Carpano Punt E Mes

I consider one of my purposes in life to introduce Campari to as many people as possible. I just think you should try and make a difference in the world before you go. But, helping people to appreciate Campari is kind of like teaching a child to play catch. You know you’re going to hit them in the face, Read more

An Evening with the Darb Cocktail

In early February, my wife and I had the privilege of spending a weekend in San Francisco. Of course, a trip to this fine city would not be complete without visiting the Absinthe Bar & Brasserie. This evening, after too many cocktails, the bar sent out an old drink from Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book. Read more

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.

A Tale of Frat Guys, Campari, and the Negroni

I am an enormous fan of the Negroni. I get cravings for one drink or another from time to time, but no other drink beckons my inner cocktailian like the perfect combination of sweet vermouth, gin, and Campari. The flavors are best demonstrated when served up, but I love my Negronis on the rocks and enjoy the transition from bold to calm. My first Negroni experience was awful. I had this bottle of Campari I didn’t know what to do with, and like a pacifist firing a gun for the first time, was kicked by the strength of the Campari.

I remembered this feeling distinctly when last week a couple of frat guys interrupted me as I was greeting a new bar guest. “Hey bartender; we need a shot now!” Apparently, the time period it would have taken to make one cocktail for someone who had arrived at the bar first was too long to endure before they continued to treat their stomachs and livers like they were mortal enemies.

“What can I get you guys?” My bar guest gave me a look that told me that it was okay to take care of them so we could continue our conversation about authentic cocktails before reaching a liquid decision. Non-verbal bar communication is like a universal magical device used by bartenders and favorite patrons that tells each participant that everything is going to be okay; I’ve got you in mind at all times.

Frat guys obviously aren’t aware of the non-verbal aspects of the bar. “Whatever man; just give us something you like.”

“You want it neat?” I asked, hoping they would grant me unrestricted freedom to demonstrate why disrespecting the bartender and other guests is always an unwise act.

Still trying to grasp the concept of the term “neat”, Mr. Popped Collar finally said “sure.”

“Wonderful; have you guys ever had Campari?”

“No, let’s do it!”

Campari is kind of an acquired taste. I was overwhelmed by my first negroni (which was also my first Campari venture) and swore I would never have another, but the next day I couldn’t deny this inner urge and found myself shaking the classic again. By the end of the week, I had a new favorite drink. That was a few years ago. These guys were Campari rookies, and I wasn’t going to give them the luxury of having it mixed. Warm Campari it was!

“It tastes like tree bark! Man, what was that? That was the worst thing I have ever had in my life! Can I have a drink of water?”

“Sorry, guys; give me a second while I take care of this guy’s cocktail.” I betted that they were wishing they had waited earlier instead of having to wait now.

“You gave us a gag shot; we wanted something you would actually drink.”

“Guys, I love Campari, and so does everybody else.” I gestered to the glass I held and passed the negroni to my patient guest who I had come to know as Mark. After asking Mark if there was anything else I could get him, I made a couple of waters. Mark loved his negroni and swore to come back every time he was in town.

As is my nature, I am always looking for improvements or equally respectable alternatives to classic drinks. Despite its wonderful equation, I contemplated if the negroni could be improved. Our chef, Dax had given me a red wine, balsamic vinegar syrup earlier in the week that he had been playing with, and I thought it would make an ideal substitution for sweet vermouth in the negroni. The drink was outstanding! While a little sweeter than a traditional Negroni, rebalancing the drink by using larger portions of gin and Campari made a perfect cocktail. I’m not saying that the syrup is even close to the bottled magic of Vya, but a good change from time to time is always welcome.

To make the syrup just use a red wine instead of water and make a simple syrup, which is just equal parts sugar and water heated over the stove until the sugar has dissolved. In this case, also add some balsalmic vinegar to taste. It is that easy and really makes a distinct cocktail ingredient. I like drinking this syrup with soda water as well. You don’t need to use your best French treasure; just pick a cheaper basic red wine. Here’s how I used it in my twist on the negroni:

Negroni

1 oz Gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 Orange Slice

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass or serve on the rocks. Garnish with an orange slice.

