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Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad 
LEVEL: 2 

Ingredients 

• 2.75 oz Napa Valley Distillery -Brandy Rouge* 
• .25 oz Napa Valley Distillery -Ancho León* 
• 8 drops Underberg Bitters* 

Garnish: 
• 1 Luxardo Maraschino Cherry 
•1 dried or fresh chile (optional) 

Preparation 

Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Luxardo Maraschino Cherry and dried or fresh chile (optional). Enjoy and repeat responsibly. 

* Ingredients included in the December 2015 Bar Club Package 

Created exclusively for NVD by mixologist Aaron Lahey. 

Dec 10, 2015 at 10:00 AM Permalink Comments (1)

Defined: Cocktail

What is a cocktail? I thought this would be easy, it’s any drink found on the happy hour menu for cocktail hour. A mixed drink with a kick… right, guys? ...guys?

No! The history is a lot more complex and flavorful, with a little bit of in-fighting between America and England.  The origins of the word are legends, even where the term comes from has 5 different stories. It could come from horseracing, French word for an egg cup, or even that a rooster’s tail was used to stir a Bittered Sling.#

The term today has come to mean any mixed drink, but back in the day, it referred to a specific recipe. It lived in the world of punches, sours, slings and other varieties of alcoholic libations. In the May 13th edition of the 1806 newspaper, Balance and Columbian Repository, the editor defined a cocktail as: “a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind – sugar, water, and bitters.” In my research, I learned that any time NVD refers to a cocktail, we are heralding the original meaning and it must include bitters.

So I decided to make a cocktail as a part of my research but there's no official name, the working title is Autumn Harvest. 

1.5 oz NVD Brandy Cordial
.75 oz NVD Apple Brandy
.5 oz Liber & Co. Grenadine
2 dashes Lemon bitters
 
Shake vigorously with ice in a cocktail shaker, strain into a glass, and put the two dashes of lemon bitters to float on top. 

What is missing from the picture?

Bitters of course! 

Nov 12, 2015 at 3:30 PM Permalink Comments (1)

The Carpe Diem Excursion

Seize the day!* 

Or rather, seize the night. We had a reason to celebrate as the NVD crew. We've been making so many steps towards opening our new distillery and Arthur, our proprietor and master behind the curtain, invited all of us out for an evening of fun and good libations. Of course, we couldn't just go anywhere. Once you develop a palate for fine spirits, it starts limiting where you want to enjoy such beverages. 

Our reservation was at Carpe Diem, a classy wine bar and restaurant in downtown Napa. They happen to have more than wine; they have a select list of cocktails from which to choose. They also carry two bottles of our finest, Old Hollywood Ginn and the delectable Brandy Cordial. With these spirits, they created two delicious cocktails.

The evening started out nice, newer crew members including myself were able get to know the old salts of the team. We stepped into the back room where our table sat and were greeted by Mr. Buffalo. The great debate started about which wall he really should be on while we waited for our cocktails and tapas. 

The first round ordered was the Golden Fleece, a fantastic rendition of a Sidecar with made with the Brandy Cordial. According to Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-hair winged ram held in Colchis. It is a symbol of authority and kingship. This cocktail, made with San Francisco Co. Herculean Bitters, is aptly named for it is the has the kingship and authority of the Brandy Cordial. 

The second round was called the Old Hollywood Ginn Negroni, which is quite the mouthful. However, after one sip of this particularly dry and bitter cocktail, there isn't much left in your mouth. I had never had a Negroni before and wasn't prepared to feel like my mouth had become the Sahara desert. It was a unique experience, and one I will try again. My husband likes to say he'll try anything twice, and that's a maxim I am attempting to add to my life.

The origins of this cocktail are unknown. My favorite story is that it was invented in Florence, Italy in 1919. According to legend, Count Camillo Negroni invented it by asking the bartender to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather than the normal soda water. The bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a different drink. We used to sell a barrel aged Negroni cocktail and on the label we had a picture of Count Negroni. Rumor has it, that cocktail might be making a comeback. Keep you eyes peeled!

All in all, we had a fantastic time together, and learned of a new place to get out of the house on a Friday night. 

*Napa Valley Distillery always recommends drinking responsibly.

Oct 29, 2015 at 3:00 PM Permalink

Happy Spooky Spirited Halloween!

