New Cocktails: One Eyed Jack

One of my friends recently posted a picture of a mini-menu from the West Side Lounge in Boston. They're starting a weekly Twin Peaks evening and made a set of cocktails specifically for it. The one I decided to make myself is named after the brothel in the TV show - the drink certainly is dangerous.

One Eyed Jack
1.5 oz applejack
0.75 oz Chartreuse
0.75 oz rye whiskey
1 dash Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients, stir with ice for fifteen seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose is dominated by the Chartreuse, but remains fairly balanced, with the applejack's fruit and rye whiskey's grain making themselves known. The sip begins with moderate sweetness, with apples coming in early, followed by herbal notes from the Chartreuse and spice from the rye and bitters, then leaving with bittersweet apples.

Since all I had to begin with were the ingredients, I modeled the proportions on the Widow's Kiss, substituting rye whiskey for the Bénédictine. Since it was going to be a lot less sweet that way, I back off on the bitters to keep things in balance. It's surprisingly smooth and easy going for being a cocktail made entirely with high-proof spirits. It works out well since the two spirits compliment different aspects of the Chartreuse, combing together in a beautiful melange.

Classic Cocktails: De La Louisiane

I was pointed towards this fantastic twist on the classic Sazerac cocktail by Thomas Prieto. It originally comes from the Restaurant de la Louisiane, a famous French restaurant in early 20th-century New Orleans. The recipe was recorded by Stanley Clisby Arthur in his 1937 book New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em.

De La Louisiane
2 oz rye whiskey
0.75 oz sweet vermouth
0.75 oz Bénédictine
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
3 dashes (~0.5 tsp) pastis or absinthe

Combine all ingredients, stir with ice for fifteen seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose is dominated by the anise notes of the Herbsaint and Peychaud's, herbaceousness from the Bénédictine, with hints of sweet wine and rye. The sip begins with honey and wine sweetness from the Bénédictine and sweet vermouth, becoming herbal rye mid-palate, then leaving with a shower of anise sparks.

This is a really interesting mash-up of the Sazerac and the Vieux Carré. It's less sweet than I would have guessed looking at the recipe - the ingredients balance each other rather well. I would highly recommend this if you enjoy rye whiskey cocktails.

Classic Cocktails: the Rum Curacao Cooler

Can't find many references about this drink other than in the Cocktail Database. Still, a simple but tasty drink.

Rum Curacao Cooler (Adapted)

1 oz aged rum

1 oz curaçao

0.5 oz lime juice

1 oz grapefruit juice

0.25 oz simple syrup

Build over ice in a chilled glass, top with soda water and stir briefly to combine.

The sip begins with a hit of grapefruit, segues into orange, rhum agricole, and lime, then finishes bittersweet-ly.

While not complicated, this was a very pleasant drink. I adjusted the recipe because, while I had grapefruit juice and soda water, I didn't have any grapefruit soda. I think the improvisation worked just fine. But if you do have grapefruit soda around, drop the grapefruit juice and simple syrup. Also, while I used rhum agricole to give this one a bit of a kick, any kind of aged rum should do. Jamaican would be my next choice, but something from Barbados, St. Croix, or Puerto Rico will be even more mellow.

Classic Cocktails: the Blinker

I snagged this drink from Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails. The drink first appeared in Patrick Gavin Duffy's The Official Mixer's Manual in 1934. That suggests that it probably came out of Prohibition, when lots of drinks were developed to hide the taste of bad spirits. While I'm using finer ingredients than what would have been available at the local speakeasy, it still manages to hide an awful lot of whiskey.

Blinker
2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz grapefruit juice
2 barspoons raspberry syrup

Combine all ingredients, shake with ice for six seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The nose is full of grapefruit with hints of lemon oil from the garnish and there is a bit of rye and raspberry underneath. The sip begins with mildly sweet grapefruit, which grows towards mid-palate. The rye and raspberry rise alongside. The finish is all raspberry and rye grain.

This drink definitely fits the Prohibition mold. With that said, unless you want the whiskey to hide even more, I wouldn't try substituting bourbon into this cocktail - it probably won't be able to hold its own. If Rittenhouse can barely punch through, no bourbon short of George T. Stagg is going to make much of an impression. Either way, it's either an easy drinking cocktail (build it over ice and dilute it with a squirt of soda water for something a bit snappier in the summer) or a good way to ease someone into rye whiskey.

