A Muddled Thought

A few months ago the good folks at Compass Box asked me to come up with some new recipes for possible inclusion in future recipe books that they put out.

With a few samples of the following Compass Box Products I went to work.

Peat Monster- A blend of Islay Whisky with heavy notes of Smoke combined with a lighter peated, yet still smokey Highland Whisky. This creates a spirit that has notes reminscient of smoked bacon, honey with the occasional appearance of oak, cocoa and vanilla.

Oak Cross-Aged first in American Oak Casks for its first maturation, which when complete is moved to “Oak Cross” casks (a combination of American oak and new French Oak) for its final maturation. This results in a spirit that’s filled with notes of vanilla, honey, caramel and soft orange.

Asyla- A blend of non-peated malt whiskies including Linkwood, Glen Elgin, and Teaninich. These three single malts are laid down on a bed of sweet scotch grain whiskey resulting in a blended whisky that’s feeled with characters of apple, pears, light hints of smoke, nutmeg, and something that hits the palate and reminds the taster of bacon.

Spice Tree- Starting off with whiskies aged in first-fill and refill American Oak, the spirit is then placed in casks created using a combination of American oak and new French Oak (sourced from the 195-old Vosgres forests) for its final maturation.

Now for the recipes:

Pimms Crossing

Asyla 2 oz
Pimms No.1 – 1 oz
Allspice ½ oz
Aperol ¾ oz
Lemon Juice ½ oz
1 Dash Regan Orange Bitters
Garnish with Burnt Orange Zest

So Three Diplomats walk into a Bar

1 ½ oz Peat Monster Scotch
3/4 Carpano Antica
¾ oz bar spoons Bénédictine
2 Dashes Mole bitters
Shake with ice.
Strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish Orange Zest

So Three Diplomats walk into a Bar. A combination of Peat Monster, Carpano Antica, Bénédictine, and Mole Bitters.

Dave’s First Attempt
2 oz Spice Tree
½ oz Allspice Dram
1oz Benedictine
3 Dashes Smelbys Apple Cinnamon Bitters*
Burnt Orange Zest
Stir with ice
Serve in Coupe

Dave's First Attempt- A combination of Compass Box Spice Tree, Allspice Dram, Bénédictine, and Smelby's Apple Cinnamon Bitters.

The Apple doesn’t fall far from the Oak Tree
2 oz Oak Cross
½ Calvados
½ Yellow Chartreuse
2 Dash Peychaud
1 oz Apple Cinnamon Syrup*

The Apple Doesn't Fall from the Oak Tree. A combination of Compass Box Oak Cross, Calvados, Yellow Chartreuse, Apple Cinnamon Syrup and Peychaud Bitters.

Recently I had the opportunity to volunteer my bartending services at a fundraiser that was held at Bar Celona in Brooklyn NY, by Ray Raymond of Leblon and Dave Catania of Team Spirit Imports.

With the recent crisis in Haiti, a variety of brands and organizations donated both their products and their time to mix up some new Libations including Contemporary Cocktails, LUPEC and the USBG. All proceeds of the evening went towards the Red Cross Relief Fund for Haiti.

Using a few brands that were kind enough to donate some of their products, such as Highland Park and Chartreuse, I created the following new recipe,the Scottish Bandit and served up a few during the course of the night as my donation.

The Scottish Bandit

1 3/4 oz highland park 12
Bar spoon Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz fig juice
1/2 oz cinnamon syrup
2 Dashes Whiskey barrel bitters

The Scottish Bandit. A combination of HIghland Park 12, Green Chartreuse, Fig Juice, Cinnamon Syrup and Whiskey Barrel Bitters.

Originating in the Mexican village of San Luis Del Rio, Sombra Mezcal is one of those spirits that leaves an impression on you from the time you have your first sip. Since that first time I tried Sombra Mezcal it has become one of my favorite agave based spirits to work with in cocktails.

Recently I started thinking about why this is. With so many mezcal options out on the market now, what makes Sombra so special? When all is said and done, it simply comes down to the guys behind Sombra doing everything right.

Started by a master sommelier, Richard Betts, a wine maker, Charles Bieler, and an art collector, Dennis Scholl each step in the process to create Sombra from hand picking and slowly baking the agave, to fermentation and the final step in production process, the distillation is completed with perfect finesse.

