Punch in the Mouth

Dang! I need a good drink! I feel like its been 14 years! Its a good thing my Cocktail Daddy and his lovely Bride are throwing their annual Holidaze gathering tonight. Not only has their company been sadly missing from my life these last few months, but I am in need of Cocktail Love. And its REPEAL DAY! HooRAY!

This year I get to participate in the Red/Green cocktail throwdown with my own Jalisco Punch. I did a test run of this punch at a tasting in Brooklyn last week and it was pretty good. I used the standard proportions from my brother-in-cocktail, "One the sour, two of the sweet, three of the strong and 4 of the weak".

For the sour I used a combo of fresh squeezed lemon, Lime and Grapefruit. The sweet is a combo of agave, Russian rose-berry syrup and some lovely pure cane grenadine from Montreal for that bright red kick. The strong is my own Luna Sueno Reposado. The weak is a combo of sparkling items; champagne and club and grapefruit soda. There is a dash of grapefruit bitters in there for good measure and some lovely garnish.

This morning I am roasting some fresh grapefruit studded with clove and star anise in maple syrup. Its the Mexican-French Canadian connection.

Sugar and Spice and everything nice!

Happy Holidaze and Happy Repeal day my lush Friends!

Jalisco Punch
1 part Lime, Lemon & Grapefruit
2 part agave, rose-berry syrup & Grenadine
3 part Luna Sueno Reposado
4 part Sparkling goodness

Coquito

Coquito is like a Puerto Rican egg nog and since I love egg nog and happen to live in a Caribbean neighborhood, I thought this would be the perfect choice for some RyeGirl inspired Holidaze treats.

This recipe was pretty easy too, if a bit messy in the kitchen. First I put two beaten egg yolks in a double boiler with one can of evaporated milk and some cinnamon sticks and star anise. Cook over gently boiling water siring until its thick enough to coat the whisk. I love this part. It reminds me of making pudding, my favorite dessert.

oooh! Pretty Spices!

Into a blender goes the eggy milk (with the spices strained out), sweetned condensed milk, coconut cream and a secret blend of spices and booze. Blend until smooth and then chill overnight.



Serve in a small glass and top with fresh grated nutmeg. The result is so creamy and sweet...no wonder the drink it in a shot glass...any more might give you a diabetic attack!

Its tasty for breakfast and reminds me of my Grammy's Rice pudding. Yum yum!

Happy Holidaze!

RyeGirl Coquito
1 can Evaporated Milk
2 beaten egg yolks
1 can coconut milk or cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Spices to taste (cloves, cinnamon, Chinese Five spice, ginger, nutmeg)
1/3 cup Brinley Gold Coconut Rum
1/3 cup Brinley Gold Vanilla Rum
1/3 cup Atlantico Dominican rum

Bloody Mary Club

Yesterday I biked to Brooklyn for a world class brunch. I missed the food due to my performance schedule, but did manage to consume some lovely punch and bloody Marys before wobbling back over the Williamsburg Bridge. Nothing like chipotle vodka and homemade pickled fennel and brussel sprouts to fuel your ride.

My friend Susan made three types of mix, hot, not so hot and very hot and the spread of garnish was delectable. I like a salad in my Bloody Mary. I like being abale to mix my own. It made me have fond memories of the "Worlds Largest make own Blood Mary Bar" in Inman Square, Cambridge.

This got us thinking about having a regular Bloody Mary club. One where the spread of fixin'swould be farmers market fresh and the booze high quality. We have a location too, since my performance space has a liquor licence and is free Sunday mornings. We could have weekly sponsors and guest chefs to have food pairings with the Bloodys.

So I am putting the call out and hopefully soon turn this into a monthly affair. Who is ready to be a member of the club? Who would like to guest bartend/cook?

Don't Be Bitter

It is such a blessing to live in New York City. It still is a wonderful city where people of passion and innovation come to fulfill their dreams. The world's greatest artists are just a short train ride away. It would seem a shame not to spend every day in this city on some sort of quest for beauty and love.

So when I read about a woman on Brooklyn's frontier who had opened up a liquor store with the NYC's largest whiskey collection, I knew it was going to be something special. LeNell's in Red Hook was a Mecca to lovers of fine spirits. Her collection was well picked and full of new discoveries. It was there I met Master Distillers, became a bitters freak and bought gin from a real claw foot bathtub.

I don't get bitter about the success and confidence that some women have, for it is all good for the sisterhood. But somehow I really felt like I needed to be Lenell's friend. Was I envious of her collection? Her access to great spirits? Oh hell yes. Was I bitter? Hell no.

