This began with a challenge.I had been working on setting up my bar for a good long time, experimenting with various liquor brands, spending a fair amount of money, writing about my progress in Looka! and chatting with various folks via email about our mutual interest in fine and vintage cocktails.
Then came an email from Kendall Clark over at MonkeyFist, which challenged me thusly:
Here's what I'd like to see: let's pretend I've been a poor grad student forever and so the state of my liquor cabinet is dismal. What would Chuck recommend by way of stocking the liquor cabinet for fine, sophisticated cocktail making for entertaining and socializing?That was in October of 2000. They don't call me God Emperor of Procrastination for nothing. I'm slow, but (I hope) good things come to those who wait.
Let's presume that indeed your liquor cabinet is dismal to nonexistent, and that you have no supplies, no books or bar guides of any kind, and need all your mixers and garnishes. I'll give you the essentials, plus other things you'll need to make your bar truly spectacular.
Here's what you'll need: LIQUOR, obviously (at a minimum you need some GIN, VODKA, WHISK(E)Y, RUM and TEQUILA, plus at least a couple of LIQUEURS). You'll need some MIXERS and GARNISHES, some EQUIPMENT ... but first, I think you ought to pick up some BOOKS.
You need ideas, you need inspiration, you need to learn about all the great cocktails that were consumed before, during and right after Prohibition, ones that are scarce in most bars nowadays. This was the era when the cocktail reached its heights of sophistication and flavor, and long before the vogue turned toward insipid long drinks like "Sex on the Beach", drinks that people order because of the name and not because of how they taste. BOOKS
Two of my favorite cocktail books are The Ultimate A-to-Z Bar Guide, by Herbst and Herbst, and the venerable Savoy Cocktail Book. The former has cocktails both new and classic, and the latter is a veritable bible of cocktail drinking during the 20s and 30s, from the venerable American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London. Peruse these and see what interests you, what looks like it might taste good, what inspires you to give it a try.
My favorite online cocktail compendia are DrinkBoy and Bar Asterie, plus the old HotWired Cocktail site.
You need something to mix them in, something to measure with, something to strain them with and something to serve them in. EQUIPMENT
First thing on your list is a cocktail shaker. There are two primary kinds: the Boston shaker, which looks like two long containers, one metal (slightly larger) and one glass. The glass top occasionally has measurements or drink recipes on them, but they aren't necessary. This one's what you'll see most professional bartenders use, because they tend to have a somewhat larger capacity and they're easy to use. I have a really nice one that I purchased from Bar Accents for $20, and it's quite elegant as well.
The other kind is the one that tends to be more decorative, in countless varieties from sleek and nifty looking to horribly tacky. They tend to have built-in strainers (which I've never found to work terribly well) and seem to be far more prevalent in home bars. I've got a few of these myself, of various designs, including my favorite -- an Art Deco classic from 1936, the Chase Gaeity.
Next thing you'll need is a strainer. I generally recommend against using the built-in strainers on most cocktail shakers, as they tend to be small; the ice builds up behind them and it takes longer to strain the drink through them. The separate strainer, which you can generally get for just a few dollars, works much better, and gives you more control over the process.
Then there are shotglasses. I believe that shotglasses are essential to making good cocktails. You might see bartenders just pouring liquor out of the bottles and eyeballing it, and I have no doubt that the best and most experienced bartenders can indeed pour an exact jigger by eye. Most of us can't, though, so measure.
The classic variety are the ones that look like two metal cones attached at the narrow end. The usual measurements are 1-1/2 ounces and 3/4 ounce (full and half jigger), and 1 and 2 ounces. I've got one of each of these (for old times' sake; they remind me of my dad's bar), but I've become fond of one I picked up recently that's a large, 4-ounce glass shot, graduated in 1/2-ounce increments. It's a little less sloppy for me, as the metal shotglasses generally have to be filled to the very brim for accurate measuring, and I'm a klutz who tends to slop liquids all over everywhere. The large graduated glass shot allows me to mix quickly and with less mess. Your mileage may vary, of course; use what you feel most comfortable with.
