A Muddled Thought

Coming to us from the house of Hine Cognac is Hine Rare VSOP, a cognac that starts with hand selected grapes chosen from relationships, Hine has established with a small number of wine growers(only 50 out of over 8,000 in France). These grapes are then allowed to ferment naturally before distillation begins. At this point, only the heart cut is selected and used in the final spirit, a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne cognacs, consisting of more than 25 cognacs, the youngest of which has aged been in French limousin oak barrels for a period of no less than four years.

By creating a blend of more than 25 cognacs, Hine has been able to create a spirit that is brimming with subtle nuances of a variety of flavors. This magnificent spirit starts off incredibly smooth, and succulent. As you enjoy that first sip soft notes of maraschino cherries, and sweet fragrant wine lead the way into a body filled with flavors of vanilla, sprinkles of cocoa and a finish featuring a touch of smoke and bitter orange.

I’ve come across a good deal of cognacs in my travels and quite a few have been rough around the edges. Hine’s VSOP offering with its smooth characters and variety of flavor notes definitely doesn’t fall into this category. It works just as well as a sippable spirit as it does in cocktails. .

Final Score: 9.5/10

Sneaky before Dawn
2oz Hine Cognac
¾ oz Los Amantes Mezcal
2 Dashes-Peach Bitters
½ oz Chai Demerara Syrup

Garnish with Orange Peel

Sneaky before Dawn. A combination of Hine VSOP Cognac, Los Amantes Mezcal, Peach Bitters and Chai Demerara Syrup

The Conference-Courtesy of Brian Miller of Death and Co.
1/4 oz Demerara Sugar Syrup
1/2 oz Rittenhouse Bonded Rye (100 Proof)
1/2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
1/2 oz Hine Rare VSOP Cognac
1/2 oz Calvados
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Dash Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Garnish with Orange and Lemon Twists

Stir all the ingredients aside from the twists in an ice filled shaker glass. Strain into a double old fashioned glass over ice. Add orange and lemon twists.

So here’s an interesting experiment. What happens when you take one brand of tequila and taste it through from Blanco all the way through to the Anejo. How does it compare at each stage of aging?

Last year we took a look at Mejor’s Blanco and it left quite an impression on us. Recently we decided to take a look at a their Reposado, and Anejo offerings.

In our previous look at Mejor’s Blanco, we found an incredibly smooth spirit filled with characters ranging from vanilla crème, and crème brulee to minor notes of banana, and the occasional refreshing note of mint.

Keeping those flavors in mind, what happens when you first add seven to nine months of time in American Oak Barrels to this Blanco tequila . Well in this case, the Reposado teases you as soon as you open the bottle with aromas of cinnamon, agave, fresh grass so well defined that it makes you wonder what you’ll experience once you begin to introduce this spirit to your palate.

And that experience would be subtle notes of ginger, a touch of smoke, that’s followed up by black cherries, black licorice, and the occasional hint of cocoa.

As a final experiment, lets take that same tequila that we saw first unaged in the Blanco, then with about seven months of age on it in the Reposado and then let’s have it sit longer in those American Oak Barrels, for a time period between fourteen and twenty months.

And folks the result is Mejor’s Anejo offering. Does it stand up to flavors we’ve seen thus far in Mejor’s previous two offerings? It definitely doesn’t disappoint. Is it our favorite? Nope, that title still belongs to the Blanco, but only by a incredibly small margin. Mejor’s Anejo offering does make your palate do the “happy dance” . It achieves this with an introductory softness when it hits the mouth. As you let the Anejo caress your palate, warming notes of dark incredibly well defined chocolate welcome you, before introducing to seductive characters of cinnamon, and caramel. These notes yet again are pushed aside by a finish filled with sweet sherry, coffee and burnt cherries.

Mejor Tequila is currently working on an Extra Anejo, unfortunately it won’t be ready for at least another 24 months. While we wait, at least we have their Blanco and Reposado, and Anejo offerings to sip and. I guess we’ll have to make do with these three incredible tequila offerings.

Final Scores:

Mejor Reposado: 9/10

Mejor Anejo: 9/10

We decided to see how both the Mejor Reposado and Anejo worked in some new cocktails.

