EMBURY COCKTAILS

Drink It This Weekend: Jason Cousin's "Margherita"

I recently helped judge the New York finals of a Plymouth competition, along with Gary "Mr. Cool" Regan, Noath Rothbaum of Liquor.com, Stanislav Vladna and Plymouth's uncommonly well-dressed Nick Van Tiel. The sartorial prowess of this panel was nearly as daunting as their cocktail savvy, but I busted out my silver/blue Joseph Abboud suit and my brown leather $10 Yves Saint Laurent thrift store shoes and was able to make myself reasonably presentable. Some fine cocktail were shaken up that evening, but the clear winner was from Jason Cousin of Brooklyn's Meatball Shop.  "The Margherita" is an improbable salad-in-a-glass that lingered in the mind's palette for days. Bearing some resemblance to Scott Beattie's vodka-based "Upstairs Neighbor", this "Margherita" pulls classic Italian food elements--basil, tomatoes & balsamic vinegar-and fuses them with citrus and gin for an unexpectedly subtle tall cocktail that's incredibly summery. And so out-of-the-blue that it should catch anyone you make it for way, way off guard, and subsequently delight the hell out of them. Once you make the basil-peppercorn syrup production is relatively simple, and with a little prep you can bang out a few of these at a barbeque or at the beach with minimal effort, and maximum joy.

THE MARGHERITA

1.5 oz Plymouth Gin
.75 oz lemon juice
.75 oz basil-peppercorn syrup
1 barspoon balsamic vinegar
3 plum tomatoes (1 for garnish)
3 large basil leaves (1 for garnish)
Club soda
Ground black pepper

Muddle 2 tomatoes and 2 basil leaves in the basil-peppercorn syrup in a mixing glass. Add all other ingredients, shake and double strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Top with 2 oz of club soda and garnish with a basil tomato flag and ground black pepper.

BASIL PEPPERCORN SYRUP

1 Cup water

1 Cup sugar

10 Cracked black peppercorn

5 Basil leaves

 

PREPARATION:
Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the peppercorns and basil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and strain. Store in the refrigerator.

Cousins, in the "shaking and be judged" portion of the competition. Intimidating judges, too.

Nick Van Tiel, so well-dressed it borders on the rude. Look at that watch! There's a small list of brand ambassadors who really rock the suits--Paul Franich, formerly of 42 Below, is one (and he rocks the non-suit too) and Raj Nagra of Bacardi come to mind, but Van Tiel's a new contender in this ambassadorial bespoke fashion promenade of swagger. They might be discussing some arcane aspect of spirit production or the nuances of a cocktail, but you find yourself staring resentfully at their shoes, or cufflinks, or their windsor knot.  

Go Greek.

My piece for OUT on Greek wines is online now. It was a subject I knew almost nothing about two weeks before I filed the story and so huge thanks go to my friend from Beth von Benz of MVB Consulting who really introduced me to the category and many of the players and Greek winemakers who are doing some pretty magical stuff. I asked Beth for some recommendations for Embury and she was gracious enough to contribute the suggestions below, which pleases me immensely. These are fantastic and approachable summer wines--it's my aim to make greek wines big this summer. Get into it.

1-Thalassitis, Gaia Wines (Santorini) 2011 is the best Greek wine I have tasted this vintage. It’s a pure example of the overused word “terroir” with beautiful defined fruit flavors and zingy lime rind mixed with vibrant acidity in the finish.

If I were to choose one Greek wine, this would be it, hands down in this vintage. A wonderful example of old and new world blending in a balanced style that would appeal to all, especially in the summertime. 

2-Robola of Cephalonia, Gentilini 2011

Here is a wine from the Robola grape, grown on the Island of Cephalonia (west side of Greece just below Corfu in the Ionian sea) with the most amazing views of any vineyard I have ever visited! The Gentilini family has long time family roots on this island and Italian heritage, hence the name. This wine is fresh, with flavors of apple and kiwi with hints of almond blossom and citrus in the long refreshing finish. Great sipping aperitif wine on the porch or for a summer BBQ

3-Akakies rose, Kir-Yianni (Amyndeon) 2011

Mouth watering rose made from Xynomavro grapes (pronounced zino-mavro) grown in the northwest of mainland Greece in an area famous to quality rose producing, Amyndeon. This rose is bright pink colored and bold flavors of red berries, watermelon, rhubarb with zesty citrus rind and a bright finish. Vibrant style, refreshing and delicious! Akakies means acacia in Greek, there are many acacia trees in this vineyard.

