We've noted the current female affection for sabrage amongst the bartending world before. And we're quite fond of the micro trend. There's something about a woman wielding a long knife, sabre or sword to open a bottle of champagne that's rather cinematic, and a little mesmerizing. Witnesses tend to fall mute when it's happening, charmed by the sight.
Below, 3 videos that break down how and why this startling bottle opening technique works, and how to do it, and with verve. First up is definitely Sven Almenning from Eau de Vie, who, while cleary not female, does refer to the viewer as "kittens." Next are 2 videos of Lauren Kincheloe of Bar Marmont, and a frequent Embury collaborator. In the first clip she explains to a slightly dumbstruck young friend how the science works, and in the second she demonstrates. In a hot tub, in a bikini. Just in case you weren't paying attention already. [Second 2 videos seem to not be showing up on some browsers due to some glitch, try reloading a couple times but if that doesn't work check them out on YouTube. Kincheloe 1, Kincheloe 2.]
In a selection from Eau de Vie's video series, Philip Gandevia demonstrates the bar's exacting and complex approach to the Dry Martini empying Tanqueray 10. I had one myself directly from the good doctor's hands and it was sublime, perfectly chilled and bone-dry without being ascetic or dull (thanks in part to the use of a vintage vermouth dropper dispensing a "Montogomery") . The D.I.Y. garnishes are engaging, while the presentation is elegant and unexpected.
My piece on cocktail bitters for Out magazine is up at Out.com here with lots of killer recipes from some of my favorite ace bartenders, most of whom we've featured here on Embury before. My original intro for the piece was a bit too long and the bits about the history of bitters were cut for space. Below is the original draft of the piece, but do head over to Out.com for lots of bitters extras, including 9 recipes in which bitters play an integral part.
Along with the global rebirth and reinvention of the craft cocktail over the past twenty years, revivals of classic cocktail bitters and a host of new bitters are amplifying layer to this drinking revolution, one that fuses historical arts with cuisine sophistication. Bitters can add a crucial additional layer, or layers, to a flavor profile of a drink without significantly altering it’s basic make-up, transforming it from flat to dynamic, from plain to bewitchingly complex and lively with just a few dashes; they are a highly effective flavor delivery system. They're often called the salt and pepper of cocktailing, but they can be even more: an incredibly well-stocked spice rack for the bar.
Bitters, essentially, are complex blends of roots and herbs mascerated in high proof spirits and then filtered, leaving a sediment-free (generally) dark distillate, rich with vegetal and herbal flavors and aromas.Their origins date back as the 1600s, when hundreds of varieties of bitters were made and used across Europe as very old school DIY homeopathic remedies, employing the epoch’s profound understanding of roots’ and herbs’ medicinal qualities. They first crossed over from the medicinal to the recreational around 1806, when some clever fellow, in a brilliant bit of re-purposing, realized that the intense flavors of bitters could not only mask the flavor of dubious-tasting spirits, but could make something quite new and delicious, with the addition of just a few dashes of the flavor-rich potions. The earliest definition of a cocktail from 1806 actually describes a combination of spirits, water, sugar and bitters. Over the centuries bitters have ebbed and flowed in cocktailing, falling to the wayside after Prohibition. For decades the old reliable Angostura Bitters were about the only kind you could find, but a new wave of inventive and surprising artisanal bitters are afoot, both commercially and privately, as a wave of mad scientist-style creativity taking place in bartenders’ kitchens and garages across the world. J.R.
And here are a couple videos featuring 2 of the 9 recipes in the article.
The weather was erratic in Key West over the 4 days of the Literary Seminar this year, ranging from bizarrely cool, wet and blustery on Saturday to a typical sunny January day with a high in the low 70s on Friday. This was fortunate as the drink I'd planned for then was the beguiling citrus and gin number, The Bennett, a perfect warm weather choice (although I've had 'em in the dead of winter with no ill effect.) We were stationed on the second floor of the historical building where the Seminar is held, the San Carlos Institute, a beautiful 1924 structure whose design echoes many elements of Cuban architecture--the Institute was founded by expatriates led by Jose Marti in 1871. We anticipated about 100 guest for that evening's party and so batched up a large quantity, expanding from the original recipe:
Shake and pour over ice into a rocks glass, or strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice.
