Rock Stars

Rock Stars

One of the best things about my job is the delightful wonderful charming lovely people I get to meet.  Thanks to my dear friend Lorelei, and some positive Yelp reviews, some more of these people found me.  These guys were sweet enough to get some of us from the restaurant into their sold out show, hang out with us in the VIP room, and be generally awesome, kind and funny.  And they had the audacity to call ME the rockstar!  

Here is The Barnacle created for Aaron of Awol Nation last night.  Thanks guys!

The Barnacle
1 1/2 oz Johnny Drum Bourbon
1/2 oz Willett Reserve Rye
1/2  oz Apricot liqueur
1/2 oz lemon
dash of ginger syrup

shake serve up

Creole Commando

One of my favorite drinks I learned during my time at The Beagle in NYC was the Commando.  Its a variation of the Sidecar, another favorite classic of mine.  And here at SoBou, when people ask for an off menu drink, I often guide them to the Commando.  Its refreshing and citrusy but has a nice Bourbon kick.  And the Absinthe rinse is pure New Orleans.  

The Commando was such a hit with a customer last night, that he asked for further variations of THAT drink!  Well, easily done as Creole Shubb makes an interesting, more Nola alternative to Cointreau and this blog is called RyeGirl, after all.  So I present the Creole Commando!  Reminds me of all my New Orleans friends who spent the recent hurricane with pistols and automatic weapons strapped to their sides (yikes!).





Creole Commando
1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1 oz Rhum Clément Creole Shrubb
1/2 oz Lemon juice

Rinse coupe with Absinthe. Shake, strain up, no garnish.

Commando 

1/2 oz lemon,
1 oz Cointreau,
1 1/2 Elijah Craig 12yr.

Rinse coupe with Absinthe. Shake, strain up, no garnish.

Sidecar

3/4 oz Lemon

3/4 oz Cointreau

1 1/2 oz Brandy or Cognac (Lairds apple brandy is good!)

rim glass with lemon juice and sugar rim, shake, strain up. 

Sunday Brunch

Its fine and dandy to treat yourself to beinets in New Orleans.  Its quite another to bring a box of the mix home and hook up the electric fryer. Ok I don't even have a fryer and never put more than a spash of oil in a pot since the great popcorn fire of 1985.  So when our j'adorable waiter said they make good pancakes, a light went on.

Throw in an egg, some butter milk and I made Cafe Du Monde buttermilk pancakes with fresh blackberries and yogurt. Perfect pairing with a Brandy Milk Maple punch.

Brandy Milk Maple Punch

1 1/2 VSOP Brandy
3/4 Maple Syrup
4 oz Milk
Dash of natural vanilla extract

PS...good with Bourbon too!

Fall Cocktails

A chill has fallen over New York City and I am looking for ways to warm up my insides.  Good thing I love good booze.


With Oktoberfest right around he corner, I am enjoying more beer cocktails.  My colleague at The Beagle, Tom, has created a refreshing cocktail called the Hop Over.  Its a refreshing mix of IPA, lemon, Genever and Velvet Falernum, or rather Velour Falernum since Dan has begun making his own.Falernum is a spiced liqueur from the cariibean flavers with clove and lime zest.


On the seasonal front, its apple time here in New York State and I made my own appletini with the last of the fresh raspberries, apple brandy, lemon, honey and ginger. Grate cinnamon over a red apple slice fan and you have a real fall beauty.


Apple Brandy is a wonderful introduction to Fall cocktails.  At Fort Defiance we have the Marconi Wireless, a Manhattan variation with Lairds mixed with two kinds of sweet vermouth.  How can you go wrong with a Manhattan variation?


And this is my favorite time of year here in NYC.  The weather is spectacular so why not celebrate the change of seasons with my favorite drink, a Manhattan?  As long as your vermouth is fresh and your cherries aren't radioactive, a well made Manhattan should be easy.  Try cutting the vermouth with a rich amaro like Averna or a bitter one like Campari for a different twist on a Manhattan.  Or how about half bourbon half rye?  Its is Bourbon Heritage Month after all...