Hello Booze Log Readers!

It's been a while. I'm back, for one night only, to talk a little bit about Halloween; as well as the spooky cocktails this holiday inspired me to create.

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. There's a natural creativity to it, between carving jack o lanterns, making haunted houses, and carefully crafting your costume. It's like the arts and crafts fair of holidays. 

For the last few years now this creatively charged holiday has compelled me to make creepy cocktails, inspired by things that go bump in the night.

Nightmare on Ginn Street

I recently watched Wes Craven's slasher classic for the first time, far overdue I may add. The goofy, yet still terrifying Freddy Krueger is more than deserving of a creepy cocktail namesake. 

The main color palette for the drink is green and red, reminiscent of Freddy's grubby sweater. The float of bitters mottles the foam on the top of the drink, making it look like burnt skin. Despite the intimidating visage, this drink is wonderfully refreshing. Full of spices from the Old Hollywood Ginn, with a strong raspberry note, dry botanicals, and more than a touch of rich Cocoa, this is a perfect cocktail for a warm fall night.

Nightmare on Ginn Street

2 oz Napa Valley Distillery - Old Hollywood Ginn
.5 oz Premium Dry Vermouth
.5 oz Small Hands Foods - Raspberry Gum Syrup
8 Drops Napa Valley Bitters - Antique Chocolate Bitters
Lime Wheel

Pour .25 oz Raspberry Gum Syrup into the bottom of a chilled cocktail glass. Add all other ingredients to cocktail shaker and shake hard with ice. Strain into glass. 

Garnish with a lime wheel and 4 additional drops of Antique Chocolate Bitters.

Tower of Terror

Ever since Napa Valley Distillery released the Grand California, something about it reminded me of being a kid and going to Disney's California Adventure theme park. Everyone knows the best ride in the park is the Twilight Zone's Tower of Terror, a creepy 1930's hotel, with quite the drop.

These memories are what inspired the Tower of Terror cocktail. A southern Californian play on a Moscow Mule, replacing vodka with 80 proof Orange Brandy and adding some south of the border kick with tamarind chili lime bitters. The look of the drink, from the Colin's glass to the cherry on top, is supposed to be reminiscent of an Art Deco hotel.

Tower of Terror

1.5 oz Napa Valley Distillery - Grand California
1/2 Lime, juiced 
6 oz Ginger Beer (or 1 oz. Pickett's #1 Ginger Beer Syrup, Medium Spicy & 5 oz soda water) 
8 drops Napa Valley Bitters - Tamarind Lime Chili Bitters
Fresh Orange Peel 

Fill Collins glass with ice. Add the Grand California first, then lime juice, topping with Ginger Beer. (If using Pickett's #1 Syrup and soda water together mix in a separate glass before adding to the cocktail). 

Garnish with flamed orange twist and float bitters on top.

I hope you enjoy these eerie libations as much as I enjoyed creating them. They are alive...ALIVE I SAY!!!

Until next time,
Your ever humble, mad mixologist
Aaron Lahey

*Napa Valley Distillery always recommends drinking responsibly.

Oct 15, 2015 at 2:40 PM Permalink Comments (16)

TCA - The Minimalist Bar

Hello folks! We have been in the throes of moving, but setting up in our new place has been awesome! We can't wait to show it off to y'all. Here’s a sneak peak of our office, we have a noir/gumshoe theme going on right now.

This post is a little more technical than feeling the wind in your hair from the seat of a scooter racing through SF. Nonetheless, technical is often necessary. So here we go!

What does it take to have a minimalist bar? *

 
If you are like me, which is just starting out with a home bar and have limited storage space, it's a tricky deal to get the most out of your bar without sacrificing that much shelf space. I currently tuck my bar away on a shelf in my butcher block. The dishes that were housed there are trying to find a new home as we speak. Therefore, I have to keep it simple and this is something vital for me to figure out now before I have no more room for dishes...  
 
During my research, I discovered it can get quite opinionated and sometimes even heated in differing ideas. There are books written on it, blog posts spewing ideas with arguments in the comments. Even when I was talking to some of my colleagues, they had their own different ideas. The nitty gritty of it all is that our palate will dictate what we enjoy, or don't enjoy.

