There's something to be said for competent predictability. There are far too many bars in this world (and particularly the bit of it called London) that proudly display their new scotch and haggis cocktail and cook up essence-of-new-car syrup, while never in their madcap mixology revelry to learn how to make a Manhattan properly. Meanwhile, one can count the number of bars that can deliver on that elusive good Manhattan with a single hand. However, there are a number of worthy exceptions identified by some of the most innovative (and lucky) bartenders. Here are 7 screwball flavour combinations that somehow work fantastically, and some drinks which showcase them.
1) Campari and Strawberries
One would assume that these two would be almost entirely at odds. Strawberries, one of the most effective mass appeal ingredients, and Campari, a notoriously 'difficult' bittersweet aperitif, to be diametrically opposed both in their inherent character and the intent of their use. Amazingly, as partners, they work wonderfully (note: this is the premise of the whole post, so I'll be struggling to find novel ways to express this sentiment 8 times over). The herbal sweetness of the campari deepens the fresher fruity notes in the strawberry, the bitterness is tamed and balanced, while still to cut through the sugar. This affinity will generate a complete lack of surprise in anyone who's ever seen a buddy cop movie: it's essentially the culinary equivalent of partnering a gruff, old detective and a fresh-faced rookie. But without half an hour of tedious sniping. Anyway, here's my very own Figaro
Figaro
3 muddled ripe strawberries
2 shots plymouth gin
3/4 shot lemon juice
1/2 shot basil syrup (1:1 sugar)
1/4 shot campari
3 dash Wasabi tincture
Shake and fine strain into chilled coupe. Garnish with Campari dusted strawberru
This is a nice summery gin sour, with added complexity from the pairing. Basil syrup adds aromatic depth and Wasabi adds spice that a) sharpens up the strawberries and b) balances the bitter finish. In a pinch (HA), black pepper could replace the Wasabi tincture. If you fancy making it, infuse a bottle of overproof vodka with 200g grated Wasabi root for a week.
2) Talisker and Chocolate
The Talisker single malt is one of the great idiosyncratic scotches - briny, smokey and medicinal like an Islay, yet delicate and complex like a Highland, this whisky is undoubtedly the Isle of Skye's greatest asset (besides an apparently picturesque harbour). I first discovered its curious harmony with cacao before I'd ever mixed so much as a Martini. After a glorious night's drinking with an old friend, we eventually broke out a bottle of Talisker and a few cubes of high cocoa dark chocolate on a whim: the pairing was uncannily good. Admittedly, by that point we were also impressed by the genre-busting entertainment value of Sammo Hung's Martial Law, so our judgement may have been impaired. However, upon more sober reflection, the quality of our discovery was upheld (the one about scotch, not Martial Law). Although this exquisite partnership can be experienced at the height of its power simply by enjoying both separately at the same time, this is a cocktail blog damnit. The 10 Year old is the only expression I'd feel comfortable mixing and even then one tends to feel the disapproving stare of whatever Gaelic deities enforce the proper consumption of Scotch. Fortunately, the results are so good that it's worthy earning a little cosmic approbation. In return I'll offer the embarrassingly named Honcho in the Hebrides
2 shots Talisker 10 Year Single Malt
1/4 shot honey syrup
3 small drops saline solution (100g sea salt, 100ml water)
3 dashes Xocolatl Mole bitters
Stir over ice and strain into a chilled iceless rocks glass. Express an orange zest over the glass and discard.
Yep, it's essentially just a tweaked Old-Fashioned. The Whisky combines with the cocoa notes in the (fantastic) Mole bitters to provide the backbone, while the honey and orange oils smooth it out. As though further proof were needed of the eminence of those wonderful bitters, the background of spices accentuates the peppery qualities of the single malt.
3) Raspberries and Vinegar
"Hey", I hear you exclaim (fairly quietly, since I think I've currently got about two readers) "This was meant to be a list of bizarre and innovative combinations -what's this you're offering, a cliche from the eighties?" True enough, there are even Amish farm-folk who now consider raspberry vinaigrette passe (it's excellent mocking the Amish on the internet - after all, how will they ever know?). But, in cocktails, vinegar is still a pretty niche ingredient, and in raspberries, they find an excellent partner. As for the showcase, groan-inducing though it may be, I had to go with a tweak - the Clover Shrub Cocktail.
