Drink of the month

[dean_martin]

With all the crazy **** going on the world sometimes you need to engross yourself in something for yourself. Music, movies, and upgrading the gear we play them on are prime examples. But July is gin and tonic month so I decided to try this simple drink for the first time. Gin and tonic water over ice with a squezze of lime in a glass tumbler is as easy as it gets. This makes for a refreshing drink on a hot day.

I didn't know this going in but apparently there are 2 main taste profiles for gin. One is more herbal or vegetal and the other is juniper. I haven't familiarized my palate with these tastes yet but I'm working on it. I've tried Bombay Sapphire and Hendrick's. Both are good but different. I've tried Fever Tree and Fentiman's tonic water. FeverTree is a little sweeter. Not sure how these sodas compare to Canada Dry or other widely distributed tonic water. Anyhow, this drink is simple and refreshing-perfect for July.

[JohnMichael]

Now I am thirsty. I have some Bombay that I like but I am a big fan of and I miss my Tanqueray. Later when I go to the store a bottle may just follow me home. Gin, tonic and some fresh limes sounds mighty fine.

[dean_martin]

Now I am thirsty. I have some Bombay that I like but I am a big fan of and I miss my Tanqueray. Later when I go to the store a bottle may just follow me home. Gin, tonic and some fresh limes sounds mighty fine.

I have another simple, tasty, warm-weather drink waiting in the wings for August. Like gin and tonic, it's been around forever, but it's new to me. I don't drink often (enough) so when I do I kind of make a little ritual out of it - research the different spirits, better mixers and ingredients. I'll post it next month and maybe a couple more I've made myself in the months after that. There are a couple of complex cocktails I really like that I leave to the professionals.

[texlle]

I am all about some good Sangria during the summer months. I like to take a nice sweet to neutral base red and add in a good bit of grand marnier, a splash of OJ, ginger ale, and fresh blackberries and orange slices. Perfection on a hot day.

I still need to find a good gin that doesn't remind me of pine sol. I'm not sure how affluent the Beefeater brand is, but it's the only kind I've tasted that I can call palletable.

[dean_martin]

addendum: Tried a different approach to the gin and tonic. The neck tag on Hendrick's gin recommends using cucumber instead of lime. The cucumber is supposed to bring out the essence of cucumber used in the distillation of Hendrick's. Lo and behold an English cucumber was in the fridge. My wife had picked it up for her . . . uh hum . . . salads. Anyhow, I added 3 thin slices to the glass in a layered fashion - one on the bottom, then some ice, another cucumber slice, more ice, another cucumber slice then a little more ice on top, added the gin and Fentiman's Tonic Water and stirred. I have to say, the cucumber adds a surprising cooling effect and it tastes good too. Highly recommended, especially if you're not in the mood for the extra bitterness lime adds to the tonic.

August drink of the month is coming soon. I plan to finish my experimentations on the August drink this weekend.

CHEERS!

[dean_martin]

Rye & Ginger
Another simple but tasty summer drink. Here's a short list of straight rye whiskeys which should be readily available:
Sazerac
Rittenhouse bottled in bond
Wild Turkey 101 Rye
Russell's Reserve Rye
Knob Creek Rye
others include ryes from High West, Willett, Whistle Pig and Bulliet
Jim Beam Rye doesn't get much love

Even more daunting than picking a rye whiskey is picking a ginger. There are ginger ales, brews and beers.
The drink I just finished and the combo I've liked the best so far is Rittenhouse and Bundaberg Ginger Beer from Australia. Be careful not to drink too fast because this is a great warm weather drink! I think I'm going to experiment by adding a touch of something tart like lemon, orange or orange bitters. Enjoy!

[dean_martin]

If you're going to drink on Sunday morning, it almost always has to be this: Bloody Mary.
Sure, a mix is easy. I like Mr. & Mrs. T's. But making it from scratch is . . . rewarding. Most of you may already know this - here are the ingredients I've found essential:
Vodka 1 to 1.25 oz over ice
Add tomato juice 5.5 to 6 oz
black pepper 2 to 3 dashes
celery salt 2 to 3 dashes
horseradish grated small dab
worcestershire sauce 2 to 3 dashes
red tobasco 2 dashes
green tobasco 2 dashes
lime squeeze from 1/4 wedge

Slosh mixture back and forth from drinking glass to large glass or plastic cup. Garnish with celery stalk. Sip and enjoy savory goodness.

