Siren's Song

Okay...working on this whole "making up for lost time" thing, and posting my second blog this week!  This came around when I decided that me not particularly caring for spiced rum meant that I needed to practice mixing with it.  People who like spiced rum seem to have approved of the result (and so do I, actually...I surprisingly enjoyed it thoroughly).  

The name for this one came around when I decided it needed to match the cocktail and be simultaneously feminine (it uses elderflower liqueur) and nautical (Sailor Jerry rum), with a little bit of evil implied.  Apparently that was an appropriate thought, because the first person who ordered it told the server "You need to tell your manager that this one needs to come with a warning!  It could be dangerous!"  Perfect!

Siren's Song
Method: Shake and Strain
Glassware: Large cocktail
Garnish: Dash of cinnamon

Ingredients:
1 oz Sailor Jerry spiced rum
.5 oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur
2 oz Fresh squeezed orange juice (seriously...using oranges makes all the difference)
.25 oz Simple syrup
3 dashes Regan's orange bitters

Add all ingredients to mixing glass and shake well with ice.  Strain into glass and garnish with a dash of cinnamon.  Enjoy!

For anybody unfamiliar with the Sirens (most known and remembered through Homer's Odyssey): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren

Death's Lady

First and foremost:  Sorry I've been so lax on posting this month!  I swear I have about five recipes I've been meaning to post.

This past weekend, the husband and I tripped up to Kalamazoo, Michigan for his sister's wedding.  We had a fantastic time with all of the families (I love my in-laws!  And even my in-laws' in-laws!), and I loved being back home and visiting my friends, and I got to pick up some gins to play with that I haven't been able to find in Ohio but have been dying to work with.  The two I snagged were Death's Door from Washington Island in Wisconsin (hey...I just realized how apropos that is.  His sister and her new husband recently moved to Wisconsin), and Knickerbocker from the distilling division of New Holland (yes, the brewing company).  I haven't quite decided what I want to do with the Knickerbocker, but I definitely had ideas of blueberry with both of them.  I picked up some blueberry preserves for the Death's Door, and in working on the build I basically ended up with a twist on the White Lady.   Between the gin used, and the drink invoked, it pretty much named itself.

P.S. to the state of Michigan:  Your liquor prices have become insane. $42 for a fifth of Cointreau?  SERIOUSLY?!?  Insane.  Retail around here is in the low $30s.

I have this pictured in a small cocktail glass, even though it's mixed for a large cocktail glass.  I forgot to photograph it before I sampled it out, so some of it was already sampled...ha...oops.

Death's Lady
Method: Shake and Strain
Glassware: Large Cocktail
Garnish: Sugared rim, and fresh blueberries

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Death's Door gin
.75 oz Cointreau
.75 oz Simple syrup
1 oz Fresh lemon juice
1 barspoon blueberry preserves

Build ingredients in a mixing glass and shake well with ice.  Strain into a large cocktail glass rimmed with sugar, garnish, and enjoy!

Note:  Since I don't have Death's Door at work, I thought I would also try this out with Plymouth gin.  It was a little bit sweeter, but worked very well anyway, and is a much more widely available gin.  You could probably bring the simple syrup down a bit to cut that sweetness and bring out the botanicals in the Plymouth a bit more.  Since sweeter tends to sell a bit better at the restaurant anyway, I didn't bother experimenting much further.

MxMo LIX: Beer Cocktails: Southern Magic

This month's Mixology Monday is sponsored by Cocktail Virgin Slut, and the theme is Beer Cocktails.  As mentioned in the announcing post, beer cocktails aren't exactly a new thing, but they've been getting a lot of press in the past year or so:  

Bartenders are drawn to beer for a variety of reasons including the glorious malt and roast notes from the grain, the bitter and sometimes floral elements from the hops, the interesting sour or fruity notes from the yeast, and the crispness and bubbles from the carbonation. Beer is not just for pint glasses, so let us honor beer of all styles as a drink ingredient.  

