Corpse Reviver #2

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: Something new
Style of Drink: aperitif
Spirit of Choice: gin
Last Drink: Manhattan

The Partner had one tough week at work this week.  So rather than tax him with something new, I made him our now standard Manhattan.  For me, how could I not mix up something called the Corpse Reviver #2??  I’ll need to find Reviver #1 – which Meehan ties to the Savoy Cocktail Book.  Wow, was this enjoyable!  Think of a smoooooth lemonade.

For A. & R., you may want to consider this one for Orphans’ Easter.  I know you’ve already made a choice from the Dilettante's list.  But this one is really nice, not to mention easy-breezy to mix.  Plus, you still get to use Lillet!

As for The Partner, it’s a good thing I love the man.  Whenever I don’t make him a new concoction, mixing him a Ketel or Manhattan instead, he always asks, “What’ve you got there?”  The question is usually tinged with envy.  Read: "How come you didn't make me one too?" and pouted through boo-boo lips.  I got the same this time around too.

“It’s a Corpse Reviver #2.  And no, you can’t have a sip.”  He shot back with some faux wounded quip about it not mixing with a Manhattan anyway.  But sure enough, by round two he wanted a sip and I was willing to give it over.

“Oh wow!  That’s like a smooth lemon drop.  That’s gonna be a regular on the deck this summer.”

Husbands.  He really oughta just trust me from the outset  :-P

Corpse Reviver #2
¾ oz. gin
¾ oz. Cointreau
¾ oz. Lillet Blanc
¾ oz. lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled Absinthe-rinsed coupe*.
No garnish.

*: Again, we don’t own coupes and we’re not fans of Absinthe – even a rinse of it.  So I didn’t use them here.

UPDATE:  This was the other offering for The Partner's birthday cocktail party mentioned in the Pimm's Cup #1 Update.  And A. & R. did wind up featuring it for Orphans' Easter, as recommended above.  Easily this could've been a more regular feature on the roof this summer.  However, we ran out of Lillet pretty early on and, for whatever reason, it didn't get restocked in a timely manner.  Still, the CR2 became my order of choice when cocktailing "off-site".  If the mixologist is worth his rimming salt, he knows the beverage.  If not, with it's equal proportions and short ingredients list, it's easy to remember and coach him through.  That said, be sure to ask if Lillet is behind the bar.  This is not the same cocktail without it.

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.

Best Laid Plans...

What's one to do when one comes home from a great afternoon with colleagues and finds his 20 year old cat stumbling around with a quarter length of his tail bent 90 degrees to the floor?  Well, not prepare for Date Nite with a yummy new cocktail like one planned, that's for sure.

The internet is a horrible thing at times.  Because after all of 120 seconds online and seeing that my poor cat's tail could be a symptom of anything from a fractured spine to a pelvic abscess, he was in his kitty carrier and out the door to the vet so fast he didn't know what hit him.

The Partner, though, awesome dude that he is, had it covered when we got home.  Chilly Ketels up with limes to get me through the shower and a schmear of Core Wellness Turkey & Chicken with a cold bowl of water on the side for the kitty.  Then a fantastic bottle of Guenoc petite syrah to accompany some great panko-crisped talapia with wild rice & broccolini (for me, not the kitty).

And here we are.  I'll try to post something on topic tomorrow.  Though we will be dining with friends at Girl and the Goat, so no promises there.

Meet Puck.... Not a fan of me right now.

(Oh, and if you're wondering, the Old Man, after 2 1/2  hours, a thorough palpitation, a neurological exam -- the details of which I will spare you -- and 4 x-rays, turns out he's in pretty good shape for a 20 year old.  Looks like some age-onset arthritis is effecting some vertebrae in his tail and some spurs in his hips.  A shot of pain-killer and a wrap and hopefully he'll be fine.  He probably forgot he's a feline geriatric and got carried away with the crazies and wacked his tail on something.  Hopefully, he'll be around for another 20 years.  Ha!)

Cocktail Chat | Catching Up

...And we're back!