Clover Shrub
3 muddled raspberries
1 3/4 shots Plymouth Gin
3/4 shot lemon juice
1/4 shot sweet vermouth
3/4 shot raspberry shrub
1 egg white
Double shake and fine strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with raspberries and mint.
For the shrub take 2 cups (roughly 700g) of raspberries, 100ml water, 150g sugar and one bottle of red wine vinegar. Simmer and crush the first 3 ingredients together over low heat, add the vinegar and boil a little more. Fine strain into a clean bottle and cool.
The shrub replaces the raspberry syrup of the original. The Clover Club has some pretty accessible flavours for a classic cocktail and the added sharpness and depth from the shrub makes this variation a little more challenging.
4) Chamomile and scotch
As I'll be looking at more extensively in another post, there is a dearth of great Scotch cocktails, so we're indoubted to Jamie Boudreau for producing such an excellent and individualistic combo. The heavy floral notes of Chamomile are matched by the distinctive strength of good Scotch. I've knocked about with the idea a little, looking at Old-Fashioned and Rob Roy variations with a little Peychaud's, but in truth the partnership is best exhibited in Boudreau's original cocktail.
Chamomile Sour
2 shots Chamomile infused Compass Box Asyla (Famous Grouse in the original)
3/4 shot lemon juice
1/2 shot gomme
1 egg white
Infuse a bottle of Scotch with half an ounce of chamomile flowers for 20 minutes. Assemble drink, double shake and fine strain into a coupe. Garnish with something pretty.
A hell of a good sour. Smoky, rich and yet light. Great drink from a great bartender.
5) Cynar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Hey, since we've already had vinegar, why not get a veritable salad dressing going? Olive oil is, again, on its first legs as a cocktail ingredient. Its application will, I suspect, be seen mostly in godawful 'Martinis' for the next year or so. Vodka shaken with half a shot of olive oil - mmmm. On the other hand, Cynar, the much celebrated artichoke bitters, is a great, almost obvious counterpoint to olive oil. The vegetal notes of the bitters match up
Artful Flip
Pinch salt
2 shots Cynar
3/4 shot Licor 43
1/3 shot shot Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 dash Peychaud's
1 egg white
Shake and strain into a goblet. Garnish with lemon zest
Technically not a true flip, using the white rather than the whole egg. The oil works as the yolk, emulsifying the mixture, while the herbal vanilla of Licor 43 sweetens and lightens the drink.
6) Laphroaig and Watermelon
You want left field, I'll give you left field. Or, at least, Beta (formerly Rogue) Cocktails will. This loose bartending movement are responsible for some of the weirdest, wittiest and, frankly, just tastiest new drinks of the past couple of years. Make sure to look them up. I doubt the combination in question has many applications outside of this specific cocktail - probably the strangest on my list - but it was far too daring to leave out.
The Scotch Cringe
2 shots Laphroaig 10
3/4 shot lime juice
1/3 shot gomme (3/4 1:1 simple syrup)
1 whole egg
2 chunks watermelon
Muddle, double shake and strain over cubes in a collins glass. Garnish with... erm.... a smug look.
Perhaps the weirdest aspect of this cocktail is that it doesn't actually taste too offbeat. The more medicinal, less assimilable flavours in the whisky fall away against the egg and watermelon and you're left with a rather summery drink with just a hint of smoke and oak. It's a bit like drinking a barbecue.
7) Chartreuse and Chocolate
OK, this pairing is somewhat novel - Chartreuse and hot chocolate has been a mainstay for a while - but, overall, it's still a rare flavouring to see on cocktail lists. And, screw it, I love Chartreuse. It's hard to discern just why exactly they pair up so elegantly - perhaps it's down to their mutual richness, possibly it's just a quirk of nature - but, in any case, delicious apart, together they're magnificent. There are a number of great examples, but I've chosen a Tiki drink in which the pairing is not the focus but rather an intense and complex modifier of a fairly standard rum punch.
Pago Pago
1.5 shots rum (Barbancourt 3 Star)
3 chunks fresh pineapple/1 shot pineapple juice
1/2 shot lime juice
1/2 shot green Chartreuse
1/4 shot Creme de Cacao
A cocktail that shows just how good intelligent, well-balanced Tiki drinks can be. Lime and pineapple deliver the light tropical flavours that provide broad basis of the drink. The Rhum Agricole adds a raw vegetal flavour that perfectly complements the Chartreuse, while the rich herbal and cacao finish adds a depth that never detracts from the refreshing nature of the cocktail.
