Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Moonshine!!
My sister Amanda has been amused by my new hobby. She has been sending me recipes and picking up library books. One neat book that she found was "Moonshine" by Matthew B. Rowley. It was light, an easy read, full of stories. I recommend it. If you want to learn how to make a still, there is a how to in the book!
My Apologies to the Irish
Well, Saint Patrick's Day has come...and gone. Holidays are a time to eat wonderful ethnic foods you usually can not get at other times of the year. Saint Patrick's Day is no exception. Irish Soda Bread is--- well, what can one say. They say the American version is sweeter and more cake-like with raisins than the true Irish soda bread. I will have to visit Ireland one day to check it out. I toasted the day with my soda bread and my Famous Grouse on the rocks. Thus my apologies to the Irish. The article in "Cooking Light, March, 2010" says that Saint Patrick taught the Irish to distill wine, they then moved on to grains. Prohibition cut exports and the industry declined, but there is now a revival under way. Irish whiskey is light and smooth, according to the ad. A middle ground between intense bourbon and peaty Scotch. Bushmills Black Bush is to have a slightly sweet, caramel flavor (you will also taste floral notes and vanilla), so I will soon pick up an Irish whiskey and see what the difference is between that and Famous Grouse. Who comes up with these ads? Jameson 18 Year Limited Reserve is lightly smoky with a hint of leather, this outstanding whiskey has a complex buttery flavor with hints of citrus and spice. As for my love affair with Old Grouse, I can drink it straight now, but I prefer it on the rocks, so my thirty days to drink Scotch worked really well. How many old broads can throw down a shot of Scotch straight? Well, I can think of one, and my whimpy Old Grouch-Famous Grouse wouldn't hold a candle to the single malts.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Barbary Coast--Whizz-Doodle with Cocoa???
Stop. Is this is one of those tricks such as calling a drink Long Island Iced Tea when it doesn’t have tea in it? (However, it does taste very similar.) My high school graduation was in 1969, so karma led me to a book from that year to help me with my quest. (I should have been experimenting with alcohol in my early years.) I am leafing through “The Bartender’s Guide”, 29th edition printed, September, 1969 (original published June, 1940). So many drinks to choose from. First, I was torn between a gin drink or a whisky drink, Scotch whisky of course. I am becoming quite a fan of Famous Grouse. I do suppose I should make a transatlantic crossing and at least try what Jack Daniels has to offer. And I did enjoy the Tanqueray gin that I sampled. It was not what I expected. Botanicals! Dry gin! Lovely.
As I search, there is a drink that has both whisky and gin and crème de cocoa in it. Cocoa? That got my attention. What gal doesn’t appreciate cocoa? Crème de Cocoa is a liqueur. A liqueur is a sweetened spirit with various flavors, oils, and extracts. I was had at the mention of cocoa, but sweetened? Hey, I am a two sugars in my coffee gal, this is an amazing discovery. It gets even better, crème de cocoa is a rich, chocolate-flavored liqueur, made from cacao and vanilla beans. It has two colors: white & brown.www.drinkrecipesbar.com/drinks-glossary.html
Vanilla beans!!! My favorite gin, my favorite whisky, cocoa, and vanilla, does it get any better?
Leafing through the guide, I discovered that the drink Barbary Coast and Whizz-Doodle are the same drink:
¼ dry gin
¼ crème de cacao
¼ Scotch whisky
¼ cream
shake well with ice, strain into glass
note: DeKuyper has labels for crème de cacao and crème de cocoa. They are the same thing, a lively on-line discussion thinks it is a marketing strategy because of the revival of classic cocktails. Some sources say there is a difference between the light and the dark, others say there is only a color difference.
Well, this was an interesting cocktail, I wasn't too excited about it. I think I love the purity of the individuals by themselves.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Pousse
Amaretto Tea
Drink Type: Cocktail - A
Ingredients:
6 oz. Tea (Hot)
2 oz. Amaretto
Instructions:
Pour hot tea into a pousse-café glass, using a spoon in the glass to prevent cracking. Add Amaretto, but do not stir. Top with whipped cream.
“Pour into a what?” I asked myself. Glassware is almost as important as the alcohol in the consumption of alcohol, as I have come to realize. One site for glassware says that the pousse-cafe glass is not manufactured anymore. A pousse-café glass looks like an over-sized pony glass, but with a flare to the top. It’s stemmed, and holds about six ounces. It is said to make an art out of the science of drinks.