"Air" & liquid nitro at "Molecular Bar"

Has it been a month already??  Let's see.  Three days in Bonita Springs, FL.  Eleven days on board Celebrity Equinox.  Three days upon our return to put on our fabulous annual Mardi Gras party.  The party itself. Then two days to clean up.  A week of not feeling well with some nebulous, nondescript illness.  A very busy week of work and here we are.  Yup. That was February.

Not much to report during this month on the mixology front.  High marks for the Celebrity Equinox and it's contribution to bringing cocktail culture to the high seas.  After six cruises now, I'd say Equinox has one of the best cocktail setups going.  Yes, there is the so called "Molecular Bar" where a shorter, hipster version of Gordon Ramsey struts around behind the bar in his custom tailored chef coat mixing with liquid nitrogen and topping concoctions with all kinds of foams and airs and freeze-dried bits.  But save our first night checking out the Friends of Dorothy meeting there, it was not our happy hour or after hours hangout.  That honor was reserved for "Martini Bar" where very talented bartenders deftly mixed up classic cocktails as well as a bunch of other more contemporary specialty cocktails tailored to the sweet, modern palate.  The coolest feature of the bar was the fact that the bar surface itself was frozen -- coated with the thinnest film of water and chilled to frost.  Very cool.

The frosty top of Martini Bar

The bartenders even do some fancy flair à la Tom Cruise in Cocktail.  Naively, I thought we were lucky enough to have a very talented barman when we were there.  But as this YouTube video will attest, it’s clearly a standard routine learned for the ship.  The performance we saw was exactly the same right down to the configuration of the glasses for the pour.

More coming soon as we get back into the swing of things.

Gone Fishin'

The Dilettante & The Partner will be back after a little time away from winter Chicago...hopefully with some new cock-tails to tell. (Ugh.  That one hurt in so many ways.)

Cosmopolitan

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences:  caving to tradition
Style of Drink: classic
Spirit of Choice: vodka
Last Drink: Conquistador

Would you know this was a Cosmo if I didn't tell you?

OK, I’ve been putting this off for damn near a year now.   A Cosmo.  I’ve been dreading some ruby concoction that every fag & his hag order for happy hour at Gay Bar USA.  Such a cliche.  But I have to say, this was a surprise.  First of all, take a look at the color and proportions.  With only a half ounce of cranberry in a nearly 4 oz. cocktail, red this ain’t gonna be.  For a PDT recipe, I have to say, it’s rather classic in style.  More on the acid side than sweet, it has a rather generic tartness that is good for whetting the appetite.

Drinking more with his eyes and head than his palate,  The Partner declared these tasty and had 2 rounds, which was about all even I could stomach of these.  But as an aperitif, that’s appropriate, I believe.

An interesting exercise would be to mix up a couple of H & M’s version to see how they compare.  Then maybe one from a local establishment.  Perhaps episode 2 of He Shot-She Shot?  We’ll see.

Bon Samedi!

Cosmopolitan
2 oz. Buddha’s Hand vodka*
¾ oz. Cointreau
¾ oz. lime juice
½ oz. cranberry juice
¼ oz. simple syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.  Garnish with an orange twist.


*: We didn't have any Buddha's Hand vodka, so we used Ketel Citroen.

Conquistador

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: Date nite, vacation-ready!
Style of Drink: up & cold,
Spirit of Choice: tequila!
Last Drink: Manhattan

The Partner is well again!  So on a Friday night, that means ... DATE NITE!  We reserve Friday nights just for us.  Sometimes we go out and burn it at both ends -- happy hour, dinner, clubbing, come home with the dawn.   Sometimes we order in and watch a movie on Netflix or a Fringe or Top Chef on our TiVo playlist or pop in a Battlestar DVD.  Sometimes it's all of the above.  Whatever it is, though, it's just us time.  No friends, no family.  But with him being under the weather so much lately, Date Nite's kinda been Lame Nite.  But not tonight!