Other valuable but slightly less essential tools include the bar spoon (long handled, for clear drinks that are to be stirred and not shaken, like Martinis), muddler (like a small wooden potato-masher, for crushing sugar cubes, mint leaves, fruit, etc.), ice tongs ('cause it's not classy to use your hands), a knife and small cutting board (for cutting lemons, limes, twists, etc.) and bottle opener ('cause some of your guests might want beer). For a touch of class to your garnishes, invest in some cocktail picks too. Even a toothpick will do in a pinch, but it's nice to have some classy ones. We've seen some really nifty lucite ones that are like an elongated New York World's Fair Trylon, and I've got a silverplate set from Restoration Hardware that are nice and heavy.
I have a serious glassware fetish. I love glassware, and I collect it whenever I can (even though I don't have enough cabinet space). That said, I'm fairly insistent on one thing -- cocktail glasses (what most people refer to these days as a "Martini glass") should be very simple, clear, free of decorations, and inexpensive. GLASSWARE
Glasses that are colored, engraved, in a funky shape, or in any way different from the classic, quintessential cocktail glass detract from the star of the show -- its contents, the cocktail. You may have different tastes than I, but this is my opinion. Ignore it if you wish (at your own peril!). My favorite cocktail glasses are found at Pier 1 Imports for three bucks each. Get at least eight of them, and keep them in the refrigerator; cocktails should always be served in chilled glasses.
Other glasses you'll need are Old Fashioned glasses, also called "whiskey glasses" or "lowball glasses". These are best for Old Fashioneds (natch), whiskey on the rocks and a wide variety of lowball drinks. They're also the traditional vessel for serving Sazeracs. Then highball glasses, also called "Collins glasses" if they're a little narrower, for tall drinks. You'll cover a lot with these three, but if you begin to serve other kinds of drinks you'll also want to consider adding wine glasses, brandy snifters, champagne flutes, single malt glasses, cordial glasses, beer mugs and pilsner glasses, margarita glasses, etc.
If you're wacked like me, your collection also includes highball glasses from the 1939 New York World's Fair, Sazerac glasses from the old Roosevelt Hotel (as well as some little one-jigger whiskey decanters from the Roosevelt), antique Irish Coffee glasses, and some bulb-shaped cokanjcici from Yugoslavia, for drinking rakija.
I can't be more adamant about this -- DO NOT BUY CHEAP BOOZE. Never buy store brands. Never buy plain wrap brands. Beware of any distilled liquor that's under eight bucks, 'cause chances are it tastes just as cheap as it costs. You can find good values, certainly, and expensive isn't necessarily always good, but if you buy the rotgut stuff you'll regret it, and so will your guests who end up getting served lousy cocktail. ABOUT LIQUORS
I'll list prices after the liquors I usually buy; they're the prices from The Wine House, my favorite wine and spirits store in West Los Angeles. As much as I love Wally's in Westwood (and I do shop there as well), The Wine House, for the most part, runs $3-$5 cheaper for most items. I realize that prices may vary wildly depending on where you live, and if you're able to shop at large liquor stores that can buy in quantity. Many spirits stores (including the two I mentioned above) mail-order, so if this is legal in your area it's something you might consider if you can't find product locally.
So, if you're just starting a bar, here's what I think you need at the minimum. You can start a couple of bottles at a time, favoring the ones you'd enjoy most often, until you build up to this:
1 bottle each Angostura, Peychaud's and Orange Bitters (they're all cheap)From this modest start, you can make a lot of cocktails. You can expand, by adding different whiskies, vodkas, rums, liqueurs, whatever direction you wish to go in.)