Census Perplexus
2oz Mejor Reposado
3/4 oz Marasaka
3/4 oz Canton Ginger
Bar Spoon Pacifique Absinthe
Bar Spoon Agave

Census Perplexus. A combination of Mejor Reposado, Maraska, Canton Ginger, Pacifique Absinthe and a Barspoon Agave Nectar

The Fleet of Three
1 ¾oz Mejor Anejo
Bar Spoon Carpano Antica
¾ oz Balvenie 12 year old Doublewood Whisky
¾ oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 Dashes Cherry Bitters

Garnish with Flamed Orange Peel

The Fleet of Three. A combination of Mejor Anejo, Carpano Antica, Balvenie 12, Cinnamon Syrup and Cherry Bitters.

Amélie’s Adventure. A combination of Don Q Anejo Rum, Aperol, Green Chartreuse, Cinnamon Syrup, and Peychaud Bitters.

As a member of the NY Chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild (www.usbg.org) the opportunity often arises to enter cocktail competitions. Recently Don Q Rums held a contest looking for new original recipes with one of their Rum offerings, including Cristal(White), Mojito Flavored, Coconut Flavored, Gold, Anejo, and Grand Anejo.

Each chapter of the USBG had it’s own local competition, with the winner moving on the semi-finals, which will be held at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic in New York City in May. Whoever wins this competition will move on to the International Final Competition with competitors from all the world competing for a Final Prize of $2,000, a $5,000 donation for the charity of the winners choice, and media exposure in Don Q Promotional Video’s and mention in Esquire Magazine.

After tasting through a portion of the line in order to begin to formulate my recipe and plan of attack, I decided to use the Don Q Anejo offering. When I first tasted through Don Q Anejo I was hit with notes of cocoa, hints of cinnamon and caramel, along with nuances of hazelnut and vanilla with a finish that introduced flavors of candied oranges.

With the flavors of cinnamon and orange in mind, I decided to combine the Anejo with some Aperol, some cinnamon syrup, and some Green Chartreuse to add a bit of a kick. Continuing to play off those cinnamon flavors I added 2 dashes of Peychaud bitters and garnished the drink with a piece of burnt orange zest.

While I didn’t win the local competition, my drink seemed to be very well received during the event. So I figured I’d share the recipe. Inspired and the French origin of Chartruese and the playfulness of how the ingredients seemed to work together, I named the cocktail after the famous French movie, Amélie as the drink seemed to be a bit playful as the title character was.

Amélie’s Adventure

2oz Don Q Anejo Rum
½ oz Aperol
¼ Bar Spoon Green Chartreuse
¾ Cinnamon Syrup
2 Dashes Peychaud Bitters
Shake with Ice, Strain
Serve up in Coupe
Garnish with a piece of burnt orange zest

This past February, Pernod Ricard released the latest flavor of its Absolut Vodka Line- Berri Acai. With the release of their Berri Acai offering, Absolut combined the flavors of the acai berry with classic blueberries and pomegranates. This results in a spirit that both inherits the characters normally associated with Absolut such as a smooth finish and hints of vanilla and then adds to it with the flavors of these three berries.
With these new added flavors, Absolut Berri Acai works in adapted classics such as a sour or rickey, but also works well in some new recipes.

Absolut Berri Acai Sour

2 oz Absolut Berri Acai
3/4 oz simple syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice
Shake and strain into rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with blueberries.

Berri Ricky

2 oz Absolut Berri Acai
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz agave nectar (or simple syrup)
4 oz club soda
Build ingredients over fresh ice in a highball. Stir. Garnish with a lime wheel.

The Bizz

2oz Absolut Berri Acai
½ oz Luxardo
¾ oz Cinnamon Syrup
½ oz Lime Juice
2 Dash Peach Bitters

Shake with Ice, Strain.
Serve in Highball filled with Cubes

Top with Ginger Beer

The Bizz. Absolut Berri Acai, Luxardo, Cinnamon Syrup, Lime Juice and Peach Bitters. Topped with Ginger Beer.

Experiment in Berriness
Absolut Berri Acai
½ oz Cynar
¾ Pimms
Chai Tea Demerara Syrup
½ Lemon Juice

Shake with Ice
Serve up in Coupe.

Garnish with Lemon Twist

*Note- I decided to see how the berry flavor played off of the dryness of the Pimms, and the eccentricity of the flavor of Cynar and balanced it with 2 dashes of Celery Bitters.
This recipe I’ve posted was more of an experiment, however it resulted with an interesting cocktail that shows the berry flavors of the Absolut, and ends with a semi-dry yet sweet finish.

