Holiday Gift Ideas for the Cocktail and Spirits Lover: 2011

It's that time of year again, so I thought I'd provide a few updates in the area of holiday gift ideas for anyone that is still hunting for that perfect gift.  I stick by the suggestions I made in my post last year, so rather than go through in quite so much detail, this time around I'm going to focus on new, or newly discovered, products that have caught my eye as gift ideas.

Books:
There have been several worthwhile reads that have caught my eye in this past year.  Perhaps tops among them is the The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender's Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy By Jim Meehan (Cocktail Kingdom, The Boston Shaker, Amazon).  This book is a cocktail compendium from one of the most celebrated bars of the so-called cocktail renaissance, a good buy for a beginner or seasoned vet of mixing drinks.

Another general cocktail book that debuted this year is a first from the editors of Imbibe magazine, The American Cocktail: 50 Recipes That Celebrate the Craft of Mixing Drinks from Coast to Coast (The Boston Shaker, Amazon).  There's also the 75th Anniversary Edition of the Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide that's worth taking a look at (The Boston Shaker, Amazon), and which you can also get signed by editor Jonathan Pogash at the Boston Shaker this Sunday, Dec. 11th, from 1-3pm (the signing will also include a signing of Bloody Mary, by the author and Mr. Boston editor Jonathan Pogash's father, Jeffery Pogash - ).

For something a bit different, you can try Bitters - A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All by Brad Thomas Parsons (The Boston Shaker, Amazon).  This book combines a bit of history with a wealth of recipes for homemade bitters, classic and modern drinks highlighting bitters, and even foods featuring bitters as an ingredient.  If you want to make this gift extra special, the author is doing a book signing at The Boston Shaker on Dec.17th. from 2-4pm (according to the facebook page for the event, you can also buy a copy of the book online and in the notes request that it be held and signed by the author to be picked up after).  They are also selling the book bundled with a set of bitters!

Last, for someone that might appreciate a bit of reading on the historical side, there's America Walks into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog Shops by Christine Sismondo (The Boston Shaker, Amazon).  This book provides a witty look at the institution of the american tavern and its kin.  A good read for a history buff (like me!).

Ingredients and Garnishes
It's no secret that Luxardo maraschino cherries are the bee's knees.  But, if you have a Manhattan lover that might want to try something a bit different and also very tasty in his or her Manhattans, there's Barker & Mills Bourbon Vanilla Cocktail Cherries (via The Boston Shaker).  Yum!

If you know someone that might be interested in exploring the world of old school soda fountain recipes (or to experiment when it comes to cocktails), The Boston Shaker now sells two exciting products to help out:  Extinct Acid Phosphate and Lactart.  I did an earlier post with some mention of how these can be used, but for the full explanation, check out Darcy O'Neil's site Art of Drink, or pick up a copy of his book Fix the Pumps (Amazon).

Bitters are always fun to collect, and there's always new ones coming out, so never hard to find something someone doesn't have.  You can simply check out The Boston Shaker and/or Cocktail Kingdom and find a wealth of different options.  Also, in addition to some fun sets I've mentioned previously, The Boston Shaker has several different sample size sets from Scrappy's that are worth checking out for some variety (here, here, and here), along with some packaged sets that they sell.

Tools
For carbonated water needs, my go-to is the Soda Stream.  However, just to throw out an alternative (don't have experience with it myself), Isi has put out the Twist and Sparkle, a product designed for carbonating water and other liquids using Isi CO2 chargers.  My bet is the Soda Stream is more economical in the long run, but the Twist and Sparkle bills itself as an alternative that uses less counter space.

Another cool, but more pricey idea for the cocktail enthusiast that has it all is a set of Blue Blazer mugs from Cockatil Kingdom.  Essential for your flaming beverage transfer needs.

Hopefully that gets you started.  Cheers, and Happy Holidays!

Happy Repeal Day 2011!