At this writing, we're 2 days, 23 hours & 35 minutes away from an 11-day Caribbean cruise (but who's counting).  So I was definitely in the mood for something Margaritaesque.  The fact that the evening's plan called for carry-out from one of our favorite neighborhood Mexican joints made tequila imperative.  (Well, that and it was DATE NITE!!!).  Since restocking the bar I've been like a little kid who's rediscovered an old toy.  Luckily, some nice Don Julio was restocked.  Of the many tequila drinks in PDT, I settled on the Conquistador.  Meehan says that this was conceived as "a 'mellow' tequila drink that retained the spirit's vegetable notes". I thought it sounded like an interesting riff on the venerable marg that would compliment dinner, set the mood for the evening, and not repeat a bev.

The first sip was a popping surprise.  A real wow in the mouth.  An unusual but very enjoyable combination of dry and fruity.  Almost grassy -- in a good way.  The egg white gave it a unifying smoothness.

In the span of time it took me to draw my first sip and a half and think the above sentences, I hear, "Oh wow...Tastes like a margarita!"  I look and there's a visible dent in The Partner's previously filled glass.

"You better make another one.  I'm almost ready."

My eyebrow arches, Spock-like.

"Hey,  Take that as a compliment!".

The Conquistador went down super-easy, with a chicken quesadilla app and some bonus nachos that made it into our carry-out, unorded.  As I watched Padma prance across our plasma, dispensing the Quick Fire Challenge coup de grace, I notice The Partner looking at me.  Awww...a little Date Nite love eye.  I start to smile warmly in return.  But it's not the love eye.  It's just the eye, looking at me... then looking at his (nearly) empty glass... then at me... then at the bar... then at me.  I shake my head incredulously.

"Hey," says he playfully, "usually I don't like 'em and you're like 'let's have another' and I'm like, 'ugh...o-kaaay'.  But I like these!  KEEP 'EM COMIN'!"

So that we did through dinner, paired nicely with burrito suizo and chicken enchiladas en mole.

I love Date Nite.

Conquistador
1 oz. rum
1 oz. blanco tequila
¾ oz. simple syrup
½ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. lime juice
2 dashes orange bitters
1 egg white

Dry-shake, then shake with ice and strain into a chilled egg coupe*.  No garnish.

*We don’t own egg coupes, so we enjoyed ours from a cocktail glass.

He Shot, She Shot | Burger Bar

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: booze.

A good day for a burger & a bev with a friend.

Style of Drink: something to go with lunch,
Spirit of Choice: house aged rye, beer
Last Drink: Black Thorn (Irish)

I had a fun afternoon planned with my friend L. today.  It’s been a snowy day in Chi.  Almost 6 inches in the city.  But that was only gonna add to our fun.  We had lunch at Burger Bar.  Falling snow made for a cozy atmosphere that lent itself to lunchtime cocktails.  Since The Partner is under the weather – a-gain – I knew there’d be no happy hour tonight.  So this seemed like the perfect opportunity to evolve the blog.  L. is a photographer too.  Of the professional variety, not the dilettante kind like me.  She also is fond of the tipple.  We placed our orders & cocktails were delivered.  After I snapped our bevs, with my Android, she whipped out her iPhone. 

He Shot: 3-month aged Templeton Manhattan

“Now from my point of view,” she said, shooting them from her side of the table.

Thus the first installment of an occasional series, “He Shot, She Shot”.  Great double entendre there, too.

For lunch, L. had the Les Urbain [sic], which is a burger topped with brie, onion jam & dijonnaise.  To wash that down she sipped a Metropolitan Krankshaft Kolsch which Burger Bar’s 1-inch thick, ring-bound beer guide describes as having “very clean & crisp taste, with graininess & notes of hay in the forefront…wheat malt rounds out the bitterness of the Santiam hops.  Light bodied & easy to drink….”

She Shot: Krankshaft Kolsch

“And is it?”  I querried. 

“It is,” she enthused kitschily. 

When I looked at their cocktail card, I was uncertain if hard liquor was the right pairing for my Wild Bill (bison, arugula, goat cheese, tomato chutney on a pretzel roll).  But then I saw it:

“**House 3-month barrel-aged Templeton rye Manhattan**”

Done.  When it’s snowy and cold out, what better to warm your cockles than a special Manhattan?  Besides, Wild Bill and bison scream bourbon.  If you find yourself at North & Clybourn and want a beautiful cocktail made with home-aged booze, get yourself one or two of these.  A little smoky, with a nougaty sweetness and clear notes of vanilla.  And smoooooth?  Creamy.  Silky.  Yum.

