Professor Cocktail

The Cheat Sheet: The Professor's Guide to the Best Cocktail and Spirits Links

Posting will probably be light this week, so here are some things worth reading that will keep you busy in the meantime. 

• Liquor.com offers up a list of the things they're looking forward to in 2012. The one on their list that's most interesting to me: Pierre Ferrand is introducing a classic cognac-based orange liqueur, Dry Curaçao Ancienne Méthode. Great news!
• The Los Angeles Times has a cool piece on Neat, a new bar in Glendale, CA, that has more than 300 bottles of carefully selected spirits. The twist? They serve all their liquor straight-up (i.e., neat) with a variety of chasers. An eccentric idea, but I'd definitely visit.
• Serious Eats has an excellent primer on rum, my favorite spirit. Well worth reading.
• Speaking of rum, Simon Difford has very complimentary things to say about English Harbour's line of rums. (I've only got the 5 year in my cabinet.)
• Meanwhile, The Spir.it provides an overview of tequila. I drink tequila on the rare occasion, but have never developed an appreciation for it.
• New York Distilling Company, a new player on the craft spirits scene, is doing some interesting things. They're currently selling two types of gin -- an American gin and a Navy-Strength gin -- and later this year will introduce an Old Tom Gin and a Rock & Rye. If anyone is paying attention out there, please send me a bottle!
• An article from a few months back: Eric Asimov wrote about Calvados for the New York Times. I've never tried Calvados -- an apple brandy made in Normandy -- although I have had American apple brandy.
• Another one I missed a little while back: Camper English wrote about bartenders infusing their own spirits for the San Francisco Chronicle.
• Simon Ford visited Moscow and reports back on the best bars to visit.
• Tulare County, California -- next door to my old stomping grounds of Bakersfield -- grows lots of Meyer Lemons. Now Charbray Distillery is combining them into their small-batch vodka. I don't usually drink flavored vodka, but this sounds like it could be good.
• Can you stock a bar with just 12 bottles? Here's a good way to start. I think one type of tequila would be enough, though. I would replace it with an amaro (or Campari) or a blended scotch.
• Would you drink a beer called Wild Onion Hop Slayer? What if you knew it came in a can? Here's a list of 6 new extreme canned beers. (I'm at a loss to explain why the can is a selling point.)
• What's the best brand of vodka? According to bartender Jessica Smith of Bubble Lounge (Fairfield, Conn) it's Absolut. I've never cared much for it myself. Sobieski or Stoli are better.
• Will Gordon shares his thoughts on the best cheap spirits. The only one of these that I've tried is Cruzan Black Strap Rum -- and it's recommended if you like your rum dark and molasses-y. Not a spirit you'd drink every day, but it has its uses.
• Learn about bitters -- an essential, too often overlooked cocktail ingredient -- including some of the bartenders making their own.
• Did you know you can make your own coffee liqueur? It's not even that hard. I never drink coffee liqueur, though, so I don't think I'll be doing this.

Planter's Punch - The Original Tiki Drink

The Planter's Punch is one of the oldest rum cocktails, a classic combination of rum, lime juice and sugar that dates back to 18th-century Jamaica. There the drink was originally made according to a recipe with the rhythm of a nursery rhyme: "One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak." (That would be: lime juice, sugar, rum, and water.)

The first recorded appearance of Planter's Punch in the United States was in a New York Times article from 1908. (They ran a gussied up version of the traditional Jamaican ditty.) Although punches of all sorts had been very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, it's hard to determine how popular the drink was by the 1900s. Rum-based cocktails in general tended to find little favor with most of the public.

After Prohibition ended, however, things began to change. The great Donn Beach had discovered Planter's Punch during his travels and brought it back to the States with him. When he opened his first Tiki bar/restaurant in 1934, not only was the drink on the menu, it also served as the inspiration for many of the other rum concoctions he invented. As the Tiki craze grew in popularity, so did the thirst for Planter's Punch.

There are as many recipes for this drink as there are bartenders and cocktail books. Some have lime or lemon juice; some have pineapple or orange juice (or a combination of all four). Some have light rum, gold rum, dark rum or all three. They often have grenadine, and some add triple sec or orange Curaçao. I even have a recipe that calls for crème de cacao. (I don't think I'll be trying that one.)

Don the Beachcomber served at least five different versions of Planter's Punch. His most popular recipe called for three different types of rum, lime juice, simple syrup, grenadine, falernum and Angostura bitters. This makes a very good drink, but I was looking for something a little simpler.

