My Sherry Appreciation Extends to the Cask, Baby!

Yo. This is good juice. Cask strength and full of nutty raisin goodness from the oloroso Sherry butts that this rum gets finished in. Sips like a cognac. The stuff that dreams are made of, y'all. 

My Sherry Appreciation Extends to the Cask, Baby!

Yo. This is good juice. Cask strength and full of nutty raisin goodness from the oloroso Sherry butts that this rum gets finished in. Sips like a cognac. The stuff that dreams are made of, y'all. 

Extraordinary Sherry Pairing

Last night I went on a Sherry bar crawl in Nola asking my #sherrybroads to pair amazing food with wine. Molly from R'Evolution called this Sherry "ethereal" so I just had to have it.

A beautiful 12 year old Palo Cortado from González Byass, the Leonor is nutty with a hint of spice and an extended finish. An amber colored dream. Christine from Angeline paired it with a new fish from Chef Alex: clams with wild boar sausage. This pairing was to die for. Stunningly delicious. It's no wonder we are Sherry Broad City here in Nola. Come check this out, y'all. 

Sherry Galore!

I am so proud to work at a restaurant with a great Sherry selection. This wine is taylor made to go with food. And our food is ideal for Sherry too! Try the conch crocettes with a Manzanilla. Or an oloroso with our steak tartar. Our curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi is crying out for an Amontillado. 

And don't forget the sweet stuff at the end of your meal!  Px and chocolate? To die for!

Sherry Cobbler

There are certain cocktails that are less about the ingredients and more about the presentation.  The way the drink feels in your hands.  The proximity of the straw to some aromatic garnish.  The feel of the chilled vessel as touches your lips.  The Sherry Cobbler is one of those drinks.  The type of sherry you should use?  A dry one, like a Fino or Amontillado.  But really anytime could make a great cobbler.  The type of sugar? Superfine.  Or simple, or pineapple gum syrup.  Maybe even a spoonful of seasonal jam.  The citrus?  Orange, or lime, or lemon or even grapefruit or Satsuma here in New Orleans.  Hell throw some berries on there, strawberry, raspberry blackberry...See where I am going?  There is a lot of flexibility in this cocktail and you can use your judgment and personal taste to make it just the way you want.

The Construction.  Now here is where you might want to stick to the blueprints.  Crushed ice and a straw.  Much like a Julep, this drink is all about presentation.  There is nothing better than slurping up this icy, nutty, fruit, citrus, cocktail through a straw.  This is the perfect place for a metal straw.

Please read this piece form 2007 and read the master, David Wondric, wax poetic and downright Baker-esque about the Cobbler: http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/recipes/a3737/sherry-cobbler-drink-recipe/

At Compere Lapin, our version is fortified with rum and served in a beautiful highball glass with garnish dusted with sugar, ala beignets at Cafe Du Monde.  Nice New Orleans twist along with the name, an illusion to our famous Meyer the Hatter store.

Meyer Cobbler
1 1/2 oz demerara rum
3/4 oz Amontilado sherry
1/4 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz demerara syrup
dash of ango bitters
lemon and orange wheel in the tin
Garnish: orange wheel, berries, mint and powdered sugar

Whip all ingredients in a tin with 2-3 cubes.  Strain over crushed ice.  Garnish and use a straw!!

Still Searching for My Adonis

Aphrodite and Adonis..always in the hunt.

In honor of #SherryWeek, I'd like to share my very favorite Sherry cocktail.  I was asked once what is the sexiest cocktail a guy can order from me.  Definitely the Adonis.  Its low alcohol, was featured in my favorite cocktail book, The Savoy, and its a sherrific take on a Manhattan.  Dating from that time when the Manhattan was king, the Adonis was created in the 1880's and named for the first Broadway musical to have more that 500 performances.  See?  It appeals to my theatrical background as well.  Plus, can you imagine anything more sexy than a man ordering and Adonis?  He'd be my Adonis for sure.
The original called for Fino Sherry, but I met the wonderful Dinah Sanders in my bar who has a different take in her book The Art of the Shim, a book of low alcohol cocktails.  She uses a dry oloroso.  My favorite in that style is from Bodega of Gutierrez Colosia.  Situated on the Bay of Cadiz, this sherry ages 12 years in the solera system by the sea, lending to it a salty dry quality that makes it perfect for sipping with cured meats, or with this perfect cocktail.  Sangre y Trabajardo means the blood and the worker.  The cooper who made the sherry used to share his hard work with his butcher neighbors.  
For more info about this great sherry, check out this blog post from the Formaggio Kitchen: http://www.formaggiokitchen.com/blog/a-favorite-winter-warmer-sangre-y-trabajadero-oloroso-sherry/
And try ordering an Adonis the next time you go into a cocktail bar.  Who knows, the bartender may fall in love with you!

Adonis
1½ oz. dry oloroso sherry
1½ oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
Garnish: orange peel

Stir ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with peel expressing the oils on to the top of the drink.