Let’s face it, mid-winter is almost upon us and there is not a ground hog is sight. It is getting downright tundra cold out there and Mother Nature is sure to unleash a deep freeze. Some say one should think of a warm place like a tropical island when winter’s freeze is cutting through your bones. Others hope a St. Bernard will come dashing around the bend with a neck barrel full of warming brandy. Well I like to imagine a warm place that combines the heat and brandy; I mentally revisit my annual mid-summer pilgrimage to sizzling hot New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail where I order a Vieux Carré cocktail upon arrival at the Carousel Bar.

Le Vieux Carré (pronounced view-kar-ray) is the French term for “Old Square” and is another name for the Crescent City’s iconic French Quarter. Walter Bergeron, the head bartender at the Hotel Monteleone’s bar, created the drink in 1938 as homage to New Orleans’ most celebrated district. The Monteleone’s hotel bar would later become the Carousel Bar with its famous rotating bar. The Monteleone, one of the French Quarter’s grand hotels, is also fittingly Tales of the Cocktail central and the Vieux Carré is still served as the house cocktail.

The Vieux Carré cocktail is a perfect example of a well-balanced mix of diverse spirits and bitters. French cognac, American rye whisky, and Italian sweet vermouth share the stage as base spirits. The monastically produced Bénédictine liqueur brings sweetness to the drink to offset the boozy trifecta. The bitters round out the mixture by cutting the sweetness and bonding the spirits.

Classic Vieux Carré
¾ oz cognac
¾ oz rye whisky
¾ oz sweet vermouth
¼ oz Bénédictine
Dash of Peychaud’s bitters
Dash of Angostura bitters
Lemon peel

Tools: Mixing glass, bar spoon, Hawthorne strainer, jigger, Swiss peeler

Method: Combine bitters and liquors in a mixing glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a double rocks glass over ice and garnish with a lemon peel.

Still not warm enough for you? Take the recipe above and head south of the Tropic of Cancer to Guyana, the land of many waters and home of Demerara rum. In a recent night on the town, I was lucky enough to encounter a marvelous rum version of the Vieux Carré while dining at New York’s legendary Monkey Bar. The origins of the rum variation are hazy like that night but one of my fellow diners did order one at Julie Reiner’s Flatiron Lounge and was so thrilled with the libation that he began to spread the gospel. I was sold after one sip. The Rum Vieux Carré I ordered at Monkey Bar was made with El Dorado 12 Year Old Demerara rum in lieu of cognac. All of the other ingredients: spirits, bitters, and proportions remained true to Bergeron’s original, however it was served up and not on the rocks which makes for an elegant presentation.

El Dorado translates to City of Gold in Spanish and this liquid gold is an underrated treasure. El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum is produced by Demerara Distillers and is composed of rum from nine different stills ranging from copper still, wooden Coffey, and double wooden pots. Once thoroughly blended, the rum is aged in old bourbon oak casks. The end product is the lovely amber colored aged rum with the flavor of honey, toffee, fruit, and spice taking center stage with dry and smooth finish.

I used Sazarac 6 Year-old Straight Rye Whisky (90 proof) and a subdued sweet vermouth like Dolin Rouge to keep the focus on the El Dorado. A bold vermouth such as Carpano Antica or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino may overwhelm the other base spirits. Sazarac’s peppery taste compliment El Dorado’s complex flavors and add extra punch to the drink. The lemon twist at the end adds the right amount of citrus oils and brings out some of the El Dorado’s fruit.

Rum Vieux Carré
¾ oz El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum
¾ oz Sazarac 6 Year Old Straight Rye whisky
¾ oz Dolin Rouge sweet vermouth
¼ oz Bénédictine liqueur
Dash of Peychaud’s bitters
Dash of Angostura bitters
Lemon peel

Tools: Mixing glass, bar spoon, julep strainer, jigger, Swiss peeler, Manhattan glass

Method: Combine bitters and liquors in a mixing glass, add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain the mixture into a frosted Manhattan glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

So when you are stuck out in the freezing cold this winter try to imagine that St. Bernard bringing you a barrel-aged Rum Vieux Carré and then get to a reputable cocktail bar and order one! Keep warm mes amis.

*Photo by Vanessa Bahmani. 

**Got a cocktail question? Reach Fredo on twitter @loungerati, email me at fredo(at)loungerati(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

***Fredo Ceraso is the editor-at-large of the lounge lifestyle blog Loungerati.com. He is head cocktailian and a co-producer of The Salon parties. Fredo is a member of the USBG New York chapter and rolls drinks at many Lounge, Swing, Jazz Age, & Burlesque events in New York City.

By Neyah White
Photos by Travis LoDolce

Well, there is no drink more quintessentially ‘Japanese’ right now than the highball. From crowded, stand-up after-work bars in Tokyo to elegant and sedate members-bars in Kyoto, the simple (but exact!) mix of whisky and water, has become the national drink of choice. There are a few factors involved with this, but the most important line of reasoning is that whisky is cool, whisky highballs go with food, and Japan has a properly mature culture that knows food and drink best enjoyed together.