I have narrowed down that the decision stems from: is a personal bar or an entertaining bar? I'm currently leaning toward a personal bar with the option for a handful of well-known drinks for a handful of close friends. We will see how this evolves.  
 
I decided to follow my bartending friend's advice. She said, “Always be able to make a long island at any given time and have a form of whiskey.” It consolidated all the advice I was receiving. What spirits are in a long island you ask? Easy!  
 
Vodka 
Gin 
Light Rum 
Tequila 
Triple Sec 
 
Two things not included in a traditional long island I want to keep on hand: 
Whiskey, I was told to keep Bourbon, 
Dark Rum 

To have a bit more flexibility, add dry and sweet vermouth. I read that you should buy small bottles and keep it in the fridge if you won't go through it quickly. 

Something else I have been told is mandatory for a versatile bar is bitters. If you have ever been in the NVD bar shop, it's great if you know what you are doing. Otherwise, it’s overwhelming for beginners.  I didn’t even know where to start! After talking to Paul, our tasting room manager, he gave me a list to always have on hand.   

Aromatic
Orange 
Creole
Celery 
Lemon

I grabbed a travel pack of Berg & Haucks bitters set, it has all of the above. 

 
Next up is Mixers: Simple syrup, lemons, lime, sugar, and salt. Cherries and oranges if you like 

old fashioned’s, manhattans, etc. I always have lemons around, but the other stuff I only have raw cane sugar which doesn’t dissolve well. I want to make my own simple syrup, but for now I bought a bottle. I also will be looking for some flavored syrups and shrubs with fun tastes. The Bang Candy Peach Basil that was included In the June Bar Club shipment is awesome, I’ve had it in a mojito and margarita, and will definitely keep that around. 

 
Tools: 
Shaker, pint glass, hawthorn strainer, bar spoon, muddler (I have yet to buy a muddler. I use an ice cream scoop or wooden tart molder) 
 
Glassware:  
Rocks, tumbler, martini, and champagne flute. This is what I have on hand.  
 
Also anything that you know you love, for example, I love scotch. I can drink it neat. I make sure to keep a bottle of that around, especially for when my dad comes to visit. 

As you might have noticed, I don't have everything on that has been recommended to keep on hand. I now have my shopping list. Well this wraps up what I’ve learned so far. What have you found you like to keep on hand? Feel free to comment!
 
Until next time, 
Amanda

*Napa Valley Distillery always recommends drinking responsibly.

Oct 1, 2015 at 5:00 PM Permalink Comments (17)

The Vesper

Whoop whoop! We've been scrambling to get your club shipment out in a timely manner and haven't had much time to focus on blogs, but I do have a tale of the city to share today.

We went to the city a couple weekends ago, a glorified stay-cation if you will. We scooted around SF and finished up at the Top of the Mark. If you have never been, I highly recommend it. You have a 360 view of the city from this beautiful lounge. Casual dress is ok, but we had packed a couple items to freshen ourselves up from the Scoots' (rentable scooters) helmets.

After pretty much redressing out of the trunk of our car, our friends and us headed to the International Mark Hopkins Hotel. There was a line for the elevator, as usual. It's worth it! We quickly sped our way to the top, and stepped out. The setting sun was shining its rays across the entire room, and we were able to get a window seat. Had we arrived 30 minutes later, we would have been lucky just to get a seat. Our wonderful waiter named Jim took great care of us, listened to our questions, and fulfilled our orders swiftly and expertly. They have a cocktail menu miles long, but for a type of place to sip a drink in the city, the prices are very competitive.

I ordered a 'Vesper'. When your drink comes out and it's clear, you just know it's dangerous. But, it was exactly what I was craving, refreshing and crisp after a long day in the winds and hills.

The Vesper is named after the love interest of the famous 007 agent, James Bond. He created the drink in the 1953 novel Casino Royale.

"A dry martini," Bond said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."
"Oui, monsieur."
"Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet.
Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"
"Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
"Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.
Bond laughed. "When I'm...er...concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name."
—Ian Fleming, Casino Royale, Chapter 7, "Rouge et Noir

Bond said after taking a long sip, “Excellent .... but if you can get a vodka made with grain instead of potatoes, you will find it still better.” I am sure he would think of it being made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc grapes would be the only way to drink it.

