Results tagged “properlysauced”

Via Art of Drink we discovered Beverages De Luxe, a wonderful bar book dating from 1914. Digitized from a copy in the collection of the Library of Congress, it's an utterly fascinating glimpse into the world of alcohol just before Prohibition. It features a number of pieces written by various distillers and brewers, including chapters entitled "New England Rum" and "Making 'Hand-made' Sour Mash." The entire second half of the book is made up of cocktail recipes from clubs and hotels across the country, and that's where we found the Auditorium Cocktail.

As every good foodie knows, each new and exciting trend produces plenty of stale, unexciting hangers-on. Exposure quickly dampens our enthusiasm, but even lasting trends are hurt by the legions of high-priced, low-quality imitators. I've seen this happen with cupcakes, creme brulee, bacon, boutique pizza - and now it's happening with cocktails. Recently, I've been ripped off by a lot of bad cocktails, and it's reaching the level of a trend.

If you were crazy enough to make the Tiki on Acid after we posted about it then chances are you've still got a bottle of green chartreuse in your liquor cabinet. The magical green elixir has such a potent kick that a little goes a long way, and there aren't many cocktails in standard rotation that even try to incorporate its intense herbal flavors.

Before “Shaken not Stirred,” medium-dry vodka martinis and fresh bottles of Stoli, James Bond was a drinker of a different sort. In his initial outing as Britain’s favorite superhero spy, he instructed the bartender to make him a drink, which has become one of our favorites. Later, the drink was identified with the love interest of the story, Vesper Lynd. We love the Vesper for a lot of reasons - the association with the dapper gentleman of the 60s, the combination of Gin and Lillet Blanc - but it has faded from public view in favor of flashier, neon-colored successors.

As we discussed in our review last week, the cocktails are the high point of dining at The Drawing Room. Watching an expert mix the cocktails that he designed is a joy, and Charles Joly is an affable and knowledgeable mixer. He was also kind enough to provide us with the recipe for our favorite drink of the evening, The Nooner.

People of Chicago, we all know how this works. It feels like autumn, it will soon be autumn. But there will be a weekend between now and snow time where it is 85 degrees. And we will all rejoice and smile at strangers on the street and feel weird that we even began to drink apple cider. We suggest you tuck this little recipe away until that day when you can savor the last bit of summer we have.

Earlier this summer while on a trip to L.A. we made a pilgrimage to Tiki Ti. A tiny place perhaps (it seats fewer than thirty people) but its importance in the world of cocktails looms large. Opened in 1961 by Ray Buhen, a former bartender at the original Don the Beachcomber's as well as several lesser establishments, Tiki Ti has almost single-handedly kept many a vintage cocktail recipe from vanishing forever. Buhen passed away in 1999 but his son and grandsons proudly carry on the Tiki Ti tradition.

Yesterday was National Rum Day, but just because it's over doesn't mean we'll stop imbibing. Today's weather is in fact perfect for a Dark 'n Stormy® (one of the few cocktails to feature a trademarked recipe, by the way).

   

Culinary gimmickry seems to be everywhere these days. Molecular gastronomy, bacon-infused candy, flavored air - oh my! While this epicurean mayhem can be a bit overwhelming, we’re always ready to try something new. As we have learned from restaurants like Moto and Alinea, sometimes “gimmicks” can be an opportunity to showcase artistry, creativity and some really tasty food. Or, it can go horribly, horribly wrong.

At first, we called this refreshing cocktail a “Pomegranate martini.” This nomenclature has become the standard in restaurants and bars all over the nation, as anything served in a martini glass has become a “something-tini.“ Apple-tinis, berry-tinis, chocolate-tinis; it seemed like the trend would never end, so we intended to quietly add our own to the list in the form of the “Pom-tini,” or something equally witty.

Summertime: living is easy, the fish are jumping, and it's time to sit back with a long cool one and get pleasantly hammered. We have just the thing.

We’ve written about our love of root beer many times, so when we last visited The Gage and saw this drink on their menu, we just had to order it. The Gage does lots of nice things with root beer (including a decadent dessert) but this is our favorite so far. Unfortunately, the drink was seasonal and is no longer on the menu - but they were nice enough to give us the recipe, so we can drink to our heart’s content. And we will. Oh yes.

In the weeks leading up to our anniversary party Saturday night, Whistler mixologist Paul McGee was in touch with Sonja and Derek Kassebaum of North Shore Distillery to work on the cocktail that many of us downed in large numbers. McGee came through with flying colors with an eponymous, deceptively potent concoction with North Shore No. 6 gin as the base spirit. "I like the botanicals in No. 6, which is one of North Shore's lighter gins," McGee said.

We recently received a sample of Mount Gay Extra Old, a fine aged rum from Barbados we'd never tried. On the rocks it's superb: a true sipping rum with hints of burnt sugar and spice, and a subtle floral scent. Actually it reminded us a lot of bourbon. That started us thinking ...

The Negroni is one of our favorite pre-meal cocktails. Deeply colored, intensely flavored and stimulating to the appetite, the mixture of Campari and Gin has become a staple after-work drink in our house. We’ve always been an advocate for under-utilized liqueurs, and Campari definitely fits the bill. Moreover, we hope it will stimulate the curiosity of home bartenders, leading them to a whole new class of drink, the Italian “Amaro” or bitter liqueur.

Cinco de Mayo is just around the bend so we'd like to introduce you to an old friend of ours, El Diablo. You may already know his foreign cousin, Suffering Bastard. El Diablo comes off as the quiet younger brother to his more popular sister Margarita, but he's no shrinking violet. He's at his best during the long, hot days and nights of summer. We guarantee that you'll want to invite him to your barbecues and picnics again and again.