This results in an end product that leads in with aromas of sweet baked agave. Past these magnificent aromas is a mezcal that impresses with that first sip, when it greats your palate with a smoky introduction. These smoky characters continue to shine, without ever overshadowing luxurious notes of vanilla, fresh basil, and hints of black pepper.

With each sip of Sombra you can’t help but feel it’s a spirit that’s as close to untouched as you can get from an agave field.

Sombra’s an exquisite example of a mescal that plays amazingly with other spirits in cocktails.

That Smokin French Vixen
¾ Cointreau Noir
1 ¾ Partida Reposado
¾ Sombra Mezcal
1 oz Espresso Syrup
1 Dash Mole Bitters

That Smokin French Vixen. A Combination of Cointreau Noir, Partida Reposado, Sombra Mezcal and Espresso Syrup.

The Two Minute Standoff

Muddled Lime rind
2 Barspoons Sugar
3/4 Sombra Mezcal
1 3/4 oz Mejor Blanco
Top with Mexican Grapefruit Soda

The Two Minute Standoff. A combination of Sombra Mezcal, Mejor Tequila, Muddled Lime Rind, and sugar. Top with Jarritos Grapefruit Soda

Curious Little Amelie
2 oz Grapefruit Infused Sombra Mezcal
¾ Chambord
Barspoon Lillet Blanc
2 Barspoons Agave Nectar
1 Dash Grapefruit Bitters
Shake
Serve up
Serve with Grapefruit Zest

Curious Little Amelie. A combination of Grapefruit Infused Sombra Mezcal, Chambord, Lillet Blanc, and Agave Nectar.

Krypton's Red Sun. A combination of North Shore Aquavit,Cynar, Aperol, Black Pepper Syrup and Grapefruit Bitters.

We recently came across North Distillery’s Aquavit offering and decided to take a look at it along with a few sips. Aquavit generally has originated from Norway, Sweden and Denmark with its origins being traced all the way back the mid 1500’s. During this time it was looked initially as something to be used to cure ailments. Even the name itself, Aquavit originates from the Latin aqua vitae or “water of life”.
Over the next few centuries it transitioned from being used for medicinal purposes to becoming a favorite spirit for food pairings such as smoked fish, and meats and being enjoyed in times of celebration. The Scandinavian tradition of toasting otherwise known as skoal and welcoming guests to dinner has close ties to Aquavit .

One performs the tradition of skoal, with a shot of aquavit by looking the person you’re toasting in the eye and saying the word “skoal”. You then bow your head, and down the shot of aquavit. Before placing the empty glass down on the table, you look the person in the eye one final time. This allows one to pay respect to the person you’re toasting. After a few skoal’s, the night is bound to get interesting.

Aquavit, the spirit itself is made by macerating caraway, cardamom, fennel, dill and other herbs and botanicals in a neutral spirit, usually potato or grain based and then aging the spirit in oak barrels.

Out of Chicago, a distillery by the name of North Shore started bottling and distributing one of the first American examples of Aquavit.

To create their aquavit, North Shore Distillery starts with a neutral grain spirit and macerates it with botanicals such as caraway, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cubeb berry, orris root and anise seed. Once this maceration process has been completed, the spirit is then aged for approximately six months in oak barrels.

North Shore’s Aquavit offering starts off with very straightforward notes of caraway, that slowly lead into the presence of lemon, and complete with a finish brimming with coriander and nuances of black pepper.

After tasting this Aquavit offering I can definitely see the appeal and appreciate using this spirit for a toast.

That being said, it seems like it would work wonders in cocktails.

The Skoal Way of Life
1 ¾ oz North Shore Aquavit
¾ oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
¾ oz Cinnamon Syrup
½ Lemon Juice
Top with Ginger Beer

The Skoal Way of Life. North Shore Aquavit, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Cinnamon Syrup. Topped with Ginger Beer.

Krypton’s Red Sun
1 ¾ oz Aquavit
¾ Cynar
1 oz Aperol
½ oz Lemon
¾ oz Black Pepper Demera Syrup
2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters

If I could use two words to describe Lagavulin 16 it would be nice and peaty. While I appreciate all spirits and are often drawn more to whiskies as a frequent favorite, I’m not always in love with every whisky. I’ve come across some that are too harsh and too peaty, some that lack character and flavor, and then some that are just right. This last statement describes Lagavulin 16 as best as one could hope to.

Originating in the southern area of the Islay region of Scotland it embodies the peat and smoky flavors this area is most well known for, without overdoing it.

