Grapes & Grain
Today I have drink #2 in my Catan & Catan series, highlighting an amazing Chilean pisco (@catanpisco) and the classic board game, Settlers of Catan (@settlersofcatan).
Jalpearzu
I’m really feeling the summer-y drinks lately, and this one is no exception. At first glance, it might read “heavy” with whisky and brandy in the mix, but the versatility of this lighter Japanese whisky is on full display here and serves as the sturdy anchor that allows this juicy, flavorful highball to come to life.
Ten Points To Victory
Today’s drink includes some scenery that some of you may recognize— yes, those are Victory Point cards from the modern classic Settlers of Catan (@settlersofcatan). I’m a huge board game nerd (shocking, I know) and love the Settlers series, so I was incredibly excited to create a themed drink using a delicious pisco that goes by the same name. @Catanpisco is Chilean, single grape, double distilled, and is delicious, clean, floral, delicate yet complex, and as good neat as is cocktails. I appreciate them sharing a bottle with me and I’m excited to make some more themed drinks down the road to celebrate the Catan & Catan collaboration!
Palmer Sessions
This recipe is my entry into this month’s @homebarawards’ session bourbon cocktails— something relatively low ABV and easy to drink more than one. As the temps rise in Texas, I wanted something thirst-quenching to enjoy while hanging out in the sun. The result is somewhere in between an Arnold Palmer and a Whiskey Smash and might be my official drink of Summer 2023.
Old Roots
This eclectic recipe is the brainchild of my buddy @rogzor during one of our typical “hangout & mix up something interesting” nights. The premise came about when we were discussing potential uses for jalapeño shochu. Michael proposed treating it like a vermouth, and adding syrup to make it more like a sweet vermouth for a very… unusual Manhattan riff.
Violet Crown
I have a fruit-forward Springtime drink to share today! The strawberry tarragon syrup has been a huge hit and is nearly gone, so here is one more drink featuring it. This one includes a beautiful purple gin kindly sent by @mcqueenvioletfog that is flavored with berry/hibiscus. The strawberry was a natural pairing here with the berry notes. I added a bit of tequila because I love the hibiscus/agave combo. Bitter bianco brought some depth and balance to the build. For being a fairly straightforward Tom Collins riff, this one was highly touted by my (albeit gin-loving) wife.
Stand Tall
This cocktail is absolutely delicious and I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s a whiskey sour riff that features a delicious California bourbon kindly sent by @redwoodempirewhiskey and builds around a homemade strawberry tarragon syrup. [Muddle strawberries with equal weight of white sugar, stir in handful of slapped tarragon, refrigerate overnight. Fine strain, coffee filter, bottle, refrigerate.]. The Campari plays off the berry notes and provides some bitter depth, and the bit of Jäger helps draw out the gentle anise notes from the tarragon.
Grains of Sand
It’s amazing how much a few tweaks can change a drink. When I’m coming up with a new recipe, I try to be honest with myself. If it sucks, what went wrong? Is the balance right? If it’s awesome, what was the magic element? This drink started off… just okay. It didn’t “pop”. The awesome flavored vodka got lost. Somewhat counterintuitively, it needed more rum “character”— aged rum and a funky overproof rum instead of white rum and rhum agricole. Just tweaking the base made this one really worth the shake.
Happy Tears
Today’s recipe includes one of the spirits I brought back from Greece: Mastiha liqueur. It’s made from the resin that comes from an evergreen shrub native to Greece. When the plant’s resin comes out it looks like a tear drop, and can be used in a variety of culinary (and drink) applications (and more). The nose on the spirit is pine-y and not too distant from gin/juniper, but the taste is definitely distinct and includes more woodsy/cedar/earthy notes with a tiny hint of herbaceousness/?mint. Yum!
Inverted French ‘75
Happy National Cocktail Day! I figured it was prudent to post a drink, of all days, even though that’s pretty much business as usual around here. Today I have another “class switch” if you will— reimagining a classic cocktail in a different style.