The Highball Story

A 19th Century, New York barman named Patrick Gavin Duffy talked about highballs as a Scottish thing. It goes that a Scotsman was prone to asking for cut whisky drinks by ordering it in a tall glass. The thing is, they could use the words ‘cup’, ‘glass’ and ‘bowl’ interchangeably (something to do with the residual celtic vocabulary) and the word ‘high’ for the word ‘tall’. So where we would ask for a ‘tall glass’, the Scottish patron of the past would ask for a ‘high bowl’. Throw in a nice healthy highland brogue and to American ears it becomes a ‘high ball’.

The highball stuck with us through Prohibition and actually faired pretty well with the influx of bootlegged Canadian whisky and soda water made way for ginger ale. As style of drink it was popular well through the 50’s and 60’s. It was the end of the 60’s, beginning of the 70’s where it faltered, along with most of we now lump together as classic cocktails.

Now that we have re-embraced the Manhattan, the Martini and the Flip, maybe it is time to rediscover the simple understated highball.

*Neyah White is the Brand Ambassador for Yamazaki Whisky.

Last week I wrote about the Hot Buttered Rum, and how it’s a winter drink for when you’re feeling festive (and when you’ve planned far enough ahead of time and made the essential spiced rum batter). Now that we’re nearing the dead of winter, you may be interested in something more simple– a drink that doesn’t require much advanced preparation. For these moments, the Hot Toddy shines (and warms) like no other.

Technically speaking, a toddy is a category of drinks rather than a specific recipe and the Hot Toddy is simply, well, the hot version of a regular toddy. In the old days a tavern keeper would heat the drink by taking a hot metal poker from the fire and plunge it into the pot that contained the mixture. So yes, originally, in less frigid times toddies were served at room temperature except for the very rare instance when ice was handy (we’re talking about 18th century and prior).

The name of the drink comes from the term ‘toddy stick,’ which was the big wooden baton-like tool the barkeep would use to break up sugar, as well as muddle any spice and everything nice, and even crack ice, when it became a commonly used item. Sugar of course had to be broken up because during colonial times it came in hard loaves that needed to be chipped into smaller usable pieces. The luxury of nicely granulated sugar that we find in the stores today was not to be had back then.

Understanding the toddy as a category, or better yet a concept, will enable you to use its template as a base for creating something uniquely your own, simplifying (or complicating) it as you see fit. There is no universally recognized toddy recipe, yet all good toddies will have the same components: a base spirit (traditionally whiskey but any brown–i.e. oak-aged–spirit will do, with genever being the allowable exception); a sweetening agent (sugar, honey, whatever); a diluting agent (hot water, tea, cider); and lemon juice for a necessary acidic bump to bring all the flavors in balance. Beyond that you can muddle lemon or other citrus peels, add cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, oregano– ok maybe we’re getting carried away now.

Below are two recipes that exemplify this approach. The first is a basic toddy that any tavern with the ability to boil water should be able to turn out, and the other is a Jasmine Toddy (pictured above) that’s a touch more complex but well worth it for the final product it yields.

Hot Toddy
1 oz whiskey
1 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and water pre-diluted for easy mixing)
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
boiling water (about 3-4 oz depending on glass size)

Pour the honey syrup, lemon juice, and whiskey in a heated hot toddy glass or mug and stir to dissolve. Top with boiling water and enjoy. If you choose to use straight undiluted honey, only use half the suggested amount.

Just as it’s important to pre-chill a glass when making a cold drink, it ‘s a good idea to pre-heat your glass when making  a hot one. You can do this by simply pouring boiling water in your glass and letting it sit until you get the rest of your ingredients together, then pouring it out once you’re ready to assemble the drink. And because the water (or other diluting agent) is the only hot element of this drink, I make sure it’s boiling (as opposed to just being hot) when I add it, otherwise the rest of the ingredients will quickly bring down the temperature, which would yield a Tepid Toddy, not a Hot Toddy.

Jasmine Toddy
1/2 oz Yamazaki 12 Yr
1/2 oz Rhum Barbancourt 4 Yr (or other lightly aged rhum agricole)
1 oz honey syrup
1/2 oz variegated pink lemon juice (just use regular lemon juice; I’m being fancy-schmancy cuz that’s what was in my CSA this week)
Fresh brewed jasmine green tea (approx 3-4 oz; Ahmad Tea makes a pretty good one)
half lemon wheel studded with 3 cloves

Pour the honey syrup, lemon juice, and spirits in a heated glass and stir to dissolve. Add the clove-studded lemon. Pour in the jasmine green tea and enjoy.

The floral nose and mildly sweet palate of the Yamazaki Japanese whisky makes it a great pairing with the lightly oaked yet still grassy undertone of the Haitian rum, and together provide a nice base of complexity and body despite the relatively low amount of liquor in the drink.

I used variegated pink lemons simply because I had them on hand, and aside from the aesthetically pleasing aspect of the pink lemons, they’re also a bit more tart and have a stronger flavor than their yellow cousins. But if I didn’t have them I’d just use regular lemons because there’s no sense in venturing back into the cold to track them down. That would certainly defeat the entire purpose of this enterprise.

