The Treacle Cocktail (aka The Bijou)

Blech, Thirsty Readers. This one is almost as bad - maybe even AS bad - as the Old Hickory, the major taster of which turned out to be my kitchen sink drain. I should have known this would be too sweet. The original recipe of this old and classic cocktail calls for 1 part each of gin, green chartreuse, and sweet vermouth. Add a dash of orange bitters and there you go. I followed the recipe as written, even though there was the following note:

"A popular modification of this drink dials up the gin by half an ounce while cutting back on the vermouth and Chartreuse by half and ounce each, resulting in a drier cocktail."  The author of this passage, (my Bitters hero,BT Parsons) goes on to suggest that one ought to give "this original version a try. As my college writing professor used to say, you have to understand the rules first before you can start breaking them."

So, I tried the original version. Why? Because I'm all about the following the rules.  Until they don't suit me. Only then do I break them.  After I tasted this cloyingly sweet, almost syrupy drink, I proceeded to break the rule right away. I emptied half of the glass out and filled it back up with gin. And, it is still much too sweet for me.

Will I drink it anyway? Yes. Yes, I will. Why? Because I am in need of some chemically induced relaxation after a couple of stressful days of running around getting my kid ready to go to Whale Camp this weekend. Who knew that finding pants for this kid would be such a challenge? He's 13, is a mens' small and has a 34 inch inseam.  Try finding that combination in Bloomington, a town that does not even have a GAP.  Oh. Excuse me. I digress.

Back to the drink.  If you like really thick, treacle-y, sweet drinks, the original recipe of this drink is for you. Otherwise, I advise you to skip it for something else. That's the lovely thing about the world of Cocktailia (isn't that a totally sexy name?); there are nearly infinite options. A drink for every palate and then some.

Here is the photo of the drink. I garnished with the pedestrian Maraschino Cherry. Apologies to those with better taste in cherries. I 'm just not ready to shell out the thirty smackers for the jar of high-brow, mixologist acceptable cherries. I'll come around; we all know it's just a matter of time. Just not yet. It's like your first pair of really, really, great boots. You fight it for years and then you give in, never to go back again, much to the detriment of your bank account balance.

Too tired to take a glam shot. There will be those days, Thirsty Readers!

The Treacle Cocktail (aka The Bijou)

1 ounce gin

1 ounce green chartreuse

1 ounce sweet vermouth

1 dash orange bitters (this drink is so sweet, I don't think it matters what bitters brand you used. I imagine even a dash of Sunny D or Orange Kool-Aid would do)

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry of the socio-economic class of your choosing. Drink and keep a shot of insulin handy in the event you go into a sugar coma.

Cheers!

The willPower & Emily

Good afternoon, Thirsty Readers! Today's drink is being brought to you before the (mostly) obligatory 5PM because it is a Mock-tail. And as such, it can be consumed by anyone, with abandon, at any time. The willPower & Emily is a very fresh, watermelon, mint, and lime soda, carbonated with dry champagne yeast.

The willPower & Emily is named for Emily Mallory. She and the beverage share several lovely qualities. Both are fresh, pretty, delightful, bubbly, and smart. (Yes, this is a smart soda because it is free of anything artificial!)  Emily is not yet 21 - soon, though - so her namesake cocktail is sans hooch.

And...drumroll please... Emily is now a certified willPower and Grace (R) instructor, having passed her exam this week. Congratulations to Emily! If you haven't tried a willPower and Grace (R) class, do it at the first opportunity. It's an outstanding and fun workout.  I did it this morning and believe-me-you, I've earned my evening cocktail. Tonight, I think I'll have the tried and true, Cranberry Crush.

Thirsty readers of drinking age, feel free to add some gin or vodka to the willPower & Emily.  I haven't tried that yet, but I might not get the chance because my bottle of this delicious brew might be gone by 5PM.

A couple of things about the method here.  You'll need an empty 2 liter soda bottle. It's not elegant, but it does the trick. If you want to transfer the soda after fermentation/carbonation, leave me a comment and I'll send you instructions on how to do it. It's not hard, you just need a chopstick, a funnel, and a flip-top bottle.

Here is the beautiful brew in a fancy bottle. It would make a nice hostess gift, no?

Fresh ingredients, macerating before being pureed. I'm ridiculously proud of my homegrown mint.

I got the recipe from a book called, True Brews by Emma Christensen.  The only change I would recommend is to add some extra lime juice. As you have probably gathered by now, I like an edge to my beverages. The extra lime cuts the sweetness in a way that is just right. Don't be intimidated by the whole home-brewing thing. This is simple to do and will make you look really impressive to everyone you know. And after all,  looking really impressive can be pretty satisfying.

