The Libationary

Grape Devine

2011-10-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

This one is a twist of the Melon Picante -- but it is so good it deserves a special call out. Make sure you use a ripe lemon. It makes a big difference.

4 oz. Miller's Gin
1 oz. simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)
1 lemon, juiced
2 1/2 oz. pureed red seedless grapes

Shake hard over lots of ice and pour into two glasses. I like to finish this one with a few dashes of fine cayenne pepper.

Admire the turning leaves of fall and drink up.

"Mommy Needs a Minute"

2011-10-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Never underestimate the importance of getting a drink when small children -- especially your own -- are nearby. These recipes from American Drink are perfect for frantic parents on the edge of insanity.

Sangria Cocktail

2011-10-14T21:11:00.001-07:00

Ahhh...summer, winter...doesn't even matter. What's better than a Sangria? A Sangria Cocktail. Has a bit more kick, but keeps the essence of Sangria. Substituting good ol' Christian Bros. brandy and a cheap-ish full-bodied cab works well, too. This one requires a bit of technique and art to tune it, but here are the basics:

5 parts Tempranillo (Vega Sindoa is tasty and cheap)
5 1/2 parts extra sweetened fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 parts Lustau Reserva Brandy

Shake hard over lots of ice to avoid watering it down. Add an orange slice float in the glass and a brandy splash topper. Mmmm. Delicioso.

(Note: Extra sweet lemon juice can be replaced with concentrated lemonade diluted with equal parts water).

For every 6 oz. lemon juice you make "extra sweet", start with about 4 1/2 oz. lemon juice, add 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 oz. water to come to 6 oz.

Melon Picante

2011-10-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered a simple gin concoction that can be utilized with a variety of fruits for a nice, crisp drink. Use a not too dry gin as the foundation, such as Miller's or Hendrick's. Don't try this with Bombay. This recipe is also excellent if you substitute fresh peach for the cantaloupe. With peach, the pepper might be a bit overpowering...try it and see.

4 oz. Miller's Gin
1 oz. simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)
1 lemon, juiced
2 1/2 oz. pureed cantaloupe

Shake over ice. Add a dash of crushed red pepper flakes in the glass.

Easy Strawberry Daiquiri

2009-11-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

Even with a crappy blender, this turned out pretty good:

2 cups frozen strawberries

2 cups ice

4 oz. light rum

3 tbsps. sugar

1 lime, juiced

Dump the ingredients into a blender, ice first, and blend away. The setting you use depends on the blender, so experiment. Depending on the blender, you may need to help get the strawberries down to the blade. Just don't do so with a wooden spoon while the blade is spinning or you'll end up spending half an hour picking out splinters.

Makes 2.

Future research: try putting the frozen strawberries in before the ice; try water instead of ice; try a dark rum float.

Why people hate vermouth

2008-08-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

Chuck directed me to an enlightening article on vermouth, highlighting an explanation for why it tastes like crap:

Like any other wine, vermouth begins to oxidize once a bottle has been opened. While refrigeration will slow the process, the flavor gradually changes over time. Vermouth fans recommend finishing a bottle within a month, or sooner, from when the seal is first broken. Always store it in the fridge to slow the process as much as possible.

"People have an aversion to vermouth, and quite frankly, it's well founded," says Seattle cocktail consultant Jamie Boudreau. "Even if you keep your vermouth in the fridge, after a week you'll notice it has a different flavor. If you keep that vermouth on a shelf, it's going to taste terrible. That's why people don't like vermouth."

I'm not sure what a good solution is for home bartenders. Maybe the freezer?

This just in from Hot Toddy

2008-02-28T07:02:00.000-08:00

I received this note from friend of The Libationary, Hot Toddy:

I got this cool Cognac and Ginger liquer. It's a bit on the sugary side, but is otherwise what I imagine biting into ginger would be.

I'm looking for ideas for it. Maybe drop it into a sidecar in place of the Cointrea?

And eight hours later:

The Ginger liqueur, lime, and Tanqueray. Needless to say, a revelation.

One can only hope that his judgment was intact after 8 hours of "research". I'll have to persuade him to provide the specifics and decide for myself.

Villa Maria is tasty and cheap!

2007-11-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

Sauvignon Blanc is a varietal I generally reserve for summer days outside, preferably on the lawn at the Olema Inn, but Dini tells me this a noteworthy find. The 2007 Villa Maria from New Zealand was a hit at her dinner party this weekend, and she got it for something like $10 at Costco.

Basic Margarita

2007-06-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

It's not fancy, but it's ridiculously easy to make and people love it.