You’ll notice that both toddy recipes adhere to a similar formula, and both check off the necessary components, yet they vary widely in flavor profile. That’s the beauty of a good hot toddy, because it’s made of stuff almost everyone either has in stock or can easily attain. If you don’t have whiskey you can use aged rum; if you don’t have honey you can use sugar; if you don’t have… you get the point.

Winter ain’t got nothin’ on you now kid!

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

Admittedly, I’ve always had a much easier time coming up with cocktails than coming up with names for cocktails. But every now and then, after concocting something I consider worthy of sharing with you all (you should see the pile of cocktail recipes that didn’t make the cut), a fitting name reveals itself without too much undue fuss.

Today’s cocktail is called the Literary Agent.  It is a cross between a Whisky Sour and a Hemingway Daiquiri (not just one of my favorite summer cocktails, but one I like to tinker with quite often), with a Japanese twist and a bit of history which provide context for the drink’s name.

Writer, adventurer, ravenous drinker, hunter, early supporter-turned-critic of Fidel Castro, exuder of much machismo, and all around man’s man and true bon vivant–these are all the various adjectives and aspects of Ernest Hemingway’s life that most recall when describing the man.  But there’s one more aspect that’s lesser known, and has only come to light in the last few years, that during the early years of World War II Hemingway served as a U.S. spy in Asia, working for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, pre-cursor of the CIA) at the request of President Roosevelt.  Under the guise of a honeymoon with his third wife, journalist Martha Gellhorn–a respected literary figure in her own right–the two were charged with the task of reporting back on the developing war between China and Japan.

Both Hemingway and Gellhorn were well known by that time, so they certainly wouldn’t have been able to do anything undercover, but therein may have lied the logic and genius of the idea.  Perhaps their high profile more easily enabled them to gain access to Asian dignitaries. And few could argue against Papa Hemingway’s charm, not to mention he was probably a really good drinking buddy, two very useful traits in the art of eliciting secrets.

Literary Agent
1 1/2 oz Yamazaki 12 yr whisky
3/4 oz yuzu juice (I used Yuzu Passion)
3/4 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 oz rich muscovado syrup (2:1 ratio of muscovado sugar to water)
1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur
grapefruit twist

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: chilled cocktail glass or coupe

Place ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake like the Kuomintang in the presence of the Red Army–or at least until the shaker is well-chilled and frosted.  Strain into your glass and twist the grapefruit peel over and into the drink.

For the uninitiated, yuzu is a variety of Asian citrus that’s thought to be a cross between the mandarin orange and the Ichang lemon, both native to East Asia.  For the sake of easy comparison, it’s most similar to a lemon, yet much more tart and sharp, with a very slight tinge of sweetness.

Although I normally eschew using pre-bottled juices in favor of freshly squeezing your own, an exception has to be made in the case of yuzu, as the fresh variety is rather difficult to come by.  Even a trip to NY’s Chinatown is hit or miss.  The one thing to keep in mind when purchasing bottled yuzu juice is that not all bottled yuzu juices are equal.  Even quality aside, many have added salt, which is not what you want, at least not in this cocktail.  Yuzu Passion is a good brand to look for, and is pure yuzu juice and nothing else.

Cheers, and see you next week, as the theme all month at Umamimart will be HOT HOT HEAT!  Think cocktails that both refresh you from the heat and tingle your tongue.

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below.

Of all the names one could choose for a cocktail, the Blood and Sand is one of the oddest. It sounds odder when you consider the stuff that goes into the drink–Scotch, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and orange juice, all in equal proportions.  But of the relatively few classic Scotch cocktails out there, the Blood and Sand, despite its strange name and ingredient combination, is one of the most noteworthy.  It is a prime example of the old adage that warns against judging a book by its cover. 

The Blood and Sand, in fact, deserves a place on the short list of cocktails I consider essential.  It is a classic that any bartender worth his Margarita salt should know how to make; and if you’d like your home bar to garner the respect and admiration of your guests, it’s something you should familiarize yourself with as well.

As with many of the great classics, the Blood and Sand comes with an interesting story.  While a few facts—like who created it, when they created it, and where—seem to have fallen into history’s lost items bin, we do know that the drink gets its name from a 1922 film starring Rudolph Valentino, who plays a bullfighter caught in a love triangle.  Also, we know that the first printed recipe for the drink appears in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, which was a compendium of the popular cocktails of the day. 

What is interesting, and potentially informative, is the date range involved here, because from 1920-1933, alcohol sale and consumption was banned in the U.S. as part of Prohibition, making it unlikely for the drink to have been created in the states.  Even assuming you could get your hands on the necessary spirits, who would want to create a drink that couldn’t be shared with anyone for fear of legal reprisal?  Despite the oft-romanticized images of the Prohibition Era, the fact is that it was a dark time for cocktail creativity, and more ruin than respect came from that time period with respect to cocktail culture.

