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Thirsty Thursday: The Real California Mint Julep

We have a very special weekend coming up Booze Log Readers: The Kentucky Derby! What is the Kentucky Derby without its ubiquitous cocktail, the Mint Julep? It's just another horse race. This iconic libation became the official drink of Churchill Downs in 1938, when they started selling it in commemorative Julep cups.

Although synonymous with Kentucky know, the Mint Julep was originally associated with Virginia. Originally described in 1803 as "a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians in the morning." These Virginia Juleps were thought to use brandy, rum, or rye as their "spirituous liquor," not Bourbon at all! In fact, in Jerry Thomas's 1887 edition of his bartending guide, he includes several recipes for mint juleps, none of which call for whiskey. However, in my humble opinion, no matter the cocktails origin, if you are drinking one for derby, it better have Kentucky bourbon in it.

The Real California Mint Julep is a play on Jerry Thomas' The Real Georgia Mint Julep, which uses cognac and peach brandy as its base spirits. I really liked the idea of pairing the mint and a stone fruit flavor like peach. I also like how different regions have taken this simple drink and modified it to express local character. I am going to attempt to do the same here, using a fuzzy stone fruit native to California: the apricot. Instead of simple syrup I add a bit of black-strap molasses. This drink is, after all, for the racetrack; and molasses always reminds me of the stables.

Alright, I can tell you are chomping at the bit. Here's the Recipe:

The Real California Mint Julep
2 oz Kentucky Straight Bourbon
1 oz Napa Valley Distillery Apricot Brandy
1 oz Napa Valley Distillery Grand California
1 heaping barspoon Luxardo Apry Apricot preserves, or other high quality apricot jam
1 small barspoon black-strap molasses
6 large fresh mint leaves
More fresh mint to garnish

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint with the apricot preserves and molasses. Add spirits, stir well with a bar spoon, making sure to scrape the sides of the shaker. In a julep cup or highball glass, fill to over the edge of the glass with crushed or shaved ice*. Strain the contents of the shaker over the crushed ice, through a fine sieve. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs. Watch a horse race. Repeat. Makes one 8 oz cocktail.

*All juleps will have crushed or shaved ice, that is what makes them a julep.

Enjoy the Derby everyone! Until next week!
Your ever humble, equestrian barman,
Aaron Lahey

Apr 30, 2015 at 11:00 AM Permalink Comments (30)

Old World Gin and Tonic

Good afternoon readers! With the sun shining and summer fast approaching, I thought it was time to talk a bit about everyone's favorite summertime libation: the gin and tonic. The G&T is as ubiquitous as the PB&J, perfect partners never far from each other. That being said, both gin and tonic have gone through some pretty major changes since the drinks inception in 18th century British Colonial India. There, members of the British Army would mix their bitter malaria medication (quinine) with their ration of gin, sugar, lime, and soda, to make the medicine go down easier.

*For more information about tonic, what it is, and its history as both flavoring and medicine, please refer to this previous post* Many modern gin & tonic's fall flat. Instead of naturally extracted quinine from Cinchona bark, most modern bottled tonic has a chemical aftertaste. Mix this with the sharp juniper astringency of a lot of common London dry style gins and you end up with something that tastes more cleaning product than cocktail.  My solution is to go back to this cocktail's roots. Using a heaver bodied, naturally sweeter gin like NVD's Old Hollywood Ginn or a Genever smooths the bite of the quinine, and gives a spicy backbone to the drink. Replacing the bottled tonic water with tonic syrup and soda adds the slight interplay of sweet and sour that so many modern G&T's lack, as well as getting the true earthy flavor of cinchona. Most gins before the advent of modern transportation were transported and stored in oak barrels. This gave old gins an aged note from the dry oak that is totally absent from most modern gin. Nappy Valley Bitters Toasted Oak bitters brings that oak back to your finished cocktail. One spritz on top and it’s like you pulled the drink straight from the barrel. A lime wheel to garnish of course, and you have what, is in my humble opinion, a perfect G&T.

Old World Ginn & Tonic
1.5 oz NVD Old Hollywood Ginn
1.5 oz C&B Old Fashioned Quinine Tonic
3 oz soda water
1 spritz Napa Valley Bitters Toasted Oak Bitters
Lime wheel, for garnish

Add the gin and tonic syrup to a highball glass filled with ice. Top with soda water. Stir gently with a bar spoon. Spray Toasted Oak bitters on top and garnish with a lime wheel. Makes one 6oz cocktail.