1 bottle gin
1 bottle vodka
1 bottle Bourbon whiskey
1 bottle rye whiskey
1 bottle brandy
1 bottle light or dark rum
1 small bottle French (dry) vermouth
1 bottle tequila (if you like tequila)
1 bottle Cointreau (or triple sec)
1 bottle Maraschino
Please remember that these are my opinions and my personal preferences, which a pal asked me to share with him and with my readers. You probably can't go wrong with any of these, but your opinions may differ. That's fine. Enjoy what you enjoy. However, any emails I get that say things like "why the hell don't you list such-and-such a brand, it's so awesome, how could you leave them out, you idiot?!" will be consigned to the trash, but only after having some particularly nasty gris-gris cast into the direction of the sender. So, if you send such an email, don't blame me if some beloved part of your body suddenly withers and falls off. Fair warning!
Now, let's get mixing...
There are two types of cocktail bitters that are absolutely essential to your bar, and you must have both. There's also at least one more which I highly recommend you acquire. BITTERS AND APERITIFS
1. The first is the ubiquitous Angostura Bitters, which have become what people generically expect when one refers to "bitters" in a drink. Angostura Bitters are a fine product, but using them exclusively as your only bitters lend a quality of sameness to many cocktails. Use them when called for specifically, but keep the others in mind. Angostura Bitters can be found anywhere, even in grocery stores.
2. The second (and for me they're the first, really) is Peychaud's Bitters, made in New Orleans since 1793. I list them second here only because they tend to be harder to find outside New Orleans, although this is changing; you can mail-order them from the above link, and Wally's now carries them too.
Peychaud's Bitters are redder, sweeter, and essential for New Orleans cocktails. They're somewhat less bitter and harsh than Angostura and have a delightful flavor; you'll find yourself adding them to lots of drinks (a couple of dashes of Peychaud's just makes a gin and tonic for me), or even substituting them for Angostura (my dad prefers them in Old Fashioneds). And of course, they are perhaps the star ingredient in the Sazerac.
3. Aside from these, there's another type of bitters that aren't as essential as the two above, but having them will make your bar extremely well-stocked and will enable you to make a wider variety of classic cocktails. They're tasty, too, and they're orange bitters. Orange bitters aren't nearly as easy to find as they once were; many different manufacturers produced them, but nowadays the only ones readily available are made by Fee Brothers in New York. In the old days many cocktail recipes called for orange bitters, including the original Martini (four dashes).
Fee Brothers also make a lovely Peach Bitters, which add an additional whiff of aroma and flavor to a Bellini, and are an essential final touch to the Contemplated Navel (my version of the Fuzzy Navel).
The "E", or not the "E"? That is the question. How do you spell it? WHISK(E)Y
I find that it's only the Scots who tend to get bent out of shape about this sort of thing (and the ones who do really ought to have better things to worry about), but the spelling convention does differ depending on where the product originates. Our word "whisky" or "whiskey" comes from the Irish Gaelic "uisce beatha" (or "uisge beatha" in Scots Gaelic), and means "water of life". American and Irish products are spelled "whiskey" with the extra "e", and Canadian and Scottish products are spelled "whisky" without the "e". You won't find that the Canadians get bent out of shape over the spelling of their national distillate, but then again the Canadians are generally all very nice folks who rarely seem to get bent out of shape about much of anything other than being mistaken for Americans.
Bourbon
For me, there's one that stands alone -- Maker's Mark. I remain eternally grateful to my friend Lee Papageorge for turning me on to this stuff many years ago. It's of the highest quality, it's relatively inexpensive ($18.99/750ml), doesn't get lost in cocktails and is more than good enough to sip on its own, either neat or on the rocks. It's a truly beautiful product, and is my Bourbon of choice.That said, Wes and I recently found an excellent runner-up, which is a really good buy and is quite fine for cocktails -- Old Grand Dad, which at the local Sav-On Drugs sets us back about $9. I'm not sure I'd enjoy sipping this one on the rocks as much as I do Maker's, but it makes a fine Fancy-Free. If all you're going to do is mix it, then consider this as your Bourbon of choice.
For high-end sippin' whiskey ... your choices these days are quite numerous, I'm happy to report.