[dean_martin]

After the ton of ingredients in last month's DotM, it's back to something simple.

Bistouille - apparently this one has French or Flanders origins. It's another morning drink more appropriate for a Saturday, I think. You may have tried this or some variation of it. It seems to be a favorite of old timers.

8 oz. coffee
1 oz. brandy (brandy is the traditional spirit but may be made with your spirit of choice as long as it has a touch of sweetness like bourbon, rum or maybe even Canadian whiskey, Kalua or a liquer)
2 tsp. of sugar for brandy or a whiskey; may need only one for sweeter spirits. In fact, I prefer 1 tsp. with brandy.

I've found there's no real difference between adding brandy and sugar to your mug first then pouring in the coffee and adding brandy and sugar to the coffee except that a few more stirs are needed with the latter approach.

My favorite thing about this drink is the vapors that hit you in the nose and face when you bring the mug to your lips. Just be prepared - don't inhale too deeply.

Any brandy drinkers here? I've been using a bottle of E&J VSOP that I picked up to help me get through a cold last winter. I don't know much about brandy and would love to hear your comments and suggestions.

[dean_martin]

I'm late. A lot of stuff has been going on. We've had an election and storms have hit the northeastern US. In honor of our storm-weary friends in the northeast, this month's drink is THE MANHATTAN.

The Manhattan is a classic. It has 3 basic ingredients - whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Traditionally, the Manhattan is made with rye, but it can be made with bourbon, other American whiskeys and Canadian whiskey. The standard recipe calls for sweet (aka red) vermouth. A variation called the "perfect" Manhattan has equal parts sweet vermouth and dry (aka white) vermouth. Apparently, the word "perfect" in cocktail speak simply means that both sweet and dry vermouth are used. The concept applies to martinis and other cocktails too.

Bitters or aromatic bitters - I can't say much about it except that bitters is generally a combination of alcohol, extract (from orange, for example), herbs and sometimes caramel. The bitters I've used are Angostura which is surprisingly easy to find and is probably in your neighborhood grocery store, Regan's Orange Bitters and Peychaud's. I've heard that the Fee Brothers brand is good.

I'll mention here that vermouth should be refrigerated after opening and that it may go bad. I just poured some out last night. If you can find a 375ml bottle, get it instead of the 750ml. Some common brands are Martini and Rossi, Gallo and Noilly Prat. I get Noilly Prat when I can find it. Some folks avoid Gallo, but it seems to be the most readily available. The alcohol content in bitters is so high that it should last a long time (years) in a cabinet. Like whiskey, no worries.

You might start by tasting each ingredient separately because the Manhattan, like most cocktails, is all about the right proportions. If you know what's going in it, you may be able to hone the taste to your liking.

This drink can be shaken (looks cloudy) or stirred (clear), served with ice or straight.

Here's what I tried last night to great success:
I wanted a frosted glass so I put a rocks glass in the freezer first.
In a cocktail shaker with ice:
3 oz Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond 100 proof rye
a little less than an oz of vermouth - half Gallo sweet and half Noilly Prat dry
several shakes of Angostura bitters and not quite as many shakes Regan's Orange bitters
shake vigorously
take glass out of freezer and drop in maraschino cherry
strain contents into glass

The spice of the rye and the bitters worked well together but I thought it needed sweetening so I added a splash of the maraschino cherry juice. Here you could add simple syrup if needed. A sweeter rather than spicier whiskey like a bourbon may not need added sweetness.

Also, I dropped in two ice cubes. As they melted, the drink seemed to mellow and balance out beautifully. A splash or two of water may have done the same trick. I left work early yesterday to get my grill going before dark. While the coals were starting, I mixed my drink. This cocktail was perfect as a lead to the grilled meat. Next time I go to a steak house with a good bar, I'm ordering a Manhattan while I wait for my beef.

Recommendation for November: Pick up a bottle of a good American whiskey to have on hand for Thanksgiving. How about a bottle of Wild Turkey 101? You can sip it neat, with a splash of water, on the rocks, mix with cola or ginger ale, or make a Manhattan or other cocktail. Pour yourself and friends/relatives a drink about 20 minutes before Thanksgiving dinner is ready. It's the perfect lead-in to a great meal! (Tip: Wild Turkey 101 over ice with a splash of water, garnish with orange slice.)