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Learn How to Make Your Own Bar Ingredients

partysugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:15:08 -0700

Last week it was Cocktail Week here in San Francisco and I was lucky enough to attend a bunch of the events. The highlight was Thursday's bar school - a day of education. Since I'm an avid home mixologist, I checked out the House-Made Ingredients How-To taught by Jeff Hollinger, general manager at Absinthe, and Neyah White, bartender extraordinaire at Nopa.

In the drinks industry, both Jeff and Neyah are pioneers when it comes to creating bitters, cordials, tinctures, syrups, etc. The duo has made it its mission to bring back the craft of cocktail making one bottle of bitters at a time. To check out their tips for making bar ingredients at home and see a gallery of images from the class, read more.

The class started with a quick rundown of basic bartender terminology. A simple syrup is a mixture of water and sugar that is the foundation of an endless variety of syrups. A cordial and liqueur are spirits that have been infused with a flavoring agent (a fruit, herb, or spice) and are then sweetened. A tincture is a super-concentrated flavoring agent that is made from one specific ingredient. Bitters are like tinctures, but are made from a variety of ingredients.

Don't rely on recipes. Instead White recommends lots of creative experimentation.
Never throw anything away. Hollinger uses everything that comes out of the kitchen - including pickle juice leftover from one of Jamie Lauren's dishes - to make drink flavorings. White reserved the tops and bottoms of a season's worth of oranges in a large jar. After months of macerating in a high-proof alcohol, he had a complex and flavorful orange bitters.
Use in-season fruit to make syrups and shrubs (a mixture of fruit, sugar, and vinegar).
When making bitters and other highly concentrated flavoring agents, don't use the most expensive alcohol. Select an affordable pot-stilled alcohol.
It doesn't matter which type of alcohol you use. Rum, vodka, and everclear are all good options.
When working with citrus peel, be sure not to use the white pith. It will make the liquor or cordial bitter.
Be patient. The longer a mixture sits, the more flavorful it will become. Hollinger and White leave bottled flavorings in dark, cool cabinets for up to a year.
Strain and strain again. Once the liquid has reached the desired concentration, strain several times in cheesecloth. The final mixer should be clear and clean.
Make small batches. You can experiment with more ingredients that way.

Now I'm excited to get started on making my own bitters and cordials! Have you ever made your own bar mixers? What kind? How did they turn out?

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Happy Hour: Revolver

YumSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:15:06 -0700

On paper - specifically, the menu at San Francisco speakeasy Bourbon and Branch - the combination of bourbon, orange bitters, and coffee liqueur sounds a bit strange. But one sip and it all makes sense. I suggest you broaden your understanding and do the same. If you're partial to bourbon, as I have been lately, or spiked coffee drinks, or orange-flavored dark chocolate desserts, then you'll love the Revolver. It somehow hints at all three concepts while tasting absolutely novel. To get the recipe, read more.

The bar uses Bulleit Bourbon, but I had Maker's Mark on hand, and it works just fine.

Revolver Cocktail
From Bourbon and Branch

Ingredients

2 ounces bourbon (recommended: Bulleit)
1/2 ounce Tia Maria coffee liqueur
2 to 3 dashes orange bitters (recommended: Fee Brothers)
Orange peel for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients except orange peel in a mixing glass with ice and stir.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add orange peel.

Makes 1 drink.

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Happy Hour: Fat Prince

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:00:59 -0700

Like bitters, maraschino liqueur is an essential ingredient in many classic cocktails but serves an opposite purpose. The cherry-derived spirit offers just a hint of sweetness that's not at all syrupy. I particularly love cocktails that combine bitters and maraschino, as the competing elements come together for a very complex taste.The festive Fat Prince challenges (in a good way) the taste buds even more, with earthy rye and a float of Brut champagne. Though the combination isn't timid, it's a highly sippable tipple. It's also a great way to get acquainted with maraschino, but if you can't find it, you can substitute kirschwasser. To get the recipe, read more.

Fat Prince
From Esquire

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
1/2 teaspoon maraschino liqueur (look for Luxardo)
1/2 teaspoon rich simple syrup*
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Brut champagne
Lemon peel

Directions

Stir well with cracked ice 1 1/2 oz rye whiskey (if you can't find rye, use bourbon), 1/2 tsp. maraschino liqueur, 1/2 tsp. rich simple syrup, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, top off with Brut champagne, and twist a swatch of thin-cut lemon peel over the top. If more lushness is desired, add a cube of pineapple.

Makes 1 cocktail.

*To make rich simple syrup, stir 2 parts raw or Demerara sugar and 1 part water over a low flame until all the sugar has dissolved; let cool.

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An Insider Look at The Bitters Seminar

partysugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:50:38 -0700

Recently Lucas Bols, the spirits brand behind Bols Genever, announced a unique series of classic cocktails seminars. The discussions would happen four times a year in both New York City and San Francisco. Along with the city by the bay's best bartenders, I was lucky enough to score an invite to the first seminar, "The History and Influence of Bitters." Here, I give you an account of the event. Rick Camargo Photography

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Happy Hour: Rossellini

YumSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:00:30 -0700

Sunny weekends in San Francisco are hard to come by. When I awoke last Saturday to clear-blue skies, I headed over to Bar Bambino, an Italian nook in the city with a new back patio.