If the Blood and Sand was created during the Prohibition years then it had to have occurred overseas, most likely in Europe.  Consider the other pieces of evidence that bolster this theory: First, the ingredients (Scotch, sweet vermouth, Cherry Heering) were all of European origin; second, the Savoy Hotel, which was the source of the aforementioned cocktail book (even though not all the cocktails listed in the book were created there) is in London; third, before the Blood and Sand was a film, it was a Spanish novel called Sangre y Arena, written by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez; finally, the first American publication to feature the Blood and Sand recipe was the 1934 edition of “Cocktail Bill” Boothby’s World Drinks and How to Mix Them, published a year after the end of Prohibition—perhaps the Blood and Sand was one of the “world drinks” alluded in the book’s title.

Europeans don’t get credit for many of the classic cocktails, but it seems they deserve it here—although it could have been created by one of the many American barmen who fled to Europe to legally practice the craft that was outlawed in the U.S.

Credit, schmedit you say? I see, you wish to get your drink on.  Well, say no more.

Blood and Sand
¾ oz Scotch (Famous Grouse, Chivas, or other blended Scotch recommended)
¾ oz Cherry Heering
¾ oz sweet vermouth
¾ oz fresh-squeezed orange juice

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: chilled cocktail glass or coupe
Garnish: brandied cherries or orange twist, or both

Shake ingredients with plenty of ice and strain into your glass.

The recipe above is the original version as first published in the Savoy Cocktail Book. A few modern mixologists have found it useful to modify the recipe slightly by bumping up the Scotch and orange juice to 1 oz to create a drink that allows a little more Scotch and acid (from the orange) to shine through, which balances the sweetness better. I enjoy the original version, but can attest that the slight tweak does bring the drink a step closer to perfection, if not achieve it altogether.

A few notes on ingredient choices: First, you should reach for a blended Scotch here. Famous Grouse or Chivas are quality ones to use, as is Johnny Black—save the big bucks for a drink in which the other ingredients play more of a backup role to the Scotch.  Second, there are a few other cherry liqueurs on the market, and some are good, but I like Heering the best in this cocktail.

Last, and probably most important, is to use fresh juice.  You see, the drink has enough sweet ingredients in it that you don’t want to completely tip the scales by using a store-bought brand, even if it’s not made from concentrate.  There is a mild sweetness and light tartness that you can only get with fresh-squeezed orange juice.  This tartness is crucial for the flavor balance of the cocktail because you don’t have any other source of acidity—and the store-bought juices don’t have that same tart bight.  Besides, why go through all the trouble to source other quality ingredients just to use an inferior, overly-sweet substitute for the juice? 

It is an invariable truth that a cocktail is only as good as its lowest quality ingredient.  Cheers!

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below.

Photos by Mike Brandeberry and Kayoko Akabori.

‘Tis true: there lives a kickass distillery named St. George Spirits, just east of San Francisco, right across the Bay Bridge, in a little town that bleeds into Oakland, called Alameda, in California.

A group of us went a few weeks ago and experienced it in all its glory– we learned about St. George whiskeys, eau de vies (fruit brandy), absinthe and their line of Hangar One vodkas. What an amazing afternoon! By far the most educational Umamiventure yet.

St. George started in Emeryville in the 80s before moving to Alameda. They occupied a spot on the reputable Rosenblum Cellars Winery estate down the street and then eventually moved into their current home, which is an old Naval Air Base. That in itself was reason to visit– the space is so industrial and sexy, with clear views of the city right across the water. Bay Area Holler!

YOKO
Going to St. George Spirits for my first Umamiventure in the U.S. was like having a morning cup of coffee on a clear sunny day. It was a perfect beginning for many Umamiventures to come.

Getting to the distillery was a bit of a challenge, but luckily I didn’t give up. Truthfully, I have never been a real vodka fan so when I got slightly lost on the way to St. George, I asked myself ,”Is this really worth it?” But as soon as I saw the faces of fellow Umami-ers, I felt a huge sigh of comfort.

KAYOKO
Yoko, thank god you made it. You would’ve been so sad for missing it!

KAYOKO
I made a reservation for ten of us for the tasting, which started at noon. The woman I spoke with on the phone, Andy, was so hilarious and accommodating that I knew we were guaranteed a great time. You need to call in advance for large groups, so make sure to do that.

JAMES
The tasting room was lively, but also relaxed.

KAYOKO
A flight of 12 tastings is only $10. TWELVE! That is more than generous. If you want to try the absinthe, it’s $15. Definitely do the absinthe.

We tried two fruit brandies (aka eau de vie); five vodkas (St. George distills vodka under the name Hangar One); one whiskey; two tea liqueurs (under the name Qi); and two more fruit liqueurs. They use organic fruits for all their infusions, which they seep into the alcohol for anywhere between a few weeks, to months, depending on what is being distilled.

The tasting room is set up with bars across both sides of the room. We got our very own bartendress, Sasha, who was so informative and took us through each tasting, explaining the distillation process and answering all our random questions (like, what the hell is an eau de vie???). So special.

IDO
Our booze-vixen Sasha was delightful, pouring perfect pours (and splashing liquor and water all over the place!).

My favorites of the tastings? Straight vodka. Buddha’s Hand Citron infused, and maybe the Pear eau de vie.

