Boulevardier - the Bourbon Version of the Negroni Distinguished Spirits 2026-09-23 | Boulevardier - the Bourbon Version of the Negroni
Muerto Bali Hai - How to Make the Coffee and Mezcal Tiki Drink (2021 Recipe) Distinguished Spirits 2021-10-01 | Here’s how to make the Muerto Bali Hai, a tequila and mezcal remix of the classic tiki cocktail, Mr. Bali Hai. This video is sponsored by Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Mr. Black is hosting their second annual Global Coffee Cocktail Challenge from September 29th to October 12th. Submit your original cocktail to the Coffee Cocktail Challenge here: bit.ly/3tRc6za Order some Mr. Black from their site (US & UK only) and use the promo code below for 10% off (expires 2022).Order Mr. Black Here: bit.ly/3q8hp9GPromo Code: DISTINGUISHED10Mr Black Website: mrblack.co/us Mr Black Youtube: youtube.com/c/MrBlackSpirits/videos Mr Black Instagram: instagram.com/mrblackspiritsOn paper, the combination of coffee and pineapple seems like it would clash, but tasting is believing. The 1960’s-era rum version, Mr. Bali Hai, pulls it off. And this mezcal version does too, but in a slightly different way.Mr. Bali Hai being made with rums, pineapple, lemon, simple syrup and coffee liqueur, derives a lot of its exotic character from the coffee, as the other ingredients are pretty standard for a rum punch. Same with the Shark’s Tooth, where the unexpected punch of flavor comes from a dollop of cherry syrup.The Muerto Bali Hai, however, is pushed and pulled in a lot of different directions, yet held together in a surprising harmony. The vegetal, umami, woodiness of the tequila and mezcal, the floral nuttiness of the Aztec Orgeat, the dark chocolate of the coffee liqueur and the deep, musky aroma of the sage, all come together to create an earthy, delicately balanced, and exciting tiki drink.The original drink came from Bali Hai, a tiki bar in San Diego, in the 1960’s. It was unearthed by Beachbum Berry and retooled to use fresh juices in his book, Intoxica. The drink is still on the menu at Bali Hai, but the formula has changed. However, just 30 minutes south of San Diego, from the 1940’s through the 1960’s, the Tijuana bar scene rode the wave of tiki or Polynesian themed bars. They were built for all kinds of entertainment and since faux-Polynesian escapism was what the culture demanded, that’s what they got.I originally built this drink as a curiosity. Would it work to rework a Mr. Bali Hai using tequila? Essentially, it did once you swapped out lemon for lime. But when I went about refining the drink by bumping up the coffee liqueur, swapping in the orgeat and garnishing it with sage, the images of Tijuana tiki and the Aloha Cafe from the late 1940’s was dancing around in my head. I wanted to capture those swirling images in a glass, or in this case a mug. See if it worked. Give it a try. Let me know what you think. ¡Salud!Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) Reposado Tequila1 oz (30 ml) Mezcal (non-smoky preferred)1 oz (30 ml) Lime Juice0.5 oz (15 ml) Orgeat 1 oz (30 ml) Coffee Liqueur1.5 oz (45 ml) Pineapple Juicegarnish Sagegarnish Marigold (optional)Whip (shake with a little crushed ice). Pour unstrained over crushed ice in a tiki mug. Garnish with sage and marigold. Serve with straw.Music:Cherry on Top by Tiki TikiThe Smoke Clears by Wendel SchererLa Ciudad by El Equipo Del NorteDesert Blues by Don Sykevia Epidemic SoundKiss Me Deadly by Foxy Baseyvia JinglePunksSupport this channel here:patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsCheck out my movie podcast (this ep we talk about South Pacific and some other Tiki films):https://spoti.fi/3intTteLearn more about Mr. Bali Hai and Tiki here:Beachbum Berry Remixed by Beachbum Berryamzn.to/2sMKNL1Ninety Years of Classic San Diego Tiki by Martin S. Lindsayamzn.to/3utQjxxTiki Pop by Sven Kirstenamzn.to/3D2DkGsMutiny on the Bounty (1935)amzn.to/3D2dMsVThe Breaking Pointamzn.to/3okMCJGSouth Pacificamzn.to/3B2wYpLFeatured in this Episode:Jaja Reposado Tequilabit.ly/2Yf317QBanhez Mezcalhttp://bit.ly/2SgoZ1TAztec Orgeatyoutu.be/JW1Bu7DPRwoSugar Skull Tiki Mug from David Lozeaubit.ly/3m7IGJyBar Tools:Can-Shaped Glassamzn.to/3kVPTwQLeopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Breville Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2srWJPZCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXzLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK#Tiki #Tequila #DiaDeLosMuertos
Introducing THE DONN OF TIKI - An Upcoming Documentary on Donn Beach Distinguished Spirits 2021-06-01 | Here's a preview of the forthcoming documentary, The Donn of Tiki, an in-depth look at the life of Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt aka Don the Beachcomber aka Donn Beach. The film is being produced by a couple of friends of mine, Alex Lamb and Max Well. They have shot some interviews and have gotten their hand on a lot of rare materials, including extensive audio interviews of Donn himself. Right now they are raising some money on Kickstarter to turn the film into a reality. Please take a look at their Kickstarter and support them however you can. There are some great rewards on there, but moreover, you're going to want to help get this film made. Cheers!Support the The Donn of Tiki here:http://bit.ly/DonnKickstarterFollow the progress of The Donn of Tiki:www.TheDonnOfTiki.comInstagram: instagram.com/thedonnoftikiTwitter: twitter.com/thedonnoftikiFacebook: facebook.com/TheDonnOfTikiAlex and Max join me on the Grindhouse Institute to talk about movies that embody America's mid-century fascination with Polynesia. Listen to the podcast here:http://bit.ly/PostWarPolynesiaChannel Update:I'm working on a new Distinguished Tiki episode right now. It's gonna be served two ways and it has some fun history behind it. Can't wait to show it to you!
Aztec Orgeat - How to Make Avocado Pit Orgeat & Save Money (Inspired by Trash Tiki) Distinguished Spirits 2021-05-24 | Here’s how to make homemade orgeat syrup using a part of an avocado that you’d normally throw away. It’s cheaper than almonds and a fun alternative to your regular orgeat. It’s made with a couple avocado pits (the seed of the avocado), sugar and water. Optionally, you can hit it with some vodka as a preservative and if the syrup not as flowery as you normally like your orgeat, you can add a few dashes of orange flower water. But taste it before you add any because the avocado pit gives the orgeat an inherent floral quality right off the bat.I named this syrup Aztec Orgeat to give it a catchier handle and make it a proper noun. It sounds fun and mysterious, a perfect secret weapon on a tiki menu. But the name also has a thematic tie-in. The Aztecs never made orgeat or syrups from avocado pits to my knowledge, but they did use avocado pits in certain healing remedies and possibly even aphrodisiacs. The concept behind this one was inspired by Trash Tiki, a globe-trotting pop-up bar and bar consulting group founded by Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths. The pair would travel around the world setting up pop-ups and giving talks to bartenders about how they could create a lot of exciting second-use products out of items bars usually throw away. They'd take husks, pulp, rinds, etc and turn them into alternative ingredients or garnishes. The pop-up bars would be used as real-world examples of these techniques in action. Very few of their techniques would be replacements for syrups or juices or others ingredients, but rather, they would be exciting alternatives to those ingredients.That’s exactly what this is. It won’t be a 1-to-1 replacement for regular almond orgeat, but it will make for a fun Aztec Mai Tai or Aztec Whiskey Sour or whatever drink you want to swap it in for. It’s a fun way to mix it up with drinks that call for orgeat. It’s also an ingredient that will show up in upcoming original tiki drinks and at least one tiki drink that I modified to work a little better (in my humble opinion).The Trash Tiki recipe for avocado pit orgeat is a little different. Frankly theirs is a lot easier to make, especially if you have a powerful blender. However, I like this method a little better. It is the recipe for almond orgeat from The 12 Bottle Bar, but I just reworked it for avocado pits.Also, this recipe makes about 2 cups (or 500 ml) of syrup, which of course is a lot less than video I did on almond orgeat. In the video, I made a larger batch to fit in the big bottle I was using. But you should expect your Aztec Orgeat to fill a smaller bottle. Cheers! Recipe: (yield: 2 cups/500 ml)Ingredients:2 Avocado Pits (≈2 oz weight)2 cups (500 ml) Sugar1 cup (250 ml) WaterSteps:1) Dry, peel, chop the pits. Dry toast them. Dice them. 2) Measure 2 oz (60 ml) by volume of chopped pits, add them to the pot.3) Add the sugar and water to the pot.4) Grind (or finely chop) the remaining diced pits (about 1oz or 30ml, by vol) into meal. Add that to the pot.5) Stir. Bring to boil. Boil for 1-2 mins.6) Remove from heat. Stir again. Loosely cover for 12 hours.7) Strain out the large solids. Then fine strain again to get the smaller bits. Music:I Tremble by Moins Le Quartetvia Epidemic SoundKiss Me Deadly by Foxy Baseyvia JinglePunksSupport this channel here:patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsCheck out my podcast:http://bit.ly/grindhousepodFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Trash Tikibit.ly/3fyRtAMThe 12 Bottle Baramzn.to/3vsdXKsCane Sugaramzn.to/3hOA0r2Moskovskaya Vodkabit.ly/2RybpfvBar Tools:Measuring Cupamzn.to/3wrghlc1.5-Quart Saucepanamzn.to/3bJRBwrCast Iron Panamzn.to/3vhiNKyWooden Spoonamzn.to/3bOzxRG3 Fine Mesh Strainersamzn.to/3hLdn6DCutting Boardamzn.to/3wqEFmYChef’s Knifeamzn.to/3bOq1hyCrew Supply Bottlebit.ly/2T8vKIpFood Processoramzn.to/2RA3SwG
White Russian - How to Make the Drink 2 Ways and the History Behind it Distinguished Spirits 2021-04-13 | Here’s two ways on how to make the White Russian cocktail, one like The Big Lebowski and one like The Dude, both with vodka, coffee liqueur and cream, just prepared differently.This video is sponsored by @Mr Black Spirits Order some Mr. Black from their site (US & UK only) and use the promo code below for 10% off (expires 2022).Order Here: bit.ly/3q8hp9GPromo Code: DISTINGUISHED10Links to Mr. BlackWebsite: bit.ly/3q8hp9G Youtube: youtube.com/mrblackspiritsInstagram: instagram.com/mrblackspiritsThe White Russian is one of the more famous drinks. And like a lot of famous drinks, it's authorship isn't crystal clear. There were certainly a lot of precursor drinks and a lot of factors that made it a household name, but at a certain point, the trail runs cold.And considering that it's only three ingredients and has a familiar chocolate-milk-like flavor, it seems like it's creation would be inevitable. Which might be true when you consider drinks like the White Russian Bear or Alexander the Great that come pretty close, but this iteration with this name became famous by coffee liqueur and vodka brands promoting it in the late 60's/early 70's.Before that, there were a handful of drinks that seem to have influenced it, some well-known, some obscure. One family of precursors was the Alexander, made with gin, creme de cacao and cream, where you’d swap gin and cacao for vodka and coffee liqueur. The other precursor family was the Russian and the Black Russian, where you’d build upon the past by adding cream.Southern Comfort’s 1960’s foray into coffee liqueur seems to be the earliest mention of the White Russian. They pushed it in their ads through the rest of the 60’s. Then in the 70’s, Smirnoff picked up the banner and promoted the White Russian. And finally Kahlua followed suit and it became one of Kahlua's favorite drinks to push from the 70's through the 90's.In the early 90's, the White Russian was one of the most popular drinks in America, and it remained that way through the decade. It was given new life and introduced to a new generation in the early to mid 2000's by The Big Lebowski. Even though the film was released in 1998, it wasn't until the 2000's that it connected with audiences and really became a dorm-room-cult-classic.Now that The Dude and all his bowling buddies have become ubiquitous in pop culture, the drink too has been enshrined in the culture. I suspect that it was included in the movie like most things with the character of Jeff Lebowski, as a funny character detail, a bit of irony that makes him all the funnier, but with the film's ravenous cult status, the drink developed a more unironic appeal for the film's fan base.As for making the drink, the 3:2:3 measurements for The Dude’s version is, in my opinion, the best ratio for that classic version of the drink...assuming you’re taking the time to measure it and not just free-pouring.The lightly whipped cream float served up was a startling improvement on the classic. The incredible textural differential of sipping the boozy coffee through the thick cream really makes a difference. If you haven’t tried it, you might be surprised how exciting it is. Give it a go. Let me know what you think. Cheers!Special thanks to Martin Doudoroff for research help and for Erick Castro for recipe help.Martin Doudoroffbit.ly/3daPNxqErick Castrobit.ly/3mFZB5TThe Dude Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) Vodka1 oz (30 ml) Coffee Liqueur1.5 oz (45 ml) Half and HalfAdd to a rocks glass with ice and stir.The Millionaire Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) Vodka1 oz (30 ml) Coffee Liqueur1.5 oz (45 ml) lightly whipped Heavy Cream or Unsweetened Coconut CreamLightly whip heavy cream or coconut cream until thick, but not forming peaks. Stir vodka and coffee liqueur with ice. Strain into coupe glass. Slowly float cream on top. Sip the drink through the cream.Music:Rain Quail by Dust FollowsShimmy by Moins Le QuartetBadlands by Walt AdamsWhat I Would Do (Instrumental Version) by Victor Lundbergvia Epidemic SoundKiss Me Deadly by Foxy Baseyvia JinglePunksSupport this channel here:patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsCheck out my podcast:http://bit.ly/grindhousepodFeatured in this Episode:Black Cow Vodkabit.ly/3wXYCToDrillaud Creme de Cacao Blancbit.ly/3dQVgbOShelf Stable Whipping Creamamzn.to/3a4bJbMUnsweetened Coconut Creamamzn.to/323wMa5Bar Tools:Godinger Dublin Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/1FT6LJULeopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvMuddler Barspoonhttp://bit.ly/2UAeHiyMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5DeLonghi Milk Frothing Pitcheramzn.to/2PMGJpVElectric Hand Mixeramzn.to/3tarjtV#mrblackspirits, #coffeecocktails, #whiterussian
Irish Coffee | Distinguished #Shorts Distinguished Spirits 2021-03-17 | Here’s how to make an Irish Coffee, which is just Irish whiskey, coffee and cream (sugar optional). This classic drink began popping up in print right after World War II. It was a staple of the Shannon airport in Ireland. Because Ireland was a major air traffic hub at that time, the drink started get noticed in America. But it wasn’t until the 1950’s that it became a household name, thanks in large part to the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.Most recipes call for it to be made with sugar, including the team at the Buena Vista. However, it mostly depends on how you take your coffee. I like black coffee, so the cream combined with the whiskey is more than enough sweetness for me. But if you tend to like sugar in your coffee, you’ll probably want it in this drink.Recipe:2 oz (60ml) Irish Whiskey4 oz (120 ml) Hot Coffeefloat Heavy CreamSugar Cube (optional)Heat glass or mug. Lightly whip the heavy cream. Optionally, add a sugar cube to the glass. Pour coffee. Add whiskey. Float cream on top by pouring over a spoon. Sip the hot coffee through the cold cream.This short was another experiment to test out this new YouTube feature. I think I cracked the code this time. Leave me a comment. Let me know what you think of it.Also, today is the 7th anniversary of the channel. So I wanted to put a little something up. Hope you dig it. Cheers!Music:Kiss Me Deadly by Foxy Baseyvia JinglePunksSupport this channel here:patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsCheck out my podcast:http://bit.ly/grindhousepodFeatured in this Episode:Teeling Irish Whiskeyhttp://bit.ly/3vyK0ZNUtopian Coffeehttp://bit.ly/3lmJzNqHeavy Creamamzn.to/3qU9T2EBar Tools:Irish Coffee Mugamzn.to/3cFRlODGeorgian Irish Coffee Glassamzn.to/3rUBBh9Leopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvMuddler Barspoonhttp://bit.ly/2UAeHiyFrench Pressamzn.to/2Oz00KS#drinks #irishcoffee #stpatricksday
How to Make a Gibson | Distinguished #Shorts (1917 Recipe) Distinguished Spirits 2020-11-18 | Here's a quick video on how to make a Gibson. This pre-Prohibition cocktail is the cousin to the Martini, only it has two distinct characteristics. One, it was always made without bitters. Two, after Prohibition, it adopted a pearl onion as its signature garnish.Before Prohibition, the drink was almost always made 50/50, gin to vermouth. However, I like it slightly drier. Years ago I made it extremely dry, but more recently, I've been making it 3:2, which is how Tom Bullock made it in his 1917 book, The Ideal Bartender.Recipe:1.5 oz (45ml) Gin1 oz (30ml) Dry Vermouthgarnish Pearl OnionStir with ice. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish with onion.This short was an experiment to test out this new YouTube feature. Leave me a comment. Let me know what you think of it. Cheers!Music:Kiss Me Deadly by Foxy Baseyvia JinglePunksSupport this channel here:patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsCheck out my podcast:http://bit.ly/grindhousepodFeatured in this Episode:Ford's Ginhttp://bit.ly/2Arn7ePNoilly Prat Dry Vermouthbit.ly/3fc73lfPearl Onionsamzn.to/3kBdsaUThe Ideal Bartender by Tom Bullockamzn.to/2HcRBcjBar Tools:Coupe Glassamzn.to/3nuE52YLeopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvMuddler Barspoonhttp://bit.ly/2UAeHiyJulep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4CozMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5#cocktail #martini #queensgambit
Aku Aku Zombie (1964 Recipe) - How to Make the Tiki Drink & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2020-10-30 | Here’s how to make the Aku-Aku Zombie, a remix of a tiki classic. Just like the original 1934 recipe, this 1964 recipe comes from Don the Beachcomber and is made with Cuban rum, Jamaican rum, 151 Demerara rum, lime, grapefruit, cinnamon syrup, falernum, grenadine, absinthe curaçao, aromatic bitters and mint for garnish. It's the same ingredients, only rebalanced and with a little added curaçao.The Aku-Aku was a tiki lounge that opened in the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas in 1960. Donn Beach was commissioned by the hotel to create the menu and curate look and feel of the lounge. This recipe came from an ex-employee at the Aku-Aku and was given to a Wall Street Journal columnist, Eric Felton, in 1964. Finally, it was published in Beachbum Berry's Remixed: A Gallery of Tiki Drinks.It's an interesting evolution from Donn Beach's original 1934 recipe that Beachbum Berry was able to dig up. Virtually the same ingredients, but the measurements were simplified immensely.The gold Cuban (or Puerto Rican) rum and the dark Jamaican rum should be pretty easy to come by for most people. The 151 Demerara can be challenging. Hamilton and Lemon Hart make excellent expressions, but it can be hard to find in some places. Don't let this stress you out too much. The idea was to create a blending of rums that couldn't be found in a single rum. You get the dryness with the Cuban, the funky hogo from the Jamaican and a thick base of burnt molasses woodiness of the 151 Demerara.If you can't find 151 Demerara, try using another Demerara rum that's in the 80-proof range, just double the amount (so 1.5 oz or 45 ml). It's going to be pretty close. If you have an overproof blend (OFTD, Hamilton Navy, Pusser's Navy) that uses Guyanese (Demerara) rum in it, that will work. In that case, use the prescribed 0.75 oz (22 ml) pour. If you can't get ahold of either of those, just sub in a 7-10 year rum that's on the drier side. Barbancourt 8, Doorly's 8, Mount Gay Black Barrel, something like that.The other elusive ingredient is the white grapefruit juice. You'll have better luck finding them at farmer's markets than supermarkets. But if you can't find white grapefruit, just sub in pink. Steer clear of red if you can avoid it.As for the Zombie Mix, it is possible with a steady hand to measure out a precise 1/8 tsp (0.6 ml), but it's too much of a pain. Just batch it and have it ready to go. The drink really is best with Donn's intended amount. I tried doubling it and it was too much. It's crazy, but it's true.This drink is kind of crazy. It's everything you love about the 1934 Zombie, only easier to make. It's not as boozy, but it has a bigger punch of spice, which makes it an exciting alternative. If you've got the ingredients for a Zombie, I'm guessing you have an orange liqueur handy, so you can make this one pretty easily. Do it. I think you'll love it. Okole Maluna! Recipe:0.75 oz (22 ml) Cuban (or Puerto Rican) Gold Rum0.75 oz (22 ml) Jamaican Dark Rum0.75 oz (22 ml) 151 Demerara Rum0.75 oz (22 ml) lime juice0.75 oz (22 ml) grapefruit juice (preferably white)0.75 oz (22 ml) cinnamon syrup0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) Zombie Mix1 dash aromatic bitters4 oz (118 ml) crushed ice (plus more for to fill your glass)garnish mint sprigsShake all (except garnish) with crushed ice. Fill a tiki mug or 14 oz Zombie Glass with more crushed ice and pour the drink unstrained into the mug. Garnish with Mint.Zombie Mix:1 part curaçao1 part absinthe1 part falernum1 part grenadineMusic:Surf Madness by Elliot HolmesPacks of Savage Dogs by Dream CaveThe Haunting by Farrell WootenPartner of Doom by Walt Adamsvia Epidemic SoundKiss Me Deadly by Foxy BaseyBlood on the Prairie by MusicBoxvia JinglePunksSupport this channel & get the Zombie Mix label here:patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsCheck out my podcast:http://bit.ly/grindhousepodFeatured in this Episode:Panama Pacific 9-Year Rumhttp://bit.ly/2fUSSDrHamilton Jamaica Black Rumhttp://bit.ly/2nEaBl0Hamilton 151 Demerara Rumhttp://bit.ly/2y8fSJACopper & Kings Absinthe Blanchehttp://bit.ly/2pTFT8bPierre Ferrand Dry Curaçaohttp://bit.ly/2ox8eE1Angostura Bittersamzn.to/2TDZOJcBeachbum Berry Remixed by Beachbum Berryamzn.to/2sMKNL1White Zombie (1932)youtu.be/HR-vlWp6WHoamzn.to/2HJIIqDThe Last Man on Earth (1964)youtu.be/BHH5bItMK6Uamzn.to/3kHj30gNight of the Living Dead (1968)youtu.be/_0eAvZIX5Zkamzn.to/3elk2B3Bar Tools:Doom Altar Tiki Mug by Trader Brandonbit.ly/3mBN2Y41oz (30ml) Cork Jar Glass Bottles (Zombie Mix Vials)amzn.to/34GlOJJJapanese Style Jigger - Gunmetal Blackamzn.to/2MWNFgCKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Breville Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2srWJPZLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Spicy Margarita - Teaser Distinguished Spirits 2020-05-05 | This is a preview of the Spicy Margarita video. Get the recipe and watch the full video on Patreon.Click here ⬇️Distinguished Patreon: http://bit.ly/2tCEE1d
Pain Killada - How to Make the Tiki Drink Inspired by the 1971 Painkiller & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2020-04-24 | Here’s how to make the Pain Killada, a tiki remix of the famous, Painkiller, cocktail. It’s easy to make and uses navy strength rum, Tangerine Juice, Pineapple Juice, Coconut Cream, Cinnamon Syrup and fresh Nutmeg. The drink was originally created in the British Virgin Islands in 1971 and seems to draw its inspiration from the Piña Colada, which, at that time was nearing the height of its pop culture celebrity.The drink was created by George and Marie Myrick. They owned the Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke, BVI in 1971 and back then they originally made the drink with Mount Gay (Bajan) and Cruzan (Virgin Island) rums. Sixteen years later, the Myricks were making the drink with Myers and a light rum (probably Cruzan).In 1979, Pusser’s rum was founded and in 1980, they started bottling rum that was designed to reproduce the British Navy rum ration. Pusser’s, a Virgin Island’s-based company, eventually trademarked the Painkiller, so that the drink could no longer be made with the rums above, and had to be made with Pusser’s. It had to be made with Pusser’s if it wanted to be called a Painkiller, that is. The timeline on this is a little fuzzy. They first attempted it in 1989, but it looks like they did it successfully by the 2000’s.In 2010, two NY bartenders from the heart of the cocktail renaissance, Giuseppe Gonzalez and Richard Boccato, opened a tiki revival bar on the Lower East Side called Painkiller. Gonzalez was credited with rebalancing the Jungle Bird to modern palates by lowering the pineapple juice to 1.5 oz (from 4 oz) and he created my favorite Coquito recipe (youtu.be/20iz451jP-0).The bar was sued by Pusser’s in 2011 for using the name Painkiller. The bar gave up its website and changed its name to PKNY. However, this lead to Pusser’s getting boycotted by the bartending and cocktail enthusiast crowd.The fallout from this, 9 years later, has been largely forgotten in the wake of more immediate scandals and outrages. The enduring legacy seems to be the fact that Painkillers are now made strictly to spec or both the name and the recipe are changed to avoid any legal ramifications.I took the latter approach to this drink and my remix of the classic recipe makes the drink more tiki. The flavors are a little more exotic with the tangerine and cinnamon. And by lowering the pineapple, it gives some of the other ingredients room to breathe. They are not just drowned in pineapple juice.For the rum, I like it with Hamilton Navy Strength, which is an overproof blend of Jamaican and Demerara rums. If you have 151 Demerara and Jamaican or OFTD or even navy strength Pusser’s, they should all work pretty well in this one. You want it to be bold enough to not get totally lost in the other ingredients and strong enough to dull the pain.The cinnamon syrup is amazing in this drink, which is why it’s important to use unsweetened coconut cream. That way you can control the flavor of the sweetener and give the drink that big spicy punch. Okole Maluna!#EasyTiki #Painkiller #PiñaColadaRecipe:2.5 oz navy strength rum3 oz pineapple juice1 oz coconut cream1 oz cinnamon syrup1 oz tangerine juice*garnish fresh grated nutmeggarnish dried pineapple ring & pineapple fronds (optional)Shake all (except garnish) with ice. Fill a tiki mug or rocks glass with crushed ice and double strain the drink into the glass. Grate fresh nutmeg generously over the top and optionally garnish with fresh fruit.*if you have to sub orange for tangerine, use Cara Cara orange juice.Music:Chat by BassioBetter Get It Right (Instrumental Version) by Mama ZulaSalamanca by Sarah, the Illstrumentalistvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Hamilton Navy Rumhttp://bit.ly/2gRpv8nCoconut Creamamzn.to/2x3CnBcCinnamon Syrupyoutu.be/LHoCSuYkKckWhole Nutmegamzn.to/2xLE86FBeachbum Berry Remixed by Beachbum Berryamzn.to/2sMKNL1Potions of the Caribbean by Beachbum Berryamzn.to/2xXIoQrTo Have and Have Another by Philip Greeneamzn.to/2S32dg8The Last Woman on Earth (DVD)amzn.to/3cFxGgbBar Tools:Hers Mug by Pie Eyed Tikietsy.me/2WfyTX3Mai Tai Old Fashioned Glasshttp://bit.ly/2nE8oWJJapanese Style Jigger - Gunmetal Blackamzn.to/2MWNFgCKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwHawthorne Strainer- Gunmetal Blackamzn.to/2PHo89PFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlMicroplane Graterhttp://amzn.to/2wniL6hCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Breville Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2srWJPZCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXzLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