The willPower & Emily

4 pounds seeded and cubed watermelon (11-12 cups from a 6 pound watermelon)

1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup (or more) freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup water, plus more to fill the bottle

9 T white granulated sugar (next time, I'm going to cut this back and see what happens)

pinch of salt (don't be shy)

1/8 tsp dry champagne yeast (if you live in Bloomington, get this at the Butler Winery store on N. College Ave)

1. Combine watermelon, mint leaves and lime juice in a large bowl.

2. Bring the cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve. Pour this over the watermelon and mint. Mix it around and let it be for about 10 minutes.

3. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor. Work in batches. Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.

4. Pour the juice into a clean 2-liter plastic soda bottle, using a funnel. I suppose you could eat the solids, but I think they are just too sweet. I tossed them. Top off the liquid in the bottle with water, leaving at least 1 inch of headspace. You can add more lime juice now, or wait and add it to the finished beverage on a glass by glass basis, which is what I do.

5. Add the yeast. Screw on the cap and shake the bottle gently to distribute the yeast. Let the bottle sit at room temperature, away from direct light,  for 12 - 48 hours until the bottle feels rock solid with very little give. It usually takes about 12 hours in my experience.

6. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 weeks. Open VERY slowly. I mean, VERY slowly, to avoid it fizzing all over everything.

Pour over ice and garnish with a mint sprig.  Enjoy your soda, and the feeling that you are really cool for having made it yourself.

Cheers!

The Carthusian Sazerac

I learned something from tonight's Cocktail, Thirsty Readers. Turns out, that the Carthusian Sazerac is a teacher, of sorts. I was looking for a drink that featured, or at least included Green Chartreuse, a new addition to my "barder".  I stumbled across the subject drink, which apparently originated in Cleveland, Ohio. Why? I have no idea. But, I'm glad that I found it. Not because I loved the drink. I didn't, really. But, because I learned about a documentary that I want to watch now. It's called Into the Great Silence. It is about the Carthusian order of monks. Here's the connection to the cocktail. The Carthusians are the monks who make, and have since the 1700s have made,  Chartreuse. Boom. Now, you've learned something too.  Apparently, God is on the side of some booze - Chartreuse and Benedictine being among the blessed.  If you are interested in learning more about the blessed Chartreuse, click HERE.

As I write, I am waiting for my casings to finish soaking so that I can finish making Chorizo link sausages. Yes, your mixologist is a countess of many trades. I thought I would include a picture of the soaking casings because their appearance in water belies their humble -- some might say rather gross -- origins. They look to me like long strips of linen.

But, back to the drink.  I like each of the components in the mix, but I cannot say I liked the drink much.  It was very balanced, in that all the flavors blended well. But, if I may say, they blended almost too well. The Carthusian Sazerac was rather flat, too round, too "edgeless" and frankly, a bit cloying. It improved considerably after the addition of about a half ounce more of rye, but still, it wasn't a favorite.  There are many better ways to feature Chartreuse (see here for the Last Word) and, there are most definitely numerous better ways to enjoy a good Rye Whiskey.  All that said, I shall  include the customary photo and recipe, because after all...I am not the "last word" on what is good. Beauty and deliciousness are in the eyes and mouth of the beholder. Far be it from me to deprive you of something that you might find lovely just because I didn't.

Here is the featured cocktail next to a glass of white wine. The Editor joined me tonight for libation. She eschews hard liquor for white wine.  The drinks look nice together, no? 

And here is our featured cocktail on my treasured Herkimer Masonic Order platter. Why? Why not.

The Carthusian Sarazac

2 1/2 ounces rye whiskey

1/4 ounces Green Chartreuse

1/2 tsp. simple syrup

Absinthe rinse

2 dashes lemon bitters

Lemon twist

Pour a little bit of Absinthe into a coupe and twirl to coat the surface. Pour out excess. Combine remaining ingredients except for the lemon twist in a shaker filled with ice. Shake while maintaining a strict vow of Carthusian silence. Strain into the couple. Garnish.  Drink and enjoy.

If you need some sexy music to accompany this Monkish drink, try this.

Until next time, Cheers!

The Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes! Cocktail

Good Evening, Thirsty Ones! Tonight I have for you The Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes! Cocktail, also known as the Pegu Club Cocktail.

You might be wondering why this cocktail has two names. Well, the latter name comes from the club in Burma - The Pegu Club - at which this fine libation originated. The recipe was shared in the classic The Savoy Cocktail Book, in 1930 by Harry Craddock. I learned of this delicious old-style drink from my lately favorite book, Bitters, by BT Parsons.