Indian Summer
2 oz Apple Brandy
1/2 oz honey syrup
1/2 oz ginger syrup
3/4 oz lemon juice
Fresh raspberries


Muddle raspberries with ginger and honey syrup. Shake with brandy and lemon juice and strain over fresh ice into an old fashioned glass.  Garnish with a fan of sliced apple and fresh grated cinnamon.

Whiskey Primer

Whiskey under a Microscope: Cool, FSU!!!

Since I got back from Ireland and Scotland, a lot of people have been asking me about Whiskey production. I have a much better sense of it now that I have been to the great distilleries of Islay (its still a lot of waiting though and I am not a patient girl). But my dad has sent me a wonderful little primer from the BBC, always a great source of news. So check this out if you are still confused about Whiskey or Whisky or its place in the world.

Thanks Dad!

Travelwise: A guide to the lingo and history of Whiskey
[BBC.com]

Pop Up Art

So if you have been watching Top Chef this season you know that Pop Up restaurants are all the rage. They are a temporary concept for a restaurant that is bare bones and a bit more fun since they are not tied to permanent idea. The boys form Fatty Crab and Fatty 'Cue decided to do just that with their former Cabrito space in the West Village and open Fatty Johnsons. They also have had the brilliant ideas to get the city's talented bartenders in on the fun. Guest bartending is a lot of hard work but it is also a neat opportunity to show off some of your own drinks and just play in someone else's sandbox.

Tonight Ivy Mix and I are popping up behind the stick at Fatty's. Here is a sneak preview of our menu. Hope to see you all in my old neighborhood!

La Dulce Vida
1.5 oz Chairman's Reserve Rum
3/4 oz Vida Mezcal
3/4 oz lime
3/4 oz Spiced Syrup (Abby's Mix)

Shake serve up in coup with grated cinnamon

Morton Street
1 oz Bourbon
1 oz Wild Turkey Rye
2 oz Fresh Grapefruit
3/4 oz rosemary infused Maple Syrup
Club Soda

Shake, serve on the rocks in a collins glass, top with soda and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary

7 Steps to Hell
1.5 oz Compass Box Oak Cross
1/2 oz Maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz Cynar
Barspoon of Peat Monster
dash each of Jerry Thomas Own Decanter and Creole Bitters

Stir serve up in a glass spritzed with Peat Monster and lemon twist

Jezebel

1.5 hendricks
1 banks rum
.5 cocchi americano
.5 dolin dry
dash of angostura orange bitters
stir, coupe/martini/up, lemon twist

Collo Rosso

1 appleton VX
3/4 old forester 101
3/4 carpano antica
1/2 campari
stir, dbl rocks, rocks, orange twist

La Sonámula

1.5 jalapeño infused jimador blanco tequila
1 lemon juice
3/4 chamomile syrup
2 dash peychaud
shake, coupe/martini/up, thyme sprig garnish (optional)

Tis the Season: Dream Gifts

Aaron Keim of Colorado and Beansprout musical instruments has created this wonderful Cocktail/song book. Utterly j'adorable! This book would make a wonderful present for you booze and music loving friends (like myself). Perhaps with a bottle of Stranahans Colorado Whiskey?

This boy would also make a great present for me. Can someone please find me the unmarried version? Thanks, Santa!

Happy Holidaze!

I started celebrating early last night when I saw (via a friend on Twitter, wow, 21st century) that a cocktail of mine was going to be featured in the NY Times. I have my wonderful benevolent boss, St John Frizell to thank for this.

Of course he knew I would jump at the opportunity to make cocktails that went with specific occasions during the Holidays. I can't let a Holiday go by without creating an appropriate cocktail. In fact, for this assignment I created a few cocktails. The Happy Holidaze made the cut. I am so glad it did since The Happy Holidaze is what I called our yearly cocktail house party. I am looking forward to going out with the gang to sing Christmas Carols in Red Hook this year. I think for us pros we can add a smidge of Bourbon to the Holidaze too. What better way to make your singing more robust than knocking back a few of these puppies?! Stage fright? Nervous about singing off key? This drink puts the Daze back in Holidaze. I think Deck the Halls needs an air guitar solo...Go for it!!

