A Muddled Thought

Summer has finally arrived! Why not celebrate the glorious weather by hosting a fabulous fiesta right in the comfort of your own home? Partida makes it easy with the Partida Margarita Fiesta Kit. Each week Partida Tequila, ranked one of the top 5 spirits of 2009, will be giving away a handsome tote bag filled with cocktail accessories to help you create your very own signature Partida Margarita.

Entering is as easy as sipping a glass of Partida Tequila.
http://www.partidamargarita.com/fiestakit/

Each week until Mexican Independence Day (September 16th), a name will be chosen from a random drawing. One weekly winner will receive the Partida Margarita Fiesta kit valued at $150, which includes the following:

1 Handsome Partida Tote Bag
1 Stylish T-Shirt
2 Old Fashion Glasses
1 Cocktail Shaker & Strainer
1 Bottle of 100% Organic Agave Nectar
1 Lime Squeezer
1 Cocktail Recipe Booklet
5 Partida Margarita Buttons
(Contest valid only in California, Florida, New York, and Texas)

For select winners, a member of the renowned Partida Bartender Ambassadors group will visit the winner’s home to mix cocktails and demonstrate how to make the best Partida Margarita. “With home entertaining at an all-time high, this contest is a great way for consumers to make their own Partida tequila cocktails and try their hand at making the delicious, all-natural Partida Margarita,” said Gary Shansby, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Partida Tequila.

The recipe for the Partida Margarita (www.partidamargarita.com) is:
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice (app. the juice from one lime)
• ¾ oz. pure, organic Partida agave nectar
• ¾ oz. pure spring water
• 1.5 oz. Partida Tequila Blanco, Reposado or Añejo

For more cocktail recipes utilizing the Partida 100% Organic Agave Nectar, visit www.partidatequila.com

About Partida Tequila
Partida Tequila is an authentic, all-natural, estate-grown premium Tequila, made from 100% blue agave in Amatitán, the heart of Mexico’s historic Tequila Valley region. From cultivation and harvest to cooking, distillation and aging, Partida maintains exceptional standards of quality and consistency, making Partida “the finest tequila that money can buy,” according to F. Paul Pacult, the leading spirits authority in America.

The Partida Estate produces four distinctive Tequilas: Blanco (not aged), Reposado (aged six months), Añejo (aged 18 months) and Elegante (aged 36 — 40 months). Partida Tequila is now distributed in Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom as well as Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Washington, DC and Washington State. Partida will continue to expand aggressively and strategically in the United States.

A few weeks ago we wrote about Dalmore King Alexander 1263 which is a scotch that’s comprised of several different barrelings ranging from Mediterranean Madeira drums,and Matusalem Sherry butts from Spain, to Port pipes from the Douro and sweet Bourbon barrels from Kentucky.

During the original process of reviewing this product, the question came up would a scotch of this caliber and in this price range(that of $200) work in cocktails or would it be considering wasting a beautifully produced spirit.

After tasting the Dalmore King Alexander 1263 and figuring out how all the flavor notes intertwined with each other, we came up with the following recipes.

A drink fit for a King named Alex
1 ½ oz Dalmore King Alexander 1263
½ oz Grand Marnier
½ Remy 1738
Absinthe Rinse-Use Lucid
Orange Zest

The 3 Second Kick
1 ½ Oz Dalmore King Alexander 1263
½ Oz of Milagro Anejo Tequila
½ Oz of Black Strap Rum
3 Dashes of Averna
2 Dash of Orange Bitters
Muddled Jalepeno
Note:The name of the drink comes from the reaction that occurs about 3 seconds after you have a sip. The jalepeno sets in with a bit of a kick.

Following up working with the Dalmore King Alexander 1263, we decided to see how the results would turn out working with the Dalmore Gran Reserva.