Caveat emptor:  Burger Bar is one of these “boutique” burger joints where if they call them “stackers” instead of burgers and serve bison and elk and top them with onion jam instead of caramelized onions then they can charge $15 a burger.   Do go, but make certain you’re going with good friends who enjoy a fat, messy burger, good beer, and fabola Manhattans!

Black Thorn (Irish)

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: sipping
Style of Drink: aperitif
Spirit of Choice: whiskey
Last Drink: Blood & Sand

After the last drink The Partner commented about needing a nosh to go with it.  The inject-a-thought made me want something more to sip but not as syrupy as the last one.  Something a bit more savory.  Something that could keep us company while he put the finishing touches on dinner and munched on a handful of pretzels.  The Black Thorn (Irish) was a good next step.  In the same family as the Manhattan, Rob Roy, Old Fashioned, this one was a bit lighter.  With the lemon twist garnish it got more and more lemony as we got towards the bottom of the glass.  Made me think that maybe just a dash of lemon juice would brighten it up.  But then I risk another refrain of the acidity chorus. 

Black Thorn (Irish)
2 oz. Irish whiskey
1 oz. dry vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.  (Meehan says to rinse the glasses with Absinthe.  (We didn’t.)  Garnish with lemon twist.

Blood and Sand

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: Something to sip while watching the game
Style of Drink: Collins, punch, fizz
Spirit of Choice: bourbon, whiskey, rye
Last Drink: Improved Whiskey Cocktail

Mmmm...prune juice in a coupe

We’ll ignore the personal preferences in the PDT Interview.  I was really looking for something tall and icy that The Partner and I could sip multiples of while we watched the Giants kick the Packers’ collective ass.  But nothing was blowing my skirt up.  So how did we end up with something that looks like prune juice?

“Wow, I notice you’re going with sweet ones of late,” was The Partner’s response to the Blood & Sand.  And sweet it is.  Not bad.  Not great either.  A definite aperitif, this one was named for the 1922 Rudolph Valentino movie of the same name.  As he said, “I feel like I need a charcuterie plate or something.  It's good, but you couldn’t drink these one after the other.”

‘Nuf said.

Blood & Sand
1 ½ oz. blended scotch whisky
¾ oz. OJ
½ oz. Cherry Heering
½ oz. sweet vermouth

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coup.  No garnish.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail

Very elegant & a total bomb.

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: warming, winter pick-me-up, using a new liquor
Style of Drink: rocks
Spirit of Choice: Maraschino liqueur, peach liqueur, pear liqueur, honey bourbon
Last Drink: Pearl Button

We won’t spend much time on this one.  In both versions it wasn’t the best and far from “improved” in both my book and The Partner’s.  The recipe calls for the glasses to be rinsed with Absinthe.  The Partner can’t stand licorice.  So his didn’t get the rinse.  I’m not a fan of strong licorice either, but wanted to see if there’s any way to include Absinthe without it overwhelming the entire bev.  Besides, I always want to get the baseline before I start improvising.  No luck.  Mine was all licorice.  The Partner was done with the one round.  I made another without the Absinthe.  Still, the one word was cloying.  I couldn’t even finish it.  If I were to do this again, I’d definitely leave out the Absinthe and the simple syrup.

Improved Whiskey Cocktail
2 oz. rye
½ oz. Maraschino liqueur
½ oz. simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir with ice and pour over a single ice cube into a chilled rocks glass that’s been rinsed with Absinthe.  Garnish with a lemon twist.  

Cocktail Chat | Off to Binny’s!

One of 2 liqueur aisles at Binny's

The Big Ah-Ha for today:  I love shopping for booze!  Generally speaking, I don’t like shopping.  I can spend hours in book stores, grocery stores, computer & software stores, and that’s about it.  Now I can add liquor store to the list.  Especially when I have to find a particular new spirit that I’ve not used before.

