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What Fates Impose (and a round or two on me…)

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Don’t we all wish we could see the future? Catch a glimpse of of how things turn out if we choose A over B, go right or left? What if you got that glimpse and didn’t like how things turned out? Would you blame the one who gave you that peek? Would you blame yourself? WFI-web

I’m very stoked to be a part of the anthology What Fates Impose edited by Nayad A. Monroe and published by Alliteration Ink. In twenty one stories by an amazing group of contributors (including Inkpunk cohorts Wendy N. Wagner, Erika Holt, and Remy Nakamura!) you can read all about the consequences of trying to peek into the future. The antho is running on Kickstarter, and as of this writing, we are a little over 25% funded with 27 days to go. If you’re inclined to back us, I would deeply appreciate the support. Any amount will help, but there are many fabulous rewards for helping What Fates Impose meet our goal.

At $25+, your pledge will entitle you to a PDF booklet of five fate-themed cocktails custom-designed by yours truly! (Including a couple of virgin cocktail recipes as well). I love crafting cocktails at home for friends, and occasionally write about my mixology adventures on this blog and over at The Functional Nerds (as the Booze Nerd). I created custom cocktails for all of the Inkpunks, and even brought a portable bar to World Fantasy a few years ago to mix drinks. I love sharing my knowledge (and my booze), so I hope this helps encourage you to start you own home bar. I predict it will! 😛

If you can’t donate, but would still like to support the project, consider passing word along to your friends by using one of these handy buttons.

Thanks so much for your support!

Cocktail Friday (“Make it a Double” Edition): The Aviation & The Blue Moon

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I missed Cocktail Friday last week,  what with being sick and WFC, but today you get to reap the benefits of last week’s slacking–today I’ll cover two of my favorite gin drinks: The Aviation and the Blue Moon.

These two cocktails share a common history–the Blue Moon seems to have been the original Aviation, thanks to the sky-bluish color lent by the Creme Yvette. Eventually, the two drinks went their own way and the Aviation became firmly established as described below.

Popular during the dawn of aviation, I like to think of these cocktails as the same sky: either you fly during the day or at night.

The Blue Moon is slightly more obscure, due to the Creme Yvette/creme de violette all but disappearing from the American market for awhile. Made from the petals of violets–the flavor of this liqueur is floral, but subtle and sweet, never cloying.  We only discovered  creme de violette after some friends of ours graciously shared some (delivered in a mason jar, naturally). We managed to make it last almost a year, but alas now we are out. Fortunately creme de violette is easier to find these days.

I suggest making both drinks and comparing them to find out which one is your favorite. Share. Or don’t, and soar the skies in your own solo adventure. Just fly responsibly, of course.

The Aviation

The Aviation

  • 2 1/2 oz. gin (I suggest Plymouth)
  • 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 dashes maraschino liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.(You can use more maraschino and less lemon juice if you find the above recipe too tart for your tastes.)

The Blue Moon

The Blue Moon

  • 2 oz. gin
  • 1/2 oz. creme de violette
  • 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice.

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Both of the above recipes are adapted from Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.

Cocktail Friday: Cognac Sazerac

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The Original?

One of my all-time favorite cocktails is the Sazerac, a drink some say was the “original” cocktail, concocted in New Orleans during the 19th Century. This story isn’t quite true, but the Sazerac was definitely one of the first cocktails served–and was so-named for the chief spirit from which it was made, the cognac from Sazerac-du-Forge et fils. When the grape harvest was devastated in Europe by the phylloxera outbreak, cognac became harder to find. In the Americas, fan-favorite rye was substituted to great effect. Part of the name stuck, though, and the drink was forever more immortalized by the name Sazerac.

While the rye version has become my “go-to” drink, I recently had a chance to try a Sazerac made with 1/2 cognac & 1/2 rye and was quite pleased by the results. It was a slightly sweeter drink, but mellow and approachable.

I decided to continue my foray into my favorite cocktail’s French roots, and mixed up a version at home solely with cognac as the base spirit. As much as I love rye, this new/old cognac Sazerac has won a place in my heart. Without the pepperiness of the rye to grab all the attention, I could really taste the herbal notes of the Absinthe beyond the primary anise flavor. I savored this one over a great episode of Mad Men and enjoyed every sip!