While the King Alexander 1263 is created using a combination of six different barrelings, the Gran Reserva is created using a combination of only two, giving it a differently flavor profile than that of the King Alexander. Using a combination of 60% scotch that was aged in sherry wood, and 40% scotch that was aged American White Oak creates a spirit with a unique flavor profile that includes notes of toffee, and sherry with a smooth finish.

After tasting the Dalmore Gran Reserva, again we decided to see what cocktails would work with this spirit as a main component.

A Few Heated Words
(This was a play on the the infamous “Last Word”, and Phil Ward’s “Last Ward”)
1 ½ oz Dalmore Gran Reserva
½ Maraska
½ oz Velvet Falernum
3 Dash of Whiskey Barrel Bitters
1 Dash West Indian Bitters
¼ Oz Green Chartreuse
Muddled Ginger
Place in metal mug or shaker
Light Drink on Fire once it’s been placed in mug.
Pour back and forth several times as you would with a Blue Blazer.
Pour results into mug.
Top with 5 dashes of chocolate bitters.

Note: For presentation purposes I’d prefer a coupe glass, however after about ten minutes the drink began to get cold and lose something.

Angry Connery
1 ½ oz Dalmore Gran Reserva
¼ Canton Ginger Liquor
¼ Campari
2 Dashes Peychaud Bitters
Muddled Blueberries
Shake with Ice
Serve in old-fashioned glass with one large ice cube.

Kanpai is the Japanese equivalent of the english word cheers. Which is exactly what you’ll say after that first sip of whiskey from the Suntory family.

The Suntory Distillery was established in 1923. Suntory founder Shinjior Torii had the vision to create a whisky that embodied the spirit of Japan and was suited to fit the environmental conditions of Japan. Using a pot still based system* in which the flame is applied directly to the distillation system, this allows Suntory to develop scotches with a wide range of flavors from a light whisky to a heavy whiskey. While Suntory does use traditional pot still distillation methods, it does have some unique characteristics that its competition, that of Scotland and Ireland lack such as utilizing the pure waters of Kyoto which allow for the notes of honey that are a segment of the flavor profile. In addition, Suntory uses a combination of American, Spanish and Japanese oak to create it’s unique flavor.

So you’re probably wondering okay sounds like the process behind Suntory Yamazaki Scotch is similar to how distilleries produce their products, but does it taste any good?

Well actually yes. We took a look at both the 12-year and 18-year varieties of single malt Suntory Yamazki scotch.

The 12-year exhibits notes of sweetness and heavy barley on the nose. When moving on to tasting it neat, flavors of oak, malt, barley banana and even the occasionally notes of toffee and nuts show themselves. Once a splash of water is applied, the sweetness that appeared while nosing the scotch comes out even more followed by mellow tones of butter, and mild notes of honey. Oddly adding water also gave this scotch a bit more heat, which is something we’ve not come across before, though while it did have an additional kick once a splash was applied it didn’t lose any of the original flavor. This scotch seems suited more for the experienced scotch drinker, rather than serving as an introduction to scotch for someone.

Rating- 8 out of 10

In total opposition of the 12-year Suntory Yamazaki is the 18-year which between the two bottlings is the preferred option. While this might come off predictable in choosing the more aged of the two options, the reasoning behind this is due to the more balanced profile that the 18-year exhibits. Starting off with the nose that displays hints of honey, cherry that occasionally shows itself and a pleasant sweetness that just calls you to taste it. When taken neat the 18-year has a body that holds flavors of sweetness, mild vanilla and notes of oak. Upon adding water, some notes of berry begin to blossom. Additional mild notes of coffee then join alongside these notes of berry. Unlike some other whisky’s that are of similar age, the 18-year Suntory Yamazaki finishes very smoothly, and not harsh. These flavors and smooth finish make this a great introductory whisky to introduce any beginner to the world of single malts.

Rating 8.5 out of 10

If enjoying a Japanese scotch on ice, the best style of ice to use according to the Japanese are ice spheres.

Don’t worry unlike some other Japanese innovations, you can purchase these within the US.