Showing posts with label chartreuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chartreuse. Show all posts
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Raw Deal: Egg Whites in the Mixed Drink
People nowadays are a cautious lot. Salmonella, secondhand smoke, Piers Morgan - the world teems with hidden dangers. I'm even a little scared of sitting opposite the elderly on trains - what if they cough in my direction? Really, it's no wonder the fashion for paranoia has caught on so well. Aside from the hysterical media coverage that floats behind any new scare, I'm sure this has some correlation with the irritating, modern propensity to live forever. In the good old days, people just died all over the shop and no-one really took notice. When everything could and did kill you - a splinter, the winter, stealing a sheep - panicking at every possible threat would start to be a little exhausting. Nowadays, from our cushy synthetic ivory towers, anything unprocessed and organic can seem to carry the terror of contagion. However, even within our neurotic utopia (neutopia?), it's time to see fresh egg whites returned to the bar. If a complete pussy like me will happily drink down three or four disguised in a cocktail, then you can too.
In my childhood, the idea of consuming a raw egg was roughly equivalent to falling in a lake or cutting off a thumb - the height of peril. These days, steeped in cocktail lore, the raw egg is an indispensable and beloved agent - it smoothes and elevates a mediocre sour, adds depth and body to complex aromatics and makes possible that most lauded example of Louisiana alchemy, the Ramos Gin Fizz. There are, of course, two major applications of the egg within cocktails, the frothy meringue provided by the whites and the rich, silky flips produced by yolks, but for today we'll focus on the former.
One of the most common concerns to arrest when first broaching the topic of eggs in cocktails is that of flavour. Most people don't salivate at the thought of combining scrambled eggs and whiskey (though, if you do, you've made it into my worldwide list of excellence) However, the egg white really plays no portion in the flavour of the drink - in fact, it's practically tasteless. If you've ever had an egg white omelette, you'll know this to be true. Instead, an egg white, when shaken, provides a smooth foam that adds wonderfully to texture and mouth-feel. The science behind this is fairly simple: an egg white is predominately protein; when shaken or blended, the protein is denatured or unravelled, thus creating a stiff foam. You've probably witnessed or made use of this property thousands of times before in baking. You might also know that an an acid, such as cream of tartar, helps to stabilise the foam; in the cocktail, lemon or lime juice, play a similar role, a happy coincidence since sours benefit so beautifully from its presence. The Pisco Sour, the Silver Fizz, the Clover Club are good drinks raised to elysian heights through the use of egg whites.
As for the possible dangers, there is apparently a 1 in 20000 chance of an egg being infected with salmonella according to the FDA. Use only the white and the risk will be smaller. Use free range and the risk will be smaller still and, based on my experience, you'll get superior results. Obviously, store your eggs in the fridge. Finally, the fact that you're shaking it up with a dose of disinfecting alcohol (booze, it's the gift that keeps on giving) should alleviate most lingering concerns. For the truly timorous, there are pasteurised and powdered egg whites, which have absolutely zero chance of infection, but I'd rather go without than use them. I've never tried the latter, but regarding the former, they contribute nicely to mouth-feel, but tend not to provide the long-lasting, impressive foam. If you're still worried about fresh, personally I'd eschew egg whites entirely. For the more adventurous, read on for some recipes.
Ramos Gin Fizz
The king of egg white cocktails, this venerable fizz is transformed by both cream and egg white into a delicious, silky froth - almost an aromatic gin milkshake. Created by Henry C Ramos in 1888 New Orleans, the drink became so popular on carnival days that whole teams of shakers had to be hired to cycle the drink over 20 minutes and produce the requisite texture. Besides this being time-consuming and exhausting, one would have assumed this would have lead to a very diluted drink. Fortunately, the dry shake technique (a first shake sans ice) emulsifies the egg and cream beautifully without dilution. Then a second good, hard shake with ice completes the process and chills to perfection.