Mixology Monday LXXI - From Crass to Craft

It's that time of the month again - Mixology Monday has rolled around. This month's event, hosted by Scott Diaz of Shake, Strain & Sip, is Crass to Craft. To summarize -

"The evolution of the cocktail has been a wondrous, and sometimes, frightful journey… But with all this focus on “craft” ingredients and classic tools & form, it seems we have become somewhat pretentious. The focus on bitter Italian amari, revived and lost ingredients such as Batavia Arrack or Crème de Violette, the snickering at a guest ordering a Cosmopolitan or a Midori Sour has propelled us into the dark realm of snobbery… Remember, the bar was created with pleasing one particular group in mind: the guest. As such, this month’s MxMo theme… will focus on concocting a craft cocktail worthy of not only MxMo but any trendy bar, using dubious and otherwise shunned ingredients to sprout forth a craft cocktail that no one could deny is anything less. There are a plethora of spirits, liqueurs, and non-alcoholic libations that are just waiting for someone to showcase that they too are worthy of being featured on our home and bar shelves. So grab that bottle of flavored vodka, Jägermeister, cranberry juice, soda, neon-colored liqueur, sour mix, or anything else deemed unworthy of a craft cocktail, and get mixin’!"

Thinking about what's been languishing in my booze collection, I pawed some spirits out of the way to find two bottles of amaretto hiding at the back of one shelf. While little used now, amaretto was my unglamorous introduction to mixology. Near the end of college I loved Amaretto Stone Sours - 1:2:2 amaretto, orange juice, and neon yellow sour mix. Even with bottom shelf amaretto (seriously, I think the bottle cost $5), the sheer artificiality of the combination somehow just came together perfectly. 

But those days passed and the amaretto wasted away, rarely to see the light of day. Trying to think about what to do with it, I remembered Jeffrey Morgenthaler's post extolling the virtues of his Amaretto Sours. While I'm a bit low on cask-strength bourbon, I do have a lot of high proof rum. So I decided to take it in a slightly tiki direction.

Amaretto Spiced Sour

1.5 oz amaretto

0.75 oz high-proof Jamaican rum

1 oz lemon juice

1 tsp falernum

0.5 oz egg white

Combine all ingredients, dry shake, then shake with ice and strain into a chilled rocks glass. Garnish with a long strip of lemon peel and a few drops of Angostura bitters

The nose holds just a bit of funk from the rum and some woody/spicy notes from the bitters on top of the foam. The sip begins in a balanced fashion, perched between sweet and sour, slowly segueing through almond notes from the amaretto, Jamaican rum funk, eggy creaminess, and finishing with very mild bitterness.

While retaining the basic structure and character of the Amaretto Sour, I think this version manages to make things just a bit more interesting. The rum, bitters, and falernum are present without overwhelming the amaretto and lemon juice. The egg white acts as a good integrator, smoothing over the cracks between the other flavors. If you're sensitive to egg flavors or just feel weird about raw egg whites, you could back off a bit an use a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon, or even just omit that entirely. Either way, it's a hell of a drink.

Thanks again to Shake, Strain & Sip for hosting this month's MxMo. I look forward to seeing what other drinks people have hauled up from the depth of the bottom shelf.

New Tiki Cocktails: The Clermeil

This is another cocktail from Imbibe's rum feature in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue. The drink was invented by Maksym Pazuniak of Cure in New Orleans, who named it after the Haitain Vodou loa who makes rivers overflow their banks.

For a slightly different take on this drink, you should check out Cocktail Virgin.

The Clermeil
1.5 oz aged rum
0.75 oz green Chartreuse
0.75 oz lime juice
0.5 oz maple syrup
0.75 tsp allspice dram

Combine all ingredients, shake with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose is dominated by the Chartreuse, which gives is a rather savory aspect, with an undercurrent of rum and maple syrup. The sip begins lightly, with sweetness, lime, and herbal notes growing stronger mid-palate, then slowly fading out with a bit of spice from the allspice dram. The rum plays more of a supporting role, giving the flavors a certain roundness.

I made the drink with the last of my bottle of Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva. While an excellent choice in many applications, it felt overwhelmed by the green Chartreuse. As Fred noted, even El Dorado 12 Year can get beat out by the herbal liqueur, so maybe only something like a Jamaican rum would really be able to hold its own. Another alternative would be switching to the lighter and sweeter yellow Chartreuse and easing back a bit on the maple syrup. That could let the rum shine a bit more. Either way, this is a very nice tiki-ish take on the Last Word format.

New Cocktails: And to All a Good Night...

This drink comes from Tim Stookey of the Presidio Social Club in San Francisco via the 2008 holiday cocktail guide from Imbibe. A bit of a puzzler on its face, it was much tastier than I thought it might be.