Canadian
Seagram's V.O.Irish
Fraught with controversy, this one. Don't get any Irish people started; people are as loyal to their whiskey as they are to their county and their beloved Ireland. I've gotten shocked reactions for drinking Black Bush (*gasp* ... "That's Protestant whiskey!"). When I drink Irish, I'm a fan of Jameson's as well as Bushmills, that product of County Antrim in the North of Ireland that seems to get some people bent out of shape. I've also enjoyed Tullamore Dew, which can be had for a really good price if you look around.This'll be a matter of personal preference for you, as most Irish whiskeys I've tasted have been pretty good, although each with its own character. I rarely drink this in cocktails, preferring it neat or with a crop of water. One fellow in a pub in Galway said it should be chilled by pouring over ice, stirring three times left, three times right, three times up and down, then immediately strained. I have never had a desire to mix Irish whiskey with fizzy red lemonade, either.
Rye
The plummet in popularity for rye whiskey makes me sad. It was still widely available (at least as far as I can tell) even when I was a kid, and now is next to impossible to find in most bars outside New Orleans.The reason it's always in New Orleans bars is that it's the basis for our quintessential cocktail, the Sazerac, which despite what the Brennans do at Commander's Palace should not be made with Bourbon.
My rye whiskey of choice is Old Overholt, which I usually get for around $13.99/750ml, and less if you look around. It's fine whiskey at a good price, and is the basis of my Sazeracs. Alternately, you can try Wild Turkey Rye, which at 101 proof versus 86 for Overholt packs an extra punch for your drink. The Sazerac Bar at the Fairmont (formerly Roosevelt) hotel uses Wild Turkey, but unfortunately, the ruin their namesake drink by premixing the sugar syrup and bitters to "save time", resulting in a drink that's far too sweet.
Scots
BRANDY (including COGNAC & ARMAGNAC)
VODKA
I'm a latecomer to gin. The juniper flavor is what still gets me. I love a number of gin-based cocktails, but still don't care for gin Martinis (my friend Louise says that I'm "just a wimp"). GIN
Wimpy though I may be, my gin of choice is Bombay Sapphire, made from 11 different botanicals with the juniper slightly ahead. It's reasonably priced, and comes in a pretty blue bottle that looks nice in your bar. I've also enjoyed Boodles and Tanqueray 10, although I don't usually stock them at home. If you want something that's a little bit more bargain-priced but still acceptable, my aforementioned gin-drinking friend Louise and her hubby Michael give the thumbs-up to good ol' Beefeater.
Listen very carefully ... José Cuervo Gold is shite. Forget that it even exists, and try to go out of your way when you order a drink in a bar to let them know that you don't want Cuervo Gold. Unfortunately it's the default when most Americans think of tequila. Do you know the reason why people make faces when they take tequila shots? 'Cause they're probably drinking this stuff, and it tastes terrible. TEQUILA
One thing you want to look for when choosing a tequila is the phrase "100% agave" or "100% blue agave" on the label. This means that it's entirely produced from the distilled juice of the agave plant, and not with any other kind of cheap alcohol blended in. My favorite all-purpose tequila is Sauza Hornitos, available for under $20 in most places. Good flavor, slight aging giving it a nice golden tint, and is good enough to sip alone as well as mix in a cocktail. One step above that for me is one that's the most popular tequila in Mexico, but one I've only learned about recently -- Cazadores Reposado. This one I'd tend to sip on its own, in a little snifter, but I wouldn't be afraid to put it in a cocktail when I really wanted the drink to shine. It's a little pricier, at $28.99/750ml. I'm also fond of Herradura (especially the blanco).
For fine sippin' tequila ... there are hundreds to choose from, at prices ranging from expensive to astronomical. These are ones you'd never mix, just like you'd never mix a fine single-malt Scotch (and these tequilas are just as complex in their flavor). My favorites so far are Patron, Chinaco and Porfidio. I'd only get one of these if you're a tequila aficionado; if you're just going to make Margaritas, stick with Sauza and you'll do fine.
