Andromeda

Bunny in all her glory

Far and away our most popular cocktail at Compere Lapin is the Andromeda.  When Ricky set our bar in motion he was determined to have an egg white cocktail be our vodka cocktail.  I will admit.  I was skeptical at first.  After three years in the French Quarter, I lost some of the fight in me to challenge guests to go outside their comfort zone.  But a Vodka cocktail is inherently approachable and that is in my wheelhouse.  So we set to work on a vodka egg white cocktail.  The first one, delicious Fontanarosa, had beet juice too!  Talk about throwing uneasy vodka drinkers under the bus! 

The next one used the new bartender ketchup, Gifford's Pamplemousse Rose (Grapefruit), El Guapo Rose Cordial, honey syrup and a near split base of Pisco and St George Green Chili Vodka.  I love that sometimes when you create a complex drink, it has very simple origins.  This, to me, is essentially a pisco sour variation.  But it is so much more.  The 50/50 sugar/salt rim mixed with the green chili makes it reminiscent of a margarita.  The rose and grapefruit are unique and all the flavors come together to be a sum even greater than its parts.

And when Ricky carved out that rabbit stencil, all bets are off.  This cocktail is a showstopper.

Now we have to have back up quarts of egg whites to get through a night of service.  Andromedas go flying out all night long.  My pisco guy loves me.

Oh and the name?  Andromeda is the galaxy closest to our own and is known for bumping into other galaxies so look out!  It is also the only name I wanted to change mine to when I was a child.  I was really obsessed with Clash of the Titans at the time.  Harry Hamlin.  Still would.

Andromeda

1 oz Pisco
3/4 oz St George Green Chili Vodka
1/2 oz Gifford Pamplemousse Rose
1/2 oz El Guapo Rose Cordial
1/4 oz Honey syrup (2:1)
3/4 oz lime
1/2 oz egg white

Stake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a 50/50 sugar salt half rim
top with Peychauds bitters.

The Sloe Flight South or the Pan Am

Yesterday I competed in the Macchu Pisco competition with wonderful people and wonderful drinks.  I didn't come out on top, but I think all the drinks were really good so it must have been tough for the judges.  We were in the secret hideaway in the Hells Kitchen Pio Pio..what a neat space!  Thomas Waugh from Death & Co took the top prize (a trip to Peru) with a Peachy Pisco Sour, but I went a different route with a pisco swizzle with no egg whites at all.  Maybe that wasn't the way to go here.  I was also pretty sure I would not be in the running when one of the judges decided to take a bathroom break during my presentation.  Oh well...

I had been playing around with a cross between an Aviation and a Southside and then adding a Sloeberry Bluegin float.  With careful construction this drink is quite a beauty and refreshing too!  I have made it with gin, white rum and now pisco.  If you use the right spirits it come out red white and blue with flecks of green mint.  A drink Steagle Cobeagle the Eagle can love!  

Let The Eagle Soar!

The Sloe Flight South or the Pan Am

2 oz Pisco

1/2 oz The Bitter Truth Violet Liquor

3/4 oz lemon syrup

1 oz lime juice

mint

1/2 oz The Bitter Truth SloeBerry Blue Gin

Shake all but the Sloe gin in a shaker and strain into a highball glass filled with fine crushed ice.  Make a snow cone-like mound of ice on top and drizzle the Sloegin on top.  Add fresh mint sprig for garnish.

Muy Gracias!

Punch Girls. Photo: Lush Life Productions

One of my favorite haunts, The Summit Bar, and one of my favorite people, Selena Ricks, threw one helluva shindig Sunday night. Latin themed punches were the order of the day along with some tasty tacos and good music to dance too. Punches can be finikiy and they are easy to mess up. But in the hands of pros like Greig Seider at The Summit Bar, these punches were perfectly prepared.

There was a fruity red rum punch, a citrus Cachaça punch, a savory red pepper tequila punch, a tender mezcal punch and the winner, for me, a spicy juicy pisco punch. I have recently become a big fan of the grapy tasty Pisco. Perhaps the fruity quality reminds me of my Grandpa Gullo's vineyard on the shores of Lake Erie. It also had that spicy kick that left my lips a-tingling. Not unlike kissing a special boy. Ring a ding ding!

My New Boyfriend cuz he makes me tingle. Photo: Lush Life Productions

Katy's Cuzco Cooler

Last night to celebrate my dear friend Katy's birthday (belated), we settled down with some take out Chinese and watched our darling Mets go through their regular late season histrionics. Naturally we needed something to help calm our nerves and possibly deaden any pain we might soon be feeling. So I chose to make a light, refreshing and sparkling Cuzco Cooler. I thought the South American Pisco would appeal to Katy's Columbian soul. And I wanted to feature the lovely St Germain, which was her present.

The cocktails were good, and the Mets game better, although quite stressful. "Whew!", said Katy "I feel like I just gave birth!" Happy, excited, exhausted and glad its finally over...yep that's a September Mets game!

Katy's Cuzco Cooler
Pisco
St Germain
Fresh Lime juice
Orange Bitters
Green Grapes
Club Soda

Muddle grapes in a cocktail shaker with bitters and lime. Add ice, 2 parts pisco and 1 part St Germain and shake well. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and sliced grapes.