YOKO
The eau de vies and vodkas were a treat, but I am not sure if I would get hooked. Some were a bit too sweet for my taste (i.e. the Mandarin Blossom). But our bartender, Sasha, was great and she explained to us what a Buddha’s Hand was, in addition to the amount of fruit it took to make one bottle of Fruit-Infused vodka. Although I wasn’t crazy about the vodka, they earn mucho points for their passion in the production and serving process.

ENRIC
The eau de vies were very pop and likeable– almost like a mosto in terms of thickness and sweetness but with a subtle alcohol punch that I can imagine can work quite well on a hangover day.

KAYOKO
The Buddha’s Hand-infused vodka was so tart and sharp. The fruit is basically all rind, so it cuts right into your mouth, but not in any over-powering way. It was subtly sweet, with a unique citrus distinction.

ENRIC
I personally liked more the vodkas with citrus rather than the berry-based (except the kaffir lime vodka which was too in your face).

KAYOKO
Agreed, Enric– the lime one was just too potent. I actually use it at the bar at my work, and it really overwhelms all other flavors in anything you add to it.

Like Ido, among my favorites was the straight vodka. It was so dangerously sippable! I know Paystyle calls vodka the illegitimate, bi-racial stepchild of the liquor world, but I could definitely get used to drinking this straight, or on the rocks.

JAMES
I enjoyed the range of vodka that was offered, the infusions were remarkable. I wish maybe they had something to eat to cleanse the palette between tastings though.

LIZ
First of all I would like to give vodka two thumbs up. Oh, vodka you are always so good to me and hardly ever leave me with a hangover! I especially liked tasting the fruit brandies and infused vodkas here. They were really good.

YOKO
My favorite drink was their single malt whiskey. I never thought I was a whiskey fan, but this blew me away. The smell of the casks released themselves in my nasal and throat passages — it was unlike any whiskey I have had. Maybe it was the freshness? Maybe it was because they distill them in such small batches? I am certainly not a whiskey-aholic, so although I don’t know much about it, I just knew this was rocking my taste buds. Apparently, the oak casks lend an aroma of vanilla and cocoa to the whiskey, respectively.

YOKO
By this point, my Asian face was turning similar in color to the Fraser River Raspberry eau de vie we had a few tastings ago. But never mind, I was going to finish my whiskey, dammit! The golden, deep, swirly liquid was definitely something I was getting lost in, as I was staring into the last drops of my serving, wondering “how much is this stuff?” I soon knew the answer as I wandered into the check-in area where they had a 750ml bottle of it selling for $60. Steep (but understandable).

KAYOKO
I too, was super bummed when I saw the pricetag for this whiskey. I will need to save my pennies so I can get myself a bottle soon.

ENRIC
Loved the black tea liqueur: had way more attitude than the meh-too-subtle white tea liqueur.

IDO
It was nice that, unlike wine tastings that are all about subtlety, these were punchy, in-your-face-flavors. You either like ‘em or you don’t.

KAYOKO
ABSINTHE!

KAYOKO
St. George was the first distillery in the U.S. to start making absinthe when it was first re-legalized. It tasted of potent herbs and the drinkability really delighted me. It numbed my mouth! Sasha suggested that we wait for the ice to melt a little, so the absinthe can expand and grow. Watch how the liquid goes from clear to foggy, and the particles moving, dissolving, and evolving. It’s chemistry in action!

IDO
I might have included the absinthe in “likes,” but I didn’t get to enjoy the whole glass (driver).

KAYOKO
The tasting lasted an hour, with the tour promptly following at 1pm. Suddenly, about 50 people flooded in, and we spent the next hour being ridiculously entertained and schooled by our guide Andy. She was by far the best part of the entire afternoon– wicked smart, witty, hilarious. And HOT! Loved this girl.

ENRIC
Loved the vodka-vixen attitude. Very tongue-in-cheek and such a refreshing change from boring wine tours. Racier comments, more tight black pants, more non-PC drunkard culture, more WTF.

KAYOKO
Andy with the distillery guardian, the shark from the movie Deep Blue Sea. Oy.

Where all the distillation happens. Intensification columns and its short and stubby Oompah Loompah counterpart.

Whiskey, bourbon, ports. Aging is a beautiful thing.

Bottling machine.

LIZ
This place rocks. It was way out in Alameda but it was really cool to see where everything is made. The distillery is actually a LOT smaller than I expected it to be. They seem to run a pretty tight ship though.

IDO
A rockin’ Umamiventure it was. How the hell’d they end up with a hangar on the water? I want one too!

KAYOKO
Thanks everyone for coming out! What a fantastic event, worth going again and again for the tasting and tour. I highly recommend to everyone to try to do their tasting BEFORE the tour. I was adverse to the idea at first, but the tasting room was WAY more mellow than the state it was in when we were leaving the tour.

Special thanks to Andy and Sasha from St. George– you made the day so special!

ST. GEORGE SPIRITS
2601 Monarch Street
Alameda, CA
Main: 510.769.1601
Tasting Room: 510.864.0635
Tasting Room open Wednesday-Saturday, noon-7pm, Sunday noon-6pm
Distillery tours every Saturday and Sunday at 1pm

*Umamiventures are organized monthly, traveling far and wide to find good, cheap grub off the beaten path. Umamiventure #23 will be at Sammy’s in NYC on Sat. 2/20. Please come out!