So whether you’re looking for a twist on an old favorite, or an alternative to rye (because it isn’t for everyone), you owe it to yourself to try this Classic Sazerac.

Cheers!

Classic Sazerac

  • 1-2 dashes Absinthe, enough to coat your glass (I’m a bit liberal with my dashes)
  • 3oz cognac (suggest drier varieties)
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup
  • dashes of Peychaud’s bitters to taste (3-4 for me!)

Coat your tumbler with the Absinthe. In a separate vessel, add ice, cognac,  simple syrup and bitters. Stir and strain into tumbler. Garnish with a lemon or orange peel, as you prefer.

Recipe adapted from Gary Regan’s Joy of Mixology, adjusted for my tastes. More Sazerac history (and overall guru-like cocktail mastery) can be found at Looka! Chuck Taggart’s awesome food and drink blog. Tell him I sent you.

(Dr)ink Gorilla!

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If you dig back into the archives on my site, you’ll notice that I like to post frequently about cocktails. I’m fascinated by the alchemy of mixology–not just the interplay of aroma and flavor but also the history and artisanal practices of concocting that perfect drink.

I love going out to try new cocktail bars and “speakeasies,” and sample the amazing drinks that the new generation of mixologists are crafting, but a big part of the fun for me is making cocktails at home.

So, expect (Dr)ink Gorilla to be a regular feature in these pages – I’m aiming for a new update every Friday, just in time for the weekend. Come back tomorrow for the Sazerac, one of my personal favorites–but for this version, I go back to the cocktail’s roots.

Cheers!

(dr)Ink Gorilla: 5 Things I Drank.

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Continuing from the previous post, (and with all the similar caveats), here are 5 memorable drinks I enjoyed in 2009.

Blood and Sand Cocktail (Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Francisco)

Likely named for the Rudolph Valentino movie about bullfighters, this drink is one of my favorites, though with Scotch as its base spirit, it’s an unusual one. Scotch, Orange Juice, Cherry Heering, Sweet Vermouth.

This was my birthday cocktail this year, and we had a fabulous meal at Absinthe following our drinks.

For those adventurous souls who’d like to try it out, here’s the recipe.

Fernet Cocktail (for Mixology Mondays)

This is a cocktail of my own devising, my entry into Mixology Mondays “Amaro” theme a few months back. I don’t include it here so much for the taste and enjoyment of the cocktail (my feelings are still mixed on using Fernet Branca as an ingredient) but for the process of developing it. I had a blast choosing ingredients, juggling proportions, and in general playing alchemist to find the perfect concoction.

Octomore Whisky from Bruichladdich
Thanks to being a member of a very active whisky-tasting club, I have had the privilege of trying a range of spirits this year, with an emphasis on single-malt scotch. Octomore is billed as one of the peatiest, smokiest beasts around, and it does not fail to deliver. I’m a big fan of the Islay malts, with their strong peat and smoke components, so it was love at first sip with this one.

Sazerac Rye 18-year old

Named as the world’s top whisky by renowned whisky authority Jim Murray (beating out Ardbeg Supernova for the top spot, no less!) this is super smooth stuff, with the pleasant notes of peppery sharpness you expect from rye. Rye seems to be making a comeback — for many years it’s been eclipsed by its cousin bourbon.

Sazerac Cocktail (Rob Roy, Seattle)

I wish that Anu and Zane Apte’s Rob Roy in Seattle was in my neighborhood. In Seattle over the weekend for a class, I slipped into Rob Roy late on a Sunday night and was immediately made right at home by Anu’s warm welcome. She mixed me a Sazerac, a classic New Orleans cocktail that’s hard to find, and even harder to find done right. Anu’s Sazerac was mellow, spicy, and redolent of New Orleans’ old-world charm. Believe me, I was sorely tempted to stay at Rob Roy until closing and then just head right for the airport for my 5 a.m. flight.

A Few more for the Road: 
Ardbeg Supernova (Scotch), Zubrowka-Champagne Cocktail (from our Uzbeki Feast, thanks Chuck!), Vesper Martinis (for our Casino Royale-themed holiday party).

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