Here is the another seasonal scenario that calls for a special cocktail, staying up the Christmas Eve to assemble the gifts for the kids. That tricycle we got for the lil' tike is way more complicated to put together than we thought. Tequila is a stimulant, to help you stay up past bedtime and the agave is a healthier option for raising your blood sugar (save the cookies for Santa). Plus, its nice to celebrate a lovely milestone as parents by having a little fun on your own as a couple. The Mistletoe makes the work easy!

The Mistletoe
1 oz Tequila Blanco
1/2 oz agave nectar
top with champagne and lime twist

Build ingredients in a wine glass.

"For Every Holiday Party, the Right Drink"
[NY Times]

Upper Manhattan

The Little Red Light House and the Great Gray Bridge.
One of the many reasons why I love my neighborhood...she'll get her own drink named after her some day soon...

Last night at Fort Defiance I was guilty of getting another regular customer hooked on my own take of a Manhattan. Our accountant loves this drink and it was created for his taste, but apparently it suits a lot of other tastes as well. Its a softer Manhattan with a kick of citrus and spice. I wanted to mimic a Vieux Carre and I wanted to use my spiced syrup for it is too good to be used on just one drink (see: First Salute). When John first tasted it he asked if it had a name. I said no, because I just invented it here and now. So in the tradition of letting my regulars name this drink, he christened it the Upper Manhattan.

See, its become quite the joke that I live in a neighborhood on the other side of the city from Fort Defiance, when most of the people who work there are local (or at least in Brooklyn). And yes, the commute is sometimes a drag. But I ask all, where else could I work where I have such wonderful customers, great co-workers, the best food and drink, an honorable boss, make rent and have health insurance? I have not been this happy about going to work since I was a nanny for Zach in my early 20's.

Besides. I love my neighborhood. If I could open up Fort Defiance on my block, I would. It is the kind of place I always wanted to open myself. Good food, good drink, good people...how can you go wrong with that formula? Its clearly harder than it seems.

This drink isn't as complicated as it looks. My boss rolled his eyes at me the first time I told him what was in it when John requested it from him, but it is no more complicated than the Vieux Carre currently on our menu. The Bourbon mellows out the rye, while the syrup punches up the spice. The light touch with both the syrup and the vermouth and the double bitters keeps it from being too sweet.

Upper Manhattan

1 oz Rye
1 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Carpano
Barspoon "Abby's Mix" Spiced Syrup*
Dash Orange Bitters
Dash Old Fashioned Bitters

Stir in a mixing glass over cracked ice, Strain and serve up with a cherry garnish.

*"Abby's Mix" is merely a simple syrup infused with cinnamon, star anise and grapefruit peels.

I'll Take Manhattan

I have been thinking about what my cocktail book would be like. I'd want to do something that combine history, personal and otherwise, my favorite spirits and the city that has inspired me this past two decades. The answer is simple; the Manhattan. Older than the Martini with countless variations, the Manhattan is the perfect subject. It also happened to be my favorite cocktail to both drink and play around with (Brown, Bitter & Stirred, Lindsay?).

So lets start at the beginning. The first Manhattan I had was with my Grampa Charbonneau. He liked his sweet, with bourbon (kinda hard to find rye then anyway) on the rocks with a cherry. I ordered the same from the bar as a fresh 21 year old eager to bond with my Gramps. We were in some family style restaurant, I can't remember which one. My Gramps liked placed like Perkins and the Pondarosa. When I went back for seconds I mentioned to the bartender that I found the drink a bit sweet. I don't know what kinds of bartending Angel was working the Golden Corral that night but he mentioned that I might take my Manhattan perfect. He messed around with the proportions and I had my first taste of how good a Manhattan could be. Oh, I still wanted the cherry of course. I was 21 after all.



Gramps Manhattan
1 1/2 oz Bourbon
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
Bitters

Stir on the rocks with a cherry

Perfect Manhattan
2 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth

Stir in a glass with cracked ice. Strain into a cocktail glass with a cherry.

