SF vs NYC?

My loving Father sent me this article form the San Fransisco Gate about the West Coast/East Coast divide among the cocktail-lovin' crowd. It goes into great detail about the historical and geographical differences between our two most prized cities: New York and San Fransisco. There are some delicious recipes at the end of the piece and I was particularly drawn to the classic Death & Co The Final Ward and the yummy Peach Old Fashioned from Nopa in SF.

But what of New Orleans?! Hello? The cocktail was invented there and I wish I was there right now for Tales of the Cocktail. What a great Birthday present that would be for RyeGirl! Surely we are being a bit too bi-coastal, SF Gate?

I have little experience in San Fransisco, but I liked what I saw (and tasted!). But I do have to agree that the fact that NYC bartenders don't use as much "Green Market" ingredients is myth. Just look at Tailor, or EO, or even my own experience preparing for my Square Off Challenge. Our Green Markets had just as much available, if not more. Throw in our love of history and out continuing thirst for the next big thing and I think we could take SF any day in a cocktail fight! Of course, I failed my city once. But that which does not kill me...probably needs to be stronger, pour in more booze!

[SF Gate]

Blending into Summer

The Times today did a piece on summer blender drinks and quoted my own dear Duggan McDonnell of San Francisco. Duggan was the gracious and entertaining host of the Square Off Cocktail showdown I participated in last year. After party drinks, I was told, were at, “Duggan’s Place”, which I took to be the name of the bar and ended up hopelessly lost, despondent and cocktail-free in San Francisco…Oh well. Next time I am in SF I will have to check out the very cool Cantina (Duggan’s actual bar!)

The technique for a proper blender drink is well documented in the article, but I also feel the blender and the blades make a big difference. They just don’t make them that great anymore, at least not in my price point. But my little Kitchen Aid at home is well suited for flash blending, my preferred technique for the Watermelon Cooler.

I have recently noticed a snubbing of Vodka at the local haughty cocktail joints such as Death & Co. But this drink reminds me of the vodka lemonades that kept me in good spirits during a summer gig in sunny Santa Monica the summer I turned 22. Refreshing, reviving and easy to pick up at the local supermarket.

This drink is a bit more filling and deceiving than the Vodka Lemonade, but that is just the nature of blender drinks. Flash blending not only keeps the drink nice and chunky, it prevents the mint from being pulverized, turning the drink into a gray slush. So be careful with that pulse button. Strain into cocktail glass for an elegant touch, or serve unstrained with one of those straws with a spoon at the end for that kiddie flair. Guess which way I prefer?

Watermelon Cooler
Vodka
Chunk Watermelon
Ice
Limoncello
Lemon juice
A few leaves of mint

Garnish with lemon wheel.

[NY Times]

Kentucky Tea

The term "Kentucky Tea" can be slang for Bourbon, or a tall drink involving bourbon, ginger ale and maybe some triple sec. But to me that is a Maker's 8: Makers and Ale-8, a Kentucky caffeinated ginger ale that is a must when I take the court at Floyd to play with Joanie Loves Bocce. But being a lover of a tall glass of ice tea in the summertime, I wanted to create a real Kentucky tea with bourbon and iced tea.

Luckily, while escaping to the mountain cabin this past summer solstice weekend, the ingredients presented themselves. I prefer my iced tea unsweetened, but to mellow out the whiskey with a touch of sweetness I found a bottle of Wild Turkey Honey Liquor buried in the back of the upstate liquor reserves. This bottle I have is old school and the brand has since been re-vamped and repackaged as American Honey. But its still tasted good while swinging on the hammock enjoying the perfect summer day.

Unfortunately it did not have the same effect on my bocce play as my treasured Maker's 8's and I loss the second game of the day. But I will not blame the Tea..it could have been my Dad's higher proportion of Italian blood. Better to play the bocce, better to drink the bourbon.

Kentucky Tea (Catskill Version)
Bourbon or Canadian Whiskey (Dad's Choice)
Fresh brewed Iced Tea
American Honey (Wild Turkey Honey Liquor)
Splash of Lemon
Splash of soda

Pour all ingredients in a tall Collins glass over cracked ice with a lemon wedge.