As pictured above, these can be purchased via the Museum of Modern Art’s store.

Follow this link for more information:

Moma Store Ice Spheres

*Pot Still –In a pot still distillation system, heat is applied directly to the pot that contains the mash. By utilizing this distillation method it allows for the vapor to condense with the alcohol and create a richer spirit. This process is usually repeated twice. Once this is complete, the spirit (in this scotch) is placed in barrels to develop age, which then results in a change from a clear to a darker brown spirit.

So the following recipes come with a story attached. A friend recently challenged me to create some recipes with Jägermeister that were more along the cocktail variety rather than the usual recipes most people associate with Jägermeister, such as the Yager Bomb, Purple Nipple or Screaming Nazi. So being the cocktail geek that I am, I had to accept this challenge.

By playing off the underlying flavors that are Jägermeister such as ginger, orange and cinnamon the results proved to be interesting and surprised me as I initially had my doubts. The recipes follow below.

You’ve got Moxy Kiddo-

1oz Blanco
1/2 Grand Marnier
1 Dash Peychaud
1/2 Jager
2 Dash Regan Orange
1/4 Oz of Mezcal
1/2 Oz Simple

Garnish with Orange Peel(Burnt)

Coupe Glass

Mandarin Sun-

1 ¼ Blanco Tequila
¼ Aperol
¼ Lillet Blanc
3 Dash West Indian Orange Bitters
¼ Yager
Burn Orange Zest, to get the oils out, run along edge of glass and place in bottom of glass.
Should be served in a coupe glass.

Tea Time with Marty-
2 oz Martin Miller Gin
¼ Jager
¼ Grand Marnier
2 Dash Regans Orange Bitters
½ Oz St. Germain Elderflower
¼ Lime Juice
Shake with Ice
Serve in Coupe Glass

Personally I have a theory that pretty much any spirit can be utilized in a cocktail given enough time to think about the ingredients you plan to pair it with. Using this philosophy you can usually come up with some good results.

Gran Centenario has several tequila’s in their lineup ranging from a Blanco to a Extra Anejo as well as a hibiscus infused reposado variety known as Rosangel. Today we take a look at Gran Centenario’s anejo variety. Gran Centenario starts off with agave that’s only been harvested after the ten year mark. The pina is then cooked for seventy two hours as opposed to the usual forty eight that most tequila’s are. This additional cooking time provides the opportunity for additional flavors to come out of the juices.This is followed up with aging the tequila in French limousin oak for up to three years.

This unique aging process delivers a product with an interesting balance of flavor tones.

With the first sip, the tequila introduces a refreshing feeling, that’s followed up by undertones of pepper, cinnamon, mild vanilla, cocoa with a end note of mild smokiness.

Taking all the flavors that are incorporated into Gran Centenario’s Anejo, we decided to see how it would work in some cocktails-

A Day in the Agave Garden
2 oz Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila
Bar Spoon agave nectar
Handful of Mint Leaves
Blueberries
¼ oz ST Germain
Muddle mint, blueberries and Agave Nectar
Add rest of ingredients and shake with ice.

Who doesn’t love Jessica Rabbit?

1 ½ Plymouth Gin
¼ Gran Centenario
½ Canton Ginger
¼ Simple Syrup
¼ Lemon Juice
3 Dash Rhubarb Bitters
2 Dash Grapefruit Bitters

Spring Time in Jalisco
2 oz Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila
1oz St. Germain Elderflower
3 Dash Grapefruit Bitters
¼ Bar spoon Agave Nectar
1 oz Citadelle Reserve Gin
1 Dash Aromatic Bitters
Muddled Slice of Cucumber
2 Mint Leaves(Do not change this amount)

Sammy Cabana
2oz G’vine Florision Gin
½ oz Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila
3 Dash Regan Orange Bitters
½ Oz Agave Nectar
Muddled Raspberries

The story behind this article is that in the past while shopping for more well known ingredients for cocktails, I always noticed Metaxa sitting by itself on the shelf and never being used in cocktails. I thought about this as I’ve gone from cocktail lounge to cocktail lounge throughout New York City, and to the best of my recollection I haven’t seen much done with it in the world of mixology. This thought stayed in the back of my head up until recently when I decided to see what Metaxa was all about and what kind of cocktails would work well with it.
I’m one of those people that believe almost any spirit has its place in the world of cocktails and mixology. So I set out to try and prove this case with Metaxa.