New York Sour - How to Make the Classic 1883 Cocktail & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2020-03-28 | The #NewYorkSour is a pretty famous drink for one that's a variation on an even more popular drink, the #WhiskeySour. The big difference is that this one has a float of #redwine on the top. So, it's the best of both worlds, the spicy, caramelly rye whiskey with lemon, simple syrup and the lush, jammy, fruity bite of red wine on top. Plus, it looks really impressive, which is never a bad thing.The Sour is a rudimentary drink category that's basically a spirit (brandy, rum, whiskey, gin, etc.), a citrus and a sweetener. The Sour, particularly the Whiskey Sour, was a staple of American life from the 1860's to the 1960's. So, it's not too much of a surprise that when cocktail books started popping up in the late 1800's, they had several flourishes and variations on this template. There were sours with Curaçao, egg white, benedictine, Jamaican rum floats and, of course, claret (red wine) floats.There were so many Whiskey Sours with a red wine float popping up in books with so many different names, that it seemed like it was just part of the zeitgeist. However, David Wondrich, in his book, Imbibe, traced the drink's origin back to the Windy City. It made a few appearances in the Chicago Tribune in the early 1880's, including one bartender who claimed that the claret float originated at his bar. However, this barman just referred to the drink simply as a "whisky sour". The eventual name of New York Sour, didn't solidify until after Prohibition. In the 50 years in between the drink went by many names, such as, Brunswick, Saratoga, Touraine Sour (this one also had a dash of Benedictine), Continental Sour and Southern Whiskey Sour. It took the brain drain of bartenders fleeing the US for a decade during Prohibition and the popularity Old Mister Boston's Bartender's Guide from 1935 to marshal the culture behind the name, New York Sour, but it eventually stuck.Then this drink, along with most others, faded into a memoryhole from the 1970's through the late 1990's as the world entered the Cocktail Dark Ages. However, when the Cocktail Renaissance kicked off in the late-2000's, this was one that was championed early by Julie Reiner, in particular. Reiner was a disciple of Dale Degroff and the owner of the New York mainstays, Flatiron Lounge, Pegu Club and Clover Club.The lemon and the simple syrup (1:1) are really straightforward. The whiskey all the classic recipes called for was that resurrected classic, rye whiskey. Bourbon or Tennessee whiskey will do in a pinch, or even a grain-heavy blended Scotch if that's what you have on hand, but rye is what you want to use if you can. It gives it a really spicy, bready body to the drink that just works so well with the wine.For the wine, pretty much any fruity, chewy red will do. Claret is what all the old bar books would call for, but that was just a catch-all term that bartender's from the 1800's used for any red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, or my favorite, Malbec, are all good choices here.The float itself it pretty easy. Just steadily pour it over the back of a spoon. A speed pourer is really helpful for this. But you could also use a measuring cup with a little spout to give your a better pour. This drink is one of those rare unicorns that is easy to make, looks amazing and tastes even better. Enjoy!Recipe:2 oz (60 ml) Rye Whiskey0.75 oz (22 ml) Lemon Juice0.75 oz (22 ml) Simple Syrupfloat 1 oz (30 ml) Red WineShake all but wine with ice. Double strain over large ice in an old fashioned glass. Float red wine on top.Music:Oh What a Whirl by Jules Gaiavia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Wright & Brown Rye Whiskeybit.ly/2QSN1kSTerrazas Malbec Winebit.ly/33RuKtyImbibe! by David Wondrichamzn.to/2BAy1RgBar Tools:Godinger Dublin Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/1FT6LJUJapanese Style Jigger - Gunmetal Blackamzn.to/2MWNFgCKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwHawthorne Strainer- Gunmetal Blackamzn.to/2PHo89PFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlCitrus Juicer (Lemon)http://amzn.to/2m2NC2VCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQocMuddler Barspoonhttp://bit.ly/2UAeHiySpeed Poureramzn.to/2JoOlaYOXO Mini Measuring Cupamzn.to/3alnd8OCrystal-Clear Square Ice Cube Makeramzn.to/2wKIU3v
Sharks Tooth - How to Make an Easy Tiki Classic (Don the Beachcomber 1937 Recipe) Distinguished Spirits 2020-01-10 | Here’s how to make the Shark’s Tooth, a rare tiki cocktail that’s easy to make. It uses rum from Barbados and Jamaica, Lime Juice, Pineapple Juice, Simple Syrup and Maraschino Cherry Syrup. The drink was created by Don the Beachcomber and decoded by Beachbum Berry in his book, Beachbum Berry Remixed.The drink appeared on the Don the Beachcomber menu and in the newspaper at least as far back as 1937. It’s a pretty straightforward recipe for a Donn drink, both in terms of the accessibility of ingredients and simplicity of the measurements.The taste of this drink would be a little flat, especially for a tiki drink, if not for the maraschino cherry syrup. The syrup lends that much-needed third dimension to the drink. It also lends some much-needed mystery and exoticness to the drink. The cherry syrup changes the whole drink and gives it that flavor that's hard to pin-point or is slightly misleading, which of course, tiki drinks excel in.So, even though Beachbum Berry presents the maraschino cherry syrup as optional when he reprints the recipe, I'd highly recommend that you make it mandatory. Besides, it's an ingredient you're already going to have laying around for any number of drinks that call for maraschino cherries. Often times you'll run out of cherries long before you run out of syrup, so this is the perfect place to use it. If you want to make simple variations on this drink, you can do it easily by swapping out the cherry syrup for cherry liqueur, creme de cassis, creme de mûre, raspberry syrup, grenadine or something in that neighborhood. The fruit syrup does a lot of lifting for the exotic palate of this drink, so just making that minor change can give you some fun variations without having to retool or rebalance anything else in the drink.The rums are pretty straightforward. Barbados and Jamaica both produce really accessible rums. It's not like using rhum agricole or clarin or something that's not sold on every shelf. These rums should be pretty easy to track down.The mug used in the video comes from Trader Brandon and is a reference to cinema's most famous shark, Jaws. It's well suited for this drink, not only because it's shark-themed, but also because it's on the smaller side. It holds about 6 oz (180 ml). This drink is much smaller than most tiki drinks because the measurements are on the smaller end of the spectrum and it also doesn't call for the drinking vessel to be loaded with ice, so you can fit it into a smaller glass or mug.Donn recipes almost always call for a blender and I almost always ignore that and shake them because you can often achieve the right effect without a blender. And for making one or two drinks at home, making them in a shaker is fast and it's easy to control and to clean up. I blend this one in the video, but you could easily just shake it, if you'd like. The idea is that you want pretty much all of the ice to dissolve in the drink, and because there's so little of it, that won't be too hard to accomplish in a shaker. Either way, you'll be able to quickly and easily whip up an exciting tiki classic. Okole Maluna!#DonTheBeachcomber #Jaws #EasyTiki Recipe:1 oz (30 ml) Barbadian Rum1 oz (30 ml) Jamaican Rum0.5 oz (15 ml) Lime Juice0.5 oz (15 ml) Pineapple Juice0.5 oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup1 tsp Maraschino Cherry Syrup3 oz (90 ml) Crushed IceGarnish: Cherry & Pineapple FrondsBlend all on High for 5 seconds. Pour into mug or old fashioned glass. Add garnish.Original Don the Beachcomber Recipe:1 oz (30 ml) Barbadian Rum1 oz (30 ml) Jamaican Rum0.5 oz (15 ml) Lime Juice0.5 oz (15 ml) Pineapple Juice0.5 oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup1 tsp Maraschino Cherry Syrup3 oz (90 ml) Crushed IceGarnish: Cherry & Pineapple FrondsBlend all—but Jamaican rum—on High for 5 seconds. Pour into mug or old fashioned glass. Serve with sidecar of Jamaican rum. Float the rum on top before drinking.Music:Seaside Resort by Balance Backvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Doorly’s 8-Year Barbadian Rumhttp://bit.ly/2SQAzE5Hamilton Jamaican Blackhttp://bit.ly/2nEaBl0Simple Syrupyoutu.be/62YNp0jgzvULuxardo Maraschino Cherriesamzn.to/2ukjwjPBeachbum Berry Remixed by Beachbum Berryamzn.to/2sMKNL1Barbados Rum Cheat Sheet by Cocktail Wonkhttp://bit.ly/36ngvgJBar Tools:Orca Mug by Trader Brandonhttp://bit.ly/2PofUHzCB2 Suave Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://bit.ly/2tAbzDfSkull Cocktail Picksamzn.to/2CYgWCTLeopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Breville Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2srWJPZCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXzLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Voodoo Grog - How 2 Make Trader Vics Tiki Drink & the History of Pop Culture Voodoo Distinguished Spirits 2019-07-26 | Here’s how to make the Voodoo Grog, a tiki cocktail that’s a combination of Navy Grog from Don the Beachcomber and from Trader Vic, only taken to the next level. The drink is made with AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole, Haitian Rhum, Pimento Dram, Passion Fruit Syrup, Honey Syrup, Lime Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Egg White and Nutmeg, with a cherry, dried pineapple and mint for garnish. The drink was created by Trader Vic and decoded by Beachbum Berry.As explored in Berry’s book, Potions of the Caribbean, a lot of tiki drinks and tiki culture trace their roots more to the Caribbean than Polynesia. With this one, it’s not only the name (explored ad nauseum in the video), but also the flavors and ingredients. The rhums, allspice, the punch-like construction and its similarities to the Navy Grog all point to the Caribbean.The drink is a cross between the Don the Beachcomber recipe for the Navy Grog and the Trader Vic’s recipe for the Navy Grog. The drink is made up of multiple r(h)ums, lime and grapefruit, just like the Navy Grog. It uses both Donn’s sweetener (honey) and Vic’s sweetener (pimento dram). But then it builds on top of that by throwing passion fruit, egg white and nutmeg into the mix.The result is a smooth and creamy drink with a really complex and exotic flavor. Because of the creamy texture, I prefer to drink it without a straw. Vic and Beachbum Berry might disagree. And if you want to drink it with a straw, make sure it’s a short one so you don’t miss the incredible aromatics of the nutmeg and mint. That smell is really important and it adds to the whole delicate balance of the flavors of this drink. Okole Maluna! Recipe:1 oz (30 ml) Aged AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole (ESB or Ambré)1 oz (30 ml) Gold Rum (Aged Haitian Rhum preferred)0.75 oz (22 ml) Lime Juice0.75 oz (22 ml) Grapefruit Juice0.75 oz (22 ml) Passion Fruit Syrup0.5 oz (15 ml) Pimento Dram (Allspice Liqueur)0.25 oz (7 ml) Honey Syrup (3:1)1 Egg White8 oz (240 ml) Crushed IceGarnish: fresh grated Nutmeg, Cherry, Dried Pineapple Wheel & MintBlend all—but garnish—on High for 20 seconds. Pour into mug or double old fashioned glass. Add garnish. Grate nutmeg.Original Trader Vic Recipe:1 oz (30 ml) AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole Vieux1 oz (30 ml) Gold Puerto Rican Rum0.5 oz (15 ml) Passion Fruit Nectar0.75 oz (22 ml) Pimento Dram (Allspice Liqueur)0.75 oz (22 ml) Grapefruit Juice0.75 oz (22 ml) Lime Juice0.25 oz (7 ml) Honey1 Egg White8 oz (240 ml) Crushed IceGarnish: fresh grated Nutmeg, Pineapple Stick & MintStir together Honey and Lime. Add to blender along with all other ingredients other than garnish.Blend on High for 20 seconds. Pour into Voodoo Tumbler. Add garnish. Grate nutmeg.Music:Taking the Leap by ZauanaSummon All Gods by Dream CaveLords and Ladies by Dream CaveWhen Warriors Align by ZauanaBroken Roller Coaster by Blackout Memoriesvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Duquesne Rhum Agricole Élevé Sous Boishttp://bit.ly/2o4zd9tBarbancourt 8 Year RhumDuquesne Rhum Agricole Élevé Sous BoisHamilton Pimento Dramhttp://bit.ly/2xfqDZZSmall Hand Foods Passion Fruit Syrupamzn.to/2YdPOpQHoney Syrupyoutu.be/qZ9ndISIL8QDried Pineapple Ringsamzn.to/2XZ8myXWhole Nutmegamzn.to/2Y1SifBPotions of the Caribbean by Beachbum Berryamzn.to/2QZacZxDrums of Terror by Bryan Sennamzn.to/2XWxQwJThe Night of the Living Deadamzn.to/2yha7IkWhite Zombieamzn.to/2LKyVBjI Eat Your Skin (Rifftrax)amzn.to/2LIlsK8The Call of Cthulhu (and other stories) by H. P. Lovecraftamzn.to/2Y6mVM5Haitian Vodou and Voodoo Imagined Religion and Popular Culture by Adam M. McGeehttp://bit.ly/2Yb7pP8Hayti, or, The Black Republic by Spenser St. Johnamzn.to/2y7EdxGBar Tools:Bone Collector Mug by Three Dots and a Dashhttp://bit.ly/2YfQUS5Trader Vic's Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://bit.ly/2nE8oWJSkull Cocktail Picksamzn.to/2CYgWCTLeopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlMicroplane Graterhttp://amzn.to/2wniL6hCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Cuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXzLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK#Voodoo #Tiki #WhiteZombie
Negroni - The History of the 3 Ingredient Cocktail and How to Make It Distinguished Spirits 2019-06-30 | Here’s how to make the Negroni. It’s a simple drink made with Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth and an Orange peel for garnish. It’s occasionally garnished with an orange wheel and topped with soda, but I usually prefer it over a large ice cube. This drink is easy to make and easy to drink. The hard part is limiting yourself to just one.The often told story behind the drink is that in 1919 Count Camillo Negroni, an Italian aristocrat, was responsible for it when he asked to stiffen his usual aperitif with gin. There was a lot of mystery around this drink and a lot of misinformation that made it hard to accept the simple story of such a famous and well-regarded drink.But Italian bartender and cocktail historian, Luca Picchi, in his book, Negroni Cocktail, an Italian Legend, and David Wondrich in his article, How the Negroni Conquered America, combine to make compelling arguments that the gist of the story is basically correct.Picchi detailed Camillo (or sometimes Cammillo) Negroni’s life, the bartender who first mixed the drink, Fosco Scarselli, and Florence, the city where it all happened.Wondrich dispelled certain myths and was able to put to rest some false leads that seemed to contradict or at least call into question the Camillo story. One of those leads was a rash of Negroni-like drinks that sprung up in the 1920’s. Most of these drinks turned up in France because Campari was working hard to break into the French market at the time. But, these drinks never really caught on, despite those recipes making it to print before the Negroni. And a big part of that came down to how the Negroni spread and was embraced by Italians.According to Picchi’s book, Camillo Negroni spent a good chunk of his early adulthood in North America. He also spent 6 years in Manhattan, starting in 1898, which was during the Golden Age of Cocktails. He was exposed to the American way of drinking and the biggest, newest drinks at the time were vermouth cocktails like the Manhattan (whiskey and sweet vermouth), the Martinez (gin and sweet vermouth) and the Martini (gin and dry vermouth).Camillo moved back to Italy in 1904 and back to his hometown of Florence in 1912. Fosco Scarselli in 1917, he started working as a bartender at Caffè Casoni in Florence. Camillo regularly would pop in to Caffè Casoni for a quick aperitif before going out for the night. Camillo would order drinks in the American style. This often meant drinking vermouth, amaro and soda water in a cordial glass.One night in either 1919 (or possibly 1920), Fosco recalled Camillo asked to add gin to it. Camillo loved it and it became his usual drink. According to Picchi, he would drink 40 of these a day. So, it’s not surprising that the combination of gin, sweet vermouth, Campari and soda water, became so closely associated with him.He spread the drink throughout dozens of cafes, bars and hotel bars, exposing lots of his peers, his often well-travelled peers, who helped spread the drink throughout Italy. However, by the late-1920’s, when the rabid nationalism of the Italian fascists began to tighten their grip over culture, they began crack down on foreign things such as cocktails. The very word “cocktail” was virtually outlawed. This helped account for the drink not spreading in print in Italian media at the time.But the bartenders and elite social circles kept the drink alive and after the war, the American style of drinking was allowed to flourish. By the late 40’s/early 50’s the drink started popping up in print around Italy. In the early 60’s, it started popping up in pop-culture, court documents and it was the IBA’s selection to represent Italy in their first cocktail book. All of this helped the drink get into the first round of cocktail revivals in the early 21st century. It climbed the mountain and take its place along side a few elite cocktails that have become household names. And it only took 100 years (give or take a decade). Saluti!Recipe:1 oz (30 ml) Gin1 oz (30 ml) Campari1 oz (30 ml) Sweet Vermouthgarnish Orange TwistStir with ice. Strain over large ice in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange twist.Music:Whole Inside (Instrumental Version) by Martin Landhvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Astral Pacific Ginhttp://bit.ly/2ZMzOw7Camparihttp://bit.ly/2rP9C46Cocchi Vermouth di Torinohttp://bit.ly/2GdnU6cNegroni Cocktail, an Italian Legend by Luca Picchiamzn.to/2X6csoeHow the Negroni Conquered America by David Wondrichhttp://bit.ly/2IOnSnTBar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Leopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvMuddler Barspoonhttp://bit.ly/2UAeHiyJulep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4CozMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5#Negroni #History #EasyCocktails
Donn Day Afternoon - How to Make an Easy Tiki Beer Drink (Smugglers Cove Recipe) Distinguished Spirits 2019-05-14 | Here’s how to make the Donn Day Afternoon, a Tiki beer cocktail inspired by Don the Beachcomber, the Zombie and Dog Day Afternoon. It was created by Martin Cate, the tiki guru behind Smuggler’s Cove, the bar and the book. It’s made with AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole Blanc, Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit Beer, Homemade Cinnamon Syrup, Lime Juice and a Grapefruit Twist.This drink was created in 2015 by Martin Cate for his book. While writing the book with his wife, Cate wanted to come up with some original recipes to feature in the book. This one checked off several boxes for Cate at once. It was a beer cocktail, it’s designed for day-drinking, it’s easy to make, it’s tasty and it’s tiki as hell.The flavors are really familiar to the tiki palate, but they are presented in a fresh and exciting way. The base of the drink is a striking rhum agricole blanc, but the heart of the drink the combination of grapefruit, lime and cinnamon, which is flavor profile at the center of Donn Beach’s 1934 Zombie, only re-imagined in this easy-to-make beer cocktail.The drink’s name is a pun of the film Dog Day Afternoon, in which the sweltering heat is almost another character. Cate wanted a name that was a nod to Donn Beach, the creator of tiki culture, and the type of weather that this drink works best in. The drink is exotic and exhilarating, and it really hits the spot on a hot day.The grapefruit beer, the radler, is excellent on its own on a day like that, but it’s made even more exciting in this drink. A radler is almost like a German mimosa. It’s a blend of citrus juice and beer that’s meant to be drank in the morning, particularly if you’re fighting off a hangover. Cate prefers the grapefruit radler from Stiegl, the amazing Austrian brewery responsible for some of my favorite beers. It can be made with other grapefruit radlers if you can’t find Stiegl, but finding Stiegl is worth the effort.The base spirit, the AOC Martinique rhum agricole blanc, Cate is a little more particular about. In a pinch, you can make it with an aged rhum agricole (ambré, élevé sous bois or vieux), but the harder edged, powerful flavor of the unaged blanc is the spirit the drink was designed for and the one that will really give it the best results.Also, the cinnamon syrup is a must. I tried making it with rich simple the first time I made it and it was not a good substitute. You really need that big hit of spice to help tie the whole package together. Cinnamon syrup is really easy to make. Besides, you need it to make a Zombie, so you have no excuse not to make it.It’s a rare sight to see a tiki drink with easy measurements and an easy build. It’s kind of impressive, just on that fact alone that it works so well. But most importantly, it’s a great drink, one that is easy, refreshing and certainly a crowd pleaser, particularly on a poolside Sunday Funday. Okole Maluna! Recipe:2 oz (60 ml) AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole Blanc4 oz (120 ml) Grapefruit Radler (Stiegl preferred)0.5 oz (15 ml) Cinnamon Syrup0.5 oz (15 ml) Limegarnish Grapefruit twistBuild in an Old Fashioned glass over ice cubes. Stir the rhum, cinnamon and lime. Pour radler in the glass last. Garnish with a grapefruit twist. Serve with straw (optional).Music:Cara a Cara Pt. 3 by Martin Carlbergvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Rhum J.M Blanchttp://bit.ly/2VoPGCuStiegl-Radler Grapefruit Beerhttp://bit.ly/2JlFqJpCinnamon Syrupyoutu.be/LHoCSuYkKckSmuggler’s Cove by Martin Cate & Rebecca Cateamzn.to/2Q4a4rjBar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Leopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvMuddler Barspoonhttp://bit.ly/2UAeHiyBamboo Strawsamzn.to/2tvPlCCFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Cuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXz
Mance Rayder - How to Make a Tequila & Mezcal Drink Inspired by Game of Thrones Distinguished Spirits 2019-04-13 | How to make the Mance Rayder, a Game of Thrones cocktail made with Tequila, Mezcal, Sweet Vermouth, Orange Liqueur, Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters and a lemon peel for garnish. It was created by Erick Castro, bartender, founder of Polite Provisions and host of the podcast and the film, Bartender at Large.The cocktail was created in 2013, shortly after Castro opened Polite Provisions in San Diego. The drink was originally conceived as a kind of Mexican Vieux Carré (youtu.be/IayMEEd2Z3k) meets Home on the Range. In it’s original incarnation it was made with blanco tequila and an orange twist, but later down the line, Castro changed it to reposado and a lemon twist. The lemon twist was a master stroke on his part. It really brought it all home and made the whole boozy cocktail taste a lot lighter and fruitier than it really was. This really makes it accessible to drinkers who don’t prefer Old Fashioneds and makes it a lot more seductive and charming than it would be otherwise.Castro needed a name to fit these qualities, so his mind was immediately drawn to one of his favorite Game of Thrones characters, Mance Rayder, aka The Kind Beyond the Wall. As Castro put it, “I thought that a fitting name, since much like its namesake, it is strong and to the point, yet charming & sophisticated.”Just as with the split base in the Oaxaca Old Fashioned (youtu.be/V88wA26Dinc), the sweet, oaky tequila and the vegetal, smoky mezcal in a 3:1 ratio play wonderfully together. Castro designed this drink to work with a smoky mezcal, so that is the way to go in this drink. But the tequila could go either way. He tends to lean toward making it with reposado, but he admits that he’ll still occasionally makes it with a blanco. In the video, I made it with a unique tequila, Libélula, which is a blend of both blanco and reposado, but feel free to make it with your favorite tequila. Castro even insists that the drink is great with an añejo, so the choice of tequila is really up to you.The orange liqueur is best with one that’s on the dry side and the sweet vermouth should be big, fruity and herbal. Castro usually prefers Carpano Antica. The Cocchi Torino that I used in the video works well too, but Antica is going to be your best bet.The drink is light and citrusy, exotic and simple, bright and delicious. It works for Old Fashioned drinkers, Tiki drinkers, wine drinkers and Margarita drinkers alike. It’s strong but diplomatic and humble, much like its namesake. Enjoy!Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) Reposado Tequila0.5 oz (15 ml) Mezcal (smoky)0.5 oz (15 ml) Sweet Vermouth0.5 oz (15 ml) Orange Liqueur2 dashes Aromatic Bitters2 dashes Orange Bittersgarnish Lemon TwistStir with ice. Strain over large ice in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.Music:Death and Glory by Dream Cavevia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Libélula Tequilahttp://bit.ly/2Iegq6oMezcal Unión Unohttp://bit.ly/2PPKAx1Cocchi Vermouth di Torinohttp://bit.ly/2GdnU6cCombier Orange Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2gHhqnpAngostura Bittershttp://amzn.to/2jHG5G7Scrappy’s Orange Bittersamzn.to/2P6zog2Bar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Leopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvMuddler Barspoonhttp://bit.ly/2UAeHiyHawthorne Strainer (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2PHo89PMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5