Besides restocking with the staples: sweet & dry vermouth, gin, tequila; I also picked up a couple items that are new to our bar but in high use at PDT.  Included are white vermouth, peach liqueur, pear liqueur, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, and honey bourbon.  Can’t wait to try them all!

For the Chicagoans following the blog:  Does anyone else miss Sam’s?  Ever since Binny’s bought them out in 2009, the warehouse on Marcy is just not the same place.  The selection is not as international or as extensive.  Used to be that there was practically nothing they didn’t have.  Now, it’s just a bit lacking even in some of the essentials, like bottle pourers, glassware, bar utensils.  I miss Sam’s.  But finding new and interesting spirits is a blast.

Pearl Button

PDT Interview
Personal preferences: dark liquor, warming, "brown"
Drink style: rocks
Spirit of choice: scotch, bourbon, Irish whisky
Last cocktail: Bijou

Awesome Xmas gifts. Glasses: Mother-in-law, Sculpture: Sis

January 13th.  Friday. Chicago finally gets its first winter storm of the season.  PDT interview notes above reflect my mood.  Bar’s practically empty of stock liquors.  F***.  Heading to Binny’s tomorrow for sure (with that 15% off coupon from my inbox)!  I need something to lift my mood on this typical Chicago winter day. 

Leafing deeper into Meehan.  Looking for something I have ingredients for.  Anything.  Stumble across a section entitled "Seasonal Mixology".  Perfect.  His description of winter captures my mood and bev desires perfectly, noting that when the sun goes down in early afternoon and the temp drops, people start ordering “spiritous aperitifs such as Manhattans, Martinis, Negronis.”  Exactly.  Outta vermouth.  Can’t do a one of them.  Meehan continues: “When the weather gets bleak, I always put a tiki drink on the menu for comic relief on a chilly winter night.”  Permission to go tropical to lift my (excuse the pun) spirits.  And I did just change all my desktop wallpapers to tropical scenes – vacation is tantalizingly close.

Pearl Button.  First sip was a bit of a shock.  After that, both The Partner and I agreed, this will be a feature on the roof this summer.  First word to describe: Dry.  Then light.  Crisp.  Floral.  Citrus. Not at all acidic.  Effervescent.  Not a “ya know, these classic cocktails…” in sight.  I must admit to a bit of anticipatory skepticism when I read the recipe.  Cachaca & Lillet?  But it works.  Even got to trot out the new Collins glasses.  A Christmas gift along with the PDT from my mother-in-law.  Thank you, P-!

Happy Friday 13th!!

Pearl Button
2 oz. Cachaça
3/4 oz. Lillet blanc
1/2 oz. lime juice
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled Collins glass filled with ice.  Top with 1.5 oz. of San Pellegrino Limonata*.  Garnish with half a grapefruit wheel*.

*:  Damn.  Ran out of San Pellegrino Limonata just this afternoon.  Ditto on the grapefruit.  So a slight squeeze from the heel of a lemon over the ice before topping with seltzer and half a lemon wheel for garnish sufficed nicely.  Give an easy stir with a bar spoon to get all the ingredients lovin' each other.

Bijou

The Bijou, first cocktail of the new year from the new book.

PDT Interview
Personal Preferences: dark liquor, slow sipping
Style of Drink: classic, rocks
Spirit of Choice: scotch, bourbon
Last Drink: Manhattan

Over the Christmas break, the beverages for the fam vacillated between Manhattans and Tequila Sunrises.  It was a cooler evening on Friday, so for the first beverage in the new year from the new book, I was thinking an amber beverage was more appropriate to the mood and weather than a tequila cocktail.  I was also willing to push the envelope a bit with an accent liquor.   Interestingly enough, the Bijou, first mixed in 1895, fit the bill when considering my PDT Interview criteria.  French for jewel, what a jewel the Bijou is.  Look at that picture!  Rich ambers, the flash of red & yellow from the garnishes.  Meehan notes in the text that the liquors are supposed to represent the jewels of their color:  Gin=diamond, vermouth=ruby, Chartreuse=emerald.   And how about my new Waterford rocks glasses?  One of my Christmas gifts from The Partner!  Not a coupe, but I wanted to start with new glassware.