Getting the most popular brand out of the way, let's say that you probably can't go wrong with Bacardi light and dark rums. They're better than generic. But I think you can do much better than that... RUM
I'm a New Orleans boy, and I'm partial to a new product that's the new pride and joy of the Crescent city -- New Orleans Rum. It's a premium, craft distilled, single barrel aged rum made from pure Louisiana sugar cane, and it's distilled, aged and bottled in New Orleans. They make a dark (my favorite) and a light one as well, and they're scrumptiously yummy. I realize that they may be difficult to find in your area, but as the web site says ... ask! The dark sets me back about $16.99/750ml.
If not N.O. Rum, then my rum of choice would be Appleton Estate from Jamaica. Both their White and Special (golden) rums are excellent. If you're going to just get one, the White has a light-bodied flavor, the Special has a fuller aroma and depth of flavor; pick one which you think suits your taste in drinks. I think it's a good idea to have both light and dark on hand.
If you wish to expand to some more special rums, I'd start out with Captain Morgan Spiced rum. The primary spice in it, I'm told, is vanilla, although hints of cinnamon and clove are back there as well. It's really tasty, and is an essential component in the Cable Car, one of my favorite cocktails.
I'm still working my way through the wild world of rums, but one I've tried that really struck me, and the one I'd choose for a sippin' rum, is Gosling's Black Seal Rum from Bermuda. It's a very dark coppery color, full-flavored and sweet, with myriad nuances of flavor from molasses to caramel, hints of fruits and spices, with such a complexity that I couldn't identify all the flavors. All this, and a relative bargain at $18.99/750ml.
Cachaça
Rum is made from sugar cane molasses and yeast, which is then distilled. There's another spirit usually put in the rum family which is actually more like a sugar cane brandy, distilled directly from the juice of sugar cane. This is the #1 selling spirit in Brazil, called cachaça, pronounced <ka-SHAH-sa>.It's the basis of the most popular cocktail in Brazil, the Caipirinha -- a whole lime, cut in eighths and muddled thoroughly with a few teaspoons of sugar (in Brazil they have a molasse-tinged sugar which is superb), then fillied with ice and 2 ounces or so of cachaça. Sounds simple, but it's out of this world.
My favorite brands of cachaça are Ypioca and Pitù, which run between $17-21/750ml, depending on where you get it. For a slightly more refined version that's had a little aging, try Toucano from Ypioca, which runs around $25 but is wonderful.
1. If you only buy one liqueur, make it Cointreau, perhaps the highest quality version of the type of liqueur generically called Triple Sec or Curação. It's an orange-flavored liqueur, made with both sweet and bitter oranges from the West Indies, and is produced in France. Lots and lots of cocktails call for it, and it's essential to your bar. If your budget allows it, use Cointreau for any cocktail recipe calling for triple sec or orange Curação. It is a bit expensive ($31.99/750ml), but worth it. If you want to save this for special cocktails, any good triple sec from a reputable company like Bols or Leroux will do (usually around $7.99/750ml), although I believe you'll be able to taste the difference. LIQUEURS AND CORDIALS
(For a truly luxurious orange liqueur, treat yourself to a bottle of Grand Marnier ($28.39/750ml), which blends the flavor of oranges with fine Cognac. Its flavor is unparalleled and unmistakeable. It tends to assert itself in cocktails, so unless you plan to feature its flavor I wouldn't use it as a substitute for triple sec.)
2. The second liqueur I think you should get is one that you might have a little bit of trouble finding, but is well worth the effort. If you have any interest in vintage cocktails you'll need this, and there really isn't a substitute for it -- Maraschino liqueur, made from Marasca cherries. The cherries are crushed with their stones and distilled like a fine eau de vie, retaining a hint of bitter nuttiness from the presences of the stones. The distillate is then mixed with sugar syrup to 50% ABV.