We expanded this pretty massively, working from the basis that a 1 liter bottle equals 33 ounces, which means one bottle contains 22 1 1/2 ounce servings. Thus was born:
THE BENNETT PUNCH
4 liters Hendrick's Gin 2 liters fresh lime juice (fresh is key--if you don't have a juice, try a local juice bar and arrange to purchase the necessary quantity of juice from them.) 2 liters simple syrup (we started with Demerara sugar which brought a nice base note that anchored the high citrus element)
We batched the whole thing in a large container, then shook each one to
order, which added some necessary ice and water into the mix. We
strained into plastic cups garnished with cucumber slices, and as a
finishing touch hit each one with a couple drops of Gary Regan's Orange
Bitters #5 as we served each drink, which brought that orange, cardamom flavor right to the
nose on the first sip.
A couple things I learned: you can't ever have enough of a punch, for if it's tasty enough someone will invariably come back looking for more, and also that 8 ounce plastic cups fall over under the weight of cucumber garnishes. Otherwise, armed with this info, you're ready to make this one for your next party--it's light, refreshing, and not too potent, but the citrus, sugar and general delightfulness of it gets guests happy fast.
Here's Jim Ryan of Hendrick's explaining how to make a single Bennett:
I was on on a shoot with Chase Jarvis for Switched.com this afternoon where he talked about how to make the most of the low-fi camera on the iPhone. If you don't have Jarvis' essential iPhone camera app "The Best Camera" you should get it now---all will be beautifully revealed when you go to the thebestcamera.com. The hard working--and to hear him tell it, admirably hard partying--photographer shared his love of the New Zealand vodka 42 Below with me. When he mentioned he'd created a cocktail with the 42 Below Feijoa called "The Possum Hunt", I asked him to explain how to make it, and shot it on my iPhone. J.R.
THE POSSUM HUNT
Double shot of 42 Below Feijoa over lots of rocks. Top with a mere splash of soda. Double squeeze of lemon. Get huntin'.
I've got a short write-up over at VMan.com about Rogue Cocktails, Cure and Kirk Estopinal- -we'll have a clip of Kirk making on of these Rogue concoctions here Friday. Above, Kirk's "Search for Delicious", an exquisite oddity that employs Cynar, the Italian apertif with a prevailing artichoke flavor, as its base. And over at Out.com my piece on Summer Punches has just come online, with 7 extra recipes, including ones from our regulars Dan Warner, Jim Ryan (It finally occured to me to ask for a punch version of the Carte Blanche instead of winging it, as I had been doing) and our girl Eryn Reece, featuring her Beefeater 24 number, The Desmond--check out Chad Mumm's short of her making the punch here if you haven't already. J.R.
[Link to iPhone-friendly YouTube version of this clip] Dan Warner walks us through his 24 Martini, casting Lillet Blanc in the vermouth role to pick up the grapefruit botanical in the Beefeater 24. Gary Regan's Orange Bitters # 5 and a substantial grapefruit twist bring it home.
THE 24 MARTINI
5 parts Beefeater 24
1 part Lillet Blanc
3 dashes Gary Regan's Orange Bitters #5
Add ice, then stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grapefruit strip.
Special Thanks to Audrey Saunders for inviting us to film at Pegu Club.
(iPhone-friendly YouTube version of the above clip here.) Embury caught up with Beefeater Brand Ambassador Dan Warner and asked him to show us how to make the perfect gin & tonic. I'm always surprised when I see a proper British version being made--there's considerably less gin than in many Americans' heavy pour. This is a much more reasonable ratio for long, hot afternoons. Dan made the G & T with Beefeater 24, the subtle, quite delightful new gin from master distiller Desmond Payne. More from Dan on what makes 24 so distinct, and the surprising ingredients Mr. Payne was inspired by, next Wednesday.
24 & TONIC
Garnish a highball glass with a thin middle slice of orange, lime, and lemon Fill glass with ice Add 1 1/2 oz Beefeater 24 Top with Fever Tree tonic, stir
Mark Buettler from Dressler again, this time with a brilliant cocktail that he created. A riff on the Perfect Manhattan, this one using bourbon (hence the Louis-ville), organic honey syrup and the elusive celery bitters. Quite possibly the best new cocktail I've tasted in the past year. Mark makes his own celery bitters from scratch, but Bitter Truth does them, which makes preparation considerably simpler-although it does help if you read German for ordering them online. The fellas at Brooklyn Barmen have 'em, and no German required.
PERFECT LOUIS (By Mark Buettler)
1 oz Bourbon (Mark prefers Old Forresters) 1 oz Dry Vermouth 1 oz Sweet Vermouth 1/2 oz White Honey syrup (equal parts white honey and hot water)
2 dashes Angustora bitters 2 dashes Celery bitters Stir 30-35 times, Strain up, No garnish