2 shots gin (The sweeter Old Tom variety would have been traditional; Plymouth gin is a good substitute, as is Genever, the malty character of which works well with cream)
1/2 shot lime juice
1/2 shot lemon juice
3/4 shot gomme syrup (2:1)
1/2 shot milk
1/2 shot cream
1 egg white
3 drops orange flower water
2 drops vanilla extract or cardamom tincture (not traditional and completely optional)
Soda
Dry shake like a demon or blend the ingredients to a frothy consistency, and shake again with ice. When dry shaking, placing a shaker spring in with the ingredients and omitting the sugar until the cold shake helps to ensure a good foam. Pour an ounce and a half of soda into a chilled fizz glass without ice. Strain the contents of the shaker over the soda and add a couple of scant drops of orange flower water on top for an aromatic garnish (egg white can have a slightly less than appealing aroma, so all drinks containing it should have some sort of aromatic distraction)
Clover Club
One of the best uses of egg white in one of the most approachable and rewarding classic drinks. Traditionally made with raspberry syrup, grenadine is often substituted but I've found the tartness of fresh muddled raspberries to be the best of all. This version includes dry vermouth, adding a dash of herbal complexity that underlines its status as a classic. However, the primary notes of the drink are berries, citrus and smooth gin, topped with a thick raspberry meringue from the egg white.
1.5 shots gin (Plymouth)
5 raspberries muddled (or 3/4 shot raspberry syrup, in which case lose the gomme)
1/2 shot gomme syrup (2:1)
3/4 shot lemon juice
1/2 shot Noilly Prat dry vermouth
1 egg white
Muddle the raspberries, add the other ingredients and dry shake. Shake again with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe. Express an orange twist over the foam and discard. Garnish with a raspberry on the rim.
The Alamagoozlum
Not just an obscure cocktail but a positively esoteric one, the Alamagoozlum seems to possess the perfect pedigree for an enthusiast's drink - rare ingredients, bold, challenging flavours and an improbable yet true back-story. The cocktail was supposedly invented by the illustrious financier and industrialist JP Morgan - yes, that one. The only time I've seen it on a menu is at the excellent Hawksmoor in London, which seems to have included it simply because it can. The drink features a rare example of the use of an egg white outside the sours category - here, the white is indispensable in smoothing out the strongly flavoured, heavily alcoholic constituents of the drink. I've slightly tweaked the drink by using Jamie Boudreau's innovative 'angostura scorch' technique, to toast the froth and add an aroma to complement the large quantity of bitters in the drink.
2 shots genever (Bols)
2 shots mineral water (or to taste)
1.5 shots yellow or green chartreuse
1.5 shots Jamaican rum (Wray Nephew Overproof)
1.5 shots gomme syrup (2:1)
1/2 shot angostura bitters
1/2 shot grand marnier
1 egg white
Dry shake, then shake again with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe (perhaps three or four coupes to share). For the angostura flame, place a mixture half angostura, half overproof rum into an oil mister and carefully spray through a flame onto the egg white foam. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
In my childhood, the idea of consuming a raw egg was roughly equivalent to falling in a lake or cutting off a thumb - the height of peril. These days, steeped in cocktail lore, the raw egg is an indispensable and beloved agent - it smoothes and elevates a mediocre sour, adds depth and body to complex aromatics and makes possible that most lauded example of Louisiana alchemy, the Ramos Gin Fizz. There are, of course, two major applications of the egg within cocktails, the frothy meringue provided by the whites and the rich, silky flips produced by yolks, but for today we'll focus on the former.
One of the most common concerns to arrest when first broaching the topic of eggs in cocktails is that of flavour. Most people don't salivate at the thought of combining scrambled eggs and whiskey (though, if you do, you've made it into my worldwide list of excellence) However, the egg white really plays no portion in the flavour of the drink - in fact, it's practically tasteless. If you've ever had an egg white omelette, you'll know this to be true. Instead, an egg white, when shaken, provides a smooth foam that adds wonderfully to texture and mouth-feel. The science behind this is fairly simple: an egg white is predominately protein; when shaken or blended, the protein is denatured or unravelled, thus creating a stiff foam. You've probably witnessed or made use of this property thousands of times before in baking. You might also know that an an acid, such as cream of tartar, helps to stabilise the foam; in the cocktail, lemon or lime juice, play a similar role, a happy coincidence since sours benefit so beautifully from its presence. The Pisco Sour, the Silver Fizz, the Clover Club are good drinks raised to elysian heights through the use of egg whites.