Barrel-Aged Black Rider - a Negroni-Style Drink Inspired by William S. Burroughs & Tom Waits Distinguished Spirits 2019-04-05 | Here’s how to make the barrel-aged Black Rider, a brandy, mezcal and Cynar, Negroni-style cocktail named after the musical by William S. Burroughs and Tom Waits. It was created by Rhett Williams, bar manager of Dark Manor Inn and Shameful Tiki Room in Vancouver, BC.Negroni riffs are always exciting to try. This one moved pretty far away, but it still has that comforting familiarity of home. When Williams came up with it in 2013, he was obsessed with coming up with ways to incorporate mezcal into familiar templates to create something unexpected. He would also try out different spirit combinations to see if they harmonized or clashed. He really liked the pairing of brandy and mezcal. He also, liked the earthy partnership of Cynar and mezcal. So, he put them all together using the Negroni as a sort of divining rod. It took some tinkering, but he found the perfect balance by lowering the Cynar a touch.He needed a good name for it. The Black Rider is the name of a 1993 Tom Waits album, which is the soundtrack to a 1990 musical written by William S. Burroughs, that was inspired by the 1821 opera, Der Freischütz, which was based on German folklore. They all concern a marksman who makes a deal with the devil for some magic bullets to impress a girl. However, making such a deal never ends well and this is particularly true with the Burroughs play, where the protagonist, Wilhelm, ends up accidentally shooting and killing the woman he wanted to marry, which leads to his depression, despair, madness and eventually joining the devil’s carnival of the damned.Crazy as it sounds, this twisted fairytale was an autobiographical story for Burroughs, who 40 years earlier, while strung out on drugs and alcohol in Mexico City, he accidentally shot and killed his common-law wife and baby mama, Joan Vollmer.Burroughs claimed that this incident—murdering his wife—was what compelled him to become a full-time writer. He often wrote about his life with a thin veneer of fiction painted over top of it. And The Black Rider was no different. He even named the protagonist, Wilhelm, in case it wasn’t clear enough that he was talking about himself.In terms of the drink, it’s pretty straightforward. The mezcal, should be smoky. In the barrel, the smoke will get stripped away, so I used a good earthy, vegetal, non-smoky mezcal. But when making it fresh, you’re going to want to use a smoky mezcal.For the brandy, Rhett Williams recommends using Torres 5-year, as the Spanish brandy has the right amount of fruity body for the drink. I’m using Copper & Kings, which is an American brandy that spends time in Bourbon casks. It really has a good bit of that bourbon character to it, without letting you forget that it’s a brandy.Cynar, if you’re unfamiliar with it, is an artichoke-based amaro. It’s dark and earthy, but doesn’t really taste as vegetal and artichoke-y as you’d imagine. It’s just a good, solid, amaro. There are two varieties out there the 33-proof original formula and a 70-proof formula. This recipe calls for the 33-proof.This drink is dark, bitter, fruity and earthy. It’s a next-level Negroni riff. Barrel-aging it brings some exciting cocoa, cinnamon and woody notes out of the drink. But whether it’s fresh or aged, Williams recommends that you enjoy it head on. He serves it neat with no garnish. There’s nowhere for the ingredients to hide. It lays all of its cards out on the table for you, it’s up to you if you’re ready for the ride. Enjoy!Recipe:350 ml (12 oz) Brandy350 ml (12 oz) Mezcal300 ml (10 oz) CynarCombine all ingredients. Add to cured oak barrel. Age for 3-4 weeks. Taste occasionally. When ready, strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle.To make the drink, stir 3 oz (90 ml) of Barrel-Aged Black Rider with ice. Strain into chilled rocks glass. No ice. No garnish.Music:Ennui by Cody HighChukou by Ambre JauneRevenge by Alec Slaynevia Epidemic SoundGet the label here: http://bit.ly/2tCEE1dFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in This Episode:Copper & Kings Brandyhttp://bit.ly/2qD25E3Banhez Mezcalhttp://bit.ly/2SgoZ1TCynarhttp://bit.ly/2pHKeeHBluegrass Barrelshttp://bit.ly/2ocrqmKhttp://amzn.to/2xCQifyBar Tools:Catamount 3 Oz Double Spouted Mini Measurehttp://amzn.to/2h64pRwSchott Zwiesel Old Fashioned, 9.6 ozhttp://amzn.to/1N4nKJECocktail Kingdom Skull Barspoonhttp://amzn.to/2h5ZJLuFine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainershttp://amzn.to/2muxWs8Stainless Steel Funnelshttp://amzn.to/2lAkYFtMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5Julep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4Coz
Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique - a Mezcal Drink Inspired by Kill Bill Distinguished Spirits 2019-03-19 | How to master the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique, a mezcal and coffee Negroni-style cocktail named after the death blow from Kill Bill. It was created by Erick Castro, bartender, founder of Polite Provisions and host of the podcast and the film, Bartender at Large. The drink is made with a smoky mezcal, Punt e Mes (a slightly bitter sweet vermouth), coffee liqueur and chocolate bitters.The cocktail was created in early 2015, when Castro was setting up the bar at Boilermaker in New York. Soon after, he brought it home to the menu of Polite Provisions in San Diego. And later that year, it got a write up in Imbibe Magazine.Because the drink is bold, semi-bitter and spirit-forward, Castro wanted a name that would act as a fair warning as to its contents. It takes its name from the powerful, closely guarded secret and legendary death blow from one of his favorite movies, Kill Bill. Castro highly recommends making this one specifically with Punt e Mes, Galliano Ristretto (coffee liqueur), Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters and El Silencio or Vida or any other smoky Del Maguey mezcal.Punt e Mes is a particular sweet vermouth that has a touch of Amaro to it. If you don’t have Punt e Mes, you can make the drink with another sweet vermouth, then just add a barspoon of Cynar or Averna or something to help make up for missing bitterness.In order to pair well with Punt e Mes, the coffee liqueur should be on the sweet-side. If you’re using a really dry, craft coffee liqueur like my usual, St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur, it’ll be a little too dry to work well with Punt e Mes, so in that case, I’d opt for a sweeter sweet vermouth to help balance it out.Even though it’s only one dash, the chocolate bitters really help give the drink that final dimension to make it pop. This is particularly true because unlike a Negroni, there’s no garnish with this one.It’s straightforward, but delicious. It’s somewhere in the realm of a Negroni or a Revolver, but really stands out as something unexpected. Castro figured out a secret combination of elements that are able to strike you deep in the center of your senses with the fire and resolve of The Bride on a mission. Enjoy!Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) Mezcal (smoky)0.75 oz (22 ml) Punt e Mes0.5 oz (15 ml) Coffee Liqueur1 dash Chocolate BittersStir with ice. Strain over large ice in an old fashioned glass. No garnish.Music:Kill Fiction by Niklas Ahlströmvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:El Silencio Mezcalhttp://bit.ly/2zuNTCcPunt e Meshttp://bit.ly/2pu9Sb4Galliano Ristrettohttp://bit.ly/2UDXH72Scrappy’s Chocolate Bittersamzn.to/2TghCaDBitterman’s Xocolatl Mole Bittersamzn.to/2UHHMENNOLA Coffee Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2tuk8RIBar Tools:Schott Zwiesel Old Fashioned Glass (9.6 oz)amzn.to/2IdvF0iJapanese Style Jigger (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2lLRN41Beachbum Berry Skull Barspoon (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2Py65BHHawthorne Strainer (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2PHo89PMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5
Tony Rocky Horror - How to Make the Tiki Drink Inspired by Pulp Fiction (Sam Ross Recipe) Distinguished Spirits 2019-03-10 | Here’s how to make the Tony Rocky Horror, a Tiki cocktail inspired by Pulp Fiction and created by Sam Ross, the inventor of the modern classic, the Penicillin. It’s made with Jamaican Rum, Orgeat, Falernum, Lime Juice and Absinthe, with mint and nutmeg for garnish, and, in this case, is served in a Jules Winnfield tiki mug.This drink was created in 2017 by Sam Ross at his speakeasy in NY, Attaboy. Attaboy was making their own orgeat and falernum and he wanted to make a drink to showcase that. The drink was featured in a promo video for The Dorsey, a bar in Vegas that Ross set up. However, the video only had a partial recipe for the cocktail. Maybe it’s fitting that a tiki recipe was so elusive because it felt like several other classics who’s secret sauce was kept top secret for years. I had everything listed in the video, so after watching it, I immediately whipped one up by guessing the measurements of the missing ingredients. I thought, that since Ross was very particular about making sure the two sweeteners equalled the amount of citrus in the Penicillin (youtu.be/nA7q4AKndr4), that the same logic would apply here. Eventually, I found the full recipe on Sam Ross’ cocktail app, Bartender’s Choice. I basically made that version in the video, but I didn’t split the rum.Ross split the rum base between two different styles of Jamaican rum with 2 parts blended (column and pot still) and 1 part high ester pot still. He uses 1 oz of Appleton Reserve (the blended) and 0.5 oz Dr. Bird (the high ester pot still). When I shot the video, I was just going off of his promo video in which he used 1.5 oz of Hamilton Jamaican rum.The drink is named after a character in one Ross’ favorite movies, Pulp Fiction. Tony Rocky Horror is a character who is talked about in several scenes, but never on-screen. The rumors about him are that he was thrown out of a window by Marsellus Wallace for giving Marsellus wife a foot massage. Tony’s half-Samoan heritage gives the drink a direct Polynesian link to the tiki drink. And besides, it’s a really great name for a drink.In terms of the falernum, you really want to try to use a homemade version like Falernum No. 9 (youtu.be/j4upubVlZYk). It’s going to be spicer and more citrusy than John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum.Ross also recommends making your own orgeat for this one. I agree. The 12 Bottle Bar orgeat recipe (youtu.be/kDKTwW0JVjY) is going to be the best way to go. In the video, I use L’Orgeat. It’s a shelf-stable orgeat that I really dig. It’s really close to the 12 Bottle Bar recipe, but the 12 Bottle Bar version has a little better overall mouthfeel.Also, don’t discount the aromatics of the garnish. The mint is always important on tiki drinks, but with this one, freshly grated nutmeg is key. The pre-ground stuff is a poor substitute for the real deal and that aroma really brightens up the drink. It adds to the complexity of the flavor of the drink. It is a relativity easy for a tiki drink (easy measurements, common tiki ingredients), but it is extremely well layered and balanced. What else would you expect from the creator of the Penicillin? Okole Maluna! Recipe (Sam Ross):1 oz (30 ml) Appleton's Reserve Jamaican Rum0.5 oz (15 ml) Dr. Bird Jamaican Rum (Pot Still)0.75 oz (20 ml) homemade Falernum0.5 oz (15 ml) homemade Orgeat1 oz (30 ml) Lime2 dashes Absinthegarnish mint garnish fresh grated nutmegWhip (shake with a little crushed ice). Pour unstrained over crushed ice in a tiki mug. Garnish with mint and grated nutmeg.Recipe (Modified):1 oz (30 ml) Appleton Jamaican Rum (Pot Still & Column Still Blend)0.5 oz (15 ml) Hamilton Jamaican Rum (Pot Still)0.5 oz (15 ml) homemade Falernum0.5 oz (15 ml) homemade Orgeat1 oz (30 ml) Lime2 dashes Absinthegarnish mint garnish fresh grated nutmegWhip (shake with a little crushed ice). Pour unstrained over crushed ice in a tiki mug. Garnish with mint and grated nutmeg.Music:Pulp Noir Pt. 1 by Håkan ErikssonSurfing the Beach Pt. 1 by Victor Olssonvia Epidemic SoundPlease support this channel here:patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsFeatured in this Episode:Hamilton Jamaican Blondehttp://bit.ly/2JazbFyL’Orgeathttp://bit.ly/2JapjLSCopper & Kings Absinthehttp://bit.ly/2pTFT8bJules Winnfield Mug from Geeki Tikishttp://bit.ly/2tVT64sBartender's Choice, Vol. 2 App by Sam Rossapple.co/2Ux5a7K12 Bottle Bar by David Solmonson & Lesley Jacobs Solmonsonamzn.to/2HlSJrEBar Tools:Japanese Style Jiggeramzn.to/2lLRN41Beachbum Berry Skull Barspoonamzn.to/2Py65BHKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwBamboo Strawsamzn.to/2tvPlCCFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlMicroplane Graterhttp://amzn.to/2wniL6hCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Cuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXz
Oaxaca Forever - a Mezcal Cocktail Inspired by Black Panther & the Hidden History Behind Wakanda Distinguished Spirits 2019-02-24 | This is an original drink inspired by Black Panther and named after their catchphrase, Wakanda Forever. It’s made with Mezcal, Coffee Liqueur and Fernet. It’s kind of like a Negroni, only a lot more assertive. Like a couple of my other creations, such as Redrum and the Red Priestess, the drink’s name was guided by its incredible color. In this case, I was trying to find a good Black Panther pun. I was thinking about trying to make a portmanteau of “Oaxaca” and “Wakanda”, but they were too similar to work. I eventually settled on Oaxaca Forever, combining the base spirit and the Black Panther catchphrase, however, before I did, I got sucked down a rabbit hole.As I was reading about the world of Black Panther and trying to come up with puns, I came across an article by Peter Manseau, in which he traces the name Wakanda back to its source and as it turns out, the name isn’t African, it’s American…Native American.In several Native American languages, “Wakanda,” is the word for the supreme being or the “Great Spirit,” which is better translated as the “Great Mystery.” The meaning (as best 19th century scholars could understand) is fairly well documented by several sources in the late 1800’s. One of those reports came from the Bureau of Ethnology, which was cited as a source of research by Edgar Rice Burroughs when he was writing his novels in his Apache Series, The War Chief and Apache Devil.Burroughs is best known for creating Tarzan, but he wrote quite a few other scifi/fantasy books as well. One of which, was a 1915 story called, The Man-Eater, which takes place in Africa and there is a tribe of people called Wakandas. The first publication was not widely circulated, but in the late 1950’s, the story was repackaged as a book, where it found a bigger audience.During that time, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, were hoovering up all of the pulp novels they could get their hands on. It appears that they read this one, had that word in the back of their minds somewhere and it was recalled when they came up with the story of Black Panther.Over 50 years later, the movie went on to be a huge success and the word, “Wakanda,” became a pop culture icon and a household name. But the word’s journey from Native Americans, to the Bureau of Ethnology, to Edgar Rice Burroughs, to Marvel took a lot longer than that.The other half of the name, comes form a different pre-Columbian people, the Aztecs. “Oaxaca” is the way the Spanish transformed the Azteca’s Nawatl word, “Huāxyacac,” so that it can be said in Spanish a little easier. “Huāxyacac,” is an Aztec portmanteau that doesn’t translate well into Spanish, it’s a combination of guage (a type of tree) and nose, which is taken to refer to a clearing of trees at the top of the hill, currently called, Cerro del Fortín. It was what the Aztecs called the outpost they established when they conquered the region in the 1400’s. And most importantly to this drink, Oaxaca is the region known for mezcal and Oaxaca (pronounced “wah-ha-kuh”), almost rhymes with “Wakanda.”For the mezcal in this drink, you definitely want something smoky, so that it can stand up against the powerful flavors of the Coffee Liqueur and, in particular, the Fernet.The Fernet in this drink, Fernet-Vallet, is from Mexico and it’s not always the easiest to find. It’s darker and more cardamom and clove forward than Fernet Branca. It’s certainly not as minty as Branca. So, flavor-wise, you really want to use something that is earthy, woodsy and, of course, bitter. If you can’t find Fernet-Vallet, try subbing in Averna, Cynar (70-proof) or Letherbee Fernet. The Averna is still not quite the same thing, but at least it will get you in the ballpark. Enjoy!Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) Mezcal (smoky)0.75 oz (22 ml) Coffee Liqueur0.5 oz (15 ml) FernetAdd ingredients to an Old-Fashioned glass. Add ice, stir. Top off with more ice.Music:Somewhere Somehow by Damma BeatzBreaker of Chains by Jon BjörkUndaunted Warrior Pt. 1 by Johannes BornlöfMelatonin by Dylan Sittsvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Legendario Domingo Mezcalhttp://bit.ly/2Tch3lZMezcal El Silencio (@Mezcal El Silencio)http://bit.ly/2zuNTCcSt. George NOLA Coffee Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2tuk8RIFernet-Vallethttp://bit.ly/2BPDKCyThe surprising religious backstory of ‘Black Panther’s’ Wakanda by Peter Manseauhttps://wapo.st/2GGZlkUBar Tools:CB2 Suave Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://bit.ly/2tAbzDfJapanese Style Jigger (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2lLRN41Beachbum Berry Skull Barspoon (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2Py65BH
Pisco Sour - How to Make the Classic Drink & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2019-02-13 | Here's an easy way to make the classic cocktail, the Pisco Sour, a combination of Pisco, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Egg White and Aromatic Bitters. It was a hit with American tourists in South America and it was championed by Dale Degroff in the Aughties, but it’s lineage is frustratingly elusive.The most common story is that it was invented by an American ex-pat living in Peru named Vic Morris, who set up a bar in 1916 that mostly catered to English-speaking tourists. However, the full story is a little more complicated.A recipe for the Pisco Sour was printed in a 1903 Peruvian cookbook. They had the ingredients (minus the bitters), but not the name. It may not be the origin of the drink, but the drink existed in Peru long before Morris got thereEven though Morris had the drink on his menu, he supposedly never claimed to have invented the drink. Besides, in 1924 a local, Peruvian, English-language newspaper, The West Coast Leader, did not credit Morris with the invention of the Pisco Sour, but rather bars in San Francisco.The paper did not offer any evidence or specifics to back up their claim, but San Francisco and Pisco go back to the 1830’s. And during the Gold Rush, the Bank Exchange Saloon was famous for their drink, the Pisco Punch.The most likely scenario for the drink’s origin, was that it was just the inevitable result of using Pisco in the well-established template of the fill-in-the-blank Sour. So like the Brandy Sour and Whiskey Sour, which date back to the 1860’s, and the egg white Sours, which start showing up in print in 1883, the Pisco Sour was just the eventual outcome of bartenders with a template and a new spirit.It seems that part of the reason Morris had the reputation for inventing the drink was because some of his protégés would later go on to run the bar programs and well-known tourist destinations like The Lima Country Club and the Hotel Bolívar, where stars like Ava Gardner, John Wayne, Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway were known to imbibe Pisco Sours.You’ll sometimes see this one made in the blender. If that’s how you roll, go for it. I like to shake it, but I guess if I was making a huge batch for a party or something, the blender would really come in handy.In terms of the bitters, be sure to use a dropper if you have one. It’s important to get the bitters on top of the drink and not in the drink. You want the bitters to be the first impression on the nose and almost more importantly, you don’t want the egg white to give off that funky, wet dog smell that some eggs have.Most times you’ll see this one made with Angostura and if that’s what you have on hand, it will make for an excellent drink, but if you can, it’s really fun to make it with the Peruvian, Chuncho Bitters. They have a really different nose to them. It’s not as citrusy as Ango. It has a heavy baking spices aroma that somehow results in giving the drink a light earthy, almost woodsy note to it. It’s worth picking up a bottle if just for this drink. Enjoy!Recipe:2 oz (60 ml) Pisco0.75 oz (22 ml) Lime Juice0.75 oz (22 ml) Simple Syrup6 drops Chuncho Bitters (or Angostura)Egg WhiteDry shake (without ice) all ingredients. Add ice, then shake again. Strain into a chilled rocks glass. Add 5-6 drops of bitters on top.Music:Perseguido Por Un Charango Pt. 3 by Martin Carlbergvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Capurro Piscohttp://bit.ly/2RYJxuTAmargo Chuncho Bittersamzn.to/2IcDjbdAngostura Bittersamzn.to/2DyWXbSImbibe! by David Wondrichamzn.to/2BAy1RgDrinking the Devil's Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and her Cocktails by Duggan McDonnellamzn.to/2GFydBPBar Tools:Schott Zwiesel Old Fashioned Glass (9.6 oz)amzn.to/2IdvF0iJapanese Style Jigger (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2lLRN41Hawthorne Strainer (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2PHo89PKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlDropper Bottleamzn.to/2UhJ9JZCuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXz
Thursdays Child - an Original Mezcal & Singani Cocktail Inspired by Eartha Kitt Distinguished Spirits 2018-12-24 | This is an original drink inspired by Eartha Kitt. It’s made with Mezcal, Singani, Cocchi Americano, White Grapefruit, Absinthe rinse and a Maraschino Cherry for garnish. The recipe started off as a riff on a Corpse Reviver #2 (youtu.be/F7OgwMdAcOg), but through a lot of trial and error it ended up back closer to the starting line, only with components swapped out.I originally wanted to come up with a pun that would act as a tip of the cap to the drink’s Corpse Reviver roots, but the name I privately used to refer to the drink was “Earthy Kitt” because the flavor profile was so earthy. The Eartha Kitt angle stuck with me. I was reading her first book, a memoir chronicling her childhood through young adulthood, which might of had something to do with it being on my mind. The book was called, Thursday’s Child, which was an allusion to a children’s nursery rhyme that predicted a child’s fate based on the day of the week that child was born. A child born on Thursday is supposed to go far.That is a modest way to put it in Eartha’s case. She started about as far from where she ended up as you can get. She was born into poverty in the cotton fields of South Carolina. She was abandoned by her mother and through informal adoptions, bounced around different, abusive care givers. Then at 15, through happenstance, she auditioned for a dance studio, won a scholarship and began a career that would lead her to be a dancer, singer, actor, writer, sex symbol, activist, leader and a superhero. All this and more was captured by Orson Welles when he dubbed her “he most exciting woman in the world.”The drink is meant as a modest nod this exciting Thursday’s Child, if only as a pun for its flavor profile. The base is split between Mezcal and Singani, which are spirits that allied so well in the Faceless Man (youtu.be/OVC_ck1UknE). Only, in this one, the mezcal is meant to be sin humo (without smoke), one that puts more of an emphasis on the earthy and vegetal flavors instead of the smoky mesquite.Singani, for those who are unfamiliar with it, is an eau de vie from the Bolivian Andes that tastes and acts like a fruitier, more floral and more intense Pisco. If you’re dying to make this drink and can’t get a hold of Singani, you can get the ballpark by subbing in Pisco. Just keep in mind that it’s similar, but not the same. Singani is like Pisco…but turned up to 11.As for the grapefruit, I like it best with white grapefruit, which is a little more mild than pink and a lot more mild than red grapefruit. Pink will do in a pinch, but ideally you’ll wanna use White Grapefruit in this one. Either way, the key is to juice it fresh. It should go without saying, but unlike some other citrus, where you can kinda get away with it, after a couple days, grapefruit really starts to develop a bitterness that ends up killing the drink.For the Kina, you want to use Cocchi Americano. Since the advent of the Cocktail Renaissance we are currently enjoying, Cocchi has become a common replacement for the original Kina Lillet (that has not been made in decades) in James Bond’s Martini variation, the Vesper (youtu.be/a6gHAnUSMGo). However, if all you have on hand is Lillet Blanc, I’d suggest adding a barspoon of Tonic Syrup. This will help bring back the right level of bitterness to the modern formula of Lillet.Because this drink uses citrus juice, conventional wisdom dictates that it should be shaken, not stirred. But shaking it aerates the drink and I prefer the silky, sensuous texture you get when the drink is stirred. Which, for this drink, creates the purrfect mouthfeel. Enjoy!Recipe:0.75 oz (22 ml) Mezcal (non-smoky)0.75 oz (22 ml) Singani0.75 oz (22 ml) Cocchi Americano0.75 oz (22 ml) Grapefruit Juicerinse Absinthegarnish Maraschino CherryStir with ice. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a Cherry.Music:Got That Feeling by Peter Sandbergvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Banhez Mezcalhttp://bit.ly/2SgoZ1TSingani 63http://bit.ly/2p057nsCocchi Americanohttp://bit.ly/2V8WR2zCopper & Kings Absinthehttp://bit.ly/2pTFT8bMaraschino Cherriesamzn.to/2Rd5Y39Thursday's Child by Eartha Kittamzn.to/2CvRK5iTonic Syrupamzn.to/2RcGvqFBar Tools:Nick & Nora Glasshttp://amzn.to/2m77HVeOXO Measuring Cup (2 oz)http://amzn.to/2nk5BSFBeachbum Berry Skull Barspoon (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2Py65BHJulep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4CozMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5Fine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlCuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFf
