Tag Archives: drink

Happy Haunting from the Vieux Carré

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All Hallows Eve will be filled with hauntings, especially in the Vieux Carré, or French Quarter. But…we will be protected with our voodoo doll for protection from evil spirits and phantoms. While we drink sazeracs (and eat candy.)

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I thought a Halloween post would be the perfect way to introduce the Sazerac, a drink that is as much a part of New Orleans as Halloween celebrations are. Its roots can be traced back to a French Quarter apothecary, Antoine Peychaud, in the early 1800s. But the drink was modified to its current recipe in the early 1900s to feature Rye instead of Cognac. It’s extremely flavorful and highly recommended.

Our voodoo doll came from Marie Laveau’s House Of Voodoo on Bourbon Street. It’s a  great little shop with many voodoo dolls, talismans, and charms.

There are many variations on the Sazerac recipe, but I chose to base mine on Vieux Carré Absinthe Supérieure, an excellent absinthe from Philadelphia Distilling. Start by chilling an old fashioned glass by filling it with ice, then gather your ingredients.

  • 2 oz. rye whiskey. I used Russel’s Reserve small batch.
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup
  • 3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  • Vieux Carré Absinthe Supérieure
  • lemon

In a separate glass, over ice, mix the rye, simple syrup and bitters. Stir until chilled. Dump the ice from the old fashioned glass and give it an absinth rinse. Pour in enough to coat the entire inside of the glass, dumping if there is a lot of excess. Strain other ingredients into glass. Garnish with some lemon peel twisted over the glass. Sip to appease the spirits (and yourself). Á votre santé!

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Typical French Quarter halloween decorations adorning 2 balconies. The top photo is complete with a bubble machine. The bottom photo is complete with an undead Boston Red Sox fan, which is very fitting for today. Congratulations to the World Champions!

The end of October. Uh oh.

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So, it’s rare these days for me to do posts on consecutive days. Not because I don’t want to, just because work has been very busy! (Thank you!) I have lots of things stored up to post, but figured once October was over it wouldn’t make much sense to post an Octoberfest! Some of you may have noticed it appear in my header a few weeks ago. That’s when I did the shots to be used on an event poster for a Rochester Advertising Federation event, “20 minutes and a beer.” It’s a Samuel Adams Octoberfest, which is my go-to favorite. Let this serve as your reminder to go get your favorite before someone else drinks them it’s gone. Cheers!

PS: Look for a Halloween post tomorrow. 3 days in a row!

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Drink like a local. Welcome to NOLA!

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Welcome to New Orleans! Heather and I just had an opportunity to take a quick honeymoon over Columbus Day weekend. So thank you, Mr. Columbus, for discovering our world and providing us with a long weekend!

When we visit somewhere, I really do try to drink in the local culture. Our first day, it was an Abita Amber that fit the bill. It was smooth and malty with a touch of caramel. Excellent! Perfect to sit back, relax and listen to some local jazz at The Spotted Cat on Frenchmen Street. I’m sure there are many great local brews, but this was one of my favorites.

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As we wandered into the colorful little club with tons of character, Rites of Swing was letting it all hang out. Yvette Voelker jumped in for an awesome vocal performance. I highly recommend that you track them down.

More posts from NOLA coming soon. Cheers!

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Mean and Nasty. Add Choklat. Not so mean and nasty.

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Here I go messing around with those “usual” pairings again. But I had the beer…and I had the cheese, and I thought….why not??? It turned out to be a really good idea!

In this case, the cheese came first…..from a June trip to the Thousand Islands. How can you resist a cheese called Mean and Nasty? It’s a super aged cheddar from River Rat cheese. (Even thought I can’t find any information on their website.) Our oldest son spotted it in a gift shop in Alexandria Bay, saying he’d had it before and liked it. He wanted us to try it, so we picked it up. It sat in the fridge until the right pairing came along.  The cheese has a definite sharp bite, but being a fan of sharp cheddar It’s hard to call it nasty. It has a lot of creaminess hidden under the sharpness and plenty of calcium lactate crystals hidden throughout.

The river brought back lots of great memories for me, from the many months I spent on the river during my youth.

The river brought back lots of great memories for me, from the many months I spent on the river during my youth.

I discovered the beer during a photo shoot. (Yes…I love my job!) I poured 9 different beers for the shots and since there was a touch left in each bottle I got to try them all. The Southern Tier Brewing Choklat was a standout for me. It’s a stout brewed with chocolate….and it’s delicious on its own. The scent of chocolate and caramel fills your nose as you bring your glass up. The taste is very creamy to start, with caramel malt, and finishes with bittersweet chocolate and hops. Together…..it’s creamy chocolate bliss. The bite of the sharp cheddar pairs well with the hops. The creaminess in both blend together, while the chocolate shines through. Yum!

2eat2drink_meanandnasty-p2eat2drink-meanandnasty choklat-p2eat2drink-choklat-pHere are a few highlights from our trip!