As for the possible dangers, there is apparently a 1 in 20000 chance of an egg being infected with salmonella according to the FDA. Use only the white and the risk will be smaller. Use free range and the risk will be smaller still and, based on my experience, you'll get superior results. Obviously, store your eggs in the fridge. Finally, the fact that you're shaking it up with a dose of disinfecting alcohol (booze, it's the gift that keeps on giving) should alleviate most lingering concerns. For the truly timorous, there are pasteurised and powdered egg whites, which have absolutely zero chance of infection, but I'd rather go without than use them. I've never tried the latter, but regarding the former, they contribute nicely to mouth-feel, but tend not to provide the long-lasting, impressive foam. If you're still worried about fresh, personally I'd eschew egg whites entirely. For the more adventurous, read on for some recipes.
Ramos Gin Fizz
The king of egg white cocktails, this venerable fizz is transformed by both cream and egg white into a delicious, silky froth - almost an aromatic gin milkshake. Created by Henry C Ramos in 1888 New Orleans, the drink became so popular on carnival days that whole teams of shakers had to be hired to cycle the drink over 20 minutes and produce the requisite texture. Besides this being time-consuming and exhausting, one would have assumed this would have lead to a very diluted drink. Fortunately, the dry shake technique (a first shake sans ice) emulsifies the egg and cream beautifully without dilution. Then a second good, hard shake with ice completes the process and chills to perfection.
2 shots gin (The sweeter Old Tom variety would have been traditional; Plymouth gin is a good substitute, as is Genever, the malty character of which works well with cream)
1/2 shot lime juice
1/2 shot lemon juice
3/4 shot gomme syrup (2:1)
1/2 shot milk
1/2 shot cream
1 egg white
3 drops orange flower water
2 drops vanilla extract or cardamom tincture (not traditional and completely optional)
Soda
Dry shake like a demon or blend the ingredients to a frothy consistency, and shake again with ice. When dry shaking, placing a shaker spring in with the ingredients and omitting the sugar until the cold shake helps to ensure a good foam. Pour an ounce and a half of soda into a chilled fizz glass without ice. Strain the contents of the shaker over the soda and add a couple of scant drops of orange flower water on top for an aromatic garnish (egg white can have a slightly less than appealing aroma, so all drinks containing it should have some sort of aromatic distraction)
Clover Club
One of the best uses of egg white in one of the most approachable and rewarding classic drinks. Traditionally made with raspberry syrup, grenadine is often substituted but I've found the tartness of fresh muddled raspberries to be the best of all. This version includes dry vermouth, adding a dash of herbal complexity that underlines its status as a classic. However, the primary notes of the drink are berries, citrus and smooth gin, topped with a thick raspberry meringue from the egg white.
1.5 shots gin (Plymouth)
5 raspberries muddled (or 3/4 shot raspberry syrup, in which case lose the gomme)
1/2 shot gomme syrup (2:1)
3/4 shot lemon juice
1/2 shot Noilly Prat dry vermouth
1 egg white
Muddle the raspberries, add the other ingredients and dry shake. Shake again with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe. Express an orange twist over the foam and discard. Garnish with a raspberry on the rim.
The Alamagoozlum
Not just an obscure cocktail but a positively esoteric one, the Alamagoozlum seems to possess the perfect pedigree for an enthusiast's drink - rare ingredients, bold, challenging flavours and an improbable yet true back-story. The cocktail was supposedly invented by the illustrious financier and industrialist JP Morgan - yes, that one. The only time I've seen it on a menu is at the excellent Hawksmoor in London, which seems to have included it simply because it can. The drink features a rare example of the use of an egg white outside the sours category - here, the white is indispensable in smoothing out the strongly flavoured, heavily alcoholic constituents of the drink. I've slightly tweaked the drink by using Jamie Boudreau's innovative 'angostura scorch' technique, to toast the froth and add an aroma to complement the large quantity of bitters in the drink.
2 shots genever (Bols)
2 shots mineral water (or to taste)
1.5 shots yellow or green chartreuse
1.5 shots Jamaican rum (Wray Nephew Overproof)
1.5 shots gomme syrup (2:1)
1/2 shot angostura bitters
1/2 shot grand marnier
1 egg white
Dry shake, then shake again with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe (perhaps three or four coupes to share). For the angostura flame, place a mixture half angostura, half overproof rum into an oil mister and carefully spray through a flame onto the egg white foam. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)