There, I enjoyed the perfect warm-weather drink: a spin on sangria that was refreshing and fruity without being overly cloying or too heavy on the alcohol. With one in hand, I imagined I was an effortlessly chic Italian woman. I snagged the recipe for the next real Summer day.

The cocktail calls for white wine (I'd recommend a Sauvignon Blanc, or any other dry white with mineral notes) as well as orange bitters, which can be found at large liquor stores. For the recipe, read more.

Rossellini
From Bar Bambino

Ingredients

5 ounces white wine
1 ounce white vermouth
2 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
Orange bitters, such as Fee Brothers, Regan's, or The Bitter Truth
orange wedge, optional for garnish

Directions

Combine first three ingredients in a large glass or pitcher. Stir to combine.
Serve in a highball glass filled with ice.
Top with 5 dashes of orange bitters.
Garnish with an orange wedge and enjoy.

Serves 1.

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Happy Hour: Pisco Sour

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:00:46 -0700

The other night I found myself at Nopa, a San Francisco restaurant known for its great food and equally respectable drinks. My drink of choice was the pisco sour, the slightly sweet, tart, frothy lemon cocktail made with pisco, a regional South American brandy. This is a wonderful concoction and I'm excited to re-create it at home.If you don't own pisco, you can find it at a well-stocked liquor store or online. The pisco sour and its namesake spirit have been at the center of a centuries-old battle between Chile and Peru, with both countries claiming it their own.

Note that this recipe calls for Chilean pisco, which is sweeter, with slightly lower alcohol content than Peruvian pisco. If you substitute Peruvian pisco, increase the amount of simple syrup and lemon juice according to your taste. To get the recipe to this lovely Latin libation, read more.

Pisco Sour
From Epicurious; inspired by a cocktail consumed at Nopa

Ingredients

1 egg white
2 1/2 ounces Chilean Pisco Capel
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
Angostura Bitters

Directions

In cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine egg white, Pisco, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
Cover, shake vigorously for 15 seconds, and strain into six-ounce cocktail glass.
Top with a few drops of bitters.

Makes 1.

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Happy Hour: French 75

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:00:14 -0700

In honor of Bastille Day, which celebrates the start of the French Revolution, mix (or order!) a French 75 cocktail. Named for a type of gun, this drink was originally created by a World War I, French-American fighter pilot. The combination of gin and champagne packs such a potent kick that people believed drinking it was like being shot with the powerful gun.

Now, the French 75 is considered a classic Champagne cocktail. The strong concoction is easy to make and even easier to drink. Get the recipe and read more.

French 75
From Tyler Florence

Ingredients

8 ounces gin
8 ounces orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or triple sec
1 lemon, juiced
4 dashes orange bitters
8 sugar cubes
1 bottle champagne, chilled

Directions

Pour gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well to blend.
Put a sugar cube into a champagne flute. Strain about 2 ounces of the gin mixture into the glass. Carefully top it off with champagne.

Serves 8.

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Yummy Links: From Better Tasting Coffee to Emeril Live

partysugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:45:47 -0700

Sick of the horrible tasting office coffee? Here are ten ways to make office coffee taste better. -The Epi-Log
Find the farmers market closest to you and discover recipes that feature the farm fresh products. -Culinate
M&M's premiums look so pretty I can't wait to get my hands on a bag.- Candy Blog
Learn all about Spain's most underrated wine: Sherry. - The Kitchn
Before you make homemade ice cream, read these tips for sweet creamy success. - Serious Eats
Help bring bitters back by making them at home. - Chow
What to eat before and after you work out. - FitSugar
Miss Emeril Live? Five never before seen episodes will be airing soon on his new network: Fine Living. - Fine Living

Source

Happy Hour: The Big Apple

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:27:18 -0800

Last year, while flipping through Blueprint magazine, I came across a beautifully styled drink called The Big Apple. The recipe sounded fantastic - whiskey, apple cider, vermouth - but the reason to drink it was even better. According to Blueprint, it makes the perfect "transitional" sipper and I couldn't agree more. It's definitely too cold for margaritas, and I personally can't do eggnog until Thanksgiving. Over the next two weeks I plan on enjoying a few of these Big Apples. Want to join me? Get the recipe, just read more

The Big Apple
From Blueprint

1 lady apple (or other small apple), cut in half lengthwise, or 2 slices of a larger apple
3 ounces whiskey
1 ounce dry vermouth
2 dashes bitters
1 cup sparkling apple cider

Fill a large cocktail shaker halfway with ice.
Add apple cider, whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. Shake.
Strain into two glasses.
Garnish each with an apple half or slice.

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Definition: Bitters

partysugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 03:48:39 -0700

Bitters
A highly concentrated liquid made from distilling roots, plants, barks, herbs, etc. that is used to flavor cocktails, foods, or aperitifs. With a bitter or bittersweet taste, the stimulant is sometimes used for medicinal purposes. There are two types: aromatic bitters are made from the aforementioned roots and herbs, while flavored bitters are made from citrus fruits and the like.

When a cocktail recipe calls for Angostura bitters, Angostura refers to a brand rather than a specific type of bitters. Other well known brands are Fernet-Branca and Peychaud.