**Become a Facebook Fan of UM to stay updated on all future trips!

Past Umamiventures include:
1.) Ocean Jewel Restaurant – Flushing, NYC; June 2007
2.) Red Hook Ball Fields - NYC; June 2007
3.) Taste of Jackson Heights – NYC; October, 2007
4.) Sripraphai Restaurant – Woodside, NYC; November 2007
5.) WINTERMARKET – South St. Seaport; December 2007
6.) Jackson Diner- Jackson Heights, NYC; January 2008
7.) Pacificana – Sunset Park, NYC; February 2008
8.) Puerto Alegre – The Mission, SF; March 2008
9.) Dinosaur BBQ – Harlem, NYC; April 2008
10.) Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden – Astoria, NYC; May 2008
11.) Brooklyn Banh Mi Crawl – Sunset Park, NYC; August 2008
12.) Sheapshead Bay Lobster Crawl – NYC; September 2008
13.) Flushing Food Circuit – NYC; October 2008
14.) Strong Beer Month – SF; March 2009
15.) Loisaida Throwback Crawl – NYC; April 2009
16.) Harley Farms Goat Dairy – Pescadero, CA; June 2009
17.) Tomales Bay Oyster Farm – Marshall, CA; August 2009
18.) Din Tai Fung – LA; September 2009
19.) Din Tai Fung – Tokyo; September 2009
20.) Schroeder’s Oktoberfest – SF; October 2009
21.) Fish Taco Crawl – San Diego; November 2009

Today’s Happy Hour is the last stop on the Scotch Express. If this is your first time checking in or haven’t been around in a while, we’ve been in full-Scotch mode the last several weeks, sharing numerous classic-yet-unsung Scotch cocktails (by classic I mean recipes that are at least 80 years old).

This week’s cocktail is the Flying Scotchman, and for anyone who enjoys a classic Rob Roy, this one’s right up your alley. It’s essentially a sweeter, more bitter relative of the Rob Roy.

The inspiration for this cocktail is the historic Flying Scotsman train which transported passengers back and forth between London and Edinburgh for a century or so beginning in the late 1800s.

Flying Scotchman Cocktail
1 1/2 oz Scotch (I used Aberlour 10 yr single-malt but a blended Scotch like Famous Grouse works great as well)
1 oz Italian vermouth (I used Vya but Carpano Antica is also superb)
2-3 generous dashes Angostura bitters
1/4-1/2 tsp cane syrup (use Depaz if it’s available to you)

Glass: coupe

Tools: Bar spoon, mixing glass, strainer

Stir well with ice and strain into your cocktail glass. You can and should adjust the sweetness and bitterness of this drink to suit your taste. I prefer mine less sweet and more bitter. Also because the sweetness of Italian vermouths vary by brand, you’ll also have to take that into account. For example the vermouth I used (Vya) is assertive and sweeter than say, Dolin, so I used less cane syrup.

I quite enjoy a Rob Roy, and this is a nice break for those who also appreciate a good Rob Roy but want to try something new within the same range of flavors without venturing too far–believe me I know how weary of change Scotch drinkers can be.

Sláinte!

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

**Paystyle was born in Tehran and grew up in Los Angeles (aka Tehrangeles) before moving to Brooklyn with his wife and co-pilot Vanessa Bahmani who provides the stunning photography of Pay’s cocktail concoctions. Return every Wednesday for his weekly Happy Hour column.

It’s Happy Hour once again, and classic Scotch cocktails are in effect as they have been over the past few weeks. Why have I been focusing so much on Scotch lately you ask? Well, firstly, because I enjoy the spirit a whole lot. Besides that, I realized reason alone could not dissuade the purists who oppose even the mere usage of “Scotch” and “cocktail” in the same sentence.

Instead, I understood that irrationality can only be countered with a brute, blunt, and mercilessly overwhelming force–the mixological version of the Bush Doctrine in a sense. Sometimes a little unilateralism is necessary in dealing with an unyielding obstacle, and therefore the only solution would be to hit the naysayers over the head with one classic Scotch cocktail after another until their faithlessness is drowned in an ocean of liquor. And the fact that the recipes I’ve been sharing are all nearly a century old (some possibly even older) dispels any notion that grown men don’t drink Scotch cocktails, since they were created and imbibed during an era when grown men were the predominant patrons of saloons and watering holes.

With the disclaimers out of the way, let’s get to this week’s drink, the “Hoots Mon.” What is a “Hoots Mon” and why is it the name of this cocktail you inquire? Well the former question can be answered with greater certainty than the latter. A brief bit of internet research (with assistance from my good friend Edgar Google–pronounced “googelay,” like Michale Buble) revealed “Hoots Mon” as a Scottish expression used to dismiss another’s opinion. It was also the title of a 1919 film starring Stan Laurel of the famed duo Laurel and Hardy, as well as the name of a song composed by the Scottish composer Harry Robertson.

