Campari

I took the leap.  After looking through a few recipe books and seeing it taunt me page after page as I flipped, I went to the liquor store and bought a bottle of Campari.  I thought I would be getting a red digestive with sweet qualities but with a bitter flavor, kind of like earthy sweet vermouth.  I was terribly inaccurate with my guess.

 

I poured half an ounce into a cordial glass and I knew instantly I was going to struggle getting it down.  A heavy pine smell greeted me and as I took a sip, it made me shudder.  Campari’s description as a ‘digestive bitter’ was accurate by at least half.  It is not the delicious, hoppy bitter of an India Pale Ale, but a saliva-inducing, tree-bark flavored kick in the tonsils.  My first thought was to pour it down the drain, but I am a glutton for punishment, and I finished it.  So, now that I have another 735ml of Campari, I guess I had better try to make it bearable. 

Negroni

¾ oz gin

¾ oz Campari

¾ oz sweet vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or an ice-filled rocks glass.  Garnish with an orange twist.

The Negroni is a stronger cousin of the Americano, which uses club soda instead of gin.  I used Bombay Sapphire Gin in my Negroni.  The twist of orange provides a delightful aroma; so much so that it deceived me into thinking I might like this drink.  Even though it is in equal parts with the other ingredients, the taste of Campari is prevalent.  The gin (at least the Bombay Sapphire) is not a strong enough flavor to turn the Campari into a complimentary flavor.  All in all, I really struggled finishing this drink.

Boulevardier

¾ oz bourbon or rye

¾ oz Campari

¾ oz sweet vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or an ice-filled rocks glass.  Garnish with an orange twist.

The only difference between the Boulevardier and the Negroni is the use of bourbon or rye instead of gin.  I used W.L. Weller 12 Year Old whiskey, and the strong bourbon flavor balances this drink better than the lighter gin in the Negroni.  It might be that I prefer bourbon to gin, but I will be making another Boulevardier before I make another Negroni.

Have you ever had Campari?  A Negroni?  A Boulevardier?  If you try any of these, leave your thoughts in the comments.  As always, I can be reached through Twitter @rebellionwhisky.    

In Memorandum: The Monarch

For those of you who have been following the birth of this blog, you will know that I recently reviewed a few of the drinks at The Monarch in Maplewood.  It pains me to say this, but, unfortunately, The Monarch is closing its doors for good on March 11^th.  Obviously this is sad for the owners and staff of the restaurant, but in past few months I had really enjoyed popping in to the bar for a drink or two.  The Monarch contained a bar that was able to pay homage to traditional cocktails while also being able to concoct new, daring creations.  One of my favorites was Purgatory, a devilish mix of whiskey, Chartreuse, and Benedictine herbal liquor that one could not consume two of without starting to think about obtaining a ride home.   In the drink description on the menu, it reads: “If you drink very many of these in succession, you will experience this drink's namesake. You have been forewarned.”  They are not kidding.

In keeping on the traditional side, The Monarch was able to drudge up long forgotten memories of the cocktails of yesteryear and replicate them in the most accurate way possible.  The Sazerac is not for the faint of heart, as you can tell from the recipe:

Sazerac

1 sugar cube

3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

2 oz rye whiskey

¼ oz absinthe, Herbsaint, or Pernod

Lemon twist

Fill old-fashioned glass with ice. Muddle sugar and bitters in second old-fashioned glass.  Add whiskey and stir.  Discard ice from first glass.  Add absinthe to chilled glass, swirl to coat inside, and discard excess absinthe.  Pour whiskey mixture from second glass into chilled glass.  Twist lemon over drink, but do not add to glass.

When I first tried the Sazerac, I was incredibly leery of the absinthe.  However, this cocktail has such a small amount, there is only a hint of the black licorice flavor imparted by the absinthe; a subtle kiss of anise that when mixed with the spicy rye, is just the perfect amount.  The Monarch made this drink better than most, and while I can’t say that it’s the best Sazerac I’ve ever had, I can tell you with full confidence that you would not be disappointed if you had one from there.

All in all, a big thanks to the folks of The Monarch.  To the bartenders, the waiting staff, the chef, and the owners, we wish you luck in your future endeavors.  Thanks, and cheers.

The Manhattan

I’ll make no secret about it:  I love whiskey.  More specifically, I love bourbon.  What makes whiskey bourbon? According to United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section 5.22(i)(1):

“Bourbon whisky”, “rye whisky”, “wheat whisky”, “malt whisky”, or “rye malt whisky” is whisky produced at not exceeding 160° proof from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn, rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain, respectively, and stored at not more than 125° proof in charred new oak containers; and also includes mixtures of such whiskies of the same type.