And to All a Good Night...
1.5 oz bourbon
0.75 oz reposado tequila
0.75 oz cherry Heering
2 dashes orange bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters

The nose is dominated by the cherry Heering, with flashes of agave. After the drink warms up, corn notes from the bourbon start to emerge. It begins sweetly, but that is quickly tamed by a combination of the bitters and tannins from the bourbon, with the tequila weaving through it. The finish is bittersweet chocolate.

This is a somewhat peculiar cocktail. The combination of bourbon and tequila is rather unique. I feel like the results are going to be dependent on which spirits you pick. The Elijah Craig 12 I used is a dominant force in the drink, pushing the tequila into the background. It doesn't help that higher proof tequilas are pretty thin on the ground, so all of the ones I own feel a bit outmatched in this situation.

Most of all, while I liked the drink, I don't think it's something I'd serve to anyone other than a booze nerd. It's not quite harmonious enough, at least with the ingredients I picked, to sit well with most people. Maybe with a wheated bourbon and a lighter tequila, it'd all fit together better. And either way, I'm not sure that there's anything particularly festive about it. Still, it piques my interest in seeing how well tequila works with other spirits, so at least it will make me investigate further.

New Tiki Classic: the Bitter Mai-Tai

This is, as Tiare puts it, potentially a gross abomination: a mai-tai whose main constituent is Italian amaro rather than rum.

This drink comes from the wild mind of Jeremy Oertel of Dram in Brooklyn. It was featured in Imbibe's article about tiki drinks from a few years back, which is how I found out about it while flipping through back issues yesterday looking for Tiki Month fodder.

Bitter Mai-Tai
1.5 oz Campari
0.75 oz Jamaican rum
1 oz lime juice
0.5 oz orange liqueur
0.75 oz orgeat

Combine all ingredients, shake with ice, then either pour unstrained into a chilled rocks glass or strain into a rocks glass full of crushed ice.

The nose is light, with hints of the Jamaican rum's dunder funk and the bright bitter notes of Campari, with just a bit of nuttiness from the orgeat and sourness from the lime. The sip begins smoothly and sweetly, with a mixture of orange liqueur and orgeat. As it moves back, Jamaican rum and Campari hit with a one-two punch, fading out with bitter/sweet/sour notes of lime and Campari.

Kind of like the Stormy Mai-Tai, it, just doesn't look like it's going to work. While wacky on its face, this drink comes together beautifully. It's possible that it would have been too sweet if I hadn't gone for a big Jamaican rum like Smith & Cross. But the rum needs to be bold to punch through all of the other strong flavors in the drink. If you want to take it in a darker direction, Coruba and a dash of Angostura bitters might not be a bad tack to take. However, I think it's going to be delicious no matter how you choose to make it.

New Cocktails: the Professor

This drink comes from the PDT Cocktail Book, as a variation on the Chancellor cocktail from Esquire. I swapped around the exact varieties of spirits to suit what I had on hand, but I think it turned out reasonably well.

Professor
2 oz aged rhum agricole
0.75 oz tawny port
0.5 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters

Combine all ingredients, stir with ice for fifteen seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose is dominated by the rhum, though inflected with sweet grape notes from the port and vermouth. The sip begins with very mild sweetness, which grows a bit towards mid-palate. Further back there's a complex interplay of various bitter notes and grape/brandy flavors. The finish is mostly bitter, between the vermouth and bitters, with just a bit of vanilla.

This is a really interesting drink to me because it's highlighting rhum agricole in a cocktail that's not a tiki drink. Sort of like scotch, it can be a difficult ingredient to work with because it doesn't always play well with others. However, using a more mellow VSOP rhum will probably come out smoother than the more fiery Rhum J.M. ESB that I picked. Either way, I think this is a really nice twist on the standard Manhattan mold.

Rhum Agricole Review: Saint James Hors d'Âge

This is the second in my set of reviews looking at rhums from the Saint James distillery on Martinique.

Saint James is the oldest distillery on the island in continuous operation. While rhum production goes back even further, the brand came out of a decision by Louis XV in 1763 to allow rhum from the island to be exported. The Saint James brand was established in 1765 near the town of Saint Pierre, with the name designed to appeal to English-speaking colonists in New England. Saint James is also distinguished by having put out the first vintage rhum on the island in 1885, which has continued ever since. Disaster struck in 1902 when Mount Pelée erupted, destroying Saint Pierre and most of the distillery's building. However, the main house largely survived. The distillery was consolidated on the other side of the island in the town of Saint Marie in 1974, where production has been located ever since.

