Be a Cocktail Hero (on an Android)

My newest toy is an Android phone - I LOVE it!!  But counting all the ways I love my phone is for another post...

Last Friday my boyfriend and I were at a loss for what cocktails to make.  We could think of drinks to mix, but they were the usual standbys and we wanted something new.  Now that I have a new smartphone, I can download apps, so I quickly found a cocktail app.  The one I picked was Cocktail Hero, precisely because it allowed you to check off the ingredients you have, and then it presents you with a list of drinks you can make.

The interface was incredibly easy.  I tapped on the Inventory tab and simply checked off boxes next to various ingredients - Gin, check!  Vodka, check!  Cointreau?  Er, looks like I need to stock up.  Next, I tap on the Cocktails tab and voila!  At the top of the list are the cocktails for which I have all the ingredients.  These are then followed by cocktails for which I have some ingredients, so I could still browse if I was merely curious about what I could make after a quick run to the store.

I'm sure you're thinking, "This is all very nice, but how are the recipes?"  So far, they are quite tasty.  Currently I am drinking an Amaretto and Cream, which is equal parts amaretto and cream.  Ok, so that isn't hard to figure out, but on Friday we discovered the Brave Bull, 1.5 oz tequila, 1 oz coffee liqueur, which was quite a hit with our friends.  So out of a small sample of two (2) cocktails I can affirmatively say the recipes are good.  Take that as you will.

The really powerful thing about this app is not only is it incredibly simple, but it's right there on your phone - no Googling, no searching for that website you came across a few months ago that lets you enter your ingredients, etc.  Just pull out your phone and you're just a few taps away from a selection of cocktails you can make.  Is this a killer cocktail app?  I don't know, but I'm pretty happy with it.

And it's free.

How to have a bad orgasm

Last night I learned the hard way how to have a bad orgasm.

That sounds wrong...

Anyway, I wanted to make myself an orgasm, which has Bailey's and Cointreau in it, plus some third ingredient I couldn't remember.  So, I looked it up.  The IBA recipe I found called for Bailey's, Cointreau, and Grand Marnier.  That seemed like a lot of orange flavor to me so I decided to substitute the Cointreau with Kahlua.  I then built the drink over ice by pouring the Bailey's first, then the Grand Marnier, and the Kahlua last.

The drink curdled.  Badly.  The taste was fine, but the texture was disgusting!  Ultimately, the drink was undrinkable and I gave it to my sink.  Sad.

Desiring to get the nasty feeling out of my mouth I made another, this time using the IBA ingredients.  I built the drink in the order the ingredients had been listed: Cointreau, Bailey's, Grand Marnier.  Actually, I got that wrong... I put the Grand Marnier in first.  I'm not sure it matters, though.  Perhaps what matters is that the Bailey's was second, between the two liqueurs, and/or I wasn't using Kahlua.  The cocktail turned out much, much better.  No curdling.

Below is the official IBA recipe:

ORGASM (old fashioned glass )
3.0 cl Cointreau
3.0 cl Bailey's Irish Cream
2.0 cl Grand Marnier
Build all ingredients over ice in a old fashioned glass or shot glass. Garnish with cherry.

Crooked Sister

This was a tasty and easy drink to make:

1 oz. gin
1 oz. creme de cacao blanc (we used dark)
1 oz. Cointreau

Fill a rocks glass with ice and then build the drink by pouring in the ingredients.  I gave the glass a little swirl to mix the ingredients.  You're suppose to garnish with a cherry and orange slice, but I didn't do that.

The cocktail was nicely sweet, with a pleasant chocolate flavor.  I didn't notice the Coinbtreau, but I suspect it's used to counter the creme de cacao and prevent the drink from becoming too chocolatey sweet.

Manhattan Coffee

Last night I created a new drink. Or, at least it's new to me.  I haven't done a search to see if someone else came up with the idea before me.

It's a Manhattan variation that replaces vermouth with Kahlua:

2 oz. bourbon (Knob Creek)
1 oz. Kahlua
2 dashes mole bitters

It was sweeter than a regular manhattan, and the whiskey punch was less than usual, but it still had some nice complexity to it.  Overall, a nice break from the boozy heaviness of regular manhattans, but it still retains the taste of a serious drink.