We were very pleased with the choice.  It was indeed a slow sipper, allowing us to pass the time and share our day while waiting for our late dinner reservation.  I was taking a risk here since Chartreuse is one of those very herbal liquors with occasional licorice notes – a flavor The Partner just can’t stomach.  ("Hmm...what all's in this?  Wait, don't tell me until we've finished it.  I wanna keep liking it.")  The flavors are complex and shift as one sips.  We added an ice cube to both keep it cool and dilute a bit as we sipped.  Impossible to drink quickly, it was a one-rounder.  It is just that rich.  It is so complex we both felt our next beverages – Martinis at dinner – seemed downright weak & one-dimensional by comparison.  A marvelous, grown-up cocktail to linger over while having good conversation with a spouse or friend.

Bijou
1 oz. Gin
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. green Chartreuse
1 dash orange bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.  Garnish with cherry & lemon twist.

Transition 2012

Happy 2012!  Our first entries for the new year, with a new book, new drinkware, and new inspiration for Dilettante Cocktailer.

I sat down with my new copy of The PDT Cocktail Book, penned by mixologist & GM, Jim Meehan and Chris Gall and started reading.  This might hold some promise.  A compilation of recipes from the famed New York speakeasy, Please Don’t Tell, it’s an assortment of recipes from PDT as well as classics updated for modern tastes.  To be honest, I think mixing from this might prove a bit more challenging than from the bible.  It’s rather fussy in a trendy East Village kinda way.  Right off the bat Meehan talks about ingredients “that aren’t currently available in the United States” with but are included here to “encourage producers and importers to ship them to our shores.”  Great.  So in the meantime, what are we dilettantes supposed to do?  In “The PDT Experience”, Meehan & Gall devote a page and a half to describing what it’s like for an imbiber once he passes through the “secret” phone booth entrance.  It’s all a bit pretentious.  Especially as they describe how once a guest finishes examining the menu, either an order is placed or the bartender “conducts an interview to help them choose the ideal cocktail.”  Ugh.  Really?  That's a bit much.  However, I kept reading and I think I’ve stumbled on a method of organization for choosing future tipples and blog entries.  (Without the “x down & x to go” MO of blogging about the bible, I was trying to figure out how to keep things organized.  Organization is an important consideration.  You can take the English teacher out of the classroom, but… I digress….)

On to the first selection from PDT.

Cocktail Chat | NYE 2011

It’s the day to reflect on what’s gone on over the previous 364 days. 

I can honestly say, until now I’ve never been as conscientious about maintaining a journal or log.  I suppose we can blame the liquor! 

I start every morning starts with a meditation from a fantastic little book, 365 Tao.  The meditation for today, the last day of the year and the last one in the book is entitled, oddly enough, “Continuation”.  Master Deng suggests that life is a series of cycles.  Endings are merely the lead-in to new beginnings.  Interestingly enough, Deng also suggests that the stage for any particular ending is usually set mid-cycle, long before the actual ending occurs.  Hmmm….  Things that make you go “Hmmm…”.

I’m definitely feeling this in regard to the current state of this blog.  It’s been a lot of fun and certainly a dilettante experience –  inconsistent, learning many little things about a subject but not being a master of any of it.  I’ve played with my interest in photography in a different way and (trying) to let go of the need to take every shot with my SLR and occasionally using my phone, point & click, or iPad.   And I’ve absolutely held to what I stated at the outset, that this little adventure absolutely would not be my Julie & Julia moment.  And I do feel pretty good about writing 58 entries over 8 months.  I’ve never been this consistent with a journal.  Ever. 