Scorpion Bowl - How to Make the Famous 1941 Tiki Punch (Smugglers Cove Version) Distinguished Spirits 2018-12-14 | Here’s how to make the Scorpion Bowl, the classic tiki drink. This party-sized cocktail made with Gold Rum, London Dry Gin, Cognac-style Brandy, Orgeat, Simple Syrup, Lime Juice, Orange Juice, with an Orchid, Mint and an Orange Wheel for garnish. It has evolved from Trader Vic’s original 1940’s recipe, but has remained one of the most popular Tiki creations.It was certainly in Vic’s top three in terms of popularity, along with the Mai Tai and the Fog Cutter. It was sweetened with one of his favorite exotic ingredients, orgeat, which appeared in his top three drinks as well as the likes of the Trader Vic Punch, Tiki Bowl, Kava Bowl and the Eastern, London and Munich Sours. The Scorpion Bowl appeared on Vic’s menus as early as 1941, along with a drink called “My Kava Bowl”, but the punch has roots in both American and Polynesian drinking traditions that stretch back centuries.According to David Wondrich, in what is now the US, from about 1670-1850, punch reigned supreme, but by the time of Jerry Thomas, Harry Johnson and the Gilded Age, the cocktail had knocked punch off its throne, and by the time Prohibition rolled around, it was dead in the gutter. Vic, who opened a bar in Oakland right at the end of Prohibition, was already playing around with punches in the early 1940’s and in his 1946 book, he talked about wanting to raise punch from the dead and ward off the bad gris gris of punch’s reputation for behind served to stuffy crowds of people afflicted with Long Island lockjaw.To help break away from it’s crusty reputation, Vic drew inspiration from the ritual communal drink, prevalent throughout Polynesia, of Kava. Kava is a plant that was central to Polynesian parties, ceremonies and entertaining visiting dignitaries from other tribes.Vic took the communal aspect of the Kava Bowl ceremony, as a celebratory gathering point, and attempted to reenact that atmosphere in his restaurants by creating shared drinks (don’t call them punches). However, instead of everyone ladling from the bowl into their own cups, Vic had them use straws to all sip from the same bowl, which made for a more intimate, yet playful atmosphere.Most modern Scorpion Bowls will be garnished with fire. Vic would garnish his with gardenias and that’s a good way to go, but I like creating a bouquet of an orchid in the bed of mint. The orchid, ever since its introduction by Harry Yee in the 50’s has become the universal tiki drink signifier. The mint harkens back to the original recipe that had mint leaves in the punch. The orange wheel acts as an anchor to hold it all together as you drink your way to the bottom of the punch.Keep in mind, that unlike some modern tiki punches, this one is on the boozy-side. You can definitely taste the gin. In that sense, it feels like it could have been unearthed by David Wondrich from a 19th century handwritten recipe. And while it’s not as wild as something you’d get at Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago, it’s classic and you’ll know why as soon as you taste it. Okole Maluna! Recipe:4 oz (120 ml) Gold Cuban Rum4 oz (120 ml) London Dry Gin2 oz (60 ml) Brandy2 oz (60 ml) Orgeat1.5 oz (45 ml) Simple Syrup2 oz (60 ml) Lime Juice4 oz (120 ml) Orange Juicegarnish Orange Wheel, Orchid, Mint (optional)Stir with ice. Pour into tiki bowl filled with 3 Cups (720 ml) of ice. Add straws and garnish. (Optionally, to simplify the recipe, abandon the Simple Syrup and use 3.5 oz/100 ml of Orgeat for the sweetener.)Music:Bateria Brasileira 3 by Martin Gauffinvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Panamá-Pacific Rumhttp://bit.ly/2fUSSDrSipsmith Ginhttp://bit.ly/2rHSRZHCopper & Kings Brandyhttp://bit.ly/2qD25E3L’Orgeathttp://bit.ly/2JapjLSOrchidamzn.to/2Gl6urCDrummer Bowl from Trader Sam’shttp://bit.ly/2PEsdugImbibe! by David Wondrichhttp://amzn.to/2F4QQf9Punch by David Wondrichamzn.to/2LfT5QlSmuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Catehttp://amzn.to/2pEXt0mPotions of the Caribbean by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryamzn.to/2QZacZxBar Tools:Volcano Bowl from RetroPlanetamzn.to/2EeRQjbCopper Punch Bowlamzn.to/2LfOsGbJapanese Style Jigger (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2lLRN41Beachbum Berry Skull Barspoon (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2Py65BHKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwBamboo Strawsamzn.to/2tvPlCCFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Cuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXz#ScorpionBowl #TraderVics #SmugglersCove
Tia Mia - How to Make the Smoky Mezcal Tiki Drink Inspired by the Mai Tai Distinguished Spirits 2018-10-24 | Here’s how to make the Tia Mia, a Mexican / Tiki cocktail that’s basically a Mezcal Mai Tai made with Jamaican Rum, smoky Mezcal, Orgeat, Curaçao and Lime Juice, with a lime wheel, mint and a flower (orchid) for garnish. I like to serve it in a jarrito with a Día de los Muertos cocktail pick.This drink was created by Ivy Mix, a NY-area bartender, the co-creator of Speed Rack and co-owner of Leyenda in Brooklyn. In the mid-2000’s, Ivy, a real Mezcal fanatic, used to embellish her Mai Tai’s with a little Mezcal float. By 2010, she fully committed to an agave-based Mai Tai. She started with the widely accepted Trader Vic’s Mai Tai (second adjusted formula) of Jamaican Rum, Martinique Rhum, Curaçao, Lime, Orgeat and Rich Simple Syrup, the swapped Martinique for Mezcal, ditched the Rich Simple and boosted the Orgeat to make up the difference.She gave it a signature garnish and christened it, the Tia Mia. It became the first drink she got on one of Julie Reiner’s menus. Reiner was a protégé of Dale Degroff and the founder or co-founder of several amazing NY bars like the Pegu Club and the Clover Club. In 2010, Reiner opened her Polynesian bar, Lani Kai and the Tia Mia earned a spot on the menu. Unfortunately, like a couple other Tiki-revival bars in NY at that time, like Hurricane Club and Painkiller (aka PKNY), Lani Kai closed down around 2012. They were perhaps just ahead of the curve on the world’s appetite for the Tiki revival. In any case, when Ivy and Reiner opened their pan-Latin themed, Brooklyn-based bar, Leyenda, the Tia Mia found a permanent home on their menu.The name of the drink, Tia Mia (Spanish for “my aunt”) is an anagram for Mai Tai, as well as a tribute to one of Ivy’s regular guests, whom she affectionately refers to as “tia.”Ivy’s likes to make the drink specifically with Appleton Rum, Del Maguey Vida (or Chichicapa) Mezcal, Pierre Ferrand Curaçao, Orgeatworks Orgeat (Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 house formula). The preferred garnish is a lime wheel, mint sprigs and a fresh (edible) flower. For the flower, Ivy likes to go with a purple dendrobium orchid. That’s works really well for this drink and helps to give off those lovely Tiki vibes.The mezcal really works best with a smoky version. The curaçao should be on the drier side. The orgeat should be the non-cloudy, not too marzipan-y kind. The homemade orgeat from The 12 Bottle Bar (youtu.be/kDKTwW0JVjY) works wonders in this one, but Orgeatworks and L’Orgeat make for good store-bought alternatives.This drink uses the Mai Tai as the jumping off point, but it’s not a replacement, it’s a different drink and it’s best to keep that in mind. It’s familiar in some ways, but completely takes on a life of its own. It’s funky, fruity, citrusy, sour, sweet, smoky, earthy and nutty. It’s an amazing drink. If you’ve got the ingredients to make a Mai Tai, you’ll only need some mezcal to make this one, which you should keep on hand, just out of general principles. Cheers!Recipe:1 oz (30ml) Jamaican Rum1 oz (30ml) Mezcal (smoky)0.5 oz (15ml) Orgeat0.5 oz (15ml) Curaçao0.75 oz (20 ml) Lime Juicegarnish lime wheel, orchid & mintWhip (shake with a little crushed ice). Pour unstrained over ice in a jarrito or double old-fashioned glass. Add garnish and straw.Music:Quentino 3 by Stefan Netsmanvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Hamilton Jamaican Blondehttp://bit.ly/2JazbFyMezcal Unión Unohttp://bit.ly/2PPKAx1Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçaohttp://bit.ly/2ox8eE1L’Orgeathttp://bit.ly/2JapjLSBar Tools:Jarritoamzn.to/2NXCcd9Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Skull Cocktail Picksamzn.to/2CYgWCTJapanese Style Jigger (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2lLRN41Hawthorne Strainer (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2PHo89PKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwBamboo Strawamzn.to/2tvPlCCCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Cutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXzLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
M-One - A 007 Tiki Drink Made with Scotch Whisky & Tangerine Juice Distinguished Spirits 2018-09-25 | Here’s how to make the M-One, the tiki cocktail from the 60’s made for a James Bond themed bar in London with Scotch, Orange Liqueur, Tangerine Juice, Aromatic Bitters and a Dried Pineapple and Mint Sprig for garnish. It’s a tikified Sidecar for a secret agent or a spying bastard.In the books, Bond never drank rum or sours and he looked down his nose at those who did, so he and tiki would not get along. Besides he had adventure and affairs in exotic lands in his day-to-day life, he didn’t need to drink out of a pineapple to imagine it. But he was a big fan of whisk(e)y in the books, so that part of this drink would at least be up his alley.In the 50’s and 60’s, Bond and Tiki were pop culture contemporaries and shared some similar qualities on the surface, but beyond that, they couldn’t be more different. While Bond wasn’t always dressed in a tuxedo, his mindset certainly was. His imperviousness to cultures and people he met came through in his remote, judgmental, superior attitude. Tiki culture is about letting go of yourself, putting on a loose fitting, short sleeved shirt with a loud pattern on it, embracing the unknown or little known, sharing a space and possibly bowls with fellow travelers, and appreciating the contextless artifacts of other cultures.This drink, the M-One, was of course rediscovered by Beachbum Berry from the private notebook of the once legendary bartender, Joe Scialom, the man most famous for creating the tiki classic, the Suffering Bastard and its siblings the Dying Bastard and Dead Bastard. Berry writes extensively about the life and times of Scialom in his book, Potions of the Caribbean. Definitely a fascinating tale.Scialom, after being jailed in his native Egypt for being suspected of being a spy, he was exiled from Egypt. He started working for Conrad Hilton, who was aggressively expanding his hotel empire and needed the best of everything, including the bar. Scialom was put in charge of the three bars at the Habana Hilton, but only months after it opened, Castro conquered Havana and Scialom had to flee his second revolution in two years.Scialom bounced around setting up bars in Hiltons for several years until in 1964, at the London Hilton, he had to design a bar called a James Bond themed bar that was opened around the release of the film, Goldfinger, called the 007 Room, which is where this drink comes from.The name is a bit of a head scratcher. There doesn’t seem to be any obvious connections between it and Bond. But in terms of making the drink, Berry recommends using a Scotch with a little smoke to it and I concur. I also make it with 1/4 oz more Scotch than the Scialom recipe calls for.The citrus in this one pretty uncommon in cocktails, but it really, really, makes this drink. Tangerine is bright, sweet, tart and mildly acidic. It’s hard to substitute and once you’ve had it in a Scotch drink, you’ll realize they were meant for each other. You’ll want to sub tangerine juice into your next Blood & Sand and you’ll wonder how the drink was ever made with OJ. The real secret is to juice it fresh, after a couple of days the juice gives the drink a harsh and bitter quality that spoils the drink.It’s surprising how well this drink bridges the divide between the land of 007 and the land of tiki, but it does and it somehow works. However, I contend that in homage to Scialom’s most famous drink, this one should’ve called, the Spying Bastard. Cheers!Recipe:1.5 oz (45ml) Scotch (lightly peated)0.75 oz (20 ml) Orange Liqueur2 oz (60ml) Tangerine Juice1 dash Aromatic Bittersgarnish dried pineapple, mint (optional)Shake with ice cubes. Strain over ice into a double old-fashioned glass. Add garnish and straw.Music:Retro Adventures 2 by Jonatan Järpehagvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Great King Street Glasgow Blend (@Compass Box Whisky Co.)http://bit.ly/2t5a0icCombier Orange Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2gHhqnpAngostura Bittershttp://amzn.to/2jHG5G7Potions of the Caribbean by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryamzn.to/2QZacZxHouse of Hilton by Jerry Oppenheimer (amzn.to/2XC63N3)Bond books by Ian Fleming:Dr. No (amzn.to/2xAO531)Live & Let Die (amzn.to/2XCf8dv)Octopussy and The Living Daylights (amzn.to/2xGwwhQ)You Only Live Twice (amzn.to/2xF0enr)Casino Royale (amzn.to/2JqG9ry)Bar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Cocktail Pickamzn.to/2DsKY2GJapanese Style Jigger (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2lLRN41Hawthorne Strainer- Gunmetal Blackamzn.to/2PHo89PUsagi Cobbler Shakeramzn.to/2JNC27hBamboo Strawamzn.to/2tvPlCCCitrus Juicer (Lemon)http://amzn.to/2m2NC2VCuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifeamzn.to/2xD8XXz
Gin Basil Smash - How to Make the Modern Classic and the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2018-08-29 | Gin Basil Smash is a modern reimagining of the classic cocktail category, the Smash. It's made with Gin, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup and Basil…lots of Basil. This modern classic was created in 2008 by Jörg Meyer, a bartender and co-owner of Le Lion in Hamburg, Germany.The drink appeared on Le Lion’s menu the same year that the bar won Best New Bar at the Spirited Awards (part of Tales of the Cocktail). The drink is well known in several countries throughout Europe, as well as Hong Kong, and China (Shanghai), but it didn’t gain the same traction in the US.It was based on a category of drinks that was popular in the US throughout the 1800’s, known as the Smash. A Smash was a template for 19th century bartenders to plug a spirit into. Brandy, whiskey and gin (Dutch Gin, Genever) were the popular spirits to use in a Smash. The drink was a spirit, muddled mint, sugar and ice stirred in a mixing glass, then strain into another glass and garnished with fruit—sometimes berries, but usually citrus.This category was very similar to the Julep, and it’s heyday was the 1850’s. However, by the 1990’s, it—along with most of the rest of our collective knowledge of cocktails—was all but forgotten. Near the dawn of the new millennium, Dale Degroff, New York bartender and godfather to many a great mixologist, started some low rumblings in the cocktail world. He was using fresh juices and house-made syrups at a time where if it didn’t come out of a soda gun, most people didn’t understand it.Degroff made a twist on the 19th century Whiskey Smash using muddled lemon juice. This made his version a sort of hybrid between a Whiskey Sour and a Mint Julep. Meyer, who had been fascinated with all of the developments in the cocktail world that were coming out of New York at the time, visited some bars, including The Pegu Club, where he encountered Degroff’s Whiskey Smash.When Meyer got back to Hamburg, he was putting together a summer menu and used Degroff’s Smash as a jumping off point. He reworked the Whiskey Smash into the Gin Basil Smash and it was an instant hit. If you want to read more about this drink, I’d recommend checking out Robert Simonson’s book, A Proper Drink. He really digs into the history of this and other recent cocktail classics.The drink is exciting, not only for the balanced flavor, but also the bright green color. Just as part of the appeal of the Negroni is its color, so is this drink, only the Gin Basil Smash is a lot more approachable.Feel free to use your favorite gin in this drink. It will certainly have an impact on the flavor, but any way you slice it, you’ll end up with a great drink. The real key to this drink is using a lot of basil. It may seem like you’re going over board at first, but you really want to load up the shaker to the point that it seems to be overflowing with basil. Then give it a good muddle, don’t crush it into pulp, but also don’t be shy about getting in there. Using a heap of basil is where the big basil flavor and bright green color come from. This drink is particularly good on a hot day, but then again, it’s good in any weather. Prost!Recipe:2 oz (60 ml) Gin1 oz (30 ml) Lemon Juice 0.75 oz (20ml) Simple Syrup Fistful of Basil Leaves, plus more for garnishMuddle the basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add liquid ingredients. Shake with ice. Double strain over ice in an Old-Fashioned glass. Garnish with basil leaves.Music:Smoke and Mirrors (Instrumental Version) - Martin Carlbergvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Monkey 47 Ginhttp://bit.ly/2MCUYuCSimple Syrupyoutu.be/62YNp0jgzvURead more about the history of this drink here:A Proper Drink by Robert Simonsonamzn.to/2woIEEaImbibe! by David Wondrichhttp://amzn.to/2F4QQf9Bar Tools:Godinger Dublin Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/1FT6LJUJapanese Style Jigger - Gunmetal Blackamzn.to/2MWNFgCKoriko Weighted Shaker Setamzn.to/2wv8jdwHawthorne Strainer- Gunmetal Blackamzn.to/2PHo89PMuddleramzn.to/2NuCs3SFine Mesh Straineramzn.to/2BWZKhlCitrus Juicer (Lemon)http://amzn.to/2m2NC2VCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQoc
Shrunken Skull - How to Make an Easy Tiki Drink and the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2018-07-02 | How to make the Shrunken Skull, the mid-century tiki cocktail made with Demerara Rum, Dark Cuban-Style Rum, Lime Juice, Grenadine and, optionally, a lime husk and pomegranate seeds for garnish and served in a skull Tiki mug. It is like an exotic Daiquiri, but is more closely related to Don the Beachcomber’s Skull & Bones.As far as Tiki drinks are concerned, this one is just about as simple as it gets: four common ingredients in equal parts, cubed ice (not crushed) and garnish optional. And it’s good. Really good. It’s basically a 2:1:1 grenadine Daiquiri (aka Bacardi Cocktail youtu.be/EoDU_wrQQWk) on the rocks. Tiki began with Donn Beach (born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt) in the 1930’s in Hollywood at his bar, Don the Beachcomber. Donn served an array of original rum drinks, which were essentially all riffs on Jamaican Punches and Cuban Daiquiris, only made with multiple rums and exotic syrups (grenadine, Falernum, pimento dram, passion fruit, etc.) instead of sugar.Donn created drinks like the Missionary’s Downfall (youtu.be/yysxb_RmPAk) which was cross between the Hotel Nacional and a frozen Daiquiri, with a touch of Mojito. It’s a really great drink and one that works with everyone’s palette. However, you’re going to have a hard time convincing your average, Depression-era male that this drink fits in with his fragile conception of his masculinity.So to counteract this insecurity, Donn took the same, sweet and sour, exotic rum drink templates and changed their branding. He created a line of drinks with names like Skull & Bones, Cobra’s Fang, Test Pilot, Zombie, Navy Grog, Shark’s Tooth, etc. that played better in the male comfort zone. Then to poke the ego with a stick, he offered up a challenge on some drinks of a 2 (or sometimes 3) per person limit, making it seem dangerous to go over that number. The strategy worked and lured in the hard drinkers. It gave them the permission to enjoy the drinks. This tradition was carried on by nearly all of the Tiki bars that came after.Mariano Licudine was a bartender at Don the Beachcomber for 17 years. He started in southern California, but ended up spending most of is tenure at the Chicago location. He was then poached by developers in Florida to open up and run the bar program at Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale. Licudine’s Mai Kai menu, like a lot of other Tiki bars that integrated drinks from Don the Beachcomber on their menus, changed the name of several Beachcomber classics. Dr. Funk became Dr. Fong, the Pearl Diver became the Deep Sea Diver, the QB Cooler became the KO Cooler, and the Skull & Bones seems to have morphed into the Shrunken Skull. Presumably, just like the names, the recipes on Licudine’s menu were modified slightly as well.This recipe may be slightly different than what Mai Kai served in the 1950’s, as on their menu, the drink was pictured with an extra shot of rum. Perhaps that was there to make up for the difference in strength between the Skull & Bones (which used 151 Demerara Rum) and the Shrunken Skull (which used 80-90 proof Demerara).In Polynesia, they ceremonial preserved heads were called mokomokai. The heads would still bare the traditional, carved facial tattoos known as moko. This traditional Polynesian art was the inspiration for the carvings on this Shrunken Skull tiki mug. This mug is made by Shima Ceramics, a ceramist and bartender from The Bay Area who likes to make unique and usually non-traditional Tiki mugs and bowls (link to his site below). Check it out. You’re going to love his stuff! Okole Maluna!Recipe:1 oz (30ml) Dark Cuban-style Rum1 oz (30ml) Demerara Rum1 oz (30ml) Grenadine1 oz (30ml) Lime Juicegarnish Lime Husk, Pomegranate Seeds (optional)Shake with ice cubes. Pour unstrained into a skull mug (or double old-fashioned glass). Add garnish and straw.Music:Twist of Mentality by Kikoru(formerly titled: Twisted Mentality 1 by Magnus Ringblom)via Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Panamá-Pacific Rum 9-Yearhttp://bit.ly/2fUSSDrHamilton Demerara (Guyana) Rum 86 Proofhttp://bit.ly/2vtEXeaShrunken Skull Tiki Mug (Lime Green) by Shima Ceramicshttp://bit.ly/2tOOSLgBeachbum Berry Remixed by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryamzn.to/2IMrvYsBeachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari 10th Anniversary Edition by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://bit.ly/2H1zhgJBar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Cocktail Pickamzn.to/2yPImd3Japanese Style Jigger (Gunmetal Black)amzn.to/2lLRN41Usagi Cobbler Shakeramzn.to/2JNC27hBamboo Strawamzn.to/2tvPlCCCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Cutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQoc
Remember the Alimony - a Modern Gin, Cynar & Sherry Remix of the Negroni (Low-ABV Cocktail) Distinguished Spirits 2018-06-04 | Remember the Alimony is a modern reimagining of the classic cocktail, the Negroni. It's made with Fino Sherry, Cynar, Gin and a Orange Twist for garnish. This low-ABV cocktail was created in 2012 by Dan Greenbaum, a sherry expert and New York-area bartender.The drink appeared on the menu for The Beagle, a bar Greenbaum co-owned. It was one of several divorce-themed drinks on the menu, such as, Second Marriage and Haitian Divorce. The drink’s name was a pun and sort of a cockney rhyming slang for Negroni. "I'll have a Remember...Remember the Alimony...Negroni."This drink retooled a Negroni for sherry, so the sweet vermouth was swapped out for sherry and the Campari was swapped out for Cynar. The gin remained, but in order to get it to work, Greenbaum had to play around with the measurements. He lowered the gin and beefed up both the sherry and cynar.The drink is designed to be made with Fino Sherry, in particular. Other dry Sherries will work, but Fino will produce the best results.There are two versions of Cynar, the 33-proof original with the red label and the 70-proof version in the black label. This drink is designed with the original Cynar in mind.Greenbaum recommends using a London Dry Gin, in particular, Beefeater. I definitely like it that way, but the drink is especially interesting with a new wave gin like Copper & Kings (made from apples) or Astral Pacific (made from clementines). The fruitiness of the base gives the drink that extra bit of character that I really love.I came across this drink in Robert Simonson’s book, 3-Ingredient Cocktails and I saw it on the menu at Raines Law Room in NYC. Now, it’s become one of my off-menu go-to’s when I’m at a bar with a good cocktail program and it’s slow enough to order an off-menu drink. It had the added bonus of being a drink that the bartender gets excited about as well, which is never a bad thing.It was not intentionally designed as a low-ABV drink, it just worked out that way. It’s a great drink to warm up your engine and, of course, it’s a wonderful alternative option for Negroni Week…or Shark Week or any other week. Cheers!Recipe:1.25 oz (37ml) Fino Sherry1.25 oz (37ml) Cynar0.75 oz (22ml) Gingarnish Orange TwistStir with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over large hunk of ice. Garnish with orange twist.Music:In and Out of Love (Tigerblood Jewel Remix) (Instrumental Version) by Martin Hallvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Copper & Kings Ginhttp://bit.ly/2xEo2uJCynarhttp://bit.ly/2pHKeeHFino Sherryhttp://bit.ly/2qBb3UMSession Cocktails by Drew Lazoramzn.to/2HiMfGa3-Ingredient Cocktails by Robert Simonsonamzn.to/2JtpgNVBar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Leopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvMixing Glassamzn.to/2JoY8QdJulep Straineramzn.to/2xCMQmwBarspoonamzn.to/2Lf34UQVegetable Peeleramzn.to/2Hip7HZ
