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Happy Hour: Hot Buttered Rum

partysugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:00:19 -0800

Tomorrow, Jan.17, is National Hot Buttered Rum day. To celebrate, I'm heading over to my friend H. Joseph Ehrmann's bar, Elixir, in San Francisco's Mission district. They're having a little party, and hot buttered rums are the highlight. If you don't live in SF, no worries: H has shared his recipe with us, so you can make it in the comforts of your cozy kitchen! While some variations call for a batter, this recipe is less traditional. It combines hot water with butter, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks. The final concoction is extra-rich in spice with a creamy texture and soothing taste. According to H, it's best enjoyed "in a chilled room, around 40 degrees Fahrenheit."

Sounds like it would be the perfect cocktail after a day of skiing or traveling, so to get the recipe, read more.

Hot Buttered Rum
From H. Joseph Ehrmann

Ingredients

1 clove
1 inch of cinnamon stick (broken to fit inside a tea infuser)
1 sugar cube (recommended: demerara)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
boiling water
2 ounces spiced rum (recommended: Gosling's Black Seal Rum)
1/4 ounce St. Elizabeth's Allspice Dram

Directions

In a tea ball or other tea infuser, place the clove, cinnamon stick, sugar cube, and 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Steep the ball in 4 ounces of boiling water for 3 minutes.
Add the spiced rum and St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram.
Stir by dipping tea ball 3-4 times. Float the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter on top and serve.

Makes 1 drink.

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Come Party With Me: Election Night - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:00:24 -0700

Elixir, the bar where LibertySugar and I are hosting our town-hall style election-night bash, is offering guests a selection of drinking specials for the party. With fabulous names like "Bye Bye Miss American Rye," the menu will feature only American brands like Bluecoat gin, Square One vodka, and Sam Adams brew. I plan on ordering the "Red, White, and Night" a potent, sangria-like concoction made with vodka, red wine, and lemonade. To serve up this slinger at your own election-night soirée, get the recipe and read more.

Red, White, and Night
Inspired by Elixir

Ingredients

3 ounces red wine
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce vodka

Directions

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice combine the wine with the simple syrup, lemon juice, and vodka.
Shake for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into another glass filled with ice and enjoy!

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Happy Hour: Blue Gin Rizz

partysugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:00:23 -0700

The other day I was at the farmers market when I noticed a sad sign saying, "last day for blueberries." I immediately purchased a pint with the intention of using them in a delectable drink. While the original recipe, from H. Joseph Ehrmann of San Francisco's Elixir, calls for kumquats, I couldn't find them, so I substituted fresh peaches.

The final concoction is refreshing, tangy, and light. The ginger liqueur stabilizes the natural bite of the gin resulting in a cocktail that is balanced and easy to drink. It would be great paired with food, but it's also lovely when sipped solo. To say cheers to the weekend with this recipe, read more.

Blue Gin Rizz
From H. Joseph Ehrmann of San Francisco's Elixir

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces gin (recommended: Bluecoat)
1/2 ounce Canton Ginger Liqueur
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3 kumquats (approx 1” in size)*
Handfull blueberries

Directions

Muddle kumquats and blueberries in a mixing glass.
Add all other ingredients, fill with ice and shake well for 10 seconds. Hawthorne strain** into a highball glass of fresh ice and top with a few blueberries and slices of kumquat.

Makes 1 cocktail.

*I used 1/4 of a ripe peach, peeled and chopped into chunks because I couldn't find kumquats.

**My strainer was missing so I didn't strain the cocktail. It was still delicious.

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Beer: The Next Cancer Elixir?

YumSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:15:25 -0700

While we recently learned that Americans are drinking less beer, perhaps they should reconsider.

Recent studies show that xanthohumol, a chemical found in hops, can inhibit enzymes that trigger cancer as well as help detoxify the body of carcinogens.

In addition, other researchers at Rice University are trying to genetically engineer brewing yeast in order to create beer loaded with resveratrol, a cancer-preventing compound.

Perhaps this could help bring back America's beer drinking traditions. Would you drink beer that was genetically engineered if it had potential health benefits?

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Come Party With Me: Election Night - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:00:09 -0700

November 4th, 2008 is possibly the most important day of the year. Since it's such a significant night, no one should sit at home nervously waiting for the next president to be announced. I've joined forces with LibertySugar and together we're hosting a party at a neighborhood saloon called Elixir. Owner and master mixologist H. Joseph Ehrmann has assured me election coverage will be aired. This week I'm sharing my party plan, so you can steal my ideas and host your own political party! The big day is only a week away: invites need to be sent as soon as possible. To see how I made these email-able invites, read more.

To make a similar invite you need the following supplies:

image of the American flag
computer

To assemble the invite:

Start by creating a new document in Microsoft word. Drop and drag the American flag image into the document.
Insert a text box. Write out the details of the party. I used the font American Typewriter in size 12 to write:

VOTE
For an awesome election night party!

Official Invitation
Join PartySugar and LibertySugar
as they Barack the Vote

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
6:30 p.m.
Elixir @ 16th and Guerrero, SF

Patriotic Attire Encouraged

Since I live in San Francisco, I know the majority of my guests are Obama supporters. If you and your friends are partial to McCain change the text to say, "Join us as we Mac-attack the Vote." If your crew is a mixture of both sides, write, "Join us as we celebrate America."
Save the document as a PDF, crop it down to size, and send in an email. Alternately, save the image in an evite or pingg message, and send. For a snail-mailable version, print on thick, white cardstock and send in an envelope closed with an election sticker.

India's Next Big Export: Cow Urine Soda

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:00:35 -0800

Holy cow. India's oldest, biggest nationalist Hindu group, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), plans to introduce a new soft drink made from cow urine.

The radical RSS group has long campaigned against beverages such as Coke and Pepsi, foreign imports that it believes to be a corrupt influence and a symbol of Western imperialism. In India, bovine urine is considered medicinal and is, like the cow itself, seen as sacred, particularly at religious festivals. In some traditional rituals, cow urine is consumed to purify those who belong to the lowest rung of the Hindu caste system. Although the group hasn't confirmed flavors or pricing for the drink, to be known as gau jal, or "cow water" in Sanskrit, the elixir will be mixed with aloe vera, gooseberry, and other herbs that allegedly combat diabetes, cancer, and other diseases. The RSS and its offshoots have been promoting gau jal as a cure-all since as early as 2001, but Om Prakash, the head of the RSS's Cow Protection Department, said the drink will be introduced "very soon, maybe by the end of this year." He added:

Don't worry, it won't smell like urine and will be tasty, too. It's going to be very healthy. It won't be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins. We're going to give [American soda brands] good competition as our drink is good for mankind. We may also think of exporting it.

How do you feel about this? I think it's disgusting, but at the same time, I've promised myself that I will try anything once. Would you drink cow urine for its purported health benefits?

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