Sloe Gin

The NY Times on Sunday featured a cocktail using the first real Sloe Gin in the country in years. I could have used one last night when during the rainy premiere of the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. I would have liked to have Sean Connery from Dr. No whisper in my ear, "Would you care for a Wibble, Darling?"

I have always been curious about the Sloe Gin Fizz ever since it first showed up on my Palace Diner place mat. Now I can have a real one?! Oh the tasting kitchen is open again at Casa Di RyeGirl. Anyone is welcome to stop by.

From this article in the Times, it looks as though I have to make a trip to London soon. As if Liquid Deli's weren't enough...They apparently have good bartenders. VERY good, from what I hear. Wink wink nudge nudge. You know what I mean? Say no more, say no more.

[Shaken and Stirred]

I have tasted Heaven...

...And it is Sam Mason's butterscotch pork belly. It is not as strange as it sounds. Who hasn't enjoyed dunking their bacon or sausage in maple syrup? And I do a wonderful pork loin in cherries and grapes with an orange juice glaze. Fatty savory Pork and sweet stuff always was a good combination. But at Tailor in Soho, chef Sam Mason takes sweet and savory to new and remarkable heights. His favors are really pure, and due to the molecular gastronomic pedigree from his time as the pastry chef at WD~50, really interesting as well. RyeGirl is just as adventurous with her food as she is with her cocktail concoctions. And since her family name is French for "One who eats many desserts", Tailor and Sam Mason are a good match for her. I adore the flavors of the fluke with pine needle ponzu, roasted pine nuts and crispy thin slices of pineapple. The mango ravioli with cilantro foam and black rice ice cream tastes like fresh salsa. This is a place where you can eat your dessert first!

The Mushroom Margarita

Oh, but what of the cocktails? Just as innovative and exciting. I started with The Waylon, a Bourbon and smoked coke. The coke is smoked while still in syrup form. Its smooth and it goes down very easy. Troy, my lovely and friendly barkeep, recommended the Kumquat Caipirinha next since their season was coming to an end. I love a bar that keeps things fresh and seasonal. I was so grateful for the wooden spork to scoop up all those luscious kumquats and the soy caramel rim was reminiscent of my sugar caramel rim on my Apple Pie-tini. I am a fresh veggie juice nut so I loved the spiked version they have in the Beet Sangria. A portion of the Pumpernickel Raisin Scotch tasted like fresh buttered toast. The Mushroom Margarita with Huitalacoche Mezcal and lava salt is a true stand out drink. These drinks can be confused for meals they are so complex and flavorful.

Now if only they would install a Liquid Deli so I could get that Root Beer Rye on tap...Perfection!











Speaking of perfection...yes..I have a little crush. I dare you to resist a place filled with handsome gentlemen such as these?!

Girl Drink Drunk

Vacation can be a tricky time for RyeGirl. Strange bars uses strange ingredients and the bartender may not be skilled enough to be trusted with a simple Gimlet. So on my recent travels to the Left Coast, I tried to keep it simple: Gin on the rocks with a splash of lime, Bourbon and ginger. At a house party that was BYOB, I got a little crazy and purchased a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 and Mexican seltzer water. A friend helpfully pointed out, "Aren't you not supposed to drink the water in Mexico?!" True. Very True.

But even in a big city like LA I am amazed by the cultural differences. In -N- Out Burger, Jack -N-The Box, Rite-N-Aid, etc...Why just look at all the technocolor varieties of Boones Farm, Thunderbird and Night Train they have at the local Bodega on Vermont in Korea Town?!?Ahhhh...Boones Farm...Strawberry Hill...That brought back some memories of the rolling hills of Virginia, when we all wanted our cocktails to taste like candy and have little umbrellas. Someone wanted me to come up with some of the grossest cocktails, but even in High School I was using Kool-Aid to dye my hair, not mix with my liquor. So Dave...This is for you: