Mixology Monday: Absinthe Drinks, Cont.

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Mixology Monday: Absinthe Drinks

I must preface this post with a declaration that I took a risk and it is actually a bit of a failure.

For whatever reason, I imagined writing posts for Mixology Monday to go much smoother.  What a chance, I thought, to make delicious cocktails that I otherwise would never have been inclined to attempt.  It soon became clear to me that a simple prompt and deadline can suddenly eradicate my modest attempts at creativity or imagination.  But I suppose that's just part of the challenge.

This month's mission is to breath new life into a forgotten cocktail.  I took a slight obtuse angle on that proposal and focused on absinthe as an ingredient.  There is no shortage of new-found absinthe enthusiasm in the United States since the lifting of its ban.  However, from my perspective, its flavor has not yet penetrated a mainstream application beyond cocktail enthusiasts and fellow intoxicologists.

I spotted an delicious combination of absinthe and St. Germaine for a special cocktail at The Passenger earlier this summer and I thoroughly enjoy a little of the spirit in a well-made Sazerac.  But it's a much different story having absinthe in a much more aggressive format, at least for me.  With no ideas springing instantly to mind, I turned to Dale Degroff's The Craft of the Cocktail.  I chose two absinthe drinks from the book: the standard Absinthe Drip and Absinthe No. 2.  In Dale I trust...

Absinthe Drip

- 2 oz of absinthe
- 1 lump of sugar

Glassware: small rocks glass and an absinthe spoon.

Place absinthe and ice cube into a small rocks glass.  Place absinthe spoon across the top of the glass with a lump of sugar resting on it.  Slowly drip droplets of water onto the sugar cube allowing it to melt into the absinthe.

This little monster is hardly the soothing sipper that its pale green color seems to suggest, I assure you.  Occasionally, in a fit of denial, I attempt to understand and appreciate this spirit in its plainest form.  I suppose I'm just not there yet. 

However, as aforementioned, I have been pleasantly surprised by the introduction of absinthe as a recessive ingredient.  So I moved forward with the absinthe cocktail.

Absinthe No. 2

- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz absinthe
- 2 dashes of orange bitters

Glassware: chilled cocktail/martini glass

Pour gin, absinthe, and bitters into a glass with ice.  Stir until cold and strain into the cocktail glass. 

I found this particular sipper much more tolerable and, thus, applicable to a mainstream drinker's sensibilities.  All things considered, I can't say I enthusiastically enjoyed either attempt and reluctantly deem it a little bit of a failure overall, as I mentioned before.  I suspect the other MxMo participants produced more persuasive candidates for the proverbial comeback tour. 

On a more positive note, I would be very interested in tweaking the ingredients and proportions of the Absinthe No. 2 for an alternative approach sometime in the future.  In that sense, I feel pleased with maintaining the essence of Mixology Monday.

Until next month...  Cheers!

"If [Champagne expert Richard Juhlin]'s right, I have just consumed about 10,000 euros of Champagne in a few minutes. I’m not sure even Keith Richards has managed that,"

said Richard Vines, chief food critic for Bloomberg News who was invited to consume a glass of champagne that was nearly 200 years old.   

Curing What Ails You

Alexis Madrigal of The Atlantic has written about a topic that I've been sort of channeling the past four weeks: patent medicine.  Oils, cures, tonics, bitters.  I, for one, follow Alexis for his discussions of technology (he is, after all, the technology editor).  But having just participated in a course detailing the universe of bitters, it felt serendipitous. 

The antiquated look and charm of these products from that era can be seen in our time, as Alexis explains.  From what I can see, our society has evolved to the point that it repackages the historical.  Consumers are looking for the "authentic."  Some sell their goods as an authentic experience, and its very profitable (see Joseph Pine's discussion of this at TED).  Home-made bitters in a bar that specializes in hand-crafted cocktails is an example of that.  Some businesses just apply this idea farther than others.

Interestingly, the owners of Tonic (where I am employed) seem to fancy that Vaudevillian, side-show, snake-oil salesman motif.  Bottles of patent medicines can be found decorating the building.  It is a successful concept.  They did own and operated one of the district's beloved freak shows, Palace of Wonders, which I wrote about earlier this year.  I find it interesting, though, that the owners of Tonic do not accentuate their menu to this theme or draw off the consumer's desire for that authentic, patent medicine-related product.  Imagine the possibilities with cocktails.  From my vantage point, this appears to be a missed opportunity.