In The Gentleman's Companion (1939), Charles H. Baker Jr.'s story of his spirituous travels around the world, the author discusses ten different methods for making Planter's Punch. He pronounces all of them excellent, but advises, "Get decent well-aged rum...[And] don't try to use canned fruit juices of any kind." Solid advice for this, or any, cocktail.

Most of Baker's recipes are variations on the basic theme, although some of them call for Cognac or bourbon, which I don't think would work very well at all. (I didn't even try it.) He piqued my interest, though, with his suggestion of using grapefruit juice.

As Wayne Curtis points out in his excellent And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the World in Ten Cocktails, Planter's Punch is less a specific drink than it is a class of drinks, and that's a good way to think of it. This is a cocktail that cries out for experimentation. It's like a melody that a jazz musician can take and improvise on -- based on such a solid foundation, there are unlimited directions in which it can go.

So that's what I did, trying out several different variations in an attempt to come up with a cocktail that tastes great, but doesn't require too many ingredients or too much work to make. The recipe I've settled on (for now, anyway) has quickly become a favorite in our house.

 

 Planter's Punch

2 oz Rum
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Grenadine
1 tbsp Sugar Cane Syrup
1/2 oz 151 Rum (optional) 

Shake all the ingredients (except 151 Rum) with ice until well-chilled. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass, or use something pretty if you've got it. Float the 151 Rum on top.

 

If you don't have cane syrup, you can use regular simple syrup, although the cane syrup gives it a richer flavor. Try to find some decent grenadine -- Rose's should only be used in an emergency.

You can use whatever type of rum you have on hand, although it's going to change the flavor of the drink quite a bit depending on what you use. I prefer a gold or dark Jamaican rum, like Appleton or Myers's.

Recently I made a batch with Pyrat XO Reserve Rum and it was delicious. (This makes sense, as the Pyrat XO Reserve has more than a hint of orange flavor to it.) My wife had a Planter's Punch at the Columbia Room that Derek Brown mixed up for her with Banks 5 Island Rum and it was amazing.

The 151 Rum float gives the drink a nice kick and a delicious accent of burnt caramel. If you'd like a lighter cocktail, however, you can omit it and the drink is still a delight.

So the next time you feel like trying something new, mix up a Planter's Punch and put your own twist on it -- and then share the results with the rest of us.

Alternatives to the Same Old Cocktails

Most of us are creatures of habit. When we go to a bar, we tend to order the same drinks over and over again. And if you've found something you love, why not? The downside, though, is that we end up missing the possibility of discovering a new favorite. 

Nobody knows good new drinks like the bartenders at the cocktail bars in Portland. Five of the best suggest craft cocktails that you can order as alternatives to the tried-and-true.

• If your usual drink is a Lemon Drop, try an Elderflower Gimlet (Gin, Lime Juice, Sugar, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur). This is a bold choice. Definitely worth trying. St-Germain has a unique flavor: floral, fruity and fascinating.
• If your usual drink is Maker's on the Rocks, try an Old Fashioned (Bourbon, Sugar, Bitters, Citrus). Great suggestion! I love an Old Fashioned. There's a reason that this drink has persisted since the beginning.
• If your usual drink is a Cosmopolitan, try a Negroni with Carpano Antica (Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth). I'm not sure about this recommendation. The flavor profiles of the two drinks have some similarities, but are still quite different. Most people who order a Cosmo are looking for something sweet, and a Negroni isn't sweet, even when made with Carpano Antica.
• If your usual after-dinner drink is Baileys, try some Pastis instead. This is a very odd suggestion, as the two liqueurs are nothing alike. Baileys is sweet and chocolately, while Pastis (e.g., Pernod or Ricard) is bitter and aromatic, and tastes like licorice.
• If your usual drink is a Gin and Tonic, try a Gin Rickey instead (Gin, Lime, Sparkling Water). This is a great pick. I love a Gin and Tonic -- one of the best, simplest cocktails around -- and the Rickey is similar, but makes for a nice change of pace. Plus, it's the official cocktail of Washington, D.C., named for Colonel Joe Rickey, a 19th-century lobbyist.

Granted, your local T.G.I. Friday's will probably screw up these drinks. But if you can find a halfway decent bartender, you'll be in for some fun.