 The sugar cane harvest for Saint James begins in February and extends into summer. The cut cane is transported to the distillery as quickly as possible, where it is pressed in mills to extract the juice. The juice, or 'vessou', ferments naturally due to the yeast present in the cane. Fermentation is kept between 25-30º C and is fairly quick, taking only a day or two. The mash is at 4-5% alcohol when it is added to the column stills, which give a raw spirit of 65-74% alcohol. The fresh rhum is then either rested in steel vats for a few months to produce blanc rhum or aged in oak barrels to produce everything from their paille rhum to rhum vieux. Saint James has a fairly high angels share of 8% a year, which goes a long way towards explaining their prices.

Saint James Hors d'Âge

Nose: bittersweet oak, subdued berries and wine, balsamic vinegar or raspberries, mesquite honey, a hint of woodsmoke, creamy beeswax, salted caramels, dry cane, becoming more floral/berry-oriented with time. After adding a few drops of water, the oak and wine flavors become more integrated, the berry notes seem fresher, and some brown sugar bacon notes emerge.

Taste: oak throughout, cane and wood sugar up front with wine and berries, caramel/burned sugar mid-palate along with light orange peel and vanilla, a big blast of pepper, which becomes creamier with brandy near the back. After dilution, the flavors are thinner but creamier, with the pepper becoming more assertive and the addition of some mocha near the back.

Finish: brandy, cane, bitter oak, floral, wood smoke

The Hors d'Âge expression is one of the older rhums that Saint James puts out. The rhum is aged for six to ten years in 180-liter casks, then bottled at 43% alcohol. Unsurprisingly, this means that the wood influence is much more obvious in this rhum compared to the Royal Ambré. While this does round off some of the rougher edges found in Royal Ambré, the wood can seem rather heavy on the nose at first, taking some time in the glass to find a proper balance. I feel like this rhum occupies a middle ground between the berry emphasis of Neisson Réserve Spéciale and the woodier bacon notes of La Favorite Vieux. I was slightly disappointed by how much it lost on the nose with even a few drops of water, but the palate was more robust.

Sadly this rhum is getting harder to find. I've heard rumors that Saint James was pulling out of U.S. distribution, but it can still be found with a bit of work (Hi-Time Wine has the full spread available in the U.S.). MSRP is around $50, which is a rather reasonable price for the quality of this spirit. This offers just as much complexity and depth as similarly priced single malts, so I would recommend Hors d'Âge without reservation.

Rum Review: El Dorado 3 Year

I've reviewed other rums from El Dorado before, but this one is a bit different. El Dorado 3 Year is, like all their rums, produced in Guyana from their amazing collection of stills. ED3 is a blend of rums distilled in two different four-column Savalle stills, Skeldon and Blairmont, then aged in ex-bourbon casks for at least three years. The trick with this rum is that the color is stripped out by double charcoal filtration. While that also removes some of the flavor, ED3 is still more flavorful than most white rums you will find on the market these days. Bottling proof is, like most rums, at 40%.

El Dorado 3 Year

Nose: light, clean, creamy molasses, savory vanilla

Taste: lemon/orange peel and cane sugar sweetness up front - which continues through the sip - becomes bittersweet mid-palate, slightly tannic, tropical fruit and berries, a hint of cacao and bitter molasses at the back.

Finish: fruit/berries, bitter wood, slightly floral, savory vanilla

Unsurprisingly, there is a lot of overlap with the flavor profile of El Dorado 5 Year. However, ED3 is lighter and a bit more crisp, with flavors that edge towards savoriness, rather than the sweeter profile of ED5. Though not the first thing I would reach for as a sipping rum, it is quite balanced and approachable, while retaining a solid flavor density. Best of all, ED3 is an excellent value, usually running under $20 for a 750 mL bottle. All of that makes it perfect for cocktails where you want the rum to be present without overwhelming the other ingredients. For instance...

El Presidente

1.5 oz rum

0.75 oz dry vermouth

0.25 oz orange liqueur

0.5 tsp grenadine (sub raspberry syrup)

Combine all ingredients, stir with ice for fifteen seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose is a delicate melange of the vermouth's aromatics, some floral notes, orange peel, raspberry, and rum. The sip begins fairly neutrally, with depth building as the drink progresses across the tongue. Mild sweetness comes in first, with vanilla and orange, then trends a bit more bitter as the vermouth takes over, supplemented by the rum. The finish is pure dry cacao.

The history of this drink is debated, but the established facts are that it was created in Cuba around the time of Prohibition, when numerous Americans would sail to the island for a drinking vacation. I can see why it was such a smash - the drink is simultaneously ethereal and hard-hitting. While containing naught but booze, but it still manages to sneak up on you. It's fruity, but not overly so. Sweet, but not overly so. Bitter, but not overly so. Everything is in perfect tension. And the choice of rum feels spot-on for this drink.