The best Maraschino is by Luxardo in Italy, which comes in a very pretty bottle and which is actually less expensive at Wally's ($24.99/750ml vs. $30.29/750ml at The Wine House). Some of my very favorite cocktails call for it (Fancy-Free, Aviation, Casino, Cacciavite) and I've gotten to the point where I can't do without it.
If you can't find Luxardo Liquore di Maraschino, there's at least one other I've seen out there, a Croatian product called Maraska; I have yet to try it, though. Peter Heering is a fine cherry liqueur from Denmark, although I'm not sure it'd do as a substitute for Maraschino in cocktails.
There's lots of miscellany involved in mixing your cocktails, but each element is important. You can take a high quality liquor and make it into a crappy cocktail by mixing it with a low-quality product. Don't skimp. JUICES, MIXERS, SYRUPS, SEASONINGS, GARNISHES, &c.
Juices
Many cocktail recipes call for juices. Here are the ones you'll be using most often.1. Lemon juice.
Listen very carefully ... ALWAYS squeeze fresh lemons for lemon juice. No exceptions. NEVER use RealLemon or any bottled, reconstituted lemon juice-oid product. This includes bottled commercial sweet and sour mix. They taste horrible and are worthless. If you're serious about cocktails, don't give this a second thought. If you want to make your own sweet and sour mix for convenience, that's fine; use 1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice to 1 part simple syrup.2. Lime juice.
Listen very carefully ... ALWAYS squeeze fresh limes for lime juice. No exceptions. NEVER use RealLime or any bottled, reconstituted lime juice-oid product. This includes Rose's Lime Juice. I never use it. It's cloyingly sweet, overly processed, and has no fresh lime taste. If you're making a Gimlet, use fresh lime juice and a teaspoon of powdered sugar or bar sugar.Using fresh squeezed lemon and lime juices can make all the difference between a truly great cocktail and a merely mediocre one. If you're having a party, squeeze 8 or 10 lemons and limes about a half hour before your guests arrive, and keep it in a jar in the fridge. If you have any left over, put it in something non-breakable and freeze it.
3. Orange juice.
I'm not quite so adamant about fresh-squeezed orange juice, as nowadays there are many fine squeezed juices available commercially. Even big brands like Tropicana and Minute-Maid will do, as long as you check the label carefully to make sure they're "squeezed" and not "from concentrate". I prefer a local brand like Hansen's, that are squeezed and bottled locally, with a shorter shelf life than the ones you get in the grocery. Of course, if you have a good citrus squeezer and want to go through the extra effort of squeezing your own oranges for a Screwdriver, Cacciavite or Gin and Sin, then your drink wil have an extra level of magnificence.4. Cranberry juice.
This is the one frequenly used juice (FUJ?) that you're pretty much always going to get in bottled form. I haven't seen anyone squeeze their own cranberries (although I have heard of a bartender in London who muddles fresh cranberries in the shaker for his Vanilla Cosmopolitans). The one ubiquitous brand is Ocean Spray, which is a pretty good quality product. If you can, try to find a cranberry juice cocktail that's sweetened with other fruit juices, rather than one that has lots of water and high fructose corn syrup added. You can find better cranberry juice if you're lucky enough to live on the West Coast close to a Trader Joe's.5. Tomato juice.
If you like Bloody Marys or any of their myriad variations, you'll need some tomato juice on hand. Your own preference is fine here. While I tend to be skeptical of most commercial Bloody Mary mixes, I find that Tabasco (not surprisingly) makes a good product.6. And the rest...
Above and beyond these, anything goes. Let your imagination run wild. There are very high quality peach juices, black currant nectars and as many good quality fruit juices and juice-based nectars as you can imagine. Also keep in mind that you can do wonderful things with fresh fruit purées too; I made a delicious Kiwi "Martini" using puréed and strained fresh kiwi, some good vodka, and a wee dash of vermouth to add a little edge to the sweetness and to make sure it's still a Martini, and it was wonderful.
