Siesta

Last night was Kitchen Warming #2.  The guest list included friend & kitchen remodeler, T., so we needed the signature cocktail to honor him & his fine work.  Since of all the intoxicants on the planet one can imbibe he only drinks tequila our choices were limited.  Or perhaps it's better described as "focused".  Enter PDT's Siesta.  

On the page it looked decent.  The reality was something we haven't had in a while-- a cocktail worthy of the "Make it again Sam" label and unanimously positive reviews.  The Partner & I took it out for a test drive on Date Night, just to make certain it was something our guests would enjoy.  Such sacrifice....

The best way to describe the Siesta is a grapefruit margarita with depth & dimension brought by the Campari.  Think of it as the ultimate American cocktail.  Where else in the world can a Mexican, an Italian, and a Jamaican come together and make such beautiful offspring? 

How did our warming guests take to it?  Well, let's put it this way.  Of our four guests, J. & E.  don't really drink.  T. only drinks tequila, as mentioned.  And his partner, C., is orbital by the bottom of his second glass.  As I mixed one round, I'd look up to find the other couple's glasses empty.  Upon refreshing those, the ones I'd just filled were only moments away from needing refills.  No one should be surprised to hear that there were several "These go down way too easys" spoken throughout happy hour.  This is how we killed a bottle of Patrón in about an hour's time.  Good thing dinner was shrimp étouffée with andouille spoon bread.  The total fat from half a pound of butter, 3 cups of heavy cream, four eggs, and a pound of pork sausage provided an effective firewall to all that firewater!

Siesta
2 oz. tequila*
1/2 oz. Campari
1/2 oz. grapefruit juice**
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2-3/4 oz. simple syrup

Shake with ice and pour into chilled coupes.  Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

*:  On Date Nite we tested the Siesta with Patrón Silver.  For the warming we used Patrón Añejo.  The Añejo makes a much smoother cocktail.
**:  We used ruby reds and squeezed the fruit ourselves.  We then strained it to remove the pulp which, while delicious and adds healthful fiber to any cocktail, also makes them cloudy.  It's a sweet, fresh ingredient as opposed to the odd quality even the freshest "fresh squeezed" store-bought variety generally has.

Old Pal

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: Headin’ out & need to get into the groove!
Style of Drink: Something on the rocks
Spirit of Choice:  Tilting towards something brown
Last Drink: vodka up

As mentioned yesterday, The Partner & I are heading out to Top Chef Stephanie Izard’s Girl and the Goat.  It’ll be our second time at what is by far the most commercial & trendy of our top Chef  experiences.  I suppose it’s to be expected when you set up shop along the Randolph strip.  The food is decent and derives its wow factor from some of the different offerings (like the infamous ham frites, duck tongues, and, of course, various goat dishes).  The ambiance is crowded and loud to the point of being nearly unenjoyable.  So the dining company is crucial at this venue.  After our first time, finally getting a reservation after a year, we left saying we did it and didn’t need to rush back.  We went with friends N., C., M., & B. the first time and tonight we’ll go with them again.  The company will be much fun.  And thanks to N. who got the reservation both the last time and tonight!

I wanted to be sure to get back in the blogging swing and start shakin’ again tonight.  So our cocktail this evening, the Old Pal, is to get us in the mood for a late reservation.  Campari contributes the ruby hue as well as the bitter finish that makes this a good aperitif.  An enjoyable sippin’ bev that stimulates the appetite and provides a comfortable buzz without wasting you.  The Partner reports that it grew on him.  He wanted another bev for the shower as we get ready to head out, "But not another one of those.  Yeah."  Can't win 'em all.

The plan is to take my phone tonight and take some snaps of GatG.  Tune back in for an update tomorrow.


Old Pal
2 oz. rye
3/4 oz. dry vermouth
3/4 oz. Campari
Stir with ice and strain into chilled coupe.  No garnish.

Cocktail Chat | A Critical Mixology Lesson

Every year, The Partner and I host a Pride brunch.  Most years we have about 15-25 people show up.  We cook easy brunch things, serve up the usual brunchy cocktails like Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and Screwdrivers.  This year we had two occasions to change things up and go all out.  First was our deck.  We've just finished an expansion of it that includes a fun new outdoor bar.  The other occasion was this little project we're on with the bible and the blog. 

As we planned our respective menus, I decided that the usual drink fare were fine, however the morning would need something new to reflect our growing expertise in the mixological arts.  Given that the morning moves quickly and we're on a schedule to walk over to the parade by late morning, the special bev would have to be something I could mix a batch of in advance and just pour into a glass when requested.  Not wanting to experiment with something new for a party, I turned back to the blog, zeroing in on both the "Make it again, Sam" and "summer" tags for inspiration.  Everyone remember the Jasmine ("I'll have a Jaaaasssmine...")?  Seemed perfect.  It was breakfasty in its ingredients, tasted like grapefruit juice when mixed, and bonus of bonuses for the day:  IT WAS PINK!