A reflection from the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton.
The dock in Alexandria Bay at dusk.
The boys were very excited to see Saranac Root Beer on the menu!
The stained glass dome in the grand entrance hall to Boldt Castle, complete with the Boldt family crest.
Many rooms in Boldt Castle have not been renovated and are still covered with graffiti.
Boldt Castle’s South facade. Quite impressive!
The welcome arch at the approach to Boldt Castle, with my crew! Note the tiny house island in the background.

The Aviation. Purple drinks are cool!

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Purple is a cool color….so I think a purple drink is cool too! We were introduced to this cocktail in New Orleans at the Green Goddess. As we sat and watched one being made, we couldn’t help but ask about it. Which led us to try one and realize how good it is! It is perfectly refreshing on a warm evening!

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I did a fair amount of research to find the right recipe for this. There are many variations and theories on when it was invented. But most lead back to the start of the twentieth century and Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks. Ensslin’s recipe called for 1½ oz. El Bart gin, ¾ oz. lemon juice, 2 dashes maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes crème de violette. I settled on the NY Times recipe and added a touch of simple syrup to balance out the citrus. I like it both ways, but since I’m generally creating cocktails for Heather this is the official 2eat2drink recipe!

  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup
  • 1/4 ounce Crème de Violette

FIll a cocktail shaker with ice, gin, lemon juice, Luxardo and simple syrup. Shake to chill, then strain into a martini glass. Slowly pour Crème de Violette into the glass to create a purple swirl that settles near the bottom. Garnish with a twist of lemon or a flamed lemon peel.

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It’s experiment time! I created an animated gif of the pour. It may only work if you click on it, based on my preview. Let’s see what happens…

Click to animate!

Click to animate!

Cheers!

A good excuse for a Scotch!

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Hou ar ye? D’ye spaek Scots? Aye, juist a wee bittie. But…it’s a liitle too confusing to understand, so I’ll switch back to good old Americanized English.

Happy Tartan Day! I’ll admit that I didn’t know it existed before yesterday. But when I found out, the first thing I thought was, “What a good excuse to have a Scotch!” (And show off my Fraser plaid scarf, of course.) Heather’s family has a strong Scottish heritage, and for Christmas last year she got me a scarf made of the Fraser Hunting Weathered tartan. Mix that with The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old Scotch and we have a celebration!

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Your nose is greeted with strong notes of vanilla and butterscotch with subtle dried fruit. The taste is light, dry, and complex. It’s very drinkable with subtle spices mixed with honey, vanilla, and dried fruit. The finish is on the short side, yet delightful. Excellent all around (and the color on the bottle even matches my scarf).

Here’s tae us, guid nicht!

Happy St. Tito’s Day!

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Yes, I know there is no St. Tito. Well, at least I don’t think there is. (Is there?) So I guess I also need to officially say Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I thought I’d put an American spin on it this year, blending the totally Americanized McDonald’s Shamrock Shake with Tito’s Handmade Vodka. I don’t frequent McDonald’s very often, but if there is a highlight, the Shamrock Shake is it. If any of you managed to get to SXSW in Austin this year, I hope you  got to experience the excellence that is Tito’s vodka. Tito’s has been one of the top finalists at our vodka tasting parties (and always gotten my top vote), holding it’s own against the expensive imports.

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The Shamrock Shake made it home from the drive-thru a few ounces short of full (hey, I did say it was a highlight). I added 3 oz. of Tito’s to the shake, mixed it up and put it back in the freezer. After re-freezing, I ran it through a blender and poured it into two glasses, topping them with fresh whipped cream. A delightful St. Patrick’s Day afternoon treat.

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Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

Sláinte!

Old San Juan, El Batey, and Ron del Barrilito (take me away)!

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We discovered Barrilito “three star” rum on our actual honeymoon and were instantly hooked. Enjoying a glass of this smooth aged rum in our living room always takes us right back to Old San Juan…and more specifically to El Batey, the best little dive bar in Puerto Rico (or possibly the world). Conveniently located right across the street from Hotel El Convento (our Puerto Rican home away from home), this place has cheap drinks, an eclectic mix of songs on the juke box, and loads of character (and characters!)

After our tour of the Bacardi factory in 2008, the Cuba Libre (basically a rum and Coke with lime) became a favorite cocktail of ours . Despite our fond recollections of the tour, we really prefer to make ours with Ron del Barrilito (Rum from the little Barrel) “three star.” That seems to be the consensus of many people we’ve talked with in Old San Juan. The picture below shows a Cuba Libre “El Batey style”: a small glass filled almost entirely with “three star” and ice, then topped off with Coke and a lime.

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The Cuba Libre, El Batey style.