Mixers
1. Club soda or seltzer.
Keep a six-pack of those little bottles of club soda on hand; they're annoyingly expensive, but they last. If you're going to host a party where you know you'll be using lots of it, get one of the larger bottles, but keep in mind that club soda tends to go flat in a shorter amount of time than most sweet soft drinks.If you can afford to buy one (they're not that much) and care to go through the extra effort, it's really really nifty (not to mention classy) to have a seltzer bottle. This has many advantages -- the fizzy water is always freshly fizzy, you can control what you put into it (your preferred local spring water, for instance), and homemade seltzer is salt-free, unlike club soda. Above and beyond all that, it looks great on your bar, and it's really fun to squirt it into a drink. The only danger is that you have to resist the temptation to channel Curly Howard and squirt someone in the face with it (I've had relatively good luck so far). You can find them at places like Williams-Sonoma or any good cooking supply store for about $60.
2. Tonic water.
Essential for Gin and Tonic, of course. There are also a few other long drinks calling for tonic water, but you'll probably only need to keep them on hand if you're making Gin and Tonic.3. Soft drinks (Coke, 7UP, Ginger Ale)
Stock these as you think is necessary, depending on what you usually make. I don't use any of these very often in drinks (Bourbon and Coke? How boring.) but I generally keep a six-pack of each stuck way back in my liquor cabinet, in case any of my guests ever ask for anything using these. Ginger Ale is the necessary mixer for making Pimm's Cups, so I usually use this more often than Coke or 7UP.4. Milk, half-and-half and cream.
Again, stock these if you think you'll use them. Many excellent drinks call for them, but they have limited shelf life so try to think ahead. If you know your guests like White Russians, or if you know you'll be having a brunch where you'll be featuring Ramos Gin Fizzes, stock up accordingly.5. Bitter lemon.
This mixer seemed to completely disappear from American consciousness (not to mention grocery store shelves) over the last couple of decades. When I was a kid, I vividly remember the Schweppes comercials, hawking their four different "Schweppervescent" varieties -- club soda, tonic water, ginger ale, and bitter lemon. It's exactly what it says it is, a slightly bitter lemon soda, not unpleasantly so at all, and not nearly as cloyingly sweet as most soft drinks are. It makes a wonderfully refreshing mixer, and has never fallen out of favor in Europe and the Caribbean.I'm happy to report that the Schweppes company is reintroducing Bitter Lemon to the American market, so try it sometime. It mixes great with gin, and you should also try it chilled all by itself on a hot day.
6. Sanbittèr
Okay, now we're getting a little obscure. This San Pellegrino product isn't all that easy to find; Italian groceries or gourmet shops will be the place. Besides being the perfect nonalcoholic substitute for Campari and Soda, Sanbittèr has become an essential mixer in my bar solely because of one drink -- the Bellissimo, which I learned to make from Michael and Arturo at the Petrossian Bar in the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas (two of my favorite bartenders, incidentally). I can get a case of the little 50ml bottles for about $12.95 at my favorite local Italian deli, and they last for a good long while.
SYRUPS
1. Sugar syrup (or, simple syrup).
I almost never use granulated sugar in drinks. Ever try dissolving a spoonful of sugar in a glass of iced tea? You never get it all to dissolve. You invariably end up with undissolved crystals at the bottom of the glass. This is unacceptable for cocktails.Some drink recipes call for confectioner's or powdered sugar, which will dissolve more quickly but often contains a small amount of cornstarch to keep it from getting caked up. I don't know about you, but I don't want any cornstarch in my cocktails.
This problem is completely solved by making some sugar syrup. It's already dissolved, so you'll never have a gritty drink. Just combine two cups of sugar with one cup water in a small saucepan; heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, then allow to cool and pour into a sterilized bottle. This quantity usually lasts me for a good while (since I tend to use it one teaspoon at a time), unless I'm having a cocktail party. Always have some sugar syrup on hand.