Singapore Sling - How 2 Make the Classic Tiki Drink & the History Behind It (Smugglers Cove recipe) Distinguished Spirits 2018-05-24 | How to make the Singapore Sling, the classic cocktail made with Gin, Cherry Liqueur, Benedictine, Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice, Soda Water, Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters and, optionally, a lemon wheel, mint and a Maraschino Cherry for garnish. This drink was adopted as a Tiki standard and my favorite recipe comes from the handbook for the recently tikified, Smuggler’s Cove.The most popular rumor about this drink was that it was created in 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. This creation was also supposed to be made with pineapple juice. However, most of this story was embellished or outright invented by the Raffles Hotel manager from the 1970’s. The only part of the story that was confirmable was that Ngiam worked at Raffles around the turn-of-the-century.The real story of this drink traces back to the 19th century. A Sling is a drink category that, according to David Wondrich began an American creation, but in English hands became more of a punch, which by the mid-to-late 1800’s became the standard definition of a Sling. And a sling English bartenders loved to experiment with throughout the British Empire was the Gin Sling.In Singapore (part of the Straits Settlement at the time), what would later become known at the Straits Sling or—more commonly—the Singapore Sling, was originally just referred to as the Gin Sling. Accounts of Singapore’s Gin Sling started popping up in newspaper accounts in 1897, but it was clear that they had firmly been established as part of the drinking scene by that time.The recipe appeared in print in 1913, 1922 and then in several books throughout the 1930’s. The recipes from the 30’s were all in the same ballpark measurement and ingredient-wise. This was the recipe that Donn Beach put on his menu when he established the first tiki bar, Don the Beachcomber. He had discovered the drink on his travels through the pacific in the mid-1920’s.Even though the drink pre-dates Tiki, it was definitely a staple of a lot of tiki menus. But it makes sense because it was built in the style of a punch, much like a lot of Donn’s original drinks were and just like Donn’s drinks, this one was composed of some exciting and exotic flavors.I R&D’ed this drink pretty extensively. I made half a dozen Singapore Slings from various recipes and compared them side-by-side, including one of the pineapple juice recipes. The hands-down winner was the Smuggler’s Cove recipe, which did not stray too far from the 1930’s recipes. It just added some simple syrup (or in their case rich simple syrup, but 1:1 syrup was perfect for me) to help round off some of the more tart edges of the citrus and it works like a charm.As for the garnish, it’s really up to you. I used a lemon wheel, cherry and mint, but play around with it and figure out what works best for you. It’s not like Three Dots & a Dash (youtu.be/A0Jbo2w9EpQ) or the Navy Grog (youtu.be/GBfkSqJtpSQ), where the garnish is central to the presentation, but it’s definitely something to play around with to make the drink more exotic. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1.5 oz (45ml) Gin0.5 oz (15ml) Cherry Liqueur0.25 oz (7ml) Benedictine0.25 oz (7ml) Simple Syrup0.75 oz (22ml) Lemon Juice 1 dash Aromatic Bitters1 dash Orange Bitters2 oz Soda Watergarnish Lemon Wheel, Mint, Maraschino Cherry (optional)Add ice and soda to the Collins glass. Shake the rest of the ingredients with ice cubes. Strain into the glass. Add garnishes and straw.Music:Asian Celebration 1 & 3 by Bo Järpehagvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Ford’s Ginhttp://bit.ly/2Arn7ePCombier Rouge Cherry Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2rbzzKnBenedictinehttp://bit.ly/2fKXw7wRegan’s Orange Bittershttp://amzn.to/2vsf2E0Angostura Bittersamzn.to/2khaRWWSoda Siphonamzn.to/2GCDoPjMaraschino Cherriesamzn.to/2s33jKTBeachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2xYZSa4Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari 10th Anniversary Edition by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://bit.ly/2H1zhgJImbibe! by David Wondrichhttp://amzn.to/2F4QQf9Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haighhttp://amzn.to/2F5ne0TSmuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Catehttp://amzn.to/2pEXt0mBar Tools:Schott Zwiesel Collins Glasseshttp://amzn.to/2q3GUyDCocktail Pick (Pineapple)amzn.to/2LmIWkDLeopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvUsagi Cobbler Shakeramzn.to/2JNC27hBamboo Strawamzn.to/2IBZgfGCitrus Juicer (Lemon)http://amzn.to/2m2NC2VCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQoc#SingaporeSling #Tiki #SmugglersCove
Chief Lapu Lapu - How to Make the Tiki Drink inspired by a Filipino Hero & the Sidewinders Fang Distinguished Spirits 2018-04-17 | Here's how to make the mid-century Tiki cocktail built to serve two, the Chief Lapu Lapu, which is made with Light Cuban Rum, Dark Jamaican Rum, Passion Fruit Syrup, Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice, Orange Juice and, optionally, Cinnamon Sticks for garnish. It’s similar to the tiki classics, the Cobra’s Fang and the Sidewinder’s Fang. This was more or less the touchstone version from the Golden Age of Tiki, the 1950’s.Tiki was created by Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt (aka Donn Beach) and he set the tone for Tiki culture. The exotic drinks on the menu at Don the Beachcomber were mostly Donn’s original creations and he worked hard to kept the recipes closely guarded secrets, particularly since his drinks were such a key component of his bar’s popularity.Donn staffed a tight knit crew of Filipino bartenders. So, when competitors were opening their tiki bars and wanted to get ahold of Donn’s famous drinks, they would poach his staff. When they got hired at rival bars, Donn’s ex-bartenders would bring their expertise and Donn’s recipes with them.It’s not clear who invented this drink, but it started popping up in various forms in the 1950’s. The drink made the rounds and most likely came from a Don the Beachcomber alum who knew his way around an exotic drink and was familiar with the legend of Chief Lapu Lapu. In the 1500’s, on his famous trip around the world, the explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, ran into Lapu Lapu, who refused to bend the knee to the Spanish and in the ensuing fight, Magellan and several of his crew were killed. Lapu Lapu became legendary.By the 20th century, the Philippines had been under colonial rule for nearly 400 years and there was a long standing Filipino tradition of fighting back against imperial masters. Lapu Lapu served as an inspiration. So it’s fitting that a drink made in an industry with a lot of Filipino influence would be named after a Filipino hero.Beachbum Berry talks about several versions of Lapu Lapu’s in his book, Beachbum Berry's Remixed. However, this version was the most common in the heyday of Tiki. It has a fairly simple build, as far as tiki drinks go. The ingredients are fairly common and the measurements are all pretty standard (as opposed to six drops of this or a quarter teaspoon of that). The drink is built to serve two and is an extremely easy sipper.The dry, Light Cuban-style Rum and the funky, Dark Jamaican Rum make for a great, complex balance of complimentary flavors, but if you don’t have both rums on hand, a good, funky blend will also work.The garnish Beachbum Berry recommends is a big strip of lemon peel. He also suggests to serve it in a brandy snifter, perhaps because the build of the drink is reminiscent of a Cobra’s Fang or, even closer, a Sidewinder’s Fang. One of the Fangs probably served as an inspiration.However, I like to garnish this one with cinnamon sticks, as a reminder of the spices Magellan died looking for and I like to serve it in a tiki mug with enough room for this larger than average-sized drink. This mug comes from Pie Eye Tikis, a husband and wife team of ceramicists and tiki culture junkies from central Florida. They make everything from traditional tikis to bowls to non-traditional or spins on traditional tiki mug archetypes (link to their site below). Check them out. You’re going to love their stuff. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1.5 oz (45ml) Light Rum1.5 oz (45ml) Dark Jamaican Rum1 oz (30ml) Passion Fruit Syrup1 oz (30ml) Simple Syrup2 oz (60ml) Lemon Juice 3 oz (90ml) Orange Juicegarnish Cinnamon Sticks (optional)Shake with 12 oz (350ml) of crushed ice and 3-4 ice cubes. Pour unstrained into Tiki Mug or Snifter Glass. Garnish with Cinnamon Sticks. Serve with straw and stir stick. (Serves two).Music:Eleganza 1 by Martin Landhvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Caña Brava 3 Year Rumhttp://bit.ly/2rHr8tQHamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rumhttp://bit.ly/2nEaBl0Passion Fruit Syrupamzn.to/2qABaKAMarquesan Mug by Pie Eyed Tikisetsy.me/2qxPhkGThe Voyage Stainless Steel Swizzle by VanTikihttp://bit.ly/2uU45wrBeachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2xYZSa4Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari 10th Anniversary Edition by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://bit.ly/2H1zhgJBar Tools:Snifter Glassamzn.to/2HCcqJXLeopold Jiggeramzn.to/2EOniBvUsagi Cobbler Shakeramzn.to/2JNC27hCitrus Juicer (Orange)http://amzn.to/2sgBZYQCitrus Juicer (Lemon)http://amzn.to/2m2NC2VLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Clover Club - How to Make the Pre-Prohibition Gin Drink & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2018-03-02 | How to make the Clover Club, a classic cocktail made with Gin, Lemon Juice, Raspberry Syrup and an Egg White, with a Lemon Twist but not for garnish. It’s an exotic gin sour. It has a creamy mouthfeel and full bouquet of complex flavors. It’s in the neighborhood of a White Lady, only with raspberry syrup instead of orange liqueur.In the 1870’s America entered the Gilded Age. This time was marked by a new class of ultra-wealthy swindlers and con men that became known as the Robber Barons. The era was named after the 1873 Mark Twain book, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.In this period of gild and graft, a small social club was formed in Philadelphia. In January 1880, a group of 15 people, mostly newspaper men, met for an informal dinner. This turned into a monthly event held of Thursdays and they called themselves the Thursday Club. That lasted for about 2 years before breaking up. However, a few members formed another social club that was soon named the Clover Club.The club bounced between a couple different locations before adopting a more permanent home in the Hotel Bellevue, where they met for nearly 20 years before moving into the bigger, better, more extravagant, Bellevue-Stratford.Both Bellevue hotels were owned and operated by George C. Boldt, a hotelier who catered his brand of hospitality almost exclusively to the era’s tycoon-class. This attention to the needs of the ultra-wealthy, landed him the gig of being president of the Waldorf-Astoria, an ultra-luxurious pair of hotels in New York that were different buildings (that were eventually connected via a hallway) built on the same square block, each of which were owned by an Astor. William Waldorf Astor and John Jacob Astor IV, were not on good terms. Boldt became a sort of mediator for their rivalry and in the process helped turn the Waldorf-Astoria into a world-renowned destination.Boldt was a champion for the Clover Club. They loved him and the feeling was mutual. The Cloverites, as they were known, were not exactly in the same league as the Robber Barons, but they weren’t doing too badly for themselves. They were newspaper men, lawyers, judges, senators, presidents, cartoonists and satirists. Their guests and honorary members included the sitting president, Grover Cleveland and the man who helped name the era, Mark Twain.The Clover Club dissolved right around World War I. But the drink bearing it’s name was carried on. Exactly when the drink was invented and by whom is not really known, but it showed up in print as early as 1901. Michael J. Killackey, the head bartender at the Waldorf-Astoria, shared the recipe with the New York Press. The recipe was undoubtedly given to Killackey by Boldt.The drink was originally composed of gin, lemon juice, granulated sugar, raspberry syrup and an egg white. It was made popular by the Waldorf-Astoria and remained popular through Prohibition. It also appeared on the influential menus at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris and at the Savoy in London. It’s popularity waned after Prohibition, but like a lot of vintage drinks, it found a new audience after being explored in David Wondrich’s seminal cocktail book, Imbibe.The recipe I like the best comes from The 12 Bottle Bar by Lesley and David Solmonson. Their version is slightly simplified from the original. It axes the sugar, but makes up for the missing sweetness by increasing the measurement of raspberry syrup.I like to hit it with a lemon twist. The lemon oils will help eliminate any of that wet dog smell that some egg whites give off. But unlike most drinks, I toss the lemon peel and don’t garnish the drink with it. The foamy head of this drink is perfect just the way it is. Cheers!Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) Gin0.75 oz (22 ml) Lemon Juice0.25 oz (7 ml) Raspberry SyrupEgg WhiteLemon Twist (discard)Dry shake (without ice) all ingredients. Add ice, then shake again. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Squeeze a lemon peel over the top of the drink. Discard the peel.Music:Good Ol Days 2 by Martin Landhvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!patreon.com/DistinguishedSpiritsfacebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Ford’s Ginhttp://bit.ly/2Arn7ePRaspberry Syrupyoutu.be/fdtctmdqgA4Imbibe! by David Wondrichhttp://amzn.to/2F4QQf9The 12 Bottle Bar by David & Lesley Solmonsonhttp://amzn.to/2npmUFTVintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haighhttp://amzn.to/2F5ne0TBar Tools:Couple Glass (Different Glass)http://amzn.to/2F4MWGQOXO SteeL Double Jiggerhttp://amzn.to/2FHsGbxChef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer (Lemon)http://amzn.to/2GS3DBVFine Mesh Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2F06ITWOXO SteeL Cocktail Shakerhttp://amzn.to/1pJgEF0Cutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQocNorpro Vegetable Peelerhttp://amzn.to/1pgeHzH
Suffering Bastard - How to Make the Classic Tiki Drink & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2017-12-04 | How to make the Suffering Bastard, the Egyptian Tiki cocktail made with Gin, Brandy, Lime Cordial, Aromatic Bitters, Ginger Beer, with a Mint Sprig and an Orange Wheel for garnish. It’s in the class of drinks along side the Moscow Mule, Mamie Taylor and Dark ’N Stormy. It’s the Horse’s Neck meets the Gimlet. And, as unlikely as it seems, it became a mid-century Tiki standard.The Bastard was born far from the faux Polynesian world of California Tiki culture and it certainly did not follow the Don the Beachcomber (Planter’s Punch) exotic drink template. It was born in 1942 in British-controlled Cairo at the Long Bar in the Shepheard's Hotel. The drink was created by Joe Scialom, an Egyptian native, who at one time, was one of the most famous bar keepers in the world.He created the drink as a Corpse Reviver or a hair-of-the-dog drink, one meant to cure your hangover. In 1942, nearly all of North Africa was being effected by World War II. Supply-lines were cut. Scialom was forced to work with less than great spirits. But for this drink, he managed to beg, borrow and steal quality versions of each ingredient. Most importantly, the lime cordial was homemade and the ginger beer was really spicy. In the mid-1950’s the British lost control of Egypt. During the upheaval, Scialom was thrown in prison under suspicion of being a spy. When he was let out a month later, he grabbed his family and fled the country. However, Conrad Hilton, who had been charged with helping make Puerto Rico a tourist destination, was building a new hotel in Puerto Rico and he needed the best bartender in the world to head up the exotic bar in the hotel. Hilton hired Scialom and they remained partners for decades. Scialom opened bars and trained staff for Hilton in dozens of cities throughout the world. Everywhere he went, the Suffering Bastard followed and it became a standard on tiki menus.The story behind this was uncovered by Tiki historian, Beachbum Berry. A large chunk of his book, Potions of the Caribbean, is devoted to Scialom. There’s a lot more about Scialom and about the history of rum and tiki and all kinds of good stuff in that book. The stories about Scialom alone make the book worth buying.For the Lime Cordial, Beachbum Berry recommends in his books that you use Rose’s Lime Juice, however, you’re going to love it a lot more with a homemade Lime Cordial and the best recipe for that comes from The 12 Bottle Bar. It’ll make the best Gimlet you’ve ever had and it’ll be hard to beat in this one too.As for the ginger beer, you really wanna hit that perfect balance of not too citrusy, not too sweet and fiery as hell. Fentiman’s is good. Fever Tree is excellent. But if the ginger beer you have on hand isn’t spicy enough, you’ll want to hit it with a little ginger syrup to help bring it up to the right level. If you have a Caribbean ginger beer that’s heavy on the citrus, maybe dial back the lime cordial a touch.This drink is really good when done right, but it was invented by a guy who trained as a chemist, so it’s balance is precise. It’s easy to throw it out of whack with too much sugar, too much citrus, not enough ginger, etc. It may take a little tweaking for you to nail it at home, but it’s worth spending a little extra time in the lab. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1 oz (30 ml) Gin1 oz (30 ml) Brandy0.5 oz (15 ml) Lime Cordial2 dashes Aromatic Bitters4 oz (120 ml) Ginger Beergarnish Mint Spriggarnish Orange WheelShake all the ingredients except the ginger beer. Strain over ice in a collins glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with Mint Sprig and Orange Wheel.Music:Trouble in Paradise by Andreas Ericsonvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Ford’s Ginhttp://bit.ly/2Arn7ePCopper & Kings Brandyhttp://bit.ly/2qD25E3Lime Cordialyoutu.be/ktmXc6gaPmkAngostura Bittershttp://amzn.to/2jHG5G7Fentimen’s Ginger Beerhttp://amzn.to/2A2IS7BThe 12 Bottle Bar by David & Lesley Solmonsonhttp://amzn.to/2npmUFTPotions of the Caribbean by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2rfjffUBar Tools:Schott Zwiesel Collins Glasseshttp://amzn.to/2q3GUyDOXO Angled Measuring Cup, Minihttp://amzn.to/2pazwfROXO SteeL Cocktail Shakerhttp://amzn.to/1pJgEF0Bamboo Paper Strawshttp://amzn.to/2sw20WGCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQoc
Barrel-Aged Redrum - an Original Rum & Campari Cocktail Inspired by The Shining Distinguished Spirits 2017-10-27 | Here’s how to make this original drink inspired by The Shining (both Stephen King’s and Stanley Kubrick’s), made with Dark Rum, Campari, Cherry Liqueur, Orange Liqueur and Lime Zest for garnish. The “fresh” version (youtu.be/EU0aJdwwmqs) was created in 2016. I’m obviously a fan of The Shining. This is the third drink I’ve featured that was inspired by The Shining: two expressions of this drink and the Jack Torrance (youtu.be/f5XNyh_Z4nY).I created this drink by working backward from the name. At the time I was pretty smitten with the Palmetto, so I knew I wanted to make a stirred, alcohol-forward rum drink. But there aren’t a whole lot of stirred rum drinks. I knew I wanted the base to be a big, fruity, full-flavored rum that was complimented with red-colored liqueurs, and I ended up working toward a cross between a Remember the Maine and a Negroni. But I also wanted to make the drink something that could be served neat.Around the time I started playing around with this drink, I had just finished a deep dive into the world of the Prohibition-era Cuban bartenders. One of their techniques was to throw a lime peel into the mixing glass or shaker. That would brighten the drink up with a hit citrus without making the drink tart or diluted via the lime juice. So, I tossed the lime zest in the mixing glass and it worked wonders.All of the ingredients, except for the lime zest, were booze, so this drink was a good candidate for a barrel-aged drink. I planned that this one should go into the barrel right after the Bobby Burns came out because the Bobby Burns uses Benedictine and the residual flavors from the Benedictine gets imparted in magical ways to the Campari drink. You don’t have to season the barrel before you age this drink, but I highly recommend aging cocktails this way. Do one that has Benedictine (Monte Carlo, Bobby Burns, Southland) right before aging one the uses Campari (Negroni, Redrum, Boulevardier).Originally this drink was made with a Navy Strength Jamaican Rum. It’s still fine that way, but more recently, I’ve been making the drink with a Navy Strength, Jamaican-heavy blend, Hamilton Navy Strength. I also dialed it down (1 oz) and made it with Plantation OFTD and I dialed it up (2 oz) and made it with Denizen Merchant’s Reserve. All work really well in this one. For the barrel-aged version, I went with Denizen and scaled it up slightly. But feel free to use your favorite dark rum.Same with the cherry liqueur. Use the one you like best. I was originally R&Ding the drink with Cherry Heering. But right around that same time, I was introduced to Combier Rouge via Tommy Klus’ drink the Scotch Lodge. Klus highly recommended Rouge and when I tried it with this one, I was hooked. It’s become my favorite cherry liqueur.The hotel on the label of the drink is not the Overlook Hotel, but the Stanley Hotel that inspired Stephen King to write the book. The story goes that King stopped there for the night on a road trip through the Rockies, this was right before they closed for the season, so he and his family had the place to themselves. One thing led to another and the engine of his imagination started running with it. With the looming mountains in the background, it makes for an ominous image. One that calls to mind what lies ahead when we check into The Overlook: Redrum. COME ON OUT AND TAKE YOUR MEDICINE!Recipe:650 ml (22 oz) Dark Rum150 ml (5 oz) Campari150 ml (5 oz) Cherry Liqueur50 ml (2 oz) Orange Liqueurstir with Lime Zest (1/4 tsp or 1 peel with no pith)Combine all ingredients except Lime Zest. Add to cured oak barrel. Age for 3-4 weeks. Taste occasionally. When ready, strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle. To make the drink, stir 3 oz (90 ml) of Barrel-Aged Redrum with Lime Zest and ice. Double strain into chilled rocks glass.Music:The Killer Lurks by Fish n ChipsScary Creepers by The Like Thesvia Jingle PunksFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in This Episode:Denizen Merchant’s Reservehttp://bit.ly/2oTPDifCamparihttp://bit.ly/2rP9C46Combier Rouge Cherry Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2rbzzKnCombier Orange Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2gHhqnpBluegrass Barrelshttp://bit.ly/2ocrqmKhttp://amzn.to/2xCQifyBlack Pony Label by Joanna Bushhttp://bit.ly/2hQDoUZBar Tools:Catamount 3 Oz Mini Measurehttp://amzn.to/2h64pRwSchott Zwiesel Old Fashioned, 9.6 ozhttp://amzn.to/1N4nKJECocktail Kingdom Skull Barspoonhttp://amzn.to/2h5ZJLuFine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainershttp://amzn.to/2muxWs8Stainless Steel Funnelshttp://amzn.to/2lAkYFtMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5Julep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4Coz