Diletantte Cocktailer has also brought some cool new opportunities.  First & foremost, we’ve expanded our palates beyond Ketel One martinis.  I mean it now when I say I like gin & bourbon!  We’ve added classic ingredient items to our bar that have given our offerings breadth, depth, and conversation opportunities, such as St. Germaine, Lillet, Pernod, & Chartreuse.  The cook in me sees that a cocktail recipe is no different than an entrée recipe, blending disparate ingredients to make a new, complex whole.  We learned that 2011 wasn’t the year of the pomegranate only in the grocery store as we now have two bottles of pomegranate liqueur, gifted to us from friends.  Our friends, A & R, have introduced us to The Drawing Room, an amazing restaurant cum speakeasy here in Chi.  We watched PBS’s Prohibition the old fashioned way – watching it “live” as broadcast – no TiVo  – and understood our Chicago roots in history and “The Great Experiment”.  And we learned how those bizarre and contradictory 13 years are still influencing contemporary American society.  The Partner has given me some wonderful new glassware as has his parents. And just last week for Christmas, The Partner’s mom  gave us an exciting new addition to our bar library with The PDT Cocktail Book from the St. Mark’s speakeasy.

Forty-eight down.  Two hundred twenty seven to go, huh?  That’s only 17% of H & M’s tome sampled.   Master Deng says the ending is set mid-cycle.  I feel it in this case.  For the past couple months I’ve been feeling that the blog was getting a bit stale.  I’ve been itching to use the new gifts and resources and add them to the blog.  Thus, I’m wondering, do we really need to sample every one of the 275?  Hasn’t the bible served its purpose in expanding our palates?  Is it time to move on?  

When this project first started, all we had was a dusty recipe book pulled from the back of a cabinet and boredom with our current tastes.  Now, eight months later, our cocktailing horizons have expanded.  So, I’m feeling the need to evolve Dilettante Cocktailer.  I’m not sure how that will happen or in what form it will take, but this project has led me to a number of different experiences and new resources that I’d like to explore & share.  Plus, an added benefit might just be to get The Partner to find some other way of responding besides the now classic refrain about “these classic cocktails…”.

So here’s to ending and continuation.  Starting a new cycle, the seeds of which were planted in an earlier moment. 

Here’s to 2012.

Tequila Sunrise | 48 down 227 to go

Mom & dad's pitcher, which mom said hadn't been used in decades. Glad we could dust it off for such a festive cocktail!

The eyes of several family members were peering over my shoulder on Christmas morning as I scanned the  bible snaps I brought on my iPad for Holiday festivity.  I had assumed the bar setup duties* for the day and decided that a couple cocktail pitchers would be in order.  Since this is our family, Manhattans would be one of them - served from the same pitcher my grandparents used at their parties so long ago.  The task at hand: Determine what the second pitcher would be.

My sister and I have a Christmas tradition (besides placing the Baby Jesus in the manger and wishing him a happy birthday).  We meet in the kitchen, usually after the bulk of dinner is over and toast the day & each other with a shot of tequila.  Therefore, the entire page of tequila recipes had to come with on the iPad.  The peering eyes included my sister and my Latin America-trotting aunt.  When I swiped to the tequila page and paused, a common cry came up:  “Ooo, Tequila Sunrise!  I haven’t had one of those since …”

“…college,” said sister.

“…the Sandinista revolution,” said aunt.

So Tequila Sunrise it was: a solid cocktail that holds its own either as a parallel breakfast bev to mimosas and screwdrivers or as a mid-afternoon happy hour when something warm and sunny is desired.  It certainly intrigued the rest of the family and triggered conversation of past brushes with the tipple even if they didn’t partake this time around.  And this was probably a good thing.  For unlike the Do Be Careful, do be careful here.  This is a classic proportion, remember, and on an empty stomach while putting the finishing touches on the mashed potatoes, one will absolutely rise into the warm tequila sun! 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Tequila Sunrise
1 1/2 oz. tequila
2 oz. orange juice
1/4 oz. lime juice
dash genedine
Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled Collins glass filled with ice.  Garnish with lime wheel.

* Props to The Partner who did most of the bar tending for the day.  He did an awesome job!

Leap Year | 47 down 228

Merry Christmas! 

Leap Year even looks like lemon cough syrup!

The Partner & I are celebrating with my parents, sister, bro-in-law & nieces.  Not wanting to miss more blog time, I brought along some simple recipes from the bible that might make Christmas merry & bright.  Perhaps more appropriate for New Year’s than Christmas Eve, we kicked off the holiday with the Leap Year. 