*spoiler alert* He never again consumes the drink after the death of the namesake.

I have since looked up the official recipe and was thrilled to find out we can make a Napa Valley Vesper.

NVD Vesper:

3 part Old Hollywood Ginn
1 part Napa Reserve Neutral Brandy
half measure equal parts NVD Meyer Lemon Variety and Lillet Blonde

Shake with ice until cold, then strain and pour. Garnish with a lemon peel. Enjoy!*

Until next time,

Amanda

PS: Want to watch that scene? Click here. 

*Napa Valley Distillery always recommends drinking responsibly.

Sep 17, 2015 at 11:30 PM Permalink Comments (3)

The Cocktail Apprentice

Disclaimer: Before you read this, have a drink. 

Imagine. "Thinking Out Loud" by the Mr. Sheeran is playing on the radio as you gaze into your lover's eyes over the rim of a well-balanced cocktail. That is my Sunday evening right now. I am playing with my fledgling knowledge, but I am in the same quandary as most. I don't know much about spirits, cocktails, or even what the Prohibition did to America beyond reversing freedoms and rights by a couple decades. 

So why am I writing a blog about the wizardry of the bar tender? Because office skills of course! Never knock office skills. They get you the best jobs in the best of places. I recently was hired by Napa Valley Distillery. As a new hire, I have started to become educated under the tutelage of the masters, Arthur, Ian, Paul... Pretty much everyone here knows more than me. Hence, my title as the Cocktail Apprentice. So, while I am trying to develop this concept, I've discovered there's two major categories that, while the basics overlap, we will probably tackle in different posts. After today of course. Today, we gab!  

We have to not be afraid to ask the questions, even the basic ones! There are no stupid questions. Knowledge is power, and the power we are entrusted with is to choose what our enjoyment is! Here's some questions I have had, maybe you have had them too.

Going out:  
Do you ever walk into a bar and fall back to the same ole same ole? Does Sex and the City still dictate your Friday night cocktail? Are you stuck in a college rut of fast shots and lack of balance... I am referring to the cocktail's symmetry and not the DUI test. (as always, I will stress drinking responsibly)*  What about that budget adage to order beer or wine when you go out for a drink or two?  Why is that considered advice? Is it because we get ripped off for ordering an adult beverage and it tastes like a juice box in our kids lunch? It’s aggravating and frustrating to pay $10-15 for a glorified fruit punch that doesn’t even leave that nice relaxed feeling. Are mixed drinks simply pocket padding for restaurants? Why do we, should we, even bother?

Staying in: 
What about having friends over? Are we cursed to only serving blended margaritas and spiked punch for all of our house parties? My dilemma was that I had these amazingly crafted sprits by NVD (I thought this even before they signed my paycheck) AND I don't know what to do with them! I tried them straight at the tasting room, I have the recipes they send with the quarterly shipment and then what? They sit there and look pretty? I didn't want to end up like my mother and have bottles of booze in my pantry from the 3 decades previously. 

So where do we start? I can be an impatient sort and thought that the best way to start is to begin with the most gratifying: making a drink.  

So, this lovely Sunday night, I started the dive into experimentations and flirting with science of taste. Even before I indulged in alcoholic beverages, I knew what a cosmopolitan was; I thought that this would be a good start. I pulled out the vodka, but realized I was missing a vital ingredient. After a quick jaunt to BevMo and grabbing a bottle that said it was a natural cranberry & key lime mixer, I could finally get started.  I followed the recipe on the back of the cranberry bottle.

Recipe #1:
3oz Mixer
1.5oz Vodka
Shake with ice, strain/pour. Garnish with lime wedge.

I poured it into my grandmother’s vintage cocktail glass, and because cocktails used to be smaller in her day, I had too much, so I split it with my husband. He and I both took a sip and made faces. The ratio of 2:1 wasn’t working for us, so 2nd lesson is improvise! I looked up the cosmo in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It highlighted one missing ingredient. Orange liqueur... 

Recipe #2:
3oz Mixer 2.5oz Vodka 0.5oz Orange Liqueur
Take lime wedge garnish, partially slice in half, run the slit around the rim of the glass. Leave as a garnish.
Shake with ice, strain/pour. (see image above)

It was so much better! The orange liqueur brought out something different in the cranberry, and the little extra vodka cut the sweetness of the juice. The initial tartness of the lime juice on the rim also helped out in the balancing. It was bliss. Definitely something I will make again on a hot summer night. 