In a daiquiri, ED3 produces a fairly delicate nose, with gentle vanilla and a hint of lime. The vanilla comes in sweetly at the beginning of the sip and carries through. Lime hits mid-palate, giving the drink crispness. Near the back, the sweetness fades a bit towards light bitterness and becomes more rounded, with rummy depth. Overall, I would say this is an exceptional daiquiri - every element hitting with supreme poise.

I don't know how much of a wrap-up I need. Go buy this rum. Right now.

New Cocktails: Suit, Tie, and Lei

In case you're not already in the know, it's Tiki Month over at the Pegu Blog. While not your normal kind of tiki, this variation on the Kingston Negroni supplements it with a very tropical combination of ingredients like falernum, Don's Spices, and Angostura bitters. A dressed up tiki, if you will.

Suit, Tie, and Lei
1.5 oz aged rum
0.5 oz sweet vermouth
0.25 oz Aperol
1 tsp dark falernum
1 tsp Don's Spices #2
2 dashes Angostura bitters

The nose is full of spice and bitterness, rounded by healthy doses of vanilla and caramel. The sip begins smoothly, with sweetness and bitter spices growing in tandem, riding over a bed of rum. The bitter notes finally begin to dominate on the finish, with the Angostura bitters and falernum getting the upper hand.

New Cocktails: The Truth (Anything But)

This little drink was something I put together while trying to finish off my bottle of Cruzan Single Barrel rum. While definitely a dessert-y drink, I wanted to make sure that it had enough structure to avoid becoming cloying.

The Truth (Anything But)
2 oz Cruzan Single Barrel rum
0.25 oz chocolate spiced rum
2 tsp cherry Heering
0.5 tsp cinnamon syrup
2 dashes Fee's Whiskey Barrel bitters

The nose is rich, with lots of wood, spices, coffee, and chocolate. The sip begins with light cherry sweetness, which moves into baking spices, then bitterness, then chili pepper and chocolate going into the finish.

Rum Review: Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum

Smith & Cross is one of those rums that was simply unavailable in the States before the cocktail renaissance. Thankfully Eric Seed of Haus Alpenz has made it his mission to bring forgotten spirits back to the light of day.

The Smith & Cross name traces its history back to 1788 when a sugar refinery was set up at No. 203 Thames Street near the London Docks. Eventually the company became a major importer of Jamaican rum. More recently, the space was taken over by Hayman Distillers, which produces a number of spirits that are also imported by Haus Alpenz.

The current iteration of Smith & Cross rum is produced by the Jamaican distiller Hampden Estate. The distillery normally produces high ester rum on contract, both for blending, as well as for food and perfumes. Smith & Cross is roughly an even blend of Wedderburn high ester (200+ ppm) rum, which is aged for less than a year, and Plummer medium ester (150-200 ppm) rum, which is aged for 18-36 months. High ester rums seem to be like heavily peated whiskies - age tends to diminish their power, so you want something young for full effect. Additionally, Smith & Cross is bottled at 57% ABV, which is also known as 100 English proof (50% alcohol by mass) or Navy proof (the English Navy required all spirits on board to be of sufficiently high proof that gun powder would still light if the spirit was spilled on it) While this rum is primarily designed for making cocktails, it's still a fantastic sipper.

Smith & Cross

Nose: dry esters, nutmeg, caramel, berries, a bit of vanilla, dusty oak, brandy, coffe. After adding a few drops of water, the ester and caramel aromas become more integrated, with more berries and vanilla along with the appearance of nougat.

Taste: very rich overall, mild molasses sweetness starts up front and carries through, esters, berries, and pepper explode mid-palate, then fade a bit into the finish. After dilution, there is a thicker mouthfeel, more integrated flavors and additional sweetness up front and bitterness at the back.

Finish: heat, pepper, esters. After dilution, overripe fruits and earthy vanilla frosting emerge.

It's a little bit weird given that Smith & Cross was put together explicitly for making cocktails, but this is honestly one of my favorite sipping rums. Part of it is that the flavors are very robust - no need to hunt for details because everything is clear and upfront. There's also excellent balance on the palate - the sip begins with pleasant but not overwhelming sweetness, then swings almost 180º into dry esters and pepper. That switch reminds me a lot of Highland Park 12.

Which leads me to wonder what a high ester Jamaican rum would taste like matured for 2-3 years in ex-sherry barrels (amontillado would be my first choice, but you could drag it in either a drier or sweeter direction with either fino or oloroso casks). I feel like there might be an untapped market in appealing to the extremophile tastes of peat connoisseurs with well-made, lightly aged Jamaican rums.