The Columbia Room: Bitters Class Part II

We returned to The Columbia Room for the second part of Derek Brown's bitters class.  In the last session, we discussed the basic composition and process for building a bitters baseline.  The topic of the evolution bitters in the first class was followed up by a discussion in the second class about the turning point for bitters.  That turning point was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. 

It seems the implementation of this legislation, as well as the Volstead Act fourteen years later, in many ways rendered most of the bitters business unsustainable.  Naturally, as time progressed, the ingredient lost prominence among bartenders.

Until recently...

Anyway, as with our last session, cocktails were prepared to exemplify the many applications of bitters.  Derek's associate, JP Fetherston, prepared the second session's refreshments.  As he prepared, it was noted that Fetherston spends a noble amount of time experimenting and advancing the craft of the bar.  The first tipple that he presented us was The 4th Regiment Cocktail.

The 4th Regiment Cocktail 

- 1 oz rye whiskey
- 1 oz of sweet vermouth
- 1 dash of Peychaud's bitters
- 1 dash of orange bitters
- 1 dash of celery bitters

Glassware: chilled cocktail glass or rocks glass

Combine ingredients in a glass with ice and stir. Pour into a chilled glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy.

What makes The 4th Regiment Cocktail a great volunteer for the class is how the drinker is left having to peel back the different layers of flavor.  And the most notorious flavor in the bunch seems to have been delivered in some part by the celery flavored bitters.  The uniqueness of the celery bitters with the robustness of the sweet vermouth is very clever. 

We discussed the flavor profile of the 100 proof vodka used for the maceration process after sampling it.  Derek never resists involving his audience in any degustative experience.  This inclination is a hint about the world in which Brown lives.  Everything must be examined.  Take nothing simply at face-value.

As an intermission, Fetherston prepared to demonstrate an aspect of the so-called molecular gastronomy using nothing more than an iSi whip cream dispenser.  If you are very familiar with these devices, I ask you: is there any trick this tool cannot perform?  Any person who knows the method by which Jose Andres creates his spherification masterpiece, the mojito, will understand why I ask.

 

And Mr. Fetherston himself is indeed impressive.  He treated the class to a demonstration of instant or rapid-fusion; a concept borrowed from Cooking Issues and mentioned here.  Within minutes,a few ounces of neutral grain spirit had the rich citrus-orange flavor as though it had been there from the very beginning.

When the time finally came, the host and his assistant prepared the bitter and aromatic ingredients for the students to begin the task of creating their own bitters.  Derek encouraged each person to strike his or her own preferred balance by adding more of the former or the latter from their respective pitchers.  Regardless of the amounts, the idea seemed to be control - greater control over the process by initially maintaining two seperate bodies of flavor.

Most of us seemed to pour equal amounts from the aromatic pitcher and the bitter pitcher.  Then, the various extracts and syrups were passed around for possible inclusion into the mixture.  I went with tamarind.

Satisfied with the tamarind flavor, I escalated the water content to dilute the concoction and brighten it up slightly.  As a proof of concept, it worked. 

Derek concluded his lesson and each student took with him or her a customized jar of bitters.  While everyone drifted away, I lingered with the two mixologists on a tangent and was tempted to bait them into extending the hour.  Instead, I knew I'd have another chance and saved any wandering inquiry for another appointment. 

In the coming weeks, I hope to venture into the cola bitters process.  If successful, I'll experiment with a malty cousin to the cola and beer beverages.  This soft drink has such a vexing flavor that I have not had the courage to bring it anyone's taste buds as a cocktail.  Stay tuned.

Thanks again to Derek Brown, Angie Salame, JP Fetherston, Katie Nelson, and Adriana Salame-Aspiazu for flawlessly executing an educational (and entertaining) set of classes.   

Next Song for the Jukebox

Sleepy Time

The common cold has rendered me unwell and coiled up like a mink.  Here's a delicious hot drink I have been using to shake this wretched cough.  It has no name but it does have a decent little buzz.

- 1 1/2 oz Laird's Apple Jack
- honey
- lemon wedge
- Celestial Seasoning Sleepytime Herbal Tea
- hot water

Glassware: toddy mug or coffee mug

Mix lemon juice, honey, and apple jack in a mug.  Add tea and hot water.  Stir well.  Enjoy.