Beth von Benz of MVB Consulting

 

Saturday Special: Saxon + Parole's Pimm's Cup

This all-day sipper comes from Naren Young of Saxon + Parole . The pleasures of enjoying this fresh, fruit-laden mellow concoction whilst sitting in the outside dining area as cabs crawl past down the Bowery can't be understated. And it's perfectly simple to make at home--and malleable, as it's construction is by nature eclectic and personal. Whatever fresh fruit is available and looks good belongs in a Pimm's Cup. Here's Naren's recipe, cued towards the personal serving. I recommend going for the pitcher.

SAXON + PAROLE'S PIMM'S CUP

1.5 oz. Pimm's

1/2 oz. Pierre Ferrand Orange Curaçao

1/2 oz. Hendrick's Gin

Dash lemon juice

Top with Fever Tree Bitter Lemon, garnish with reckless abandon.

Looks like Naren's garnishes for this one include cucumber, raspebrry, orange and a slender stalk of lavender, a nicely British touch.

SAXON + PAROLE, 316 Bowery at Bleecker, 212.254.0530

Plumeria Champagne Cocktail

In Key West a couple weeks ago for my good friends Arlo & Ashley's wedding celebration, I concocted some drinks for the reception(with the considerable assistance of Jolly Benson, a local raconteur, flaneur and culinary badass). One was a very dry, very lime-y daiquiri with simple syrup, fresh lime juice and Ron Zacapa Centenario 23. I'd infused some water with plumeria blossoms and we added a drop to the top of the daiquiri to give it that floral nose--a nice flourish, but in all honesty a little ephemeral, the flower water added something nice if not pronounced and you may not have noticed its absence. Drink was a hit regardless and we ran through about 200 of them in an hour, and then we were out. However, later in the evening one of the ace bartenders who worked the party, Jenn Stefanacci, started making champagne cocktails with the water: white sugar (all we had on hand), Francois Montand, and a healthy dropper full (we used bitters droppers) of the plumeria water. The infusion process had turned some magical corner in the 4 hours since we first used it (total infusion time: 16 hours) and was markedly more intense--rapturously so. At one point, around 3:00 a.m or so, Arlo was assembling about 20 plastic champagne cups to distribute this new creation to guests, and one of my favorite images of the evening was Ashley basically chugging plumeria water from the jar. Try this at home. Photos from the evening by  Nick Doll, the man you want to go to if you get married in Key West.

Yes, that is a ukele in Ashley's hands. And a plumeria lei on Arlo, made by my dad, with flowers from a tree in our front yard.

We served Seelbachs as well. Georgia presented these to the bride & groom in family heirloom crystal champagne glasses.

The Right Bourbon For The Julep

My piece on how various bourbons produce markedly different qualities in Mint Juleps is online at OUT here. Many thanks to Seth Thompson of The Bourbon Review for his excellent suggestions and guidance. 

Many thanks also to Chad & Ashley Mumm, who hosted a Julep Taste-Off at their East Village apartment, all in the name of research. Lots and lots of research. Every year I'm surprised anew by just how potent Juleps are, and this year was no exception. It was a great afternoon party--Juleps have a way of igniting the party's fuse in short order.

A tip of the hat to Derby headgear.

The Tom Collins: Built Ford Tough

Above, Pernod Ricard's Cocktail Ninja Simon Ford with a copy of "The Ambassadors", gamely going along with a photo project I've been working on for a couple years now. I'm trying to to get all the brand ambassadors I come across to pose with the Henry James book. (Side project: actually finish the book.) Ford's got a pleasing combination of heavy-duty cocktail erudition coupled with an insolent, even slightly punk irreverence. Sort of a smart-ass schoolboy who skips class, but aces the test anyway. And a great laugh, as you'll see at the end of this Tom Collins how-to.

The Naming Of The Drink

In an era of unparalled experimentation and invention in cocktails the need for new, fresh names can add a thrilling additional layer to the creative act. Coming up with that perfect title can bring the whole project together, capping it off with a pretty verbal bow, le mot juste--or it can induce mindlock and inertia. Most bartenders probably experience both side of the naming coin, with it coming easily in one instance and then not coming at all in another. I recently tasted something really lovely and uncommon, a marriage of El Buho mezcal, tangerine, chamomile grappa, citrus and thyme. Jonathan DeLeon of the Lower East Side's Piedmont-style Italian spot Sorella had come up with a few winners in the short time I've known him, often involving unexpected, seeminlgy improbable combinations. He seems to have his own palate and picks some odd flavors on the color wheel of herbs and spirits that you'd never noticed before, but are pleased to have found in his cocktails. Naming the things, however, is not his strong suit. Perhaps that's in keeping with his off-the-beaten-path cocktails--it can be hard to put a name to a new construct.  But this cocktail wound up involving 5 people in a periptatic sequence of half-hearted brainstorming sessions, reluctant emails, listless conversations, most of which ended in a semi-satisfied detente of sorts, a "good enough" name. I'm not sure every cocktail needs its own name. But this one really defied any resolution.