The Maplecrest

Maplecrest Valley, Thomas Cole and Black Dome Mountains

Thursdays are turning into creative days at Fort Defiance. Maybe its the lag in business during these last dog days of summer. I certainly wasn't feeling up to being too creative tonight as I was fighting off fatigue and a sore throat. I was also fighting off some depression. Its been over a month since I have had a day off and since my birthday that I was upstate in my beautiful mountains with my family. I was fondly remembering my brother's gypsy wedding last summer in the rain and the Wild Mountain Mojitos I made spontaneously with bourbon, maple syrup, fernet and the wild thyme that grows all over our valley. Though I made it as a julep over cracked ice with a big sprig of flowering thyme, I thought it really is a variation of a Manhattan and should be served as such. Besides, Fort Defiance is a classy place. And this new updated version deserves a classy name.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I present the Maplecrest; named for the town in which it was created. The lavender and thyme is a classic herbs de Provence combination. The mix of rye and bourbon give it a spicy sweet flavor. With a spring of fresh thyme floating on top it is an elegant and beautiful cocktail.

The Maplecrest
1 oz Rye
1 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Lavender infused Maple Syrup
Fresh Thyme

Strip and muddle some fresh thyme leaves in the maple syrup. Add other ingredients, ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail coup and float a fresh branch of Thyme.

Small World

In August of 2008 I wrote on this blog about the lovely lady bartenders at Pegu Club. Tonight I learned that that lovely lady was probably none other than one of my dearest friends, Erin Williams of Hush Cocktails.

What a lovely small world we are in. I like it. And I love my LUPEC Ladies.

Speaking of lovely LUPEC ladies...well done to Yael at Painkiller for making amazing tiki drinks and workin' that jigger and blender like the pro that she is! Delicious and nutritious! This bourbon bitch had what is essentially a cucumber mint julep all mixed up in the fancy high tech blenders yum!

Too bad the seats at the bar are not designed for humans..ouch! I thought bike butt was painful this week, now I have Tiki bar butt!

Make sure you join Hush Cocktails and LUPEC at the Manhattan Cocktails Classic for the Micro Spirits Odyssey. This will be an all-day micro-distilling extravaganza at Butter Restaurant, featuring dozens of boutique brands, creative cocktails, and gourmet culinary pairings.

I am most looking forward to the seminar below:

Our "ForeBroads"
Sunday, May 16th, 3:00pm - 4:30pm

with Melanie Asher - CEO Macchu Pisco; Alexandra Guarnaschelli - Executive Chef, Butter Restaurant; Lynette Marrero - LUPEC NYC chapter president; Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan - Master of Wine; and Erin Williams - Founder, Hush Cocktails

Hear the stories of the woman's role in culinary and cocktail culture - along with distillation past, present, and future. Discover how females formed their roles working in distilleries during prohibition by running saloons and speakeasies, to the new trend of extremely successful women running their own restaurants, bars, distilleries and business related to.

This is now in my heart and head:

Jezebel Julep

If only you had worn that dress, Darling!

"I like my convictions undiluted, like my Bourbon"

This line spoken by the poor doomed Buck Cantrell in one of my favorite movies, Jezebel. Bette Davis plays a spoiled Southern Belle, Julie Marden, whose conflicted love for her man Preston Dillard, played by a dashing Henry Fonda, has dire consequences. Ms. Davis was awarded this picture when she was passed over for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. She won an Oscar for her role in Jezebel.

It all begins when Julie, to spite Pres, wears a red dress to the Olympus Ball. And what a dress! As is the White one she was supposed to wear. And the gorgeous number she wears to nurse Pres when he is sick with the Yellow Jack.

I was inspired by these beautiful dresses to do a fitting of the Vera Wang gown I want to wear to The USBY/LUPEC Winter Ball next week and guess what? It FITS! Hurray for working out! And that stomach bug I had this week. I can't wait to get down in that dress next week at our 80's prom in my belle of the ball Good Jezebel dress!



Alas, things do not work out so well for our dear Jezebel and her dress. So in her honor I created the Jezebel Julep. It had biblical implications with the pomegranate syrup and a deep red color like the dress that was her downfall. I like using Rosemary in this julep to make it bitter sweet. Just like love. Poor Julie! Love is cruel game. Happy Valentines Eve, darling!

Jezebel Julep
2 oz Bourbon
2 bar spoon Pomegranate Molasses
2 bar spoon Rosemary simple syrup

Pour ingredients over crushed ice in a Julep cup, swizzle and stir with a branch of fresh Rosemary.