Strangely enough, however, it was our mutual love for a man, not a whiskey that really brought LeNell and I together as friends. Over dirty stories and a lot of laughter, she became a guiding light to me, full of fun, bravery, and a lot of moxie. Her home was just like her soul, full of detail and overflowing with beauty. And the beating heart of it was her massive collection of rare and interesting spirits. It took all my will power not to dive in head first.

Lenell (and her Whiskey) helped nurse me through and rather horrid break up. So when she had to change her plans due to an asshole landlord, I looked forward to offering what comfort I could. And when faced with the decision to leave NYC I remember thinking about how this city has tossed me about. I have left it many times, but when I come back, it is always still here. I told her, "We will always be here for you Lenell, New York will be here. But for love? Ah I would cross oceans and continents for that."

Well she only had to go to Mexico to follow her love. She and her wonderful man are opening up a resort, magical grotto for those inclined to love and imbibe with reckless abandoned...a place for me, clearly. I can't wait to visit Casa Coctel and my beautiful Lenell.

And what of her marvelous collection? I was able to wrap it carefully in my loving hands. Dish by dish, glass by lovely glass, bottle by delicious bottle, we spend weeks packing her treasure. We invented new cocktails and I drank so much rye, I could feel it escaping through my skin. And when I kissed her good-bye, it was with great happiness and love for her and her new adventure. No bitterness at all.

LeNell's
Dash Of Bitters - Beefeater Bitter Truth Contest

Happy Halloween!

Last night at the beautiful Louis 649, Hendrick's brand ambassador Jim Ryan whipped up some tasting drinks for the holidaze.

First he stared out with a tasty punch. According to my brother-in-cocktail's site Punch in the Mouth, a punch is "One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak." Mr. Ryan's was a tart and dry combination of tea, gin and soda. My instructions were to muddle honey and dried cranberries and then added lemon juice to break it up. Then into the bowl goes chamomile tea, Old-Fashioned bitters, Hendricks Gin, and pomegranate soda. Garnish with thinly sliced cucumber and orange wheels with clove studs. It was a very tasty punch that will go on my Holidaze table for sure. He christened this punch, Persephone's Punch so it looks like my Christmas party this year will have a Greek theme! Good thing since I have no room this year and was hoping my Greek neighbor would host in his apartment. Besides..I love feta.

Next he had some delicious Halloween drinks. There is blood vodka, dyed corn syrup etc... but I prefer the classic drinks that have creepy names. And if they are equal part drinks, they are even easier to make when you are blinded by your false eyelashes and sexy costume (sexy balloon boy?)

So while we had Satan's Bloody Whiskers and Corpse Reviver no 2 last night, but I'll throw in a favorite, The Obituary Cocktail in there too.

Mr. Ryan explained that Corpse Reviver's are a whole category of "wake me up" drinks. They usually have some citrus, so think of it as your morning orange juice...with Blood! MoaHa ha ha ha ha!

Satan's Bloody Whiskers
3/4 part Lillet Blanc
3/4 part Lillet Rouge
3/4 part Orange Juice
3/4 part Hendricks Gin
1/2 part Solerno Blood orange liqueur
Dash orange bitters

Corpse Reviver no 2
Equal parts blood orange liqueur, lemon, Hendricks Gin and a dash of absinthe

Obituary Cocktail
2 oz gin
1/4 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz absinthe

Bartender's Choice

This is my favorite game to play. Some bars actually list this on their menu as an option. Little Branch is one of my favorite places because I have never been unhappy with Bartender's choice...and I have never even met a bartender there due to the lack of seating at the bar. Big kudos go to the fantastic cocktail ladies who have always taken such good care of me at Little Branch.

Still, even with bartender friends, this can me a tricky choice. I like Rye (no secret there) and I often like to use that as a guiding spirit in my Bartender's choice. But If I wanted a Sazerac, I would have ordered one. Bartender's choice should be a chance to play, invent, make up something new. And that is just what I got from my dear friend James at The Porterhouse this evening.

Into a shaker went Rye (Ri), Cherry Heering, maraschino liquor, whiskey barrel aged bitters, a splash of OJ and mint. Out came and delicious and utterly new concoction. Francine said it was the kind of drink she would like poured all over her body for a lover to taste. Yum.. I concur.

And the kicker was when I asked what this new drink was called, James responded, "Why The Abigail of course. Of course. My own cocktail tailored especially for me. Exactly what a Bartender's Choice should be.

Thank you my dear James!

The Abigail and James

Oh this is not good...

Some dear friends of mine have the misfortune of appearing on this show. I only had the misfortune of waiting in a dank basement with a bunch of weird drunk extra whores for about an hour before I scrammed.

The descriptions make me shiver.

Its truly a shame that this show was not handled better. Especially in NYC, home to some of the greatest bartenders in the world.

Thankfully, I do not even know what channel this is on.

"Here's hoping this "War" will end all Wars"
[Washington Post]