Bodybuilding with Beam

The Cheat Sheet: The Professor's Guide to the Best Cocktail and Spirits Links

Mrs. Professor was out of town last week, so I had to take care of the Little Professors by myself. Thus the lack of posts. Here are some links to catch you up:

• Derek Brown (of DC's The Passenger and Columbia Room) offers up his picks for the best places to drink in Washington. On his list: The Tabard Inn, the Round Robin Bar, the bar at the JW Marriott, The Gibson, Proof and PS7.
• Richard Goldsmith of Fox News reviews three Pre-Prohibition Era cocktail books, including perhaps the most famous of all: Jerry Thomas' The Bartender's Guide: How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant's Companion. (Who knew that Fox News has a drinks columnist?)
• One of the hot new trends in sparkling wine is so-called Grower-Champagne, wine produced by vineyards that grow their own grapes. (The big Champagne houses like Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Piper Heidsieck get their grapes from other vineyards.)
• Andrew Strenio shares his list of three American Whiskeys to seek out. They are: Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, Corsair Triple Smoke Single Barrel and Balcones Brimstone Whisky. Sadly, I have not tried any of them.
• According to the Ultimate Beverage Challenge, Banks 5 Island Rum is the best rum for your cocktails. I recently tried this in some Planter's Punch at the Columbia Room and it was very tasty. I'm going to have to hunt down a bottle.
• The Old-Fashioned, made with whiskey, sugar and bitters, is one of the best of the classic cocktails, a taste that never goes out of style. Dushan Zaric (owner of Employees Only, a speakeasy in NYC) shows you how to make one.
• On The Cocktail Spirit, Robert Hess demonstrates how to make a Ford Cocktail, a variation on the Martini.
• Missing from the market for many years, Swedish Punsch is now available again. (You can buy it from DrinkUpNY.)
• Here's a recipe for a Blood Orange Daiquiri. What is a blood orange, anyway?
• The San Antonio Current interviews Sasha Petraske (of Milk & Honey) about bartending, cocktails and the new bar he's opening in San Antonio.
• A piece I've been meaning to link to for a while: Jim Meehan (bartender at PDT and author of The PDT Cocktail Book) offers up his advice for building a mixological library.
• Speaking of The PDT Cocktail Book, here are 5 recipes for Apple Brandy cocktails taken from same. I've only played around with Apple Brandy a little, and so far I'm not too sure about it. Maybe in a Sidecar?
• Brad Thomas Parsons talks about bitters. If you don't have any bitters in your liquor cabinet, you should get some. They don't cost very much and they can make a huge difference in your drinks.

That's it for now. Happy reading!

Armagnac: France's "Other" Brandy

Armagnac is the "other French Brandy," the country cousin to the better known Cognac. Liquor.com has a thumbnail sketch of the spirit.

[Armagnac] comes from a small region in southwest France (the entire appellation contains less than 10,000 acres) that is home to 500 independent brands and 300 co-ops producing about six million bottles per year. (Compare that to nearby Cognac, where a few huge brands produce the vast majority of the roughly 150 million bottles sold per year.)

Armagnac can be made from 10 different types of grape, but four are the most common: ugni blanc, Baco blanc, folle blanche and colombard. The first two varieties make up nearly 90 percent of the harvest, but the latter two bring a lot to the final blend. Folle blanche is very acidic, which can turn into floral and fruity notes in the glass; colombard is spicy and vegetal.

The article also has information on the distillation process, the different ages of Armagnacs, and some of the brands.

Topping it off are two recipes for cocktails, including Toby Cecchini's Nippongi-San, a variation of the Japanese Cocktail made with Armagnac. I haven't made one of these yet -- I don't have any Armagnac on hand -- but I'm looking forward to trying it one of these days.

Nippongi-San
By Toby Cecchini

2 oz XO Armagnac
1/2 oz Cointreau
1 oz Lemon juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

This recipe is based on Jerry Thomas’ Japanese Cocktail.

 

Addendum: By coincidence last night, I read Jason Wilson's latest column in the Washington Post. The topic? "Armagnac appreciation 101." I guess something's in the air. It's a very interesting and useful column, as Jason's work always is.

Jason points out that there is a surplus of Armagnac in the storage houses of French distilleries, a result of the downturn in the world economy and the paucity of brands with major marketing budgets. As a result:

At $40 to $45 for VSOP or $50 to $60 for XO, you'll be drinking an unbelievable brandy that is a better value than similarly priced cognacs. And with Armagnac, you don't have to deal with the markup associated with cognacs that come in special crystal decanters. Look for brands such as Dartigalongue, Chateau du Busca, Delord, Castarede, Tariquet, Chateau Pellehaut, Larressingle and Chateau de Labaude. If your liquor store doesn't carry Armagnac, demand that it special-order some immediately.

I think I'll do just that.