Oaxacan Dead - How to Make the Mezcal Tiki Drink Inspired by The Walking Dead Distinguished Spirits 2017-10-17 | Here's how to make the Oaxacan Dead 1.0, a modern Tiki cocktail inspired by The Walking Dead made with a smoky Mezcal, Apricot Liqueur, Lime Juice, Falernum, Peychaud's Bitters, Orange Bitters and a Mint Sprig for garnish. This is the original version of this drink that was created back in 2013.This drink was concocted by Ethan Armstrong, a bartender at Deep Ellum in Boston. There is a drink on Deep Ellum’s menu named the Oaxacan Dead, but this ain’t it. This is the 1.0 version of the recipe. Armstrong came up with the name and built the drink around that. He was joking around with a friend who loved The Walking Dead and suggested that there should be a drink called the Oaxacan Dead. Oaxaca (pronounced “Wuh-ha-kuh”) is a state in Mexico known for producing Mezcal. And while this clever pun was rattling around in Armstrong’s head, it dawned on him that the drink should be a sort of mezcal Zombie.The Zombie was created in 1934 and spent 20 years being the most famous Tiki drink, but virtually no one knew what was in it. That’s because the drink’s creator, Donn Beach, was extremely secretive about it. So this meant that all of his Tiki bar competitors, as well as anyone else who wanted to serve it, had to make up their own version. This led to 100’s of versions of the recipe.The one that Armstrong drew upon for this drink was the 1941 recipe from W.C. Whitfield’s book, Here's How, which used apricot liqueur. The recipe blossomed from there. While it was still in the R&D phase, Armstrong showed it to Fredrick Yarm, a friend and fellow Bostonian bartender behind the blog, Cocktail Virgin (http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com). Yarm liked it and did a write up on it in his blog. However, that was about as far as the drink got.After some unforeseen complications with among other things, a pebble ice machine, the tiki menu Deep Ellum was planning—for which Armstrong was developing the drink—got scrapped and the drink was all but forgotten. But the next spring, they wanted to try the tiki menu again and one of Armstrong’s co-workers remembered the drink and suggested they add it to the menu. The name was too good not to use, but the drink was overhauled into something that was vastly different. The new, 2.0 recipe was made more in the image of the 1934, Don the Beachcomber Zombie. It’s a really good drink, and can be approximated at home, but the real deal version is made in 1.5 gallon batches, which doesn’t lend itself to the home bartender.Shortly after Armstrong started developing the 2.0 recipe, the name of this drink started appearing on menus, particularly on the west coast. The recipes all seem to be the same concept of mezcal being integrated in a various versions of the Zombie. But unlike the Zombie’s outcropping of recipes in the 1940’s and 1950’s, this drink wasn’t nearly as famous. The zeitgeist works in mysterious way, I guess.All of the various Oaxacan Deads are probably pretty tasty, but I still like the OG version, particularly when making it at home. The measurements are easy. There aren’t many bottles (for a tiki drink). The ingredients aren’t too esoteric (again, for tiki drinks). And, most importantly, it’s damn good.Also, because it’s a tiki drink, I love serving it in a horror-themed tiki mug. It may not feel like keeping kosher by using a Cthulhu mug for a Walking Dead drink, but the swizzle stick helps complete the look as besides, Tiki is all about crossbreeding cultures and embracing the melting pot. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) (smoky) Mezcal0.5 oz (15 ml) Apricot Liqueur0.5 oz (15 ml) Falernum0.5 oz (15 ml) Lime Juice2 dashes Peychauds Bitters2 dashes Orange Bittersgarnish Mint SprigShake with ice. Whack mint on the rim of the Mug/Glass then fill with crushed ice. Strain into Mug/Glass. Garnish with Mint Sprig.Music:Creeping Shadows 3 by Håkan Erikssonvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:El Silencio Mezcal Espadín (@Mezcal El Silencio)http://bit.ly/2zuNTCcCombier Apricot Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2wiaumCPeychaud's Bittershttp://amzn.to/2xMcEfIFee Brothers West Indian Orange Bittershttp://amzn.to/2yPiAovHomemade Falernumyoutu.be/j4upubVlZYkCthulhu Mug by Horror in Clayhttp://bit.ly/2yv8QPhThe Spook Swizzle by VanTikihttp://bit.ly/2ypdf5ELovecraft Map of Oceania by Horror in Clayhttp://bit.ly/2v4kQDzBar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9OXO SteeL Double Jiggerhttp://amzn.to/1Mlqj8zOXO SteeL Cocktail Shakerhttp://amzn.to/1pJgEF0Bamboo Paper Strawshttp://amzn.to/2sw20WGCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Fine Mesh Strainerhttp://amzn.to/1KDExWvCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQocLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Zombie (1934 Recipe) - How to Make the Classic Tiki Cocktail & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2017-10-09 | Here's how to make the Zombie Punch, the first famous Tiki drink, the original Don the Beachcomber classic made with Gold Cuban-Style (or Puerto Rican-Style) Rum, Dark Jamaican Rum, 151 Demerara (Guyanese) Rum, Lime Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Cinnamon Syrup, Falernum, Grenadine, Aromatic Bitters and a Mint Sprig for garnish. This drink was invented in 1934 by Donn Beach, shortly after he created Tiki culture itself with his bar and restaurant, Don the Beachcomber. The drink is certainly strong and its strength became legendary, a legend that Donn readily encouraged. He set a limit as to how many a guest could order and put it right on the menu. It’s main purpose was to generate publicity and it did. Every other tiki bar had to put a drink on the menu with a warning of its deadly potency.The Zombie was the most popular tiki drink for at least 20 years. It was eventually eclipsed by Trader Vic’s Mai Tai in the mid-1950’s. But you could only get a Zombie at Don the Beachcombers because its ingredients were a secret. In other locations, they just made up something that they called the Zombie, but just about the only thing all of the Zombie Knock-offs had in common was that they were all strong drinks.The exact origin of the drink is mostly unknown. Donn told two stories about the drink. In one, he spent a long time experimenting with it and that he burned through 3.5 cases of rum trying to perfect it. The other origin story that Donn told was that he just whipped it up on the spot for a guest who came in with a hangover as a sort of exotic version of a Corpse Reviver…which may account for its name.The rums used in it can be challenging to reproduce at home. Donn’s idea was to create a blend of rums to create a different flavor profile. He wanted the dry, medium body of the Cuban-style rum, the thick, sweet, fruitiness of the Jamaican and the heavy, charred woodiness of the overproof Demerara rum.Not all 151 rums are created equally. This drink specifically calls for a heavy-bodied Demerara 151, not a Cuban-style 151. You’re really going to want a bottle of Demerara 151 for this drink, but if you’re in a jam and need a Zombie fix, you can try using a lower proof Demerara rum. Just boost the measurement the Demerara Rum up to 1.75 oz (or 50 ml) and keep the other rum measurements the same. Or you can replace all of the rums with 3 oz (or 90 ml) of Plantation OFTD. Neither of those substitutions will be quite the same thing as the original, but it will be better than most drinks that were passed off as Zombies over the years.Donn insisted on White Grapefruit for this drink. It can be more of a pain to get a hold of than Pink or Red, but again, it’s worth tracking down. If you just can’t get your mitts on it, opt for Pink Grapefruit as it’ll be closer in flavor profile than the Red Grapefruit.I like making the drink was Don’s Mix. But if you’re not feeling it or think the drink is too tart, use the Smuggler’s Cove recipe, which replaces the Don’s Mix with 0.5 oz of grapefruit juice and 0.5 oz cinnamon syrup. It’s a touch sweeter, but still an excellent Zombie. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1 oz (30 ml) 151-proof Demerara (Guyana) Rum1.5 oz (45 ml) Dark Jamaican Rum1.5 oz (45 ml) Gold Cuban-Style Rum 0.75 oz (22 ml) Lime Juice0.5 oz (15 ml) Falernum0.5 oz (15 ml) Don’s Mix (2 parts Grapefruit Juice, 1 part Cinnamon Syrup)1 tsp (6 ml) Grenadine1 dash Absinthe1 dash Aromatic Bittersgarnish Mint SprigShake with 6 oz (180 ml) of crushed ice. Whack mint on the rim of the Mug/Glass. Pour unstrained into Zombie Mug/Glass. Top with more crushed ice. Garnish with Mint Sprig.Music:Surfing Ghouls by Håkan Erikssonvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Panamá-Pacific Rum 9-Yearhttp://bit.ly/2fUSSDrHamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rumhttp://bit.ly/2nEaBl0Hamilton 151 Demerara (Guyana) Rumhttp://bit.ly/2y8fSJAOle Dapper Dan Zombie Mug by Pie Eyed Tikishttp://etsy.me/2y8nfAFBeachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2xYZSa4Smuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Catehttp://amzn.to/2pEXt0mBar Tools:Zombie (Chimney) Glass 14 oz/400 mlhttp://amzn.to/2fQG0hNOXO SteeL Double Jiggerhttp://amzn.to/1Mlqj8zOXO SteeL Cocktail Shakerhttp://amzn.to/1pJgEF0Bamboo Paper Strawshttp://amzn.to/2sw20WGCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Cuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfFine Mesh Strainerhttp://amzn.to/1KDExWvCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQocLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CKBitters Dasherhttp://amzn.to/2l2IRVS
How to Make Cinnamon Syrup - a Blend of Ceylon and Vietnamese Cassia Distinguished Spirits 2017-10-06 | How to make cinnamon syrup with Ceylon "True Cinnamon" (aka Canela), Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon (aka Saigon Cinnamon), Demerara Sugar and Water. This simple recipe is an essential ingredient to some classic and modern Tiki drinks. It also works wonders in Whiskey Sours. It's an easy way to spice up the drinks that call for Simple Syrup and is exciting to experiment with.Martin and Rebecca Cate, the Tiki experts behind the book and bar, Smuggler's Cove, write in their book that they only use Cassia cinnamon in their house-made cinnamon syrup. However, they also point out that they encourage home bartenders to mix it up and try different combinations of cinnamon.I'm firmly in the mix-it-up-camp. I like using 2 parts Cassia—specifically Vietnamese Cassia (which is sometimes called, Saigon Cinnamon) and 1 part Ceylon Cinnamon (which is also called True Cinnamon or Canela). Feel free to play around with different combinations that work best for you.Some people are very attached to their favorite cinnamon. I'm definitely not going to get in the middle of that one. Cinnamon, specifically Ceylon, has been a prized commodity for 4,000 years. It was more valuable than gold (definitely more valuable than silver in the Roman-era). It was one of the main reasons for Spain to look for a western route to India. It was what Magellan died looking for in the Philippines. So, it has inspired centuries of passionate fervor. Again, I'm not going to get in the middle of any debates about cinnamon, the claims of its modern health benefits or historical context. But there's clearly something about it that inspires passion and fury in the human heart.This syrup couldn't be easier. It's just adding cinnamon to the process of making Simple Syrup. I like to crack mine in half when adding them to the pot. It adds a little more surface area to the cinnamon but doesn't make it a nightmare to strain out as it would if you were to crush the spice. Enjoy!Recipe:3 Cinnamon Sticks1 Cup (240 ml) Sugar1 Cup (240 ml) WaterCrack Cinnamon Sticks. Combine in a pot. Stir on high heat until dissolved. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to Low. Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let steep for 2 hours. Strain, bottle and store in the refrigerator.Follow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Ceylon Cinnamonhttp://amzn.to/2xYt5CJVietnamese Cassiahttp://amzn.to/2xms0CGDemerara Cane Sugarhttp://amzn.to/2y3L3W4Bar Tools:OXO 4-Cup Angled Measuring Cuphttp://amzn.to/2mG6OU1Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Pothttp://amzn.to/2iJ4iP9Wooden Spoonhttp://amzn.to/2lXN8LpCuisinart Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainershttp://amzn.to/2muxWs8Stainless Steel Funnels, Set of 3http://amzn.to/2lAkYFtOlive Oil Dispenser, 8 ozhttp://amzn.to/2xZtOU2
Barrel-Aged Bobby Burns - How Age this Vintage Cocktail & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2017-09-25 | Here’s how to make this simple, 3-ingredient cocktail of Blended Scotch, Sweet Vermouth, Benedictine and Lemon Peel for garnish. This rediscovered classic is over 100-years-old. It's most likely the evolutionary offspring of the Rob Roy and the Manhattan before it.The Manhattan was the first blockbuster cocktail to combine a spirit and vermouth. It comes from the 1880's (or possibly 1870's) and was an instant classic. With its fame came embellishments and variations. Everyone had their little twist on it. Whiskey plus vermouth and a dash of (fill in the blank). Then that drink became the house specialty, a "fancy" Manhattan cocktail or "improved" Manhattan. The ingredients that made the Manhattans improved or fancy were things like Maraschino Liqueur, Absinthe, Curaçao, Benedictine, etc.According to David Wondrich, in the early 1890's, golf started catching on in the US. Which led to an American interest in all things Scottish. This was particularly true of Scotch Whisky. Companies like Dewar's began to make a big push in the States.Then Scotch replaced Rye in a Manhattan, which became known as the Rob Roy, named after the Scottish folk hero, Rob Roy Macgregor, to call to mind images of Scotland and indicate that the drink contained Scotch. So, just like the Manhattan was embellished with dashes or barspoons of maraschino, absinthe, etc. so did the Rob Roy.The drink we know today as the Bobby Burns (a Rob Roy with a touch of Benedictine), was put in print as early as 1902. However, the standard bearer recipe for the Rob Roy was found in The Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930. It's printing in that book was most likely the reason for its revival in our modern cocktail renaissance. But a nearly identical recipe appeared in 1917 in Hugo R. Ensslin's book, Recipes for Mixed drinks. And even earlier in Fancy Drinks from 1902. Only that time the name of the recipe was printed as "Baby Burns", but that was most likely a typo, given some of the other errors in the book and is most likely the first (known) printing of the Bobby Burns, a mere 5 years after the Rob Roy showed up in print.In the bar book, Old Waldorf Bar Days, Albert Stevens Crockett asserts that there was a rumor that the drink was named after a cigar salesman who ran a shop near the Waldorf. And cocktail historian Gaz Regan postulated that the cocktail was named after a brand of cigars.However, the most likely scenario is that the drink is named after the famed, 18th Century Scottish poet, Robert Burns, the author of Tam O' Shanter (the quote in my sign-off came from this poem), To a Mouse and Auld Lang Syne (commonly referred to as the New Years song). His name would've been used to evoke Scottish imagery and indicate that Scotch Whisky was used in the drink.Most recipes for the Bobby Burns only call for a couple dashes or barspoons of Benedictine. However, I was introduced to the drink on Summit Sips. They called for it to be made with 0.5 oz of Benedictine and that instantly became my favorite version of the drink. Being a Benedictine junkie may have something to do with it. But that ratio really excels in the barrel-aged version of the drink.Same with the non-smoky Scotch. Normally, with a "fresh" Bobby Burns, I like a little smoke in my dram. But the barrel would strip most or all of a lightly peated Scotch's smokiness, so I used a non-smoky Scotch, which tilted the barrel-aged favor profile into focusing on the world of the vanillas, honeys and maples. The barrel-aged drink is particularly excellent. It is extremely smooth and easy. It's one you're going to want to age again. Sláinte!Recipe:600 ml (20 oz) Scotch250 ml (8.5 oz) Sweet Vermouth150 ml (5 oz) BenedictineCombine ingredients. Add to cured oak barrel. Age for 3-4 weeks. Taste occasionally. When ready, strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle.Music:Modern Vintage Gypsy 2 by Gavin Lukevia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in This Episode:Great King Street Artist's Blendhttp://bit.ly/2jWvyKzCarpano Antica (Sweet Vermouth)http://bit.ly/2pZMVZCBenedictinehttp://bit.ly/2fKXw7wBluegrass Barrelshttp://bit.ly/2ocrqmKhttp://amzn.to/2xCQifyBlack Pony Label by Joanna Bushhttp://bit.ly/2hQDoUZImbibe! (Updated and Revised Edition) by David Wondrichhttp://amzn.to/2fLfHtzSavoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddockhttp://amzn.to/2jU7V5fBar Tools:OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Angled Measuring Cuphttp://amzn.to/2dSFdwSNick & Nora Glasshttp://amzn.to/2m77HVeBarspoonhttp://amzn.to/1FfLxB4Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainershttp://amzn.to/2muxWs8Stainless Steel Funnelshttp://amzn.to/2lAkYFtMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5Julep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4Coz
Three Dots and a Dash (••• —) - How to Make the Classic, WWII-Era Tiki Cocktail Distinguished Spirits 2017-09-11 | Here's how to make the classic Tiki drink, Three Dots & a Dash, which is made with Ambré Martinique Rhum Agricole, Demerara (Guyanese) Rum, Honey Syrup, Lime Juice, Orange Juice, Pimento Dram (Allspice Liqueur), Falernum and Aromatic Bitters, as well as three Maraschino Cherries and a Pineapple Spear for garnish.This drink was invented in the 1940’s by Donn Beach, the person who created Tiki culture in the first place. Donn’s bars and restaurants were called Don the Beachcomber. Hank Riddle—who’s incredibly fascinating life is chronicled in Sippin’ Safari by Jeff Berry—worked at and eventually ran several locations of Don the Beachcombers over the course of 40 years. It was Riddle’s notebook that revealed Donn’s secret recipe for this drink. And the person who unearthed the recipe was, of course, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry.The drink was named after a popular slogan of its day. It was invented in the midst of WWII, which was a topic that was pretty much on everyone’s mind all the time. In January 14, 1941, Victor de Laveleye, a Belgian national in London who hosted a BBC radio broadcast targeted at his countrymen in Nazi-occupied Belgium, encouraged his listeners to adopt the letter V (for Victory) as a symbol of resistance. The thought was to overwhelm the enemy with symbols of rebellion. These symbols took the form of graffiti, musical notes, tapped rhythms and the V sign (what is now commonly referred to as the peace sign). The V’s caught on in Nazi-occupied territories and several months later, V for Victory was adopted by Winston Churchill who really helped popularize the slogan and the V for victory sign. Another popular method for signaling V for Victory was via morse code and the morse code for V is three dots and a dash.So the name and garnish are a nod to this movement. The three cherries being the dots and the pineapple spear being the dash. You don’t need much pineapple for this drink, so the rest of the pineapple can go toward other drinks like the Jungle Bird or Mr. Bali Hai or Missionary’s Downfall.The measurement of Pimento Dram in this drink was originally, 0.25 oz, but I find that this drowns out the other flavors in the drink, so I like to dial it back to 1 teaspoon, which is exactly how I like it in the Ancient Mariner. This is a personal preference and may depend on how strongly flavored your brand of Pimento Dram is, so feel free to adjust that accordingly.The Falernum I’m using is a homemade Falernum called Falernum No. 9. It’s vastly different from Velvet Falernum and will be noticeably different in the final drink. Use the Falernum you like best, but I really love it with the homemade version.This is an extremely flavorful and complex drink, even by Tiki standards. And luckily, it’s not quite as brutally strong as some Tiki drinks can be. So, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1.5 oz (45 ml) Ambré Martinique Rhum Agricole0.5 oz (15 ml) Demerara Rum0.5 oz (15 ml) Lime Juice0.5 oz (15 ml) Orange Juice0.5 oz (15 ml) Honey Syrup0.25 oz (7 ml) Falernum1 tsp (5 ml) Pimento Dram (originally 0.25 oz or 7 ml)1 dash Aromatic bittersgarnish 3 Maraschino Cherriesgarnish 1 Pineapple SpearShake with 6 oz (180 ml) of crushed ice. Pour unstrained into a Pilsner Glass. Top with more crushed ice. Garnish with 3 Maraschino Cherries and a Pineapple Spear skewered on a cocktail pick.Music:Southern Flavors 2 by Martin Gauffinvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Duquesne Rhum Agricole Élevé Sous Boishttp://bit.ly/2o4zd9tHamilton Demerara (Guyana) Rum 86 Proofhttp://bit.ly/2vtEXeaHamilton Pimento Dramhttp://bit.ly/2xfqDZZBeachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2xYZSa4Bar Tools:Pilsner Glasshttp://amzn.to/2pmgGTkBamboo Print Strawamzn.to/2XcQNLaFine Mesh Strainerhttp://amzn.to/1KDExWvOXO SteeL Cocktail Shakerhttp://amzn.to/1pJgEF0Citrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Citrus Juicer (Orange)http://amzn.to/2sgBZYQFine Mesh Strainerhttp://amzn.to/1KDExWvCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWSmall Knifehttp://amzn.to/1KDFQocLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
How to Make Falernum No. 9 - the Homemade Tiki Syrup from Barbados (Golden Falernum) Distinguished Spirits 2017-08-30 | Falernum #9 is a liqueur used in several classic Tiki drinks. It’s made with Wray & Nephew White Overproof Jamaican Rum, Ginger, Cloves, Almonds, Sugar, Water and Almond Extract. Falernum originated in Barbados, but this recipe comes from Paul Clarke and is whole-heartedly endorsed by the modern Tiki messiah, Beachbum Berry.Falernum dates back at least to 1852 when it appeared (misspelled) in Five Years’ Residence in the West Indies by Charles William Day, but chances are it’s older than that. It comes from Barbados, but does not have a very specific definition. It usually contains ginger, almonds, cloves, lime and sugar, but it can be clear (Velvet Falernum), cloudy (Golden Falernum), boozy, non-alcoholic, so the flavor of the Falernum will vary from recipe to recipe and brand to brand.This recipe is the one Beachbum Berry loves in his books (Beachbum Berry Remixed) and in his app (Total Tiki), Falernum No. 9 by Paul Clarke. Clarke is a spirits writer, a contributing editor to Imbibe and the proprietor of the site, the Cocktail Chronicles. He labored over this one. He went through several different drafts of this recipe, 8 others, to be exact, and landed on this one, hence the name, Falernum No. 9. This was more or less born out of necessity, because at the time (c. 2007), commercial Falernum was harder to come by.Clarke insisted that the rich simple syrup component of this drink be made via the cold process, so no heat. He likes the taste of of the cold process syrup better in the final product. I used heat, but if you want to incrementally add sugar to your water, stir/shake and wait, be my guest. I like it just fine this way.I chop whole almonds in the video, but feel free to use the pre-slivered, balanced, raw, almonds instead.Even though, Falernum more plentiful now, the homemade version is still worth it as it is more nuanced and complex than its commercially produced counterparts. Cheers!Recipe:6 oz (180 ml) Wray & Nephew White Overproof Jamaican Rum Zest of 9 Limes 40 Whole Cloves 1.5 oz (42.5 g) Ginger 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Blanched Almonds 0.25 tsp (1 ml) Almond Extract 14 oz (400 ml) Rich Simple Syrup 4.5 oz Lime JuicePeel and slice ginger. Zest limes. Chop and toast almonds. Add rum, almonds, lime zest, cloves and ginger to a jar. Let steep for 24 hours. Then strain through a cheesecloth. Juice the zested limes.Make rich simple syrup (Clarke recommends cold-process).Combine the almond extract, rich simple syrup and lime juice with the infused rum base. Pour into bottles. Store in the refrigerator.Music:Party on a Boat by Stefan Netsmanvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Wray & Nephew White Overproof Jamaican Rumhttp://bit.ly/2myCiPLSpanish Marcona Almondshttp://amzn.to/2mutR7rWholesome Sweeteners Organic Turbinado Raw Sugarhttp://amzn.to/2vIUllXWhole Cloveshttp://amzn.to/2wmWZ2BAlmond Extracthttp://amzn.to/2vrelxVBeach Bum Berry Remixed by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2vkFAWcBar Tools:OXO 4-Cup Angled Measuring Cuphttp://amzn.to/2mG6OU1OXO Angled Measuring Cup, Minihttp://amzn.to/2mGmJBNOXO Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons http://amzn.to/2ldBmznCheeseclothhttp://amzn.to/2wHQc6eCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/2wIO2mZCuisinart Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainershttp://amzn.to/2muxWs8Stainless Steel Funnels, Set of 3http://amzn.to/2lAkYFtMicroplane Graterhttp://amzn.to/2wniL6hCast Iron Skillethttp://amzn.to/2lXGtReCuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Pothttp://amzn.to/2iJ4iP9Epicurean Non-Slip Series Cutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/2lsNWWHChop & Serve Knifehttp://amzn.to/2mfl7l7Wooden Spoonhttp://amzn.to/2lXN8Lp1L (34oz) Swing Top Glass Bottlehttp://amzn.to/2lUNwMh500 ml Cruet, Glass Bottle w/Stainless Steel Pourer Spouthttp://amzn.to/2mfasacDigital Kitchen Scalehttp://amzn.to/2lV3d6l