Agent 99. A combination of Absolut Berri Acai, Cynar, Pimms No.1, Chai Tea Demerara Syrup, and Lime Juice.

Agent 99
¾ oz Absolut Berri
1 ¼ oz Beefeater London Dry Gin
½ oz Maraska
½ oz Green Chartreuse
1-2 Dash Rhubarb Bitters
Stirred
Serve up with Lemon Zest
Top with club soda

Agent 99. A combination of Absolut Berri Acai, Beefeater Gin, Maraska, Green Chartreuse and Rhubarb Bitters.

A relatively new tequila to the market, Don Roberto only recently begun to hit shelves in the United States in late 2009.

I know what you must be thinking; do we really need another tequila on store shelves? Well in the case of Don Roberto, the answer is yes.

Coming to us from the La Purisima Distillery in the lowland region of Jalisco, Mexico. The distillery is a family operation run by the Orendian family who opened the state-of-the-art distillery in 1995. The Orendian family brings with them 160 years of experience in tequila as well as a master distiller who’s been in the business since 1924. While Don Roberto Tequila is relatively new to the US Market, these decades of experience show in themselves quite clearly in each bottle.

As you take that first sip of Don Roberto Anejo, you’re welcomed with warming notes of agave married to seductive and sweet characters of cinnamon that lead into delectable flavors of caramel, and a body filled with sweet phenomenal cocoa. As you finish that sip, bits of hazelnut and crème de menthe wave goodbye.

Score: 9/10

“Down and Out in Mexico”

1 ¾ oz Don Roberto Anejo
½ oz Aperol
1/2oz Carpano Antica
1 Dash Mole Bitters
2 Dash Jerry Thomas Bitters
Stir
Serve up, without any garnish

Down and Out in Mexico. A Combination of Don Roberto Anejo, Aperol, Carpano Antica, Mole Bitter and Jerry Thomas Bitters.

How’s by You?
Black Chocolate Stout
2 oz Don Roberto Anejo
Egg
½ oz Chai Tea Syrup
1 dash mole bitters

How's By You? A combination of Don Roberto Anejo, Chai Tea Syrup, Mole Bitters, Egg and topped off with Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout.

Still Life
1 ¼ oz Vanilla Bean Infused Rittenhouse Rye
¾ oz Don Roberto Anejo
¾ oz Carpano Antica
2 Dashes Mole Bitters
Stir with Ice
Serve up with Orange Twist

Still Life. A Combination of Don Roberto Anejo, Vanilla-Bean Infused Rittenhouse Rye, Carpano Antica, and Mole Bitters.

A few months ago the good folks at Compass Box asked me to come up with some new recipes for possible inclusion in future recipe books that they put out.

With a few samples of the following Compass Box Products I went to work.

Peat Monster- A blend of Islay Whisky with heavy notes of Smoke combined with a lighter peated, yet still smokey Highland Whisky. This creates a spirit that has notes reminscient of smoked bacon, honey with the occasional appearance of oak, cocoa and vanilla.

Oak Cross-Aged first in American Oak Casks for its first maturation, which when complete is moved to “Oak Cross” casks (a combination of American oak and new French Oak) for its final maturation. This results in a spirit that’s filled with notes of vanilla, honey, caramel and soft orange.

Asyla- A blend of non-peated malt whiskies including Linkwood, Glen Elgin, and Teaninich. These three single malts are laid down on a bed of sweet scotch grain whiskey resulting in a blended whisky that’s feeled with characters of apple, pears, light hints of smoke, nutmeg, and something that hits the palate and reminds the taster of bacon.

Spice Tree- Starting off with whiskies aged in first-fill and refill American Oak, the spirit is then placed in casks created using a combination of American oak and new French Oak (sourced from the 195-old Vosgres forests) for its final maturation.

Now for the recipes:

Pimms Crossing

Asyla 2 oz
Pimms No.1 – 1 oz
Allspice ½ oz
Aperol ¾ oz
Lemon Juice ½ oz
1 Dash Regan Orange Bitters
Garnish with Burnt Orange Zest

So Three Diplomats walk into a Bar

1 ½ oz Peat Monster Scotch
3/4 Carpano Antica
¾ oz bar spoons Bénédictine
2 Dashes Mole bitters
Shake with ice.
Strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish Orange Zest

So Three Diplomats walk into a Bar. A combination of Peat Monster, Carpano Antica, Bénédictine, and Mole Bitters.

