Originally written in August 2015.
The Magic Wand of Well-Being Will Touch You While I love absinthe, it is Chartreuse that fulfills all its promises. Absinthe with all its rituals and folklore lures people with visions of green fairies and 19th century artists going mad. There are fancy glass fountains that drip water gradually over sugar cubes into your your absinthe. You even have a video of hipsters giggling and somehow tripping to the green fairy. Whatever made artists go crazy and hallucinate had more to do with the contemporary contaminates and colorants that were essentially poisonous. What will say is that there is something that happens you combine high alcoholic content and various herbs. It is a different buzz than normal alcohol, but no green fairies or pink elephants. I like absinthe because I like herbal liqueurs. After I receive a couple of bottles of absinthe that are reminiscent of the old ways of making Absinthe (Absinthe Jade Terminus Oxygenee and Absinthe Angelique Verte Suisse), and get another bottle of La Clandestine, that will be the extent of my Absinthe kick. Chartreuse has a deep history involving monks, Quentin Tarantino, Tom Waits, and Hunter S. Thompson. According to E. Jean Carroll’s biography, Thompson would include Green Chartreuse in his late night activities:
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Originally written in August 2015.
Adventures in Green Fairyland It happens. In the heat of the Summer, you get tired of wine and beer. When we get to comfortable with our wine and beer it is easy to just start going on autopilot. Gone is thoughtful, intensional attention to whatever qualities your favorite wine or beer has, or worse you look at your collection of wines and you don’t have the urge to open anyone of them. You go to the chilled wine or beer section and you can’t believe nothing appeals to you. These times are certainly first world problems, and they have a first world solution. In these tough times, you can choose ingenuity over despair and make yourself an artisan cocktail. This little golden beauty is called a Chrysanthemum. 2 oz Dry Noilly Prat Vermouth 1 tsp of La Clandestine Absinthe 2 tablespoons of Dom Benedictine Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker with half a cup of ice and shake. Then strain it into a chilled and frosty martini glass. I came by this recipe by way of my obsession with Absinthe and trolling all the “absinthe cocktail recipes.” The first absinthe was a Grande Absente because someone at Bevmo had poor taste/judgement. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t good. So now I use it to make shots with sweet vermouth until it is gone. What is better is La Clandestine Absinth from Switzerland. It doesn’t have the green shade that the Grande has, but it far more sophisticated and refreshing. The La Clandestine is perfect for this cocktail because it is meant to be sophisticated, flowery, and refreshing. A little goes a long way. Some people take that teaspoon and simply line the frosted glass with it. I just dump it in with a little dash more because I like absinthe. The Benedictine provides this honey-soaked, citrusy and spicy complexity. The dry vermouth adds even more complexity and crispness. Given there is so little absinthe, this really isn’t an absinthe cocktail, but a beautiful dance between the Benedictine and Dry Vermouth, while the absinthe plays music in the background. More accurately, the absinthe is smoking a cigar with an aroma you will never forget while Benedictine and Dry Vermouth dances together seductively. This is liquid sunshine. Each ingredient can be enjoyed on the rocks by themselves, but they combine to make this delightful cocktail. When I sip it, I am reminded of a french perfume by Guerlain called Chamade. This 1969 perfume has notes of hyacinthe, turkish rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, blackcurrant, lily of the valley, galbanum, sandlewood, vetiver, musk, amber, and tonka wood. It has been described as bottled springtime. I have worn it and it makes me feel like I am laying on a chaise lounge sofa in a Parisian apartment with warm spring sunshine pouring on me from floor to ceiling windows. The perfume was supposed to "emulate the feeling of a heart beat that is in love." Chrysanthemum cocktails captures all that in a glass. Wow. You will find yourself telling yourself that this is your drink forever. Like the first blush of love, it might not be true, but at the time it feels true. You will go onto loving other cocktails, but when you think of that Chrysanthemum, you will smile. Originally written August 22, 2015
Adventures of Home Mixology The first time I tried a Manhattan cocktail was when I made one for myself. One could argue that it is then impossible for me to have good reference to know a great Manhattan. I never had a Manhattan because was really not a fan of whiskey because the times I had sipped some it was some low-shelf brand that blasted my tastebuds. Why would I even consider trying a Manhattan if I disliked whiskey? Recently, a longtime friend turned me onto 16 year old Single Malt whiskeys. It was one of those moments that turned on a light for me. Instead of having my tastebuds being assaulted, they were being beguiled by swirls of smooth smokiness and warmth. I was on my way getting the taste of whiskeys. Then I was gifted with Whistlepig rye whiskey and at the time it really did not turn me on in comparison to the single malt scotch whiskey. It sat there patiently until I could figure out what to do with it. As my home bar started to accumulate bottles, I bought a shaker and started making myself cocktails. I asked myself, “What should I do with this almost full bottle of Whistlepig?” I looked up rye whiskey cocktails and Manhattan recipes were abound. So, making a top shelf Manhattan seemed to be the most reasonable option. Searching many cocktail blogs, the consensus was that 2 oz of Whistlepig was one of the best base rye whiskey you can use. Then add 1 oz of Carpano Antica, an italian sweet vermouth. After that, add two dashes of Aromatic bitters and marachino cherry garnish. The bitters I used was 1 dash of Peychauds bitter and 1 dash of Orange Bitters. I skipped the marachino cherry garnish because I am not fond of cherries. I have since read about getting a jar of Luxardo cherries because they are not sickening sweet as I have experienced cherries to be. Luxardo is said to add a really sublime complexity to a Manhattan, so I will give it a try. You put these ingredients into a shaker with a half cup of ice. They will tell you to stir it until cold and then strain it into a glass. I just shake it until icy and then strain it into the cocktail glass. Originally written August 2015.
The Alluring Power of the Pomegranate in a Glass Hades knew he could trick Persephone to take pomegranate seeds before she was rescued. The allure of the pomegranate seeds was powerful enough to hold her hostage in the underworld for a portion of the year creating what we know is winter. The ancients thought that pomegranates were the fruit of the underworld. Pomegranates are thought to have been the real forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge that ultimately cast them out of the Garden of Eden. Here is a drink that will trick you into thinking it is all innocent. Its blush is dark pink, but it has a punch. In fact, this was adapted from a Ina Garten punch recipe measured in cups. Good GAWD, woman! My wheelhouse is complex and challenging drinks. This cocktail isn’t complex or challenging. It is meant to trick you and drag you into the underworld. Enjoy. 2 oz Vodka (I am using Blue Ice Potato Vodka) 1 oz Cointreau 1 oz Pom Pomegranate Juice 1/2 oz lime juice (totally optional) If you forget the lime juice, the cocktail is even more sneaky and smooth. It is just like the Kool-Aid you got just before naptime in Kindergarten. All you need to do is add a couple of graham crackers with it, and you will be napping on the floor on your towel in no time. Just like Kindergarten. All the other cocktails, the ingredients tell you they are not fooling around. They are high octane, high alcohol mofos. This cocktail thanks to stealthy vodka, hides and then gets you when you underestimate its power. So put on your thinking caps, children before you go out and play with this. It seems innocent. Remember what Persephone discovered: What seemed like innocent pomegranate seeds turned out to be more than she bargained for. |