I've already brought out Smith & Cross for a number of different cocktails, including Mai Tais, the Ashtray Heart, and Montego Bay. But I thought that it might fit nicely into the Boulevardier/Negroni mold...

The Kingston Negroni
1.5 oz Smith & Cross rum
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth

Combine all ingredients, stir with ice for fifteen seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose still has a strong hit of esters, but they've been smoothed out a bit. There are also some lovely fruit notes from the Campari and vermouth. The sip begins with almost syrupy sweetness, segueing into a blaster of esters, fruit, bitterness, and spice, which all continue through the finish with a long, slow fade.

While not precisely complex, this is simply a beautiful cocktail. Everything fits together perfectly, the esters layering on top of the combined bitter notes from the Campari and vermouth. While initially sweet, the finish is anything but, keeping the drink from being cloying. I highly recommend this variation if you're used to the more standard Boulevardier or Negroni.

Mixology Monday LXIX: Fortified Wine - Port

Last, but not least, in my series of posts for this month's Mixology Monday theme of Fortified Wine: a port-based drink from the vaults of the Cocktail Database.

Port is a fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in northern Portugal (though wines in this style are produced in many other parts of the world). The name is derived from the coastal city of Porto, where the wines were loaded for export. The wines are produced from either red or white grapes (nearly one hundred different varieties are permitted). After the juice is partially fermented, grape neutral spirit (auguardente) is added to bring the alcohol concentration up to 20%, killing the yeast and halting fermentation. This is done so that residual unfermented sugars are left. The wines are then either stored in steels tanks to prevent oxidation before bottling as ruby ports, or aged in oak barrels to oxidize and evaporate, producing tawny, vintage, or late bottled vintage ports. Tawnies are aged in oak for a minimum of two years and up to decades before bottling. Vintage ports are from a particularly good harvest and are aged in oak for a maximum of two and a half years before bottling, gaining in quality the longer they are in the bottle. Late bottled vintage ports are aged in oak for between four and six years before bottling, gaining in quality after bottling only if they are unfiltered. As a general rule, the longer a port spent oxidizing the barrel, the longer it will last after being opened - it's already oxidized, so air can't do much more.

Montana
1.5 oz cognac
0.5 oz dry vermouth
0.5 oz port

Combine all ingredients, stir with ice for fifteen seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose has a lot of off-dry grape notes - reflecting the contributions of each ingredient - inflected with the vermouth's aromatics and a touch of green apples. As the drink warms, the nose becomes richer with brighter fruit notes - the port and cognac playing a more assertive role. The sip begins lightly, with flavors building towards the back. The cognac comes in first, augmented by the port. The flavors become drier and more aromatic towards the back as the vermouth gains ascendency, leading into a slightly astringent palate-cleansing finish. As the cocktail warms up, the acidic bite of the vermouth becomes stronger, making for a snappier drink.

This is a very grape-centric drink, so you have to like those flavors to enjoy this one. As pointed out by Fred, the drink can be changed significantly by the ingredients used. I went with a pretty well-aged tawny port, so it doesn't shift the drink out of a dry mode. A sweeter, fruitier ruby port would make it more counterpoint instead of point (especially given the young and fruity Hardy VS cognac I used) with the vermouth. To make it even more aperitif-like, building the drink over ice and adding some soda water would tame it even more. Either way, it's a very pleasant cocktail without a lot of alcoholic heat.

Mixology Monday LXIX: Fortified Wine - Madeira

Another fortified wine entry for Mixology Monday, this time with madeira. This recipe was a lucky find on the Mixilator, the always entertaining random cocktail generator, which I tweaked a shift towards the sweeter end of things.

Madeira is largely unknown these days, despite being one of the favorite drinks of the Founding Fathers (it was drunk both at the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution). Like many fine drinks, it was slain by Prohibition and never regained its rightful place in American drinking habits. However, it's a fabulous choice of wine, both because of its flavor and because its production methods make it one of the sturdiest wines around (bottles produced in the late 18th century are often not only drinkable but astoundingly good). While not common in cocktails, it can be found in a number of pre-Prohibtion tipples.

The Defalcating Honeymoon
2 oz madeira
0.75 oz Angostura bitters
0.5 oz rye whiskey
0.25 oz orgeat
0.5 tsp Green Chartreuse

Combine all ingredients, shake with ice for six seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The nose requires the drink to warm before opening up completely with notes of madeira, rye whiskey, and savory spices. The sip begins with subdued grape and almond sweetness, then subdued bitterness, more savory spices and herbs, leading to darker wine notes, and leaving with a final herbaceous and nutty puff.

