Syphon bottle/Soda water (Yale)

There’s a way to add barware and an ingredient at the same time: that’s when you use the barware to actually make the new ingredient.

Soda water (also known as sparkling water or seltzer) is the ingredient we’re aiming for. It’s not hard to find this ingredient, chances are you already have some carbonated water lying around. But you can’t deny the charm of a syphon bottle. There’s something iconic about an old-fashioned syphon.

Since mixing cocktails is about the whole experience, the choice to advocate for a syphon bottle instead of ready to use soda is an easy one.

Sure, it’s the more fussy way: you’ll also need to stock chargers and you have to prepare the syphon by filling it and charging it. Afterwards you’ll have to clean and dry the syphon bottle. But adding sparkling water from a syphon feels a lot different than adding it from a simple commercial bottle. And even if you don’t use your syphon bottle, it should still be an esthetic improvement to your room. It isn’t even necessary to pick up an antique second hand syphon for that: there are modern syphons that are made with vintage elegance. I’m a sucker for the wire mesh versions, myself. (By the way: the wire mesh is to make sure the syphon doesn’t become a glass grenade when it might explode. After all: the bottle is under pressure and could break in a fall.)

If you try to buy a second hand syphon bottle, make sure it comes with a cartridge holder for the bulbs (chargers). It’s the most vulnerable part of the syphon and easy to misplace as well. So it happens a lot  that these syphons are sold without this critical element. It’s possible to get a spare bulb holder through some other channel if need be, but just be mindful of the issue.

When shopping for soda chargers, don’t accidentally pick up the chargers that are used for cream whippers. They look exactly the same outside of the package, but contain N₂O instead of CO₂.  I’m talking from reverse experience here: we once made some whipped cream with a soda bulb. Not a good idea. Using N₂O for your soda syphon won’t work either.

After charging the bottle, make sure you shake it for some ten seconds or so. You can remove the cartridge holder before you put the syphon to use. For some detailed description of syphon bottle usage, you can consult this page on the soda subsection of easyontheeye.net.

Having said all that, it’s all up to you of course. The point is to end up with soda water. Pouring it from a bottle of carbonated water will also work. Just keep in mind that the soda should be fresh: don’t use a bottle that has been opened longer ago. You want the soda for the fizz. If the fizz has died, there’s not much use for the soda.

This is advice that’s useful for all kinds of carbonated beverages that might be used in cocktails: use freshly opened bottles or cans. You can prepare for that by stocking small containers instead of liter bottles (or larger).

Finally a mixing note: CO₂ in water makes carbonic acid. Since it’s an acid, it will tilt your cocktail to the sour side. If you use a recipe, that’s not an issue. But if you start experimenting with soda water, it’s good to keep that effect in mind. Using soda water will have effect on the amount of sour ingredients to use (or the amount of sweet ingredients, as a counterbalance).

Yale

Although the soda and lemon touch give a small twist to this drink, the basis for the Yale is the same as Pink Gin: gin and bitters. They both seem quite hefty, and I guess they are. But don’t dismiss them right away. There are moments when a drink such as this is just the thing you need.

The gin is supposed to be dry gin according to the recipe, but there’s nothing wrong with experimenting. Since it’s all booze and bitters, a smoother variant like Plymouth or Old Tom might work even better.

gin (about 6 cl)

1 dash Angostura bitters

3 dashes orange bitters

soda water

glass:  cocktail (or other)

Stir the gin and bitters with ice and strain into the glass.

Add a bit of soda.

Garnish with a lemon peel.

In the recipe I followed (from The Savoy Cocktail Book) it is specified that you should squeeze the lemon peel on top. I haven’t added that instruction here, because I  think you should always squeeze the lemon peel garnish over the drink and rub the edge of the glass with the lemon. The only time it is acceptable not to squeeze the peel over the drink, is when you do these actions before you pour the drink, with the glass still empty.

Like Pink Gin, this cocktail calls for a glass that is fit for a smaller amount.

Periodic bar check

Slowly getting back into swing, the bar is expanding again.

The bar now holds:

Bases

gin

Aperitif Wines

dry vermouth
sweet vermouth

Liqueurs
maraschino
Cointreau
Bénédictine

Bitters
Angostura bitters
orange bitters

Juices
lemon

General Ingredients

ice

Glasses

Old Fashioned glass

cocktail glass

Barware

jigger

bar spoon
cocktail shaker
juicer
bar knife
channel knife

Bar on hold: Caprice and the Martinez

One hidden gem, one relatively unknown classic and two bonus cocktails to boot.

Caprice

The Dry Martini is a great cocktail. Bénédictine is a great liqueur. So what will happen when we combine those two? Yes, of course: we get another great cocktail.

Just a few little adjustments can really make difference. Compare the Caprice with the Cabaret and see what bitters and some tweaking with the ratios can do.

3 parts gin

1 part dry vermouth

1 part Bénédictine

1 dash orange bitters

glass:  cocktail

Stir with ice and strain into the glass.

It’s beautiful in its simplicity. And with a lovely, lively name to go with it.