I got to use my new vintage ice crusher to make this drink today! Thanks Dave!

My favorite part of the Trailer below is the title that says, "The story of a woman loved...when she should have been whipped!" Indeed!

Cocktail Diet?

Pretty AND Healthy? Maybe..it ain't Snackwells...
(PHOTO: Fritz Hahn - The Washington Post)

I never thought I drank enough to have an effect on my waistline. Mind you, the heaviest I have ever been was when I lived in Dublin, Ireland and the combination of greasy pub food, depression and massive quantities of beer certainly did the trick.

But when I lost my 50 extra pounds of Irish weight (I used to call it Guinness weight, but that is not fair since Guinness is actually a lower calorie beer) I kept the weight at bay with diet, exercise and much much much less beer. Seriously, you cannot drink much when you are only ingesting 1200 calories a day and working out for two hours.

So I started drinking more straight alcohol. And no more White Russian of my youth (except on occasion for a dessert nightcap) and it seemed a shame to mix fine rum with Diet Coke. So I took the stuff straight or maybe with some water.

But when I started cooking using only fresh seasonal ingredients, it became obvious that these flavors should also infuse my cocktails. I avoided new speak-cheesy joints that loaded their cocktails with sugar and never ordered an Old Fashioned from an untested source (no sugar, just a brandied cheer and orange wedge drenched in bitters is how I like it, if you are using Bourbon. One small cube of sugar if using rye).

I pretty much always assumed my drinks were lower in calories because they were smaller, used fresh ingredients and good alcohol. But cocktails tend to be trending to sweet again. There is a huge interest in sweeteners from the good (agave and maple syrup) to the bad (Stevia and Splenda). PS 7 in Washington DC even has very tasty cocktails at lower calories advertised on their menu. They are good cocktails and even being marketed as good for you. Protein due to the egg white? Ok, maybe a tad, but really...(insert eye roll here). If you are using fresh fruit like apples and kumquats, you should not have to add sugar anyway.

This is clearly aimed right between our threaded browns, Ladies, and I am a bit offended. This should not just be for girls. Come on fellas, I have seen far too much beer, or rather Bourbon Belly happening out there.

For my part, I think I going to have to start specifying that I prefer my drinks tart rather than sweet. Or better yet, with nothing but alcohol in them at all. Why waste precious empty alcohol calories on sugar in my drink?

People, like how I handle food and alcohol now, moderation. Enjoy, just don't over indulge!

Ok, I need to get thee to a Gym!

"Slimming Down PS 7's Cocktail Menu"
[Washington Post]

Whisk(e)y Master and Mistress!

Skyy Spirits World Class Whiskies held a beautiful event Sunday night at The Back Room. It was called Meet the Masters and included legendary Skyy Spirits Whisk(e)y Distillers. The speakeasy feel of the bar was a perfect place to honor Whiskey, a key spirit that was kept alive and actually became more popular during Prohibition. There were featured cocktails, and tasting tables in the cozy room. At each table a Mast Distiller himself held court. It was a lovely way to sip, savor and learn about the productions on these fine Whiskeys.

A personal highlight for me was meeting Jimmy Russell, the distiller behind my own personal favorite Wild Turkey brand. I learned from Jimmy that down in Kentucky, they don't call it Turkey, they call it 101. That brand is far more popular than the 80 proof in his home state. Though he was mum on the secret recipe, he did confirm that Wild Turkey is heavy on the Rye, always has been. It may be more expensive to produce it this way, but Mr. Russell wants it done right and is happy to be working with a group that allows him too. It was such an honor to sip Russell's Reserve Bourbon and Rye with Mr. Jimmy Russell himself.

Besides these wonderful pockets of whiskey wonderland, there was a bar set up for playtime. You know I love to play, so I got behind the bar and with some consulting help from a Mr. Jason Codd, created the Spring Training. A tasty fresh mix of maple syrup, rosemary, Bourbon and fresh grapefruit. This drink was given to the Master's to taste and my cocktail ended up winning the night! I received this glorious trophy signed by the Master's themselves!

The Winners!

Too much fun, too many Scotsmen, and too much whiskey!