The Boston Shaker - open Friday 2/5/2010 @ Noon!

This just in from Facebook:

The Boston Shaker will be open tomorrow, Friday February 5, 2010 at noon!

Sadly, I have to work, so I won't be able to stand at the door anxiously waiting for it to open.  But, I do plan on dropping by over the weekend.  I've been wanting to get more coupe glasses.  The website says regular hours are Tu-Sa 12-7.

This was happy news that brightened my winter evening.

Flaming Holiday Punch!

Josey Packard from Drink demonstrates how to make Flaming Holiday Punch on The Rachel Maddow Show.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sip & Shop @ Grand, with special guests!

Grand, LUPEC, and The Boston Shaker are having October's Sip & Shop this Saturday at Grand from 2-6. LUPEC will be serving up a spooky Halloween Punch, and Grand and The Boston Shaker will offer a 10% discount on everything.

In addition to sales and spirits, two special guests will be at the Sip & Shop from 2-4. Jill DeGoff and Dale "King Cocktail" DeGroff will be on hand to sign their books, Lush Life: Portraits from the Bar (Jill) and The Essential Cocktail and The Craft of the Cocktail (Dale).

Sounds like a fun time!

(Btw, tickets to LUPEC's Tiki Bash will be on sale as well, but excluded from the 10% sale. It is a fundraiser for On the Rise! after all.)

Mad Men cocktail guide

A few days ago I stumbled upon the Mad Men Cocktail Guide. It's a list of 1960's cocktails complete with recipes and pictures. Seeing that the martini is made by rinsing the glass with the vermouth, then pouring out the vermouth, I'd say the recipes are based on how the drinks were made during that era. Interestingly, though, the Manhattan on the page actually uses its share of vermouth, but still uses a very small proportion of vermouth if not a "whisper."

Caramel cocktail

My boyfriend wanted a caramel cocktail for an upcoming party we were throwing. As he put it, he wants a "sexy" drink to offer - something flashy in addition to the more traditional offerings. So I did some poking around and found the recipe for a Liquid Caramel. The recipe calls for Bailey's, coffee liqueur, butterscotch schnapps, and milk. Since out of those ingredients I only had Kahlua, I had to improvise.

Wary of butterscotch schnapps - it seems like something that could be great or horribly, horibly awful - I decided to try making homemade caramel.

After letting the caramel cool for a bit, I improvised my cocktail:

1 oz Kahlua

1 oz Godiva chocolate liqueur

1 oz vodka (Snow Queen, from Kazakhstan - it's organic)

1 oz light cream

1 oz caramel

It was quite tasty, but I'm not sure I could taste the caramel much. My boyfriend liked it, so that's a plus. Maybe if I made the cocktail after the caramel had spent the night in the refrigerator I'd have a stronger caramel flavor. After all, the caramel sauce was still very warm when I made the drink. Or maybe I'm just too accustomed to store bought caramel sauce that's full of corn syrup, corn starch, and sometimes butter and cream.

Update 10/18/09: My boyfriend thought the drink was too sweet, and with Kahlua, chocolate liqueur, and caramel that isn't much of a surprise. To cut down the sweetness I substituted the Kahlua with 1 ounce of coffee. That gave the drink a stronger coffee taste, and I think it played off the caramel well, too. We decided to call the cocktail the Caramel Sexy. (And the guests enjoyed the drink!)

A gin Alexander? Really?

Last night I went to Drink and asked for an Alexander, which is usually brandy, creme de cacao, cream, and nutmeg. The bartender suggested that instead of brandy I try it with gin. She said that you'd think gin and chocolate don't go together, but they kinda do. Being game, I said, "Sure! Make me one!"

And... She was right!! Gin and chocolate do go together! I think the bite from the gin lightens the drink. Further, if I let the drink rest on my tongue I could get a slight cherry taste with the chocolate. But, maybe that's just me.