Three lessons of today:
1.) Have the basics
2.) Improvise
3.) Trust your palate.

All three of these lessons are inherently intertwined. I can’t wait to explore this more! 

So that wraps up my inaugural post. It’s way too much fun to write up a blog like this.  Feel free to critique or comment!

Until next time,
Amanda

*Napa Valley Distillery always recommends drinking responsibly.

Aug 27, 2015 at 3:00 PM Permalink Comments (7)

Witch Doctor Wednesdays

Hello Booze Log Readers!

Welcome to the inaugural Witch Doctor Wednesday blog post, where I will explore alcohol’s history and use as a medicine*.

Today's post was inspired by the release of our Brandy Mint Julep Cocktail, which I found out, through accidental experimentation, to have some healing qualities. Hot toddies are a category of cocktail that actually predate the cocktail. They are defined as a mix of spirituous liquor, sugar (or honey), spices/herbs, and hot water. The hot water actually vaporizes the alcohol, which can clear up congestion in the sinuses and lungs. Alcohol is also a mild anesthetic, so it can sooth a sore or scratchy throat. All of the earliest preparations of alcohol like this were medicinally intended. If you do have a sore or dry throat, adding a small amount, maybe half an ounce, of Brandy Mint Julep Cocktail to hot water and lemon, should really help it feel better. I know it has for me.

Hot Mint Toddy
1oz NVD Brandy Mint Julep Cocktail
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1 Cinnamon Stick
7oz Hot Water

Makes one 8oz cocktail.

Until next time,
Your friendly, neighborhood witch doctor,
Aaron Lahey

*Note: This is not intended to cure, treat, or prevent any disease. The FDA has not endorsed the statements here*

Jun 10, 2015 at 5:10 PM Permalink Comments (441)

Thirsty Thursday: The Cherry Lime Gimlet

Hello Booze Log Readers,

Today, I am mixing up a cocktail inspired by two other classics: The Gin Gimlet, and The Cherry Lime Rickey. Both of these drinks were extremely popular from the 20's straight through to the late 50's. Gin Rickey's are ordered by Gatsby in Fitzgerald's classic, and many know the gimlet as Betty Draper's (Mad Men) poison of choice. The Cherry Lime Rickey was a popular soda fountain drink around the same time, using sweet cherry syrup for a refreshing summer pop. Cherry season is still in full swing here in Northern California, and with the hot days driving me for a refresher, I've looked to these classic summer cocktails for inspiration. The result? The Cherry Lime Gimlet. Shaken hard and strained, like a gimlet, this drink looks beautiful in your fanciest cocktail glass.

The Cherry Lime Gimlet
2oz Napa Valley Distillery Cherry Brandy
0.75oz El Guapo Lime Cordial Syrup
0.25oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 dashes Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard until shaker frosts. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Until next time,
Your ever humble, antiquated mixologist,
Aaron Lahey

*Napa Valley Distillery always recommends drinking responsibly.

May 28, 2015 at 11:50 AM Permalink Comments (6)

Temperance Tuesday: As Bittersweet Cocktail Example

Dear Readers,

In my last post I promised a nonalcoholic cocktail recipe based on the format I laid out in the crash course. If nothing else, I try to be a man of my word, so here it is! Please refer to my post last week for more information about how I came to this recipe!

Something I forgot to note last week: When you have created a signature concoction, make sure to name it something fun!

South of Wherever
2oz Small Hands or Liber Pineapple Gum Syrup
1oz fresh orange juice
1oz fresh lime juice
2 dashes Mr. Bitters Honeyed Apricot & Smoked Hickory Bitters
12oz soda water

Shake first four ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Pour unstrained into a pint glass. Top with soda. Garnish with lime wheel. Makes one 16oz bittersweet cocktail.

As you can see this drink follows the format. It has the pineapple gum as the sweet component, fresh citrus for the sour, bitters that complement the other flavors in the drink, and soda water to dilute.

Hope this helps in your home mixing adventures!

Until next time,
your ever humble, honest mixologist,
Aaron Lahey

May 26, 2015 at 3:57 PM Permalink Comments (3)