Happy New Year!

Hello. New years is upon us and I figured I'd drop a line again about a few drinks. I haven't really been much of a participant in cocktail culture of late Spending more time drinking good beer. So I'm going to write this one about winter beers. And follow it up with a recent cocktail fave “the Rusty Nail”

Back in the day brewing was a seasonal activity and many beers had their distinct times, for instance Marzen, better known as Oktoberfest beer in the states. Was brewed typically in March, thus the name Marzen, German for March. Due to the advantages of the modern age, Refrigeration, year round grain and hops etc. Many styles of beer are now made the whole year. But there are still some brewers due to tradition or the intricacies of their brew, that choose to still make special beers for the holiday. I'm going to outline three. Sammichlaus, Cervezaria Moctezuma's Noche buena, and Anchor's Christmas Ale.

Sammichlaus.
The first of these that I'm writing about is the Swiss Beer Sammichlaus. This beer named in the Zürich dialect word for Santa Claus. Has the distinction of being the strongest beer ever brewed, at a whopping 14% alcohol by volume. First brewed in 1980, Sammichlaus is brewed every year on St Nicholas' day, December 6, and is lagered (a slow secondary fermentation wherein it is aged under cold conditions) nearly a whole year. In fact the total process, brewing, fermenting, lagering, and bottling takes a whole year as it is bottled on St Nicholas' day of the following year from which it was brewed! This brewing time and the use of champagne yeasts make the famous strength. The Beer comes in s light and dark version, but they should be called dark and darker. I bought the only type they had at my local BevMo but judging from the bottle pictured in Micheal Jackson's “Ultimate Beer” (DK 1997) I believe I tried the light one. Traditionally the beer is drank in espresso cup sized steins but as I don't have one of these, my father and I sampled it in cognac snifters. The flavor is rich and full with a wine like mouth feel. It's a little sweet and has more of a wine like acidity than typical beer like bitterness. But the flavors are all malt and hops, being a lager the yeast doesn't play into flavor. It's texture is a little oily not dissimilar to an ice wine or a single malt. It was quite good, and even in the snifter goes straight to the head. I'll have to try it in a pint sometime for science.... of course. The beer is of course seasonal, but due to it's low profile out of hop head circles it's pretty much available year round wherever good beers are sold.

Noche Buena.
Named Noche Buena (the good night) the Spanish term for Christmas Eve. Noche Buena is a great German style lager. Though known for cheaper beers like Corona or Tecate, there are many a great German style beer coming out of Mexico. In fact many styles like the Vienna lager which aren't made much in Germany Austria anymore are still quite popular in Mexico. Noche Buena is made by La Cervezaria Moctezuma, and starts to appear on the shelves around Thanksgiving. It is everything a German lager should be, good malt flavors, a nice zing of hops and a fizzy, but not too fizzy mouth feel. I believe it is Mexico's best beer. I usually find it in holiday party packs at Costco with it's popular brothers Dos Equis Clara and Obscura (itself one of the aforementioned Vienna lagers).

Anchor Brewing's Special Holiday Ale.
Commonly called the Christmas ale, due to it's Christmas card style label. It's an excellent ale made with spices. Brewed by the Anchor Brewing Company, famous for reviving “steam beer”, since 1975. Each years Christmas Ale is a little bit different. Each year gets a different group of spices in the wort, and a different Tree adorns each years label. The spices used are a trade secret, but I can usually spot coriander (a favorite beer spice), orange peel, and I suspect pine. This beer has been a family tradition in my house for the last couple of years and I've tasted two vintages. Both where actually quite similar so I'd say they have a base recepie, that they modify it to suit the spices chosen for that year. The Christmas Ale is a complex flavor. It has a very rich malt presence with a bit of nuttiness from the yeast, and a nice session bitter hop character. Then the spices hit you adding to the bitterness, in an almost medicinal way (this is a good thing). It's meant to be drank in pints, but I prefer taking it in a snifter or tumbler because it's very, very rich, and a pint would become monotonous on the palate. I highly recommend it, I've tried 2009 and 2010s. And I prefer 2010, so check it out while it still lasts. You can find it at most good liquor stores, wherever Anchor is sold. It is sold in both 12oz. bottles and magnums, I prefer the magnum as I get it as part of our Christmas feast, and it's just more celebratory. As it is a vintage ale it supposedly ages well, but I've never had it last that long aging beer and wine for me is a task.