A rather medicinal mix, highly reminiscent of a lemony cough syrup, we understand the name.  We recommend serving once every four years -- only if you must.  Here’s to something more festive and satisfying tomorrow and as the week goes on.

Leap Year
2 oz. gin
½ oz. Grand Marnier
½ oz. sweet vermouth
¼ oz. lemon juice
Shake over cracked ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with lemon twist or orange twist.

Wild-Eyed Rose | 46 down 229 to go

‘Tis the season to be hectic…

Wow, one wouldn’t think that during the Holidays it’d be difficult to find time to throw one back.  But things have been so crazy with both mine and The Partner’s work schedules.  Plus, has anyone else noticed that there don’t seem to be as many holiday parties this year?  Guess that’s a minus, actually.  Thus, entries have been sporadic.  My instinct is to apologize to those who have asked, “Hey, are you still doing the blog?”  But I’ll fight the urge and get over the guilt I feel for not writing more consistently.  I mean, "dilettante" is right in the title, for Pete’s sake!

On to why we’re here.  Wild-Eyed Rose.  I’ve discovered there’s an unexpected quality just the right amount of grenadine imparts to a tipple.  I’d characterize it at “creaminess”, believe it or not.  Odd, I know.  But in the proper proportion, it brings a velvety smoothness with almost hints of vanilla.

“Hmmm…fruit punch!” was The Partner’s remark upon seeing this glass of red.  He sipped, seemingly approvingly, before the qualifying drone about “these classic cocktails” began.  Then he qualified it with, “…although I did just brush my teeth.”

 
At this I finally put my foot down.  As he is a bit of an oenophile, I came back, “Y’know, you would never open a bottle of nice wine, pour it into Riedel stemware, let it breathe, take your first sips and cast judgment on its ultimate quality all after you just brushed your teeth.  I think you need to start respecting the venerable cocktail in the same way.  From now on, I will refuse to serve you if you’ve just brushed your teeth!”  Oy.  Partners.

But the smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, the glint in his eye, and the lack of protest all indicated the rightness of my reprimand.  As we neared the bottom of the glass, the lips started smacking and the glass started dancing back and forth – both signals that another round is desired.  As time was ticking on our Date Nite dinner reservation, I had him try his hand at mixing while I hopped in the shower and got ready for the night out.  Remember… the benefit of grenadine comes from just the right amount … in the proper proportion.  Still, the lovely red hue did make it a Wild-Eyedly appropriate cocktail for this festive season :-)

Wild-Eyed Rose
2 oz. Irish whiskey
1 oz. lime juice
½ oz grenadine

Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lime squeeze and a maraschino (and do squeeze that lime for the proper balance!).

Do Be Careful | 45 down 230 to go

The name here sure makes it sound dangerous, doesn’t it?  Do Be Careful is fun to say, tasty, but ultimately, not in need of a special license to enjoy or chaperone to guard against one’s foolishness showing up naked on FaceBook.  A bright, citrusy bev that’s mediated by the dash – and I do mean dash – of grenadine, the DBC is innocuous and goes down nicely for a couple rounds.  We’ll make them again.  Moving on….
 

So, the real story this week is the cocktail vessels themselves.  Check those out!  Recently, I’ve been thinking to myself that the photos were getting a little stale.  We only have so many styles of glassware and seeing the same ones repeat over and over on the blog was getting monotonous.  Wow…is this the Dilettante or the Debutante who can’t be seen in the same outfit one cotillion to the next?  But what’s a home mixologist to do?  Do you know what quality drinkware costs???  Anyway, The Partner was apparently reading my mind.  (Honestly, I never expressed my thoughts out loud or even hinted!)  As I was about to decant the DBC’s into a set of our martini glasses, he stopped me and pushed a box across the bar.  “This is really for Christmas, but I think you might want to open it now.” 
 

Awesome.  Constantly chilled bevs that are never watered down.  Some cocktailing designer was really thinking on this one!
 

Do Be Careful
1 ½ oz. gin
¾ oz. Cointreau
¾ oz. lemon juice
1 dash grenadine

Shake with fine ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a maraschino.