Where your grand-pa wishes he’d gone to learn to drink…

The last TDN before Tales! The undisputed ruler of the Land of Orange Liqueuria will be holding court, and we’ve been invited to create original cocktails for her royal armada. Cointreau also happens to be one of few high-quality liqueurs you can still find behind nearly any bar. And as I’m sure it’s behind your own, so join us this Thursday at 7pm EST to chart new waters and create tasty new potations.

We’ll be giving away a Japanese barspoon courtesy of Mud Puddle Books to the winner of the tastiest cocktail of the evening.

Join us in the chatroom!

The nose of the mezcal reaches me, its earhty…and smoky…but not overwelmingly so – in a pleasant way that invites you to take a sip. Mezcal (mes-kal) generally refers to all agave-based distilled liquors that are not tequila. Tequila is made only from the blue agave plant and usually produced in the town Tequila and its surroundings of Jalisco.

Mezcals are made from 100% agave while tequilas must be produced from a minimum of 51% agave and there are several different varietes of agave used each producing a different flavor of mezcal. Espadín agave is used in the making of about 90% of the mezcal.

The word mezcal means “cooked maguey” and comes from Nahuatl, one of the ancient languages of Mexico. The word maguey (used to represent the pre-Columbian “tree of wonders”) is synonymous with agave which contrary to many beliefs isn´t a cactus but a relative to the Lily and  Amaryllis. The distillation process was brought to Mexico by the conquistadores.

There are several types of mezcal, and there is a broad range of quality in terms of smoothness, flavor nuances and smokiness. For example there is the tobala mezcal which is made from the heart of tobala maguey that grows wild and is only distilled in earternware pots, (makes about 5% of the mezcal production) the mezcal with a worm, mezcal with no additives except a particular herb or fruit zest or more herbaceous products.

Then there is mezcal de pechuga which is an artisanal product only produced in a few mountain villages in the State of Oaxaca.

Its a very special kind of mezcal -  finished mezcal is distilled a third time with a chicken breast along with certain fruits and other ingreidents, made by hanging a raw chicken breast in the still or over the top of the vat during production, imparting a subtle flavor nuance in the spirit as well as a bit of body created by the vaporized fat.

The still is then  closed and the distilling process proceeds over a few weeks. When complete and the still is opened, there´s nothing left of the chicken breast except the bones. The finished product is said to taste fruity and floral without any chicken taste.

In this video Ron Cooper from Del Maguey explains the myths and the seven factors that affects the quality and flavor of the mezcal. You should really watch this video if you like mezcal, its very interesting.

In short, those seven factors are the following:

Plant Species – there are about a dozen maguey plants that produces good mezcal, so the plant variety is important as each one gives different flavours.

Altitude – its here the airborne microbes plays their role and at every 300 feet up (100m) its different species of microbes. These airborne microbes affects the fermenting. In commercial tequila and mezcal production chemicals are used but in the production of Del Maguey they wait between 4-30 days to let the airborne microbes start the fermenting. That`s a handcrafted spirit!

The soil – Different soils are used, and soil definetily adds a flavour component. Del Maguey uses a soil type that is called tierra amaria. Its a well drained granite-rich soil thus letting the water drain off fast which is very important as water from the soil is not good for the maguey as water through the roots and up in the plant makes it bitter. Instead the plants opens up its poores in the night and absorbs moisture.

Wood – the kind of wood that is used to heat the rocks that roast the hearts on gives off different flavours.

Water – the water of the village also has a flavour effect and the water is used after the hearts are ground and everything is placed in tanks or vats. Different village waters affects the flavours.

The hand of the maker – This is that magic personal touch that every producer of mezcal adds to the product and its possible to by blind tasting tell which village and which specific producer has made a certain mezcal.

Time – is one of the most important factors in a good mezcal – as mezcal is a real slow-food product – this is how flavour is made with love.

I`m very fond of mezcal, and i like how it mixes in cocktails imparting a smoky flavour, like a scotch – and mezcal marries so well with fresh fruit flavours – like tequila do.

So what to drink?

Somehow i got the idea to try the drink (Massive Sausage Attack)  that i made for the “Bad Name” TDN with mezcal and change and re-name it. The result is a fresh, fruity, herbal and smoky cocktail.

EARTH, HERBS AND SMOKE

1.5oz mezcal
0,5oz fresh lime
0.5 oz pink grapefruit juice
0.5 oz agave syrup
1 barspoon green chartreuse
Top with Ting or other grapefruit soda.