After a trip to Costco for some large scale high end ingredients (I was mixing for 40.) and a cool, spigotted dispenser, I got to work the morning of the affair.  I collected the ingredients, pulled my measuring cups, squeezed six pounds of fresh lemons.  I mixed it all together and tasted.  Now here's the lesson: unless the drink is specifically a punch, you can't just scale it up.  A simple and proportional conversion from ounces to cups simply does not work -- which is what I did.  How clever and mathematical I felt!  But when finished mixing and adding a healthy amount of ice, I didn't have a punch, I just had a cocktail of Brobdingnagian proportions.  It was amazing how something that is so delicious and refreshing in a four ounce martini glass was utterly lacerating in a twelve ounce drinking glass filled with ice.

What was supposed to be a simple mixing task had now become a rescue mission.  Guests were minutes away from walking in the door and I had to find a way not to waste over $100 of perfectly good premium liquor.  Taking a moment, I breathed and with a little positive self-talk I told myself that I would not panic.  This was now an improvisation, no different from when I'm cooking without a recipe.  It would just require some thought to the ingredients necessary to achieve the desired flavors and textures coupled with a routine of mix and taste, mix and taste until all elements were balanced and harmonious.  Luckily, The Partner had already made a pitcher of simple syrup just to have on hand.  Luckily, too, we live across the street from a Whole Foods.  Figuring my budding Pride Punch was suffering from an over abundance of sharp base and accent liquors as well as an acidic juice, it would need more sweetness to soften it up.  I grabbed a carton of sweetened lemonade from across the street and added about two cups of that to the mix.  Next, I added about half a cup of the syrup.  With a few more tweaks with each new ingredient I finally arrived at the perfect balance of sweet to tart, brining the sharp presence of alcohol down to a mere suggestion.  Mixed with ice and it was the perfect cooler on a sunny, summer Pride morning!

It's here that I have to give a shoutout to our neighbor, Y.  She came over right on time and before everyone else and was the instrumental set if taste buds and opinions that helped me complete this concoction.  Y, babe, I know this was not your cup of tea, but you took one for the team to save the day, and I appreciate that.  Clearly, we were successful.  As the picture shows, it was popular.  Peeps were so disappointed when the barrel ran dry two people were picking the tankard up off it's base and tipping it ten ways to Sunday to eek out the last few drops from the tap.  Ah, I love an enthusiastic Pride!

LOOK at all those "Jasmine Pride Punches"!

Combustible Edison | 22 down 253 to go

Here in the Windy City the high got all the way to 46 degrees today.  It’s been gray and rainy for the last 72 hours and the wind chill today feels like it’s 36 degrees out.  Really?  It’s May 15th! Friday the temp dropped 20 degrees in about 10 minutes and by Happy Hour,  I must admit, my choice of the daiquiri was an attempt to “springify” the weather a bit.  But today, I just couldn’t fight Ma Nature.  So I mixed a batch of Combustible Edisons to warm things up.  My first (literally anyway) flaming cocktail  :-P

If you have some friends over who appreciate good cocktails and you feel like being a showman, make this one.  Not much tops the drama of ignited brandy and that ethereal blue flame streaming into a cocktail glass.  Prep your friends, though, before the first sip.  Campari and lemon juice make for a bitter first couple sips.  Ditto for the warmth of the bev.  Being used to icy cocktails means this is not unlike an American getting his first beer in England.  But The Partner noted that he thought the warmth worked in the CE’s favor.  Cold with this level of bitterness might be even more challenging. 

As you sip the body and flavor change, becoming a bit syrupy in the mouth and less astringent.  By the bottom of the glass the lemon and brandy together are the predominant notes.

If you’re not feeling brave enough to light your cocktail on fire, shake the brandy along with the other ingredients and call it an Edisonian.  In the name of research, I tried it this way too.  Contrary to The Partner’s prediction, it was good cold as well, though notably different.  Thinner in the mouth, lighter and with bright citrus flavors it goes down a bit easier than the Combustible version.  It’s dryness lasts well past the last sip which leaves a rather pleasant memory as the evening progresses.

Combustible Edison/Edisonian
2 oz. brandy
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. lemon juice

Warm the brandy in a chafing dish.  Shake the Campari & lemon juice with cracked ice and pour into chilled cocktail glass.  Light the brandy and pour into the other ingredients in the cocktail glass.  Garnish with lemon twists.

Jasmine | 11 down 264 to go

The Partner:  I can see it now.

Me: What?

The Partner: The next time we're out with J- and  M- and the waiter comes to take our drink order and this time it'll be "3 vodkas and a Jasmine."

Gentle Reader, do be sure to hear that cocktail name as it was said, by stretching the "a" out for a good long time and giving  the "s" the slightest sibilance:  "three vodkas and a ... Jaaaaaasssmine."

He can be so funny sometimes.

As it turns out, the Jasmine is not an old classic but a relative newcomer, being named after Matt Jasmine, formerly of the world famous Chez Panisse.

We made this one right after the medicinal Drink Without a Name.  And while it looks like the love child of a Cosmopolitan and a Pink Squirrel, it was the perfect next step from DWAN as it tasted exactly like fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.  An unexpected and welcome surprise.  So much so that by the end of our second round, Someone was passing me his empty and nonchalantly asking for another.

Me: Huh….  Looks like the next time we're out with J- and M- it'll be two vodkas and two Jasmines!

The Partner: [Sheepish sideways smirk.]


Me: Don't worry, baby, I'll teach you how to say it like a man.

Jasmine
1 1/2 oz gin
1/4 oz Cointreau
1/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz lemon juice

Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with lemon twist