For the purpose of tonight's post, I took the liberty of naming the drink in honor the truly fine Diania Maisonneuve.  Diania, or "Mama Mais" as many know her, is an absolutely kick-ass Indo-Row coach at the Bloomington Body Bar. I am lucky to row with her a few times a week.  She motivates me (and probably every other lucky person else she coaches) to a level of performance a far piece beyond what I ever think is possible. She does this every single time I row with her. It is a rare and special person who can be a gifted coach. Diania is one of those people.

In addition to her prowess at coaching, Diania (the second "i" is silent) is the real deal. She's the good citizen, compassionate and loving, giving to the nth degree, and just plain fun to be around.  I admire her and adore her and am so glad to call her friend.

Why the name, "Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes!"?  Because whenever we are about to increase our rowing output or start a new "wave", Diania asks if everyone is ready. Rather than waiting for an answer from her class, she exclaims,  "Yes, yes, yes, and yes!"  There were many things I could have called the drink, but to me the concept of YES is Diania.  She lives an enthusiastic YES kind of life.

This cocktail was one of my favorites, so far.  It has the rare quality of being both boozy and refreshing.   I love that in a drink.

Looks  a bit like Fresca, but is intensely flavorful.

The Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes! is quick to put together. Well, it is if it isn't your first time at the rodeo using a Boston Shaker, that is. I purchased one today with a view toward being a hipper and more professional mixologist. I followed my beloved BT Parson's instructions on how to use it, but apparently, I slapped the thing together with a bit too much force. I was unable to separate the parts after I shook the drink and had to begin again with my tried and true, though amateur, cocktail shaker. I tweeted to Mr. Parsons for advice. He was very helpful. I did end up separating the two glasses, but only after my taster and I finished our drinks. We split the (very diluted) first cocktail that had been trapped in the Boston Shaker. I am happy to report that even the diluted version of this drink was incredibly tasty.  Not many drinks can boast that, eh?

I need much more practice at this.

Here is the recipe for this gorgeously delicious drink.  Do yourself a favor and add it to your summer repertoire of cocktails. You'll thank me.

The Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes! 

(aka The Pegu Club Cocktail)

2 ounces London Dry Gin

3/4 ounces orange curaçao

1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

1 dash Angostura Bitters

1 dash orange bitters (as always, I used Regans' No. 6)

Lime twist for garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish. Raise your glass to truly good coaches.  Enjoy.

Cheers!

The Emerald Cocktail

Tonight, for no reason other than my taster requested a drink with Irish Whiskey, I present to you, The Emerald. It is not green, nor is it a hokey St. Patrick's Day drink. The Emerald Cocktail is a variation on The Manhattan, but with Irish Whiskey instead of Rye, and orange bitters instead of Angostura bitters. And, there is no maraschino cherry.  

Aside - I was surprised to note that the Irish spell whiskey with an "e".  The Scotch don't use the e and neither do the Canadians.  I wish the Americans didn't either. I just prefer Whisky to Whiskey.
Less is more. Except when we are talking about really good French Fries. In that case, more is always best.

But, back to the drink. I have Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey in what I am going to start calling my "BARder", so I used it. It's a lovely smooth whiskey. I don't find it nearly as interesting as Scotch Whisky or Bourbon, but it is quite nice.  I prefer it solo, either neat with a drop of water, or on ice. It turns out that most people do. There are very, very, few cocktails that call for Irish Whiskey. Apparently, it does not play well with others.

I must confess that I had a sip of The Emerald this evening, but I didn't make one for myself. I opted for my go-to cocktail of late, The Negroni. I detest The Manhattan Cocktail (ironic seeing how much I adore Manhattan.) Since tonight's cocktail is a variation on one, I knew it would not be for me.  It might, however, be for you. My taster, a Manhattan Cocktail fan - but not at all a fan of Manhattan, go figure - really loved this drink. Very. Much.

While it did not appeal to my taste buds, it was quite appealing to my eyes.  It had a surprising and rather fetching amber color. I garnished with some orange peels and a freshly picked black raspberry from our garden. If you haven't eaten raspberries still warm from the sun, you haven't eaten raspberries. They are delicious and I will be featuring them in a libation in the next week or so.

Here is our Irish Beauty:

Apologies for the screen in the background. But still, it's a pretty drink, no?

The Emerald Cocktail

2 ounces Irish Whiskey

1 ounce Sweet Vermouth

2 goodly dashes orange bitters (as always, I use Regans' Orange Bitters No. 6)

Pour the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake whilst doing an Irish Jig. Strain into a cocktail glass or a coupe. Garnish as you like.  Raise your glass to St. Patrick. Enjoy.

