" shaking without ice for a good meringue, say, or stealing Society member Dale DeGroff's whipped cream trick for Irish Coffee. Disasters as well as successes are heartily encouraged. Finally, prepare to respond to the anti-dairy lobby by giving us reasons why your libation is just this side of mother's milk.

So once again MxMo crept up on me and I'm winging it last minute. I've put up enough recipes lately so I'll just offer some working class tips..... in free form.

I hope your bar carries both half and half and heavy whipping cream, as well as eggs.

When mixing up whip cream I like to use about a 3 part half and half to 1 part heavy whip mix and in a pint glass add the spring from a hawthorne strainer ( as you would to dry shake egg whites, but wait that's in a bit ) as well as any liquors that make great flavors, i.e. creme de cacao and frangelico for a chocolate hazelnut whip.

Half and half is essential for Alexanders. Also keep tabs on expiration dates. Sour half and half is foul.

Egg whites are a very fun additive to drinks and there a few ways to go about emulsifying them. One is the aforementioned removal of the spring of a hawthorne strainer and putting it in with the ingredients and "dry shaking" which is without ice, and then shaking again with ice added.

So two big breakthroughs happened to me recently. Actually fairly simultaneously. I bought a set of the Tavolo ice cube trays and started using them at one bar for old fashioneds as well as starting at a new bar that was using Kold Draft ice. I learned that when using large cubes they keep their shape and act in the same way the spring does in emulsifying, hence saving a minute of "dry shaking".

Sunday, September 27, 2009

I hope this drink is worth ten thousand dollars.

So I figured out my recipe for the Domain de Canton contest and regardless of whether it wins the big prize I'm really stoked on it and will be making it at my bars.

Charente.
Built over large cubes.
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Same recipe built over crushed ice and swizzled is a...

Charente Swizzle
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2oz. Domaine de Canton
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
Dash of Grapefruit bitters. ( I used Scrappy's )

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Review! (not really a review)

I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell - Tucker Max

So I came across this what seems several years back. I was on a metro to the bowling alley and saw a friend with his headphones on reading and laughing uncontrollably every few minutes. I changed seats and said hey and found out what he was reading. I picked up a copy and burned thru it in a day or two.

I saw the movie tonight and will recommend that guys see it but don't bring a date.



Post script:
The state finally had Carpano Antica in the shelves and me and a close friend picked up bottles. Tonight I'm enjoying a fine Martinez as a nightcap.

1.5 oz. of Martin Miller Westbourne gin
1 oz. Carpano Antica
.25 Maraschino
2 dashes orange bitters. (I used the Agnostura orange I got at a seminar at Tales.)
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Sunday, September 20, 2009

unofficial stories.

A.
Had a first and hopefully last time experience tonight. I am not sure what happened. to shorthand the infrastructure of the space, there is 8 living spaces above us. i dont know if a water heater sprung a leak or if someone O.D.'d while running a bath, but water was running two floors above us and around 9pm on a Saturday it started raining indoors. I am extremely proud of how we handled the unexpected occurrence. Our man Pablo, whom I call Guapo, was an all-star.

B.
There has been some things said around town regarding a certain feminine bachelorhood party where someone got flak about ordering a round of lemon drop shots. Granted I've been eschewing vodka lately by making ketel one old fashioneds and lemon drops with egg whites but I had my world rocked by E.Hack when he made me a Bison sour which is apparently a Milk&Honey recipe.
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Upon further review its a flavored vodka egg white sour, which for as uncool as it sounds it absolutly delicious.
2oz. Bison Grass vodka
1/2 oz. lemon
1/2 oz. simple
egg white
Cinnamon garnish

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Saturday, September 12, 2009

cover a shift, meet someone cool.

I've been covering shifts left and right between the 3 places and last night had the pleasure of making drinks for Eden Algie, Brand Ambassador for The MaCallan. Made a few scotch heavy blood and sands and also whipped up this number that I was happy with.

2oz. MaCallan 12 (considering it was the Ambassador I should have used the 18 - really when is someone going to do a cocktail with that?)
.25 Benedictine
.25 Maraschino
.25 St. Germain
Flamed Lemon zest.