1 can Minute Maid frozen concentraded lemonade
1.5 cans water
1 can tequila (my current favorite is Sauza Horintos because it's widely available, not too expensive, and tasty enough)
.25 can orange liquor (Citronge, Grand Marnier, and Cointreau are all good)

Stir ingredients in a glass pitcher until lemonade concentrate is melted. Pour into short glasses filled with ice and with salted rims. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Heck, you don't even need any bar tools!

Mai Tai

2007-05-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

This was my first attempt at a Mai Tai, and I feel pretty damn good about it.

1.5 oz. light rum
.5 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. pineapple juice (canned)
1 oz. fresh orange juice
.25 oz. fresh lime juice
.5 oz. marachino juice

Poor over short glass full of ice. Add .5 oz. dark rum float. Garnish with marachino cherry and pineapple.

"Laranja" - Cachaca With Orange Juice

2007-05-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

I started mixing up a quick cachaca sour but then, instead of adding orange liqueur, I added an ounce of fresh orange juice. Works really well; something about the orange juice mellows the cachaca and adds freshness.

2 oz. cachaca
2.5 oz. sweetened juice of lemon
1 oz. juice of orange

Shake and serve up with a sugared rim.

Next time I'm going to try adding no water to the lemon-sugar concoction, given that orange juice has a lot of water in it.

"Laranja" is Portuguese for "orange". At least that's what Babel Fish says.

Black Pepper and Hangar One Citron

2007-03-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Had a couple of drinks and small plates yesterday evening at Di Bartolo on Grand Ave. and I'm still excited about it. The bar area benefits from it's own room hidden at the back of the restaurant, complete with high ceilings and brick walls intermittently draped in red velvet. I'll be back. The most interesting cocktail find: a Hangar One "Buddah's Hand" Citron martini with ground black pepper. The two flavors complimented each other beautifully, and there was something unexpectedly appealing about having little black specks floating in a martini. This is a combination that demands further experimentation.

Buddha's Hand & Cranberry

2007-01-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve I whipped up this mutation of a Cape Cod for Sherry and me. The twist is that it's served up, and the infused vodka makes it much more interesting than your typical vodka-and-cranberry highball. I was fortunate enough to have a navel orange handy, which made a perfect garnish.

2 oz. Hangar One Buddha's Hand Citron Vodka
2 oz. pure cranberry juice
2 rounded teaspoons baker's sugar

Shaken over a medium amount of ice and served up with a slice of navel orange.

Every time I drink this vodka I am reminded of what a crazy looking fruit Buddah's Hand is. I wonder if this stuff can be found around here; it could make from some interesting garnish.

Kaffir Sherbet

2007-01-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

It's a working name. All I did was make a lemon drop with Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka. Delicious, in the same way I thought lime sherbet was delicious when I was a kid.

2 oz. Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka
.5 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. Minute Maid concentrated lemonade
1.5 oz. water

Medium amount of ice.
Shaken and served up.

Winter improvisation

2006-12-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

The first day of winter, so I decided to pass up the vodka in deference to the warmer liquors at my disposal. In this case, I broke out the wicker clad bottle of cachaca, which I've never tried in a drink other than a caipirinha. Being light on mixers, I settled on the usual complement of lemon:

The Cachaca Sour

2 oz. Cachaca
.5 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. lemonade concentrate
1.5 oz. cold water.

Shaken vigorously over plenty of ice and served up.

Delicious. I think there's room for experimentation regarding the Cointreau component.

Sherry's "usual" is a cape cod. For variety's sake, I encouraged her to select by scent one of the fruit-infused Hangar One vodkas. She picked the Mandarin Blossom. It worked, but only sort of. Mental note: Mandarin Blossom and cranberry juice are questionable together. We'll try one of the other flavors next time.

No, "Sherry" is not a pseudonym.

An amaretto sidecar?

2006-12-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a cold day in Rockridge, so I expected to mix myself a sidecar, perhaps with cognac instead of brandy, to warm my nose. But when I reached for the Cointreau, my eyes fell on my lonely bottle of amaretto. Cognac and amaretto? That's a no-brainer! So I mixed myself a sidecar, substituing the amaretto for the orange liquor. The result is sweeter than my usual sidecar, and a bit more syrupy, but delicious.

1 oz frozen lemonade concentrate
1.5 oz water
2 oz congnac
.5 oz amaretto

Shaken hard over plenty of ice and served up with a marachino cherry.

Maybe using brandy intead of cognac would combat some of the additional sweetness introduced by the amaretto.

I can't be the first one to have tried this. Until someone tells me otherwise, I'm calling this an amaretto sidecar.