And last but not least the one new drink I've discovered this year. The Rusty Nail. It's a simple drink made of Scotch Whiskey and the cordial of Drambuie Drambuie is one of those super secret cordials that everywhere in Europe seems to have, So I have no idea what it is other than Drambuie The drink goes thus.

1.Old Fashion glass (tumbler)
2.4oz. of blended Scotch Whiskey.
3.1oz. of Drambuie
4.Ice.
Fill the glass with Ice and build the drink by first pouring the Scotch, then topping it off with Drambuie Give it a stir then drink.

Well that's it for me this year so I hope you have a great new year and keep safe on New Years Eve.


David

Happy new year Vol 2

Hello everybody New Years day is just around the corner. So I feel inclined to write another drinks Segment on the old blog. Of course before I go in I have to say drink responsibly and don't drive blah blah. (you're all that smart right?) So here goes.

The Classic Highball.

This has been a recent favorite of mine lately. A Highball, in essence, is simply any two ingredient mixed drink that has more mixer than liquid. typically that mixer is a soda of some sort, possibly the most popular "party drink". This is the classic version.

Hardware.

1 Highball Glass (go figure).
You're trusty 1.5 oz. 1 oz. jigger cup.
Spoon

Software.

Rye (Canadian) Whisky.
Ginger Ale.
Ice cubes.


Build the drink by filing the highball glass with Ice cubes. Add 1.5 oz of Whisky. Fill remainder with Ginger Ale. Stir (If the ginger ale pour didn't mix the drink). Garnish with lemon twist.

Recommendations.

I personally love to make this drink with Seagram's Seven crown, or V.O. (7 when I'm poor, VO when I've got some more cash.) If you don't care about putting a premium spirit into a drink. I highly recommend the Crown and ginger version (made with Crown Royal). If Canadian Whisky is not to your taste this drink makes well with other Whiskies as well especially bourbon (not my favorite But I'll get it a parties with a lame bar rail).
This is a very powerful recipe because it is the same for almost every highball. just replace your favorite soda and spirit into the recipe above and viola new drink. For example use Seven up and Seven crown and you have the famous Seven&Seven, Bacardi and Coca cola makes the obviously named Bacardi and Coke, and my friend Renee's favorite Vodka and Fresca. The list is as endless as your spirits, sodas and imagination.

The Blue Wave (AKA the fou fou drink).

Every year the doctor's office that I file for has a Christmas party at the Lawry's "The Prime Rib" restaurant in either Beverly Hills or Las Vegas. This year was Vegas, and while I know that we are not supposed to divulge what happened there under pain of death (or very bad Elvis impersonation, or possibly the endless torment of Illegal immigrants annoyingly flicking tart cards in my face.) I Think it's okay to tell this one. While I was being treated to a lovely Tanqueray Martini. My friends Renee (yes pretty much everything I do with her involves drinking) and Tracy asked the bar tender for something Fou Fou. The bar tender proceeded to make the following drink for them, saying simply that they'd like it. When the bar tender was asked what it was her reply was simply "something I just made up".
The drink was a Hit with all the girls and when they were ordering their third rounds the bartender decided to name it the Blue Wave. Wonder If it's going to be on their menu next year. Since I typically bar-tend the office parties. I watched her procedure. The drink is as follows.

Hardware.

Shaker or Mixing cups.
Crushed Ice.
You're trusty 1.5oz. 1oz. jigger cup.
Cocktail Glass.

Software.

1.5 oz of Malibu Rum.
2 oz. of pineapple juice.
1 oz of blue curocao
Spiral of lemon

Build the drink buy filling the shaker cup with Crushed Ice. (I know your all "but cubed makes better cocktails" while this is true Lawry's uses crushed and since it was invented there, crushed is in this case correct) add Rum then pineapple juice then blue curocao. close shaker and shake like you mean it until the outside of the shaker fogs. Strain into the Cocktail Glass add lemon spiral and serve. trust me the ladies will love it.

Irish Coffee.