As you take that first taste of Lagavulin 16 you hesitate to not smile. You’re first hit with a bit of sweetness, then the spirit truly gets your attention. The peat begins to come out and play with your palate.

Once those initial notes of peat mellow out, you’re introduced to characters of caramel, touches of refreshing mint, the underlying flavors of orange marmalade, and everyone’s favorite white meat, bacon. Yes folks, you heard me right. I did say I picked up bacon while tasting Lagavulin 16. While this is most likely related to the process of using heated peat during the drying process of the barley which imparts the smoky flavor in the Lagavulin. This peaty flavor reminds one of the pleasantness of bacon during Sunday morning breakfast.

At the end of the flavor filled journey that is Lagaluvin, the spirit ends with a finish filled with candied ginger.

Final Score: 9/10

With such an interesting array of flavors making up the body of Lagavulin 16, we decided to see how it would work in some new cocktail recipes.

A Short Commute
1 ¾ Kahlua Coffee Cream
Barspoon Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum
¾ oz Lagulivin 16 Scotch
2 dash Peychaud
Serve in Coupe
Spray Coupe with Absinthe
Garnish with Orange Zest

A Short Commute. A combination of Kahlua Coffee Cream, Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum, Lagulivin 16 and Absinthe.

Scottish Mezcal

3/4 oz Lagulvin 16 Whisky
1oz Pom Juice
1 oz Lillet Blanc
2 dash whiskey barrel
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with Ice
Serve Up

Garnish with Lemon Twist

This past December, I came across Hiram Walker’s Pumpkin Liqueur. A product line produced by Pernod Ricard, Hiram Walker’s liqueur also include other flavors such triplesec , anisette, and creme liqueurs such as creme de cacao and creme de menthe. The pumpkin liqueur is part of a limited holiday line that also includes a ginger bread offering, that I wrote about here.

Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liqueur, with its mild notes of pumpkin spice, and cinammon conjure the feeling and flavors of fall. As with most of the Hiram Walker Product Line, the pumpkin liqueur retails for less than $10.

With the season of fall in mind, I decided to see how it would work in some new recipes.

All Hallow’s Eve

¾ oz Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liqueur
2 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
2 Dash Peychaud Bitters
2 Barspoons Grade B Maple Syrup
Stir with Ice
Serve in Old Fashioned Glass

All Hallow's Eve. A combination of Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liqueur, Rittenhouse Rye, Peychaud Bitters, and Maple Syrup.

Jack be Nimble

3/4 oz Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liqueur
1 1/2 oz Laird’s Applejack
1 oz Unaged Rhum J.M. Rhum Agricole
2 Dashes Peychaud Bitters
3/4 oz Demera Syrup

Jack be Nimble. A combination of Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liqueur, Rhum J.M. Agricole, Lairds Applejack, and Peychaud Bitters.

We recently sampled Xante, a spirit that has been making the rounds in Europe for the past ten years and has only been available in the United States since early 2009.

Xante finds its origins in cognac that’s matured in French Limousine Oak Barrels, which is then blended with Belgium pears. This results in a spirit that has subtle notes of vanilla, coupled with sweet hints of pears, and the occasional notes of citrus zest.

We decided to see what new recipes we could come up with utilizing Xante as a component.

The 37th Intersection

3/4 oz Xante
2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
A Bar Spoon Orange Marmalade
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 Dashes Peychaud Bitters
Garnish with Burnt Orange Zest

The 37th Intersection. A combination of Xante, Rittenhouse Rye, Orange Marmalade, Cinnamon Syrup, and Peychaud Bitters.

Viva Va Loca

¾ oz Sombra Mezcal
½ oz Xante
2 oz Blanco Tequila
1 oz Chai Tea Syrup
1/4 Lime Juice

The French Backyard
1 ¾ Bushnel Fine Calvados
½ Xante
½ Batavia Arrack
2 Dash Whiskey Barrel Bitters
1 oz Demerara Syrup

The French Backyard. A combination of Xante, Bushnel Calvados, Batavia Arrack, and Whiskey Barrel Bitters.

Pama Pomegranate Liquor is created by combining natural pomegranate juice, vodka and tequila, with the end result, a product filled with notes of pomegranate, and minor hints of vanilla and citrus.

After tasting Pama Pomegranate, we decided to try our hands at a few new recipes utilizing it as a component.

