Punch Parties!

Those dog days of summer are here and who wants to shake and stir cocktails all night?  Make it easy on yourself and whip up these fine punches and rest your weary dogs.  Enjoy the party! 

Iberian Punch

Named for the European peninsula that contains Portugal, Spain and parts of France, this party drink packs its punch with wines and grape based spirits from that region.

¼ cup Madeira (if you can find the Rare Wine Historic Series New Orleans, you’ll thank me.  The Savannah series is great too)

¼ cup Ruby Port (I use Sandeman)

1 ½ cups amontillado sherry (try Lustau Los Arcos)

¼ cup Grand Marnier

2 chilled 750-ml bottles sparkling wine (Spanish Cava works well, Champagne is you are feeling fancy)

1 ½ cups Cognac (I use Pierre Ferrand 1840)

8 lemons

1/2 cup light raw sugar

Block Ice

Apple slices cut into festive shapes and frozen grapes

Fresh Grated Nutmeg (the fresh nut is a must)

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the lemons, and try to only remove the peel as the with pith can be bitter.

Muddle the peels in a bowl with the sugar and set aside for an hour to let the flavors combine.

Juice the lemons to make about 8oz of lemon juice. Add lemon juice to the bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Strain the mixture, without the lemon peel into your punch bowl.

Add all the wines and liqueurs except for the Bubbles (save that for right before you serve) and add a block of ice (this can be made days before with a silicone baking dish)

For Garnish: Freeze individually picked grapes.  Right before serving, cut apples going from top to bottom and cut out festive shapes like stars, circles and trees with cookie cutters.  Add sparkling wine right before serving and grate fresh nutmeg over the entire punch bowl.

Irish Channel Punch

Satsuma is a local Louisiana citrus in season in the fall.  Its bright and bitter citrus flavor is perfect match with the subtle golden spiciness of the Irish whiskey.

Satsuma Punch

MAKES 9½ CUPS
 

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. fresh satsuma juice, plus zest
8 oz. fresh lemon juice, plus zest
8 oz sugar
750 ml strong Assam tea
1 (750 ml) bottle Irish whiskey
2 oz. Amer Hiver (Bitter orange and cinnamon liqueur)
1 oz. rosewater syrup*
Freshly grated nutmeg, for serving
Satsuma peel, for garnish
 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large punch bowl, toss the satsuma zest and lemon zest with the turbinado sugar and muddle well. Let sit for one hour.
   
   2. Add satsuma juice, lemon juice, tea, whiskey, liqueur, and rosewater syrup; stir until sugar has dissolved. Strain, chill, and serve with a dash of grated nutmeg. Garnish with satsuma peel, if you like.

Rosewater syrup can be found in some specialty stores.  Or you can make a simple syrup and ad a few drops of rosewater to taste.

Apple Pickin’ Punch

Upstate New York, where I am from, has a fine tradition of picking apple in the autumn.  This punch would be the perfect refresher after spending a crisp fall day in the orchard with the rye giving it a nice spice.

SERVES 15-20

INGREDIENTS

8 cups apple cider
3 cans (about 750ml) of dry hard cider (such as Crispen)

1 750ml bottles of ginger beer (such as Gingeroo) 

1 750ml bottle Rye Whiskey (such as Willett or Bulliet)
4 oz lemon juice

Several dashes orange bitters
1 orange sliced into rounds, and apples into Stars for garnish
Cinnamon sticks, star anise for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the ciders, ginger beer, whiskey, lemon juice, and bitters in a large punch bowl or pitcher. Stir to combine. Top with orange slices and cinnamon sticks. Ladle into ice-filled punch glasses.

I’ll Take Manhattan

My Manhattan variations 

My favorite historical cocktail is the Manhattan.  This is the drink that exemplifies the cosmic shift in the universe from New Orleans to New York.  Why I dare say the cocktail’s rise to fame and glory began the day they finished the Eire Canal.  New York City becomes the most important port in America and our elders across the pond began to take notice.  Trade brings wine, spirits and vermouth from the Old Country as well as their tired and poor yearning to drink free.  This old world drinking style combines in a glass with bitters,  American Rye whiskey, the spirit George Washington and Thomas Jefferson made,  and pour like silk woven into the new American fabric.  The drink represents the new sophistication of Industrialized America and the world wide scope that our power now reached.

On a personal note, this is the first drink I learned how to make.  My grandpa taught me when I was 7 so I literally have over 30 years of experience making a Manhattan.  My Gramps had 44 grand kids and I was a girl right in the middle trying to get his attention and since I was always obsessed with those classic cocktail placemats at the diners our family would frequent, I became his personal barman.  He liked his sweet, a  1:1 ratio bourbon to sweet vermouth.  I like mine perfect with a twist, and with Rye, natch.

It was family lore that my Grandfather’s parents met while they were working at the old Waldorf-Astoria hotel.  But I have only recently discovered that my great –grandfather worked as a Waiter and bar man and made have been under the tutelage of the famous Oscar Tschirky.

It is my personal quest to find out more of about the origins and popularity of my favorite cocktail, The Manhattan and the city where my family bloomed.