For a nice variation top with green cactus juice.

Shake with ice, strain and serve in a sugar coated old fashioned glass with large chunks of ice.

Garnish with lime.

This drink turned out really good, at least to my fruit-loving taste buds. The mezcal and chartreuse has a herbal-earthy and pleasantly smoky love-affair.The fresh pink grapfruit and lime sings their praises. Its definetily a summer drink, the hotter the summer the better is this drink, well chilled with lots of ice.

Upcoming TDN – Bad Names

Scour the internets and you’ll find cocktails of every sort; few will prance around like sexy beasts of palate-quenching, while most are hellish abominations of deceit and despair. Kind of like guitar tabs. There is also no shortage of awful, offensive names for drinks, often shots served in college towns (not that I know anything about this). Open any generic bar guide, and you’ll see everything from the mildly teasing “Slow Comfortable Screw” to the I-Wish-I-Hadn’t-Pictured-That “Smurf C*m”. There are some cocktails out there with unfortunate names that are actually delicious, and after this week’s TDN ( What’s Thursday Drink Night? ) there are going to be a lot more. So bring your worst names, and your best drinks and join us at 7pm EST this Thursday.

The prize for the best cocktail with the worst name will win a copy of X-Rated Drinks courtesy of Mud Puddle Books (and no, they don’t publish it).

Log in to the chat room!

Martin Miller’s Gin Wrap-Up

A whole night featuring one of the finest gins on the market today jumped into full swing in the chatroom and at Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco, where several souls gathered to mix up libations of all sorts.

The Winning Cocktail

The Box

• 1 1/2oz Martin Miller’s gin
• 1oz Appleton Extra rum
• 1oz grapefruit juice
• 1/2oz cinnamon syrup
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 6 drops absinthe
• ginger beer, to top

Shake all but ginger beer, strain into ice filled collins glass and top with ginger beer.

Rick from Kaiser Penguin

Featured Cocktails

For the whole list of tippling eccentricities, observe Twitter. But here are the few that successfully rode Shai-Hulud:

Cassis Clay

• 1oz Martin Miller’s gin
• 3/4oz Dolin Blanc
• 3/4oz creme de cassis
• 3/4oz lemon juice
• 1/4oz kirsch
• 1 dash Angostura Orange bitters
• orange twist, for garnish

Shake and double strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with flamed orange zest.

John from The Bastards Booze Blog

London Briar

• 2oz Martin Miller’s Gin
• 1/2oz Framboise
• 1/2oz lime juice
• 1/4oz maraschino liqueur
• 1/4oz green Chartreuse

Shake with a bit of wit and some cracked ice; strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Gabe from cocktailnerd

Martin Easy

• 2oz Martin Miller’s gin
• 1oz Carpano Antica
• 1/2oz lemon juice
• 1 dash Herbsaint
• 1 dash maraschino liqueur
• 1 chunk cucumber

Muddle cucumber in lemon juice, add rest and ice, shake and strain in up glass. Garnish with 3 thin cucumber slices

Craig from Colonel Tiki

Ginger’s Morning After

• 7 blackberries muddled
• 2oz Martin Miller’s Westbourne strength gin
• 1oz lemon juice
• 1/4oz simple
• 2 extra-large large basil leaves
• champagne, to top
• ginger beer, to top

Shake and strain into flute. Top with champagne and ginger beer.

Camper from Alcademics

Mediterranean Sun

• 2oz Martin Miller´s gin
• 1/4oz seville orange syrup (sub 1/4oz simple syrup dash orange bitters)
• 1oz Aperol
• bitter lemon soda, to top
• orange slice, for garnish
• mint, for garnish

Shake all except soda, strain and pour into glass with large chunky ice. Garnish orange slice and mint (also in glass).

Tiare from A Mountain of Crushed Ice

Featured Photos

Half the Battle

They said it couldn’t be done, that the merry mixologists of the Mixoloseum couldn’t come up with any new gin drinks. But the excellence of Martin Miller’s let us rise to the challenge. Below are the best of a great selection of new drinks invented for the night. Now you must vote for the very best!

Cassis Clay

• 1 oz Martin Miller’s gin
• 0.75 oz Dolin Blanc
• 0.75 oz Creme de Cassis
• 0.75 oz lemon juice
• 0.25 oz Kirsch
• 1 dash Angostura Orange bitters

Shake and double strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with flamed orange zest.

