Tales of the Cocktail Deadlines

I know; I know. I hate deadlines just as much as the next guy, but every once in a while, meeting a deadline can be an intoxifying experience. So there; don’t be scared about the approaching deadlines Read more

Campari, Carmine, and Corporate Conquests

The eGullet Spirits and Cocktails forum has a very interesting discussion about Campari and possible recipe changes that the spirit has undergone over the last few years. Campari has traditionally used carmine, a product from cochineal beetles, Read more

Texas Liquor Laws and St. Germain’s Tardiness

I have started to wonder if states like Washington, Pennsylvania, and Texas are competing against one another to maintain the most ridiculous collection of liquor laws. For example, while everyone else in the country was mixing it up with St. Germain a year ago, lone star state residents like myself and fellow cocktail blogger, the Tipsy Texan, were left thirsty. It wasn’t until last week that St. Germain finally became available to bars and the public. Read more

Welcome Houston Cocktail Lovers!

Just wanted to say hello to Houston Chronicle readers heading this way from Alison Cook’s blog, Cook’s Tour.

I hope this blog can provide a oasis to a city that has not quite caught up with the cocktail revolution happening across the nation. Maybe we just like our machine-made margaritas too much, but hey, the cocktail can be resurrected here too. It has been nice to meet local fans of the cocktail through this blog and discuss area bars that do it right and personal drink interests. If you have any questions about the Houston cocktail scene, or simply want to meet a local cocktail freak, drop me a line, or leave me a note in the comment section of this post.

If you need a good drink, I’ve got you covered there too. Please come by my bar at Beaver’s, any evening Tuesday through Sunday, and introduce yourself to me. We make some very creative cocktails with a nod to old-school techniques and ingredients. No apple pucker or other sweet candy drinks here, just a honest, well-balanced drink. You can find information on the bar hours and location here.

Well, thanks for showing some interest in an area bartender trying to change the Houston cocktail scene. There are more cocktail fans in our city than you think, and many of them can be found serving the vital role of lab rat at Beaver’s everyday. Please come join the party. Enjoy the blog; I hope it helps make your home mixing endeavors more exciting than ever.

The Last Word

It is ironic that a drink called the Last Word has resulted in endless discussions on cocktail blogs all over the net. Attempting to knock the Aviation off the internet cocktail dork throne, this drink became an even popular topic of discussion following its appearance on Robert Hess’ video cocktail endeavor, the Cocktail Spirit. With such excellent coverage devoted to a singular cocktail, it might seem a bit repetitive to put together another homage to this wonderful classic, but I also think that this cocktail is a great classic to play with, making it a great option for this Mixology Monday.

To begin, let’s look at the components of the Last Word. This drink is extremely similar to another classic, the Aviation. The Aviation can be a tricky drink to make, as the maraschino can easily dominate the cocktail. Understanding this relationship is important as it is a vital consideration in the Last Word as well. If you’re new to the cocktail blog thing, here’s how to make the Aviation:

Aviation

2 oz Gin
1 oz Lemon Juice
2 Dashes Maraschino

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a homemade maraschino cherry.

Simple drink really, but one that can change and require some practice especially when different gins are used. I love a good Aviation, but the Last Word is much better in my opinion.

The Last Word

3/4 oz Gin
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Now there are some obvious changes here namely the diminished proportion of gin, the addition of green Chartreuse, and the substitution of lime juice for lemon juice. Maybe I just haven’t done enough reading on other blogs or forums, but I don’t personally like all these differences.

First, I prefer more gin in my Last Words. Hell, I want more gin in my cereal, but I really think it is needed here. As the drink stands, it is far too sweet because there is just too much maraschino in the drink. Sure, we could bump the maraschino down a bit, but I do like how it balances the Chartreuse. Combined however, the Chartreuse and maraschino dominate the rest of the drink in my opinion. More gin is definitely needed. I like a healthy dose of a heavy, well-balanced gin like Junipero. The green Chartreuse is a welcome addition to the standard Aviation, but it needs to know its role in the drink.

The other green companion, however, is out of place. Limes? Why does this drink use limes? I just don’t think they fit at all. The drink is much better with lemons. I dare you to make two sets of Last Words side-by-side and tell me the one with lime is better. Again, maybe I’ve just lost sight of the drink and gone down the path of my own preferences, but I don’t think so. My bar guests tend to agree, and I have stopped making Last Words with lime juice entirely.

