Tag Archives: Green Goddess

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!

The “crazy good” bacon sundae. Believe.

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I can’t believe how good this is. But really…..you need to believe. As Heather said, “This is crazy good.”

Flash back to our 2010 trip to New Orleans, and our second night at the Green Goddess, a tiny little gem of a restaurant in the French Quarter. We had come back on the last night of our trip, based solely on Scotty’s (the excellent bartender) recommendation to try the “notorious” bacon sundae: pecan praline ice cream with a creamy bacon caramel sauce carrying a bit of both pink Himalayan & black lava salts, micro-planed Nueske’s applewood bacon, layered with whipped cream. Sounds good, huh? It was! So….thus our attempt to recreate the experience.

The “crazy good” bacon sundae. Sign me up for that!

It worked! We did it! Well, it wasn’t an exact replica…but it was still crazy good! We used Edy’s Slow Churned Butter Pecan ice cream, topped with La Salamandra Dulce de Leche Milk Caramel, a touch of French sea salt, diced applewood smoked bacon, whipped cream, and chopped caramelized pecans.

Not your average caramel. La Salamandra Dulce de Leche Milk Caramel, all the way from Argentina! (By way of Wegmans.)

Bacony goodness!! Can’t you just smell it??

To give props to Scotty once again….the Trader Vic’s Macadamia Nut Liqueur is an excellent pairing. It offers a smooth, sweet, nutty, caramelly taste. It’s very mellow, but has a nice warming effect.

Trader Vic’s Macadamia Nut Liqueur. Warm me up, Scotty!

Go….you must make this now! Please comment and let us know what you think. Cheers!

Who says rhubarb is only for pie!?

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I’ve been meaning to do this post for some time. Ever since I saw the Rye and Rhubarb recipe in the Finger Lakes Distilling newsletter, I’ve been looking forward to making this drink!  Waiting for the rhubarb to grow in the garden and tracking down the Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters were the main reasons for the delay. It was worth the wait! The McKenzie rye whiskey is great on its own. It’s aged in new charred quarter casks and finished in sherry barrels from local Finger Lakes wineries. What a great base for this cocktail, which has a very unique blend of sweet and sour. Even Heather, who is not a big fan of whiskey based drinks, thought it was excellent!

McKenzie Rye and Rhubarb

  • 2 oz McKenzie Rye Whiskey
  • 2 oz Rhubarb Simple Syrup **
  • 3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
  • Dash of Fee Brother’s Rhubarb Bitters
  • Dash of salt

Shake ingredients and pour over large ice cubes in a glass.  Garnish with a twist of lemon and use a small stalk of rhubarb as a stir stick.
** For the rhubarb simple syrup…Bring one cup each of sugar, water and chopped rhubarb to a very light boil while stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let rest for an hour, strain and chill.

Fee Brothers is a fourth generation manufacturer of cocktail mixers and bitters located in downtown Rochester, NY. You can find the slogan “Don’t squeeze use Fee’s” on their website. Bartenders all over the world follow their advice. Did I mention they are in Rochester, NY? I know I did, but I thought it was worth highlighting since I don’t think many people are aware that such a distinguished operation is located right here. I thought it was cool that we saw a couple bottles of Fee Brothers bitters on the bar at the Green Goddess in New Orleans. I think that says a lot. While I was getting the rhubarb bitters I picked up a few other flavors, and even got an offer to go on a tour from Ellen Fee! I’m looking forward to seeing the whole operation…as well as trying out some new recipes.

McKenzie Rye and Rhubarb, for your sipping pleasure.

McKenzie Rye, from Finger Lakes Distilling.

Fee Brothers bitters. Just a sampling of all they have to offer.

Rhubarb simple syrup brewing in the pan.

the NOLA Margarita

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NOLA. New Orleans, Louisiana. A place storied in history, but Heather & I had never been… until August of last year. We were just there for a long weekend, but got a great glimpse into its fabulous culinary and liquid culture. One place stood out above all… The Green Goddess. During both of our visits to this fabulous little restaurant (yes, it was so good the first night, we went back!), we got to sit at the bar and witness Scotty’s incredible craftsmanship as he made drinks for his guests. He passed along one of his secret ingredients: Steen’s Cane Syrup, the cooked down juice from ripened sugar cane. A dark brown, sticky, sweet, molasses-like goo… yum!

We decided to introduce the cane syrup into one of our favorite drinks, the margarita (which had played a small role in our third date, a Cinco De Mayo party). With the addition of cloves, it’s a wonderful new experience!

Start by letting the cloves marinate in your tequila overnight, one clove per ounce. I suggest 1800 Reposado for its nice, deep mellow character at a fantastic price. The clove-infused tequila will keep for a while, so it’s o.k. to be generous in the amount you make.

Over crushed ice in a rocks glass, pour 1 1/2 ounces of clove-infused tequila (strain out the cloves), 1 1/4 ounces triple sec, 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, and 1/2 ounce Steen’s Cane Syrup. Stir thoroughly as the cane syrup is quite thick. Salt the rim as desired…..Heather’s with, mine without. Garnish with lime and orange wedges, sit back and enjoy!

1800 Reposado tequila, with cloves.

Fresh limes are a key ingredient.

The NOLA margarita!

Heather enjoying her NOLA margarita.