Dave’s First Attempt
2 oz Spice Tree
½ oz Allspice Dram
1oz Benedictine
3 Dashes Smelbys Apple Cinnamon Bitters*
Burnt Orange Zest
Stir with ice
Serve in Coupe

Dave's First Attempt- A combination of Compass Box Spice Tree, Allspice Dram, Bénédictine, and Smelby's Apple Cinnamon Bitters.

The Apple doesn’t fall far from the Oak Tree
2 oz Oak Cross
½ Calvados
½ Yellow Chartreuse
2 Dash Peychaud
1 oz Apple Cinnamon Syrup*

The Apple Doesn't Fall from the Oak Tree. A combination of Compass Box Oak Cross, Calvados, Yellow Chartreuse, Apple Cinnamon Syrup and Peychaud Bitters.

Recently I had the opportunity to volunteer my bartending services at a fundraiser that was held at Bar Celona in Brooklyn NY, by Ray Raymond of Leblon and Dave Catania of Team Spirit Imports.

With the recent crisis in Haiti, a variety of brands and organizations donated both their products and their time to mix up some new Libations including Contemporary Cocktails, LUPEC and the USBG. All proceeds of the evening went towards the Red Cross Relief Fund for Haiti.

Using a few brands that were kind enough to donate some of their products, such as Highland Park and Chartreuse, I created the following new recipe,the Scottish Bandit and served up a few during the course of the night as my donation.

The Scottish Bandit

1 3/4 oz highland park 12
Bar spoon Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz fig juice
1/2 oz cinnamon syrup
2 Dashes Whiskey barrel bitters

The Scottish Bandit. A combination of HIghland Park 12, Green Chartreuse, Fig Juice, Cinnamon Syrup and Whiskey Barrel Bitters.

Originating in the Mexican village of San Luis Del Rio, Sombra Mezcal is one of those spirits that leaves an impression on you from the time you have your first sip. Since that first time I tried Sombra Mezcal it has become one of my favorite agave based spirits to work with in cocktails.

Recently I started thinking about why this is. With so many mezcal options out on the market now, what makes Sombra so special? When all is said and done, it simply comes down to the guys behind Sombra doing everything right.

Started by a master sommelier, Richard Betts, a wine maker, Charles Bieler, and an art collector, Dennis Scholl each step in the process to create Sombra from hand picking and slowly baking the agave, to fermentation and the final step in production process, the distillation is completed with perfect finesse.

This results in an end product that leads in with aromas of sweet baked agave. Past these magnificent aromas is a mezcal that impresses with that first sip, when it greats your palate with a smoky introduction. These smoky characters continue to shine, without ever overshadowing luxurious notes of vanilla, fresh basil, and hints of black pepper.

With each sip of Sombra you can’t help but feel it’s a spirit that’s as close to untouched as you can get from an agave field.

Sombra’s an exquisite example of a mescal that plays amazingly with other spirits in cocktails.

That Smokin French Vixen
¾ Cointreau Noir
1 ¾ Partida Reposado
¾ Sombra Mezcal
1 oz Espresso Syrup
1 Dash Mole Bitters

That Smokin French Vixen. A Combination of Cointreau Noir, Partida Reposado, Sombra Mezcal and Espresso Syrup.

The Two Minute Standoff

Muddled Lime rind
2 Barspoons Sugar
3/4 Sombra Mezcal
1 3/4 oz Mejor Blanco
Top with Mexican Grapefruit Soda

The Two Minute Standoff. A combination of Sombra Mezcal, Mejor Tequila, Muddled Lime Rind, and sugar. Top with Jarritos Grapefruit Soda

Curious Little Amelie
2 oz Grapefruit Infused Sombra Mezcal
¾ Chambord
Barspoon Lillet Blanc
2 Barspoons Agave Nectar
1 Dash Grapefruit Bitters
Shake
Serve up
Serve with Grapefruit Zest

Curious Little Amelie. A combination of Grapefruit Infused Sombra Mezcal, Chambord, Lillet Blanc, and Agave Nectar.