First some background on this red spirit, and what exactly it is.
Metaxa can be traced back to the year 1888 when Spyros Metaxa decided to distill wine. This process resulted in what we know today as Metaxa, which comes in a variety of bottlings that are aged in limousine oak casks for a time period ranging from five years all the way up to thirty years.

I decided to specifically look at both the five-year and seven-year varieties of Metaxa and see how they could be applied to cocktails.

As with any spirit you decide to work with in mixology, it’s always good to get a sense of the flavor notes to see what other ingredients work well with the spirit your experimenting with, whether it’s fresh fruit, vegetables or other spirits.

Upon tasting the Metaxa 5 year, you’re greeted with flavors of soft fruit, a mild woody undertone, and the presence of honey.

When moving up to the 7 year Metaxa those previous flavors that showed themselves in the 5 year are joined by tones of vanilla, some additional depth and slightly reminded us of a cognac.

After tasting both the 5 year and 7 year varieties of Metaxa we decided to see how they worked in some cocktails.

Smokey Pom-

Rinse a chilled Coupe Cocktail Glass with Tanteo Jalepeno Tequila

2oz Metaxa 5 Year
1/2 oz St. Germains Elderflower
1/2 oz Mezcal(Scorpion was used)
Muddled Cucumber
1/2 Pom Juice

Opa!

1 1/2 oz Mextaxa 7 Year
1/2 oz St. Germain
3/4 oz Mezcal
1/2 oz Canton Ginger
Muddled Cucumber
3 Dash Grapefruit

Garnish with Jalepeno

Summer with Venus
2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
2 Barspoons Metaxa 5 Year
1/4 Cherry Heering
2 Dash Regan’s Orange Bitters

Muddled Mint

Garnish chilled Coupe with slice of Cucumber

Sunrise in Athens

1 oz Metaxa 5 Year
1/2 oz Combier Orange Liquor
1 1/2 oz Mount Gay Rum Silver Eclipse White Rum
Shake with Ice

Serve in Champagne Flute, Top off with Champagne

After working with it and seeing how it would work in cocktails, I’m very surprised and impressed. Who knew red wine base liquor had so much potential, flexibility to work with other ingredients and even worked well to base an entire drink around. Hopefully this article helps get the word out on the possible new cocktails that Metaxa hides in its bottle.

I originally intended to include Buffalo Trace in our recent father’s day gift guide, however we weren’t able to obtain the review sample in time. With this said, Buffalo Trace is by pure definition a great example of a bourbon. What makes it stand out among most bourbons are its price and the rich flavors that come along with such a great price. Buffalo Trace Bourbon retails for around $25. In contrast most spirits that are worth their weight in ice, tend to start around $30 or $40. Take for example most quality gins or scotches. Normally with a few exceptions you can’t find a good bourbon under this price point, the only other exception that comes to mind is the Four Roses Small Batch which runs around twenty eight dollars.

By combining Kentucky and Indiana corn, rye, and a malted barley as well as a top-secret mash bill recipe, Buffalo Trace Distillery is able to yield an end result that is filled with incredible flavors.

A ninety proof bourbon that has notes of spice and oak. Adding a splash of water introduces notes of caramel, nuttiness and a tinge of mint.

With its great price and flavor profile, this is a must have for anyone looking to try something new or someone searching for bargain. It also makes a great gift in the under $30 range for the upcoming father’s day holiday.