The Top 5 Whiskey Drinks

The Spir.It rounds up their selections for the Top 5 Whiskey Drinks. Their choices (which include recipes and photos) are:

• Old-Fashioned
• Whiskey Sour
• Manhattan
• Sazerac
• Mint Julep

Five very solid picks. I can't really argue with any of them -- they're classics. The recipes are pretty good, too, although their Manhattan doesn't have nearly enough Sweet Vermouth in it. Here is how I like to make a Manhattan:

Manhattan

2 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 Dashes Bitters
Maraschino Cherry 

Add the spirits to a rocks glass with ice. Stir. Add the bitters and garnish with the cherry.

This drink can be made with Bourbon Whiskey, but Rye lends it an extra zing. For Vermouth, use a good brand like Noilly Pratt or Martini, and make sure it's fresh.

Using Angostura bitters is traditional, but Peychaud's or Orange Bitters also work nicely. Each adds subtle differences to the finished cocktail.

Wednesday Link-O-Rama

You've waited all week -- now it's time to crack one open. A juicy collection of links, that is. Unless you'd like a drink. You can have one of those, too.

• A nice, straightforward piece on gin from Bloomberg News. If you're not that familiar with gin, this is recommended.
• Maggie Hoffman, Drinks Editor for Serious Eats, speculates on likely cocktail trends for 2012. I think her guesses are pretty good ones. I would add to the list: more beer and wine cocktails.
• Some more cocktail trend predictions, these from The Spir.it. This set is more obvious.
• Amari (bitter liqueurs) are going to continue to grow in popularity. Here's a good introduction ("All About Amari") that explains the category and discusses several different kinds, including some more obscure ones.
• Speaking of beer cocktails -- here's a place in Brooklyn that's brewing them up.
• A very good guide to setting up a home bar. (Did I link to this one yet? I don't think so, although I've shared similar thoughts from Jason in the past. The man knows his stuff.)
• Winter cocktails? Yes, please.
• A new video from Robert Hess, this one demonstrating how to make a Champs Elysees. I finally broke down and bought a bottle of Chartreuse ($50 a pop!) so maybe I'll try this.
• Another article on making cocktails with winter citrus fruits. The Citrus 75, a riff on the French 75 with Clementine juice, sounds especially good.
• A good piece on Harry Craddock, one of the great bartenders of the Pre-Prohibition era.
• I can barely manage to make dinner most nights, so am I going to make my own Vermouth? Probably not. But it does sound kinda cool. Here's how.
• I really need to visit Portland. They have all the good new drinks.
• Wanna see some pretty pictures of the Top 5 Vodka Cocktails?
• I've never tried Pisco, a brandy that's very popular in Peru and other parts of South America, but it's trying to become the next vodka. Pisco Portón, in particular, in getting a serious marketing push. Anyone tried it?

We still need a new name for this feature, so please send in your suggestions or leave them in the comments below.

The Wednesday Link-O-Rama needs a new name

The Wednesday Link-O-Rama, our weekly collections of links to the most interesting stories and videos around the net, needs a new name. Something having to do with spirits or cocktails. Any suggestions? Please share in the comments section.

Thanks!

Whiskey Review: Templeton Rye Whiskey

Templeton Rye
Small Batch Rye Whiskey
Final Grade: A
Price: $40 (750ml)

Reviewed by Bob Montgomery

At last, I have found my rye.  My desert island Manhattan is now picked out. This is the bottle I would take on a long voyage; into the space capsule; in my suspended animation chamber. Along with companion bottles of Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth and Angostura bitters, of course.

Templeton Rye is produced by a small Iowa distiller and purports to be a Prohibition-era recipe that was the favorite of Al Capone. With such a great product and rich history, it’s surprising that we have lived so long without being able to obtain Templeton (or at least, obtain it legally) but we should be thankful that we can get it now.

The color in the bottle is a medium amber, like the color of old copper. Lighter in the glass, with a golden glow and the scent of spicy rye bread. The next time you have rye, take a moment to sniff it; the resemblance to a loaf of rye is unsurprising but still powerful.

The initial flavor is dry, bold, and spicy, transitioning to a rich, almost sour flavor, but with an undertone of sweetness. The finish is still dry and spicy and lingers just long enough to sustain you to the next sip. If you’ve become accustomed to bourbon’s sweetness, you will find the Templeton a challenging contrast.

As a cocktail base, Templeton Rye is outstanding. In an Old Fashioned the flavor is rich and dominant; in a Manhattan it is nothing short of perfection -- complex yet balanced, a great reminder of why this cocktail has endured more than a century.

Buy a bottle of Templeton, stir up a Manhattan (don’t forget the bitters!), and enjoy a classic that will live forever.

Report Card

Quality Grade: A
Value Grade: A
Final Grade: A