We retired next door at Nurse Bettie to continue the celebration with gifted bartender Moses. A few cocktails and picklebacks later my last tweet of the night was "Help me! Moses!"

Featured Whiskies from the Skyy Spirits Portfolio included:
Cutty Sark
The Glenrothes
Glen Grant
Bowmore
Auchentoshan
Yamazaki
Hibiki
Wild Turkey/Russell's Reserve
Tullamore Dew

Try them all..I did! And lived to tell the tale.

The (award winning) Spring Training
2 oz Russell Reserve 6 year old Bourbon
1 1/2 oz fresh squeezed Grapefruit Juice
1 barspoon Maple syrup
Fresh rosemary

Pull the leaves off of one branch of rosemary and muddle with the maple syrup in the bottom of the shaker. Ad juice and bourbon and shake well with ice. Twist a grapefruit peel over the drink and garnish with fresh rosemary.

Pure Whiskey Joy

Happy New Beer!

I am enjoying a Special Holiday Ale from Anchor Brewing Co, while I can! Last year I got a 6 pack of this precious brew that Anchor only sells from November to mid-January and gave the bottles away as Christmas presents, thus depriving myself to a taste of the 2008 secret blend of spices. So while my palate is fresh I will report on the 2009 recipe; Nice molasses and earthy spice. There seems to be a dry pine finish that makes me feel like I am back in Northern California.

Ahh..San Francisco, Portland, Seattle. The North West is looking lovely these days. I have been dreaming of living somewhere else lately. Last night was an important anniversary for me and this city. 16 years ago I came up on a train with two suitcases and stayed in a building right next to the church where my grandparents were married. 14 years ago I moved into the room where I currently sit. So many things have changed. I am certainly not where I thought I would be 16 years on..still struggling to pay rent, still single, etc...But at least I don't drink White Russians and Cosmos any more! Who am I kidding...you know I still love a good Caucasian. And there are many other things have, blissfully stayed the same (like my youthful appearance and charming personality, natch).

Speaking of things staying the same...did you know 22 year olds still drink Red Headed Sluts and Kamikazes? I worked an open bar party in Hell's Kitchen last night. That was fun! It was nice to just flip some bottle and work that gun. And I made some nice cabbage that will come in handy this month. But how these kids drank?! Man...I stopped drinking that stuff before I was even old enough to drink! Its an open bar and you still want to drink Bud Light and well vodka and sodas? I was happy when someone ordered a Stoli O and soda..that is what I drank when I was 22! But I had an epic fail when it came to making some of these shots. Thank goodness I have a good memory and a killer palate. I was able to guess what was in a a Kamikaze just by remembering what it tasted like (Vodka, Triple Sec, Lime).

Besides, the Red Headed Slut was laid to rest and a lovely New Orleans style funeral at Tales of the Cocktail this year. So when I was faced with an order, the inner drink dork in me reared its cocky cocktail head, "I am sorry..she has been laid to rest. She is dead to me. Can I interest you in a Bayou Breakfast?" (Brinley Coconut & Coffee rum, Bourbon)

After a New Years Brunch of Korean Steak and Eggs and fresh raspberries with rum cream (Chairman's Reserve), Pal and I kept warm in the cold apartment watching The NHL Classic. There is something so sexy about outdoor hockey in a baseball park. And its just what I need to give me hope for the new year. It reminds me that Baseball season is creeping closer.

I have a lot to look forward to this year. New work, new relationships, new cocktails to drink. For today I will enjoy another new beer. And plot an escape from this city. Sometimes you need to go away to see what you are missing.

Florida Dreamin'

Spring Training has arrived, and just because I couldn't afford to go down to see the Boys this year, doesn't mean I can't celebrate with my boys up here. So I am off to an EO dinner tonight with my Cocktail and Baseball Daddies. I wonder if I can request a bartenders choice? Or maybe ask them to make my new Spring Training inspired drink? It is also inspired by The Brooklyn, Manhattan and Bronx, so I have names this one The Bell House in honor of my new favorite venue in Brooklyn (and in a blatant attempt to get a job there). Shake this one good and you have a refreshing Whiskey drink that would go well at any ballpark in Florida. If you make it with rye, its really spicy with the Rhubarb bitters. But its not too sweet with Bourbon, either. It's a nicely balanced drink.