“Megroni”

1 ¼ oz Gin (use a bolder more traditional gin)
1 ¼ oz Campari
½ oz Red Wine Balsalmic Syrup
1 Orange Slice

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass or serve on the rocks. Garnish with an orange slice.

The Negroni is a wonderful drink, and I really think that this approach has some potential as well. Is it the going to reach the enduring status of its inspiration? Probably not, but if you’re feeling creative, give it a try. If you find yourself at a bar where this isn’t an option, ask for a Negroni. Just make sure it is your turn.

9,204 Different REAL Martinis and Counting…

In The Joy of Mixology, Gary Regan makes the argument that the Manhattan is “the best cocktail on earth.” His rationale is partially based on “digesting all the variables” that influence a Manhattan’s taste. Gary probably knows more about this cocktail than anyone on the planet, and he argues that the best Manhattans consider the properties of their whiskey appropriately. For example, a spicier whiskey, such as a rye, needs more vermouth to correctly balance the drink. Milder whiskeys, such as a wheated bourbon, needs less vermouth. Therefore, to successfully create an ideal Manhattan, the bartender must have an extensive knowledge of whiskies, vermouth, and bitters. More importantly, to become a cocktail artisan, one must understand how the ingredients work together. Amid these circumstances, it is easy to understand why Gary claims the Manhattan to be the “best”.

Now, I would certainly never attempt to refute anything that Gary Regan has said. The man drools more bartending knowledge in his sleep than I posses. However, the term “best” is rather opinionated, allowing for me to add my own two cents. Additionally, Gary’s arguments for Manhattan supremacy have recently become applicable to the Martini. Now, I am not going to claim that the Martini is great because it was one of the first or is more iconic. Instead, let’s just consider the same concepts of complexity with the Martini.

THE MARTINI

3 oz Gin
1 oz Vermouth
2 Dashes Bitters (Orange Preferred)
Olive for Garnish

Combine all the ingredients in a tin and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the olive.

Simple enough? Maybe so - 10 years ago. Gin’s popularity was in the gutter and few brands were available to consumers. What a difference a decade has made! Gin has gained so much popularity that it is hard to keep up with all of the available brands. Consequently, the impact on the Martini is diversity. Just as the Manhattan is influenced by the abundant number of whiskies available, the Martini has become exponentially complex as new gins have developed. Bitters manufacturing has expanded as well, which equally influences both the Manhattan and the Martini. The combinations seem endless, but I came up with a ROUGH calculation of the possibilities for the Martini drinker.

The Rules: This task was a little more difficult than I expected. I generally keep track of most new products, especially gins, that are hitting the market, but, WOW, there are just so many more than I thought. I started listing them of the top of my head initially, got to about 30, and decided I needed some help. After surveying a few online merchants with huge selections, I settled on the list below, which I am sure is still incomplete. I excluded crap gins (such as Skol, McCormick, and any other company that produces a type of each major spirit and makes me want to vomit) and gins that are not traditionally used in Martinis (such as Holland’s gins). A lot of discussion has been made about whether some newer gins make good martinis and even count as gins. Some of my favorite articles covering this issue have been written by Gary Regan in the San Francisco Chronicle and Eric Asimov in the New York Times, but for the purpose of argumentation, let’s just count those gins that meet a minimum quality standard and could conceptually be used in a Martini. Vermouth has to be French Vermouth, and the bitters have to be either a basic (generally angostura flavored or similar) or orange, which was used originally. We will let Stirrings Blood Orange bitters in to be fair, but Collins chemical-orange-death-mixture is out. Other flavored bitters, while great in Martinis, are excluded just to draw the line somewhere. Alright, here’s the list of options:

TYPES OF FRENCH VERMOUTH

1. Boissiere
2. Cinzano
3. Dolin
4. Gallo
5. Kedem
6. Lejon
7. Martini & Rossi
8. Noilly Prat
9. Stock
10. Tribuno
11. Versasi
12. Vya