Missionarys Downfall - How to Make the Classic Tiki Drink Thats a Remix of a Frozen Daiquiri Distinguished Spirits 2017-08-22 | Here's how to make the classic Tiki drink the Missionary’s Downfall, which is made with Light Rum, Peach Liqueur, Lime Juice, Honey Syrup, Diced Pineapple and Mint Leaves. This is an exotic frozen Daiquiri with a Tiki twist. It is a Don the Beachcomber creation that dates back to 1937. This drink is more like a smoothie than a cocktail. It’s so smooth and the alcohol is almost completely hidden among the other flavors. It’s remarkably unlike most Tiki drinks in that it is so light on alcohol. Donn Beach’s recipe makes 2 drinks, if served in a coupe glass, and the total amount of alcohol is 1.5 oz, including the lightly alcoholic peach liqueur. Most other tiki drinks like the Navy Grog or the Fog Cutter are loaded with double booze or more.All that being said, this an exciting a delicious drink that seems way ahead of its time. With all of it fresh ingredients, it seems like a pretty modern drink. The basis for the drink came from Donn’s time spent in the Caribbean, but this more elaborate variation on a Daiquiri, came from Donn.Donn spent some formative years traveling all over. He island hopped in the South Pacific, he bounced around the Caribbean learning from the region’s bartenders and eventually landed in Los Angeles where he founded the first tiki bar in the heart of Hollywood, a couple blocks from Musso & Franks.In Cuba in the early 20th century (roughly 1910-1930), Cuban bartenders, known as cantineros, were doing some amazing things behind the stick. They were to their day what Japanese bartenders are to ours. Donn learned from these masters and one of the things he picked up would’ve been elaborate variations on the Daiquiri that the cantineros excelled in.Donn took those ideas of embellishing frozen Daiquiris, then added a tiki twist, the complex flavors that became the trademark of exotic drinks. He split the Daiquiri’s base spirit, replaced the sweetener with honey and tossed some mint and pineapple into the mix. The result is the best frozen Daiquiri variant ever devised.He topped it all off with an alluring name that catches the eye and simulates the imagination. The promise of excitement and erotic undertones of the name draw you in and build a curiosity in the mind. It’s an itch that calls out to be scratched. What was it that caused the missionary to have a downfall? How great was the temptation? What was it about this drink that made him succumb? How dangerous could this drink really be? The questions swirl in the mind until they get the better of you and you must find out what was in this magical elixir. How bad could it be? Could I really be carried away by this? There’s only one way to find out. Okole Maluna!Recipe:(makes two servings)1 oz (30 ml) Light Rum0.5 oz (15 ml) Peach Liqueur0.5 oz (15 ml) Lime Juice1 oz (30 ml) Honey Syrup2 oz (60 ml) Diced Pineapple2 oz (60 ml) Tightly Packed Mint Leaves6 oz (180 ml) Crushed Icegarnish Mint SprigAdd all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high for 20 seconds. Pour unstrained into chilled coupe glasses. Garnish with mint sprig.Music:Southern Flavors 1 by Martin Gauffinvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Denizen Aged White Rumhttp://bit.ly/2sbPVD8Combier Crème de Pêche De Vigne (Peach Liqueur)http://bit.ly/2wiaumCBeach Bum Berry Remixed by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2vkFAWcSmuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Catehttp://amzn.to/2pEXt0mBar Tools:Coupe Glasshttp://amzn.to/2x7EE9HVitamix (More Expensive)http://amzn.to/2g0kb2DBlender (More Affordable)http://amzn.to/2vYHnlRCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Fine Mesh Strainerhttp://amzn.to/1KDExWvCutting Boardhttp://amzn.to/1QgQTSWBread Knifehttp://amzn.to/2x7Ol89Lewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Barrel-Aged Revolver - How to Make the Whiskey Cocktail with Bourbon and Coffee Liqueur Distinguished Spirits 2017-08-11 | Here’s how to make this simple, modern riff on the Manhattan cocktail made with Bourbon, Coffee Liqueur and Orange Bitters, with a Flamed Orange Peel for garnish. When made fresh, the Revolver (youtu.be/BFNiNsW8xxM) is a chocolatey, boozy alternative to a classic Manhattan. Barrel-aging the drink keeps the underlying flavors intact, but changes some of its fringe qualities. The barrel-aging makes the flavors richer, darker and deeper. It also sands off the rough edges and harsher elements in the drink.This drink was created by Bay-area bartender and founder of Prizefighter in Emeryville, John Santer, in 2003. It was made to be easy and accessible, using familiar ingredients and simple ratios. Because it was created at the cusp of the craft cocktail renaissance, it was made with a flamed orange peel. It’s showy and fun, but in this case—and something like the Smoky Grove (youtu.be/cUAOG8wKHxg)—it actually makes the drink pop by finishing it off with the caramelized orange oils from the flamed twist.Part of the reason it seemed so familiar was that it was conceived as a riff on the Manhattan (youtu.be/ph58sl9pM0A). The original coffee liqueur Santer used was Tia Maria. It’s sweeter profile lead him to make the ratio 4:1, bourbon to coffee liqueur. Since I like making it with my favorite coffee liqueur, St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur, when making it “fresh”, I’ll typically make it 2:1, bourbon to coffee liqueur. In this case, for the barrel, I split the difference and made it 3:1. The original bourbon used in the drink was Bulleit, which is where the name came from. Bulleit is a high-rye bourbon. It’s mashbill is 68% corn, 28% rye and 4% malted barley. Feel free to sub in other high-rye bourbons, such as Four Roses Single Barrel (35% rye) or Old Granddad (27% rye), but Bulleit was the original.I love a lot of things about this drink. It’s not only tasty, but it’s easy to make at a minimalist home bar and it’s also easy to order at a bar. Even if the bartender’s never heard of it before, they should be able to make it. Just give them the ratios and the if you wanna push your luck, have them make it with a flamed orange twist.I aged ended up aging this one for 30 days, which is usually how long a cocktail or spirit will age in this sized barrel. But before I put it in, I aged a liter of sherry, dumped that out, then added a liter of Islay whisky to the barrel. This left traces of those spirits in the barrel and influenced the flavor of this cocktail. You don’t have to season you barrel before you make this drink. But keep in mind that when barrel-aging, some of the flavors from previous agings will be passed down to future generations that pass through the same barrel.This drink, being all booze, was perfect for barrel-aging. The barrel brings out more chocolate notes from the coffee liqueur and some vanillas from the bourbon after it got reacquainted with the wood. The only problem with this cocktail is that you’ll only have a limited amount of it. You age it for approximately a month, then only end up with one bottle. At this end of this, you’ll wanna reload the barrel with another Revolver. Cheers!Recipe (1-Liter):750 ml (25 oz) Bourbon250 ml (8.5 oz) Coffee Liqueur30 ml (1 oz) Orange Bittersgarnish flamed Orange PeelCombine ingredients. Add to cured oak barrel. Age for 3-4 weeks. Taste occasionally. When ready, strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle.Music:Mistaken Identity (Instrumental Version) by Martin Carlbergvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in This Episode:Bulleit Bourbonhttp://bit.ly/2wNIwf1St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2tuk8RIRegan’s Orange Bittershttp://amzn.to/2vsf2E0Bluegrass Barrelshttp://bit.ly/2ocrqmKhttp://amzn.to/2xCQifyBlack Pony Label by Joanna Bushhttp://bit.ly/2hQDoUZBar Tools:OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Angled Measuring Cuphttp://amzn.to/2dSFdwSOXO SteeL Double Jiggerhttp://amzn.to/2fxwoeSNick & Nora Glasshttp://amzn.to/2m77HVeBarspoonhttp://amzn.to/1FfLxB4Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainershttp://amzn.to/2muxWs8Stainless Steel Funnelshttp://amzn.to/2lAkYFtMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5Julep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4Coz
Ancient Mariner - Cthulhu Meets Tiki: Beachbum Berry’s Remake of Trader Vics Navy Grog Distinguished Spirits 2017-08-04 | Here's how to make the modern Tiki drink, the Ancient Mariner, which is made with Dark Jamaican Rum, Demerara Rum, (or in this case, a Navy Strength combination of the two), Lime Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Simple Syrup and Pimento (Allspice) Dram. This version is served in a Cthulhu Tiki mug by Shima Ceramics and with a Voyager Swizzle Stick from VanTiki. Jeff “Beachbum” Berry created this drink as a result of trying to recreate Trader Vic’s 1940’s-era Navy Grog.Beachbum Berry is a tiki historian and the proprietor of the tiki bar, Latitude 29 in New Orleans. He spent a good amount of time trying to find the recipe for Vic’s Navy Grog, but couldn't get the exact recipe.So, Berry broke it down and recreated it by taste. This wasn’t an easy task. Berry was no Vic Bergeron, the founder of Trader Vic’s, who supposedly reconstructed and reworked the flavors of Don the Beachcomber’s Q.B. Cooler and turned it into the Mai Tai (youtu.be/hsBZQuNaxNI). Vic’s wine critic friend said he “was a marvelous visionary. He had superb taste. He could mentally taste very, very well, and then translate those ideas into reality.” Berry, on the other hand, was a mere mortal and this took a lot of trial and error.The name of the drink is not actually an allusion to, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but rather an flippant joke of how long it took Berry to create and perfect this drink.I interpreted the name differently and was inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story, The Call of Cthulhu. In my version, the Mariner is sailing perilously close to the Ancient One.The Cthulhu mythos and the tiki world intersect a lot. Cthulhu lay resting in a previously undiscovered island in the South Pacific. A lot of his earthly worshipers live in New Orleans, the birthplace of the founder of Tiki, Donn Beach. And those same followers worship a stone carving of the Ancient One, in other words, a tiki.This Cthulhu Tiki mug is made by Shima Ceramics. Shima is a ceramicist and bartender from Northern California. The metal swizzle stick (aka the Voyager) comes from VanTiki. Together the Cthulhu Tiki Mug and the Voyager Van Swizzle combine to create a darker interpretation of this drink.Trader Vic’s remix of Don the Beachcomber’s original Navy Grog (youtu.be/GBfkSqJtpSQ) only really varied in the use of sweetener. Don used honey. Vic used Simple Syrup and Pimento Dram.Pimento Dram is a rum-based, allspice liqueur. It is a really dominating flavor. Even in this measurement (0.25 oz or 7 ml) it really overpowers the other flavors in the drink. So I recommend only using a teaspoon (5 ml) of it.As for the rums, Berry calls for a blend of two rums, a dark Jamaican rum and a Demerara (Guyanese) rum. For the Jamaican and Demerara, I’m using a Hamilton Navy Strength, a blend of the two. It is “60% Guyana rum at 154 proof and 40% Jamaican rum at 170 proof” and are slowly blended and stirred “for 48 hours before dilution to 114 proof.” This blend is not the 50/50 that Berry’s recipe called for, but like the Navy Grog, it works wonders in this drink. If you wanted to stray a little further, you could replace the rums with 1.5 oz or 60 ml of Plantation OFTD, it’s stronger than the Hamilton Navy Strength rum and is a blend of Jamaica, Demerara and Barbados rums, so the profile will be a little different. But it makes for a good Ancient Mariner. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1 oz (30 ml) Dark Jamaican Rum1 oz (30 ml) Demarara Rum0.5 oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup0.5 oz (15 ml) White Grapefruit Juice 0.75 oz (22 ml) Lime Juice0.25 oz (7 ml) Pimento Dram (I prefer 1 tsp or 5 ml)garnish scored lime wedge and mint (or Voyager Swizzle Stick)(I used 2 oz or 60 ml of a Navy Strength blend of both rums)(feel free to sub the rums for 1.5 oz or 45 ml of Plantation OFTD Rum)Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake with ice. Pour unstrained into Double Old Fashioned Glass or Tiki Mug. Serve with a straw.Music:Second Sight 001 by Mondo Jermovia JinglePunksFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rumhttp://bit.ly/2nEaBl0Hamilton Demerara (Guyana) Rum 86 Proofhttp://bit.ly/2vtEXeaHamilton Navy Strength Rumhttp://bit.ly/2gRpv8nSmuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Catehttp://amzn.to/2pEXt0mBeach Bum Berry Remixed by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2uU8IGLCthulhu Tiki Mug (black/red) by Shima Ceramicshttp://bit.ly/2u2h1l7The Voyage Stainless Steel Swizzle by VanTikihttp://bit.ly/2uU45wrLovecraft Map of Oceania by Horror in Clayhttp://bit.ly/2v4kQDzBar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Bamboo Paper Strawshttp://amzn.to/2sw20WGCuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Lewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Navy Grog - How to Make the Classic Rum & Honey Tiki Cocktail Distinguished Spirits 2017-07-23 | Here's how to make the classic Tiki drink the Navy Grog, which is made with Light Cuban-Style Rum, Dark Jamaican Rum, Demerara Rum, (or in this case, a Navy Strength combination of the two), Lime Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Honey Syrup, Soda Water and an Ice Cone for garnish. This is the 1941 Don the Beachcomber version. The other popular variation is the Trader Vic’s version.The Trader Vic’s version uses the same combination of rums and citrus, but swaps the honey syrup and soda water for simple syrup and pimento dram. Some of the measurements are a little different as well, but it’s pretty close. The Trader Vic’s version is the one that Martin and Rebecca Cate feature in their book, Smuggler’s Cove. It’s also the version that Beachbum Berry fell in love with and that made him a dedicated, obsessive fanatic of tiki culture, which set him on a path to writing several books on the subject, opening his own tiki restaurant and selling some tiki gear that was hard to come by otherwise.Because of this and the obsession it triggered in Berry, the Navy Grog is arguably the most important tiki drink in the canon of exotic cocktails. Berry is the reason for the tiki revival and his tireless efforts to research, reconstruct and resurrect the lost art of tiki cannot be overstated. Berry went above and beyond. He was the Indiana Jones to the raiders of the lost tiki. He collected notebooks, cracked codes, found hidden scraps of paper with recipes scrawled on them, he interviewed bartenders, coerced and cajoled widows and children of the godfathers of the tiki world and eventually was able to unearth a lot of the lost art of the tiki drink. Berry conquered all of those questions and we are enjoying the exotic fruit juices of his labor.The name of this drink is an allusion to the British Royal Navy’s rum ration. In 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon, who was called “Old Grog” because he wore coats of the cheaper fabric, grogram, decided that the daily allotment of half a pint of full-strength (57% ABV) rum was too much, so he cut the ration with water. This mixture of rum and water became known as “grog”. Some 55 years later, citrus was also added to the daily rations.Both Donn’s and Vic’s version used a blend of three rums, a light rum, a dark Jamaican rum and a Demerara (Guyanese) rum. For the Jamaican and Demerara, I’m using a Hamilton Navy Strength, a blend of the two. It is “60% Guyana rum at 154 proof and 40% Jamaican rum at 170 proof” and are slowly blended and stirred “for 48 hours before dilution to 114 proof.” This blend is not 50/50 like Donn’s recipe called for, but it works wonders in this drink. But be careful because this is going to be a strong one. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1 oz Light Rum1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum1 oz Demarara Rum1 oz Honey Syrup0.75 oz Lime Juice0.75 oz Grapefruit Juice 0.75 oz Soda Watergarnish Ice Cone with straw(instead of Jamaican and Demarara, I used 2 oz of a Navy Strength blend of both rums)Add all ingredients (except ice cone) to a shaker. Shake with ice. Strain into Double Old Fashioned Glass over Ice Cone. Serve with straw through Ice Cone.Music:El Que Quiera Bailar 3 by Martin Landhvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Caña Brava 3 Year Rumhttp://bit.ly/2rHr8tQHamilton Navy Strength Rumhttp://bit.ly/2gRpv8nSoda Siphonhttp://amzn.to/2vK87VUSmuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Catehttp://amzn.to/2pEXt0mPotions of the Caribbean by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2rdHc57Bar Tools:Beachbum Berry's Navy Grog Ice Cone Garnish Kithttp://amzn.to/2ujBWP7Pilsner Glasshttp://amzn.to/2pmgGTkChopstickshttp://amzn.to/2gR3iY6Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Bamboo Paper Strawshttp://amzn.to/2sw20WGCuisinart Citrus Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2ujQkFfLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Barrel-Aged El Presidente - How to Make and Age the Classic Cuban Rum Cocktail Distinguished Spirits 2017-07-10 | Here’s how to make this simple, pre-Prohibition, Cuban cocktail of Light Rum, White Vermouth (Blanc or Bianco Vermouth), Dry Curaçao, Grenadine with a Maraschino Cherry and an Orange Peel for garnish. When made fresh, it's a light a easy sipper. Barrel-aging the drink keeps most of the underlying flavors intact, but changes some of its more subtle qualities. The aging makes the flavors richer, darker and deeper. It also sands off the rough edges and harsher elements in the drink.Like other classics, the El Presidente’s past is a surrounded in a lot of myth and rumors. Luckily, several cocktail historians, including David Wondrich, Eric Felten and Fernando Castellon, were able to shed some light on this classic and unearth the real history behind it.The oft repeated story of the drink was that it was created in Cuban, during Prohibition, by Eddie Woelke, an American bartender who fled south to be able to continue plying his trade. This is due to Woelke's popularity with US tourists of the time, the fact that they fell in love with this drink while on vacation and that they continued to demand it back in the States, when it became possible again.The drink was created in Cuba, however, it was done so before Prohibition and by a Cuban, Constantino "Constante" Ribalaigua. Ribalaigua was considered one of the best bartenders of his day, he created this drink and the Daiquiri No. 4 and he ran the bar program at La Florida, which became famous for being an Ernest Hemingway haunt. The drink appeared in print as early as 1915 in Manual del Cantinero by John B. Escalante. The recipe was a little different in that printing (2:1 vermouth to rum, bitters, no orange twist), but over the next couple years, it got a little more consistent in print. It became 1:1 rum to vermouth, curaçao, sometime a drop of grenadine and garnished with a cherry and an orange twist.For decades it was commonly assumed the drink used dry vermouth for the vermouth. However, through his research, David Wondrich discovered that the drink was meant to be made with Chambéry vermouth, aka White Vermouth, Blanc Vermouth or Bianco Vermouth (which was the Italian interpretation of the Chambéry style). White vermouth is a semi-dry vermouth that's somewhere in between sweet vermouth and dry vermouth. It's not used as often as sweet or dry vermouth, but it's very much worth it, even just for this drink alone. It really elevates El Presidente both in the barrel-aged version and its freshly-made counterpart.I aged ended up aging this drink a lot longer than I had originally intended. I had only planned on keeping it in the barrel for 30-45 days. But after the 45 day mark, I felt it steep a little longer. Every time I tried it after that, it managed to stay free of the over oaky flavors of a drink that's been in the barrel too long and at the same time color the flavor profile into a fuller, richer place. You won't need to age it this long, but it happened to work out that way for me. When you age yours, start with the 30-45 days and take it from there. Feel free to pull it out of the barrel whenever the flavor seems right to you. ¡Salud!Recipe (1-Liter):470 ml (16 oz) Light Rum470 ml (16 oz) White Vermouth45 ml (1.5 oz) Curaçao15 ml (0.5 oz) GrenadineCombine ingredients. Add to cured oak barrel. Age for 3-4 weeks. Taste occasionally. When ready, strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle.Music:En La Niebla 3 by Martin Carlbergvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in This Episode:Caña Brava 3-Year Rumhttp://bit.ly/2rHr8tQDolin White Vermouthhttp://bit.ly/2sFZDxVPierre Ferrand Dry Curaçaohttp://bit.ly/2ox8eE1Bluegrass Barrelshttp://bit.ly/2ocrqmKhttp://amzn.to/2xCQifyLuxardo Maraschino Cherrieshttp://amzn.to/2mhkqEgBar Tools:OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Angled Measuring Cuphttp://amzn.to/2dSFdwSOXO Measuring Cup (2 oz)http://amzn.to/2nk5BSFNick & Nora Glasshttp://amzn.to/2m77HVeBarspoonhttp://amzn.to/1FfLxB4Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainershttp://amzn.to/2muxWs8Stainless Steel Funnelshttp://amzn.to/2lAkYFtMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5Julep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4Coz
Mr. Bali Hai - a Tiki Drink with Rum, Coffee Liqueur & Pineapple Distinguished Spirits 2017-07-01 | Here's how to make the Tiki cocktail, Mr. Bali Ha’i, which is made with Dark Jamaican Rum, Light Rum, Coffee Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Pineapple Juice, and optionally, a Pineapple Frond for garnish. This drink was popularized by Tiki historian and Tiki bar owner, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. However, the most famous aspect of it is actually its signature mug.The Mr. Bali Hai tiki mug comes from the Bali Hai restaurant in San Diego. The tiki temple, Bali Hai, was founded in 1954, but its building was originally called Christian’s Hut or simply, The Hut. It was named after a bar built for the set of the Clark Gable movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, which was shot on Catalina Island in 1934. Gable’s character was named Fletcher Christian. However, The Hut on Shelter Island was short-lived. It went bankrupt twice in about a year and was eventually sold to and re-branded by Tom Ham in 1954. Ham named the joint, Bali Hai, after the famous song in the musical, South Pacific, which is certainly fitting for a tiki restaurant.Outside of the Bali Hai is a tiki-esque statue known as Mr. Bali Hai. The mug is made in the statue’s image. The drink on Bali Hai’s current menu, called Mr. Bali Hai, is not the same drink listed here. This drink is the one published in Beachbum Berry’s, 2002 book, Intoxica, and on his app, Beachbum Berry’s Total Tiki. According to Berry, this drink dates back to approximately1960. He was able to get ahold of it via a recipe scribbled on a slip of paper in the Bali Hai employee lounge. That paper was from the 1970’s. But Berry visited the restaurant after a road trip from LA to San Diego in the early 1980’s. He and a friend ordered several Mr. Bali Hais because they liked the drink, but also because they wanted to keep the signature Mr. Bali Hai mugs. The waiter eventually offered to sell Berry a box of mugs.Although the mug is iconic, I couldn’t resist serving this one in similar, yet different mug. The Tiki Mug for the Recently Departed was made by Boo Tiki and is, of course, a reference to Harry the Hunter, the victim of a witch doctor’s head shrinking magic, from the droll, bureaucratic waiting room of the damned in Beetlejuice. The wide-eyed disbelief of this mug is almost the Yang to the heavy-lidded hangover of the Mr. Bali Hai mug’s Yin.This drink struck me because, like the Jungle Bird (youtu.be/jJgwZIaFnYw), this drink used an unusual ingredient in the mix with the more typical Tiki fare of rum, citrus, syrup and pineapple. In the case of the Jungle Bird, the X-factor was Campari, in the case of Mr. Bali Hai, it was coffee liqueur. Coffee and Pineapple may not sound like an obvious combination, but it actually works really well. The Tiki-centric blog, A Mountain of Crushed Ice (http://www.amountainofcrushedice.com/?p=23334), can attest to that. In this drink, the coffee doesn’t hit you over the head. The dominant flavors are the rum, sour and pineapple, but it is a perfect modifier to help elevate the drink to another level.Another exciting parallel with the Jungle Bird is that this one can be made without a lot of esoteric ingredients, which can happen in Tiki drinks, particularly the Don the Beachcomber drinks. You could even make this with a single rum if you really had to. Although, only do that in a pinch. There is a nice balance achieved by using both rums. In this case, it has a lot of the full-punchy funk of the dark rum, but it’s tempered by the light rum so that it doesn’t overpower the flavors of the drink. Overall, the drink is really balanced. It’s one that’ll take your mind off your worries, even if those worries are about waiting for your number in Hell’s reception area. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1.5 oz Dark Rum1 oz Light Rum0.75 oz Coffee Liqueur0.5 oz Simple Syrup1 oz Lemon Juice 1.5 oz Pineapple Juicegarnish Pineapple Fronds (optional)Add all ingredients, but garnish, 12 oz of crushed ice and 3-4 ice cubes to a shaker. Shake. Pour unstrained into Tiki Mug or a Double Old Fashioned Glass. Garnish. Serve with straw.Music:Optical Delusion 1 by Håkan Erikssonvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Rumhttp://bit.ly/2oTPDifDenizen Aged White Rumhttp://bit.ly/2sbPVD8St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueurhttp://bit.ly/2tuk8RIThe Tiki Mug for the Recently Departed by Boo Tikihttp://bit.ly/2uujrEZIntoxica by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2t54h8YBar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9OXO SteeL Double Jiggerhttp://amzn.to/1Mlqj8zFine Mesh Strainerhttp://amzn.to/1KDExWvOXO SteeL Cocktail Shakerhttp://amzn.to/1pJgEF0Citrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Breville Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2srWJPZLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CKFancy Bamboo Paper Strawshttp://amzn.to/2tyPM0q
To Hell with Spain - a Modern Smoky Scotch Whisky Remix of Remember the Maine Distinguished Spirits 2017-06-24 | This is a modern reimagining of the Prohibition-Era classic cocktail, Remember the Maine. It's made with a lightly-peated (slightly smoky) Scotch Whisky, Sweet Vermouth, Cherry Liqueur, heavily-peated (very smoky) Scotch, Absinthe and a Maraschino Cherry for garnish. This intensified cocktail was created by Connor O'Brien, a Seattle-area bartender and was named by Justin Gerardy. The drink appeared on the Cocktail Chronicles, a cocktail website by spirits writer and Imbibe editor, Paul Clarke, shortly after its creation.The drink was invented around November 2011. At the time, O'Brien was working at Vito's, a revamped Italian restaurant and bar in downtown Seattle. A couple of his regulars dropped in on a cold night and ordered a bartender's choice. They put their complete trust in their bartender. O'Brien, knowing they liked Scotch when it was cold outside and that they had recently been getting into cherry liqueur, started with those. He knew absinthe would work, but wasn't sure where to take it from there. He added some sweet vermouth, gave it a little taste and realized he was onto something. He strengthened the smoky note with a little more Scotch, this time from a heavier, peatier, Islay, plunked in a cherry and this drink was born.It wasn't until later that O'Brien realize he had reworked one of his favorite drinks, the Remember the Maine (youtu.be/Anf6ZrtPTHo). It was one of his go-to drinks, so this remix was done on instinct. It has a lot of the same ingredients as the Remember the Maine, but the ratios are more severe. The cherry liqueur got a boost and the smokiness of the Scotch adds another dimension.O'Brien's guests loved it. He ended up making it for them regularly and when the bar manager, Justin Gerardy, asked for suggestions for the new menu, O'Brien offered this one. The only trouble was, he didn't have a name, but Gerardy did. The drink was a Remember the Maine with more attitude, so he took the more malevolent part of the Spanish-American War rally cry, "To Hell with Spain! Remember the Maine!"The full history of that phrase has some dark roots to it, but this was just a reference to the Prohibition-era drink. And even that drink was alluding to the past. The Remember the Maine was created in Cuba and at the time, Batista was fighting what turned out to be his first coup. It was bloody and ugly. And in 1933, perhaps the rally cry from the 1898 war over Cuban governance seemed a lot more straight-forward. It was from a by-gone era that seemed simpler because it happened a generation ago. And the Remember the Maine was a drink with a toast built right into the name.The To Hell with Spain is a little more tongue-in-cheek. It wouldn't make much sense for a toast (unless it was during the World Cup, then all bets are off). O'Brien used Johnnie Walker Double Black for the base, Carpano Antica, Cherry Heering, Laphroaig for the Islay and Pacifique for the absinthe. He allowed that the ratios can be tinkered with to accommodate the specific brands. With that in mind, since I was using the Great King Street Glasgow Blend, which has a slightly stronger smoky quotient than Double Black, I probably should've cut back on the Peat Monster, but I like it with some real smoky fangs to it, so I left the ratios as is. However, feel free to make the adjustments you need with the bottles you're using.The flavors in this one don't hold back. They are all pretty strong and yet somehow achieve a balance of boldness. It's not going to replace its progenitor, but it's a great sequel with it's own sense of style. Think Alien and Aliens, only in liquid form. Cheers!Recipe:2 oz Lightly-Peated Scotch0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth0.25 oz Cherry Liqueur0.25 oz Heavily-Peated Scotch3 dashes Absinthegarnish Maraschino CherryStir with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry.Music:Fever Pitch 02 by Håkan Erikssonvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in This Episode:Great King Street - Glasgow Blendhttp://bit.ly/2t5a0icCombier Rouge (Cherry Liqueur)http://bit.ly/2rbzzKnVya Sweet Vermouthhttp://bit.ly/2t1mTJyCopper & Kings Absinthe Blanchehttp://bit.ly/2pTFT8bPeat Monsterhttp://bit.ly/2sLRw3zLuxardo Maraschino Cherrieshttp://amzn.to/2mhkqEgBar Tools:Coupe Glass (4.5 oz)http://amzn.to/2tisqIIOXO Measuring Cup (2 oz)http://amzn.to/2nk5BSFBitters Dasherhttp://amzn.to/2l2IRVSBarspoonhttp://amzn.to/1FfLxB4Julep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4CozMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5