I would also recommend just drinking the “three star” from a snifter.  It’s the older of the two Edmundo B. Fernández, Inc. rums, featuring a blend of rums aged between 6 and 10 years. Sipping will let you enjoy the layers of honey, butterscotch, molasses, spice, vanilla, smoke, nuts, and oak. The finish is warm, smoky, sweet and very lengthy.

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Ron del Barrilito “three star.” Note the neck label, the only difference from the two-star, less-aged variety.

That long finish takes us away to El Batey. The most intimidating bar we’ve ever walked into, it is also one of the most friendly and interesting. Each visit has provided great conversation with the patrons and the bartenders, and endless visual appeal. The highlight of our most recent visit was a brief chat with the owner, David Jones. He is obviously a man who knows how to enjoy himself as he was surrounded by friends, drink, and a bag of cigars. I think this photo captured him perfectly as this is how he chose to sit when I asked to photograph him; elusive, gruff, intense and relaxed all at once.

Owner David Jones.

Owner David Jones.

I leave you with a toast to David Jones, especially for choosing to leave the graffiti on the walls for over 40 years! Peruse through these highlights and imagine yourself sipping a Cuba Libre. Cheers!

Our names, still on the wall after our honeymoon visit in 2008.
Every time I look at this I see something new.
Layers of character!
The light fixtures….with business cards hanging off them.
The wall above the bar, featuring character portraits. Owner David Jones is on the left. Notice the resemblance?
There aren’t too many things that can take my eyes off the wall at El Batey. But, I will for Heather.
The El Batey entry, beckoning.

A grappa toast post!

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There is quite a storied history behind this post. But before I begin, let’s get to the toast. Cheers to our friends Gina and Dave and their new baby boy!

So…now for the story. It starts in August of 2010. Heather and I were on a short honeymoon getaway to New Orleans, eating dinner at the Green Goddess (home of the bacon sundae), when we heard Scotty the bartender and Chris the chef discussing grappa. For those of you not familiar with grappa, it’s basically a spirit distilled from the leftovers of the grapes after making wine. Prior to this trip, I may have referred to grappa as fire water. But  I was intrigued by chef Chris’s description for Suprema grappa refosco, “That’s good frakking grappa!” (Note the Battlestar Galactica expletive, as I’d prefer to keep this family friendly 🙂 ) I ended up trying a taste and replying, “That is good!” Chef Chris just looked at me. “That’s good frakking grappa!” I amended. A cheer was given by all.

So…circle back to Dave and Gina, and trying a couple different grappas at a local restaurant after telling the above story. Both of the grappas fire waters were very disappointing. I finally managed to track down a bottle of this good frakking grappa, and am looking forward to sharing it with Dave and Gina while toasting their new family addition in person. Cheers!

Suprema grappa refosco. Worth drinking from a snifter.

Suprema grappa refosco. Worth drinking from a snifter. Your initial taste is smooth and refined with a bit of dried fruit, met with a scent of vanilla coming off the top rim. There is a long pepper finish with hints of vanilla and honey. Good frakking grappa!

Café Puerto Rico, Old San Juan. A must do!

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For the first post of the new year, I am finally following up on the new years eve post with a must do for all of you traveling to Old San Juan. Heather had done lots of research on where to go for local cuisine, and the first place the hotel concierge mentioned lined up with one of her options. Café Puerto Rico. A few blocks walk from El Convento (more on this wonderful hotel to come), we ended up on the edge of Plaza Colon and entered the cafe. It was crowded and lively and we were told to come back in 38 minutes. Yes 38. Never have we received such an exact return time. We wandered a few doors down to the Parrot Club for a cocktail, and listened to a jazz trio for 36 minutes, then quickly returned.

Heather at the Parrot Club.
A mojito seemed like an appropriate first drink, along with a coconut martini.

We were rewarded for our patience with a private table on the balcony overlooking Plaza Colon. I can’t say how lovely a view I, in particular, had without showing you my view.

Heather at Café Puerto Rico, overlooking Plaza Colon.

Heather at Café Puerto Rico, overlooking Plaza Colon.

We ordered mero (grouper) and tiritas de churrascos (skirt steak) mofongos rellenos, and a couple of tropical drinks. This ended up being our favorite meal of the trip!

Refreshing!!
Mofongos, lit with the dimmest of streetlights. Stellar.

Here are a few more visual highlights from the evening. More from Old San Juan to follow soon. Cheers!

A garita at sunset overlooking Bahia de San Juan.
Garita detail.
Bahia de San Juan at sunset. The Bacardi factory is across the bay.
La Rogativa monument.
A view down Calle Las Monjas. Cats are a prominent feature of the area.
One of the many spectacular house number signs that can be seen throughout Old San Juan.

P.S. If those of you who subscribe (thank you so much for following along!), could let me know if the galleries appear correctly in your e-mail, I’d appreciate it.  They look lovely in the on line post, but it showed up in my and Heather’s e-mail all broken and random. I’ve contacted WordPress about it, so hopefully we can get it resolved. Thanks!