Today, December 5th, marks the 78th anniversary of the repeal of the 21st Amendment, also known as Repeal Day!  For those of you in Boston, LUPEC Boston is hosting a Repeal Day Bash tonight to honor the occasion - more details here.  Other Boston area festivities include a celebratory dinner at Church and another Rowes Warf Sea Grille.  Failing that, you can always make your own celebration by visiting a your local tavern of choice or just hoisting one back at home.  If you want some inspiring cocktail ideas appropriate for the occasion, you can check out my post from last year on the topic or just hit the cocktail blogosphere - I'm sure there will be no shortage of suggestions!

Bitters in the City

This past week, I took advantage of my usual southward migration for the Thanksgiving (to CT, that is), to stop off in New York to do a little visiting of friends and places.  During this trip, I managed to stop in at Amor y Amargo, a relatively new experiment from the makers of the Bittermen's brand bitters and Ravi DeRossi, the mind behind a number of high end cocktail bars including the wonderful Death & Company, which conveniently enough is right down the street from Amor y Amargo down in the East Village.

Amor y Amargo is billed as a "bitters tasting room."  Rather than beer on tap, they have house-made sweet vermouth and pre-mixed Americano cocktails.  Behind the bar is an extensive collection of Italian amari and other kinds of potable bitters behind the bar, and of course the full array of Bittermen's brand, and select other cocktail bitters along the bar top.  Another thing that immediately caught my eye on the bar was the full array of the Bittermen's new liqueurs, which I had heard about but not yet seen in the retail scene in Boston (I was told they do have a distributor in MA now, however, so it should only be a matter of time).  Amor y Amargo's cocktail menu features a list of amaro/bitters focused original drinks, and bitters-focused variations on classics.  Many of the drinks feature one or more of the aftorementioned Bittermen's liqueurs, and/or their cocktail bitters.

After sampling a glass of their fine house vermouth, I inquired about the new liqueurs, and the bartender was kind enough to pour me a tasting of each of the liqueurs they had for the offering:

the Commonwealth Tonic Liqueur, as stated, a kind of tonic syrup turned liqueur; Amère Nouvelle a kind of citrus-oriented, Amer Picon like liqueur; Hiver Amer the Bittermen's limited edition cinnamon liqueur made for the winter season; Citron Sauvage a grapefruit liquer; and Amère Sauvage - Gentiane Américaine, gentian flavored liqueur.  I have to say, I found all of them enjoyable, but if I have to pick just one, the Tonic Liqueur really stood out for me.  It was a delicious and unique twist on a familiar taste and I could very much see myself reaching for it as an old and faithful friend alongside some sparkling water and gin.

As far as actual cocktails, I sampled the Eight Amaro Sazarac and the Autumn in Manhattan, both of which I enjoyed.  If it's not already apparent, however, you should really be in the mood for amaro-like flavor if you plan on tipping back some of the cocktails at Amor y Amargo.  The bar is stocked around, and the menu designed around their bitters focus, so don't expect to be able to order your run of standard mixed drinks and spirits (if you really are dying for something like that during your visit though, Death & Co. IS a short walk away, and could make a suitable follow-up).  I also took a nibble from Amor y Amargo's Spanish-influenced petit plate menu, specifically the Patatas Bravas, which were well prepared and quite tasty.

One other note worth pointing out about Amor y Amargo is that it also doubles as a general store for the Bittermen's brand bitters and other sundry cocktail tools and products.  Their website also mentions some classes to be taught at the bar sometime in the future, which also sounds like an interesting proposition.

If you're still not sold on the fact that this is a good spot to go if you are a cocktail geek, one other anecdote I can mention is that while at Amor y Amargo, I ran into my fellow Bostonian Jenn of the Nightcapped blog. Amusingly, the last time I ran into her was at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic when we were both attending a seminar on Italian Amari.  So if nothing else, I can at least tell you that the bloggers have definitely discovered where to get their amaro on, even those of us from 200 miles away!