That this Scottish phrase became attached to a cocktail recipe featuring Scotch is an easy one to figure out. Whether there’s any more to the story is anyone’s guess however. What I can say with great certainty though, is that despite its name, only a true fool would dismiss this drink.

“Hoots Mon” Cocktail
2 oz Scotch (I used Dalmore 15 yr single-malt)
1 oz Lillet (if you can somehow find it, use Cocchi Americano)
1 oz Italian vermouth (I used Vya sweet vermouth, but Carpano Antica is also exceptional here)
Lemon twist (optional)

Glass: coupe

Tools: Bar spoon, mixing glass, and strainer

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into your glass. Garnish with the lemon twist if you desire.

Because this is a very unfussy cocktail with just a few ingredients, I decided to use a single-malt like the Dalmore 15 yr, and it tasted great. If it’s not in your budget, a blended Scotch like Famous Grouse is a good standby.

For the vermouth, I recommend upgrading from Martini & Rossi if you can. This is a cocktail where specificity and quality pay dividends. Although Carpano Antica is unbeatable in this drink, this time around I used Vya, a relatively new brand out of California of all places. I had never tried it before, so I finally picked up a bottle and gave it a shot. It worked well, though differently than the Carpano. The Vya made its presence felt immediately, with a slight bitterness upfront and in the aftertaste.

Lastly, an important word regarding Lillet. Many old cocktail recipes call for Lillet, or Kina Lillet to be exact (the Vesper Martini is a well known example). Unfortunately, Kina Lillet is no longer available due to the company’s reformulation of the original recipe in 1986, after which it was rebranded as Lillet Blanc. I’ve never chanced the opportunity to taste the original Kina Lillet, but have been told it has a much more pronounced flavor of quinine, since it was essentially a Quinquina style of fortified wine. Consequently Lille Blanc is treated by many as a necessary evil, since it’s called for in many old recipes yet considered an inferior substitute for the previous version. The discovery of an adequate substitute for Kina Lillet has thus been long-considered a potential game changer.

Well consider the game changed, as Bay Area based bartender Erik Ellestad seems to have stumbled upon what other respected mixologists have verified as the adequate substitute for Kina Lillet, a specimen called Cocchi Americano. It doesn’t help much that Cocchi Americano is near-impossible to come by even here in New York City, but the collective fingers of the cocktail community remain crossed in hope of greater distributorship in the near future–at least we know a product exists somewhere, even if it’s unavailable to most of us.

To make a short story long, it’s worth seeking out the Cocchi Americano if it’s available to you, otherwise stick with Lillet Blanc in the meantime.

So remember, the next time someone spouts off nonsense about Scotch not being a cocktail-appropriate spirit, slap them in the back of the neck and tell’em “Hoots Mon!”

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

Paystyle was born in Tehran and grew up in Los Angeles (aka Tehrangeles) before moving to Brooklyn with his wife and co-pilot Vanessa Bahmani who provides the stunning photography of Pay’s cocktail concoctions. Return every Wednesday for his weekly Happy Hour column.

Last week I had the distinct honor of being one of five NYC mixologists chosen by Gothamist for a special event involving three of my favorite entities: Scotch, cocktails, and Rachel Maddow. The event was held in the private Gonzo Room (named after the late great Hunter S. Thompson) of Aspen in the Flatiron, and our directive was to mix and serve Scotch cocktails for the guest of honor, Ms. Maddow.

For those who don’t know, in addition to hosting a show on MSNBC, Rachel is a connoisseur of classic cocktails–meaning among other things, she enjoys her Old Fashioneds the old fashioned way, sans muddled fruits. Also in case you didn’t know, she is as cool, humble, and flat-out nice a person as you’re likely to meet. Seriously, you’d wish your best friend was this nice.

The premise of the event came from an interview of Ms. Maddow whereby she expressed an interest in exploring Scotch drinks beyond the common Blood and Sand Cocktail; so Gothamist rounded us up and challenged us to present other tasty ways of featuring Scotch in a cocktail. The Dalmore sponsored the event and was generous enough to provide us a wide array and seemingly endless supply of their fine Scotch. Yes, I was as happy as a kid in a liquor store that night.

The other mixologists that evening–a who’s who of mixological mastery to be sure–were Richard Boccato of Dutch Kills, Yael Vengroff of Pegu Club, Jennifer Nelson of Buttermilk Channel, and Jason Litrell of The Randolph. And though the event was billed as a contest, the vibe was less like a competition and more like a cross between a study group and a team relay. Once one of us made a drink, we’d pass it around, share thoughts, and help cleanup for the next person. I was completely humbled at the site of Richard Boccato offering to barback for the others anytime he wasn’t mixing a drink–the equivalent of Peyton Manning grabbing towels and water for the rest of the squad.

Above from left: Rachel Maddow, myself, and Richard Boccato

Before the night was over Rachel got in on the act as well, slipping behind the bar to flex a little mixological muscle. She held a cocktail clinic of her own, serving up various cocktails including one my wife really enjoyed, the Bamboo. In the spirit of teamwork she poured the ingredients and I did the honors of providing the hard shake. And it was quite an honor for all of us,to be sure. I mean, how often does a Rhodes Scholar go behind the bar to serve you cocktails?