This is a bit of an odd duck, with a fortified wine base, a lot of bitters, and Chartreuse. Yet it all manages to come together nicely. The original version didn't have orgeat, which I think is necessary to keeping all of the ingredients in harmony. As with other cocktails made with significant quantities of Angostura bitters, it also develops a lovely foam. While it took a few tries to get right, I'm quite happy with how this drink turned out.

Looking forward to all of the other Mixology Monday entries to come.

Mixology Monday LXIX: Fortified Wines - Sherry

This month's Mixology Monday theme is fortified wine, so for my first post I decided to dip into the variety I know best - sherry. This nice little punch comes from Imbibe magazine.

Misa de Gallo is the mass celebrated near midnight on Christmas Eve in Spain and Portugal - a tradition going back to the second century. The name comes from the cock's crow that would herald the start of the day.

Misa de Gallo Punch
2 oz bourbon
0.75 oz sherry
0.75 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
0.125 oz allspice dram
1 dash Angostura bitters
2 oz soda water

Build over ice, saving soda water for last. Stir briefly to combine.

The nose is dominated by corn and barrel notes from the bourbon along with savory hints of sherry. The sip begins smoothly, along with bubbles. The proceeding flavors are rather dry, trending towards acidic, with bourbon, sherry, and spices from the allspice dram and bitters.

While this drink was designed with PX sherry, I decided to take it in a slightly different direction with a full dry oloroso. The drink becomes more of an aperitif/digestif, even with the healthy dose of bourbon, as the soda water keeps it relatively light and the dry/bitter finish gives it snap. I think this would be a great warm-weather punch. You can adjust the final flavors with different sherries. Oloroso for full dry, amontillado/East India Solera for medium-sweet, or PX for lots of sweetness.

Looking forward to all the other MxMo contributions!

Rum Review: Oronoco

Oronoco was, in a sense, the first rum I ever bought. I say 'in a sense' because it's actually a blend of Brazilian cachaça and aged Venezuelan rum. As I came into the world of rum via cachaça, this was my bridge.

From what I can gather, the cachaça portion of the blend is produced from fresh sugar cane, which is fermented and then distilled in a mix of copper pot stills and continuous stills, for a total of three distillations. The cachaça and Venezuelan rum are married together in Brazilian Amendam hardwood casks, adding another unique layer to the product. The spirit is then diluted down to the standard 40% ABV for bottling. The bottle is definitely eye-catching, with a big leather map of Brazil wrapped around it (being a good resident of the PNW, I do wonder what the recycling people will think when I finally get rid of the bottle).

If you want to read more of the history behind the producers, it's written up here. It's surprisingly difficult to find solid information, as there isn't even a proper product website these days, just a Facebook page (that's nearly a ghost town). While there was a lot of hype in the mid-2000s around this rum, the lack of information doesn't speak well for its sales.

Oronoco Rum

Nose: strong vegetal notes, berries, apple blossoms (though a bit artificial like hand soap), bubblegum, light coffee, cream, earthy vanilla. After adding a few drops of water it becomes creamier, with the vanilla dominating even more, while retaining a cachaça edge, and gaining a bit of pineapple.

Taste: light, creamy alcohol, sugarcane sweetness and grassiness, pepper kick mid-palate, bitter towards the back. After dilution the bitterness is more pervasive, but more in balance, due to the sweetness extending further back along with a healthy dose of vanilla.

Finish: vegetal, slightly bitter, astringent

I can see why this tickles some people's fancy, but it just doesn't do too much for me now. The cachaça and Venezuelan rum components seem to form layers rather than an integrated whole, making for a slightly unsettling experience.

What I really can't tell is what kind of consumer this is aimed at. The MSRP is rather high for a white rum, usually running around $30 a bottle (which is a price-point where you can get a lot of nice rums). The copy on the bottle is rather confusing, simultaneously claiming that "the cane has an intensity of flavor and complexity leading to a rum with a light smooth flavor". The two halves of those statement are almost diametrically opposed. That does seem like the fundamental flaw - the producers couldn't decide whether they would rather emphasize the unique funky flavors of cachaça or the smooth vanilla of Venezuelan rum. In trying to split the difference, I'm not sure they accomplished either. It's got too much going on to pull in vodka drinkers, but not enough to satisfy those looking for a robust rum. This saddens me, because I think they could have had something really interesting on their hands if they had gone full-bore on flavor instead of trying to make it a white rum. However, that's just my opinion and you can find other reviewers singing its praises, so it seems to have hit the mark for some people (though not Cap'n Jimbo).

