A New Year’s Toast

Hey all.

I would just like to wish everyone a joyous, profitable, and otherwise happy new year. I hope it is better than this and any other. To toast this sentiment, might I suggest a…

Seelbach Cocktail

• .75 oz. – Bourbon Whiskey (Maker’s Mark)
• .5 oz. – Curacao (Gran Gala)
• 7-8 dashes – Aromatic Bitters (Angostura)
• 7-8 dashes – Aromatic Bitters (Peychoud’s)
• Top (4-5 oz.) – Sparkling Wine (Cava)

Stir whiskey, liqueur, and bitters with ice to cool, then top with chilled bubbly. I recomend Cava or Prosecco over the more traditional Champagne or California sparkling as the fruitier elements of Cava or Prosecco will tie it better to the orange cordial and Peychoud’s.

I would generalize that advice to all cocktails, as I find, unless you are simply mixing Champagne with crisp spirits, the fruitiness of some other European sparkling offerings works better.

Happy new year, and an easy morning after,
The Scribe

MxMo Clarification

Hey all. Just a quick note. Mixology Monday for January will take place on January 19th, not the 29th as the announce post originally claimed. I’m guessing that was a typo, as the 29th is not actually Monday. Given that I wrote the post something like two months ago when I originally learned I was hosting, I have no idea what was going through my head. Anyway, see you all on the 19th.

Gentlemen, start your mixing,
The Scribe

Mixology Monday: Hot and Heavy

‘Tis that time of year again, and that time of month as well, the time when all of us cocktailians get together and have ourselves a grand old time writing about cocktails. This is an especially good time for me because my Real Life™ commitments finally allow me to write. I am also happy to announce the next Mixology Monday, below.

Anywho, it’s getting awfully cold. I’ve stopped wearing sandals regularly, which I only do if it’s below freezing out there. One thing that really wamrs me up after a cold day is a nice hot beverage. The first one I have created is inspired by Charlotte Voisey from Hendrick’s Gin. She talked about bringing teatime to cocktail hour, and that is exactly what I did with:

The Redcoat’s Aunt

• 4 oz. – Vannila Roohibos Tea (From my local looseleaf tea shop, brewed strong)
• 1 oz. – Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt)
• .5 oz. – Curacao (Gran Gala)
• .5 oz. – Aromatic Bitters (Peychoud’s)
• 1 drop – Orange flower water

Stir together everything except the tea and flower water. Pour the tea hot over the top. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and an orange twist. Spritz orange flower water over top.

This is really quite nice. The warmth of the tea, both physical and the warmth of the vanilla flavour, really cuts through the bitterness of the Peychoud’s allowing the flavour of it to come through. The Peycoud’s ties quite nicely with the Gran Gala. The rye gives it just a litte backbone. All in all a very pleasant blend. I really like warm drinks and another one which is great in front of a fire after, for instance, a long day of hiking in a frigid downpour is:

Mulled Wine

• Claret (Nothing too fancy)
• Oranges
• Cloves
• Lemons
• Simple syrup
• Water

Slice up fruits (1 orange and half a lemon or so per bottle of wine) and add simple syrup (about 2-3 oz. per bottle of wine) and a handful of cloves to a pot. Add water to cover, but as little as you can. Bring to a boil and reduce. Then add wine. Keep heat as low as possible, stirring until wine is warmed through.

Mulled wine is one of those great soul healers. I enjoy it as often as I can.  There are few things better than sitting in front of a fire in a wilderness lodge after a good day of ice climbing, ski mountaineering, or the like, with a nice cup of mulled wine, good company, and lots of good grub.

Pictures to follow.

Stay warm on cold nights,
The Scribe

Anouncing Mixology Monday: New Horizons

Hello everyone, and welcome to A Mixed Dram. I’m hosting this month, and I think you will enjoy our topic this month. I know that we tend to do what is familiar to us, and I am no less a victim of this than anyone else, often even more. My first several cocktails were basically sours, and then my next several were little more than old fashioneds. Well, today I issue you a challenge: Try something new!

In just about a month, January 19th, we can all meet here and discuss our explorations. What sort of explorations? I’m glad you asked. Here are just a few thoughts:

• Try a new base spirit. Never mixed with Tequila? Give it a try. If you’ve never made a beer cocktail or a wine cocktail, why not give it a shot? What about something really exotic? How about aquardiente from the Caribbean or arrack from the Middle East? (Okay, so that’s basically rum and anisette, but you get the drift.)
• Use a technique you’ve never used before. Ever been itching to give molecular mixology a shot? Now’s your chance. Ever been eager to infuse vodka or spice rum, or toss fruit and spices in something else? Here’s your excuse. Been reading about those really cool and wacky purees infused with spices and herbs and other flavourings, or some other cool culinary technique? I challenge you to bring it here next month.
• Now some of you are saying “I already do all of that.” (Mssrs. Boudreau, Morgenthaller, and others, I’m looking squarely at you.) Well, guess what? If you you are creative enough to use every conceivable base spirit, and creative enough to use every commonly used technique, then you are creative enough to come up with something.

So, I will see you as the month goes on. I am giving you a full month to prepare in case you need time to prep infusions or something. There will be a follow-up post as we get closer to the day to remind people and to serve as a place to put your posts. As a side note to my more regular readers, this month, Mixology Monday will be taking the place of the January Dramproject, but it will be back in February.

Happy mixing,

The Scribe

The Session: Repeal THIS!

Happy repeal day, everyone.

For those non-Americans, today is the seventy-fifth anniversary of the repeal of prohibition.

Now, as some of you may know, while campaigning for president, Freddie Roosevelt ran on the platform of repeal saying “I like beer, you like beer, we all like beer.”

Even so, I feel that repeal day is more of a booze holiday than a beer holiday. To me, a beer isn’t as appropriate as a martini (make mine ice cold, gin, vermouth, and bitters, garnished with a lemon twist, always stirred, never shaken, and not more than 3 oz. plus 1-1.5 oz water, none of this pint of vodka, or worse something flourescent geen, and calling that a martini) or perhaps a Manhattan. I plan to start the evening off with a nice glass of rye (Old Overholt), and then I will end up drinking beer. In this case, Sam Adams Winter Lager will be the tipple of choice.

So join me in practicing our American right, the right to drink!

Cheers! Slainte! L’khiyam! Ganbei! Salud! and so on,
The Scribe

How’s the Drinking Going?

I know, I know. It’s rough. Hopefully I’ll be back to a full posting soon. (Crosses fingers.)

This is from Darcy at the Art of Drink.

1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer I’ve even had the real thing…
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes A ’48, no less.
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring) With bells on. And Glacier milk, which is far better.
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
15. Chateau d’Yquem I enjoyed a ’52, and still in fine fettle.
16. Budweiser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
21. Mai Tai (original)
22. Ice Wine (Canadian)
23. Red Bull (Unfortunately)
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
26. Tokaji
27. Chicory
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Ice Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate
64. German Riesling
65. Pina Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guiness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)

Okay, this was supposed to be posted like a week ago. Sorry for the delay.

Thanks for your patience,
The Scribe