My first introduction to beer cocktails in a cocktail type of form was actually at Tales of the Cocktail last year in one of the tasting rooms.  The cocktail involved egg white, ROOT liqueur, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Recipe and video!  Thanks to Frederic for knowing what I was talking about!).  As soon as I interviewed for my current job I knew that if I got the position I wanted to utilize this style of cocktail in some way, shape, or form on my list.  The Southern Magic is the drink that resulted. I decided to start with a bourbon base, as it is a southern style restaurant--and not many liquors are more representative of the south than bourbon--and built from there.  I really wasn't sure how Cincinnati would react to beer cocktails in this form since the only thing in the "beer cocktail" realm I'd seen around before was a michelada at a restaurant we enjoy downtown, but I was pleasantly surprised by a nice following for it!  Also, a couple people have described it as "It's like summer in my mouth!" so I felt it rather appropriate for a July post.

Southern Magic
Method:  Shake, Box, Strain
Glassware:  Brandy Snifter
Garnish:  Flamed lemon twist

Ingredients:
.75 oz Maker's Mark bourbon
.5 oz Apricot brandy
.25 oz Simple syrup
Squeeze of fresh lemon (just a few drops, really)

Shake above ingredients with ice, then add 4 oz of Magic Hat #9 Not Quite Pale Ale, box ingredients, and strain into brandy snifter.  Flame a piece of lemon peel over drink, and drop peel in to garnish.

smoQ Summer Cocktails

Oh, hey!  I finally finalized my summer menu!  A few popular returning suspects, and a few new faces.  Ones created by my bar staff are noted with their names.  We're rolling this one out Monday or Tuesday...

ETA:  This is by far my favorite menu so far.  When I remember summers growing up in Oklahoma, there are many elements I remember in this list...fresh watermelon and strawberries and cucumbers from my dad's garden, my grandmother's rose bushes (and OH her flower garden was heaven!) in Michigan, lemonade and sweet sun tea...and I am a July baby, so being out in the pool or the yard with my nose buried in books picking strawberries in the summer months were my favorite parts of growing up.  Summer flavors are so crisp and clean, and they have just the perfect amount of sweetness. Also, I feel so many elements embody the slightly-more-upscale Southern style we're aiming for, and with elements of the smokiness we're named for, as well.

Watermelon Cooler (Non-Alcoholic)

Watermelon, cucumber, mint, lemon-lime soda, topped with soda water.

Summer Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic)

Mint, basil, dill, rosemary, and pomegranate juice steeped in fresh lemonade.

smoQin’ Rita

Sauza Hornitos Plata tequila, Cointreau, Dewar’s, fresh lemon and lime juices, house-smoked hickory salt.

Lavender Honeybee

Plymouth gin, house-smoked honey, rosemary, lavender syrup, and fresh lemon juice.

Mockingbird Summer

Hendricks gin, fresh muddled watermelon, strawberry, dill, and fresh lime juice.

Flowers for Hemingway

10 Cane rum, fresh lime juice, rosewater, hibiscus syrup, and Regan’s orange bitters.

The Gatsby

Four Roses bourbon, Fernet Branca, rosewater simple syrup, and ginger ale.

Summer Garden Lemonade

Hendricks gin and St-Germain elderflower liqueur mixed with our fresh Summer Lemonade.

Peach Pom  (Josh)

Absolut Apeach vodka, PAMA pomegranate liqueur, peach puree, orange flower water, and fresh orange juice.

Bon Temps  (Josh)

St-Germain elderflower liqueur, hibiscus syrup, agave nectar, orange flower water, iced tea.

Spellbound

Tanqueray No. Ten gin, fresh strawberry, basil, balsamic syrup, fresh lime juice, and ginger ale.

Red Ginger Bee  (Carey)

Wild Turkey American Honey bourbon, hibiscus syrup, fresh lime juice, and Gosling’s Ginger Beer.

Jamaican Staycation

Appleton Estate Reserve dark rum, Frangelico, and locally brewed Mt. Carmel Nut Brown Ale.