Until next time,
Your ever humble, old fashioned mixologist,
Aaron Lahey

Want to order your own Old World Ginn & Tonic kit? Check this out!

Apr 16, 2015 at 4:20 PM Permalink Comments (67)

Temperence Tuesday: The Old Hollywood Tart

Welcome Readers! My apologies for the brief hiatus! Did you miss me? Today's article will be the first of hopefully many to cover the topic of cooking with spirits. I say why let wine have all the fun!

The Old Hollywood Tart lives up to its name. You can almost imagine the living room this would be served in, and who would be serving it. Porcelain collectibles line the shelves of antique cabinets, sharing wall space with memorabilia from the golden age of the silver screen. Humphrey Bogart and Grace Kelly smile at you from smoke stained posters. You can almost feel the nicotine leeching from the walls. A single ceiling fan provides little respite from the hot, dry, LA air. A woman walks in, lit cigarette in one hand, pastry in the other. Her hair grayed long ago, hidden beneath a pristine beehive wig. Stumbling slightly in her sequined heels; like she surely did many times during her red carpet days; she places the tart in front of you. Grilled pineapple, smoky and sweet like your surroundings. Island spices and fresh mint remind you how close you are to the border. You notice a floral aroma, for a moment you think it's your gracious host’s perfume. But no, its lychee, soaked in passion fruit liqueur to round out this tropical dessert.

...Sorry, I got lost in Hollywood there for a second. You want to learn how to make this thing? Good! First a note about the featured spirit: The NVD Old Hollywood Cocktail

Our Old Hollywood Cocktail is a mix of our Old Hollywood Ginn; full of cinnamon and allspice notes; with pineapple gum syrup and sweet vermouth. This mix ages in a barrel for 10 weeks, lending it a subtle smoky note from the charred oak.

The Old Hollywood Tart
This easy to make desert is surprising complex, and intriguingly exotic. It may even deserve a leading role in your next Red Carpet event.

Ingredients
One large pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced, and grilled
Vegetable oil (for grilling)
Two Lychee in Passion Fruit Liqueur
.5 cup NVD Old Hollywood Cocktail
12 drops Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters (optional)
6 sprigs fresh mint
9 inch pie shell, uncooked

Step 1: The Pineapple
The most labor intensive part of this pie is prepping the pineapple, so it’s good you do it first! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then grab the pineapple, a cutting board, and a big, sharp knife. Cut off the ends first. Then stand the pineapple up on one of those cut ends, and cut off the peel. Rotating the fruit as you go along. You want to make sure all the little spines have been cut off the fruit. Those don't soften during cooking and aren't fun to eat. Once your pineapple is peeled, cut it in half long ways, splitting the core in 2. Cut a V shape out of each half to remove the core. Slice your pineapple into half inch slices and transfer to a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil, making sure to evenly coat the fruit. Throw the fruit on a hot grill, until the pineapple is seared deep brown and caramelized, but not burnt. About 6 minutes a side.

Step 2: Mixing the Filling
Roughly chop the two lychee, and add to a medium sized mixing bowl with the grilled pineapple. Pour over the Old Hollywood Cocktail, and let the whole mix soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain out the excess liquid and reserve in a small bowl. Transfer the fruit into the pie crust, and drop Tiki bitters over the top, if using them. Evenly brush the crust with an egg wash if desired. Throw the tart into the middle rack of your oven, and set a timer for 30 min.

Step 3: The Syrup
In a small saucepan over medium low heat, add the liquid you reserved from earlier. Stir frequently, letting the mixture reduce into a syrup. A good way to test when it is done is to drag the spatula across the pan, looking to see how long the liquid takes to fill the gap left by the spatula. The longer it holds its shape, the thicker it is. When the syrup is reduced and thick, remove from heat and transfer into a small bowl.

Step 4: Putting it Together
When the pie crust is golden brown and no longer soft, remove from the oven. Pour the syrup you made evenly over the pie. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, and you’re done!

Makes 1 9 inch tart, depending on the size of your pineapple
Prep Time:30 min
Bake Time: 35 min
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Signing off for this week,
Your ever humble, star struck mixologist,
Aaron Lahey

Apr 7, 2015 at 4:50 PM Permalink Comments (20)