The Old Fashioned, as seen on Mad Men

Sunday's episode of Mad Men had a scene in which the main character, Don Draper, makes an Old Fashioned. The recipe I have to make an Old Fashioned uses water, sugar, bitters, and whiskey. You're supposed to muddle the bitters, water, and sugar in a glass until the sugar has dissolved. Then you add a large ice cube followed by whiskey. Stir and serve with a straw.

Don Draper made his Old Fashioned a little differently, but I am sure it was the way they were made in the late 50's early 60's. He tossed a sugar cube in the glass, added a dash or two (or three - the bf thought Draper added a lot of bitters). In a separate mixing glass Draper added lots of ice, followed by rye whiskey (it looked he used Old Overholt), and soda. He then did a quick muddle of the sugar and bitters in the glass. This was followed by a quick stir of the whiskey, ice, and soda* in the mixing glass. He then poured the whiskey mix into the glass.

One thing that caught my eye was the muddling. I doubt the sugar was dissolved when he finished. I'm not sure if his quick muddle followed the method use in the 60's, or if it was a case of TV expediency. It wouldn't be good TV to have him muddling for several minutes, waiting for the sugar to dissolve. Or, perhaps the sugar was dissolved because it sat in bitters while he was pouring the whiskey and soda in the mixing glass. Or maybe Draper was just impatient to get his drink... Or maybe I am just an inefficient muddler ;)

I've made Old Fashioneds at home using the first method, and they taste great. They have a nice smooth, rich taste with just enough sweetness to make me happy. I'm not a fan of soda, but now I'm tempted buy a small bottle and try an old fashioned Don Draper's way.

*I suppose it could have been tonic, but I have a feeling it's soda. I vaguely remember an Old Fashioned recipe that used soda water.

Silent Order

2 oz green Chartreuse

1 oz lime juice

0.5 oz water

basil leaves

A few weeks ago a few of us tried the Silent Order, a cocktail made with green Chartreuse and basil leaves. It was an interesting departure from the usual cocktails. Instead of the standard sweet/sour balance with a spirit (lime/lemon juice + sugar/liqueur + spirit) , the Silent Order offered us a peppery, herbal flavor. I didn't notice the peppery taste until the end. Perhaps the basil oil sinks to the bottom?

I used fresh basil leaves, two per drink. Over each glass I tore one leaf, and then rubbed the rim with one of the torn pieces before dropping them into the glass. Next, I pored the cocktail into the glass, and then I tore the second leaf over the drink before adding it. Another way to use the basil leaves would be to finely chop some and shake with the drink, then garnish using whole basil leaves.

Sip & Shop @ Grand, Saturday, June 27th

It's time for another Sip & Shop at Grand this Saturday, June 27th! This time they are featuring Plymouth gin, my favorite gin, which was NOT at Kappy's tonight. Hrmph. But, I digress...

In addition to trying out a cocktail made with an excellent gin, you can buy cocktail gear, cool clothes, and hip furnishings for 10% off.

And, no, I am not employed by Grand... or The Boston Shaker, the cool cocktail store within a store. I just shop there.

Drinkboston.com interview w/ Josey Packard of Drink

The first few times I went to Drink Josey Packard was the bartender who served us. The first time I went she made me a Vesper, and another time she made me a damn fine Manhattan. So today I was pleasantly surprised to come across this interview with her on Drinkboston.com.

In addition to bartending, she's also a musician and used to be the lead singer of Chelsea on Fire. Who knew?

Oh, and btw, if you haven't been to Drink you should go!! I like to go when it isn't crowded, because a big part of the fun is sitting at the bar and watching the bartenders do their stuff. It's like watching artists or craftsmen. There's no drink list. You either tell them the name of the drink you want, or you tell them what you're in the mood for and they'll serve up a cocktail that fits the bill. One bartender even made up a cocktail on the fly, and it was killer! And if you don't believe me, then you can trust the Boston Phoenix, which declared Drink home of the Best Artisan Cocktail.

The Globe interviews Adam from The Boston Shaker!

Through Facebook magic I found this Boston Globe article about The Boston Shaker:

When Adam Lantheaume began following cocktail culture in earnest a few years back, he'd go around to his favorite bartenders and ask them how he could replicate their recipes. The only problem was a lot of the specialty ingredients and mixing implements they were using weren't readily available for home use. "Whether it was a Boston shaker or a mint julep cup I'd say, where can I get that? No one consistently stocked them," he said. "Or I'd find things that looked good but weren't functional."