2. Grenadine
The word comes from the French word for pomegranate, and in fact grenadine should be a syrup made from real pomegranate juice and sugar. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case anymore, so don't buy just any brand of grenadine you see.Read the label, and make sure it's not just artifically flavored sugar syrup. The best quality grenadine I've been able to find in most grocery and liquor stores is Angostura Grenadine, which at least lists pomegranate on the label, as well as having "natural and artificial flavors". It's pretty good stuff, though, so you'll do all right with Angostura's product.
However, if you really want a killer bar, look for something of higher quality. The French syrup-maker Monin makes an excellent grenadine, and I've seen other products in Italian groceries and gourmet shops that are made with real pomegranate. You'd be really well off if you splurge for a bottle of one of these.
3. Other fruit syrups.
Many cocktail recipes call for other fruit-flavored syrups, such as raspberry or passion fruit. A really good affordable brand is Torani, an American-made product mostly used for making old-style Italian sodas and for flavoring coffees. I use their Raspberry Syrup in my Clover Club.Another excellent product (although a bit less easy to find) is the line of syrups made by Da Vinci Gourmet.
4. Orgeat.
Orgeat is an almond-flavored syrup, apparently pronounced <or-ZHAY> (I, of course, used to pronounce it <ORGY-at> before I learned this, to my embarrassment). You'll find it in a lot of tropical drinks, drinks served in cups that look like the statues on Easter Island, as well as some sophisticated Creole classics like the Suisesse. Torani makes a good one, and you'll often see a Trader Vic's brand for sale in your local liquor store.5. Falernum.
I only learned about this relatively recently, after reading a feature about it on Robert Hess' marvelous DrinkBoy site. Falernum originates in the West Indies, and is a syrup flavored with lime, ginger and almond -- great for tropical drinks, as you can imagine. I learned a nifty variation on the Whiskey Sour from the folks over at Ardent Spirits, who make the Mardi Gras Sour by substituting Falernum for the sugar syrup.The Sazerac Company imports a lovely Falernum from Barbados which is my favorite, but if you can't find that locally you can mail-order a good one from Da Vinci Gourmet.
SEASONINGS
Other than my mixers, I don't use a whole lot of what you'd normall think of as "seasonings" except in the production of my Bloody Mary. For that, I use celery salt, prepared horseradish, a little fresh ground black pepper, Tabasco Sauce (their habanero sauce if I want a really hot one, and I can't wait until their chipotle sauce comes out; your own favorite hot sauce will do), and a little Worcestershire. I also add a squeeze of lemon before I add the tomato juice or Tabasco Bloody Mary Mix, and garnished properly it's a killer Bloody Mary. (At Le Cirque in New York, they make their Bloody Marys with aged balsamic vinegar and white truffle oil ... whoa.) And speaking of garnishes ...
GARNISHES
It's the final touch for a cocktail, and it can make you get oohs and aahs from your guests when you ordinarily might have just gotten a "thanks". It's a touch of elegance that's so easy you have no excuse for skipping it. I even garnish my drinks if I'm by myself at home, making myself a cocktail after a tough day at work.1. Maraschino cherry.
With or without stems, up to you. Your store brand is usually just fine; avoid the Reese brand that you find in the so-called "gourmet" section in your supermarket, as they taste terrible.If you feel like being super-extravagant, find a nice French imported bottle of brandied dark cherries ... oooh. This, as I learned from Michael at the Bellagio, is a killer touch in a Casino cocktail (and add about 1/2 teaspoon of the cherry-stained brandy, which sinks to the bottom and creates a little red layer on the bottom).
2. Olives.
De rigueur for your Martini. Plain, pimento-stuffed, almond-stuffed, or whatever variation you like. Although I have yet to try it, I understand that a blue cheese-stuffed olive makes for an absolutely killer martini, and Dean Fearing at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas adds a few drops of tequila to his Martinis, and garnishes with a jalapeño-stuffed olive. At least two olives, please, and preferably on a cocktail pick of some kind. Be kind and serve three, though.
beverages and cocktails
creole and cajun recipe page | the gumbo pages
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