Pousse-café glasses are used for creating a layered drink. Different liquids have different densities. Heavy liqueurs are used for the bottom layer of the cocktail, and progressively lighter liquids are added to build the layers. “The art comes in actually building the layers. After pouring in the first layer, insert the bowl of the spoon into the glass as far as it will go without being in the liquid, with the rounded side of the spoon facing up. Adjust the tip of the spoon so that it’s very near, or even touching the side of the glass. Very gently pour the next layer over the bowl of the spoon, so that it floats on top of the previous layer. The trick is to pour in a steady but very slow stream to prevent the layers from mixing.” http://cocktails.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_art_of_layering_drinks#ixzz0dm3tmGbb
I recently picked up a glass to use for Irish coffee that should work well. It looks similar to the description of a pousse-café glass. (http://www.cocktailtimes.com/glassware/)
The Amaretto Tea doesn’t lend its self to layering, I discovered this while trying the spoon trick. Also, I threw two cherries in to see what would happen ( they sunk--warm cherries work well in a hot pie not in a hot tea). Otherwise…thumbs up.
Drink Type: Cocktail - A
Ingredients:
6 oz. Tea (Hot)
2 oz. Amaretto
Instructions:
Pour hot tea into a pousse-café glass, using a spoon in the glass to prevent cracking. Add Amaretto, but do not stir. Top with whipped cream.
“Pour into a what?” I asked myself. Glassware is almost as important as the alcohol in the consumption of alcohol, as I have come to realize. One site for glassware says that the pousse-cafe glass is not manufactured anymore. A pousse-café glass looks like an over-sized pony glass, but with a flare to the top. It’s stemmed, and holds about six ounces. It is said to make an art out of the science of drinks.
Pousse-café glasses are used for creating a layered drink. Different liquids have different densities. Heavy liqueurs are used for the bottom layer of the cocktail, and progressively lighter liquids are added to build the layers. “The art comes in actually building the layers. After pouring in the first layer, insert the bowl of the spoon into the glass as far as it will go without being in the liquid, with the rounded side of the spoon facing up. Adjust the tip of the spoon so that it’s very near, or even touching the side of the glass. Very gently pour the next layer over the bowl of the spoon, so that it floats on top of the previous layer. The trick is to pour in a steady but very slow stream to prevent the layers from mixing.” http://cocktails.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_art_of_layering_drinks#ixzz0dm3tmGbb
I recently picked up a glass to use for Irish coffee that should work well. It looks similar to the description of a pousse-café glass. (http://www.cocktailtimes.com/glassware/)
The Amaretto Tea doesn’t lend its self to layering, I discovered this while trying the spoon trick. Also, I threw two cherries in to see what would happen ( they sunk--warm cherries work well in a hot pie not in a hot tea). Otherwise…thumbs up.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Disaronno: What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet;
Enticing holiday commercials showed partiers asking for Disaronno. “What,” this novice asks, “is Disaronno.?
Just as the confusion over Tanqueray and the discovery that it was merely gin existed, there was a realization that Disaronno is merely amaretto. ...And I love the artificial, non-alcoholic amaretto used to flavor coffee. Amaretto is an Italian sweet almond-flavoured liqueur. It is made from a base of apricot or almond pits, or sometimes both.
Disaronno Originale has a characteristic bittersweet almond taste (although it contains no almonds or nuts). Disaronno claims its "originale" amaretto's "secret formula" is unchanged from the year 1525. The company describes its amaretto as an infusion of "apricot kernel oil" with "absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits". The amber liqueur is presented in a rectangular glass decanter designed by a craftsman from Murano.
Etymology
The amaretto name is a diminutive of the Italian amaro, meaning "bitter", indicating the distinctive flavour lent by the mandorla amara--the bitter almond or the drupe kernel. However, the bitterness is not unpalatable, and the flavour is enhanced by sweeteners, and sometimes sweet almonds, in the final products. Therefore, the liqueur's name can be said to describe the taste as "a little bitter". Conflation of amare and amore ("love") is primarily responsible for the associations with romance. Amaretto should not be confused with amaro, a different family of Italian liqueurs that, while also sweetened, have a stronger bitter flavour coming from herbs.
Usage
Amaretto serves a variety of culinary uses.
Beverages
Amaretto may be served neat (by itself) or on the rocks (with ice). It is often added to other beverages to create several popular mixed drinks. It is also a popular choice of liqueur to add to coffee in the morning.