It's very cool to see The Boston Shaker (and Grand) get some publicity!

Sip & Shop @ Grand - St. Germain!

This Saturday, May 30th, is Sip & Shop day at Grand! This week the liqueur of choice is St. Germain! Mmmm... St. Germain...

Oh, and everything in the store is 10% off!

So stop by Grand between 2 and 6 PM to get yourself a tasty treat.

(For directions, click on Grand's link in the Links section...)

Fun at parties

I heard about two party ideas today that I thought were pretty cool.

The first idea is an Iron Alcohol party. Each guest brings the spirit of his or her choice and makes a cocktail. I suppose you could call it an Iron Cocktail party, but Iron Alcohol sounds more hardcore.

The second idea Power Point Karaoke. Each guest must take a random power point presentation downloaded from the web and present it. The more vague the power point presentation, the better, especially if it is on a topic the presenter knows next to nothing about. Or maybe the more vague and technical the better... After all, BS definitions of highly technical terms could add to the entertainment.

Or, maybe if you want a really great party you could combine these two ideas. Round 1 is Iron Alcohol, followed by Power Point Karaoke. Let everyone get sloshed*, then have them bullshit presentations!

*Disclaimer: All participants of an Iron Alcohol party should be of legal drinking age and drink responsibly.

Mint Juleps at Grand!

This Saturday, April 25th, from 2-6, LUPEC will be making mint juleps in honor of the Kentucky Derby! And, everything at Grand will be 10% off. Sounds like tons of fun! But, alas, I won't be able to go. I'll be out of town. *sigh*

Scoville Sour

2.5 oz Hendrick's gin
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz honey simple syrup
1/2 oz maple syrup
1/4 tsp cayenne and espelette pepper mix

Now that I have a bottle of Hendrick's I've been making myself Scoville Sours.

I don't have any espelette pepper, so I used white pepper instead. I was told with white pepper the mix should be mostly cayenne, but that was too hot for me. I make my Sours with a half cayenne/half white pepper mix. If I get some espelette I imagine I'll have to readjust the cayenne amount.

The cayenne pepper goes well with the sweet and sour taste of the lemon, honey syrup, and maple syrup. I think the honey and maple give the drink's sweetness more depth than you'd get just using a simple syrup.

A note about the drink - it yields more than a four ounces. When making it, I either have to use a larger glass, or I end up sipping the cocktail from the glass before pouring out the last bit. Since it has cayenne pepper, hurriedly sipping the drink to make more room can be a little uncomfortable.

The cocktail used to be served at No. 9 Park, but when I was there for Restaurant Week I was told they no longer make them. What a pity!

(For those wondering, the honey syrup is one part honey, one part water, stirred over heat until the honey has completely mixed in.)

Sweet vermouth

For the past month or so I've been trying to make myself the perfect Manhattan. This means that I've been working with sweet vermouth. The first one I bought, Noilly Prat, was far to heavy for me, and had a strange taste to it. Plus, the smell reminds me of a mushroom sauce. I like mushrooms, but I don't want to drink them.

The second is the old standby, Martini & Rossi. It's lighter than the Noilly, and I like it better, but it still had a slightly overpowering taste that I didn't like. But I would definitely use it over the Noilly Prat.

Today I treated myself and bought a bottle of Vya sweet vermouth from Brix. I'd heard it was very good, if expensive. I bought a 750 ml bottle for $25. When I got home I sampled it. Oh. My. Goodness. It is heavenly. It's light, but flavorful, and not too sweet. I tried it in a Manhattan, and it turned out well. Unlike the Manhattans with the othe two vermouths, I thought this one had a touch too much rye. Because the Vya is so good, you can use more of it in a Manhattan than the others.

I think the Noilly Prat will be relegated to a cooking vermouth, the Martini & Rossi to an every day vermouth, and the Vya will be the sweet vermouth of choice.

If I start experimenting with dry martnis I will just go straight for the Vya dry vermouth. I doubt I'll even bother with Noilly Prat or Martini & Rossi.