I think the result of tinkering with the Last Word in the manners described creates a much more refined and balanced drink that utilizes the gin properties of the Aviation while capitalizing on the use of green Chartreuse. I don’t up the citrus as much as a traditional Aviation would, but it is important to let the gin be the star. Here’s how I make mine:

Refined Speech

1 1/2 oz Junipero
Gin 3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Now, clearly we have a very different drink than the original Last Word, but I think that changing ratios of this classic and switching citrus is well worth the experimenting. I rarely follow a recipe from a book. Sure, I start there, but ultimately the unique characteristics of the world’s spirits require adjustments in all cocktails. A good cocktail is the product of someone’s understanding of all the spirits and how they work together. A couple of others have tinkered with the Last Word as well; I hope I didn’t miss anyone:

Rick at Kaiser Penguin substituted St.Germain for Green Chartreuse and also used lemon juice. Good job Rick; this sounds interesting and will definitely be on the try this soon list…if only St. Germain were available in Texas. Rick definitely fits into the category of understanding a drinks’ individual components and their union, so I think you might want to test this one as well. C’mon, you didn’t have anything important to do tomorrow anyway.

Then there’s Jamie Bourdeau, who burns up rosemary and turning the Chartreuse into a torch. Don’t get this guy on your bad side; make sure you always tell him you like his drinks, or man, who knows what will happen to you. Not that there would be a situation when you wouldn’t like the drinks, as this one too looks awesome. If I ever make it to Seattle and can visit Vessel, this is the one drink I want to try more than any other. He calls it the Rubicon, and it also uses lemon juice instead of lime and ups the gin portions as well. I didn’t mean to come too close to Jamie’s recipe in my alteration, but I guess this suggests that the changes are somewhat agreeable. I hadn’t even seen Jamie recipe on his site until I had almost completed writing this, which is odd because I generally read everything he posts, so it was good to see some confirmation about my thoughts on the changes.

Now, go do a taste test of the two (or three or four) versions and tell me which one you like the best. I might be dead wrong, and I’m fine with that. I’m going to drink my modified version regardless of what you think. Every sip will tell me this is one of my favorite drinks, something I can’t say for the original version. Also, I tried to make sure that a similar cocktail made of gin, maraschino, green Chartreuse, and lemon juice doesn’t already exist. I don’t think it does, but this wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong. If you know something I don’t, let me know. Happy taste-testing. Now head back over to Jimmy’s Cocktail Hour to see everyone else’s variations on classics.

Find of the Day!

I just want to brag for a brief moment. Today I went to Half-Price Books before heading into the bar, and I found a copy of Esquire Drinks: An Opinionated & Irreverent Guide to Drinking for $7. I had actually contemplated biting the bullet and buying the book from Amazon for $56, but man, am I glad I waited. I have been trying to expand my cocktail bookshelf lately and definitely had this one on the list. Now, if I could only find The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks for $4, I would have had a pretty good week. If you’re looking to expand your drinks library, there are several great books out there to start with. A couple of bloggers have already put together some great lists for you, so start here or here. But, make sure to check your local used book store first, I was surprised at how many cocktail books I found - some of the books even described how to make a proper drink.

The Chrysanthemum

The reintroduction of absinthe in the states has sparked a new curiosity among my bar guests about cocktail involving the mysterious spirit. I always like to give them the absinthe alone, cut with a little water, at first in order to appreciate it individually. Then they get a drip, so I can show them the traditional use of an absinthe spoon. Usually, people are satisfied and move on to other cocktails at this point. Let’s face it; an evening of absinthe is still a daunting proposal to the average American. Occasionally, however, someone asks for something more, or a regular will come back in and ask me to use the absinthe they had enjoyed before in another drink. After tonight, I think my absinthe cocktail of choice will certainly be the Chrysanthemum.I had never made myself a Chrysanthemum before tonight, but it had been on the list ever since it appeared in Paul Clarke’s article on absinthe in last month’s issue of Imbibe. Here’s the one I tried:

The Chrysanthemum

2 oz Vya Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz La Clandestine Absinthe

Stir on ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

The Chrysanthemum is obviously a cocktail of a different sort as its ingredients are generally used in smaller portions in other drinks. I really enjoy cocktails like this because they take you back to a less hateful world when vermouth was treated as an equal libation, not some secondary citizen forced to decay in a speed rail somewhere exposed, yet neglected.

This particular version of the Chrysanthemum is likely a bit different from others I would suspect. The Vya doesn’t have the same dryness as other vermouths, and the La Clandestine has a lighter, more delicate, flavor. Together, I think these two brands worked well in this cocktail because they didn’t overpower one another. But, if using a drier vermouth or bolder absinthe, I would opt for other options if available. People frequently fail to recognize the individual properties of different brands, so be careful and consider your available options individually before placing them together. A recipe is just a suggestion, a great drink is an understanding.

Well, that’s it for today. I just wanted to comment quickly on this cocktail because I really enjoyed it. Try your version of the Chrysanthemum and tell me what you think. For more information on this cocktail, pick up a copy of the current Imbibe magazine and check out the article on absinthe.