Local Events: Shakin' It Up this Sunday

For those looking to put a little spice into their Sunday night this weekend, the Greater Boston Beverage Society, a non-profit "organization developed to preserve and promote Boston’s cocktail and hospitality culture and spirits history," is hosting its first big event this Sunday, Nov. 13th:   Shakin' It Up at the House of Blues.  The event will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment for the price of admission.  Said entertainment will include a bartending competition, live comedy, and musical performances including a performance by Prince tribute band Lovesexy.  There will also be a silent auction which I can only hope will feature some exciting items for the cocktail and spirits enthusiast.  The aforementioned attractions run from 5pm - 11pm, and tickets run $40 for pre-sale and $50 at the door.  Tickets, as well proceeds from the silent auction, will go towards helping fund the Boston Cocktail Summit in 2012, the GBBS's attempt at the first city-wide cocktail event in Boston (a worthy cause!).  Tickets are available via Livenation here, and some further coverage on the event can be found here, courtesy of LUPEC Boston.

A First Forfay Into Phosphates

Once upon a time, in a far off land known as Canada, there was a recovering chemist named Darcy O'Neil.  One day, he took his chemist skills, married them with his appreciation for bar-tending and vintage cocktails, and created the website Art of Drink, which would become one the most visited of all cocktail blogs on the Web.  One of the more recent of Darcy's undertakings has been exploring the lost art of the soda fountain, which he did first on his site, and then in a book published at the end of last year, Fix the Pumps.  Most recently, his new passion garnered the attention of Imbibe Magazine, which did a feature on Darcy and the now somewhat reviving phenomenon of the soda fountain (at least in a few cities) in their July/August 2011 issue.  Fix the Pumps is a great read (and Art of Drink a great resource).  It gives a fascinating historical account of the rise and eventual fading away of the soda fountain in the late 19th and early 20th Century, including accounts of, and recipes for, a wide variety of interesting drink forms that the average person has never even heard of.  One such drink form is the phosphate.

Phosphates were a popular form of soda fountain drink in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries that were characterized by the addition of "acid phosphate" as a key ingredient.  Acid phosphate in turn is a liquid composed of phosphoric acid, phosphate salts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.  As with many such beverage concoctions, acid phosphate started out as a popular medicinal additive, and was proclaimed to cure sundry ailments ranging from indigestion to "sexual exhaustion."  There's quite a bit of other interesting history, but I leave you to pick up a copy of Fix the Pumps for it.

Darcy has actually been producing acid phosphate some other exciting extinct ingredients for sale, most recently under the moniker Extinct Chemical.  Alas, however, with the operation being based out of Canada, they were not the easiest thing to procure for this Boston boozehound.  HOWEVER, a short time ago I became aware that The Boston Shaker has started stocking some of these products, including acid phosphate.  So of course, I picked up a bottle to play with.

As far as the initial question you might have of what exactly does acid phosphate taste like, it has a tartness to it that's reminiscent of tart candy.  I would say it's a little sweet as well, or at least "tangy."  I've heard acid phosphate described as something you can use as a substitute for citrus or sour fruit to provide tartness, although I wonder if that's a bit deceptive.  Many of the recipes for phosphates in Fix the Pumps and other sources often include both acid phosphate AND a sour fruit flavoring agent, e.g. syrup made with lemon juice or oil, or sour cherry syrup.  Perhaps it could be said that it's either a substitute for tart fruit flavor, or something that can amplify the tartness of tart fruit flavoring agents?  In any event, I of course had to make a drink with the stuff.

For my first phosphate, I went with the Angostura Phosphate, the first recipe listed in Fix the Pumps under the phosphate heading.  It is also the recipe mentioned by Imbibe magazine in their discussion of phosphates (perhaps they too didn't really know what direction to go in so they went alphabetic?  Great minds think alike.  Or maybe just lazy minds).