The Bell House

Rye or Bourbon
Grand Mariner
Antiqua Formula
Orange Juice
Rhubarb Bitters

Shake ingredients well in a mixer over ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with burnt Orange peel.

Kentucky Caucasians and Holidaze Punch

RyeGirl's Holidaze gifts this year included home infused bottle of bourbon with cinnamon, star anise and ginger. I found long sticks of cinnamon this year and they look beautiful floating in that brown bottles of goodness. I even made a special batch for a Sandwich King that includes a vanilla bean and maple syrup so it is ready made for his Bourbon milkshakes!

Speaking of milky goodness...my favorite recipe to show off this Christmas spirit has been the Kentucky Caucasian. Imagine a White Russian without the vodka and with a spicy fragrant bourbon instead. Yum! Don't forget to put some nutmeg on top. Take it John Legend, you sexy thing!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

A Colbert Christmas: John Legend

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

And the big hit at a couple of Holidaze parties was this recipe for the perfect punch. Its light refreshing taste and knock out quantities of booze insured an easy ice breaker for any party. The recipe is from the legendary Trader Vic, but the selection of Beefeater Wet, a light crisp gin infused with pear essence is the Rye Girl touch. For the second (or third batch I can't recall) I ran out of lime and substituted Pomegranate juice. So while the first punch was green, the second was red. Perfect!

Christmas Punch (From Trader Vic)

1 Pint Beefeater Wet Gin
1 Pint Cointreau
3/4 cup Lime juice fresh squeezed
4 bottles champagne

The 5 Boroughs of Cocktails

I have often wanted to to a post explaining the differences between a Manhattan and a Brooklyn (there is also a Bronx too!). My Grandfather's favorite was the Manhattan, being a Hells Kitchen kid, and he preferred his bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters on the sweet side. I would always ask for mine made with half dry and half sweet vermouth. And with a twist, no cherries please. After all, "cherries are for virgins, pies and slot machines..you see any of those around here??!"

I had my first Brooklyn, in Brooklyn, natch, at the Brooklyn Social Club on Smith st in Carrol Gardens. This little bar was an actual social club for Italians in the 1950's and 60's and now harbors legions of hipsters and stroller-less parents of the New Brooklyn. This version calls for my preferred Rye, sweet vermouth, Amer Picon, and maraschino. The cute bartender finished off the drink with a flamed orange peel. With that bit of drama I was hooked, if he didn't already have me at Rye.

The Bronx is questionable since it was apparently invented by a teetotaling bartender in the early 1900's at the Waldorf Astoria hotel (where my Great Grandparents met and worked!). But the recipe is pretty good; Gin, sweet and dry vermouth, orange juice. I would probably add orange bitters instead of the juice for I believe all these classic NYC cocktails should have some sort of bitter component.

Well it seems that there needs to be a Queens and a Staten Island. So I'll get crackin' on that, but to paraphrase an olde timey bartender who once said this about Brooklyn, "If you live in Staten Island, have a beer!"

Redneck Mimosa

Ah Summertime! Casual Fridays at work. Flip flops all week. Lunch breaks at the pool. Showing up 1/2 an hour late for weekend Bocce. Its just a time to be a bit more relaxed in your day to day life. Don't you wish all year was like that?

So RyeGirl is not ashamed to post about a low end drink, the Redneck Mimosa. Just the simple mix of Colt '45 and Orange juice in a 50 cent Ikea wineglass. Poured to perfection on a summer Sunday here at Floyd in Brooklyn.

RyeGirl was skeptical at first, but after seeing Walker's look of satisfaction below, she decided to give it a sip. Surprisingly light (or Lite?) and refreshing. A well balanced mix of daily vitamins and booze that sure is lighter on my wallet than my class Bocce drink, The Maker's 8 (Bourbon and Ale 8, a Kentucky brand of caffeinated ginger ale). And due to the rise in the price of both bourbon and Ale 8, Floyd has stopped giving you the whole bottle of ginger goodness with your bourbon! Horror! How will I dilute?!

Looks like I'll have a Redneck Mimosa, Thanks.