Right, what you need to know there is bourbon has to be 51% corn.  (Note that, contrary to popular belief, bourbon does not have to be made in Bourbon County, Kentucky.)  From there, however, the amount of adjuncts (other grains) can vary wildly.  With this in mind, you have to be careful when selecting bourbon for particular types of cocktails.  Bourbons with a significant amount of wheat, such as Maker’s Mark or W.L. Weller, tend to be smoother than bourbons with more rye.  Rye imparts a spicy character into the bourbon as can be seen in Bulleit (pronounced “bullet”) bourbon.

So, how does this apply to making the superior cocktail?  Let’s take a fairly straightforward cocktail to see if we can taste the difference.            

The Manhattan, my wife’s favorite, and a cocktail that I have shared with her frequently as of late.  Normally, we would make her Manhattan’s with bourbon, but after some research (you know, Google), I found that the time-honored Manhattan is made with rye whiskey, rather than bourbon.  I liked the bourbon version, but if the traditionalists say rye, then I would give it a shot.  Here are the recipes for the two cocktails that we compared:

Bourbon Based Manhattan

2 oz Bulleit bourbon

½ oz sweet vermouth

3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Rye Based Manhattan

2 oz Bulleit 95% rye whiskey

½ oz sweet vermouth

3 dashes of Angostura bitters

I chose Bulleit bourbon because of its high rye content, thinking that a rye based bourbon will be closer to the traditional Manhattan recipe.  With that said, these two cocktails are like night and day.  The bitters work much better with the rye whiskey.   The vegetable flavors imparted by the bitters work significantly better with the bite of the rye.  With the sweeter, smoother bourbon, the cocktail is far too sweet.  Granted, I wouldn’t have made this distinction without comparing the bourbon version to the rye.  Still, that’s what this blog is all about: discovery.  There is no comparison between the two beverages, and I will never make/purchase a Manhattan without rye whiskey as the backbone again.

How do you take your Manhattan?  Comments are always welcome, as are suggestions for future drink experiments. 

The Search

Ah, the Jack Daniels and Coke.  A simple, ubiquitous beverage that combines the two most recognized drink brands in America.  It is an effortless cocktail that both elder statesman and collegiate drinkers can prepare and enjoy.  I cannot tell you how many of these sweet, mellow beverages I have consumed in my young life, but I’ll tell you one thing: though I have enjoyed them, I am getting bored with the drink.  With the beverage’s inherent simplicity, comes the drink’s unfortunate plainness.  So, what do you do? 

Rebel, obviously, against bland drinks, pre-conceived notions, and our personal cocktail histories.      

With all of that said, welcome to my first sojourn into the world of blogging.  I am actually a little nervous; the thought of individuals caring about what I think and those same individuals basing their choices on my opinions is unsettling.  What type of knowledge do I have over any other individual? 

There is the beauty of this blog: I am not an expert and I will never claim to be.  I am hoping to discover my own opinions about the world of cocktails and try and find a higher level of cocktail enlightenment.  In doing so, I hope readers, whether few or many, also find that next level.

So how do we achieve this enlightenment?  Is it as easy as just trying new cocktails and telling you how I feel about them?  I doubt it; the enlightenment comes from the sharing of opinions, recipes, and techniques.  It’s about searching for the classic way to make cocktails, and then experimenting, expanding, and improving upon the recipe. 

Initially, I will start with finding those classic cocktails and preparing them in the traditional manner.  This will include both simple and complex recipes, varying from a straightforward gin and tonic to an ambitious sazerac (rye whiskey and absinthe!). 

Another significant part of the search will include obtaining opinions about the different brands of spirits available.  Do I prefer Maker’s Mark or Knob Creek as my bourbon of choice?  Is a margarita better with resposado or añejo tequila?  Should you shake a martini á la James Bond-style or stir?  All these questions will (hopefully) be answered. 

 I can hear your skepticism radiating from my computer screen.  How on earth am I going to learn how a cocktail is actually supposed to taste like?  A Mr. Boston recipe book is no assurance that I will be able to make the drinks properly.  Therefore, the final portion of my search will include visiting as many knowledgeable cocktail artists and mixologists in the St. Louis area as possible.  In simpler terms, I will go to a lot of bars.  I will savor their take on classic cocktails as well as taste the bartender’s signature cocktail (hopefully they have one) and rate the experiences. 

Please, feel free to comment on the things I have posted.  Post your favorite way to prepare the drink.  What is your favorite rum?  Tell me your opinions on bars in the St. Louis area.  Who has the best old-fashioned in the city?  Let’s try and find out together.  A whiskey and coke is nice beverage, but do you want to be stuck with just that option?  Or do you like a Cuba Libre better?  Or a Rob Roy?  Or a whiskey sour?  Hopefully you are the inquisitive type like me, and hopefully, you will find your personal cocktail preferences along with me.

Thanks for reading.