So how does it fare in cocktails? In a standard daiquiri, the nose is rather flat, with just a hint of grassy vanilla. The sip begins lightly, with flavors of lime, cane, light coffee, and vanilla building towards the back. The finish is peculiarly bitter, but still light It's a rather unique experience that I haven't found in any other rum. I think I would appreciate this more on a warm day that in the middle of winter, as it presents a daiquiri on the lighter side without being insipid. It also might work better in a caipirinha, where the lime oils from the lime shell would give it a bit more dimension.

Leito de Rio
1.5 oz Oronoco rum
0.25 oz Luxardo Bitter
0.25 oz Bénédictine
1 dash Regan's orange bitters
1 dash Fee's orange bitters

The nose is very vegetal/herbal, a melange of the rum and liqueur, with floral vanilla. The sip is bittersweet, continuing through mid-palate. The flavors are in turn herbal- and coffee-centric, with orange wending its way through and a very smooth mouthfeel. The finish is bitter, split between the rum, Luxardo, and orange bitters.

Even with all those flavors, the overall effect - like the appearance - is fairly light. The Luxardo and Bénédictine accent the rum's flavors without overwhelming them. This would be a fairly good pre-meal cocktail as the various bitter ingredients give it something of a palate-cleansing effect. It might be even better as a highball and with the soda water helping to balance out the sugar.

I think this rum works much better in cocktails, where depth can be added via other ingredients. However, for the money there are just better options. Banks 5 Island has much more richness and depth, while still retaining white rum crispness, for a fair bit less cash.

New Cocktails: Bobcat Special

Looking to try out my new cardamom bitters, I decided to reach for the earthy flavors of tequila and ginger to complement the spice notes in this Negroni/Boulevardier variation.

Bobcat Special
1.5 oz añejo tequila
0.5 oz sweet vermouth
0.25 oz Luxardo Bitter
0.25 oz ginger liqueur
1 dash Scrappy's cardamom bitters
1 dash orange bitters

The nose is dominated by the cardamom bitters, with only a hint of the Luxardo's vanilla peeking through. The sip begins sweetly with an undertone of cardamom, which grows towards the back where it is joined by a complex interplay of orange, bitterness, and vanilla. Throughout the tequila plays a supporting role, giving some barrel and agave flavors.

This drink worked out nicely, though I would go easier on the cardamom bitters next time. A few drops should be enough to provide an accent rather than having the bitters dominate the drink. The Luxardo and sweet vermouth were also surprisingly pushed to the background, though they did become more present near the end of the sip. A tasty drink, but you do have to be careful about properly balancing the ingredients.

Rum Review: Cockspur 12

Cockspur is a Bajan rum company founded in 1884 by a Dutch sailor, Valdemar Hanschell and located right on the beach north of Barbados' capital Bridgetown. The company was passed off to the Stade brothers, who installed a continuous still alongside the company's original pot still. While less well known than Mount Gay, the other big distillery on Barbados, Cockspur puts out solid products at very reasonable prices.

Cockspur 12

Nose: dusty berries, dry toffee/caramel, a bit of vanilla and light oak. After adding a few drops of water, the nose becomes richer, with increased but well-intengrated oak presence, brown sugar, and more vanilla.

Taste: caramel sweetness builds from the front, a bit of muddled berries mid-palate, very light oak tannins and pepper near the back. After dilution, the sweetness becomes more like simple sucrose, which is also a bit overwhelming.

Finish: oak, pepper, residual sweetness

Cockspur 12 (it never actually says 'year' on the label) is a blend of 8, 10, and 12 year old rums. For as old as this rum is, I suspect that it is mostly made from rums aged in refill barrels, though they claim to use both ex-bourbon and fresh oak barrels. The rum has clearly been impacted by oak, with the strong caramel and vanilla notes, but there is very little of the tannic quality one finds in a lot of long-aged rums (which would be especially evident from new oak barrels). I find it very comparable to Cruzan Single Barrel, both in terms of flavors and price. However, Cockspur 12 gains an edge by having more natural flavors than Cruzan, the latter of which is slightly marred by an artificial cast to its vanilla notes. So if you're looking for a sweeter, easy sipping rum, Cockspur 12 is going to be a very good choice. It's also a solid value, usually retailing for under $30. With a bit more complexity it would be elevated in my estimation, but it does what it does very well.

Earthly Delights

2 oz Cockspur 12

1 tsp allspice dram

0.5 tsp vanilla syrup

1 dash Angostura bitters

3 drops cardamom bitters

The nose is a delicious blend of rum, vanilla, and cardamom. The sip begins sweetly, building towards the back. Molasses notes from the rum, vanilla, and spice from the dram and bitters all come in mid-palate.

While not the most complex drink, the ingredients add to the rum without overwhelming it. Quite a satisfying sipper.