A Flemish Old Fashioned

If you’ve made it to this blog you probably already know what genever is. For those unfamiliar, it is a Dutch or Belgian spirit that’s been produced in those territories since the seventeenth century. 

Genever is also an AOC protected spirit like cognac or scotch.

The story goes that the British once consumed this delicious distillate en masse until they began producing their own version, called gin. 

The Dutch and Belgian might tell you it is a poor knock-off. In fact, genever is often referred to as the predecessor to the classic London Dry Gin.

Diep 9 is a Belgian genever imported to the US and branded by Flemish Lion. 

Diep 9’s portfolio leads with the two classic styles of genever: the young and the old. Yet, the company also includes a variety that are naturally flavored.

My favorite, the old genever, is aged and then bottled in distinct clay containers. The old genever carries the rye, barley and wheat notes that whiskey lovers recognize. 

I also get that "Grapenuts" cereal aroma one experiences whenever grains are synthesized into a beverage. I also find the taste to be delightfully light and delicate - a nice alternative to whiskey.

A few months ago, owner Veronique Beittel invited me to be a brand ambassador and consultant for Diep 9. I cheerfully accepted the task. It's a product I already enjoyed.

The offer begat a first assignment which was to create a classic cocktail, such as an old fashioned, with their product.

Now I’m not breaking any ground here with a genever old fashioned. It stands to reason that it's been done before by far better barmen than I.

Not only that the old fashioned cocktail is after all a formula that works for nearly every spirit.

However, Diep 9’s old genever old fashioned (or Oude Fashioned) deserves a little shout from a mountain top. The flavors come together in their blend magnificently in this cocktail format. 

I’ve gotten very familiar with the Oude Fashioned for the past month. Then again, as Paul Kemp said in The Rum Diary, I drink "on the upper end of social."

Oude Fashioned

2 oz Diep 9 Old Genever

1/2 oz simple syrup

3-4 dashes Angostura bitters

3-4 dashes orange bitters

Add spirit, sugar, and bitters into an old-fashioned glass. Add ice. Stir 40 times. Garnish with an orange zest.

Note: This post has been revised since its original publication 

DLDGLG is in New Orleans

So I'm down in New Orleans for a bachelor party and Tales of the Cocktail! The bachelor in question would be my good buddy Marshall Fawley III of Scofflaw's Den. 

It also happens to be my first time in The Big Easy. Naturally, my friends and family fear for my safety.

Anyway, Scofflaw's Den put together a nice little guide for surviving NOLA during Tales. It is definitely worth a read if you're planning on being in the area as well. 

And if you'd like, you can follow me on Twitter to see what I'm up to in the Crescent City.

Not So Simple Syrups

Simple Syrups Event August 28th at One Lounge $35

Simple syrup is just that, simple. A one-to-one or two-to-one dilution of sugar into water requires little more than one’s capacity to handle something boiling hot. Shrubs, while slightly more complex and unfamiliar, need little more than an additional ingredient.

But for bartenders and cocktailians, syrups offer an opportunity to impart sweetness as well as flavor where it’s needed. There is a myriad of syrups one can produce and number of ways to apply them that the average person isn't aware of. It’s a required skill for someone in my line of work as a bartender and booze blogger.

So Dana Onyewu (of Casa: Kitchen. Closet. Dining.) and I will be lending some expertise on the subject next month with help from the good folks at Bluecoat American Dry Gin and High West. Here’s our pitch:

Ever wonder how your bartender makes a ginger mojito taste so gingery? Or adds cinnamon spice flavor to your favorite drink? Wonder want a shrub is? (Yes, it’s a drink.) Infused simple syrups add dimension to cocktails and are easy to create.

Learn the ins & outs of infused simple syrups with a tasting of cocktails created by food bloggers Dana Onyewu & Anthony Rivera. Learn principles of flavoring pairing and experiment with syrup infusions. Enjoy food from One Lounge and leave with your own simple syrup to take home.

$35/per person includes: 3 cocktails, heavy appetizers, hands-on instruction, custom simple syrup you create and take home.

Sign up here.

Don't Miss Scofflaw's Den's Final Class at Last Exit!

Image via Twitter

Scofflaw's Den will be hosting its final class at Last Exit this Sunday. The class is called Tiki Lounge and boasts:

Summer is here and what better way to celebrate than relax with an icy, fruity, boozy tiki drink? This summer when you invite friends and family over for a cook-out and some drinks, throw in a touch of polynesia by serving the best tiki drinks around! Learn the history of tiki drinks, the tricks to making them and how Tiki became synonymous with Americana. Class limited to 10 students, $50/person.

Why do a class on tiki drinks? Well, it's been a disgustingly hot summer. Plus, there's more to these refreshing cocktails than rum, fruit juices, and a hollowed-out coconut. 

Besides, who doesn't love tiki drinks?

Don't miss this last opportunity to learn from DC's most knowledgeable cocktail enthusiast/blogger at Last Exit!