With Father’s Day vastly approaching, and summer on the horizon if our previous article on Father Day Spirits didn’t have something that caught your eye, perhaps getting dad some rum that goes great in summer drinks might be the way to go.

Tommy Bahama had Allen Katz of Southern Wine and Spirits create a few recipes that highlight the flavors of both the Golden Sun and White Sand varieties of Tommy Bahama.

Tommy’s Punch
10 Fresh Mint Leaves
1 ½ oz Tommy Bahama Golden Sun Rum
½ oz Le Combier Triple Sec
½ oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz Orgeat Syrup
3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a collins glass with ice. Top with Sprite and garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a lime wedge.

CASELLE
2 oz Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet Vermouth

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass ¾ filled with ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

FLAT BOTTOM PUNCH
1 oz Tommy Bahama Golden Sun Rum
1 oz JC Cognac
½ oz Fresh Orange Juice
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with orange and lime twists (discard).

LOVEBIRDS
1 ½ oz Tommy Bahama Golden Sun Rum
¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
6 Fresh Mint Leaves
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 oz Prosecco

Muddle Mint with Lime Juice and Simple Syrup in a mixing glass. Add Rum and Bitters and shake over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe and top with chilled Champagne.

Okay so what does this mean?

Well first of all it’s an excuse to make cocktails using Cachaca. Okay so I have your attention, another excuse to make cocktails on a Friday right? Sounds like fun, but what is Cachaca exactly?

Well it’s a Brazilian spirit that’s distilled from fermented sugar cane juice. Sounds like rum doesn’t it? Well its a bit different, while rum is mostly made from molasses, cachaca is only made using sugarcane.

Now what makes June 12th International Cachaca Day?

This day commemorates the anniversary of June 12th, 1744 when the selling and production of cachaca became illegal in Brazil. Since that time cachaca has become a favorite among mixologists through the US and the world. Keeping that in mind here are a few cocktails that might be fun to try this Friday, or throughout the course of the summer.

Courtesy of Bar 44 inside the Royalton Hotel-

The Royalton Caipirinha
1.5oz Cabana Cachaça
1 whole Strawberry
½ a lime quartered
.5oz St. Germain
.5oz Simple Syrup

Garnish: No
Glass: Rocks
Preparation: Muddle the fruit add the rest of the ingredients, add enough ice for one cocktail shake and pour all contents into a rocks glass

The Beach Comber
1 oz. Cabana Cachaça
1 oz. Veev Acai liqueur
1 oz. kiwi puree
½ oz. of fresh lime juice
1 oz. of simple syrup
Shake and pour

The Gisele

2.5 oz. Cabana Cachaça
3 tablespoons Acerola puree (Acerola is an Amazonian cherry)
Splash of fresh lemon juice
Rose champagne

Combine Cabana Cachaça, acerola puree & lemon juice in a mixing glass with ice. Shake well & strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with rose champagne. Garnish with 3 flower petals & a lemon twist.

Courtesy of The Blue Owl Lounge-

The Marpessa

1 oz Cabana Cachaça
1/4 oz Orchard Pear Liqueur
1/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
1 oz Aloe Vera

This is the first of a new column on A Muddled Thought, to be known as the Brown Spirit Highlight.

The goal of this column will be to highlight a particular bourbon or scotch aka the brown spirits that go above and beyond quality and flavor in their execution.

The honor of the first brown spirit highlight goes to Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon.

The secret to the products within the Four Roses family is a combination of several different mashbill recipes in conjunction with 5 proprietary yeast recipes to create any one of ten final recipes.

One of the end results of this process is their Small Batch. Their small batch is made by combining two of these mash bill recipes with two yeast recipes: “One known as the O yeast for notes of fruit and the other “K” yeast for a spicy flavor. This creates a flavor profile that’s made up of mild notes of coffee, cocoa and hints of vanilla. Adding a splash of water the profile expands to include notes of caramel, nuttiness and some mild spice as it hits your tongue.

Four Roses Small Batch retails for $27.99.