My variations

Big Chief

2 oz Bourbon (Willet Pot Still)

½ oz Averna

½ oz Punt e Mes

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a flamed orange disk

Longshorman

2 oz Rye (Willet Rye)

½ oz Averna

½ oz Punt e Mes

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a flamed orange disk

The bitters are in the Punt e mes and this has a darker, deeper richer Manhattan.  Make it with Rye and I call it The Longshorman, because of its similarities to a Red Hook, which is based on the Brooklyn, which, in turn, was based on the Manhattan. They are both great 3 ingredient cocktails.

New York Mutt

2 oz Irish Whiskey (love Knappogue Castle 12 year old single malt..or Power’s John Lane)

½ oz  Pierre Ferrand dry curacao

¾ oz Sweet vermouth (Cinzano)

Dash of Maraschino Liqueur

Dash of Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Bitters

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist

I am Irish, Italian, Sicilian, French and Austrian.  My Mom used to call me a New York Mutt.  The ingredients in this cocktail represent every country my ancestors left to come to America, specifically, New York City.

7 Steps to Hell

2 oz Scotch (Black Grouse)

½ oz  Pierre Ferrand dry curacao

¾ oz Sweet vermouth (Cinzano)

Dash of Maraschino Liqueur

3 Dash of Bitter Truth Creole Bitters

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist

A twist on my New York Mutt, this contains ingredients from all the countries my Grandfather Vincent served in during WWII.  He fought in Patton’s 7^th army, his unit’s name?  7 Steps to Hell.  My Grammy’s nickname to this day is Hell Kitty.  She was their pin up mascot.

Old Square

1 oz Bourbon

1 oz Lairds Apple Brandy, Bonded

1 oz sweet vermouth

Barspoon of Benedictine

Dash of Ango bittere

Dash of Orange bitters

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a lemon twist

Really a Vieux Carre variation (which I see as a Manhattan variation for sure), but more “American” with the apple brandy and Bourbon, our official spirit as of 1964, and served up instead of on the rocks.  Came to me when I preferred my Vieux Carre’s served up and my Nola bartending friends told me emphatically that it was not a Vieux Carre if it was not served on the rocks.

Hickory Chicory Dock

2 oz Rye (Willet Rye)

1 oz Hoodoo Chicory Liquor

Dash of Orange bitters

Dash of Chocolate Mole bitters

Strain and serve up in a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry

This is a nice twist if you can get your hands on this chicory liqueur.  

Perfect Pearing

1 oz Bourbon

1 oz Pear Brandy

1 oz Martini Gran Lusso (Or Lillet Red)

Stir over a big rock and garnish with a dusting of fresh grated cinnamon

Really I think this is another Vieux Carre variation, but certainly rooted in the principle ideas of the Manhattan.  Spirit, Vermouth and hint of bitter or bark in a 2:1:dash ratio.

Whiskey

Santa Baby, slip this whiskey under my tree?

Just to let you know how far we have come in our selection of Whiskey...

Last night I was at a new music venue to see The Black Crowes.  PS, Amazing show, my first time seeing one of my favorite rock bands...Finally!  They played Twice as Hard and I was 17 again, driving those country roads in Virginia in my pick up truck names Elvis again.

But I am not 17 anymore, and thank goodness because now I can drink at rock shows!  And drink I did.

I started with a really fine Tennessee whiskey cocktail.  No, not Jack...they had George Dickel!  They made a delicious Old Fashioned with honey and Boston bitters.  Well done, Civic.  They teamed up with my dear friend Neal Bodenheimer of Cure and Bellocq to make easy and delicious cocktails using small batch and organic spirits.  The batched cocktails look clean and inviting in lovely glass bottles.  I will go back to try them all, but I decided I was on a whiskey adventure.

So next stop on my whiskey safari was Islay.   I had some Organic Bruichladdich scotch.  A treat but I had to!  I have been to that distillery, so I slurred to the bartender as he called it a Bourbon!  No!  Its a scotch.  And a mighty fine one too.

I slowed down and next just poured some Rye Whiskey from my Punch Brother's flask over some fresh rocks.  I assume its some Bulliet Rye.  Tastes good.

They I ended my whiskey parade with some Micheal Powers Irish whiskey.  I had heard rumors that this Whiskey had been discontinued.  Better drink it up before its gone, I guess.

Tennessee, Scotch, Rye, Irish.  So many whiskeys available on a single night.  Whiskey is back.  We are living in a new golden age.  Golden brown honey spicy smokey age.  Yum.

Bourbon for Breakfast?

So This Happened...



I'm on a bus!

 There is still a magic to living in New Orleans.  Just when I felt all used up.  Just when I started to feel the persistent battering ram of doubt, pity and self hate.  Then something wonderful happens.  Some boys came into town.  But not just any boys.  Lovely sweet boys with massive talent.  Genius talent some say...Boys that dedicated a song to ME in a crowded room filled with fans.

I am RyeGirl, after all.  Rye Whiskey is my jam.  LeSigh.  Thank you, oh goddess of Nola.