When Jonathan first made it for me a couple weeks ago they were just calling it a "Mexcal, tangerine and thyme cocktail", which may still be the best name. It turned out that the mezcal was actually the very, very new one that my friend Redford was involved in making and importing, and given that less than 50 preview bottles were circulating around New York City it felt like a pretty big and very cool coincidence . (El Buho will be available April 2nd through Faropian, more on the subtle, 89 proof mezcal shortly.) 

Various iterations of the name include, but are not limited to: Mezcal T Thyme (from Sorella partner Sarah Krathen), El Buho Nido (The Owl's Nest) from Embury cohort Jason Schell, but that somehow didn't land, either. As fitting as it was a bird's nest isn't necessarily something you want to drink.

Then I had a cinematic brainwave and decided to insert myself into the equation, which doubtless only added to the confusion. The tangerine juice made me think of Kate Winslet's compulsive hair-dyer in "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind", and  the scene where she runs in to the bedroom and jumps on Jim Carrey with freshly tangerine-d hair. The unmoored quality of the film seemed apropos to this drink without a clear antecedent, but Winslet's character's name, Klementine Krucynski, seemed unwieldy to Jonathan, and he was probably correct. Still, fun idea. 

 

The Tango Thyme was in play for a minute, followed by a brief flirtation with Tango Mezzo Forte. Then, moments before press time a note from Jonathtan showed up in my inbox. "Disregard all previous emails. "A Tango And A Smoke" is my pick." So, without further ado: 

A TANGO AND A SMOKE

1 oz El Buho Mezcal
1oz Montanaro chamomile grappa
2.5 thyme twigs, leaves pulled off into drink mixture
1.5 oz tangerine juice
1/4 oz ginger syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice

Shake well, strain over fresh ice, top with club soda and a few thyme leaves. 

And depsite being quiten taken with the cocktail, somehow I'm still not completely sold on the name. Once you open that Pandora's Box, it can be hard to close. J.R.

 Sorella

El Buho Mezcal 

Jonathan behind the wheel. You might not know that the quietly luxurious small-bites & wine bar Sorella even rocks cocktails, but don't overlook them.

El Buho arrives....

Jameson Laborers' Nicknames Provide A Wealth Of Cocktail Name Possibilities

Above, an illuminated cutaway of a whiskey barrel at Bow Street.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day I thought I'd dust off this little gold mine of brilliant nickames I came across while visiting Jameson's Bow Street Distillery in Dublin, a facility dating back to 1780. (The modern distillery is across the Isle, in County Cork). As the coopers, distilllers and other laborers were historically positions passed on from father to son, the preponderance of Joyces, Keanes & McCarthys led the crew to make nicknames universal and compulsory. You got one shortly after starting work, after you'd been properly sized up, and aftwewards you were never referred to by any other name. The cheekiness of these nicknames reveal a pretty wicked  collective sense of humor; "Gorgeous Gus", "Gamebird", "Philosopher" "Jellybelly"  and "Snow White"* are some of my personal favorites. But I think these names could serve another purpose--as great monikers for cocktails--ideally featuring the Irish whiskey, obviously. Naming cocktails is a realm where some find a fun challenge, and others find only dread and creative stalemate. Let the smartasses of history do some naming legwork for you. I've typed a partial list below, and by clicking on this blow-up of the nickname manifest you should be able to see them all. Sláinte!

 

Partial list:

The Laughing Cavalier

Lump

Manchester

Duckegg

Ducky Woman

Looney

Ya Ya

Chinstrap

Cock

General 

Nizzler

Snow White

Greenskin

Daddy

Shaky

Scrapper

Gew Gaw

Harpo

Little Rowdy

Jibber 

Flop 

Hump

Banjo

Lippy

Swank 

Fourty Ten

Forty Elleve

Misere

and, of course:

 

Twitterdick.

 

 

A Civilized Alternative To Countless Pints On St. Patrick's Day: Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve

(Note: This post was originally published on newnownext.com, the online side on the Logo network. When I first tasted the Black Barrel my instant reaction was: gateway Irish whiskey for the unitiated and the second thought was: I could see this bracing iteration of Jameson landing with the gays. Thus, the open shirt come-on of the photo (below) I shot for the piece. But rest assured: all are welcome to enjoy this fine spirit. J.R.)