Jungle Bird - How to Make the Modern Tiki Drink with Dark Rum & Campari Distinguished Spirits 2017-06-15 | Here's how to make the modern Tiki drink the Jungle Bird, which is made with Dark Jamaican Rum, Campari, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Pineapple Juice, and optionally, a Maraschino Cherry, Lemon Wheel, Orchid and Mint for garnish. There are three standard versions of this drink, the original, the Giuseppe Gonzalez version and the Smuggler’s Cove version, where the only difference is the amount of pineapple juice. This is Smuggler's Cove version.As far as tiki drinks go, the Jungle Bird is a relatively recent addition to tiki menus. It was created in the late 1970’s, but it wasn’t really embraced by tiki bars and mixologists until the 21st century during the cocktail renaissance and the subsequent Tiki revival that we’re currently enjoying.The drink got its start in Malaysia around 1978. It was created at the Aviary Bar in the Kuala Lumpur Hilton. But the end of the 70’s was also the tail end of Tiki, a trend that began in the 30’s and exploded in popularity from the 40’s to the early 60’s. It was escapism for Americans who had survived the Great Depression, WWII and the ego inflation that was the dawn of America as a Super Power. Tiki went from one bar in Hollywood in 1934 to thousands by the 1960’s. It was a hot commodity for the G.I. Generation, but their kids, the Baby Boomers, saw it differently. It wasn’t escapism, but rather representation of the their parents burying their head in the sand, an unhealthy fantasy that keeps them clinging to a time and place that never existed.In the wake of the younger generations attitudes, the exotic drinks of Tiki culture got folded into the broader and less-defined category of “tropical” drinks. This and the corner-cutting, cost-shaving measures of using pre-made mixes and canned juices, is how the exotic drinks from Donn and Vic got folded into the batter with the Piña Colada and the Frozen Margarita and others.It was into this cocktail environment that the Jungle Bird was born, so it’s no wonder that it never really gained popularity in its own time. The drink was published in The New American Bartender’s Guide by John J. Poister in 1989. Tiki historian and founder of Latitude 29, Beachbum Berry, discovered the drink in Poister’s book and added it to his 2002 book, Intoxica.The original recipe, as reproduced by Berry, was made with 4 oz of pineapple juice. Despite this imbalance, the drink gained traction around 2010, particularly in New York. The likes of Giuseppe Gonzalez, the co-founder of Painkiller/PKNY, and Sam Ross, the inventor of the Penicillin. Gonzalez lowered the pineapple juice to 1.5 oz and made that ratio popular. Martin Cate, founder of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, raised the pineapple measurement back up to 2 oz, which I find creates the best balance of sweet, sour, funk and bitter.Cate prefers the drink with a Demerara rum, but Berry likes it with a Dark Jamaican Rum. I’m with Berry on this one, particularly with the trusty standby, Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black. It makes, not only an awesome Dr. Funk, but also a killer Jungle Bird.The mug in this one comes from Tiki Rob, a tiki mug maker from Maui. The Little Tiki Monster mug’s huge mouth is perfect for a drink with a lot of garnishes. In this case, I made the drink with the garnishes called for in the Berry recipe, only Berry also called for an Orange Wheel. So, it could’ve been even more elaborate. There’s no traditional garnish for this one, so use whatever you like best. Cate simply uses some pineapple fronds. It’s really up to you and how you like to prepare your bird. Okole Maluna!Recipe:1.5 oz Dark Rum0.75 oz Campari0.5 oz Simple Syrup0.5 oz Lime Juice 2 oz Pineapple Juicegarnish Cherry, Lemon Wheel, Orchid & Mint Sprig (optional)Add all ingredients, but garnish, 12 oz of crushed ice and 3-4 ice cubes to a shaker. Shake. Pour unstrained into Tiki Mug or Double Old Fashioned Glass. Garnish and serve with straw.Music:Quentino 15 by Stefan Netsmanvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rumhttp://bit.ly/2nEaBl0Camparihttp://bit.ly/2rP9C46Little Tiki Monster Mug by Tiki Robhttp://bit.ly/2ruxrkXSmuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Catehttp://amzn.to/2pEXt0mIntoxica by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2t54h8YMaraschino Cherrieshttp://amzn.to/2sdPAR6Purple Dendrobium Orchidshttp://amzn.to/2rmE2KhBar Tools:Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9OXO SteeL Double Jiggerhttp://amzn.to/1Mlqj8zFine Mesh Strainerhttp://amzn.to/1KDExWvOXO SteeL Cocktail Shakerhttp://amzn.to/1pJgEF0Bamboo Paper Strawshttp://amzn.to/2sw20WGFancy Toothpickhttp://amzn.to/2t8LKcbCitrus Juicer (Lime)http://amzn.to/1YKJ4u1Breville Juicerhttp://amzn.to/2srWJPZLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Barrel-Aged Negroni - How to Make and Age the Classic Cocktail & the History Behind It Distinguished Spirits 2017-06-08 | Here’s how to make this simple cocktail of Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Orange Peel for garnish. It’s famous, it’s easy to make and it’s delicious. Barrel-aging the drink changes some of the qualities of the drink. It sands down the rough edges and changes the subtleties of the flavors. It’s a great way to experience the classic. It’ll feel like it was the first time.Like a good many other classics, the Negroni’s past is a little hazy. There’s the oft repeated story of an Italian aristocrat, named Negroni, who wanted a stronger Americano, so he asked the bartender to swap out the soda water in favor of gin. This supposedly became popular and everyone wanted an American made the Negroni way. But there are different lines of the Negroni family who fight over which of their ancestors it was and, as of this moment, none of them have been able to produce any documentation to back up their claims to ancestral glory.The earliest known mention of the Negroni in print was in a newspaper in 1947 that had a blurb by Orson Welles explaining that while he was shooting Black Magic in Rome, he had been introduced to a new drink called “Negronis (sic). It’s made of gin, Italian vermouth and Compari (sic) bitters.” They spelling may have been a little off, but we got the idea.That was the first known printing of the drink being called a Negroni. However, there were several other drinks made with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth that pre-dated Welles’ mention by 20 years. They just weren’t called Negronis. There was the Za Za Cocktail from Cocktails by Piero Grandi in 1927, the Julio from 370 Recettes de Cocktails by Jean Lupoiu in 1928 and the Camparinete from Cocktails de Paris by RIP in 1929, to name a few. Those were all in French bar manuals, but were all created by different people.A possible explanation for that was provided by an Italian, Arnaldo Strucchi, 20-years earlier in his 1907 book, The Vermouth of Turin. Strucchi wrote that an Americano is called an Americano “because in the United States, it is customary to drink Vermouth mixed with bitters and gin (or whiskey).” [Translated] His use of “bitters” refers to the Italian Amari like Campari, not the bitters in a dasher bottle.So, Strucchi’s context would makes sense why different French bars would come up with combinations of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth (as well as the whiskey versions, the Boulevardier and the Old Pal), but all have different names. It’s because Americans like drinks with that combination of sweet, bitter and strong. And they were probably demanding them of their bartenders. Plus this is the time of the Lost Generation and there were a lot of American ex-pats living in France, and Europe in general. So their cocktail needs were being catered to.At some point along the line, America’s love of bitter food and drink receded. But in the last 20 years or so, bitterness has been creeping back in. Think about how bitter Starbucks’ coffee is. Then the rise of craft beer, which saw a battle for who could out-bitter one and other.Luckily, when the cocktail renaissance came rolling in, the tastemakers and bartenders advocated for the Negroni to find a status that would make Orson Welles proud. It’s simplicity, elegance and beautiful red hue, probably didn’t hurt.This is a great drink to barrel-age. It’s spirit-forward and it’s bitter. Bitter drinks are usually mellowed a bit in the barrel. It’s not enough to totally defang it, but it’s enough take the edge off. The other flavors of the Negroni can shine stronger in the barrel-aged version because the bitterness is tempered slightly. It also adds some hints of vanilla and woodiness to it. The vermouth oxidizes a bit and some earthiness is brought out from it’s hiding place in the cocktail.For a 1-liter barrel, 30-45 days works well. But that depends on how many times you’ve used the barrel, where it’s stored and , so it’s best to taste it every week or so. But I’m sure you’ll be able to handle that part of the process. Cheers!Recipe (1-Liter):340 ml (11.5 oz) Gin340 ml (11.5 oz) Campari340 ml (11.5 oz) Sweet VermouthCombine ingredients. Add to cured oak barrel. Age for 3-4 weeks. Taste occasionally. When ready, strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle.Music:Le Chat Noir 1 by Martin Landhvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!https://www.facebook.com/Distinguishe...http://instagram.com/distinguishedspi...twitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in This Episode:Astral Pacific Gin from The Spirit Guildhttp://bit.ly/2rdomLqCamparihttp://bit.ly/2rP9C46Carpano Antica (Sweet Vermouth)http://bit.ly/2pZMVZCBluegrass Barrelshttp://bit.ly/2ocrqmKhttp://amzn.to/2xCQifyBar Tools:OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Angled Measuring Cuphttp://amzn.to/2dSFdwSDouble Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/2owVAF9Barspoonhttp://amzn.to/1FfLxB4Mixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5Julep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4Coz
Fog Cutter - How to Make the Smugglers Cove Version of the Famous Tiki Cocktail Distinguished Spirits 2017-06-02 | Here's how to make the Tiki drink the Fog Cutter, which is made with Light Cuban-Style Rum, Pisco (or Brandy), Gin, Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Orgeat, Dry Sherry and Mint for garnish. This is Smuggler's Cove version, which is a marriage of Trader Vic’s recipe and Don the Beachcomber’s recipe. It creates the best and most complex version of the Fog Cutter.Tiki bars, Tiki drinks and Tiki culture all stem from Donn Beach (born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt), who founded, the first Tiki bar, Don the Beachcomber, in Hollywood just after Prohibition.The man who unwittingly helped Donn’s concept turn into a movement was Vic Bergeron, who after visiting Donn’s bar and falling in love with the idea of it, went back up to Oakland and revamped his bar to incorporate the faux-Polynesian themes captured by Donn’s bar. So Vic’s bar, Hinky Dink’s was rebranded to Trader Vic’s and Vic took the concept of Donn’s bar to The Bay Area and spiced it up with a grander sense of showmanship to it. Vic was the one who introduced the tradition of serving exotic drinks in specialized and exotic ceramic mugs and bowls.But when Vic was getting started in the Tiki game, he not only took concept from Don the Beachcomber, but he actually bought $8,000 worth of Polynesian tchotchkes and artifacts off of Donn with which to decorate his bar. Vic also tried to recreate a lot of Donn’s original exotic drinks. However, Donn wouldn’t part with the recipes, so Vic had to come up with work arounds. Donn’s famous drink, the Zombie, was remade as the Tortuga. And later, Donn’s obscure Q.B. Cooler became the world-famous Trader Vic’s Mai Tai.But despite all of the things Vic stole, the Fog Cutter was not one of them. It was Vic’s original creation and one of his three most famous drinks (the Fog Cutter, the Scorpion Bowl and the Mai Tai). The Fog Cutter’s ingredients were distinctly Vic’s. Vic liked using Lemon Juice and didn’t shy away from using spirits other than rum. Donn, by contrast, was the opposite. He preferred Lime and didn’t mess with Lemon. He also rarely embraced other spirits the way Vic did.Despite the fact that the Fog Cutter was Vic’s drink, Donn did offer a version of it on his menu. Donn’s version used gold rum, pisco and gin, whereas Vic’s original used light rum, brandy and gin. The version I like the best is the Smuggler’s Cove version, which uses a combination of both recipes (light rum, pisco and gin). It offers the most complex and exciting flavor profile for the drink.The Smuggler’s Cove version also uses dry Sherry for the float. Most recipes call for cream sherry. Vic’s original didn’t specify, either way. So the dryness of the sherry is up to you.For the gin, I like using the Astral Pacific Gin from The Spirit Guild. It’s a small craft brand of gin that uses clementines for the spirit base instead of grain. And it also uses a compelling array of botanicals including grapefruit, pink peppercorn, sage and pistachios. The qualities of the pistachios and clementines perfectly complements the citrus and almond in this drink.The Fog Cutter had a specific mug designed for it. It was a tall, hour glass-shaped mug, usually with a bikini-clad woman on it. Trader Vic’s still sells them on their website. But I got mine from Horror in Clay, a tiki mug maker that specializes in mugs with a semi-esoteric horror slant to them. This one, the Innsmouth Fogcutter mug, was inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story, the Shadow Over Innsmouth.The Fog Cutter is really easy to drink..perhaps a little too easy. Some Tiki drinks were notoriously strong and the proprietors would limit the number of these drinks that their guests could order. The Fog Cutter was one of them. Vic’s wouldn’t serve you more than two. That would probably be good advice to heed. This one can sneak up on you. Okole Maluna!Recipe:2 oz (60 ml) Light Rum1 oz (30 ml) Pisco (or Brandy for Vic’s recipe)0.5 oz (15 ml) Gin0.5 oz (15 ml) Orgeat1.5 oz (45 ml) Lemon Juice 1.5 oz (45 ml) Orange Juicefloat 0.5 oz (15 ml) Dry Sherry (Oloroso recommended)garnish Mint SprigAdd all ingredients, but Sherry and mint, 12 oz (350 ml) of crushed ice and 3-4 ice cubes to a shaker. Shake. Pour unstrained into Tiki Mug or Pilsner Glass. Float Sherry. Garnish with Mint. Serve with straw and stir stick.Music:A Mysterious Presence 4 by Håkan Eriksson via Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Caña Brava 3 Year Rumhttp://bit.ly/2rHr8tQEncanto Moscatel Piscohttp://bit.ly/2qIEnpkAstral Pacific Ginhttp://bit.ly/2rdomLqInnsmouth Fogcutter Tiki Mug by Horror in Clayhttp://bit.ly/2qCOXTJSmuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Catehttp://amzn.to/2pEXt0mPotions of the Caribbean by Jeff “Beachbum” Berryhttp://amzn.to/2rdHc57Bar Tools:Citrus Juicer (Orange)http://amzn.to/2sgBZYQLewis Bag & Ice Mallethttp://amzn.to/2nz12CK
Bloody Mary (aka Red Snapper) - Learn All the History & How to Make the Classic Brunch Drink Distinguished Spirits 2017-05-20 | Learn how to make a Bloody Mary (aka Red Snapper) worthy of being called a James Bond cocktail using the Simon Ford recipe with Aylesbury Duck Vodka (of course), Tomato Juice, freshly-squeezed Lemon Juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire, Salt & Pepper and a Dry Sherry float. The series, Cocktails and Pussy Galore, shows you how to drink like 007 using the Ian Fleming books (not the movies) as the source.The Bloody Mary is one of the most famous drinks in the world. As usual with a drink this famous, the precise origin of it is a little murky. There are a lot of claims to it's authorship, but as Brian Bartels lays out in his book, The Bloody Mary, the most likely of those stories is the following.In the 1800's there was a drink called the Oyster Cocktail that was designed as something to start your day, which was made with an oyster, tomato, lemon, (sometimes) Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt, pepper, sometimes horseradish, in other words, the baseline flavors for a what would become the Bloody Mary. Then in 1917, at the French Lick Springs Hotel in French Lick, Indiana, they began serving freshly-squeezed tomato juice to their guests. It was a big hit and inspired two men, in particular, Ernest Byfield and George Jessel.Byfield was a restaurateur and hotelier from Chicago who, after discovering tomato juice at French Lick, started to manufacture, bottle and sell tomato juice commercially. Then, much later, in the 1960's, after the Bloody Mary had established itself, it was one of Byfield's restaurants that plopped a celery stalk in the drink when it ran out of stir sticks, which became the drink's iconic garnish.Back in the late 1920's George Jessel also fell in love with French Lick's tomato juice. He claims he invented the Bloody Mary near the end of the Roaring 20's and named it after his friend, Mary Brown Warburton, who after sampling the drink, spilled some on her chest and declared, "Now you can call me bloody Mary, George." The whole story was recounted in Jessel's autobiography, The World I Lived In!, so feel free to take that particular incident with a grain of celery salt.Just after Prohibition, Fernand "Pete" Petiot also claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary. In the 20's, Petiot was a bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris. In 1934, he set up shop at the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel in New York. In 1935, Vincent Astor bought the hotel. He liked the Bloody Mary and wanted it on his menu, but thought the name inappropriate for the finest hotel in New York, so the drink became known as the Red Snapper. And it was the St. Regis that helped make the drink famous.Jessel and Petiot both contended that each was the originator of the drink. However, in 1964, Petiot admitted that Jessel created the drink, but that Petiot made it the drink everyone knew. Jessel's drink was a simple 1:1 vodka to tomato juice cocktail (and sometimes he added a dash of Pernod). It was Petiot who took that concept and dressed it up with lemon, Worcestershire and spices, a la the Oyster Cocktail, to create the Bloody Mary.That's the most plausible story. It may not be perfect, but it's probably the closest we're going to get to how this drink came to be.There is not really a standard recipe. They all more or less contain, tomato juice, spices, Worcestershire and Vodka, but even that's not a certainty. And don't get me started on the one-upmanship with the garnish. But the recipe I like the best come from Simon Ford. It's really close to the St. Regis recipe, only it adds a masterful layer of complexity with the Dry Sherry. Ford calls for Fino, but I like it with Manzanilla. Use whatever Dry Sherry you have...or not. It's optional.James Bond never actually drank a Bloody Mary in the books, but in Thunderball, Domino Vitalli, the bond girl, ordered a double Bloody Mary with plenty of Worcester sauce. Then shocked and impressed by Bond by referring to it as a "soft drink." Maybe she's right, it's how you get away with drinking these things for breakfast. Cheers!Recipe:1.5 oz vodka 3 oz tomato juice 0.5 oz lemon juice 4 dashes tabasco sauce2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 0.25 oz float Fino Sherry (optional)pinch Salt & Peppergarnish Celery StalkRoll all ingredients except sherry with ice. Strain over ice in a Collins glass. Float Sherry. Garnish celery...and whatever else you want.Music:Until the World Ends (Instrumental Version) by Martin Carlbergvia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in this Episode:Aylesbury Duck Vodkahttp://bit.ly/2qDYdFMLustau Sherryhttp://bit.ly/2qBb3UMTomato Juicehttp://amzn.to/2rBMUvZTabascohttp://amzn.to/2rBHlgPWorcestershirehttp://amzn.to/2q36L63The Bloody Mary by Brian Bartelshttp://amzn.to/2q3gGbLThunderball by Ian Fleminghttp://amzn.to/2qBpcS4
Scotch Lodge - How to Make the Whisky Drink Inspired by Twin Peaks Distinguished Spirits 2017-05-13 | This modern cocktail is made with a smoky Scotch Whisky, Cynar, Punt e Mes (Sweet Vermouth), Cherry Liqueur, Orange Bitters and an Orange twist. This peaty, bitter, sweet and citrusy cocktail was created by Tommy Klus, a Portland-area bartender and whisk(e)y expert.The drink was a riff on an earlier drink Klus created called the Black Lodge, which was named after the creepy, netherworld as experienced mostly through the eyes of Special Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks. The Black Lodge was a the same as the Scotch Lodge only the base spirit was overproof Rye Whiskey instead of smoky Scotch whisky. The Black Lodge started off as a play on a Manhattan. You can definitely taste the similarity, although, it metamorphosed into a kind of a mutant Boulevardier. This was created around 2011-2012. It was instantly a success and became a hot ticket item on Klus' menu. It was also featured as Gaz Regan's best drinks of 2012 (http://bit.ly/2qcylA6). However, within the next year, Rye Whiskey started to become pretty scarce, particularly the overproof Ryes that Klus was using in his drink (he first made it with Rittenhouse, then switched to Wild Turkey 101).Rye Whiskey was a category that was destroyed mostly by Prohibition. It was left virtually unknown for decades. Then it was rediscovered by taste makers like David Wondrich and Ted Haigh, as well as craft bartenders that were starting to emerge. The demand shot through the roof and with supplies struggling to keep up, it became harder and harder to find a lot of Ryes. (Places like LDI, stepped in and hundreds of Rye brands popped up overnight to fill the gap.) But for Klus, only overproof Rye would do, so he took the drink off the menu. Still wanting to keep the flavors alive, he started playing around with other whisk(e)ys. Soon enough he found the perfect combination for the second coming of the Lodge. He tinkered with a lot of Islays and finally settled on Bowmore.Klus' choice of Sweet Vermouth, Punt e Mes, is pretty unique among Sweet Vermouths. Along with the sweet, baking spice notes of a Sweet Vermouth, Punt e Mes has a slight bitter note. It's excellent in this drink, but if you want to use another Sweet Vermouth, the drink will still work. In that case, I'd suggest adding another barspoon of Cynar to the drink to make up for the lost bitterness.The cherry liqueur is also up to you. Feel free to use your favorite, but Klus recommends Combier Rouge and for me, it's become my favorite cherry liqueur. The recipe dates back to the early 1600's. And it's excellent. (By the way, this is not the same thing as Maraschino liqueur.)I tried it with several different smoky Scotches as well, but I landed on Benromach Peat Smoke. It's not an Islay. It's a Speyside. These days it's rare to have a smoky Speyside, but it used to be more commonplace and it's a characteristic that Benromach has to some degree in most of its expressions. All that being said, use your favorite smoky Scotch. Whatever it is, you won't be disappointed. This drink is so complex and so exciting. It's sweet, bitter, smoky, with a touch of citrus. As soon as I tried it, I knew it was going to be one of my new favorites. I'm sure you'll agree. Enjoy!Recipe:1.5 oz Smoky Scotch0.5 oz Cynar0.5 oz Cherry Liqueur0.5 oz Punt e Mes (Sweet Vermouth)1 dash Orange Bittersgarnish Orange TwistStir with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over large hunk of ice. Garnish with orange twist.Music:Do You Really Wanna Be In Love (Instrumental Version) by Friggavia Epidemic SoundFollow Us!facebook.com/DistinguishedSpiritshttp://instagram.com/distinguishedspiritstwitter.com/DistinguishedSphttp://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSpFeatured in This Episode:Benromach Peat Smokehttp://bit.ly/2rbuYYFCynarhttp://bit.ly/2pHKeeHCombier Rouge (Cherry Liqueur)http://bit.ly/2rbzzKnPunt e Mes (Sweet Vermouth)http://bit.ly/2pu9Sb4Fee Bros Orange Bittershttp://amzn.to/2r30hYHBar Tools:Godinger Dublin Double Old Fashioned Glasshttp://amzn.to/1FT6LJUOXO Measuring Cup (2 oz)http://amzn.to/2nk5BSFBarspoonhttp://amzn.to/1FfLxB4Vegetable Peelerhttp://amzn.to/1AA2s69Julep Strainerhttp://amzn.to/2lg4CozMixing Glasshttp://amzn.to/2lilEC5