Krypton's Red Sun. A combination of North Shore Aquavit,Cynar, Aperol, Black Pepper Syrup and Grapefruit Bitters.

We recently came across North Distillery’s Aquavit offering and decided to take a look at it along with a few sips. Aquavit generally has originated from Norway, Sweden and Denmark with its origins being traced all the way back the mid 1500’s. During this time it was looked initially as something to be used to cure ailments. Even the name itself, Aquavit originates from the Latin aqua vitae or “water of life”.
Over the next few centuries it transitioned from being used for medicinal purposes to becoming a favorite spirit for food pairings such as smoked fish, and meats and being enjoyed in times of celebration. The Scandinavian tradition of toasting otherwise known as skoal and welcoming guests to dinner has close ties to Aquavit .

One performs the tradition of skoal, with a shot of aquavit by looking the person you’re toasting in the eye and saying the word “skoal”. You then bow your head, and down the shot of aquavit. Before placing the empty glass down on the table, you look the person in the eye one final time. This allows one to pay respect to the person you’re toasting. After a few skoal’s, the night is bound to get interesting.

Aquavit, the spirit itself is made by macerating caraway, cardamom, fennel, dill and other herbs and botanicals in a neutral spirit, usually potato or grain based and then aging the spirit in oak barrels.

Out of Chicago, a distillery by the name of North Shore started bottling and distributing one of the first American examples of Aquavit.

To create their aquavit, North Shore Distillery starts with a neutral grain spirit and macerates it with botanicals such as caraway, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cubeb berry, orris root and anise seed. Once this maceration process has been completed, the spirit is then aged for approximately six months in oak barrels.

North Shore’s Aquavit offering starts off with very straightforward notes of caraway, that slowly lead into the presence of lemon, and complete with a finish brimming with coriander and nuances of black pepper.

After tasting this Aquavit offering I can definitely see the appeal and appreciate using this spirit for a toast.

That being said, it seems like it would work wonders in cocktails.

The Skoal Way of Life
1 ¾ oz North Shore Aquavit
¾ oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
¾ oz Cinnamon Syrup
½ Lemon Juice
Top with Ginger Beer

The Skoal Way of Life. North Shore Aquavit, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Cinnamon Syrup. Topped with Ginger Beer.

Krypton’s Red Sun
1 ¾ oz Aquavit
¾ Cynar
1 oz Aperol
½ oz Lemon
¾ oz Black Pepper Demera Syrup
2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters

If I could use two words to describe Lagavulin 16 it would be nice and peaty. While I appreciate all spirits and are often drawn more to whiskies as a frequent favorite, I’m not always in love with every whisky. I’ve come across some that are too harsh and too peaty, some that lack character and flavor, and then some that are just right. This last statement describes Lagavulin 16 as best as one could hope to.

Originating in the southern area of the Islay region of Scotland it embodies the peat and smoky flavors this area is most well known for, without overdoing it.

As you take that first taste of Lagavulin 16 you hesitate to not smile. You’re first hit with a bit of sweetness, then the spirit truly gets your attention. The peat begins to come out and play with your palate.

Once those initial notes of peat mellow out, you’re introduced to characters of caramel, touches of refreshing mint, the underlying flavors of orange marmalade, and everyone’s favorite white meat, bacon. Yes folks, you heard me right. I did say I picked up bacon while tasting Lagavulin 16. While this is most likely related to the process of using heated peat during the drying process of the barley which imparts the smoky flavor in the Lagavulin. This peaty flavor reminds one of the pleasantness of bacon during Sunday morning breakfast.

At the end of the flavor filled journey that is Lagaluvin, the spirit ends with a finish filled with candied ginger.

Final Score: 9/10

With such an interesting array of flavors making up the body of Lagavulin 16, we decided to see how it would work in some new cocktail recipes.

A Short Commute
1 ¾ Kahlua Coffee Cream
Barspoon Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum
¾ oz Lagulivin 16 Scotch
2 dash Peychaud
Serve in Coupe
Spray Coupe with Absinthe
Garnish with Orange Zest

A Short Commute. A combination of Kahlua Coffee Cream, Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum, Lagulivin 16 and Absinthe.

Scottish Mezcal

3/4 oz Lagulvin 16 Whisky
1oz Pom Juice
1 oz Lillet Blanc
2 dash whiskey barrel
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with Ice
Serve Up

Garnish with Lemon Twist