Irish Whiskey has fallen off in popularity in the last couple generations in the U.S. but as drinkers' palates get more sophisticated and complex subtleties are starting to come back into the forefront of sprits (see: mezcal, pisco) the category is swiftly coming back into vogue. One bold new expression of a classic should further hasten that return. From the gold standard of Irish whiskies, Jameson, comes a subtle, restrained new iteration that falls well below the aged versions in terms of price, but holds up beautifully on flavor profile.  Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve is made from a combination of rare grain whiskies and pot still malted and unmalted whiskies, and aged in sherry & bourbon casks for an average of 12 years (as opposed to standard Jameson's 7), Then a team of distillers blends them in a wickedly tasty ratio that has the sock in the jaw you expect from Irish whiskies, but without the more maltly, almost syrup-y quality of Jameson. Where Jameson has a green apple sweetness the Black Barrel goes more autumnal, with notes of vanilla, toasted oak and stone fruit, set off by a touch of welcome spice and heat that gives each sip a complex and evolving arc. Bracing and supple, this sipper may just be the gateway Irish whiskey that seduces you.

Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve is only available in New York right now but will be rolling out to other markets in the months to come. It clocks in at about $44, and it can be ordered from Astor Wine & Spirits. J.R.

Key West Literary Seminar (& Cocktails) Finale: Volunteer Bloody Marys.

The schedule for the final day of the Seminar, including Bloody Mary time. Fun to be on the same line-up as Margaret Atwood, Jonathan Lethem and Billy Collins.

In the midst of the marathon of parties for the this year's KWLS Media Director Arlo Haskell reminded me of a tradition where the Seminar's volunteers all have Bloody Marys on the final afternoon of the session. I had no recollection of this from years prior, and I'm still not convinced it wasn't something he just made and somehow manipulated me into helping out--which I respect, if so. And while you can get a damn fine Bloody Mary at the Green Parrot a block away from the San Carlos Institute where the Seminar is held, Arlo pretty much insisted I take care of this last round of the week. After 3 nights of making cocktails for hundreds of guests I was a bit weary and not very inspired to create something amazing--but I had plenty of fixins, to say the least. With Bloody Marys I'm always taking a cue from Alberta Straub's 4-part video series on how to make her elaborate and delicious version, and while I didn't have time to do all the infusing and witchcraft she busts out I did have a lot of elements that she favors, which I knew would be a good foundation. So I threw a bunch of ingredients into a box, including several bottles of leftover citrus-infused Kettel One, and from the Neurogibson the pickled green onions and the pickling juice. In addition I pulled a big piece of ginger, some sliced and lightly pickled serrano peppers, white pepper, Tabasco, Worcestershire, good horseradish, and an assortment of bitters, both the indespensible Bitter Truth Travelers Set & Brooklyn Hemispherical Sriracha Bitters. Somehow I managed to get all this balanced on a bike and safely delivered to volunteer HQ.

There I did the best you can do when inspiration fails you--delegate. Mike Cook is a writer & bartender who's been on staff at the Seminar a couple times, and when I showed up with my kit I told him, "you're in charge" and left him to his own mixing devices.

A month or so later I entreated Mike to recall the recipe, below are his notes. 

Let's see if I can remember what I did for the Bloodies. I started
with the V8 juice, then added that smashed garlic. Next I added a lot
of horseradish. Three or four tablespoons for the pitcher.
Worchestershire sauce and hot sauce next. There was something else as
well.... ah yes, white pepper. I put probably a table spoon of that
in. I think that was it.

As various weary volunteers wandered through the room I watched them revive almost instantly upon sipping a Volunteer Marys. I encouraged everyone to play with bitters in theirs--Sriracha sort of writes itself, but the Bitter Truth Celery Bitters really made Jolly Benson's Bloody Mary stand out. You get that tradeamark celery salt vegetal bite without that sodium. With all the ingredients left out folks could tinker and adjust their own according to their inclinations. I think we got everyon back on track for that final afternoon.

KWLS Stage Manager (and Embury Little Brother) Ian Rowan with Arlo Haskell.

Lighting Director Julian "Jolly" Benson.

The Seminar couldn't exist without a massive volunteer effort, from the folks who work the door adn clean up the auditorium between sessions, to the social networking and blogging team, to the board members who put time in year round. I couldn't have presented as well-coordinated a cocktail front without some indespensible volunteers, myself, so many thanks to Erin Kelly, Aimee McNally, Che Bastien, Richard Congdon, and board member Nancy Klingener whose kitchen was annexed for the duration with my experimentations and preparations, and who chaffeured Team Embury to events and made sure to get us home in one piece. Eventually.

And finally, as we sat in the volunteers' lounge my fatigued eyes drifted across the titles of the books on the wall--and lit upon one called Bloody Mary, which in our collective punch-drunk state we took as some sort of pleasingly ominous sign or affirmation.