Cooking
• Amaretto is added to desserts, including ice cream, which enhances the flavour of the dessert with almonds and complements chocolate.
• Savoury recipes which call for it usually focus on meat, such as chicken.
• A few shots of Amaretto can be added to pancake batter for a richer flavour.
• often a major flavor component almondine sauce used on fish and vegetables
Move on over Irish coffee, what a lovely morning coffee Disaronno creates. Maybe I will make pancakes next week.
Source: Wikipedia
Just as the confusion over Tanqueray and the discovery that it was merely gin existed, there was a realization that Disaronno is merely amaretto. ...And I love the artificial, non-alcoholic amaretto used to flavor coffee. Amaretto is an Italian sweet almond-flavoured liqueur. It is made from a base of apricot or almond pits, or sometimes both.
Disaronno Originale has a characteristic bittersweet almond taste (although it contains no almonds or nuts). Disaronno claims its "originale" amaretto's "secret formula" is unchanged from the year 1525. The company describes its amaretto as an infusion of "apricot kernel oil" with "absolute alcohol, burnt sugar, and the pure essence of seventeen selected herbs and fruits". The amber liqueur is presented in a rectangular glass decanter designed by a craftsman from Murano.
Etymology
The amaretto name is a diminutive of the Italian amaro, meaning "bitter", indicating the distinctive flavour lent by the mandorla amara--the bitter almond or the drupe kernel. However, the bitterness is not unpalatable, and the flavour is enhanced by sweeteners, and sometimes sweet almonds, in the final products. Therefore, the liqueur's name can be said to describe the taste as "a little bitter". Conflation of amare and amore ("love") is primarily responsible for the associations with romance. Amaretto should not be confused with amaro, a different family of Italian liqueurs that, while also sweetened, have a stronger bitter flavour coming from herbs.
Usage
Amaretto serves a variety of culinary uses.
Beverages
Amaretto may be served neat (by itself) or on the rocks (with ice). It is often added to other beverages to create several popular mixed drinks. It is also a popular choice of liqueur to add to coffee in the morning.
Cooking
• Amaretto is added to desserts, including ice cream, which enhances the flavour of the dessert with almonds and complements chocolate.
• Savoury recipes which call for it usually focus on meat, such as chicken.
• A few shots of Amaretto can be added to pancake batter for a richer flavour.
• often a major flavor component almondine sauce used on fish and vegetables
Move on over Irish coffee, what a lovely morning coffee Disaronno creates. Maybe I will make pancakes next week.
Source: Wikipedia
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Happy Anniversary Prohibition
The Temperance movement blamed alcohol for many of society's ills, especially crime and murder. Saloons, a social haven for men who lived in the still untamed West, were viewed by many, especially women, as a place of debauchery and evil. Prohibition, members of the Temperance movement urged, would stop husbands from spending all the family income on alcohol and prevent accidents in the workplace caused by workers who drank during lunch.
In the beginning of the 20th century, there were Temperance organizations in nearly every state. By 1916, over half of the U.S. states already had statutes that prohibited alcohol. In 1919, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the sale and manufacture of alcohol, was ratified. It went into effect on January 16, 1920.
On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, making alcohol once again legal. This was the first and only time in U.S. history that an Amendment has been repealed.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/p/prohibition.htm
In the beginning of the 20th century, there were Temperance organizations in nearly every state. By 1916, over half of the U.S. states already had statutes that prohibited alcohol. In 1919, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the sale and manufacture of alcohol, was ratified. It went into effect on January 16, 1920.
On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, making alcohol once again legal. This was the first and only time in U.S. history that an Amendment has been repealed.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/p/prohibition.htm
Miss Kitty, my barkeep, and Blood and Sand
Miss Kitty was named for the barkeep on Gunsmoke. Pretty, aloof and smart, topped off with a little of a hard edge.
I am realizing that in my old age, I am enjoying lighter, tropical drinks. Blood and Sand’s only drawback is the color of the drink, in a dark bar I suppose you wouldn’t notice.
My supply of Famous Grouse Scotch, est. 1800, is running low. Dewar’s White Label, est. 1846, is the new kid on the block. Amazingly, you can see a color difference, the Grouse is darker. The Famous Grouse also has an earthier smell compared to the Dewar’s. My experiment on learning to drink Scotch is progressing well. I can drink two fingers of Dewar’s with one ice cube, no water.
Blood and Sand
1 part DeKuyper Cherry Flavored Brandy
1 part blended Scotch
4 parts orange juice
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