For those of you who read Happy Hour regularly, you’ve already seen the successful use of Scotch in cocktails, namely the Bobby Burns and the Cameron’s Kick Cocktail. Below are the recipes for the cocktails featured that evening, including my offerings, the Affinity Cocktail and Modern Cocktail No. 2.

Affinity Cocktail (above)
1 oz Dalmore Gran Reserva
1 oz dry vermouth
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes Bitter-Truth Jerry Thomas Bitters
Lemon twist

Stir well in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Squeeze lemon peel on top and garnish.

Modern Cocktail No. 2
1 oz Dalmore 15
1 1/2 oz Sloe gin
1 dash Orange bitters
1 dash Absinthe
1 dash house-made grenadine (don’t buy the crappy sugary Rose’s brand when it’s so easy to make your own)

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.

Scotch Zoom (Richard Boccato)
2 oz Scotch whisky (unspecified)
3/4 oz honey
3/4 oz cream

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.

Jack Ward (Yael Vengroff)
1 1/2 oz Dalmore 15
1/2 oz Bonded Applejack
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz fresh orange juice
1/2 oz grenadine (I don’t need to repeat myself)
1/4 oz Benedictine
Absinthe to rinse glass

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass that’s been rinsed with absinthe.

The Deather (Jennifer Nelson)
2 1/4 oz Dalmore 15
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
2 dashes Highland Heather Bitters (can substitute with Peychaud’s)
Absinthe to rinse glass
sugar cube
lemon wedge

Muddle sugar cube and lemon with the bitters. Combine with ice, Scotch, and Lillet. Strain into a cocktail glass that’s been rinsed with absinthe and garnish with a lemon twist.

The Scottish Rite (Jason Litrell)
2 oz Dalmore 15
1/2 oz Oloroso Drysack Sherry
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
1 dash Benedictine

Stir and strain over an old fashioned glass with a block of ice and garnished with an orange peel.

There you have it folks. An exhaustive list of libations to say the least, that should have you drinking well into the weekend. Speaking of the weekend (or any day of the week for that matter), please don’t forget to visit the fine folks above at their respected establishments. Tip them well when you do, and thank them for making cocktails worth drinking again, since not every city is this fortunate! Slainte!

Special thanks: Rachel Maddow, Jen Carlson at Gothamist, Eugene Smolenskiy, Laura Baddish, The Dalmore, and Richard Boccato (for simply being an indispensable source of cocktail knowledge and all-around nice guy; the man would literally give you the shirt off his back if you asked–so don’t ask!)

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

Paystyle was born in Tehran and grew up in Los Angeles (aka Tehrangeles) before moving to Brooklyn with his wife and co-pilot Vanessa Bahmani who provides the stunning photography of Pay’s cocktail concoctions. Return every Wednesday for his weekly Happy Hour column.

“I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly…”
-Ron Burgundy

I couldn’t agree more, which is why last week I declared that for the coming month or so I’m dedicating the column to classic Scotch cocktails. Not only is Scotch underused by mixologists, it’s also underrated as a cocktail component–when done appropriately, that is.

The exalted status of Scotch whiskey (especially the single-malt variety), albeit a well-deserved one, has left a hardened impression among many that Scotch is a mixology-free zone. But this is really a misguided notion. Its unique flavor profile certainly doesn’t make it the easiest of the spirits to use in cocktails, but when used properly it can produce a transformative final product.

When done right, Scotch can also be quite the showcase of versatility, mixing equally well with light, bright ingredients like citrus and orgeat as it does with rich, herbal components like vermouth and absinthe. The Cameron’s Kick Cocktail is a perfect example of such versatility–an unlikely combination of Scotch, Irish whisky, lemon juice, and orgeat (almond-flavored syrup lightly essenced with orange flower water and pronounced “ohr-zha”) with an orange twist.

Who invented this drink and how, including the inspiration for its name, is not clear. My hunch is the dude’s name was Cameron, but who really knows. In the end what really matters is how it tastes, and here’s the recipe so you can judge for yourself.

Cameron’s Kick Cocktail
1 oz Scotch (a blended like Famous Grouse is good)
1 oz Irish whisky (Jameson’s fine but Redbreast is better)
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz orgeat (here’s an easy homemade recipe if you can’t find it in stores)
Orange twist for garnish

Glass: chilled coupe or cocktail glass

Tools: shaker, strainer

Place ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice and shake uncontrollably like Cameron kicked you in your nards. Strain into your glass, twist the orange peel over the drink to release its oil then place it as garnish.

The Cameron’s Kick is fall’s perfect summer drink. The Scotch and Irish whisky are bold and embracing while the citrus and the almondy-orangy sweetness of the orgeat freshen the palate. If Scotland had a one-night stand with Hawaii and had a baby, this is what it would resemble.

Sláinte!

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman@lifesacocktail.com, or simply drop me a comment below!

Paystyle was born in Tehran and grew up in Los Angeles (aka Tehrangeles) before moving to Brooklyn with his wife and co-pilot Vanessa Bahmani who provides the stunning photography of Pay’s concoctions. Return every Wednesday for his weekly Happy Hour column.