  

Came down with the mother of all chest colds last week, which also led to the worst sore throat we've had in years. Lucky we had five liters of the cure in the freezer that didn't cost us an arm and leg to make. Consider this recipe the next time you're tempted by the kitsch of buying Danny Devito's Limoncello (if you check out that link, click on the musical Sorrento lemon at your own risk).

On our first visit to Mercat a La Planxa, we asked to taste this strange-sounding concoction before we committed to an entire $30 pitcher. We were completely taken with the flavor, and have ordered it every time we’ve been back. The folks at Mercat were good enough to give us the recipe, which we’ve adapted for your home use. After looking at the effort required to make it, we’re less shocked by the price tag.

That's what some of us will be by the end of the day, no doubt. Might as well get there pleasantly. And that means avoiding the stupid green beer -- or anything else that looks like the slime mold from Swamp Thing. Instead, try some nice Irish whiskey with a goodly portion of lime juice. To be honest, the Suffering Bastard is really more of a summertime drink. But since it's so gorgeous out there today, what's the harm in having a little wishful thinking?

Ginger is one of the most common ingredients in modern cocktailing. It’s infused into vodka and gin; muddled into the bottom of martinis; and crystallized as a garnish. It adds an exotic, spicy twist to a ton of classic cocktails without turning them into something you’d find wrapped in cellophane in the candy aisle of the grocery store. So, the last time we were browsing the shelves at our local liquor superstore and found Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, we decided to take a risk and try something new. After drinking almost an entire bottle, we’re glad we did.

        

As Chuck kindly pointed out, I competed in Texas de Brazil and Meals on Wheels Chicago's Inaugural Caipirinha contest (and actually won!). My goal was to take what makes a caipirinha awesome and crank up those flavors - hence sugar infused with lime oils from the zest and the addition of the lime juice from those zested limes. Having turned in my drink recipe and instructions a week before the contest, I felt a little..err,..boring when I saw the fantastic ingredients (ginger, cilantro, blood orange juice, strawberries...) in front of the other contestants' stations and realized it was too late to improvise or change directions. After watching me bite my lip worriedly, Chuck reassured me to stick with my game plan and that simplicity was a good thing. So, without further ado, here is the L-Stop Caipirinha recipe:

A party is always a great excuse to get out the punchbowl, and an Oscar party calls for sparking wine. By the end of the evening at least few people will feel like celebrating; and well before the end of the evening the rest of us will feel like drinking. For many years the Weinstein brothers held their Oscar party at the Beverly Hills Trader Vic's. That particular location is not quite the same, alas, but we have a tiki punch recipe straight from the Trader's cookbook that we've made before and loved. We've modified it, boosting its star power. Francis Coppola named his sparkling wine, Sofia Blanc de Blancs, after his daughter. It's light, crisp and refreshing. In other words: perfect for punch. In Chicago it's available at Sam's, Binny's, Cost Plus, and elsewhere. None of the Coppola clan are nominated this year, but surely they'd approve.

Who wants an ice-cold cocktail when temps are this bone-chilling? Not us. And certainly not your party guests, should you be throwing a holiday party over the next few weeks. Place a warm mug full of something high-octane in their frost-bitten hands as soon as their coats have come off and they'll be toasty in no time.

We've always wanted to make Hot Buttered Rum. Partly because of the name. Well, admittedly, any name that makes us giggle is a go. Like Hot Cross Buns. Or Hot Buttered Rump. Anyway...Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink had a recipe and we gave it a go.

You know what was missing from our Chicagoist Thanksgiving Round-Up? A great cocktail to serve to all of your guests! Party cocktails can be a tricky business and Thanksgiving is an additional challenge – you want a cocktail that feels like fall (no lemon drops and mojitos here!) but isn’t too dark and heavy. You could probably make something out of Turkey soda and vodka, but we've decided to avoid ironic drinks and make something that actually tastes good.

Now that the weather has turned cold, it's the ideal time for whiskey. And alongside the Old Fashioned, there's no better whiskey cocktail than the Manhattan. Like most classic drinks, it's surprisingly easy to make ... but seemingly even easier to screw up. We still haven't quite gotten over the time we ordered a Manhattan at Hydrate, only to be served a vile concoction of Southern Comfort and amaretto. The less said about that the better.

Sometimes, you find excellent cocktails where you least expect them. On a visit to Green Zebra, Shawn McLain’s West Town vegetarian joint, we expected to find great food in a Zen-like, meat-free (or almost meat-free) environment. Less anticipated were the expertly designed and crafted cocktails. Their cocktail list is not extensive, but everything on it is good – and believe us, we tried EVERYTHING. Our favorite libation of the evening was the Bee's Knees, a gin cocktail made with lavender honey. Combine our growing affinity for gin-based cocktails and our love of herbal flavors and we’re easily sold. Best of all, unlike some restaurant cocktails, this one is also fairly easy to try at home.

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If you haven’t made it to The Gage yet, start walking right now. Open for about a year and half, this Michigan Avenue gastropub has garnered so many accolades for its food and atmosphere that it would be pointless to pile on one more. Suffice it to say, we like the place a lot. Today, we’re concerned specifically with the cocktail offerings at the Gage. Do they live up to the food and the hype?

In this column, we usually like to post drinks that are quick and easy to make, which is why we were surprised at how much we liked the following recipe. Whenever we see “Bananas Foster,” we do a little dance – it’s one of our favorite desserts. Then we looked at the long list of ingredients and noted that part of the drink needed to be cooked and died a little inside. But it turned out to be totally worth it. Use this to impress guests at a dinner or cocktail party. It has the consistency of a thin milkshake, and it’s probably best served as an after-dinner drink. It’s a great fall drink, combining elements of summer (ice cream, tropical fruit) with the warmer flavors of caramel and rum.