TYPES OF GIN

1. Aviation
2. Bafferts
3. Beefeater
4. Beefeater Wet
5. Blackwood’s
6. Blackwood’s 60
7. Bluecoat
8. Bombay
9. Bombay Sapphire
10. Boodles
11. Broker’s
12. Bulldog
13. Burnett’s
14. Cascade Mountain
15. Citadelle
16. Cork
17. Damrak
18. Desert Juniper
19. DH Krahn
20. Dogfish
21. G’Vine
22. Gabriel Boudier
23. Gilbey’s
24. Glenmore
25. Gordon’s
26. Gordon’s Distillers Cut
27. Hampton’s
28. Hendrick’s
29. Iceberg
30. Indigo
31. Juniper Green
32. Junipero
33. Kensington
34. Magellan
35. Mercury
36. Miller’s
37. Miller’s Westbourne Strength
38. No. 209
39. Northshore
40. Old Raj (46% ABV)
41. Old Raj (55% ABV)
42. Parliament
43. Plymouth
44. Plymouth Navy Strength
45. Quintessential
46. Rogue Spruce
47. Sarticious
48. Seagram’s
49. Seagram’s Lime Twisted
50. Seagram’s Reserve
51. South
52. Tanqueray
53. Tanqueray Rangpur
54. Tanqueray Ten
55. Tower of London
56. Van Gogh
57. Whitley Neill
58. Xoriguer
59. Zuidam

TYPES OF BITTERS

1. Angostura
2. Angostura (Orange)
3. A.V. Wees
4. A.V. Wees (Oranje)
5. Bitter Truth
6. Bitter Truth (Orange)
7. Fee Brother’s
8. Fee Brother’s (Orange)
9. Hermes
10. Hermes (Orange)
11. Peychaud’s
12. Regan’s (Orange)
13. Stirring’s (Blood Orange)

POSSIBLE MARTINIS: 9,204!

That’s right; with no repetition, there are 9,204 possible different combinations of 1 type of vermouth, 1 type of gin, and 1 type of bitters! And, as with the Manhattan, different degrees of vermouth work better with different strengths and flavors of gin. One could even make the argument that the variations in gin are more extreme than whiskies because of the diverse amount of herbs and other spices used. Further, not all gins work well with all vermouths. My favorites in each category are Vya Vermouth and Old Raj for example, but these two simply don’t work well together in my opinion. This is partially because Old Raj’s saffron elements seem to clash with some of Vya’s complexity; use Noilly Prat with Old Raj instead. This is just one example of the adjustments that need to be made for different ingredients.

Previously, when gin was more uniform in taste, the alterations were less essential. But as the gin market expands, bartenders need to be more aware of the relationship between their ingredients. So which is more difficult, the Manhattan or the Martini? Who knows? Gary’s original argument probably still applies because gin has yet to outnumber types of whiskies and probably never will. However, all other issues aside, the increasing diversity of gin makes the Martini a flexible contender. The question ultimately is unimportant; instead find out which of each you like the best. Here’s mine:

MY FAVORITE MARTINI (CURRENTLY)

2 ½ oz Northshore Gin
1 oz Vya Vermouth
3 Dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
Lemon Twist for Garnish

MY FAVORITE MANHATTAN (CURRENTLY)

2 ¼ oz Sazerac 6 Rye
1 oz Vya Sweet Vermouth
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Maraschino Cherry for Garnish

Are they the best? Is one better than the other? Who knows, but they are my favorites right now. I have had a lot of Martinis, but nowhere near 9,204. I won’t try some by choice, and others I probably won’t have the opportunity to experience. If I just tried one of the possible combinations every day, it would take over 25 years to complete the list of combinations, and new gin brands are certainly going to continue to appear as well, making this objective impossible. Nevertheless, the quest for the unobtainable holy grail of the Martini is more about the journey than the drink.

Follow-Up Note: In a strange sort of coincidence that would almost only happen with the best of cocktails, a couple other blogs I am big fans of wrote on the Martini when I was working on this post or just before. I like each of these blogs and wanted to go ahead and recommend them as other readings related to this post and as great blogs! Check out Married with Dinner and Oh Gosh! if you liked this post.