I figured I'd leave you off with a nice wintry drink as it's been very cold here in the AV. And I figured I'd tell you how to make an Irish coffee now the Irish coffee is a drink that so many people mess up. The worst offense i've seen was putting Grand Mariner in it. What the fuck do the french or oranges have to do with Ireland! But I'll Tell you how to do it right.

Hardware.

Hot Cocktail Glass or Coffee cup.
Coffee pot.
Spoon.
You're trusty 1.5oz. 1oz. jigger cup.

Software.

1.5 oz Irish Whisky (it is Irish coffee after all.)
3 oz of Hot Coffee.
1 tsp. of sugar.
1 tsp. of heavy cream.
Whipped cream.

Make a pot of coffee fairly strong tastes best. Then build the drink in the Hot Cocktail Glass or Coffee cup, buy first adding the coffee. Then add the Whisky sugar and cream. Stir and add a dollop of whipped cream to top. Serve drink then have another then sleep.

Recommendations. It is best to make this drink with Bushmill's irish whisky. As Jameson's taste will get lost behind the coffee. I've never tried making it with Tullemore Dew, but I suspect it would be better than Jameson, but less flavorful than with Bushmill's. If you want a sweeter (and more potent) drink. Use the first (and so far only good) corruption of this recipe. by replacing the heavy cream with Bailey's Irish Creme.

Well I hope You enjoy your New Years and enjoy these drink recipes. And I'll see you next year

Cheers
David

New years

Hello Everybody, I'd like to wish you all a happy new year. and since new years is coming up I'd like to tell you All how I make a few of my favourite drinks, first the MARTINI. This drink had been of interest to me since I started whatching James Bond films. But we're not making a pussy Vodka one but a good old gin one. Before going over this I'd like to say drink responsibly and only if you are older than 21, unless your at home and your parents say it's okay, like mine did when I was a teen. that said you'll need a few things.

Hardware
1. cocktail glass.
1. jigger/half jigger or 1. small glass.
1. shaker & strainer

Software
Gin
white dry or extra dry white vermouth
green olives.
crushed Ice.

how to do it.

Put Ice in the glass and the shaker, then measure a two jiggers (shot glass) of gin and pour into shaker then measure half a jigger of vermouth. and place in shaker. Then shake (or stir) vigourously until the shaker is fogged over. remove the Ice from the glass and place olive in the glass then strain the Martini into the glass. viola instant James Bond.

*The Shaken or stirred argument. Traditionally the Martini is stirred and supposedly, despite what James bond may think, the stirred martini is bretter mixed and stronger as more ice melts into a shaken martini. I personally can't tell the differance, save that a shaken drink is colder, the reason I shake is because it's faster and takes less equipment*

while still on the martini I've recently created the midori martini. to make this sweet and delicious drink follow the aformentioned procedure but in place of vermouth use suntory midori.

Another party favourite at may house is the melon ball this is another easy drink. so here goes.

Hardware.
1. Collins glass.
1. Shaker
1. collins glass.
1. Jigger or regular shot glass

Software
Suntory midori
vodka
Orange juice
cubed ice

How to do it.
Fill the glass just iunder half with OJ then fill the shaker with Ice. Next measure and place in shaker a jigger of vodka and a half jigger of midori. Then shake until surface of the shaker fogs. Next pur the contents of the shaker Ice and all into the orange juice don't mix the layered effect is correct.

finally is the one the only Roger Clyne Margarita (as told on the long road home documentary) this is probably my favourite drink, and it's real easy.

Hardware
1. coctail or margarita glass.
1. tall shot glass
software
Gold tequila the least expensive 100% agave you can find using expensive tequila is a waste.
triple sec
lime aide (mixers are just lime aide with artificial crap added and they cost way more than lime aide)
lime
Icee cubes

How to do it.
first cut the lime into wedges. Next place ice cubes in glass. Then pour two shot glasses of tequila into the glass followed by half a shot of triple sec. next fill the remainder of the glass with limeaide and squeeze the lime wedge into the glass and leave the peel as a garnish.

I hope thatthese drinks will add to the fun at your new years party. and remember drink responsibly and NEVER drive drunk.

Cheers

image from www.idolvodka.com