Vancouver

If you substitute sweet vermouth for dry vermouth and switch to the golden ratio the Caprice will turn into the Vancouver. A very aromatic cocktail that lives in the same neighbourhood as the Rolls Royce.

Somehow, most of the (diverse) recipes of the Vancouver I find will specify Punt e Mes as the vermouth of choice. Since Punt e Mes is even more bitter than regular sweet vermouth, you’ll probably be gasping for the Bénédictine. Switching to the ratio of the Caprice could mend this.

Martinez

I touched upon the Martinez when I introduced the Dry Martini. The Martini seems to have evolved from this cocktail, which in turn can be considered a ‘gin Manhattan’. So the Martinez bridges the gap between the king and queen of cocktails: the Martini and the Manhattan. Ironically, unlike the latter two, the Martinez has never made quite a name for itself. This is slowly changing, with mixology gaining a new following, but the general public (and bartender) will probably look blank when you bring up the Martinez.

The history and exact recipe of the Martinez are quite hazy. I recommend reading through this article of tempered spirits for some background and variations.

1 part gin (preferably Old Tom gin)

1 part sweet vermouth

1 dash maraschino

2 dashes orange bitters

glass:  cocktail

Stir with ice and strain into the glass.

Garnish with a lemon twist.

Originally, the bitters that were used in the Martinez were Boker’s bitters. Those bitters were unavailable for a long time, though. Orange bitters have been the standard substitute and work great as well. If you really want to try out the original, you should try to get a hold of the new version of Boker’s bitters that has found its way on the market.

Silver Cocktail

If you substitute dry vermouth for sweet vermouth, stick to dry gin and add another dash of maraschino, you will get the Silver Cocktail.

Yes, that’s three tweaks, so that almost warrants a separate recipe entry. But in my opinion it’s easier to remember recipes when you can link them to other, similar recipes.

Bar on hold: Argentina and the Casino

Let’s take our brand new bitters for a spin.

Argentina

An orangy tasting cocktail due to the Cointreau and orange bitters. Dry vermouth and Cointreau do not necessarily mix well (in my opinion), but there are always exceptions.

4 parts gin

4 parts dry vermouth

1 part Cointreau

1 part Bénédictine

1 dash orange bitters

1 dash Angostura bitters

glass:  cocktail

Stir with ice and strain into the glass.

Garnish with an orange twist (if available).

The cocktail has an orange tint. Ironically, it’s not the Cointreau or the orange bitters which make this happen.

Casino

Back to The Savoy Cocktail Book: the Casino seems somewhat like a gin-heavy Aviation, but it has an entirely different character.

Although it contains lemon juice, it should be stirred instead of shaken: the amount of lemon is very small. Because your cocktail will stay clear, it is advisable to strain the lemon juice very thoroughly.

The amount of lemon and maraschino depends on the type of gin you’re using. The Casino originally calls for Old Tom gin. If you manage to stock this in your bar, one barspoon of lemon and maraschino will do enough (because the Old Tom already has some sweetness). If you go for dry gin (which is not uncommon), try a ratio of 8 parts of gin to 1 part of lemon and 1 part of maraschino.

gin (preferably Old Tom gin, 8 cl)

1 bar spoon maraschino

1 bar spoon lemon

2 dashes orange bitters

glass:  cocktail

Stir with ice and strain into the glass.

Garnish with a cherry (if available).

I finally managed to get my hands on Old Tom gin, so I’m happy to try this in the original version. In my next post I’ll tackle a venerable classic that also calls for Old Tom.

Orange bitters (Fancy Sour)

This is not the easiest ingredient to come by: you’ll need a top-shelf liquor store to get you this product. Or you’ll have to find your own way to a webshop that delves deep in the cocktail niche.

So yes, this is an ambitious ingredient. It’s a safe bet that anyone that stocks orange bitters is serious about making cocktails.

So do you want to be serious about making cocktails?

This is supposed to be a practical approach to cocktail making, so what is such a specialized ingredient doing in the bar?

Well, mainly because you’re better off stocking one bottle of orange bitters than a dozen different bottles of vague liqueurs that are hard to combine. You can play around with bitters, they are a solid part of cocktail history, they come in beautiful, small bottles and they don’t go bad easily - what could possibly be more practical than putting a small bottle in your bar to be recognized as a true hobby mixologist?

Okay, but why orange bitters instead of Peychaud’s bitters? Well, the Sazerac is my favourite cocktail, so that would be reason to choose for Peychaud’s. But it also contains three other ingredients that we don’t stock in the bar at the moment. Orange bitters open up more options right now. And there’s some real satisfaction in being able to make a Dry Martini like it used to be made, including being able to tell others about cocktail history.

Orange bitters went out of vogue after Prohibition. But since the recent cocktail revival, orange bitters have reappeared. There’s even choice now: there are several different brands of orange bitters, all with their own peculiar taste and wildly different in alcohol percentage.

One bottle is enough of a leap for now, however. Just go with whatever you can find or which bottle you think looks best.

Fancy Sour

This one can be made in the fancy way or in the casual way (as a scaffa, but with ice). I generally go for the casual version, if only as a break from the norm.