Mixology Monday: Niche Spirits

Welcome to another Mixology Monday with me!  This month's theme is Niche Spirits (e.g. any base spirit not typically used as a base spirit--not vodka, gin, rum, etc.), and is hosted by Filip at Adventures in Cocktails.  My entry is a bit out of season, but it never hurts to start planning your holidays early, right?

For my "niche spirit" I was planning on creating a new cocktail, but I decided on a tweaked classic.  When I was first introduced to Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine, the first thing I thought of was eggnog.  When I was working on the opening menu for my bar last fall I decided to research eggnog recipes (which of course all seemed to involve either bourbon or rum...neither of which I've ever really enjoyed eggnog with), and I worked out one that worked beautifully with the Catdaddy!

Daddy's Eggnog
Method:  Preshaken egg, Shake and Strain
Glassware:  Brandy snifter or large punch cup
Garnish:  Fresh grated nutmeg


Ingredients:
1 whole egg (preshaken)
1.5 oz Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine
.5 oz Simple syrup
3 oz Apple cider


Shake indgredents VERY well (make sure that egg is completely incorporated--there is little worse than a separating egg drink) with ice and strain into glass.  Top with a fresh grating of nutmeg.  Enjoy!


Sadly, I don't have a photo of my eggnog, but it was rather enjoyed, and I can't wait to put it back on this upcoming winter!

Flowers for Hemingway

A few weeks ago, Dan and I were at one of our regular places and they were featuring a daiquiri with rose and hibiscus and soda water.  I loved the idea, but the rose was fairly overpowering (I think they used about half a barspoon of rose water), and they used soda water in it which I wasn't too crazy about, and I was missing the hibiscus and lime completely.  I decided I adored the idea so much that I just had to make it work for myself.  As for the name, this isn't really a twist on the Hemingway Daiquiri recipe, but...since he has "his own" daiquiri, he tends to be the first thing I think of when I'm talking about classic daiquiris.  Also, as far as literature goes...I'm not a Hemingway fan, though I appreciate his contributions to our literary record.  My husband, on the other hand, does quite enjoy his work.  Regardless, Nobel Laureate authors always deserve flowers in their memory, right?

Flowers for Hemingway 
Method:  Shake and strain
Glassware:  Large Cocktail
Garnish:  Flamed orange twist

Ingredients
1.5 oz 10 Cane rum
1 oz Fresh lime juice
1.25 oz Simple syrup
1 drop Rose water
5 drops Fee Bros. Hibiscus flower water
1 dash Hibiscus syrup
2 dashes Regan's Orange bitters


Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a large cocktail glass.  Garnish with a flamed orange twist.
 

Cherry Kisses

A friend of mine asked me the other day if I might be able to come up with a black cherry martini, as she had had a wonderful one, and wanted to surprise her recently-21 sister-in-law with a recipe but couldn't find any good ones online.  She said they used black cherry vodka and a chocolate rim with a chocolate covered cherry garnish.  This was what I came up with.  My staff loved it, and so did some of our guests, so I thought I'd share.

Cherry Kisses
Method:  Shake and strain
Glass:  Large cocktail
Garnish:  Chocolate rim with a fresh cherry, or a chocolate-covered cherry (the real kind...not those fake maraschinos)

Ingredients:
2 oz Effen Black Cherry vodka
.75 oz Real pomegranate grenadine (1 part pomegranate juice to 1 part sugar, shaken well to mix)
.5 oz Fresh lime juice
.5 oz Simple syrup
2 oz Cranberry juice

Summer Mocktail: Watermelon Cooler

One of my major weaknesses in mixing is N/A mocktails.  When it comes to cocktails I like to think "What liquor will work well with these flavors?" or "what liquors will work well together?"  or...well...something along those lines.  I really have a hard time finding the right balance with mocktails.  In working on my summer cocktail list, though, I really wanted to have some nice non-alcoholic choices with summer flavors.  According to my staff on Wednesday night, this one is a clear winner:

Watermelon Cooler
Method:  Shake/Box
Glass:  16oz Pint
Garnish:  Mint sprig

Shake with ice:
2 cubes watermelon
2 slices cucumber
6 mint leaves
2 lime wedges, squeeze and discard
.25 oz Simple syrup

Fill glass with ice and add about 2 oz of Sprite (or other lemon-lime soda/pop)***.  Top with a splash of club soda and box.  Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

***Don't shake the carbonated sodas with the listed ingredients.  You don't want to flatten the carbonation.

Mixology Monday: Flores de Mayo

 So it appears that Blogger ate my Mixology Monday post,and since MxMo is tomorrow and my post still hasn't returned...I guess I need to try this again.