London Briar

• 2 oz Martin Miller’s Gin
• 0.5 oz Creme de Framboise
• 0.5 oz Lime Juice
• 0.25 oz maraschino liqueur
• 0.25 oz green chartreuse

Shake and strain.

Martin Easy

• 2 oz Martin Miller’s gin
• 1 oz Carpano Antica
• 0.5 oz lemon juice
• 1 dash Herbsaint
• 1 dash maraschino liqueur
• 1 chunk cucumber

Muddle cucumber in lemon juice, add rest and ice, shake and strain in up glass. Garnish with 3 thin cucumber slices

Ginger’s Morning After

• 7 blackberries muddled
• 2 oz Martin Miller’s Westbourne strength gin
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 0.25oz simple
• 2 extra-large large basil leaves (deveined)

shake and strain into flute. Top with champagne and ginger beer.

Mediterranean Sun

• 2 oz Martin Miller´s gin
• 0.25 oz seville orange syrup
• 1 oz Aperol
• bitter lemon soda

Shake all except soda, strain and pour into glass with large chunky ice. Garnish orange slice and mint (also in glass)

The Box

• 1.5 oz Martin Miller’s gin
• 1 oz Appleton extra rum
• 1 oz grapefruit juice
• 0.5 oz cinnamon syrup
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 6 drops absinthe
• ginger beer

Shake all but ginger beer, strain into ice filled collins glass and top with ginger beer.

Vote for which drink merits a bottle of Bitter Truth Orange Bitters! Polls open until Thursday morning!

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The Mixoloseum hosts Martin Miller’s Gin Thursday Drink Night in venerable Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco, CA. Join us and mix fine drinks all night!

No matter how much you love cocktails, it’s undisputed that beer is the official beverage of summer. And for good reason: portable, refreshing and trouble-free, you can take and drink beer pretty much anywhere with a minimum of fuss. It’s hard to think of a reason not to like beer. As the temperatures are warming up all over the northern hemisphere, we here at the Mixoloseum thought we’d recommend some refreshing summer beers to enjoy during barbeques, picnics, al fresco dinners or chilling by the pool.

Central and South American Beer
Everyone loves a light, crisp Mexican lager on a hot summer day but your options are not limited only to Corona!

• Carta Blanca – The ubiquitous light lager south of the border, Carta Blanca is great on its own, with a squeeze of lime or mixed in a michelada.
• Model Especial – Another hugely popular light lager, Modelo Especial is a bit lighter than Carta Blanca and thus tastes better on its own or with lime than it does in a michelada.
• Negra Modelo – A nutty, dark brown Vienna lager, this is the best Modelo out there. If you like a bit more bite to your beer or just want something with some oomph, grab one of these.
• Quilmes – Very light but very, very refreshing, Quilmes is an Argentine lager that has been brewed in the country since the late 1800s. It’s getting easier to find and I highly recommend it, particularly if you are having a barbeque.

Fruit Beers
There are a ton of fruited beers out there these days, but something about the crisp-tart of apple in a beer really says summer.

• Éphémère – A white ale brewed with apple must (cider), this is the lightest of the three and definitely well-suited for people who aren’t usually big beer drinkers. The taste is light, tart and pleasant while the body of the beer is very refreshing.
• Floris Apple – An Belgian apple lambic, Floris is sweeter than a cider though it still maintains a pleasantly dry, refreshing character with a strong apple flavor.
• Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider – Being something of a cider fiend, it is no small thing to say that this is my favorite cider. Dry and tart without being too much of either, it has a lovely body and nice, smooth finish.

Witbier / Wheat Beer / White Beer / Bière Blanche
A beer of many names, witbier is a Belgian white ale brewed from wheat and frequently flavored with coriander and orange peel.

• Allagash White – Belgian-style but brewed in Maine, Allagash White is one of my favorite American white beers. Though delicious, they can be a bit heavy on occasion due to the wheat component but Allagash is clean, crisp and wonderful on a hot day.
• Blanche de Chambly – From Unibroue, the Quebec-based producers of Éphémère, Blanche de Chambly is a classic light witbier. The spice component is rather subdued but very pleasant and it shows well next to Éphémère.
• Mothership Wit – From New Belgium, the Colorado-based brewery known for Fat Tire, Mothership Wit is an organic, sustainable and flavorful white beer. Heavy on the spice and orange, it rocks with or without food and perks up brilliantly with the addition of a slice of orange or lemon.
• Shiner Hefeweizen – Oh yes! Hefeweizen is also a wheat beer. Though there are many amazing German hefs out there, my favorite domestic is the one out of Shiner, TX. It has just the right amount of crispness to balance the weight of the beer—wouldn’t want anyone to think they were drinking a light beer—it’s stupendous ice cold straight out of the cooler. Orange slice optional.
• Wittekerke – A German white beer, Wittekerke has the coriander and orange flavors common to witbier with a nice light body, and it is easy to find in excursion-friendly cans.

