YumSugar

Do You Buy Alcohol in Nips?

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:45:17 -0800

Would You Rather Drink a Gin or Vodka Martini?

partysugar — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:30:29 -0700

Source: Flickr Users flymolo17 and Mr. T in DC

Know Your Ingredients: Pimm's

partysugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:15:37 -0700

A couple of weekends ago, for FabSugar's technicolor luau, I made a batch of Pineapple Pimm's Cup. Created by Duggan McDonnell of Cantina, this punch recipe consisted of pineapple vodka, Pimm's No. 1, ginger beer, ginger syrup, and fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juice.

The refreshing and unexpected cocktail was a major hit and everyone was inquiring about the ingredients. While I was able to tell them what was in the drink, I wasn't able to answer when they asked, "What's Pimm's?" My lame reply, "Oh it's a liquor popular in England." But really, I had no clue what it was!

Until now. Pimm's, an aperitif, is a brand of alcoholic beverages that was created in London in 1840, with the most popular being Pimm's No. 1 Cup. Each number of Pimm's has a different base spirit; No. 1 is a gin-based, No. 2 is scotch-based, and No. 3 is brandy-based (only No.1 still exists). Other elements (spices, citrus, etc.) are added to the base spirit to achieve a characteristic floral flavor and rich tea color. Pimm's is often mixed with soft drinks or as in the classic Pimm's Cup, with lemonade, cucumber, and fresh fruit. Do you enjoy Pimm's?

Do You Enjoy Nightcaps?

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:15:18 -0700

On Sunday night I sat down to watch the season premiere of Mad Men with complete elation. The show is a wonderful glimpse into the 1960s, not only society and fashion, but also food! On this episode, Don (aka Bill), Salvatore (aka Sam), and a couple of cute stewardesses finished their fine dining experience with nightcaps. Nightcaps are essentially an after dinner drink, like a brandy or Irish cream. While I am not a huge brandy drinker, I love to finish a rich dinner with a dessert wine like port. Do you occasionally indulge with a nightcap? If so, what is your drink of choice?

Photo courtesy of AMC

Yummy Links: From Avec Eric to The Gorbals

partysugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:00:40 -0700

Chef Eric Ripert brings his cool cuisine to PBS. - W
Top Chef season two winner Ilan Hall has finally opened The Gorbals, a restaurant in Los Angeles. - Eater LA
Meet Brooklyn's new backyard farms. - Serious Eats
Moving past the burn: how to taste spirits. - Chow
The chairman from Iron Chef America will compete in the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars. - Eat Me Daily
Tips for cooking on college campuses. - The Epi-Log

Happy Hour: Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum

partysugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:15:51 -0700

In my continuing quest to think outside the spirit box, I have developed not only an appreciation for gin, but also one for rum. Well not just any rum, Jamaica's finest Appleton Estate rum. Earlier this week I was invited to an tasting at Spruce restaurant in San Francisco, and I got to sample the rich caramel-colored liquor neat in four different cocktails.

Appleton is Jamaica's oldest producer of rum and they've got rum-making down to a science. The sugar cane is environmentally estate grown and distilled and blended in small batches by Joy Spence, the industry's first female master rum blender. Spence describes Appleton as a "playful, but serious rum" that "should never see the inside of a blender." Instead we were instructed to "sip it up!" Spence, who was on hand at the tasting, guided us through the four steps to properly enjoy fine rum. To find out what they are, keep reading.

Happy Hour: Gordon's Cup

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0700

I am always tempted by cocktails with cucumber in them but often disappointed. Aside from the classically refreshing Pimm's Cup, the cucumber-based recipes I've tried have either been too sweet, not sweet enough, or way too much trouble.

The Gordon's Cup, however, made me giddy, and it wasn't just the 1/4 cup of gin. This cooling Summer cocktail is easy to make: simply muddle lime and cucumber in a shaker, toss the other goods on top, give it a few shimmies, and dump everything out in your cup - no straining required. Shake up your Summer and get the recipe.

Cognac 101: A Very Special Guide

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:30:36 -0700

Ever since "Hennessey" was first name-dropped in hip-hop lyrics and Tim Meadows's Ladies Man started sipping Courvosier, I've been curious about cognac. With all the VSOPs and XOs, cognac can be intimidating. So if you're also wondering what all those letters on the labels mean, I've put together a little primer.

Cognac is a brandy, but not all brandies are cognacs. The name refers to brandies produced in the Cognac region of France, made from white wine grapes that are first fermented, and then double distilled.
From this distillation, you get a liquid called eau de vie, which is aged in oak barrels to become cognac.

All those different letters refer to how long a cognac is aged. Find out what they mean.

Do You Enjoy Drinking Games?

partysugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:00:35 -0700

Gin Haters: Right Will Prove You Wrong

partysugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:00:20 -0700

Gin can be a polarizing spirit. With the exception of a few gin and tonics, I've always avoided it; however, a bunch of new gins on the market have converted me into a gin lover. One such gin, Right gin, is my current favorite.

Recently, I was invited to a seminar hosted at the brand's loft, here in San Francisco. The event was put on by Nirvino, the awesome social-drinking website that let's you rate cocktails and wine, and led by bad-boy bartender Josh Harris of 15 Romolo. Harris discussed the essentials to building a home bar and walked us through a blind gin-tasting.

To find out more about the tasting and check out all my images from the event, keep reading