Angostura Phosphate
1 oz. Lemon Syrup (see below)
1 tsp Angostura Bitters
1/2 tsp Acid Phosphate
7 oz. carbonated water
- Combine ingredients in a highball glass with cracked ice.
- Stir and serve

For the lemon syrup, Darcy has one recipe up on Art of Drink that's probably a little easier to work with in some ways compared to what I used (and in some ways not).  I used the recipe for lemon syrup in Fix the Pumps but reduced the yield.  This recipe in turn calls for "soda foam" as an ingredient.  Soda foam is basically an additive that causes more foaming/frothing in the end product.  Fix the Pumps has recipes for a couple different variants of Soda Foam.  The one for which I had ingredients on hand was a gum arabic/water solution.  Quick note on gum arabic:  I find it to be a huge pain in the butt.  It's a pain to acquire (try online or at a specialty health food/spice store; it's also called acacia powder), not especially cheap, and from my experience not the easiest thing in the world to work with (also, you have to make sure you are getting food grade).  I will leave a further lecture on that for another day, and merely put out the warning that recipes using it are not really for the feint of heart, or those handicapped in terms of cooking skill or patience (perhaps I'm just one or both of those?).  It's worth mentioning that I don't think it would be the end of the world to leave out the soda foam altogether in this recipe.  In all likelihood, you don't actually have a vintage soda fountain to mix up this drink, so the foaming is not going to compare in any event.  Usually adding some gum arabic to a syrup used in a cocktail will give you a bit of a thicker mouthfeel to the beverage; in this case, however, I think the amount is so small that I don't think this the gum arabic is the keystone of the drink recipe by any means.

So, with my slight alterations/suggestions:

Lemon Syrup
8 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. lemon zest
12 oz. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. soda foam
- Bring lemon juice to a boil in a pot
- Remove lemon juice from the heat and add in the lemon peel/zest
- Cover post and let stand until cold
- Strain/filter and add filtered water, sufficient to bring volume up to 1 cup of liquid
- Dissolve sugar in the liquid and add in soda foam
- For good measure, I filtered again through a coffee filter

Soda Foam (Gum Arabic solution)
2 oz. gum arabic
4 oz. filtered water
- slowly add gum arabic to room temp/cold filtered water, stirring while adding
- once dissolved, let sit for approximately 1 hr
- skim off any precipitate that forms at the top, then filter through a coffee filter or other mechanism

Results:

This is a very tasty beverage!  You get quite a bit of the spice flavor from the Angostura, but at the same time it's not overly sweet, sour, or bitter; a nice bit of balance.  I dare say I might even go so far as to call it dry, in the positive sense associated with good cocktails, which is pretty surprising for a drink that's still predominantly flavored syrup and soda.  Not a bad start!

TV Time: Ken Burns' Prohibition

So in addition to being a bit of a cocktail buff, I'm also a bit of a history buff.  For both reasons, I'm interested in checking out the new three-part documentary Prohibition, which airs Sunday, Oct. 2nd - Tuesday Oct. 4th at 8pm on PBS.  Directed by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick, the film is set to explore the Prohibition era from its roots to its unintended consequences.  From the film's website:  

The story of Prohibition's rise and fall is a compelling saga that goes far beyond the oft-told tales of gangsters, rum runners, flappers, and speakeasies, to reveal a complicated and divided nation in the throes of momentous transformation. The film raises vital questions that are as relevant today as they were 100 years ago – about means and ends, individual rights and responsibilities, the proper role of government and finally, who is — and who is not — a real American.

For some write-ups on the film, you can check out pieces from Time and Boston.com.

Stocking a New Home Bar

Greetings!  My apologies for the long summer hiatus, but unfortunately other activities pulled me away for a while, first and foremost among them finding and purchasing my first home!  Now that that is done and I've settled in, I'm back on track (or back on the wagon, if you prefer).  Further, with the purchase of a new home, comes the buying of many many things to stock and set it up.  So, in that spirit, I thought it might be a good time to throw my two cents in on a topic that often gets many viewpoints on message boards and in the blogosphere, the question of what to buy to stock up a home bar.