This interesting drink recipe is from Sippin`Safari and originates from the Hotel King Kamehameha in Kona, Hawaii, as the origin of the drink around 1960.

KAMEHAMEHA RUM PUNCH

Named after the Hotel King Kamehameha in Kona, Hawaii, as the origin of the drink. But really..the hotel took the name after a great Hawaiian King – Kamehameha.

Also known as Kamehameha the Great, Kamehameha was the head of a dynasty ruling the Hawaiian islands for more than a century. The name Kamehameha (pronounced kuh-may-ha-may-ha) means “the one set apart.” He conquered the Hawaiian islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawai`i in 1810.

Every year on Kamehameha Day (June 11, a state holiday in Hawai’i), National Statuary Hall is the scene of a ceremony in honor of the king and the statue of Kamehameha the Great is draped with lovely leis of fragrant flowers from Hawai’i. The Festival continues to pay tribute to Kamehameha and acts to preserve and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture.

RECIPE

1 oz Light Rum
2 oz Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Blackberry Brandy (i used Creme de Cassis)
1 tsp Grenadine (i used my homemade hibiscus grenadine, which adds a fresh tropical floral aroma)
1 tsp Sugar Syrup
1 oz Dark Rum

Shake everything but the dark rum with ice and strain into a tall or rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Float dark rum on top, and garnish with a pineapple chunk speared to a cherry.

In my researches for the history of this punch i stumbled upon an interesting version which was written a year ago and which i`ve somehow managed to miss, the Kamehameha Mighty Punch from Kaiserpenguin - using cayenne pepper! and Tahitian limeade – ingredients so interesting they catched my attention 100% and of course i had to try this version of the rum punch too.

KAMEHAMEHA MIGHTY PUNCH

2oz. pineapple juice
0.5oz mango puree
1oz. tahitian limeade (see below)
1.5oz amber rum
cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients except pepper with ice cubes and shake.Strain into a glass with a wide mouth.Dust with cayenne pepper and garnish if you must.

( Yes i must…and now when the fragrant honeysuckle is everywhere its the perfect summer garnish)

I really like the Mighty Punch, its nice with the slight pepper heat from the cayenne carefully dusted on the surface.

TAHITIAN LIMEADE

Mix fresh juice with 3-5 parts simple syrup and use coconut water instead of the original water. Here the coconut water comes in cans and is sweetened so i didn`t add any simple syrup to my cocktail.If you can get fresh unsweetened coconut water – its the best.

I also made a variation of this and added sugarcane juice instead of coconut water and with the rum it turned out really tasty. No syrup in this one either.

SUGARCANE LIMEADE

Mix with sugarcane juice instead and omit simple syrup. This makes for a sweet cocktail – for those with a sweet tooth.

Give a mixologist a muddler, and everything looks like something you can muddle, smoosh, and smash into a glass. Below are the best creations during TDN: Muddling. Give them a try and vote for your favorite. A PUG! muddler is on the line!

Flamenco

• 2 oz tequila
• 1.5 oz ruby grapefruit juice
• Schwepps lemon soda
• J. Wray overproof rum
• lime juice
• 1 strawberry
• 0.5 oz seville orange syrup
• basil leaves

Muddle strawberry with Seville orange syrup and basil leaves. Add tequila, ruby grapefruit juice, and a sprinkle of fresh lime juice. Top with some Scweppes lemon and a float J. Wray. Garnish with a grapefruit rose and basil.

The Derek

• 3 oz Dolin blanc
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 3-4 mint leaves
• 0.5 oz Domain de Canton ginger liqueur

Lightly muddle mint leaves in Domaine de Canton in an old fashioned glass. Top with Dolin Blanc, ice, one dash orange bitters, and give a quick couple of stirs. Serve up.