Cheers and until next time -

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rain fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

The Friday Fusion Blue Ball Cocktail

I know, I know, Thirsty Readers. You missed me yesterday. I apologize for leaving you parched, but it was just one of those days on which many things conspired to keep me from my muddler and my shaker. Be comforted, though, because I'm back with a lovely new drink that you will enjoy. It is the Friday Fusion Blue Ball Cocktail, named in honor of a kick-ass class I took (from the super fit and lovely Jill Gengenbach Resnick) today at the Bloomington Body Bar. In this class, the other mighty women and I worked very hard with blue balls.  Here is a photo:

Still life of Mighty Women working very hard with Blue Balls

Fortunately, I had a quart of blueberries on hand, so making a blue cocktail without some hideous colorant was possible. I found several variations on the Blue Berry Smash (the more traditional and, if I may, boring name for this drink). I selected the one that included St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, because I think it is dreamy. 

Here is the cocktail. The picture doesn't do it justice.

The Friday Fusion Blue Ball Cocktail. So elegant, no?

You could mix this drink with gin or vodka; tonight, I chose white rum. Why? Because I haven't featured a rum drink so far and wanted to try it. I used more blueberries than most recipes called for and I'm glad that I did. I tried one with a half teaspoon of white sugar in place of  the St. Germain and found that the extra sweetness made the blueberry flavor pop. So, if you don't have St. Germain, use sugar. 

Without further delay, here's the recipe.  

The Friday Fusion Blue Ball Cocktail

1.5 ounces white rum 

0.5 ounces St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

3 fresh mint leaves

1/4 lime

15 fresh blueberries (I suppose you could use frozen)

In a cocktail shaker, muddle together the mint leaves and blueberries. (If adding 1/2 tsp. sugar, add it with the mint leaves and berries for muddling.) Squeeze the juice from the quarter lime into the muddled mix.  Add white rum and St. Germain, and fill the shaker up with ice. Shake, shake, shake. Double strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.  Raise your glass to the mighty woman in the picture above. Enjoy!

Until next time, Cheers to you!  And, please feel free to leave comments and requests below.

BloomingtonGirl's Beach Plum Sour

Salutations, Thirsty Readers.  Tonight, I set out to make a "Ruby's Sour." I saw a picture of it on the Twitter feed of a bar in Manhattan. The drink featured a spirit I really love: Greenhook Ginsmiths Beach Plum Gin Liqueur. (I cannot wait to tour their distillery when I am in NY over the summer. I am a fan, as you probably have guessed.)  The bar in question posted the ingredients of the cocktail, but not the recipe. So, I rang them up and requested it. I explained, in my adopted very-pleasant-and-polite midwestern manner, that I lived in Indiana and couldn't very well pop over and have them make one for me.  The man on the other end of the line was entirely unsympathetic.  He advised me to email the beverage director and see if "he would be willing to part with the secret recipe."   

Bah! As if I have the time or patience for that nonsense. Undeterred, I set out to make up a recipe of my own.  I looked up the classic whiskey sour recipe - one that used an egg white to make it foamy - and adapted my drink from that. The result?  Success! And, bonus!  I don't even have to name it after Ruby, because I made it up. Take that, Ruby...whoever you are.

Now, this was my first trip to the rodeo...the rodeo of making a drink with an egg white, that is. I didn't have to worry about getting sick because we are practically on a first name basis with the chickens who lay our eggs. 

I couldn't find my go-to cocktail book to advise me on technique. I did remember that it one should do a "dry shake" for drinks containing egg whites, which is to say that one shakes the drink ingredients first, then adds ice and shakes again. It worked like a charm, though the pressure that built up in the shaker during the dry shake did cause the shaker to pop a bit when I opened it. Lucky for me, I don't mind a little mess in the name of making a good cocktail.

Here is a photo of the lovely libation. The darker red swirls on top of the foamy surface are actually Peychaud's Bitters.  I carefully placed a couple of drops on  the top of the drink and then attempted - in vain  - to bend said drops to my creative will. Clearly, I need some practice in drink-top styling. But, no matter. It tasted pretty great. It is a keeper.

And finally, I garnished with still-hot-from-the-sun red and black raspberries picked moments before from our berry patch. Pretty sweet, no?

Isn't this a fancy-pants little cocktail? 

Here is the recipe, for those of you lucky enough to get your hot little hands on Beach Plum Gin Liqueur. 

BloomingtonGirl's Beach Plum Sour

1 egg white (preferably from a hen that you know)

2 ounces Greenhook Ginsmiths Beach Plum Liqueur

1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 dashes Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters (or orange if that's what you have)

Peychaud's Bitters (or other red bitters...optional)

Garnish - whatever you have on hand that is pretty

Place egg white, liqueur, lemon juice and rhubarb bitters in a shaker without ice. Shake for about ten seconds to blend well. Add ice. Shake again until chilled. Strain into a pretty cocktail glass or coupe. If desired, place a few drops of bitters on the foamy surface and attempt to make a pretty design. Garnish nicely.  Toast your BloomingtonGirl and enjoy.

Cheers!