If you want to go the fancy way, you should shake instead of build the drink. Use a cocktail glass instead of an Old Fashioned glass. As a garnish, add an orange peel (if available).

A casual Fancy Sour is still a Fancy Sour, however.
Personally, I think this recipe is a real find.

2 parts sweet vermouth

1 part maraschino

1 part lemon juice

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 dash orange bitters

glass:  Old Fashioned glass

Build over ice into the glass. Give it a quick stir.

I picked up a mould for really large ice cubes that I’m quite happy with. That way, the drink will be cooled with limited dilution.

Breaking the rules: Hour before the Battle

There’s no harm in stressing again that bitters are a serious step forward in your cocktail repertoire. They also offer an easy way to personalize your cocktails: by adding an extra dash of this or that, you can easily give a drink a unique touch.

So go ahead. See if you can get a hold of some bitters somewhere. I ordered mine from internet, but you might be blessed with a very helpful liquor store in your neighbourhood which can order them for you.

At the moment I’m reading in the Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan. That´s where I stumbled upon a simple combination of sherry and bitters. The Hour before the Battle was published as early as 1869 in Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks (marvellous title) by William Terrington.

The recipe doesn’t even specify which kind of sherry (or madeira) and which kind of bitters to use. That leaves a lot of room to experiment.

Hour before the Battle

Not much use for quantities here. The original recipe speaks of one dash of bitters, but of course you can add a bit more to your taste.

The cocktail police won’t arrest you if you build the cocktail (bitters first) instead of stirring it properly.

sherry or madeira

bitters

glass:  sherry

Stir in a mixing glass and serve in the glass.

No surprise that I turned to the Spanish Bitters here.

For the sherry, I stuck to very sweet: a PX (Pedro Ximénez). Since sugar and bitters are classic cocktail ingredients, making sure the sherry itself was sweet made sense for me. And since the PX is very sweet, this allowed me to add a good deal of bitters as well.

When using sherry in cocktails, Oloroso sherry would usually be the classic choice. In this case the sherry itself is showcased, so anything goes really. It’s just a matter of finding the right bitters.

Breaking the rules: French 75

You might have noticed by now that I try to make at least three blog posts per month. It’s my way of making sure that the blog continues to have momentum and doesn’t suffer to much from the demands of a busy life. However, this month is a bit different. That’s because tomorrow is my wedding day.

So instead of opening the year with an exciting new ingredient (as I promised), I’ll break my rules for once. I’ll do just one blog post this month. And I’ll present a cocktail that cannot be made with the current bar. Oh, the horror.

It’s even kind of fitting in this precise case: the cocktail I’m going to present made a short appearance in the film Casablanca. Just as Rick eventually breaks some of his personal rules (not drinking with customers and sticking his head out for nobody) I have good reasons to deviate from the standard for once.

Incidentally, tomorrow afternoon at the reception there will be three cocktails available at the start:

·        White Lady, a favorite of my soon-to-be wife

·        White Russian, as a tribute to the Big Lebowski and bowling

·        French 75, because our wedding is in 40s/Casablanca style

I’m going to introduce to last one. So let’s get out the big guns.

French 75

Named after a cannon, and not just any cannon. The 1897 model 75 mm field gun was very successful in World War I. Usually just named the French 75 or the Soixante-Quinze, it was the first modern artillery piece. It had a smooth operation and a high firing rate.

The French 75 uses champagne (or another dry sparkling wine), but packs a lot more punch because of gin. Indeed, a well-chosen name: French, smooth, powerful. In my opinion, it’s one of the most pleasant fast routes to intoxication.

Harry MacElhone was the first to publish a cocktail named the 75 in the ABC of Mixing Cocktails. This would later become the French 75, after it had evolved towards a kind of gin sour with champagne. Harry Craddock put down the new name and new recipe in The Savoy Cocktail Book. According to Craddock it ‘hits with remarkable precision’.

Some recipes use cognac instead of gin for the French 75, specifically the New Orleans version. But we’ll stick to the original here.

Not everyone has sparkly stuff hanging around in the bar permanently. And since there aren’t a lot of great champagne cocktails, I won’t be adding it to the bar for a long time. But this cocktail is certainly worth trying out, so I don’t mind breaking the rules here and letting this recipe slip through. Even though it has two illegal ingredients.

6 parts gin

3 part lemon juice

1 part simple syrup (or sugar)

champagne (or other dry sparkling wine)

glass:  tall glass or champagne flute

Shake the gin, lemon juice and syrup/sugar with ice and strain into the glass.

Top off with champagne and stir gently.

Garnish with a long, thin lemon spiral and possibly a cocktail cherry.

This cocktail doesn’t need much champagne, so if you have a decent-sized glass you can work with 6 cl of gin. Champagne flutes can be quite small, so in that case you’ll have to adjust accordingly.

A narrow glass might make it hard to use a cocktail pin, but dropping the cherry to the bottom like a stray cannonball works fine as well (the French 75 didn’t fire balls, of course, but there’s still some cannon association there).