Mt. Vernon Cooler

• 1.5 oz Old Overholt rye
• 0.75 oz Tuaca
• 0.5 oz cinnamon syrup
• 8 pitted Bing cherries
• 4 dashes Fee’s aromatic bitters
• club soda

In shaker, muddle cherries and bitters. Add rye, Tuaca, and cinnamon syrup. Shake and strain over ice in highball glass. Top with club soda/seltzer. Squeeze in lime wedge and drop in. Stir & enjoy!

Cilantro Bacon Julep

• 3 oz bacon-infused bourbon
• 1 dash Fee’s Whiskey Barrel bitters
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 2-3 sprigs cilantro
• 2 Tbs brown sugar

Pinch off leaves from the cilantro stems and muddle with the brown sugar and bitters. Add the bacon bourbon and stir. Set aside to infuse. In the meantime, crush some ice and pack into a copper mug or julep cup. Strain the infused bourbon over the ice. Garnish with a flourish of cilantro and a fresh strawberry.

Evil Chartreuse Swizzle

• 2 cubes pineapple
• mint
• 0.25 oz J. Wray overproof rum
• 1.25 oz Chartreuse
• 0.75 oz lime juice
• 0.5 oz falernum

Muddle pineapple, mint, and J. Wray. Pack glass with ice, add Chartreuse, lime juice, and falernum. Swizzle while cackling.

Be sure to vote for your favorite; the poll closes midnight on Monday.

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(Crossposted from Scofflaw’s Den)

Day three of the series leads me to do two things – come up with a drink with none other than our own iStevi, hostess of “Two at the Most”, a fellow LiveJournal refugee who found her way out onto a hosted site, but also to write up my article that I promised to the Mixoloseum on cognac.

Cognac, I feel, is often a misunderstood liquor.  People have an impression of it that it’s only for the rich, while that’s not true; on the other hand, when introducing people to the subtypes of brandy that are available, or even for other drinks, cognac is often easily used as an example because people are familiar with it.  All cognacs are brandy; not all brandies are cognac, it depends on where they come from.  (There are other requirements, too, but that’s the big one, at least, in my humble opinion.)

And where cognacs come from is the French area known as, well – Cognac.

I won’t get into Wikipedia-esque detail on VS versus VSOP versus XO, or the other different types.  The important thing to remember when using cognac in drinks, in my opinion, is to remember that while cognacs vary, you can use a cognac to replace a brandy but not vice versa.  Cognacs, in my experience, tend to be richer, and often sweeter – in my opinion – than other brandies from similar areas.  Armagnacs might be able to replace a cognac, but really, if a drink is so specific to request a cognac you should use it.

Not that many do.  You might see a “special” version of a drink using cognac that has it instead of brandy, but only a rare few use cognac as an ingredient, and there’s one in particular that I know catches more than a few eyes.

I know this because on the last, admittedly hazily remembered, night at Hummingbird to Mars I was offered one – and the bartender (I want to say it was Owen) I seem to remember was surprised that I knew what it was (and drank it anyways).   If you’ve got the Regan’s The Joy of Mixology you might already know where I’m going…

Tremblement De Terre (Earthquake)
2 1/2 ounces cognac
1/4 ounce absinthe
1 lemon twist, garnish
Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Add the garnish.

Now, I’ve had that drink, and it’s a killer.  Not bad whatsoever, in my opinion, but oof!

My favorite cognac right now is Chalfonte VSOP.  I just got word that it’s back at my favorite liquor store, Ace in DC, and that makes me very happy.  It’s not expensive but it’s quote luscious in its taste.  My goal is to make sure I have a bottle of two to enjoy in the snow, around a big bonfire, with family and friends next winter.  It was that goal last winter but never happened.

Still, I need a drink for a blogger or mixologist for tonight, and I thought of that drink and Stevi’s blog name.  Hmmm.  It seems to insinuate that you can only have two of her drinks in a night, and what’s a good drink to base that off of, in addition to her love of Peruvian horses, I thought – oh.  I know.

Two At The Most
1 1/2 ounces cognac (Chalfonte VSOP)
1 ounce pisco brandy (Macchu Pisco)
1/4 ounce + 1 dash absinthe (Kubler)
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1-2 dashes Peruvian bitters
Stir and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a brandy soaked cherry, which sinks to the bottom, and a lemon twist.

Yummy!  But that’s quite a bit of booze there, so be warned – you won’t want to have more than two at the most!

[Third in a series of drinks named after bloggers, mixologists, and random others who'll hopefully be at Tales.  The first post in the series is here.]