This month's theme for MxMo is Flores de Mayo--floral cocktails!--and is being hosted by Dave over at The Barman Cometh.  My cocktail is actually a pair of cocktails that came about when I was trying to think of what flavor profiles I would like to pair with Hendricks.  I ended up with Fernet Branca and rosewater in the recipe, and then I thought..."hm...Four Roses would go really well with these, too!"  What resulted was a pair of cocktails that I knew I could not bear to separate if they were ever to go on a cocktail list.  The only challenge was naming them.  These are two pages taken from the same chapter, so to speak, and the name needed to reflect that.  After grilling my brain since their creations in...well...February, I finally figured it out a few weeks ago--Gatsby and Daisy.


The Gatsby
Method:  Shake and Strain
Glassware:  10 oz Collins
Garnish:  Lemon twist

Ingredients:
1.25 oz Four Roses bourbon
3/4 tsp Fernet Branca
.33 oz Rosewater simple syrup**

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into Collins glass filled with ice.  Top with ginger ale.  Garnish.


The Daisy
Method:  Shake and strain
Glassware:  Champagne flute
Garnish:  Lemon twist

Ingredients:
1 oz Hendricks gin
1/2 tsp Fernet Branca
.33 oz Rosewater simple syrup**

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into champagne flute.  Top with prosecco.  Garnish.


**To make the rosewater simple syrup, simply add one drop of rosewater to one ounce of 2:1 simple syrup.

So who's ready for the Derby?

I love Mint Juleps.  One of the first drinks that crossed my mind in putting together the cocktail list for a southern style restaurant was the Mint Julep...the penultimate porch drink of the deep south.  Of course, there are many ways to twist this classic, and I was happy to take the challenge.  I decided to post this now as Mint Juleps also are the signature cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, which happens to fall on May 7th this year (I'm hoping the race time falls before my friend Julie's wedding so that I can watch it somewhere).  Yes, moving to Cincinnati has turned me into a Derby watcher, and I would LOVE to actually go to the races next year.

First, bourbon choice.  Maker's Mark recently(ish) released Maker's 46, and I'm a fan of the extra complexity and sweetness the toasted oak staves add to the bourbon.  Next, the sweetening agent:  this was actually a bit of a no-brainer...house-smoked honey, of course!

I am horrible at writing out an explanation of how to make a Mint Julep since it involves quite a lot of attention to detail, so instead I will give you the recipe and then direct you to a video demonstration. 


smoQ'd Julep

Glassware: Julep cup

Method: Muddle and Stir

Garnish: Drizzle of smoked honey and mint sprig

Muddle:

Fresh Mint (amount to taste...we use two nicely leaved sprigs)

1 oz  House-smoked honey

Add:

2.5 oz Maker’s Mark 46 bourbon

- Stir together (the honey is REALLY thick...it will end up in a ball in the bottom of the drink unless you stir it with the bourbon before adding ice) and add crushed ice

- Stir until the julep cup frosts

- Top off with more crushed ice and stir briefly again

- Drizzle with smoked honey and spanked mint sprig to garnish

- Warn guests to beware of the slippery frosted cup while drinking!

Video: How to make a Mint Julep 

Where we got our Lewis Bag: Professional grade Lewis bags by McSology

Our Mint Julep cups: KegWorks 10oz Mint Julep cup

Clearly, Mint Juleps are a lot of work...this is why we don't feature ours on our menu, though we can always make one for you upon request.  Just remember...patience, please!