Buckley and Sunshine

2 oz Bombay
3/4 oz Pama Pomegranate liquor
1oz Vanilla coconut Demerara tea syrup
1 Dash Scrappy’s Lavender bitters
Garnish with burnt orange zest

Buckley and Sunshine. A combination of Pama Pomegranate Liquor, Bombay Sapphire Gin, Vanilla Coconut Demerara Syup,and Scrappy's Lavender Bitters.

A Tini Tipple of Tea
1 oz Lapsang Souchong Infused Pama Pomegranate Liquor
1 ¾ of Beefeater 24 Gin
¾ Vanilla Syrup
½ oz Lime Juice
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
Shake with Ice
Garnish with Lemon Peel

A Combination of Lapsang Souchong Infused Pama Pomegranate Liquor, Beefeater 24, Vanilla Syrup, and Angostura BItters.

The Red Smoking Bandit
1 oz Pama Pomegranate Liquor
¾ oz Lagvulin 16 Whiskey
1 1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
2 dashes whiskey barrel
¼ oz Lime juice
¾ oz Simple Syrup

Recently I had the opportunity to attend an event at The Astor Center known as the Cocktail Jam. During a jam session, brands generally sponsor an hour of bartenders seeing what they can come up with on the spot in while behind the bar. It doesn’t hurt that a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales went to The Food Bank of New York City.

While working at the Cocktail Jam, I ran into William Doyle who runs the marketing for Compass Box Whiskey. Compass Box had sponsored the hour from 7pm-8pm and I had offered to represent them with a cocktail behind the bar. Sharing the hour with Compass Box, was Partida Tequila, another favorite brand of mine to work with in cocktails.

During our conversation before my shift behind the bar, Billy had mentioned that in a past life he had worked with Partida and asked if I could create a cocktail with both products. As one whose always up for a challenge I told him it wouldn’t be a problem. My understanding at the time was I would be creating one cocktail with both spirits as ingredients.

I found out later that Billy had actually meant two separate cocktails, one with Compass Box and one with Partida.

I decided to go with my original thought and to see what I could up with by using both products in one cocktail

With the nice smokey yet subtle flavor that Peat Monster possesses, it lends itself quite easily to working in cocktails without overpowering the other spirits. Playing off the traditional margarita, I decided to combine some mole bitters that have a spicy yet sweet flavor, the Peat Monster and Partida Reposado with its hints of cocoa, and caramel.

The results of this misunderstanding became known as:

Branded and Confused
1 oz Peat Monster
2 oz Partida Reposado
¼ Lime Juice
1oz Demerara Sugar
Eggwhite

Branded and Confused. A combination of Peat Monster, Partida Reposado, Lime Juice, Demerara Sugar, Eggwhite and Mole Bitters.

We recently received a sample of Hiram Walker’s Gingerbread Liquor and as winter is the best time to enjoy the sweet yet spicy flavors of ginger bread, we decided to see what new recipes we could come up with.

“The Ginga Man is Callin”

1 ¾ oz Buffalo Trace
½ oz Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liquor
¾ oz Navan Vanilla Liquor
1 Dash Peychaud Bitters
¼ oz of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Burnt Orange Zest

“Warm in Oh So Many Ways Cocoa”

For the next recipe with Hiram Walker Ginger Bread Liquor, we decided to try a version of homemade cocoa that utilizes a great deal of booze. That way if the heat doesn’t warm you up, at least the generous amounts of spirits might.

First we started with the cocoa base.

We combined the 2 1/2 cups of Milk and 1/2 cup of Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liquor, 20 black peppercorns, and 1/2 barspoon of chili powder. We heated these ingredients until everything began to boil. We then removed it from the heat, and added a bar and a half of Dagoba Mole Chocolate Bars and stirred until the chocolate was fully melted and combined with the rest of the base.

After this is complete, strain into a large mug that has already been filled with the following:

1 ½ Rhum J.M. Gold
1 Dash Mole Bitters
½ oz Solerno Blood Orange Liquor

For the boozy whipped cream:

Combine-

5 oz of Heavy Cream
2 teaspoons Sugar
2oz of Navan Vanilla Liquor

Shake until it becomes a whipped cream.

Distribute on top of the “Warm in Oh So Many Ways Cocoa”.

Warm in Oh So Many Ways Cocoa- The Navan Whipcream has started to melt slightly in this photo.

The Navan Vanilla Liquor based Whipcream before being used to top the Warm in Oh So Many Ways Cocoa.